She didn't mean to fall asleep, but somehow she did despite the mud and her soaking wet clothes. It was morning now, and at least the water had stopped falling from the sky. A human man had woken her, a concerned expression on his weathered face.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asked, and Kaguya was surprised to find that this human knew her language.

A shudder of revulsion swept through her, and she was about to tell this dirty human to go away when the more rational part of her intervened. He was likely to know where the nearest settlement was, and where she could find a place to stay. She grimaced at the thought of having to eat human food, but it was either that or starve. Actually…

Now that she was unable to perish, she didn't have to eat or drink anymore. The question was, did she still feel hunger and thirst?

Her stomach growled in answer, and Kaguya became distinctly aware that her mouth was completely dry. Well. That settled it, then. Though she could not die from malnourishment, she still had to attend to regular bodily functions, it seemed.

"Miss?" the human continued, peering closer at her.

Kaguya involuntarily jerked away from him. "U-um...where is the nearest settlement?"

The human blinked, like he wasn't expecting her to be capable of speech. "It's but a three hours' walk from here. Are you alright? You look as if you've been here all night."

"I have," Kaguya muttered, holding her knees against her chest.

The man's eyes widened, and silently Kaguya cursed. She hadn't meant for the human to hear her.

"You must be hungry. Come, follow me back to my cottage. My wife and I will take care of you until you are ready to travel again," the man said gently, holding out a callused hand to her.

She looked at the bronze hand warily, her every instinct screaming for her not to sully herself by touching the lesser being. But this man was promising food and shelter, and besides, Kaguya had dirtied herself the moment she drank the Hourai Elixir.

Honestly, in this foreign land she had nothing left to lose.

"...Very well. Lead me there," she said at last, accepting the man's hand. She couldn't help but shudder as her fair, pale skin touched his rough, sun-kissed one.

He helped her stand, and led her deeper into the forest of the thin, green reeds. He handed her a rough waterskin, urging her to drink. She did, and gagged only slightly at the rancid taste of the water. Still, water was water, and she felt much better after the drink.

"What is your name, if I may ask?" the man asked kindly, looking back at her as he took back his waterskin.

"Kaguya. Kaguya...Hourai….san," she finished lamely. She'd no family name back on the Moon, but it felt fitting that she associate herself with the immortality elixir.

"And you?" she added quickly, remembering her manners.

"Taketori no Okina, and my wife is Kaede. Where are you from? You don't appear to be from around here, judging by your clothes," the man answered.

She hadn't noticed before, but this human was old for his species. His black hair was beginning to turn gray, and there were a few wrinkles on his face. He walked at a somewhat-normal pace, though doubtless he couldn't run very much anymore. She'd hardly seen anything like it before. Only the oldest of Lunarians ever showed signs of wear. One had to be ten-thousands of years old before the first wrinkle appeared on their skin. Still, compared to the ancient Lord Tsukuyomi, this human was positively youthful!

"I'm from...a far away land," Kaguya answered vaguely. If she said she was from the Moon, that would open up a line of questions she was not ready to answer. "I used to be a princess, but I was exiled to this country as a punishment for a crime I committed."

She froze, covering her traitor mouth with her hands. She hadn't meant to reveal that! Her despair over her situation had loosened her tongue.

But surprisingly, the human didn't even flinch. He only nodded sagely. "I see. As young as you are, you must be frightened and confused. Being thrust into a strange place so suddenly...I am glad I found you when I did, Princess Kaguya."

He...wasn't afraid? But he didn't even know what crime she committed! As far as he knew, she could be a murderer or arsonist. And there was no way for him to verify that she was a princess. Yet he was treating her as if she'd told him she was on vacation.

Her mind spun, and not just from hunger. This man was not acting like the humans she'd been taught about. He was supposed to be brutal, savage, lustful for blood. Not wise and kind…

Out of nowhere she felt a pang of homesickness. She wondered what her family would be doing right now. Would they return to their daily lives, or were they in mourning for their wayward daughter? And what of the Goddess? What had they done to her?

"What is this plant? I've never seen anything like it before?" she asked, more to distract herself from her thoughts than out of curiosity.

