The Love of an Earth Goddess

Fire of Destruction

Some time passed after Earth was broken by the Doppelganger. And that is when the man of flame found Earth. As soon as he picked her up to take her home, she knew it was right. She felt the hollow feeling inside her start to fade. Not long after, Fire and Earth fell in love. Fire was fascinated with Earth's green beauty and Earth's greatest pleasure was Fire's warm touch. For a while they were happy and Earth  gave Fire her current diamond from her special cave. Sometimes though, Fire and Earth would fight. Earth would throw boulders and mountains at Fire, enraging him to burn hotter.

The fighting wasn't the worst part. The destruction was done most in the shadow of forgiveness. With a touch, Fire burned the forests of her body. With a kiss, Earth smothered some of his flame. As time went on, they both chipped away at each other, blinded by their starstruck love for one another.

One day, Cancer the Crab approached Earth after witnessing a visit from Fire.

"Earth!" He called out, scuttling over. "May I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course, Cancer," replied Earth, for she thought Cancer to be a wise creature. "What is it?"

"My dear, I have observed you and your love, Fire. It is plain to see that you two are happy and have much love for each other, but you are blind to the destruction that is happening within you. Take a look at yourself Earth. Where have your wild jungles and desert plains gone? Fire's flames are burning away your beauty." As Earth looked down at her body, she saw that most of her wild and beautiful landscapes were nothing more than scorched curves. There was only one big patch of greenery left over her heart, contained by a high wall. She looked back up at Cancer with fear in her eyes.

"He has reduced you to a cultivated garden, Earth. I advise you to ask yourself who you are. Are you a garden, made for someone to build and contain? Or, are you an unstoppable force of life, capable of growing whole cities back into jungles? A great man on your land, named William Shakespeare, once wrote 'to thine own self be true.' If you continue this same path in your journey, you will cease to be your true self." And with those last words Cancer scuttled away, back into the stars.

The next time Earth met with Fire, she looked at him more closely than usual. What she noticed made tears spring from her eyes, forming a river that flooded her hills and valleys.

"Earth?! What's wrong, my darling?? Why are you weeping?"

"Oh, Fire! I couldn't see it before, either, but now... Fire, we are slowly destroying each other. I can see now that I am smothering your burning light. And look at me, love, you've been slowly burning up my lands." Fire took a few steps back and looked away from Earth's beautifully cultivated garden heart. As he looked at the miles and miles of scorched Earth, his fire died to a flickering flame.

"My darling, Earth, I am so sorry for the damage I've unknowingly caused you," Fire said as the two stood apart looking at each other, finally able to truly see each other again. " We are killing each other...what are we to do?" Although they were standing apart, their hands were still clasped, but now Earth pulled her hands away.

"We have done a great deal of damage to each other, Fire. I think the time has come to part ways for a while until we have been able to heal the damage we've wreaked upon one another."

"But, Earth... I don't want to lose you. Will I ever be able to visit you again?" Fire worried.

"Fear not, my darling, for I know that the universe will have us meet again," Earth comforted Fire, "but, for now we must allow time for healing so that we can discover and grow into our new selves." Then Earth turned and disappeared into the stars, leaving Fire to return to his home on the Sun alone.

Sometimes us humans whom dwell upon Earth are able to witness a visit between the two lovers. It is most common for us to see such a sight after one of their stormy fights when they are enduring the pleasant painfulness of each other's company. When a stray lightning bolt of anger rains down on Earth, she allows Fire's brief, burning caress to plead forgiveness. After all, a few burnt forests once in a while is not such a steep price for love's warmth.