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"Come on, Penny! You're gonna love this!"
Della bounded out of the Cloudslayer and onto the island, while Penumbra followed more cautiously behind her, looking both ways before venturing out. The sun dazzled brightly through the Earth's thick, blue atmosphere, shimmering on the surface of the water and turning the sandy shore almost blindingly white.
Della stood with hands on her hips and inhaled deeply. "Don't you just love that ocean smellll-uhhwait." The word dwindled into a hesitation halfway through and Della twisted around to look at her. "You don't... really have a nose, do you?"
"I'm sure my four senses will be more than adequate to appreciate this trip," Penumbra stated valiantly, shading her eyes with a gloved hand. "It's no Sea of Tranquility, but it is very... nice."
Grinning, Della gave Penumbra a good-natured punch in the arm. "See, I knew you'd love it. Let's go!"
The path up to the temple at the summit of Ithaquack was as steep as Tycho Crater. Penumbra enjoyed pushing herself to scale it as fast as she could, pitting her legs' muscles against the Earth's leaden gravity as the afternoon sun warmed her back. Della raced eagerly ahead, practically flying along with that light frame of hers that had nearly floated away on the Moon, that Penumbra had once considered weak and fragile. She didn't see it that way anymore.
"Selene?" Della called out when they reached the garden within the temple. "It's me! I'm back!" She hurried in, turning this way and that, gazing up at the vaulted dome above them, and ended up walking backwards into a dry fountain. "Oof!"
Penumbra grabbed the fountain's teetering marble bowl before it fell, and noticed a rolled-up scroll inside. "What's this?" she asked, handing it over.
Rubbing her head with one hand, Della unfurled the scroll with the other, and her face lit up. "It's a note from Selene!"
"What does it say?"
"It's Ancient Greek," Della said, her eyes narrowing as she read. "It's been a while, but I think I can... Under spilled milk lies what fell from the fig trees and hides what Praxiteles saw...? Ahh, she knows I can't resist a mystery. Hmm..."
They both peered around the garden.
"Spilled milk?" Penumbra suggested, gesturing to a galactic-looking fresco on the garden wall.
Della's face transformed in delight. "Hey, not bad, Penny! Maybe you got a little of that adventurer blood in you after all, huh?"
"It was... really nothing," Penumbra mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck, her face feeling warm as she followed Della over to the wall.
With a few deft touches, Della quickly found the false square of plaster and slid it out of the way, revealing a folded pile of fabric.
"Ooh, looks like Selene wants us to dress for the occasion." Della unfurled a long blue tunic and held it up to her body. "There's one for you, too." She threw the pale gold garment to Penumbra, who caught it in an awkward tangle; it was soft and flowed through her hands like water.
Della cleared her throat. "So, I guess we should, uh..."
They looked at one another for a moment, as though caught in a rocket's floodlights.
Breathing an embarrassed chuckle, Della jerked a thumb behind her. "I'll just go behind this tree, 'kay?"
"A tree. Yes. Trees are... good," Penumbra stammered, turning around hurriedly to find one of her own. Once safely hidden, she quickly undressed and wrestled the unfamiliar new clothing into submission. It was clearly meant to hang from the shoulders. It didn't offer much in the way of protection from the elements, but if wearing such a garment was an Earth custom, she would face it bravely.
She rounded the tree, victorious, but her stalwart demeanor faltered as soon as she saw Della. She came out smoothing the front of the fabric down her body, her regular clothes tucked under her arm. Her hair was loose and looked longer now, falling down around her shoulders.
"Not usually my thing, but hey, when in Rome... Or, well— you know what I mean. Wow, Penny, you look great in a chiton!"
Penumbra swallowed. "You... look very nice as well."
"Maybe, but it doesn't feel— What is up with this?" Della struggled with the folds of her chiton as if unable to get the fabric to lie comfortably. "It's like there's something... Oh, hey, it's another note!" She pulled the smaller scroll free and hurried over to show Penumbra.
"Where Apollo awakens, the one who speaks to the oracle at Dodona... Oh, that's easy, she means the Grove of Dione, on the east side of the island! That'll be perfect for watching the eclipse. And then it says, uh..." She squints, bringing the message close and making out one word at a time. "And with sweet, costly oil you anointed yourself, and on a soft bed you would let loose your longing to— Whoa-ho-ho, okay, that is definitely Sappho, we probably don't need to translate the rest of that." Blushing, Della tucked the note into her folded clothes and hid them away in the secret hole in the wall. "Let's go find that grove, huh?"
