Celestial Bodies

They dance.

Endlessly, they dance. Circling, and twirling around their center they dance.

Like twin flames they sparkle in the darkness. They are inspiration for those that view them, flaming in the dark while those below lay entwined in sensual caresses. Burning endlessly in the void they are inspiration and aspiration for those who meet in the dark to share intimate words and sweet embraces.

Circling and dancing do they bring joy and wonder. All who view them see their endless delight in each other. How their light and flames twine and twist, falling endlessly through the sky.

Their dance has spawned endless myths and religions. Countless priests and priestesses have sung praises of their devotion, their endless joy in each other, their blazing dance through the heavens.

Marriages undertaken when they are blazing are considered most auspicious. Wars have turned to peace under their joyful dance. Ceremonies performed in their blazing light are doubly blessed to inspire peace and harmony.

The Dancers. The Blazing Couple. The Forever Entwined Ones.

These are the names they have been given. But they are not their real ones…

Long, long ago, there were two who would not be separated, in life or death. They swore eternal devotion to each other. And it carried them beyond death, into the heavens and beyond.

She was Ignacia. The flame of the heart, burning and bright. Child of a village blacksmith she was the pride of all, able to bring smiles and joy where she went. She danced as she walked, never still.

He was Lux. Light of his father’s eye, brightest in skill and smile. A trader’s son, always traveling and spreading his light where he went. He was warm and kind to all. And yet, he had not felt that “special spark” for anyone in particular.

Eventually, their paths crossed. They met in her father’s shop, as the traders stepped in to see what items were available.

“Hello, welcome to the blacksmith’s!” Ignacia said, as she turned from straightening a shelf. She began to smile as she looked upon Lux’s father and then her eyes widened in wonder as she beheld Lux himself.

He was similarly awestruck, only replying to her greeting after his father elbowed him, “Uh, ah, huh, hi.”

She smiled kindly, a glint of mischief in her eye. “What can I help you with? Are you traders?” she asked.

“Why yes, young lady. We are” replied Lux’s father, Ardent. “Is your father available? We’ve heard good things about his wares from the other villages and would like to discuss some trade.”

“Yes, I’ll go fetch him from the smithy” Ignacia replied, “please feel free to look around. I’ll be right back.”

She scampered off. Lux's eyes followed her until the door blocked the way, then he continued to glance at it more than the wares in front of him. Luckily, they were all excellent quality; Ignacia’s father, Aurum, was a palace trained blacksmith and was highly skilled.

A deal was struck and trade commenced between the families. Lux and Ignacia saw each other fairly frequently after that, as he was tasked with collecting the requested items from the blacksmith.

Friendship blossomed, then deeper feelings. They become closer and closer over the years.

However, their fathers’ relationship became rocky and tense as time wore on. Ardent wanted his trading business to grow and made increasingly reckless decisions. His demands to the blacksmith grew and led to harsh words. Eventually, his quest for more led to financial losses. One led to him making a deal of marriage for Lux.

The bride to be was a trading rival, sometimes partner. Marriage between the two would solidify a partnership, benefit both parties, and more importantly save Ardent from some…unsavory restitution. It was set, the date decided, and the contracts signed in blood.

Lux was devastated. How could he explain this to Ignacia?

She had waited years for him to propose. Tonight, she knew, would be the night. The night they finally became one, forever and always. She was ready. She had always been ready.

There he was, finally coming into the glen that was their meeting spot. But, something seemed off. His shoulders were slumped, his head downcast. She could swear there were tears upon his face.

She rushed up to him, her hands going to his face softly. “Lux, my light, what is it that devastates you so?”

“I am to be married. It’s all set. Father finally did it; he sold me off to the Nachts. In two weeks I will be married to Kerrin Nacht. I am sorry, my flame, my heart. I do not know what to do,” he said, lifting devastated eyes to her face.

Her heart fell to her toes. She almost gasped for the pain, the tearing, ripping sensation of her heart being torn in two. How could this be? He was the light to her fire, the heart in her chest. How could he marry another and be torn from her?

She wouldn’t accept it. She was a blacksmith’s daughter, forged of fire and iron. She would not bend to any will but her own.

Suddenly, she remembered someone.

“Let us go to Wise Lune and ask for her help. She is ancient; no one knows when she was born or where she came from. But her words are always truth and she knows the ancient secrets,” she said.

Lux nodded glumly, resigned to his fate but desperate for any relief. They set off further into the forest.

Soon they arrived at the cottage in the woods. Surrounded by a brook, covered in a garden, it looked cozy and inviting.

They knocked, and heard a voice croak, “Enter.”

Entering they came into a warm, fragrant living space. Herbs in varying stages of drying hung everywhere. There was bread baking and something savory cooking in a pot on the fire. 

Sitting in a chair near the hearth was a woman of indeterminate age. Neither old nor young, she looked like a regular village housewife. But her eyes…her eyes gave her away. They were endless. A soft brown, yes, but the brown of the deepest, darkest earth; the topsoil of a freshly turned field; the deepest loam of an ancient forest.

“Hello dears,” she said. “Here for some advice?”

“Yes, Lune,” Ignacia replied, “we need your help.”

“What is the problem?” Lune asked. She ushered them in and set them up with tea, then sat and listened as they explained their problem. How Lux’s father traded him away and they were soon to be parted forever. How that would break not just their hearts but their very souls.

Wise Lune listened, and saw deeply into their hearts. She believed them and knew that the danger to their souls was grave.

She sat and thought in silence, weighing many heavy thoughts.

Finally, she sighed as she stood. “I can help you, but the price will be the loss of yourselves forever. I know not what forms you will take, only that you will be able to spend eternity together forever. Is this what you truly want? Once done it cannot be undone.”

Without thought and in unison: “Yes.”

They gathered the necessary materials and hurried to a nearby clearing. Ringed in standing stones carved with strange runes and pictographs, it radiated power.

Swiftly Wise Lune set up the things she had brought: candles laid out in a ritual pattern, crystals to strengthen and guide, herbs to call and welcome.

“Step into the circle. Hold tight to each other. Your will is what will drive this ceremony. You will beseech the goddess to grant your hearts’ wish. Your hearts will guide her in granting your desire. You will change and become more, though I cannot tell you what form she will choose. Good luck, children. May your light and flame guide you.”

She began her chant, and the taste of power on the air gathered.

Shortly, they felt a presence with them. 

Female, curious but calm, warm, welcoming. She tested their hearts, feeling the power of their bond, and tasting their joy and endless need for each other. She followed the paths their light and flame had left behind, seeing their impact on others.

She decided.

Light blinded.

Flame crackled and roared.

The sound of whooshing and rushing, the feeling of something large taking flight. A deafening boom as whatever it was hit the open sky and became a streak.

No…. It was two streaks.

Entwined together, eternally burning through the darkness. They had become comets.

They dance.

Endlessly, they dance. Circling, and twirling around their center they dance.

Like twin flames they sparkle in the darkness.