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There existed once a girl named Lyka with hair like black feathers,
her grin as sly as a cats,
her eyes as blue as the glistening waters of the deep sea,
and her heart as warm and compassionate as nature,
creeping over a forgotten hillside.
There, too, existed once a gypsie named Marispi,
who was as mysterious as the dark sky,
as sharp as the canines of a feline,
as deep as the ocean and as passionate as a new growth encircling a dying tree.
Lyka lived in a fishing town called Danseen
and spent her time raking through the sands looking for seaglass to sell in the markets.
Marispi spent her life traveling,
going from village to village to sell her homemade medicines,
potions and pleasure drugs.
The sun was exactly half way in the sky when Lyka went to the market that day
and the breeze was gentle and relaxing.
Lyka spent sometime bartering with the jeweler
to sell her precious stones
and then she bought a handful of taffy
and rested under the awning of the fruit vendor.
It was while she ate her taffy that her eyes fell on the Gypsie's cart.
It was highly decorated and brightly colored and caught her eye.
But it was the cart's owner that held her gaze.
The gypsie appeared to reflect the sun,
intake the breeze
and exhale the calm of the ocean.
Lyka was entranced.
Marispi loved the sea
and of the places she had visited,
she loved Danseen the very most.
Part of her contract with the royal head of gypsies
meant she was unable to visit any town more than once.
She had to keep traveling,
and drawing from the resources of her surroundings.
Once she'd sold her goods to the town,
she had to make her leave.
Still she loved it there.
It was a small and clean town and it was romantic.
People bought her things mostly out of intrigue
and then stuck around to chat.
There was no prejudice at her lifestyle.
Just simple acceptance.
She'd just sold the last of her healing salve and love potions
when she saw the form of a girl
leaning against the apple crates, eating taffy.
It was the purest sight she'd seen in her entire life.
The girl seemed to reflect the sun,
intake the breeze
and exhale the calm of the ocean.
Marispi was entranced.
Lyka introduced herself as Lyka of Danseen
and Marispi presented her with the rare bloom of the sparkling Forrentine flower,
which could only be found on the hightest branches of the tallest trees,
the darkest caves of the heart of a forest
or the deepest caverns of the sea.
She presented her with the bloom
and told Lyka that her name was Marispi
and she was a traveling gypsie.
When their hands touched
some of Lyka's warmth flowed into Marispi
and some of Marispi's energy surged into Lyka.
Their eyes met,
a deep magical sapphire
and a vibrant, amazing emerald
and a connection was made.
The women fell in love instantly,
feeling invigorated by the deep,
pulsating presence of the other so close by.
Lyka felt that she had found the arms she'd been made to fall into
and Marispi felt that she had found the body she'd been made to hold.
They existed for several, uncountable moments,
merely exploring one another's soul.
But as the sun set
and the day drew to a close,
they exchanged goodbyes
and went their seperate ways.
Lyka held the Forrentine flower
all the way to her house
and laid it, gently, on her nightstand.
The connection had been so encompassing
that Lyka was unable to convince herself of its reality.
So, feeling as if she'd just awoken from a dream,
she went home to rest.
That night her mind pulsated with visions of Marispi,
clasping her hand,
flying through the night sky.
But they were only dreams
and when Lyka awoke the following morning,
she was more confused that ever.
The Forrentine flower that Marispi had given her
had dried up and crumbled into dust.
Determined to get to the market to see if Marispi was even real,
Lyka rushed to collect her sea glass.
But when she reached the market
there was no gypsie cart.
Days and weeks and even months passed
until the chance encounter of the two women
was nothing but a fleeting memory,
so shrouded in uncertainty
that Lyka was unable to recall if it had even happened at all.
She returned to her pattern of waking,
scouring the shores for seaglass
and selling it at the market.
There was never a gypsie car parked there again
and eventually Lyka stopped looking for one.
Then one day,
exactly one year from that fateful date,
Lyka took her seaglass to market
like she did everyday.
