The Universe is a vast and wondrous place. Due to that unfathomable fact, not everything can be known by any one individual. There are billions upon billion souls wafting through the cosmic planes; tens of trillions hearts that are all beating at once strewn throughout the blackness. Even a deity could not know what lays within their minds, in their hearts or in their souls at the same precise moment -- to do so would bring instant insanity. Thus there are many deities and minor gods, each located within a specific part of the Universe. Even more hanging between the curtains that divide the other 26 known dimensions.

We are not alone.

Simple enough statement, is it not? Yet, even the most advanced brains cannot compute the impact of one lone soul upon the winds. No supercomputer could ever dream to come up with a formula for the strength of will and might of spirit. There is no such creation that can predict Change.

Free will is inherited, not given. Within the laws of the Universe, there is give and take -- for a balance must be maintained. To do so would bring the downfall of all creation in the dimension. Think of the casualties!

It hurts, does it not?

This is not to say that every being holds a light that keeps the Universe living. I do not know who came up with that rubbish, but it is simply not true. People keep the Universe moving forward, but their spirits have nothing to do with "cosmic harmony." There is a definite song if you will -- stars hum, planets hum ... life energy gives off that so-called harmony. But if you put a silencer on it, do not expect an explosion. I do not recommend that either, though. The dynamics are far too complected for even an explanation from me.

Who am I, you ask?

A friend, a mentor, a guardian, if you will.

Far, far too long have I wandered this great Universe, but Time is of little consideration to an immortal. (And not a god, let us get that straight off the bat.) I know many things, have seen Change in the process, but even so, I continue to learn. One can never stop learning -- it is a fundamental part of Life Itself. Stop learning, stop growing, stop evolving, stop Change. No Change, thus no Universe. See how everything is tied? Of course, a monumental shift would only cause the latter; one or two million species being halted will not matter (as callous as that sounds); new species are always evolving and taking their place.

But I have gotten off track as I am prone to do now and again. 4.6 billion years of age should get me some leeway, no? Anyway, you know who I am -- what I am. You see me in the heart of a roaring fire, a flicker of a candle's tiny flame, the burning core of the Sun. All this and more make up my being. Born of fire, lay to rest in the center of fire; torn from the grip of Death and birthed anew, young and vibrant. There is a small part of me in you, pulsing to keep you alive, giving you the drive to succeed, to fight for what is right and protect that which is innocent. If you chance to gaze upon the face of a diamond held close to the tendrils of fire, perhaps you might catch a glimpse of me. I am not that hard to recognize, after all.

And I will smile and you will know.