Earlier that day…
"Victorique would love this…!" – Said the boy to himself as he picked up a small stone from the river's bank – "Looks like a gemstone…just like her eyes"
"What a treasure you got there!" – said someone out of nowhere.
Kujo jolted in surprise and turned around to find the source of the voice…before him stood an old man. He was very small but had a very kind smile, he could barely open his eyes and his chubby face gave him an 'adorable grandpa' look. He spoke in a husky voice – "I haven't seen one of these for years!"
He walked toward Kujo slowly. The boy responded with a smile and showed him the stone. For a moment, Kujo thought to have seen the elder's eyes…an unusual shade of blue…
"Well, I've never seen one!" – Revealed the boy in a soft voice – "I just found it"
"As ancient as the moon itself…" – said the old man – "Moonstone holds the power of mystery"
"Moonstone…?"
The old man nodded and continued – "You know, our ties to the moon are strong…and this gemstone is a tangible connection to the magic of the moon"
"Oh, I see…" – Kujo gave him a puzzled look. Why is he telling me this? – He thought – How did he know I had found this?
The old man giggled – "Moonstone's secrets are locked beneath a pearly veil and with them, our own hidden truths, my boy. It's foremost a talisman of the inward journey, taking one deep into the self to retrieve what is missing, the parts of the soul left behind or forgotten, then brought to light!"
"Sometimes the best thing to do is just to leave the past behind…" – said the boy.
"Even if you run away, it'll eventually catch you. If we forget our past, son…" – replied the elder – "we'll just make the same mistakes again. Griefful memories shall not interfere in our future, but they may be useful"
"I understand what you say, but-"
"Oh, I got it. You're having trouble with a girl!"
"I-I'm sorry?" – asked the boy perplexed.
"Why would a man's heart have so many doubts if wasn't for a woman?"
Kujo laughed nervously – "I can't really get your point…"
"Do you lover her?" – asked the old man enthusiastically.
"I think I should get going…"
Kujo waved him goodbye and was just about to turn his back on him when the old man said these words – "Love is a beautiful pain, isn't it?"
The boy stopped and lowered his head. The two of them stayed in silence for a few minutes. Kujo smiled and finally completed his sentence – "Especially when you can't stop loving her"
The old man approached him and patted his shoulder. Kujo forced a smile once again and looked down.
"Our bonds used to be strong" – explained the boy in a low voice – "But lately I've been feeling that something is tearing us apart. No matter how much I try, it only gets worse. I feel hopeless…"
"Why don't you give the moonstone to her? It's the perfect gift for estranged lovers!" – said the old man trying to console him.
"Yeah, the moonstone…" – he said in a sarcastic voice – "By the way, we're not even lovers"
"Man of little faith!" – Complained the elder – "Of course you are lovers! You love each other!"
"I don't know…" – uttered the boy – "She's so lovely when she's being herself! But…suddenly things change, she starts to act cold and her eyes become distant. You know, I wish I could…" – his face reddened as he spoke and his eyes somewhat dreamy – "I wish I could wake up every morning with her lying in my arms, I wish I could love her; I wish I could make her mine! If I tell this to her, she'll just…ignore me. In the end, it's just a dream…"
The old man sighed. "My boy" – he said – "dreams are meant to be achieved. If you could, would you forget her?"
"Unfortunately, no" – answered the boy – "I'd rather be dead than living somewhere she doesn't exist, even hurting as hell I wouldn't change a thing about meeting her…!"
The old man giggled once more – "Geez, kids nowadays are tough!" – he walked back to the place where he first appeared – "I think you should give it a try" – he advised the boy as he pointed at the hand holding the stone – "The impossible awaits you"
"W-wait! Before you go…Er, I'm a bit lost…" – said the boy.
"Follow this path" – he pointed him a direction – "and you'll get where you want"
The boy looked at where he pointed – "Thanks…By the way, what's your name…" – and he turned around to ask, but the old man had vanished – "Sir?"
He looked all around; no one was there.
"Weird…"
He put the stone in his pocket and followed the path the old man had told him.