The Story of Nuit Night
Oh brother of mine…
I must make clear my pains, how hard I work to keep peace in a land filled with disputes and disasters. My brother is the cause and my father reuses to assist me, and I have grown tired. I have tried to preserve the human race; the weak world of Earth from my brothers greed and destruction. But Jud wouldn't stop. He keeps tossing his fire balls back and forth in the sky, first destroying the race of Dinosaurs… then continued killing off the rest of the living creatures our father had created. The least I could do is keep this race alive; they had no protection, and with no knowledge of us and feared each destructive earthly movement that sent many to their deaths. They didn't know that each disaster was a direct result from my brother's hands and I believe they never will. I kept trying to protect them, but every time I tried, he kept breaking through my defense. I went to my father for guidance. He went to the rulers of the earth kingdoms to make a compromise. When my father came back to Cloud Castle with the news that Jud and I were to marry Lord Jour and Lady Lundi's twin daughters, I was dumb struck. I was practically engaged to some one I have never met, heard of, or seen in my whole life! It was ridiculous! I dreaded the day that soon came for me to pick a bride of two total strangers. Jud and I took the Ice staff and Fire staff and left on our chariots. He jumped silent onto his sun chariot and I on my moon chariot; and we drove off to the palace down on earth. Once there, we walked nobly into the palace and walked with guard escort to the throne room As I walked down the hall and entered the room…I didn't know what to expect, till I looked up and saw the two girls standing there with their heads down. I looked at them both, one caught my eye, and at the sight of the pale child in front of me; I was breathless.
The words of Queen Luna
To love the Night
My late father and mother wished Nuit and Jud would live in peace. They fought over everything, creating volcanic explosions when Jud got mad, the Ice age when Nuit tried to save the creatures of the earth. These two brothers were the god Epsilon's sons, the only gods that lived on earth.
My father was told through a dream by Epsilon that to create peace, he should give the two brothers choice of a bride of my sister and I. My mother walked my sister and I out of the back room into the grand hall. I remember it well, what I wore, how I felt; I wore a thin white dress that fell over my body and my old tattered slippers; they were my lucky slippers with stains and holes and ripped…my mother thought it foolish to wear such filthy things. I believed at the time that if one of the brothers wanted to marry me, he would like me for me, and not what was on my feet. My sister wore a sassy red two piece and sandals and ankle bracelets.
"I hope I get the Nuit… He's so handsome." she told me. I didn't respond. I didn't want to marry any one, I was only 14! I wanted to learn magic, learn alchemy; I wanted to run free on the clouds of my father's palace and fly on my beautiful cumulous cloud pet Calud. I wanted to sing in the darkness of my room and dance with my invisible love, and play in the grand gardens. I was so upset and felt so betrayed. My life was being torn from me with out my consent…and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I kept my head low as my mother introduced us.
"Your royal prince's," my mother said as she bowed. She snapped her elegant fingers to signal us to bow.
"Your majesties…" my sister and I crooned, I mouthed.
"Look up daughters." My mother commanded, and I had no choice but to obey. I looked up and saw the two men standing only feet in front of me. I almost gasped; the two princes's looked like they were only 18. I looked up at them, just like my sister and I… they were both twins yet totally different. The tallest had dark tanned skin and fire orange hair, and wore warm colors and held a staff of gold in his hand, on top of the staff was a ball of fire. His red eyes frightened, feeling as though he was burning me, searing me through. I looked away, only to find myself looking to the shorter twin, he had short black hair, his black eyes deep and dark and mysterious. I found my self being drawn to him. His light peach skin looked about as soft as mine his face handsome and shadowed. His eyes looked back to me in wonder as I stood up and clutched my hands together.
He wore ice-cold colors, blues, greens, and purples and silvers covered his elaborate armor and attire. He held a silver staff that had a ball of Ice floating above the top. He was gorgeous; he was…
"Beautiful…" we both said in unison. After finding out what we both uttered we both some how blushed. I looked to my side and tensed as he coughed lightly and tapped his staff on the ground.
"Lord Jour…Dearest Lady Lundi…are you sure on offering your two only children to the sons of Father time and Mother Nature?" the dark haired twin asked. I had looked up to him in curiosity and wonder as he spoke, his voice was beautiful…as beautiful as he was.
"Yes…to stop the deaths of my people, I'll do anything for the Sky Kings…"
"Prince's" The dark twin corrected.
"Right. Here are my two daughters, my eldest Luna… she sings and weaves and-"
"I don't need benefits." The dark twin stated kindly. "Names will do just well."
" And this is my youngest…"
"By a minute…" my sister uttered angrily.
" Aurora. She... They are at your whim. Prince Nuit…since you too are eldest…you get to pick first I guess." My father said. I didn't see the tears that fell from my parent's eyes. I just watched as the prince walked to me. He soon stood only a foot in front of me looking down into my eyes. I almost gasped when he lifted his hand to my cheek.
