Nature Calls Midseasons

Before the beginning there was the void, empty and stagnant, but then, a thought happened. This thought was something. Something was the opposite of nothing. For there to be nothing there had to be something, so the thought created a whole lot of something, bursting outward from the void.

The thought became a question. How could something be acknowledged? Was something any different from nothing? The thought reached throughout the void in search of something.

A presence brushed through the aimlessly drifting something. The touch perceived something, but it did not satisfy the thought’s question. Something needed a clear definition to oppose nothing. The presence grasped onto what it had touched, striving for an answer. Under immense pressure, the something was crushed down into tiny orbs.

The sensation sparked illumination. Curious at the new entity, the thought discovered a form of perception, allowing observation of something. The little orbs danced about within the core of the growing spark, creating different sizes and shapes as they clustered together. The illumination quickly overtook them, though, concealing further observation.

The thought was dissatisfied with the change, pushing the illumination back. It separated the illumination from the void, casting a dark shadow. Within the void was infinite possibility, but the structures growing within the illumination gave form to possibility and in turn new formations.

As the thought sparked more illuminations apart from each other, new formations condensed outside of them in the void. They grew into drifting masses that revolved around the condensing illuminators. The thought observed the relationship of shadow and illumination within the void with the formations growing from the orbs, pleased to see the definition it desired.

After the rotation between these phases, the thought discovered a new question. The formations were stagnant and rigid, but how could this be defined? Displeased once again, the thought reached out to grasp them. Some took on spherical forms, like the illuminators. Others crumbled further, releasing their possibility back into the void. Relinquishing the hold, the thought observed what would happen next.

The orbs of possibility drifted across the illuminators and formations. An attraction pulled them together which led to a new shift. Fluidity was born, and the thought reached to touch it. It observed dry surfaces developing something wet, shifting above and dissolving below. The thought was pleased with this fluidity to oppose the stagnation. The moisture above became atmospheres and below grew into oceans.

As the new rotation cycle continued, the thought realized there was new stagnation. The seas engulfed the surface and just stopped. A new division was required to maintain the definition. Pulling at the tiny orbs within the formations, eruptions sprung from the depths, and the possibilities shifted again. Some of the water was absorbed into the solid form, while others rested in various sized pools on top. As the thought observed the dry and wet formations once more, the balance satisfied it, withdrawing to further observe other developments.

As the revolutions continued, the original thought fractured into smaller thoughts with different questions and inspirations. One observed how orbiting formations and orbs changed without intervention. This thought was fascinated at how destruction could bring about new creations all on their own. However, all too often, other thoughts would intervene to correct these unique evolutions, stifling the development.

Within a newly forming system around an illuminator, this curious thought discovered an unnoticed anomaly. Two, developing formation cores’ obits were too close together, colliding with one another! The two cores were very different from each other, so the thought was eager to see how they would develop from their collision.

One of the cores completely shattered, swirling around the second and bracing it as it recovered from it fractures. The two fused into one formation and settled into a new orbit, but just when the thought became excited, others took notice of the abnormal mass. Anxious to lose another beautiful anomaly, the thought plunged into the core to hide it. Using its presence to mask the organic evolution, the other thoughts were deceived into leaving the mass alone as it developed.

Within the core, the thought fused as well. Unable to leave, it settled quite comfortably to observe this new world. After countless revolutions, the core sensed the thought’s presence. Realizing the core had evolved a new existence, it reached out to grasp the newly developing conscious, which turned out to be two.

Recalling how the tiny orbs within all things could be manipulated, the thought decided to design something new. Its reach extended into the atmosphere, observing the two consciousnesses were separate, but they weren’t fully aware of their surroundings, only what touched them. Using the orbs within the mass, the thought designed a vessel for these consciousnesses to process their perceptions. It was a slow process as the mass continued to develop, but as the formation’s development came toward completion, one of the vessels became active.

Suddenly aware, the vessel laid prone on a mass of earth and rock. This form had been designed with mobility to engage with their surroundings: two pairs of limbs attached to a central trunk with a sphere to observe and process from the top. The thought had designed this vessel with a feature similar to the illuminators that could store possibility and create anew. This organic vessel took on a white appearance, but closer observation revealed the spectrum of colors shimmered on the surface like tiny individual facets. Crystalline irises opened to see the cosmos beyond the atmosphere. Rather than the fascination the thought expected, anxiety gripped the vessel as a scream of fright escaped their lips.

