Some things are meant to just be away from each other...

"... then I was able to meet my people. I was able to play with them for quite a while until my mothers arrived, but it was worth it!" Libulan continued to ramble on about how his day went with the god of Madjaas while Bakunawa remained quiet beside him, listening intently as he smiled softly.

"They granted you freedom," was all Bakunawa could say; he meant genuine happiness to know Libulan was being treated differently and well, and at the same time, a part of him yearned to feel that as well.

"Why do you word it out like that? I choose when and where I go," Libulan huffed, and Bakunawa only smiled as he shrugged.

"Apologies, Chosen One. You are correct," Bakunawa snorted as he walked behind the moon god. He noticed how much of a divinity the moon god looked like. Libulan was in his complete guardian form, with his moon sword on his waist and the Haliya mask resting above his head.

He was supposed to be studying important scriptures after his little walk with Sidapa a few days ago. However, he seemed to be used to having Bakunawa around him, and when the day came, he no longer lingered... It made the moon god yearn for his companionship.

"May I take you somewhere more... of peace?" the serpent god asked.

"..."

"You are to carry me again and fly, aren't you?"

Libulan absolutely didn't like the feeling of flying this far or being carried, but since only Bakunawa can know where the places are, he has no other option but to let him and hold on tight.

The serpent god, on the other hand, was not saying anything ever since they flew away from Laya and landed in a valley that he named Luha. These are some of the wonders that the serpent god hid from the prying eyes of mortals and deities. For him, these are places that are meant to be kept hidden and taken care of.

But among the wonders he was taking care of, Luha is the place where he usually spent his time alone since nobody would dare to visit the valley due to the hollowness of each canyon. As if they were mimicking the sound of battle cries or simply lulls of a fallen warrior.

"A vast... space... I sense no mortal living in this realm?" Libulan said as Bakunawa puts him down carefully, and only a nod from the serpent god confirmed his question.

"But why?"

"A story to tell next time, moonshine," Bakunawa fondly said, evading the subject, so Libulan did not further intrude.

"It is quite unusual for the abductor to say nothing when he usually says a lot," Libulan couldn't help but say, and he felt a bit saddened, and this makes the serpent god snap out of his reverie.

The serpent god immediately looked back at the moon god, who was already playing with his fingers; his head was hanging low as he glued his sight on the motionless ground below them.

His heart felt like they were clutching his chest; he could not bear to see such a gloomy face on Libulan.

"Well," Bakunawa started, "I am uncertain if I should say this, but surely you enjoyed talking about this newly made friend of yours. I thought maybe you might want to keep talking about him," he told him, uncertain why he was even bothered about it.

Libulan immediately looked up to the serpent god, blinking his eyes in curiosity before chuckling a bit.

"Oh, so that was bothering you." The moon god tilted his head while Bakunawa only became flustered since the reason why he stayed around the moon god's life was that he had to gobble him up.

Like how they told him to do.

"It is a duty I must fulfill—maintaining a good relationship with the other gods to avoid future conflicts and war. I hope I did not do anything wrong to displease you," Libulan told him in his very mellow voice, placing his hand over his chest for sincerity, and Bakunawa could feel the lingering sadness in his tone that he regretted saying whatever he had said a while ago.

"Mm, I see. You did not displease me in any form. I just..." ...couldn't understand why I longed to be by your side now when I saw you with another god, he thought.

Libulan was too good for him.

"You never displease me in any way," Bakunawa reassured as he smiled, letting Libulan beam in relief as they walked the valley.

At first, it was a duty he must fulfill as well in order to be forgiven for all the atrocities he committed, but upon realizing how lonely the moon god was ever since he was brought up... He cannot help but grow fondness towards Libulan.

He knew that the moon god did not deserve this kind of fate. He does not deserve to be with Libulan as well. He wondered what the moon god would feel if the latter discovered his former plan... Libulan would probably hate him with all his heart.

His chest was aching so badly that he felt like sinking; it felt like something deep inside of him was moved.

And he just wanted to weep.

He stopped in his tracks and faced Libulan, who accidentally bumped his head on his chest since he wasn't looking at where he was going. Libulan looked up at him, wondering what was going on.

The serpent god's eyes glowed for a second as he looked past Libulan's veil, eventually seeing his whole face, breaking his heart even more knowing he was torn about what he felt and what he needed to feel.

To fond and to devour.

He admired the moon god's face for a while, studying his features from every nook and crook, brushing his thumb over the side of Libulan's lips.

