The Stargazer and Orion (Short Story)

There lived one who knew everything about the stars, he knew their shape and size, he knew their color, he knew their names and the names of their children, and he thirsted with his whole soul, as all of us rightly do, for the twinkling of love. He thought often that love would be much like a star, and so he longed to know her shape and her size, to be able to mix paints of her color and create portraits of the world's greatest kings with her hue. “The stars twinkle in the night sky so gracefully, and I know them all by name” he would say, “but I wonder, oh how I lie awake with wonder of how love is shaped, and how bright she is colored.” He was a Stargazer who liked to dance, and every night he would go to the ballroom and dance with whatever woman he could find.

He lived in a kingdom rich in abundance, with barrels of food and precious metals, jewels for the nobles and green leafy nature for the poets. There was there, in the kingdom, a lady of bright eyes, who longed to see the stars. “I wonder what the shapes of the stars are, and what their color is, and what the names of their children are. They twinkle so curiously, and they are so precious to the eye.” She was a lady who liked to dance, and every night she would go to the ballroom at night and dance with whatever man she could find.

And so it came to pass that one night, a Saturday I believe(for it is Saturday, with the joys of Friday behind it and the beauty of God only hours after, that is the most romantic of nights), that the two met, and began to dance. They danced wildly together, as if they had been partners for years, the joyful music seeming to adapt itself to their movements, as if the whole universe revolved around them. The Stargazer thought “How she moves with me! How brightly she looks now! Her heart is a warm pink color, is this the hue of love I have so greatly sought? I suppose not,” said he, for a very rational man he was, “because I have only but met her.” and so after the wild dance was over, he invited her to a walk amid the moonlit forest.

As they walked, the trees turned to watch them pass, and sighed at their beauty, arm in arm, walking amid the paths. The sleeping flowers slept even more peacefully, and the moon sang her song even more softly and sweetly for their passing. The nightingales said to themselves, “This is the pinnacle of our song”. The two talked deeply, and nourishingly, with softness and splendor. Finally, the lady said to the Stargazer, “The only thing more beautiful than you, my dear, is the stars. How I want to see them. How I want to know the shapes of them, the colors of them, their names and the names of their children.” The Stargazer, then, felt a deep joy within his heart. He contemplated. “She wishes to see the stars! How I know now that this is the hue of love I have been searching for, this delightful warm pink, for it makes perfect sense, as any rational man can see, that we should be married, for she wants to know the stars and I know the stars perfectly well.” He then turned to the lady and said “Dear, I am an astronomer, who knows the shape of the stars and the colors of them, and their names and the names of their children. Come with me and I can tell you all I know.” Said the lady, “That would be very well, Stargazer, but I do not just wish to know about the stars. I want to see them. Take me to them, oh darling, and my heart will be yours.” Said the Stargazer, “Which star would you like to see?” Replied the lady, “Take me to Orion. I have seen him in the sky, his might shining over the Earth. He is so strong, and handsome, and surely he is wise, having seen all the things that have happened over the Earth since the birth of our home. It is he who I shall see.” The Stargazer that Saturday night promised to take his love to see Orion, and they parted ways with a kiss. Kisses, dear friends, are the most underrated and misunderstood things on the planet, something to be treasured. The lighting and mood of every kiss should be written down and translated into one's own heart, so that a book may be published and printed marking the history of love. The Stargazer recorded this kiss, “The Color of Love.”

And so the Stargazer began to build his ship. All the while he thought of the lady, and inspired by the zeal and passion that her memory brought to him, he finished his starship in only six months, using the precious metals of the kingdom around him. The starship was golden, with diamond windows. All as he built it, he remembered the color he saw the night he met his love, and could not wait to see the joy in her eyes at the sight of mighty Orion. And so, he ran to her as quick as wind, and told her to make haste and join him to see the stars. “Come quickly, dear, for my starship is now completed, crafted of gold and diamond as splendid as your soul!” She went with him, and they prepared to leave the cradle of our planet. When they were both safely secured inside of his golden ship, he turned the engines on with a great sound of thunder, and off they went through the sky. The sleepy clouds were awoken and swirled with excitement and the whole Earth bid them goodbye as it sank underneath the Stargazer and his love. They traveled for many many miles, for many many days, talking and laughing all the while. They gazed with love-soaked eyes at the passing stars, with a color brighter than the Stargazer had noticed before. “Ah, it seems that love makes all the hues of the world brighter.” he thought to himself.

