The solar eclipse was perhaps one of the greatest ceremonies Seokjin would ever have the responsibility of coordinating. The boy sleeping in his lap shifted a little closer. Seokjin looked down at Yoongi, brushing his hair back from his face. It was unusual for the night oracle to be deep in slumber in the middle of the night, but the upcoming festivities would require him to be awake during the day and so it was necessary; there was no way the six-year-old could stay up for 36 hours straight, and Seokjin wouldn’t allow it.

“I thought Yoongi couldn’t sleep at night,” a small voice piped up and Seokjin looked up to see Jungkook. The young boy was less than a year older than Yoongi and, perhaps had he been born a few months later, the spirit of the night would have manifested in him instead. But to Jungkook it didn't matter and perhaps a free spirit like him would have struggled with the confines of such a role, such power. Seokjin was deciding how to answer when Namjoon came out to the temple foyer.

“Jungkook,” Namjoon murmured, moving closer, “what was the first thing I chose to teach you? The recurring theme of your studies?” The older boy spoke softly, his aura one of calm and wisdom of which Seokjin had never seen the like.

“That throughout all the day and night, the city must be guided and watched over,” Jungkook replied instantly, his small hand patting Yoongi's face before he turned to look up at Namjoon who was six years his senior.

“And did I ever specify by whom?” Jungkook shook his head, eyes wide in sudden realisation. “Correct. I did not.” Namjoon confirmed.

“It is customary that the day oracle watch over the light and the night oracle guard the dark,” Seokjin intoned and Jungkook whirled back to look at him, “however, there are exceptions and, so long as the temple is always lit up, always alive, it is no great tragedy for the oracles to simultaneously lie in sleep.” The pure confusion on the young boy's face gave way to understanding.

“That's why it's okay if there's a gap before there's a new day or night oracle isn't it? The temple is doing the watching for them!” He exclaimed only to be hushed as Yoongi startled in Seokjin's arms before drifting back to sleep.

“That's right,” Namjoon said, holding out his hand to Jungkook, “and did you forget that I am an oracle too? I'm watching over the city tonight, care to join me?”

Seokjin gazed after them fondly as Namjoon led the younger boy back inside. A few minutes later, he gathered up the oracle in his arms and padded back inside, the tiles cool beneath his bare feet. Two corridors and sets of arches later and he was gently transferring the feather-light form of Yoongi into Hoseok's arms, the younger teen instantly disappearing into the heart of the temple where all the boys had their chambers.

Circling back, Seokjin made his rounds, checking that the candles in every corridor, every alcove, set on every shelf and framed in every window, were still lit. Where necessary, he replaced them. The temple stood atop a small hill, and the lit windows at night and the smoke rising from the courtyard in the day acted like a beacon for those seeking counsel or wishing to pay their respect regardless of the hour.

Eventually, he reached the sections of the temple inaccessible to members of the public, kept for the oracles and vassals, page boys and the quiet priests that watched over them all from the shadows, their faces veiled. Seokjin was good at his role and the priests rarely intervened, mostly acting as tutors, caretakers, and leaders of ceremony. Many amongst them had been oracles themselves in their youth, at this temple or others. Some had grown out of the positions and others still held their roles, but were reclusive and private, devoting long hours of their days to prayer, writing, cleaning, astronomy, and other tasks even Seokjin was unaware of. It was none of his concern. His role was specifically to raise the day and night oracles and allow them to truly grow into themselves and embrace who they were to be.

The festival, however, worried him a little. He knew the significance of the eclipse and he of course knew of the tragedy during the last – both oracles slain as their power waned – and he was terrified of a repeat. It had been before he was born, but he didn't want to be the one in charge when two more oracles were lost. He peeked into Taehyung’s chambers. The boy wasn't alone. Alongside him, curled around him protectively was Jimin, both seeming angelic in sleep. He smiled softly as he let the curtains fall back into place and moved slowly to his own room, shared with Hoseok.

~

The next morning, Hoseok was the first to rise, roused by Namjoon laying a sleepy yet protesting Jungkook down beside him just before dawn. Hoseok sat up groggily, rubbing at his eyes with one hand, and smoothing down Jungkook’s ruffled hair with the other.

“Sleep,” he murmured, a fond smile growing on his face, “we’ll wake you in time for the ceremony.” Surprisingly, that was all it took for the child to settle down and Hoseok looked up to see Namjoon gazing at him gratefully – no doubt he’d been trying to persuade the young vassal to sleep for some time.

