Have you heard?

In the middle of the bamboo forest, lies a mansion, known as Eientei. There, lives a doctor, who can cure any type of disease, a shy girl who sells the medicine that the doctor creates at the Human Village, a small child that, when seen, would grant you good luck. But the centerpiece of this: the princess. The princess that, with her overwhelming beauty, elegance, grace and femininity, turns the many head of men. Many have tried to court her hand in marriage but fail to do so.

However, the path there is not an easy one. You have to traverse the infamous, Bamboo Forest of the Lost. As the name implies, the Bamboo Forest of the Lost is famous for how maze-like the area is: bamboo after bamboo, the flat surface that are indistinguishable, bamboos that are as tall as the mountain itself, you will get disoriented in no time. Unless necessary, no one dare enter and as for anyone who enter without an appropriate measure, would immediately be consider dead. Only a fool would willingly enter this area without preparing themselves first.

"This suck," a man, laying on the ground facing the night sky inside the bamboo forest, audibly says to no one. He looks to his right and left, yup, only bamboos. He is now currently lost and has no clue how to get back. The fool of a man has a reason for entering this place,

It was night at the Human Village. The good children went on home and the family are having a nice relaxing dinner in the comfort of their own home. For others, they turn to the shops that are open at night. This also include the man. The man, currently are dining with his buddies at Geidontei, drinking their night away. They talk about random things: how their work has been, their life, anything. But then, the topic reaches towards girls, and what they like about them.

"… it has to be the butts, man. I'm telling you," one of his friend –on the chubbier side- said.

"Yeah yeah. Get back to me when you get better taste," his other friend, body a bit buffer than his, replied while taking a swig of beer. He then continues, "Oh yeah, I just remembered. Have you guys heard about the people living in that bamboo area?" he asked.

"Can't say I have…" the man replied.

"You mean Eientei?" the chubby friend asked.

"Yeah, yeah, that place," he points to the chubby one, "You see. My friend here recently, he went to that place. He needed some kind of treatment for his ailing mother. His stash ran out. So, he went there, yeah, and after he purchased the medicine, he stumbled upon this beautiful girl. Long black hair, petite and well-mannered," the man perked up, but his buff friend didn't realize, "He said he fell for her. Love at first sight, he said. You know what he did?" he looked at the two. After seeing that they both shake their heads, he continues, "He confessed. That dumbass confessed to her. Of course, he got rejected but man, was he shaken. Heartbroken ever since," another swig.

"Wow, what a dumbass," the chubby friend agreed. Before the two could say anything, the man stood up, startling the two.

"H-how did she look like again?" the man asked.

"Hm? Long black hair, petite. Well-mannered her personality, or so what my friend said."

"Like a Yamato Nadeshiko, right?!" he raised his voice. Some patrons were looking now, but they pay him no mind.

"Yamato Na- oh right. I forgot. That's your type," the buff man scoffed, "One of those, 'ideals' wife? Forgot you like them pure like that."

"Oh man oh man, can't believe that a girl of my dreams is right close to me," the man excitedly said, "Sorry boys, but I have to cut this short, but my wife is waiting for me," he fished out the amount that he needed to pay and place it on a plate. He started to move but before that,

"Hey, did you forget? Those guys lived at the bamboo forest. You'll never get by just waltzing it like that. Not to mention, it's already night. Why don't you clear your head first before going," the chubby friend reminded. He's right. Going in there like this would be suicide. However, he doesn't want to wait any longer. His future wife would miss him dearly! Then, the buff friend interjects,

"Nah, you don't need to worry about that. Because when my friend went there, he met with someone. A guide or something. That person brought him to where that 'wife' of yours is," the buff friend mockingly said.

"Great! So, how do I get in contact with him?" There was a silence before the buff friend replied,

"The thing is: he didn't. Well, he's an idiot, like you, so he just went in. Got lost first and all that but then, someone tapped him from behind and then, he was brought over there. I asked him if he knows that guy, but he just shook his head. So, I can't help you there," another swig. If what his friend said is true, that means the 'guide' has to be patrolling around the forest. Albeit scary, he just has to believe. Believe that he could reach his wife with the power of 'love'. With that, he dashed off, ignoring his friend.

