Once upon a time...

[timefather]

[ For the residents of Märchenstraße, and all the land surrounding it, the eighth of December was a day to look forward to. Looking at it from an outside perspective, strangers and travelers could easily assume it to be a holiday. At the very least, a day for a festival, if a modest one. A day that shopkeeps spent all morning preparing for, that all manner of creatures spent days traveling to the city to witness. They'd heard the talk that passed around, the rumors from those still left. But would it work? No one knew for sure, no matter how confident the stories seemed to be. But hope was very quickly becoming all they had left.

They had decorated the whole town. Streamers, banners, wreathes and garland made of autumn flowers, plus whatever the Fairy Godmother had cooked up. Oh, she was just giddy. No skepticism could be spoken around her, not if you wanted to escape the wrath of her wand! Rumor had it that she had caught wind of a few piglets squealing about the likelihood that their magic would fail, and that they were subsequently transformed into the band of musicians who could be found performing in the park.

Well, at least the music was festive.

Of course, the decorations weren't for the newcomers alone. Autumn was coming to a close in just a few weeks, and Old Man Winter would take the reigns like he did every year, and their weather would turn cold and harsh. The chill was already there, cool and biting when the wind picked up speed. Lady Autumn was much preferred to the citizens of the city with her gentle nature, even if she failed to show up, finishing her work in the orchards instead. That was what they liked about her.

It was mid-morning when Father Time was found outside of his tower, checking one of the numerous pocket watches he kept on his person. "Unnecessary, but comfortable," he called them, and closed the watch again. It was twelve o'clock in the afternoon, and where empty space had been just seconds before, now they were. Sitting on benches, lying in flower patches, scattered about the city and outside of the gates in peaceful slumber. They would awaken to the bells of the clock tower. Some, to many friendly and relieved faces all around them, some to grateful ones carrying gifts of food and clothing and magic, and some to fearful, cautious faces. Regardless of how the town treated them, they would awaken to a celebration of their arrival, and choices to be made, and the books. Each and every one. ]

Comments

[timefather]

[ He doesn't move when she sits, not until the speaks to the ducks. That earns her a friendly trail of laughter, and he sets a small bag between them. It's filled with seeds and grains. ]

Why don't we share?

[kutanagi]

Ah - thank you very much. ( Yui smiles back at him, taking a handful of birdseed into her hand and letting the ducks eat off of it. She chuckles when one of little ones tug at her fingers, a few of the grains spilling on the ground. )

Are they wild ducks by any chance?

[timefather]

They were, once. I find these days that they've grown quite spoiled.

[ Quite healthy, too. None of these ducks are starving. ]

[kutanagi]

It's easier to get food this way, I guess.

( She chuckles, petting one of the ducks' head.

The laughter soon fades upon realizing what she's doing however. She's feeding ducks in a town square when she hasn't even figured anything out yet. The architecture seems familiar, like those she's seen in books, and the people seem to act like they know her but why she's here or how she's gotten here still escapes her.

She's not seen anyone she recognizes as well. )

I wonder if this is an activity too ...

[timefather]

An activity?

[ He doesn't seem to find anything strange about what's going on. It's obvious that he's not new around here, but he's certainly more at ease than some. ]

[kutanagi]

( She suddenly turns to him, realizing that she spoke out loud. She hesitates for a moment, wondering what she should say next. If she really is back on Earth (and, well, she just got mistakenly dropped somewhere else), then talking about the gods would be a little ... weird.

Then again, given as to what she's seen so far, weird is definitely something that's at the bottom of her list to worry about. )

A school activity? From Zeus?

[timefather]

Ah, yes. No, I'm afraid not. He's not here at all, for that matter, but perhaps we'll be seeing him in the near future.

[ He says that as if he might know the answer to his own question, but he's not giving any hints. ]

[kutanagi]

( Okay. That made sense, and her expression clearly shows it.

"Not here" usually means two things: either Zeus went on leave without telling her and now Thoth's in charge or she's not in the garden anymore. She's slowly beginning to think it's the latter. )

Are the other students here as well?

[timefather]

None that you would know, I'm afraid.

[ Which is to say, none at all. ]

[kutanagi]

I see. ( So she's all by herself this time. Which is a bit lonely, considering she's gotten used to the daily life back at the garden, but she doesn't show it one bit.

This person seems to know a lot though. She hesitates a bit, turning her attention again on the ducks that they managed to ignore. )

So if this isn't a school activity, then why am I here?

[timefather]

Now that is a very long story.

[ He leans back in his seat, watching one of the ducks waddle around the side. ]

The most simple way to put it, is that you've been brought here to aid some of us in very dire need.

[kutanagi]

( She doesn't really get it when people of such great power seem to ask for her help, considering she's ... well, she's only a normal high school student. But then again, it's not like she can ignore it - or refuse it. )

I'm not going to teach gods again, am I?

( She means it as a joke. )

[timefather]

[ He takes it for what it's meant, chuckling softly. ]

No, no. Not gods. I'm afraid your task is much more difficult.

[kutanagi]

( Okay, that's sobering enough. Yui folds her hands on the journal she's been left with, eyes momentarily flickering on the name on the spine. )

Is it related to the name the townspeople were calling me?

[timefather]

It is. Have they been treating you well, Kaguya?

[ He sounds genuinely concerned. Being rude wouldn't do at all. ]

[kutanagi]

Yes, kind of. ( ... she doesn't really know if guys stalking her is considered as "being treated well" in this place. )

And it's Yui, sir.

[timefather]

Yes, I know.

[ That's not an apology so much as an acknowledgement. He knows her real name. ]

But that won't matter for much longer.

[kutanagi]

For much longer? ( Dread. She can feel it. Dread. ) What do you mean?

[timefather]

Simply that your title is who you are now.

[ Even less apologetic than before. ]

You understand, don't you? You are familiar with the story?

[kutanagi]

( There's only one Kaguya that she knows of and she's pretty sure that's not her. )

Yes, the girl who was found in a bamboo and soon went back to the moon. But Princess Kaguya is - ( an alien ) - a myth where I come from.

[timefather]

Where do you suppose myths come from?

[ It's an honest question, if abrupt. ]

[kutanagi]

( Good question. She stares at him for a moment, unsure as to how she should answer that. If anything, she should be more open-minded about this, given that she's been in school with a number of gods from the Greek, Japanese and Norse pantheons.

But still!! )

... So she's real. ( Okay, that's easily accepted. ) But you say I'm her. I can't be her!

[timefather]

Why ever not? I think you're a fine choice in filling those shoes, so to speak.

[ He should know. ]

[kutanagi]

Because I'm - ( Filling those shoes ...

That's a weird phrase to use. She considers that for a moment, looking down at the name on her journal again. ) Am I ... replacing her? What happened to the real Kaguya?

[timefather]

In a way, yes, you are. I prefer not to think of it as replacements.

[ Even though that's probably the best word for them. ]

The original Kaguya is gone, along with many other tales.