Hoseok stood slowly, his blankets cascading down around him as he rose, stretching long and hard as he yawned wide. “What of Yoongi and Taehyung?” He asked when he finally felt fully awake. Namjoon gestured towards the thick curtain that served as the door to Seokjin and Hoseok’s chambers. Padding softly after him, Hoseok quickly gathered up his own robes and a thick roll of fabric.

Namjoon stood in the corridor waiting for him when he emerged, his eyes surprisingly bright for one who’d been awake all night.

“Both sleeping,” the lesser sky oracle murmured, his voice perhaps a little slow from lack of sleep, “could you perhaps wake Jimin for me? I’m in great need of some sleep, Hoseokkie… He’s in Taehyung’s room.” Hoseok nodded, pushing Namjoon off in the direction of his own room before turning to rouse the day oracle and Jimin.

He stepped inside Taehyung’s room. The young oracle of the day was sleeping soundly on the dais opposite the door, the vassal Jimin curled up alongside him, both tangled in pale blankets. Depositing his things at the door, Hoseok strode quickly across the open floor and knelt at the edge of the dais, leaning down to gently shake Jimin awake.

The slightly podgy boy’s eyes blinked open almost instantly and his face broke into a delighted smile. He greeted Hoseok enthusiastically, throwing his arms around his neck before turning back to Taehyung. A soft smile on his own face, Hoseok left quietly and made his way through the corridors to the quarters belonging to the night oracle.

Yoongi too slept on a raised dais and when Hoseok arrived he was already up, sat with his legs crossed and his hands resting over each knee. His eyes were closed and Hoseok knew him to be meditating, although he was a little surprised to find the young boy already up as he was almost entirely nocturnal by necessity.

He hesitated to interrupt the boy – so serious was his expression of meditation that Hoseok knew he had withdrawn deep within himself – and so he took the time to carefully unfurl the roll of tough red cloth he had brought just in front of the dais. Yoongi could not touch the bare ground directly, lest the spirit manifest in him be drawn down and away into the earth. Hoseok, along with Seokjin, shared the task of carrying Yoongi to prevent such an event, and also took care of the many tapestries and cloths that may be laid down for the oracle of the night to walk upon. The cloth he had just laid down, was one such piece, made by the priests for Yoongi specifically and each must be washed after each day (or night) of use.

Though young, the oracle of the night was sombre and took his role very seriously, as was required and expected of him. He was still meditating when Hoseok had finished preparing his clothes, both for the morning and for the festival ahead and so Hoseok moved into his own form of meditation – a dance to welcome the sun as it rose, the movements wide and sweeping, waking and warming the body. He finished to find a pair of solemn dark eyes gazing at him; Yoongi had completed his meditation. Hoseok bowed low, rising with a grin on his lips.

“It is dawn, oracle,” he greeted the boy before him.

“It is dawn, Hoseokkie,” Yoongi breathed, and Hoseok smiled even wider, “Will you carry me to the baths so that I may ready myself?” He reached his arms out childishly and Hoseok laughed as he swept the tiny child up into a warm hug, making sure to gather up the swathes of fabric that were Yoongi’s sleep dress so as not to trip. “Hoseok I’m so excited! Do you think the sun will be really big? Do you think the dance will go well?” Sometimes Hoseok forgot just how young the two oracles were, and he himself was only just a teenager. He laughed and nodded.

“I’m sure it will go wonderfully Yoongs,” he replied, suddenly realising that he had left his own robes on the floor. He hesitated. “Uhm, Yoongs, do you think you can do me a favour?” The boy blinked up at him, looping an arm round his neck. “If I crouch down, can you pick up our robes please? The white and blue ones for you for now.” It was an awkward process, but soon they were on their way to the baths, Taehyung and Jimin joining them as they passed by, both boys talking excitedly to Yoongi as they skipped behind them through the temple.

Hoseok caught the slightly envious look Yoongi gifted Taehyung but he said nothing. Taehyung had none of the restrictions Yoongi had when it came to touching the ground (a good thing because the eight year old was growing fast) and he knew it must be difficult sometimes for Yoongi to see the older oracle moving so freely. That look however was as fleeting as a summer breeze, gone almost instantly to be replaced by joy at the presence of his companions.

Hoseok set Yoongi down carefully in the bath watching as he waded out deeper, and making sure to remind Jimin to send a page boy to fetch either himself or Seokjin when Yoongi needed to leave.

~

It felt to Yoongi like the morning passed by in a blur – all the usual rituals having to be observed and squeezed in around the extra tasks needed to prepare everyone for the festival. The eclipse would come in the afternoon and it felt like excitement and nerves were warring inside him.

