It took a week, but Moon and Cone finally finished the tests and repairing the ship. Some of the tests would still take more time to show results, but the work itself was done for now. In celebration, Cone and Moon went to Saya's town to see the others, and spend the day with them.
Day was happy to see Moon and the two of them walked around the town together, Day showing Moon different parts of their culture and lifestyle. Day took him around the town, and they had lunch and dinner together. As night was starting to begin, Day took Moon to the edge of town, to see an important landmark that Moon would have to learn of eventually.
"This is the ritual circle, Moon. It looks exactly like the one's you'll find on our planet." Day said, after bringing Moon to the outer edge of the town where the locals were gathering. "Go on." She insisted as I continued to stay in place.
"I can't do that." Moon replied.
"Why not?"
"One day a time will come when I'll be ready to go home to my planet. I will take the ritual and hopefully find my match. I have time before then. I'm not ready for that, so I'd prefer to avoid them until I am, real or not."
Day looked at Moon as he stared at the ground with a slight smile hiding a heavy heart. Moon blinked very slowly, his breathing slow as he sorted through incomplete thoughts.
They both looked up as they noticed the ground beneath them begin to light up. Moon was looking at the locals as they quietened down and prepared themselves mentally. While his gaze was distracted, Day stepped behind him.
Push.
It only took him two steps, but Moon found himself within the perimeter. He turned around and looked at the ground, aware of what just happened. He looked up at Day, confused, and the two locked eyes for a moment that felt like an eternity.
Moon's leg began to tingle slightly, as a strange sensation began to enter his body. He didn't understand what was happening until he noticed Day's expression. Day looked like she had seen a ghost, a look of shock and fear unlike anything Moon had seen from her. Day's wide eyes were unable to look away, as Moon's left leg was beginning to glow.
Moon suddenly felt a sharp pain and could no longer hold himself up. He collapsed and writhed around in pain for a few seconds, before going still. He continued to breathe, but it was as if his consciousness was no longer there, like he suddenly left this plane of existence, a spirit version of himself existing somewhere else.
It wasn't until the light within the circle began to disappear that he began to move again. Moon found himself gasping for air and sweating immensely. He opened his eyes again, adjusting to the reality he had always lived in, as he slowly processed what transpired.
For the ten minutes that took place, Day stood completely still. The only movement she ever made was the very gradual lowering of her lids, starting off wide-eyed but slowly lowering back to the half-opened lifeless self she was before. Day had never felt so far away from Moon, as she did in those ten minutes, looking in from outside the circle, barely a meter away...
Day took a step forward and helped Moon up. When he could find his balance, Day wrapped his arms around him and hugged him closely. Moon instinctively hugged him back, still off-balance and mentally confused. They stood still for the next few minutes as the other locals quietly congratulated him before returning to their homes.
Day took Moon back to the room he was staying in and put him to rest. Moon fell asleep quickly and Day spent the night at Cone's house that night.
It'stime for us to say goodbye, Moon.
