Author's Note: Well...it has been forever hasn't it? ^_^'''' hahaha sorry about that! And WOAH why are there so many followers on this story?!
Here's chapter 3 or remember me! You'll probably have to reread the story to refresh your memory because I had to _
By the way, thank you all for writing a review in this story to constantly remind me to update this story! If I lack again, feel free to contact me through my other pages. Links are up on my profile page!
Thanks again!
P.S. Ignore my terrible grammar and miss spell words. I'll check the misspelling when I get to it, but grammar? I suck at it so you'll just have to swallow through my stories with that problem ^^'
Remember Me
Chapter 3
-The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter-
My engagement with the village children left me in a blissful mood as I walk through the hallways with a slight bounce on my feet. I can see the sun setting in the distance when I approach the back garden of my home. A soft sigh escapes my lips as I seated myself on the edge of the veranda and watch as the last bit of the sun's rays disappear. The night air turn slightly cold and I let out a slight shiver. My first thought is to retrieve a blanket from my room until I feel the soft fabric of said blanket covering my shoulders. I immediately look up in surprise when I see my father, Okina, standing above me with a loving smile before seating himself next to me.
"I haven't seen you around the palace the whole day," Okina said as rubs his hands together to keep warm. My father then added, "I'm assuming you've been roaming around the villages again."
Okina turn his smiling face towards me and I flinch when his eyes scold me in a way that said he's slightly teasing. I return his gaze with a meek smile and cover my father's shoulders with half of the blanket.
"How are the people in town these days?" Father ask me as I look out into the night. "There're livelier than this dull and boring house of yours, huh?"
"Father I-"I was about to protest but Okina hold his hand out to stop me and smile warmly. His big hand patted one side of my head.
"It's okay." Okina whisper. "I miss them too."
At my father's words, my eyes started to tear up. A force myself to swallow the small lump that had form inside my throat. The forming tears are threatening to fall and I tried to hide them by leaning my face against my father's shoulders. The memories of our old life play through my head until it stop at the very moment when our lives as a commoner changed forever.
That night I fell into a deep slumber while I thought back as the old memories replayed in my head. The sadness, the happiness, and the joyful tears. The small struggle of the bamboo cutter, my father, Okina. Before I ever came into this life, my father and mother have lived a peaceful life on the outskirts of town. Everywhere around you, you could see the full grown rice field. The small stem fluttering in the soft breeze brought down through the mountains and pure water flowing through the water of the nearby riverbanks. The soft distant sounds of cicadas and birds drifts through the sky and you can sometimes hear the growing laughter of children nearby. Okina and his wife was not rice nor were there poor to the point of starvation, no, they were living a peaceful life. Everyday my father would wake up before sunrise. He would grab his usual cutting tools, a large basket to carry over his shoulders, and a small wagon to carry up the mountains to do his daily workload and mother would always do daily housework until father comes home before sunrise. Every day the wagon would be filled with piles of cut bamboos to be later sold off to villages and soldiers. Every day my father would smile as if satisfied with his daily life doing the same routine, but that wasn't the case. Every passing years, they grow old and Okina become weaker. My father knew that this cannot go on and he must find another way support his little family.
My mother tries reassure Okina with a passing smile, but Okina knew that his wife is also becoming frail to do much chores around their small home. Having no child they could give birth to, my father and mother was alone. That was when I came along.
On the night of a full moon, my father had work late in the mountains and have lost tract of time. The bamboo fields became dark to see much of everything as Okina walk down the small path through the mountains. The cut bamboo stalk gives him an easy passage down the road as he carries the small yet heavy wagon filled with bamboo stalks. His grown age left his body at a weaken state as he breathlessly set his wagon down on the dirt ground to take a brief rest.
The sun have long set as the night animals started to stir. Glowing fireflies pass Okina eyes and he look up around him. A sight that is rarely seen, my father grab his lantern and walked away from his wagon and followed the small trail of fireflies. The golden glow lead him to something he never expect to encounter. Yes, the unexpected encounter was me.
