From Rot to Rebirth

Fresh air seeps through the slowly opening petals of my Ephyte Cradle. For the first time in this new life, I feel cool and thick air on my cheeks. This cradle has incubated me from a seed of magic. I was in the lights, without purpose until the hum from Auralithra, guardian and light of all, whisked what I am into this cradle.

I attempt to open my eyes, to no avail. The lingering sleep is heavy; I feel as if I was tucked into a cozy cocoon with weights strapped to my eyes, arms, and legs. Instead of sight, I compromise with my sluggish body and opt to wiggle my fingers. Even these small movements further stimulate the petals to open. My Cradle knows that it's time to bloom. A gentle caress of magic wraps around my delicate body. I am left with a soothing reminder: I am not alone. Auralithra gives me her full attention as I wake from the rest between rot and life.

The deep rebirth slumber I am waking from has not yet released my body from its grip. I attempt to burrow lower to rest just a few moments longer. Attempt failed. The Cradle tightens around me, then quickly releases, forcing a stretch that starts in my core, then springs in all directions. I feel every limb and muscle tighten as I reach the capacity of the Ephyte Cradle. I'm pressed against the fleshy thick petals that have protected me these past months. I attempt to wiggle my legs to find more room. They don't budge. Auralithra has rooted, connecting me directly to her.

A euphoric wave washes over my entire body as the cradle loosens again, only this time more than the last. The once tightly sealed petals begin pulling away from each other.

The bright sky above rests its rays upon my skin for the first time, blinding me. Simultaneously an unexpected gust of cool air dances down my body. I feel myself come alive. In this one breath, I know my purpose.

Pollution Filter.

Water purifier.

Spore spreader.

Life giver.

Auralithra pours information into me.

The same radiating light enters my once dark chamber; I wince away from the overwhelming sensations. There is too much change. Too fast. In less than a heartbeat, Auralithra sends another wave of euphoria down our bond. The reminder of her presence grounds me. The panic slows and I am able to enjoy the tingling warmth that dances across my newly grown skin.

Sun. Auralithra relays.

Nourishment. She continues.

The once silent magic surrounding me tickles with vibration as her hum fills my senses.

Moments pass as the cradle's custody of my mind and body begins to fade. Soon the wiggle in my fingers evolves. My muscles loosen as I fully wake from the lingering sleep. Alert, and feeling the need to continue filling my lungs, my arms reach above my head. The petals above fold outward over one another. I allow my fingers to peek out of the damp petals and feel the breeze. Unlike the newly discovered polluted wind, the beating rays of the sun are hot. The cool breeze that once danced from my scalp down to my ankles has passed leaving only quickly disappearing chills. My eyes flutter open, then close. This pattern between blurry vision, new colors, then darkness continues as they adjust to the light. This realm is much brighter than the last few I have healed, populated, and reformed. I now understand my purpose.

I am on earth.

It was suffocated by its previous inhabitants.

I am the filtration this dying planet needs to be restored.

The cradle that has been inching its way open, exposing me to the decay around me, drops me. In a sea of browns, yellows, green, reds, and grey my back hits the ground in a heavy thud. The impact forces the last of the liquid from my lungs out. The soft hum of Auralithra grows louder and consistent. Her magic flows into me. I feel the roots connecting me to her throbbing power, heating beneath my skin. Pure beautiful power. The roots that swallow my legs into the earth are the most efficient way to gain the knowledge needed to assist this dying world. When the roots wither and disconnect, I will have been given all of the information needed for my purpose. However, this feels different.

The heat in my legs is uncomfortable and growing hotter. Moisture on my skin begins to sizzle. The burning turns to scorching. The scorching turns into blinding pain that leads to a deafening sound.

Your voice. All will be well. Auralithra assures. She sends another dose of euphoria.

It burns off.

The deafening sound won't stop, and there is a ripping inside of my throat.

Raw.

The pain is raw.

I thrash. "Make it stop!" Auralithra's magic surrounds me in an attempt to comfort.

"Make it stop!" in a thunderous shriek.

The euphoria is back in unending waves. Growing until I feel nothing.

The world goes black.

When I wake, my eyes focus on the colors dancing behind the nearly translucent cloud cover above. Where her shimmering power is, the colorful lights in an otherwise dark sky follow.

Aurora Borealis Auralithra corrects.

Motionless, I ignore her. If I reach for her shimmering magic will the dull ache in my head evolve into familiar scalding the darkness helped me escape from? Her power dances up my legs, weaving through my thighs then windes through the curves of my body. She caresses my check.

It was necessary, Ephyra.

