"Alrighty then! Here we go!" Sunset's enthusiasm was clear for all to see, as she grinned widely and got herself a running start. Charging forward, the Goddess of Fire leapt up high before plummeting down with her sled. She collided with the slope of her favorite volcano and promptly slid down it at increasingly fast speeds. She laughed with utter joy at this, the wind rushing through her hair. So fast was she that she even started trailing sparks behind her. In fact, her speed was so great that, had any mortals happened to be wandering past at that point, they might be forgiven for assuming that something totally unseen had passed them by. But all good things came to an end, and Sunset eventually swerved her sled, bringing herself to a complete stop before reaching the bottom, where the island met the sea. Her stop had sent a massive dust cloud up, and after taking in a deep breath, she leapt to her feet. "Oh yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!"
"Hmmm, very good. I see you've been practicing," a second voice said to her.
Turning, it took little time at all for Sunset to see who it was. For there, poking their heads out above the water, were the three Goddesses of the Sea, Adagio, Aria and Sonata. The latter sister waved merrily to Sunset, but Adagio was far more intrigued right now. "Quite a hobby you've got there, little Sunset."
Picking up her sled, Sunset smirked right back. "Oh, I think I can hold my own."
Adagio snickered. "Oh, I'm sure." She turned to Aria. "In fact, how about we see how good you are with a friendly competition?"
Aria chuckled to that notion, and Sunset looked to her with growing interest. "Oh? A race between me and her?"
Adagio nodded. "Indeed. I'll have you know my sister here is quite the sledder when she's up for it."
Sunset looked past where their heads were, seeing her tails splashing in the waters behind them. "Er, you sure you're...equipped for this kind of thing?" Without even saying a word, all three sisters promptly hoisted themselves out of the sea, and as soon as they did this, there was a shimmer along their mermaid-like tails as they began to change right before Sunset's eyes. Before long, she was looking to three seemingly-ordinary woman, legs and all, prompting a sigh on her part. "Right. Forgot you could do that." Then she groaned as she glanced away from them. "If we're gonna do this, could you at least put some clothes on first?"
Aria folded her arms. "Hmph! Spoilsport!"
After a while, Sunset looked back, and through their divine powers they had indeed conjured clothing for themselves, not unlike what she wore herself. Nodding to this, Sunset began to walk right up the side of the volcano, her sled in hand, with the three sisters shortly behind her. It took quite a while, but eventually all four of them managed to get to the top. Once there, Aria slammed her foot into the ground, causing a single lump of stone to jut upwards. Taking hold of it, she used her Goddess strength to literally carve it with her bare hands. Soon, she had a sled of her own, looking to Sunset like she was very much looking forward to this. "So...how we doing this?"
Sunset glanced around and then happened to see two mortals right down at the base of the volcano. They were walking along, no doubt from the local village, minding their own business, and probably didn't even know the Goddesses were there. That didn't last long, as Sunset now called down to them. "HEY!!! YOU WANNA JUDGE OUR SLED RACE?!"
"...OKAY!!!" one of the mortals called back after a brief delay.
Smiling, Sunset looked back to Aria. "Okay then. So...first to the water's edge?"
Aria grinned. "You're on!"
Adagio and Sonata stood to one side, waiting until the other two had got themselves in a suitable sledding position. Then, when they were ready, the eldest sister spoke. "Very well...three...two...one!"
And they were off, shooting down the side of the volcano much like Sunset had done not so long ago. But she knew now that they weren't kidding when they said Aria was really into this. Her speed was matching hers fairly easily. Realising she had to up her game, Sunset performed every trick she knew to get herself a better speed. Aria followed suit, and it appeared to be neck and neck throughout the entire race. The mortals, looking on with both fear and anticipation, watched carefully, making sure they were off in a good place to see who could reach the water first. Sunset and Aria narrowed their eyes as they drew nearer and nearer, and before long, it finally happened. They reached the water, the collision sending a massive amount of it upwards and halting them immediately. "And the race is over!" one of the mortals declared.
