The Cosmic Ball

For once, the Moon outshined the Sun, and it made the Sun furious. Twinkling instruments echoed through the infinite ballroom. The Moon twirled amongst the Stars, switching partners without missing a beat. The Sun stood in the center, yet all kept their distance from him. He beamed at a Star as they shot past him, causing them to stop in their tracks in awe.

Having lured in his target, the warm look on his face switched to a blazing scowl. “Why aren’t you all admiring me? What is so entrancing about the Moon?”

The Star’s light dimmed nervously. “The Moon does not care about being admired, he just wants to dance with the Stars. We Stars respect and fear you too much to ask you to join us.”

The Sun sparked with anger, causing the Star to cower and shield themselves from his light, before they darted away. He could only witness the other celestial bodies move around him, as no one else dared to get too close. To his ears, the music faded to a distant whisper. To his eyes, the dancing Moon and Stars were millions of miles away.

The Sun felt an icy hand entwine with his, waking him from his stupor. He saw his own light reflected in the Moon’s eyes as the Moon beamed at him. The Sun huffed bitterly, as it was a poor imitation of his glorious glow. It wasn’t until he tore his gaze away from the Moon that he noticed the music had stopped and the Stars stared at them.

“Too good to join us?” the Moon asked. “You always wait for everyone else to gravitate towards you.”

“I see beyond your facade,” the Sun said, glaring. As his anger flared, so did the heat of his skin. The Moon retracted his hand cautiously.

The Sun steeled himself and continued, regardless. “Your glow is a poor imitation of my glorious light. You do not deserve such admiration.”

“You are envious of me.” The Moon smirked. “It is lonely, isn’t it? Being held in such high regard as to be inapproachable, untouchable.” His voice raised as he addressed everyone. “Resume the merriment!”

None of the Stars moved for him.

The Moon reached his hand out to the Sun. “I am approaching you. I have touched you. Does that make me worthy of dancing with you?”

The Sun huffed. He would not admit it, but he craved that cold touch that so heavily contrasted his blaze. “I know what you are trying to do. I will not allow you to upstage me!” He gripped the Moon’s hand firmly and turned to the sea of Stars that surrounded them. “Resume the merriment!”

Music filled the room, and the Stars danced as if they’d never stopped.

The Sun shined with satisfaction at the fact they followed his word so readily. He led the Moon into a dance, setting a fast and flashy pace so the other wouldn’t be able to keep up. “I am in control, as it always should be. I command attention as the most important entity among the Stars.”

Despite the Sun’s efforts, the Moon kept in time perfectly, rotating with him in perfect harmony. “What is the point of attracting attention if you cannot get close to anyone else?” the Moon asked. “Is it worth being feared yet respected for your heat and light, if you cannot enjoy the simple things in life, such as dancing?”

The Sun’s grip tightened around the Moon’s hand, disdain twisting his features. “Are you mocking me? Flaunting how you have stolen the Stars’ admiration from me?”

The Moon beamed at him, unbothered by the accusation. “I have no influence over them. I am nothing like you or them. The only beauty and admiration I receive comes from my ‘poor imitation’ of your own.”

“Do you not loathe me for usually taking all of their attention?”

“No. Getting to witness someone else shining brightly is nothing to loathe them over. It’s my admiration for you that inspires me to reflect your light, so that I can be like you. You and the other Stars glow on your own. I have no light to call my own.”

As they danced, the Stars blurred at the edges of the Sun’s vision. His eyes only focused on the Moon, who glowed even brighter from their closeness. His cool body and calm tone never changed, regardless of the Sun’s efforts to irritate him.

Without noticing, the Sun slowed his pace, moving in tandem with the Moon. “You may reflect my light, but you make it your own. My heat is overpowering and intimidating. You make it gentle and relaxing.”

The Moon smiled, pressing closer, as if less afraid of the Sun’s fire. “You see now that I could never be a threat to your reign, then?”

“Just the opposite. I see that you have something unique to offer that I never could. Just moments ago, the idea of you having something special that I didn’t made me fume. Now I see that we each have our place here, and we each deserve to be celebrated for it.”

“I do not desire to be the center of attention all the time, or even half the time, as you are. But perhaps we can reach a compromise.” The Moon leaned in to whisper a proposition to the Sun. The Sun beamed in agreement.

Together, they glided around the ballroom, the Sun no longer confined to the center. The Stars scattered for them, staring awestruck. The Sun glowed so vividly that his light almost hid the Moon from sight. He couldn’t allow that.

The Stars watched as the duo returned to the center. Then, the Sun twirled him in front of him for all to see. For a brief time, the Stars got to see the Moon in a new way, with his silhouette backed by a halo of the Sun’s shine. For once, the Sun was more than happy to be eclipsed.