"Ah, it is bamboo. You can use it for just about everything: food, medicine, construction, and even as a writing surface. I cut it daily here in this forest, and sell it to the nearby villages," Okina explained, grabbing a flat leaf and rubbing it between his fingers.

It seemed impossible that this bamboo could be used in so many ways, but Kaguya supposed that humans had to find methods to ease their primitive survival.

She heard the faint hum of a stream, and soon Okina led her to a tiny cottage. A few meters away was the stream she heard.

She raced past Okina, stopping to kneel down in front of the small river and drink until she was sure she'd never be thirsty again.

A shadow fell over her, and she turned to see Okina standing behind her.

"I can have clothes brought to you, if you desire them. My wife is about your size. While we prepare the noontime meal you may take a bath in the river. I'm afraid nothing will be the standard you're used to, however," he told her.

"Ah, you don't have to-" Kaguya tried to deny, but Okina held up a hand.

"Please. It's the least we can do. We don't live a fancy life, but we're comfortable all the same. I shall return," he said, entering the cottage.

It seemed she had no choice. Kaguya sighed, and waited for him to return with the new clothes. She looked around her new surroundings, and spotted a small farm behind the house. There was another path leading to some unknown place, though if she had to hazard a guess she'd say it led to a village.

She heard the door open, and looked up to see Okina with a small woman who appeared to be around his age.

The woman's long hair was also streaked with gray, and there were tiny wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. Clearly, she was a woman who smiled often.

Even now the woman was grinning as she approached Kaguya, holding a pink shirt and a burgundy skirt in her arms.

"Hello," Kaguya said shyly. "Thank you for letting me stay for a day or two."

The woman waved a hand dismissively. "Please. We hardly ever get visitors; it's nice to have company over. And you may stay here as long as you like, Princess Kaguya. I am Kaede. Here are some clothes. They should fit you."

Ah, so Okina already told his wife about her. It was odd to see these two so welcoming to a complete stranger.

Kaguya took the clothes, and inspected them. The shirt was a light pink decorated in many white bows. The skirt was a deep maroon, with golden embroideries shaped like some kind of flower. Doubtless these were the nicest things Kaede owned.

"I can't take these from you," she said, shaking her head.

Kaede snorted. "They look much better on you than me, dear. And besides, you deserve something nice after all that's happened to you."

In the end, Kaguya was forced to accept the clothes. The humans returned to their cottage to allow Kaguya some privacy.

She stripped, and cautiously entered the stream, shivering at its chill. Once she was clean, she put on the new clothes. The sleeves on the shirt were much too long, but it was easy enough to fold them back. The skirt was also too big, and trailed against the ground.

She tried to wash her mud-stained Lunarian clothes, but soon found that the silk garments had been completely ruined by the mud and water. It was a perfect parallel to Kaguya herself. Once she'd been pristine, but now, she was impure.

It was easier than she'd thought to throw them away.


The human's hadn't lied when they said nothing would be to the standard she was used to. Indeed, Kaguya's closet back on the Moon was bigger than their entire house. But she was determined to make the best out of her situation, and said nothing.

She came to learn more about the two humans she lived with. Okina and Kaede were childless, and treated Kaguya like she was their own. Kaede washed and mended clothes for some of the more wealthier people in the village, while Okina cut and sold the bamboo that grew around them.

In the end, she decided to live with them permanently. She knew nothing about the Earth and about human affairs, and she rather liked her new adopted parents. She was determined to repay them for their kindness, and so she cast about for something she could do to thank them.

She couldn't bake them something, as she soon learned she was a horrible chef, but cleaning was a simple enough task. She got up early one day, and quietly took an old rag and began polishing the cottage. Okina and Kaede woke to a completely spotless house, and they were astounded at her hard work.

So, from then on she cleaned the cottage while Okina cut and Kaede mended. Both were very much relieved to have someone else help with the daily chores.

Kaguya even started joining Okina to the villages when he traveled there to see his bamboo. She was nervous at first, but soon realized the humans in the settlements were just as kind as Okina and Kaede were. She soon found she could help Okina in the villages. The men loved her, and she could usually convince them to pay more than the usual price for the bamboo. The extra money let the trio live a more comfortable life, and Kaguya's homesickness soon began to fade away.

