Once upon a time there was born a little girl. This girl had sunlight in radiant rays in her eyes and summer’s kiss pressed upon her rosy cheek. She danced along the silky breeze as her rich earthy hair streamed out around her. The world was her playground, and a beautiful one at that.

The child grew, and as she did the world turned dark... no longer a playground of safety and sunshine... but a jungle of bloody knuckles and tearing hair. How had it turned on her so? Her gentle soul could not withstand the pain and so... with each slap of life and violent turn of the world, this girl’s sunshine began to fade.

In an effort to save itself, the sweet child’s heart began to split. It tore asunder until it was in fact two girls. One was tall and strong, as hard as the jungle in which the girls now resided. A sword in her hand and steel in her eyes... all trace of sunshine gone from this girl. The other, the remnant of the child who danced in the wind... small, weak, and frightened. But the joy that was within her was preserved in this one fragile child.

They were sisters now, sworn to each other, and torn from the same. The fragile child and the cold warrior... tethered together by a single soul.

Over time, the warrior sister determined her task was to protect the other... to ensure she lost no more of the joy that had been so stripped from her. Walls began to be built around the shadow girl, walls that grew taller and stronger each time the warrior fought off an attack. Until soon, the girl who used to dance and sing with rosy cheeks, sat alone behind stone walls... forever cut off from those that could harm her and save her alike.

The warrior stood guard, allowing no one enter... lest they should destroy the fragile girl.

Many were defeated by this fearsome sister. Some too afraid to bring battle, some simply losing... Yet still she stood guard, so long... so almost began to forget that she shared a soul with the being behind the walls.

One single summer day, the warrior froze, hearing voices within the wall. How could one have gotten by without her notice? She was valiant in the protection of her charge!

Looking within, she found another within the walls with the girl. The girl... that fragile and defenseless girl was beaming with joy.

Confused, the warrior charged within, determined to slay the newcomer before they could bring harm. It was inconceivable that anything could be brought but that! She raised her mighty sword to strike him down!

The girl, who was supposed to be weak, leapt into the strike zone of the warrior. No sunshine now, but the fiery heat of the sun in her eyes. She protected the newcomer, and would allow no harm to come to him.

The warrior stopped, afraid... afraid of both the newcomer and this unknown strength of the girl. Then the newcomer turned and approached the warrior, who knew that he would spell her doom.

He embraced her, as he had the girl... and as he did, the soul that had been torn asunder for survival reunited within itself. The girl and the warrior became one once more. As she looked at him, wrapped in his embrace, sunshine again shone from her eyes.