[elfflower1989]: 706.Legend of the Moon Maiden

Legend of the Moon Maiden1

Once upon a time there was a sad, lonely little girl. But no one knew that she was either sad or lonely, they’d just see her smile and smile back. Every now and then, when they couldn’t return her smile they would simply take comfort in her own smile and so she kept smiling. But no one ever realized how fake her smile and comforting was, or how their ignorance wounded her to the soul. Now this little girl was certainly all smiles by day, when she was surrounded by those who loved her, but when night fell she’d retire to her room where the moon was her only companion. And there, the truth came out, in the form of glistening tears falling down her cheeks and ragged sobs that shook her from the core out. And the moon, the cold, cold moon, was the only witness to this. 2

Years went by and the girl became a woman. Many things happened, but nothing much changed. She cried less often, but not for lack of sorrow, because even as her outer composure had retained its cheerful facade, her inner self was still that same sad, lonely little girl with more woes now than ever before. Her cries soon became more desperate, her screams reverberating in the air around her though she made not a sound. She became utterly defeated when she cried, and would often gaze up at the watching moon, her eyes begging a reprieve. 3

The soul of the moon watched all this, and so knew her suffering. He never saw her lies of Day, and so was never fooled by them, but witnessed always the truth, and tears, of Night. So, one night, he finally decided to grant her a mercy and invite her to stay with him on the moon. He appeared to her as she lay sprawled on the floor, exhausted from yet another bout of untended tears. He was as a god, glowing and vibrant and beautiful. 4

She stared at him in awe and was instantly wary of him. Was the cold, cold moon, who’d watched her so many years, whom she’d loved and adored and confided in so long, finally answering her pleas? His voice came to her on the flitting rays of moonlight being carried into her room by the wind. In it she heard his explanation, and, even more importantly, his invitation. He warned though that she should think about it first. With her instant joy had come an instant sorrow. 5

She knew that to go with him she’d have to give up everything she had. Now though her life was a sad one, it was not always a bad one. She thought about the people who could make her forget and bring about genuine smiles. She thought about those tiny, tiny moments of joy when she could laugh and forget all else. And then she thought about how the smile on her reflection was most often a lie, and she knew she had made her choice. 6

She reached out and took his hand, and he nodded to show her he understood and soon they were both back upon the moon. What she found on the moon was….nothing. The moon was more cold and lonely than she had ever been. But she did not return to the earth, for here she need not lie through a smile and this was her choice. For a while she watched the Earth below, never disturbed for she did not see the moon man again. 7

Eventually, the cold of the moon began to seep into her, freezing her heart and quelling the passionate heat of all her sorrows. Her loneliness too eventually dulled and then disappeared under the touch of the moon. The woman welcomed this relief and did nothing to avoid it. Soon, all that remained of her was a beautiful statue of a maiden whose dormant sorrows were etched into the ice around her. And so it was that the sad lonely girl finally found peace.8

The End.9