The Moon lazily rolled his light across the waves lapping
the shore, as he stared across the horizon at the distant Sun. Her rays shining
on the parts of the Earth where he was yet to appear. She was always just out
of reach; forever leaving as he arrived. For millennia, he had been deprived of
feeling her full power, of being warmed by her rays. He knew she was as lonely
as he, that the Earth had lost its appeal. The wonders of the world no longer
amazed them, and the Moon could live forever this way in the dark, if he only
knew that she enjoyed the light.
He had seen her watch the animals way below her burning
body, and knew that he feeling of isolation grew as they frolicked in her rays.
The Moon wished there was a way that he could bridge the space between the
glorious Sun and the company she longed for.
So when the Lunar Gods and Goddesses convened in the Moon’s
sacred crater, he asked, in return for his diligent service, if they would aide
him in giving the Sun a gift. He told them of her longing for company, of her
waning light and of their shared feeling of loneliness and lack of joy at the
world. It was not the Moon’s words, nor the feeling behind them that tempted
the deities to fulfil the Moon’s selfless request. The crashing waves mirroring
the strength of the Moon’s plea and the wolves howling their support did
nothing to move the powerful beings. They were convinced only by the challenge
that it presented. The Lunar Gods and Goddesses rarely could resist a chance to
show off all that they could do. They knew that it would be difficult, as
nothing could get too close to the Sun, her heat was too intense. But an animal
that could get closer to her than those on land; a creature that she could
watch play amongst her rays and the clouds, not just under them. There was such
a great and empty distance between the animals of the Earth and the Sun’s
scorching surface, this knew creature could fill this gap and make her feel
less removed. It would have to rest upon the Earth, but could live in the
vacant skies.
The Moon’s gift would have strong, feathered limbs to propel
it high towards the Sun, into the clouds, and allow it to soar through the air
for the Sun’s enjoyment. It was decided that the creation would make it’s bed
high in the trees, so it was always as close to the Sun as possible. It was
silvery-grey to signify was sent by the Moon. The deities made many, so that
the Sun had a flock to watch and the numbers would continue to grow.
When the time and place was right, and the Sun beginning to
rise, the Lunar deities released the Moon’s wish and they flew up to meet her.
They scaled the distance between the ground and clouds with ease, flitting
through their white shapes. They climbed and hovered, casting shadows through
the Sun’s rays. The Sun shone brighter and warmer that day than she had in
centuries, such was her joy at the new link between herself and the world that
she was eternally separated from.
As the feathered beasts danced through her light, the Sun saw
the silver in their plumes and knew the reason behind the new animals. They
were and gift for her, and they were from the mysterious Moon.
The Sun had noticed, and pined for, the Moon as much as he
had her. She longed to hear his stories of the night and to see how dark his
crater’s shadows would be in her strongest light. She would send as much light
over the horizon as possible so that he could be seen as clearly as the stars.
It was the only way she had of connecting to him.
AS night descended, she watched him go about his nocturnal
duties of controlling the oceans. She saw his melancholy skimming of the waves,
and how much he favoured the liquid depths the way she did the expansive land.
She wanted to bring him the same joy that he had bestowed upon her, and knew
exactly what to do.
When the Gods and Goddesses of the Sun visited, the Sun
ordered them to create creatures that would live exclusively in the vast
expanses of the seas. The Sun, with her fiery power, could command where the
Moon needed to convince. In fear of the Sun’s wrath, the Solar deities quickly
set to work and went above and beyond what was asked. Creatures with webbed
tails and fins, breathing through holes in the sides of their heads, in every
conceivable colour combination inhabited the waters of every corner of the
Earth.
Having expected nothing in return, the Moon was surprised to
find such beauty to intrigue him as he followed the Sun across the sky. He was
fascinated by the fluid movements of the creatures that now filled the once
empty oceans. The more joy the Moon felt, the stronger his power raged, the
wolves howled until they were hoarse, the waves lapped every shore and, with
avid interest, the Moon watched his new charges flurry and adapt.
Called by the Moon’s increased power, the Lunar deities
convened once again, to witness the work of their Solar counterparts and
resolved not to be out-done. They created hundreds of versions of the Moon’s
original gift in varying sizes and colours. Out of spite at initially (they felt)
being shown up, they made adaptions of their first design that would swoop down
and feed on the Solar deities’ addition to the Earth. The Moon protested, but
to no avail. As the Sun seemed to take no offense, he soon let it be.
Eventually, Man would name the Sun and Moon’s gifts and
place credit in the hands of an idol of their own imagination. The truth of how
birds came to fly through the skies and fish to swim through the depths, would
be reduced to a myth at the end of someone’s pen.
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