The Sun in the Mirror

My, my, child! What are you doing up so late?

Hm? Can't sleep?

I see. Well, it happens to everyone, even me, so why don't I tell you a story to help pass the time? That's right. Come and lie on my paws, there is something I want to show you. There you go. Comfortable? Very good. Now, look there – in the moonlight – towards the carvings and paintings that decorate the walls of our den.

That is our story and history as vulpix and ninetales, the tale of the Sun, Moon and Stars. I don't believe I ever told you, or any of the other pups for that matter, but my daughter – your mother – used to love this story. I told it to her all the time when she was your age. I expected her to do the same for you, but here we are.

Oh now look at me, getting all distracted. Look at the large mural that covers the ceiling. What do you see?

Ah-ha, not quite. You are not wrong in saying that it is a clan gathering, it is not for celebration. Rather, it's our ancestors giving their thanks and loyalty to the Moon and Stars for saving not only their lives, but the entire land from the Sun's wrath. As you can see, our history is deeply entwined with the three, especially the Sun. I believe you have already heard of the divine arrangement between the Sun, Moon and Star but let me explain it more, for it is essential to the story I am about to tell.

In the time of Ancients, the Sun and Moon worked in tandem, in cycles. The Sun, the more powerful and radiant of the two, would brighten the heavens to bring daylight. His light brought warmth to the lands but would scorch and burn if left unchecked. So it was the Moon's responsibility to give reprieve from the Sun's intensity. Her wings would cloak the lands in darkness that absorbed the blinding light, leaving what remained with no warmth. When the world grew too cold, the Sun would return to warm the lands once more.

'And the Stars?' you may ask. Long before her union with the Moon, she would dance in the breath of twilight, the borders between day and night; fleeing the moment either Sun or Moon would return to their place in the skies. The union between the two being the story I will tell you tonight.

A long, long time ago, when the Ancients still walked the land, the Sun forged us from the embers of his mane. He created us to serve as his attendants, beneath the command of both him and his four disciples. Remember that. He had four disciples, not three. Don't you dare listen to anyone who insists that it's three, my old heart wouldn't be able to take it.

…

Anyway. For many, many years our ancestors served the Sun and his disciples loyally and all was right with the world. That was, until the fateful day the Sun lost his light. For you see, the Sun did not shine alone. He had a light that he held close to his chest and that light would follow him everywhere, providing joy and warmth to Ancient and pokémon alike. But, in the shadows, brewed envy, resentment of that light, and the desire to take it for oneself.

A desire an Ancient attempted to act upon.

The Ancient refused to fathom why such power needed to be shared. Surely, they reasoned, it would be more beneficial to keep it all to oneself. So, on a bitter winter's night – Moon's light veiled by an oncoming storm – the Ancient snuck into the Sun's resting place, a peaceful forest sanctuary, and tried to take the light for themself.

But the Ancient could not take the light very far from its source as the two were inseparable on a level they could not understand. So in a fit of jealous anger, they shattered the light and vanished into the night.

Unbeknownst to the Ancient, that light had been the Sun's heart and without it, the mourning Sun had lost all sense of compassion. He grew more selfish by the day, resentful over the joy he could no longer have. Soon, he determined that if he could no longer feel such things, no one else should. And so, he demanded complete dominion over the skies to enact his plan.

He gathered his followers and disciples and waited for the zenith of the Moon's flight and at the decisive moment, he struck her down. Her blood irreversibly stained his fur red and unchallenged, the Sun began to burn.

However, a schism had begun to form between the Sun's followers. Though his influence was strong, some were able to see the Sun's cruelty and apathy for what it was and began to dissent. The moment the Sun learnt of this, he stripped the insurgent vulpix and ninetales of their inner flame and banished them to perish in the burning lands. Most did, but the few who were to become our ancestors had found the badly injured Moon moments before they succumbed to the raging inferno.

