text: Once upon a time, in a land where light ruled all that was dark, there lived a little girl. She was a curious little girl. So curious in fact, that one day she decided to break one of the most important rules set by the Elders of the land. She decided to cross the border into the land where darkness ruled over all that was light. As she stepped into the Realm of Twilight, her heart began to fill with fear. She wanted to turn back but she could not, for the Shadows of the land had already begun playing tricks on her. Never had anyone felt more lost. After wandering the dark, forsaken wastelands for three days, she found herself defeated by the Shadows and dropped down to the ground. It was then that she heard a Shadow speak. ‘Are you alone, little girl?’ ‘Who’s there?!’ the little girl cried. ‘Will you help me find my way back to the Land of Light?’ The Shadow spoke again. ‘Are you alone?’ She wanted to say yes but could not. How could she, knowing there was someone out there. The thought made the voice grow quiet. Convinced she was no longer alone, she decided to get up. She stumbled through the darkness, falling down every nine steps along the way but she was determined. It had started to rain and large thunderbolts lit up the sky. They revealed razor-sharp rocks and many a dead tree. Not far from her, she could see a cave. Longing for a sense of security, she dragged herself to the entrance of her new-found shelter, but before she reached it, a tall dead tree standing close to her was struck by lightning and caught fire. So, it was that she decided to build a fire inside the cave. The Shadows were lured to this fire and started to dance around it. At first, the little girl kept her distance but soon after she started to play with them and although the light had stolen away their voices, they kept her company. She started to feel somewhat lighter and with this the fire seemed to glow more intense making the Shadows grow stronger. An alliance between light and dark was formed that night and the Shadows promised to take her back to her homeland. When they arrived at the border the next day, the little girl invited the Shadows into her lands. They gratefully accepted and found themselves greater and more powerful than ever before. It was then they decided to stay. They found welcoming homes as they made people feel less alone. The alliance grew so strong that there was no more light possible without the dark. They became as one. Truth was, no one could ever wish for a better companion than their own Shadow. It never judged, nor did it ever tell a lie. It soon became so that to love one’s Shadow was to love one self and there would never be a single reason to feel alone again. And should you ever find yourself in dark places, then listen carefully; for your Shadow will regain its voice again to remind you of this.