The Earth and humans were not at all like what she had been taught. She'd always been told that the Earth drained away the life from the plants and animals, but Kaguya observed that it was more like the opposite effect. The species on Earth lived such short lives, and so they sought to enjoy every moment they had until it was time for them to die. To them, every day was a new adventure.

And the humans weren't as barbaric as she'd thought. True, there were petty wars here and there, but for the most part they got along with one another. They all understood their place in the scheme of things, and did their best to leave their mark on the world.

Earth was a pretty fascinating planet.


A few years after she'd first arrived on Earth, men from all over the country began appearing at their cottage, asking for Kaguya's hand in marriage. Tales of her had spread like a wildfire.

She wished she could say she was surprised. No matter where she went, men would stop to stare at her. She knew they thought her pretty. Even on the Moon, she'd frequently get compliments for her beauty. It was nothing new, really.

The hard part was convincing her parents to turn them all away. They loved their adopted daughter, and wished her to find a good husband and settle down. They didn't understand why she refused.

She could never tell them her true reasons for denying all of the suitors. It wouldn't be fair if she married a human, whose life was a mere span of decades. She would live forever; decades were just a drop of water in a lake to her. She would never age, never be sick, while at the same time she'd be forced to watch as her husband slowly decayed into dust. It would be agonizing for both of them.

No, it was better this way, to live alone rather than go through all of that pain. Let her parents wonder. She'd made up her mind.


One day, her adopted father interrupted her as she struggled to clean boar meat grease out of her skirt. He informed her that she had another visitor.

With a heavy heart and a sigh, she stepped outside to meet the suitor.

He was not at all what she was expecting. He wore modest clothes, and his head was completely devoid of hair. Why had a monk come to see her?

Upon seeing her, the monk gasped, and threw himself down at her feet, crying softly.

"Is everything alright?" she asked in concern.

"No, no! Only that you are more beautiful than I ever imagined!" the monk sobbed.

Her spirits sank. So he was a suitor, then.

"For all my life I have studied the teachings of Buddha, trying for years to reach enlightenment. But I have failed. I despaired! I wondered, have I wasted my entire life? But then I heard of you and your otherworldly beauty, dearest Kaguya Houraisan. And then I knew: this is my reason for living. It is to be your husband. In loving you, I have forsaken all of my vows. I can never again return. But it is a small price to pay if you accept me as your husband," the monk narrated.

He pulled out a bowl that shone with an ethereal light. "This," he breathed. "is the stone begging bowl of Buddha. I have stolen our greatest treasure, for the greatest woman to have graced the earth. Please, accept it, and with it my hand in marriage."

She blinked, taken aback by how much he lusted after her. To have forsaken his own vows and steal from his own temple...his desire for her was no small thing.

But...she could not. She did not love him, could never love him. And he did not know her, only of her beauty. He only saw her for her face, not for who she was.

"I am sorry," she said with true sorrow. "but I cannot."

The monk paused, as if he had not heard her, then he slowly stood.

"I have forsaken my vows and stole the bowl for nothing," he said in a far-away, numb voice.

Before she could stop him, he turned around, and left.

Kaguya was tempted to call out to him, but refrained from doing so. She was doing the right thing, she told herself. He would die in a mere span of years, while she would live until the end of time.

The next day, when she went to the village to sell bamboo, a fisherman stopped her. He informed her that the monk had been found dead that morning. He had hanged himself out of despair and guilt for his actions.

The fisherman pressed the begging bowl into a horrified Kaguya's hands, saying that she should be the one to keep it.

She returned to the cottage, weeping over the death of the wayward monk. She'd caused a man to take his own life because he could not stand being without her. She couldn't do it. She couldn't keep telling men to seek another wife, not when it would cause them so much pain.

But she also could not accept them as husbands. How would she ever solve this problem?

She looked down at the begging bowl in her hands, and got an idea.


About a week after the monk's death, a knight came knocking on her door.

He was a handsome man, with broad shoulders and powerful muscles, but mortal nevertheless. He too brought a special gift for her.

