Ankyra Sound Sometimes the past can make the ground beneath you feel like a quicksand

If the wolf on the lakeshore reminded her of Illidan, and the starwolf a beautiful and idealized version of herself, well.  Maia certainly wasn't going to say anything.

She laughed when Illidan said it was sad, mostly because she was glad he seemed to be enjoying it.  Of course silly, that's because it isn't done yet,  she teased.  Stories were usually sad around the middle because otherwise the happy ending wouldn't feel so good.  Sometimes they ended sadly too, but Maia didn't enjoy those as much.

He didn't, but he kept talking.  And the more he did, the more desperate the star was to answer him.  He seemed lonely and she knew if she could just go there and tell him she was here, listening, then he wouldn't feel so alone.  She got a little wistful because the romance, the drama! 

Finally she couldn't stand it.  It was forbidden for stars to come down, but there was a way.  It was just super dangerous and, if she was caught, she'd be banned from ever watching the ground again.  It was totally worth the risk.  She snuck away, down from the sky, until she came to the place where the worlds meet.

This had been the hardest part of the story to come up with, because what kind of a place was the border between the stars and the ground?  It was hard for her to wrap her head around, even as an "accomplished" storyteller, but then she'd gotten an idea.

The place where the sky meets the ground is like a giant ocean, pulled both ways.  Water made sense because up and down didn't matter much... you could travel either!  Plus she liked bringing the ocean in because then the story felt like it was here.  And to cross, you have to swim it.  But she also knew that in this ocean there was a monster, something giant that would snatch up anyone who tried to cross!  But she was only, like, a little scared, because she knew she had to go.  So she took a big, huge breath and dove in.

She swam and she swam, fast as she could, but no one could outrun it.  She felt it grab her and hold her still in one giant clawed hand.  So she shouted to it.  'Please!  If you have a wish, I can grant it, just let me pass!' She tried to sound desperate, and when the monster, she tried to sound wicked.  Voices were a relatively new addition but she liked doing them to a point sometimes.  The monster just laughed.  'I don't need wishes.  Not when stupid stars like you come trespassing.'  But the star wasn't going to give up.  'Please! Then just let me tell you a story first.'

The monster wasn't convinced, but the ocean between could be lonely sometimes also.  Everything that trespassed it normally ate, and once they were gone, it was back to nothing.  A story would maybe give it something to think about between this meal and the next one.  So the monster agreed!  The star told it all about the wolf and his stories, though not any of the secret ones.  Then she told about how she was making this journey to see him, and how much trouble she'd be in if they found out.  The monster was hungry, but it also had a soul, and it would have been hard for anyone to hear that story and not want her to make it past.  As she finished, she felt the claws loosen around her, and she heard its voice boom in her ear.  'For that story, I'll let you pass.  But you can never come back, or I will have you.'  Oooh okay yeah she was diggin this monster she came up with.  Maybe it would appear in some other stories.  Sorta like a guardian gatekeeper between the sky and the world.

She kept swimming and eventually broke through to the shore of the other world.  As she climbed from the water, her fur and eyes shone with the silver light of a star.  She had made it!  She ran immediately for where she knew he'd be, because it was dark and he was always there when it got dark.  When she saw him, he was looking sadly at the sky.  His favorite star was gone, after all, and he was worried that for some reason the light had gone out.  As soon as he saw her, though, he knew immediately who she was, even before she could say it.  Stars might look like rocks, but star wolves definitely aren't hard to recognize.  She smiled, because it was cooler that way and also magic.  Nothing was impossible.  She was so happy when she saw him, too, and when he ran to her, that she shone brighter.  But that wasn't good, because the stars above noticed, and no star was ever allowed to be down with the normal wolves.

The older, more important stars had secret ways to get down that weren't the monster's, and soon, they were surrounded by growling and glowing wolves.  She hadn't been able to even say one world, and now she was going to be taken back!  She wouldn't even get to see her friend again.  'I'm sorry,'  was all she was able to say before they pulled her away, but as they were leaving, he stopped them.  He only had to shout one thing.  'I have a wish!'

Star wolves can't grant wishes for themselves, but they do for others.  The leader of the stars looked at him, and for a minute it seemed like she might not grant it.  But he kept talking anyway.  'I wish she could stay.'  Maia paused in anticipation for the next part.  Everything was quiet.  All of the star wolves were staring at their leader.  There had never been that kind of wish before, and no star had ever stayed before.  They didn't know what to do.  The leader just stared for a long time, and seemed to be thinking.  Then, she nodded.

So the star wolf was allowed to stay, and even though she couldn't grant wishes anymore, she'd already answered the best one.  Now when he told her his stories, she told him hers too, all about the sky and the stars and now the ground.  They lived happily ever after, together by the lake.  She finished with a flourish, then sat down with a huff.  See!  Happy!  She giggled, then ducked a little self-consciously.  It's a little long for pups n all, but... what'd you think?