"The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen." -Shannon L. Alder
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SHIN|
"So, if you're not a pervert, then what are you?" Uhh... How am I suppose to answer this question? I don't think she'll believe me if I told her I mistook her for someone else, right?
"Hmmm?" She tilts her head waiting for my answer as she covers herself with a robe.
"Uhh... If I told you that you look like someone important to me that I've been searching for, for months, would you believe me?" She just smiled at me and said.
"Ofcourse I will believe you, Shin. You're the son of the greatest hero, afterall." I see, thank God she- Wait... How does she know my name? I never mentioned it to her and this is the first time we've seen each other!
I looked at her with questioning look and that's when she realized that she said my name despite me not telling her what it was.
"Ara~, I unconsciously said your name, didn't I? My bad." She said and laughed softly. "Anyways, you thought I was your little sister, didn't you?"
"Yes but... How did you know my name?" I'm sure I've never met her before, and gramps nor my parents say something about her in the past.
"I know everything about you, Shin. After all, I've been watching you all this time, my fated lover." She leaned close to me and touched my lips while grinning! But huh?! What did she just said?! Fated what?! It's getting even more confusing.
"W-Wa-Wait, wait." I said as I continue to step back and try to widen the gap between us. "It's getting even more confusing. You?! My fated lover?! What does that even mean?!"
We just met right?! She can't expect me to believe anything that she says just because she knows me!
"Pfft... You're so funny, Shin!" She said and started laughing hard!
What is wrong with her?! Doesn't she know that I'm being serious here?! She's making me seriously pissed right now!
"I'm just kidding, but there's a reason why I'm actually here." She stopped laughing and looked at me seriously.
I waited for her to say something but she handed me an elemental stone. It's white. It contains a highly concentrated light magic. But why is she giving it to me?
"Your father asked me to give this to you, Shin. He already know what will happen, so he and Sir Lionheart agreed that you'll be the one to end this war."
This is from my father? But... How does she know what's going to happen? What's her connection to my father and uncle Lionheart?! It still doesn't make any sense...
"I'm still confused, and I don't even know who you are. Who are you, really?" She looked and me with a faint smile and utter some words.
"From the light of the sun, and the glory of the moon. I, the priestess calls upon thee."
She starts to float and a blinding light envelops her entire body. I can't take my eyes off of her as the light disappeared little by little as she slowly descends from the sky.
She smiled at me and held both of my hands.
"I'm the daughter of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, and Moon God Tsukiyomi. The Priestess of the Moon, Kaguya." She said and kissed me on my cheeks.
"And you, Shin Sasaki, will be my new guardian here in the mortal realm."
She... Is a Goddess?
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KAGUYA|
"Yep, I'm a Goddess, Shin. Are you surprised?" His confused look is cute if you asked me, but I know deep inside, there's a deep dark emotion caused by the deaths of his loved ones that's about to burst any day.
As a promise to big brother, Roland, I will be Shin's guide until he is ready to face the Demon King.
"I can understand that you're a Goddess now, but why do you know my father?" I know he'll ask me that question. Sir Roland didn't told him about me.
"You see, Shin. Sir Roland is the one I trust the most. I came here for about seventeen years now, so technically speaking, we're about the same age." I said and sit on one of the fallen tree log.
He sat beside me and I continue to tell my story. It's a beautiful and sad one.
"I'll tell you a story about seventeen years ago after I came here." I smiled at him but he's still looking at me with a serious face.
*Flashback*
"Father, is mother coming home today?" I asked father who's busy looking at a crystal ball, looking at the humans living in harmony in the mortal realm.
My father, Tsukiyomi is the God who governs the moon and night, he's the Moon God to be exact. He's the one who oversee the world at night helping the mortals and guiding their path using the moonlight. There was no dark nights because of him and it makes me proud.
"Yes, your mother will be home after a short while, wait for her, okay?" He said and pats me head while smiling.
I sat on the couch as I waited for mother, while I was sitting, a question pops in my head so I asked father for answers.
"Father? Why do Gods like us can't intervene with the mortals' affairs directly? Isn't it more convenient if we're to be with then?" I asked, he looked at me with a serious face. He seem so scared. That's the first time I saw him look like that.
"We just can't, Kaguya. If we were to intervene with the mortals, an anomaly might occur once again" He said and sat beside me. "You're still too young for this, once you got older, I'll tell you everything about it."
