The Legend of Astraeus and Selene

(This is the Legend of Astraeus and Selene. It is written by Greenleanlimabean as a fan-fiction legend passed on by the NightWings since the time of Darkstalker. Please do not copy this story or edit this page without permission. However, you are free to mention this legend on your page if you would like.)
== The Legend of Astraeus and Selene ==
"Gather, gather around!" Princess Crescent giggled to all the approaching dragonets. I looked around as NightWing dragonets landed in the courtyard and hastily sat down, impatiently awaiting the telling of their favorite story. 
The princess often told old stories and myths in the palace courtyard around the pit of fire to entertain us at midnight (most of the stories I got quite bored with, but I quite liked the one she was going to tell tonight). Crescent was the daughter of Queen Vigilance, the shrewd queen of the NightWings, though she had absolutely no intention of ever challenging her mother for the throne. She supposedly lived for the "simpler things". I hardly think I'll ever understand that notion. 
She gazed kindly at the dragonets, bringing them in close and wrapping her wings around them as if they were her own. Clearsight sat beside me, her ears slightly twitching. I heard excited screeches as a few rowdy dragonets scurried around, and I heard minds of all the dragons around me chattering anxiously, as I was a mind-reader. I hated to admit that I was anxious, too. Perhaps that's just my pride.
Crescent hushed us, still laughing merrily. "Now, now, quiet, quiet! It's time, little ones!" she sang. 
Everyone fell silent almost immediately.
"So," Crescent began, repositioning her stance, "as you all already know, NightWings were the first dragon tribe to ever exist—"
"Which makes us the best," I interrupted with my head held high, looking my nose down on all the younger dragonets. 
A few dragon that were my age grumbled, which confused me, until I read their minds and heard their thoughts say, Says the NightWing-IceWing, almost all at the same time.
"Darkstalker!" Clearsight whisper-scolded me through gritted teeth. She lightly tapped her claw against my mine as a signal to say no more. 
"What?" I replied rather loudly, slightly annoyed, but I still loved my Clearsight very much. I'd looked upon her fondly ever since I laid my eyes on her.
Crescent cleared her throat, not seeming to mind what I said, which bothered me a bit. "As I was saying, the story I am about to tell, the Legend of Astraeus and Selene, is about the beginning of dragons, the beginning of the NightWings. . . Listen closely." She cleared her throat yet again (highly unnecessary) and then finally began. 
A long time ago, before you or I or our great fathers before us, there was a great being named Chaos. She was everything, and yet she was nothing. She was the embodiment of the universe, which was dark and empty at the time. Chaos was dissatisfied with the "nothing" around her, so she created the world.
After the world was made, there was empty land, an empty continent, actually. Chaos took a piece of herself, a piece of the empty, black abyss, and molded a new, beautiful creature to live on this land. She called it a NightWing.
She automatically loved the NightWing, so she called her two favorite children, Astraeus, the king of all the stars, and Selene, the queen of the moons. 
"My beloved son and daughter," Chaos said to them upon their arrival, "this is a NightWing." 
Astraeus and Selene oohed and aahed in unison. 
"I have a challenge for you both, my dears," she continued. "Whichever one of you can bestow the greatest gift upon this NightWing and its future tribe will be its guardian for all eternity and will be named its patron primordial."
They were so excited at that news! They could hardly contain themselves!
"Mother, if it is a contest you speak of, then I will surely be the victor!" Astraeus boasted, and all the stars around him bowed in adoration. 
Selene, on the other hand, was quite nervous, being the most shy and reserved of all Chaos's children. The three moons came to her side and quietly comforted her.
The contest began. They had until the sun, Helios, another one of Chaos's children, rose on the new continent to bestow gifts on the creature. Chaos was to be the judge of the contest, and she did not favor Astraeus over Selene nor did she Selene over Astraeus, so it was fair for the most part.
"It seems only fitting that I shall start," Astraeus said, trying his absolute best to look as regal as possible. He leaned towards the little NightWing. "I shall bestow upon you the gift of flight!" He gestured towards the creature, and two large wings for flying high appeared on its back. It lifted itself off the ground, and beamed happily at Astraeus.
"Little NightWing," Selene whispered to it, trying to think of something worthy to give. She paused for a long while, and then said, "Wisdom. I shall bestow upon you the gift of wisdom and knowledge untold." The NightWing tilted its head. It was suddenly struck by Selene's gift and it began to radiate intelligence, like a light had turned on in its brain. It smiled.
Astraeus spat out something he thought was worthy. "Elegant beauty!"
They went like this for a while, back and forth, trying to top each other each time while exchanging banter, thus giving the NightWings many of the traits they have today. But Chaos grew weary and bored with the competition. Their gifts were lovely, of course, but common. If other tribes dragons were to live on the same continent alongside the superior NightWings someday, why would they not also possess these same traits? Chaos wished for a gift that would truly set apart the NightWings from other future dragons for all eternity. 
"Do wrap this up quickly, children, or I will pick one of you by random," Chaos sighed, gazing over the horizon as she saw Helios approach. "The NightWings need something grand." 
"Of course, Mother," Astraeus replied, eager to please Chaos. His mouth curved into a smile. He had a brilliant idea, and he knew his mother would realize it was better than anything Selene could think of. "My final gift is the gift of the stars, my stars, speckling their wings, allowing them to cloak themselves and blend in with the night sky."
Chaos clapped, impressed with her son. It was a gift worthy of the NightWings.
"Mother," Selene practically whispered. "I would like to present my final gift too."
Astraeus scoffed indignantly. He couldn't imagine his sister winning over him, so he assumed her gift would be inferior to his. 
"I will give them the gift of mind-reading and foresight," Selene began, sure of herself for the first time in eons, "under my moons. Meaning that if a NightWing is hatched under a single full moon, they with either receive one of those two powers. If they are hatched under two, they will receive both. If they are hatched under a very rare three moons, they will receive a magnified version of both, and perhaps even magic." 
Astraeus's jaw dangled open. He flared at his sister. "She can't do that! That's not fair!" 
"Calm yourself, Astraeus," Chaos fumed, disappointed at her son's childish behavior. At the same time, however, she was in absolute awe at Selene's clever and inventive (not to mention over-powered) gift. 
"I declare my daughter, the Moon, the winner of this contest and the new patron of the NightWings and all they are yet to be," Chaos announced to all the world. Thunderous applause erupted throughout the cosmos. Selene bowed humbly. 
Then, all of a sudden, her mind went black and her eyes closed abruptly. When she finally awoke, she knew the futures of every single NightWing that would ever exist. She knew about all the queens, all the wars, and all the names of every dragonet before they were even hatched. And just as Chaos said, she knew all that her tribe would be. 
"The End!" Crescent giggled finally. 
The younger dragonets aroused suddenly, jumping around and asking millions of questions regarding the story to the princess at once. The dragonets my age just stared in wonder at the stars, or glanced curiously at the moon. 
I looked around and saw my tribe, dancing about in our prosperous home. It was hard to even fathom the idea that that was truly the story of our origins. I turned my gaze upward and twined my tail with Clearsight, much to her shock. 
Thank you, Selene, for these great gifts that I possess and for my great tribe, I uttered in my head, closing my eyes. They don't know it yet, but I will do great things for them one day. I will be a renowned, powerful, benevolent dragon. And I know this because I've seen it in the future. 
I opened my eyes suddenly. 
And I know you have too.
=== THE END. ===
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)