Coauthored by HitheroNihil
"Dad, dad!"
The boy's footsteps echoed against the wooden floor as he ran across the house, growing louder until he reached his father sitting at his dimly lit desk. Stationary tools, blueprints, books, and airplane models lay sprawled across it. The father turned to face him, eyebrow raised.
"Miyuki, what is it?" He asked.
"Can you tell me the story about the moon princess?" Miyuki bounced eagerly, smiling with anticipation.
"Huh, again?" The father exaggeratingly exclaimed. "This is the third night in a row you've asked me."
"But it's my favorite story! And tomorrow's the lunar eclipse! Isn't it perfect?!"
He hummed.
"Did you finish all the work I told you to do?"
He nodded energetically. The father sighed, stood up, and exited the room. His smile grew bigger, and ran after him. They walked outside to the porch, and stepped out underneath the starlit night.
A planetary ring shone brilliantly in silver blue, arcing across the horizon before its glow disappeared midway, blending into the abyss. The half towards the west was still illuminated by the sun hidden below the horizon; the planet's shadow eclipsed the rest of the ring in darkness.
They raised their heads and looked towards the moon; it was a sight to behold. Half of its body was shattered, leaving a bright trailing cloud of its fragments across the night sky, like a rolling teardrop reflecting glints of light.
Shirogane wowed in fascination, entranced by the sight as they gazed at its sheer beauty. The shattered moon also struck a hint of sadness in Shirogane.
"Hey." A voice called out from behind them. His little sister emerged from the doorway.
"Kei! Dad's about to tell us the story of the moon princess!"
"I know, I could hear you from a mile away, idiot. And I'm not here for the story. I just couldn't focus because you two were so noisy." She walked outside, stretching her arms.
"Though, since I have nothing else to do now..." she declared, joining them in their stargazing.
The father cleared his throat, began to recite the tale.
"Time before history, the gods of the heavens ruled over the world. With stardust, fire, and water, they created mankind. They commanded them to grow and cultivate the world to make it beautiful, and to serve and worship. But the Gods disagreed on how mankind should live and serve, and argued over control of the world. They fought and waged war, making their subjects fight for them. Mountains melted, seas boiled, and the skies were alight in ash & flame.
During the war, the Princess of the Moon fell from the heavens, down to earth. She was found by a boy in a distant land untouched from conflict. The princess was afraid, but as the boy showed kindness, she began to grow with awe and curiosity for the world we lived on; the boy taught the princess about life, love, and beauty of the universe from the perspective of mankind.
The Princess was inspired, happy, then soon fell in love with the boy. She did not want to return to her home ravaged in war above.
One day, the heavens were destroyed and the moon broke apart. Its pieces fell and lay waste to the world, gravely injuring the boy. The princess, torn by grief and guilt from the belief that she was responsible, reluctantly decided to return to heaven in order to stop the destruction and restore balance and order. With her powers, she left the boy an elixir of immortality, and departed. The boy, unwilling to live without the princess, poured the elixir into the earth and died. The essence of the elixir spread through the world, enchanting it, and thus Lumiens were born.
With no gods left from the war to serve, humans and lumiens alike were left to freely choose how they lived. Some say they're souls that fell from heaven to carry out the will of the princess. Others say it's a curse that embodies the wishes of the boy, constantly trying to fly to the princess far above, unable to reach her."
As he finished the story, the sound of silence returned. They all continued to watch the moon in contemplation.
Kei spoke.
"I don't know why you like the story so much - It's all about dumb gods, war, and tragic stuff. The boy and the princess couldn't be together anymore, so he chose to die. And everyone still fights today, so the princess couldn't bring peace. What was the point of all of it?
Shirogane didn't break his gaze, and hummed in thought.
"Why do you think the princess gave the boy an elixir to live forever?" He asked, more so speaking his mind than replying to his sister.
She waited for him to explain as he continued. "Everything he knew was destroyed; his home, his land, his family. And the princess had to leave him. It would be a terrible life to live after that. But I don't think the princess was being thoughtless; I think she was trying to tell him something."
"Tell him what?", Kei humored.
"I think she was saying, 'Wait for me. Someday I'll come back. Even if it takes longer than a lifetime, I'll find a way for us to be together again.' But the boy was too heartbroken to understand it, and chose to die, leaving her all alone."
He reached his hand out towards the moon, as if trying to grasp it and pull it close.
"But I wouldn't let that happen. If there was someone I loved that was as beautiful and amazing as the princess, I wouldn't let it end like that. Even if the world is destroyed, I'll try to find a way to fly above the earth and reach the moon; I'll find a way to get her back."
He smiled, and closed his fist around the moon, his spirit filled with determination.
His father smiled. "Love is interesting, isn't it? It can make the coldest heart happy & stupid, and it can drive you to reach farther beyond what anyone can imagine; it may even surpass lifetimes.
"Shirogane, if you ever meet someone like that, become the man who will reach the moon, and seize it."
He turned and walked back inside. "Get ready for bed kids, it's getting cold."
Kei glanced at her brother still entranced by the night sky. She sighed, and returned inside as well, leaving him alone in his thoughts.
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Author's Note:
My passion for anime, my love for the characters and their struggles, and my spirit for flying.
"Sentimental Crisis" and its animated portrayal of all of these things combined is a masterpiece that became my obsession for over a year. Finally, I recently decided to put my feelings onto paper, and sought guidance which I found in the form of HitheroNihil.
This story is the result, pouring our brains, heart, and soul into its making; it wouldn't have been possible without my newfound friend.
Come follow the journey of our beloved characters, and together learn what it means to fly.