Chapter 3 – The Boy Who Sought Moon Dust

0

Only a few clouds were scattered about that night. A girl and a boy sat together on the steps of a small shrine, gazing into the humid summer sky. The girl was a first-year high schooler, and the boy was a fourth-year elementary schooler.

The moon was fully visible in the sky, just slightly past its half-moon phase, soon to resemble a whole circle. Gazing up at it reminded the girl of a pure white cat she had once known. On clear nights, the small, white cat used to raise its little chin up and fix its piercingly yellow eyes on that same moon.

That cat had no name, but had always believed he belonged on the moon. As he grew older, he became more aware of his own mortality, and longed to die on the moon.

“Hey, did that cat, um…” The boy seated next to the girl stumbled through his question. “Did that cat ever make it to the moon?”

“No,” the girl quietly answered. “He never made it to the moon.”

The cat had died half a year prior while still on the Earth, at the base of a large tree nearly halfway up the mountain. He had been watching the moon, but eventually lost the strength to keep his eyes open, passing alone in the dark.

“So, does he still want to go to the moon?” the boy asked.

“A dead cat cannot want anything.”

“But, if he could–”

The girl shook her head. “It’s not worth thinking about. All cats learn to accept their own deaths.”

No cat in the throes of death ever meowed. Instead, they gave up control, closing their eyes as if in peaceful sleep.

The girl spoke again, her tone relaxed. “Once they’re gone… there’s nothing left.”

A lukewarm wind blew between them. The boy returned his gaze to the moon, staying silent. The girl did the same. The moon was silent, and offered no counterargument. It didn’t make any noise, and it didn’t scratch with nails.

His gaze fixed on the moon, the boy asked, “Did you like that cat?”

Looking upwards at the moon, the girl replied, “I still do. He was incredibly beautiful.”

He had looked beautiful gazing up at the moon with his front paws outstretched. His smoothly curved back was beautiful. His posture, perfect enough to draw a straight line from his eyes to the tip of his tail, was beautiful. His body contained a simple beauty with no wasted form.

“Did you want him to make it to the moon?”

“I did. If at all possible, I wanted to fulfill his wish.”

“Do you think the cat would have been happy to die surrounded by moon dust?”

“Very much so. It was his greatest desire.”

The boy stood up, illuminated by the moonlight. He turned towards the girl, offering her a sheepish smile. “I… I can go to the moon now, you know.”

The girl wasn’t sure when it had all started. Perhaps it was the day the boy discovered he would be leaving town, or the day the cat died. Perhaps it all started on the night they had first met.

But regardless of whenever it had started, the boy said his piece under a nearly cloudless summer night. “I’ll go get some moon dust, just for that cat,” he proclaimed, his voice quiet as always under the rapturously beautiful moon.

1

The 5 PM sky on July 25th was a clear and bright blue. Of course, the midsummer sun was getting low, but it was still bright enough outside that it didn’t feel right to think of it as evening.

Ever since the start of summer vacation, Asai Kei had begun to lose track of the days of the week. July 25th was a Tuesday, but it wasn’t as though it being a Monday or Wednesday would have made any kind of difference. He was climbing up the stone steps behind Kamisaki Shrine, holding up his hand to block the sun’s powerful rays. Haruki Misora was walking up right behind him, as the steps were too narrow to allow two people to climb them side-by-side.

Sweat dripped down his neck, making him feel gross. As he wiped it with his palm, Haruki asked from behind him, “Would you like a handkerchief?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m alright.”

“Very well.” Her voice was slightly deep for a girl, and could even be described as somewhat husky, but Kei found it very comforting. At least, it was more comforting than the cicada cries that rang out from everywhere else around them.

Eventually, the stone steps ended, giving way to an exposed mountain path. The path was wider than the steps, and Haruki quickened her pace to line up on Kei’s left. Her blue dress swayed, and a clatter sounded from inside the bag she carried.

“Hey, what’s in your bag?” Kei asked.

“I filled a bottle with iced barley tea.”

Ah, so that was ice. “So you brought tea to drink?”

