other worldly

once upon a lunar eclipse

the sun and the moon have always been portrayed as opposites. they have never been shown as kindred.

the moon was much, much colder and darker than the sun. that much was sure. and it was only on eclipses that they came together, and those were very occasional.

the sun spirit had always found the moon spirit very beautiful. her soft features and pale complexion reflected that of the moon, giving her an ethereal look about her. and he was sure her inside was just as hypnotizing as the outside.

once upon a lunar eclipse, when the sun and moon met, the sun spirit jumped from his perch upon the face of the sun, and landed in one of the moon's craters.

he looked all around. the moon spirit was nowhere to be found.

he searched far and wide for the familiar long, dark blue locks of the moon spirit, floating around her angelic face like a wave of the tides that the moon pulled. he finally found her, sitting cross-legged in one of the smaller craters. her hair was twisted elegantly into a long braid thrown over her shoulder. she was, as always, intoxicatingly beautiful.

"hello?" his voice seemed to startle her, as she jumped up to her feet and looked at him alarmingly. he tightened his grip on his lyre.

"who are you?" she asked, narrowing her silver eyes.

"i am the spirit of the sun. i've come to see you,"

"why have you come?"

"i believe i have already answered your question, fair spirit,"

"why have you come to see me?"

"i just wanted to see you up close. i see you from my sun every now and again, and i wished to experience your beauty up close,"

"do you want anything from me?"

"no, i swear on all the stars in the sky. i seek nothing but your presence,"

she searched his eyes, and found nothing that should make her believe otherwise. "i never get any visitors,"

"i am aware,"

"it gets awfully lonely on this moon,"

"i can see that. that is why i have come to offer you my company,"

she looked rather displeased. "and why do you think i would want your company?"

"i do not think that,"

"then what do you think?"

"to be quite honest with you, i am not thinking. i was not thinking when i left my sun and i am not thinking now,"

they stood in silence, both inspecting each other, though in different ways. her suspiciously, him admiringly.

"tell me, fair spirit," the sun spirit began, "do you have a name?"

"no, i do not," replied the moon spirit, "i have never referred to myself in the third person, and i have never thought to give myself a name,"

"then i shall call you esmeray!" the sun spirit paused. "if, of course, that is alright with you,"

"it is," the moon spirit said, smiling for the first time since meeting the sun spirit. "if i can, in return, call you... helio,"

"of course. call me anything you please," he returned her smile warmly.

she quirked an eyebrow up. "even if i wanted to call you an imbecile?"

"so long as you call me, esmeray,"