The story of why the moon changes shape.
'Once upon a time' is how every story is put into words. But this is a tale from before time itself. This is a story of an era when the universe was a colossal void filled with darkness, where time held no relevance and any form of life existed in a comparatively tiny, point sized orb.
The rondure was home to billions of shimmering souls. The Supernals. Their greyish-silver skin that glimmered along with their graceful movements would appear, in today's time, like nothing more than a phantom. But unlike ghosts, their bodies were very much solid, as human in appearance as possible.
Although there was no higher being that subjugated these entities, the one amongst them who was the beholder of unimaginable power was considered to be of more importance than rest of the population. Dierdre was the only one of her kind, her glittering derma coruscating wisps of silver light. Her magical abilities unmatched, even by their creator himself. And she had claimed herself as the queen.
It is often said that power corrupts people, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Dierdre had fallen victim to the seductive tendencies of the power she possessed. Her mind and heart were scorched as one, turned into nothing but a lump of malefic intents.
Among the billions that resided in that realm, two souls were set apart from the rest. Aelius, the sun and Cynthia, the moon. They were different, and everyone knew it.
Aelius was handsome from the depth of his amber coloured eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice. His presence was striking, but in a peaceful sort of manner. The usual silver dermis of the Supernals seemed to have adopted a golden tinge inside Aelius. His aureate skin set him apart from the rest of the population and brought unwanted attention.
Cynthia, on the other hand, exuded close to none of the silver light possessed by the Supernals. Despite of being exceptionally beautifully, she was...plain, when compared to the rest of her kind. The lack of radiance pushing her to the sidelines. Cynthia had spend an eternity in melancholy solitude. Without friends and family.
But soon, things had taken a different turn, when one evening she had ventured out to woods that occupied the outskirts of the city she lived in. Lost in her own misery, Cynthia had failed to notice Aelius sneaking past the massive trees and approaching the stone bench she was perched atop.
It was the beginning of an unusual friendship that left the Supernals questioning the workings of the world. The dull and lonely Cynthia had captured the attention of bright and handsome Aelius. The moon and the sun had brewed a bond that seemed highly unlikely to exist in a realm ruled by a queen of the likes of Dierdre.
Unbeknownst to him, Aelius had succeeded in capturing the attention of the queen, his enchanting beauty luring Dierdre into the tangled world of love. The queen who had once thought herself to be far above such petty emotions now yearned for the sun.
Alas, we always crave for things we cannot have.
The friendship between Aelius and Cynthia had bloomed into something more deep and sacred. In the echoing loneliness of Cynthia's soul, Aelius had managed to make a home for himself and drive away her sorrows in the best ways he could. At the same time, Cynthia had calmed the chaos that thrived inside him. Providing him a few moments of peace, away from the attention he had come to loathe.
The news of this blossoming romance had easily made its way to Dierdre. She was informed that the man she loved was often seen in the company of the outcast, Cynthia. And there were rumours that the pair was in love. Furious by the revelation, Dierdre called for an assembly, demanding the presence of every Supernal in the arena where important events took place.
Aelius and Cynthia were on top of the hill that overlooked the entire capital when a group of guards had dragged them all the way to the arena. They had struggled to free themselves from the deadly grips of the royal guards, Aelius constantly pleading with them to let Cynthia go. Inquiring about where they were being taken and why. But their captors had remained stoic and refused to answer any of the questions.
They were taken onto the raised platform which overlooked the rest of the arena, occupied by the shining profiles of the Supernals. The crowd murmured amongst itself, trying to decipher the reason behind the sudden gathering.
"My friends," the mass had silenced as soon as the first syllable had left Dierdre's lips. Even though no one was letting it on, the presence of the queen settled an uncomfortable chill in their bones. She had her hands slightly raised at her sides, her lips twisted in a satisfied smile upon the seeing commoners squirm under her gaze. "Our kind's existence in this realm has been everlasting and we have thrived with peace, love and harmony. We have always valued the brave, and cherished the loyal. As your queen, it is my duty to punish those who betray the crown or deny it any kind of service."
The crowd stirred, tension visible on every silver face. "Today, we have gathered here to look into the crimes committed by one of our own. The outcast...Cynthia." The named had rolled off her tongue as if it tasted like poison. "All of us were made aware of my affections towards the handsome and kind Aelius and that I wished to marry him. But the outcast violated my wishes by wooing him with her... unnatural abilities. As a punishment for her cri—"
"Cynthia has committed no crime," Aelius had bit out from where he stood, flanked by the royal guards. His voice echoed in the arena, eyes glaring into the Queen's direction, his usually gentle demeanor replaced by a cold and calm attitude.
The queen's head snapped to him, her eyebrows raised. "Even though interrupting your queen is worthy of punishment, I shall forgive you for this. My dear Aelius, pray tell us, what do you mean by that?"
"I mean," Aelius had began, his teeth grinding together with building rage, "that Cynthia committed no crime. She did not woo me. It was my decision to make. And I certainly do not wish to marry you."
Anger flashed in Dierdre's eyes but she had quickly masked it with a cold and sinister smile. "I'm sure you don't mean that, my love."
"I stand by every word I said. I will not associate with you in any manner. You are nothing but cruel."
The crowd had responded accordingly, numerous gasps echoing one after another in the arena. Aelius had soon realised his mistake, his eyes widened in panic, looking back at Cynthia who had frozen in her spot.
Dierdre was not known to have mercy upon her subordinates. Her methods of dealing with traitors could only be described as evil and no one lived to tell the tales of what they had experienced in the dark dungeons of the castle.
But this was not just about speaking ill of the crown or committing treason. Aelius had striked on her heart, shattering all her hopes of having a future with him. Not being able to see any sense in that moment, Dierdre had done the unthinkable. She had placed a curse on the entire race of her people.
It is believed that her rage had taken such huge toll on the realm that it had exploded into the void, scattering around like pieces of a broken vase, not to be mended again.
The Supernals were forced to give up their true form and were turned into massive balls of light known as the stars. The people closest to Aelius were stripped of their radiance and left as barren balls of dirt, spinning around in the emptiness, now identified as the planets.
The couple in question had themselves suffered a great deal. Aelius was to remain the biggest and brightest star, glowing in the center of the newly created universe. His body transformed into a huge sphere of unbearable heat. Cynthia was given a smaller form, dull and barren as ever.
"You shall live the rest of your lives with each other. Close but not enough. Within each other's reach, but powerless to actually claim your love."
Ever since, the sun and the moon have satiated their desire for each other through stolen glances. Their game of hide and seek causing never-ending pain to both of them. Aelius' family and friends revolved around him, wanting to comfort him but being unable to do so due to the fear of destroying themselves.
In all these years spent apart, Aelius had found a way to express his love to Cynthia, even if it was from a distance. He provided her with his light everyday, his warmth washing over her, assuring her that one day they will reunite. Not right now, but maybe in another life.
Cynthia basked basked in the sunlight, but even that would not be enough most days. There were times when only some part of her could feel the presence of Aelius and once in a while he vanished from her view completely. But there were also days when she could clearly look at him, feel his presence all around her. Those days gave her hope that maybe not all was lost. And maybe they could be reunited again.
English is not my first language and this is unedited, so forgive me for any mistakes. I'll re-read it soon and maybe change certain bits.
Feedback is really appreciated <3
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