I had planned to have this fanfic posted last month, but for reasons too long to explain, I found the time to post it now. I wanted to post it yesterday, but it wasn't finished yet.
This is another fanfic surrounded Princess Kaguya. I chose to have it where Sutemaru tells his son about Princess Kaguya in the form of a story. Whether his son believes it or not is all up to him.
I chose to give his son a name. I don't think he was given one in the movie. His name means "bamboo."
Sutemaru's ears pricked at the sound of footsteps.
Someone was crashing wildly through the grove, quickly—much too quickly. Sutemaru hadn't had enough time to prepare, much less time to consider someone would be looking for him.
"Daddy!"
Sutemaru drew in a breath, and put on a broad smile. Slowly, he turned around to greet the newcomer.
"Hey, Shino," he said, bending down.
"Daddy!," chirped Shino. "I wanna come with you!"
Sutemaru chuckled. "Alright. Come on, we have a lot to pick in the bamboo grove."
"Yay!"
Shino grabbed ahold of his father's hand, and the two started the walk down the path leading to the exact grove.
Tall bamboo stalks shot out into the sky, blocking out most of the blue sky so only fragments could be seen. Songbirds could be heard here and there, adding touch to the otherwise placid fortress. The green stalks blurred together into a wall of green if one were to look at it from every angle. Sutemaru wiped his brow, glancing up at the canopy. He closed one eye.
"Daddy!," called Shino, pointing.
"What is it?," said Sutemaru.
"Look," said Shino.
Sutemaru crouched down and looked hard. In the spot his son pointed, he saw a tuft of green extruding form the dirt. The man blinked once, unable to make of what he saw.
"It's a bamboo shoot," he said.
"Bamboo shoot," echoed Shino. The boy scampered over to the spot, his father following pragmatically.
Shino sat on his haunches, eying the bamboo shoot with ardent interest.
"Don't touch it," said Sutemaru.
Shino looked up at his father, not seeming to understand the statement.
"There's more. Look." Sutemaru pointed to a few more stalks, much taller than the one his son found, and smiled.
"Wow," gasped Shino, standing upright. He scurried toward the nearest bamboo shoot, and circled it, laughing happily.
Sutemaru took the time to unload his weaved basket and take his sickle. He knelt down, grabbed the top of the bamboo shot. He sliced it off, then loaded it into his basket. The next one reached his head, almost dwarfing him. His son's laughter filled the quietness.
After he had chopped all eight bamboo shoots, Sutemaru put his sickle in the folds of his tunic, strapped on his basket, and called Shino back over.
The two strolled the bamboo grove, rays of light providing enough sunshine through the canopy. It looked peaceful.
"You know," said Sutemaru, "this reminds me of a story."
"A story?," repeated Shino.
"Yeah." A smiled formed on Sutemaru's face. His face gazed at the ground.
"What story, Daddy?," asked Shino.
"A story I heard when I was young," replied Sutemaru. "About a bamboo cutter, a bamboo shoot, the moon...and a princess."
Shino looked up, eyes wide. He was hooked, and he was eager to hear this story.
"The story goes like this," said Sutemaru, eyes looked toward the path.
Shino's mouth fell half open.
"A long time ago," said Sutemaru, "there was a bamboo cutter in this bamboo grove. He was going about his usual day, cutting down bamboo for a living. When suddenly, he sees a light shining from the ground. The bamboo cutter, we'll call him Sanuki no Miyatsuko, walked up to the bamboo shoot. The bamboo opened up, and inside, was a forest nymph, no bigger than my thumb." Sutamaru held up his thumb, smiling.
"Whoa," said Shino.
"The nymph," continued Sutemaru, "was incredibly beautiful. Miyatsuko took the nymph from the bamboo and took her to his home. When he arrived home, he showed her to his wife, and the nymph miraculously grew fast until she was the size of a human baby."
Shino's eyes widened in wonder.
Sutamaru nodded. "The bamboo cutter and his wife, we'll call her Ona raised the forest nymph as their own, calling her Princess. She grew fast, like bamboo shoots." He pointed to a bamboo stalk that towered over his head. It wasn't yet a full grown bamboo, but it managed to tower with the rest of its brethren. "When she was big enough to start walking, a boy saw her. He saved her from being trampled by a wild boar. He was surprised by her rapid growth—she was at first the size of a toddler, but then she was a head taller.
