Mine:

All of us woke in an instant after jumping into the Pit, little Suzume had already been ejected from the Pit and the rest of us flew out, it’s not a very deep thing, we could easily climb out as well. But as we’re levitating there, caught by Tara herself we all had enter a deep sleep prior to Suzume joining us. She would be the catalyst of what we would all be experiencing. Her soul’s past memories to give her a jump start on her own growth here on Tara.

That isn’t what happened, at least not for me as we all entered that sleep a dread filled my very being. We’re there to be stand in’s for the influential figures that helped shaped her soul’s experiences.

Her soul’s life.

I went in as an enemy, but now thinking back I question why I said that. Very rarely is that word ever used, even Tara shutters by me whispering the word. Along with what’s suppose to happen, we’re suppose to be able to control the events, to ease what actually went on through an intuitive knowing what we’re to do. We were taken for a ride, we played out exactly what happened to her in that incarnation.

“Mine,” Kayka’s voice enters my mind as I look back to where they had descend, atop the mound that holds Kayka’s home. “We need to talk.”

“Yes Priestess.” I say aloud, looking back at the others who are leaving now that the ceremony has ended with out any further words. I am curious by what happened, but in my heart I know this is a very troublesome situation. I have participated in other Falls, and none of them felt as dark and foreboding as what we’ve faced.

It’s an easy enough task to glide up to her, as she is waiting outside her home which is hollowed into the trunk of a giant sycamore, a cloth to cover it’s opening with a beautiful stitched, floral pattern. The strong scent of incense wafting in the air from a window. She motions for me as I touch down on the ground just before her home, my violet butterfly wings disintegration into nothingness.

With a head of cornflower, her eyes just as mystic as I gaze upon the movement within the iris, she gives me a pleasant smile and beacons me inside, parting cloth so that I may enter.

Her usual easiness still there even in her tense posture as I take my seat upon a stump. A haze from burning incense filling her home, and my nose. She keeps her home nice and clean, dispersing heavy energies which could congregate here. A sage in ever sense of the word, she prefers the more rustic look as a pose to the rest of the village. Wooden chairs which have been formed though working with natures and the trees around us. They willingly lend us their wood for whatever we may need. The spirits always amaze me with their kindness.

I laugh at my own thoughts, easing the mood as Kayka claps a few times, always doing so when she wants to make her intentions known and to disperse any stagnate energies.

“Glad you came out of that unharmed.” She says with a bit of hesitation which is unlike her. “Suzume and her parents just left. You all took awhile to awake from what happened. Are you alright?”

I nod. While Kayka holds up a hand, a static ball forming between us and a hazy object appearing with in, a tea kettle. As the kettle lifts out of the static ball, Kayka grabs hold of the handle, making it part of our reality and two cups form which I take hold of from the ball.

She walks over to a back window which a rope hangs from, outside a leaf is full of rainwater, and she pulls the string, the large leaf folded in such a way that the water pours from it’s tip and into the tea kettle. Setting it down on the counter she grabs a few leaves from different jars which are scattered around the open kitchen which is just apart of everything else. There is only a small step to divide the kitchen from where I sit.

After putting the leaves into the kettle she holds it with both hands and comes back to me, I hear the water boiling within and she stands before me, standing I take the kettle’s handle and pour the tea into the two cups as she now takes her own seat.

Smiling as I take my cup from the table before us and have a sip, it’s bitter, but soothing, I’m not sure what flavors she used this time, but she always mix and matches. Probably using herbs which would calm me, and herself.

A reflection back, she places her cup on the table and lets out a sigh, another unusual behavior for her. “Kayka?” I ask and she perks up.

“Suzume.” She responds, “tell me what you saw in there.”

“I was for the ride,” I answer, “I had no control, this was unlike any Fall I have experienced.”

“I know, what did you see though?” She asks, and I now I express my own confusion. She grins, “I’ve been around a long time, I’ve seen this, but I need to know what you saw.”

“Dust...I was on a horse, chanting, yelling and sounding as threatening as possible.” Shivers go down my spin, recalling it unnerves me. “There were many of us on horse back, in clothing I’ve never seen before. We held tools I have never seen before and we were going somewhere to cause destruction.”

“And Suzume?” She ask again. Her cup now in hand, ready for another sip, but she waits.

I look away from her for a moment then back, “She was there, her soul...as a man, Early Man as I recall, she was in but a loin cloth and had a wooden stick with her, it looked as if it was engraved with glyphs or runes. She came at me, and I at her. There were others as well, but only her face was recognizable to me, I think she saw me as well.”

