Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In every version of every universe, there are two planes of existence. On the first level dwell the mortals - those with a concrete and physical understanding of their world and lives. Upon the second live the gods. The first level may not see the second, but the second is always aware of the first. 

The mortal plane will occasionally witness the grandeur and spectacle of the gods, but it often understands these things as natural phenomena and to an extent, they’re not wrong.

The humans in particular see them as bodies in the solar system, too large and far away to comprehend fully. They watch them and wonder and ask themselves just how large the space outside their home really is.

For surely if they could see just how beautiful some of their gods actually are, the night sky would not seem so dark. If they could hear the tales of how they came to be, perhaps the universe would not seem so vast. If they could perhaps understand who these gods are, nature and magic might yet come to be one.

This story in particular is about these gods. This is the story of the sun, and the moon, and the space between them.

Kyoujurou was never lonely. He was at the center, after all, and someone who exists in the center of an entire reality could never be lonely. He reassured himself of this every day and every night, or at least, what counted as a day and night for him. 

Still, there were times he wished to stand closer to the others. The brush of a hand on his cheek, a finger carding through his hair, they were things he shouldn’t yearn for and yet he did. 

When he saw Obanai and Mitsuri, so far apart and yet reaching ever constantly for each other, he felt empathy. When he watched Uzui with his wives, spinning about each other in happy, contented bliss, a lump grew in his throat. 

The others all circled him, smiled at him, but they never drew close.

They loved him for his warmth, yet none would approach for fear of getting burned. 

And Kyoujurou understood why.

He was the sun. He was never meant to draw closer to the others else devastation would rain. His duty was to remain where he was and burn until he could burn no more. If he abandoned his post, the mortals would perish and freeze. 

So he was happy where he was. He was needed and loved.

It was enough.

Still, Kyoujurou’s existence had been a long one, even if he had not always been the sun god. He amused himself watching the mortals in their world, unaware of the happenings above them as the gods worked to keep their planet comfortable and safe and protected.

Their stories were fascinating to him. 

He watched as they studied him and mimicked him, finding fire for the first time. He watched them run beneath him, their faces turned upwards in joy. He liked seeing their journey beneath the light of day even if he always lost them as the Earth turned to face away from him every night. Still, with each loss came the discovery of new people when night for some turned to morning once again.

But the blissful ignorance of the mortals on Earth was not the only thing Kyoujurou kept an eye on. After all, the gods were there for a reason even if he himself had little use beyond his role as an anchor and source of heat.

For countless years he had watched and been entertained as the other gods around him worked against the dark matter creeping steadily into their space. 

He could only help so much given his position, but he still worried for the others.

Obanai, who had become the god of Pluto, often reported on the ever encroaching tendrils of darkness that had swallowed up distant realms. 

Kyoujurou wasn’t sure if it was a god or something else entirely that was eating the planets and stars, but he always listened for new information. 

Recently, new beings had taken over dormant planets and moons on the outer edges of the gods’ territory. With them came the darkness.

When the other gods were dispatched to investigate and battle the foreign entities, it was to little success. Haumea and Makemake had both been lost to two of the strange beings. Obanai, being the closest to them, had been leaving his post more frequently to fight and returned each time looking paler and colder. 

Kyoujurou tried to help when he could but Obanai was usually too distant for him to do much good.

In turn, he tried to reassure Mitsuri who watched after the faraway planet with longing and worry in her eyes. She was unable to go to Obanai very often and when she could, it was only for brief stolen moments. 

And so Kyoujurou watched all of this happen, along with the humans and their lives, and he waited.

And then, one day, something changed.

Kyoujurou had been watching for so long, anything new to his routine caught his attention immediately.

He had been following a group of mortals playing in the summer heat, watching their excitement as evening grew and the stars began to appear before them.

The Earth’s moon, a small but beautiful thing, was drawing closer and Kyoujurou knew that his time with the mortal group was drawing to an end. He would only have to hope he could find them again in the morning when they would be visible to his gaze once more. He had been enjoying this particular group’s energy and joy.

Then suddenly, the moon looked at him.

Kyoujurou startled. 

There had not been a moon god for as long as he could remember, and yet suddenly, there was a man staring back at him as a new landmass passed below.

The moon smiled. He had sharp teeth and golden eyes and Kyoujurou wondered if all moon gods appeared as such.

“Hello!” Kyoujurou beamed at the new god. 

