Himata

In the dream, he was an island. Hanging in the middle of a deep and vast ocean, he felt himself alone amongst the peaceful waves, the only piece of land in eternity.
Over time, his barren surface began to take shape. It took much time for him to develop, but after time it did. Comets from the starry heavens left elements for vegetation to grow from. Rain from the sky nourished his surface. Plants of many strange substances began to root within him and grow.
Soon weather patterns began to take shape as well, and affect the plant life that grew. Cold and violent snowy storms pummeled his eastern glaciers, mountains, and snowy plains. Humidity and bright sunlight roasted the barren eastern side of his land, reflected brightly from the lava flowing down from his spewing mouth of lava. The sun continued north to his hot unbroken deserts and sandy dunes and even to the rocky plains more to his northwest. Rain constantly poured upon him in the south, falling through his thick jungle trees and collecting in the muddy swamps he hosted.
Soon life came, first with Rahi animals – in many shapes and forms. From overlarge flying insects to carnivorous bears, he could feel all the life that he supported amongst him – living as harmonious as creatures can live.
Then there were lastly his many children. When they arrived, they began to build homes for themselves, and began amongst his many landscapes – creating lives for themselves. From mining the rich minerals beneath his surface, to exploring his tall icy mountains - he was pleased at the challenges his children sought from him, and the enjoyment they divulged from it.
Soon afterward, the corruption arrived. He did not feel it arrive like everything else, but just appeared. It came not in his children, they were not so despicable - he knew that. It came in darkness, cold, pressing, and pinching. He did not like darkness, but was powerless to stop it. There was night of course, but always with stars and the many moons in the sky to light his surface when the suns retreated. But this was a entity, which lurked and crept through the shadows, extending the darkness each night, blotting out even some of the stars. Only where his children remained in unity, and remembered their duty, and destiny – did the light prevail.
Beyond the three virtues though, he could not do anything more himself. He was asleep, dreaming – and was powerless to stop the entity with power of his own. His options were not completely exhausted though. If he could not save his children, he must summon those who could. Crying out, he called for protection, for aid to his children. Six times, and then silenced. If it worked, it worked. If it did not, well...it was only a dream after all. So he moved on – beginning to dream of something else.
But just after he slipped of into a new dream, the water of the ocean began to boil in six spots, and in the night sky reflected the spots with six new stars. Out of what seemed like nowhere, six canisters appeared, hovering between the stars and the boiling plumes of liquid.
Slowly the foaming water began to cool, the plumes were gone - and the canisters floated down to the surface, still reflected by the stars. As they quietly dipped into the water and began to float of their own accord, they seemed to shimmer. Whether it was the reflective stars shining upon them – or it was the canisters themselves, they swiveled to face the still darkening island. Slowly, but surely – resisting the might of the ocean, they drew closer, not wavering, not inching from their parallel course.
The island dreamed on, and the darkness spread further, both unaware of the six newcomers entering their midst.

~Joshua~