*song* by Katherine Jenkins

‘Silence is All You Know’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Radrh60tAUk

2016…
That time again…the time to write, to write
It down…Greetings to a New Year…
As a new age begins…

I wait for the response…Silence…
They’re there waiting, they are all always
Here now waiting for me…But it’s different

This time…
Each time now, more clues to the bigger picture…

“It’s always a mystery how it comes…what
Must be done,” Varence said, but I couldn’t
See him… “And here I say this for the first
Time…Sometimes there are things to be told…
To be heard...And there is no choice…Such
As now.” I could not see him at all; behind me?
I sat in the chair…Vala was the first
To appear…Then Rana, looking very determined…
Serious…The wildness in her eyes, she was
Ready for anything. “This time,” Rana
Insisted, “The words will not be careful.”

Vala’s eyes sparkled in the soft light as
She stood o the left, beside her sister…She too
Had this wild, unbreakable look…Magical,
Excited. “Hear the words…Feel them…
Make them Feel it…By and By…The
Story and events unfold, make no mistakes eyes
And ears of Earth…” Her tone, the siren’s
Song was intense…she was sending magic again…
“The Darkness that holds you I vow to break…
May this time the words crack quake and crumble
Your sandcastles back to the loose dust that
The wind blows…Try to control it this time…
And the waves and wind will tear you apart…
And the Earth will swallow you…This is
Nature’s voice…She speaks…Now Hear it.”

“What is this?” I asked them cautiously.
Just then Kierista and Evangella came into view
As they sat at the console near Camlo…
They all appeared very…humble…or sad?

It was then that Ceres stepped forward…to
Stand with her sisters…Vala and Rana…
The three of them together…this time, now…it
Was a sight to see…I can’t put it into words…
There are none…the three…Something
Was about to happen…

She stood there, tall, as beautiful as ever…
The Golden-honey wave of her hair cascading
Over one shoulder with perfect sunlight-cream
Highlights that framed her expression in
A glow against the ice blue fiery flash of
Her eyes…There was a light about her, in
Her face as she gently said, “You said I owe
You a story…my story?”

I nodded carefully. “Yes, Please.”

Her manner calm and unbreakable, yet soft
And sensitive…She had a magic too. “You
Have done so much. It truly is my turn
To share something with you…I just want
You to know…while I say this for everyone…
For here…For my sisters, even for Varence
And his arrogant riddling words…For the
Eyes and ears there,” She pointed to the
Notebook, “I say this…share it, tell it for
You…I hope you understand why, when
I’m through.”

The look in her eyes…I was afraid, but
Really grateful. “Thank you.” Was all I could
Say before she began…

“Seriously, Bill…” Ceres spoke slowly, carefully.
“Listen to the words, to me…as they will…There
Comes a time…and this is that time….” She
Paused, and looked to each of their faces, one
By one, “Forgive me, this is difficult.”

“It’s alright, take your time.” I told her, all I
Could offer was a friendly smile. “I’ll write it either
Way. I promise to tell it right.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

It was then that Varence emerged from
Behind me, slowly. He had taken his coat off
And now stood wearing a crisp neat white
Dress shirt…looking very clean, and somehow
More sincere…He laughed as I wrote. “I wasn’t
Aware that I seemed doubtful or had some
Sinister tone.” I started to apologize for what
I wrote, he held out his hand. “It’s fine,” he
Said, “Write what you will, your words are solid
Now.”

Rana eyed him savagely, “Watch your tone, Little
Man, it is my sister’s turn to speak.” She
Nodded respectfully to Ceres, who smiled in return.

Varence held out his hands openly, appealing
Softly to them. “It is true that unto this point
I have had to take a…rather structured approach.
But here, I must insist that I take over. With all
Of the greatest respect I can offer to Ceres,” he
Nodded to her. “Please, allow me this chance to
Amend my actions…by telling this part of the
Story. I realize it is difficult for Ceres to tell it. And
Truth be told, although it is hers to tell, she could
Could not tell it as it should be told…There are
Things, details…she does not know, and
Should…and will…as will you all.” He
Turned to each of them…his tone was very
Different as he smiled and spoke with such
A presence it had them stunned silent…
The riddler was gone, this was a different side
Of him; planned or hidden I couldn’t tell.
“Ceres, please allow me this chance to say it
For you…I owe you this much…And I will
Not have it told lesser than it deserves.”

They were speechless, mesmerized…and intrigued
By his tone as he stood there…tall and proud,
Yet noble…like a prince…even Rana flashed
A confused grin and wide-eyed surprise. He
Waited for the silent consent then stepped
Forward to me.

