Chromatober 2024

Day 30 - Bloodmoon

Series: Chosen by the Sky (Obviously.  :D)

(This takes place when M's still little.)

- - - M's P.O.V. - - -

I huddled by the window late at night, peering out at the night sky in wonder.  It had started the same as every night, with me staying up late- a flashlight in one hand, a book in the other.  Tonight, though, when I had glanced up from my reading to check the time, I had noticed an odd red light shining from the window.

The moon was red.

Just like me.  I thought, the idea filling me up with a bubbling excitement.  It's red like me!

I had dropped the book back onto my bed without bothering to mark the spot and quickly shifted to get a better look.  It was so pretty!  I didn't know the Sky People could change the color of the moon...

There was a knock at the door, and I jumped, realizing I had forgotten to turn off the light.  I scrambled to answer it, staring up at the Red Leader with a hint of embarrassment.

"It's pretty late."  he pointed out, sighing with exasperation and fondness.  "Haven't we talked about your reading habits?"

"Yes..."  I mumbled.  "But did you see the moon tonight!?  It's red!"

The leader blinked, then stepped in to peer out the window.  He got a far away look in his eyes as he stared out at the moon, and his hands tightened on the windowsill for a moment before he turned back to me.

"Hm, I guess I'll make an exception then.  Just this once."  He smiled warmly.  "What do you say we go ask the Professor if we can use his observatory?  You can see it through the telescope."

Excitement burst in me like a firework.

"Really?"

"Really."

We walked through the Red Kingdom together, and I kept staring up at the sky.  The streets weren't as empty as usual, with many steves lying on their lawns to stare up at the moon.  Some had even fallen asleep there, curled up on the grass.  They waved as we passed, smiling at the leader and I.  I couldn't focus, though, too intent on the moon.

Finally, we arrived at the lab, where the leader spoke to the Professor in a hushed tone.  It took me a while to notice that something was wrong.  The Professor looked... subdued.  His goggles and lab coat were off, leaving him looking almost... normal.  His red eyes were misty, and his hands twisted together as he spoke.

I glanced up at my leader, hoping for an explanation, but he just waved for me to follow him upstairs.

Up in the observatory, the moon seemed brighter than ever, surrounded by thousands of tiny stars.  I stared up in wonder, trying to take it all in.  I had never been to the observatory before, although I'd seen it from a distance.  I knew it had a telescope inside, though, powerful enough to see the stars up close and make out their individual colors.

Can the Professor see the Sky People through that?

"Come look through the telescope."  the Leader offered, adjusting it so it was in the right position.  I knelt down and put my eye up to the lens, staring through.  The moon seemed so much bigger now, patched with darker smudges and spots of pink.

"Why are the Sky People doing that?"  I asked eagerly, pulling back.  "Is it a message? Or a sign?"  Were the Sky trying to tell the Red Steves something?

"It's a memorial."  The Red Leader said softly.  "For the heroes."

"Oh..."  Suddenly, the tears running down the older steves' faces made sense.  "It's for Colle?"

The Professor nodded.

"They had one for Seer, too."  The Red Leader said softly.  "The day he fused with the rainbow crystal.  The moon turned bright blue."

"It was a symbol of hope at the time."  The Professor said bitterly.  "Now blue moons bring bad luck."

"Oh."  I mumbled, privately thinking that a blue moon would look pretty cool.  "Are there other colors, too?  Like, if a Green Steve became the hero, would the moon turn green?"

"It's only red or blue."  The Leader replied, letting out a sigh.  "For all the generations I've lived."

I stared back at the sky, remembering all the legends that I'd been told about the second hero.  He had been a Messenger of the Sky, and the Professor's best friend.  The Sky People must miss him as much as the Professor did.  Why else would they put a symbol in the sky?

...

Every night on the full moon, I stayed up, waiting for the moon to turn red again.

I waited for years, staring up at the sky.

The bloodmoon never rose again.

But twelve years later, it turned bright orange.

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Word Count: 752