And now, he is laying on the floor, looking at the night sky, with bamboos staring at him. He had been walking around this forest for (what he assumed to be) hours and he still couldn't make heads or tails on his situation. Not to mention, seeing the same thing over and over again can bring one's mental down. If he couldn't get out of this forest soon, he might be one of the idiots that enter places that he shouldn't enter. Out of options, he wait. To preserve his energy and wait for morning, where it's more visible. He remembered back to what his friend said, regarding someone bringing people in and out of the forest. Until now, zero glimpse of any person could be seen. So, he waits while closing his eyes. Surprisingly, there wasn't any stray animals or youkais that he encountered. He would assume that there would be some wild animals or those dangerous youkais to pop out right abou-

*rustle rustle*

-the sound of rustling can be heard from one of the bamboos. Great. Just great. He just had to say that. What to do now? Should he run? It's probably dangerous to run when your visibility is limited. Not to mention, the animal/youkai is probably much adept to their surroundings, and they'll easily overturn him. So, the best option is: play dead. Maybe they'll go away if they think that he's dead. But wait, what happens if they eat meat?

…

Shit, shit, shit this can't be happe-

"Hm? What are you doing?" instead of a beast's growl, comes a voice. Surprised, the man quickly opened his eyes, only to be greeted with a person's face, their body slightly bend over to meet with his.

"Oh, you know… admiring the view," he jokingly said.

"In a dead-man's forest?" the person replied. Right, that was stupid of him to say. Slowly, he gets up to a sitting position and face the person, and see that (with the help from the moon's light),

They have red eyes, and long white hair that reaches their ankle. They wear a white-ish shirt and a dark red sashinuki hakama. What weird with the hakama's that they are wearing is that they are plastered with paper charms, similar to what the youkai shrine uses. On closer look at their long hair, the same paper talisman is used to tie them. The man can only see that this person is an eccentric of some sort.

"So, what are you doing here?" the person asked, but then quickly replied, "Don't worry. I can already guess. Well, can you stand?" the person put out their hand which the man accepts and gets up. Their hand are a bit on the slender side, "Alright. Now, I'll bring you out of here then. Follow me," the person started to move.

"Wait, you know how to get out of here?" he asked.

"Of course. It's like my job now," they replied as a matter of fact-ly. How surprising. Someone that knew their way around he- wait a minute. Couldn't they be?

"Wait," he stops, "If you know the way out, then you know how to get to Eientei, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Do you have some business there?"

"Yeah. Can you take me there?"

"Sure," with that, they both went towards(?) the direction of Eientei. During their walk, the man tried to converse with the guide but their reply are always curt and straight to the point. Like they try to cut the conversation short. What he could gather is that they do this often, and they also set up a yakitori stand somewhere, the man wouldn't know.

"Really, a yakitori stand?" the man asked, "Why haven't I heard about this before?"

"Who knows? Are you someone that knows everything?" the person teased.

"Well… no. But you have to bring me to your stand sometimes."

"If I feel like it."

With a small back and forth, they both arrived at their destination: Eientei. The mansion like structure is a surprised to the young man. He had never seen someone residence as glamorous as this except for the Heida Family.

"Wow! It's huge!" the man excitedly exclaimed, "H-how many works would I have to do achieve this…" he ponders. The guide walks to the wall and rest.

"I'll be waiting outside. You need someone to guide you out," they lean to the wall, staring at nothing.

"Huh? You're not coming with?"

"No. Got no reason to."

"Oh well. Thanks for bringing me here," the man slowly walk forward. But before that, "Oh right," he turned to the guide, "I forgot to ask for your name."

"Hm? Right," they cleared their throat, "Mokou. Fujiwara no Mokou," they point to themselves with their thumb. And with that, the man walks inside. His future wife awaits.