“Write it this way…Please.” Varence instructed
Kindly…I was stunned, I thought I would drop
The pen and notebook. He laughed at my words…
Then began…

“This is the story of when Ceres came to Earth…
It was no accident…It was a gift…By now you
Have an idea of who we are…The Watchers I mean…
You, Bill, the most…the others, some better than
The rest…many more to come…and some never will…

“This is important to say first because of our
Perspective…with regards to time…That’s why we
Watch things carefully and keep our distance…
Hidden…The allied worlds understand our reasons…
Those permitted to know, that is…The Dark Kind
Know nothing…but what we have allowed to be
Revealed, such as through your words and posts.

“I was sent to Earth as punishment…I was a
Wild, rebellious youth…” Varence smiled at his past.
“I refused to listen. I was angry about my own
Past, the destruction of my world, my people, my
Family…You see, I had no one…I came to
Tellus on a Refugee ship…My world was
Being destroyed…Someone grabbed me as a
Boy…tossed me on the Escape ship...Alone,
Orphaned…And on Tellus I was raised, became
A man by foster families that tried to tame me.
I was angry…I challenged everyone, all
Authority. I refused to listen…

“They taught us the ways of meditation, of
Harnessing the mind…I learned my own way…
Because I refused to accept their ways…I
Was inducted into the Watchers program to…
Learn…To mature…By Watching…” He
Began to stroll about then…

“How is this Ceres’ story?” Rana questioned. “It
Sounds more as your own.”

He held out his hand and only continued…
“Watchers are taught to observe…Not interfere…
Study…and report…Much like the program
That was imported into your subconscious, Bill…
In the Great Hall…”

“Now basically, the worlds we watch are…
Selected very carefully…And then Watchers are
Respectfully appointed to each world by their
Skills…primarily the Postulate does this by
Volunteers…Watchers are offered a choice of
Various worlds…They have options…But
Then there are a handful of worlds…9
Of them to be specific…Worlds which no
Watcher wants to go to…So the Postulate
Was forced to send Watchers…

“I was forced to come here,” Varence confessed.
“Because of my unresolved issues and anger…
I was not afraid…But no one wants to go
To worlds in the Dark Empire’s Space…

“Ceres however, volunteered to come here…She
Was the first woman Watcher to ever do this…
To volunteer to come to a dark world…The First.
Do you understand now why I have begun this way?

There was a quiet sense of understanding
Expressed through their eyes before he went on…

“The dare? How could I offer an explanation…
Your sense of time is entirely different than
Ours…For us time moves very differently…

And that is why…All of you morons out there…
The Big, not the small…The Overseers, not
The citizens…will never be able to detect us
Unless we allow it.

“Where is out ship, this one? Far above your
Heads…behind you…Ahead in your tomorrow,
In your yesterday…100 years ago…1 million…
10 million…Time…You will not grasp it ever.

“The Earth was born, and it is gone…We see it…
You never will. This moment is a glimpse to us…
We have all this in our science and understanding,
And still we quest for Heaven and its many
Miracles. The learning never ends…And we
Never attempt to manipulate things…hint hint.

“And now…

“The Age of the Dinosaurs had ended…What
Caused it?” Varence laughed. “It was no
Accident…That I will tell you…Many slave
Worlds are made this way.

“The Ice Age had re-shaped continents…Life on Earth
Was changing fast…It had to…Your Bible
Tells of Creation…The dinosaurs were there
One day, gone the next…Millions of years of
Evolution? Or…thousands of years of crude
Scientific manipulation of monstrous DNA? HA!
Who knows…A marvelous way to converge
Elements to forge fermented resources.

“The Ice Age…A means of cleansing the Earth
By elemental forces…Cosmic forces of nature…
Commanded by 13 crystal skulls created
By Ancient Masters…From a lost civilization
That was once in Free Space…

“Ah those Ancient Masters saw it coming…
Those 13 skulls of special crystal hold more
Secrets than you’ll ever know…

“The Earth…The Eden fell…conquered…To
Be reborn by its conquerors…and yet secretly
Protected by the crystal skulls…” He smiled
Mysteriously; the old Varence of course

“It was in this room…

“Zinn, the golden-haired…blue uniformed
Watcher sat at the console…studying
The screen…of images of animal species that
He studied…

Zinn had been drafted, sent to Earth to
Watch, observe the animals…Another formerly
Impatient youth…

Zinn studied the screen…then turned to Camlo
At his left, who sat obsessively studying the
Fauna…Zinn rolled his eyes at him…
Was Camlo aware of anything else, ever?

“Why thank you for that part!” Camlo
Suddenly snapped in the present. “I would
Rather skip that part!”

Varence laughed then continued.

Zinn scowled at the screen. “I’m bored.”
He turned to Apollo, Varence, who sat in the
Captain’s seat observing the readings…as he
Observed the human primitives and took notes.

