Tears

Tears flowed down from swelling eyes, watering the silver grass that flooded the ancient forest like a hidden ocean. The celestial kingdom of stars gazed down from space to admire its own reflection and to observe as the fates that they wrote unfold into their grand design. All the light from heaven above and from the glassy mirror of grass below shown upon the lone child, bare of any clothes and shining as a goddess of light. One more pair of eyes looked upon the little one, first with a spell of deep dark hate, but the softness of the helpless girl and the beaming light radiating from her body broke through the dark and lit a spark in his heart. And then the tears flowed down from the dragon’s serpentine eyes. No dragon had ever cried before. And no dragon would ever shed a tear again.

The little girl looked up to the dragon with big blue eyes, pleading for salvation. The dragon approached her softly and wrapped her with his wing, but when his scales touched the skin of the child he recoiled as searing pain penetrated his iron hide. He fell a few steps back and then the girl began to cry. Her tears fell down upon the mirror of the heavens below and out of the glowing grass, new trees erupted from the surface, colossal in size, touching the tips of the lowest stars. The dragon’s heart boiled with fear towards the innocent frame of light, but he dared not fly away. His heart was tied to her own with an unbreakable bond.

He reached out with his scaley claw to gently grasp her within his palm, but again, a fierce heat ran across his body, as if light incarnate stood before him in the form of a helpless child. As he pulled away, his talon brushed across her pure face and left a scar from her left temple to her cheek. Gold blood flowed down to the grass and as the drops hit the silver grass, gold of the purest kind sprouted forth as flowers around the towering trees.

The dragon stared at the mysterious girl, since she did not cry from the pain, nor did she show any sign of wonder at the garden she had created of unworldly magnificence. She merely stared back into the eyes of the dragon and penetrated the depths of his soul.

In despair, the mighty serpent hung his head, but he was not despaired to complete surrender. His mind flew to the others of his kind, but he knew the hearts of dragons harbor a wretched evil, some darker than his own, and he did not know if the light would overcome their darkness just as it did his own. He attempted to summon her to follow him, but her tiny legs could not carry her through the forest, and the copper roots of the trees reached out to ensnare her. Besides, the forest was vast, beyond any human measure. No child could ever venture so far.

From where did the girl of pure starlight come? There is none like her in the immeasurable world of the dragons. Even if he could lead her through the forest, where would he take her? She and her light would die, and the light of the world would be as darkness in her absence. Once again, the dragon hung his head.

But as his head sunk down, they met the silver mirror of grass below and he beheld the faint light of the distant stars. He looked up and then he knew for certain…this girl was a fallen star, and her silver light was missing from the kingdom of heavenly lights. And she had to be returned.

Then the dragon did something the stars had not written into fate, and they watched in awe. He flung the weightless child onto his back and cried as the infinite torment of light seethed through every nerve. He darted up the tallest of the trees that sprouted from the girl’s tears and ran up with a speed unmatched, sending thunderous echoes to the end of the globe. Up he stormed to the top of the tree, roaring in pain, and at the top he leapt into the darkness of space and spread out his powerful wings to fly. Up he flew towards the light of the stars, each stroke requiring more strength, and every moment the pain of the luminating child increased. He felt his very life force departing from him, but still he pressed on.

With one final roar of pain, he let loose a storm of fire. One last stroke of his wings launched him and the girl into the depths of space and into the presence of the stars. The girl floated off from his back into the dark, still radiating in intense silver glow. The dragon laid his eyes on her one more time, and the little child locked eyes with him. Then he closed his eyes and his soul passed on to the everlasting realm of the dragons.

The girl shed a single tear for her loyal friend. No words were ever exchanged between them, yet his act of sacrifice represented a closeness very few could ever know. She then floated over the lifeless beast and her head touched his own. And then the stars, the dragons, the critters of the earth, the mighty men of old, every living thing of the world beheld the coming splendor…

As the child’s head met the dragon’s, all of space erupted in golden light. The girl was transformed instantly into her true form, and she shined as the most brilliant of any star. Her silver light mingled with the flames of the dragon, and fire leapt from her glorious frame. Waves of heat flooded out over all of creation, breaking even the deepest darkness. The creatures of the world say that moment was the birth of the Sun. But few know the true tale of dutiful dragon who sacrificed all for a child of light.

And now the child keeps faithful watch of the earth and seeks out the helpless who are overcome by the dark. And she pities those she sees in despair. And just as the dragon had once shed tears for her and brought her safely home, she sheds tears of beaming light onto those in distress and bring them safely home. Because home is where the light shines strongest.