Dancing with the Wind - Chapt. 4

Chapter Four

         "Where are we going?"
         "I want you to meet the rest of us." This time, they walked through a doorway into what Kyra thought would be another room.
         "Ooooooooooooh myyy Goooooooooosh! What is that?"
         Kyra stood in a courtyard that created the entire inside of the castle. A giant hour glass stood before her in the middle of it. She watched the sand pass through its center, one grain at a time. It was so tall that she couldn't see the top. Flowered vines climbed up along its sides. At its base a garden covered every inch of the floor, only speckled here and there by a cobblestone path. She saw roses of every color, violets, impatiens, daffodils, poinsettias, chrysanthemums, gardenias, lilies, snapdragons, carnations, pansies, daisies, baby's breath, and even more flowers that she couldn't recognize. It was the sweetest smell she had ever known.
         She thought for a moment about Nan. She would have loved to have seen this. Kyra and Nan spent hours walking through Nan's gardens. While other children played video games, Nan taught her the names of all of the flowers, what herbs tasted the best on a steak, and what flowers and plants had healing powers. Nan always said she was a firm believer in the "power of nature."
         "That's the Timekeeper. Every century, on December the 31st, we turn the crank and that hour glass flips over to start the new century. We throw a huge party to celebrate...Malichi, it's your turn to plan it this time...isn't it."
         "No, Dad, I did it last time. I think it's Rainia's turn."
         Father time smiled as he pulled his beard and remembered parties of the past. "Well, at any rate, it never stops, unless time stops."
         "You mean..."
         "Yes, Kitten," she heard Malichi's voice again, "You will be the first and only person to turn the hour glass on its side so that Time will stop."
         "But, that crank's the size of Ivy!"
         "My dear, you forget, with magic, anything is possible."
         "Well, I think I'm gonna need to eat some more before I..."
         Wind chimes. With that Malichi caught all of them in a breeze and whisked them up to the third floor. Kyra squealed as the floors whizzed past her. Tippy howled. Father Time just giggled as his beard flew up and covered his face.
         "Malichi, how many times have I told you not to blow around in the house?!"
         Kyra heard another, but she couldn't find its source. Then, an old woman stepped out from the doorway of one of the rooms. She had a long, silvery braid and wore a crown of daisies in her hair. Her dress was one piece of silk, but unlike any dress the little girl had ever imagined. The long skirt was different shades of green; the light green sleeves were long and cuff less; and the bodice blended the shades of green with those of bright pinks and plums.
         "Sorry, Mum. But, when I get around Dad...I can't help it..."
         "Try. You almost woke your grandfather."
         "Um, excuse me, Ma'am, you look like a rose...the most beautiful rose I've ever seen! You even smell like a rose!"
         "Ohhhhh. You must be Kyra. Hmmmm, I like you already, not that I wouldn't like you, it's just that..."
         "What Mum is trying to say is 'pleased to meet you,' Right, Mum?"
         "But she hasn't met me yet." She turned to face Kyra. "My name is..."
         "Mother Nature," Kyra replied.
         "Yes, that's right. I suppose you've heard of me?"
         "Uh-huh. From my..."
         "Nan. Yes, you look just like her!"
         "How do you know..."
         "Never mind that," Father Time bellowed, "I can't wait any longer for my nap!"
         "Well, Dear, you're going to have to; the child hasn't met Grandfather yet. What's the matter anyway? Afraid you won't have enough time for a nap?" the woman tittered and slapped her knee at her joke. Wind chimes.
         "Humph!" the old man retorted, "It's nice to hear laughter again, even if it is at my expense."
         "Kitten, would you like to meet Grandfather Magic?"
         She nodded her head as she held Tippy, who was being cuddled this entire time. Mother Nature led Kyra into the room from which she'd just emerged. A huge, oak bed with a silver, gossamer canopy sat in the corner. A fire crackled and spit in the fireplace, giving the entire room, a warm and inviting feel to it. The floor was made of blue marble. Kyra had never seen blue marble before. It looked and felt as if she were walking upon the sky. Between the fireplace and the bed was another hickory rocking chair. Kyra suddenly noticed that flowers covered the chair and spilled onto the floor between it and the bed.
         "What are all these flowers for?"
         "Oh, that. I'm knitting Spring while I keep Grandfather company. It's coming along."
         "You knit Spring?"
         "Of course! I also embroider Summer, crochet Fall, and quilt Winter."
         "You must love to sew!"
         "Um-hmm. It's what I do best!"
         "Whoooo is that?" A faint voice came from the bed. It startled Tippy who shimmied in Kyra's arms while he tried to see the person behind the voice.
