So this is actually an assignment I was given in my writing class, so I figured I would post it, because... why not? The assignment was to make a story for a picture she gave you. The picture I upload with the chapter is (more or less) what I was given. I hope you enjoy, I kinda half-assed it so...

)(

A tale from long ago. Nations had yet to form and the gods roamed the lands instead of remaining sequestered in the heavens. Times of anarchy that people used to commit sins. Forgotten and lost to memories, though one story yet remains.

Within these chaotic times is where we find our heroine, the goddess Suryu, who was the most compassionate of all the gods. As the blackness in people's hearts grew, so did her sadness. The darkness changed the people, turning them to creatures of the dark, the monsters that lurk in the night. Those that did feasted on the flesh of humans that they had called brother, killed those that had been their spouses, and injured those that had been their children. Despite her want to do so, Suryu was barred from helping them from their darkened selfs. The gods had long ago decided a ban on helping what they saw as inferior creatures, regardless of the fact that the gods themselves had created them.

Eventually though, Suryu's compassion would be her downfall. Where often she could ignore their darkened hearts, as she walked upon a path one day Suryu found a man hunched into himself in pain. Already, the goddess could tell that he was about to turn. Black wings sprouting from his back, he writhed in pain, screams ripping through his throat. Taking a small step back, she almost turned back until he looked up. Blue eyes met pained brown. In a split second the woman made a decision.

Golden light shone off her hair as she knelt beside the man. "Be still a moment, I can help you," as she said this, her hands began to glow. The darkness melted into the light, leaving the man's body and healing him.

Though the wings remained, they turned from black to white, proof of the partial transformation he had undergone. "I had heard stories, but I never thought that it would really happen," his eyes were wide, a scared look in his eyes, "I thought it was divine intervention. That was . . . nothing like your power though."

Suryu stood from the ground, and suddenly stiffened. The two were standing on a hill, and as she looked behind her, the color drained from her face. Unnaturally, the sky began to darken, quickly encroaching upon their position.

The man stood, drawing a dagger that hung at his side and standing before her protectively. Despite his brave actions, the white-knuckle grip he had on his weapon betrayed his mental state. His fear was clear.

"Stand back, it's fine." Placating him with a hand on his shoulder, he hesitated, unsure if she truly meant it. The look in her eyes finally convinced him though, and he sheathed the weapon. "Better to make friends than enemies."

Before any more words could be spoken, the black birds surrounded Suryu, pushing back the man with the sheer number and weight the amount of birds caused. From where he had fallen to the ground, the man saw light shine through the mass of bodies, repeatedly lighting the black mass of bodies. As this continued, the birds began to turn to white and fly back into the sky free of the darkness in their hearts.

As the last bird flew away, the man took a step toward the goddess. She tried to step back before her knees gave in and she fell to the ground. Looking over her form, the man kneeled slightly. Worry was in his eyes and his hands hovered over her collapsed form. Suryu smiled, nothing but content in her eyes.

"I finally understand why the gods have banned helping the humans. Because we have never had to deal with it ourselves, the darkness is a far deadlier poison to us than to our imperfect creations." She sighed. "I'm going to fade away, the darkness I took from others has infected me, and will eat away my spirit. Perhaps you might remember me though?"

"You saved my life, I owe you far more than that!" Panic seeped into his expression as he saw the inner light fading from her. "I will take the darkness that you hold, even if I change completely."

"My name is Suryu."

Tendrils of black blossomed out from her chest, and the man backed up quickly in fear. The tendrils wound into one another, becoming thicker as they intwined and reached to the sky. A black spire shot up in an attempt to pierce the heavens. After a time, it reached a maximum height before unravelling and beginning a fall to the earth. Before it had reached the ground however, it hardened into an imperfect sphere. Finally seeing the tendrils stop moving, he hesitantly took a step forward.

Before him was a nearly black tree, rough bark cold beneath his fingers as he touched it. Suryu's body was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by the tree. His gaze fell away from the tree and looked toward the sky as he once more heard whispers of wings that were so familiar from when they engulfed the goddess before. The birds had returned, their white mass stretching across the horizon as it had done when they were black.

One by one, the birds arrived and landed upon the limbs of the tree. For a while, he expected the black bark to change to brown, but nothing to that extent happened. In fact, the only thing that happened was that the birds roosted in the tree. Taking a few steps back, he gazed up at the tree. The contrasting black and white made the tree seem like it was in bloom as all the birds ruffled their feathers and settled into the tree. Gradually, the day dragged on and the sun dipped below the curve of the hill, the brilliant pink adding another level of beauty to the scene.

The moment the sun was fully past the curve of the earth, the peace shattered. All the birds took off at once in a flurry of noise and feathers. Soon enough the tree was just a silhouette against a greying sky as the first stars began to shine. The man walked forward and placed his hand on the bark again, wings folded into his back.

"I'll never forget what you did for me Suryu." He bowed his head in respect. "You'll never hear it, but my name is Mansi, and though it is obvious that I made many mistakes in my past, I will try to live the life given to me the best I can. I shall come visit again."

From then on, Mansi returned at least once a year on the anniversary of that day. Each time, he was beaten to the location by the white birds who would rest there all day. They became the only blossoms on the black tree on that day, but other than that the tree remained bare on the top of the hill.

Years later, the man returned again, his hair grey but his eyes still a lively brown and wings folded neatly under a cloak. "It's been many years since you saved me, Suryu, and though I helped many in my years, it will never compare to what you have done for the others and I." After a few more minutes, he stood from where he had been. "I shall see you soon."

The birds all watched him depart as the sun began to set once again on the anniversary of that day. The last day that Mansi would ever visit Suryu at the top of the hill. The tree remains though, the white blossoms returning every year without fail.

)(

Heyo~ Let me know how you guys liked it! There will be a lot more of these because of class assignments, but I don't think you guys will complain too much. Either way I'm always going to be writing so... yeah. I hope you guys realize I write everyday. It isn't always a full chapter, sometimes it's a sentence, a paragraph, or just a nonsense theory. Obviously these don't all get posted. Anywhore, I work on these things constantly. No rest for the wicked right?

-Nicky~