Penumbra followed Della along the path around the outside of the temple, feeling somewhat naked as the chiton's fabric breezed loosely around her legs, and even more naked without a weapon in an unfamiliar place. Peculiar little Earth animals scampered among the bushes and flitted from one blossom to another. Seemingly harmless, but you never know. A fuzzy creature with a suspiciously fluffy tail peered down at them from the branch of a tree; Penumbra pointed to her eyes and then directed the V-shape at the beast, letting it know that she was watching.
The Grove of Dione turned out to sit at a high point on the island, looking out over the sea towards the eastern horizon. Within a half-circle of olive trees, tall gray stones stood in a loose ring around the inner clearing, and at the center there was a large square of fabric on the grass, spread with a feast. The foods were unfamiliar, but the sight of them nonetheless made Penumbra's mouth water; it had been a long flight from Duckburg.
Della rushed forward, darting around the standing stones, searching for her friend. "Selene, we're here! Where is she? Is there another note?"
Just as Penumbra noticed the pale face of the Moon rising over the afternoon horizon, a shadow slipped out from between the trees and floated towards Della, who was looking the other way, completely defenseless...
"Della, look out!" Acting on instinct, Penumbra leapt forward and tackled the specter, ready to take it out with her bare hands if necessary. "Halt, in the name of the Moon!"
They tumbled together onto the grass, but after a couple of somersaults, the shade slipped through her fingers like smoke. Penumbra looked around wildly for the escaped intruder—
—which materialized before her in the shape of an Earth female with long, flowing hair and a bronze crown.
"Whoa, whoa, take it easy there, Diomedes," the woman chuckled, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "I don't really do that whole 'doing battle with mortals' thing."
"Selene!" Della cried out in joy, throwing her arms around her in a hug so fierce it nearly knocked her over again. "Ahh, it's so good to see you!"
"It's good to see you," Selene answered, squeezing Della just as tightly.
"Oh," Penumbra said, left standing there awkwardly with grass all over her chiton. "Um. Sorry." She cleared her throat and brushed herself off as the two women embraced. It seemed to last a hundred cycles.
At last Della pulled away and held out one arm invitingly, "Della, meet Selene, my oldest friend. Selene, meet Penny, my newest and best friend." Holding up a hand beside her beak, she added, "It's... probably not a great idea to sneak up on people when she's around, just for future reference."
The warmth Penumbra always felt when Della called her best friend was mixed with a strange new heat as Selene's gaze washed over her. She was... beautiful. Beautiful in a way that made Penumbra's heart ache for home.
"Yes, I recognize her now," Selene said softly. "Welcome, Penumbra."
Penumbra shook her head, confused. "But, we've never..."
"Oh, duh!" Della smacked herself in the forehead. "Moon goddess, Moonlander... Of course I don't have to introduce you two."
"Moon... goddess?"
"Well, I don't like to brag." Selene shrugged with a slightly abashed smile, clasping her hands in front of her. "It's mostly a ceremonial position. Driving the lunar chariot, bringing sleep, granting immortality..." She counted off her divine duties on her fingers. "...that sort of thing. But I certainly do know of your people. For millennia I've watched you grow into a great nation and build your beautiful golden city of Tranquility— the shining gem of the Planet Moon!"
Penumbra's heart soared; she couldn't help but stand a little taller.
"Couldn't possibly have mentioned that to me at any time before I crash-landed there," Della muttered, arms crossed.
"I'm sorry, Della," Selene said, turning to her. "I only wish I could have helped. Penumbra and her people are a part of the Moon—they're a part of me. I can always see them there, but I couldn't see you, no more than I can see you when you're around the world in Duckburg." She gave a sad, wry shake of her head. "It was like that Apollo 13 thing all over again. Can you forgive me?" She held out her hands to Della, pleading.
After a moment, Della took them. "I guess," she sighed. "And hey, you know, it's not like it was all bad. If I hadn't crashed on the Moon, I never would have met Penny."
Della turned to her with a broad, sparkling smile that left Penumbra utterly speechless. Fortunately, Selene chose that moment to speak up.
"But you must be hungry! I made us a picnic dinner so we can wait here for the eclipse to start."
"Aww, you didn't have to— Hey, is that souvlaki?" In a flash, Della took a seat and tucked in. She was always quick to get her share of any meal, as though still carrying a bit of the survivor's wariness that there may never be another.
