"Because you're so special, Little-Me," Balacenia replied. "Isn't being special a lot of fun?"
"Not for me it isn't," Eleria said. "I'm not feeling the least bit goddish, so tell the others to go pick somebody else."
"Who?" Balacenia replied. "There's nobody else available. You spent your childhood playing with the pink dolphins, and that separated you and me so much that we'll never be able to meld into a single person again. You already have as much power—or even more—than any of the rest of us—elder or younger—have. Like it or not, you will replace Aracia when Enalla starts feeling sleepy."
"I don't want it!" Eleria almost shouted, stamping her foot on the ground.
" 'Want' has nothing to do with it, dear Little-Me," Balacenia said rather bluntly. "Like it or not, you will be the goddess of the East when Enalla goes to sleep."
Eleria was definitely sulky after Balacenia had harshly dropped the truth on her. Eleria had always been able to persuade various people to do what she wanted them to do, but Balacenia had just deliberately slammed that door in Eleria's face. She gave her sweet little alternate some time to sulk before she moved on. "Stop pouting so much, Little-Me," she said. "Zelana's coming, so don't get her all upset." Then she paused. "You do know that we absolutely must replace Aracia—soon."
"What do you mean by 'soon,' Big-Me?" Eleria demanded. "Enalla—or Lillabeth—will run things in the East for the next twenty-five eons, won't she?"
"Yes, she will, and that gives you twenty-five eons to grow accustomed to the new Eleria."
"No! No! No!" Eleria screamed, stamping her foot on the ground again.
"Don't do that, Little-Me," Balacenia scolded her. "You're just being silly." Then she paused and spoke more quietly. "You do realize, don't you, that the real gods, Omago and Ara, will have to give you anything you want to persuade you to accept Aracia's silly temple?"
"Anything?" Eleria replied, looking suddenly more interested.
"You name it, Little-Me, and they'll have to give it to you."
"Are you absolutely certain sure about that, Big-Me?"
"Tell them to kick down all the mountains or grab the moon and throw her away, and they'll have to do what you tell them to do."
"Well now," Eleria replied. "Isn't that interesting?"
Chapter Two
Balacenia and Eleria went across the Land of Dreams to a nearby grassy hilltop where Ara was showing the aurora to her mate.
"It's beautiful, dear heart," he said to Ara. "It looks almost like the whole sky is suddenly in bloom."
Ara smiled fondly. "You have always loved blossoms, dear heart, but I doubt that you've ever seen the sky in bloom before."
"When Vash and I were constructing this land, we spent a lot of time making her pretty. The outside world way back then wasn't really very attractive, so Vash and I concentrated on beauty," Balacenia explained.
"And you did very, very well," Omago said.
"Do you suppose we could get down to business here?" Eleria asked rather tartly.
"Mind your manners, Little-Me," Balacenia chided.
"I'm being as polite as I can, Big-Me. I'm not the least bit interested in replacing that monster who destroyed herself trying to kill Lillabeth. I do not want a temple, and I do not want any part of a priesthood pretending to adore me. I'd much rather go back to the pink grotto so I can play with my dolphins and tend to the Beloved while she's asleep. Why does there have to be an extra goddess in the East anyway? Just tear down that silly temple and tell the fat priests that their life of luxury is over. Let Lillabeth and Enalla take care of things there."
"It won't work that way," Omago explained. "They will return to being one single identity, small one."
"That's 'Little-Me,'" Eleria corrected.
"I didn't quite follow that," Omago conceded.
"Everybody knows that Balacenia is 'Big-Me,' and I'm 'Little-Me,'" Eleria replied. Then she gave Omago an arch—and very familiar—look. "Now you owe me a hug," she told him.
"I'd be just a little careful along about now, Omago," Balacenia cautioned. "Eleria's been hugging people into submission for years now. When she wants something, she'll hug it out of you."
"Tattle-tale," Eleria accused her alternate. Then she looked back at Omago and Ara. "What's so important about having two goddesses in the East?"
"Balance, Little-You," Omago explained. "If there aren't two divinities in each region, it will be out of balance, and it could very well irritate Mother Sea and Father Earth. You saw what happened when Yaltar—who's really Vash—unleashed those volcanos at the head of the ravine above Lattash, and they were only toys compared to what Father Earth can do if he's irritated. Let's keep things safe, Little-You."
"I like him," Eleria said to Ara. "Does he hug good?"
Ara looked more than a little startled by that question. "As far as I can remember I've never had any reason to complain," she replied, blushing slightly.
"Good. Hugs are very important, you know."
Omago actually looked just a bit embarrassed, and Balacenia covered her mouth to conceal her grin.
"All right," Eleria said. "All this talking is very nice, and now we know each other much better, so here comes the question you've been waiting for. What's in this for me?"
"You'll be a goddess, Little-You," Ara replied.
"Why would I want anything that silly? If I asked my pink dolphins to adore me, they'd giggle me right out of the water and never let me go back in again. You're going to have to come up with something better."
"Such as what, Little-You?" Ara asked.
"Don't rush me," Eleria replied. "I'm working on it. I'll get back to you as soon as I make my decision." Then she turned and started on back down the hill again. "Are you coming, Big-Me?" she asked Balacenia.
They went on down the hill and paused in a grove of blossom-covered trees.
"You did very, very well, Little-Me," Balacenia praised her little blonde alternate. "You were blunt enough to get their immediate attention, and then you left them both up in the air when you told them that you hadn't yet decided what you really want."
"That's easy, Big-Me," Eleria replied. "I want them to leave me alone."
"They won't do that, Little-Me. What's your next choice? Make it as impossible as you can."