“I can not wait for my replacement
To arrived. Then perhaps they can send
Me to a more interesting planet…”

Apollo laughed quietly, never taking his eyes
Away from the readings of the console beside
The captain’s chair. “What’s the matter, Zinn?
Is that all you want to watch are giant
Beasts stomp about? There are all sorts of
Animals…”

“There are all sorts of primitive humans.” Zinn
Laughed. “If you can call them that. I still
Do not understand the purpose in this…
Study the primitives…Watch…Listen…Learn…
This is pointless…There are countless worlds
Out there…Our descendants settled elsewhere…
The 13 colonies spread into space…They
Found a way to survive…Humans are survivors…
That is the point…”

“Every little part counts.” Apollo told him. “I
Can not believe I said…That…Dear God, I
Am quoting the Postulate now…Their reasons.”

“Ha ha,” Zinn laughed, “They’ve tamed you…
The Adolescent Rebel is becoming a
Man!”

Apollo shook his head…Zinn’s arrogance
Was irritating him…”Oh…I am hopless…
Ha Ha.”

“Ah, but I know what comes,” Zinn leaned
Toward him with a smile…”The Day of Reckoning
Of the Watchers of the Earth…I
Leave…and you, you favored of the fortunate
Are granted a gift…”

Apollo grimaced, then eyed the playful Zinn.
“What?”

“My replacement,” Zinn told him, “The Postulate…
When I was receiving my confirmation earlier…
They told me who comes…to replace my
Position…to sit with you…Oh lucky you.”

Apollo waited…Saw the jealousy in Zinn’s eyes.
“So tell me…Who is it? Who is coming?”

“One of the daughters of the legendary king…
A princess comes to Earth.” Zinn said.

“A princess?” Camlo interrupted…”Here?”

Apollo eyed Zinn curiously…doubtfully. Was
He playing with him? “You are joking.”

Zinn tilted his head, arched his eyebrow…
“Wait and see for yourself…What has happened
To you…my favorite friend…The fire in you
Is going out…The mighty, playful…undefeatable
Apollo…is a good boy now? They really have
Tamed you, the Postulate…You’re becoming one
Of them…Following orders…You’re no fun anymore.
…Wait and see…She comes…”

The words, Zinn’s mocking smile and tone
Would forever haunt him…Life was going
To change…The world was about to change…

It wasn’t long before Varence, Apollo, would in
Fact see the truth in Zinn’s words…Soon Camlo
Was announcing the arrival of a transport…

The way he always had…Through the
Crystalline corridors of the core of the planets…
The tiny vessel was bringing her…Then
Docking at their port…Then the doors were
Opening…Two escorts, Lion Men, soldiers of old,
On either side of her…brought her, her things…

Her moment…Apollo’s moment…

The doors to the main bridge opened…Shimmering
Golden light cascaded around her…In a white
Dress and robe, garments of the apprentices of The
Temple…She entered…And the three men fell
Completely silent.

Camlo was speechless in awe…Everyone on Tellus
Knew of her family, the infamous brothers and
Sisters…And here she was.

Apollo…Silent…His eyes beaming with excitement…
But his expression and manger hit it well in
A solid, calm…guise of manly stone…She was
The most beautiful…but all the daughters were…
Ceres, the 5th daughter was here before him…

Zinn, the everlasting player of arrogance jumped
To attention…danced to her feet, bowed…Fell
To his knee…”Greetings, Fair Princess…What
An honor it is to meet you, you have here…”
He said, truthfully and blaringly
Conceited at the same time. “The sun, the stars,
The moon, the ethereal epic beauties of space
Pale in comparison to you, my lady…Oh, if
You would just greet me by saying my name…
My life will have meaning…For then I will be
Able to have said…I have met and seen a truly
Beautiful and wondrous woman…”

Ceres stood before him, her eyes wide…lashes
Fluttering…”I have never been greeted like this…”

“Oh I mean it, Fair Lady, My Princess…” Zinn
Said dramatically on his knee…

“Oh, I believe you.” Ceres said sarcastically. “However
I may need to calm my insides down, first.” She
Looked to Camlo then Apollo, then pointed at Zinn.
“Is he really like this?”

“Unfortunately.” Camlo told her.

“Actually this theater is a passive day,” Apollo
Smiled at her. “Zinn is typically long winded.”

“Ah…” she said.

“Do you doubt me, my princess?” Zinn stood
Before…he attempted to take her hand…She
Immediately pulled away.

“I see the King of Fools has a mighty strong
Rival.” Ceres smiled…She was elegant, flawless…
Calm…They had no idea what she would do or say.
“The transport is waiting…The escorts will
Take you now…I suggest you leave as soon as
Possible…before you exhaust yourself
Pointlessly…I am only here to fulfill my position…
Lets just leave it at that.”

