Time was once measured by the turning of the sun and stars. The world was young, the elements commanded by immortals who ruled over all creations.

One such immortal was the Prince of the Sea. He lived underneath the waves, in a castle made from shells and corals from each of his seven seas. He spent his time listening to the stories of his traveling fishes, to the sound of his waves against the earth. He was alone. He longed for someone to share his vast kingdom with.

One night he heard a beautiful voice singing through the waves. Moved by the song, he rose to the surface and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She was clothed in silver and white, glittering bright in the darkness. Fragrant white flowers were woven into her long white hair, flowing lightly as the wind blew. But it was her smile that struck him most, reflecting the light of the brilliant stars. It spread across her face like the sun across the morning sky, slowly moving until it bursts into full beauty.

And the Prince of the Sea fell in love.

Every night since then, he watched her from the water while she ran and played by the shore, smiling and laughing in her every step. He learned that her name was Luna, a child of the heavens. But that knowledge was like a knife in his heart, because he knew that the sea and the sky could never be together.

His longing for her grew, and he realized that he could never live without her. Already, his castle had begun to crumble because he had forgotten about it and thought of only Luna.

He decided to steal her away. He leapt from the waves and took Luna to the bottom of the sea. Luna was so frightened that she began to cry. The Prince of the Sea tried to make her smile and laugh. He offered her the largest pearls and other precious jewels of the ocean. He gave her shells of unimaginable sizes, shapes and color. He sent dolphins, whales, sea horses and other fish to befriend her. He did everything.

Yet still, Luna wept.

Her parents, Cloud and Sky who ruled the heavens, heard her cries. When they found out that the Prince of the Sea took Luna, they raged war against him. They threw sharp bolts of lightning at the sea and shook the heavens and made angry thunders. They sent strong, cold winds and heavy rains.

The Prince of the Sea only had his waves and creatures as weapons; they could not reach the heavens. His powers unmatched those of Sky and Cloud’s.  Winning the battle against the Prince of the Sea, they took Luna up with them, and hung her in the night, where he could never reach her.

That is why on some nights, we can hear the sea crashing angrily against the shore. On other nights, its waves are calm and smooth, sobbing softly into the sand. It is when the Prince of the Sea cries, as he watches Luna smile sadly at him from above. And so wherever she goes, he follows. His waves and tides ebb and swell at her every movement, hoping to catch more than her reflection on his waves. He can only stare at her hanging from the heavens, never to be his.