First Verse:

I. Awakening

Alte-re awoke in the Darkness.

(she awoke in the Darkness and she was alone)

Ivri-roh awoke in the darkness.

(they awoke in the darkness and knew not where they were)

And Alte-re cried out to the Darkness

Where are you?

And the Darkness did not answer.

And Alte-re said

I am alone

And Ivri-roh cried out in the darkness

Where am I?

And the Dark did not answer.

And Ivri-roh said

I am alone

So Alte-re sent out her power

in an explosion of light

and each part of the Spark Divine

kindled in the darkness

and the Bright Ones were born.

So Ivri-roh let their powers

wash out from them in waves

and the Waters of Creation

gave birth to the World.

II. Discontent

The Bright Ones were many

but still they and Alte-re

were not content.

For Alte-re and the Bright Ones had no home.

The world was made, but still

Ivri-roh was not content.

For they were alone.

Alte-re tried to create a world for the Bright Ones, but she could not.

For the Spark Divine gives life alone and creates no place of refuge.

Ivri-roh tried to create companions for themself, and they made

the fish and the whales and the inkfish and all the creatures of the sea

but these creatures neither lived nor moved

for the Waters of Creation give form alone and cannot kindle life.

And the discontent of Alte-re and Ivri-roh

was very great indeed.

Second Verse:

I. The Waters of Creation and the Spark Divine

So Alte-re said unto the Bright Ones, I will find us a home, and, alone, she departed from them and flew on through the Darkness, searching.

And so Alte-re searched alone in the Darkness for many days.

Ivri-roh longed, desperately, to leave the World they had made, and find companions. But they loved their World, imperfect as it was, too dearly to abandon it.

And so, alone on their dark, lifeless World, Ivri-roh remained.

Alte-re grew weary in the Dark and of the Dark, but, at last, she saw below her the World, and her heart cried out for joy as she descended to it, as swift and shining as a falling star.

And Ivri-roh looked up and saw, in the dark skies, the bright, swift light of Alte-re, and their heart rose like a wave at the beauty of her.

Alte-re flew over the oceans of the World, and, as she flew, she reached out to trail her fingertips in wonder through the waves.

And she knew that she was home.

And at the touch of Alte-re, the Spark Divine flowed through the Ivri-rph's Waters of Creation, and all of the things that Ivri-roh had made awoke and lived for the first time.

Then Alte-re ascended from the World once more, to return to the Bright Ones and lead them home.

And Ivri-roh, who had been too struck with amazement and wonder to approach Alte-re, wept bitterly at her departure, and thought her gone forever.

II. The First Rebellion of Khel-tek and the Judgement of Alte-re

It took Alte-re much longer than she expected to find the Bright Ones, for, in her absence, her sister Khel-tek had sowed the seeds of discontent among Alte-re's Court. Khel-tek said that Alte-re had abandoned them, that she had no intention of returning for them, that she meant to keep any world she found for herself alone.

At first, the Bright Ones did not believe the words of Khel-tek, but Alte-re was gone long on her search, and, at last, the Bright Ones began to fear, and they believed the words of Khel-tek, and turned to her for guidance.

And when Khel-tek declared that they should set out in search for a world themselves, the Bright Ones assented, and followed Khel-tek into the Darkness.

They wandered in the Dark for many days, lost and frightened, not knowing that Alte-re searched for them.

But, at long last, Alte-re found her Court.

The Bright Ones wept joyfully at the return of the Queen of the Stars, but Alte-re looked sternly upon them.

Why, she said, her eyes flashing, did you not remain, as I told you, and wait for my return?

We were afraid, said the Bright Ones. We were alone in the darkness and we were afraid.

You would have spent less time the the darkness, said Alte-re, if I had not had to search for you upon returning.

The Bright Ones saw, then, that Alte-re blazed with anger, and they trembled in fear of the Light as they had, before, trembled in fear of the Darkness.

It was Khel-tek, said the Bright Ones. Khel-tek made us; it was Khel-tek's fault. Punish her; do not punish us.