“My lady…”Zinn attempted…

“Flattery will not win me over.” Ceres corrected
Him. “Stop embarrassing yourself, Poet of Egos.”

Zinn frowned…Then gestured to the
Appointed seat at the console. “Fine then…
Here is your seat…You will find everything in
Order no doubt.”

“I’m sure I will.” She said as she sat herself
Down...then began studying Zinn’s recordings.

“Allow me to give you this highlight…”Zinn
Pointed to the data, pushing buttons to display
The images…”These are the mammals of
Current interest…The climate is resolving the
Beasts by changing them…”

“I see,” Ceres said with delight; oh how she loved
The animals! “So many of them…This world is
Rich in variety. Leahndar never had
So many.”

“I am not sure what interests you,” Zinn
Said, “But you should be aware of these great
Monsters…The Bears…as we call them…They
Are savage unreasonable beasts of great rage…
Their number are shrinking fast…as they are
Killing each other off…See for yourself…
Before long they will be gone…be ready to
Take specimens…or DNA samples, or they will
Be gone…They are unique…so be sure not
To lose samples please…My Lady.”

“Thank you,” Ceres told him without looking
At him as she only studied the panel, “I will
Make sure to take great care…”

“Well then, I will make my departure.” Zinn
Spun, danced around the room with delight…
“I will not waste your time my friends…
Until the day we meet again…”

“Farewell…Zinn.” Apollo said with little care
“I hope you find what you are looking for.”

“And may you enjoy all…” Zinn nodded
Towards her playfully, “That time and
Opportunities allow…Apollo.”

Ceres sensed all meanings, then quickly responded
Without eyeing them at all. “Hurry now…
The transport waits…And the fools of
A world await a great new king.”

Then Zinn was gone…
Camlo nervously returned to his work…eyeing
Her sideways…carefully.
Ceres smiled at Camlo’s quiet insecurities.
Apollo sat silently watching her…
She knew it…but said nothing…

“May I assist you…with anything?” Apollo
Asked her. “The ship? Your quarters?”

“No, thank you,” Ceres said studying the
Readings, “I can find my way.”

“I apologize for Zinn.” He told her…Trying
To find a reason to speak to her. “He has a
Way of making an impression.”

Ceres turned to him…The sparkle of ice blue
In her eyes…The wave of honey and gold in
Her hair as it curved down her face and
Back…She took his breath away…”You…
Are Apollo, are you not?”

He nodded…calmly, humbly…worried.

“I know you,” she said, “I know of you.
You have a way of making an impression
Too…Your speeches and proverbial verses
Are infamous…back in the schools…and
Libraries of Tellus…I believe they fall under
Examples of impulsive behavior…Obstinate…
Wild reckless youth.”

He swallowed. Smiled to himself, then resumed
His work. “I did wear clothes to school.”

“All things uncover themselves…sooner or later.”
She said as she turned and returned to her work as
Well…She had arrived. No more time to waste.

Zinn’s work was cleverly simple. He did his job,
But nothing more. The readings were abrupt,
Uncomplicated…indifferent. Aside from his
Indulgent recordings of the giant dinosaur
Battles…The gore…The blood…Of species rise
An fall…It was clear h was obsessed
With corrupt things…He hadn’t learned, would
Never learn anything. The Bears…
He was right about them…They were ferocious
Monsters…Her studies were quick…But then
Time flew to them…The sun rose and set…
The hours, the weeks flew…

She studied the species of Earth as the World
Was influenced by frigid temperatures…Ice and
Snow…Only the mid-section of the planet was
Spared with more Fragile species…and the
Vast oceans…The sea life was fantastic and
Infinite…She had never seen such variety
Before.

What was it about Earth? She had studied
Nature her whole life, then in depth at the
Lion Men’s Temple…Most worlds were far
More simple in their ecosystems…But the
Earth had so many…Even under the duress
Of an Ice Age…Why?

The Ice Age made the animals tougher…
The mammals flourished this way…It was in
Fact the Earth’s, the Crystal Skulls way of
Striking out at the Reptiles…by eradicating them
From hers soil…To show the conquerors how
Fragile they were…Ceres smiled at that.

The Whales sang songs…It was beautiful…
Songs of Play, Love…and Sadness…of death and
Hope…Tales of how the world suffered…
As recorded through dreams of all living
Things…The whales heard them and recited
Them…They were the great historians…
She marveled at them.

But the land animals…The Bears…
Zinn was right…They were killing each other
Off…The males were too big, too hungry…
The females too small by comparison…
They hunted relentlessly, even their own…
It was horrible…

She began to focus on the Bears’ behavior…,
Observed their ways, appetites…They were
Reduced suddenly to only a few thousand…
She had to go out to look at them
In person before it was too late…

“I’m going to walk and take field studies…
Briefly…” Ceres told them as she left
The room…”I will not be long.”

