Disclaimers: This is the result of a college assignment in which I was supposed to create a new religion. The story and the characters are mine. They might look like some people we know, after all...if *you* were creating goddesses, who would you have them look like? =)

Sexual disclaimer: Hell has just frozen over. The Bards’ Village has fully corrupted me…. This story depicts sexual relationship between two women.

Rona: 'Ro-nah

Arohi: 'Air-roh-hee

yidaki: yih-'da-kee (another name for a didgeridoo)

by

Ambyrhawke Shadowsinger

All Rights Reserved

The ancients speak of a time before the world was formed, before the gods existed. In this time, there was only the Goddess, Hine.

Hine lived in a vast emptiness. There was nothing except her and the yidaki that she would play. However, her instrument was not enough to occupy her, for everything else remained the same. Soon Hine began to feel restless. She yearned for something to alter the unending monotony of her existence. Even then, something would still be missing. Another feeling grew within Hine as well...loneliness. She knew that even more than wanting change, she longed for a companion with whom to share things.

The Goddess put her lips to the yidaki and breathed out. She lost herself in the music of her breath. As she played, Hine began to think about how lonely she was and how she wished for someone to share her life. The song she played became melancholy.

It wasn't long before Hine's song changed along with her thoughts. Imagining the kind of companion she yearned to have, the Goddess closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw a tall, beautiful woman with long, flowing black hair. She was dressed in midnight blue clothes embroidered with silver thread. The woman was strong and athletic, yet soft to the touch. Piercing blue eyes could chill the heart with a single look, but her dazzling smile could melt that very same heart. She possessed a rich, melodious voice so beautiful that Hine's body shivered when she heard it join her song.

The Goddess' heart pounded in her chest upon hearing the voice with her own ears as well as in her mind. Continuing the tune, she slowly opened her eyes. Before her stood the vision made flesh. The dark woman grinned at the shocked expression on Hine's face as she started singing to the yidaki music. Both tune and voice wove around each other for long moments.

When they ended their song, the Goddess lowered the yidaki and watched as the dark haired beauty approached her with a smile on her lips. Hine was the first to speak, "I'm Hine. Your name is Rona...isn't it?"

"Yes. That's the name you gave me in your mind when you played me into life." Rona squatted beside the smaller woman dressed in green and brown, looking at her closely. Her eyes seemed to be made up of one thousand shades of green, and they sparkled with the wonder of this new development. Her hair was short and golden. Smooth curves defined her body, from the flare of hips, to the generous swell of breasts, to the defined cut of muscles. Rona could tell that Hine's compact body would be much shorter than her own if they stood beside each other.

Though Hine had long craved the presence of someone with whom to talk, now that her wish was right next to her, she found herself very shy. She didn't know how to handle the blue eyes studying her. Looking down, her fingers traced idle patterns along the surface of the yidaki. She sighed softly, "I can't believe this. You're here, and I don't know what to say."

Rona stilled Hine's hand with her own. "Then don't say anything right now. I'd like to hear you play again. Just let yourself go." Hine shivered from the touch of the dark goddess and nodded. Closing her eyes, she took a breath and played. Rona listened silently for a time before whispering close to a small ear, "Let your mind wander with the music. Hear the images...see the song. Make it real." She pulled back and softly added her voice to Hine's music.

Rona opened her mind like the wings of a great bird. Her voice took flight, dipping under and soaring over the steady drone at the foundation of Hine's song. It swirled around Hine's being, caressing her senses, moving through her and urging her on.

The Goddess followed her companion's voice deeper into the tune...deeper into herself. She sank down until nothing mattered except the music. It swirled faster and faster around her mind, becoming more solid with each passing moment. Rona's mind followed that of the blonde goddess.

In the music, a lithe and beautiful young goddess formed and began dancing before Hine and Rona. Brown skin covered wiry muscles. Her lips were full and she had black eyes that flashed with fire. She wore a short brown leather skirt and top and small gold bracers. Her body swayed and twisted in tight circles. Long curly black hair with copper streaks flew about her head like the flames of a bright blaze. She was an awesome sight to behold, both fearsome and seductive in the heat of the power pouring from her.

As Hine and Rona's music intertwined and merged, their spirits gave the dancer life. At once they both knew their daughter's name...Arohi.

Arohi danced around her mothers in a wide arc. Her movements reflected the pace of the music. At times it was slow and seductive and then it would become wild with power. She dove into the song in a frenzy grabbing the minds of her parents and spinning them even deeper than they had gone before. All consciousness pulled in on itself tighter and tighter. A white light grew in the center of the fury and built in intensity until it was blinding.

Suddenly the three goddesses saw the light burst into a million colors. Their minds flew through the wave of brightness and they saw a world lying before them. Everything in existence appeared in their vision, yet nothing was completely finished. As each goddess looked at different parts of the world, she imagined the final touches.

Rona looked at the flat earth and then gazed upon Hine's body. The ground rose and dipped to reflect her love's curves. She painted the plants the thousand shades of green within Hine's eyes. Looking at Arohi, Rona gave lions their flowing manes and antelope their agility.

During her dance, Arohi gazed at her mother's golden hair. She found it captivating, and touched the wheat that grew tall. The sun goddess made wheat reflect the beautiful color. Then she picked the jaguar and crow to be as black as Rona's hair. She turned the waters of the oceans a mixture of the blue and green found in the eyes of her parents.