Finally, they saw approaching them a man of great stature, with strong beard and stronger body, dressed in a cloak of finest gold. Said the Stargazer to his lady, “Behold, the sight that you have so come to desire, the star Orion.” His hue was a wise blue, with a pure gold for his eyes. The lady was taken aback by his angelic beauty, and her bright eyes became even brighter at the sight of his stature. Something shifted within her heart, and she thought that perhaps wise blue with golden eyes was the true color of love. Her whole heart then became green.

Then Orion said with a loud, booming voice that echoed across the galaxies, “Welcome travelers! Come, follow me, and enter my home.” So they followed Orion as he dashed swiftly throughout the galaxy, leading them closer and closer to what appeared to be a planet. They landed at the star's request, and exited into a lush world of bright-colored rose bushes, with vivid green blades of grass dancing with the wind. “Look,” said the Stargazer to his lady, “The grass dances as gracefully with the wind as I did with you on that Saturday night so many days ago. Do you remember?” The lady replied, “Of course I remember. I remember the beauty in your eyes.” As the words passed from her lips to the Stargazer's ears, something seemed different about them. They used to be such a fluffy white, with the sheen of silver, yet now they seem merely dull gray. The Stargazer pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

“This is my kingdom, and you can live here, if you wish. The only rule is that you must not enter my palace, for it is not meant for you, and if you do, you shall surely perish.” The Stargazer and his lady agreed to the terms, and Orion retired to his palace. Instead of talking nourishingly as they often did, the lovers retired to bed and fell asleep, except for the lady, who stayed awake, dreaming of the eyes of Orion. “They shone like golden sparrows, singing sweetly to my heart. I must have him, I must kiss him on the lips, and reveal myself to him, that I might become his.” So she looked over at the Stargazer, who was smiling sweetly, fast asleep, and slowly crept out of bed, and opened the door softly, running like air through the house that Orion gave them. The Stargazer was dreaming of the moment he met the lady, and the warm pink of her heart.

The lady ran into the open air of Orion's kingdom, where the mild darkness veiled the nature's pristine beauty. She began to walk, timidly at first, towards the palace of Orion when a nightingale, most tender of all creatures, appeared before her. “Beware, lady of green heart! There is no place for you among the palace of Orion, and you will die if you but step foot through the doorway!” said the nightingale. “Begone,” said the lady, “begone oh treacherous creature of the night, and leave me to my love!” and the lady began to walk faster towards Orion's palace. Then an owl, wisest of creatures approached her, saying, “Beware, lady of green heart! There is no place for you among the palace of Orion, and you will die if you but touch the knob of the door!” The lady paid no heed to this creature, and instead began to run towards the palace. She came over a grand hill and saw the palace, and running down the hill sprinted even faster towards the door, finally placed her hand upon the knob with a smile the color red upon her face, and tragically burst into fire. She opened the door, still aflame, and still smiling, rushed through the doorway, where acid rained down upon her burning flesh. She ran up the stairs to the bedroom of Orion, clenched the doorknob, tried to open the door, but alas, the doorknob would not move, for it was locked. She burned to death there, and all that was left was the green heart of the lady's envy. The Stargazer dreamed peacefully of the first day that he saw her.