The way back is met with silence. Only the sounds of the grass and crickets could be heard. The man, listlessly walk, following slowly behind Mokou. If you're wondering how the confession went… don't ask. They both walk until they reach a clearing. The exit that leads out of the forest. He thanked Mokou and make his way home, trying to forget what had transpired.

The next day, Mokou is walking around the forest. She wanders, in case there are people who are lost inside the forest. However, that is not the only thing that she does. Sometimes, she went to the Human Village to meet up with Keine, other times she would visit the food stalls, a yakitori stand made by a wandering sparrow, and lastly, she would 'fight' with her biggest rival, the princess of the moon, that lives here in the forest itself. Her fire of revenge that won't easily be put out. But always, she wanders the forest. Why? Why would she do that? Has anyone asked her to do this? No. No one did. One thing and another it just happened. It just life. She has been asked before if this is enough to make her happy, and honestly, she enjoys it. Not only she could hear the different tales of many people that had entered, but she can also 'kill' the one that had ruined her life. The thanks and smile of people also gave her a sense of accomplishment. Despite that, she has never gotten close to anyone. She is an immortal, after all. Making friends with people that are mortal would be foolish. However, that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy others company.

Anyway, Mokou is doing her usual stroll, walking without a set path. Then, she spots someone on the left, judging by what he wears, a guy, is moving his head from left to right. Did he get lost? Well, of course, what else would it be? She should head to him now before he enters deeper. As Mokou started walking to where the man is, the man turns his head, his face meets with Mokou.

"Yo, there you are," the man said. On his right hand, a bag.

"Hm?" he's been looking for her? What for? Seeing that Mokou is confused, the man explained,

"What, you don't remember? You help me last night to Eientei," Mokou takes a closer look at the man. Then,

"Ah, right," she remembered.

"Man, is my face that unrecognizable…" he pouts, "Anyway, here," he fished something out of the bag and hands it to Mokou. It's a yakitori, "I haven't properly thanked you yet, so."

"Oh, you don't really have to," Mokou tries to reject his gift, but the man insists on her having it. In defeat, Mokou takes it, "Well, thanks," came a smile from the man. They both find a spot where they both could sit on and eats the food. It's good.

"Hearing about your yakitori stands reminds me of one, so I bought it. Not sure if it's better than yours though."

"Don't worry, it's delicious. Better than mine."

"Oh~ humble, are we?" he teases. The two talk (mostly the man) while eating the yakitori. Occasionally, he would ask Mokou question about themselves, but they would always dodge the question.

Maybe he doesn't like to talk about himself? the man wonders. So, he stopped doing so. The two talk until all the yakitoris are consumed.

"How many did you buy?" Mokou asked, bewildered by the amount. Judging from the bag he carried, she would assume only around five to 10, but counting the sticks it's around 15.

"Just want to show you, my appreciation. Without you, I wouldn't be able to live today," the man smiled.

"Thank you for this, but you don't really have to. I was only doing my job," Mokou replied. It's true that this is only a pastime for her, but she still appreciates the sentiment, "Well, we should get going. You're heading to Eientei, right? We should head out when the sun is with us," Mokou starts to stand up. But before she could, the man speaks,

"No, I… uh, I wanted to meet with you, actually."

"? With me?" Mokou asked, bewildered.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Well, it's because it's rare. Usually, people would only ask her for the direction to Eientei. Seeing that she was asked personally sometimes confuses her. That's because a lot of people that she talked to says that she is hard to approach. Or that she kept secrets. Well, she has always kept her immortality a secret. It would bring fear to the people if they knew. Often than not, the people she guides would not approach her after this. Only the people that truly knows her would, "Well, it's just… I wanted to ask you something," he looked at Mokou. Mokou waits for him to continue, "Do… do you know the people at Eientei?"

"I do."

"Then… you must know about the people inside, right?"

"I do."

"Well, then… do you know anything about the princess?"

How could she not? That is the person that has ruined her life. Cast away her human lifespan to the life of an immortal, to live forever. To watch the people that she once lives with die. To be ostracized from the human in the Human Village of old. Luckily, the people from the Human Village of now has a more open view of, but she still rather by herself. She doesn't want to go through that again.

