MUKUNDA Chapter 8–The Night the Darkness Rose and I Learned That Light Cannot Exist Without It

The night had settled deeply, sinking the whole land of Magodo into the depth of a darkness that was not the ordinary darkness that comes when the sun goes down and the moon is hidden behind the clouds, but something else, something that had been waiting, something that had been growing in the places where the light had not yet reached, something that the prophecy had warned about but that I had hoped would not come, that I had prayed would not come, that I had believed might not come because the fire had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, because the spirits had spoken, because the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. The drums were beating softly, their sound rising into the sky that was quiet but filled with a strength that was hidden beneath the surface, the strength that had been there since before the first people came, the strength that had been waiting for this moment, for this time, for the thing that was happening, for the darkness that was rising, for the light that would have to meet it. It had been only a few days since I had come back from the wind, since I had stood on the stone and let the spirit lift me, since I had let the love that I had been carrying be released, since I had opened my eyes and found that I was not the same as I had been before, that I was something else, something that had been joined, something that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, something that was the light that showed the people where to go. The people of the villages had begun to open their eyes to the new life that was filled with peace, had begun to believe that the prophecy was being fulfilled, that the land was being saved, that the darkness that had been threatening was being pushed back, that the daughter who had been chosen was the one who would lead them into a time of light and peace and the kind of life that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after.

But in the caves that were far away, in the mountains that were dark, in the places where the light did not reach, in the places where the spirits that had been waiting for this moment were gathering, other forces were rising, forces that had been sleeping, forces that had been waiting, forces that had been preparing for this moment, for this time, for the thing that was happening, for the darkness that was rising, for the light that would have to meet it. The wind was playing softly between the trees, but it had its own words of warning, words that I could hear, words that were telling me that the peace that the people were feeling was not the peace that would last, was not the peace that the prophecy had promised, was not the peace that would come when the light had finally won and the darkness had been pushed back forever. I was no longer seeing myself as just a part of the village, as just the daughter of the king, as just the one who had been chosen to carry the fire. I had become something else, something that was the form of the light that was joined with the wind, something that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for, something that was the light that showed the people where to go, something that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. But the darkness never sleeps, never rests, never stops waiting for the moment when the light is weak, when the people are peaceful, when the guards are down, when the thing that has been waiting can rise and take what it has been waiting to take. There was only a short time left for the ancient prophecy to be fulfilled completely, the prophecy that had a line that said that when the wind has played with the light, the darkness will seek to be returned with darkness, will seek to be the thing that balances the light, that makes the light know that it cannot exist without the thing that it has been fighting, that the light that shines brightest is the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

Taru had been sitting near the great house of the kingdom, looking out at the darkness with eyes that were filled with the fear that she had been carrying, the fear that she had been holding, the fear that had been growing in her since the first message came, since the first sign appeared, since the first time she felt that the peace that was settling over the land was not the peace that would last, was not the peace that the prophecy had promised, was not the peace that would come when the light had finally won and the darkness had been pushed back forever. She had begun to see things that were not ordinary, things that the other people could not see, things that the spirits were showing her because she was the keeper, because she had promised to stand beside me, because her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, because the love that she had been carrying since we were children was the thing that would not let her rest, would not let her sleep, would not let her be the one who did not see the signs that were being given. She saw the bodies of animals that had died, their bodies moving in the dark wind, their eyes shining in the mist, their spirits not at rest, their spirits waiting for something, waiting for the darkness to rise, waiting for the thing that had been promised, waiting for the moment when the light would be tested and the darkness would have its chance to take back what it had lost. The elders of the village had begun to murmur among themselves, the way that elders murmur when they see the signs that they have been taught to see, when they feel the things that they have been taught to feel, when they know that something is coming, something that has been waiting, something that the prophecy had warned about, something that the people had hoped would not come, that they had prayed would not come, that they had believed might not come because the fire had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, because the spirits had spoken, because the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. They said that the Spirit of Darkness had returned, that the thing that had been sleeping in the caves, in the mountains, in the places where the light did not reach, was waking, was rising, was coming to test the light that had been joined, to see if it was strong enough, to see if it was ready, to see if it was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for or the thing that would be destroyed by the darkness that had been waiting since before the first fire was lit, since before the first prophecy was spoken, since before the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

