Heaven's Gardens

Polaris

Thank Nyx there was a smile back on Endymion's face.

Polaris let out a sigh internally. He would have done it aloud as he wanted to, but was too afraid doing so would have led to another outburst from the little one at his side. What had gotten into his charge's mind that had sent him running off to the other end of the gardens instead of just turning and talking or playing as he normally did?

Was this the start of what parents often prayed for patience for when dealing with their children?

If that were the case, he hoped Nyx returned soon to take care of her son all alone. He would be more than happy to stop splitting his energy between his duties in the sky and to Endymion.

But maybe this sudden interest in learning about his Powers and catching up with Helia was a beginning of the little one maturing beyond just demanding entertainment at all times.

Polaris could only hope.

And the next time Endymion slept, Polaris fully intended to ask Helia just what had gotten into her that she would speak to her brother in such a manner. Had they all been on the surface with the humans, the teachers would have called her a bully, and others with less manners would have called her something far worse.

Pushing his internal monologue aside for the moment, Polaris reached out his hand to place on Endymion's shoulder. For now, he needed to focus on teaching his charge as much about his Power as possible. At least giving him a task would hopefully keep the child entertained for a good long while.

"Now, to begin, close your eyes and feel all the energy you have welling up inside you," Polaris instructed calmly, remembering when Nyx had appeared before him. It seemed so long ago that he had begun learning how to use his own Power, and he supposed in many ways it truly had been a very long time since that had happened.

Pride found its way into Polaris's heart as he watched Endymion close his eyes, and a look of intense concentration settled on the delicate features. It only took a moment for the shorter figure to start glowing an even brighter silver than he had when he had been his angriest during their conversation.

"Good," Polaris praised, moving his hand from the slender shoulder to ruffle the brilliant hair. "Keep your eyes closed for now. And in your mind picture what it is you want to shape with your Power. Think of what you want so clearly that you could reach out and touch it. The ground will respond to you."

Endymion nodded, still concentrating with his eyes closed.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Another moment passed, this one with Polaris holding his breath, and still nothing happened.

Just before Polaris was going to repeat the instruction, a large portion of the ground shot upwards in response to Endymion's wishes. The star flowers showered off the surface, falling through the surface to fall to the surface as shooting stars. The mortals that found them on the ground would find themselves blessed indeed.

And they were left with a lopsided mound of opaque silvery rock just like the seats Endymion had been making since he had grown enough to toddle about the flowers. At its heart, there was an equally lopsided flat sheet of crystal that showed the surface of the world Tyr had created.

"Open your eyes, Little Light, and see what you have done," Polaris said, smiling. This was certainly not bad for a first effort, even if it was not perfect.

Endymion's bright silver eyes shot open and for a moment he just looked on amazed. And then his nose wrinkled with distaste. "Well, that's ugly," he observed flatly.

Polaris could only laugh. "It was your first real try, of course it is not perfect," he laughed, pushing the child forward a bit. "Let us look on what you did a bit more closely, and you can tell me what you were thinking of when you were focusing. What is the flat bit?"

Endymion reluctantly walked forward. Or at least he was reluctant until he stood right next to the mound, and then he was touching every bit of rock that was sticking out. "I was thinking about a house."

"Well, this is not a house," Polaris observed gently. Now that Endymion was touching everything so curiously, he was not truly afraid the anger would return. But his charge was not always the most predictable of people. "You would be able to go inside of a house. This is more of a mound."

"I know that," Endymion pointed out obstinately as his hands reached the flat plane of crystal. "But then I figured I don't really know what a house is like cause I've never had one. So I made this."

"And what is that?"

Endymion grinned and put both his hands flat on the crystal's surface before closing his eyes again. The look of concentration returned, and after a flash of his silver light, Endymion stepped back grinning.

"Now we can look at whatever we want on the surface like we are there!" Endymion declared proudly. "And I can look at houses and what people eat, and how they sleep, and what kind of things they do with animals, and well...I can look at everything Polaris! Isn't that amazing?"

For the second time since Endymion had come to him so distressed, Polaris laughed out of surprise. This marvel was something that he had never even considered as a possibility, let alone that it could be made so quickly. And it had been made on a first try!

"That is something truly wonderful," Polaris praised, chuckling again as Endymion plopped down on a seat that rose up to meet him as they always did so willingly. "But what is the rest of the mound around your viewing crystal?"

"Well it couldn't just stand there all alone, I had to make something to support the crystal," Endymion pointed out reasonably. And then his attention turned back to the screen, confusion clear on his features.

As soon as he had lost Endymion once more, Polaris looked at the crystal as well. What he saw made him smile once more. Endymion had succeeded in something far more complicated than he had been trying to do.

He was certain his charge would be sprouting into his fully grown physique soon.

On the viewing crystal, a group of humans had come into view, each face full of an awe Polaris had not seen for a long time. To be specific, he had not seen that awe on a person's face since Tyr and Oceanus had woken the people of the islands many generations of mortals prior. They had made those faces when they saw the Stars for the first time.

"Polaris," Endymion whispered. "Polaris, I hear them."

The people on the screen started pointing to the sky, murmuring excitedly to each other. For the first time since he heard the sobbing, Polaris listened to the prayers of those on the surface, and was surprised to hear them speaking to him.

"Oh Polaris," the leader of the group whispered to his ears. "Polaris, for long you have been the most steady light in the sky. You have been steady and steadfast before all things that have befallen our people, and sent us fish, and healing, and patience. We are sure this new light is dear to you as it has appeared next to you in our skies. We name him Moon, and will honor him as we honor you."

That was all Polaris needed to hear. He stopped listening in on the surface and swept the young Moon into his arms, swinging him around in a circle, laughing as he heard the delighted squeals.

"You did it! They see you and you will hear their prayers soon!" he praised.

Endymion squealed, laughing even harder as his feet stayed in the air. He wrapped his arms around Polaris's neck and his legs around the Star's torso. He could not stop the laughter.

"Congratulations, Endymion. Or should I call you Moon?"