Midnight on the eve of the battle.
The fireflies were dots of hope in an otherwise dark sky.
He caught one, for her.
"As long as it's safe, there's hope."
She kept it in a tiny jar, around her neck and over her heart.
The morning came slowly, after a night spent with him, under the stars. Heaven for them both.
She fought bravely. Hope was not lost yet.
She kept the firefly under her shirt until the very end, too scared to look.
When she did, the firefly glowed brightly. He was alive.
Her smile lit up the world.