Sidereus

Sidereus: Belonging to the Stars

High above the wind and sky, a young girl clung to a dark mountain. She inhaled sharply as the rock slipped from under her hand, tumbling down without an echo. Her hand stung, but it barely made any difference from the rest of her aching body. She stretched out her shaky arm and felt for a better hold.

She could barely see her hands, nonetheless how far she had to go. The air growing colder was the only way she knew she was making progress. She was grateful for the cloak the Aphelions had given her, but it would be little more than shreds by the time she reached the top.

The Aphelions.

She wondered why she had ever left them. Mahira had always taken good care of her and often told the story of how they found her in the woods. Despite the strange light that glowed from her heart, the Aphelions never questioned taking her in. They had treated her as one of their own when she could not have been more different.

At this thought, she remembered why she had come. The years of insecurity, unanswered questions, longing for her own kind, all of it welled up inside her.

But an overwhelming fear rose above it all: what if Mahira was wrong? What if the Stars didn't know her name? What if she had no name?

The girl paused and leaned against the mountainside, the jagged edges digging into her flesh. She breathed heavily as tears came to her eyes. It couldn't be true.

Just as despair set in, a light from above caught her eye. Lifting her weary head, she saw a golden glow on the mountain top, a beacon of hope in the darkness. Pushing her doubts aside, she mustered the last of her strength and pressed on. The light grew brighter as she crested the mountain until she stood at the top.

In front of her was a large white canopy with light streaming through its walls. The Court of Stars. Finally, her journey was at an end. She was suddenly aware of the cuts and bruises she had collected along the way. She was sweaty, and her cloak was dirty and torn. She attempted to brush it off and hurriedly smoothed her matted blonde hair.

Then she approached the folds of the canopy. She found an opening and gently pulled the fabric aside. Her eyes grew wide as they fell on the room beyond. There were no walls or floors, only light shimmering and fracturing through the air in every way imaginable. It came from the giant women floating in the middle of it all. They were as tall as trees, their golden hair flowed around them, and light fell across their bodies like long dresses.

Before the girl could overcome her amazement, one of them spoke: "Come in from the cold, child."

Immediately, she realized how freezing she was. She hesitated to enter at first, afraid to fall, but her amazement redoubled when her foot touched solid ground inside. She felt her body relaxing in the warmth as she let the canopy close behind her.

"What is your name, little one?" another woman asked. Their celestial voices were soft but strong, carrying across the space.

"Um, well, the people who raised me call me Kamayah," the girl replied, "but I don't know my real name. That's why I came to you. I was told you could tell me what my name is, and where I came from, and what I was made for." The words came tumbling out of her mouth, and she felt herself turning red in front of the majestic ladies. After she had finished, a third woman laughed softly. It reminded the girl of Mahira’s chuckle.

"Yes, I see," the woman said. "And so shall you. Remove your cloak."

Throughout her journey, the girl had thought of a million answers she might receive. This was not one of them.

"M-my cloak?" she said. She knew her cloak was in poor condition, but she winced at the idea of revealing what it concealed. "But... what will that do?"

"You will see," the lady repeated.

The girl fiddled with the silver clasp of her cloak, considering her options. She was hesitant to obey, something deep inside her trusted the women. She undid the clasp. Then, unwrapping the folds from around her, she let the cloak fall from her shoulders.

And suddenly, she saw. She saw that the light in her chest, glowing brighter than ever through her shirt, had the same golden hue as the light from the Stars. Her hands flew to her mouth as she was flooded with emotions. Relief mixed with disbelief. All the sorrows of her journey met with the joy of revelation. The aching of her body met the aching of her soul, and tears streaked down her face.

The woman came forward, shrinking to a human size as she approached. The girl looked at her shining face through tears and felt a deeper peace than she had ever known.

"Sidereus,” the woman said slowly, wiping the girl's tears with soft hands. "That is your name. You come from the stars. Do not hide your light any longer, for it was made to be shared."