Shifting Shadows

In the dark of night, Lilliana stood upon a hilltop that stood in the middle of a large, sweeping valley which was bordered in a circle by an immense forest and surrounded by incredible, majestic mountains. How she got there, she had no idea. What she did know, however, was that she couldn’t possibly be anywhere on Earth, considering the three full moons that hung in the sky, and the colors and shapes of the trees and vegetation that surrounded her. The grass beneath her, instead of being the typical green she was used to seeing, was a rather appealing lavender color, stretching across the valley below. The trees of the bordering forest were tall but thin, their branches spiraling around them as the light from the moons perfectly illuminated the deep blue of their leaves and the golden hue of their bark. As a small breeze swept through her long, ruby-red locks, she blinked her ice blue eyes in wonder. The air was filled with pleasant, woodsy scents containing just a hint of a flowery sweetness, telling her that, somewhere nearby, some unknown species of flowers were in full bloom. Briefly, she wondered what those flowers might look like in this strange world. She almost considered going to look for them, then shook her head at herself. She had no idea where this place even was, or why she’d been brought here. Most likely, she wasn’t even really here, instead immersed once again in one of the visions she occasionally received from Eslios, the almighty God of all. If it was one of her visions, then there was a good reason she was seeing all of this, and wouldn’t have anything to do with searching out an admittedly entrancing scent. No, there was a serious purpose to this, though she wasn’t certain what. She turned around, eyes scanning the entire valley before her, until they landed on a form that slowly trotted towards her from the forest. She gasped as the moonlight shone across the form, recognition pounding through her veins. It was a unicorn. Its fur shone silvery-white in the light of the three moons, its beautiful horn glinting in a way that belied just how deadly it could be with its sharp point. When the majestic creature was only a few steps away, she could see its irises were an incredible shade of purple, and they spoke of an ancient soul with vast intelligence. It stopped only a foot in front of her, its pure white mane flowing softly across its neck and head as the matching tail swished lazily behind its rump. Without thought, Lilliana slowly reached forward, holding her hand out in a silent request, and, to her delight, the unicorn laid its head in her hand in acceptance. As she stroked its surprisingly soft fur, she whispered, “Who are you?” The equine huffed gently and opened its eyes, looking deeply into hers as a voice whispered through her head, “I am what once was, what was lost. I am what is now found. The Great One, Eslios, has chosen me for you, and you for me. Together, we will fight the darkness that is coming for the world we now guard.” Shocked, Lilliana stared dumbly at the animal before her. She had so many questions, was so confused, but, for some reason, all she could do was stare. As if sensing her confusion, the creature seemed to give a small smile before touching Lilliana’s forehead with her nose, then shifting her head to gently place her magnificent horn against Lilliana’s skin. “My name is Aria. Call on me when you are in need.” With those last words, the unicorn began to disappear, until only silver sparkles hovered in the air before her. “Aria?” Lilliana said as she reached toward the still hovering sparkles. All of a sudden, as her fingers breached the mist, it seemed to flow into her hands, into her very blood, lighting her veins with the same silver as it traveled throughout her body. It felt like a rush of cool water pouring into her, an almost euphoric sensation filling her until she could take no more. As the feeling ebbed, she noticed that she finally felt complete. It was mind-boggling; she’d never noticed a feeling of emptiness inside her, and yet, this feeling of completeness exposed the fact that, before, she had never been entirely fulfilled. Until now. Opening her eyes from the rush, she looked up once more at the three moons that filled the sky. This time, she recognized this place. This was home.