Over the quiet, calm, and windy night. The Sapphire moon rose above the sky beautifully. Enchanting all the entities to admire its beauty. As if the sapphire moon is covered by the sea.
"The midnight breeze feels so warm, right Shirohara?" Mokuro, the falan owl asked as he was flying all over the white flower field.
"Yes! It is! Hey Mokuro, why is the moon now color blue? You said that I was born on the silver moon, right?" Shirohara asked.
After twelve years, the young lady had grown, she had silver hair and pale skin. She wore a purple robe that glides as she was riding at Mokuro's back. The owl's body was slippery, however Shirohara managed not to fall at all.
Mokuro then landed on the ground filled with the white flowers.
"My dear, that moon is called the Sapphire moon. When that moon rises, the water all over Tensei becomes blessed. It cleanses people's minds and hearts." Mokuro explains as he spreads his wings and lay flat on the ground.
"But last time, the moon was silver, right?" The confused Shirohara asked her friend.
"You know, you were lucky to witness not just the silver moon but also the sapphire moon. Only a few people get to witness that. Except for elves and ferals, they can live for a hundred years after all." Mokuro told her as Shirohara lays on his left wing.
"When do I meet a feral? Or an elf? I really feel different from you all, you were all like animals that are huge and can talk… and I look small and weird. And I kind of have some similarities from those… you know, those bad humans that hunts you guys." Shirohara hugged her feathery friend.
"Someday, I believe you'll meet those entities. And I believe you'll even make friends with them." Mokuro promised to his little friend.
"You said you, uncle Mac and aunt Sonya found me right on this spot, right?" She asks as she sits up while looking above the sapphire moon.
"Yes, why?"
"Did you… get to see my parents? I… wanted to know why they left me here… is it because my eyes were different? Did I do something bad when I was born?" the sadness in her face as she looks above the moon was pitiful.
"I didn't get to see them but; Shirohara, I think you should know the truth—" He was interrupted as Shirohara laughed out loud.
"Uncle Mac! Stop being silly!" she giggled and rolled over the ground.
Mokuro rose as he saw Mac making silly faces with his feline face. Shirohara looks so happy as she plays with her feline feral friend. They chased each other of the flowery field.
"You almost told her the truth." Sonya, their rabbit friend patted Mokuro's back.
Mokuro left out a tired sigh. "We can't really keep the truth from her forever. She has to know. You see, the forces of chaos might be making their move, and the Lunarians and the moon gods will blame us for delaying the realization of the savior's power. Clearly, we can't see any magic powers from her. I'm worried…" Mokuro sadly looked upon the bright sapphire moon.
"Well, I kind of feel bad for her… I can't believe that the safety… the task of saving the world is given to an innocent child… There were adults after all! This task should be given to them and not to a child!" Sonya sat on the ground like a child who's not able to reach a toy above the shelf.
"Maybe that was it." Mokuro said.
"What? That was what?" Sonya asked confusedly.
"Maybe the reason why the task was given to an innocent child was because they were innocent. Come to think if an adult was given this task? Wouldn't he feel despair as he overthinks about the possible consequences and failure upon a quest? But if you give this task to a child, they won't think of such despair and treat it like an adventure where they will find friends that they would want to protect no matter what. And that leads to the savior of the world." Mokuro explained calmy.
"So, you're saying that the friendship that this child will develop would save the world? She could be betrayed!" Sonya is definitely worried.
"That's why she must learn justice."
"What is justice anyway?"
"Whether a friend or a foe, in terms of punishment, they must get what they deserve." Mokuro said as a ball of cotton hit his face.
Sonya tried not to laugh as they were having a serious conversation.
"Why you look so serious, Mokuro? Ha! You look old!" Mac yelled as he hides under the bushes.
"How dare you!" Mokuro madly said as he flew up, flap his wings and the bushes of cottons flew up in the air.
They all laughed together, not realizing that would be the last happiest days of their lives.
The next day, Shirohara woke up in her bedroom. She started doing her usual routine of the day. Under their hideout runs a clean river where they usually bathe. She dresses up the usual and goes outside their room.
Everyone was busy doing their usual daily routine too. And this time, Shirohara's duty is to gather some fruits outside. Near the gate, she came across Pete, the feral rhinoceros guarding the exit.
"Good morning Mr. Pete!" Shirohara greeted gladly.
"Good morning too, you better return in two hours, understood?" he growled.
"Yes sir! Oh! Good morning too, Sir Marcus!" Shirohara greeted the wolf. "Oh, you've got a wound! Aunt Sonya!" Shirohara rushed towards where Sonya was.
"Sir, what happened? How's the hunt? Where's everyone else?" Pete concernedly asked.
"Only five of us survived. I suggest none of us should leave this place for now. Humans, they were wandering around the dark forest as if they were not afraid to it. The faeries warned that they were using some dark sorcery that made them able to manipulate the dark energy surrounding the dark forest that guards us." Marcus looked anxious as four of his pack enters too.
Meanwhile, Sonya checks her aids and realizes that she is out of supplies.
