There’s this white furry cat that seems to only appear when the moon is out. Not always, but when the white cat shows up, it’s usually in the late afternoon, right before evening, around the same time that the red panda is playing in the tree in its forest home.

Well, the red panda usually lives on its own, not in groups. Generally, the red panda is active in the late afternoon until nighttime. Sometimes they chase each other around, or during the winter, they throw snowballs at each other. Today, in the late afternoon, the red panda is playing alone in its favorite tree.

“It’s like my old friend,” said the red panda. But I’m not sure if they remember me, the red panda thought, so it hesitated.

“Hello!” said the red panda. “Are you the white cat from before?”

The cat has soft, white fur, like a Persian or Angora cat. But it’s unusual to find a cat like that in the red panda’s forest, so the red panda is unsure.

The cat looked up, gazing in the direction of the red panda. But it didn’t seem angry or annoyed, maybe a little surprised, but it didn’t say anything.

“Hello,” the red panda tried to greet again. “Are you…”

The white cat didn’t answer. It just let out a soft hiss, then quickly, as if being chased by something, turned and leaped away, disappearing behind the trees.

“Well…”

The red panda looked a bit sad. Even though it tried to say hello, maybe the white cat didn’t like seeing it. It would have been nice to be friends and play together, for sure.

What made the red panda a little sad, if you can say that, is that it wasn’t the first time the red panda had encountered the white cat.

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A few years ago, in the lineage of animals in its forest home, the red panda was often referred to as the “little panda.” Compared to the pandas known to humans, it is indeed smaller in size. Its fur color is also different; the red panda has a reddish-brown color, while the giant panda has black and white fur.

Because of that, the giant panda often taught the red panda, especially when the red panda still had much to learn.

“Big panda, big panda, is that cat from the moon?”

That’s what the red panda said one day when it saw the giant panda carrying a white and fluffy cat. It seemed like it came from the moon, the red panda thought, even though it didn’t know what a moon cat would look like. It only observed the moon when it was in the sky. As for the white cat, it didn’t seem to talk much, but it appeared comfortable, so the red panda tried not to make much noise.

“Hush,” said the giant panda. “This is a white cat, a descendant of a certain breed, not from here,” the giant panda said while gently stroking the white cat’s head. “The other animals here have also seen it for the first time, you know.”

“So, is it from the moon?”

“Hush.”

The white cat extended its head from the giant panda’s embrace and looked at the red panda. The red panda waved its… well, front paw. “Hello!” The white cat seemed hesitant…

But then the white cat lifted one of its front paws towards the red panda. “Hello to you too,” it said, although in a way that wasn’t quite clear and seemed more like a simple mumble.

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In the years that followed, the red panda grew into… well, a red panda, of course. Obviously, it didn’t turn into a giant panda because they’re different types of animals. But the red panda and the giant panda remained good friends. After the red panda grew up, the giant panda started teaching in another part of their forest home, so they didn’t get to see each other as often. As for the white cat, they used to play together a few times, but then the white cat disappeared and was never seen again. According to the giant panda, the white cat couldn’t be around in their forest home very often.

“But I’m curious,” muttered the red panda. “Where did the giant panda meet the white cat?”

It was late afternoon, and the red panda was just playing on a tree, munching on bamboo shoots. Unlike humans, red pandas don’t drink barista-made coffee while daydreaming and enjoying the sunset… ahem, alright, alright, back to the red panda.

“Is that white cat really from the moon?”

“Is it angry or does it dislike me?”

Thinking about it made the red panda a bit dizzy, so it decided to take a leisurely stroll instead. Then it climbed up its favorite tree and fell asleep.

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That night, the full moon rose in the eastern sky. It was a clear sky. When it’s clear, the red panda likes to count the stars, sometimes they resemble forest creatures.

“That one’s a big dog. That one’s a buffalo. And… oh, that’s the moon!”

The red panda was delighted to see the moon appear because with the moon, it became bright. It meant more playtime and staying up late. Although, in reality…

Crash.

The red panda heard rustling sounds near the tree it was in. Curious, it leaped down to a lower branch.

“Hello?”

In front of it, the white cat slowly emerged from behind the bushes near the tree.

“Hello,” the white cat softly spoke. The red panda looked astonished. What happened next was definitely beyond everyone’s expectations:

“You… you can talk?!”

Whether it was surprise at finally meeting the white cat again, or surprise from being ignored all this time, or maybe a combination of both, the red panda was taken aback and slipped, falling from the branch.

…Luckily, it wasn’t a very high fall. But it was quite embarrassing.

The white cat approached and simply sat, observing the fallen red panda. It seemed worried, but also not quite, it was difficult to read its intentions and behavior.

