"The Moon Shines On Death..."

Teardrop

Darkness.

Pitch black darkness.

Nothing to see. Nothing to hear. But there was something to feel... peace, tranquility, contentment.

Nothing moved. Nothing existed. Nothing mattered. Except this warm feeling of peace.

And then, a glimmer of light. A faint sound of water, lapping like waves. The light drew closer, and the figure became clearer.

A woman, veiled. She steered the wooden boat, a lantern swayed on the bow. Behind her sat a smaller figure, hidden in darkness, surrounded by fog.

He lay still, unwelcoming of the intrusion to his perfect peaceful slumber. The pair reached the shore of where he lay, the smaller figure approached, almost floating in soundless steps.

"Bakunawa, open your eyes. It is I, Aria." The voice said.

"Aria." He replied.

"Yes. It is truly a joy to see you here, but you cannot stay. It is not your time yet. For all your pain, there is a reward that awaits. Stay strong, stay hopeful."

"What for? I have lost you, and now the goddess is lost to me as well. Two loves, that was never meant to be mine. I wish to stay here. No more pain. No more sorrow. I give up. My life has been served to pay for my mistakes, but was never showered with happiness." Bakunawa closed his eyes, willing his guest to leave him be.

"No. You cannot quit now. Happiness is just around the bend. Someone misses you. Someone cries for you, even as you lay here, feeling defeated."

"No one does. I am alone. I have always been alone."

"True love waits for you my dear friend. Not the kind of love that I can give... a deeper, more meaningful love awaits you. I thought I loved you, and for a while it would seem I did. But I was wrong, I only felt gratitude for your kindness. No one cared for me the way you did. It was easy for me to confuse my feelings for you." Aria whispered, laying her cold hand on Bakunawa's cheek.

"Open your eyes Bakunawa, the end is not here yet. You must not surrender to your sadness. Please, just a little more effort. Please?" She wept, and Bakunawa opened his eyes slowly.

The veiled figure of the woman steering the boat approached slowly. She placed her hand on Aria's left shoulder, and spoke in a sweet voice.

"Wait for me in the boat, Aria. I have something to tell kuna. He must hear my piece, before we send him back to the love that waits for him."

Aria kissed Kuna on his forehead. "Live a happy life my dearest friend. I will always look after you."

Bakunawa watched as Aria rose, then floated back to the boat.

"Rise! Shed your scales. Reveal the form of Kuna. No wings, no gills, no tails, no fins. Shed the form that once harmed, and settle from this day forth into the figure of the loving Kuna."

He felt water and wind wash over him. Slowly, without pain, his scales melted. His arms, and legs, moved on their own accord... pulling him into a standing position. He looked back to see the lifeless form of the Bakunawa, and saw his human form reflected on the surface of the black shiny waters of the shore as the handsome Kuna.

"What good would this do? I have lost the love of the goddess whose heart I yearn for." Kuna told the veiled woman.

"My granddaughter once told me that it made her sad to see tears in my eyes. I told her my tears made it possible for her and her siblings to be born. My sadness was turned to joy the moment they came into existence. Take this to her, it is the last of my tears. This tear, is born of happiness. I have my daughter and grandsons here. I am happy, and content. Tell her that I wish you both a life of extreme joy and unending love. With this tear, I bless you both with happiness and prosperity."

She handed Kuna a sparkling crystal that threw off little rainbows even in the darkness around them.

Sidapa appeared in a whirl of black clouds. The veiled woman bowed lowly, then started to retreat towards the boat. She stopped after a few steps, and called out to Kuna.

"Take care of Haliya. Cherish each other, and value each other more than Kaptan and I were capable of doing. Till we meet again, Kuna." And she continued to float farther away.

Kuna turned to face Sidapa as the boat with the two figures vanished into the darkness.

"My lord, I have done everything I could to prevent the moon god from harming the god of light. I hope I succeeded?" Kuna said.

"You have. And I am here to reward you. Bulan has asked me to bring you somewhere safe, somewhere bright. A moon weeps for you, yearns to see you again, on a shore where she healed and cared for you. Close your eyes, and let her light lead you to her." Sidapa's voice faded into the distance, as bright light surrounded Kuna. He opened his eyes shortly and was blessed with a sight he thought he would not see again.

Haliya sat weeping, holding on to the fish trap that Kuna made to catch their dinner a long time ago. She kept whispering his name... softly, lovingly.

"Why does the moon weep?" He asked, smiling.

Haliya turned slowly. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and her light beamed brighter than it ever did. The blue and red marks on her body completely disappeared, and she ran toward Kuna with open arms... radiant and happy.

"Must you always scare me!" She shouted, trapping Kuna in a tight embrace.

"I am here. There is nothing to fear. I will never leave you again, my goddess." Kuna kissed Haliya's lips, and he felt her kiss him back.

Afterwards he placed the sparkling crystal in a woven fiber from sea weeds, and draped it around the neck of the goddess.

"A gift, from your grandmother. She approves of me. She approves of our love." Kuna said, as he held his goddess in his arms.

"No more tears. Just happiness?" Haliya looked lovingly at Kuna's smiling face.

"No more tears, my love." Kuna replied, wiping away the last teardrop from his beloved's eye.