"And, what of it?" Mokou grew impatient. Honestly, Mokou is not one who is impatient, but hearing the name of her rival made her a bit tense. Not to mention, the man has been a bit fidgety, making her a bit suspicious of his actions.

"Then you must know what the princess like? Right? Like, somethings to give her, or something that she preferred."

Far from it, what she does know is the opposite. Everything that that person dislike, Mokou would be the all-knowing one. Hell, she had been doing things to annoy that haughty princess for millennium. Like, setting her hair on fire, or putting spicy food on her meal, or just simply jeer at her would rile her up, as that girl ego is as long as time would persist. But that is not to say that she doesn't know what that simple person like. But she wouldn't want to think about it now, as there is no point for it. The man continues,

"Well, if you do then…" he takes a deep breath. Then, he clasps his hand together in front of Mokou "I need your help! Please, tell me anything about the princess that you know of!"

"… why should I?"

"We-well, that's because," he shrinks his head lower, "T-that's because… I… kinda… l-like her."

…

"…huh?"

"Ahhh the princess! I like Princess Kaguya, alright!" the man shouts now to hide his embarrassment.

… another one? For that princess? Ah, another one has fallen victims for the princess poisonous fangs. That girl is really such a… wait. That means last night,

"Last night, you went to Eientei… was it to confess to that girl?"

"You mean the princess? Y-yeah, but it… didn't work out… hahaha," the man awkwardly laughs.

… Mokou sigh. Honestly, again? How many times has this make now? Not only did she entice the man of old, now she entices the man of now? Another sigh comes from Mokou. But, can't blame her. It's not her fault that a lot of people (if not all) falls for the princess's beauty. Even she had to admit it the first time that she saw her, the princess's beauty is one that no one could rival upon. However, she only thinks that for a split second, as her burning hatred for revenge soon occupies her mind. But, the worst will come soon after, because the princess would brag on their next fight on how someone, again (for the X amount of time) confess to her. And she would do this every. single. time. No exception. Mokou doesn't understand why she does this, maybe it's to get under skin (it does, but she doesn't want to admit it).

"Please, Mokou! I need your help! Tell me anything about the princess! I beg of you! So that I could woo the girl and be together with her!" the man pleads. Now, why would Mokou even consider helping this man? There's no benefit to her if the two of them get toget…her…?

… wait, just then, Mokou remembers something. From her previous fight with the princess (not too long ago),

It was another usual morning in the Bamboo Forest of The Lost, Kaguya and Mokou were currently fighting amongst themselves, as that is the only thing that the two immortals could do to sate their boredom. After the two of them almost exhaust their fumes, they stood in the middle, and with the final punch, this time, it will decide the winner for today. They both readied their fist, then lunges forwards, both of them aiming for the spot that could kill them, or at best, knock them unconscious,

"MOKOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"! the two screams the others name "KAGUYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

and then, the hit connects. Both hit the jaw of the other with full force, not once do they think they need to take it easy on their opponent. The two stood still, no one was moving an inch and then,

*thud*

the two of them fell simultaneously. Both unmoving, laying on the floor, and by the end, it turns afternoon.

Afternoon, as the two were still not moving, one would wonder if they were alright, but then. A hand ro- no, two hand rose up. The two hands came from each individual and the both of them points to the sky. After the fiasco, quickly, the two rose up simultaneously.

"Hah! I win! I woke up first!" Mokou exclaimed, her right hand balled to a fist.

"Huh? Did you blind yourself with all that flame? It's obviously me who woke up first," Kaguya protest, unsatisfied that Mokou was trying to claim her victory.

"Huh? What are you saying? Did I smolder your brain to a mush already? But, then again, you don't have anything in there in the first place!" Mokou gave a hearty laugh, but Kaguya wasn't amused. Not in the slightest. However, Kaguya couldn't do anything after, because the two made a promise. They promised that if one of them were to be kill or knocked out, then the fight is over for today. And, if the other party were to violate this rule, the next time that they meet, the rule-breaker has to follow the order of the other. This is made to prevent a never-ending fight between the two, as technically, they could go on forever, but the two has other matters that they have to attend to, so, this is a fail-safe if something were to happen.