A small but brilliant light glow in one of the cut bamboo stalk on the ground. Okina's curiosity quip as he takes a peek inside. One of eyebrows raise in an arch as he gently reach down and cupped his hands in a small object until it came into view. The blinding light soon soften until Okina see in his hand a small pink glowing lotus flower. The petal spreading open to reveal a tiny little soul of a small child the size of Okina's thumb. A surprise smile spread across Okina's lips. My father quickly grab the lantern he had place on the floor and gently cradle his other hand against this chest as he quickly ran down the mountains and forgetting he had left his wagon behind.
This was where my story had begun.
Memories of them raising me while laughing and smiling. I remember crying to the smallest of things, and the nurturing care of my parents as the try to ease my pain. There wasn't any day that was boring. The life of the bamboo cutter's daughter was amazing. I was happy. We were happy. Our life couldn't be any happier until one day Okina came home with handfuls of beautiful things that was to be question. My father told my mother and I that he had stumble upon piles and piles of gold and silk kimono inside of the bamboo stocks. Okina believed that ever since he found me, I have blessed them with great fortune. A tiny child the size of his thumb grew up and raise by their own hands must be worthy of something more. That was what my father believed and so he did exactly what he said. With the gold he had collected from the bamboo fields, my father build a palace worthy of me and name me to be the most sought out young lady in Yokohama. Before long, I was titled as Princess Kaguya, or Kaguya-hime. The palace was soon filled with people I didn't know. Caretakers, maids, chefs, and soldiers. Everyone was a stranger to me. Everyone except Sutemaru….
The morning light force my teary eyes awake as I sat up groggily from my slumber. A warm feeling of nostalgia entraps my heart as I wipe the tears away. A disdain simile spread across my lips as I stood up from my futon and was about to open my room door when I see a shadow on the other side. I froze in surprise until my caretaker's voice said on the other side, "Lady Kaguya, you have a visitor."
"Oh? Who may that be at such an early hour?" I ask as she opens the door with one of her free hands. I look down at her other hand full with expensive looking clothes. My heart sank a little in realization, "Oh… I see."
Without much of complaints from my end, I let my caretaker help with my more routine and dressing me up in layers of silk fabric. The soft inner satin brush across my skin and I shiver at the silky sensation. My caretaker then apply makeup that compliments my features before fixing my hair and adding a hairpin into the small bun to secure it in its place. After she finish, I follow her down the hallway while listening to the shuffling sounds of my kimono gliding across the wooden floor.
My caretaker left me in a room where there is a split screen between half of the other side of the room. I knelt myself down in front of the screen where I see the other person who is sitting across from me. The screen between us is the only thing that is keeping my heart at ease as I clench my fist inside of my kimono sleeve.
"My prince." I said as pleasantly as I could before bowing my head and the first prince did the same in return.
When I have set the little 'game' with the five princes I had met before, I had condition with engaging with them if I were to speak with them one on one. I have told my parents this to not only protect the princes, but also protecting myself. I remember the way the princes were looking at me with infatuation that they themselves didn't realize what they have gotten into. So I have ask my caretaker to put up a screen so when the time comes for me to discuss about our marriage proposal, I want to be able to speak to them as myself. There will be no distract of any sort. This is at least as much as I can do for them because if these princes truly want to be with me, then I will wholeheartedly accept.
My curious expectation grew into disappointment when the first prince present the gift I have ask him to bring to me. Supposedly the "Stone of begging bowl of the Buddha" from India was wrapped in an expensive cloth when the first prince handed the item to me under the screen. My hands slightly tremble as I grab the item and slowly unclothe it. My thoughts was rearing with frantic because I was bewilder on how the first prince retrieve the item I have asked so fast. I knew what I had ask of him was impossible and when I finally look down at the bowl in front of me, I knew that I was in face correct.
