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For one brief moment, I saw a star falling out of the sky. A breathtaking swirl of dark purples, whites, and a million shades of blues. The endless depth of galactic voids. Sparkles, twinkling. Feathery, cosmic, lofty wings.
Yet despite the wings, it fell with such velocity and brightness that I was sure that it wasn’t a star or a comet, but perhaps it was even the moonlight, splintered. There was a splendid, blazing aura enveloping the night-bird’s form, perhaps as majestic as it was splendid. And following the strange and beautiful creature, a million other stars began to fall in its wake, and from here in the middle of the sea, I saw how they all struck the City of Wizards, all synchronized.
Oh Moonlight! I whispered silently, heart sinking at the thought of her getting hurt. The corners of my eyes started to get wet.
But then I remembered how she had the strength to endure any eclipse. Though worried, deep down, I knew that Moonlight would be alright. Day after day, night after night, one fact remains constant: the moon will surely rise again.
Still, I did not sleep the day the stars burned so brightly in the night sky, not even when the sunlight blanketed the City and when all the lights died down soon after.
I saw Moonlight and the star approach me, hand-in-hand. Almost immediately, my mind jumped to the scene when I first saw that falling star.
A breathtaking swirl of dark purples, whites, and a million shades of blues. The endless depth of galactic voids. Sparkles, twinkling. Feathery, cosmic, lofty wings.
Splintered moonlight.
“Sea Fairy, this is…my brother.” Moonlight’s smile and hesitant voice brought me back to reality. “Stardust.”
Yet despite her pause, it was clear that she was very proud of him. He was standing still next to Moonlight, looking a little meek (though who knows if I were shyer?) until she squeezed his hand, perhaps trying to comfort him. He used his other hand to reach out as one would for a handshake.
“I am Sea Fairy,” I said very plainly, placing both of my hands on his. My hands were cold and his was warm like a gentle fireplace. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Mine too,” he replied, and even though he smiled, a certain somber look did not leave him. But even more so, he looked lost. How and why lost, I’m not sure, but then he said after a long, long time, “I’ve never seen the ocean before.”
“I’ll show you around: a tour,” I offered, and for some reason I first thought of what hurt me much—that being Sugarteara and its Regent. But I pushed that thought away and followed with, “You should see the corals in season. Their colors are always very pretty…”
Moonlight chimed in, “That’s true. I believe the ocean is one of the most beloved sights (or sites?) on Earthbread.”
Oddly, as she said that, her luminous voice was relegated into the background. Usually, my focus on her becomes extra sharp with the sound of my heartbeat thumping in my ears, but something is different today. I felt a different type of unease, perhaps because of the newcomer’s presence.
A breathtaking swirl of dark purples, whites, and a million shades of blues. The endless depth of galactic voids. Sparkles, twinkling. Feathery, cosmic, lofty wings. A strange and beautiful creature: an enchanting night-bird with the brilliance of twenty suns.
Did something change ever since I laid eyes on him?
“That’d be kind of you, Sea Fairy. Thank you. I’d really like a break to do some soul-searching,” he said, then let out a sigh of relief. It was the first time I noticed how captivating his aquamarine eyes were, though clouded with somberness and melancholy. I might be imagining it, but I saw the ocean reflected in his eyes.
In that sense we seem to be pretty similar, right? I often strolled along the coral reefs, too, when I needed a break from the world around me, and sometimes from myself.
So I said nothing and nodded. We stayed silent and reserved, but perhaps the silence suits us better. I believe that at that instant, he understood me perfectly well. After all, the endless depths of both my heart and the ocean are no different from the vast expanse of the starry void. There is nothing at the bottom of the sea, just like how there is only emptiness beyond the moon and starlight.
Though as I looked into his eyes more, I noticed that they were not empty like the cosmos. They’re darkened. With that sense of melancholy, it reminded me of myself…
So something must’ve possessed me, then, when I leaped forward to embrace him like he was some lost child like me, submerged by a raging torrent of emotions.
He tensed, so I froze and let go and stammered, “Sorry. I-I just felt like you might have needed a hug.” Was it too offensive? Did I assume too much out of nothing?
“Ah, I see,” he said with a hint of awkwardness.
I looked helplessly at Moonlight until she approached us both and placed a hand on each of our shoulders.
The next few moments were a blur, probably because of my anxiousness. All I remembered was that Moonlight needed to return to the Archives, and Stardust wanted to follow her.
But I felt peace as we said our farewells because I thought to myself:
If there is a reflection of the ocean in your eyes,
it must mean that the stars are amongst mine as well.