The ground was cold against my check. Exhaustion clawed my skin reminding me of my warm bed back home. The sun was setting off in the distance and the stars were
beginning to emerge on to the blanket of the sky. Just as I saw the first star beginning to show its twinkle, I heard a voice. It was distinctly feminine, soft as silk and warm like fresh baked cookies. The voice, oh that voice! Immediately I felt enchanted. My heart was fluttering like a butterfly and soaring like an eagle all because of this magnificent voice. I suddenly stood,realizing deep down that I must find this sweet voice. Time seemed to slow as I made my way to a beautiful meadow where she sat staring up to
the sky. She looked up at that twinkling star,"how I wonder what you are," the words sounded in my head. I have never before thought those words, but no! Who cares, that beauty suddenly turned towards me and smiled.
"Hello," her black hair hung low down her waist and swished as she stood," I am Akira Rida" Oh my goodness. That voice was so beautiful, something my male voice could never hope to reproduce. " That star is so high above this world,however can we hope to bring him down?" the frown that then found her face discouraged me. Her beauty did wonders and her frown could bring ships down.
"Do not be sad. That star is like a diamond. A diamond in the sky," for it did seem that way as its light was bright and dazzling. All my weariness fell away as she smiled at my statement. I couldnt help it, someone as beautiful as she should never smile alone, so I also smiled.
"When the blazing sun is gone,' she looked around as if expecting someone,"
"When his nothing shines upon, then you show your little light," suddenly more beautiful young ladies entered the meadow, "Twinkle twinkle all the night."
Two ropes were around me in a matter of seconds. Soon I was on the ground tied and gagged, for I was so enchanted with Akira, I couldn't fight back. So, now I was filthy and I once again felt the tiredness that had invaded my muscles and bones. Sighing, I watched Akira Rida, though I knew it was not a full name but a title; Bright Leader.After a while the youngest, or so it seemed, of the group came and asked me questions.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"Ryoko Muzai'" I answered sleepily.
"Traveling innocence? Perfect, another question, does your name seek truth?" I must have looked confused because she said, "Are you an innocent traveler?"
" Um yes?" I replied in a question. She huffed and stalked over to Akira Rida. I sighed, blowing my dirty brown hair into my face. She looked so beautiful and clean while I was filthy and probably reeked of the river I had swum in to cool off in the blazing heat of the day. As it seemed, I would remain in this position, with my back against the tree trunk of a Dissectum Atropureum maple. There were about thirty of them circling the meadow, which I then realized was placed like a pentacle, the flowers forming a rough star in the middle. Silently, I began to drift off thinking about why the pentacle was there.
I woke to a booming voice. " Awaken Ryoko!" I must not have slept long because the moon hadn't moved since I had close my eyes. " Awaken I said!" The woman above me was huge, a beautiful giantess. She looked like a giant tooth pick. When I was fully up, she jerked me behind her and began to drag me to the center of the pentacle. She quickly removed my gag.
" Why am I here?" I asked weakly.
" To please my lord," she replied simply while checking my ropes. "Good, good my Akira Rida will explain it all to you shortly," she added, " Stay" as an after thought.
" Its not like I could leave!" I called after her. Suddenly the diamond star shined slightly brighter then dimmed again as though flashing an ' Im almost ready to help,' message. Around the pentacle, the women all hissed as if scalded with hot water. Then Akira Rida said something in a language I didn't understand and the rest of the ladies were seemingly put at ease.
"Sisters!" Akira Rida called," May we begin the ritual! Gather 'round the one called Ryoko Muzai!" One by one they grasped each others hands, forming a circle around me. I knew something terrible was about to happen to my being.
Quietly I remembered a dark stormy night in my home with my mother. ' I named you my son for what you are and always will be: Traveling innocence. Take that innocence far and wide! Spread it like you spread your jam, until it covers the whole
piece of bread; the whole world!' I don't think I'll ever forget the wonderful woman that was my mother. As quickly as it came, the memory faded.
" Let us call out to our lord!" I had missed a part of Akira Rida's speech but was listening again. " We will sacrifice the blood of the innocent! Then he shall fall upon us! What lovely destruction will come sisters! Just think of the demons our own blood could spawn! First though sisters, I beg you, please allow me to be the one to bleed the traveler?" her eyes pleaded with her so-called sisters.
"Yes!" yelled a voice, which was soon joined by more until they all chanted" Yes! Yes! Yes!" Akira Rida smiled bright and I suddenly felt intoxicated by her beauty. Then I saw the knife in her hands, and her steady pace towards me. My heart pounded a great thumping, my palms became clammy. I realized my death, my beautiful death but death
all the same, coming at me.
Each step she took, my heart sped twenty miles faster an hour. As soon as she was in touching distance I gulped and squeezed my eyes shut.