The moon cocked his head, lips curled into an easy grin. “Hello,” he purred.

“I hadn’t realized a new god had awakened. Welcome!”

The moon looked around himself as if just now noticing his position. “A god?” 

“Yes! We haven’t had a new one come to us in a long time, but I understand the transition can be startling. Were you once a mortal? Or do you remember nothing from before?”

The moon glanced downwards, studying Earth through a glasslike floor of stars and comets. “A god.” He repeated himself. “Yes, I remember.”

“Wonderful!” Kyoujurou clapped his hands and laughed loudly, causing the other to glance sharply up at him.

“So you’re the sun.” The moon curled a hand under his chin and studied Kyoujurou. “You must be the strongest in this system, yes?”

Kyoujurou rocked back on his heels and contemplated his answer. “I don’t know if I’m the strongest. I certainly have the most energy out of the gods! But I don’t fight as the others do, so I wouldn’t know my own power.”

The moon took a step closer and Kyoujurou stumbled backwards.

When the floor rumbled, both froze.

“Stop!” Kyoujurou held his hands up. “Please, don’t come closer. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt if you try.” He tried smiling to ward off the upset lump in the back of his throat.

“It’s a bit inconvenient to hold a conversation so far apart from each other.” The moon frowned.

“I cannot move from here, and if you try to come closer, you’ll burn.”

“Is it this way with all the gods?”

Kyoujurou looked out into the darkness of the plane. Muichirou and Mitsuri had gone off to fight with the others, but they would return soon. “No, you will be able to draw close to the others. Not for too long, though. If you leave your post for extended periods, bad things could happen. But there’s no harm in you approaching the others whenever you’d like.”

“So you alone must stay where you are?” The frown deepened.

“Yes, but I don’t mind! All the other gods are around me all the time!”

“But they can’t draw close.”

“No.”

“It sounds lonely.”

Kyoujurou’s smile faltered. “Of course not. I’m the sun - how could I ever be lonely?”

The moon took another step closer and Kyoujurou was mindful to keep his feet planted where they were. As much as he worried for the moon’s safety, it would be more dangerous for him to shift again. 

“I want to come closer.” The moon squinted at him, likely already feeling a heat he was never meant to experience.

“Please, stay back.” Kyoujurou wanted to draw away. He was hurting the moon.

Finally, the moon stopped approaching, one pale hand held up against Kyoujurou’s light. He growled. “This is ridiculous.”

“You’ll grow used to it.” Kyoujurou tried to keep the relief out of his voice.

“What’s the use of becoming a god if I can’t go where I like?” The moon retreated a few steps and sat down on the ground, pouting. 

“It’s just our way, I suppose.”

There was a moment of silence as the two studied each other. Half cast in shadow, Kyoujurou could just make out the shimmering filigree that bordered the edges of the moon’s robes like stars. Dark, bold lines wrapped across his exposed skin like a ring’s shadows made flesh. He was beautiful in a way the moon always was, even if he was a bit odd.

“So does the sun have a name?” The moon asked, raising an eyebrow. He’d noticed Kyoujurou’s scrutiny.

“I’m Kyoujurou.” He wasn’t embarrassed about being caught staring for the other had been doing it too.

The moon grinned, sudden and sharp. “Kyoujurou. I think that suits you. I’m Akaza.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Akaza. I don’t get to meet many new people, so it’s always good to hear a new voice.” 

There was a trembling vibration in the ground and Akaza stood from his crouch. “What’s happening?”

Kyoujurou glanced back into the black of the beyond. “Mitsuri and Muichirou are returning. They reside closest to me so you will likely feel them come and go most frequently. If you stay, you could meet them as they pass by.”

Akaza grimaced and began backing away towards Earth once more. “I think I’ll save that privilege for a later time.”

“Will you come again?” Kyoujurou knew he sounded hopeful, but he couldn’t help it. Any companionship was better than none and Akaza seemed nice. He was friendly, at least, if strange. But then, he was a new god. There was always a period for the gods as they settled into their new existence. Kyoujurou was sure Akaza would grow more comfortable with himself as he became used to the transition.

“I don’t think I could stay away, Kyoujurou.” Akaza said his name like a prayer. “And I’ll find a way to get closer, just wait.”

“Please don’t hurt yourself.” Kyoujurou wished he could step forward and take Akaza’s hand. It had been so long since someone wanted to approach him and the feeling was intoxicating. 

