1 Lovers & Legends
If you open your soul to the shifting sands and your mind to magic, the Gobi Desert whispers a story.
After Pangu, the Turtle, the Qilin, the Phoenix, and the Dragon created the land, Pangu sacrificed himself to separate the earth and the heavens for 18,000 years. Eventually, his body gave way to exhaustion, and as he fell onto the land he created the world. The energy and life he carried in him turned his carnal body into rivers and oceans, hills, mountains, and plants. The fleas he carried with him, inspired by his gift, transformed into the animals. His last breath turned into the clouds. Many centuries later in heaven, the Goddess Nuwa was bored. She was a minor goddess, who had never done anything quite remarkable, and felt out of place and unable to relate to anyone else. Often avoided by the other gods, this new land offered a welcome relief to the trivial tasks and formalities she dealt with in the heavens. She explored crevices and caves, soared to the highest peaks, colored the stones, studied and painted plants, named the animals, and counted the stars, but as the centuries came and went she grew bored again. The mist that lay over the young land was an occupying force, a reminder of her constant loneliness. This boredom turned to sadness, and the sadness turned to depression. Nuwa drifted to the ground and lay on the earth. Driven by her despair the Goddess's eyes watered and then gave way to tears. For months she cried and cried.
Her husband, Fuxi, worried for her health. finally came down from the heavens.
"My love, this is of no use. Come back to our home with me" he declared, the uneasiness stretching across his face, but no god, even the one she loved, was capable of filling the cavern in her heart.
Nothing would stop Nuwa's tears, and as she wept the ground began to soften beneath her. Many more months went by, but Nuwa stayed. The animals, now worried for her as well, banded together, climbed the highest mountain they could, and approached Fuxi with their concerns.
---
"Mr. God, um... Imperial Majesty, um-" a small voice shouted from the summit.
"Do not stumble on your words, if you are speaking to a god" a deeper voice declared.
"We don't even know if he can hear us from all the way up there"
"I don't even ssee why we're doing thiss hisss wife isss a-"
Fuxi, hearing this shot down from the heavens to the summit of the mountain. The animals stumbled back from shock.
" I suggest you don't finish that sentence" he snarled. Snake looked up at him to protest, but then, thought the better of it. Standing in front of him were 12 animals, each unique from the last. As Fuxi surveyed the animals, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dra-, the small voice of Goat spoke up again.
"Your imperial majesty..."
"-We have concern for your wife... Nuwa" Tiger blurted, pushing to the front, chest thrust out.
"I know who my wife is"
"My god, myself and some of the other animals..." Dragon said, looking back for support, "are concerned as to you wife's wellbeing."
The animals nodded in agreement. Fuxi paused, sat down, and wrapped his serpentine tail around the rock.
"She won't listen to me," he muttered "I've tried, but I can't seem to get through to her."
"Your majesty, what if we work together?"
"Yesss, yesss, we could come up with an... arrangement" Snake sneered.
"Or we just help each other" Horse said, kicking Snake out of the way.
"I would like that, she seems very hurt" Rooster cooed.
"The gods are not the animals concern, you are wasting my time"
Fuxi got up preparing to leave.
"Your imperial majesty, my grazing lands! Your wife's tossing and turning have turned them all to mud" Ox bellowed.
"The seeds have all molded in the fields"
"There is no sun to ripen the fruit so no bananas" Monkey chattered.
The animals erupted into a chorus of chatters, bellows, snorts, and squeaks, each discussing their own issues and problems. Their overlapping complaints swelled into a cacophonous bundle, drowning out any thoughts in the god's head.
"Enough! I expect decorum. I have taken time out of my day because you feel the need to involve yourself in the decisions of the gods. Some of you are incredibly rude," Fuxi snapped, "but you are all meddlesome. Do not present your issues as delusive concerns for my wife's wellbeing. Since you are so desperate to talk to her, lets go."
Fuxi snatched up the animals and flew to the pit of mud Nuwa had now created. Strangely once he had arrived, he seemed to force the anger and frustration out of his body. He set the animals down and slithered over to his wife. Swallowing his pride he stretched out his hand. Nuwa looked up at him but did not take it.
"My love, please tell me what's wrong, and let us be done."
"What?!? Is it unbecoming?" Nuwa scoffed.