The light behind the clouds dances wildly. The colors of her swirling in a rainbow of colors ranging from whites to purples. I soften with each performance she shares. Chancing the pain, I take in my surroundings noticing the glow of Ephyte Cradles. Their cradles glowing with a soft luminescence, life sprouting out from their cradles in an otherwise dead world. A comfort washes over me. Ephytes are not solitary beings, we depend on each other. Our bodies are tailored to the specific needs Auralithra has designed us. our bodies are also tailored to complement each other's gifts, and purpose. There isn't an Ephyte you could introduce me to that I do not already know. We are connected. Auralithra will ask us individually if we would like to continue on to our next life. Our next mission. It's rare an Ephyte stays behind, we are a community. I notice movement in a few nearby cradles. I wonder if Auralithra dances for them aswell. My eyes close, and I allow myself to ground in memories of past lives. Simpler lives.

My mind wanders to the realm before this one, Ketunamia. A simple and meaningful existence. Unlike the many moving limbs I acquired in this new life, I was cylindrical. A body that gracefully lulled through the weeds. A mind without worry.

I compare the two worlds as the sun is begins to rise. Moring dew stains the nearby dead leaves, dampening the clearing Auralithra chose for us. I have been granted the names of trees, sky, sun, leaves, life, and Armadillidium vulgare. On the last one I felt a shimmer of magic mocking the small oval creature before me. She must think I've forgiven her, that I'm no longer afraid.

I look where her magic urges me to and I watch as it struggles through. Auralithra's bond glitters, no doubt hoping I'll finally respond to her.

Roly-poly. Auralithra delights.

I watch it for a long while, crawling under leaves and twigs, worrying that it may be too light to survive the weight it's surroundings.

I remove a leaf from above Armadillidium vulgare, or Roly-Poly to test my strength. The leaf weight is nothing between my fingers. It crumbles.

I gasp.

"Do I have incredible strength?" I think towards our bond. She ignores me.

"You insist on having my attention then do not respond?" Our bond shimmers.

Speak. She insists.

"I have spoken now several times."

Our loud, wise one.

"My question remains." I clear my throat then continue. "Have I harmed the tree star? How will my strength aid in healing this place?"

You are strong in many ways, Ephyra. However, physical strength is not necessarily one of them. You will need strength in many areas of your mind and heart for the task I have for you. The hum of her magic steady as she responds.

"Do I lack physical strength?" I inquire.

No. Your strength is adequate. She insists.

Satisfied with my strength, I drop the star shaped leaf then carefully pinch at the small creature. It is bigger than a grain of rice and smaller than a sunflower seed. Auralithra flashes images of each item as I learn to recognize the information she has already shared with me. I count out seven sets of legs and admire its hard dark armor. The Armadillidium vulgare armor shields it's white underbelly she chimes.

A cradle dropping open startles me and I flinch hard, nearly dropping the wood lice. The many names creature closes in on itself, becoming a ball then rolling around my palm.

“I’m sorry.” I whisper to the frightened creature. I allow it to roll out of my hand and back to the moist soil beneath us. Moved my hand away from it, I feel guilty that I had disturbed it.

"Forgive me Rolling creature, I'm here to heal your home." An overwhelming sensation grows in my chest.

You're giving an apology.

You feel empathy.

I take a mental note of her explanation. Auralithra will be guiding my mind as I adjust to this new world. This place is so different. So complex. I let my mind roam again to a simpler life.

Ketunamia has no sounds, or if there is sound it was unknown to me. I had no holes in my head to receive this new sensation, as I do now. My hands each to each side of my face, exploring. I compare this body to my previous ones, taking long moments to examine how it bends, and curls at my will. Instead of one solid body that would gracefully lull through the weeds. This body splits off from itself, all parts able to move independently. How will I dig or crawl beneath the leaves? I find it difficult to relate this body to the Rolly- thing. This may be the first body Auralithra has grown for me that does not resemble the creature I am here to save.

The last memory I have of Ketunamia is weaving through the colorful weeds and flicking my tongue as I hunted the rich smell of magic. I could feel the gentle hum of mother calling me, warning me that my time healing Ketunamia, land of serpents, could be at an end. I had a choice to stay and make my snake-like body my last life. It was a beautiful life, almost fulfilling. I paused, considering continuing to help the native population increase and immerse myself in their culture. The serpents were kind, slow living beings that existed solely to continue life. Slithering through the grass, breeding, warming my eggs, then releasing that body’s children. Ketunamia was comforting; simple. However, it was an easy choice.

I knew I would miss the neon moon that never left the sky, but it was not my home. I answered the quiet call for change. In a few heartbeats my serpentine body died, dissolving into the weeds. I gave back what I had taken from the land, then went into a deep rest. I am not made aware of how long I lay resting in the start with Auralithra, only that inevitably she will place me.