“I’ve never been afraid of getting burned.” Akaza promised, and just as the trembling grew to a roar, he stepped into the Earth’s shadow, out of sight.

Muichirou and Mitsuri appeared as soon as he was gone.

“Kyou!” Mitsuri waved as she skirted his edge, grinning cheerfully. “Did you miss us?”

Muichirou passed by silently, though he hugged close to Kyoujurou’s warmth. He wasn’t a talkative type, but Kyoujurou was immensely fond of the smaller god who could withstand his heat more than the others and remained almost close enough to touch. 

Mitsuri stayed a safe distance away, though she was closer than Akaza had been able to get. “You look happy! Did you see something fun happen on Earth?” She peered over her shoulder to glance at the planet. 

“Something like that.” Kyoujurou returned her grin. “I met a new god.” 

“A new god?”

Muichirou glanced up at him, eyes squinting slightly against the brightness. “Was there a new god that needed to be made?”

Kyoujurou shrugged. “Earth’s moon woke up just a while ago. He seems a bit strange, but nice! I hope you’ll get to meet him soon.”

“The moon?” Mitsuri frowned slightly. “Isn’t that moon a bit small to host a god?” She seemed to be contemplating something and her brows furrowed. 

“But it’s an important part of the system!” Kyoujurou insisted. “I see how the humans worship it across the planet.”

“Yes, but still…” Mitsuri turned fully to face Earth but Akaza had retreated to the far side of the planet and was out of view. “Kyou, you’ll tell me more about this moon god if you meet him again, won’t you?”

“If you’d like. But may I ask why?”

Mitsuri was still staring at the mortal planet. “The dark planets on the edge, you know of them right?”

“Of course.” Kyoujurou nodded. Haumea and Makemake, overtaken by the dark matter and currently inhabited by entities unknown to the gods. 

“They woke up too, but they aren’t gods. Not like us. They’re something else, something catastrophic. If they come too close, I’m afraid they could destroy the whole system.”

“You think the moon god was woken by the dark matter?” Kyoujurou couldn’t see how someone with eyes as bright as Akaza’s could be a force of darkness.

“I don’t know. But be careful around him. Don’t let him come too close.”

“You know I would never.”

Mitsuri finally turned back around to face him once more. “Of course, I’m sorry, Kyoujurou. These past few battles have taken their toll on me. Seeing them up close, what they are, it’s been… trying. I know it’s hard for you to see what’s going on that far out, and I wish you could if only to know what we’re up against. But I’ll trust your judgement when it comes to this new god. You’ve always been better than most at seeing the best in people.” She smiled finally. 

Kyoujurou once again wished he could reach out and touch her. Mitsuri was always so good to him and he yearned to return the affection. 

Muichirou stood stoically by his side. He was never too far whenever he returned from the outer edges. 

“And I assume you’ll watch out for him when I can’t.” Mitsuri said this to Muichirou who blinked slowly at her. 

Kyoujurou laughed heartily. “I can protect myself well enough, Mitsuri, but I appreciate both of your concern. I’m glad to have friends like you!”

Mitsuri stayed a while longer to give Kyoujurou a more detailed update on the battles at the edge of the system and to listen to the stories of the people Kyoujurou had watched that day. Finally, Mitsuri’s orbit drew her further away and Kyoujurou watched her go until she was on the dark side of Venus - her personal home. 

All of the gods could retreat to the dark sides of their planets for privacy. It kept them out of view from everyone else. Only Kyoujurou could not hide.

Occasionally he wished for a place of his own where he too was not in constant view of the entire system. But such was not possible for a god like him and Kyoujurou remained standing where he was.

At least Muichirou kept him company most of the time. Of all the gods, he stayed in the light the most and for that Kyoujurou was grateful. He was never sure if Muichirou did it out of consideration for Kyoujurou, or if he simply did not feel the need to retreat to privacy. 

Regardless, Kyoujurou was appreciative of the company.

He wondered when Akaza would visit him again as he’d promised and felt his mood lift. He had a new friend! Perhaps that gnawing persistence deep inside his chest would abate some and he could enjoy the company of somebody new. Somebody who seemed to want to approach Kyoujurou as much as Kyoujurou wanted to approach others.

Things were going to get better, Kyoujurou told himself. 

Akaza watched Kyoujurou from the Earth’s shadow. The sun was, as expected, more beautiful than anything he’d seen before. He hadn’t quite anticipated the sun’s kindness, though, and it grated on him in an uncomfortable way. 

