Disclaimer – if you recognize it, it's not mine
Chapter One – Moon Gazing
In the glade of a great and old oak forest, under the shade of an impressive tree, laid a perfectly normal house. The house had white painted walls, and the roof was covered with red tiling. The windows, clear and large, were wide open to allow the rays of the morning summer sun to bathe the interior with its warming rays.
In front of the house, a well manicured lawn gave the dwelling a peaceful and welcoming air. A path of white stones stretched from the house's entrance to the edge of the forest where it faded into a lane through the trees that connected it with the world outside.
From the side of the house another trail twisted and turned under the foliage of the trees. It opened on the shores of a small lake fueled by a slow-flowing stream. An ancient looking willow had grown near the water; its long and lithe branches were fanning in the wind, their tips slightly kissing the surface of pond.
A slender young woman with long golden hair descended down the trail with small, well thought-out steps and stopped under its shadow. Her robe, made from a pale blue ethereal fabric was a nice compliment to her big azure eyes, eyes that seemed to absorb everything around her with an intensity that was disturbing in one such young as her. She was barefoot, and the rich green grass was barely affected by her passing.
She squatted near the edge of the lake, where the willow's graceful branches could just barely mingle with her hair as it was blown by the soft breeze that wrinkled the surface of the water.
"Hello Mother," the girl spoke while she absentmindedly drew figures on the surface of the crystal clear water with her left hand, startling a small fish.
In the silence of the forest her lips arched a little when a whiff of wind lifted a strand of her hair, twirling it in the air.
"I missed you too," she continued with longing, answering to unspoken words. "And Father does as well. More and more each day," she finished nodding vigorously to emphasize her point.
"Oh, you should have seen him Mother, when he came to bring me home yesterday. He was radiating, he really was! He caught me in his arms and he spun me around twice before he let me touch the ground. I haven't seen him happy like that in years..." her voice trailed away while memories flashed briefly before her eyes; memories of a time in which laughter was an everyday occurrence in her home.
"Did he tell you?" her voice perked up again. "He found them Mother! He really did. They're in Sweden, you know? And he has plans for the two of us to go and track them down," the last bits were spoken in a whispered voice, as if she did not want to be overheard.
Luna then looked up forlornly from the lake's mirror. Distractedly, she tracked the flight of a red and yellow butterfly as he struggled with the currents of air. When the butterfly rested his wing on top of a white flower she turned her attention back to the lake. She spoke slowly, as if she had to struggle to form each and every word, and her eyes were now shining with unshed tears.
"He left this morning to finalize the last details of our trip, and I didn't say anything to him. He kissed me on the cheek and told me that he loved me before he left. And all I did was wave at him good-bye.
"I hadn't had the heart to tell him that I won't be going with him on this adventure. Not now and maybe not ever."
When she finished what she had to say, she no longer fought back the tears, and soon she had twin glistening salty trails damping her cheeks.
She cried quietly, for her life, for her parents and for the future that had just slipped out of her reach.
"Yes, Mother, it is time," she sadly admitted, biting on her lower lip to stifle a sob which was building in her chest. "I feel it, even now, deep inside me, slipping further and further from me with each moment that passes. I... I do not have much time left..."
She gathered her strength and climbed up to her feet. She lifted her chin up and spoke with renewed determination.
"And Mother, I chose to end it on my own terms, while it is still my choice to make. Here, where everything started, long ago. I cannot think of a better place."
Once she had let out in the open that which was weighting on her soul, she had felt more lucid and in touch with herself than ever before.
She looked one last time around with her eyes wide open, taking in the beautiful landscape.
"You were right Mother," she spoke with a genuine smile on her lips. "The world can be a wonderful place indeed.
"It is truly a beautiful day Mother. And it is time. Thank you for everything you gave me Mother. Goodbye..."
She made one careful step into the lake. She could feel the cold water rippling around her bare ankles and she idly thought if she was going to feel anything ever again.
She drew one more deep breath and began that which she came here to do.
She spread her arms wide to her sides and tilted her head backwards, white fluffy clouds entering her field of view. Bit by bit she closed her eyes.
When her eyelids came down for a final time, a powerful whirlwind formed around her body, spraying away the water, throwing it into the air. The wind gained even more energy, bending the trees of the forest, and at its peak it almost tore apart the aged willow.
When Luna's personal storm finally died down, she lowered her arms leisurely. She was breathing slowly, gazing far away, at what, not even she could tell anymore.
Hours passed, and she stayed in that one spot, without moving a single muscle, oblivious at everything around her.
"Luna!" a powerful male voice echoed through the woods, coming from the direction of her house.
"Where are you Luna?" the voice was heard again, this time closer to where she was.
"Are you fishing with the fairies again?" a tall man with broad shoulders and sandy hair asked good-naturedly from several steps behind her. "They haven't returned yet, or have they?"
"Luna?" his steps and voice faltered when his daughter didn't give any sign that she was aware of his presence.
With terrified steps he entered in the shallow water and placed a gentle hand on her shoulders. Fearing the worst, she slowly turned Luna to face him; the girl opposed no resistance.
When he saw the blank look in her once lively eyes he realized that his most horrible nightmare had finally came to life. His knees gave up and he fell down in water, feeling lost and alone in a world that suddenly had nothing to offer him anymore.
AN - this is just a prolouge; I will post more soon