She used the teleport…which could only
Permit very limited transmissions through
The portal…To take her to the bears main
Territory…

Armed with only her data observer, recorder…
She found herself following a Mother Bear
With three tiny bear cubs…They were brown
And adorable…They had only just learned to
Walk…

The great yellowy-golden Mother Bear played
With her cubs near a thicket of briars and
Fir trees…The brambles so thick only the
Cubs could crawl through them…

Ceres stood in her white robe and dress
And watched them for hours…She knew
From her teachings how to blend in with
Nature…Nothing saw her…

The cubs rolled and played like living toys…
And Mother Bear laid there grunting
Kindly with them as they crawled over her,
Pulled at her…Gnawed at her muzzle…
They were hardly monsters.

Lost in the joys of this natural scene…Fear
She forgot…Until, without warning, the huge
Male bear came…

Unlike anything she expected or had seen, the
Male stormed upon the scene…Upon the gentle
Laying Mother…Hungry to breed her…The male
Thundered in…grabbed the tiny male cub on her
Back, bit it in half, swallowed half of it, tossed
The rest aside, then bit down upon the Mother’s
Neck and mounted her in seconds…

The two female bear cubs fled into the briars
To hide…But it happened so fast…
The Male mated the Mother Bear…But
It had held her down by the neck so
Hard that it broke, snapped the bones…
And killed her…

Ceres was horrified. Something inside her
Snapped…A temper flared to the surface
For what she saw…The innocent scene
Destroyed…The Mother…The tiny male
Cub dead…The Great Male Bear turned
To the thicket…hungrily sniffing out the two
Other cubs…

Ceres’ eyes…The ice blue of the fires flame…
She held out her hand…pointed…And sang
Some ethereal melody to the male…willing
Him into a deep sleep…he fell to the
Ground…weak and helpless then…Her anger
Beyond limits…beyond words…crushed his neck
Until…he too fell dead…in sleep.

She then moved quietly and carefully…To the
Thicket…humming, singing…her songs then
Becoming something sweet as she knelt
Beside the thicket…calling to the baby bears…
They were so terrified…so small and
Shaking…She called to them…

“Come to me, little ones…Don’t be scared…”
She sang…She saw terror in the babies
Eyes…and kept singing until their fear
Slowly became curiosity…She took her time
For as long as they needed to win their
Trust…and one by one they crawled
To her hands…unafraid…Then she picked
Them up and held them carefully walking
Away from the scene…shielding them
From everything…talking to them to keep
Them calm, safe and warm…And she
Promised them as they fell asleep in her arms
That nothing was ever going to harm them…

She took her time returning to the ship…
She would find a way to keep that promise…
She had to…No matter what it took…

Through the portal’s doorway she then went, to the
Ship…the tiny babies hidden beneath the robe
In her arms…
Apollo stood there in the ship waiting to greet
Her; not spying, he was simply finding excuses
To see her…As she entered he saw the look
In her eyes, the furry bundles that she
Carried…”What have you got there?”

Defensively, her eyes like blue steel blades…
“Nothing to concern you…” she said moving
Passed him to her quarters…

He followed her, looking quite strong and proud in
His blue uniform; very professional, the act for
Her…”Ah, I see you have taken specimens per
Zinn’s suggestion…That was rather fast…”

She paused briefly, turned to him and said, “As
The directive requires…Yes, I decided on two
Live specimens rather than DNA…”

She took the babies to her room…Apollo followed
Stiffly of course, putting on the greatest performance
Of the job…”You will take them to the Paladium?”

“Yes, of course.” She simply said…entering her
Room…which was very sparse; only necessities…
There was a plain bed…a chest of drawers…
A desk…a mirror…a small bathroom; believe it
Or not they did have such things…And a
Device in the wall that materialized any nourishment
They requested…

In the corner she arrange blankets on the
Floor, then gently placed the babies down…Apollo
Watching her closely the whole time…completely
Fascinated by her movements…the extremely
Gentle nature she gave the tiny cubs…How women
Did this for infants always mesmerized him…
Perhaps because he lost his mother so young…
She knelt then closely beside the babies…stroking
Them as they slept…humming a wordless lullaby
That kept them calm…It was magical to him…

Apollo disappeared briefly to retrieve two padded
Panels from his own quarters which he had used
A partition wall for taking sketches he’d done;
Art was a hobby of his…He then fixed a somewhat
Crude pen for the little bears in her room in the
Corner…He secured them as she watched
His generously odd behavior…”That was very
Considerate of you. Thank you.” She said.