I heard these things in my heart before I heard them with the mouth of anyone, before anyone spoke the words that would make them real, before anyone said the thing that I had been feeling since I came back from the wind, since I stood on the stone and let the spirit lift me, since I let the love that I had been carrying be released, since I opened my eyes and found that I was not the same as I had been before, that I was something else, something that could hear the darkness moving, something that could feel the darkness waiting, something that knew that the peace that the people were feeling was not the peace that would last, was not the peace that the prophecy had promised, was not the peace that would come when the light had finally won and the darkness had been pushed back forever. One morning, the wind changed completely, changed in a way that I had not felt before, that I had not expected, that I had not prepared for. There was no longer the natural movement that it had, the movement that had been there since before the first people came, the movement that carried the scent of the wild sage and the rain that was coming and the earth that was waiting to be turned. The wind was now carrying the sound of people crying, people who were far away, people who were calling out for help, people who were being taken by the darkness that was rising, by the thing that had been waiting, by the spirit that had been sleeping and was now awake, was now moving, was now taking what it had been waiting to take.

I walked outside, looking to the west, to the place where the smoke was rising from the land of Mainini Mucha, the land that had been peaceful, the land that had been protected, the land that had been the place where the people had believed that the prophecy was being fulfilled, that the land was being saved, that the darkness that had been threatening was being pushed back, that the daughter who had been chosen was the one who would lead them into a time of light and peace and the kind of life that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. Taru ran to me, her voice carrying the fear that she had been carrying, the fear that she had been holding, the fear that had been growing in her since the first sign appeared, since the first time she saw the bodies of animals moving in the dark wind, since the first time she heard the elders murmuring about the Spirit of Darkness, since the first time she knew that the peace that was settling over the land was not the peace that would last, was not the peace that the prophecy had promised, was not the peace that would come when the light had finally won and the darkness had been pushed back forever. She told me that the women and the children were running away, that the darkness had covered the whole place, that people were disappearing, that they were being taken into the wind, that they were being swallowed by the thing that had been waiting, by the spirit that had been sleeping and was now awake, was now moving, was now taking what it had been waiting to take.

I closed my eyes, the way that a person closes their eyes when they need to feel the thing that is inside them, when they need to call the strength that has been given to them, when they need to be the thing that they have been chosen to be, the thing that carries the fire, the thing that has joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the thing that is the light that shows the people where to go. I felt the strength rising in me, the strength that had been given to me by Nyamunhu, the strength that had been joined at the hill where the sky falls, the strength that had been placed under my skin at the River of Stones, the strength that had been released on the stone in the middle of the valley, the strength that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed the people where to go, the strength that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. But at the same time, I felt the pain that was deep, the pain that comes when you know that the thing that you have been fighting, the thing that you have been pushing back, the thing that you have been hoping would not come, has come, has risen, is here, is in front of you, is asking you to be the thing that you have been chosen to be, to carry the weight that you have been given to carry, to stand in the place where the light meets the darkness and not fall, not break, not be the thing that is destroyed by the thing that has been waiting since before you were born.

"This darkness is not only from outside," I said softly, the way that a person speaks when they are saying something that they have been holding for a long time, something that they are not sure they should say, something that they are saying because the time has come to say it, because the darkness is rising, because the light is being tested, because the thing that has been waiting is here, is in front of us, is asking us to be the thing that we have been chosen to be. "It comes from the heart of a person, from the place where the light has not reached, from the place where the things that have been hidden, the things that have been carried, the things that have been held, are waiting to be released, are waiting to be seen, are waiting to be the thing that is the darkness that rises or the darkness that is healed, the darkness that destroys or the darkness that becomes the thing that makes the light stronger, that makes the light brighter, that makes the light the thing that the ancestors have been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born."

I took Taru's hand, the way that I had taken her hand since we were children, the way that I had taken her hand when the fire spoke and the prophecy was told and she knelt in the court and told my father that she would be my keeper, that she would stand beside me, that her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, that she was the keeper who kept the promise, the one who stood beside the fire and did not let it burn the things that should not be burned. I told her that we would walk, that if the darkness wanted to cover this land, we would meet it with light, that we would be the thing that the darkness had been waiting for, the thing that would show it that the light that had been joined was not the light that would be destroyed, was not the light that would be taken, was not the light that would be swallowed by the darkness that had been waiting, but the light that would show the darkness that it was not the enemy, that it was not the thing that had to be destroyed, that it was not the thing that had to be pushed back forever, but the thing that was the other half of the light, the thing that made the light know that it was light, the thing that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, the thing that was the part of the prophecy that had not been understood, the part that said that the light that shines brightest is the light that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

