Once upon a time there was
a young girl who glowed like a star and she lived in a tower on the edge of the Eastern sea. The girl's skin shone with such brilliance that she was always obliged to keep covered with a huge black cloak and to stay sheltered in her tower room, for all who gazed upon her were instantly struck blind! Thus the girl stayed locked in her tower room, where she lived a satisfying but lonely existence. Only when the girl became so lonely that she dared to peek through the heavy drapes that covered her window was their ever any trace of her in the world, as her light would twinkle spectacularly from the top of the tower for a brief moment before being hidden once more.
For many years the Star Girl was very content to live in her tower alone. She was well taken care of by an order of blind and silent monks, who brought her food and water three times daily and often brought her books and trinkets and various sundry items to amuse her throughout the day. Due to the monks' kindness, the girl was well educated and learned in the ways of the world. However, it was a world that she could never join or even truly feel a part of. Sadly, all of the monks had taken a vow of silence and thus even they were little company for the lonely Star Girl.
As our young protagonist grew older, she felt the sting of loneliness increase. She began to tempt fate and gaze out of her tower window more and more often, sometimes not even bothering to cover herself with her heavy cloak. Her brilliance at these times were such that her light could be seen far and wide! Occasionally a traveler would be drawn towards her tower due to the light and Star Girl would long to call out, but instead she would quickly withdraw! Although she was lonely, the Star Girl would never wish to be responsible for blinding someone simply due to her restless negligence!
Despite her best wishes, however, the Star Girl's carelessness inevitably drew the attention of someone from the outside world. One day, the girl heard a strange rustling noise on her windowsill! As she was quite high up, this noise confused the girl and she cried out in her rusty, rarely-used voice,
"Who's there!" She looked towards the draped window, curiosity and apprehension warring withing her.
"I warn you, to peek in my window is to lose your sight forever!"
Shockingly, the girl heard a strange croaking voice from the windowsill in reply!
"Don't blind me I am but a simple Raven I won't look I promise I won't I just want to know what's so shiny and mysterious that it must be kept from the world at the top of a tower! What light keeps teasing me as I gaze east from my nest in the evening?"
The Star Girl was amazed! Could this be true? A talking Raven had come to investigate her tower room? It seemed unlikely.
"Please sir, do not tease me," quoth the Star Girl,
"for I am a very lonely girl who glows like a star, and I am trapped here in my home, desperately in need of like-minded company! Yet I am quite certain that ravens are unable to speak! I would open the curtain and prove you are no Raven, but to do so would instantly strike you blind!"
"So certain are you of this?" replied the Raven.
"You must have great and inexplicable knowledge of the great wide world, despite being trapped in such a tiny bit of it! How can you be sure that a raven cannot speak when you cannot descend from your tower dwelling or even dare to but peek out and verify your claims, for fear of blinding me?"
"Although it is true that I must never leave my home," replied the star girl,
"I have many books brought to me by my caretakers and thus I have learned a great deal of the world through my studies! Never have I heard of a talking Raven outside of fanciful storybooks!"
"Perhaps you are IN a fanciful story, my dear!" replied the Raven.
"For I have never heard of a girl who glowed like a star and who would blind any that dare gaze upon her outside of fiction! I suspect that you are lying and simply do not wish to show yourself, as you are too shy!"
And so it went. The Star Girl did not believe in the talking raven and the Raven did not believe that a girl could glow like a star. Yet the light in the room came from somewhere, as did the voice on the windowsill!
"I must go and hunt my dinner now," said the Raven to the Star Girl,
"but I will return each day at this time, to speak to you some more until you reveal the truth!"
Thus the Raven flew away, returning each day to converse with the Star Girl. At first the pair simply argued about each other through the heavy drapes, but eventually this became boring and their conversations became more diverse. They began to discuss philosophy and art, music and the state of the World. What of the happenings in the far-off land of Nod? What news concerning the riots in St. Petersburg? And so on...
And still, the Star Girl could not believe that her companion was a raven. Still the Raven could not believe that his newfound friend really glowed like a star! And yet in order to prove these truths, the Raven must necessarily be struck forever blind! So they must agree to disagree.
Well, the seasons passed as they are wont to do and the Raven continued to visit the Star Girl every day. Eventually, their friendship changed and blossomed and feelings began to develop between the pair. Despite their differences, the two fell in love. This, of course, proved to be torture, for although the pair were nearly always together, there was forever a barrier between them. Until one day, whilst studying an ancient scroll, the Star Girl found a possible answer! Running to the window she called out for her feathered love!
"Raven! Come quickly! I've discovered how we can be together! I have found a map that shows the location of a secret pool far to the North...according to the legend, if we travel to the pool on the night of the full moon, and bathe in the waters, we shall be transformed and joined as one for all eternity!"
Raven heard the cries of his love from behind her concealing drapes and flew to address her.
"How can this be, my love? How can we get to this pool? For you are trapped in your tower and I cannot even look upon you without being struck blind!"
"If you are really a Raven as you say, then you can fly us both to the sacred pool," replied Star Girl,
"for I am made of light and weigh nothing at all. I can wrap myself utterly in cloth and hide my light. Then you may fly into the tower and lift me in your talons to carry us both to the pool!"
"If you are really a Star Girl as you say, then this can be done," the Raven decided.
"Despite the fantastical nature of your claims, I will take a leap of faith. I love you, and I believe you!"
"And I believe you and that you are truly a Raven, for if not, then I must plunge to my death on the ground far below my tower window, being unable to fly myself." Exclaimed the Star Girl.
"I too must have faith!"
So the Star Girl wrapped herself as tightly as she could in her heavy cloak, taking care to cover herself completely and, when she had finished, called out to the Raven. He finally, with much trepidation, entered the now darkened tower room, where he saw the Star Girl's bundled form. Even wrapped in many layers, she glowed softly in the dark. Raven flew to her and gathered her up easily in his talons! As she said, the Star Girl was as weightless as moonlight and Raven could fly and carry her effortlessly.
"To the pond, my love!" whispered Star Girl from inside her coverings.
"With all haste!" replied the Raven.
And so Raven and Star Girl flew to the secret sacred pond and immersed themselves in the water beneath the full moon. As Star Girl felt the touch of the water, her clothing fell away and she was revealed in all her brilliant glory! Raven glimpsed her blinding light for the first time as his feathered head sank below the water's surface. Thus each finally shared the truth of their being to the other, and, having done this, they each began to change! The Raven, rather than being struck blind by Star Girl's light as feared, instead began to absorb the light and to glow! His form grew large and his dark black feathers lit up in multi-coloured flames! Rainbows danced from his body and his eyes shone like suns!
Star Girl, meanwhile, began to feel herself change as well! Her long, slender limbs began to fluctuate and change form while her light infused hair began to grow and transform into feathers! Her old form melted and poured like liquid into a new shape! She became a huge falcon-like creature with lightning for wings and starlight pouring from her eyes!
As the ancient scroll promised, Raven and Star Girl were transformed into birds of a feather! Raven looked at Star Girl and Star Girl looked at Raven and the two were the same! They called to each other and took wing together, creating a massive light show that caused the North sky to glow for all eternity. The two were Star Birds now, a Phoenix and her mate, and they flew high into the night sky together, searching for a new home. They flew away from the Earth, abandoning the trapped, confused beings that they once were, and found the Sun! Here they made a nest and stayed, living amongst the forest of flames, soaring above the surface of the Sun, where they lived happily ever after.
The End.
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