Wu Chi Apple
When the earth was young and the cosmos were still in progression, life took itself in the hands of destiny. The beginning of change was soon to come to the young earth, but only in a matter of time.
The cosmos began to rest in a state of nothingness, which is known today as Wu Chi. Progress was slow, and life became sluggish. The night would submerge the skies too early in the morning, or last too long in the evening, and the day would only become visible for a short period of time. When it rained, the earth would not drink. The skies just began to tumble across heaven. Plant life began to wither.
This pause in time and change has been witnessed by Heaven, and in turn, a messenger was sent to the earth. The messenger was humble and had little to say, other than importance. Chien, the messenger, placed her hands on to the earth and began to consult the forces of change.
"A symbol, within time, will tell
of the fruit of another tale.
Heaven above and earth below,
Rest and feast of the Cosmos."
Chien, after hearing the message, became very distant, tired, drained. She did not understand what the cosmos' intention were.
Time began to slow even more. The trees began to weep to the earth. What may have seemed a toll of darkness, was not. No obstruction roamed the lands. Only time began to fade.
One day, Chien decided to observe the changes of the cosmos. She sat on the only greenery (or what was left of it) found on the earth. She began to fade into one of her dreams, moreover, a vision.
A leaf of time. A feather of Heaven's way.
A seed of tomorrow.
A coming new day.
Chien awoke to find a single leaf resting in her palm. She cautiously placed the leaf beside her and looked above. Heaven's feather. Earth's leaf. Chien pieced the two concepts together and peered into the patch of grass she was resting upon. A dry seed, patched into the scorched soil, appeared to have the entity of decay, yet well enough to start anew. Chien decided to place the seed into the soil hoping for life to appear.
Day after day (or perhaps night after night), Chien would devote her time in hope for life to appear; but all seemed hopeless. Chien, with defeat, began to sob. Never has she felt so useless, so distant. It began to rain. Her tears mixed with the rain and gently fell to the scorched Earth. She turned to the leaf she had, and with anger of defeat, tore it up into pieces. Thunder tore the skies. Chien, ashamed at what she had done, hid away and isolated herself.
Many moons fell, and Chien still did not face the Earth until one blessed day a feather fell on to her lap. Her foreshadowing vision began relevant. She returned to the earth and to her dismay, saw greenery, fertile soil, flowers, life. With rejoice she returned to the patch of grass, which was now a hill, and became star-gazed. Atop the hill was a tall tree, each branch holding a collection of the ripest, roundest fruit.
She plucked an apple from the tree and admired its tranquil beauty. Chien then set her eyes on the ground below, and caught sight of a decaying seed. She held the seed within her grasp, smiled, and faced the heavens. All life needs its time of rest, and the cosmos entered this needed time. With a symbol of the rest of time, the apple tree would decay; but nevertheless, would return to the very essence it was of -- an essence of the cosmos's rest. . . A symbol of life from nothingness, an apple of the Wu Chi tree.
//*The prophecy of the messenger
//*Chien