My Dear Mother,

I know you stand between worlds of grief and resentment, having been betrayed by my late sister. The shock of the moment was immense, and you fell unconscious as she died before you. Riddled with grief of my own, I must now recount the final scene of her life, so that you might understand what happened.

One night as you slept, I lay awake in your womb. I was overcome with restlessness, although I did my best to remain still so as not disturb your cosmic slumber. As the future Sun God, I was always restless during the night, even in my earliest days as a glowing ember. Darkness seeps into the slightest crevices of the body, and the ebony paint brushed over the world touched my skin as much as it did yours.

Near midnight I heard the door to your chamber creep open, and several whispering voices intermingled in the stillness. As they drew nearer, one rose above the others and pierced the air with a sharp cruelty.

“She has disgraced all of us. The entire order of the stars stands to fall because of her moral dubiousness; she refuses to say where the child came from. This mysterious pregnancy must be put to an end, and she must die for her promiscuity.”

Hearing this, I recognized the voice as my sister's. The words were icy, meeting my ears and crackling as they vaporized against the heat of my body. Rage sizzled inside of me as I railed against the cruelty of my sister. I heard the footsteps of the group retreat, and the door closed softly behind them.

In the coming weeks, I was racked with anxiety and I feared for your life. I remained staunchly vigilant at all times, listening for any sign of my sister's malintention. And this alert was warranted, for a month and a day after I had heard of her bitter plans, they were set in motion.

She waited until the blanket of night had been pulled across the sky and the world was submerged in a pool of darkness. Inside your chamber, her frigid voice whispered, "Fear not, Mother, your blood will not be seen running among the stars. You shall vanish within the night, and no one will ever know of your disgrace."

Hot coals smoldered within me, and fire began to course through my veins. In an explosion of fierce heat and blinding light, I burst forth from your womb just as my sister raised her hand to deliver your death blow. As I landed upon her, the flames climbed her body and burned through her flesh. I quickly trampled the blaze, but it was too late; all that remained was her head, and the unfocused gaze of her silver eyes.

Evil though her final moments were, I never intended to kill her. I stood in shock, my own golden eyes welling with tears. I rued the day that wickedness had overcome her, for I would be forced to live the rest of my days without the love of a sister. As tears rolled down my cheeks and extinguished the last of the flames enveloping my body, I decided that she would not die in vain; her downfall deserved meaning. I devised a plan, and, lifting her head, I hurled it into the night sky.

She will be known as Moon, and remain forever as a light in the darkness. Never again will blood be spilled unseen during the night; no one shall die a shadow. Her head will illuminate the path to forgiveness amidst black thoughts and black deeds, and she is forever bound to the task of seeking her own forgiveness by lighting the way for others.

I hope that when the veil of grief lifts, Mother, you will one day be able to dance in the moonlight.

Your Son and the World’s Sun,

Huitzilopochtli

Author's Note:

This story is based on an Aztec myth about the Sun God Huitzilopochtli. This myth also doubles as the origin story of the moon, where the head of Huitzilopochtli's sister becomes the guardian of the night. In the original, Huitzilopochtli saves his mother from a murderous plot orchestrated by his sister by bursting from her womb in the nick of time. I have kept the motive of his sister the same between my story and the original; she is enraged by the fact that her mother is carrying a child whose father is unknown. However, I have diverged from the original ending, where Huitzilopochtli springs out, but stops just before killing his sister and spares her life. I chose to add the drama of her death which provides the intent for the letter, as a sort of apology from Huitzilopochtli to his mother for having to kill his sister in the violence of the moment.

Bibliography:

"Huitzilopochtli." Windows to the Universe. Web Source

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