Saira - TI5 by Fran Heckrotte Read Free Book Online Page B

them."
     
    "It has nothing to do with you, and she wouldn't possess the inner strength that protects her if she didn't have this dark side to battle. It makes her the person she is. It makes her Yemaya."
     
    "So where else could it come from?"
     
    "The universe is filled with darkness. Hers, however, feels familiar. Almost..." Saira hesitated, reluctant to voice her thoughts. Better to keep quiet than to speak and be wrong.
     
    "Almost?" Mari said softly.
     
    "Nothing. I was just thinking out loud."
     
    Mari knew Saira had been about to reveal something important, but realized it was useless to press the issue now. She had always suspected certain "darknesses" had escaped into the light when it was created by Intunecat. Others appeared with the formation of the different universes, and especially certain planets within them. Her own creation was a good example of that.
     
    Gaia, the Earth, was evolving slowly but steadily. Already she was sentient. She was long past the stage of self-awareness, although she had a long way to go before reaching maturity. Still, she was quite capable of defending herself against assault... and when she wasn't, Mari was there to assist her.
     
    Saira watched the spirit's thoughts with interest. She had known of Earth's unique nature since her creation but could never find a strong enough thread to take her to the planet's soul, until now. Following such a strong link insured Saira of success and answers to billions of years of questions. Unfortunately, now wasn't the right time to take that journey. The pull wasn't strong enough to override the strength of her present compulsions. She could follow that later after these riddles were satisfied.
     
    "You worry about your first born."
     
    "Yes," Mari said. "Gaia has evolved beyond the point of being controlled. She grows more powerful every day. Soon she will be aware of her potential and then what will become of humanity?"
     
    "A good question. I can't wait to learn the answer."
     
    "Is that the only thing you do? Search for answers? Have you no concern for where those answers lead?"
     
    "It's who I am, the purpose of my existence. I already know where they lead."
     
    "You mean the present. I'm talking about the future. Do you ever think about that?"
     
    "Yes, constantly. But I can only look to the past for what has been. What will be, will be. To know the future would bring chaos I think, but it's tempting nonetheless."
     
    "Have you never done anything else?"
     
    "For me, there isn't anything else. Why would I seek to become something I'm not? By our very nature, we are what we are and nothing more. To attempt to be something we're not is a waste of time and energy. You're the source of all life on this world. It's who you are. Would you want to be something different?"
     
    "No, although I think we're more than what destiny wants us to be."
     
    "We're always more than what we're meant to be, but never more than what we are. You are the Earth Mother, one of the First Born. You could have been a goddess and ruled over the lands and seas had you been ambitious. Instead, you chose to withdraw from the land and leave it to evolve on its own. Are you happy with your choice?"
     
    "No. I should have done more."
     
    "Exactly. You chose a different path. At the time it probably felt easier, but it left you incomplete, unsatisfied. I choose to follow the roads before me. They lead me to new adventures, new questions, and the knowledge that I'll never discover all that there is to discover. It's comforting to know I'll always have that."
     
    "I think it would drive me crazy, always searching for answers to questions," Mari said. "Tell me, how is it that you know Yemaya? She's never mentioned you, and I can't believe she wouldn't have picked up on your presence. She's more sensitive to unusual energies than most humans."
     
    "So I discovered the other night."
     
    "The other night?"
     
    "During her performance. I inadvertently