It was a warm summer evening, and Moon walked along the beach. They loved the sand between their toes, and the sound of the gently lapping waves, and the way the light of Sister Sun reflected off the water into the horizon and infinitely beyond that. On days where they knew they would find their way back easily and they had the time, Moon liked to walk along the beach.

 

Moon was very introspective, and spent a lot of time alone. Moon liked being alone. Moon hated being lonely. Sadly, both happened simultaneously with regularity. Even on bright nights, surrounded by small magics, they found themselves quite alone, with only the occasional wolf to keep them company by howling. So before they went up every night, Moon tried to walk along the beach, because the beach was quiet but never too quiet, and they loved the sand between their toes. 

 

On this warm summer evening, Moon saw a long embankment extended into the sea, and decided to walk down it. The air was heavy and wet, and in the warm evening sun, they loved every second of it. The water was cool and the air was warm. They sat down at the end of the outcropping, their blue star-adorned dress clinging to their legs and their hair danced playfully in the wind. They sat on a large rock that was warm from the summer sun. 

 

The Ocean swam up to them and climbed up on the stone. The Ocean was beautiful, with long green hair and a beautiful tail that reflected the sun with every colour of every sea. She sat next to Moon in silence for a little bit, and then nudged them softly. 

 

“Hello, Moon,” Ocean said with a big smile.

 

“Hello,” Moon said with a little smile back. 

 

“Are you okay?” Ocean asked. She was worried for her friend, because Moon did not come by very often and when they did they often looked a little sad.

 

“I am now that you are here to keep me company, Ocean,” smiled Moon. “Though I do not want you to think you have to be here for my sake,” they added quickly. “You don’t have to sit with me if you don’t want to.”

 

Then Ocean did something Moon did not expect: She kissed them softly on the cheek. When she pulled back, Moon could smell the gentle aroma of the sea breeze on themself, and they smiled at her.

 

“What was that for?” they asked.

 

“I am here because I want to be here, Moon. I feel no obligation to you.”

 

Moon smiled at this. “Thank you. I forget sometimes that someone might want to be around me.”

 

“Of course I want to be around you! Day or Night, I’m happy to be around you any time.”

 

Moon sighed, and dangled their legs over the edge of the stone and in the cold water. 

 

“I can’t come visit at night. At night I have to guide the way.”

 

Ocean nodded and just sat a little closer to Moon.

 

“And some days I’m just too tired to do anything. Even too tired to come to the beach.”

 

Moon gave her another kiss on the cheek. It shone a light blue in the evening sun. 

 

“Maybe I could swim up to you and give a little kiss like this from time to time, and remind you that I care about you?”

 

Moon looked at her, beautiful and wild, and smiled again. “I care about you too. A very great deal. Maybe more than…”

 

They hesitated and looked down. They regretted what they’d said, and wished they could take it back.

 

“Hey,” Ocean said, but Moon didn’t look up. So she took their hand and squeezed it softly. “The feeling is mutual.”

 

Moon blushed a little, and squeaked a small ‘okay’. They shifted a little closer to the Ocean, who interlaced her fingers with theirs. 

 

“If you want to come visit me sometimes, I’d be very grateful,” they said, carefully choosing their words. “But I’m afraid I can’t always come to you as often. I don’t want you to feel like…” They didn’t know how to continue.

 

“Listen,” said Ocean. “I will visit you as often as you want. I will send you whatever kisses you might need or want, and you never have to respond when you don’t want to, or you’re unable to, or you’re not strong enough, okay?”

 

Moon nodded and squeezed Ocean’s hand. “Okay.”

 

“I send you a kiss and a breeze because I want you to know you’re loved. Not because I want something from you.”

 

“Okay,” Moon said again. “Thank you.”

 

“I’ll come by once every night, if you wish, at low tide, and when you want, each day, you can come visit. You can come by and we can enjoy each other’s company.”

 

“Just the two of us, alone?”

 

“Yes. Just the two of us.”

 

Moon held Ocean’s hand and together they watched Sun set low over the water, reflecting a thousand different ways. Moon looked at Ocean’s face, glittering in the evening light, and smiled happily.

 

“I’m glad I can come here. Thank you.”

 

“I’m glad you come here, Moon. Thank you.”

 

“I’ll come by again tomorrow,” said Moon as she got up.

 

“I look forward to it, Moon. But don’t forget.”

 

“Forget what?” Moon asked, confused.

 

“I’ll come by later, if you want. If you can’t respond, that’s okay. But I want you to know that, even though you’re alone up there sometimes, you’re never really alone.”

 

“Not lonely,” Moon said and smiled. “Alone but not really alone. I like that.”

 

And Moon smiled and blushed in the evening sky, and guided the ways of little creatures and their light reflected off the Ocean waves a little brighter and a little happier than it had the night before, and when it was almost dawn, Moon hung really low in the sky, and gently kissed the Ocean good morning.