"Okay, father." I said and hugged him. I don't want to force father to say something that he doesn't want to. I know when the time comes and I'm ready to learn everything about this world, he'll tell me everything there is to know about in this world.
"Go get yourself ready, your mother will be home any minute now."
"Really?! Okay!" I happily dressed myself with a nice clothes and went to the portal to wait for mother.
She arrived after a short while, that's why I didn't wait too long. When I saw her, I jump at her and she carried me and pinched my cheeks.
"Welcome home, mother!" I said and kissed her on the cheeks and hugged her.
"I'm home, my princess. Where's your father?" She asked.
"He's at the altar looking at his crystal ball again." I said, then the two of us went to where father was. Being carried by mother is always pleasant, I like it when she carries me and pinch my cheeks.
"Dear, I'm home, how's the world of Earumnia today?" She asked after kissing father on the lips. They're so sweet, I somehow envy them, but father said I'm still too young to find a lover so I must behave for now.
Mother put me down and she and father discussed about the affairs in the mortal realm today.
Just like father, my mother, Amaterasu is also a Goddess, she governs the sun and day. Thanks to her, all living beings in the world can enjoy the glory of the day and gives them light and energy to continue living their lives to the fullest.
I also have a crystal ball that I use to watch over the mortal realm just like what father and mother has. But looking at the mortal realm right now, It's making me sad because both demons and humans are still fighting against each other and there's no signs of stopping it right at this moment.
I continue watch how chaotic the mortal realm is right now. Everyone is always fighting and none of them is willing to drop their sword. I kept on watching them when a certain human caught my attention.
Despite the whole world being at war, he's still living a happy life with his family. A beautiful loving wife and a father who's always there to support him. There's also a little boy who's giving happiness to everyone.
"If only I can meet him directly, that would probably be wonderful." I said to myself, and then all of a sudden, I started to feel dizzy and my whole body is glittering. What is happening to me?!
I-I'm scared... I don't know what's happening to me! "M-Mother! Father!" I called them in fear and they looked at me with a shocked expression.
"K-Kaguya! No!" I heard father called out my name, but the glittering still won't stop!
I felt like I was being engulfed by the crystal ball! It all went black, I can still heard my parents voice calling out my name but I can't see them.
By the time I opened my eyes, I was already near a cliff and behind me was a forest. I entered that forest and it reminds me of the forest that I was looking at my crystal ball earlier!
D-Did I just got sent to the mortal realm? I looked around the forest and checked my surroundings. It's confirmed, I really am at the mortal realm. I also have a mortal body, not a celestial one like when I was at Valhalla.
I looked around some more when I heard something rustling in the bushes. "W-Who's there?" I asked but noone answered. I was about to run when I heard some voices coming from the bushes and I checked who it was but I hide behind a big tree just to be safe.
"Hurry, Dear! She must be someone I know!" When I heard that familiar voice, I quickly went out of my hiding place and see who it was.
"L-Look Azrael, there's a little girl!" I-It's him! The man I was observing at my crystal ball! And the girl he's with! N-No way! She's!
"Big sister, Azrael!" I quickly run towards her and hugged her tightly. Thank God she's here too! But why is big sister, Azrael here?
"K-Kaguya?! What are you doing here?! Where's your Mommy and Daddy?!" She carried me, but because of her question, I felt sad all of a sudden...
"They're not here, bis sister, they're at Valhalla..." I mumbled.
"I see, I still don't understand what happened but let's go to our house first then we'll talk about it." She said and the three of us including his husband went back to their home.
At their house, she introduced me to her new father and his son, she also told me why she's here, in return, I told her everything, including how I got here in the mortal realm.
"I can understand it now, but first, make sure noone knows who you truly are. I know your father already told you this but Gods aren't allowed here in the mortal realm, you have to conceal your identity." She explained.
I did what she just said. Big sister taught me how to suppress my powers and change form. I told her that I wanted to stay in a form of a small bird so that I could always be with them, she promised me that he and his husband, big brother, Roland will always protect me.
Years have passed and I was living a peaceful life together with them. Even if I have to conceal myself, they always talk to me from time to time, but they said that I still can't interact with Shin and Aria in my original form.
I still can't interact with them directly so I just played with them in my bird form. I played with Shin and Aria together with their friends, Serrah and Sigurd which happens to be the son and daughter of the King.
Time passes by swiftly just like a wind, there are problems that occur but it's not something that can't be fixed by big brother, Roland.
