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“‘Dreams,’ she said to me, ‘your dreams are so beautiful. I wish you would take me there, one day.’”
(lilimist/The Colour of a Dream)

A romantic creation myth about a butterfly who wakes up from her cocoon too late and a star who falls to earth to save her.

{ first written & released by Vixen Phillips in 2004 }

Brighter and stronger grew this sensation, with every word the star gave to describe to her his homeland, the poetry and dances and plays and stories he and his siblings either wove or took part in. Some of his sisters, he revealed with pride, were the moon’s own ladies-in-waiting, and some of his brothers her messengers, who carried love-tokens to her prince of night — just as did the butterfly’s own kin among the spring and summer flowers. And, seeing her eyes light up at such a revelation, the star felt the sadness in his heart begin to ease — now, at last, was there some small thing he could give her, and so, it would not have all been in vain, to have made her such a sacrifice as this.

“Others?” asked the butterfly, and now she dared to embrace him close with her wings. “You have heard tell of them? Others like me?”

“I have seen them,” whispered the star, as trembling he wondered whether he dared kiss her, whilst the world of winter had in these moments ceased to be. “With my own eyes, no less — they danced upon this earth only very recently. Three brothers, three sisters — each as perfect as angel-crafted flowers, yet none could hold a petal, it is true, to your beauty.”

He had hoped, perhaps, to see her blush again, though his words were not idle flattery, but instead she turned those sparkling jade eyes to his soul, and shedding no more than a single tear, now she tenderly kissed him. And the star thought he might — he could, he should — in that moment die, but then she whispered, “Please, let me dance for you. And then… tell me everything.”

✿ ✿ ✿

So later that day, after hours of dancing and the spinning of many a heartening story, the butterfly took to the icy air, wending her way deeper into the core of the forest. Though she knew not she made an almost perfect replica of her eldest brother’s once-upon-a-time journey, she sang softly under her breath, a nameless tune with inaudible words — for such was love’s consummate melody — as she went in search of one of the star’s many secrets revealed: for the next day or two alone, in the heart of the forest, bloomed the most nectar-sweet lily.

Sure enough, the star spoke true; she discovered as much in delight and relief when at last she arrived to alight upon the fragile flower who had but hours ago first awoken.

“Are you an angel?” the lily asked, as the butterfly lay silent for just a moment to steady her heart’s racing beat.

And the butterfly blushed, and shyly shook her head, and offered her new companion the choice of a song or a dance in return that she might give some respite to her starving belly.

But the lily in turn shook her own dainty head, and said, “I shall not be awake for very long, and sad for these first few hours I was, because I thought no one else was ever coming. It is enough that you are here, now, even for a moment. Dance or sing all you wish, if that be your wish, but drink of my nectars all you desire, freely. I demand no payment in return, for your presence has made me very happy.”

“How kind you are!” said the butterfly, and embraced her gently. “And I am very hungry, so I will accept your offer first, but just this morning my love, the star, taught me a new song, and I would repay all three of us if you would let me sing it.”

The Butterfly Vow by lilimist   Page 10 of 16   writing

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