She bartered with the jeweler
like she did everyday
and then she headed home
like she did every day.
But as she turned from the jeweler's hut
she noticed something glittering in the grass before her.
Curious, she approached it
and her heart stopped for a moment within her chest.
It was the rare bloom of the sparkling Forrentine flower.
She picked it up and
craddled it against her chest.
That night Lyka was unable to sleep.
She lay awake in her bed
and looked out at the sky.
And as she looked,
a golden owl flew in
and perched on her windowsill.
Its eyes glinted in the darkness as it looked at her.
Surprised, Lyka got out of bed
and went to the window.
The bird did not fly, however.
Instead it hooted to her,
softly as she approached.
"Curious," Lyka said,
"That your eyes are green.
I have never seen a bird with green eyes
and in my life
I have only ever seen one living thing
with eyes as green as yours."
In response, the bird unfurled one wing
and seemed to hold it out to her.
Amazed that the bird seemed so comfortable around her,
Lyka too reached out.
She touched her fingertips
to the bird's wingtips
and as she did
she felt some of her warmth flow into the bird
and some of the bird's energy flow into her.
And then she knew.
A magical, glittering curtain
surrounded them
and instantly Lyka, too, was an owl,
her feathers as black as night.
Marispi and Lyka took off into the sky
and together they flew,
soaring on the winds,
up towards the moon,
twining in and out of each other's paths.
Lyka fell more in love with Marispi
with every pump of her wings,
and after a while the two perched.
They perched on the highest branch
of the tallest tree,
surrounded by a dozen Forrentine flowers.
And its there that they morphed back.
Unclothed, Lyka gasped,
but with a sweep of Maripsi's hand,
both were cloaked
in simple white robes.
Amazed, Lyka said, "How is this possible?
How can you do any of this?
How do you even remember me?"
And Marispi took the girl into her arms
and replied,
"I am in love with you, Lyka.
And I don't remember anything else."
"But how did we just do that?"
Lyka insisted.
"How is it possible that we just turned into owls
and flew up to the highest branch
of the tallest tree?"
Marispi smiled.
"Love dwells within the soul,
my Darling,
and you give my soul the wings to fly.
Why should we not be owls,
if only for the night?
Let my return to you
be my proof
that I love you."
Speechless Lyka just snuggled up to Marispi
and fell asleep.
"I belong to you,"
Marispi cooed,
"Always...
Until next year."
Its there that she slept until morning,
dreaming of her hand clasped with Marispi's
as they ran through a forest together.
But when Lyka opened her eyes the next morning,
she was in bed,
back in her own clothes
and the flower on her nighstand
had dried out
and crumbled to dust.
Frustrated, Lyka cried out to Marispi,
"If you love me
then why aren't you still with me!?"
A steady breeze pushed through the open window
and brought Marispi's words to her,
"I am always with you."
Time passed once more
and unable to see beyond the love of Marispi,
however unbelievable their night had been,
Lyka waited.
Days and weeks and even months passed
and Lyka pined,
wanting Marispi to return.
So exactly one year later
Lyka went to the market to search for the Forrentine flower
in hopes she'd see her one true love again.
But there was no flower laying in the grass.
So broken hearted and disappointed,
Lyka walked home,
tears streaming down her face.
She stopped to rest on a bench
along the path to her house.
A small golden cat
rubbed against her legs as she cried
in an attempt to console her
and Lyka looked down at it.
The cat lifted its head
and met her gaze
with vibrant, amazing emerald eyes
and a Forrentine flower in its mouth.
Lyka gasped.
She reached down
to the touch the cat
and as her fingers brushed its fur
some of Lyka's warth flowed into it
and some of the cats energy surged into her.
And then she knew.
The cat dropped the flower onto the park bench
and the two were surrounded in a magical,
glittering curtain
and within moments
Lyka, too, was a cat.
