Chapter Twenty Six: A Day in the Life of a Goddess

(This is filler to keep you wild fan girls at bay! Enjoy! ~)

I am the Harvest Goddess, Protector of Man, Caregiver of the Young, and Protector of Nature. You might describe me as kind, gentle, loving. These things I am. For I hold no desire to harm within me. My soul is the one of an Immortal. Time flows around me, never marring my appearance but only my mind. I see trees grow to be monarchs in what seems like only days when looking back. I've seen many a child grow from new born babe swaddled in blankets to the aged, bent over humans of old. It has always been my responsibility to help, and thus my fate is tied to the land in which I dwell. I protect this island, and the young children of the world.

But, it is my brother who guards the balance of nature. It is he who channels life into the world. My brother, the Harvest King, is the only other like me that I know of. There are other, lesser deities, who shirk their duties thus leaving my brother to be burdened further. He is an arrogant deity; there is not one fragment of time that I can recall otherwise. Always he is aloof, distant, and cold. But I can recall a time, very long ago, when things were not always so. I can remember a time when he used to smile more freely, when he was not as guarded with his emotions.

My brother is a difficult being, and he always remains on his mountain abode above the world. I worried for him then, knowing that his reluctance to be around humans would come to harm him. It was not his fault, his power is great as you can imagine. The Harvest King is the living embodiment of the sun on the earth. From there he takes his power and aids the world in its endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Always he guarded, always he watched.

I remember when he visited me once in my spring, a rare act on his part. He came to me after he had met a child. A child of the earlier humans who were somewhat… less sentient. He asked me why they shined so, with such a golden light. I told him it was because of their innocence. Human children were the strongest sources of purity in the word. He asked why older humans were not like that. And I told him. I told him the reason is because with age comes knowledge. As humans grew older they learned the evils of the world and the greed that filled it. So it was a rare human who possessed a nearly pure aura for all their life.

The Harvest King had pondered over this, holding his chin in one hand as he closed his red eyes in thought. A posture he always assumed when distressed or thinking. "But what if such a human existed?" he has asked me. I has been startled, this was most unlike him. "I did not know you had such faith as I. I have yet to meet such a human but perhaps one day we both might?" I said with a smiled. The Harvest King grunted at my words, but I could tell he was changing.

I had been happy for him, knowing that if he came off his mountain enough that he might see more of humans. I was already able to tell he was taking a liking to the humans, much to my relief. At the time, my brother did not know any of this. I will tell you secret, dear mortal, something the Harvest King didn't know about himself. Something that could only be observed by another. In the past he possessed some of that golden light. A purity that shined from within. He was arrogant and aware of the evils of the world; he was also powerful beyond compare.

But what made him different is that he did not abuse that power, he was a dutiful and caring Immortal, despite the arrogance he guised himself with. I, unfortunately, as well discovered that his arrogance was not a disguise in the slightest. Forgive me; I tend to wander from my point often. Where was I? Ah yes, you see dear mortal, the Harvest King was also ignorant in the ways of humans. Although he was aware of pain and suffering he had not experienced either in great amounts. So in a way he was unblemished and very much like the innocent child he had met.

So after a time, the humans slowly advanced. We both watched them struggle, succeed, and strive toward their own life goals. What wonderful things they did as well. They became so clever, harvesting lightning to suit their needs, they used it to light their houses and power their machines and domesticating animals over the centuries. And slowly, oh so very slowly, they began to neglect the land. They littered, their trash floating in the Islands Rivers and lakes. They cut; ancient trees fell for building and burning. Animals were driven from their homes; the deforestation caused the air to become polluted.

Slowly I grew weak, my power dying with the land. However, the Harvest King would not allow it. When he came to me, I was but a mirage. A stain on the land around me, an image to soon be erased. He had looked at me, an odd sort of shine to his eyes. I remember his voice, it sounded broken and sad. "Are you giving up so easily?" he had asked me. I had looked up at him, barely able to form words, so I nodded. "You hold no desire to live? Think carefully Goddess, it is not like you to submit so easily." I didn't want to die, it was true. But what other choice did I have? Deities were not allowed to directly meddle in human affairs.

So we couldn't turn the humans away from the destruction they were reaping. I answered him, slowly, tiredly. "I wish not to fade; I want not to be in the cold beyond where all life ceases to exist." The Harvest King merely nodded, and then I felt his power attack me. I remember it to this day, the searing heat that made every scrap of my aura scream in agony. To touch another deity with a power not their own was painful on a level far beyond that of the flesh.

But it was necessary, for I then felt a part of him tear away. He tore a part of me away as well, nearly snapping my existence then and there. The Harvest King bound both severed parts of our souls into the ground of my spring. From the spot where the power was buried a massive tree sprang up. The ground quaked under my form as the massive trunk spewed forth from the ground. From then on my life was bound to the tree, a major vulnerability but it was the only way to save my life.

With that he had left, leaving me to heal as he resumed his post on the top of Mount Garmon. Later on, after my power was returned to normal, I noticed something odd about my tree. Beautiful the tree was, and still is. A great rich brown in vast boughs. Branches that reached high into the sky dawned in a vast array of beautiful leaves every shade of green possible. When I walked over to the tree, I placed my hand against it. And can you guess what I found?

At that very moment I felt something strike me upon my head. I was startled, and so I looked at my feet in wonder. There on the ground I had discovered a round red object. And to my surprise more round objects fell from the tree. All of different colors and lying beside one another. When I had reached down to examine them closer, they moved. And can you guess what happened next? All of a sudden the ball burst open to form a small….

"And I jumped up and met the Goddess! She was so pretty that I couldn't help being so excited! That's how we all met the Goddess! Right guys?" Alan called. "What a beautiful story…" Edge sniffed. Darren sat up with a startled grunt. He rubbed his eyes with one tiny hand. "What did I miss?" he yawned. Collin broke out into snickers while Ben forgot what he was listening to.

I glared down at the red sprite. "Collin you are being rude." I said. Chastised, Alan immediately became quiet and sat back in the grass. Hikari, likewise sitting some distance away on the grass, plucked Edge up by his hat and cradled him in her hands. He stopped sniffling immediately but continued to rub his little nose. Smiling in satisfaction, I resumed my story. "And so that is how I met the sprites, and how the Harvest King saved my life." I finished.

Hikari gazed at me in wonder, questions just waiting to spill off her tongue. "You will have to ask the Harvest King about what happened afterwards." I said before she could ask. Somewhat dejected, she continued to rub Edges head in silence. "Perhaps I could tell you why he is so fond of apples?" I suggested. Hikari looked up at me, brown hues dancing and a smile lighting her face. "I'd like that, the bumbling idiot doesn't even air his dirties for his own wife." She said. I cocked my head, not quite understanding. "He doesn't like to explain stories." She explained. I nodded and proceeded to tell her of my brother's affinity for apples.

All the while, small part of my mind puzzled over her choice of words. What did she mean by dirties?

(Yes a short thing because I felt like putting it up, wasn't what you were expecting? Well I am just trying to type a super long chapter about bla bla so I put this up to keep you update demanders at bay! Just kidding I don't mind the asking for updates I just like to tease a bit. I am pretty much set in my ideas for the next chapter and the way it's going to go, but if anyone has a good suggestion or special request and take it into consideration. If it is able to fit into my story I will do my best to fulfill any request that I accept. Thanks for reading my lovelies, next update soon!)