The next morn the Stargazer awoke to find that his love was not there, and he assumed that she had gotten up and enjoyed the beauty of the kingdom. He arose too, dressed, and walked out of the house Orion had provided for him. Outside the kingdom it was as beautiful as the day he arrived, with the grass still romantically dancing with the wind. He wondered where his love was, and so he asked the Nightingale, most tender of all creatures. “Nightingale, have you seen my love? She is very beautiful with a heart of warm pink, tell me songbird, where is she?” The Nightingale replied, “Sir, I have not seen your love, all that I have seen is a wretch with a putrid green heart, who went to Orion's palace. Her flesh was corroded with acid when she entered the building.” The Stargazer replied, “That is certainly not my love!” and continued walking until he came upon the owl, wisest of all creatures. “Owl, have you seen my love? Her eyes are gorgeously bright with a heart of warm pink, tell me sage, where is she?” Said the Owl, “Sir, I have not seen your love, all that I have seen is a wretch with a putrid green heart, who went to Orion's palace. Her flesh was burnt with fire as soon as she touched the knob.” Again the Stargazer replied, “Then you have not seen my love either!” and he walked until he saw Orion. “Orion!” he shouted, “Surely, you who know all that happens in your kingdom, tell me, where is my love?” The face of Orion fell grave. “You are right, I know all that happens in this kingdom, and I also know all that the hearts which live here contain. Your lady fell deeply in love with me, and longed to take bed with me. Her heart turned green the moment her eyes set upon me, and late last night she came to my palace, as I, the Nightingale, and the Owl warned her not to. She touched the knob, and burst to flames. Then, when she entered, acid began to corrode her skin. She managed to climb the stairs, however, and she died in front of my room. All that was left was her heart, green as envy.” The Stargazer's heart grew pale white, not with purity as the Virgin Mary's, but with rage as the unquenchable fires of hell. “You have lied about my love's heart! It was as pink as the day I saw her, as pink as love! You have lied to me, star, you have destroyed her! And now, I shall destroy you as well!” So the Stargazer ran away from the star, paying no heed to the Nightingale or the Owl, nor did he notice the tender moving of the grass and wind. He flew away from the kingdom of Orion as fast as he could, contemplating on his way back to Earth how he could possibly exact vengeance upon the stars. “To ruin his image would be too mild, and to slander his name would be likewise unsatisfying. There is only one punishment suited for the one who destroyed my love.” And so, the Stargazer resolved that day to gaze no more upon the colors of the stars, instead he promised to kill the great Star Orion.

As he flew through the great universe, he paid no attention to the lights streaming to the sides of his ships, his mind too concentrated on his vengeance to care for much of anything else that the vacuum of space had to offer. He finally reached Earth and landed his grand vessel down in his village, getting out of it through the great, golden door and running as fast as he could up to his bedroom, and began to sob and weep bitterly. “In the entire universe, is there one who has greater sorrow than I do? For I had love, I knew its size and its shape, and the hue of its flesh, and more than that, love was all that I truly wanted, yet it was ripped from me by a star. Now I must kill him, but how does one kill a star? They are too massive to be strangled, and too quick to be shot. There must be a way, but whom will I ask?”

He went out from his house and went to a colleague of his, an astronomer like himself, but one who was much older and wiser than he had ever been. The Stargazer asked him, “Astronomer of antiquity, tell me, how would one kill Orion?” The old man puzzled the question for a few minutes, and told him, “Dear Stargazer. I have studied nothing of astronicide. I tell you this day, I do not know how to kill a star, but warn you to deal nothing with them. They are wise beyond the wisdom of men for they have seen all that the Earth has contained, and they are mighty beyond the might of leagues of oxen for they can move galaxies, and they are swifter than the great rivers that flow throughout our land, for they are constantly moving through space. I would never attempt to kill the stars, and I would suggest you to do the same. Whichever fate you choose, I have no knowledge of how to kill a star. If you truly want to know how to kill Orion, then you must ask a star how to kill another star.

“The greatest enemy of the star Orion is Cancer. If you go to him and tell him your history and all that you have been through, he will surely tell you how to kill your enemy. Now go, be on your way, and good luck, noble Stargazer.” The Stargazer thanked the Astronomer for all that she had told him, and began to prepare for his trip to Cancer. Once he had gathered everything that he needed into his ship, he set off with maps given to him by the old Astronomer. He fired the engines with a great sound of thunder, travelling off towards his fate. He awoke the clouds yet again from their slumber, but this time they did not dance in joy, they instead cried in distress, saying “Poor Stargazer! Off he goes, to confront the great Orion, who will surely rip him to pieces. Turn around, oh Stargazer!” but the Stargazer was too far off to hear them. The clouds wept, and rain fell to the ground.