"I do not care for that now. Look," he said, gesturing to the animals and the mud that surrounded her "Their homes are gone; they have no food. I know you are not happy, and now, neither are they. This sadness is only spreading, we need to find other solutions."
"I'm lonely"
"I know."
---
The animals stayed back watching with uncertainty, desperately attempting to listen in.
"Can you hear any thing?"
"No" rabbit said, her ears twitching rapidly.
---
"I'm nothing like the other gods. I," Nuwa tried desperately to fight through the tears, "I don't get along with anyone, there's no one like me."
"Nuwa, because there is no one like you, that is why I love you..." Fuxi said wiping the tears from her cheek. He looked down and noticed the swirling mud and yellow clay beneath Nuwa. He grabbed a chunk of yellow clay and thrust it up to her face with a smile. "My love, lets make one!"
"What?"
"Lets build someone like you"
---
"What's happening? What's happening?" Rat said desperately trying to jump onto Ox's back.
"Oh no, I cant watch" Goat bleated.
"He's shoving mud in her face"
The animals watched in horror and then suddenly Fuxi waved them over with a smile. The animals approached slowly, huddling together in what could only be assumed to be a desperate attempt to merge.
"We are going to making a mini Nuwa" Fuxi said practically jumping off the ground.
Nuwa lifted up a mound of yellow clay and stretched it towards that animals.
"What he means is we're going to be making clay figurines. Would you help us" she said the corners of her mouth beginning to turn up into a smile.
The animals, seeing Nuwa's change in disposition, happily agreed to help. They worked to clear the mud and collect the clay for Fuxi. Fuxi shaped the clay into general figures, and Nuwa sculpted the details. They worked and worked. The days turned to months, then the months turned to years, and the years turned to decades. No matter how exhausted they were they kept working.
"Enough! We can not fill the earth if we must make each one by hand. We will end up as Pangu"
Nuwa set the 22 yellow figurines she had completed onto the ground, and, to the astonishment of everyone, the figurines came to life.
"Oh great mother, great mother thank you, thank you" the figurines shouted, running up to her and grabbing onto the hem of her dress.
"Did you do that?" Fuxi whispered in disbelief.
"No, I- I dont know," Nuwa said, squatting down to look at this new life. "Hello, I am the goddess Nuwa-"
"We know who you are mommy" one of them shouted.
"Now," Nuwa said "it is rude to interrupt. I am not sure how, but you say I have created you. I suppose you need names" Nuwa began to point at the figures. "You will be Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Wei...." She continued down the line until all the figures had been named. "Since you are all so noble, I will call you the nobility. You must protect, serve, lead the others, and above all be strong inside and out. Can you do this?"
"Yes, goddess, yes, we can!" they shouted, jumping up and down, prepared to embrace their task.
"Now, to give you someone to do all those things for"
With that Nuwa untied the ribbon around her waist, drug it through the mud, and swung it through the air. Droplets of mud cascaded from the ribbon and dispersed onto the ground. As they hit the ground, each drop formed a new human. Because these creatures were made of clay and mud, they were mortal. To ensure they were never as lonely as she, Nuwa summoned the last bit of strength she had and gave those that resembled her most closely and the animals that helped her so dearly the ability to have offspring. These new figures gathered and started to explore. Nuwa, now even more exhausted then before, yelled to her creations, "You shall now, from this day forth, be known as humans. Traverse the land, use his resources, and treat it well."
Nuwa collapsed into her lovers arms sound asleep for the first time in a century.
"I suppose it is time for me to take her home" Fuxi said a calm now filling him. And so, the animals went and built new burrows and the gods returned to the heavens. However, it wasn't long before the animals called on Fuxi again.
"Your majesty, Your majesty," they shouted.
"What? She's sleeping!" Fuxi said with a harsh whisper.
"The humans. They're dying"
Fuxi looked down from the mountain and saw the humans. Many were laying on the ground lifeless or close to it. Some were sick, some were starving, some were shivering from the cold, and some had injuries no god had ever seen before.
"We can not let her wake up to this. Can you help me?"
"Yes, we will my god" the dragon said giving every one a stern look.
"I will give them my offspring's fur," Goat said "to keep them warm and protected."
"I will teach them fire and show them all the treasures the land has my lord" said Dragon.
