When Stars Collide

Destiny's Script

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Shudder. Thump. Thump.

Another recently bothersome shiver ran across her spine, followed by that strange restless beating of her heart. She was out of place, like a fish out of water, and it was happening for absolutely no reason. She needed to clear her mind. Taking a deep breath, she got up. From the stack beside her, she picked up a few wood pieces and fed the dwindling embers of the campfire. After a few moments of nurturing the flames, the fire thankfully returned to a stable state. With a heavy sigh, she moved back to her seat on the log and sat down. Picking up the bottle of water beside her, she took a long drink, and once satisfied, she finally sat back, relaxed.

Where was she again? Ah yes, stargazing. Her favorite thing to do. The flames of the now revitalized fire kept away that certain chill in the night air, comforting her mentally and physically, calming her down from the most recent strange feeling. Whenever she had the chance, she jumped up to take the first watch, giving her the opportunity to watch the unending beauty of the night sky, to watch the night grow old, to watch the stars ever so gradually shift through the black sea that was space.

Ever since she remembered, she had been enthralled by these jewels of the night. And as things were right now, she was upset. In the drive for technological advancement, humanity forgot what toll it takes from nature to compensate for these advancements. Light pollution, it had eaten up the night sky almost everywhere, nothing remained of the night sky, just a dull glow, barely any stars, barren, overwhelming, gloomy; something that saddened her inside out.

But she was in a forest, far from any mortal civilization, far from any pollution to defile the night sky. And on a cloudless, clear night such like that day, the full brilliance of the sky full stars was presented for her eyes to feast on. Constellations seemed to actually shimmer and move. Moving in harmony to each other. Dance even. Dancing to the rhythm of nature. With no moon in the sky to steal the show, the sky was all theirs to rule and decorate.

A small smile spread across her face as she spotted the constellations one by one. Cassiopeia. Sagittarius. Taurus. Cancer. Leo. Some she purposely ignored: Orion, Hercules. She realized how one star complemented and supported the other, that even if one star disappears, the whole constellation collapses. She saw how the stars belonged, how they couldn't function without the others, how they fit in with the others. But then she spotted the North Star, and her mood plummeted.

A small wind started blowing across, sweeping her long, dark hair. No, the pole star was a beautiful celestial body. It wasn't the problem. But looking at it, she was unsettled. The Pole Star was what led the others. Rooted to its spot, it shows the way to those who lost theirs. A guiding light, a lifesaver, a leader. Yet it looked almost as if the role was forced onto it. Not to mention the memories the constellation it was part of brought onto her.

Then it struck. It struck her that this turmoil, this unsettling feeling, the sudden shivers, and that certain restlessness, they weren't spontaneous. No, it had been brewing within. Brewing for a long time. And long meant ages, quite literally.

That's when the silver circlet on her head, whose presence she was used to, unusually weighed up.

Responsibilities. Too much. Too long.

Zoe Nightshade, the Fifth Hesperide, Lieutenant of Artemis's Hunt, no she didn't belong. Yes, she had served Artemis for millennia. Yes, she led the Hunt. And yes, she guided others, some of which she regretted. But no, she didn't belong. The Hunt was her shelter, a home too, for a long time, but not anymore.

She was a refugee, the Hunt her refuge. She was safe and happy, but not content, alienated from what she actually wanted. She was free, but her heart was not. She was a leader, a natural and efficient one, yet her heart wanted to retire and rest. She had always wanted to wander the world, and yes her wish was fulfilled, yet at what price? Heartbreak. Loss. Disowning. Stripped of her inheritance.