After many months of travel, he finally came to the home of Cancer. It was not like the rich planet of Orion, instead it was an empty and cheerless beach, with a single castle on a mountain ridge. The castle was the color of coral, and it rose like sharp daggers from the rocky ground. The Stargazer began to trek up the mountain to the castle, and when he finally scaled the mountain he saw Cancer standing with his arms behind his back, looking out into the distance away from the Stargazer. Cancer was certainly not as stunningly beautiful as Orion, he was a red the color of shed blood that has mingled with mud, and instead of being a strong, distinctive man, he took the appearance of a crab, with giant, craggily pincers and rock hard skin. “Cancer!” said the Stargazer. Cancer turned around furiously, and said, “Human! Stargazer! What purpose do you have here? Get out, this is not the place for strangers.” The Stargazer, now that he could peer into the eyes of the Star, could see that his heart was the color black. “Cancer, I have come because we have a common bond. We both hate the star Orion.” Immediately the Star seemed to be more interested in what the boy had to say. “I fell madly in love with a lady back on my home planet who had a heart the color of warm pink, the color of love. She desired to see the stars, and so I built my vessel that now lies on the shores of your beach so we could see them. She desired to see Orion more than any of the other stars.

“So we flew to the castles of Orion. While we slept the first night, my lady decided to take a walk to admire the beauty of his kingdom, and alas! It hurts me just to speak of it, but Orion, the bastard star Orion burnt her to ash and corroded her skin with acid, and tried to say that it was my love’s fault! You can only imagine my anger, and so I have promised to kill the star Orion.”

Cancer paused, contemplated what the Stargazer had said, and replied, “Dear Stargazer, I can do more than imagine the hatred in your heart. I too was an astronomer many millions of years ago, just like you, and I fell in love with a girl just like you did. I was not, however, perceptive enough to see the color of her heart. She desired to see the stars, and so I built her a ship and we travelled to see Orion. In the night, my lady also decided to take a walk to admire the beauty of his kingdom, and Orion decided to murder her in the night. I was infuriated. I spent the entirety of 100 years in vengeful thought, trying to think of a way to kill the star Orion. I could not, and as the years went by my anger grew hotter and hotter within me, and finally, it surpassed the heat of the sun. I burst into flame, and my rage became me, growing ever larger, until finally my vendetta transformed me into a star. I have been watching and guarding the Earth ever since, unable to exact my vengeance, for as a star I have many responsibilities. The time has come, however, for you to do us both our vengeance. Here is how you will kill Orion.

“Orion is extraordinarily proud of his wisdom, though he does not show it. If you come to him and say that you are as wise as he, he will surely test you. If you pass his test, then he will be so distraught that he will kill himself, exploding into a supernova in the sky. I have been a star for many millions of years, and I know all that Orion knows, except for one thing. Truly, I can teach you all that I know, except for the true color of love. I have been too blinded by hatred to see what the color of love is.”

“That is no matter,” said the Stargazer, “for I know the true color of love, it is the warm pink that my lady held in her heart. I will be your apprentice.” And so Cancer took the Stargazer under his wing and began to teach him everything only the stars have been alive long enough to know. He taught him how to sing the song of the moon, how to dance the steps of the wind, and finally the day came when the Stargazer was ready to approach Orion again. Cancer gave him his blessing, and sent him on his way. As the golden ship took off from his beach, Cancer said to no one in particular “I hope to God he does not end up like me.”

As the Stargazer travelled towards the kingdom of Orion, he thought of his love, and how precious she was to him. The fire in his heart grew even larger, and he went over the songs and the dances that Cancer had taught him. He knew within his heart that Orion would die, and his mouth watered to confront him.

Finally the Stargazer landed in the kingdom of Orion and immediately approached his palace. He walked slowly, deliberately, savoring every step that brought him closer to his fate. Orion was sitting outside his palace, looking over his vast kingdom, when he saw the Stargazer. “Stargazer, you have come back! Is it to apologize to me for leaving so suddenly andangirly? I should have you know that no apology is necessary. I know the fury that comes when you lose someone you love, and I understand your reaction to the dreadful announcement I made. Please, think nothing more of it and live in my kingdom.”