Having just finished the final practice of the ritual dances required and expected of him, he was feeling particularly squirmy even though he really ought to sit still to allow Seokjin to apply his make up – striking black kohl along with blue, white, and gold pigments, streaked artistically along his face, feet and arms. He truly resembled all the oracles that had come before him, dressed in the white and pale blue robes of his predecessors, although these robes were worn over loose black trousers to honour the eclipse.

He watched Seokjin closely, admiring his concentration as he decorated Yoongi’s skin, rising only when he was finished. It was time for them to leave.

Unusually, fear gripped Yoongi as he left the temple this time. He knew of the horrors of the previous eclipse – of course he did – and although he’d thought that it would not affect him, he discovered that he in fact, could feel very real fear welling up within him. He clung a little tighter to Seokjin, who brushed his long hair back off his shoulders and adjusted his grip on Yoongi. They did not have to go far. The slow descent revealed the cloth road laid down so that Yoongi could walk through the centre of the city, greeting and blessing those who wished it as he went. He almost bounced with glee as he was set down, his bare, painted feet firmly planted on the soft cloth that stretched as far as he could see.

He led the parade alongside Taehyung, pace slow as many of those gathered to watch and cheer wished to briefly hold their hands or kneel that they might place a hand on their forehead and grant them the blessing of luna, the moon, or sol, the sun.

~

Namjoon was a long way back in the parade. The observers waiting so patiently for the oracles to pass by joined the parade behind them, moving together towards the centre of the town. When he himself made it to the huge square, the oracles, vassals and priests were already gathered together awaiting him.

The crowd parted for him with ease, recognising him as the former oracle of the sky. He was now a lesser oracle but his wisdom – especially unusual in someone of his youth – was widely known and it was he who was to tell the tale of sol and luna this day. He stepped into the centre of the square, feeling as much as he heard the hush settling over the crowd as he did. He drew in a deep breath and began.

Long ago, many hundreds of years past, there had been two brothers. The eldest, sol, shone bright and bold, his smile enchanting, his voice rich and confident. The younger brother, luna, had a lesser light, truly, he reflected that of his brother’s and without sol by his side, some would say luna was dull. They were wrong. Luna was smaller, and had no light of his own, his voice was soft and fragile, his smile equally so, but his heart was strong and his eyes were sharp. Together, they were greater than the sum of their parts. But all was not well.

Their bond, though strong, was not unbreakable and others plotted to pull them apart – the wind and the sea, each wanting one of the brothers for their own. The wind wished for the eldest to be hers but so strong was the bond between sol and luna, neither sought for a partner. The sea wished for the youngest but again, the bond of brotherhood proved too strong. And so, the wind and the sea came to conspire together to break that bond for good.

The wind came to luna one day to plant a seed of doubt in his mind. ‘Your brother thinks you are dim,’ she said, ‘too weak to produce your own light so you must scrounge his.’ This was one of luna’s greatest worries for the sliver of truth within it spoke to him.

The sea came to sol to weave further discord. ‘Your brother thinks you too proud,” she told him, ‘loud and inconsiderate, overbearing, looming.’ And sol too was wounded by the truth he saw within her words.

Over time the distrust grew and yet neither brother thought to ask the other his thoughts until it was too late. They came to blows one morn each throwing the other’s cruel words back at them and yet neither saw how they had both been manipulated. When it seemed that the only end to the constant fighting was either brother’s demise, or even their mutual destruction, their sister, terra stepped in, forcing them far apart and banishing both from the world’s surface to be watched over by the sky.

Sol was exiled to the sun since terra felt it suited his brightness and knew that his booming voice could cross the yawning distance.

Luna was exiled to the moon as it better catered for his shyer, fragile nature, softer voice, and his ability to reflect back the light shone on him by sol.

Both brothers mourned the loss of their friendship. Each found some solace, however, in the partners that found them. The wind gave great comfort to sol, the sun, dashing across the chasm betwixt them in an instant, and the sea comforted the moon, following him wherever he may go with the tides that rose and fell.

Terra was not completely cold, however, her warm heart meant that she could not bear to completely separate the brothers and so, every hundred years, for just a little while, sol and luna would find themselves face to face in a solar eclipse – reminded of the days when they walked side by side.

The oracles of the day and night were another such concession of terra who could not think to lose contact with her brothers entirely. Sol and luna are each able to manifest in one child, remaining as passengers within that vessel until they moved to the next and so on. The one condition was that they still remain separated by day and night like their counterparts.

