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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Refrain
The Sun soared above the dead earth.
Her shadow raced over the the dry ground beneath, cast by the swollen sun above. Its light stained her white feathers with a crimson hue. The air was thin, so thin that only the strength of her flight magic enabled her to stay aloft. The sky was a deep blue that bordered on indigo, a few faint stars showing despite the sun's presence.
The Sun flew on, dry canyons, crumbling hills, and flat, barren plains passing beneath the shadow of her wings. The sun, above, moved but slowly. As sunset finally drew near, she came to a mountain—the worn, broken stub of a tooth biting at the sky. She landed atop its windswept peak and nodded a greeting to the figures that waited there for her. There were five a them—six, now.
They reminisced softly together as the sun sank below the distant horizon. The stars emerged, and the moon, a scarred and ancient orb, tiny amid the vast blackness of the sky. After a time a seventh figure arrived, appearing as if from nowhere.
"Chaos." The Sun greeted him with a nod. "It is time."
"Why yes, I do believe it is," he replied with a lopsided grin.
"Even this is a joke to you?" The Sun's voice was mildly reproving.
"Why not? There's nothing left to care about, princess." The title was a mocking sneer. "You might as well let your mane down a bit and have some fun." He gave her a broad wink, then he straightened, drawing his long body upright. The others, the Sun included, arrayed themselves in a circle around him.
Chaos put his hand to his chest in a melodramatic gesture, lifted his head, and sang.
The notes that emerged screeched high and blatted low. They chimed like bells and bellowed like wild animals. They were deafening, and they were so soft they could hardly be heard. They were, in short, utterly discordant.
Even as the first jarring notes rang out, the world began to change. Mountain and sky, moon and stars, all shifted, reformed, changed their colors, sizes and shapes; becoming first one thing and then another. Strange scents filled the air, which felt hot, and cold, and other, less nameable things. Soon all was an incoherent jumble.
Only the seven were left unchanged.
One of them lifted her head. Fire, scaled in red and orange, half-spread her leathery wings and sang; clear, ringing notes floating over the chaos. A flicker of flame wreathed itself around the seven, then grew until they stood amid a sea of fire.
Earth joined her voice to Fire's, the stocky minotaur sending forth deep, rough notes that supported the brazen tones of the dragon. The flame solidified beneath their feet, becoming a churning plain of lava. Titanic bubbles roiled and burst, sending cascades of molten stone all around them.
Air beat her wings, rising up to hover above the churning lava plain, and burst into song. High, brazen notes poured from the golden gryphon's throat, and a breeze whirled itself to life. The lava began to cool. Soon the seven stood on a black stone plain, though in the distance lava still fountained up, beginning to build hills as it fell and cooled.
Then Water propped herself up on her finned forehooves, her tail curling behind her, and smooth, liquid tones came from her throat. Rain began to fall from dark clouds above. Her voice harmonized with Earth's, the two singing in perfect counterpoint, and the land beneath them heaved, rising up to form a cliff, below which the rain puddles suddenly, somehow, became a sea. Waves crashed in time to Water's song.
Last of all, Sun and Moon sang together. The clouds parted, revealing a beautiful night sky, the full moon looming close. They sang on until it set and the sky to the east lightened with the soft colors of dawn.
All seven now sang, six voices in harmony, one still in discord. All around them trees grew, flowers bloomed, and birds began singing too, heralding the dawn that now spilled its light over the first day.
When the song finally ended, Chaos turned to the Sun. "What will you do this time, princess?"
The Sun reached back and undid the ribbon that held her shining pink hair. She shook it loose to fall around her shoulders. "I believe I will actually be a princess. Who knows, it might even be fun!"
Her shadow raced over the the dry ground beneath, cast by the swollen sun above. Its light stained her white feathers with a crimson hue. The air was thin, so thin that only the strength of her flight magic enabled her to stay aloft. The sky was a deep blue that bordered on indigo, a few faint stars showing despite the sun's presence.
The Sun flew on, dry canyons, crumbling hills, and flat, barren plains passing beneath the shadow of her wings. The sun, above, moved but slowly. As sunset finally drew near, she came to a mountain—the worn, broken stub of a tooth biting at the sky. She landed atop its windswept peak and nodded a greeting to the figures that waited there for her. There were five a them—six, now.
They reminisced softly together as the sun sank below the distant horizon. The stars emerged, and the moon, a scarred and ancient orb, tiny amid the vast blackness of the sky. After a time a seventh figure arrived, appearing as if from nowhere.
"Chaos." The Sun greeted him with a nod. "It is time."
"Why yes, I do believe it is," he replied with a lopsided grin.
"Even this is a joke to you?" The Sun's voice was mildly reproving.
"Why not? There's nothing left to care about, princess." The title was a mocking sneer. "You might as well let your mane down a bit and have some fun." He gave her a broad wink, then he straightened, drawing his long body upright. The others, the Sun included, arrayed themselves in a circle around him.
Chaos put his hand to his chest in a melodramatic gesture, lifted his head, and sang.
The notes that emerged screeched high and blatted low. They chimed like bells and bellowed like wild animals. They were deafening, and they were so soft they could hardly be heard. They were, in short, utterly discordant.
Even as the first jarring notes rang out, the world began to change. Mountain and sky, moon and stars, all shifted, reformed, changed their colors, sizes and shapes; becoming first one thing and then another. Strange scents filled the air, which felt hot, and cold, and other, less nameable things. Soon all was an incoherent jumble.
Only the seven were left unchanged.
One of them lifted her head. Fire, scaled in red and orange, half-spread her leathery wings and sang; clear, ringing notes floating over the chaos. A flicker of flame wreathed itself around the seven, then grew until they stood amid a sea of fire.
Earth joined her voice to Fire's, the stocky minotaur sending forth deep, rough notes that supported the brazen tones of the dragon. The flame solidified beneath their feet, becoming a churning plain of lava. Titanic bubbles roiled and burst, sending cascades of molten stone all around them.
Air beat her wings, rising up to hover above the churning lava plain, and burst into song. High, brazen notes poured from the golden gryphon's throat, and a breeze whirled itself to life. The lava began to cool. Soon the seven stood on a black stone plain, though in the distance lava still fountained up, beginning to build hills as it fell and cooled.
Then Water propped herself up on her finned forehooves, her tail curling behind her, and smooth, liquid tones came from her throat. Rain began to fall from dark clouds above. Her voice harmonized with Earth's, the two singing in perfect counterpoint, and the land beneath them heaved, rising up to form a cliff, below which the rain puddles suddenly, somehow, became a sea. Waves crashed in time to Water's song.
Last of all, Sun and Moon sang together. The clouds parted, revealing a beautiful night sky, the full moon looming close. They sang on until it set and the sky to the east lightened with the soft colors of dawn.
All seven now sang, six voices in harmony, one still in discord. All around them trees grew, flowers bloomed, and birds began singing too, heralding the dawn that now spilled its light over the first day.
When the song finally ended, Chaos turned to the Sun. "What will you do this time, princess?"
The Sun reached back and undid the ribbon that held her shining pink hair. She shook it loose to fall around her shoulders. "I believe I will actually be a princess. Who knows, it might even be fun!"