“Well you can’t have them running about the
Ship you see.” He smiled as he finished. “I will
Leave you alone now…So you can have your…
Studies with your specimens.”

“Thank you.” Ceres said, her eyes never leaving
The small bears.

But her only pretended to leave…He lingered just
Outside the doorway to her room…listening to
Her hum her lullabies to the cubs…Her voice, so
Soft, so sweet…That hymn behind it…the tone
Of the woman’s song for babies captivated him…
He couldn’t, wouldn’t move…

For hours this went on…he watched her feed them
Formulas she created from the nourishment dispenser…
He watched her play with them…talk to them…
He could not move even if he tried.

The tiny baby bears rolled and played…The
Picture of vulnerable innocence…tusselling with
Each other carefree along with her protective
Lullaby…her voice was unlike anything to describe…
Peace, protection…love…And they would sit and
Stare at her with big brown eyes…glassy and
Joyful…the expression on their furry tiny faces
Was just too enchanting…unreal in how such a
Silly sweet little thing could be, breathe, move…
A toy? An animal in tiny shape and size…Oh how
They made her smile…with their tiny toothy grins…
They were so cute…She was utterly in love with
Those little bears…
And in that time…the hours that became days…
A bond grew between her and those babies…
They were her little ones, as she called them…
And to them…Ceres had become the Mother Bear.

As she neglected her duties…Apollo was forced as
The commander to urge Ceres to take the babies back
To Tellus…to the Paladium…as required. In truth he
Hated doing it, but he could not let her know that…
She prolonged it as best she could…then gave in…

So the time came when she took them home…
She cried the whole time…On the transport…
To Tellus…

But…at the docking station in the capitol…when
She arrived with the baby bears she found the
Oddest greeting assembly…Dorin, the great leader,
The president…was at the station with his advisors…
Quite coincidentally?

Dorin, a tall…noble, stone-like man was if a now
Extinct race, the Andosians…Human looking in body,
The only difference was his great head…twice the
Size of humans we know…the top and rear of his
Skull was huge…but his f ace was normal looking…
Aside from the rather eerie looking blue eyes with
Odd oval-shaped pupils…An ingenious race with
Fantastic mental multi-tasking skills…They were
Primarily telepathic…but could speak words aloud…
He, his race, tended to come across as aloof,
Condescending…

Dorin and his assembly, all Andosians too of course…
Saw her arrive…with her bundles…and immediately
Lunged to meet her.

“Ah, Ceres…” Dorin said to her…his beady
Eyes cold…nearly sinister; she often wondered
On that…”I see you have specimens of Earth…
That was soon.”

“They are harmless…” Ceres said, as charming
As she could…”Wonderful additions for the
Menagerie at the Paladium.”

Dorin smiled…sly…deftly abrupt. “I had spoken
With Zinn about the Ice Age of Earth…Of the
End of the dinosaurs…The mammals…the bears…”

“Zinn?” She only asked…she was immediately
Suspicious.

“I was just looking at recent studies of this matter…”
Dorin said…”The bears are not extinct…There
Are thousands left…”

“Hardly thousands.” She defended.

“Still…” Dorin went on…She saw it coming…He
Told her to take them back…No specimens were
Allowed unless extinction was immediate…
She argued…He kindly protested…
She showed him the babies…Then he insisted
She return them…immediately…
Ceres suggested she consult with BR’riel…he
Was in charge of the Temple…AND…The Paladium…
And then Dorin only reminded her…that his,
Dorin’s orders were final…paramount…
Upon which, he and his assembly escorted
Her back to her transport…and without
Further words…sent her back to Earth…
Without questions…or reason.

She told him they would die if released without
A mother…But he didn’t care…That was
The natural order…That was her lesson to
Learn…That was how the universe worked.
Do not interfere…

On the transport…Alone…Trapped under orders…
She held the little bears…Their eyes to hers…
Looking at her…clinging to her…She sensed them…
Too well…They saw her as Mother…Big eyed and
Afraid…they gurgled baby grunts against her…

She held them close…Spellbound…She
Sat recalling the Commandments of the Watchers…
The laws…The rules…Preserve and protect…
But never interfere…
Inside she felt something grow…And all
She could say was…”No…No…No.”
She was not going to let it happen.
Ceres held them tight and returned to Earth.

Apollo was there to meet her…But when he
Saw her return with the cubs…He was stunned.
“What happened?”

She explained to him as she held the baby bears
So close…Her tone flat, solid…She had made up
Her mind no matter what orders given. “I am
Not letting my little ones loose in the forest of
Hell on Earth.” She told him. “They’ll die.”

“But Dorin’s orders…” Apollo weakly argued…
“How can you…No one ever has gone against
His orders…Not ever.”