The sudden cry activated the second vessel adrift in the atmosphere. This vessel had been designed to break down and disperse the orbs within as a balance to the first’s feature of creation. This vessel had a black appearance as if absorbing all the light into the surface without reflection. Directly above the first vessel, the same eyes opened to see the landmass below. Instinctively, the second vessel tried to reach out and embrace the other. Since the thought was still connected to them, they sensed one another briefly, and the first vessel calmed their fit to be relieved of isolation. The link was strong between them, but once the first realized they could not directly reach the second as they had been designed, grief overwhelmed them.

The expanse between them developed vapors that condensed to watery puffs. Further separated from one another, the first vessel cried out in longing, summoning water to pour from the skies. Once a dry landmass, the surface couldn’t absorb the water fast enough, flooding rapidly. The vessel did not yet understand its own mobility, so they remained in place as waters rushed toward them.

Unable to see through the vaporous cover, the second vessel reached with their left arm toward their counterpart. As a tear slipped down the side of their dark nose, they wished this would be the last tear the other would ever shed. The tear drifted away from the vessel into the vapors, shaping into a reflection of the second vessel with a surface appearance that blended between the two originals. Surprised by the appearance, the copy opened their eyes, revealing crystal blue irises. Around their neck was a matching pendant in the shape of a teardrop. The vessel released their hold on the copy, letting them disperse within the expanse below.

The newborn vessel turned toward the surface, only knowing one purpose from the wish that birthed them. They had to console the first vessel. Descending as falling rain, they reformed to kneel beside the prone vessel, lifting them in time to prevent being covered by the ocean of tears. The touch surprised the vessel, calming the falling precipitation as they looked at each other. The original knew this was not the one they longed for, but the younger felt familiar enough to ease their loneliness. With the crisis averted, the thought realized the problem at hand and considered how to correct it.

The waters began to recede where the companions were. From where the original vessel had been lying, a green sprout pushed through the last dry portion of land. The two watched little green limbs stretch out toward the skies. The pause of fascination allowed the land to disperse and absorb the massive amounts of water into itself as a third design took form. A long trunk with twisting limbs reaching down into the formation’s center and out toward the atmosphere with lush green attachments that littered the upper limbs to perceive the air.

The first vessel recalled the thought’s presence, reaching to touch the thickening bark beneath their soft fingers. Both connected once again, allowing the thought to pass through the formation’s core vessel. The rain vessel asked what was happening, and the core explain their evolution was almost complete. The thought revealed if they could wait for one hundred revolutions, their desire would be granted. Until then, the core had to finish their own development.

For one hundred revolutions, the companions oversaw their world’s growth and evolution. Wherever the core vessel walked, organic life sprung forth. The rain companion learned to move water throughout the world to nourish the growth. The graceful core tried to understand the thought’s explanations of their existence, discovering a sense of femininity and identity. She realized her companion’s design was to balance hers, and the strong sense of protection and disruption pieced together a masculine sense of identity that the younger accepted. He tried to be a comfort to her, for he promised to make sure he was her last tear. She named him Rain.

During that time, creatures that evolved and thrived in the sea of tears ventured onto the land, developing unique traits. Some walked the land as they did while others learned to take to the sky. Their silent companion grew as well into a tall tree that dropped seeds frequently, and they planted them all across the world per the thought’s direction.

When the day the world reached a precise position in orbit, a spring appeared at the base of the tree where the first vessel awakened. The tree conveyed that if the core vessel entered the spring she would see the one she longed for. Rain urged her to go, promising to watch over the world for her. Stepping into the pool, the water glowed into a stream of light that shot straight into the atmosphere.

The light opened to a black fountain high above the world’s surface. Startled by the sudden trip, she gripped the slippery fountain, taking in her surroundings. It was the same cosmic expanse she had grown used to at night, but there were no clouds above now. Below the fountain were rivers flowing from the gathered pool below, extending outward as far as she could see. There were masses of black crust that separated these rivers that held a silver and gold sparkle to them with towers of the same crust, littered across her line of sight.

