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Once upon a time there was a Wishing Star who lived in one corner of the night sky. She wasn't the biggest or the brightest star nor did she recieve the most wishes. But the fervent whispers made beneath her twinkling light were more important to her than anything else.
And they made her happy.
As time passed her light spread further and she collected more wishes. Her heart felt full and even though the wishes grew heavier, she did not think herself unfulfulled.
But eventually the sound of a thousand wishes echoing in her sky became too loud. The wishes began to bleed together and the Wishing Star's light flickered for the first time. The pain was immense and unexpected. Every pleading voice wishing for love or prosperity or simply early spring blooms melted into a single throbbing din.
Lost in her hopelessness and failure, the Wishing Star cried. Shards of light streaked across her sky painting the night with despair. Ungranted wishes hung in the atmosphere like smoke. She could not see or hear anything else.
Until one day a Comet shot through the night and chased away the shadows. His light was so bright and so sudden the Wishing Star felt at a loss.
"Why do you cry?" The Comet asked.
"I am too weak to bear the weight of my wishes. I have failed everyone. The sadness consumes me."
The Comet's light flared as he circled the star once more. "The weight is indeed great, but you are anything but weak. Let me help you. The light you give the night sky is far too beautiful and valuable for me watch it die."
"But –"
"Please let me help. You grant wishes of love for so many and allow none for yourself. I can fix that."
The Comet began his trek around the Wishing Star's sky. He chased away her darkness, the one she could never wish away on her own, and when the night was hers again she could hear the wishes once more.
A wish began to form inside of her. A selfish wish.
A dangerous wish.
As soon as the whisper fell from her lips the Comet heard them. And he granted it to her without hesitation. His orbit spun closer and closer with every revolution.
And with every revolution he began to break apart. Comets aren't meant to get so close to such volatile creatures as wishing stars. Their light comes from fire so hot it burns white.
"Please go," the Wishing Star pleaded.
"I won't leave you," the Comet replied. "I will love you until we are both nothing but dust."
The Wishing Star, unable to watch the Comet die, made her second ever wish.
And it hurt more than anything else. But the Comet lived.
And she told herself
She was happy.