Art by @yokizdesign

Cyrus and Skadi had always dreamed of exploring the galaxy, but they never expected to end up in a world made entirely of sweet bubblegum mochi. They found themselves on a pink mochi cloud, watching in excitement as dango balls fell from the sky like raindrops.

As they stepped out of their spaceship, they began to explore the land of mochi, marvelling at the vibrant colours and the soft, chewy texture of the ground beneath their feet. The air was filled with the sweet scent of strawberries and cherries, as if they felt like they were in a dream.

As they hopped across the fluffy plane, they noticed the moon looming in the distance. It was a giant, majestic presence that filled the sky, casting a soft glow over the land of mochi.

Cyrus and Skadi were mesmerised by the moon’s beauty. As they drew closer, they saw that it was not just a rock in the sky, but a living deity. The moon introduced itself as Luna, the guardian of the vast cosmic mochi-cloud.

Before Luna continued to tell the two about the belt, they noticed that the moon was looking down at them with a gloomy gaze.

When they asked Luna what was wrong, she explained that she had not tasted dango in ages, and she missed it dearly. Luna had Cyrus and Skadi sit amongst the perfectly curated couches as she retold history. 

She had reflected on the ancient times when the Wagashi tribe fed her dango to keep her lit up during the darkest days, floating amongst the void. They admired her and gave her anything they could as a means to say thank you.

Only recently the Wagashi population had been so busy with their own needs that they had forgotten about the moon’s needs.

After hearing this Cyrus and Skadi were determined to help. They swiftly set out on a mission to collect as much dango as they could find. They hopped from cloud to cloud, searching for the sweet treat.

As they collected dango, they found that the Wagashi tribe were starting to take notice. They began to realise that the moon was not just a distant presence in the sky but a living being that they needed to care for.

The Wagashi as a collective began to work together to grow more dango, by burying themselves in the land of mochi. Suddenly the land of mochi was filled with the sweet aroma of the treat. Luna’s face lit up as she watched the dango rise. 

Without a second thought Cyrus and Skadi remembered their days in Hokkaido building snowmen together and had linked their thoughts. Gathering the dango into small piles they pulled at the land of mochi and smothered it in with the dango stacks to roll up into a gigantic ball triple their size.

With the help of the returning Wagashi tribe and gravity they all grabbed on and pushed the dango ball towards Luna to eat. In one giant bite, Luna swallowed the ball whole. Only moments later she began to radiate brighter than she had before. 

The land of mochi gleamed in a silver glaze as her gloomy persona had been engulfed by the massive surge of energy filling her inside. She thanked Cyrus and Skadi for their help in looking after her.

Cyrus and Skadi beamed with joy and a sense of accomplishment as they witnessed the Wagashi tribe unite to care for the moon. They realised they had saved the belt of mochi and strengthened the connection between the Wagashi tribe and their beloved lunar deity.