By Raven
Three women stood watching their mother paint. Eldest was Sky, mate to the force that was time itself. Next was Halea, keeper of memory. Finally, there was Laurelyn, the only force in the universe who could stop Death in its tracks, if she had the right reason to do so.
They all had two things in common: the blue-black hair of their mother, and pale violet eyes. Mother didn�t know that they always watched over her. She was a very special woman, and she never knew just how special.
Halea looked to her sisters. �I think it is time we commit the beginning of our mother�s life to the great book.� she said.
�You�re right, her story needs to be told.� Amy said, looking at the other two. �I wish we could tell her, just once, who she really was. She deserves that.�
�I know, but she could not deal with the truth, that even she has limits, and she has still many things to do. This would take away her spirit of adventure and that would not be fair to her.� replied Halea. Simultaneously, they all agreed.
�So, shall we begin with her first waking moments, or at the real beginning?� Halea asked. They looked to one another, then they all started laughing.
The spirit of creation awoke, or more precisely, became self aware. From that first breath came all that could be in concept. First to be born was Tajani Mash, time itself. It was soon found that he was too powerful, and he ran amok. Creation makes only one mistake ever- this was hers. She needed a way to temper this error. So, she created in her next breath Entropy, or to the more common, that which was called death. Now, she had an ending; so she needed a beginning. That third breath produced Ptah the Eternal. From him came the first ones, those of primal force in concept, such as Chaos and War. He also brought forth those that would be called the Elder Gods. All those were eternal and without ending. This was because they had no part that had limits. So, Creation took a little time to think.
While she thought, the planets came to be. At first there was only a universe, but after Tajani�s first temper tantrum, the multiverse was created, if only to give Creation places for Tajani to have his temper fits. Once Tajani had found a place to sulk for a while, Creation, now calling herself Mother, devised a way to give an ending to things, and give entropy a purpose.
She created a cup, the Crucible, which in time would be called the well of souls. She then placed a single tear in the cup. When it hit the bottom, it shattered, and souls were forged. For every soul created, she made a match. But, those first three she had created had no match, and were lonely.
To those that were her children and grandchildren she laid down one rule. That which has been made may never be unmade. To do so will be your undoing. To those gods she said, �Choose now, if you wish to have an ending.� The gods all chose to have a finite existence, but that they could choose their own endings.
Ptah�s children chose to remain eternal, and in service to all. They are beings of concepts such as Entropy, and too numerous to mention now. To all the gods she said one thing, �All must have a soul, living or not, so that when the time is right, they may end.�
She then reached into the Crucible, and found that she had committed another error. Her direct touch on a soul created an eternal. She could not undo what was done to this first soul, so she held it in her hand. �You shall have a purpose. From you shall come those mates needed for my first three children. Being born of a corporeal being will give them what they need to temper and balance themselves. Come, mate to this one, you are needed.� Mother said, and a second came forth, but it was already too late. All the souls were becoming eternal.
�What will you do now?� Chaos asked.
�I shall think of something.� Mother said.
�I will bring each thing, when it ends, to you, Mother. Allow the souls to remain eternal, just reuse them.� suggested Entropy.
�Well, it saves space.� Chaos said, looking a little disappointed.
�You wish to give a blessing to one of these souls?� she asked Chaos.
�Yes, I do.� was his reply.
�Then do so.�
The first soul and its mate were alone in a box. Chaos came to the souls and said, �I will give a two fold blessing- for you nothing shall be impossible, and the strength to do what is needed, whatever the cost, shall be yours.�
Hope then came to that soul and said, �I will give you two blessings also. The ability to love all equally once you awaken your heart to them, and the strength to survive.� That was when the concept of evil came forward.
�I can not bless you without a curse also. You will always have enemies who will try to destroy you, but because of that, you will always have those to protect and love you more than you will ever know.� That first soul was the girls� mother.
Halea looked at her sisters. �Sky, please let me put my story in the book. It's only fair.� she pleaded.