As Hine watched Arohi dancing, she saw her daughter's energy flowing out of her in a nebula of leaping flames. Arohi traveled across the sky, lighting the world as the sun. Flowers on the ground turned their faces upward to watch her journey in fascination. Birds began to mimic her movements in their mating dances.

Then Hine turned her face toward Rona. She lost herself in the beautiful eyes looking back at her, and the sky became blue. As singer's silvery voice surrounded her, the moon appeared, hovering close to her love, the earth. All of the birds of the world learned their songs from Rona. When Hine reached a hand out to her, the trees stretched up to the sky like the Earth goddess' fingers.

Hine saw that there was one thing missing from the world their minds had created. She took a handful of jade from herself, a handful of moonlight from Rona and a handful of fire from Arohi. All of these, she mixed together. Then she took a bit of the mixture at a time and formed humans. Each being was made of two parts facing each other. They gazed at one another and held hands. When she ran out of jade, Hine took another handful of material from each goddess. Thus she continued until the world was populated.

Hine's voice was heard through the yidaki as she separated each pair of humans. "Each of you is made of the strength and solidity of Hine, the earth. The light of Rona, the moon, illuminates your mind and dreams. The fire of Arohi, the sun, burns as your spirit and powers your energy.

"At the beginning of the world, each of you was joined with another who is your compliment. To thrive you must be separate and whole in your own selves. Yet, as two pieces that belong together, you will seek out and find your mates time and again along your journey. When you look into one another's eyes and hold hands you will feel what it was like in the beginning.

"Along your journey, you will find others with whom you feel a close connection. These are your spirit family...the ones who were made from the same larger piece of our essence as yourself. Ties of the spirit will prove to be stronger than even those of blood."

With those words, Hine knew that the world was ready to be given physical form. She beckoned Rona and Arohi to follow her out of their meditation. Their song and dance pulsed with life.

As the three goddesses became aware of their physical surroundings, Hine played everything she had seen into existence. Rona's song helped that which had been created grow and prosper. Arohi's dance unmade all that came to the end of its time, so that it might be created anew by her mother. Thus began the cycle of creation, preservation and unmaking.

When the pattern became solidified, the goddesses ended their song. Arohi, exhausted from her dancing, lay down and fell asleep. Hine and Rona caught their breaths and glanced at one another.

The dark Moon goddess stepped up to her love, and taking her small hands, looked deeply into Hine's eyes. She spoke softly, "I feel as if we are two pieces that belong together as well." With her heart in her throat, the blond could only nod her agreement. She saw her love lean forward just before their lips met in a kiss.

Slowly, with gentle caresses, Rona disrobed them both. Hine shivered in anticipation as she lay down on her back. Rona stretched herself carefully over the earth goddess. Her blue eyes deepened with desire, and the stars in the sky mirrored their glistening. Darkness fell over the land as Rona's black hair cascaded over Hine's body.

Hine moaned softly when lips sought out her neck. Arching her head back, she wove her fingers in the dark tresses and pulled her lover closer. Rona suckled and nipped the warm flesh, causing the earth goddess' heart to skip a beat. Whimpering a plea for more, Hine lifted her chest and guided the dark head lower. Green eyes closed at the sensation of a warm mouth covering her nipple. She covered Rona's hand on her own left breast and urged her to knead it harder.

Both women rocked their hips against the other. Rona spread Hine's legs further apart and pressed against her. She groaned at the wetness she met there.

"Yesss...." Hine sighed, wrapping her legs around Rona's waist and grinding against her. She pulled the dark beauty's head up and captured her lips in a searing kiss. She repeatedly thrust her tongue into the moon goddess' mouth as they moved together.

Under the moon's pull, the ocean waves surged onto land as Hine's passion built. Suddenly the ground trembled as she orgasmed with her love. Their movements slowed and a light rain fell from the sky as tears of love escaped Rona's eyes. Hine kissed them away, and settled the dark head against her breast. Soon they both fell into a contented sleep.

After many hours, blue eyes cracked open. Rona saw her daughter watching them both with a warm smile on her face. The moon goddess shifted her body to the side and reached an arm out to Arohi. She hugged the dancer and then looked down to a waking Hine. Kissing her softly, Rona murmured, "I think our daughter wants to see you for a bit before she begins her day's journey across the sky. I'll leave you two alone."

Hine smiled at her wife, "I love you. Don't stay away too long."

Rona replied softly, "I love you, too. I'll be back tonight." With that, she got up and left mother and daughter alone.

Hine wrapped her arms around Arohi and hugged her close. The sun goddess snuggled against her mother as the dawn peeked over the hills in the east. Her spirit seemed a little sad, and Hine questioned it, "What makes you unhappy, daughter?"

Arohi sighed and buried further into the soft shoulder, "You and mama love each other so much...and all the humans each have someone of their own to find. But there's no one for me in the world."

Hine's brow furrowed, feeling her daughter's pain in her heart. She kissed Arohi's forehead. "Give me some time to think this through. Your mama and I will figure it out."

Arohi felt herself getting warmer as she woke up more fully. She reached up and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Thanks. I've got to go before I burn you. I love you, Mother."

Hine smiled at her child, "And I love you, Arohi." She watched the sun goddess begin to dance, and wrapped her mind around the riddle of her daughter's mate.