A calming wind, the soft caws of ravens through the air, the midnight sky twinkling overhead... setting a scene of mystery, capturing the wonder this world can offer. Over time, mankind has learned to look to the heavens in appreciation, rather than hatred and envy, and has found a bond to hold with the skies. Happy with what they are given, mankind makes the best of their situation night-to-night, all while the moon watches on, ever-glowing to light their way. The dreams of the past have long since been fulfilled, but the pain of the past... that can never fade away.

The gentle waves of the night-blackened ocean churn softly, the sound of waves on the shore a methodical melody. Sitting together in the sand there is a couple, their hands joined together in a small symbol of unity. A group of friends down the shoreline throw a frisbee around to pass the hours away, enjoying the beach in this never-ending night. Still another group of children further down build sand-castles, some with great form... and others, not so much. The world continues spinning, the satisfaction continues on... everyone, finally happy with the world around them.

"It's... been so long," the moon smiled sadly, staring down at the planet below, "Hard to believe I've been at this for so long... I actually miss what it's like living down there. At least... at least then I was with friends. Up here, I have nothing but this gods-damned void to keep me company."

Yes, though it is true that long ago there would have been another to shine beside him and share the moment, those times were never meant to be. A sole survivor was the gods' demand, and that was, in the end, what they had received. The moon stood tall on that day, and ever since, the earth had prospered in ways unlike any the moon could have ever imagined. Yet with all his dreams of helping the world accomplished, and being left to only keep the task of hanging in the sky for their support... in the end, the fulfillment of his dreams brought the downfall of his spirit.

When the stairwell to heaven ends, a tragic life alone awaits the hero.

"Christ, Champ... what were we thinking? Look at me... I'm a mess all alone up here. How could we be so foolish, to believe that we had to fall in line with what the gods demanded? Why couldn't we... why couldn't we have shown our true strength together? It didn't have to just be one... did it? I'm alone now... my strength is greater for it, but my heart feels so damned empty. The cycle... our cycle was broken... gods, I wish I could show you the regret that comes with fulfilling your dreams. We were such fools..."

Closing his eyes, the moon saw no difference between the darkness of the void and the darkness behind his lids. There was simply no variety until he looked to the world... and that had been all he could see for the past many ages now. So long as he held the world in his sights, the void could never take hold of it again... but he could only feel regret to the fact that he was at it alone. He almost... so very often, he would almost wish it was another in his place, so that he could finally be at peace.

"Aggh... curse you, gods!" cried the moon, casting an angry glare at the few remaining stars faded deep within the void, "You said there should only be one, you made us believe you! Look, damn you, at the pain you have caused for such lies!"

It was a slow and steady process, but over time... the heart of the moon was losing its strength. Without the sun to keep him in a cycle, the moon was growing unstable and, despite the promise of the gods... he was weakening considerably. The gods had expected a great strength to rise from their seperation through death, that the survivor would hold the power of the both in the palm of their hand... but they were sadly mistaken. The bond between sun and moon was far too great, and by breaking it, they too broke the spirit of the surviving party. Yet that wasn't the only thing bothering the moon... there was another issue, an issue he had never thought he would have to face in all his life.

His determination was faltering... and he was growing weary of going on.

Long ago, during the times when he would cycle with the sun... he would always be so confident in the success of the coming ages. He watched mankind with a sense of pride and happiness, and he stayed determined to make sure that they would never falter. To the people, the larger-than-life sun was all they needed to make the day through, and the moon... he was so very close to them all, he was their companion in the night when they needed it most.

Mankind looked up to the moon... and they admired the sun.

Yet now... now the moon was made to bear both his own burden and the burden of the sun, and he was quickly realizing that he simply could not handle that. The bond the two shared was too strong... and what the gods may have once called a blessing for the moon had quickly turned into nothing more than a curse. Thus, every never-ending night that passed would see the moon staring in pain to the world below it, seemingly trapped in the void... cursed for doing everything he could for the love of his people.

"Guess... guess I'm still the little emochild aren't I, Chris? You're... probably laughing at me from beyond the grave, you little bastard..."

A pause. The moon looked out to the void with eyes betraying the pain that was coursing his body.

"I... damn it all, Champ... I can't do this. Eternity is... it's just too much, I... oh, Christ. I needed you, Champion, why the hell did we have to... ugh."

The gods of old would have surely changed their plans had they known they would turn out like this... for everything was slowly falling apart. The peices of the puzzle that long ago fit to finish it all were beginning to crumble away, and their solution was quickly becomming their demise. A familiar darkness was quickly setting in, choking the once happy earth and sending a chill down the spines of man. They were watching the days of old return, and much to their horror... there was nothing they could do. They were losing their paradise under the moon, just as the moon had lost it's paradise overtop of them.

The gods asked for a single deity to light the world... and in turn, they received none.

"End-game, Champ... I'm just not strong enough anymore. I won, and because of that... we all lost in the end."

The moon could no longer bring itself to look to the world which, long ago, he had risen up to shine for. He knew that soon it would be plunged into darkness once more... and silently, he prayed that the cycle of the past might repeat itself again.

"I can't go on any further... I quit, Champion, I... I give up."

And, with that, the moon faded into the void, leaving the world behind.