It was delicate, too delicate, if he could describe it.

"What is the matter? You are oddly not yourself today," Libulan asked, holding on to Bakunawa's blackened hand until the serpent god decided to gently grab the delicate cheeks of the moon god.

"Chosen one... I don't think we... should be seeing each other anymore."

And there, he finally said it. 

Thinking it was that easy to tell until he felt the slight tremble in Libulan's body.

"What... what are you talking about? I am confused by you," Libulan questioned, because the serpent god's words did not sit well with him.

"Chosen One... are you... you must have been aware of my true identity. The name ought to tell you who I am. It ought to have revealed my true nature to you." Bakunawa was pained to utter each word, hoping he needed not to do this, but the more he prolonged this connection, the more hurt they would both feel.

Libulan stayed quiet, still holding onto Bakunawa's hand by his cheeks.

"Speak to me, Chosen one... You know the truth; you cannot keep denying it..." The serpent god wished to look at him through his eyes, but he knew Libulan couldn't look back.

Because he knows.

"You cannot leave me..." Libulan whispered, shaking his head.

"You do know the truth..." Bakunawa stated and gently pulled away his hands from Libulan's cheeks as he backed away slowly, eyes filled with dread as he could not conceal the pain in them.

"We can never be friends, Chosen One..."

"That is not true... that is not true..."

"You will be put in harm's way if you continue to seek my company. We must end it today; I do not wish to see you punished for it... because of me," Bakunawa told him.

His heart was beating erratically; something could burst his heart. Not in joy but in fear and in pain. The moon god trembled before the serpent god, who showed his scales to confirm that he was indeed the bearer of the name Bakunawa.

"I am Bakunawa, the serpent from the myth whose mouth can swallow thousands of moons; the Devourer. It has been my long task to end the reign of the moons, and it shall continue until my purpose is done."

Libulan felt the fear in his nerves once more, knowing the very thing his realm condemns is already standing in front of him, and all he needs to do is slay him. To keep their realm at peace, to keep the moons safe, and to avenge the somewhat disappearance of Haliya, their previous guardian.

The unhidden presence of the serpent god was felt by then; hence, the Haliya mask reacted to it, immediately blaring the sound of the Moon Palace, alerting all moon warriors nearby. But since the moon god was not in the Lunar realm, he could only defend himself from the serpent god in front of him.

"You could have eaten me when you had the chance, but you didn't. Why? Tell me, tell me so I can understand why you need to separate us," Libulan blurted out as he backed away, clutching the moon sword that he pointed at the serpent god.

"That is right; point the blade at me, as you intended to, as your guardians before you did."

Libulan gritted his teeth as he tried to maintain composure through the heat forming in his eyes.

"We are never meant to be together, Chosen One..."

He was destined to slay every moon deity that would ever exist, and the other was destined to slay the monster that haunted his kin or be slain by the very claws of it.

But here he was, unable to show his full form, unable to manifest his power, and unable to hurt the being he had to dispatch.

"Bakunawa..." Libulan called out to him one last time, reaching for his hold, but the serpent god took a step away, giving Libulan a slithering glare before forming a black orb on his palm as he chanted a spell.

Nawa'y kalimutan
Nawa'y panandalian
Nawa'y gawing dahilan
Itong sandaling pagsasama
Itong pait at pighating nadarama
Itong sakit na natama
Limutin
Ibaon
Alisin

Libulan was admittedly afraid as he looked back towards Bakunawa, whose eyes were filled with unanswered questions, but what scares him the most now is losing the only being who has been there by his side. The serpent god's sadness was evident in his eyes as he chanted these spells before looking at Libulan one last time.

"Hanggang sa muli," he said, heart breaking, before blasting his orb towards Libulan's direction. The moon god thought that he had to brace for the impact, but for some reason, he just ended up back in his chambers.

As if he were not at Luha anymore.

"My room- what was I doing here?" The moon god wondered, looking around to see why he was standing in the middle of his chambers. Yet all that lingered were the coldness of the breeze, the aching of his chest, and the voice he seemed to slowly forget.

He did not know what to do but shed crystal tears as he slumped down onto the cold, tiled floor, watching his own tears drop from his eyes. He did not understand the reaction wherein he needed to be alarmed instead of feeling whatever this was.

"Moist... moist in these eyes of mine..." Libulan uttered as he watched them flow, confused, yet certain about what they were for.

"Maybe I rested too much," he thought, wiping them away before he continued his day like nothing ever happened.