"I will give them my milk and help them with heavy tasks," said Ox.
"My children will fill their bellies and eat their scraps," chimed Pig.
"My children will protect them and their livestock," said Dog.
"My children will show them all the best fruit," said Monkey, "and they will make them laugh, so they are never sad".
One by one the animals volunteered their skills or their offspring, and then all that remained were the snake and the tiger.
"I have done enough for thesse humanssss" Snake stammered.
"They have invaded my forests and taken my meat" growled Tiger.
"What will you do then" the rabbit said meekly.
Snake looked at Tiger, a smirk now in place, and said one last thing as him and the tiger disappeared down the mountain.
"We will keep them in line."
As the animals got to work directing their offspring and teaching the humans, Fuxi began teaching the nobles. He taught them to farm, fish, cook, and live with the animals. Then, he taught them how to write and make music, so that their stories would be passed down and his wife's greatness would never be forgotten. The nobles then taught these to the other humans and all was well.
---
Eventually, Nuwa woke up, this time to a completely different world. The heavens, once dreary and practical, were filled with laughter and the sound of music. Looking around Nuwa snuck out of her bed and followed the sounds, the palace was almost empty, but as she walked around the corner, the great room was now filled with new gods, the spirits of humans, and gifts the likes of which she had never seen before.
"NUWA! You're AWAKE! COME TRY THIS THING YOUR HUMANS MADE!"
The party stopped and looked at the startled Nuwa as she stood at the entrance to the great room in her pajamas. They talk about a pin dropping. Well, this was one of those moments.
"COME HERE, NUWA!" the Jade Emperor beamed again.
As Nuwa walked across the great room, her attendants swarmed her with brushes and ribbon and a robe in a desperate attempt to make her presentable. Through the ensuing chaos though, Nuwa could still hear the whispers. Her attendants finally split revealing a newer, more tidy, yet still tired Nuwa. She approached the Emperor and began to do a fist palm salute, but before she could bow the Emperor grabbed her by her waist, hugged her, and then shoved a spherical object in her mouth. Nuwa forced a smile, cheeks full, nervously chewing the unknown substance as it gave way to marvelous flavors.
"LETS HERE IT FOR NUWA! THE ONE WHO BROUGHT JOY TO THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS!"
Fuxi swooped in just as the crowd erupted in applause.
"This must be a lot, I promise I will explain."
"It's called a soup dumpling," the Jade Emperor interjected enthusiastically "soup, meat, and noodle all wrapped up into a miraculous package. These humans of yours....I LOVE THEM".
Xiwangmu walked over to the group, and softly lead Nuwa to the balcony over-looking the human realm. As she peered over the edge, Nuwa saw great cities, enormous walls, vast fields, and creations beyond what even she could have imagined.
"You must be confused," said the Empress "you've been asleep for quite a bit."
"It's beyond my wildest dreams" Nuwa declared, a tear running down her cheek. Her heart beamed with joy as she looked at how much her children had grown in only a few centuries.
"How is any of this possible?"
"Someone who loves you very much did every thing he could to make sure you weren't let down."
"Fuxi? He did this? ALL of this?"
"Him and the animals," she said with a little nod "they taught them everything they needed to flourish. This is the greatest creation anyone has ever seen since Pangu. A creation that creates by itself. I've been watching them, collecting their souls, picking their times, and they never cease to surprise me. They've created entire gods just to judge themselves. I bring their spirits here now, so that they may guide the others after they've passed. I only wish you had shown us this power earlier".
As she finished her sentence, Xiwangmu looked at the party behind her and noticed Fuxi.
"I won't separate the lovers any longer" she said with a smirk as she walked to the party closing the balcony doors behind her.
"I can explain everyth-"
"You don't have to," Nuwa said embracing him, "it speaks for itself."
"I just wanted to mak-" Fuxi stammered.
"I know," Nuwa asserted, turning in his arms to look at the world, "Look at what we have done. Look at what we built. Would you stay with me and watch our children?"
"As long as you want, my love"
The humans mortality limited their power as an individual but encouraged them to work together and leave a lasting impact. The gods sat is awe of their desires to enact change and leave a legacy. Fuxi and Nuwa stayed and watched the humans. Rumors is that they're still there waiting, watching, should their children ever need them again.
