The Legend of Life

Before the world, and the universe, was born, darkness and light danced together.

The darkness was a grim, quiet being. It was a silent creature that spoke no word. Even its own footsteps refused to make a sound. It could see but did not carry eyes. It could touch but felt as cold as ice. Darkness was stoic, expressionless, and it had been invisible to the rest of reality.

The only one who could see Darkness was its partner, Light. It was being of immense energy and power. It also carried a happy candor around it. Every single motion of its body came with a laugh. Sometimes it was a haughty and arrogant chuckle. Other times, it was a satisfied and relieved giggle. It could never be blind, for Light saw all of existence. That's how the two beings met.

At first, Darkness was scared and baffled. Being sighted by anything, let alone being with another of its kind, was an impossibility. As Light began to reach out, Darkness screamed in fear. Though this caused the rays to hesitate, Light continued and reached further. At this, the shadows ran as far as they could.

This continued for a long time, at an age when that was too long to count with numbers. Every time the Darkness appeared, its friend would follow. Every time the Light reached out, the emptiness retreated.

Eventually, what was unseen finally decided to try and touch its companion. Rather than fleeing, it dared to do something impossible and allow itself to be seen. With the gleam of Light, it showed something like what we call a "person" today. One head, a neck, two hands, and a body. The rest was like a cape off the shoulders of a mighty warrior.

In gratitude, the Light itself decided to do the same. One head, a neck, another set of hands, and a slimmer, shapely figure. The rest of the light flowed like a dress, wrapped around a dancer.

The Darkness did not speak. It did not seem to do anything. Noticing this, the light reached out and touched the center of where our foreheads would be. In an instant, two glowing lights took shape. Suddenly, the Darkness could see and unsee when it wanted to.

It blinked, something that felt unnatural...yet it also felt calming. The Darkness reached out and did the same to the Light. It wrapped its hands around the scalp of Light. Here, a flowing fire of night was formed and became what we called hair.

Little by little, the two beings touched and formed. Darkness gained a white mouth, one that could smile or frown. An orb formed in the center and pulsed every moment it could. Light gained fingers, formed from when the two held hands. The two found themselves in awe, in delight, in confusion, and in each other's arms.

With a motion of its arms, the Light twirled its friend around in a circle. Shocked at first, Darkness did the same and twirled the other in the same manner. Soon, the two found themselves spinning together and dancing. They were smiling. They were happy.

The dance continued on and on. Time to time, Light and Darkness embraced in quiet gratitude. From this, they formed dust that began to spread around them. Soon, the dust formed together and made a round sphere. When it grew to half the size of its peers, the sphere began to dance and turn green and blue.

Together, Darkness and Light danced around it. Where Darkness stood, Light was adjacent. The sphere spun with them, smiling with delight. They soon called this being Life and together, the three moved in graceful balance.

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At some point, the Darkness tried to reach the world. However, even with a form and a heart, it was still too cold. When its fingertips touched, Life screamed. Its back had turned from a luscious green to pale white. Horrified, the Light pushed Darkness away. Where its hands touched, Darkness felt a violent burn. Angered, it pushed back and left frost on the shoulders of Light. The two then began to wrestle, while Life stepped back in horror.

Soon, the two beings began to hit each other. Where Darkness struck, Light exploded in agony. Where Light struck back, the Darkness seared in pain. The two kept at it. Where they hit, Life was knocked back. It, too, was wounded. The green and blue surface slowly became dark red. Parts of its skin turned black and still, or turned white and mobile.

For a time, the three were locked in a battle of survival. Darkness pulled the hair and bent the fingers. Light scratched the eyes and tore at the mouth. All the while, their friend was burning and freezing all at once.

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Eventually, the fighting stopped. By then, too much had been gone. The Darkness stood still, always reaching where it could not see. Light was too far broken, now nothing more than the dust that was spread all over the shadows of its former friend.

Life, however, had changed. Its skin was still green and blue, but now colors had begun to spread. Parts of it turned yellowish and rough. Some turned dark and brittle. Others grew with white spots that hung quietly above. The bruises had clotted. In its place, land was formed.

For what seemed like an eternity, Life spun around but was surrounded by silence. Then, it heard a voice. One small voice, somewhere in its bruises. Within moments, voices rang up. Though Life was confused, it felt joy when it could hear something again.

Soon, it spun in quiet delight as its body changed more and more. Sometimes, the voices were gentle and soothed the skin. Other times, it growled and bit. Regardless, the sphere had found itself happy again. It decided to change its name, becoming what we now call the World.

And the voices? They were gifted with one name: Life.