"The boy and the girl, who he and his friends now called Takenoko, became fast friends. They spent their days playing, laughing, swimming, eating fruits, singing. Then one day, Takenoko and her friends chased down a pheasant. The boy chased it to the forest, then fell down a cliff with the pheasant caught.
"They gathered mushrooms and some vegetables. Takenoko went to her house to prepare the vegetables, only to hear that her parents were going to the capital."
"To the capital?," said Shino. He stopped before a rock, and sat on it. Sutemaru chose to sit crisscross on the ground, taking the time to remove his basket, relishing the weight being off him. "Did Takenoko want to?"
"No," said Sutemaru, "she didn't want to go. As it turns out, her father, found two more bamboo stalks in the forest. The first one had gold nuggets inside. The second had swathes of fine fabric. So he took them to the capital and had a mansion built. And the fabrics were made into robes. Takenoko didn't want to say goodbye to her friends, but she didn't want to disobey her father, so she left."
"She must've been sad," uttered Shino.
"She was," said Sutmaru, "her friends were all sad that she left. The boy she was close with took it the hardest. It's said that he was in love with her."
"Did they ever meet again," queried Shino, sitting straighter.
"Now hold on," chuckled Sutemaru, "we're getting there. Let's see... Takenoko and her family arrived to the capital and they went to live at the mansion. She was given a wide collection of fine robes, and their mansion had an expansive pond. Only there were a lot of rules she had to follow, rules she didn't understand why she had to follow. She even had a tutor, Lady Sagami. She was instructed on teaching Takenoko the ways of etiquette and good manners.
"But Takenoko liked to fool Lady Sagami. She liked to roll out all of the scrolls to read the story. She liked to draw when she was supposed to be practicing writing. Even when she was playing the koto. One day, Miyatsuko announced they have a celebration. A coming of age celebration. Takenoko was going to be given a new name. A formal name. They had a Name Father brought to the mansion, and after looking at her face, and listening to her koto, he gave her the name Kaguya, so she was now Princess Kaguya."
"Princess Kaguya?," said Shino in wonder.
"It means 'shining princess,'" explained Sutemaru, scooting closer to the rock his son sat on. "The celebration was held after the new year. The party lasted three days and three nights. Everyone just didn't want to go home, it was that fun. Although the princess wasn't having too much fun. She and her handmaiden were inside a paladin, separate from the party. They could hear the music and the singing, but to Princess Kaguya it was like she wasn't at her own party."
"That must've been boring," retorted Shino, slouching.
"It was," said Sutemaru. "After the celebration was over, Princess Kaguya spent her days studying, speaking very little, her mansion would be crowded by suitors everyday. It was like she was becoming another person entirely. It was like she didn't let her emotions show. Then one day five suitors came to the mansion to court her, comparing her to mythical gifts, After hearing their proposals, Princess Kaguya proposed that she would only choose whoever would bring her these gifts."
"What were the gifts?," asked Shino.
"The five suitors," began Sutemaru, sprawling his legs out on the ground, "each compared Princess Kaguya. The first suitor, Prince Kuramochi, compared her to a jeweled branch from a tree of Mount Horai. The second suitor Prince Ishitsukuri compared her to the stone begging bowl of Lord Buddha.
"The third suitor, Lord Minister of the Right Abe, compared her to a robe of fire-rat fur. The fourth suitor, Grand Counselor Otomo, compared her to the jewel from the dragon's neck. And the fifth suitor, Middle Counselor Isonokami, compared her to a swallow's cowry shell."
"Did they bring those things back?," asked Shino. "Do they even exist?"
"I've never seen any of them before," answered Sutemaru, "but just because I've never seen them doesn't mean that they might not exist."
"What happened next, Daddy?," asked Shino.
"Well," said Sutemaru, "the suitors were baffled. They didn't know how to react to these requests. All of them thought the quests were impossible, so they left, and as soon as they left, the crowds left. The entrances to the mansion were cleared, and with that the princess was able to go out again."
"Where did she go?," queried Shino.
"To see the cherry blossoms," replied Sutemaru. "They were at their peak."
"Daddy, what about the boy?" Shino slid off the rock in impatience.
"I was just getting to that," assured Sutemaru.
A smile brightened up Shino's face.
"Princess Kaguya was on her way back to her mansion when she heard a ruckus," explained Sutemaru. "There were these thieves—three of them to be exact. Two of them were two older boys, and one of them was the boy that knew Princess Kaguya."