"Shirohara, mind getting me some howl flower, you know that furry purple flower which the stem looks like a cactus? You can get as many as you can. Make it quick, okay?" Sonya ordered as Shirohara quickly goes out. Pete and the others didn't noticed that she went outside.
In the dark forest, Shirohara hums as she picks up how flowers. The falans can't explain why she couldn't get affected by the dark forest's enchantments, that's why they didn't really mind her being around them.
"And ten! This is the final flower; I better return now." She jogged along the huge roots.
Ten men then followed her.
Shirohara sensed that someone seems to be following her and she looked behind her. There she saw a group of men who failed to hide themselves.
She titled his head and asked. "What's wrong misters? Are you all alright?" she asked them.
The bulky one walked slowly towards her and scratched his head.
"You see little girl, we're not from here and we're kind of lost… so we thought that maybe you can… help us? You look like you live here after all." He tries to smile.
"Oh! Sure! I know the exit! I can help you all. Follow me!" she gladly volunteered.
Meanwhile, back in the hideout, everyone was having a meeting when Pete noticed that Shirohara wasn't around.
"Sonya, where's Shirohara?" Pete asked.
"Oh, I asked her to get some howl flower but I still found a few lefts, I thought I ran out. She'll be back anyway, don't worry." Sonya told him.
Meanwhile, Mac arrived worriedly.
"Guys! We're surrounded!" he panicked as he rushed inside.
"Quick! Pack up!" Marcus ordered. "And if we were captured, remember what I always told everyone, remember. Is that understood?" he asked as a huge explosion shook the ground.
On the dark forest, Shirohara heard the explosion.
"What was that?" She looked from the direction where the sound came from.
"You don't need to know, little girl." The guy grinned as he hit Shirohara's nape.
They laughed and to their surprise, Shirohara didn't collapsed.
"Hunters." She murmured and everything came to her realization. She was shocked. And she ran away as fast as she could.
She didn't head towards their hideout but she headed over the poisoned area of the dark forest as the hunters followed after her.
She ran as fast as she could and jumped on the poisoned lake.
She can swim. And the falans were immune to the forest's poisonous gas, and so was she.
Marcus and Mac had taught her a lot about hunting and escape routes all over the dark forest. Sonya taught her how to cure, and she hoped that Mokuro taught her how to fly but she doesn't have wings. She swam underneath and there was a tunnel heading towards the exit near the plains. However, she didn't expected that area was surrounded by five more men.
"Oh look, we found a beautiful prey." A man said.
Shirohara had no time to cry and she ran again on the opposite direction. There were also five men in there. Soon, she was surrounded.
"You have nowhere to run, little mouse." They grinned at her.
"Shiro!" Pete yelled as he knocked the men off.
"Pete! What happened!?" She asked as she stood in there frozen.
"Shut up and run for your life. The hideout is gone, everyone is gone! So just run for your life!" he yelled at him.
"No! this can't be! And I'm not leaving you here!" she cried.
"You will!" Mokuro yelled as he dashed and grabbed Shirohara with his talons.
"Mokuro! No! we had to help Pete!" Shirohara cried and an arrow hit Mokuro's back.
Mokuro couldn't bear the pain and crashed on the ground.
"Mokuro! I've got howl flowers here! I will help you; I need to—" Shirohara tries her best to stay calm as she opens up her pocket where she put the howl flowers.
"It's dragon's blood, the tip had dragon's blood. Shirohara, you have to listen to me. You're not just a human, you're a Lunarian. You were from the silver moon. The chosen warrior that would save the world from the Apocalypse." Mokuro started shaking as he tries to explain.
"What are you talking about!? Don't leave me!" she cried.
"Dear, I had to go, and you too. We won't make any progress if we won't leave the start of the map. Take this, I found this that night you came from the moon." He opened his beak and there was a gem, a dark violet gem.
"What's this?" She asked and didn't bother if there was a saliva or not. Or if feral owls had saliva.
"I don't know but I believe you'll find out." Mokuro told her.
"A Lunarian!? That's great! I could sell this little girl on a pretty high price!" The leader of the hunt grinned at Mokuro and kicked him.
"Shirohara… run!" he yelled.
But Shirohara was crying and didn't want to leave him behind.
"Come now girl, if you'll come with me, I'll give you the cure for your friend." The man offered.
"Lies! Dragon's blood had no cure!" Mokuro said and the man kicked him again.
"Just behave then, dear little girl." He slowly approached Shirohara.
Shirohara didn't moved as she looks at Mokuro.
Shirohara had learned a lot from Mokuro. And one of them was how to sync their minds.
Mokuro stood up and grabbed the man with his talons and flew up high in the sky where he throws him off towards the dark forest.
As Mokuro saw the view up above, he managed to remember something before he fell on the ground.
"Mokuro! You're alright!" Shirohara cried as she hugged Mokuro.
Slowly, Mokuro's figure become thinner and smaller that made Shirohara curious and observed him.
"Shirohara…" Mokuro smiled at him. He had a long black hair and dazzling ruby eyes. He recalled his human form.
"I… remember now, everything." He told her as he collapsed on the ground.