Fond memories of long ago.

When the light hit the moon just right, she could see her reflection in the shiny metal. So clearly could she remember the day she got the silver charm. It was so, so long ago...

Diary, 1/24/2041

It was my 7th birthday today! I still don't really get the big deal, but Mother and Father say this is a special day, so its a special day. Actually, all the kids say their birthday is a special day too now that I think about it. I guess everyone's parents tell them that. Anyways, I had fun. Don't know anyone at school very well, so I didn't invite anyone. Why would I though? I have Mother and Father with me. They seemed sad when I told them that... And then they thanked me for some reason and then told me I was "too young to understand" and then something about "growing out of them"? I don't get it. I heard there was something I could study that would help me udnerstand the things people say and do and all that. I think it was called Sai-call-o-gy or something like that.

The party was fun. I think Mother and Father were expecting guests, but that meant more food for us and the strange man Father brought over. And I'm not being rude, he really was a strange man. Apparently this guy was THE Heracles, the man who Father worked with and also the guy who made Zeus's Glory. I don't see it. At all. Actually, I think he might be less mature than me, and I'm 6. Wait I'm 7 now. I'll remember that now. My teacher and some of the kids keep going on and on about how cool the guy must be, but I think Father just brought some guy along because the real one was too busy or something. At least he was fun. Always had something to say and it always sounded smart. Father kept looking at him funny though. Not sure why.

After a while, we opened the presents. Not sure what I need more stuff for but I have more stuff now. Actually, I'm writing with one of the gifts right now! Its a very nice pen. Never saw the appeal of the clicking people seem to like about these but it clicks if I ever want it to. Put the old one in my backpack. I get new ones faster than I can use the old ones! Running out of backpack space to put them neat and organized in. I got a very interesting gift though. Well actually its two gifts, but they came in one box. It was a gold sun and silver moon with strings on the back. You're supposed to tie them around a lock of your hair. Mother asked me which one I wanted to wear and which one I wanted to store away for now. Of course I asked why I couldn't have both which she hadn't thought about and didn't have an answer for.

That was when the man Father brought over spoke up. He gave a little speech about how the sun and moon 'contrast' and that if I wanted both I had to figure out how to make them 'set aside their differences' and 'tie them together'. So I tied them together. I could tell he didn't expect that, even if it wasn't obvious. Then he leaned back and told Father that I was a genius, which Father said he knew for long time. Have I even been around a long time? I guess I wouldn't know. I shifted my attention back to the trinkets. I looked them over as I untied them. It didn't feel right to have them tied up like thaf. I wasn't very fond of the sun, so I picked the moon. I tried to put it on by myself, but that didn't work, so Mother put it on for me. Tomorrow we'll practice putting it on in the mirror.

It's almost bedtime though so I'll end the entry here. Excited for tomorrow.

Kaguya looked at the charm glimmering in the artificial light. She remembered the way her mother offered her the pair, the way she smiled so warmly at her daughter. How long had it been? 20 years and 10 months since that day. And yet the silver moon was as beautiful as the day she got it, and her memories just as stainless.

She missed her mother. Kaguya knew that she was fine, and that she would be back eventually. But the Fortuna mansion still felt so empty without her, especially when Father wasn't there, which was often. Kaguya often felt alone in that mansion, the large room at the entrance not at all helping. She never knew why her mother had to leave for so long at a time, nor could she ever muster up the courage to ask. But no matter how much pain Kaguya knew it caused her, whatever it was she had to do, she had to do it. It was around June of 2041 that it started.