         Malichi glided to his bedside. "Gramps, this is Kyra. The little girl that I was telling you about. Remember?"
         "Mmmmmm. Come here, my precious, little friend. I'd like to see your face."
         Kyra handed Tippy to Mother Nature, who giggled as the puppy licked her cheek, and she tiptoed to Magic's bed. He coughed. He was so thin that she couldn't tell him from the ripples in the sheets. His eyes were the color of a blue flame, slowly dwindling. He wore a nightcap, so she couldn't see what his hair looked like. His wrinkly face seemed strange, almost transparent. She wondered how long he'd been sick.
         "Do you like my face?"
         "Very much. If you don't mind..." He gestured to the others. Malichi swept everyone else out of the room and the door shut behind them.
         "Kyra, before you help me, I must warn you of the dangers that you will face."
         "Dangers?" Her eyes swelled to three times their normal size. She sat down in the rocking chair, carefully trying not to disturb the daffodils that Mother Nature had just finished making.
         "Yes, dangers, " He whispered. Kyra could barely hear him. "I'm going to tell you a story, one that I haven't told in years, so I hope I get it right." She saw the trace of a smile on his face.
         "A very, very, very, very, long time ago, before anything ever existed that you can understand, only two Beings roamed the Universe: Space and Light. Now, you know how big the Universe is, don't you?" He continued without waitng for her answer. "Naturally, it took a long time for these two to find each other. Finally the did meet and they had a son, me. Later, they had another son, named Chaos. At first, things were fine, but soon, Chaos became jealous of my powers.
         Kyra sat mesmerized by the tale. "What did he do to you?" She asked.
         "He tried to kill me!"
         She gasped. "That's terrible!"
         "Yes, I think so, too. My parents banished him from our home, this very castle, but he still lives, always trying to destroy me. Although, despite his efforts, I'm still here."
         "I'm glad."
         "So am I. A world without magic would be...unthinkable. But, you see, my little friend, he knows that I'm dying. And...he knows about you."
         "Oh, that's not good. Can he hurt me?"
         "He could scare you. He may already have..."
         "What does he look like?"
         "Excellent question and a difficult one to answer. He takes on many forms, all of them evil...but black, like a shadow...that's his favorite."
         "Does he have any children like you?"
         "No. Chaos is far too independent to have a family, but you can see his different faces in fear, greed, anger, jealousy, ignorance....They are all him."
         "Then I have seen him before...in my nightmares. He always made me scream or cry or both. I don't wanna do this anymore. I wanna go home."
         Kyra's voice became choked, and her bottom lip began to quiver when she realized she had no home anymore. Everything had changed. Everything was different. Magic reached for her with his wrinkled, bony hand and placed his hand on top of hers. His touch felt tingly and warm, like being tucked into bed on a cold winter's night. Suddenly, she felt butterflies in her stomach. She looked down to both of their hands and saw that they started to create a small amount of light, as if a candle had just been lit. She linked her fingers into his.
         "When you were alone, you had no way of protecting yourself from Chaos. Believe me, he does have his weaknesses. And, now you have us. Please, Little One, I know it will be dangerous; I know you're scared, but I believe in you."
         Kyra looked into the old man's eyes. "You believe in me?" The light coming from their joined hands grew even stronger. It was brighter than the fireplace. She thought for a second, then jumped to her feet. Magic pushed himself back into the pillows, startled by her new-found enthusiasm.
         "All right, Sir...I mean Sir Magic, what do you need me to do?"
         Make children believe again! You can do it. I know you can."
         "But how?"
         "Malichi and the others will show you. I'm tired--this is the most I've spoken in years! But remember, you must always, always believe in me as I do in you."
         "Ok, I promise. Cross my heart and spit."
         "Do children still say that? Good. Take care, Little One." Kyra still held his hand. The light grew so bright that she had to shade her eyes from it. It was as if the sun itself had entered the room. She squeezed his hand and let it go. The light immediately disappeared.
         With that, the old man smiled at the brave little girl, then closed his eyes. She turned to leave, but first bent down and picked a hyacinth from Mother Nature's knitting. She placed the flower behind his ear, crept out of the room and closed the door. As she looked for the others, she hoped that Magic would be better the next time she saw him.
         "You okay, Kitten?"
         "Malichi, I'm scared."
         "I know, that's one of the reasons why I'm going too. Besides, you need a guide. And there's more people for you to meet yet."
         "Like who?"
         "My entire family, that's who."
         "There's more of you?"
         "Yes, but for now, Mom and Dad want to talk to you.