Long ago in the days of old, there was a day when the sky went black. Selene and Helios were in charge of the day and night then, riding their luminous chariots across the sky. Selene and Helios had gotten together and decided when each was to be in the sky, and they had changed Selene's schedule when she had found Endymion and fell in love with him. Before Selene was made to move Endymion to the cave, he had lain in the field with his sheep, and every night as Selene journeyed across the sky she watched him sleeping peacefully dreaming that the moon was his.
Every night as Selene rode across the sky, with four pure white mares leading her chariot, she looked down upon Endymion fondly; sometimes halting for a second to gaze upon him. Once a month she would descend from the sky to be with him, all the while he dreamt of holding the moon as his own as over time she bore him numerous children. Even now the moon is gone from the sky once a month and you'll see children with pale skin, pale eyes and pale hair who seem to radiate light from within them. But this tale is not about those children, it's about their mother and what mistake she once made and every once in a while does again.
She stopped to gaze down on Endymion…during the day. You know this now as a solar eclipse to the Greeks it was thought to be the sun's death; they were frozen in fear and shock. They mourned the loss of their sun and burned offerings to try to bring Helios back to the sky. Selene had halted her mares in the middle of the sky, eventually her chariot stood before Helios' chariot, with its blazing red stallions. Jupiter fumed with anger and thunder resounded, how dare his people be so frightened so much as to not burn offerings for him but to Helios. But as Helios went across the sky Selene realized her mistake and raced down too, blocking out his light a while longer. When Selene reached her home she saw Mercury waiting for her on her front steps, "Oh no," she gasped, this could only mean one thing: Jupiter had found out and was angry. "Oh Mercury, please tell me it isn't as bad as it looks!" She pleaded him.
"I wish I could," Mercury began. "But I cannot. It is as it is, Jupiter wishes to see you; he is not happy." With that said Mercury lifted into the air and flew off.
Selene went up to mighty Olympus; she kneeled before Jupiter's throne, her head bowed. "Oh mighty king of gods, I seek your mercy in your punishment bestowed to me."
"You blocked the sunlight from our people, you know you must pay. This must be quick for night is soon and you must be off." He paused a moment. "I shall give you three more chances before you and Helios are removed from position and replaced with my son and daughter. Only to return to the sky once a year." With that he dismissed her.
Selene went out that night and watched over Endymion, but the next day she used her first chance. Jupiter had her move Endymion to a cave so she wouldn't be so tempted to go during the day. She failed two more times after that which got her and Helios removed from postion and replaced by Apollo and Artremis.