Moonlight Flower (Volume 1)

Chapter 1 - Mion

[PROLOGUE]

A gigantic ice sculpture that resembled the form of surging waves, as if flowing down from the peak of a white mountain, stood mightily in the middle of a snow-laden forest. 

The pine trees and other tall and big trees was heavily blanketed with snow. The whole fog-filled white forest gave off a fresh and cool ambiance. It was so serene and peaceful until the big full moon rose up high in the night sky.

As the moon's light  slowly illuminated the whole forest - from the surrounding trees to the mountain, the gigantic ice sculpture started forming a c***k from the top. Little by little, that small c***k crept downward. The ice vigorously burst out, revealing real waves of water, thundering down from the peak. Gushing sparks of water seemed to glimmer under the moonlight and dance as if they were finally freed from being frozen for a long time.

Pieces of snow started falling down as well. They looked like they were glowing too and dancing in that cold place.

"Finally, the seven hundredth year has come." A small voice like that of a child echoed.

"I miss her," said another.

And a chorus of different child-like voices echoed throughout the forest saying almost the things.

"I want to see her again." 

"Please come back to us alive, our dear child."

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A heap of snow dropped from a branch of a big tree when a leopard jumped up to it and waited alertly for a prey to come its way.

In that ankle-length pile of snow that covered the woods in pure white, a young man of well-built stature, carrying a basket full of root crops and fruits on his back, was walking toward the tree where the big leopard was. Waiting to hunt its meal, it readied itself to lung downward as soon as the man reached its perimeter of attack. Just a step closer and it would bare its fangs to him, when suddenly the man looked up to it with a cold, bloodshot stare - his blue eyes the color of the morning sky - seemed glowing and shining with the ray of the sun.

The man was dressed in thick white garment that looked like animal fur, covering his whole shoulder and arms down to his knees. He also had boots of leather. He had long, soft and silky silver-colored hair despite his young and handsome appearance.

The leopard crawled back in rage - its instincts tell that it should just let his meal go lest it wanted itself to be the prey instead. The man lifted a smirk as he walked past the feline.

He reached a small village that had bungalow size, houses made of stone. Two men - one young and one old who was a little shorter than the former, welcomed the blue-eyed man with a grateful and relieved smile. The younger man took the basketful of produce.

"Thank you for always providing for us!" said the old man. "Would you like to rest awhile and eat with us?"

He smiled but turned down the offer. "I must hurry back. Father wants to discuss an important matter right away."

The old man's face got wearied. "I see. I'm sorry for making you come all the way here, Prince Mion."

"No, don't be," Prince Mion said. "It's part of my duty to let our brethren live and thrive on."

As he went back, he noticed the same leopard but it seemed like it was now sleeping, or just didn't bother to attack him anymore.

Just after exiting the woods, a young man with light brown long hair and blue green eyes, who looked the same age as Mion, was running toward him. He caught his breath first before speaking, "Hurry! Your Father is waiting for you!"

>>>>>her immediately and bring her first to me!"

Mion got up on his knees and clenched his left fist. "Yes, Father. I'll leave at once."

"You must hurry. You must find her before the 13th full moon on the other side, or we will all die." Then he sobbed. "I want to see my daughter before I finally die."

"I will find her, Father. Please do not wear yourself out."

>>>>>The next day when the waterfalls finally revealed itself, all of them was surprised because from the day they woke up, it just stood there frozen for years.

That same day, Mion's father, the leader of the whole all-men tribe told him a secret. Mion used to have a younger sibling.

"Why did you only tell me now about him?" His face was both shock and delighted. "I finally have a brother who is closely related to me! "

"You know that we do not our memories when we woke up. However, just last full moon, I got to remember about my other child. Little by little I'm starting to remember my past. Probably you will all too. I think I'm the first one because I am this clan's leader."

"That's good news! I hope I get my whole memories back too. So, how does my brother look like? Why is he not with us?" 

"Son," his father calmly said. "Your younger sibling is not a male like all of us here. She is a female, a woman. She is your younger sister."

It was Mion's first time to hear the words "sister", "female", "woman".  Having to grow with only men in that small snowing place of theirs, and they didn't have their memories at all, he had no idea about how a female or woman looked like.

His father continued. "The waterfalls finally returning to life from being frozen for hundreds of years has revealed to us where to find her. Go and search for her from the other side."

Mion looked more confused. "Other side? What is with the other side? Where is it exactly?"

"She might be in the human world."

"Human world? Is this not the human world? We used to be pure humans, right? Then this is also the human world, right?"

"This is not the human world. You could only see few of us with almost the same features and age group. Pure humans do not shift to animal forms like us."

Mion looked sad at his father's words which he already knew.

"Forgive me, my son. I did not tell you the truth I already know until this day to protect you."

"Protect me from what, Father?"

"I wanted to protect your innocence about a defiled and weak clan as the humans, whom we used to be. I didn't want you to hate the humans. It's true we were cursed to be like "this", but we have lived for hundreds of years now, without having to grow old. Yet we are still on the verge of dying. I want to see her before that happens. And we might save our whole clan if you can find her and bring her here."

"She can save the whole clan? How?"

"We give her in marriage to one of our distant relative and she will produce offspring."

Mion looked more confused. "Is that possible?"

"Yes. So prepare and leave immediately when the snow already stopped and the sun rises the brightest. It's been five days since the waterfalls and the cave behind it opened."

"Wait, Father. Where will I start looking for her? I don't know her face, her scent, her name. I have no clue at all."

He shook his head in disappointment. "I don't know as well, my son."

"What?"

"I couldn't fully remember yet. My memories of her is still vague and cloudy." He then looked seriously and confidently at Mion's eyes. "But one thing is for sure. The moment you see her, you will immediately know and not doubt. You are the only one who can tell."

>>>>she's a woman."

"She is a woman, so is my mother, you say? But what really is a woman? What do they look like?" Mion asked so curiously. "You remember your mother, correct? How are they different from us, 'man'?"

Sora put a hand on his chin as if thinking, and looked up. "In physical aspects, they are smaller and have curves compared to men. But they are strong!"

Mion became more curious. "Strong? How?"

"They can do most things men can do. But what's even greater? They can carry a child in their belly for a long time. And when the time is right, the child gets out of their belly and is out of this world - alive!"

There was amazement in Mion's face. "Is that how we came to this world, too?"

"Yes."

"I see. That must be what Father talked about. That my sister can save us from dying if she produces offspring that will continue to grow and live."

"Really?"

"He talked about giving her into marriage to one of our distant relatives. But I have no idea what is that. Do you know?"

"I heard it's a sacred ceremony between two people. My father and mother were married so they had me." Sora then smiled. "Anyway, we can know more about human things when we get there."

They continued walking on until they reached the end of the dark cave. They walked towards the light that led them outside.