On a nearby shore, a dark masculine figure faced the fountain. The crystal eyes gawped back at her. It didn’t take them long to tentatively approach one another. As she slid down to the base of the fountain, he swam to cross the deep pool to meet her. They embraced, holding their foreheads together. The touch moved them to tears of bliss to be connected at last.

The world completed seven rotations while the second vessel showed the first all he had discovered from the cosmos. Originally fearful of the expansive void, she grew a new appreciation for the vast unknown. He told her he called the formations that drifted around the illuminators planets, so he called her Lané for she was at its center. She named him after what she called the atmosphere—Skye—whose unique complexion changed with the amount of light he absorbed just like the firmament, unlike her shimmering pale one.

As the light diminished on the seventh rotation, Skye noticed an abnormal form flying toward them. Realizing it was not on a typical orbital path, he sensed danger. Grasping Lané by the hand, he rushed her back to the fountain. He could only offer her cautionary glances as she cried in fright. When they reached the fountain, he told her to wait for him on the surface before lifting her back into the pillar of light. Lané was pulled back down to the surface, crying out for her Skye.

Before Rain could ask the hysterical core what happened, the tree’s roots buttressed and shook the ground as if it gripped the earth, drawing them closer to the trunk. They moved just as an asteroid struck the atmosphere, raining broken, fiery pieces down as it tried to pierce the heavens. Fortunately, the atmosphere managed to burn up most of the pieces that escaped.

Rain screamed in agony, pressed against Lané to shield her from debris that passed the tree. One, large meteor broke away as the asteroid grazed past the planet, striking across the land, and while most of it kept moving along the surface back outside of the atmosphere, it left quite a scar in its wake. The tree’s roots bulked as the land broke apart from the impact, holding the crust together as the tremors shook all the way down to the core.

Rain continued to shield Lané with his body, but the atmosphere lost so much vapor that his body began to shrink as if regressing his development. Once the tremors ceased, Lané helped her injured companion rest against the tree. His body felt stiff as the whole world shifted from scorching heat to biting chill. Lané sensed the tree call her to the drying spring. From the slowly freezing water, she discovered a crystal with a cord attached. Picking it up, the core vessel sensed the tree’s presence without touching it, and it impressed upon her to go to the initial impact sight. Since Rain was still weak, she promised him she would return.

Walking alone in the unfamiliar, icy terrain, Lané felt sorrow for the destruction of her home. Had she caused this by going to Skye? Helping creatures when she came across them with her healing touch, she finally reached the place the tree sent her. A massive glacier reached toward the sky, but she could tell it was reaching into the earth as well. If it continued, her core would freeze.

Thinking about how she could stop it, a stray leaf from the tree caught in her long white locks brushed her cheek. Holding the leaf close to her chest, she focused on how to warm her world. The crystal around her neck glowed as the leaf in her hands broke apart into a warm breath of air, swirling and swooping around her. Looking up with hope, a youthful woman reached down from the wind to cup Lané’s chilled cheeks with a hum before whirling about the glacier.

The woman phased in and out of her wind in an elegant dance. Her lithe legs kicked warm air out into the world as she danced about the tower of ice. To the core vessel’s delight, the glacier shrank back gradually, and the dancer’s circle with it. Finally, a lump of ice remained on top of the remains of the original meteorite, but no matter how much the wind touched it, it refused to melt.

The woman knelt to inspect it, realizing it was fighting to survive. She reached to pick it up, wincing at the sting of bitter cold. Despite the bite of frost, she carried it back gently to Lané, asking to help the poor thing, for if it could fight, it must be frightened of fading away.

The two flew on the wind back to the tree, which was now on an island in the melting sea. They took the lump to a part of the island away from the tree. Lané advised the ice that if it could adapt to living in their world it could remain, and the graceful woman buried it in the fertile earth. They left it to tend to Rain.

In time, the lump grew its own form. A pale man with long silky hair emerged from the soft soil. Upon awakening, he stumbled toward the warmth he recalled so fondly, discovering the lovely dancer as she frolicked in a new grassy field. She recognized the cold aura, but rather than run, she invited him to dance. Lané and Rain observed them from the field, smiling to see the two dancing together. Snow fell for the first time, covering the part of the island the lump had been buried.