"What happened?," inquired Shino. "What did the boy do? What did Princess Kaguya do?"
"Hold on, hold on," cautioned Sutemaru, chuckling. He leaned forward, and scooped his son in his arms, sitting him down on his lap. "Now, Princess Kaguya peeked from her carriage, and she saw the boy with a hen he stole. The moment she called for him, the moment boy was stunned. His friends called out to him to catch up to him, but the boy didn't move.
"He was surprised to see Princess Kaguya, just as she was surprised to see him. He called her by her old name Takenoko. But then came the guards, and as soon they caught the boy, they beat him. Princess Kaguya saw him being beaten. She cried all the way back home. And the boy laid there on the ground." A frown tugged at Sutemaru's face. His gaze fell over to the ground, looking somewhat blank.
"Daddy?," uttered Shino.
Sutemaru looked at his son, snapping out of his momentary trance.
"I'm fine, Shino," he said, smiling, "just thinking."
"What happened to Princess Kaguya?," queried Shino. "What about the boy?"
"Well, three years passed since they saw each other," began Sutemaru, "they never saw each other after that, but they thought about the other. They thought about what the other was doing or where they are. Princess Kaguya grew to be a beautiful woman, still sought after by so many suitors.
"One day, a visitor came to the mansion. It was Prince Kuramochi. And he brought back a jeweled branch from a tree of Mount Horai. He revealed to it, and he told Princess Kaguya his journey. After hearing his tale, just as it seemed like she was going to be married off to him, an intruder came. He was an artisan from the Guild of Artisans. As it turns out, it wasn't a real jeweled branch at all but a fake."
"It was fake?," cheeped Shino, raising a brow. "That wasn't nice."
"No, it wasn't," agreed Sutemaru, "but Prince Kuramochi would do anything to have Princess Kaguya as his bride. So, as soon as he was exposed, he fled."
"What a coward!," hooted Shino.
Sutemaru laughed.
"Next," he said, "came the Lord Minister of the Right Abe. And he presented a robe made of fire-rat fur. He showed it to Princess Kaguya and she wanted to test out his sincerity. To see if it was genuine, she ordered him to throw it in the fire. If it was genuine fire-rat fur, it would not burn but glisten. The Lord Minister didn't know what to do to change her mind, but he did what she told him.
"He threw the robe onto the fire. It began to glistened iridescent colors, as if it were indeed fire-rat fur. But then it began to smolder, it was burning. The Lord Minister took it out of the fire. The robe was no kore than a pile of ash. He berated her for ordering him to do such a thing. But Princess Kaguya was satisfied when she saw that it was a fake. And so, he went on his way."
"What about the others?," queried Shino.
"Well, the Grand Counselor Otomo," said Sutemaru, "went off to sea in search of the dragon's jewel. He was said to sent his first wife away and had his mansion rebuilt."
"All that for Princess Kaguya?," quipped Shino
"Yeah." Sutemaru nodded. "A warrior's resolve is a wondrous thing."
"So then what happened?"
"Well, around the same time the Grand Counselor was at sea," continued Sutemaru, "Prince Ishitsukuri came to visit Princess Kaguya."
"Did he have the stone begging bowl?," inquired Shino eagerly. "The one that belonged to Lord Buddha?"
"No," replied Sutemaru, "he didn't have the stone begging bowl. He brought back a flower."
"A flower?" Shino's face was filled with confusion.
"Yup," retorted Sutemaru, "just a simple, run of the mill flower. A common clover, really. He went on his journey to find Lord Buddha's begging bowl. He searched high and low. Crossing mountain and meadow. It was then, when he got tired and decided to rest, he gazed at a flower blooming at his feet. And that's when he realized, it wasn't the begging bowl he wanted to give Princess Kaguya but the flower.
"He tried beguiling her with flattery and sweet words, convincing her to run away with him to the countryside to be among the wildflowers. Just as he was about to pull the screen and see Princess Kaguya, he was in for a big surprise. It wasn't Princess Kaguya but his first wife."
Shino giggled, covering his mouth behind his hands, kicking his legs. It was so contagious that Sutemaru himself roared with laughter, slapping a hand to his forehead.
"Where was Princess Kaguya?," chuckled Shino, slipping off his father's lap, choosing to ost on the ground instead.
"She hid as soon as Prince Ishitsukuri's first wife arrived," said Surtemaru after catching his second wind. "His first wife was angry with him. She wished to be taken back to that place that is not here. She chastised him for plucking away flowers and throwing them away. He was dragged away from the mansion, never to be seen again."