The first few days of new life are disorienting and full of wonder. Every sound, smell, and feeling in this unpredictable body send my mind into a frenzy. I spend a majority of that time sorting and organizing every bit of knowledge that is thrusted upon me. Newly out of a deep magic induced rest the words come slowly, then all at once.

Names.

Smells.

Images of this new land slam into me unannounced.

Everything I see has a title. Every sound has a cause. Even the sensation I feel that makes the air feel scarce and thin, has a title, is a feeling. Overwhelmed. I attempt to ground myself through the dizziness. I focus on the memory of the tiny Roly-poly that once traced the deep line in my palm. Usually focusing on the primary living being I am there to heal or save roots me deeper into the magic, easing the discomfort. Unfortunately, with this realm’s Roly-being the discomfort in my mind and body only grows. I feel pressure of shimmering magic at the back of my mind; I ignore it. I refuse to accept more information until what I’ve gathered has settled.

My head throbs as I sit up. A painful discomfort spreads down my spine from being in the same position for so long. My feet are still rooted into the soil. I attempt gently tugging them from the solid ground. Not much more happens than detaching a few of the dried-out roots. Lines to our bond and her magic that I no longer need. Once all of the information has been given, all of the roots will wither and detach.

Relief surrounds me. With each root that releases the hold from Auralithra is weaker. It slows the rate information is fed to me. My mind slows a little and the air thickens again. My head falls into my arms between my raised knees. My eyes close. I ground myself one last time on worlds full of clear purpose and creatures. No emotions, nausea, dizziness, or grounding to receive never-ending information.

Ketunamia translates roughly to rainbow grass, a very fitting name for the vibrantly colorful world. Although the beautiful tall weeds and flowers were enough to steal your breath, nothing compared to the neon moon that changed color according to weather and time, never setting. It was not made of rock or gas, but a rare bio-luminescent liquid. The snakelike beings that slithered the rainbow lands nearly met extinction. A virus swept through their population killing every female the realm had.

Auralithra heard their pleas and felt their mourning. Not long after, I was called to leave or choose the life I was living before Ketunamia. As I've responded to her in every life I have lived, I answered her call for change, then I allowed that body to dissolve. My purpose was to give life, so I did. I gave the land of rainbow grass 2,732 offspring before leaving. I wonder what I will offer this new world; what Auralithra has designed my new curvaceous form to do for this place. In every life my form has been rescue specific. My purpose in each realm has always been clear, or at least it was until this one.

Arch.

Skin.

Filters.

Cap.

Pores.

Auralithra slips in through a crack of our bond. I slam it closed. What was I made for? How can I use this body to heal this place? What needs to be healed? Where did my Poly-creature go? My head throbs. I feel her prying the bond open.

In frustration I crack open the bond. Her energy barreling in as if it was all accumulating in waiting. Sending a rush through my system.

"Where am I?" I imagine throwing the question at her instead of to her, hoping she understands the intent.

Earth.

The name Echo's in my mind. In shock, I fully open my mind.

"Tell me more." I plead mentally.

Without warning, she drowns my mind in information for a few heartbeats then slams the beautiful place where her magic flows from shut. My mind goes silent. The headache eases a bit and the last roots holding me to this place release.Without the tension of the roots holding my feet in place, I fly back. I land hard on the dried petals that once held my body in a cocoon. Without life pusling through them, I now know the petals were never petals. They apeared to be some sort of mushroom. Spores swirl in the air, temporarily bling my vision. I waited for the white and light pink spores to settle.

As my vision cleared beyond my immediate colorful world I notice a change. Most of the greens fade to brown. The vibrant grass and moss dwindle to dying weeds, and the merciful shade from trees towering above, is missing.

I search the archives of my mind for answers.

I am on Earth.

Earth is dying, if not already dead.

How do I help the Roly-Poly? How can I save the easily hidden oval crawling creature and its earth? I feel a gentle wave of magic from beneath me crawling up my body as it filters into my mind, one last time. Auralithra sends images, sounds, directions, details of my anatomy, my mission, and one last image that she lingered on much longer than the others. It looks so much like the reflection the water held for me.

Human.

Male.

Green eyes.

Hair.

Skinny.

Starving.

Then flashes of what used to be, what could be again if I chose to stay and love this realm, no, planet.

Red cheeks.

Plump.

Health.

Food in the plants.

Food in the water.

Food on the land.

Food flying in the sky.

Food is in almost everything on this planet. The bushes, trees, squirrels, ground… a frog eating a Roly-Poly!

“Auralithra!” I shout, then grab my throat in surprise.

Don't be distracted. You are on Earth for the humans. Be careful, this world is suffering from famine. Everything and Everyone is on the food chain. She warns.

Her reassuring presence leaves, and I patiently explore our surroundings while waiting for the other cradles to awaken. The strangest thing happened.

I can't get those green eyes out of my mind.