However, as the eclipse draws near, the spirits of sol and luna temporarily break free and are reunited. Every time, they come a little closer to being drawn back together for good, forgiveness and understanding swelling in their hearts and minds.

A great cheer rose as Namjoon finished and he bowed his head to the crowd. There wouldn’t be anyone in the crowd who did not know the story and now that his rendition of it was complete, many of the onlookers dispersed, the festivities truly beginning. And yet, there was a strange feeling in the air, an odd feeling of… hesitation…

Although he was certain that no one remained who was actually present during the last eclipse, the events of that festival were well known and it seemed that it wasn’t just those within the temple that could feel the threat of a repeat hanging over them, but also the general populace. Everyone was somehow on edge and he knew it was putting a dampener on a festival that was supposed to celebrate the gradual healing of a rift between two individuals.

He moved to sit at Seokjin’s feet. The older boy was also recounting a story, to a circle of children eager to hear a tale of betrayal and murder. The vassal was only too eager to oblige, gathering them close to tell them the tragedy of the eclipse a century past.

Not all worship the same spirits as we and the last eclipse, some strangers from far away came into the town. Or so we thought. They were in fact from within our very own city, traitors who, when they came and heard the tale of sol and luna at the temple, began to cultivate a terrible plot within their minds.

They wanted instant power, and who better to take it from than the two most powerful oracles – the vessels of the spirits of the moon and sun. They returned to the temple that night and every night thereafter, listening in on the vassals – eavesdroppers light footed as cats – until they overheard the specific piece of information they needed.

They discovered that as the moon approached its zenith during the eclipse, the spirits of both sun and moon vacated their respective oracles bodies. They knew what to do. As the spirits left, the oracles were unusually vulnerable and would be in the middle of a ritual dance, propped against each other to hide their unconscious states from the masses.

They felt certain that the best way to take the city would be to remove the two figures of the highest order in one instant.

The children gathered booed, and Seokjin smiled indulgently before continuing.

They made sure that, when the time for the ritual was approaching, they were last in line to present their offerings, laying wreaths of flowers around the edge of the tapestry made specifically for that day for that oracle. As was traditional their wreaths were made up of only two flowers to represent the brothers, but unlike the others they were made one of love lies bleeding and red dahlias – hopelessness and betrayal – and the other of lilies and daffodils – death and selfishness.

Here, a gasp punctuated his words as shock rippled through the children. The meaning of the flowers presented was significant and all knew it.

And so, as the moon rose in the sky and the two oracles wilted, the dastardly pair crouched in the front row of onlookers. They saw the exact moment the oracles slumped together, unmoving, as their powers waned and left them, and it was then that they pounced, each drawing a long, sharp dagger, glinting in what little light there was, both illuminated by the candles clutched by members of the crowd.

They dashed forwards, facing an oracle each, and raised their daggers high and –

“That’s enough,” Hoseok interrupted, shooing the reluctant children away, “you’re scaring the young ones,” he said, disapproval clear in his voice and Namjoon smiled to himself, “not to mention putting ideas in their heads.”

“Run along then,” Seokjin said, “you all know how it ends, don’t you?” He giggled, and Namjoon was sure the older boy winked at him. “Hoseok, stop stressing, everything will be fine. The priests are examining every wreath this year as they bless them. The entire city was shaken to the core that day. It won’t come again. Enjoy the music. Why don’t you lead Jungkook and Jimin in a dance, hm? I’m sure everyone would greatly appreciate the spectacle.”

Namjoon watched as Hoseok hurried away in search of the two young vassals.

“You’re worried too,” Namjoon observed, noticing how Seokjin flinched subtly at the words, “I know you are. We all are, can’t you feel it in the air? That…” He trailed off for a moment trying to properly form his sentence. “Uneasiness. The tension in the faces of the populace, in their gait, their thoughts.” The nod Seokjin gave was so subtle Namjoon almost missed it, but it was there.

~

Taehyung could feel the thrill rising within him as he struggled to remain still enough for Jimin to tie the veil over his face. How could he sit so still when the biggest ceremony of his life was about to take place? He turned his head to the side, gazing at the small boy beside him, his robes blue and white where Taehyung’s were orange and green. Jimin firmly turned his head back into place.

