For You

"Love."

???

Waiting at the cliffs edge during a particularly windy rainstorm stood a tall brunette who had been chosen as a sacrifice to the gluttonous water god and his daughters. Although he had agreed to forfeit his life for the safety of his village, a feeling of dread and hatred occupied his purified soul as he fell into the violent embrace of ocean water. Drifting further into the belly of the beast, the man apologized to the cold waters and submit his will to whatever creature would touch his tainted body.

He did not expect to wake underneath a brilliant blue sky.

Confused due to the scenery, the human stood from his cushion of grass and decided to explore his new sanctuary. Perhaps he had reached the heavens where the gods resided; maybe they would be kind to give his people rain if he asked. With his newfound curiosity and vigor, the man found his legs carrying him through shallow water decorated with flowers. A lovely scent of lilies and, oddly enough, apple blossoms drifted to his nose as the fragrance eventually led him to a grand compound that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Two servants dressed in traditional scarlet-colored garb welcomed him to the realm of the water god; his influence and power turned a once barren wasteland into a thriving garden of natural life where his palace now lies. Having an odd taste of suitors, the water god chose the man as a candidate of marriage to his youngest daughter, a minor goddess who managed to influence the earth and sway the mother goddess of creation with song.

When they met, it is said that the sky turned grey as rain escaped from the clouds in the form of the godddess' tears.

Through the endless eons of their marriage, the daughters of the water god continued to be wed off one by one to various suitors either chosen by their father or to those who caught their favor. Each daughter received gifts from their divine guardian, but it was the youngest who requested nothing but freedom from her husband. Questioning why his daughter would ask for such a "gift", the goddess then expressed sorrow due to the difference in age the divine had compared to mortal men — her husband began to show signs of frailty and often struggled to perform daily tasks, resulting in him becoming permanently bedridden. Although the water god returned her anguish, the gods were not able to trifle in affairs of life or death lest they wished to be punished by the mother goddess.

The grief-stricken youngest daughter returned to her chambers with the decision to assist her husband in mind. She sacrificed her divine item, her scarf, to give him eternal life. He returned to his youthful appearance, yet remained in peaceful slumber till the last of the little goddess' life — a divine item given by the mother goddess was what gave the gods their immortality, without it, they were but mortals with the power of a god.

A song of love and heartbreak travels with the wind telling the tale of two star-crossed lovers; the goddess and human man were doomed to repeat their fate till the end of the known universe, both of which could only hope for happiness that never was.

"But they live in the stars today, waiting to be reunited with each other."

"How much time has passed, babe?"

"I'm honestly not sure, but I know it's been at least a thousand — no, millions of eons that have passed us both."

"I knew we would be together again, even though it'll be for a shorter amount of time."

​​​​​​​"Will you wait for me again as always?"

​​​​​​​"Until time and the universe is gone, I will forever wait for you."

​​​​​​​"Thank you, Waka-kun."