Nature VS. Nara

Endless and vast sky above. Black as night, not a speck of light in sight. How long will I sit here in this void? Will this nothingness ever become more bearable? Am I going to be alone forever?

These are all the thoughts that run through the mind of an immortal being. One in charge of past, present, and future. They can guide time in one direction or another, they can accelerate time, they can decelerate it, but they cannot directly stop or start time as there is no true beginning and no true ending. They cannot jump from one point in time to another because it follows a linear path. These are the words passed down from one being to the next. No one speaks these thoughts; none are present to share the burden of emptiness with them. One day, they just came into being and the next they were lost in a sea of loneliness.

For one moment there was only Eternity. Eternity is the name of such a being whose presence is immense and powerful. Eternity has no shape, no color, no personification. Eternity just exists, watching and guarding the time that passes. How long will they suffer like this?

A voice slices through the deafening silence that surrounds Eternity. ”Do not fear child, I bring with me a new creature. One with infinite beauty. One who creates and maintains life. One who has the power to create and also destroy. They are in infancy now. They are the first of their kind. Will you guide this creature? Can you show them how to create the space to fill this hollow cavity that is labeled as time? ” Before Eternity could understand these thoughts, a small dot appears. It is far and it is small. But it brings light and warmth. Two concepts that are foreign to Eternity. The dot pulses, breathing and growing more and more as Eternity watches.

”Who are you? ” The new being asks. Eternity has only heard one voice prior to this, the voice in his mind that provided the introduction for this small glimmer of light.

”I am time. I am the past, present, and future. I am called by the name of Eternity. I wait and watch, guarding this black and empty hole. I continue to push it through, not allowing it to stay in one moment for too long. There is too much to do for it to stand still. What is your name little one? ”

”A name. I don remember. All I know is that I am to grow and grow. I keep growing. Do I have a name? ” Eternity listens. The creature has no name. No creature should live like that.

”I can give you a name, if you will allow it. ” Eternity waits, shoving the time by as they are meant to. Pushing, sometimes pulling it down the line.

”I would like that very much. ” Like? What does like mean? Eternity pushes this thought on through just as they do with everything else in their care.

”What about . . . Nature? ” Eternity pauses. The only word that is present to describe what is before them is this strange word. Nature. Unsure of what it means but compelled to use this term, the new being adopts the name Nature.

Every day Nature grows vaster. This black emptiness is becoming filled with something. It started with the light. Small and shiny it continued to grow until there was no more growing left to do. After light came something brown. It hovered underneath the light. It was soft but dry. Sometimes it would crumble. Sometimes it would fall apart. On the days when it would start to separate, Nature would get upset.

”Why won this creation stick together? Why doesn it stay? ” Eternity did know the answers to these questions but could not share them with Nature for Eternity did not possess the language to explain them. Eternity could only wait. Eternity knew what was coming next, but Eternity also knew they could not change it. Nature began to cry. Fluffy white objects filled the light, dimming it. From those objects came drops. These drops were colorless when they were looked at individually. However, when gathered together, they created the most brilliant shade of cerulean that Eternity had ever witnessed, not that Eternity had witnessed many colors during their early existence.

The drops filled and cemented the brown stuff, keeping it in place. ”I did it! ” Nature shouts. ”Now that you are all forming together nicely, I will call you Earth. ”

”Why Earth? ” asks Eternity.

”I do not know why. I only know it is what this new place is meant to be called. ” Eternity scoffs at this notion. A being not knowing why something under their care is, or how it is, that is unheard of. Irresponsible. Eternity did not have high hopes for this thing called Earth.

Despite their doubt, Nature continued to grow. Nature brought green to this brown and blue place called Earth. The green came in many shapes. Some of the