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SNEAK PEEK - Asahi the Mothman
🕑 Added 2018-10-22 02:20:56 +0000 UTC Once up a time, there was the Moon.
Moon had a sister, named Sun, who shone bright and beautiful in the sky. The people below loved her and offered her praise for her life giving glow, which helped the plants grow and the people be strong and healthy. And thought Sun was bright and full of joy, she insisted on sleeping for twelve hours each day. This left the people of the world helpless in the dark void. They were susceptible to predators and the wild things that dwell in the night.
Frightened, they begged Sun to help them.
“I can not do all of this by myself! You have enough light to work and play and do all the things you need to do! I must have my rest, or else I will not be able to burn at all, and everything will be left in darkness and desolation. I am sorry, but you have enough. Do not be greedy.”
But Moon heard their pleas, and felt pity in her heart. She was not like her sister, bright and golden and beautiful. Instead she was craggy and pale, with no light of her own. She wishes to help people, but how could she, when they could not even see her in the sky? They did not even know she was there, and so they could not pray to her for help.
Finally, the Moon went to her sister and asked for some of her light. “If you let me borrow some of your own light, I will brighten the sky for people in the night, and you in the day. Then we can both rest and be strong.”
“What a brilliant idea, sister!” Sun said, eager for help in her work. “Of course you may borrow some of my light! You will shine as magnificently as I do!” And Sun took some of her fire and gave it to Moon.
The moment Moon touched the blaze, it grew cold and snuffed out! She tried again. And a third time. But no matter how gently she tried to handle the fire, it chilled and turned to ash in her hands.
Sun sighed. “I am sorry sister. Truly I am. But I seems you are just too frozen to give off light. People will just have to keep getting on the way they are.”
But Moon was determined. She set out to find a way to gain her own light, and to help the people below. As she wandered the world, searching for a way to gain light, she came upon a creature who fluttered about the campfires where people huddled in fear. It too seemed to worship the light as they did, and she gently took one in her hands. “Perhaps you may be of some help, moth. I am Moon, sister to your beloved Sun. I seek light that people might love the night as they do the day.”
The moth hummed, for this was in the days when many animals were the size of people, and he cleaned his powdery wings. “I think what you are after is very hard to find. There is firelight, but it is light borrowed from Sun. But you want your own light. Not just the light of another.”
“Indeed. If you can help me find light, a light of my own, I will reward you greatly.” Moon promised, and kissed the little creature delicately.
“I will do my best for you great lady!” The moth promised and took off. For many months, the insect was gone, until one day he returned to Moon, exhausted but proud. “Great Lady, I regret to inform you that what you want is not possible.”
“What? But how can that be?” Moon said, clearly bemoaning her fate.
“All light comes from your sister, Sun. I went first to the great Water, a cousin of yours, and asked how the light came to dance upon her face. Water deigned to speak with me. She told me that she turns her face towards Sun, and she was bathed in her light. I asked her “So you do not have light of your own?” and she said “No. I do not.” So next, I found your cousin Storm, and spoke to her. “Do you have a light of your own?” I asked. “Yes.” She told me, and made great bolts of lightning that lit up the sky in a fury! “May I have some for your cousin, Moon?” I asked. Yet she said “No.” and made it rain so hard I was almost drowned in it!”
“That does not surprise me. Storm has always hoarded her powers jealously.” Moon said in despair. “You have done well, my friend, I only regret...”
“Wait, Great Lady! I am not finished! I vowed to help you, and so I shall!” The moth said with excitement. “I began the long journey home, worried that I would not be able to fulfill my vow to you. But then I began to think. If all light must come from the Sun, and the Sun is willing, why can she not share her powers with you?”
“Clever. But we have tried this already. I can not touch her fire or it grows cold in my grasp.”
“This may be true. But you can do what others do. You can reflect her light.” The insect twitched their long antenna. “Here is what you must do, Lady. You must polish your skin till it is smooth as a mirror. Then, when your sister begins to walk to make the day, follow behind her closely, but not too close.”
“Are you certain this will work, little friend?” Moon asked, hardly daring to believe it.
“Who can say? I am but a moth. But I think it will work.”
Moon smiled and patted his mane. “If it does, I will keep my vow and reward you well.”
The next day, as Sun began to grow weary of her walk, she traveled over the hill to seek her bed. The world faded to darkness, and the people grew afraid.
But over the arch of the distant horizon, a strong, silvery light began to grow. It rose up into the sky, and for the first time the people met Moon in all her luminescent glory. The smiled at her as they did Sun, and were grateful for the quiet, tender light she offered. Moon turned to her friend the moth, and lifted him up. “You have done well, and here, I will give you my gift. Your people will always dance in my light and be sacred to me.”
So it came that moths were sacred to the Moon. Frequently they dwelt in her temples, and the first moth who helped her was considered especially divine for having been touched by her hand. When they first priestess of Moon was chosen, she wedded the great moth, and he took her in his soft wings and they were together. Their children were considered to be creatures of immense power to heal, and often became priests in their own right.
Comments
TheRedHarlequin
Already in love!
PonPanda383
Flower crownnnn~ :333 Asahi looks like a sweetie and this artwork looks so magnificent! Major kudos to the artiste! She really got his fluffiness just right. (^^)v
