Day 1: Wonder of Space

Age 5:

"Momma! Hurry up!" A young boy called from his spot by the front door, where his dad was helping him put on his mittens.

"I'm coming, Takashi. I'm just grabbing the last few blankets for this." A woman called back. "Katsu, did you grab the thermos?"

"Yes, Aiko. And Takashi's all bundled up. Meet you in the car." Katsu responded, zipping up his own coat before picking up a cooler. "Come on, Takashi. Your mom will just be a minute."

Takashi raced out the door as soon as it opened. He smiled back at his dad, giggling. "Come on, daddy!"

"We've got several hours still, Takashi. There's no rush." Katsu reminded him as he unlocked the car and placed the cooler in the back. Before Takashi could notice, Katsu was behind him, scooping him into the air. "You're not gonna fall asleep, are you, son?"

Takashi frowned. "Maybe on the drive? That way I'll be wide awake when we're there!"

Katsu couldn't help but chuckle at Takashi's response. "That'll be fine."

"What'll be fine?" Aiko asked, exiting the house with her arms full.

"Sleeping in the car!" Takashi said, squirming to get down. Katsu released him and Takashi rushed to his mom. "Let me help!"

"Here, sweetie." Aiko handed him a blanket. "You can use that in the car. Let's get going."

"Okay!" Takashi let Katsu lift him into his booster seat and buckle him in. "I'm ready!"

It only took five minutes for Takashi to fall asleep. Aiko smiled warmly as she looked back at her son from the passenger seat. "We're lucky there's no snow or clouds this year."

"We are," Katsu agreed. "You know, one day, he's going to probably think that he's too old to do this during the years his birthday isn't on the calendar."

"Shh…that won't be for a while yet."

The rest of the car ride was silent besides the soft sounds of Takashi's breathing. Eventually, Katsu parked the car on a mountain, giving them a great view of the sky. The two adults left Takashi in the car as they pulled out the blankets and set up one on the ground. Katsu placed the cooler on the ground before looking at Aiko.

"Go ahead and get him up. He's not going to be happy that we didn't have him help us set this up." She smiled fondly.

"Keep smiling. You know we're gonna miss his eagerness to help one day." Katsu teased his wife as he opened the car door. "Takashi, wake up, son. We're here."

It took a few blurry blinks before Takashi rubbed his eyes, yawning. "We're here?"

"Yup. And your mom set the blanket up already."

"Momma! I wanted to help!" Takashi cried out as he scrambled out of the car. Aiko glared at her husband from her seat on the ground.

"Your father is teasing, Takashi. After all, he helped me."

Takashi pouted at his father as he sat next to his mother. "It's not nice to lie, daddy."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Katsu said as he settled on Takashi's other side. He opened the cooler to pull out the thermoses inside as Aiko settled the extra blankets around them. "Here's your hot chocolate, son."

Takashi smiled as he took the thermos that Katsu had unscrewed for him. Aiko ruffled his hair as she reached for her own thermos. "Now, Takashi, what do you think of the view of the sky tonight?"

Takashi looked up and grinned. "I can see lots of stars tonight! More than at home! Are we gonna play conste – consto – star shapes?"

Both of his parents smiled as he struggled to say the word he wanted. "Of course. This place is a lot better to play constellations, Takashi." Katsu said, checking his watch. They had about ten minutes before they surprised Takashi. "I spy a large bear."

Takashi and Aiko looked up, searching. "Oh! I think I see it! Right there!" Takashi pointed in the air with his mitten.

"That's it. Do you remember what it's called?" Aiko asked.

"Ursa…major! She's a big mama bear!" Takashi smiled before drinking some of his hot chocolate. "And Ursa Minor is the one right there!"

"Very good, Takashi." Aiko said. "I spy a dragon."

"There!" Takashi traced the constellation again. "Draco, right?"

