The sun sank from the sky, turning it to shades of orange and yellow, as if in mourning. The moon peeked over the southern crest, a large round eye gazing over the Savannah. An African wild dog ushered her rowdy pups into a den. The mother felt the soft dirt under her belly fur as her pups lay in the curve of her belly. Except for one, sitting at the den entrance. With his mindful gaze, he watched the sky. The moon was slowly ascending, bringing a quiet darkness to the lands.

“Why does the moon have to rise?” Rogarni asked his mother. He huffed, ears sinking with the sun. “I don’t want to sleep.”

Fashi stretched her neck to grab her son’s scruff between her teeth and pulled him into the sleeping pile, “There’s an old legend about the sun and the moon, why they take turns in the sky. Do you want to hear?”

“Yes!” Another pup perked up, followed by Rogarni’s sister, all three pups chirping.

“Okay, okay. Here’s a little bedtime story.” Fashi nudged her pups close together, licking one’s forehead as she lowered her voice. “When the sun and moon were absent, the sky had always been gray. There were two creatures, their species unique to themselves. An animal we don’t have today but could be described as a mix between a cheetah and a hyena. Selari was tall, her fur woven of golden beams. It dazzled those around her, holding a light of its own. Morana was smaller, round, and gray. Her fur was without a light and covered in black spots, her appearance bland in comparison.

As Selari matured, she was generous to those she saw. For every hunt she went on, she caught twice as much as needed and gave her leftovers to the hyenas and vultures. Morana was the opposite, she took from the needy and wasted her leftovers. She’d be snappy and rude, until she was always alone.

Selari always yearned to see the world. One day, Morana found her sister watching the colourless sky. ‘What are you looking for, Selari?” Morana would ask.

So Selari answered, ‘There’s land beyond those mountains Morana, a whole world to explore. Why do we stay here?’

Morana did not know. She never had. Selari stood up, her face showing decisiveness, ‘I’ll go. I’ll find what’s over there.’

So Selari left. As always, her sister followed in her shadow. They walked and walked across the lands, seeing rivers and plains and jungles. As years passed, the sisters did too. Their spirits ascended to the sky and became their own stars. Selari’s was large and bright, the biggest in the sky for all her good doings. But Morana’s was gray, greed filled her star. Selari wasn’t done seeing the world, there was so much left to see. So her star floated over the lands, continuing to bring light to the creatures that lived. Morana lagged behind in her sister’s shadow, bringing darkness to the lands. The creatures called her the moon, bringing night to us while Selari wasn’t named the sun, bringing warmth and light.

And so the moon followed the sun across the lands, over night and day, longing for her warmth. Because even the stars long for what they lost in life.”