"Luna?" his voice a soft sigh. I looked up shyly at him as his hand caressed my cheek. I nodded.
"Yes sir…" I said. He smiled and shook his head.
"No Sir…just Nuit…" I was sure he could hear my heart pounding when he leaned forward and took my hand in his, kissed each finger. "You're beautiful," he said softly. I knew my sister was livid...this was the twin she had wanted...but now, I didn't want to give him up. "Luna...would you dear Luna…come to me to my castle in the clouds?" he asked, his voice kindly ringing in my ears. I gasped and went almost breathless. "So?"
"Yes…" I whispered. His eye lifted.
"What?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes." I said louder. I smiled as he leaned down and kissed my cheek. The other twin looked angrily at us and marched to my sister.
"You're mine." He said. My sister looked shocked and pissed my way as Nuit took my hand in his and placed my hand on his ice staff, and the ice ball started glowing, the symbol of marriage.
"Palte de guana, my dear child." My father said as he smiled, seeing how happy I was. I was my parent's favorite, and Aurora knew it when she saw our parents welcome Nuit into the family and congratulate me. Aurora stood by Jud as they leaned against the wall and crossed their arms.
I turned to my sister, I was happy...only Jud tapped her shoulder and said something I couldn't here. Aurora nodded as she turned with him and took hold of his staff, the flames on the top of the staff flared and they walked away and disappeared on a chariot driven by flames and horses whose mane's are of red flame licking at their backs. And since then I haven't seen my loving sister again.
Nuit and I were so happy, we lived in his Castle in the clouds of the night sky while my sister and her husband lived in the Flame fortress over on the eastern lands. It wasn't long till we had our first child, Evening, a girl.
"Nuit… didn't you want a son? To take the throne?" I had asked.
"My love, any child with you is a joy to me," he had said as he kissed me. "And I'll love you with our with out a son." Evening wasn't the last child. When she was ten I had another child, Midnight, our first son. Evening, who's pet name was Eve, and Midnight, Minui, were the best of friends, and when Eve was eleven and Minui one, I had another son, Dusk, making Dusk and Minui Irish twins, and three years later I had two beautiful twin sons…Perseus and Orion. The only thing that was strange about my twins was that Perseus had white hair and Orion had black hair, they seemed to be totally different children. So now my children consisted of Eve, eighteen, Minui, fourteen, Dusk, thirteen, then the twins were eleven.
My sister wrote a lot, she told me the day before Orion and Perseus's birthday of her children, The eldest was Dawn, being seventeen, then Morning who was fifteen, and Noon who was fourteen, and her youngest, the fiery red head Cornelio, who was also eleven; I congratulated her on her children. But all where girls other then Cornelio and something seemed wrong with her son considering Jud didn't like him and Jud said Cornelio wouldn't be a good heir.
After the twins celebrated their eleventh birthday, Nuit and I had an unexpected visit from my sister. She was crying and had started sobbing at the sight of us. She begged us to save her from her husband who was going to beat her if she didn't produce a new male heir. I instantly ran to the chells, I called my father. He didn't answer, my mother did, and she was hysterical a swell. My father was dyeing, from poison inserted into his drink at a banquet last night. At hearing that, Aurora cried out even louder.
"It was Jud! He said he wanted our father's palace! We were at the banquet!" she cried in agony. I ran to Nuit and begged him to do something. He said he would go see his father for a remedy to save my father and to talk to him about Jud. And he left me with my sobbing sister and mother on the chell.
After my mother hung up and my sister made a temporary residence in my guestroom and fell asleep, I sat up late into the night and waited for Nuit to return from 'work' and talking with his father. When Nuit returned from speaking with his father, he entered the room I sat in and looked to me sullen. I stood quickly from the chair that I sat in, horror to evident in my face to hide it.
"Luna…I'm sorry." Was all he could say before he let his head hang low. I gasped, my hands flying to my lips.
"No…" I muttered. "No it can…"
"Jud was as cruel as he was terminal…"Nuit said, I didn't know if he was trying to make me feel batter, but it didn't work.
"No…. No!" I started sobbing, falling to my knees with my head in my hands. Nuit had quickly ran to me and took me in his arms to comfort me. "Father!" I sobbed so much, I didn't hear my sister walk into the room from her sleep, to sad to see her standing In the door way, to horrified to see her lean on the frame and smile smugly. I couldn't believe father was gone. And when I looked up, my sister was standing white faced as she to fell to the floor, an act my husband saw through.
"Father? Jud did this! I know it! And it's all my fault, all my fault! I can't believe…. No!" she sobbed as she cried on the ground. I wanted to go over and comfort her for our loss, but Nuit wouldn't let me. He had leaned into my neck and kissed my neck. Holding me tightly
"My love…" he whispered, so quietly that I barley heard it. "I spoke with my father, he told me something more sorrowful. Come with me to our chambers." He finished. I couldn't stand something worse? Was one of our children in danger from this same assassin? What was to become of this? I found myself in my husband's arms, holding my close as to not drop me. He looked down at my sister and told her to go to bed, to leave us to sleep over the sorrow. Aurora had asked if Nuit would return to help her, for her legs hurt. And to my shock, Nuit said no.