Things really went smoothly, and eleven years has already passed since I came into this realm.
I was sitting at the cliff where I was first landed when I was sent here in the mortal realm. I looked at the sky and smile thinking if my mother and father is watching me right now from above.
It's been years and I already grew up. Will you still recognize me once we meet again mother, father? I bet you will, you've always been watching over me, right?
"Kaguya. You're here, I've been looking for you." Just by the sound of his voice, I know that it's big brother, Roland who's calling out to me.
I turn around when I saw him walking towards me and he sat next to me at the edge of the cliff.
"Is there something you want to ask big brother?" He looked at me with a faint smile on his face.
"Yes, I want to give you this." He said as he gave me an elemental stone filled with light magic.
I don't know why he is giving it to me, but I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this...
"Why are you giving this to me, big brother? I think it's better for you to give this to Shin." I said, but he just looked at me and messed my hair while smiling.
"It's you who will be giving this to Shin, I hope you can protect it by the time when he's ready to shoulder the responsibilities of being a hero." He said which makes be even more confused, but if he's the one who said it, it must be true.
"I'll give this to you because I can feel that I won't be able to hold this any longer. Me and Lionheart already decided to entrust everything to Shin. As a father, it pains me to put everything on my son's tiny shoulders, but as a hero, I will always believe in him, no matter what..." He added.
He has a sad look on his eyes but his smile remains the same. If big brother, Roland trust Shin this much, then I'll also give my all to trust and support him.
After that conversation with big brother, Roland, I continue to live here is this forest the way I used two.
Two years have passed since then, and the unthinkable has happened.
I was flying around in my bird form when I felt a suffocating air filled with miasma. I change into my human form and quickly followed it, and there, I saw hundreds of thousands of monsters clashing against big sister, Azrael and big brother, Roland.
The two of them are covered in blood, but I can't do anything... I was hiding in a tree not too far from them...
I wanted to help the two of them but my body froze because of fear... I can't move a single muscle as if my whole body was paralyzed...
I can see how they try to fight so hard but I can't do a thing... That's when I saw big sister looking at me with a smile on her face despite being covered with blood...
I saw her open her mouth and mumbled...
"Live... Kaguya..." I can feel my heart starts to break and my tears began to fall really hard... All I could do is to run away...
I run, and run, and run 'till I can't run anymore... That's all I could do... I feel so powerless...
I continue to run, then I tripped which made me lose consciousness. And when I woke up the next day, it's already noon.
I quickly went to where the battle took place but nothing was left in there. No bodies, no weapons, just the sign of a devastating battle...
That's when I decided to go to their house but noone was there... All I can see was big brother's sword and big sister's scarf in the middle of the dandelion field...
My heart starts to shatter as I slowly walk towards what remains to them... I felt my tears began to fall and all I could do is to hug the sword and scarf they left and cried...
I cry and cry until there's no more tears left to fall from my eyes... I saw how they fought bravely but all I can do is watch...
I'm very sorry big brother... Big sister... I was afraid and wasn't able to help you...
I dusted myself and took out the elemental stone that big brother, Roland gave me years ago and smile...
"Thank you for taking care of me all these years big brother, big sister. I'll return the favor this time for sure..."
*End of flashback*
"I see, so it was you all along, huh?" Shin said as he looked at me.
"Yes, I've been with you since we were kids. When you, Aria, and granpa left, I looked for you for months." I said and looked at the sky filled with stars.
"When I saw you, I still decided to keep my identity as a secret, because I believe you're still not ready yet." I said then I looked at him and hold his hands...
I wanted to tell him this all this time... And it's the perfect time now...
I can feel my tears starting to build up as I try to speak...
"I-I'm sorry, Shin... I'm sorry I wasn't able to save your parents, and even granpa... I was too late at everything... I'm sorry, I hope you can still forgive me..."
I can feel his arms wrapped around me as he stroke my hair gently and whispers.
"It's alright now, Kaguya... You don't have to say sorry... I've already forgiven you before you do so, and I know even my parents and gramps doesn't hold any grudge..." He said...
"We only have each other now, just you and me... I will be your guardian who will protect you all the time... Let's find Aria together, okay?" I hugged him tight and brush away the tears that was falling from my eyes...
"Okay..."
Big brother, Roland, big sister, Azrael, you can leave Shin to me now... I'll do my very best and be with him all the time... Please, watch us grow from up there...
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End of chapter 21