“You do as you wish.” Ceres told him strongly. “This
Is my decision…And I will pay for it…He’s wrong.
That head of his…Logic blinds out his
Emotions…Worlds, Civilizations are built on
Such things…they rise with logic, science…and
Fall with it.

We are always told what is right and
What is wrong…and then exceptions are granted
Only to those in power…and then when they
Make mistakes equal excuses are made.
It’s insane. It’s ridiculous.
If we are to learn anything…grow or survive…
There comes a time when we have to resolve what
Is truly right…from the heart…not the mind…
Theres comes a time when enough is enough…
For the future, their future…then I’ll change
The world…I will change the rules…I’m not
Listening to Dorin.”

Ceres then took the bears to her room…Apollo
Stood there…Paralyzed…He had been lost…
Abrasive…Wild, then tamed…By rules all created
Before him…And now…Here was Ceres…5
Minutes on Earth, breaking eternal declarations…
Right? Wrong? The world he knew was changing…
Oh how he admired her.

He returned to the bridge-room, to his seat
To resume his work…when a transmission
From Dorin came across the big screen…
“Has Ceres returned the infant bears as I
Instructed?” He asked.

Apollo…internally puzzled…why was Dorin so
Involved here? Te Cynic inside him flared to
Life as he politely answered, “Why would she
Not follow your orders? She is a noble woman
From an esteemed family…Why would you suspect
She would go against an eternal law, your orders,
Sir? I can assure you she is following what is
Right…There are no little bears in my sights, I
Tell you the truth. She arrived and I watched her
Take them where they belong...You can rest with
Your wisdom nothing is wrong…Now if you
Excuse me…Sir…there are great things
Happening on Earth…and no doubt more to come…
He ended communication…then busied all
Signals…sat and smiled…Apollo felt alive
Again.

And so that’s how it was for months…
Ceres raised the little cubs…with great care…

And every night Apollo lingered by her room’s door
To listen to her sing lullabies…to hear the playful
Growls of the little bears…to catch glimpses of
This beautiful flawless…woman goddess follow
Her heart…to protect them…
What a fool he had been his whole life.

And Dorin would check in of course…Ceres was
Never available…The questions were ridiculous…
And each time Apollo told their leader… “Ceres
Was doing her job quite well…” (She never knew this
Of course) “As far as I know Sir those Little
Bears went home…Seriously I never saw those
Tiny bears again…” Because they grew and
Grew…

Grew…For as large as they became…Clumsy
And clown-like…Sharp in tooth and claw…
Not once, not ever did those baby bears draw
A bit of blood from Ceres…They never bit,
They never scratched or clawed…They were gentle…
But then they became of such size that
Eventually she did have to release them…

That day, the sun was absent…the skies were
Cloudy with rain…Tears…For not only had
Ceres bonded with the bears, she had unknowingly
Sang a song that reached nature as well…
Forever changed…

Apollo stood with Ceres in the wild woods and
Meadows…where she said her farewells…To
The little bears she had named Mesa…
And Misha…In silent words, with
One final lullaby…telepathically…she told
Them to go and play and play…And they
Lumbered off with toothy grins…as
Ceres cried her eyes out…

“What will happen to them?” Ceres cried.

“You did an amazing thing…” Apollo told her…
“You are amazing…Believe that…Something
Extra ordinary will happen…”

Months passed…Ceres returned to observe
Nature, the animals…Nothing soothed her
Fears for the baby bears…Until the whales sang…

For the whales heard her singing…The bears
Lullabies…her devotion…her caring…and
Worries…and they carried this through their
Own songs of the sea…The oceans carried
The story and told it to the stars, the heavens
And nature…The world had changed…

Ceres became intrigued with the whales...They
Soothed her…for what she had done, they in
Turn sang to her and took her pain…

Then the day came…
Mesa and Misha had come of age…
Their ripe age attracted the males…and they came…
First they found Mesa…
The monstrous males bred her…But they were
Too big, and she was too young…so small to them…
And they killed her in the process…

Ceres felt it, while sitting at the console…and fell
Into awful pains…as though a piece of her
Had been ripped away…the psychic bond
Had been severed in death…She collapsed…

Apollo carried her to her bed, and rested her there…

Meanwhile…The male bears found Misha…
Then bred her…So few females were left at
This point…As Misha struggled against the
Male bears…Ceres, in her psychically traumatized
State remained bound to her…
Restless with anxiety for fear of Misha’s
Life she lashed out at the males with Misha…
And put them to sleep…with song…
While at the same time she cried out to her
Little bear…
‘Run Misha…Run…Run Far…Run…’
Following Ceres wishes, Misha ran…far away…
Into the snow, the blizzards…across a tundra…
An icy bridge...into the land now known as
Alaska…
There Misha hid…and grew with cubs inside her,
Safe…for awhile…
As Ceres fell into a sleep, suffered from the loss
Of her little bear…a psychic reaction to such
A trauma…
For months she slept…and Misha grew…
Then the time came…of Spring…
And all things were new…the snow melted…
The grass was greener…the flowers came and
Blossomed brief buds…
The Ice Age had brief springs and summers…
Then Misha gave birth to three tiny cubs…
One little boy and two little girls…
A cycle had repeated…a memory…