"You've lied to me." I whisper loud enough for the first prince to hear. I abruptly stand up from where I was sitting as it cause the bowl from my lap to roll across the room. The clattering sound of the bowl reverberates throughout the quiet room as I walk out of the room without another word. I could hear the desperate attempt of excuses the first princes' tries to come up with before the door closes between us.
The same occurrence happen again with the next two princes. They try to deceived me of their prize items, and the very thought of their deception made my heart sink further. With the two weeks of engaging with these princes, I grew tired of waiting. Every day I listen to the daily news from my caretaker about what these princes are doing to achieve the items I have asked for. Speaking in honestly, I didn't care for these treasured items. I only care about one thing and one thing only. Their dedication to the promise we made. If they truly want me, then they will have to earn with their loyalty of their words, dedicated themselves to what is impossible, and return with triumph. But my words was all in vain when the fourth prince gave up his journey across the ocean after encountering a storm, and finally the last prince made me eat my own naïve words.
The fifth prince have lost his life in his futile attempt to retrieve the last request I have given him. The news of the fifth prince's passing brought a great depression to loom over me. For days I lock myself in my room, refusing to eat, and sleep never comes. The powerful feel of guilt wash over my heart as I cried every night and mourn for the man that I barely knew. What a heart wrenching way to die by my hands, no, by my words. I knew nothing else on how to atone for this sin I have done as I prayed up to the moon to heal the mourning hearts of the prince's family. Hoping one day, they could forgive me for what I have done.
A few more nights have pass by as the moon above my head is becoming fuller each passing nights. The stars twinkle across the winter sky as I let out a sigh out. Warm fog blew out from my lips and I tuck my head deeper inside the hood of my cloak. I look back behind me at the palace before quietly sneak out into the grassy field toward the lone tree that stands by the still lake. It's been a month now since that mournful day had happen. I knew that I couldn't stay stuck in my room forever and eventual my heart starts to recover little by little. I kneel down in front of the lake. A bag I carried out with me lay next to me as I open the content. I pulled out carve circular wax candle shape as a lotus and a carving knife. With the knife in hand, I carve the name of the passing prince onto the wax and place the candle onto a small bamboo boat I have built for the candle.
I reach from my bag once more and pull out a flint and creating a spark strong enough to light up the candle. The soft golden glow give the only light in the field as I push candle boat out toward the middle of the serene lake. I watch as the small ripples above the surface of the water bounce back toward me before I close my eyes and folded my hands in prayer.
"The wings on your back are resting, just waiting for a breeze…." I started to say. The lyrics of Crystal Time running through my ears. The invisible song, the beautiful melody. Every word tickling my soul when a teardrop falls down my cheek. "Still waiting on that shining hill, spreading the wings of your dreams. Now take my hand and believe and we'll fly away together."
"I remember your smile."
What?
"This endless music. This rainbow's melody."
"Who-" I started to say as I look up and turn towards the voice.
"Sparkling for eternity," The mysterious man above me said. A melancholy smile spread across his lips when he finish, "this stardust song."
It wasn't long until his eyes which have been staring up at the moon finally turning his attention to me. My heart skip a beat at the sight of the familiar man sitting on the tree branch above me. His golden eyes somehow glow in the night but it's even more bewildering how the light of the moon amplifies his porcelain skin. His long black hair fluttering through the cold wind of the night giving him a ghostly feature that is seem to unreal, or rather he was unreal.
"You're-"I can't seem to get the words out when the man jump off of the tree branch and stop my words when the next thing I can see is his handsome face millimeters away from mine. I didn't have time to catch my breath when he had jump right in front of me or even stumble backwards until I felt a strong arm wrapping itself around my waist. I felt a light pull and my body moved forward. His lips lingering close to my left ear and he let out a soft laugh that sent shivers down my spine.
"It's quite beautiful." The man said softly into my ears.
"What?" I ask.
"The lyrics to that song." He said as he loosen his grip on me so he could meet eyes with me. A playful smile spread across his lips and he ask, "Mind teaching me the rest of those lyrics?"