"It was that I had the records of my family to safeguard; I had my own progeny to look after, and to guide in the world. And so even in the darkest times, when all human existence seemed monstrous to me and unbearable, and the changes of the world beyond comprehension, I turned to the family as if it were the very spring of life itself.
"And the family taught me the rhythms and passions of each new age; the family took me into alien lands where perhaps I would never have ventured alone; the family took me into realms of art which might have intimidated me; the family was my guide through time and space. My teacher, my book of life. The family was all things."
-Maharet, Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know
-Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
"'I think that, to some degree, all of us are fractured souls. Cut in half. And we wander through life looking for the rest of ourselves. And sometimes we're fortunate enough to meet someone who possesses, in themselves, the part of ourselves that we've been missing. We may not realize it on a conscious level, but definitely on a subconscious level. We see in someone else...something of ourselves.'...'That's why sometimes you meet someone and you just immediately feel comfortable with them. You feel like you've known them all your life. The reason is that they're a part of you, and you're a part of them. You're soul mates. You...fit.'...'And once you've fit together, nothing can pull you apart unless you let go.'"
-Deanna, Imzadi by Peter David
This is pieced together from random writings, bits of memory, and long discussions that have occured over the past ten years. This is who I am. This story has the usual dedications, to the nearby and faraway souls of the Great Family, and anyone whose name or soul appears in this writing. But this time I'm gonna name names. To Bethy, and friendbat who wants to come out and play, my best friend and soulmate. To Angel, and the cobalt lord that stands behind him when he's on stage. To my sister Ronni, and her totem, the black unicorn. To Heather, song of snow with the soul of a bengal tiger within her, and her Bobby. To Victor, and the nomadic manhawk he denies, may you occasionally wonder what ever happened to that psycho chick from 7th grade. To Karla, with the spirit of a black pegasus. To those I hardly knew, child snow, earthen blaise and the other dragons. To Ten Years Gone, for bringing him back to life whenever they play, Allen, Jason, Walt, and Jenny and the kids. To those who remember WWFIN IRC #chat, Paul and Eric, Ace and Alucard, and everyone else, and especially my rainy day man Erik. To our friends up north, dealing with their grief as we all are, Tommy, Lauren, Dave, Dan and Mike, I owe you all mega hugs. To Jimmy, Dave, and Mom. To my new friends on OD, Tiek, D, Dave, Manopeace and whatever readers I may have. To Lucas, my long lost twin. To my baby cousins, Alexander and Brendan. To anyone who reads this and is touched or awakened, and to those who think I'm completely off my rocker. And finally, to Jake, my beloved Imzadi, my dark hunter, my soulmate, now and forever.