"Well, as they say around here, you should always be hospitable to visitors," Selene chuckled. "You never know who might be a god in disguise." The goddess winked at Penumbra with a sly smile that made her cheeks grow warm.
The meal was excellent. Della excitedly pointed out and named all the different dishes, but Penumbra doubted she would remember what any of them were called. She just enjoyed the tastes and textures, most of them new to her. Tart juices, salty curds, sticky sweetness... Observing that Della and Selene licked their fingers, Penumbra gathered that this was polite, and delicately did the same.
"Careful, Penny," Della warned as she poured a glass of something red. "This stuff can go to your head."
"An intoxicant?" Penumbra asked as she accepted it and swirled the thick liquid around. "I've never really been one to indulge, but as this is a special occasion..." She tasted and found it heavily, enchantingly fermented. "Delicious," she declared.
The feast seemed to vanish faster than was possible, leaving empty plates and half-full bottles as the sky darkened and the full moon continued to rise over the sea before them. Maybe it was the wine, which had left her limbs warm and loose, but seeing her home made Penumbra's heart swell with joy and longing. It was so small and dim compared to the way Earth looked from the Moon, and it traversed so much more of the sky, as though skipping weightlessly among the stars.
She was about to say something to that effect, but when she turned, her tongue halted. Della was now cuddling close to Selene, nuzzling the side of her neck, her eyes closed in pleasure. Selene, playing idly with Della's hair, met Penumbra's startled gaze with a crooked, sleepy smile.
Flushing hotly, Penumbra snapped her attention back to the sky. As she pretended to search for familiar constellations, her mind raced in uncontrollable, wine-wavy circles. To see Della in an intimate embrace with another female... Hopes that Penumbra hadn't yet been able to admit even to herself were simultaneously raised to the heavens and dashed to the ground.
"Look," said Selene at last, nudging Della and pointing upward.
The eclipse. Penumbra had almost forgotten they were waiting for it. As the three of them watched, the Earth's shadow slowly passed over the Moon's face, turning it from pale white to dim red. From the corner of her eye, Penumbra thought she caught a glimpse of Selene's face dimming too, her figure flickering. It seemed for a few minutes that the whole Earth held its breath, quietly marveling at the syzygy. Penumbra knew there were few Moonlanders left above to see their land turn ruddy and dark.
By the time the Moon was light again, Penumbra felt heavily drowsy, like it might be a good idea to just lie back on the grass and go to sleep under the stars.
Selene and Della rose together, Selene doing most of the work to pull them up. Della tried to stand on her own, but wavered and stumbled back into Selene's arms. "Whoo, okay... I should not be flying home tonight," she laughed.
"Don't worry about it," Selene said. "I've got you covered."
Later, Penumbra would have only a faint memory of returning to the temple. Had she really been carried there, her feet barely brushing along the ground? All she knew was that she found herself indoors, out of the wind, in a soft bed with warm blankets that weren't made of gold— and Della was lying beside her.
"Oh man, my tolerance has just gone—" Della blew a razzing noise with her tongue. "I guess that's what happens when you don't drink for ten years." She broke into giggles, stretching her arms up over her head and wriggling her non-robotic foot down at the end of the bed.
Laughter bubbled up from Penumbra's chest too, though she wasn't sure what was funny. It just felt natural to laugh, somehow. Like the way it felt natural to roll over and put her arm around Della's waist. With a happy hum, Della wriggled closer to her.
Everything about touching Della felt strangely dreamy and heightened. The silky fabric of her chiton against the sensitive underside of Penumbra's bare arm. The softness of her alien feathers as Penumbra closed her eyes and pressed her face into Della's neck. The tingling trails of pleasure left by Della's fingertips as she caressed Penumbra's hair and stroked down her back.
"Della," she breathed, surprised at the edge of wanting in her own voice.
"Yeah?"
A beat, and then they both fell into laughter again. Some mutual, wordless understanding of how absurd it all was—at how funny the heart could be.
"I have to tell you," Penumbra started again. "I've been... I mean, for a long time, I've been thinking..." Her tongue felt thick, tripping over her palate. "I didn't know how to say it, but I wondered if maybe we..."
"Wait," Della said, placing her hand on Penumbra's cheek. "I really want to hear you say what you're gonna say. But I don't want you to regret saying it."
