Interim Goddess of Love #1 of 3 (COMPLETE)

Chapter 8

THE LEGEND OF THE SUN AND THE MOON

In the days before human memory, when Bathala, the Great Father, ruled the sky and sea, a quarrel erupted between two of his children, Apo and Maya.

Apo was the strongest and most handsome among Bathala's many children, while Maya was the smartest and prettiest. The other brothers and sisters knew it was best to step aside when their two siblings fought even over the smallest trifles.

But this quarrel was quite serious. Maya and Apo were arguing over their birthright. It began when Bathala asked this question: "Who would like to rule over humans?"

"Me, me, me!" cried Apo, bright and eager. "I will race across the sky, give warmth to humans, and shine upon their crops and cattle. They shall use the shadows I cast around them to measure their hours. Humans shall work hard under my light and know I am forever watching them. Humans shall worship me without fail!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Maya, fair was her skin and passionate were her ways. "Dear brother, you are crude and naive. You cannot force humans to worship you. You must persuade them to open their hearts. If you show yourself all the time, humans will always be aware of your presence, and therefore shall always keep their thoughts and desires hidden from you. Father, look at me. Am I not your most beautiful daughter? Yet I know that the way to the human heart is to conceal my beautiful face from time to time. Only then will they reveal who they really are. In the end, humans always yearn for my return, and they gladly kneel before my glorious illumination."

"I do not understand your fancy words, dear sister," replied Apo, who had turned red in his anger. "I say we settle this with a duel!" And with that, Apo struck his sister's face, bruising her perfect complexion.

"You beast! You ignorant fool! You have no idea how strong I am!" cried Maya. She wrestled with her brother and smothered him until his light was entirely blocked out. The humans were plunged in great darkness.

"Stop it, both of you," said Bathala. "Let go of your brother this instant!"

"But he started it!"

"No, she did!"

"I didn't, you oaf!"

"See how she insults me, Father!"

"I said ENOUGH!" Bathala's voice echoed for a while. Apo and Maya faced each other in silence while the voice of Bathala spread across the sky. "Enough! Enough!"

Then Bathala took both his children in his arms. "The two of you will need to share. Humans shall be ruled by both of you. But only half the time."

Apo was to rule during the day, while Maya was to rule during the night.

Reluctantly, the two of them agreed. Bathala was pleased that the two were no longer fighting and he called his other children to come out of hiding to join them for a celebratory feast.

"Hurray! Hurray!" cried their other brothers and sisters.

THE END.