Wind and Water

By AnonFemINFJ

            The man rushed through my trees, utterly spooked, horrified even. I watched him disappear through the thick pines, wondering why he did not scream. Speechless, I suppose. Ah, well. He would live. And now I had a new item for my collection.

            I entered my home through the front, a large hole at the bottom of the trunk. The bark was a lovely rich brown this morning. I placed the man's scarf on my shelf, near the other outerwear. Humans were silly, and rather hideous, but I had always been fascinated by their possessions. I rolled a marble in my hand, the one I borrowed from that ugly little boy 80 years ago.

            I was a free spirit called Wind, and I was invisible. This was only because I wanted to be, of course. I could show myself to others if I chose. However, invisibility was exceedingly useful for tweaking humans and borrowing the things they carried into my forest, and so I was glad of my talent. It also did not hurt that I could be as big as I needed to be. 

            I had been living in my tree for centuries, adding to my collection and trying to relax as much as possible. You see, I did have a bit of a temper. And when I got angry, it could lead to trouble. Being a free spirit, I was not bound by higher forces to keep my powers in check. I could create storms that did tremendous damage if I was provoked. When this happened, I would take some time off to visit a tropical island across the water. It was only a week's fly, and well worth the exertion.

            "EXCUSE ME!"

Oh, dear. It was that vociferous squirrel. What was his name again? I spent a minute trying to remember, then went to the entrance to let him in. He looked about to burst, little chest puffed out, eyes wide.

            "Yes, yes, come in. No need to bellow. How may I be of service, uh…?"

            "My name is Ridley, sir," he stated impatiently.

            "Ah, yes, of course." I began to ask him what he was doing here. I doubt that he noticed.

            "Mr. Wind Spirit, Sir, you see, I have a bit of a dilemma. I knew you would be the best person to speak to. You see, there is a very big spirit in my house, eating my nuts. He is very hungry, and you know I would be happy to share, but he didn't even ask! He just-"

            "Who is he?" What on earth was another spirit doing in my forest? And why was he eating Ridley's nuts? This was purely bizarre.

            "Well, I don't know!"

            I asked him where his home was and flew there immediately, not even watching the trees whiz by as I usually do. I was agitated, and though the trip took under a minute, it seemed longer.

            Once there, I saw the spirit lying on his back, stuffed full of the poor squirrel's precious nuts. How strange. Most spirits were careful to respect the territories of the animals, to never mistreat them. And we only really needed to eat every month or so.

            I studied him. He chose to take the shape of a divine human, as most did. His skin was bright white, so I reasoned that he was a servant of the high spirits who controlled the guardians. I eyed the scroll in his glowing hand. So he was a messenger. I could not see his face because it was turned away from me, but I had met some messenger spirits. They were all stiff and boring, too perfect, not beings I would want for friends or partners. Just like all the others.

            Suddenly, the spirit sat up and looked at me.

            "Fendrel!" I knew this one. He was not particularly interesting, but was kind and gentle.

            "Hello, Wind!"

            "Have you come to deliver a message to me?" There would be time for greetings later. This could be important. Messengers of this sort did not pay idle visits.

            "Yes. We have finally found a guardian for your forest! Is that not wonderful, friend?"

            I froze. There was numbness for a few minutes. Then is set it. My trees were spinning. My trees. Mine. They did not need a guardian spirit! I only left once in a while... I took care of my forest! There was no way I would share.

            "… Wind? Oh, no. No, don't! You will be all right!"

            He kept on yelling, which would have been bothersome, but I took no notice. I was having another tantrum, as he could see. But this was different. I felt an excruciating, foreign ache in my chest, which I thought must be grief. And I did not like it. It expanded inside me until I could not breathe properly. I could not tear my eyes from the lovely pines, the forest floor, the sun-coated stones, but these things did not bring me joy. Not any more. I needed to get out of this place, and though I knew I would return some day, the forest was no longer mine.

            Before I could damage what used to be my home, I fled.

            Falling onto the soft sand, exhausted, I felt it caressing me. I was here. This was my island. I had been here many times. I loved the feel of the warm palm trees with their deep green leaves like feathers, so different from the pines I knew so well. Hoisting myself up, I touched a grayish-brown trunk and stared at the place my hand would be seen if I had made it possible.

            I laid there for days, mourning the loss of my home. But I recover quickly for a spirit. I am strong. After the dark days, I knew I had to stand tall and accept that I would live here from now on. With pain still inside me, but a brighter outlook, I once again lifted myself from the hot sand and walked off of the beach.

            Since this was my home now, I decided to explore. Even after so many years of vacations to this place, I had never ventured into the trees. Noticing the lack of paths, I sighed. No humans came here. This reminded me that I needed to retrieve my collection. But there was time. I was not yet ready to go back.

