"Guayota!" said Achaguayo.

"Guayota?" asked Star.

"Guayota...." said Ahuana.

"Guayota," said Shango.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow," said Star.  "Does that mean something?"

"Guayota is among the Guanche's King of Kings," said Shango.

"Is that bad?" asked Star.

"Being a King of Kings is not," said Achaguayo.  "It's just in our empire, Guayota is on the dark side of duality."

"There can be no light without darkness," said Ahuana.

"Or darkness without light," said Dulce.

"Tell me more about him," said Star.  "Is he bad?"

"He is the volcano King of Kings, of the Gaunche," said Achaguayo.

"Oooo.  Fiery," said Star.  "A volcano god meets a daughter who's mother is a fertility goddess and her father an oh so soft one.  I like it!"

Everyone had a moment of pause.

"I never thought of it that way before," said Ahuana with a smile.

"She does have a point," said Shango.

"Well, she does," said Achaguayo.  "But at the end of the day, the decision is up to Dulce."

"I just want to have a drink of Berber whiskey and be on our way," said Dulce, appearing somewhat disappointed.

"Why are you so sad?" asked Star.

"I guess I just never thought it would be this way, being stuck in the ground in some dark hole."

"Oh, but fire is so very very bright," said Star.  "And it's the underground that brings us our treasures.  He can no doubt manipulate fire into any kind of precious gem."

Dulce looked intrigued.

"Again, you have pointed out something I have never thought of before," said Ahuana.

"Okay, I'm feeling better," said Dulce with a grin.  "I'm still not certain I'm ready to commit to him yet.  I still feel like I need to explore just a bit."

"The water never said you have to commit today," said Star with a smile.  "Does it?" she asked Achaguayo.

"The waters only show who the individual is," said Achaguayo with his own grin.  "The rest is up to the viewer.

"In that case I want to look in the water too!" said Star.

"I want a turn," said Ahauna. 

They both peered in together, Star with a smile and Ahuana with a frown.

"What is wrong with mine?" asked Ahuana.  "I don't see anyone."

"Sometimes the waters show the circumstances that will happen just before you meet the one," said Achaguayo.

"I'm so happy for you," said Star.

"You are?" asked Ahuana.

"Yes I am.  Look!  You are in the water, the place that you love!"

"I guess I am," said Ahuana, smiling once more.

"Look at mine," said Star.  "He's beautiful!  Wait, is that a he or a she?"

"Let me see," Dulce quickly gets up.  "Oh wait, that's... That's Cordelia!"

"Cordelia?" asked Achaguayo incredulously.

"Never would have thought," said Shango.

Dulce giggled.

"Oh Uncle Achaguayo, I have never seen you react in such a manner."

"With good reason too," he replied.  "And you might as well stop calling me your uncle seeing how we are not actually blood-kin.  I'm going to feel very odd you calling me that when we are in-laws."

"You'll always be that uncle or big brother figure to me," she replied.

"Much appreciated little sis."

"How many of you are actually related in the Gaunche empire?" asked Star.

"We are all off-spring of Magec, more or less," said Achaguayo.  "We are his clones."

"His clones?" asked Star, wide-eyed.  Even the rest of the company looked like they had learned something new.

"So you, Achaman, Guayota,-" said Dulce.

"And his wife and child," said Achaguayo.

"Ew!" said Ahauna.

"No no no!  Nothing like that!" said Achaguayo. "We mirror him.  We are the complexities of Magec, divided.  The masculine, fatherly side, the feminine mother-"

"And the child represents Magec's innocence," said Dulce, looking thoughtful.

"What do you represent?" Ahuana asked Achaguayo.

"I am a division of of Magec as is Achaman and Charaxi.  While those two are the parental figures, I am simply a man.  I am the side that Magec wished he could be."

"What does Guayota represent?" asked Star.

Shango's eyes widened and he slightly chuckled as he put two and two together.  Dulce herself smiled a very sultry smile.

"On second thought, I think I'm going to like this pair-up very much," she said.  "Bad boys always have more fun, so they say."

"Maybe we should just introduce the trans sisters," said Shango, attempting to change the subject.

Achaguayo laughed a very hearty laugh and led the way.  They appeared in the trans sister's room, a room filled with many fine silks, and soft furs.  The pillows were extra cushy, and the crisp little snacks, sweet.