"What about the final suitor?," asked Shino, bringing his knees up to his chin. "What happened to him?"
"The Middle Counselor found a swallow's nest and was intent on retrieving a cowry's shell," said Sutemaru, "He had a rope tied around his waist. A few other men were hoisting him over the eaves where the swallow's best was built. He almost had the shell when the rope snapped and he fell down...only, there was a cauldron right below where the nest was, and the Middle Counselor fell headfirst into the cauldron, dying on impact."
Shino's eyes widened.
"What did they tell Princess Kaguya?," he asked.
"They told her the news," remarked Sutemaru, "and she fell into a deep despair. She blamed herself for everyone's misery, even though they told her otherwise. Then one day, the Emperor himself heard word about Princess Kaguya's rejection of all five suitors. He became convinced that she wanted to be with him. So he went to her mansion and was struck by her beauty. He was keen on taking her against her will until she disappeared."
"Disappeared?," said Shino.
"She turned invisible," said Sutemaru automatically, "and he realized he was bad-mannered he promised to leave and not touch her again. As soon as he made his promise, Princess Kaguya reappeared, solemn and regal. The Emperor left the mansion, but it was no soon until more bad news surfaced."
"What happened?," inquired Shino.
"Princess Kaguya was in even more despair," answered Sutemaru, "more despair than she was about the Middle Counselor's death. She told her mother and father that the people of the moon were going to come take her away."
"The people of the moon?," echoed Shino, sprawling his legs out.
"Yes," said Sutemaru, "as it turns out, Princess Kaguya was originally from the moon, and she was banished to earth for breaking the law on the moon. She broke its law and was sent here. You see, she wanted to experience Earth's wonders and impurities. She wanted to know what those feelings of this world were. And when she begged to be away from the Emperor the moon resorted her memories and told her she would be taken back on the fifteenth night."
"That's sounds unfair," complained Shino. He picked up a pebble beside him and threw it over to his left, watching it ricochet off a tall bamboo stalk.
"It was," continued Sutemaru, "the princess didn't want to go back. She wanted to stay here on Earth. Her father would fight back to keep her. And so, he and his men prepared for the fifteenth night, all while Princess Kaguya was sure it wouldn't work."
"What about the boy?," queried Shino. "Did Princess Kaguya get to see him again?"
"She did," said Sutemaru, "she had a carriage take her to the countryside to see the mountains and forest one last time on case her father's plan didn't work. She stopped the carriage and went exploring. She started to sing, and she was heard by none other than the boy, who was now a man.
"They were surprised to see each other. Princess Kaguya was happy to see him, but her childhood friend wasn't sure how to feel. He hadn't seen her for a long time, so he decided to treat her as most people treated nobles. The princess insisted to drop the formalities and talked to him. She confessed that she would've been happiest with him. She would've been happy living in poverty, foraging for food, wearing rags.
"The man also admitted to wanting that, he and Princess Kaguya ran through the meadow together, and then suddenly they flew!"
"Wow!" Shino's eyes protruded in silent wonder. "They were flying? How?"
"They didn't know," said Sutemaru, "they wrote it off as magic. Princess Kaguya and her friend flew over the fields, over the mountains, and over a river. They floated in midair, holding each other. Neither one of them wanted to let go of the other. And then, the man woke up."
"He woke up?," said Shino confusedly, blinking. "So he was just dreaming?"
"The man didn't know if what he experienced was real or a dream," said Sutemaru, "he wanted to believe what he saw was real, that he didn't see Princess Kaguya again. What did he do? He went back to his wife and child."
"Then what happened?," inquired Shino, laying down on his stomach, elbows perching his chin.
"The fifteenth night came," replied Sutemaru, "the people of the moon descended on a large white cloud, playing the most beautiful music you've ever heard. The moon shone so bright it was as if night had become day. Miyatsuko ordered his men to fire arrows at the moon people, but they turned those arrows into flowers. Their music had the power to put people to sleep, and so the soldiers fell asleep.
"The moon sprites searched the mansion until they found Princess Kaguya in her chambers. They had her dragged away out of the mansion and on to the wide white cloud. And attendant offered her a gold crown and a robe. She donned the crown, but before she could don the robe, the children came singing. They were singing the song Princess Kaguya loved so much. The same one you like."