We walked for two days without rest, following the paths that were wrapped in the smoke that had been cut, the smoke that had been rising from the land of Mainini Mucha, the smoke that was carrying the smell of the things that had been burned, the things that had been taken, the things that had been lost, the things that the darkness had taken when it rose, when it moved, when it did what it had been waiting to do. When we reached the border of the land of Mainini Mucha, we found a place that had become a land without life, a land that the darkness had covered, a land that the light had left, a land that was waiting for something, waiting for the thing that would come and bring it back, waiting for the daughter who had been chosen, waiting for the light that had been joined, waiting for the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, waiting for the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before we were born. The trees were dead, their branches reaching up to the sky like hands that were asking for something, that were waiting for something, that had been waiting for the light to come back, for the life to come back, for the thing that had been taken to be returned. The water was black, the kind of black that comes when something has been in the darkness for too long, when the light has not touched it, when the thing that makes the water clear and bright and the thing that the people drink and the thing that the land needs to live has been taken, has been covered, has been swallowed by the darkness that had been waiting. And the wind, the wind that had been the spirit, the wind that had joined, the wind that was the last one, the wind that had made the joining complete, was not making the sound of love, was not making the sound that it had made when it carried the scent of the wild sage and the rain that was coming and the earth that was waiting to be turned. It was making the sound of something that had been lost, something that was crying, something that was mourning the things that had been taken, the things that had been destroyed, the things that had been swallowed by the darkness that had been waiting.

On top of a stone that had been broken, that had been split by the darkness that had risen, that had been waiting for this moment, for this time, for the thing that was happening, something was standing, something that looked like a person but was a shadow, was the thing that the darkness had made, was the thing that the spirit of the darkness had been waiting to become, had been waiting to show, had been waiting to be the thing that would meet the light when it came, when it walked into the land that had been covered, when it stood in the place where the darkness had risen and the light had been pushed back. A voice came out of it, a voice that was not like any voice I had heard before, a voice that was the voice of the darkness itself, the voice that had been waiting, the voice that had been sleeping, the voice that was now awake, was now moving, was now speaking, was now asking the thing that it had been waiting to ask since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

"Child of the wind, who carries the light that has been joined, who has been chosen to be the thing that saves the land or the thing that destroys it, do you see that your light has no strength without the darkness, that the light that shines brightest is the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, that the light that has not been tested, that has not been tried, that has not been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, is not the light that the prophecy has been waiting for, is not the light that the ancestors have been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born? I am what was left, what was waiting, what was the darkness that had to be there so that the light could know that it was light, so that the light could know that it had to shine, so that the light could be the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before you were born. I am the leftover of the darkness that was in the heart of King Magodo, the darkness that was there when he sat on the throne and carried the weight of the kingdom, the darkness that was there when he looked at his daughter and saw that she was not the son that the kingdom was waiting for, the darkness that was there when he made the decisions that shaped the lives of the people, the darkness that was there when he was the king and the father and the man who had been carrying the weight that was passed down from his father and his father's father and the fathers who had come before."

I knelt a little, the way that a person kneels when they are standing in front of something that is larger than they are, something that has been waiting for a very long time, something that is asking them to be the thing that they have been chosen to be, to carry the weight that they have been given to carry, to stand in the place where the light meets the darkness and not fall, not break, not be the thing that is destroyed by the thing that has been waiting since before they were born. I looked at this shadow, this thing that was the darkness that had been waiting, that had been left, that had been the part of the prophecy that the people had not wanted to see, that they had hoped would not come, that they had prayed would not come, that they had believed might not come because the fire had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, because the spirits had spoken, because the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. I told the shadow that if it was what was left, then it was part of the truth, part of the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for, part of the thing that the light had to meet, part of the thing that the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son had to face, to understand, to be the thing that would not destroy it but would make it into something else, something that was not the enemy, something that was not the thing that had to be pushed back forever, something that was the other half of the light, the thing that made the light know that it was light, the thing that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side. But I asked the shadow why it wanted to destroy everything that was left, why it wanted to take the land that had been given to the people to protect, why it wanted to be the thing that was the destruction, not the thing that was the teaching, not the thing that was the darkness that made the light know that it was light, not the thing that was the part of the prophecy that the people had not understood, the part that said that the light that shines brightest is the light that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

