Kingdom Hearts 0
Prologue - Starlight, Starbright
It was a clear and lonely night upon the hill of his childhood. The boy, fourteen years of age, lay in the soft grass and attempted to count the numerous stars above him. This tradition of his had begun over four years ago, and he had never missed a single clear night to follow it.
"Zephyrus!" A young girl's voice called into the night.
The boy sat up, allowing his long blond bangs to fall into his blue eyes. Turning towards the voice, he was unsurprised to see his eleven year-old sister climbing the hill to join him - they were very close, almost always together.
When she reached the hill she didn't immediately seat herself, instead puffing out her cheeks and setting her hands on her hips. She leaned forward, her face ending up mere inches away from his. "How can you see anything with hair in your eyes?"
He laughed as she straightened herself, sweeping the left half of his bangs behind his ears, leaving his right eye still covered.
Satisfied with his fix, she took a seat to his left. She tucked her own waist-length blond hair behind her ears before resting her chin on his shoulder. Although he was uncomfortable with her chin digging into his shoulder, he would never tell her to leave him alone.
The two siblings sat in silence, looking towards the sky while watching the occasional star falling from the heavens above. It was a peaceful feeling that he would never tire of.
A soft sigh escaped from the girl's lips as she looked down at the grass. "Do you remember coming out here with Phoenix and Jovani?"
"Of course I do, silly." A fond smile crept onto his face as the memories came back. "Me and you, Phoenix and the little guy used to come here all the time to watch the falling stars. Phoenix would share her grandmother's stories, Jovani cried every time a star fell, you fell asleep..." He turned his head towards her and gave her an accusing glare. "... and guess who had to carry you home!"
His frown quickly turned to a smirk, and the two of them laughed.
The laughter died, and he cast his glace downward. "You know, I really miss those times," he mumbled, "Phoenix is travelling with her father, and Jovani is too busy running the farm to spare a moment..."
The girl sat upright and placed a finger on her chin. She closed her eyes and let out a small hum.
"What are you thinking, Celeste?"
She opened her eyes and looked at the sky in thought. "Do you remember Phoenix's story about the falling stars?"
He placed his own chin on his palm and thought back to every story he had ever heard from Phoenix. "Phoenix told a lot of stories about the stars. Which one are you thinking of?"
Celeste let out a long, exasperated sigh, as if he was supposed to know which of the hundreds of stories she was talking about. "The wishing star, of course! If you make a wish on a falling star before it disappears, it'll come true!"
He let out a small grunt. "I can't remember that one. You sure you're not making it up?"
"I'm not making it up. Why would I?"
"I don't know, Celeste... You have some crazy stories sometimes..."
"I'm not lying!"
"I know..." He looked up at the sky, searching for his own wishing star. From the corner of his eye he caught a slow-moving star, quickly folded his hands in prayer and bowed his head.
I wish that Phoenix and Jovani and Celeste and I
could be the way we used to be forever.
He looked up again and searched the sky, but could not find his wishing star. He could only hope that he had been quick enough and that his wish would come true.