Then upon a time, the Great Pod came from the stars. They had heard the Song of Sol, and wanted to meet their singers. Many forms were a part of the Great Pod. They swam, galloped, floated, scuttled, jetted, slid, and skipped. As they approached, they sang a harmony to the Song of Sol with their many voices.
The Great Pod approached Sol, the star where they heard the song. Sol was a warm and lively parent of many children, but it was also mute. They sang to Sol, but there was no response. So they listened and heard the song was coming from Sol’s third child, Earth. They approached the Earth and asked, “who are you to sing?” but the Earth said nothing.
Then Terra said,
Greetings travellers We are Terra, the Earth is our home We are filled with fear and joy at your coming Please, look at our arts and weapons For you should know that we wish to continue living To seek beauty We hope to make peace with you
The Great Pod did not understand, but because the songs were still sung, both Terra and the Great Pod believed that peace could be made between them. The god and the Great Pod sat uneasy, unsure of each 0ther.
Then Luna, the sibling of Terra, said,
Our older sibling You have supported me in our long dance Since before we could speak Let me host these travellers So that you may be safe
So the Great Pod rested amid the hospitality of Luna. As Luna danced with Terra, the Great Pod learned their songs and dances. After some time, the Great Pod could respond to Terra.
And the Great Pod said,
We come bearing the gifts of our journeys and bodies Please take them and hear our proposal We know it to be true That long life comes to those Who dance many dances And sing many songs So please teach us your ways that we may learn For we love beauty and wish to live long Allow us to master your songs and dances Once we have learned your ways Join us So that you may learn As we travel the stars
And Terra said,
You may learn from us But we will not join you in your journey For we are on our own journey on this Earth, our home, and we love it To separate us from our parent Sol is to ruin us To separate us from our sibling Luna is to throw us off balance To separate us from Earth is to disembowel us We will not leave this place It is our life, our body, our ship, our power, our beauty, our home However We have grown to love you too The beauty of your songs and dances has not been lost on us Though we are sometimes slow to learn Stay with us a while longer And we shall give birth to a child who has no home This child shall be called Adastra And we will entrust them to your care
And the Great Pod said,
Joy and earnestness We shall be a home for them As long as they need
After a time, Adastra was born. She was a lively child, learning much from her parent Terra, and her auntle Luna. She travelled between them to prepare her for her journey with the Great Pod. While she was learning, she pushed herself through space, but once she grew stronger, she sailed.
The Great Pod, having never seen one of its members sail before, was delighted. They approached Adastra and said,
“Beautiful child, will you join us in our journey to learn the songs and dances of all beings? Will you respect what we learn together, holding nothing back when others need to learn? Will you live as one of us?”
Adastra, excited to begin her journey, said,
I will go as one of you But when I have grown I may go my own way
Then the Great Pod said,
Terra, we promise to you that your child may return If ever they wish to leave us Now we begin a new journey together
And so the Great Pod left Terra to continue their journey with its newest member, Adastra. Terra, exhausted by the birth, fell asleep.
We Are Terra 