The voice laughed, the laugh of something that has been waiting for a very long time, something that has been watching for a very long time, something that has been hoping for a very long time, something that is finally seeing the thing that it has been waiting to see, the thing that it has been waiting to meet, the thing that it has been waiting to test, to try, to push to the edge and see if it falls or if it stands, if it breaks or if it holds, if it is the light that the prophecy has been waiting for or the light that is destroyed by the darkness that has been waiting since before it was born. It told me that the people fool themselves with the peace of the wind, that they believe that the peace that comes when the wind is soft and the light is bright and the land is green is the peace that will last, is the peace that the prophecy has promised, is the peace that will come when the light has finally won and the darkness has been pushed back forever. But the truth, the shadow told me, is that the darkness gives them the desire, the desire that makes them want to live, that makes them want to fight, that makes them want to be the thing that the prophecy has been waiting for, that makes them want to be the light that shines brightest, that makes them want to be the thing that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. Without the pain, the shadow said, there is no love, there is no desire, there is no thing that makes the light want to shine, that makes the light want to be the thing that the prophecy has been waiting for, that makes the light want to be the thing that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

Taru stepped between me and the shadow, the way that a keeper steps between the one they are protecting and the thing that is threatening them, the way that she had stepped between me and the things that had tried to harm me since we were children, since the first time we sat by the river and let the wind carry away the things that were too heavy to hold, since the first time she promised to be the one who would stand beside me, who would protect me, who would give her blood if the prophecy failed. She held her spear, the spear that was filled with the light that came from my spirit, the light that had been joined, the light that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the light that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before we were born, and she told the shadow that if the darkness wanted to love too, it should show its love, not its fear, not its destruction, not its taking, not its swallowing, but the love that was the other half of the light, the love that made the light know that it was light, the love that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, the love that was the part of the prophecy that the people had not understood, the part that said that the light that shines brightest is the light that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

But the shadow stretched, became dark clouds that began to circle the two of us, that began to wrap themselves around us, that began to be the thing that would swallow us, that would take us, that would be the darkness that had been waiting to take the light that had been joined, to take the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, to take the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before we were born, to be the thing that would destroy the land that had been given to the people to protect, to be the thing that would be the end of the kingdom that had been standing since the first king sat on the throne and promised to protect the land that had been passed down from his father and his father's father and the fathers who had come before. I opened my arms, the way that a person opens their arms when they are not afraid, when they are ready, when they are the thing that has been chosen, when they are the light that has been joined, when they are the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, when they are the thing that the prophecy has been waiting for since before they were born. The wind came out of one hand, the wind that had joined, the wind that was the last spirit, the wind that had made the joining complete, the wind that was the thing that would carry the light or the thing that would be the fire that burned the things that should not be burned. The light came out of the other hand, the light that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the light that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before I was born, the light that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who would be the light that showed them where to go when the darkness was coming and the enemy was at the border and the land that had been given to them to protect was waiting to be saved or to be destroyed.

The wind and the light met, the way that the fire and the water had met, the way that the water and the stone had met, the way that the stone and the wind had met, and they made a circle of light that wrapped itself around the darkness, that held it, that showed it that the light that had been joined was not the light that would be destroyed, was not the light that would be taken, was not the light that would be swallowed by the darkness that had been waiting, but the light that would show the darkness that it was not the enemy, that it was not the thing that had to be destroyed, that it was not the thing that had to be pushed back forever, but the thing that was the other half of the light, the thing that made the light know that it was light, the thing that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, the thing that was the part of the prophecy that had not been understood, the part that said that the light that shines brightest is the light that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

In that moment, everything was shaken, the sky falling, the ground shaking, the wind bursting and carrying the voices of hundreds of years, the voices of the ancestors who had been waiting for this moment, for this time, for the thing that was happening, for the light to meet the darkness, for the darkness to be shown that it was not the enemy, for the light to be tested, to be tried, to be pushed to the edge and not fall, to be the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before we were born. "If the spirit of light is wrong, the darkness returns with all its strength!" the voice called, its sound reaching to the tops of the mountains, to the place where the sky meets the earth, to the place where the ancestors were watching, to the place where the thing that had been promised was either being fulfilled or being broken, where the light that had been joined was either being saved or being destroyed, where the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son was either becoming the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed or was becoming the thing that would be the end of the kingdom that had been standing since the first king sat on the throne and promised to protect the land that had been passed down from his father and his father's father and the fathers who had come before.

