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2300 system hours. Night had fallen, and the sky stretched above like an endless void, adorned by stars that seemed to pulse faintly, like embers in a dying fire. The buildings that once illuminated the paths were slowly flickering off. Most wouldn't be here to appreciate the beauty of the skies, as all of them would be in the land of slumber. For one Stellaron Hunter Firefly however, sleep was a bit of a foreign concept to her. As an artificial creation, she did not require as much sleep as a normal person. Thus, she found comfort in simply watching the skies, awaiting the dawn of a new day.
Tonight however, was a little different.
"Firefly?" A tired voice called out to her. She turned around to find Caelus, slowly climbing up to the roof while rubbing the sleep in his eyes.
"Caelus? I thought you were asleep," she said, tilting her head slightly in curiosity.
"I did, but I heard someone up here and got curious," he replied as he sat beside her, shifting his gaze upward to the same sky she was admiring.
For a while, the two said nothing to each other as the seconds flew by. The soft hum of the night, and the whispers of the wind filled the gap that filled the gaps where words could've been. That was, until those gaps were filled by Caelus.
"....Firefly?"
"Hm?"
"Do you think we'll ever meet again someday?" He asked, looking into the distance. Thus, she remembered the reason she came up here.
Elio had informed the group that Caelus had to leave them to join the Astral Express. They were to place him in the Herta Space Station, and seal a Stellaron inside his body. Silver Wolf and Kafka would perform the operation, while Blade and Firefly would be on standby if the script called for them.
This news had saddened them both, for they would be separated for Aeon knows how long, and with the operation scheduled a few system hours after dawn, this was actually the last chance she could share a moment together.
Firefly hesitated, since the memory wipe would be performed cleanly, leaving no trace of the time he had spent with the Stellaron Hunters. She stared back at the sky, as if she was hoping the stars would give her some guidance, some reassurance. Of course, that doesn't happen, and they just flicker in the skies.
"We will," she said softly, her voice carrying a conviction she wished she felt. "I'm sure of it."
Caelus turned her gaze to her, studying her face. He found her staring at him, her eyes not carrying the same confidence that she had in her voice.
"You don't seem sure," he murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Firefly's shoulders sagged ever so slightly, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. "I... don't know. I want to believe we will, but the only one who knows is Elio. There's no telling where your path will take you once you join the express."
Caelus frowned slightly at her words, his gaze falling down on his lap.
"I guess that's true... but I want you to believe."
Firefly tilted her head, her expression softening as she studied him. "What do you mean?"
"I know the kind of person you are, Firefly. You told me yourself that despite all odds, you're still breathing despite what happened to your home. You still haven't given up on finding a cure for Entropy Loss, and you're the kind of person who will always move forward relentlessly, without looking back."
Firefly blinked, her eyes shimmering under the faint starlight as she absorbed his words. Before she could respond to him, he continued.
"That's why I want you to believe," Caelus said softly, his voice steady but filled with resolution. "Even if we're apart, I want you to believe we'll meet again someday. I don't know what's going to happen, but Elio's script be damned I will find a way to come back to you."
Firefly's breath hitched as she heard his words, their weight sinking deep into her chest. For a moment, she wanted to believe him, to hold on to the slim chance that fate would let the meet once more. Deep down however, she knew. Once Caelus was taken to the space station, his memories would be erased, buried under the intricate strings of Elio's script. She knows she will have a large role in his journey, but she couldn't handle him not remembering her and what they shared.
"What if...." Her voice trembled, words struggling to come out her mouth. "What if when we see each other again, you don't remember me?"
He didn't answer right away, choosing to stare back at the stars, thinking about what would be the right words to say.
"You're right. Maybe I won't remember. Maybe, when we meet again, all of this will be gone. Your face, your voice, what we have." He paused, his gaze unwavering as he turned to face her. "But I know I won't lose...this."
She looked at him, confused. "This?"
"My feelings towards you," Caelus repeated, his voice calm. "I don't know how to explain it, but I want to believe that when I see you again, I'll feel it. Even if I forget you, I won't forget how I felt about you."
"I refuse to."
Firefly clenched her fists, tears beginning to gather at the corner of her eyes. Despite that, a smile brighter than the night sky decorated her face. He slowly took his hand and placed it on her head, softly rubbing it.
"Besides, I know you. You'll go through anything to remind me of what we had."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The world around them seemed to stand still. That was, before a smile brighter than the stars tugged at her lips.
"....Okay. I'll believe you. That you will remember what we had, that we'll meet again someday."
"Good," he replied, softly. He slowly removed his hand from her head, until Firefly snatched it.
"Did I tell you to stop?"
Caelus chuckled softly at the sudden action. "I guess not."
He slowly placed his hand back on her head, softly rubbing it. The two settled into another comfortable silence, before they were suddenly surrounded by a horde of Fireflies, as if comforting them that no matter what, things will be okay. The two looked around them and enjoyed the view, Caelus's hand never leaving her head. This would go on for a long while, before she heard a yawn come out of Caelus.
"Sleepy?" Firefly asked, her tone gentle as she glanced at him.
"Yeah," Caelus replied, stifling another yawn. "I should head back."
Before he could rise, Firefly took another hold on his hand, the one that was once on her head, stopping him in his tracks.
"Stay," she said softly, her eyes shimmering as they met his.
"What do you mean?"
Firefly shifted softly, patting her lap. "Here."
Caelus's face immediately turned a faint shade of red. "A-are you sure?" In response she simply patted her lap again. He hesitated for a moment, but the look in her eyes made it hard to refuse. Slowly, he laid down, resting his head on her lap.
The moment it made contact, a wave of drowsiness immediately hit Caelus, struggling to keep his eyes open. Firefly, seeing this, began to use one of her hands to rub his head with the same gentleness he showed her before.
After a while, his breathing grew steady, and his face became peaceful. The Fireflies around them danced, as if celebrating the start of a brand new journey.
And a promise she will make sure to keep.
"I promise, Caelus. I'll make sure you remember what we once had. That we will be reunited."