Alte-re frowned now, at the Bright Ones.

Those who follow blindly, she said, are just as much to blame as those who lead badly.

She turned to Khel-tek, who stood tall and unabashed.

Did you do this thing? asked Alte-re.

I did, said Khel-tek. For you were gone long and I feared that you would not return. And so it seemed better to me that we should try for ourselves rather than wait uselessly.

Alte-re nodded her comprehension.

You have them them into error, she said, but I see that you meant well. Let us say no more about this, but go, all of us together, to the World that I have found.

And Alte-re lead the Bright Ones on the journey through the Darkness to the World.

Third Verse

I. The First Meeting of Ivri-roh and Alte-re

Now, during all this time, Ivri-roh remained on the World.

They were alone no longer, for their creations lived, but they remembered their fleeting sight of Alte-re's beauty and brightness, and were filled with regret that they had not dared to approach her.

Ivri-roh busied themself with their World and their creations, and, in memory of the beauty of Alte-re, Ivri-roh made the People, who take their form from the form of Alte-re. But without the touch of Alte-re, and the Spark Divine, the People slept in the waters of the World, and did not live.

Often, Ivri-roh looked up towards the sky—without hope, but with a desperate longing for the return of Alte-re.

And one day, against all expectation, Alte-re did return.

She brought with her the Bright Ones, and, for the first time ever, the skies above the world were filled with lights.

But Ivri-roh had eyes for none but Alte-re, and, determined not to repeat their mistake of failing to approach her before, they rose from their waters for the first time ever, and ascended to the skies above the World.

There was much activity and confusion in the Court of the Sky, as each of the Bright Ones chose their positions, argued with their neighbors over where they should stand, and appealed to Alte-re to settle their disputes fairly.

Alte-re was tired from her search—for the World, first, and then for the Bright Ones—and also from the journey back to the World. And Alte-re's patience is not boundless. When, at last, the order of the Court of the Sky had been established, she was nearing the end of it.

And then Ivri-roh arrived in the Court of the Sky, and declared their demand to meet her.

So Alte-re's eyes flashed as she gathered her finery around herself and took her place at the head of the Court.

She saw that Ivri-roh stared at her, and did not bow. And, in her state of annoyance and exhaustion, she mistook awe and inexperience for disrespect.

Alte-re lifted her chin and looked down at Ivri-roh.

"I am Alte-re," she said, "Queen of the Stars and Most Shining of the Bright Ones."

Ivri-roh looked up at her, their eyes fixed, still, on Alte-re's face.

"I am Ivri-roh," they said. "Have you come, then, to my World to stay?"

"These skies are mine," said Alte-re, who had taken the words as a challenge. "The Court of the Bright Ones acknowledges no other claim upon them."

Ivri-roh, who had spoken in hope, was taken aback by Alte-re's harsh words, and by her tone of anger.

They had never before been a participant in a conversation, but they could not help but feel that this one was not going particularly well.

"I made the World," said Ivri-roh. "I shaped it from my Waters of Creation."

I made all of the things that live upon it now, Ivri-roh wished to say. But the World never lived until you touched it. And they wished to say: You are welcome here and they wished also to say Would you like to see the World and People? and I have made People for this world in your image, Alte-re, for you are the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen.

(And had Ivri-roh spoken thus at that moment, the World would have been quite different.)

But Ivri-roh did not get a chance to say these things, for Alte-re spoke again.

"Very well," she said, and her voice was cold, "tell us what payment you require for our place in your skies, and let this business between us be concluded."

Ivri-roh swayed back a little. They had been confused at first, at Alte-re's manner, and then dismayed. But now they found that they were beginning to be angry as well.

They had come here joyfully, to welcome Alte-re and the Bright Ones.

For the first time, Ivri-roh questioned whether they did welcome the presence of the Bright Ones after all.

Around them, they heard the Bright Ones speaking amongst themselves, in hushed voices and tones of amusement, mocking Ivri-roh's dark appearance.