Star met her future love, Cordelia, though she did not reveal what she knew.  She preferred instead to just wait and see, and allow it to unfold naturally.  The ladies sang together, danced together.  Shango and Achaguayo stood to the side, allowing the women to just be, as they were not particularly interested in such things as folding cloth and how to brush your hair.  Though they did very much enjoy the food and drink.  Alex sat with them, encouraging them to kick their feet up and relax, very much understanding what it's like to feel more masculine and be surrounded by so much femininity.  Rane and Gem, the "androgynous twins" also visited among them, often setting the atmosphere of conversation with comedic tones.  They also got to meet Achuchucana, another clone of Magec.  He looked very much like Achuguayo, but much more extroverted, and less quiet spoken.  His voice was deep as thunder, the rain maker.  His hair was also blue.

It was Cordelia's idea to introduce everyone to the crown leaders.  They found Achaman to be much like Achaguayo, but with a fully bearded face, finely trimmed, and his hair and Chaxiraxi's matched Magec's.  Chaxiraxi was Magec's twin in every form, except-"

"How did you get such big boobs?" asked Star.

Chaxiraxi only giggled.  "This was the typical size in Magec's family.  Had he been completely female, he would have been just like me.  But just wait until Olokun makes her pregnant again, then the breasts will be nice and round."  It was noted that everyone used "him" and "her" with Magec interchangably.  Nobody seemed to mind, least of all Magec when he was around.

Finally, they met little Chijoraji.  Chijoraji was not born like the typical child.  This was a pregnancy of manifestation.  He was a clone as everyone else was a clone.  He was the child.  But instead of the child that longed to be loved, this child was every bit as wise as Achaman and Chaxiraxi.  This was the part of Magec that longed to make people smile.  Children always had a way of bringing about joy from people.

All people feel joy.  All people feel pain.  Dulce among the people there, began to wonder where all that pain and hurt from Magec went.  She remembered the story of Guayota, how he kidnapped Magec and Achaman had to rescue him.  Did he really intend to destroy him?  Or was it all just a misunderstanding?  She gathered up her robes and rose to go.

"Where are you going, dear one?" asked Chaxiraxi. 

"I intend to visit Guayota."  Dulce fully expected everyone to try and stop her.  Chaxiraxi only smiled.

"There's only one being that can get you there and put him in a good mood.  I will call for Magec's children.  Little Sunshine will light your way."

Thousands upon thousands of birds appeared.  Among them, a Moussier's redstart came close, it's orange breast so bright and sunny.  It then began to change.  It it's place, a woman with robes that mirrored the birds feathers appeared.  Her face appeared so much like Magec's, but her hair was dark and curly, and her skin a soft cocoa.  Her eyes were a warm milk-chocolate brown.

"You called, my aunty?" she said in a sing-song voice.  It was noted, that though her body was like Magec's, her large breasts were very much like Olokun's family.  The voice though, was masculine.  This was an intersex child like Magec.

"This one would like to meet Guayota," said Chaxiraxi. 

"Oh, this one, eh?  The birds have been singing about you!"

"So you know?" asked Dulce.

"We do."  Sunshine took her hands into his."  "There is nothing to fear.  We all agree.  It was meant to be."

"Can we meet him too?" asked Star.

"Well, I certainly don't see why not!  He may not like company too much, but I have never known a man to turn away a group of beautiful women."

"It is true," said Achaman.  "He's not to fond of me, but he's never turned you away, Chaxiraxi."

She smiled a serene smile.  "He's not so bad at all.  He just needs a woman to love.  Someone other than a sister."

"Come on then, let's go meet this man!" said Sunshine.

The beam of light tool the group of people to a cave. 

"This cave leads the way," said Magec.

"I thought we were going to a volcano?" said Ahuana.

"This land is paved by the imagination.  The laws of physics need not apply," said Sunshine.  "And if you see any Tibicenas, ignore them.  They're grouchy, but harmless."

"What are Tibicenas?" asked Star, hugging close to Cordelia.

"Glad you asked," said Sunshine in a chipper manner.  A growling from the fires below emerged to everyone's ears.

"Well, SOMEBODY sounds like they didn't get their coffee this morning!" said Sunshine with so much sass.

The growling intensified.  Giant, black dogs came their way.  They were monstrously huge, but they had no hair.  Instead, their coats appeared like the cooling rocks from hardened lava, and fiery pits that flamed like the depths of hell shone in their eyes.  Their mouths spit fire and smoke.

Sunshine walked up to the largest of them and said "Hello, Daddy!" as she kissed his cheek.  The beast began to change it's form.  As he did, everyone could hear an indignant growl and a voice that slowly changed to human as he said, "I told you not to call me that, you horrid creature!"

