For nearly an hour, Polaris sat and did nothing but watch Endymion sleep. With his face relaxed against the pillow, half hidden against the softness and a small smile on his lips, the Moon looked so innocent. How could he have ever caused them all so much trouble?

That hour was all the more time he was given.

After the briefest of knocks, Rigel strode into the room, looking a bit curious since he had never entered the Moon's private chambers before. He offered the other Star a small, sad smile. 

"The others have agreed to channel their Power through me and into you so the binding may be as strong as possible. I am ready whenever you are, though I suggest we begin soon. That will keep us from stopping due to guilt."

Polaris chuckled softly, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from Endymion's face. "I will not stop. No matter how guilty I feel about the whole thing, I will not stop," he responded, not bothering to look up. It felt as though the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders. 

"He told me I had never done anything to hurt him. I was just hoping he would fall asleep quickly so I wouldn't tell him. Trust me, I am ready to finish this. If you would touch my shoulder to channel the Power into me, I will shape the binding."

Polaris did not wait to see Rigel follow his request before laying a hand on Endymion's shoulder. A silvery light began to shine from his hand as he drew his power close, beginning to craft the binding.

"I had to take the moon from the sky today. Endymion had fallen unconscious sometime early in the night," Polaris said with a soft chuckle. It seemed like he needed to keep talking to continue with the binding. The talking helped distract him from the guilt. 

 "All he would tell me was there was a girl he had seen dance. Apparently she was praying, and seemed worried about what happens when he is not in the sky. It was almost sweet."

"Perhaps there is hope that he will learn the lessons we are hoping for quickly. Soon he will return to us, ready to fulfill his duties just as he did when he first joined us in the heavens," Rigel said with a small smile. 

The older star remained standing as he reached out his hand, placing it on Polaris's shoulder. 

"I dare not touch his bed. I'm afraid he will suddenly jump at me like he was so fond of doing for a time. He took great joy hiding just to scare me. He did not torture anyone else with his pranks as much as he did me. That might have been because I startled so much easier than everyone else."

"I may have encouraged that reign of terror," Polaris admitted, moving his hand to Endymion's forehead to continue the spell. "That was right after the first time I saw a hint of his boredom. Then he came around the corner and you jumped out of your skin. It was unintentional at the time, but I saw the way he laughed. 

"There was a whole group of us that would warn him when you were walking around. He would run out and get set up to try and see how high he could get you to jump. If only he had stayed so easily entertained."

Rigel couldn't resist snorting at that confession. "I would volunteer to be his victim again if that would be all it took for him to stay entertained. That would make everything easier for us all."

With that knowledge, they fell silent. Polaris concentrated on the intricacies of the spell he was weaving, and Rigel followed his friend's example out of respect for the difficulty of the task. 

As they worked, hours passed, time never pausing in its eternal progress forward. 

Slowly the binding was perfected, draining the Stars of their power as their energy wrapped around Endymion, penetrating his skin and muscles to bind his powers down to his very bones.

The binding became a work of art. There were conditions set to permit him to use his Power should his life be in danger or to benefit others. But he would be unable to use them willy-nilly like he always had. 

In addition to the binding, Polaris wove a sleeping spell over Endymion. While he was sure the Moon would sleep through the day, he wished to ensure he stayed unconscious until they had cast him to the ground.

When the sun was hanging low in the sky, Polaris drew back, shaking RIgel's hand from his shoulder. "It is done," he stated, finality clear in his voice. He breathed out heavily as he stepped away from the bed, closing his eyes.

"Let me send him down to the surface on my own, Rigel. I owe him that much. We can all keep track of him after he has made it to the surface, but I...I am still his friend. I must do what I can for him, just as I always have."

Rigel nodded, reaching out to give his friend one last squeeze to his shoulder before stepping from the room without a word. All of them wished to keep the whole affair as respectful as possible.

Once they were alone in the room again, Polaris sat back down upon the bed and gathered Endymion into his arms. For the moment, all he did was hold the limp figure. He breathed carefully as he fought with the guilt flowing through his veins. 

It felt as though he would never feel peace again.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, allowing the pillows and blankets to fall onto the bed until he was left with only Endymion in his arms. With steady steps, he left the room, avoiding any of the other Stars. 

It was hard enough to think they would see the young Moon laying prone on the ground. Letting them see him like this now, in person, was unthinkable.

Polaris's steps were quick, and soon, they had reached the observatory. Endymion was deposited in his favorite chair before the Star turned to face the crystalline wall. 

He had looked on this wall so many times, yet he had never dared touch it. Resolutely, he raised his hand to place on the smooth surface, almost wincing when he felt how cold it was. 

Closing his eyes, he concentrated his Power into his hand. When he opened them once more, the wall stood sheathed in frost.

The air moved through the room as he blew on the wall, clearing the frost to reveal an island beach, ocean sparkling red in the sunset. This must be the area Endymion had been watching last. 

Hopefully he would manage to drop his friend into the lap of the girl who had caught his attention. Then this banishment may last only a week. Or even less.

Once more, Polaris turned to the chair, gathering Endymion into his arms one last time. He pressed an almost fatherly kiss to the pale forehead as farewell before stepping to the wall. 

With a murmured apology, he tossed the youth through the frost, shattering the crystal wall.