"My dear sister –in-law, I have to care for my sick wife. I'll send Eve or one of the Whisps to help you," he said. "I'll see you in the morning"
I almost shouted in protest as Nuit left my sister on the ground, till that is I saw her face as he walked away with me in his arms. Her eyes were yes, filled with tears, but I saw the most hateful, scornful, jealous glare that burned me with the fires of her being. She stood slowly and rigidly as we disappeared around the corner.
"Nuit…" I was going to ask what had happened, only to have his mouth silence me. When he broke away, I was again breathless.
"Shh, please silence, till we are out of ear shot," he whispered. I nodded and leaned my head against his shoulder. We had been married for over twenty years and I trusted everything he said. When we had finally gotten to our room, and closed the door, Nuit placed me on the bed and sat next to me. "We are safe now…" he uttered. Waving his hand to the door, sound proofing it with ice, so any eavesdropper would hear nothing.
"Nuit…my sister, her face…she looked as if she knew…"
"She did, she has been planing to take your fathers castle for a while now, and only my brother had the guts to commit the crime."
"No…" I gasped. I couldn't believe my sister…my silly sister could do such a thing. And I cried.
The next day, my father-in-law and Nuit met with Jud to make a compromise. When Nuit returned; my sons and Eve were standing with me in our palace door. Nuit walked up to me and looked to Orion. I wanted to know why he looked so sad.
"My father, Jud and I agreed to place an Astra on the earth, a fallen star to walk among the humans; and that one of our children would go and woo her. Who ever she chooses, would gain complete ownership of the sky," He said. "There are rules…the Astra must remain alive for more then a year after choosing, and Jud and our son's must remain alive. Knowing Jud, death might be an option that I hope to avoid…" I tried to hold in my tears; he had looked to Orion, my quiet little Orion.
"Don't tell me he chose the children…." I was almost frightened. I wasn't going to let Orion, only eleven, to wander earth alone. "Don't tell me he chose…"
"It wouldn't hurt our child, they'll have celestial being that might get bruised."
"Nuit! Don't tell me he picked the children!" I cried. Nuit walked up to me and took my face in his hands. He wiped some of my tears from my eyes, sadly gazing into them.
"He picked Orion and Cornelio." Nuit said. Orion stood silently, while Eve went and hugged her brother. "Orion, you'll have to woo the Astra…and stay alone on the earth with the humans for as long as it takes to do that."
"But Nuit! He's only eleven!" I cried as I ran to my son and took his shoulders in my hands.
"He wouldn't be send down till he's twenty. Father made that rule; he wanted it to be fair. He also has to let the Astra…. Um 'ripen'," Nuit bent over and knelt in front of Orion. "My son, do you understand what that means?"
"Yes father. That I'm supposed to marry this Astra." He responded. "Right mother?"
"Yes. And you'll live on earth for as long as that takes." I said. "You wouldn't see us for a long time…"
"But that wouldn't be for a while. You have a while with us…till then." Nuit said. He kissed all of his children and sent them to bed, other then Orion.
"Father…why do I have to marry her?" the child asked. Nuit bent and looked into my son's eyes.
"Many innocent people are dyeing at your uncle's recklessness…" Nuit said, I wiped tears from my eyes as I continued to cry. Orion looked so confused, so obediently paying attention. He had no idea. "We have no other choice…"
"Yes Father…" Orion hugged Nuit and was sent to bed, only after my husband held Orion tightly. "Good night" Orion trotted over to me and hugged me. I kissed his forehead and held him tightly. "Night mum,"
"Night my baby." I said and let him slip through my fingers and run off to bed. Nuit stood behind me and took my hand. I turned and buried my face in his chest and cried.
"Shh…" he cooed and kissed my face. "It'll be alright…" I nodded and turned and let him lead me back to our room. I couldn't think of my little baby, Orion, down on earth. How dangerous it was, and that wasn't with Cornelio and Jud planning Orion's death. How could I just let him go like that? I couldn't, I couldn't think of it. Are we not gods? Can we not just settle this with strength instead of useless words? But Nuit was a just man, he knew what he was doing, but still Orion would be left alone in that other world. Didn't we have the power to protect him? When Nuit and I arrived in our room, before he opened the door, he took me in his arms once again and held me, and let me cry softly.
"My father…wouldn't want this game of royalties…. To think, that we would be competing for such things…that his death led to this…a tug on a poor woman's heart"
"Shh. Nothing will go wrong. I promise." I didn't believe him.
"Orion's my baby, I don't want him in danger," I cried. Nuit held me tighter.
"I know, I don't want Orion down there either…but my father's word is law, I am so sorry," he said. He kissed me and led me into our room. After that night, we never mentioned the compromise again.
Then…Orion turned 19. My life went upside down once again.