" Calm Ryoko Muzai," In a flash my eyes snapped open. Before me stood a
star.Time had stopped and I sat before a star.
"Am I dead?" I asked dreading the certain answer.
"No," Wait what? "I have stopped time or rather we have left time. I am
Enjerusuta, Ryoko."
" Why am I here? Am I not dead? Or am I?"
The saddest sigh escaped Enjerusuta. " Yes you will."
" Then why have you brought me here? I would rather die quickly then take my time," I spat, my words full of venom. Why would this star bring me here? If I was to die may it be swift and without thought. In my anger, I didn't realize until too late that the star had broken off the smallest spark of itself, and had it floating above my bound hands.
" Take this, it should help keep you safe. If you do face death, close your eyes and tell the baby star to return home. Do not, I repeat do not tell it to return home unless you absolutely need to. Do you understand?"
"Sure," I answered even though I was a bit confused. The little spark or a star suddenly glowed blue, and grew until he was the size of a ping pong ball.
"His name," the star continued," is Supaku," at his name, Supaku's light grew brighter then dimmed.
" I thank you Enjerusuta for your tiny spark, Supaku," I told her.
"I am sorry I could do no more," Enjerusuta said softly. Her light brilliance faded like she was sad which it seemed she was. Why this star felt the need to protect me, I wasn't sure. "You must go back now Ryoko Muzai."
I sighed, " Will I live?" I asked, wishing, hoping that Supaku, who I had no doubt could protect me, would be able to save my life.
"Only time will tell. Close your eyes." I did as she asked. Once again I heard footsteps. I knew I was back tied up to kill like a pig at the slauther. I opened my eyes to complete darkness. I heard the sounds of people trying to find their way around. The air smelled putrid like a thousand corpses lay among us. Something bumped my arm and I looked down on reflex, knowing I probably wouldn't be able to see anything. But I did see, it was Supaku, his light
showing which way to go.
If he had not twinkled like Enjerusta then we wouldn't have been able to see which way to go. As I slowly made my way through the darkness, trying to shield Supaku from view of the cult, a chorus came up from the women. The words were
inaudible but raised quickly.
"In the dark blue sky you keep,and often through my curtains peep, for you never shut your eye, till the sun is in the sky," they chanted their voices becoming one. The stank of the meadow intensified as one star glew from the sky. Instead of the beautiful blueish hue Enjerusuta had, it was bright red like the spark of a fire. It kept getting bigger until I realized why: it was coming down to Earth.
Quickly it came, and plowed right into the center of the pentacle, as a fiery rage concluded in the five-foot diameter area that was the middle of the pentacle.
I stared as the fallen star stood, for it was an humanoid shape. As I looked
longer, I saw the face of the creature. Its nose was that of a lion with pointed ears and a
mouth filled to the rim with curled canines that could slice your arm off with very little pressure.
"Akira Rida?" it called in a voice so rough, the words were hard to understand, and the tone so low it shook the ground. Rida walked up to the hideous thing and went in for a hug. The creature wrapped its huge muscular arms around her and he grabbed for her head. Slightly twisting its hand the creature grabbed her long black hair. He twisted it roughly. There was a loud snap as Rida's head lolled as the creature laughed gruffly.
"Here's a lesson daughters of mine. I, Suta Oni, do not show emotion. Death is my nature," he chuckled. His eyes roamed the crowd and landed on me.
"She's touched you," he growled, eyes narrowing. "Kill him," Suta Oni told his so-called daughters. They all turned towards me. As I turned to run, I saw Supaku expand until he was huge. His light was so beautiful for something that was such a small spark. The ladies would come within sight of the spark and they'd rushed away.
One came so close to me, I worried that the spark didn't affect her. Then I saw the welts forming and the great pain she was in. Supaku created so much light I looked like a star myself. I wasn't completely sure what Enjerusuta was but she and Supaku twinkled so beautifully.
As Supaku led me to safety, sounds of anguish could be heard from the meadow. Once on higher ground, I looked back and saw Suta Oni, but he was not alone. A brilliant woman stood facing him, her hand, palm up tilted toward Suta Oni, shot a blaze of sparks the same color as Enjerusuta's twinkle. I heard her shout a single
sentence.
"Do not even try to harm my son!" After these words Supaku shone me away from the meadow, farther to a town.
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I awoke the next morning only vaguely remembering details from the night before. With those small fragments, I constructed a song. As I traveled the world in the days, months, years, after, I spread two things, innocence and my song.
As I walked on a road I had visited before, a small girl asked me to sing my song.
Of course I agreed.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky,.
"When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle all the night.
"Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your little spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
"In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
"As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveler in the dark
Though I know not what you are
Twinkle, twinkle little star.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star.
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
How I wonder what you are."