Two slinky bodies took off into the darkness,
up the hills of the town
into the deepest forest,
running to the very center,
miles and miles in.
And with every touch of her paw on the ground,
Lyka loved Marispi more.
They twined in and out of each others paths
and eventually reached their destination.
And there,
in the darkest cave,
surrounded by dozens of Forrentine flowers,
the cats stopped and rested together.
And its there that they morphed back into human.
Marispi did a spell to clothe them both once more
and she pulled Lyka against her.
"It's been a year,"
Lyka said,
cuddling the gypsie,
grateful for her touch,
"And still you return to me...
Why?"
"I will always return to you,"
was Marispi's reply.
"But why a year?"
Lyka asked.
Marispi stoked the girl's hair, lovingly.
"Because I am not allowed
to return to your village as a human,
so I must return as other forms.
But my power,
if I want it to recharge,
only allows me to visit
once every year."
Satisfied with that answer,
Lyka asked,
instead,
"Why cats?"
Marispi smiled at her.
"Love dwells within the mind,
my Darling,
and you give my mind the strength
to run great distances.
Why should we not be cats,
if only for the night?
Let my return to you be my proof
that I love you."
Speechless Lyka just snuggled closer to Marispi.
The gypsie held her for several moments
as the sun set high above them
and the moon danced out into the open sky.
"I belong to you,"
Marispi cooed,
"Always...
Until next year."
Lyka fell into a restful sleep,
dreaming of the two of them,
hands clasped,
swimming into the deep.
When she awoke
she was curled on the bench
and the Forrentine flower had dried up
and crumbled into dust.
But this time
Lyka was unable to return to her normal pattern.
So instead she gained a new one.
A pattern of sleepless nights,
and obsessed pining for the women she loved.
Every day she walked the shores
in search of her
and every night she did the same.
For a month this went on
until one evening,
as Lyka approached the shore,
she saw it.
The flower,
floating in the shallow waters,
it's sparkling petals catching her eye.
And there,
behind it,
waist deep in the water,
was Marispi herself.
"I cannot witness another second
of you yearning for me,"
Marispi said,
"So I am here now.
Take my hand."
Stunned,
Lyka walked forward
into the ocean.
"You were watching me?"
"I am always with you,"
Marispi said,
"Within you
and all around you."
When their hands met
some of Lyka's warmth flowed into Marispi
and some of Marispi's energy surged into Lyka.
A magical, glittering curtain
surrounded them both
and transformed the lovers
into mermaids.
Fingers linked,
hearts beating together,
in unison,
they dove,
swimming into the depths.
They swam in
and out
of each others paths
and with every swoosh of her tail
Lyka fell more in love with Marispi.
They swam down further and further
and Marispi guided Lyka into an underwater cavern
where air was held,
almost as if in a bubble,
and hundreds of Forrentine flowers bloomed.
They surfaced
and that is where they morphed back into humans.
Lyka was too exhasted to complain about being unclothed
and to be honest,
she didn't mind it.
Marispi,
also exhausted,
merely took the girl in her arms
and kissed her.
"It took all of my magic
to come to you prematurely,"
she explained,
"So this is it,
my Darling.
I love you.
I will always love you....
But I cannot come physically
to you again
after tonight."
Lyka clutched to Marispi,
crying onto her bare skin
and Marispi rubbed her back,
gently.
"There has to be some way,"
she cried,
"I love you.
I'm meant to be with you!"
"Of course you are,"
Marispi whispered,
"And you will always have me.
I am always with you.
Within you
and all around you."
Lyka took a deep breath.
"Why did you choose mermaids?"
Marispi smiled at her.
"Love dwells within the body,
my Darling,
and you give me the endurance
to swim great depths.
Why should we not be mermaids
if only for the night?
Let my return to you
be my proof
that I love you."
Lyka pressed herself
against Marispi in return
and they made love there,
in that magical cavern,
for the first
and last time.
