October 23, Fall, year 20

This is the first time I've spent the Moon festival with anyone who wasn't family. Mom used to take us all down to the beach and we'd roast marshmallows and she and Dad would take turns telling us stories of the People of the Moon.

I hope I don't… make a fool of myself.

This time the kittens were left with Takakura, who was a fair hand as raising animals. Both were healthy and vigorous with life, growing a little more each day. Claire had started leaving them alone longer, and picking up some of the harvest duties again.

She had a basket with moon dumplings, some simple—well, mostly—rainbow curry, and her favorite sandwiches, as well as some freshly made grape soda. It was nice to have fruit trees, especially with the variety her parents had planted..

Still, it was easier than trying to import them from Mineral Town or Flowerbud, and the grapes were often a hit once she'd crystallized them—which had been an accident the first time it had happened.

Claire smiled as she remembered that day, how she'd tried so hard to make something for her big brother's birthday, but in the end had only managed to dip a few grapes in a jar of honey and freeze them.

And ever since then, if Jack didn't receive frozen honey-grapes on his birthday, he sulked until Claire gave in and made him some.

Which reminded the blonde that she would have to do that pretty soon, as it was almost her brother's birthday. Eve already knew the recipe, but Jack had always insisted they didn't taste right unless they were from his sister.

"Flatterer," she muttered to herself, smiling. "You never change big brother…"

The blanket was spread, and there were even a couple of candles, courtesy of Skye. Or, more likely, courtesy of Doug and Ann, but Claire kept her mouth shut, not wanting to sound like she was picking a fight.

They'd only just gotten past the last one after all…

The food made a quick disappearance, Skye complimenting her cooking all the while, which made the farmer blush in pleasure. The dumplings were the last thing left in the basket, and a couple of them had been burnt, despite her attempts at paying attention to the steamer.

"Leave them for the moment," Skye suggested. "I'm quite full."

So, Claire dropped the lid of the basket, and the both watch the horizon, waiting for the golden Harvest Moon to rise.

"You know," Skye's voice was soft, "this festival was made because this was the traditional day when People of the Moon would come and mingle with the humans of the island."

"Why this island?" Claire asked curiously. "I'm sure there's thousands of other places where the moon rises the same…"

"Well… according to our legends, this island actually used to be a part of the moon. But the people who lived on it angered a great mage, and he cast them onto the earth, saying something about them only being fit for dirt-walking."

"Huh…" Claire tilted her head in thought. "That's kind of sad actually."

"I don't think so. After all, if this island wasn't here, I'd probably never have met you."

Claire ducked her head, trying to hide her pleased blush. He could sometimes come up with lines that should have sounded corny, but… they were sweet. Damien had never sweet-talked her, simply expecting her to do whatever he wanted. Which had led to several very loud rows about sex and how Claire never accommodated his needs.

Skye just chuckled.

"I think people started making the moon dumplings as a tribute, in hopes that they might one day be returned to the moon, but now it's just traditional."

"Do you.. want to go back?" she asked carefully.

"Not in particular," the thief responded. "But unfortunately I know that once my father passes away, they'll come try to drag me back up. And at this point he's fairly old…"

Sea-green eyes met and held blue.

"That's one of the reasons I need to communicate through the Goddess Pond," he said gently. "To ensure that my father is still alive. I don't want to have…. Problems when I have to go back up."

By which he meant he didn't want to leave anyone behind to mourn for him. Once he left, he wouldn't ever be allowed to set foot on the earth again, a prospect that was becoming more and more saddening to think about.

"That's good, I suppose… have you used the one in Mineral Town?"

"I have actually. So far he's living, and as much of a stickler as possible. It makes me glad that they can't actually observe what I'm doing," and Skye chuckled. "I don't think I'd ever live down the scandal."

Claire giggled.

"You're a Prince though, I'd think you could just order them forgotten," she teased.

The silver-haired man snorted his amusement, and leaned back, folding his arms under his head to look up at the star-studded sky. This was… nice. Talking freely about his past and his people was relieving a strange sort of tension in him.

"Are there really robes that remove emotion?" Claire asked, flopping onto her stomach and propping her chin in her hands.

"Unfortunately, yes," Skye said. "Usually they're removed when a couple becomes pregnant, but after the first two years of a child's life, all the robbing returns. It's like living in a den of robots."

"So how… How do your people come down here if they have no emotions?"

"Curiosity and wanderlust affect us even with the robes," he raised his head slightly to look at her. "And every so often we break down our elder's protests and convince them. I was given the stipulation to come back upon the death of my father, but that was about it. I haven't been up there since I left.

"This world is amazing," he changed tacks, noticing her expression was becoming slightly sad. "There's so much to experience down here, that it's had to imagine going back and putting on those robes again. I keep wondering if it would revert me to the way I was before I left the place, arrogant and cold…"

"If you went back up, would you still remember? I mean…" Claire bit her lip in thought. "Could you still call up the memories of being down here?"

"Memories yes," and he rolled onto his side, towards her. "But the emotions that go with it would become foreign things, and in time the memory would lose its importance and fade away."

"That's sad," the blonde whispered. "That's really sad."

He reached out and lightly brushed some of her hair out of her face.

"It is," he agreed. "And I know that when the time comes I won't want to. I've been thinking I might abdicate the throne to one of my brothers and just live out my life on earth."

She reached up, caught his hand, and just held it. They were on a cusp, she recognized. Something we ready to tip one way or the other. Hesitantly, she found herself drawing closer to him, and he moved towards her.

And then the peace of the night was shattered by the sound of Rock's laughter. It was followed by Lumina's voice hushing him.

The pair jumped apart and Claire hastily gathered the picnic things, swearing under her breath. Her heart was racing, and they'd been so close! But apparently it was not to be that night, as Lumina and Rock made their way up the path. She turned to wish Skye a hasty good night, and saw that he had already left, but there was a glitter where he had been.

A moonstone pendant shimmered up at her, and she put it in her pocket, before sneaking around the approaching couple, and high-tailing it back to her house.

So close! If Rock and Lumina hadn't come up that path I might've been able to say it! ARGH!

I did learn a lot about the PoM though, so it wasn't a total loss… Still, I want to go and slug Rock or something… I would have sworn that Lumina had said she was just going to take him up to the fountain near her home.

Errrgh…