The beaming, hopeful smile Akaza was able to see from all the way over by Earth burned behind his eyelids.

He didn’t like being the target of such a happy look.

It would only make what he had to do that much harder.

When he’d woken up on this plane, everything had felt strange. That had also been expected. Muzan had briefed him on what to expect as he shifted into the realm of the gods. 

But there was a beauty here that he hadn’t quite foreseen. Stars hung suspended all around him, not quite corporeal, but somehow altogether more real than anything he’d ever seen before. They shimmered in the air like luminescent dust, refracting Kyoujurou’s light all around. 

The rest of the space was unoccupied save for the planets, himself, and Kyoujurou.

The enormous bodies loomed above him, so far away and yet overwhelming in their sheer size. It seemed as if it would take him weeks just to travel to another planet, but he knew he could reach Mars or Venus in a matter of hours if he wished. 

His own new home felt miniscule in comparison, though it served his purposes well enough. The moon’s shadow was extensive and Akaza was already finding comfort in sinking into it. 

The strangest aspect of the gods’ realm, though, was the ground. 

Beneath his feet stretched an endless, glass-like floor. If someone told him it had been made from the hearts of stars, he’d have believed them for it glowed with celestial light not unlike the one Kyoujurou emitted. 

Through the glass, he could see a shifting landmass. Earth, he realized. It was as if the floor served as a magnifying glass for the planets above it, allowing the viewer a more detailed look onto the surface. 

Akaza watched as torches and lamps lit below him as humans prepared for nightfall. Little blinks of light flickered underneath his toes and he could see tiny figures moving across the countries. 

He’d never imagined a heaven like this.

For a small, terrifying moment, Akaza forgot why he’d come. 

Then the moon shifted again and a darkness fell over a large swath of land. Muzan’s eyes, strange and terrible, flashed in his memory.

That’s right. He was here for a reason. 

He chanced another glance towards Kyoujurou. 

The sun was still where he’d been standing when Akaza first met him and Akaza realized suddenly that Kyoujurou had not been lying when he said he couldn’t move from his place. Akaza saw that the sun could not shift even a step from where he stood. He was like a statue, or an old tree with roots too deep to dig out. 

Then Kyoujurou glanced his way, burning eyes bright with hope. 

No, not a statue, Akaza amended his observation. Kyoujurou was like an idol left high on a shelf. He was revered and worshipped, but it was unimaginable for him to step down. 

But Akaza was a heretic. 

He would see Kyoujurou taken from his shrine and freed.

He had a duty to fulfill as well, and Muzan’s plans would not be hurt if he plucked the sun from the sky and used it for himself. No, Muzan might even be pleased. 

Muzan was a force of darkness but surely even he could see the benefit of the sun’s powers should Akaza learn to capture it for him. 

Muzan would be pleased indeed, Akaza decided.

Another glance from the shadows told Akaza that the troublesome Mercury god had not yet left Kyoujurou’s side. 

He’d had every intention of fulfilling his promise to the sun but he had no desire to act in front of another god. The inevitable questions that would arise as he claimed his place as a moon god were not something he wanted to face just yet. 

So he was forced to watch and wait as Mercury stood far too close to Kyoujurou for Akaza’s comfort.

It was unfair, really. 

How could a puny little planet withstand Kyoujurou’s heat when Akaza could hardly look at him without his eyes watering?

He, too, wanted to stand close, to absorb the warmth.

Kyoujurou was chatting happily with Mercury who responded only occasionally. 

Perhaps this could be an opportunity. Akaza glanced past Kyoujurou to where he could barely make out the outline of the tiny planet behind him. 

If Mercury the god was standing with the sun, then there was no one guarding his planet.

Akaza grinned and slipped deeper into the shadows.

It seemed Kyoujurou would be assisting him far sooner than he’d expected. For while the sun provided endless light, it also deepened the shadows on the edges. 

Akaza hugged the borders of the darkness. The planets in their magnitude provided vast shaded pools he was easily able to travel through. He kept one eye tracking the space above him should any of the gods make an appearance, and the other trained on Kyoujurou. 

He crept silently around the sun, thankful that his pale skin did not give him away. Perhaps that was a benefit of possessing a moon. Paleness did not detract from his ability to disappear entirely like a new moon.

The distance passed by quickly - unnaturally so. Akaza counted only a few minutes until the innermost planet was hanging above him.

