The darkness filled the void, nothing else visible except two figures. A light winged creature kneeled before a dark creature. The winged creature was bound by the wrists, reaching upward to its captor.

The dark creature looked down with blazing light eyes as he spoke with a booming voice, “Why does a creature of light have dark eyes?”

A quiet voice drifted upward as her head tilted toward his. “We all must have darkness to see the light. If everything were all dark, there would be nothing to see.”

His light eyes looked out. He knew the light would beat him if he let her go. “Why doesn’t the light destroy all the darkness, destroy me? Isn’t it supposed to be all good?”

She knew she could easily escape her bindings, although he did not realize. She rose to her feet, still looking up at him. “If everything were all light, there would be nothing to see.”

His eyes locked with hers. In that moment, he saw the reason for darkness in her eyes, and he understood. He understood now why light filled is own eyes.

Slowly, he began to untie the bindings. She stretched her wings and light shot out around them. Her hands, now free, embraced him. Darkness and light worked together.

The nothingness which surrounded them both changed into a beautiful meadow, dotted with flowers. A stream ran behind her. Dark mountains surrounded the meadow.

A zebra striped butterfly landed on the dark creature’s shoulder. He looked at it and smiled. “Balance,” he breathed out as the butterfly floated away. She smiled, and now he knew.