"It's okay," said Maya, "you can slow down and Kali will slowly lower."

Nitara tapped one foot forward and then the other. "Where are we?"

Looking around, Maya shrugged. "Somewhere deep in the jungle."

Kali turned to the right. A large river appeared below them. Maya's heart lightened. The moon lit up the river, a streetlight on a road lighting the way for any travelers who wandered off the path by accident. The elephant confidently strode above the river, following its winding path.

"We can slow down," said Maya as she stepped one foot out to the side, "but we can't stop yet. Kali knows where she is going."

Nodding, Nitara continued to dance and Kali continued to fly.

Thirty minutes went by. Nitara leaned her head against Maya's chest as they slowly swayed back and forth.

"I can't keep standing," muttered Nitara.

"We are almost there," urged Maya, though she did not know if that was true or not.

Nitara's knees buckled, and she slipped from Maya's fingers. Maya lay her down gently and then scrambled to Kali's head for a better view. Kali slowly descended closer to the water of the river, her feet inches away from skimming the surface.

"Kali!" shouted Maya. "Head for the riverbank!"

But Kali did not listen. Instead, she broke into a run, charging forward.

A deafening roar hit Maya's ears, and she felt all her senses go numb. The water ahead turned into a white frothy raging boil, slamming into boulders before disappearing over a wide ledge.

Kali's feet splashed into the river and she continued to run as water sprayed up, drenching Maya and Nitara. Kali sank deeper into the water and Maya could tell the elephant struggled to move. Maya lunged at Nitara and wrapped her arms around her, preparing for the worst.

Kali let out a loud trumpet, ducked her head, and surged forward. She bounded onto a bolder and then soared over the edge of the gigantic waterfall.

Maya squeezed her eyes shut and held onto Nitara with all her strength. But her stomach did not whoosh into her throat. She opened her eyes. They were not hurtling toward the lake below. As they slowly floated down, Kali continued to charge forward.

On the far bank of the lake, Maya could just make out a large gazebo. Kali headed straight for it.

Halfway across the lake, Kali and Kali looked like she was running on water. Her sides heaved with the exertion and snorted every few seconds. About five hundred feet from the water's edge, Nitara's magic wore out and, with a great splash, they all fell into the warm water.

Kali could swim and keep her head and trunk above the water. Maya grabbed onto Kali's neck with one arm and held Nitara with the other. Her sister, even though wet, did not wake up.

The elephant towed the two princesses to land, blue paint dying the water, leaving a trail behind them. Reaching shallower water, Maya let go of Kali and pulled Nitara onto dry land. She dragged Nitara across the cool grass to the large gazebo. She found a luxurious green couch, and she pulled Nitara up onto it. Collapsing next to her sister, Maya fell into a deep sleep with Kali standing over them.

"Justin!"

Maya rolled over in her sleep.

"Maya, wake up!"

Gasping for breath, Maya sat up and opened her eyes. For a second she felt as if she was falling through space and then her eyes adjusted and she realized she sat under a gazebo, with the full moon shining brightly upon her. Nitara lay curled up on the couch beside Maya, her skin glowing with moonlight. Maya smiled. Looking around, Maya found the gazebo was even grander than she first thought. Elaborate paintings of a blue woman hung from gold walls. On some walls, the woman stood on piles of slain men, blood dripping down her face. On the other walls, she stood regal and beautiful with four to six arms. Gold necklaces, rubies, chalices, and other treasures lay piled throughout the room.

"Maya!" said a woman's voice from behind.

Maya twisted around. The woman from the paintings stood before her. Luxurious long black hair fell past her waist. A golden crown inlaid with large gems rested on her head. No shirt covered her blue skin but a long necklace of red flowers and another... May flinched at the sight... of human skulls, covered her breasts. Instinctively, Maya knew exactly who the woman was.

Maya slowly stood and walked around the couch. The woman raised four arms out as she approached.

"Hello Kali," said Maya.

"Hello," said Kali, smiling wickedly.

"Where are we?" asked Maya.

"The remains of a temple dedicated to me. It was destroyed by the one you seek."

"Remains?" Maya looked around, confused. The temple looked beautiful. Then, her mind registered Kali's other words. "Wait, do you mean the beast?"

"That is what they call him," said Kali, frowning, and the shadow that came across her face made Maya shiver. "You have been searching for him for a very long time."

Maya shrugged. "Only a few nights." She examined the temple even more. Kali the elephant stared back at Maya from carvings on the pillars.

"With my magic, you are seeing the temple as it once was, not how it actually is. Only a rare few know of my elephant form. They spent decades building this temple in my honor."

"I'm sorry."

Kali shrugged. "It is the way of things. Now something else can be formed here. I want to thank you for freeing me from that magician."

The goddess strode to the water's edge. Maya followed and drew in her breath when she stopped next to Kali. A perfect mirror image of the moon and stars reflected on the water. She only had to dive in to float through space.

Kali knelt down in front of the reflection of the moon. She reached out one blue hand and scooped water from the moon's reflection. To Maya's astonishment, the water in Kali's cupped hand continued to glow with moonlight. She placed her other hand on top of the glowing water and brought it to her mouth. She whispered something into her hands and bright white light shot out in every direction from the space between the goddess's fingers.

Maya shielded her eyes with one hand. One moment the light was blinding, the next it extinguished. Maya glanced up. Kali held something out to Maya that shined in the moonlight. The goddess held a sharply curved dagger, its handle made of jade.

"I believe you will need this soon," said Kali, and she handed the dagger to Maya.

Maya held the dagger delicately, afraid it would cut her.

"It cannot hurt you," said Kali.

Holding the dagger out in front of her, Maya noted the intricately carved depiction of Kali, the woman on one side of the jade handle and Kali the elephant on the other.

"Are you an elephant, or are you a woman?" asked Maya.

"I am Kali. This dagger can only be used once and it can only be used by someone who is true to themselves. So be wise, be you."

Justin shivered.

"I don't think I know who me is."

A warm smile crossed Kali's face.

"I think you do. Think of when you are at your happiest. That is who you are."

"Happiest? When I am Maya..."

Justin paused as an image of their brother Simon standing on a tree trunk came to them.

"When I am a wizard... When I use my imagination. Can I be both Maya and a wizard?"

The goddess turned her back on Justin and the lake. "You, I, people, we don't fit into boxes very well." Kali's body grew and in seconds, the woman morphed into an elephant.

The elephant walked away from Justin. As she reached the far wall of the temple, she paused. A voice rang out within Justin's head. "Goodbye Justin. Thank you."

With her trunk, Kali opened a door hidden within a painting of the goddess and disappeared into the jungle beyond it.