"Dearest Kaguya, you are more beautiful than the stories give you credit for. Among all of the flowers, you are the prettiest rose," he said grandly, bowly deeply.

She giggled. "Well met, my knight! How may I honor your visit?"

He got down on one knee. "I have traveled all across the world, my lady. I've fought great beasts, seen more wars than I can count, and have met many women. But none could ever compare to you, sweet Kaguya. I have come to ask your hand in marriage. With me by your side, I will protect you from all harms, no matter how big or small! I bring this to you too, as a token of my affection."

From his pocket he produced a small tree branch. Kaguya looked closer at it, and saw with wonder that colorful gems in the shape of blossoms grew from the branch! Never before had she seen anything like this. It have to have been the only one in the world.

"This is one of the fabled jeweled branches of the island of Mount Hourai," the knight said. "I stumbled upon it many years ago, and have been saving it for my future wife."

It was a grand gift indeed, and Kaguya was almost loath to have to send him away. Protection was all well and good, but there were other things that were important in a marriage.

"My knight, I am humbled by your gift for me. But I regret to inform you that there are other men seeking me as a wife," she shook her head sadly. Upon seeing his face fall, she added, "Fear not. I am not betrothed to any of them, for I have devised a test to see who is the most worthy of men. If you truly seek to wed me, you may participate in the quest."

Best of all, her parents approved of the tests. They too wanted only the most worthy of men to marry their daughter. What she didn't tell them was that she already possessed the treasure she made her suitors search for.

The thought of a quest cheered him up, and he puffed out his chest. "My lady, I will do whatever it takes. Name your price, and I will meet it."

"You must bring me the scared begging bowl of the Buddha. That is all I require. If you bring it back to me, I will gladly accept you as my husband," Kaguya told him.

"I will do it! I will return soon, my love," the knight turned, eager to be off, but Kaguya had a thought come to her.

"My knight, may I keep your lovely gift? It will keep me company as I await your return," she asked coyly.

"But of course, sweet," the knight bowed, then was off.

Kaguya sat back, and smiled, looking down at the branch she held. Now she had a second treasure to send men after.

Three more suitors arrived in the months after she sent the knight away. Between them all she added three more treasures to her collection: the legendary robe of the Chinese fire-rat, a jewel from a dragon's neck (complete with a golden scale embedded in it), and the sacred Cowry treasure of the swallows.

She sent the first suitor after the bowl and branch, the second after the bowl, branch, and robe, and sent the third suitor after her four unique treasures.

After that, anyone else who came to her were sent out to collect all five of the treasures she secretly harbored. It was better this way, for it gave her a reason to say no without hurting their pride. Some tried to trick her bringing her replicas of the treasures but she was always quick to point out their dishonesty. None ever caught on to her game, and she never had to worry about marriage.


Many years after her exile, she sat on the steps to her cottage, listening patiently to a young man's confession of his undying love to her.

When he had finished, she smiled. "You certainly have a pure heart. However, I've met many men who also have much to give, and they all seek my hand in marriage too. That is why I have devised five tests for all who wish to wed me. The man who passes them all shall be the man I marry."

"Oh, sweet Kaguya, name your challenges! I shall overcome them all, and then we will be together forever!" the suitor declared, bending down on one knee.

Ah, if only he truly understood the meaning of the word 'forever'.

"Very well. You must bring me five special items. The first item is the sacred begging bowl of the Buddha, to show that I will never again want for anything. The second item is a jeweled branch from the isle of Mount Hourai, to show that I am your most prized treasure. The third is the legendary robe of the fire-rat of China, to mean that you will comfort me like a shawl comforts a weary traveler. The fourth item I request is a colored jewel from a dragon's neck, to show that you love me as much as a dragon loves jewels. And the final task is to bring me the sacred Cowry treasure of the swallows, to symbolize the preciousness of any fruit we bear," Kaguya told him grandly.

The man's face grew pale. "B-but, that will take years to complete, lady Kaguya! I'm not sure if I can even do it!"

She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, looking deep into his brown eyes as she did.

"Don't worry, love. I'll wait for you forever."