“We will have some once we reach Nonō-san.”

The goal of their little mountain expedition was a small shrine. There, they would find Nonō Seika, a girl who loved to take naps with the cats that frequented the location. They needed to ask her a few questions for a Service Club job.

The pair had first met Nonō some ten days prior. They were dealing with a particular cat, and were pointed to her as a girl who knew a lot about cats. They hadn’t known each other for very long, but Kei had already taken a liking to her.

“It’s so hot out. How can it be five in the afternoon?” Kei complained, flapping the neck of his T-shirt. He didn’t hate summer or anything, but the days were just a tad too long.

“You said not too long ago that summer meant heat.”

“Sure, but don’t you think it’s just a bit too hot?”

“You said the same thing last year.”

“You think so?” Of course, Kei knew exactly when he had said that, and how it came out, but he tried to cover it up by tilting his head. Summer was a hot season, so of course people would complain about the heat. Winter was more suited to keeping quiet, anyway.

Looking up at the sky, Kei commented, “I’ll bet it’s plenty cool on the moon.”

“So now you want to go to the moon, too?”

“I dunno. It sounds interesting, at least.” Of course, if he went to the moon in his current clothes, he’d just die, and spacesuits seemed rather uncomfortable and clunky. Low gravity seemed neat at first, but Kei thought it would probably become pretty inconvenient over time. “Maybe it’d just be nicer to lay down in an air-conditioned room instead. Not like I want any moon dust at the moment anyway,” Kei finished.

A boy had disappeared the previous night.

His last words were, “I’m going to get some moon dust.” Just two hours ago, Kei and Haruki had been tasked with looking into the boy for the Service Club. Priority number one was to make sure he was safe.

A small shrine was finally coming into view. More than a dozen cats were sprawled around, and right in the center of them was a girl, sitting on the wooden steps leading up to the shrine.

Nonō Seika. The last person to speak to the boy before he went to the moon.

Nonō Seika’s skin was white, almost unbelievably so. Kei couldn’t understand how she possibly maintained her white complexion during the summer. It was almost like some sort of supernatural force at work.

The girl was surrounded by cats, her eyes closed. When she was asleep, or in a similarly detached state, effectively separated from her consciousness, she became capable of sharing consciousness with a cat. That was her ability.

Summer vacation was in full swing, yet Nonō was strangely still wearing her school uniform. By the time Kei was standing in front of her, her white eyelids were fluttering open.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning to you. Did I wake you?”

“No. I was waiting for you.” A cat jumped onto Nonō’s lap. She placed a hand on its back before continuing, “Is this about Shouta?”

“Yes, exactly that.” Kusakabe Shouta was the name of the missing boy who claimed to be collecting moon dust.

“What do you know about Shouta?” Nonō asked.

“Not much. He’s a fourth-year elementary schooler who’s really into astronomy. He moved to Sakurada three years ago, and was expecting to move out in two days. Just stuff like that,” Kei shared. He had already gone over the paperwork supplied by the Bureau. It contained information like Shouta’s address and date of birth, but none of it seemed to carry much significance as far as Kei could tell. “Well, all that, and this was where he conducted the majority of his astronomical observation.”

Petting the cat in her lap, Nonō nodded. “We’re both about on the same page, then.”

“Haven’t you known him for a full year, though?”

“You sure did your research.”

“We visited his parents just earlier.” They had discussed various aspects of Kusakabe Shouta’s life, and looked at his room. Since the family was in the process of moving, there weren’t many things in the room. It was more of an empty husk of barren shelves and closets. “What’s your take on the situation, Nonō-san?”

“A boy went to the moon, and hasn’t returned yet.”

“Anything else?”

Nonō dropped her gaze to the cat on her lap, gently stroking its neck. The cat narrowed its eyes with pleasure, yawning widely. “That’s all I got. What do you think?” she asked.

“The Bureau has filed the case as a runaway child. They assume that his main motivation is opposition to moving, but it’s highly likely that an ability is at play.”