Ceres eyes opened in tears of joy as she remembered…
Life had come again...new and innocent…
Everything seemed new…
Misha nursed the babies…and they grew…
The days…The weeks…
Their tiny eyes opened one day…
Glassy…brown…alive…small…so small…

Then the echoes…in the wind…
Of grunts and growls…crashing through the timber…
The male bears were coming…
One monstrous male, ENORMOUS…
Caught the scent of Misha in the air…
Misha rocked back and forth
Over her babies…nervously…in terror…

Ceres sat up wildly in her bed…
Her eyes went back and forth...crazed…wild…
She felt Misha’s heart race…The Fear…
She heard the babies cry beneath her…
And the male was coming closer to the den…
No no no no no…
Ceres jumped to her feet, paced back and forth…
Misha swayed…the babies cried…
She was terrified…
The Male bear was coming closer…
PANIC…blood raced…the pulse…the cries…
The fear…their eyes…
Misha’s eyes…terror…the babies eyes...their
Cries…so tiny so helpless so fragile…
Thunder and lightening…in Ceres mind
And then the skies…
Something born of both sides…
The warmth and good and loving of the Mother’s Heart…
And all the rage and wrath of the Darkness…
Blind Rage…
Strength sprang forth in the pulse of her blood…
Misha stopped swaying…her eyes…
Rolled over red…as Ceres froze and filled
Her head her mind…memories…lullabies…
Nothing was going to touch those babies.
NOTHING.

A TITAN…nothing could match…filled her…
Thunder in her heart her throat…
The Earth moved through her body…
And as the male bear came near the den…
Misha turned and rumbled up the slope…
To the mouth of the cave…out upon the rocks
To face the male bear…
And she let out such a roar that ALL
Of nature fell still…
The lions…The tigers…The wolves…
For they had heard something that was
NEVER heard before…

On the bridge...Apollo and Camlo froze…
“That sound?!” Apollo cried… “On screen…”
The ship cast the image for them to view
And they watched…

The ROAR…that came from the Mother…
The Male Bear froze and bellowed back…
The Mother Bear charged him…
And though twice her size…he backed away…
So fast...without hesitation…
Misha struck him…claws and paws…
The speed was measureless
He swatted back…She only hit him
Ten ties more…
The size and strength of Ten Bears filled Misha…
Nothing was going to touch her babies…
NOTHING…
He charged…She knocked him down…
He opened wide to bite her…
Then she tore his throat apart…

“Look at her move!” Apollo exclaimed…
Stunned…His eyes wide…He watched as Misha
Quickly killed the Male bear. His blood
Racing…he jumped and ran to Ceres room…
Slammed against her door…
“What have you done?”

Ceres lay on the bed pulling at her head, her hair…
Crying her eyes out…The agony…
Emotions wild raging out of control…
A torrent was let loose she could not
Control…

For days she cried…The agony…
And for days Misha raged…Killing
Everything that came near that den…
Nothing was going to touch those baby bears…
A field of bodies covered the ground…
Finally Apollo contacted the Postulate…
Who could only then contact the Temple…
And BR’riel…
Then BR’riel came…
His great voice soothed Ceres…and Misha
Calmed down…

The only resolve that could be found then…
Was to sing the Bears into a deep deep
Sleep…A sleep that would tame and quiet
Their rage…a hibernation to sooth the
Savage beasts…

BR’riel tried to reason with Nature…to
Remove the temper that had caused…
This chaos…BUT…

For the first time ever…As BR’riel stood
On the wild, his voice to the elements…
To the wind…
Nature answered back…

What did Nature say?
Thank you…Thank you for this gift…
And BR’riel, puzzled, mesmerized listened…
Then realized…
Nature had been given this gift of a Mother…
And would not let it go…
And to the bears she promised they would
Not die…
And they didn’t…
They became the Brown…The Black…
The Polar bears…the bears of all kinds…
And BR’riel only smiled…History had been
Made…Something Magical had happened
On Earth…
Then he knew it would continue happening…

Before BR’riel turned to leave…
Nature spoke to him once more…

“Great Lion Man…One day…I promise…
For what you, your student has given
Me…I too will give you a gift…
Wait…
Watch…
Listen…
The time will come…

I will change the world…All worlds…”

The world is About to Change…

Valiant.
P.S.: my artwork…one more time,
Ceres