The Stargazer replied, “I have not come for any apologies, Orion. I have come to let you know that the star Cancer has taken me under his wing, and that I know everything that you do. Test my wisdom, so we can see who truly knows the most, man or star.”

“Very well.” Said Orion, knowing exactly what the outcome of the test would be. “We shall see how much that star has taught you. First, sing for me the song of the moon.” The Stargazer smiled, and began to sing with all his heart. The song was tender and sweet, and hung about the air like the scent of incense about a grand cathedral. The moon was stunned by his singing, and wondered if there was another being as elegant and beautiful as she. When he had concluded his song, Orion said “Very nice, Cancer has taught you well. Now, show me the dance of the wind.” And as soon as Orion had finished the thought, the Stargazer began his dance. His feet moved so gracefully it seemed as though they barely touched the ground. The wind joined in the dance, and the Stargazer was lifted up by the breeze, dancing not on the ground but throughout the whole atmosphere, all around the kingdom of Orion. Finally, the wind brought the Stargazer back before the Star, and the test continued for years. The Stargazer patiently answered all of the questions Orion asked, from the age of the Earth to the first conversation of man. The Stargazer knew so much that Orion was extremely impressed, and asked him the final question. “What, dear Stargazer, is the color of love?” The Stargazer said, “Stupid star, the color of love is something I contemplated long ago. It is the warm pink of my lady’s heart, which you destroyed in violent rage. There, I have answered all your questions. Now, destroy yourself in your anger and humiliation!” The Star replied, “I will hardly do anything of the sort, for you have answered me incorrectly.” Then, Orion reached out his monstrous hand towards the Stargazer and touched him on the forehead, and suddenly the Stargazer saw his lady the night of her death. He saw her get out of bed quietly, he saw her speak to the Nightingale and the Owl, and finally saw her burst into flame and die, leaving behind her green heart. The Stargazer then understood that the warm pink of her heart was not true love, for it was fleeting. He sank, decimated and heartbroken. It is a curious thing to see a man broken, in his hour of greatest misery. You cannot see the pain, but you can truly feel it emanating from his soul. The entire kingdom of Orion wept that day for the broken Stargazer, sobbing at the feet of Orion.

The Star said to him, “You have contemplated for too long, Stargazer. You fit pieces together, spun them so they would. Simply be, Stargazer, and see, that the color of love is many.” The Stargazer, then, being as broken as he was, gave up. He no longer contemplated the stars, nor did he care about their color. He simply desired love. He no longer cared about what it looked like, or what its color was, he just wanted to experience love. Suddenly, a bright light shone from out of the sky, and descending from the sky came Love herself, dressed in the song of the moon and wearing the dance of the wind as the crown atop her head. Her color was not warm pink, but all colors at once, changing and morphing from one into another as she lowered down onto the ground. She said unto the Stargazer, who was speechless in awe, “Now you understand. I am not something to be contemplated, I am to be experienced. Now you know the color of love.” And then Love flew into the Stargazer’s heart. His heart now was the color of Love, all changing and all encompassing. He looked up, and the whole kingdom was brighter than he ever could have imagined. Orion smiled to himself, for he knew that the transformation was complete. “Follow me.” said the star. The Stargazer followed Orion until he bid him enter into his castle. “Surely I will burn if I but enter your palace.” said the Stargazer. Orion replied, “You have been found worthy to witness the castle.” So the two entered the castle, and inside was a banquet, but more than a banquet was a room full of people, men, women, all laughing and singing in joy. He saw in their hearts all the colors of the world, some gold, some silver, some red, but there was one lady whose heart was truly the color of love. He saw in her all the things of the Earth, and he loved her not for the color of her heart but for her heart itself. They kissed, and they married, and they became one. Never had Orion experienced a love so bright, and as they embraced longer the brighter they shone. They eventually became brighter than the sun, and they became so bright that they became a star. Orion, blinded by the beauty of their sheen, hung them up in the sky, at the highest point to the North. “You shall be called the North Star,” he said, “for your love is so bright that for generations men will guide themselves by your light.”