Kusakabe Shouta had disappeared in front of Nonō. He was there, standing in front of the shrine, and then he wasn’t. Sometimes, people would disappear as part of a grandiose magic act, but a fourth grader did it, and outside, no less. In a town where half of the residents possessed a special ability, it was safe to assume that he likely wasn’t practicing a trick of the trade. The only other reasonable option was that the sole eyewitness, Nonō, was lying, but there was no reason to suspect false testimony yet.

Nonō looked up, gazing at Kei. “I don’t think he’s a runaway.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He promised to meet me here the day after tomorrow.” The day after tomorrow, or in other words, the day Shouta was going to move away. “The Administration Bureau’s reasoning is incorrect. So, Asai, what do you think happened?”

“I don’t know yet. I don’t have enough information, so that’s why I came to talk to you.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Do you know any reasons why Shouta-kun would want to go and get moon dust?” A gray cat with a crooked tail began frisking around Kei’s legs. He squatted down to stroke its back.

“There was this one cat,” Nonō began.

✽

There was a small cat with pure white fur and yellow eyes.

The cat knew that his death was near. He couldn’t run as fast as he used to, and no matter how much he ate, he never gained any weight. Even if he could gain weight, his appetite had lessened, he spent much more time sleeping, and his nose had begun to fail. He couldn’t fully grasp the concept of death, but he was aware that eventually, everything else in his body would begin to fail, too.

But the cat accepted that reality as he looked up into the sky. It was nighttime, and a lovely moon happened to be up in the sky. A large, full, round moon.

It was probably only circumstance. Had it been daytime, the cat may have gazed at the sun, or perhaps the clouds, and been similarly dazzled. But he had looked up at nighttime, and he found the full moon, and the full moon was incredibly lovely.

I should go to the moon, he thought. He could be there when everything else in his body had failed. Once he could no longer see, hear, smell, or speak. If he could no longer move, then he would be able to stay in a place more beautiful than anywhere else in the world. The thought stuck with him.

But even if he climbed a tree, the moon remained out of reach.

Even when he climbed onto a roof, the moon remained out of reach.

He learned that the moon was up in an incredibly high place. So the cat wandered the mountain, looking for a higher place, somewhere that would put him above the moon.

Nonō Seika’s ability allowed her to share her consciousness with a cat. She found herself frequenting the mind of the white cat who longed for the moon.

Inside the cat’s consciousness, Nonō thought, You can’t get to the moon.

The moon was not a place that a cat could go.

When the cat and Nonō’s consciousness was shared, their thoughts intermingled. As a result, the cat mistook Nonō’s thoughts for his own. Even so, he objected. Won’t know unless I try, now will I?

Nonō’s thoughts reflected into the cat’s mind, and his thoughts reflected into her mind, like an unending, continual loop. But there’s never been a tall enough tree to reach it, has there?

That just means I need to find a taller tree.

That won’t do. Feel how heavy your legs are. Even if there was a tree tall enough to reach the moon, you wouldn’t be able to climb it.

I wonder about that. I’ve always been good at climbing trees. Besides…

Besides?

Up till now, whenever I wanted to go somewhere, I got there.

I see. Then do as you please.

Of course I will.

Mm. I’ll be rooting for you.

Bit by bit, the cat began to notice inconsistencies within his consciousness. He realized there was something in his head that was not himself. You’re… not me, are you?

Oh, that’s surprising. You’re the first to ever notice.

And just who are you?

Who I am is irrelevant. All you need to know is that I care for you, am somewhat concerned for you, and will support you with all that I am. Isn’t that good enough?

Mhm. Well, I suppose that’s fine. We’ll go to the moon together.

The cat roamed the mountain each night. He looked for higher and higher places, trying to get to the moon. Nonō watched over him from within his consciousness. Then, one night, he met a lone young boy.

The boy sat on the roots of a tree just off the dark mountain path. He gazed into the sky, looking exhausted.

The cat panicked, launching himself into a nearby bush. Woah, hold on, what the heck is that?!

It’s a child. A human.

I know what it is. What is it doing all the way up here?

He’s probably lost. Look, he has a backpack and a telescope.

Backpakk? Tellascope?

