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When the heavens stilled, and half of the world calmed, Kiana contemplated. Memories appeared in her mind's eye like the wink of a shooting star, brilliant but ephemeral. In these memories, a woman constantly emerged, reminiscent of the rising waves she ruled over.
They were called countless names by civilizations that rose and fell throughout the inevitable passage of time. But those names were insignificant, transient, along with the mortal beings who bestowed those names upon them.
Since the beginning, Kiana and Mei have existed. The Sky and the Ocean; vast and deep, worshiped and feared. Both were harmony and contradiction intertwined, and neither of them knew of an existence without the other.
They were alike in the way they reflected each other's radiance with every rise and set of the golden sun. The lacy white clouds on Kiana's radiant skies were equally mirrored by the hypnotic waves of Mei's glittering seas. Both beautiful, both unpredictable. Yet, the difference between them was as immense as the gap between the sky above to the ocean below.
In spite of the distance, where the fluid abyss met the endless aether, there lay an unseen veil. A lacy shroud that bound the sea to the sky, an instance where wind and waves played hand in hand.
In that solitary place, Kiana continued her reflection as she waited. She waited for Mei—the better half of her soul—to come and share each other’s burdens, to make each other whole.
For divinities like them, time was but a mere backdrop in their existence. Immortality afforded them that luxury of patience that humanity could only dream of. But as Kiana looked up to the blanket of stars that stretched to infinity, the pale crescent moon shone like a gash in the night sky, smiling down on her as if in mockery. It seemed to taunt her for her growing impatience while she waited for her beloved to appear.
It had been ages since she last gazed at those electric eyes that pulled her in like a tempest, to that dark hair that flowed like water with every movement, to that smile that could belong to the heavens by their sheer brilliance.
Kiana longed to see Mei again, and longed she did—for days, for weeks, for months, for years.
The sky slowly lost its sheen, and the stars above began to dim as the years passed without Mei within her embrace. The heavens began to cry, its tears falling, falling, falling.
Kiana closed her eyes, her mind far away, underneath the water where there was an expanse of silence incongruous with the crash of waves on the surface. There she would not be able to hear the anguished cries of the mortals as the earth continued to darken from the bitter downpour of tears from above. There she would be closer to hearing the only sound she desired to hear, the voice of her other half.
It was when the cloud shifted, bringing with it a sliver of light that she sensed her.
Mei finally arrived.
Time stood still. Her consciousness narrowed to the goddess approaching her in soft but sure steps. Flowing dress and equally flowing hair moved with fluid grace, seamlessly merging with the mesmerizing waves of the waters below.
“Kiana.”
Her name was said with a sigh. With that single utterance of her name, Kiana finally knew the cause of her years of absence.
“Why did you not come to me?” Kiana asked, a sigh of her own escaping from her lips.
“You already have enough burden on your shoulders.”
“And shouldn’t we share these burdens together?”
The waves crashed in the distance, filling the space as a replacement for words and questions.
They have shared each other’s troubles for countless millennia in their never-ending goal to keep the delicate balance of the world. But the quick advancement of humanity had taken a toll in both of their domains. The once clear air was now tinged a murky gray by structures emitting noxious smoke. The once vibrant waters teeming with life were poisoned by the very same humans that took advantage of them.
“Mei, we have to work together now more than ever,” Kiana said, unable to keep the tiredness from her voice.
“I know. But sometimes I need to stand on my own, to prove that I have enough strength to carry these responsibilities alone, to prove myself worthy.”
“Worthy for who?”
“Worthy for you,” Mei said, directing those electric eyes at Kiana.
For a goddess who governs over something as expansive and yielding as water, Mei could be so stubborn sometimes.
“You do not have to do that, Mei. You have done enough, you are enough.” Kiana stood up from the boulder she rested on and quickly closed the distance between them. She pushed a strand of hair behind a delicate ear, her other palm cupping a tender cheek, trying to soothe the lines of worry which appeared on the corner of Mei’s mouth. “Always remember that you are my strength and I am yours.”
Ever so gently, Kiana brought their lips together, reacquainting herself with the taste and feel of the kisses she had missed so dearly. The world spun and shook and the bitter tears from the heavens had completely ceased.
Kiana kept that singular moment and froze it within the depths of her heart.
Foreheads leaned against each other, and fingers intertwined as soon as the kiss ended. “Stay with me?”
Instead of answering, Mei looked to the side, to the setting sun that spilled its light like molten gold along the glittering surface of the sea.
“It’s a beautiful day.”
Kiana would have laughed at the statement. Not a few minutes before, that very same sun was unable to pierce through the thick clouds that reflected Kiana’s emotions. But now that Mei was finally with her, it had indeed become a beautiful day.
“Come.” Kiana pulled Mei along, back to the boulder she had been resting on. “You need a reprieve.”
“But—”
“No buts. Postpone your worries for another day. You need to rest,” Kiana said.
“You are bossy.” Mei chuckled but followed as she was told. Her shoulders slumped as the facade of strength finally dropped.
“Not bossy enough,” Kiana huffed. She smoothed the fabric on her lap as she sat. Mei followed along and began to lower her body to rest her head on Kiana’s lap. “You have been very stubborn, making me wait all these years.”
“And flooding the earth is your way to call my attention?”
“Because you were so stubborn.” Kiana pouted at the mirth shining through once exhausted indigo eyes. “Please don’t leave me again? We have to face these challenges together.” She moved her hand to reach Mei’s, cradling it against her face as if it might break.
“I promise,” Mei replied, squeezing Kiana’s hand in reassurance.
The sky was dark by the time Mei closed her eyes. Only the silver illumination of the moon lit her ethereal features. Kiana closed her eyes and took a deep breath, relishing the scent of the sea air gently blowing. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze settled on the face of her other half. The calmness of her features reflected in the gentle waters lapping underneath, lulling them both in a much-needed peace.