The warmth enveloping the world did not stop climbing, though. Again, the tree pressed Lané to return to the impact sight. The woman—now called Spring—carried her and her partner—who she called Winter—back to his birth sight where the meteorite rested. The land cratered further under the intense heat given off of the rock, which Spring could barely drive back. Rain tried to use his precipitation, but the heat made his body regress further. Winter tried using his frost to cool it, but a hot stream rose from his hands which gave a stinging sensation he did not like. Lané had to venture alone into the pit, finding the remains of the meteorite bleeding hot liquid from a boiling core.

Returning to the others, she asked Spring to bring her another leaf from their tree. When the leaf arrived, the heat dried the lush green to a brittle brown much to their heartache. Pulling it close to her chest, Lané focused on a new wind to cool the air. Once again, the crystal glowed as the leaf broke apart with a chilly sigh. This time a stern woman stood facing the crater, saying she would resolve the crisis.

Crafting a tool of bone and stone, she carved into the wall of the crater, letting the earth and crust roll down around the meteorite. She moved in a circle, using her wind to funnel the heat away. Winter and Spring approached, asking if they could help. While she initially rejected it, Lané insisted that they all worked together to save their world.

Winter and Rain assisted on the wall with new tools as Lané and Spring packed the dirt around the boiling rock. The cool woman explained it would smother the heat, but just as before, there was a resistance that she felt at the core. Climbing to the top, she punched her fist through the thin surface, screaming down into the core to stop roasting everything if it wanted to survive.

After several other harsh words, a hot lump brushed against her palm, but she still needed both hands to pull it out. Trembling horridly from pain, she insisted on carrying the boiling core back. Spring carried them all back to their island, where Lané led the woman to the opposite side of the island from Winter’s core burial sight. After instructing this core as she had Winter’s, the new wind woman buried it. Only then did she allow Rain to wash her burned hands and arms in cool water.

Unlike Winter, the core did not sprout quickly. The woman they called Autumn sat by the tree as they treated her burns. Lané made new growth appear, but she instructed her to let the skin settle for a while. Spring had learned to weave locks of Winter’s hair into cloth, so they wrapped Autumn’s hands and forearms to protect them. Autumn then finally started to explore the island.

While walking, Autumn discovered the place the core had been buried was shifting. To her shock, a large man broke out of the earth. His black skin reminded her of cooled lava, glistening under the sun. He was massive, and as he reached toward the sky, a loud grunt bellowed through a stretch of aggressive cracking joints. The cool wind flew after Autumn into a forest as she hid, but the man noticed and followed after her.

Among the trees, Autumn designed a shelter to sit high up in the branches, where she could hide from the man. She remembered the awful things she had screamed at the core, and she could just imagine his retaliation. Finding the perfect tree to build her nest, she crafted a smaller version of branches to flesh out the design.

Behind her, the man walked up to see what she was hunched over. Seeing her model, he grinned excitedly, praising her skill with a deep rumbling voice. Yipping, Autumn scurried away from him, but rather than pursue, he reached down to ask if he could make one, too. The idea of help returned to her, and she asked if he wanted to build a larger one. He agreed eagerly.

All day, he would gather supplies and build just as Autumn told him to. Eventually, she began to call him Summer. At night, he would wait until she was asleep to lie next to her, exchanging her cool air for his heat to sleep. He would rise before her, though, so she didn’t realize how gentle he could be.

Finally, Lané came to the forest to find Autumn. Surprised to see Summer using a vine to pull the structure into the tree, she stood speechless. Once Summer finished, he asked Autumn if she wanted him to lift her into the tree. She asked why. He admitted he knew she had made it to be out of his reach, so he knew he couldn’t reach the shelter.

Tears fell from Autumn’s eyes as guilt overcame her. Summer leaned down to look at her flushed freckles cheeks, asking why her face was getting so warm. She quavered about why he would help her if he’d known all along, yelling hysterically. The man tilted his head innocently, saying he wanted to be of help like she had helped him.

Lané finally approached to explain how Winter and Spring balanced one another. Autumn sniffled that he was too kind to her. Summer just laughed, asking what he could build her next. The crystal around Lané’s neck hummed pleasantly to tell her all would be well now. A balance had been reached at last.