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Nicolò couldn't find rest this night. Most of all, because today had been hard. When they went through a town, every single resident blamed Nicolò for the invasion of Jerusalem. Yusuf tried to speak Nicolò's case but in vain. The residents didn't see the kind and loving man Yusuf saw, but a monster that had killed innocent people. Just before leaving the town, Nicolò said that the residents had spoken the truth and that he had a part in the invasion. The rest of the day, Nicolò hadn't spoken a word. It had been a long day in silence if you asked Yusuf.
Now that night had fallen over the desert, Yusuf looked at Nicolò, sitting on a dune. Nicolò hadn't moved from the spot since he sat down after dinner. Yusuf took a blanket and walked over to Nicolò, where he spread out the blanket.
"Lay down with me, my Love," Yusuf said in a kind voice. "Please."
Nicolò nodded as he dried away a tear before lying beside Yusuf. Yusuf took Nicolò's hand in his.
"Look up at the sky," Yusuf said. "Look at the stars."
"Why?" Nicolò wanted to know. "Sorry, I better go to bed."
Yusuf placed a hand on Nicolò's arm.
"Stay, ok?" Yusuf said. "Look at the stars."
When Nicolò did it, Yusuf pointed at a star in the night sky.
"Do you see that star?" Yusuf asked, and Nicolò nodded. "That star was once a great warrior who fought in many battles. One day a king asked the warrior to help in a battle. The warrior said yes, but soon he regretted his decision to help the king when the warrior was asked to burn down a village with innocent people. The warrior refused, and the king's soldiers forced the warrior to watch the village burn down to the sound of the scream from the innocent people before the warrior was left to die."
Nicolò looked over at Yusuf before he looked up at the night sky again.
"In his dying breath, the warrior saw a beautiful woman. It was the Moon Goddess. The Moon Goddess had seen the warrior's attempt to save the innocent people and was there to give the warrior a choice," Yusuf said. "Either the warrior would serve the Moon Goddess and become her weapon against the king, or he could die slowly in pain."
"May I guess what the warrior chose?" Nicolò asked, and Yusuf nodded. He didn't mind because it meant Nicolò spoke to him again. "The warrior chose the first thing. To become the Moon Goddess' weapon."
"The warrior reclined the Moon Goddess's offer with the words; he was done serving people, and he would find his own way to get to the king. So the Moon Goddess left the warrior to his own faith," Yusuf replied. "For days, the warrior battled death, but in the end, he won. It took the warrior years to regain his strength. During that time, the warrior used his sword to do good and be kind to people he met along the way."
Yusuf kissed Nicolò's hand. Most of all because Yusuf needed a moment to think about how the story should end.
"Then came the day when the warrior crossed paths with the king again. The warrior challenged the king to a sword fight, and the king said yes, thinking it would be quickly over. It was a sword fight that lastest for days because both men had the same strength. In the end, the warrior won over the king but knew he would soon die. In his dying breath, the Moon Goddess returned and said that the warrior had earned his place in the night sky amongst the greatest warriors like Hercules. And that is that star, Nicolò," Yusuf said, pointing again at the star. "And one day, you'll also get your own star amongst the greatest warriors in the night sky. I know it, Nicolò, and when people look up at your star, they will tell their children about the kind warrior you were. Always choosing battle as a last resort."
Nicolò snuggled into Yusuf, who took around him.
"Thanks," Nicolò said, grateful. "For everything today. For standing up for me and for telling the story."
"You'll always have me on your side, Nicolò. For the rest of our lives together," Yusuf replied before he placed a kiss on Nicolò's forehead. "Now, do you want to hear about the farting star?"
"You're making it up," Nicolò replied. "There doesn't exist a farting star."
"Yes, there is," Yusuf replied. "Do you want to hear that story or not?"
Nicolò nodded as he looked at the star Yusuf was pointing at.