Ivri-roh, who might have taken any shape they desired for this meeting, had chosen to appear in their own form. Looking around at the brightly shining members of the Court, Ivri-roh understood, for the first time, that they were different, and this understanding was a painful one.

They wished, now, that they had taken a different form, or that they had not come at all, but Ivri-roh is proud, and so, instead of retreating to the comfort and safety of their waters, they remained where they were, and lifted their chin.

"Payment?" they asked Alte-re. "Perhaps I do not wish payment."

Even now, they meant only to say that they gave the skies freely, but Alte-re heard a different message in the words, and thought that Ivri-roh wished to deny them the skies.

"Count yourself as fortunate," said Alte-re, "that I am kind and just, and do offer payment, for we are many and you are alone, and I might easily have taken them from you by force instead."

Ivri-roh, truly angered, now, let their lips curve into a sharp smile.

"Yes, very kind and very just," they said, "to offer payment in one breath and threaten in the next. Truly a model of justice and kindness."

Alte-re's lips parted, for she felt the truth of Ivri-roh's rebuke, and she felt, for the first time, that perhaps she had been wrong in her treatment of Ivri-roh, and wavered.

"I will have payment for my skies," said Ivri-roh. "Since my only other choice is to have them stolen from me."

Had Ivri-roh waited just a moment longer than they did to speak, Alte-re might have wavered still more, and asked their pardon, and the World would have been quite different. But Ivri-roh did speak, and Alte-re ceased to waver, and felt again that Ivri-roh was uncivil and ill-mannered, and that her own behavior had been quite correct from the start.

"My People sleep beneath the waves," said Ivri-roh to Alte-re. "I require the touch of your Spark Divine to wake them. Give me that, and I will let you have my skies.

"Very well," said Alte-re, and rose, "let us go to your People."

And so Alte-re descended with Ivri-roh to the World and to the place where the People slept, and, with the Spark Divine, Alte-re awoke the People.

Ivri-roh had hoped, deep in their heart, that Alte-re might, when she saw the People, understand that they had been made in her image, and know that Ivri-roh wished only for her friendship, and to please her.

But, although Alte-re saw that the People looked like her, this did not strike her as significant. For all of the Bright Ones resembled her, and so it did not seem strange that these People should resemble her as well.

They were beautiful to her, though, and, had she said as much to Ivri-roh, they might have told her their reasons for making the People, and the World would have been quite different.

But pride made Alte-re shut her mouth on any compliment to Ivri-roh. And, in the absence of any sign of Alte-re unbending, Ivri-roh's own pride made them shut their mouth on any explanation or offer of friendship.

And Alte-re returned to the Court of the Bright Ones, and Ivri-roh drew away into the waters of the World.

So it was that Alte-re bought the skies which would have been freely given, had she but greeted Ivri-roh in friendship at the start of things.

Thus the World is as it is.

This translation of The M'ega Creation Sequence can be found in My Time Among the Blue People: Observations On M'ega Culture, Society, and Social Behaviors.

The unnamed author of that treatise also included a set of handwritten explanatory notes on the story:

The M'ega Creation Sequence is often performed orally/theatrically. The tonal shift from the formality of the first verse to the informality of the third verse is deliberate, and is reflected in the staging of the piece. The tonal shift is intended to demonstrate the way that, as more things are created, so does everything become more complex and 'real'.

The M'ega Creation Sequence is usually followed by a theatrical/oral presentation of The Courtship of Alte-re and Ivri-roh.

To "buy the skies" or to "buy the sky" is a M'ega metaphor, meaning that someone's misunderstandings or unfortunate behavior have made them made them work or pay for something that would otherwise have been feely given.

author's note:

In Tenderize, Megamind says that he repeatedly kidnaps Roxanne for evil plots because he thinks this is the only way he would be able to see her. Roxanne points out that he's never even tried asking her out on a date, and, when he finally does ask her, she accepts happily. Megamind's repeated kidnappings of Roxanne are thus an example of him "buying the sky".