“Both of you where not completely consumed by the memory then, but still, the fact that you had no control shows how deep her soul has come. It was an awakening for her...it’s unlikely she’ll need to Fall again.”

Setting my cup down my eyes widen in shock, “again?”

“Yes, Suzume’s memories lie within the Darkest period here on Tara...when Tara was still Earth.

“But the Pitfall is only necessary once, she needs to do it multiple times?”

A simple nod from Kayka as she sips down the rest of her tea and pours herself another cup. “Normally a Pitfall only initiates the child with a locked memory from their past, from there they will explore their own dreams as they grow and come to understand their current aspect better.” She now takes out a small glass crystal with a black ooze contained with in and sets it on the table. “Suzume’s memory is stronger, it has fractured her soul. A locked memory is far different then a fracture. This fracture of Suzume’s is stuck in the past. It’s stuck as that aspect.”

She pushes the crystal towards me and I know she wants me to pick it up. Even from this far away, not even leaning over I feel the heaviness of it, the dread I felt back within the Pit makes me hesitant. “hold it.”

There is no calmness to her voice as she speaks those words, but her whimsical nature remains. She is serious that I take it. I do, but only for a moment as I drop it onto the table, not purposefully, but just because of how awful it truly feels.

“Do you understand Mine?” She confronts me, “that is the manifestation of her memory.”

“Why?” I have to ask, looking at the crystal, nervously fidgeting as I want to get as far away from it as possible. “Why did that happen?”

“Her soul wants it healed, she is here, at this time to get healed and to let this memory fade away as nothing more then an experience for the soul to grow from. Don’t be so startle, all of us had memories like this at one point or another which we’ve healed in one incarnation or another. What’s odd about this though is how far it’s come to have it healed...which is why I now must ask why did you say Enemy.”

She looks over the brim of her cub as she drinks the tea and I look at her for a moment…

“Your emotions are different from us Mine, I’m sure you have noticed that, but never understood exactly why...I think this is why.” Her eyes glace to the crystal before us. “You are tied with Suzume, both of you have something to settle between each other.”

“But this didn’t happen when I Fell,” I tell her and she giggles at me.

“It wouldn’t you are healed, but Suzume, the aspect of her soul that hasn’t healed is tied to the emotions that you still have from then.”

“I’m...I’m afraid.” I stand, wanting to leave. Kayka sets her cup down and grabs the crystal. Backing away Kayka comes before me and the door and shakes her head.

“Mine, you are tied with Suzume, you two must come to understand the memory that tie you two together, and then face it. Since your Fall wasn’t like hers, that means you are her teacher, I mean we all are each other's teacher, but in particular you must help guide her during this.”

“But I don’t want to…”

“That is the fear, girl, no one here, not even Tara can feel fear, it’s frequency is below us.” She stares at me, her eyes cold, but I know she is loving and doing what she can for me, she is our Priestess and I respect that. She is connected with Tara like none of us.

She holds out the crystal once again and I back away, that thick heaviness that’s flowing off it makes my stomach churn.

“Mine, you have to start shadowing Suzume, get to know who she is, become closer with her then you already are. You have to easy task, but Suzume, she’ll make it far harder, it’s a great learning opportunity that if you don’t help her now, she’ll be forced to relive a life much like the one I hold now.”

My mouth agape, I have no words to say, I do not want anything to do with this, but that’s my Ego speaking for me, mentally, I want to do this, I want to help Suzume. The lesson sounds so much fun to me, but still, I am torn as my Ego tells me no, don’t do this, it’s bad.

“I...I will help her.”

“It was never a choice,” Kayka says, pocketing the crystal into her dress pocket. “Your souls both accepted this path. Follow it and help Suzume heal.”

I may be smiling, but my Ego is telling me this is bad and I hush it, more ignore it. “What will become of that then.”

Pointing at her pocket she looks down. “When the World’s End Festival arrives, that is when the memory is going to be strong enough to break free from this cage. It will grow along with Suzume and will seek her out. You and her will flee the village, you must find one of the Old World Burdens to help Suzume understand the past. Then she’ll be able to face it.”

She walks past me, and rest a hand on my shoulder. “The next few decades will be intense for you, I hope you allow the flow of energies and don’t hinder them...Suzume won’t be able to help it, but you, you can. For now rest, and learn about who she is now.”

“Priestess Kayka...why would something so dark come to our time?”

Form over her shoulder she smiles at me, “to heal,” She says as the ground moves and I am taken out of Kayka’s home, let standing in front of the cloth opening.

“Kayka?” I call back but I hear nothing. Sprouting my wings, I head back into the village to look for Suzume.