 Venus was on the far side of her orbit and so Akaza had not had to sneak by her. Small mercies. He’d overheard her conversation with Kyoujurou.

Mercury was a strange planet. At some angles, it looked no more impressive than a very large, very grey rock. Then Akaza would shift and an opalescent radiance would glow across the planet’s surface. 

He wasn’t certain how other gods inhabited their planets, but he could see no way of flying up to the planet itself. 

Akaza would have to assume they lived as he had begun to: somewhere in the shadows where the light did not reach.

He stepped further into Mercury’s shadow, noting the foreign land mass below the glass at his feet. It was similar to his moon’s in appearance, but something in it felt different. Had he still been human, he might not have noticed the subtleties, but tied as he was to the Earth’s moon, he could not help but compare his own moon to this strange planet. 

Another step into the darkness and the scenery fell away.

Akaza startled.

He was no longer in that vast, sparkling realm of the gods and Kyoujurou was gone.

The space was not heavily illuminated. Akaza had the sensation that he’d stepped into a warm forest just before dawn, though there were no trees within sight. In fact, Akaza could see nothing past the heavy mist that clogged his eyesight. 

What was this place?

Mercury was no longer visible. 

Akaza glanced around him, but the path back to the gods’ plane had been swallowed up by the creeping mist.

He faced forward again, and, taking care not to turn in any other direction, he set off.

The new realm was silent save for a light rushing noise. It reminded him of a waterfall but Akaza saw no signs of any streams, creeks, or any water at all. 

He focused his attention on keeping one foot moving in front of the other. He would move in one continuous straight line. That way, he could not get lost.

Despite this, Akaza felt as if he were walking in circles.

There was no end or beginning in sight within this realm. Indeed, there was nothing at all. 

For the first time in a long time, Akaza felt a sliver of fear creeping into his chest.

Then the world grew brighter.

It was not a sudden difference, but Akaza realized with a start that he could see his own feet better than he could before. Another minute of walking and he was certain that the darkness was lifting. 

And then he saw it.

It hovered, blue and shimmering, like a mirage.

Akaza stepped closer to the god’s spiritual core. For something that represented so powerful a being, it was rather small.

Akaza circled the soul, studying it. It was unguarded, as if Mercury could not fathom that a threat could ever get so close as to require protection for it.

He smiled. 

It would be easy, too easy, to reach out and crush the thing in his palm. If Mercury was foolish enough to allow such a weakness, why should Akaza pass by the opportunity?

But then he remembered his role, Muzan’s plan. 

Akaza would have to wait for now.

He stepped away from the core and turned back to the mists. He knew how to find it now, anyhow. It would be all too simple to come back and destroy it once the darkness had a deeper hold on the gods’ realm. 

Akaza retraced his steps through the shadowy fog and emerged back into Kyoujurou’s light.

Chapter Text

It was many long days before Kyoujurou saw Akaza again. Though the moon had promised to return, he hadn’t specified when and so Kyoujurou spent his time watching Earth and sneaking peeks at the moon, hoping the enigmatic god would reappear. 

Muichirou kept him company all the while. Though conversations with him were strange, Kyoujurou didn’t mind easing information out of him and getting the smaller planet to open up to him, even if his train of thought was frequently distracted by the smallest of things. Kyoujurou simply switched into the new topic with as much gusto as the last, happy to listen to any type of conversation.

But Muichirou had a duty as well, and he was summoned once more to the outer edges to resume fighting after enough time had passed in recovery. 

So Kyoujurou was left alone again.

He tried to watch the battle, far away as he was, but couldn’t make out any of his friends in the darkness. There were not even the sounds of fighting.

Of course, that was when Akaza made his appearance.

“You look lonely, Kyoujurou.” The moon god was slouching in a relaxed pose underneath Earth. “Why don’t you step away from your post for a while and play with me?”

Kyoujurou couldn’t help the beaming grin that spread across his face at the sound of his voice. “Akaza! You came.”

“I said I would, didn’t I?” He sounded nonplussed but Kyoujurou could make out a pink tint in his cheeks. 

“I wasn’t sure if you would join the battle or not. Usually I’m alone for periods of time while the others are fighting.”

“Fighting?” At this, Akaza glanced up at him, squinting.

“You didn’t know? They left not long ago. More dark matter is approaching and I’m rather worried for Pluto. His planet is next in the line of assault, but he’s much stronger than the other dwarf planets. I’m not sure what would happen if we lost him.”