�Well, what do you think, Amy? Shall we let her?� Sky asked her younger sister. The two said nothing, they just looked at Halea. Halea looked at them and they all smiled.
�It starts when Mom was guild director, and Ptah calling across time and the cosmos to her. She came to the temple,� Halea looked at Amy, �Yes, the temple you were conceived in. She came to the dais and asked of grandmother, �What do you need of me, Mother?� �Once again, I call you to serve as the conduit for my will. First in this is who will attend this one in her task?� Salem spoke, �I will, my lady.� �No, Haslem, you must sleep as she will for this. She will not be allowed to remember this. For even her mind could not accept this.� �I understand, my mistress, but who will attend her?� he asked. �We will.� came four voices.
Halea paused in her dictation and looked at her sisters. �We were there, along with Andrew and my mate.� Sky said. �As we attended Mother while she carried Amy.�
Amy said, �You were with Sky while Mother carried me, so we were in attendance while Mother carried you. We bathed and changed Mother's clothing- she was in a trance, her mind partially asleep. That was when Ptah, like Andrew, aroused the passion in her to a fevered pitch. They then completed the act. With you, though, it was different. Mother would sleep in that place out of time for what would have been ten thousand years.�
�Why so long?� Halea asked.
�Because you were to be the memory of all those that had ever lived and thought. Lot of stuff to compress in such a small package.� Amy replied.
The other two looked at Halea. �We both know that the book is just an affectation to satisfy the artist in you.� Halea blushed.
Sky picked up the narration. �She slept unmoving the whole time, with our blood sustaining her. She was returned, only semi conscious, with a comatose cat in her arms, to Guild Central. Still, the look on Doc�s face was priceless when he scanned you for the first time. To the Guild, it had seemed that Mother was abducted in mid jump and returned nine months later, with no memory and a Minyan child in her womb. Chris dealt with it well.�
�Yes, he did, didn�t he?� came Harry Tophet�s voice out of a cloud of pungent cigar smoke. All three women looked at him with thoughts set on kill. �Easy, ladies, easy,� he pleaded, �I�m only here because Robin agreed to watch Naya, so your mother here could have a Sunday off.
�I still can�t believe what that little minx did to me. I had just had my first regeneration when the little sneak tricked me into falling in love with her. She was exotic and beautiful as well as sneaky and ruthless, all the traits I wanted in a fling. Well, we flung all right. Took her a while, but she finally got me into bed. It was the note she left that always got to me, though. �Look me up again, Harry, when you want to die. Until then, leave the guild alone, or your son will take your place in the grave.�, it said. I hated her for a very long time. But, I wouldn�t have it any other way.�
�Mom has that effect on a lot of people. You know, though, by human standards it is a little freaky. Being the mate to your father, Amy.� Sky observed.
�You know that for you it was different, Halea. Ptah provided the source, but the seed is the entire Minyan species.� Laurelyn added.
�True, Amy. She has a point, Hal.� Sky added.
�Yeah, I know. But, I still love the look on other people�s faces, when they realize they are not where they need to be.� Halea said, with a menacing tone in her voice. Harry looked at the sisters and evaporated in some haste.
�Well, soon enough little Naya will join us as guardians. About time Grandma sent her to us- she is to keep magic from going screwy with the universe. Magic is completely unstable, for the most part it takes shape in the caster. She will be able to stop the laws of magic on any world.� Halea said.
�You realize that means the gods, like Grandpa, will be unhappy.� Sky said.
�Yeah. She will be able to stop them from using their abilities.�
�Ouch! That could get interesting.� said Amy.
�Oh, it will.� Halea looked into her book and smiled.
�She is going to have so many more adventures, isn�t she, Hal?�
�Yes, Amy, she is, and many more trials, but it will be worth it. It will always be worth it for her.�
The three of them continued to watch their mother�s efforts from out of time for the rest of the day, quietly talking about those around her.