            This was ridiculous. I needed to pull myself together. Trying to do so with all my might, I observed my surroundings more closely. These trees had much thicker trunks than the palms closer to the beach. They looked strange. Short, chubby branches protruded only from the tops. Green shrubs covered much of the ground.

            What was that gray blur up ahead? It was getting closer…

            "Hello!"

            "Ah!"

            A lemur! Oh. It was a lemur. She had jumped straight in front of my face. I inwardly scolded myself for losing my composure so easily. She seemed very bright and jolly, perfectly harmless. Her large, round, amber eyes were aimed straight at me. When had I made myself visible? I must be very tired.

            "Oh, I apologize! Did I startle you?"

            "Yes, well, no harm done," I said awkwardly, but quite sincerely.

            "You're new here. Fancy finally meeting another spirit on this island! My name is Ivy. What's yours?"

            "My name is Wind. Pardon me, but…another spirit?" I do not think she heard me.

            "Wind, you said? How original. Well, I'm off to tell my family! News travels fast around here, since there hardly ever is any. Everyone will know soon enough!"

            "Wait!" But she was gone. I kept moving, wondering how many lemurs lived in this place.

            Suddenly, I heard a faint noise in the distance. It was, unmistakably, the sound of running water. I grew curious and began to really move, having been dragging before this new distraction.

            I soon arrived before a wall of greenery which stretched above my head. It was made up of vines and leaves, and strange plants I could not identify. There were flowers there, tiny blue and purple ones as well as large pink blossoms, and others. I parted it all slowly and found myself standing before an amazing waterfall. It was very tall and roared so that I could scarcely hear myself think. I stared up in wonder for while, and then lowered my gaze, still moving slowly for some reason. It emptied into a wide sparkling pond, where there sat almost in the very center a boulder. And on the boulder was… a woman!

            Well, a spirit. But most spirits did have genders and this one was clearly very feminine. She was flawless, unlike any I had ever seen. She lay on the rock in a most graceful position, on her back. Her arms stretched above her glimmering head, her whole body relaxed as if she could just melt into the pond and be one with it. And judging by the looks of her, she probably could. Her skin was almost translucent in some places, and where water splashed gently onto her, her skin seemed to ripple. Her long dress, which was modest and had a very sophisticated style, was of the same material. She must have made it herself, as most spirits do their own clothing. Her hair was a shade darker than the rest of her, like deeper water. It floated down into the pond, exposing the gentle curves of her jaw, and her eyes were closed so that I could examine her long lashes. She had a peaceful look. This spirit was easily the most beautiful creature in the world.

            And I was watching her sleep. Oh, dear. This was unseemly, wasn't it? I scolded myself once again, and then resolved to make my presence known.

            "Hello, there! I am glad to see a beauty such as you enjoying my waterfall!"

            The spirit sat up and turned toward me before I could blink, obviously startled. Her eyes were very wide, and I noticed that they were cerulean. Then they narrowed.

            "Your island?" I had been distracted again, but her sharp tone got my attention.

            "Why, yes. But do not worry. You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish. What is your-"

            "I have guarded this waterfall and this island for my entire life!" So she was a guardian. No matter. I could get past that. But her voice was harsh, the volume escalating rapidly. Oh, dear. I had made her angry. This was why I had no mate. "I am Water, and you will heed my warning. Leave my home immediately!"

            I sighed. "My deepest apologies, Miss. I am going through a hard time. You see, I am a free spirit, but I too have lived in one place for my entire existence. I was recently informed that a guardian has been found for my former home. I did not think that any other spirits lived here, so…" I drifted off.

            Her expression had softened a bit. "I am sorry for your loss. However, I would like you to leave now."

            I stared blankly at her. "What?"

            "You have displeased me with your forward manner, Sir Wind. I will not tell you again."

            Now, this was getting out of hand. I glared in the most threatening way I knew how. It did not seem to be enough to intimidate her, but she did look rather irritated. That was something. Emboldened, I once again voiced just what floated through my head at the moment:

            "No."

            "Excuse me?" She was now beyond irritated. This was fun.

            "I shall not leave. I intend to stay here as long as I like, which could be for some time." Now I put on a more amiable face. "Clearly you object, but I do not see what you could do about it. You are not permitted by the higher ones to use your powers to harm me, are you?"

            "I do not need my powers to drive you away," she informed me politely, her blue eyes blazing.

            "Hmm… you will need to catch me, and for that you need great speed. Unfortunately, I am far too exhausted for a chase at present. Perhaps I shall run into you tomorrow. Goodbye!"

            "I think not! Hold!" But I was off at full speed, and nearly half way to the beach.

            The island truly became my home the moment I saw Water. I knew then that I had a reason to stay, and so I did. Leave immediately. Ha. That was not going to happen.