“So you don’t fight the dark matter at all?” Akaza rolled onto his feet and took a casual step closer.

Kyoujurou watched him warily. He was certain the other had learned his lesson after the last time, but, well, Kyoujurou was also sure that Akaza was more persistent than he was wise at times. “My energy doesn’t extend that far, no.”

“But think of the devastation you could wreak! You would be unstoppable, Kyoujurou! Imagine the power!”

“And in doing so I would burn everything else in my path, including the other planets.” Kyoujurou reminded him softly. “There is a price to power. A balance. The universe has not survived for so long without it.”

“The other gods leave their planets and nothing changes. Jupiter is so large he could single-handedly change the gravitational impact of the other planets and yet no chaos comes from his leaving. Why can’t you leave your sun for a moment and come with me?”

“Akaza, you don’t understand. The other gods, they awakened into their planets. Just as you did. Not all of the planets have always had a god, but the sun has been here for generations. My father was the sun god before me, and his father before him. They were each the god of the sun until they inevitably burned out. Such is my fate as well. I am not just the god of the sun, I am the sun.”

“What do you mean ‘burned out’?” Akaza narrowed his eyes.

“A sun is long lived but we cannot burn for eternity. Eventually, I will run out of energy and light and a new sun will take my place.”

Akaza looked horrified. “You mean you must stand here for eons, doing nothing, seeing nothing but what’s below your feet, and at the end of it all, you’ll just die and disappear for some other sun to take your place?”

“Like I said, there is no great power without an equal price that comes with it.”

“Kyoujurou,” Akaza pleaded. “You don’t have to live with that horrible fate. Run away with me! A new god can come and take over the sun for you. We can explore the universe together for all time!”

Kyoujurou laughed deeply and loudly, but it was a sad sound. “I wish I could.” And he did. Kyoujurou allowed himself briefly to imagine what Akaza had offered. He would step forward, he could greet Mitsuri and Muichirou and embrace them. He could go and see the other planets up close, learn about them. He could see beyond his light, explore the shadows that fled as soon as he turned their way. 

He could do so much.

“I can’t.” Suddenly, it was hard to stand. A deep fatigue washed over Kyoujurou and he trembled, aching to sit. 

“Kyoujurou? What’s wrong?” Akaza’s voice sounded distant.

“I’m,” He shuddered, golden orange light spilling over his shoulder in pulses. “I’m okay.” The trembling abated and he let out a deep sigh. 

“What happened? Are you hurt somewhere?” Akaza looked a second away from sprinting towards him.

“It’s alright, Akaza. This happens at times. I grow tired but my energy comes back soon enough. Thank you for worrying about me.” Kyoujurou smiled at him to show that everything was fine, but Akaza didn’t look convinced. 

“The sun is killing you, Kyoujurou. All the more reason to abandon it and run away with me.”

Kyoujurou laughed again and it was lighter this time. “The sun cannot kill me! So long as I remain here, it brings life, not death.”

Akaza crouched where he was. He’d managed a few steps closer while Kyoujurou had struggled with the tremors, but it seemed he’d reached his limit again. The sun could see rivulets of sweat tracking their way down Akaza’s temples and down his neck. Still, he was closer than he’d ever been before and Kyoujurou realized that Akaza’s lashes were the same pink color as his hair. 

Kyoujurou’s eyesight was better than most, but it was a detail he hadn’t noticed before. 

“Akaza,” He started and the moon god glanced up, an irritated grimace still twisting his features. “I’m glad to have met you.” He smiled and Akaza gaped at him.

“Kyoujurou…”

“The others care for me in their own way, and I love them for it. But you’re the only one who’s ever asked me to come with them. Even though I know I will never be able to, I want you to know that it makes me happy. To know you care enough to ask.”

Akaza’s lips curled up into a strange expression. “I-” He looked away. “You’re welcome.”

Kyoujurou let himself enjoy the blush that had risen to Akaza’s cheeks once again for a moment. “Now, tell me about Earth! What happens at night? I never get to see the humans in the dark and I’ve always wondered.”

Akaza was furious. At what or who he couldn’t tell, but seeing Kyoujurou’s sad, self-deprecating smile had awoken an anger in him so deep he wasn’t sure where it began. 

Unable to even sit. 

It was insulting, really! A being as strong and powerful as Kyoujurou shouldn’t be tied to one spot for the rest of his existence. Until he burned out. 