“Taehyung!” He scolded. “Must you wriggle so? If you would just stay for a few more moments I would be finished and you would be free to stare at Yoongi as much as you like whilst I wrap your feet.” Taehyung shrugged and Jimin tutted, finally managing to secure the veil in place. It was long and fine, tinted black to represent the moon passing before the sun. It was really just a variation on the brightly coloured veils Taehyung wore every time he left the temple and yet somehow its presence irritated him far more than the others. Perhaps because it was robbing him of the rare opportunity to see his counterpart, the night oracle, awake in the middle of the day. Could he really be blamed for sulking?

Jimin moved away, finally finished fussing, and Taehyung slid closer to Yoongi, leaning so that their arms just brushed. The smaller boy startled, looking up fast, but his face lit up in a smile so bright he seemed to glow when he saw who was beside him. The boy greeted him so shyly, reaching for Taehyung’s hand. Taehyung proffered his in return, of course, squeezing the night oracle’s hand comfortingly and speaking softly to him whilst pretending to survey the crowd and the offerings being placed around the edge of the temporary cloth stage.

“Are you nervous?” He saw Yoongi nodding emphatically out of the corner of his eye, the younger boy’s eyes comically wide. “Because of the last eclipse?” Yoongi nodded so hard Taehyung thought his brain must be spinning. “Me too,” he admitted, “but everyone’s looking out for us, we just got to focus on the dance.” Yoongi’s eyes were almost b over with gratitude. He shuffled even closer and threw his arms around the day oracle for a tight hug.

~

Yoongi wouldn’t let his nerves get the better of him. The music began as the last offerings were placed, the stage now ringed by colourful wreaths of flowers, clothes, and food. He wrapped his arms around Seokjin’s neck as he lifted Yoongi with ease, walking him across to the stage and setting him down carefully before retreating. Yoongi closed his eyes and breathed deep like Jimin had taught him, calming himself until he could feel only the music, all consuming, resonating deep within him.

He lifted his left foot, raised his arms, and began. The dance was rather complex. The crowd wouldn’t realise, but every step had to be perfectly placed for the pattern created by the steps of the two oracles as they wove about each other was a critical part of the ritual that would allow the parts of sol and luna tethered to them each respectively to vacate them.

If they got it wrong, the spirits could become trapped, or even become stranded, unable to find their way back to their vessels.

Yoongi stepped and jumped, dipped and bowed, every line stretching as far as possible before he spun away in another direction. The crowd was rapt. Again and again the two young oracles looked set to collide and yet each time, one would duck the sweeping arm or jump the extended leg. A couple times they came close enough to touch, holding hands or forearms or leaning together, using each other to help them change direction or speed.

It was an art and both took great pride in it – they hadn’t practiced constantly with Jungkook and Jimin respectively for nothing.

Yoongi’s vision was starting to blur and he was sure Taehyung felt it too. Their part of the ritual was done. They slumped together, sitting back to back, their eyes rolling back. Yoongi sighed, and as he sighed, he felt the part of him that was luna leave him, exhaled out of him and rising. Yoongi knew that to all around he would seem unconscious, but he watched, awed as the blue mist that was luna was joined by another cloud of breath. This was orange and it could only be the part of Taehyung that was sol. He watched the brothers twine together, felt his heart swelling, his head pounding and then –

~

Coming back to himself was weirder than losing a part of himself. Yoongi jolted back to consciousness, feeling the strange sense of loss that told him that the spirit of luna was still outside of him. Then he remembered what that meant. He checked that Taehyung was also awake and rushed forwards to the front of the stage, pressing his hands into the white paint left there specifically for him. He hesitated before he stepped off the edge of the mat, touching the bare ground for the first time in years. He could almost cry although he was unsure why.

Yoongi picked a spot at random, bent down and pressed his palms to the earth, leaving two white handprints marking the only time during his service as oracle of the night in which he would be able to tread there and touch. He stayed for a moment, his hands, knees, shins, all touching the earth that he had missed so much. He pressed his face to the dirt, breathed in the scent and then rose to his feet, gliding back to the cloth and kneeling, his eyes closed and face upturned as he awaited the return of his powers.

He didn’t know how long he waited like that, but when he felt the rush, the familiar headiness that he had felt but once before – during the festival of the night when he had assumed his role – he cried in relief and joy and sadness. He regretted that he could not touch the earth again, he mourned the oracles who had died a century ago honouring the same ceremony causing a rift that took years to repair as the roles where left vacant for decades. He rejoiced for luna returned to him, and for the warmth that told him sol and luna had stepped just a little bit further along the path to forgiveness.

He wept for and took joy in the hope of what was to come for his town and the spirits that watched over it.