BAKUNAWA knows that he is not the best at consoling someone since he was only created to wreak havoc and invoke fear among mankind, but for the moon god, he was able to comfort him without worrying that Libulan might not stop crying. Luckily, the moon god was already comforted by the presence of the serpent god and Bakunawa did not need to put much effort on that. After that, he began to tell Bakunawa about something he never noticed before during his early days as a godchild.
The moon goddesses hiding something from him.
"I saw... something and some deities in my dream but I cannot recall their faces every time I try to draw them nor look at them through my memories. It was... as if... I don't mean to see them..." Libulan confusingly narrated as he tried to remember some bits of the dream he saw but it only gave him a piercing headache in return.
He can only see those things vividly again if he would be sleeping only. But this became a problem to the moon god himself, he cannot sleep well for the past few moons of his livingㅡ he was always disturbed about the images he saw in his dream.
Before, there were only voices, and now, they were getting clearer and clearer that it starts to freak out Libulan.
Bakunawa can see how much Libulan was struggling from whatever it is that made him cry, so he lifted up the moon god from his seat and placed him on his own lap. The moon god plopped on the serpent god's lap but smiled after, facing Bakunawa as he playfully poked the serpent god's face with his silvery magic, leaving traces of sparkles on Bakunawa's face.
“I am sorry, I made you stay away,” Bakunawa apologized, looking down in guilt but the moon god only leaned on him.
“If you wanted to eat me so badly, why can’t you do it?” The serpent was flabbergasted that he has to hold Libulan away and check if he did carry Libulan and not an illusion created by Nuno.
“Y-you knew?”
“Have you forgotten? I read a lot,” Libulan shrugged.
The serpent god cannot believe that this is the reaction he will be receiving from a moon god like Libulan, he was expecting the moon god to slit his throat or something for vengeance. But he is not capable of that since Libulan is a gentle moon god.
“I will tell you everything when we have the time, but for now, we will focus on you, all right?” Bakunawa smiled fondly, leaning back to Libulan’s forehead while the latter only chuckled by his gesture.
“About that… odd that a heavenly deity like you is having a vision," Bakunawa changed the topic, thinking seriously while Libulan was having fun doodling random shapes on his face, so he tickled the moon god for putting on whiskers on his cheek.
"I haven't heard of that name before; it is not part of the studies…" Libulan asked after laughing from the tickles he received from Bakunawa.
The serpent god snorted when he heard the word 'studies', his experiences alone can be deemed as knowledge that can be shared to anyone else but of course, he wouldn't do that. Only a few knew who he really was before he became the pandemonium's master.
"I have no time to read books and drown myself into boundless knowledge when I could seek knowledge myself," he boasted that only made the ever-genius Libulan frown, "As I was saying… you were dreaming right? Dreams are like memories, images, and they sometimes have voices of beings whom we are familiar with."
It made the moon god speechless, he had not read about this, about the dream, and its significance to every living being in this world.
Truth is, he did not go back to sleep, his consciousness stayed after being calmed down. He was able to witness the conversation between Malyari and Mayari as well that night. It was the only time he caught the two talking about him in which he has no idea on why they would keep it as a secret from him.
But he only thought that maybe, they were only caring about his well-being, like how they always do.
Bakunawa chuckled a bit while looking at the moon god's contorting face. He gently curled the tips of Libulan's hair since the guardian of the moons was sitting on his lap as they enjoy the breathtaking view of the mortal's realm from up there.
“You read a lot, yeah right,” Bakunawa mocked.
Libulan’s glowing eyes suddenly met his even if it was behind a veil, but the glow was enough for the serpent to silent himself.
Scary, he thought.
"I have read every entirety of this world’s textbooks, including heaven, hell, and mortal world. There is just some knowledge I could not grasp because I was prohibited to know nor read them. Since, it is not part of my duty as a moon guardian anyway. So, mostly, my textbooks are all about how one should rule over his realm, strategies to overcome adversities and others that would assist me in my growth as the newly chosen guardian of the moons," Libulan explained before pouting a bit, crossing his arms as he pulled his hair away from Bakunawa's hand, who, on the other hand, raised his hands in surrender.