Taking pity on them, the Moon filled their empty spirits with a cold chill to stave off the heat and allowed them beneath her wings to take shelter from the Sun's wrath. Ever since, we have been loyal to her as our goddess. It is this birth from hardship that makes us stronger than our Sun-serving brethren, for unlike them, we would not be lost if the Moon were to disappear one day.

Now, before I continue, I will explain more about the lands we inhabit so you may understand what happens next in our tale.

Our world exists on one side of a great, unending mirror that holds everything in equilibrium. It is said that there was a land where you could see this mirror's surface in its vast lakes of liquid silver; where the two sides would converge, and – if the circumstances were just right – you could cross over to the other side.

But that land no longer exists, and you wouldn't really want to do that anyway. For you see, the reflected world beyond the surface is not our world's double but its opposite. Where our side teems with life and colour, the other is desolate and inhospitable. Where we are gifted with warmth and light, the other is a cold, unforgiving void.

The Sun remains trapped on the other side of that mirror to this very day.

'What happened?' you ask, well! Exercise a bit of patience, I was just about to tell you.

The Sun's light consumed the world; without the Moon, nothing could stop it. The lands were scorched, forests set ablaze and mountains turned to ash. It was to be the end of all life. The Ancients, desperate, called and prayed to the Moon for help, the Sun having long become ignorant to their cries for mercy.

However, it was not the Moon, but the Stars who answered. The Stars had been in hiding when the Sun took over the skies, fearful of his immense power after she'd witnessed him strike down the Moon. But when she heard the Ancients' pleas, she realised that she could not sit idly by as the Sun devoured the world. Through the strength of six warriors, she gathered her courage and formed a plan.

They could not simply strike him down as he'd done with the Moon. Per his nature, the Sun would rise again with new-found fury and would continue his devastation of the lands. So the Stars thought that if he were to be somehow trapped, unable to rise, his rampage would be stopped. To accomplish this, the Stars forged chains of crystal and light to pin the Sun to the ground; two sets were made to double the chances of victory.

Whisperings of this plan spread quickly across the land, away from the Sun's ears in the sky. It was not long before the Moon caught wind of it, appearing before the Stars to offer her strength. She even knew the ideal place to trap the Sun; within the world's reflection so that he could still imbue the lands with warmth whenever he gazed upon the surface.

But the Moon was still wounded and could not face the Sun directly, for it would have spelled her end; and the Stars lacked the sufficient power to do battle with the Sun within his domain. The two would have to face him together as one. See the paintings of the Moon's familiar form covered in glittering crystal? That's them, united.

With little delay, the plan was put into motion. The combined being gave the chains to the six warriors who would spring upon the Sun once he drew close to where the two sides of the mirror converged and drag him into the reflected world.

They took to the skies and confronted the Sun who cursed the insolence of his adversaries as the battle began. The Sun would chase after his foe, who kept their distance but refused to back down, none the wiser to the fact that he was being led directly into a trap. For many weeks they would exchange blow after blow, exhausting each other, yet unable to strike the other down. The burning skies became blinding.

When the Sun reached the designated place, the six warriors wasted no time in ensnaring him in unbreakable chains. They held strong against his wild thrashing, allowing for the warriors to drag their former god away, locking him deep within the mirrored realm. Only his reflection remained and the world was left in soothing darkness. The Moon and Stars then took their place in the heavens together. From then on, to this very night, the two soar the skies in tandem, protecting the world from the Sun's blistering light as he watches the world move on without him from his prison.

But this tale ends with a warning. It is the Sun's nature to rise again and again. Though his entrapments are said to be unbreakable, even they risk yielding to his overwhelming nature. With his wrath and fury increased tenfold, he will return to enact his vengeance on his captors, and rend the skies with a crimson glare.

Hm? Seems like you've already dozed off. No matter, that warning is nothing more than a means to scare misbehaving vulpix. Legends tend to embellish a few details, especially once they start fading into myth. The Moon and Stars will protect you, as they have always done. But enough stories for now, I will tell you more on the morrow. It's time for you to sleep, my dear little Nandina.

Inkedust Presents…

A tale of heroes, legends, and a boy who ran away from home

Based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Pathways to Arcadia