Why We Have a Night and Day (Short Story)

Why We Have a Night and Day

     Many millennia ago, Mother Earth created a daughter for herself named Sky, and soon created a daughter for her, named Day. Day was always sunny and happy and cheerful, fun-loving and loyal. Her universal purpose was to keep light and happiness in the world.

     Two years after Day was born, Sky had a second daughter, Night, who was different from Day in every way you could imagine: gloomy, shy, quiet, and always wearing darker colors; navy blue, indigo, and black were a few of her preferences. As Night grew up, she never did receive a universal purpose as her elder sister had, and she was tired of living without one.
    

     It was nearly time to sleep and Day was quite tired. Day's mother, Sky, came into her humongous bedroom which was painted the exact blue of Sky's skin and had large, white cumulous clouds moving along its walls. It was a type of room that would change often; for instance, tomorrow the room might be coloured gray and be surrounded by thunderstorms, or could have no clouds and be heated as if it were an oven.
    
     Right in the middle of the presently blue ceiling was a magnificently huge illustration of Sun, Day's best friend: it showed him dressed all in gold; robes, jewelry, even his hair was was gold, and though it was only a piece of art, it shown as brightly as the real Sun.
    
     "Hello, Mother," said Day, once again in awe at Sky's appearing light blue skin, white fingernails, beautiful yellow eyes, golden hair, and long, flowing dress bathed in light blue, white, and gold. "How is Night?" she asked.
   
     "Your sister is doing alright," said Sky. "Yet, she is gloomy as always."

     "I do wish that Night would be able to serve Mother Earth in some way; she would definitely be accepted, she is so beautiful," said Day.
  
     "Mother Earth will give Night a purpose when she is of age, Day, not because of her beauty," replied Sky.
    
     "But...Mother Earth gave me my purpose when I was just one year old, an infant, and it's been twelve years since then. Night still does not have a purpose in the universe," said Day.
    
     Sky thought for a moment. "Day, perhaps your sister is simply not ready to receive her universal purpose just yet. Just give it more time. Now, go to sleep, Bright One," she said, kissing her daughter's forehead.
    
     Across the way, Night was wide awake and sitting up on her bed. She knew her mother would go straight to sleep instead of bidding her good day. Night sighed. She was tired of being second to Day all of these years. She knew that she was the quiet sister, the shy sister, the gloomy sister; but she still wanted to be granted a universal purpose from Mother Gaia.
    
     "Earth!" Night scolded herself, "Mother Earth. Even if they mean the same thing, everyone else knows her as Mother Earth! Why can't I ever get it right?" Night groaned and fell back on her bed in the center of her large, dark room.
    
     And this was how life went on for the next couple of years; however, on the evening of Night's thirteenth birthday (not that it was actually called "evening" yet, but it was around that time), Mother Gaia arrived on the front doorstep of where Sky, Day and Night lived.
    
     "Mother Gaia--I-I mean, Mother Earth! What are you doing here?!" exclaimed Night.
    
     "Night!" Day scolded, "Manners!"
    
     "Sorry..." said Night quietly. I still can't get it right after all this time? Ugh...Night thought. It was bad enough to be second to Day in everything, but even worse for Day to have actually acknowledged the fact; she was now always scolding Night, for at the age of fifteen she thought she was definitely old enough to be a mother figure to her younger sibling, as well as old enough to tell her right from wrong. What she really was was arrogant.                                                                                                       
    
     "Good day, Sky. Good day, Night, Day," said Mother Earth, nodding at each of them.   
    
"Thank you, Mother Earth, we are honored to be in your presence," said Day, bowing. "Please, sit down, we are about to have supper--"
    
     "I apologize, Day, but this time I came to speak to your sister, Night," she interrupted. "I am sorry I did not inform you, Sky, but I think I have finally found a universal purpose for your youngest!" Mother Earth said, smiling.
    
     Night could not believe what she had just heard leave Mother Gaia's lips. Finally, after all these years...could Night finally have a purpose of her own? What if it was just a small, simple one that could become a life of monotony over time, or one that was far too complicated for her to handle? "M-my purpose?" she stammered. "What purpose, mother Gaia?" Night did not even notice that she had said "Gaia" instead of "Earth" at the moment.
    
     "Well, let us all sit down, and I will tell you!" said Mother Earth, cheerfully.
    
     When Mother Earth was finished telling Night about her idea for her purpose, Night was at first confused. "So...you're saying that you want me to take over half of Day?" she asked, uncertain.
    
     "Well, sort of," said Mother Earth. "You see, I know that you seem to like darker things than your sister Day, and that you are the shyer of the two. I was thinking that you could take over the time of sleep in the world. I could change the sky when your time came from light to dark, and it could show all of the stars, planets, and other galaxies in the universe. How would you like that?"
    
     Night thought about it. She was shy, and a dark sky all to herself would hide her from sight if need be. She would also finally have her very own universal purpose, what she had longed for for over a decade; her dream, her greatest wish, what she wanted most in the entire existence of the universe!
    
     "I'd...I'd love it!" she said. "Thank you so much, Mother Gaia! Oh, um..."
    
     "'Mother Gaia' is fine, dear. After all, the words have the same meaning, why not use both?" she said as she stood up.
    
     "Oh...well then, when will I begin my purpose?" asked Night.
    
     "You may start this moment, if you wish, Night!" Mother Gaia replied.
    
     "Alright, I'll go! Thank you very much again, Mother Gaia!" said Night, hurrying outside to wait for her new purpose to begin.
    
     "You are very welcome. Have a good time, Night!" Mother Earth said as she changed the light blue sky to an endless dark ocean filled with thousands of beautiful, faraway glimmering gems.
    
     Mother Earth soon created Moon, a friend for Night just like Sun was for day. He came out every night to be with his friend. Years later, Day was married to Sun and they had a daughter, who was named Dawn, and Night was married to Moon and they had a son, who they called Dusk. Mother Earth gave gave Dawn and Dusk their purposes very early: Dawn's was to take over the time of change from night to day; Dusk took the place of the change from Day to Night.
    
     This is why we have a night and a day in our universe.