"I know, I have always been watching you, remember?" Bakunawa said.
"Huh, always disturbing me like a looming shadow from behind! I am surprised that Mayari and Malyari haven't caught you yet!"
"That's what I'm great at! Hiding! I could hide a spacious lake from the eyes of a mere god. What more me? Hiding myself from two powerful moon goddesses?"
Libulan only squinted his eyes at the witty serpent god before leaning his back on Bakunawa's bare chest. "You can now explain to me what a dream or vision is, abductor." Bakunawa laughed heartily because of the sulking tone he heard from Libulan.
To make it up to him, he began to trace his blackened fingers along Libulan's pale skin, leaving disappearing marks of ancient letters regarding visions.
It was fascinating for the moon god.
"Deities like you often have visions of their past, present, or future that tells you, or warns you about something. Mortals may call it a deceitful vision, or dream. But to a deity, it holds a special meaning. So, this one shouldn't be ignored all the time," he explained, snuggling close to Libulan who was in deep thoughts.
"Then... whatever I saw that night… might foretell my future? B-but but it is a horrible vision..." said Libulan before gasping when Bakunawa playfully bit his shoulder. The moon god almost let out a yelp, but Bakunawa opened his mouth wider to leave a bite mark on Libulan's nape, yet he was quick to stop himself. Though it was tempting that he decided to leave trail of kisses from Libulan's shoulder down to his hand.
“I thought you are not eating me!”
“I did not say I cannot have a taste,” he looked away, smirking.
Libulan, on the other hand, was flustered and blushing from the sudden act that he couldn't understand why his tummy feels funny all of a sudden.
Bakunawa's eyes only glowed brighter, grinning from ear to ear as he leaned closer to inhale the intoxicating scent that Libulan would always carry around him.
“Idiot,” Libulan scrunched his nose, pushing the serpent god’s face away.
"Hehe," is all Bakunawa could reply before Libulan smacked him away, but the serpent god didn't let go of him.
"You are more important than whatever it is yo-" The serpent god was hushed when Libulan casted a binding spell on his lips, making the serpent god unable to speak for a while.
"This is important to me and... you are the only being I have in life that I could entrust this with. I do not know who to trust anymore. The two goddesses whom I believed to have taken care of me, is actually manipulating my memories… I need to know why… there must be something about me that they never told me about."
The serpent god's eyes squinted, something struck his memory, as if it happened to him before as well. He has been watching over Libulan and all he thought that he was raised as part of the moon deities. Now, there seems to be something else that plays, that Libulan isn't what he truly is.
His hands were firmly resting on Libulan's waist before he whistled to the air as if calling someone out there.
"What are you doing?" Libulan asked, looking around. "We are going to visit a friend," Bakunawa replied with a grin, then a strong gush of wind immediately freaked out the little moon god, as the huge bird whose feathers varied in wonderful colors, responded to his master's call.
"Good to see you again, Sari! My trusted old friend!" Bakunawa waved his hand at the magnificent bird whose flames were blazing in different shades, like a rainbow in the sky. It eyed the curious Libulan, before looking back at his master.
"Why are you entangled with a guardian?"
Bakunawa almost choked on his own saliva when Sarimanok, a legendary bird god from every tale that is said to only respond to the worthiest opponent it can consider, asked him such a question.
“None of your business.”
Once tamed, it shall be loyal to its owner until its very last breath. It can only communicate with its master through telepathy, so other beings cannot understand its thoughts other than the one who tamed it.
"Right," it sighed. "Is there anything you want that is why you called me, master?"
"You are such a beautiful bird," Libulan muttered, gazing upon the glory of the legendary being that has been hiding for thousands of moons, away from the sight of anyone.
"Why thank you, you are too. Unfortunately, you may not be able to hear me," Sari bowed his head a bit, acknowledging the moon god's message even if Libulan didn't get to hear his reply.
"Erm, I can actually understand you," Libulan blinked.
Bakunawa and Sari looked at the moon god in bewilderment before they exchanged confused glances.
"How?" Bakunawa wondered, eyebrows furrowed.