"You mean the one that goes 'Go round/Go round/Waterwheel go round'?," quipped Shino.
"Yeah, that one," said Sutemaru, smiling.
"What did Princess Kaguya do?"
"She told the people of the moon to wait," replied Sutemaru. "She wanted to have one last moment with her parents. They hugged her and they all started crying. They begged to take them there, and Princess Kaguya just cried harder. She tied to make the people of the moon see that the Earth was not impure but beautiful with many different emotions, emotions that were real, not fake.
"But the attendant put the robe of the moon on her, erasing all her memories of Earth."
"That wasn't fair," whined Shino, crossing his arms.
"It wasn't," said Sutemaru, shaking his head, "and once Princess Kaguya had the robe on, they all left, continuing to play the cheerful music. They ascended into the sky, growing ever distant until they couldn't be seen anymore. Princess Kaguya was returned to the moon."
Shino sat, expression uncertain. He looked at his father, taking the time to reel in the story.
"There's a lesson in all of this," said Sutemaru.
"There is?," said Shino. "What is it?"
"The lesson is that you should take the time to appreciate the little things in life people take for granted." Sutemaru turned, and spotted something in the ground. He stood up, prompting his son to stand, too. He followed his father to the spot, looking down to see a small bamboo shoot, just barely poking out of the ground. "Like this bamboo shoot," said Sutemaru, crouching down, "you don't know what it's capable of. Most people see it and think of it as nothing more than another bamboo stalk to be eaten or made into furniture.
"Bamboo is strong in its own way. It's strong, durable, resilient, and it can handle the most harsh weather. Even in the snow, it stays green. And that's how Princess Kaguya was. She was resilient, even when she was at her darkest hour."
Shino looked at his father before looking at the bamboo shoot. It was small and pale green, looking more like a tuft of grass. All the bamboos shoots his father cut were almost as big as him. He looked around at the surrounding bamboo stalks. They surrounded him like green walls. He thought of Princess Kaguya and how she was hidden behind green screens of palanquins. Shino glanced up at the canopy. The leaves of the bamboo swayed in the breeze, their crowns making way for sun rays.
"Do you know why I like bamboo shoots?," asked Sutemaru, smiling.
Shino seemed to want to answer, but he remains quiet, letting his father give him the answer.
"Because they remind me of the story," he said.
The answer sunk into Shino, expecting it all along.
"But I also like to come out here," said Sutemaru, "hoping to see if I'll see a bamboo like the bamboo cutter in the story did."
Shino blinked.
"Do you think they could be real?," he asked.
"Why not?," said Sutemaru. "Just because it's a story, doesn't mean that they don't exist. You can't see the wind, but you can feel it, so you know it exists. And I've never seen the moon people, but that doesn't mean they don't exist either."
"You really think you'll find a bamboo shoot like the one in the story?," queried Shino, looking hopeful yet yearning for a dim spark.
"Yes," replied Sutemaru. "Yeah, I do. I could find one right now, and take the little nymph inside it home."
"Would you do the same things the bamboo cutter in the story did?"
Sutemaru paused. His expression showing that his mind was miles away from where he was.
"No," said Sutemaru at last. "No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't move my family away from where they're happiest for a life they didn't ask for. Besides, this is where I belong."
"And me, too!," cheeps Shino. He wrapped his arms around his father's middle. Sutemaru returned the hug, tousling his son's black hair. He was still laughing even when he broke the hug.
Sutemaru looked up at the sky, noticing the direction the sun hit, not realizing how much time had passed. He crouched down and strapped his basket back on his back.
"We'd better get home," he said, taking his son's hand in his own, "your mother might be wondering where we are."
"Okay," said Shino.
Sutemaru and his son turned around, walking down the path they took to get into the bamboo grove, leaving behind a story, and taking back a reminder of their time on the grove.
A few yards from wheee Sutemaru and his son stood, a soft light glowed, darting into the ground. In that spot, where it was clear of any grass and weeds, out popped a tuft of green. It shot out of the ground again, growing more until it was at its appropriate height; it was shorter than the surrounding bamboo shoots, but taller than the ones that were making an effort to grow.
A light shined around the bamboo, almost like it was glowing from within the stalk. The bamboo stood in the space, radiating its light, and relishing the insouciance of being surrounded by the forest.
Where that bamboo shoot stood, a discovery was waiting to be found.
Hope you enjoyed this story. :) I love this movie.