The man that appeared before them, looked like another masculine form of Magec, but more ruggedly handsome.  He had a scruffy hairline on his face, as if he attempted to shave the beard but it just wouldn't go away.  He had no turban and his hair ran free.  The black desert pants was all he wore, barefoot, and bare-chested.  A slight sheen of sweat shone on his skin from the extra warmth of his abode.

"I love you too, uncle," said Sunshine, and Sunshine meant it.  "Say hello to our guests."

Dulce was staring and Guayota openly during the exchange.  He could feel the heat of her stare.  "I am NOT in the mood for company," he said with menace.

Dulce walked on by with a provocative sway of her hips.  "Neither am I.  For now...."

Guayota's stare somewhat changed.

"Are you part of the trans sisters group?" he asked.

"No, Uncle," said Sunshine, putting his hand on the back of her soft shoulders.  "This is Dulce, Estella's daughter."

"Estella had a daughter?" asked Guayota, with some confusion.

"My mother was Ododuwa," said Dulce.  "Mortals tend to worship her as a fertility goddess."

"Fertility...Goddess, did you say?" asked Guayota, who was clearly intrigued.

"Yes, she is," said Star, still holding hands with Cordelia.  "We were all wanting to get to know our neighbors, and find out who are our relatives or not."

"Well, in that case ladies, right this way," he held out his hand in a gentleman's manner.

Star turned out to be correct that his volcano home was full of treasures.  The underground was full of silver, gold, and copper.  Dulce took a liking to the blue cobalt that decorated the place in various tile shapes.  The most abundant of all was salt.  It glittered like crystal, and gave a warm ambience from the warm molten lava tones that glowed like candle light.

Introductions were made as they visited among themselves, Sunshine doing most of the talking for everyone.  She seemed to know everything about everyone.  Guayota's eyes kept gravitating to Dulce as she sashayed around the room, taking everything in.  It did not appear that she was paying attention to him, though she was.  Ahuana couldn't help but grin and slightly shake her head as she rolled her eyes at Dulce's antics.  "She's really painting it on," she thought to herself.  Though she noted that she also appeared to very much enjoy herself.

At last, they found themselves on top of the Tiede volcano.  Dulce found herself tripping and falling down.  Guayota caught her before she fell.  They both said nothing at the closeness of their bodies touching one another.  No one else did either, the longing in their stares obvious to everyone.

"Well Uncle, goodbye," said Sunshine.  "I'm sure the ladies and their chaperones would like to get back to their adventures now."

"So where are we going?" asked Shango to the ladies. 

"I think most of us have already seen what the water has to offer us," said Star.  "I would very much like to see things of places I have never been."

"Why don't we meet at the courtyard and talk over it?" asked Sunshine.  She gave her beam of light to transfer them there before anyone could any answer. 

They were back in the courtyard by the fountain.  Dulce sat herself down on a nearby lounging chair, putting her arm over her forehead, this time feeling dizzy for real.

"That was a very fine act," said Ahuana.

Dulce grinned, "Who's acting?  I can't help it if he makes me feel like a sensual goddess when he's near."

The ladies giggled.  Even Shango grinned.

"Did you fall down on purpose?" asked Star.  "Why would you do that?"

"Just to have him near me," said Dulce.

"Do you think you will stay with him?" asked Ahuana.

Dulce's grin grew even wider.  "No, I think I'll make him wait.  Just for a little while."

"Does that mean you will still be traveling with us?" asked Star.

"I am."

"You're coming too, aren't you?" asked Star to Cordelia.  She had her hands in hers, asking so earnestly.  Cordelia couldn't help but smile.  She had no idea what Star saw in her, but she could already see she would never be able to deny this young woman anything.

"I've enjoyed my visit here.  Thank you," said Ahuana.  "I have got to meet many people of the deep, and I myself was raised in the lands of the lions.  Is there anyone else to meet in the skies above?"

A siren began to wail.  Once upon a time, you would have heard words said such as "that sounds like a train," but that iron horse fell long ago, and remained forgotten in the sands of time.  To these young souls, it sounded not quite like thunder, but was just as fierce and accompanied the winds of the tornado that appeared in the heavens near them all.

"What is that?" asked Star.

"That is your Aunt Ayao," said Shango.  "She looks like she just appeared from a storm."

"I would love to meet her," said Star.

"So be it then," said Shango.

A beam of light carried them all away.  Only Sunshine remained.  "Farewell my friends," she said as she transformed.  "We will meet again."  Then she flew away into the heavens.