I cried out with a voice that was strong, the voice that had been given to me by the fire, by the water, by the stone, by the wind, the voice that was the light that had been joined, the voice that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before I was born, and I told the darkness that if it wanted to return, it could return, but that it would not take the spirit of a person who loved, that it would not take the love that had been released, that had been given, that had become the wind that carries the land, that breathes the land, that makes the land live, that makes the land the thing that it was meant to be, that makes the land the thing that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after.

I lifted both my arms to the sky, the way that a person lifts their arms when they are not afraid, when they are ready, when they are the thing that has been chosen, when they are the light that has been joined, when they are the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, when they are the thing that the prophecy has been waiting for since before they were born. The wind passed through a line that was like the breaking of the sky, the line that had been there since before the first people came, the line that was the place where the light met the darkness, the line that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting to cross, the line that was the thing that would be the end or the beginning, the thing that would be the salvation or the destruction, the thing that would be the light that showed the people where to go or the fire that burned the things that should not be burned. A great light came out of my spirit, a light that was not the light of the fire, not the light of the water, not the light of the stone, not the light of the wind, but the light that was the joining of all of them, the light that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before I was born, the light that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who would be the light that showed them where to go when the darkness was coming and the enemy was at the border and the land that had been given to them to protect was waiting to be saved or to be destroyed. It came down like a whirlwind that was clean, that was white, that was the thing that the darkness had been waiting to see, that the darkness had been waiting to meet, that the darkness had been waiting to be shown that it was not the enemy, that it was not the thing that had to be destroyed, that it was not the thing that had to be pushed back forever, but the thing that was the other half of the light, the thing that made the light know that it was light, the thing that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, the thing that was the part of the prophecy that had not been understood, the part that said that the light that shines brightest is the light that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

The darkness fell on me, tried to enter me, tried to take the light that had been joined, tried to be the thing that would destroy the light that the prophecy had been waiting for, the light that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who would be the light that showed them where to go when the darkness was coming and the enemy was at the border and the land that had been given to them to protect was waiting to be saved or to be destroyed. But this light, the light that had come out of my spirit, the light that was the joining of the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the light that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before I was born, had become a clean fire, a fire that was not the fire that burns, but the fire that cleans, the fire that shows, the fire that is the thing that the darkness has been waiting to see, the fire that is the thing that makes the darkness know that it is not the enemy, that it is not the thing that has to be destroyed, that it is not the thing that has to be pushed back forever, but the thing that is the other half of the light, the thing that makes the light know that it is light, the thing that makes the light shine brightest when it has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, the thing that is the part of the prophecy that had not been understood, the part that said that the light that shines brightest is the light that has been tested, that has been tried, that has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, that has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

In that moment, the whole land was lit, was shown, was the thing that the darkness had been waiting to see, the thing that the light had been waiting to show, the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before we were born. And the shadow began to fall slowly, slowly, like the ash of a fire that has been put out by water, by the water that had joined, by the water that was the second spirit, by the water that had been the thing that made the fire know that it was fire, that made the fire know that it had to burn, that made the fire be the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before we were born.

Taru came to me, holding me as I fell to the ground, my face weak, my body tired, my spirit not the same as it had been before, my spirit changed by the thing that had happened, by the darkness that had fallen on me, by the light that had come out of me, by the joining that had been made complete, by the prophecy that was being fulfilled, by the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

"Mukunda!" she called, her voice carrying the fear that she had been carrying, the fear that she had been holding, the fear that had been growing in her since the first sign appeared, since the first time she saw the bodies of animals moving in the dark wind, since the first time she heard the elders murmuring about the Spirit of Darkness, since the first time she knew that the peace that was settling over the land was not the peace that would last, was not the peace that the prophecy had promised, was not the peace that would come when the light had finally won and the darkness had been pushed back forever. But I opened my eyes a little, the way that a person opens their eyes when they have been given something, when they have received something, when they have become something, when they are not the same as they were before, when they have been changed by the thing that has happened, by the darkness that fell on them, by the light that came out of them, by the joining that was made complete, by the prophecy that was being fulfilled, by the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

"Taru," I said, breathing, my voice soft, my voice carrying the thing that I had learned, the thing that the darkness had taught me, the thing that the light had shown me, the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for me to understand, to carry, to be the thing that would be the light that showed the people where to go or the fire that burned the things that should not be burned. "The darkness was not destroyed. It was taught to cry, to mourn, to be the thing that is not the enemy, that is not the thing that has to be destroyed, that is not the thing that has to be pushed back forever, but the thing that is the other half of the light, the