Laughing, both Goddesses got off their sleds, and as they did, they could see Adagio and Sonata gliding down to join them. Looking to the mortals, Sunset stepped forward. "So, who won?"
The mortals nervously looked to one another, then turned away. The Goddesses could hear them whispering and deliberating to each other, and they patiently waited for a verdict. And that verdict finally came, when after nodding in unison, the mortals turned and gave their judgement. "It was Lady Sunset who won the race."
Smiling, Sunset turned to Aria, offering her hand to her. "Good race."
Unfortunately, Aria was not quite as satisfied as Sunset might have hoped, as she slowly turned to her with a glower in her eye. No words were said, but the sea-deity leapt backwards, flipping in mid-air, before reverting back to her more aquatic form and diving headfirst into the water. There was silence, and as the ripples of her plummet began to finally fade, Adagio sighed, looking back to Sunset. "Yeah...probably should've mentioned Aria's not a graceful loser." After Sunset gave her a confused look however, the eldest sister simply smiled and waved. "Toodles!"
Sunset watched, confused and concerned, as both Adagio and Sonata leapt into the water after their sister. Again, there was quiet, and both Sunset and the mortals were growing increasingly worried about what was going to happen. After a while, one of the mortals, a young man, cleared his throat before speaking to the Lady of Fire. "Um...I don't suppose there's a chance she's just going to calm down to laugh about this later...is there?"
Exhaling deeply, Sunset looked to him with some sympathy. "No...I don't think there is." She saw that this was what he was afraid of, but it was here when she was deprived of any opportunity to comfort him. For her ears now picked up a strange sound, and she turned to look down at the edge of the water. To her horror, she saw it recede, going away from her and the rest of the beach, as if the sea was sucking it back in. Gulping, Sunset again looked to the mortals. "Okay, in my experience...that's not really a good sign." And the day just got worse, as her fear was soon very much confirmed. For as she squinted her eyes, she could see, far on the horizon, a wave, dwarfing any such wave that might have come before it. It rose higher and higher, almost to the point of blocking out the sun, and was surely massive enough to wipe away the island they stood on.
"...That's a tsunami," one mortal declared, utterly deadpan.
"Yyyyyyyyep," Sunset confirmed. She then turned to him. "Er, out of interest, how'd you feel about me trying to stop it by having a massive blast of lava erupt from your island's volcano?"
The mortal looked back to her with wide eyes. "It's not the best idea, my Lady!"
Sighing, Sunset's shoulders slumped. "Right. Course not." She stepped forward, standing where the edge of the sea had been moments before, and she watched as the tsunami drew closer and closer. The mortals cowered, but Sunset stood her ground. She was a Goddess, and she knew she'd survive this, even if nobody else did. "Stay behind me," she declared. The mortals hurriedly did as she asked, getting right behind her, as if she was some divine shield. Sunset's frown deepened, and she saw the herculean wave finally within just a few feet of her. But then, in a move that defied all laws of nature, the tsunami stopped. It was still there it just wasn't going any further. Then, right in the middle of it, Aria's head popped out.
"Ugh! Can't you at least pretend to look scared?!" But Sunset said nothing, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow, which led to Aria groaning with irritation yet again. "Uuuuuuuuuuuugh! Can't even have the satisfaction of terrifying you! Fine! Whatever!" And just like that, the water went backwards, heading back out to sea. The mortals watched, astounded, as the sea began to revert to what they'd always known it to be, all while Sunset stood triumphant.
"Did...did you know?" one mortal asked.
Sunset shrugged. "Trust me, my mother's very strict about Goddesses just wiping out whole communities. Aria wouldn't have risked it." The mortals leapt for joy beside her, hugging each other and relieved to have survived such an ordeal. And then Sunset just so happened to whisper under her breath. "Well...I think she wouldn't have risked it."
"What?" a mortal rapidly asked.
"Nothing!"