            I noticed a deep connection with her, something humans often need to develop for a long time, sometimes years. And even then, the connection simply may not be enough. The lives of human beings are full of unnecessary complications. We spirits need only love to maintain a relationship, and we generally know straight away if it is present. So, I did not feel guilt about my confidence. Still…

            Really, why would she say something like that? Was I so terrible? I quickly pushed the question from my mind. She must have felt it too! She was just reluctant to admit it. I respected Water's responsibilities, of course, and I knew that this was her island as well. For some reason, I was not nearly as disgusted by the idea of sharing with her as I probably should have been. I assured myself that this was a completely different situation that the one that haunted me.

            For days at a time, I lay peacefully in the warm sand, sometimes letting the waves wash over me. In between, I would spend a day roaming through the trees, searching for the object of my infatuation. I did not want to upset her, of course, but I deeply longed to see her.

            On some of these outings, I ran into the lemurs. There were other creatures as well, but I paid no attention to them. I had a purpose. These bothersome primates, unfortunately, demanded my attention. I was blown away by their numbers as it was, so when you added their energy, they were positively exhausting. Ivy seemed to have hundreds of friends and relatives, and insisted that I must be introduced to all of them. I never knew lemurs came in so many colors and patterns.

            I actually grew very fond of one. He was Ivy's twin brother and his name was Ivan. I snorted inwardly at this, but he turned out to be surprisingly mellow and we got along. Their mother had me stay for a meal, and I sat with him on his favorite tree branch.

            While we munched on fruit and leaves (There were so many new foods to try that I was eating much more than usual), Ivan explained to me that Water was very close to the animals on the island. However, he was not surprised at her reaction to my arrival. He told me that she had a stubborn side. That was fine because I did, too. More importantly, Ivan informed me that she was indeed hiding from me. She had been running around so that she was constantly as far away from me as possible. That hurt a bit. He encouraged me to keep chasing her, because he liked me and thought that we would be happy "together or even just as friends.” We agreed that it was crucial for me to show her that my staying would not be such a bad thing. I left dinner with a plan.

            I watched the forest speed by all around me. This was it. It was just a bit further. I readied myself and stopped suddenly, then turned and blew. I blew as I never had before. Come on, Wind. You can do it. Everything was such a blur, I could not tell shrubs from the tree trunks. Faster, Wind! There she is! And there was Water. I stopped merely a few yards away from her, watching in silence. She was baffled. Her brow was furrowed as she tried to pick up my scent. I had come from all the way around the island. Maybe it was enough. I shuffled a bit to get her attention without startling her. It worked.

            "Is that you, Sir Wind?" she asked quietly, without even turning her head.

            "Yes. It is me." I moved in front of her.

            "I did not know you could fly at such a speed. You had reason to brag after all. Now, please leave."

            "No."

            She sighed. "Why not?"

            "Why must I?"

            "It would be better." I saw softness in her expression again, but then she exhaled loudly through her nose and looked at me. Her eyes narrowed suddenly, dangerously. "You do not care about me, and I simply view you as bothersome." I winced.

            "Please, I did not come here to argue. You should accept that I am not going to leave. Can we not live in harmony?"

            "Not so far. We have had to be careful."

            "You have been hiding."

            "I have not!"

            "Well, you were avoiding me. Anyway, I mean that I want to know you, Water. I want us to be friends, at least."

            "At least!" She looked affronted. I panicked.

            "No! I didn't mean-"

            "You will leave my home. I will make sure of that," she said as she turned to leave. Then, unnecessarily, "Do not follow me again."

            Utterly discouraged, I returned to the beach and ducked into the ocean, leaving my head underwater for a few minutes. The water pulsed around my face. It felt nice. Water did. Oh, dear.

            I did not know what to do. Part of me felt that I should continue to pursue her, follow my heart. But then, I did not want to hurt her. So, what to do? I wanted to talk to Ivan, as I had no other friends available to me. And he would know.

            So I made my way to the lemurs' home. As soon as I arrived, I glided up a tree to find Ivan sitting there, looking perfectly distressed and clutching a piece of bark. He jumped.

            "Gah! Oh. Hello, Wind." He sighed once.

            "What troubles you, my friend?"

            "Oh, it's nothing. Just tired, that's all."

            "Hmm…" That could not be right.

            "Really, Wind! I'm fine."

            "If you are sure," I said dubiously. I then told him everything of my encounter with my love. He seemed very concerned. It was almost strange. Then he gave me his own news.

            "Wind, my mother wanted me to give this to you. She got it from Water," he said. He handed me the bark. It had writing on it, in very refined penmanship. I raised an eyebrow, and then read the message:

            Wind,

I am deeply regretful that we had to meet under such unpleasant circumstances. I would like very much to try again. If you can ever forgive me, please let us meet at our waterfall tonight, just after sunset.