And following after this fight, is aftercare. The two would sit down and gather their bearings. They usually do their normal banter, egging the other to break the promise, and if not, they exchange information (talk) with each other. And during this, it's always the princess who talks the most.

"Hey, so, you know about the guy that you brought over before?" Kaguya starts, she brushes her hair with her hand.

"You have to be more specific, I brought a lot of people over," Mokou responds.

"You know, the one with the mother? Came by to get her medicine?"

"Again, there's a lot of those. Are you that stupid to think that I'll remember everyone that came by?"

"No, I think you're the stupid one for not being able to remember something so simple," Kaguya smirks, but Mokou paid no mind, she knows that Kaguya was trying to rile her up, "Anyway, he came by to meet with Eirin, right? As usual. But then, he had the fortunate luck, as he managed to gaze on this beauty!" Kaguya placed her right hand on her chest.

"I think you mean unlucky," Mokou snickers, but Kaguya ignores her.

"Hush you, the princess is talking right now. Anyway, where was I…? Ah right, he met eyes with the princess of the moon, the eternal beauty, the forever lasting cuteness, and you know what he did?" Kaguya closes her eyes, only with her right eye, she took a peek at Mokou, gauging her reaction. She waits for Mokou to say anything. At first, Mokou wanted to stay silent, but she knows the princess would not budge and would not let her go if she didn't follow her wishes, it's just how she is. And, waiting is an immortal privilege. So, she played along.

"Let me guess, he conf-"

"He confessed to me!" Kaguya cuts Mokou off. Mokou knows that is what the aggravating princess would do, as she does this every time. However, it's not to say that she didn't get tired of this.

"Yeah, yeah," Mokou gives a non-response. She continues, "So, what's wrong with this one?" Mokou asks. She knows that the princess would reject another one of her suitors.

"Well, it was simple: it was too sudden," Kaguya answers, "Honestly, girls don't like it when she is put on the spot like that," Kaguya sighs.

"Last time, you said it was romantic 'If the other party were to give a surprise confession!'", Mokou (mockingly) mimicked the princess's voice, "What's wrong with what he did?"

"It's the setting. Honestly, Mokou, this is why you are always beneath me. You don't even know that?" another smirk from the princess. Mokou's blood started to boil, but she kept it in. She'll burn her twice as hard later, "True, it is somewhat 'romantic' if he were to, let say, pursue me until the end of time, and maybe even make surprises that would catch me off guard. But that guy, he only met with me once, and he had the audacity to confess! He only looks at the surface level me, without looking at the real me. Well, I couldn't blame him, when this is what he was looking at," she brushes her hair, proud on what she said. Mokou, however, find it childish of her. "And, it's a bit annoying really, with all this suitor coming by. I wished that they stop because it's not like I was looking for anyone anyway," Kaguya gave a forlorn look.

"Really? I thought you would marry anyone who does your silly request?"

"Mokou, listen," Kaguya turns to Mokou, her aura changed, "We both, we know that we are immortals. If we were to be wed to a normal human, you know what will happen then?" she waits for Mokou to give an answer. But, Mokou stays silent. Seeing this, Kaguya continues, "We will outlive them. And if we were to have children, we will outlive them as well. Our grandchildren, that as well. We will outlive everyone that we held dear, the only thing that we can do for them, is to see they part. Never to be seen in this world again", Kaguya turns forward, she stares at nothing, "We immortals are human. More than human. We have feelings. Can you bear the weight of watching your loved one dies, one at a time? As you stood there, helpless. Watching the resentment of others, thinking that immortality is a gift. While the one who holds them, as a curse," Kaguya laughs, "It's funny. It's only when we hold the thing that we strive to achieve, we realised that, hey, it's nothing special after all? Moreover, it would only bring me more pain than happiness," Kaguya stays silent for a few. Mokou watched the princess sermon.