Could you go up to him and tap on his shoe?

No way. I don’t care about some human.

Well, neither do I, but you’ve already found him, so we may as well.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Please. Just this once. I’ll give you whatever you want to eat later in return.

Whatever I want? Really? Anything?

In the cat’s mind, a small piece of something came into mind, something with a similar color to the moon. The cat didn’t know the name of the yellowish-white chunk, but Nonō, sharing his consciousness, did. Cheese? You like cheese?

Oh, so that’s what it’s called. Yes, that.

I’ll give you cheese later if you do as I asked.

And just how are you gonna pull that off?

You’ll see. Go now, quickly.

Grumbling a few complaints, the cat sauntered up to the boy, flicking at his shoelaces.

The boy looked down. “Kitty?” he mumbled quietly.

There, is that what you wanted?

Yes. Very good. Now, turn to the right and start walking slowly.

I can’t run? I wanna get outta here.

Absolutely not. Now, turn around for a moment and meow at him, very gently.

The cat could hardly see the point of such nonsense. But, it was for cheese, so he turned around and meowed. The boy stood up, slowly walking closer.

Good, now just keep going.

Sheesh. I’m really getting cheese for this, right?

Absolutely, trust me. You’ll have as much as you want.

The cat continued to follow Nonō’s instructions as he walked. The boy trailed behind him in a half-jog. The cat slowly made his way down the mountain, eventually coming to a small shrine.

It was a very mysterious location. A single human sat there, eyes closed under the light of the moon. Several cats were scattered around.

Hey, just where am I?

That’s me.

You? You’re a human?

Mhm. It wasn’t really my decision, but I can’t change that I was born a human.

Just what are you? I don’t understand.

But he never got a reply.

The human, illuminated by the moonlight and surrounded by cats, slowly opened her eyes.

“I am Nonō Seika,” she said. She walked up to the cat, crouching down. “You were a great help. Just as I promised, I’ll bring you plenty of cheese tomorrow.”

Cats couldn’t understand human speech. He would never be able to make out what she was telling him.

Nonō poked herself on the forehead. “I’ll be visiting your mind again tomorrow.”

The human boy spoke up, facing her. “Are you… talking to that cat?”

The girl replied completely straight-faced, “Don’t be silly. Cats can’t understand human speech.” She stood back up, walking over to the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Kusakabe Shouta, ma’am.”

“What are you doing all the way out here so late?”

“I was looking for somewhere to watch the sky.”

“The sky? You can see that from anywhere.”

“But I was looking for somewhere really close to the moon.”

“Really…” Nonō looked over towards the cat, smiling. “Look at that. You’ve got a kindred spirit.”

On that day, Nonō Seika, Kusakabe Shouta, and the nameless white cat all met each other. Since then, the two humans and the cat would meet about once a week, gazing up into the sky together while sitting at the shrine.

It was about half a year later that the nameless white cat died, having never made it to the moon.

✽

Kei stayed silent through most of Nonō’s story, only interjecting here and there for a few questions. Nonō’s voice was quiet, yet filled with deep affection, as if she were telling a fairytale. “Shouta said he was going to go get moon dust for that cat.” Her story over, Nonō exhaled.

Kei bowed slightly. “Thank you very much. That was quite informative.”

From behind him, Haruki pulled out a thermos and paper cups. She poured barley tea into one of the paper cups, holding it towards Nonō. “Would you like some?”

“Thanks. You sure came prepared.”

“I also have some cookies.”

“Great, it’ll be like a picnic.” Nonō’s mouth curled in amusement. She seemed to quite enjoy Haruki’s company. Kei thought about the two of them meeting on their own time. It seemed like a good idea.

Haruki offered Kei his own paper cup. He accepted it with thanks, immediately downing some tea. The chilled barley tea really hit the spot.

Nonō emptied her cup. “I’m really not sure what Shouta was thinking.”

“About what?”

“He said he was going to get moon dust for that white cat, but the cat’s been dead for half a year. Even if he got moon dust now, it wouldn’t change anything.”

“Was the white cat buried somewhere?”

