Well. They did. One of the most evil men I've ever seen found the moon spirit, Tui, circling in the sacred water as part of her eternal dance with La. He killed her. ((And her thoughts reflect that terrible scene - first when he had captured the physical form of the moon spirit, and the moon had been shaded red. Then when he restored her - for a moment - before there is a burst of fire and the moon -- just goes out.))

But there was a brave young girl, Yue, who had been touched by the spirit of the moon when she was a baby. And some of the moon's spirit still lived in her. So she gave up her life that the moon's spirit would be able to return to the world.