A long time ago, my daddy used to tell me stories about these delicate little creatures that lived in our city. When the world had been made, and it's creator stepped back to watch life unfold, one being stayed behind and refused to join it's fellows below. It wasn't very large, or very beautiful... it was just a soft ball of fluff and large eyes, and it rested on the creator's shoulder throughout all of her endevours. When her children were crying out in heartache, and all she could do was watch them, this little being would sit and press it's cheek to hers, offer comfort as she cried for their pain. When her children had their moments of triumph and happiness, the little creature would dance with her and stay by her side while she rejoiced. And when they died and finally returned to her arms, the little being would stay silently to the side, watching solomnly while she brought her child back home. Such loyalty didn't go unnoticed, and one day she asked the little one what it would wish for, if it could have anything at all. Selfless little thing that it was, it looked up at her with only one wish in it's heart... to be able to offer comfort to all of her children, and to bring them joy so that she would laugh once more. She smiled softly, then kissed the little one on the head and finally sent it down amongst her other children... with one little change. Wings of such delicacy that the sunlight shone through them, making them appear as though they were made of colored light. And upon those fragile limbs she placed an image, the moment that the world was created. Over time the little one had a family, and it's children multiplied, filled the world with their beautiful wings. Each one was different, each one unique, each image a moment in history that the creator herself painted upon their limbs. So they would dance with us, and fill our lives with joy, reminding us of all the beauty and moments that have made us happy with their wings of painted glass. And when it was the little one's time to rejoin her once more, she stood and smiled, proud of it's endavours and placed it back where it belonged. By her side forever. They are called Painted Ladies, and are painfully rare now. I wish that everyone knew that tale, if only so that they would not have suffered so... because their lives have not been filled with joy. They were hunted to near extinction by the greedy, who would take their wings and create window decorations with the translucent limbs. Now there are only a handful left... though sometimes I wonder if there are so few, simply because there are fewer happy times in the world and less for the creator to paint about. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Done in colored pencils.