Flustered, Penumbra shook her head. "No, I wouldn't—"
"You're drunk, Penny," Della said. Her voice and her eyes were so very soft. "I don't wanna mess this up. Tell me in the morning, okay?"
The morning felt so far away, while the attainment of everything Penumbra wanted felt so very close—right here in her arms.
Nonetheless, she said: "Okay."
And as she drifted off to sleep, her Earth-heavy limbs intertwined with Della's, Penumbra felt something she'd rarely felt before, especially not when unarmed and uncertain in a world of alien wonders.
She felt safe.
*
When Penumbra awakened, the room was a dim, twilight gray, and Della was curled up with her head on Penumbra's chest, snoring, and wearing a faint smile.
It took a minute for Penumbra's mind to unravel what had happened and where she was. Ithaquack. The temple. Last night... Her heart jumped forward a few startled beats.
One wall of the columned bedroom opened out onto a balcony, framed with curtains rustling lightly in the cool predawn air. And on that balcony stood Selene, leaning against the railing and looking out over the near-dark island, her chiton and her hair rustling too.
Putting her stealth training to use, Penumbra carefully disentangled herself from Della and slipped out of bed. Della didn't wake, but her brows knit in a frown; she shifted and reached out a hand, finding only Penumbra's pillow to grasp. Penumbra deftly pulled up the sheet and placed it over Della's shoulder.
When Penumbra stepped silently out onto the balcony, Selene didn't turn around, but seemed to know she was there.
"I never get tired of this view," the goddess said softly.
Penumbra moved beside her and followed her gaze to the full Moon, now hanging low over the western sea among a scatter of fading stars. "I thought you could always see it."
"In my mind's eye? Yes. But I like to see it as the mortals do. My brother's light reflects off its face and reaches mine. I touch the same light that it touches."
Penumbra had never thought of it that way. But now her home, looming large on the horizon, didn't seem quite so far away.
"I hope you were comfortable last night," Selene went on, offering a sidelong smile.
"The accommodations were adequate."
Selene laughed quietly. "I bet." She turned around and rested her elbows back on the balcony railing. "I saw the way you looked at Della last night. I think that's a view you never get tired of."
Penumbra's cheeks flushed. She threw a quick glance back into the bedroom, where Della was still fast asleep. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect to your... bond with her."
"Well, relationships tend to be a pretty loose thing among the gods," Selene explained carelessly, examining her nails. "Who you're with kind of depends on who's telling the story."
"I see," Penumbra said, though she wasn't really sure that she did.
Selene turned and met Penumbra's eyes squarely. "I love Della," she said. "And that doesn't mean that either of us can't love anyone else. It's always been that way between us."
"I— I was about to tell her how I feel," Penumbra confessed. She gripped the railing tightly, finding herself wishing deeply for Selene to say something to put her mind at ease. "But she told me to wait until morning. She said she didn't want to— to mess it up."
Selene placed a downy-soft hand on top of Penumbra's. "It's tough for Della not to be impulsive," she said. "If she's working that hard to be careful with your heart, you must be very precious to her."
Penumbra pressed her mouth shut tightly to stop her jaw from trembling, and wiped something from the corner of her eye. Selene politely looked away, as if there were suddenly something very interesting to see on the other side of the island.
"It's almost morning now," the goddess said, and so it was: The dawn was creeping up behind them, like lavender paint streaking slowly over the vault of the gradually lightening sky. "I hope you're the one to tell your own story."
Penumbra thought about that as the day kept dawning, as the crisp, familiar starfield was blanketed over by the dense and hazy blue of this world. A chorus of melodic whistles and chirps began to rise from the island laid out below—the beasts of Earth declaring their awakening.
It was fully light and the air was already warm when Della shuffled out onto the balcony, yawning. Her chiton was rumpled and her hair was a mess.
She was beautiful.
"Morning," she mumbled, rubbing her arm sheepishly, like she'd been caught breaking a rule. "What are you guys doing out here?"
"Just talking," Selene said lightly. She smiled up at Penumbra and reached up to give her shoulder an encouraging caress.
Della quirked an eyebrow and glanced furtively from Penumbra to Selene and back again. "Oh, yeah? What about?"
"What we talked about last night," Penumbra answered.
And when she saw Della's eyes widen, vulnerable and full of trembling hope, Penumbra felt her own heart grow steadier. Her head was clear. Her fears were conquered. Her goddess was by her side. And at last she knew how to say the words she'd longed to say.
-the end-