“Oops,” said the red panda as it rolled to get up. “I’m surprised. How did you end up here?”

The white cat didn’t answer, but it gently stroked the spot where the red panda had fallen, on its legs and back. Then the pain went away. The red panda didn’t fully understand, but… then it looked at the moon shining in the sky, and yeah, that was true.

“You… you’re the white cat, right? Are you really a cat from the moon?”

The white cat didn’t answer. It just gazed at the fallen red panda carefully, but it seemed like the red panda was fine, so it felt a bit relieved.

“Thank you!”

The white cat simply nodded. “You’re welcome,” it said, and then it turned around and ran off, disappearing once again.

Over time, the red panda developed a new habit. Usually, it enjoys stargazing, but now, every time there’s a new moon, it starts making additional calculations. Like, for example, how many more days until the full moon.

These days, there’s a crab in the star cluster. And then, when the full moon rises again, it comes down from its favorite tree and…

“Hey!” the red panda greets.

“Hello,” the white cat’s voice is heard.

The white cat truly appears when the full moon is in the sky. Although it takes a while for it to reappear each time, because since they met as kids, the white cat has never shown up again, so the red panda hasn’t met it all this time.

“I want to apologize!” says the red panda.

The white cat looks confused. “Why?”

“It seems like you’re angry, so you always stay silent and leave,” says the red panda. “But I just wanted to say hello.”

“I’m not angry.”

The red panda looks slightly confused. But deep down, it’s happy because the white cat doesn’t seem to dislike or hate the red panda.

“Your species is confusing, huh?”

The white cat looks sulky. The red panda is startled. Oops.

“I misspoke agaaaaain…”

The red panda feels sorry for always misspeaking these days. But this time, the white cat doesn’t run away (although it seems a bit surprised, even tumbling), but finally, for the first time in a while, the red panda sees the white cat laugh softly and smile to itself.

In the following days, the white cat only appears for two or three days during the full moon, and then it disappears again. Wherever it goes, who knows? Maybe back to the moon. Is it truly a moon cat? That’s what the red panda wonders.

That evening, the red panda is rolling around, playing with a pumpkin ball near its tree. Today is the full moon, so the white cat will probably come soon.

“Hello!”

As usual, the white cat appears cautiously. Its fur looks clean and soft, just like always. As the white cat doesn’t talk much, it’s mostly the red panda who greets it. But since the white cat doesn’t speak much, the red panda spends more time playing with the pumpkin ball.

During their few plays together, the white cat often observes the red panda. Occasionally, it sniffs at dried fruits or bamboo shoots near the red panda’s tree. Sometimes, if there’s a hard fruit like a pumpkin, it joins in playing with it.

“I want to meet you more often,” the red panda says one day. “I think we could be good friends!”

“But I can’t,” says the white cat. “I think you misunderstood. I can’t be good friends with you.”

“But why?”

“This isn’t where I belong,” it says. “I come from the moon. I can only come to this forest for a short while. I can’t play with you often!”

The red panda is confused. It also feels sad because it has always wanted to be good friends with the white cat but never could. Every time, the white cat keeps avoiding it, even though they can’t meet often. But during the full moon, the red panda is happy to play with the white cat.

“Are you… really a moon cat?”

The white cat snorts, its expression unclear whether it’s sad or disappointed or something else.

“Why don’t you listen to me? You misunderstood. I can’t be friends with you. I have to go back to the moon forever. I can’t come here again!”

Then the white cat turns around and runs away, disappearing in an instant. It’s unusual for the white cat to run that fast.

Days passed by, and for a while, the red panda didn’t see the white cat anymore. Even during the full moon, the white cat was absent. It felt a little sad. Stargazing wasn’t as fun as before, and playing with the pumpkin ball wasn’t as exciting as it used to be.

“Did I say something wrong again?” murmured the red panda. “Does he really hate me?”

On that night, the sky revealed a cluster of stars forming an eagle, with something resembling a harp nearby. If observed closely, there was a faint trail between them, like a thin river of mist in the night sky.

That night, the full moon hung in the sky. But that night, there was an unusual visitor.

“Are you sure you don’t want to say goodbye first?”

A figure, seemingly a girl, descended in the corner of the forest where the red panda lived. Her hair was black and straight, tied in a way that resembled a princess from the past. Her clothes looked elegant, as if made of silk.

Earlier, the girl had asked softly to the soft-furred white cat in her arms. The white cat seemed hesitant. But the white cat didn’t refuse or disagree, so the princess continued.

“I’ll call, alright?”