And that was another image that made his blood boil. The thought of Kyoujurou’s light extinguishing little by little as everyone else sucked up the warmth until there was nothing left of him to give made Akaza feel nearly feral in his fury. The others didn’t deserve him! Day by day, his idea to coax Kyoujurou from his position grew more and more appealing. Kyoujurou already wanted it too. He would just have to water the seed until it became irresistible. Then, Kyoujurou would join him truly and they would conquer the solar system themselves.

Muzan would be pleased and Akaza could have Kyoujurou all to himself. 

So each day Akaza sat before the sun and told him tales of the things Kyoujurou would never get to see as long as he remained where he was. He made the stories grand and romantic, embellishing some parts and rewriting others so that Kyoujurou would get to hear a happy ending.

Akaza even inched some of his own story into his narration. 

He hadn’t been lying, after all, when he’d said he remembered his life before becoming the moon. 

He just hadn’t wanted to remember.

But speaking with Kyoujurou was easy, too easy. And parts of his history kept slipping out with every wide-eyed question Kyoujurou threw his way. He hadn’t intended to start telling him his story, but Akaza found himself wanting Kyoujurou to know about Koyuki. So in between stories of other humans, Akaza began telling the tale of Hakuji. 

That Kyoujurou always grinned broadly when he gave him another Hakuji story didn’t help the pinching feeling in his chest.

“I wish I could see him.” Kyoujurou said once, after Akaza told him a story he’d made up of Koyuki and Hakuji seeing the fireworks at a festival together.  

Akaza had paused, suddenly not sure how he should end the story. “You can take heart in knowing that he sees you every day.”

Kyoujurou was silent for a moment, contemplating. Then he beamed at Akaza, so bright and happy it was painful to look at him. “That’s true! I hope I give him enough warmth, especially since winter is approaching in his region soon.”

“You give him more than enough.” Akaza had said quietly, and Kyoujurou hadn’t heard him.

Eventually, the other planets returned, interrupting the warm days Akaza had spent with Kyoujurou. With them returned the fury that had lessened slightly in spending so much time with the sun. 

Akaza figured the return of his anger was a good thing. He had begun to lose focus, forgetting why he was there to begin with. 

He never approached Kyoujurou when the others were near, though he often caught Venus glancing his way suspiciously. 

He’d tried several times to find her spiritual core while she was gone but hadn’t found the entrance to that strange, dream-like realm that he’d stumbled into by Mercury. 

Her planet was larger, after all, so Akaza tried not to feel too disheartened. 

He’d also taken to exploring in the other direction in between visits to Kyoujurou. 

He’d glimpsed Mars only once so far, and had hidden in Earth’s shadow as the angry, scarred god flew by. He stopped by briefly to converse with Kyoujurou (who’d looked so delighted to see him Akaza had begun hating him on principle) before returning to his planet and Akaza hadn’t seen him since. 

According to Kyoujurou, Mars fought more frequently than Venus and Mercury. It wasn’t healthy for his planet, Kyoujurou had elaborated sadly, and so Mars was unlikely to host any life similar to Earth. But it let Akaza know that Mars, at least, wouldn’t be spending too much time with the sun.

Kyoujurou was a surprisingly helpful well of information. Though he couldn’t see too far out into the edges of the system, he was beloved by the other planets and so had turned into a confidant for most of them. He never seemed to forget anything said to him, and Akaza was able to glean the personalities and habits of the other planets through the stories Kyoujurou shared of them.

And by eavesdropping on the conversations between Kyoujurou, Venus, and sometimes Mercury, Akaza was able to keep track of Muzan’s forces’ movements. 

As each day passed, the darkness crept closer, and Akaza knew his time was growing shorter. 

He’d expected to be further along by now. While he still knew the location of Mercury’s soul, Venus continued to elude him and he hadn’t even tried to find Mars’s yet. 

Kyoujurou was distracting him.

Still, staring out at the sun from behind the Earth’s shadow, Akaza found it harder and harder to muster a sense of urgency. As golden light spilled from Kyoujurou’s hair and shone from within his sunset eyes, Akaza let himself forget his mission for a few seconds every day.

He had to convince Kyoujurou to leave with him, he decided. He had to get him out of this realm before that light could be extinguished. Kyoujurou would be happier with him, Akaza was certain. He just didn’t know what all he was giving up by staying where he was.