Prologue

"Incendia"

Fire was all around.

Usually a sign of protection from her guardian, it was now full of danger, death, and destruction. On the ground it called to her, reached for her, begged her to join it as so many had within the last hour. Above it screamed at its enemy, filled with rage over the destruction it saw.

Moukou stared at the flames, the light reflecting in her eyes. She sat in the ruins of her home, wondering. Why am I still here? Where is my father? Though she knew the answers to both, she refused to think of them.

She looked up into the sky. A battle raged between two immortals, one – the enemy – dressed as inappropriately for this occasion as Moukou, who was in a red and white dress. Her ally, Nix, was dressed in more appropriate armor, as usual.

The enemy was Kaguya-hime; Moukou easily recognized her just from her father's stories of her. "Beauty that surpassed that of any Earth-born girl," he'd said. Despite the growing hatred for this woman, Moukou could not deny that unearthly beauty her father had described. The Lunarian Princess before her had won over many hearts in her time on Earth, including that of her father.

And now she'd killed him.

Sense slowly returned to Moukou. That was right… he was dead. Kaguya had killed him, right in front of her. Nix had stopped her from killing Moukou, yes, but her home was destroyed in the battle that ensued. And now, before her eyes, Nix fell from the sky. She would revive, yes, but most likely not before Kaguya finished the job. She had to finish the job. Moukou had nothing left.

But she didn't.

The immortal Princess began to… just leave. Moukou panicked. Why would she? Why didn't she just kill her and end it? Why take everything from her and then leave?

"Kaguya!" Moukou screamed, forcing herself to stand. "Don't run away! Finish what you came here for!"

The Lunarian paused, turning to look at the poor mortal she'd left behind. Confusion, then amusement, crossed her face. She continued floating backward, toward the moon.

"Come back!" screamed the frustrated human. "I'll… I'll kill you for this! You'll die for all you've done!"

In reply, all she heard was soft laughter as the Princess vanished.