"Right." Aiko smiled. Takashi's parents continued to describe various constellations for him to find in the sky as the clock slowly closer to midnight. At 11:58, Katsu pulled a cupcake out of the cooler and placed a candle in it.

"Takashi, look here." He said, as he lit the candle. Takashi pulled his eyes away from the night sky to look at his dad. His face lit up when he saw the cupcake and candle.

"Happy Birthday, Takashi." His parents said together, kissing the sides of his head. Takashi grinned at them before blowing out the candle.

"Thank you…can we do one more before we eat the cupcake and go home?"

"Of course." Aiko said as Katsu worked on pulling the candle out and got a plate and knife out of the cooler. "I spy a brave lion." Takashi didn't notice the smile on her face as she looked at her son instead of the sky, engrossed in searching the sky for Leo.

Age 10:

Takashi sniffled as he held onto his grandmother's hand. It wasn't cold but it might as well have been as he watched his parents' caskets get covered. They had died after getting hit by a drunk driver on their way back from a night out. Takashi had been at his grandparents' house when the police had come with the news. Since then, Takashi kept getting moved between his two sets of grandparents as they handled everything to do with his parents' deaths. Takashi hated that he actually understood what was going on more than they thought he did.

"Grandma…if I make a wish on a star like momma said, will it really come true?" He had asked as she tucked him in after the police left. She paused.

"It depends on what you ask, Takashi. Some things are just too big for the stars to grant easily."

"Oh…I guess asking for momma and daddy to be brought back is too big." Takashi mumbled.

"Oh, Takashi." His grandma's eyes began to tear up as she pulled him into a hug. "That's a really big wish that I don't think they can grant. But you know what? They're in the stars now watching you. And they will forever. They know that you love the stars and will be able to see them that way."

Takashi hugged his grandma tight as he thought about her words. "Then one day I want to fly to the stars so maybe I can talk to them again that way."

"That's a big goal, Takashi. But I know you can do it."

"Takashi, it's time to go home. Do you want to say anything before we leave?" Takashi's grandfather asked.

"I'll see you guys soon in the sky."

Age 16:

Takashi sighed as he stood on the Garrison roof. He knew that he was going to have to go in soon for curfew, but he couldn't bring himself to do it quite yet. He looked down at the cookie he had saved from dinner with a small smile. This was the first year he was celebrating his birthday without something homemade as his grandma had passed away the year before, leaving him on his own.

"Well, happy birthday to me. I actually have the date on the calendar this year, so that's nice. Especially since I don't want to get in trouble for sneaking out of bed after curfew to come to the roof like I did last year." Takashi gave a small chuckle as he looked up. The sky was full of stars. "I'm glad there's no clouds this year so I can see you guys. I'm getting closer to flying up there with you. I know more than I used to, but I still want to fly."

Takashi ate his cookie slowly as his eyes jumped between constellations. Ursa Major and Minor for his mom and him and Draco for his father were where his eyes went first. "You know, I miss you guys a lot, not just because I don't have a family to go home to, but I finally got a nickname around here. Not that I mind it, but it's weird to hear 'Shiro' instead of 'Takashi' now. Even my teachers call me 'Shiro' in the halls. I'm sure I'll get used to it. Anyways, I've got to head back in, but I'll come out to talk again soon. Love you."

Before Shiro left the roof, his eyes sought out one last constellation. Leo the Lion was one of his favorites since his mother said he had the spirit of a lion. He only hoped he could hold onto it with everything that had been thrown at him.

Age 24:

Shiro tried to catch a glimpse of the stars outside the ship as he was escorted to the arena again. The Galra didn't have a lot of windows allowing access, so he tried whenever he could to see them. The stars here were unfamiliar and cold. Who would have thought that flying to the stars would have turned out like this?

Shiro couldn't help but think about Matt and Keith. Both of them understood how much the stars meant to him and had even joined him on the Garrison roof for his last birthday before the Kerberos Mission launched. Someday, he hopes to get back to his stars and constellations. So he can't give up hope.