Small log cabin in the forest

"Alright, you two, settle down. Tonight I'm going to tell you girls the story behind the constellations."

"That's not fair! Last time Ro chose the story, this time it's my turn!"

"No I didn’t, stop trying to trick Dad!"

“That’s right Lo, Dad will not be tricked! But Dad doesn’t think this is fair either. Why do only you and Ro get to choose the story, when is it Dad’s turn? Besides, yesterday’s story was about the dog who lost his nose, which you chose, remember?”

"That doesn’t count, I didn't even like that story."

"Really? I remember someone laughing so hard they fell off of their bed."

"I’m pretty sure that was Ro."

"I’m… pretty sure that wasn’t. Besides, Rosie doesn’t laugh like you do, launching yourself all over the place."

"Lo is really bouncy when she’s excited."

"That’s because dad was making a funny face with the dog voice!"

"...Sounds like you did like the story, Lo. Well, I’m choosing this story because this story was passed down to us by The Great Spirit. It’s a very important story, and it’s the reason we live here, outside of the Celestial Empire."

"I thought that was because the Celestial Empire has terrible food!"

“Yeah, and they don’t even have a forest to hunt in!”

“Yeah the Celestial Empire has super yucky food! But not only do they serve people dirt cakes, we disagree about some very important things that happened a long time ago, and they don’t like our version very much. But for now, I need you both to be quiet and listen. Can you do that?"

"I'm already quiet."

“Play with your own hair Ro, stop playing with mine!"

"But your hair’s so messy, I’m trying to fix it!”

"Rosie, leave your sister alone or I’ll come over and make a mess out of your hair too, hehehe…”

“Yes father!”

“Thank you. Now in the very beginning, Heaven birthed four races of Immortals who peacefully roamed the endless sky: Celestials, golden giants as big as stars, Primordials, very wise and powerful beasts, Asura, who have six arms because they love creating things, and Spirits, gentle but mysterious beings.”

“Are all the Immortals as big as the Celestials?”

“Which Immortals are the strongest?”

“Didn’t I just say- haaah, I guess I’m asking for the impossible… According to legend, the Immortals’ true forms are said to be the size of planets, but the Celestials are the largest, and all of them can also change in size to become just as small as you or me. As for the other question, you’ll find out in a bit.

Although many Immortals traveled throughout the sky, many stayed in Heaven, which you can see from the window. See that giant pattern in the sky made up of stars? That’s the First Heaven, where the Celestials still live to this day.” 

“Uwahhh, I want to weave it on one of my baskets, so pretty!”

“Mhmm, many Immortals thought so too, and they did a lot more than weaving it on baskets — it inspired their greatest creations. Working together, the Asura and Primordials constructed new Heavens that were just as beautiful.”

“But I don’t see any other Heavens.” 

"The six constellations around Heaven are the Six Heavens that the Asura and Primordials created, or at least what’s left of them. When they were first made, they looked just like the First Heaven did, and almost all the Immortals celebrated their creation, but Ta, a powerful Celestial, disapproved. He called their creations False Heavens, believing the new Heavens were just hollow imitations of their home."

"I don’t get it."

“Me neither.”

“Dad thinks about it like this: just like how the Asura and Primordials loved their new Heavens, Ta really loved the First Heaven, and he didn’t want it sharing its brilliance with other Heavens. Lo, you know how you always complain about having to share with Ro? Now imagine five other siblings that you’d have to share with. I think that’s why Ta was upset. 

He demanded that the Asura and Primordials destroy their Heavens, but they refused. They believed the universe was more beautiful with the new Heavens. Because of this, Ta, the Mad Celestial, led the other Celestials in an effort to destroy the other Heavens."

“Why is he the Mad Celestial? Is he still mad at the other Immortals?”

“That’s… not what mad means in this instance. In this case, mad means crazy, and the Mad Celestial was so crazy that he started a war against the other three Immortals.”

“What’s a war? It sounds scary.”

“It’s a really big fight that everyone has to participate in—”

“Cool! I would be so good at war—”

“It’s not cool, Lotus, it’s very sad. It was the first time Immortals faced the possibility of death, and everyone was very scared. Countless Immortals died, and the Mad Celestial succeeded in destroying the other Heavens, turning them into the six constellations, but the other Immortals dealt a great blow by stealing the Mad Celestial’s weapon, the Heaven Sundering Trident. It’s the most powerful weapon in existence, a massive golden trident capable of splitting the sky in two. The Mad Celestial couldn’t continue the war without it, but by then he had already achieved his goal.”

“Can’t they beat the Mad Celestial since they have the trident?” 

“Only the Mad Celestial can wield his trident, all they can do is hide it so that the Mad Celestial can never use it again. Now the Mad Celestial drifts aimlessly among the scattered stars of the constellations, searching for his trident.”

“Are the people in the constellations ok?”

“It was said that Heavens act as cycles of reincarnation for every mortal within it. Dad isn’t too sure about the details, but I’m told that you could be a human in one life and a lizard in the next.”

“I wanna be a dragon!”

“I’ll be a deer, deer are cute.”

“Well, we don’t live in Heaven right now, so we don’t have a next life, and with the destruction of the Heavens, all their inhabitants are the same as us.”

“Awww…” “Ughhh…”

“But we still have hope, through the promise of the Great Spirit. Many Immortals are in hiding, gathering power so that one day they can come build a new Heaven right here! As long as we do our part to maintain nature’s harmony, even if we die before they build the new Heaven, they can still retrieve our souls and we can be reborn.”

“...would we be able to see mom again?”

“Perhaps one day, Ro. The Great Spirit teaches us that reincarnation connects us all. We are a small part of a great cycle — in one life, we may be the wolf and the next life we may be the sheep. So we must be respectful of every living thing, even the animals we hunt. When we hunt, we thank the animal for the life it has given us. That way, our souls will be in harmony with nature’s cycle when the Immortals return.”

“What about the Celestial Empire? Do we really have to respect them too?”

“The Celestial Empire is different. They worship the Mad Celestial, who offers a cursed path to immortality, going against nature’s cycle. Our ancestors were part of the Empire, but one day the Great Spirit came and told them the truth. The Empire wouldn’t listen when they shared the truth, and they banished our ancestors out here, bordering the Primordial Wilderness.”

“That’s ok, I like living here.”

“What’s in the Primordial Wilderness? Have you been there on your hunting trips?”

“It’s beyond the Towering Mountains, but we shouldn’t try to go there. It is said to be full of Primordial Beasts, majestic yet dangerous creatures who are said to be descendants of Primordials. As for the Celestial Empire, that’s a story for when you’re older.”

“But I wanna hear it now!”

“That story isn’t suitable for five year olds, and now is time for bed. Sleeping is part of keeping nature’s harmony, you know.”

“So if we sleep, we can see mom again?” 

“Hopefully, and maybe if you’re good she’ll appear in your dreams tonight. If we are kind to nature and to one another, we can all reunite as one big family again. So Lotus, Rose, let’s go to bed.”

“Ok! I wonder what mom will want for her first meal back.”

“That’s not how it works!”

“Says who? You don’t know that!”

“Kids…”

“Ok fineee, I’m going to sleep. Good night dad!” 

“Good night. Woah, that was way easier than usual. Hmm, nature’s harmony, just earned myself a neat trick for the future…”

“Did you say something dad?”

“Nothing, nothing. Love you kids, sleep tight.”