Work Text:
Summer is ending. The sky is darkening. The days are shortening. The air’s teeth are beginning to bite. As the greens dull to grey and the clouds grow thick with rain, a new beauty covers the lands. A flurry of leaves heats the cold wind, their warm light scattering far and wide in swathes of red and orange.
Though it may seem as though Mother Nature is taking her steps towards her own death, she couldn’t be more alive. She takes this change in her stride, smiling as her emerald hair shifts to a shining ruby, her yellow eyes still as bright as ever. Moss sprouts around her shoulders, growing and whitening to imitate the life-preserving furs her children adore. She traces her fingers across her cape, chuckling as the fine branches shake free their fruits, the flowers curling in and twisting into amber buds. Flakes of snow speckle the sky, melting into rain as it is not quite their time yet.
This year, however, there is a distinct glint in her eye. She giggles in excitement as she passes through a cave, skipping merrily against the stone floors. An introduction was not needed, for a force such as she cares not for manners. Not a thought for her safety was spared as her hand brushes against a wall of scales. The delicate leaves adorning her chest thicken and harden into a leathery substance, pulling down ever so slightly as their shape adjusts to her desires. She didn’t say goodbye as she left, leaning out to look out over her domain. Thick clouds of smoke in the distance only made her grin widen, clicking her finger as inspiration struck for the final piece of her new form. Liquid flame spilled from the face covering her breast, tumbling down into a waterfall of silk. It pooled around her feet before being picked up in the winds, swirling around over and over until it had formed itself into a dress of pure magma.
She spun with glee once the final droplets had merged into the fabric, stumbling over herself as she grew dizzy from her speed. Laughing all the while, she tilted her head to the side, opening her eyes to look at the crowd that had gathered behind her. From the smallest insect to the largest dragon, every species was present. They merely stared, blinking and twitching in acknowledgement. One by one, they dispersed, ready to begin their preparation for the incoming winter until a single member remained.
A human, down on their knees. They didn’t dare lift their head, stiffening as an icy hand rested on their shoulder. The woman continued to smile, watching the floor beneath darken with damp. Tears continued to fall from the human, shrouded with cold, clutching a single green leaf. By the time they finished crying, they realised Mother Nature had already gone. They looked down at the leaf, brown and brittle, watching as it crumbled to dust in their hand.
Summer has ended. The sky has darkened. The days are shorter. The air’s teeth bite hard. As the greens vanish from the landscape and the orange leaves burn themselves out, a new beauty covers the land. A single speck of white survives the downpour. Winter shall soon arrive.