Thank you,

Water

            I stared at the bark and read the message over a few times. This may have been too good to be true. How could she forgive me just like that, and apologize? She always seemed so proud. But I would find out after sunset. There was, of course, no question. I was going.

            "Perhaps she has had a change of heart," Ivan suggested rather meekly.

            "Yes. Now, about you. . ."

            "I am fine!"

            The waterfall sparkled mildly and crashed just as much as it always did, though it left me feeling more uneasy after dark. The moon shined down on the silvery boulder in the center, making it glitter like a diamond. It was bare. I searched the whole area with my eyes and waited for one hour. I was patient. She must have a good reason for not being here.

            "Water?"  I called. Nothing. Well, I had to stay. What would she think of me if she came late to find me gone? Some gentleman I would be. No, I would wait. After all, she had to come eventually.

            There were noises in the trees, close by. Many noises. Clicking and hissing, scratching, purring. Hmm, what were they? After a few minutes I did not care anymore. I stood at the edge of that pond, waiting and waiting. The sounds continued. Finally it was sunrise. Dark thoughts had crept into my mind. Had she changed her mind? Had she given me the letter to trick me in the first place? Was my love as dishonest as that?

            If she was, I could forgive her. I was dishonest. I stole. I had frightened innocent humans regularly for hundreds of years. And I was a good spirit.

            I heard a loud gasp. Then, "Wind? He is still here?" It was Water. Who was she speaking to? And of course I was there!

            "I'm so sorry, Miss Water!" It was the twins' mother, the leader of the lemurs. "He just would not leave! We tried to spook him all night long. It seems that his faith in you kept him standing here. And honestly, Miss, I don't think he even noticed us after the first few minutes."

            This was infuriating. "I am right here! What is going on? What do you mean by all this?" I felt hundreds of eyes upon me.

            Now my love spoke. "I had the lemurs try to make you ... less comfortable. I wanted you to leave.”

            What?

            “Why will you not leave?" She was raising her voice now. I had so much to say. This was why Ivan had acted so strangely. The message was a fake. This was all part of her vain attempt to make me fall for her aloof façade, to make me believe that she really did not care about me. I felt my chest ache the way it had when I lost my home. Where was this coming from, this distrust and insecurity? Had someone hurt her? There were so many words in my head, but only one thing I could bring myself to say.

            "I love you, Water."

            She froze, horrified. Then, "No, you do not!"

            "Can you not feel our connection?"

            "We are completely different in every way!"

            "I said nothing about that."

            She appeared to be livid now. Ah. So she did feel it. Honestly, I had never seen a spirit in such denial, other than myself. I thought then that we were alike. We were each so human that any other spirit would frown upon it. And that certainly explained a great deal!

            While I had been having my epiphany about the nature of myself and Water, she had run off somewhere, probably to recover her equilibrium. I decided against following her. My feelings for her had not changed, but who could blame me for being angry? This was a betrayal of trust. Also, spirits were proud. Water's ego had already been damaged.

            After speaking with Ivan and assuring him that all was forgiven, I decided to take the long way back to the beach because I reasoned that it would give me time to think. This was an incorrect assumption after all, since I lost track of my speed while I was thinking, and was half way there in under a minute. As soon as I realized this, I stopped and began to walk at a human pace. It was demeaning, but meditative.

            After a few minutes, I jerked to a stop once again. I had heard a low, muffled sound, like a human being suffocated. What was it? Then there was a moan, a sound of true distress. Water's voice? It was from off to the right. I maneuvered my way through a thick patch of trees, and there she was, face in hands, crying. Deciding that it would be appropriate to speak with her now that my anger had subsided, I spoke up.

            "Why do you weep, beautiful one?" It could not hurt to charm her a bit. And it was true. She was beautiful.

            Water looked up at me for less than a second, and then quickly turned her head to glare at a rock. After a moment of silence, she broke down again. It was pitiful. How I longed to comfort her! But first I needed her to talk to me, obviously.

            "Well?"

            "I d-do not know." she stuttered softly.

            "Really? You have no idea?" So much for protecting her pride. Ah, well.

            "Do you truly not understand? I am angry with you!" 

            I just looked at her, and tilted my head a bit. She sighed. Neither of us said anything for about five minutes. Her tears stopped.

            "Very well, Wind, I admit it. We have a connection. I suppose you do care about me on some strange level," she said, wrinkling her nose a bit. There was another long pause. "And I care about you, as well. You are not simply bothersome, Wind. You are brave and clever. You have depths I cannot yet understand."

            Ah! Yes, yes, yes! This was it!

            "I suppose I do love you. You were right." Here there was sort of a half-smile. "I am sorry."

            Here I decided that it would be all right for me to hold her. She tensed, then relaxed and closed her eyes. It felt so wonderful that I closed mine, too.

            "Wind?"

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