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Rain droplets landed on the window and paraglided to the floor in a rhythmic pitter patter that matched the tempo of her heartbeat. Foliage spread their leaves wide open flowers tilted back as if basking in the downpour. Humans and creatures alike had already since retreated into their shelters once the overcast clouds rolled in and the tell tale scent of evaporating water wafted in. A lone figure stood amidst the blossoming greenery, her height increasing as the rain picked up its pace and winds that could fell a tree slashed through the air. The winds brought with them, a rather pungent smell.
Celestia wrinkled her nose at the air. It smelled like a yeast infection kept clothed for a week then finally unleashed from the linens and exposed to the atmosphere. “Mother.” No response. She ran her hand through the ombre ocean blue to sea green hair and tucked it back behind pointed ears.
I’ll come for you. When that sun disappears, you’re mine.
She scoffed at that and folded her arms across her chest as the rain soaked her through to the bone. Maybe her mother had gotten lost, stumbling through the sky on those balloon wings of hers, too drunk to coordinate through the torrents of water. Why challenge her now though? The sun goddess fighting a battle in this monsoon? Against the goddess of water and seas? A suicide plan.
Somebody swore and grumbled overhead. Celestia glanced up and sure enough, her mother descended from the sky. She wasn’t sure if it was the storm raging on or the rubbing of balloon against balloon that formed the static in the air.
Celestia’s knuckles twitched as she siphoned the falling rain into two long tonfa blades. “Do you think you could have taken any more time?” Oriolai smiled and brushed off the sarcasm. “I came here to talk. Please.”
To talk. Ha. Just four days after they had slaughtered her children and deceived her into murdering her husband?
“Celestia, you’re my daughter and I’m worried about you. So please, blades away. Why are you so angry and pushing us all away? You haven’t been home in a year.”
She had actually been home four days ago, but her mother wouldn’t remember that. Or she shouldn’t, Celestia had altered all of theirs’ memories to forget that she had ever had children. As far as they were all concerned, she had simply been hiding out beneath the ocean waves.
Gee, I wonder what could be pissing me off.
They don’t remember that they murdered your children. A part of her chided at the bloodthirst that boiled and steamed like a hotspring in her throat and hands. But it doesn’t change the fact that they did it.
Oriolai plucked a large frond from a nearby plant and held it above her wings as she stretched them out and shook off the excess moisture. Celestia’s already pouty lips pressed firm together, eyes deadpanning her. Get on with it.
The wind howled and thrust itself between them and sent Oriolai’s cover rocketing through the sky despite her best attempt to snatch it back. “Celestia, that isn’t nice.” Silver eyes twitched and the rain increased to form a tangible block around them.
“While I appreciate the concern, I’m going to have to ask you to leave or die. Your choice.” Oriolai approached her daughter, eyebrows quirked. “What’s gotten into you?”
Lament. Murder. My husband’s soul and power. Take your pick. Celestia said nothing aloud, merely shifted her feet so that her weight distributed evenly. “Shame if my first trip back home was to bury you, mother.”
The fear that rippled across the goddess’ eyes despite her attempt to cover it caused a chain reaction inside of Celestia, further feeding her urges to slay her mother. Calm down. Any more anger would result in massive shoreline flooding and thousands of innocent lives lost. She had responsibilities to the people of this planet. “Leave. Now.” the words spat themselves out of tightly sealed lips.
Another step. Waves crashed against the edges of a cliff in the distance. Take one more step. Just one more. “Celestia?” the concern in her voice rang sincere but died out as it made contact with the spite and anguish that encompassed her. A clammy hand rested on Celestia’s shoulder. Lightning striked.
Celestia’s left hand sprung like a cobra lying in wait, the blunt end of the blade catching hard in Oriolai’s chest. A oomphf! Betrayed the spilled breath and wind from the goddess. Her right hand swung but missed its target as Oriolai arched away, taking a deep slice from her right armpit to her collarbone instead of her wings.
Oriolai gasped and removed her hand to cover the wound. “Celestia?” she huffed out and hunched over. She barely had a moment to catch her breath before a flash of metal cut through the layer of rain, this time it connected with her jaw. Her head rolled back as white sparks flashed across her vision and pain shot through her jaw and skull. She stepped back with a small splish as her foot landed in the ankle high water pooling around them.
Celestia allowed herself a smile at her mother’s cry. A small portion of sunlight energy wrapped itself around her mother’s forearms and blocked the blade as it struck forward again. No problem. She kicked her right foot out and curled around her foot then slammed against the back of Oriolai’s knee.
WHUMP. Oriolai’s hands flailed out to catch herself and the barrier dispursed. Water levels now sat halfway up her calves as Celestia waited for her mother to stand again.
Stand up again so I can keep knocking you down a peg.
Celestia struck again, but Oriolai countered with a right hand block. “Celestia, please just- can we-?” The taste of iron filled her mouth as Celestia threw herself at her, right arm locked around her head and pulled her in towards her own body as the left barraged Oriolai in tune with the violent downpour of the rain all around them.
A pop lost in the rain and the blade connecting as Oriolai’s ears rang and her mouth filled further with the taste of iron. She wouldn’t last much longer.
Each blow connected was a melody all its own, each anguished cry a well sung note, the rain added a tune to create a symphony in Celestia’s ears. Was this what humans felt when they listened to that composer? Beethoven? She could listen to this on repeat forever.
The music cut off abruptly as Oriolai whispered an unintelligible phrase then slammed her cupped hands into Celestias chest with a blast that threw her back several hundred yards. She groaned and held back a growl when her head slammed into a tree trunk.
No time to waste, she scanned the surroundings and found her mother already flying off almost out of view. The rain calmed down to a steady drizzle and then, finally stopped as she disappeared. Small creatures began to poke their heads out as the clouds cleared away and the sunlight trickled through, humans also opening their front doors or popping out of their cellars.
Celestia gritted her teeth and turned back towards the ocean, her size shrinking back to her regular 5’9 height as inhabitants began to spill out once more. How fortunate for them that they could be so easily freed from the unrelenting rainstorm...