It was already nighttime, and the red panda was actually getting sleepy. But upon seeing the figure of the princess with the white cat that hadn’t been seen for a while, the red panda couldn’t help but wake up.

“Excuse me,” greeted the princess, “are you the red panda?”

“Yes,” answered the red panda, “who are you? Are you the friend of the white cat?”

“Yes,” the princess chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand, “this white cat is my friend. He lives with me, but he likes to wander alone, but only during the full moon. We live on the moon, so we can’t do it often.”

Oh, thought the red panda. So the white cat really is a moon cat! Of course, the red panda had heard it from the white cat before, and it’s not like he didn’t believe those words earlier, but hearing it from the princess in front of him made it feel honest and real.

“We are saying goodbye,” said the princess, “I think my friend has confused you, forgive him, please.”

Then the princess bowed, allowing the white cat to leap from her arms. And for the first time in a while, the red panda and the white cat finally met again.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

“I’m sorry,” the white cat finally said, “I think I’ve done wrong to you, and I feel that way.”

Hearing those words, the red panda became slightly flustered. Of course, due to the flustered state, he only said what was on his mind, so it came out like that.

“But, but you’re healthy, right? You’re not sick or injured, right?”

The white cat simply shook his head. However, it seemed that he felt he had made the red panda sad, so he continued to explain.

In ancient times, the forests on Earth were home to animals like elephants, giraffes, various kinds of bears, and of course, red pandas. The forests on Earth were serene places, so animals could live peacefully. Meanwhile, there was also a kingdom on the moon, where people lived, including the princess who was now with the white cat.

“So, this princess is the Moon Princess?”

“Yes,” said the white cat. The Moon Princess was not at ease either, so when she was on Earth, she would also check on the animals in the forest, sometimes like the red panda. If they ate enough and moved their bodies a lot, they would be healthy. If they chewed bamboo frequently, their teeth would be strong, so there was no need to worry.

“So if I brush my teeth regularly, you and the Moon Princess won’t worry, right?”

“…”

“I’m sorry.”

A few years ago, the white cat disappeared when he went with the Moon Princess. It was quite confusing at that time, but luckily, the white cat was found by the giant panda. At that time, the white cat first met the red panda.

“But then you disappeared,” said the red panda, “and when I saw you again after a while, it seemed like you kept avoiding me.”

“Yes,” said the white cat. Because after those few years, only recently could I come back to Earth. During those few years, whenever there was a full moon, I could go back to the moon. It turned out that the Moon Princess was very worried during that time. At that time, she was still young and couldn’t fulfill her duties on Earth. For a while, I stayed on the moon, the white cat explained.

Finally, recently, the white cat was able to visit the forest where the red panda lived again. But they couldn’t do it often because there was a time when hehad to accompany the Moon Princess on the moon, and during that time, he couldn’t come to Earth. The white cat apologized for not explaining the situation earlier and causing confusion.

The red panda listened attentively, understanding the white cat’s explanation. It was relieved to know that the white cat hadn’t intentionally avoided it and that he was healthy and well. The red panda realized that it had misunderstood and jumped to conclusions without knowing the full story.

“I’m sorry too,” said the red panda, feeling remorseful. “I should have been more patient and understanding. I shouldn’t have assumed the worst without knowing the truth.”

The white cat smiled gently. “It’s alright. Misunderstandings happen, but what matters is that we’ve cleared things up now.”

The Moon Princess, who had been observing the conversation from a distance, approached them with a warm smile. “I’m glad you two have reconciled. I apologize for the confusion and worry caused.”

The red panda and the white cat nodded, expressing their forgiveness.

From that day forward, the red panda, the white cat, and the Moon Princess became good friends. They would meet during the full moon, sharing stories, playing games, and enjoying each other’s company. The forest became a place filled with laughter and friendship, and the red panda’s sadness was replaced with joy.

Sometimes, when the red panda looked up at the night sky, it would spot the constellation of an eagle and a harp, reminding him of the Moon Princess and the white cat. And in those moments, the red panda would feel grateful for the friendship that had been rekindled under the moonlit sky.

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“But, I’m fine!” said the red panda, after the white cat returned to the Moon Princess’s embrace. “You too, stay healthy, wherever you are.”

The Moon Princess appeared to smile, though she also seemed a little sad. The white cat lifted its front paw, attempting to bid farewell, unsure and somewhat reluctant. Maybe they would be able to meet and play again in the future, who knows, but for now, the Moon Princess and the white cat had to part from the red panda and the forest they were in.

As for the red panda, well… it remained a red panda, as always. It might be a little sad, but it would be okay. At least it hoped that the white cat, the Moon Princess, and all the good people would always stay healthy and happy.