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// The Lost Letter 
// Story: As I Pass The Torch 
// by ConnorTempest 
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To My Dear Children,

The time has come for me to end...the time to pass on the torch to you. I'm sorry...so very, very sorry that I must thrust upon the burden of the world to you. I would give everything and more to prevent that from happening, but alas I cannot...for as long as I can remember I have shouldered this curse hoping that it never would pass to you, I have failed and now only hope you can handle it. Unlike me however, you can do it together and share the load, for your bond can never be severed, not by magic, might, nor time. Promise me....please promise me that you will take care of each other and when I'm long gone to make sure what happened here never will ever again come to pass. After this is all over, I realize that nothing may remember what happened, and so with the little time I have left; here's the story...
It was a pleasant day to say the least, I went through with my duties: checking the clouds, the water, the heat, and of course the animals. I know that some fear me, while others revere me, although as long as they are happy, that alone gives me purpose...wait, sorry...they must be trying to escape...back to the story. Anyway it was a brilliant day and I had just went over my duties, everything was just so....perfect...I hope you one day can feel that as well. The day had ended and I went about setting the sun and raising the moon and stars...only I couldn't. Something was preventing me, something strong, something powerful...something terrifying beyond imagine...and IT wasn't alone. Even now I can't...no I won't describe it. All i can say is that it radiated evil and bad will, it called itself "The Catalyst" and had no form...but I knew it was there. And I felt something I had not in a long time felt...hatred...pure, unadulterated fury and disgust. With it were...creatures that were and were not familiar...some had names, other not, but all with a great loathing of life. I'll spare you the details, but among them, the most prominent was a goat, a dragon, a bull, a stag, an eagle, a ram, a lion, and a skull...not sure of what...it kept changing. each of these being were akin to minotaurs of legend, having bipedal bodies. The Creature whispered pleasant thoughts and twisted dreams into the populace, corrupting them, changing them...and It enjoyed their malice, toward it, toward I, toward...anything. It fed off it like nothing I have ever witnessed before, and sickened me to the core of my being. At that time I could not afford to just stand there and gaff at it...I had to protect the ones below.
Soon after the battle had started I noticed that nothing I did affected them in the slightest...not one bit; at that time I realized that these...creature, if I could even call them that could not be dispelled nor banished nor killed. So I only had one option left...to absorb them and imprison them within myself. No, that is not killing them...merely...subduing them in my subconscious. And so I did...at the cost of myself.
Now, I alone could not bear the strain of absorbing the creatures, but three of the ones below came to me; for the first time in millennia those from below came to me! and they offered their help...I made sure they stayed themselves.
And so the four of us faced the mighty threat and I preformed the spell. Centered on a crystal seed and then absorbed by us, we started. All sorts of things flew into us, the good, the bad, the macabre; slowly the four of us began to change. One whom had absorbed vast amounts of magic spout a horn of ivory and was filled with the wisdom of the ancient and forgotten. Another had wings burst from his back, filling him with courage and honor. The final grew immensely, almost doubling in size, stronger muscles created and hardened bone, extending his joy and promise...I however am not as lucky to have a quick change...I have at most an hour before the transition completes...And another note...the crystal shattered before the spell was complete; energies flowing, mingling with the world before bonding with a perfect host...just like the three.
I now lay here writing to you my dears, along side my unconscious companion, fully coming to terms with everything...Oh how I wish to see you two again, if only just once...alas I cannot, already I have one hand like that of a lion and another like that of an eagle, and one of my legs that of a goats. It is painful...but I have now a new found hope...these three came to me of their own accord to help defend what was important...hope...live...love...everything. therainiseeitfallingjumpingflying! These thing are starting to affect me...and I have made measures to prevent them from coming ever again. From this shard of the crystal seed, I enchant and bury...one day it will grow and bear magical items...that will turn whatever I become to solid stone, but purify anything else...stone for me, for I will keep them in check, and one cannot purify absolute evil so easily. It comes to pass that these three and the new races shall inherent the world I hold so dear and close...I regret not being able to watch it grow, along with the two of you. Now it's your turns to watch over the ones from below; and these three shall lead a new kind to prosper; lord of the sky, lord of magic, and lord of the earth. This final gift I give to them; to the kin of the sky, complete power over the weather; to the kin of magic, control of their new ability; and to the kin of the earth, authority over the land they walked.
Attached to this will be a key. You know where this is to, and in there is my contingency plan should I and the thing within me escape, or more rather...when we escape. Oh, there is so much I wish I could tell you, but my time is drawing near. I have one request, one dying wish to leave you with: when I come back...make sure I am not unchecked, protect this land and the creatures that live in it...defend it and maintain it's balance...it's...harmony...I may sound the same, and perhaps look similar, but I am a prison for these...things...they cannot escape...no matter what. 
Next time you see me...I'll be stone, and you two will have to raise the sun and moon and stars. I'm sorry I have to leave...but you two, born of the sun and moon, will do perfect...I trust you...and I love you my children, and always will be by your side.
With Love and Regret,
Your Father Discord