Shared Experience

It was the night of the winter solstice, the time when all spirit could leave the confines of their world and traverse the physical one. Nature and her creatures recognised the change in the world and watched carefully for the passing of spirits. The mystical creatures would often spend their one night in the physical world to exact punishments, make mischief or attend to duties they could not otherwise perform in the spirit world. But for two spirits in particular the winter solstice marked another occasion.

Yue waited in the spirit oasis for him to arrive. The full moon shone down on her and illuminated her naked body. She eyed herself meticulously trying to find any possible blemishes that he wouldn't approve of. Truth was she was nervous. This was her first time performing the sacred winter solstice duties. She was worried she would mess up in some way or that he would not accept her. The waters trembled as she shook with anticipation and nerves. Yue focused on her breathing and tried to calm herself down.

Then suddenly the pool tremors died down and went glassy still. At the far side of the pool a man appeared. He was more than any physical man, though; his presence radiated raw power, strength and a ferocity hidden under watery depths. The moon darkened slightly in the sky as Yue felt trepidation run through her. She had never met La, the ocean spirit; not like this anyway. He cut an imposing figure as he waded to her. His features were darkly beautiful but with a hardness in them that could not be mistaken. Yue felt like an imposter, impersonating the moon spirit, and trembled before him.

He spoke and his voice was like one coming from deep below. "I am La."

Yue nodded with a courteous, if shaky, manner. "I am Yue."

The ocean spirit eyed her trembling. "You are afraid of me."

Yue thought it best to be honest with so powerful a spirit. "A little."

La placed his hands on Yue's shoulders and she felt her trembling involuntarily still. She gulped unsteadily.

"You do not have to be afraid of me, Yue," he told her. "You are the moon spirit and I, the ocean, serve the moon."

Yue did not trust herself to speak but nodded as if she understood.

La watched her carefully for a moment. "We must begin our sacred work. It cannot be delayed any longer."

Yue heard the unspoken question in his words: are you capable of doing this? She nodded again. "I am ready to perform my duty."

The La surprised her with a smile. There was hidden danger even in that but it was pleasant enough. His hands slipped down from her shoulders to her waist. "Not everything is a duty, Yue. Some tasks can be more…pleasurable than others. Tui always found this one so."

And then before Yue could say anything La kissed her. Her body stiffened in shock. She had expected it to be different than kissing a human but nothing like this. There was power and age and divinity behind it. And memories, too. Images of the ocean crashing against rock and sand flashed through her mind, of yawing depths and coral seas. This wasn't just a kiss, it was a shared experience.

La pulled away and gave her a moment to breath. Yue steadied herself against his body, head lying against his chest. Her breath came sharply and her body shook, not with fear but with jittery energy.

"It is different from the humans, yes?" La asked.

Yue recalled her kisses with Sokka. They had been wonderful but they were no comparison to this. "Very," she replied.

"You spoke of duty. It is true what we do tonight will make sure the oceans' remain vibrant and the humans' crops fertile." He pulled her closer to him. "But as I said before, not everything must be seen as a duty, a burden. Tonight we also share all that we have experienced since the last solstice. I will show you the oceans, Yue, all the waters and their beauty. Would you like that?"

Yue looked up at him. The way he looked at her made her earlier perception of him change. Yes, the ocean could be intimidating and dangerous. But that didn't mean it couldn't be gentle also, even caring for those whose lives were connected to it."

"Yes," she told him, "I would."

"And what will you share with me?" he asked.

What to give the spirit of the ocean? Yue's hands brushed along his powerful form. They followed the hard lines on his face. They might have felt human under her fingertips but she knew they were anything but. She thumbed the curve of his lip and hesitated. La waited patiently, as if this wasn't the most important nigh in their roles as ocean and moon. Finally Yue worked up her courage and kissed him carefully. La took it from her without a moments pause. When she pulled away she tried to gauge his reaction. La hid his emotions well but Yue picked up something. Confusion?

"Well?" she asked warily.

La considered his response. "I don't understand what it is you shared with me."

"It's human experience," she explained nervously. "Things like family, love and loss."

La quirked an eyebrow as if trying to puzzle out a meaning in her words.

"I'm sorry," Yue said quickly. "I didn't know what to share with you. I thought you might like something different. I'll think of something else."

"No, it was interesting," La said. "Your human life is not like anything I know. Please, show me more."

"Okay," Yue replied cautiously and pulled his lips back down to hers. The kiss started out as tentatively as the first but soon Yue felt herself get pulled deeper into it as La wanted to experience more. He gave her hardly a moments breath before he kissed her back. The shocking sensation of icy cold waters flooded Yue's nerves. She gasped as she felt energy charge through her and kissed him again, sharing memories of her mother's laugh and her father's smile. La's responding affections were of steaming hot springs. Warmth awoke in every fibre of Yue's skin and her core started to churn like a smelting fire. And with that Yue couldn't hold them back. She held him tighter and kissed him over and over, each kiss awash with images of her past life. Then La took her in his powerful arms and their sacred duties on winter solstice night began in earnest.

The oceans' colours became sharper, its smell keener, and the creatures in its waters more vibrant. The crops of farmers – be they vegetable, fruit or grain – grew taller and stronger. It continued like this for as long as the solstice was upon the physical world. And then, as the night drew to a close, the spirits began to return to homes. Their time of crossing over was at a close.

Yue floated on her back in the water, her head resting gently on La's shoulder. She could feel the night reach its end and her body begin to tug her away from the spirit oasis.

"I have to go soon," she said aloud.

She felt La nod his head. "I, too, must return to my worldly form."

He turned over and cupped her face with one hand. "You did well. The ocean and the food of land will continue to grow and flourish."

Yue smiled politely. "That's good to know."

La's own smile was more roguish. "And on a personal note, I enjoyed myself immensely."

Yue felt her whole face go red. "So…so did I."

"I have a parting gift for you," La said and kissed her cheek tenderly. An image of a woman floated in front of Yue's mind; ethereal, beautiful and supremely powerful.

"This is Tui," La explained.

Yue gasped. The memory of Tui felt terribly intimate and was layered with so many emotions that she couldn't possibly understand them all. The one thing she could grasp was that La had shared her something very special indeed.

"Thankyou, La," she said and smiled appreciatively at him. "It is beautiful gift."

La gave her a look she had not seen him show before. It was mournful and impossibly old. She decided to return his trust with a gift of her own.

"I have something for you, too," she said and kissed his cheek affectionately. La blinked in surprise at the received memory.

"His name is Sokka," Yue said. "I loved him."

La nodded in slow understanding. "I have seen this one on my waters many times. I will protect him for you."

Yue blinked back sudden tears. She had not expected any such favour from La and she hugged him tightly. "Thankyou," she choked out.

La let her hold him for a minute more before pulling her off gently. "I must go."

Yue sniffed her tears and pulled a full smile for him. "Me too. Until next year, La."

La's smile was as dazzling and mysterious as the ocean. "Until then."

As Yue ascended to her heavenly station La's final words drifted up to her.

"I very much look forward to it."

And that next night the tint of the moon had a distinct pink to it, as if of all things, in blushing bashfulness.