And afterwards,
Lyka gave into her exhaustion
and fell asleep
in Marispi's arms.
When she awoke
she was on the shore,
her body baking in the hot sun,
one Forrentine flower laying beside her,
dried out
and crumbling to dust.
Lyka refused to move on.
She decided that if Marispi's return
had been her proof of love,
Lyka too needed to prove her love for Marispi.
She began by doing excersizes everyday for a month
to increase her upper body strength
until she had the ability to climb to the highest branch
of the tallest tree.
And once she could,
she did,
climbing to the very top,
where she picked as many Forrentine flowers
as she could find
and proclaimed,
her voice loud and true,
"I love you Marispi."
Lyka ran the beaches everyday for a month
to gain the power
to be able to run the entire forest
in one night
and reach the very heart.
And once she could,
she did.
She ran through the forest
to the very heart,
and there in that dark cave,
she picked as many Forrentine flowers
as she could find
and she proclaimed,
loud and true,
"I love you Marispi."
Lyka knew the self sacrifice it would take
to be able to swim to the cavern,
but her love for Marispi allowed her to do great things.
She swam everyday for a month
to gain the endurance to be able to swim to the cavern.
And once she could,
she did.
She swam down to the very depths,
to the hidden cavern and she surfaced in that cavern
and threw herself onto the ground.
There she picked as many Forrentine flowers
as she could find
and she proclaimed,
loud and true,
"I love you Marispi."
Once done with her tasks,
Lyka returned home and fell into a deep, deep sleep.
She dreamed first of flying with Marispi through the night sky as an owl,
as they had.
Then she dreamed of running through the darkest forest with Marispi
as they had.
Then she dreamed of swimming to the very depths of the ocean with Marispi
as they had.
And then, finally she dreamed of a huge, empty field and feeling Marispi all around her
and giving herself over to her.
And staying with her, forever.
She awoke.
Confused and lost Lyka rose out of bed
and gathered her hundreds of Forrentine flowers
in the basket she'd always used to collect seaglass.
She carried the basket through town,
following the dirt path out of the town limits
to the unsettled territory farther down the road.
She knew she was searching for something
but she was unsure what that something was.
But then she reached it.
It was a large field,
empty save for one dying tree in the very center.
The grass surrounding the tree was dead and blowing in a soft breeze
and so Lyka stopped there.
She took each Forrentine flower out of her basket
and placed them around the trunk of the tree.
It was then that a breeze pushed through the field.
And with that breeze was carried Marispi's voice.
"You have found the wings to fly,
the legs to run
and the endurance to swim the distance.
Why do you need me?"
Lyka spread her arms
and lifted her face to the sky.
"Because I love you.
Because you're the one
and I want to spend my life with you."
Marispi said,
"You have."
And its then that Lyka realized that Marispi had never left
and she had never returned;
she had been within her all along.
She felt her flying,
running,
swimming
all through her.
And not only within her,
but all all around her.
In the sky above her,
in the field below her
and in the air she breathed.
Marispi was everywhere.
And as she made this realization
the Forrentine flowers were no longer just blooms,
they were full flowers,
taking off in the field to cover the ground in a blaket of varying colors and patterns and sizes.
So Lyka stepped forward and she touched the tree.
The single tree afloat in an ocean of Forrentine flowers.
And as her fingers made contact
she felt ALL of her warmth flow into the tree
and in return, all of the tree's energy surged into her.
And instantly they were one.
A magical, sparkling curtain surrounded her
and transformed her into a beautiful vine,
twining around the trunk of the tree,
covering it completely.
Taking it over.
And making it strong.
And as the field came to life
and the tree gained new use as a beacon of love in an ocean of beauty,
two of the most beautiful Forrentine flowers bloomed.
There at the top of the tree,
their petals touching
and their roots wrapped together
was one deep, magical sapphire Forrentine flower,
and one vibrant, amazing emerald Forrentine flower.
That is where their love continues to bloom.
<3
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