“He was. Shouta made a grave. What does that matter?”

“Maybe Shouta wanted to offer the moon dust to his grave.”

“That’s so pointless. There’s just a corpse in there. That corpse isn’t gonna be happy or anything.”

“You think so?” New questions popped into Kei’s mind as his first one was answered.

A cat wanted to die on the moon. A boy went to gather moon dust for the cat. On the surface, they seemed connected, but something was missing. The cat wanted to die while physically on the moon, which had nothing to do with moon dust specifically. If the boy truly had the power to go to the moon, then it made more sense to just take the cat there and bury it. Of course, the remains of a cat being uncovered on the moon could only serve to cause a world of trouble in the future.

“Did you like that cat, Nonō-san?” Kei asked.

“I like all cats. I will admit, though, that he was special. I still care for him, even now.”

“Did you tell Shouta-kun about that?”

“He asked basically the same question last night, right before he vanished.”

Kei nodded. Shouta’s motives were starting to uncover themselves. It was starting to make more sense who, or more accurately what, he was doing everything for.

“Do you really think there’s an ability that could take someone to the moon?” Nonō asked.

Kei nodded. “Of course, I can’t say for sure without seeing it.”

Sakurada’s abilities were vast and varied. The possibilities were endless. With everything Kei had seen, he had no grounds on which to outright deny anything.

“But abilities only exist within Sakurada, right? The moon isn’t included.”

Abilities only worked in Sakurada, and could never be taken outside. It was one of the fundamental premises behind Sakurada’s abilities, and was treated as an absolute law.

But Kei shook his head. “Leaving Sakurada doesn’t mean losing your ability. You just forget that you have it.”

You couldn’t use an ability that you didn’t know you had. Thanks to that, abilities weren’t used outside of Sakurada. At least, as far as anyone knew.

Nonō frowned. “But that’s even worse. What if he really went to the moon and forgot how to use his ability?”

Human beings couldn’t survive on the moon.

“That’s the possibility that worries us the most. Even if an ability was involved, safe travel between Sakurada and the moon doesn’t seem very feasible.”

Say that the boy’s ability was teleportation with no distance restrictions. In that case, he might be able to make it to the moon, but that wouldn’t be enough to survive. Even in the edge case that his ability included the power to survive there, it would mean nothing if he forgot it upon arrival. The very concept of powers revolving around lunar travel was fraught with peril.

Unless Shouta was found soon, Kei would act under the assumption of the worst-case scenario and use Haruki’s ability. They would reset, effectively rewinding time back to their previous save.

Haruki’s last save was on July 23rd, two days prior. Since Shouta disappeared on July 24th, that allowed them to return to a time before he left.

“Does the Bureau have anything on his ability?” Nonō asked.

“Nope. It would seem that he picked it up rather recently.”

The Administration Bureau’s main function was to manage Sakurada’s abilities. One effort to that effect was a biannual test at every school to determine the latent abilities of each student. It was comparable to a health and wellness checkup. False negatives were exceedingly rare. They weren’t impossible, but the results were worth trusting.

Shouta’s school had conducted ability tests in mid-June at which point he was deemed to have no ability. It was assumed that he had acquired his ability after the fact.

Nonō wiggled her fingers in front of the cat on her lap. The cat stared at them intensely, as if it were following some sort of prey.

“So, have you been meeting up with Shouta-kun here recently?” Kei asked.

“Nope. Sometimes, if I stay here later, he shows up. No planning or meeting or anything.”

“And he showed up last night?”

“Coincidentally.”

The cat waved its paw towards Nonō’s fingers. She quickly pulled up her hand, and the cat’s paw swiped at empty air.

“When was the last time you met before yesterday?”

“Hmm, when was it, actually? Guess around a week ago.”

During Kei’s conversation with Kusakabe Shouta’s parents, they told him that Shouta had gone out to stargaze each night for the past three days, more often than ever before. Was it because he wanted to see Nonō? If so, it could only be due to him finally attaining an ability.

The cat, evidently giving up on the hunt, curled up in a ball on Nonō’s lap and closed its eyes.