Since before I could remember, on nights when the radiant moon floated just above the Hokage Mountain, my mother would always tell me my favorite bedtime story. She called it The Legend of the Moon, the Sun and their Star. I remember how fascinated I was with the amount of love she could convey with just words alone. Her passion and exhilaration were never forgotten, and I could physically feel the sorrow and longing that lingered in the uncertain moments. But every time she told the tale, she would look distant, almost like she was lost somewhere far far away. However, her aura was not of sorrow or regret, but instead almost the opposite. She appeared to be completely blissful, like remembering a fond memory of the past. And I'll never forget how in the encompassing light of the full moon, she glowed—just as bright as the stars.
"Atachia, do you know why the sun can no longer see the moon and the stars?" Her placid voice always calmed my soul and would be imprinted in my memory forever.
"No mommy, why?"
"Because the Sun protects the day, while the moon and the stars protect the night. You see my love, years ago when the universe was new with life, the sun, the moon, and the original star Ura, all lived together high up in the sky protecting the earth. However, one day the moon began to fall into the gravity of an evil black hole. Over time, he began to sink more and more into its relentless pull. The sun and the star did everything they possibly could to bring him back, but the moon was eventually sucked into the cursed path of darkness. They thought he was gone forever, and consumed in a blind hatred, the moon tried to destroy the universe and everyone in it. Ura, who deeply loved the moon, felt terribly betrayed and imminently fell into a deep consuming sorrow. And because Ura's heart was so tragically broken by her beloved moon, she shattered into a million tiny pieces that scattered across the sky. Watching his star broken from the loss of her love, the sun vowed to do everything in his power to bring the moon back. That way they could be together again, like the family they once were."
"But mommy, how did the moon come back?"
She paused, and then a smile slowly began to form as she stared out the window at the round glowing moon.
"He came back because he finally realized that he had had everything he ever wanted right from the beginning. He just couldn't see it yet."
"So why can't they be together again?"
I will never forget how she looked at me with an expression of compassion, as if in the future I would experience a similar narrative in my own life. "Because my love…time changes things. You will learn this as you grow older, but there are always consequences to every action…. And because the black hole had grown so powerful and dark, the sun and the moon could no longer protect the earth together. They would be forced to take turns illuminating the earth and banishing the darkness. This is how "night" and "day" were created.
"What happened to Ura? Did she still love the moon?"
A warm whispered giggle escaped her lips. "Yes, my star, she would always love the moon, and that is exactly why she chose to forever stay with him in the night. She forgave him, confirming her everlasting love. And you know what?"
"What?" I whispered drawing the bed covers closer to my chin in anticipation.
"He secretly loved her too. He had always loved her, and so now he could finally try to heal her pain and make up for the past. However, Ura was never pieced together again, even though her heart had healed and grown stronger with the moon's devotion. Instead, she left her shattered fragments floating in the night as a gift to the humans on earth. And every time you see a shooting star, she has granted a wish of love, the most powerful force in the universe."
"I feel sad for the sun."
"Ahh, yes, but it is on nights like these where the moon and the stars come to pay a quiet visit to the sleeping sun. He is carved into the mountain, and he lives in you and me. He is all around us giving us life, and shielding our spirits with his legend. And he does this because he loves us. You should not feel sad for him my love, because he only wants us to be happy. He can feel how much everyone loves and admires him, but he still understands that there must be sacrifices."
She would end her tale with a gentle kiss on my forehead and softly whisper, "goodnight my star, my love".
As I grew older, I forgot how much I loved hearing that story. And it is only now that she is gone from this earth that I have fully come to appreciate its message.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe.
She passed away smiling as she whispered that she was, "finally going to reunite with her sun and beloved moon".
And it was right then in that exact moment, holding my mother's frail hand watching her take one last breath, I discovered that all this time, she…..
… was the star.
Hope you enjoyed it! Tell me your thoughts.
If you haven't figured out: Sakura= Ura, Sasuke = Moon, Naruto = Sun. Naruto became Hokage, Sakura married Sasuke, and they had a daughter named Atachia.
The idea is that they aren't able to be together anymore because Naruto sacrificed his life to save the village. It is sad but in the end, they are able to be together in their death.
Thanks for reading! ;)
