Firey Moonlight

The Moon Goddess and Her Phoenix

Long, long ago in ancient times, the earth was a bleak and desolate place. Because it was so bitterly cold, the dark, barren land held not one living creature. The oceans raged back and forth their treacherous gray waters, empty of any sea life. There was not a speck a green anywhere, not a sign of warmth or glowing life.

          The moon shone at night, but then it was only a weak, grayish sliver of a moon, and what light it gave was wavering and cold. Newly born was the moon goddess, Amaris, who lifted the moon up into the darkness every night. But it seemed that night lasted forever. Amaris was a young maiden, and she was lonely. As the only one watching over Earth, she began to despair. “Why did the angels bring me here?” she cried out in her grief, her slender white arms clinging about the moon. “Why am I here, and must I be the only one?”

          Nothing came in answer but complete silence. Desperately, she hugged the moon to herself and wept. The bright orb shone on her shuddering body, flooding her with cool light and illuminating the sparkling droplets of tears that dropped from her eyes. Surprised at the sudden brightness sweeping over her, Amaris looked up and gasped.

          Her tears were falling to the earth in a thick stream of moonlight. As they hit the ground, they formed together into a pearly egg with swirls of color around it. Amaris wished with all her might that she could go down and pick it up, but she could not leave the moon. So she whispered, “Please...come to me!” and a last tear drifted from her cheek down to the egg.

          A blinding light flooded over the earth, and Amaris raised her arm and looked away. When she hesitantly opened her eyes, a god in the shape of a young man stood before her. His long, fiery red hair straggled across his flaming eyes, which stared straight into her moonlit ones.

“I am called Aethelos,” he whispered. “And you are not alone anymore.”

          He extended a hand to her, and she took it gratefully. For many happy, warmth-filled days, Amaris and Aethelos lived together in the sky. He could always make her laugh, he was a good listener, and he understood her completely. The sun he held gave her strength, and the moon shone brighter than ever before. He was perfect.

Slowly, Amaris found herself falling in love with the happy smile of Aethelos, his gentle strength, and his burning soul. But she was afraid to tell him this, even though she was almost sure he loved her the same. So she kept quiet and watched him with a passionate longing day after day, until he noticed that something was different in her manner.

“Amaris, my dear friend, what is wrong? Are you feeling ill?” asked Aethelos with concern.

Amaris shook her head, silvery locks flowing down her shoulders. Her pale, sad eyes searched his, silently asking him if she should tell him.

“Tell me,” he said, drawing close to her and taking one of her hands in his.

Wide-eyed, Amaris whispered, “I love you.” Scared of what his answer might be, she fled swiftly, taking the moon with her. Aethelos tried to follow, but he had forgotten the sun behind him. He tried to pull it with him, but the sun had grown so large by now that it wouldn’t move. So he was trapped, leashed by the sun, and for once he wished that he could be cut from the ball of fire. “Amaris! Amaris!” he called over and over, but in vain.

Amaris had been sure that Aethelos would follow her. She waited in the darkness on the other side of Earth for his appearance, clutching the moon. But he did not come. “He does not feel the same,” she said to herself. Overcome with pain and sadness, she stayed by herself for many years before venturing to find him again.

For almost a million years Amaris waited, never forgetting the fiery god she cared for so much. Finally, she saw a small flame in the distance, and her heart leapt. She flew toward it as fast as she could, crying, “Aethelos!” But when she got closer, she saw that it wasn’t him, but a bright red phoenix. She looked more closely. It had the same flaming eyes as Aethelos.

“It is you!” said Amaris, reaching out toward him, but she couldn’t get close, for the moon drew her back. The phoenix could not speak, only looked at her sadly from far away, though he longed to call her name.

From that day on, Amaris rose up into the dark night alone, bearing her moon, and Aethelos the phoenix flew across the sky with the burning sun during the day. They only met twice a day, at dusk and dawn, and then they could only gaze at each other. They still whisper their true feelings to each other, though neither one can hear.

*****

*A/N- All right, I admit it’s a little cheesy. But hey, it was for school. I still poured as much creativity into it as possible (for a school paper ^_~). And it’s short; I’d like to lengthen it and add background sometime.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and please give me feedback! ^^