In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it. And to rule over the sky He made two cats: Sun-Cat and Moon-Cat.
Sun-Cat and Moon-Cat married, and eventually they had a son. We call him Little Moon. He had the powers of his parents, though not as greatly.
The Darkness that came on the world did not touch the Sky as it did the Surface below, and Little Moon grew and lived untainted by Death. Still, he was curious about the world below, and begged his parents to let him visit. Until he grew older, though, they refused, knowing the corruption that lay below the Sky.
However, Little Moon eventually grew up, and was allowed to visit the Surface. Now he learned of the Darkness, and saw how it had tainted those who touched it. Still, though, he saw beauty in this dark land, and held hope for its creatures. He stayed to shine his light, fighting the Darkness.
Eventually he met a cat of the wild, and they fell in love. Little Moon and the cat of the wild had children together. Neither wild nor Sky, these cats were a new kind, but they held a trace of the power of Moon and Sun. They were the first magician cats.
As all creatures of the Surface who have been tainted by Death must, Little Moon’s wife eventually died. Little Moon was heartbroken, and he returned to the Sky, where he watches the world alongside his mother. But his children remained, and their children. They passed on the magic of Moon and Sun from generation to generation, and, though it has waned, it is still here today.
***
“And that is the story of how we cats got our magic,” Ashra’s mother finished. “And just like Little Moon, we use our magic– our light– to fight the Darkness.”
“Is that what you do, Mother?” Ashra asked.
“Yes, little one. And soon, it’ll be your turn.”
“I can’t wait!”
***
Fifteen years later
Ashra gazed upward at the moons, peeking through a gap in the treetops overhead. Both were full tonight. The larger of the two shone white, while the smaller had a more golden tint. Moon-Cat and Little Moon, as the childhood stories taught. Ashra sighed. It all seemed so simple back then. The path seemed so clear. Still, I am still trying. I will shine my light and fight the Darkness, no matter what form it takes. I just wish it wasn’t all so hard…
As she stood and turned to leave, the bright red tip of her tail stood out against the surrounding darkness and the green of the grass beneath.
Video Version
Anna Petracci, Fantasy Author 