《The Storyteller: Fires in the Sky》Chapter 2: The Court of Father Time
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Long ago, when the world was young. Far before humanity had taken up the mantle to rule, the world was chaotic, much like now. Father Time and Mother Space ruled from afar. They preferred to let things resolve on their own and did not intervene in the affairs of others. It was a time of monsters and magic. Of giants whose stature stretched high past the clouds, and creatures of every kind imaginable. It was a time of chaos, where the person who was right was whoever had the strength to back up their words. A violent world full of despair where everything was cast in shadow, for there was no light up above. No, the skies were instead ruled by a great beast. An inky black monster that devoured anything that dared to approach it.
It was in this world that Mother Space gave birth. First to a bright, shining daughter she named Sun. Then to a dull harsh shadow of a son she named Moon. That's right, when she was born, Sun was already shining bright, while Moon was as dull as any other rock. Still, both Mother Space and Father Time loved them equally.
It was a time of darkness without hope. As Sun and Moon grew, they both became brighter and brighter. Soon even Moon was brighter than Sun when she was born, but Sun. Well, Sun had grown even faster. She was so bright it was painful to look directly at her. They both sucked up knowledge like a sponge. Whatever Father Time and Mother Space had to teach them they always wanted more. In everything Sun seemed to shine a little brighter than Moon, no matter how hard he tried. This wasn't some natural skill or ability of hers alone. Oh no, she tried as hard as Moon did.
However, Moon did not seem to notice. Not until they were learning the basics of magic. Neither of them knew anything of magic and had never even heard of it before Mother Space brought it up. Of course, they were both very interested in learning it. So, like all good teachers, Mother Space started with the foundation, creating life. Now I know you're skeptical that the core of magic is something like that but think about it. Learning how something comes to be and everything that makes it up makes it easier to twist it to your will.
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Imagine the scorpions. You can see one of their burrows from far away, right? Now if you knew everything that went into making a scorpion, and why it nestled down below the sand; imagine how easy it'd be to hunt them and avoid them. Why you could find a scorpion with your eyes closed I'd bet. Creating life is the start of truly understanding it, especially back when the world was so full of magic.
Now, the easiest life to create is of course fire. So, they were starting with learning how to harness fire magic. At the start of it both of them struggled to even make a spark in their hands. Before long though, Sun had started to surpass Moon. She had created long strands of fire that she was twisting and turning into the shapes of giant warriors. All while Moon had barely managed to create a small ball in his hands.
"Wonderful, very wonderful my dear Sun!" Mother Space praised her daughter as she quickly excelled.
"Mother, look I can do that too!" called out Moon.
Moon struggled and tried to force the fire in his hands into the shape of a toy soldier, but the strain was too much for him and he lost control. Poof! Just like that his fire had disappeared. He was crestfallen, but Mother Space walked up to him and patted him on his back.
"That was a good try Moon, but you shouldn't push yourself before you're ready. You'll risk hurting yourself if you go too far." Mother Space was kind, and of course she loved him. Excelling at things wouldn't change how she felt about either of her children, but you try telling that to a young boy full of fire and a drive to prove himself.
"I thought yours looked really cool!" Sun had come over as well and praised her younger brother.
'Thanks..." Moon was still sulking, but quickly went back to practicing. He was after all, dedicated to improving himself.
He didn't know it yet, but the seeds of jealousy had already planted themselves in his mind. He didn't hold an ounce of malice towards his sister, but unbeknownst to himself, the core of his drive was to beat her. He didn't want to improve to impress his parents, or get better for its own sake, oh no. He wanted to surpass her. It was like an itch at the back of his mind. Pushing him forward and driving him to put everything he had into his efforts to improve. All without him taking notice. He just knew he had a burning drive to improve that seemed to grow day after day.
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Their life went this way for a while. Sun and Moon learning something new, and Sun surpassing Moon in everything. Swordsmanship, magic, navigating, running, flying, fighting, fortune telling, and everything else. There was not a single thing that Moon could do better than Sun, and worst of all, she tried just as hard as he did. Her drive was not built on surpassing anyone. Instead, it was a mix of testing her limits and pushing herself beyond them. Of course, the constant praise didn't hurt. After all, what child doesn't try and repeat the things their parents praise them for.
Finally, it came time for the two of them to strike out on their own. Father Time and Mother Space met them in their grand hall. It was time for them to decide their paths. Unbeknownst to them, they both had their eyes on the most prestigious position of all.
"Step forward." Grumbled the ever-young Father Time. "Sun. Moon. It is time to declare your aspirations. Speak the position you wish to rule over, and it will be granted to you."
Sun shone bright as ever, and Moon stood by her side. They both knelt before their father. In his heart Moon knew what he wanted. He was going to rise as high as he could. No way would he back down from such a prestigious position. On the other hand, Sun felt she only had one position she could ask for. She was on this course since her birth. It was destiny.
"The heavens." The two declared in unison.
They were stunned a moment as both Sun and Moon turned to look at each other. After the shock ended, Sun grew a loving smile and embraced her brother. Moon had a scowl on his face, but it was hidden by his sister's brightness. After a moment of hesitation, he hugged her back.
Father time stroked his stubble as he sized up his two children. "Unorthodox, but I know how much you two care for each other." he smiled at them in the way only a parent can smile with an air of unconditional love at their children. "Very well then. Your request is granted. You shall rule over the heavens together! Illuminating them for all eternity!"
Their court was still small in those days. Even so the giants, spirits, humans, and beasts that were there cheered. After all, who wouldn't be joyous to see the two brightest stars of the court sharing the most prestigious position there was? Although, there was one problem. The most fearsome monster of all currently ruled over the heavens. He wasn't appointed, but he had the power to back up his claim. He took it for himself and destroyed anyone who said otherwise. If they wanted to rule the heavens, they would have to kill the unkillable monster, the Void.
Both of them knew this, and he was the first obstacle on their path to their destiny. Sun was overjoyed. Together with Moon, she knew nothing could stand in their way. While Moon saw this as an opportunity. If he could outshine Sun in this battle, then he could finally claim his own glory. This was the first decisive moment in their life. A battle to the death with a monster that couldn’t die.
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