"Anyway, I'm only doing them a favour. Those 'silly' request is to see whether they are willing to go forth or not. I would rather they pursue an achievable dream, then an obtainable nightmare," Kaguya laughs again, "However, if one were to still fall, I would force him to live the lives of immortals. No way would I watch him leave out of my reach. I do not care if he hates me for it, he is the one who pursue the moon, he will stay with the moon. Forever," Kaguya gives a sad smile.

"… I'm surprised that you thought this through, Kaguya," Mokou tells from the heart.

"Of course. After the umpteenth amount of time it happens, you started to think about the future. Well, it's not like your simple-minded head could comprehend," Kaguya laughs. Well, that's all the good-will of the princess threw out of the window. But, still,

"You're surprisingly mature, huh, princess?"

"It's obvious. Wisdom comes with age. What, is our resident firebird still stuck in the stone-age?" a snicker from Kaguya.

"Hahaha, yeah, yeah, you old hag," Mokou respond back.

"At least this old hag still has people pursuing her!" she winks. The two laugh before moving on with their lives.

Mokou remembered during that time, there was one thing that the girl didn't like,

'And, it's a bit annoying really, with all this suitor coming by. I wished that they stop because it's not like I was looking for anyone anyway'

that means, if Mokou were to help him, she will indirectly annoy the princess of the moon. Besides, there is no way that the princess would ever fall in love with anyone. So, Mokou thought,

'Why not use him to annoy the princess?'

She would like to apologize to him at first, but then, kept it to herself. He is the one who wanted to be with the princess, so, she would 'help'. However, she doesn't say that she would 'help him'. She would let the man feel the venom of the princess, let him falls back to earth. The moon is no place for a human. And it's not because he had annoyed her and asked her to talk about the princess. But before that,

"… how?" Mokou asks.

"?" the man looks up to Mokou.

"How did you fall in love? What make you like her?" The man looks at Mokou first before blushing.

"W-well, you know, she's kind."

Wrong.

"She's petite, small and it feels like she would be hurt by everything. It feels like you have to do anything to protect her."

Absolutely wrong.

"And, she's beautiful, graceful and everything that she does feel so divine!"

Hearing that, Mokou remembers a situation she heard from Eirin,

"Honestly, the princess needs be aware of her surroundings. Just this week alone, she had been seen walking around in her birthday suit, saying that she was 'tired' from watching last night tv drama. Where has the regal, princess of the moon had gone?" Eirin sighed.

There is so many wrong things that the man said that Mokou wanted to oppose, but she held her tongue. She needs the man to still be delusional. At the end of the day, it's the man's fault if he learned of the princess true nature. Something that the princess wishes for.

"… alright, I'll helped," Mokou reply. The man, hearing that, raises his head again once more to look at Mokou's face, trying to look if she was serious.

"Re-really? You'll help?" the man asks, bewildered.

"? What's wrong? Is this something you don't want?"

"N-no, not at all! Rather, I would love your help!" the man stands up.

"Then it settles," Mokou stands up as well. "Well, let's sh-" before Mokou could finish, the man comes closer and hugged her.

"Thanks, Mokou! I knew I could count on you bro!" the man hug and squeeze her tightly, her feet were swept of the floor. He's surprisingly strong.

"W-wait, let me go," Mokou protest. She never had anyone hug her like this before. The only time this happen was with Keine when she is dead-drunk, complaining in the night (about her students) or fighting with Kaguya, grappling her and whatnot. This feels completely unfamiliar for the immortal. Sure, she had people care for her before, but that is a long time ago, and even then, she never likes the touchy feely of people skinship.

After a few seconds of protest, the man let go of Mokou with a 'Whoops, my bad,' and a grin. Honestly, he's too upfront with his desire. It feels like he wears his heart on his sleeves. Mokou coughs,

"An-anyway, one more time, we'll shake on it," she puts out her hand forward, ready to shake with the man.

"Ahahaha, this feels so formal!" the man laughs, "But still, it feels right. All right, happy to have your help, Mokou!" the man reaches for Mokou hand, and the two shakes. Thus, begin the two quest, one who wish to be with the princess, and one who 'help' him to be with the princess.