"Simple, because I read a lot," he explained to them as he smiled gently, not knowing that he was actually the only one in the Lunar realm to ever understand the language of Sarimanok.
Bakunawa only rolled his eyes whenever he hears the word ‘read’.
Sarimanok was surprised, not all guardians can communicate with him. It surprised him that Libulan, a moon god himself, can still understand him despite having no contract between them, he assumed that Libulan must be of a higher god, to be able to communicate with him.
After all, Bakunawa is an ancient god, and only powerful deities like him can tame the Sarimanok.
"It is my first time seeing a god holding the title of a moon guardian, the Seven moons used to fancy goddesses for they have more spiritual capacity to hold them than gods like you," Sari told him that made Libulan flustered.
“I am honored to be complimented by you, “Libulan smiled, so did the legendary bird.
"One shall need an escort towards the humble abode of the bird god living far side of this realm?" Sari asked, who can quite foretell what his master's wishes are and places that he wants to visit, that only he, the bird of good fortune, can have the rights of knowing.
Bakunawa smirked casually, "Right, to the place where the living dance to their misfortunes," he nodded then proceeded to point the colorful bird, "which is the opposite of your domain because you give good fortunes!"
"If you mind me asking… who are we going to pay a visit to?" Libulan asked when the two mythical creatures are just staring at each other.
"To Sari's sister! The bird god of misfortune, Muhen!"
IN the humble abode of the Dumangan and Idianale, the god of death can be seen quietly reading books again, but this time, it is about the previous generations.
"It is rare for you to read books piled up in this manner, my child," Idianale told Sidapa who visited them and asked if he could borrow some divine scrolls and scriptures about the Kaluwalhatian gods and goddesses. He became too focused on what he was reading and writing that he has forgotten all his duties at Madjaas.
It was unusual of him, but Idianale understood why.
"Does it bother you? The moon god’s origin?"
He halted on flipping another page over, as he gave Idianale a side glance before embarrassingly looking away.
This made the elder goddess chuckle softly as she puts down the tray of snacks, she made for Sidapa and decided to sit down with him.
"Of all deities you have encountered, my dearest, why did you fell sight upon the most gracious and mysterious god of all?" Idianale asked him, and Sidapa knew that he barely heard stories about Libulan. He did not even pay any attention to it, because he thought of it as hearsay among the gods.
Not until he saw him in person, and it all took one tug of his heart before he realized that this is the deity he longed for his life. There is no mistake about it.
But thinking about it now, he only knows a bit of his background and history. Sidapa never knew that a Lunar Realm even exist and that they have beautiful goddesses who reigned over that world. He does not even know where and when Libulan came to the world, and who were his parents.
All these details about Libulan made him busy, thinking that he might not be enough for a god like Libulan. That he has to know more, that he has to be closer to him each passing second.
"My heart says so," is all that he could reply before returning to his books, and this time, it made Idianale smile tenderly to see the child they raised found the right one for him.
"Oh? So, your heart speaks but your mind could not even take a hint?" Idianale teased the death god whose ears began to show tints of pinkish and red, he immediately felt the warmth, so he was quick to hold his ears as he stammered to speak.
"My dear, dear child. Knowing one may take a lot of time and effort, but you will not know them through textbooks and scriptures," she said as she took the book away from Sidapa, "you will get to know more about the god you adore so much if you spend more time with him and witness all the things about him yourself. Do not rely on these things, they can be altered, they can vary, and they can be different perceptions from different beings!"
Sidapa fell silent as he listened to his godmother.
"The only time your questions will be asked is when you ask the god whom you are interested in," she smiled gently, patting Sidapa's side cheek before she got up and walked towards the door to leave Sidapa alone.
"Don't forget to eat," she reminded him as she closed the doors of his chamber.
Sidapa then felt frustrated, yet he knows now that he has a starting point, a way for him towards Libulan's heart. All the memories he had with Libulan made him feel all the fuzzy warmth inside his chest that he couldn't help but smile and giggle in silence.
"My moon, my dearest moon," he hums to himself, as he fell slowly fell asleep on his desk with the smile still lingering on his lips.
Little did he know, a dark shadow from the corner of his room has been watching him for a while now.