The Fire Prince and The Dragon Princess

Chapter 8: The Goddess of The Moon

The moon shined upon the night with Red Son impatiently tapped his foot before seeing a familar bike zoom in. He...smiled and walked over. "There you are."

It had been a few weeks ever since Mei started to train Red Son into being a hero, and Red would never EVER admit this...but he was actually having fun. A LOT of fun, just having a friend like Mei. And he wondered if the Noodle Boy and the others would ever treat him like this once Mei completed his training. Even if not, he'd always have her. Right?

Mei smiled, giving Red Son a hug. "Hi, buddy!"

Red Son just seemed amused, patting her back before breaking the hug. "So, what is my lesson for today?"

"Hmmmm...uhhh...I actually didn't have one." Mei said with a small laugh. "I thought we could stargaze or something. Take a small break!"

"Stargaze?" Red Son asked. "Isn't that something couples do?"

"Pfft. I mean, yeah. But meh! It's just to relax!" Mei said, grabbing a blanket from her bike and setting it on the grass, laying down on it.

Red Son joined her, lying down next to her as he looked up at the night sky. He hummed. "...the sky looks nice."

And indeed, it was nice. It was covered in a giant array of stars, and not a cloud was in sight. Then again, it was night. Red Son and Mei could even see the full moon.

Mei smiled wide at the moon. "I wonder how Chang'e's doing."

Red Son tilted his head. "...Chang'e...? Who is that? Is she a friend of yours?"

"Wha? No, no, no! You've never heard the story?" Mei asked, seeming a little surprised. "Autumn Moon Festival? Mooncakes? Chang'e and Houyi? Not ringing a bell?"

Red Son's mind went blank. "Uhhh...no."

"Daddy Bull King and Iron Fan never told you the story as a kid?" Mei asked. "My parents told me all the time as a little girl!"

Red Son sighed. "I...didn't have much of a childhood...thanks to Guanyin's 'mercy'." He growled at the name. Guanyin was FAR from merciful.

Mei's heart clenched at that before humming. "Want me to tell you? I know the whole story by heart."

Red Son faced her. "I suppose it can't hurt."

Mei cleared her throat. "Alright then! A long time ago, The Jade Emperor had 10 sons...who all turned into 10 LITERAL suns, scorching the very face of the Earth and the people inside it. So, to teach them some sense, The Jade Emperor called upon the god Houyi, an archer. And Houyi shot down 9 of the suns, leaving the one we have in the sky! The Jade Emperor...wasn't very happy that the guy he hired to shoot arrows...shot arrows."

"I mean, they were his children." Red Son said. "But I don't want to be in that buffoon's defense. What did he think an ARCHER was going to do?"

"RIGHT? But don't interrupt." Mei said, shushing Red Son before continuing. "As punishment, Houyi and his beautiful wife, Chang'e, were banished to Earth, losing their status in Heaven and losing their immortality. They found mortal life without their powers and immortality incredibly difficult, not to mention they knew they would actually DIE. Houyi saw his wife's condition and because of how much he loved her? He went on a daring adventure to find a way to restore their immortality." She smiled. "All for her."

"He...must've really loved her." Red Son smiled, being reminded of how much his parents loved each other. As a child, he naturally found it gross. But? Now, he was glad that they had each other again, but still had love for him.

Mei smiled. "He really did. Houyi came across The Queen Mother of The West, who felt sympathy for him and his wife. So? She went to the Jade Rabbit to get two immortality elixirs. One that would give you eternal life, and one that would make you a god."

Red Son hummed. "Demons would kill for that. I personally don't see why. Immortality is more a curse than anything."

"Agreed." Mei said before continuing. "Houyi came back to his wife, telling her the good news and how they should each get half and half! Chang'e was so proud of her husband...but as her husband rested. She couldn't resist the thought of being immortal and in Heaven again. She wasn't thinking clearly and drank both potions. She felt weightless and began floating unwillingly towards the moon."

Red Son's eyes widened a bit.

"She was still banished from Heaven, and being a god? She couldn't live on Earth either. Houyi tried to grab ahold of his wife, but it was too late. Chang'e began drifting towards the moon, and when she arrived? That's where she stayed, forced to live on the moon alone for all eternity. Houyi passed away, and Chang'e continued to live on without her true love."

Red Son's heart clenched. "...oh...so she's the Goddess of The Moon..."

Mei nodded. "Yeah. But? She has the Jade Rabbit to keep her company! And, I like to think that she's able to move on from her husband's death. Because that story taught me love is forever, but you can't cling onto the past." She then smiled. "I do think Chang'e's kind of a jerk for doing something like that to someone who loved her so much...I remember when I was a little girl, I wanted a love like that. Some stories even say that Houyi, despite being betrayed, sill loved his wife so, so much that he would honor her every time the full moon showed up until the day he died."

Red Son felt...a smile come across his face. "I suppose love IS strong. Can't believe I just said that." He laughed.

Mei laughed with him. "It's corny, but it's true!"

The two laughed for a while before facing each other. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before their cheeks went pink and they quickly looked back up at the sky.