Our Fifty Moments
Part Twenty-One: Night
Stardust Rain
During the meteor storm of the century, Colette can't think of anything to wish for. Lloyd, however, has an idea.
Colette hummed a soft tune under her breath as she ran a brush through her hair. Having taken a bath and having donned her nightgown, she took her time preparing for bed in her and Lloyd's room in one of Asgard's famous inns. She wasn't quite sure what Lloyd was up to downstairs - perhaps he was outside, watching the stars and thinking of the friends and family he hadn't seen since they first left on their journey to collect exspheres. Nevertheless, he had told her not to wait for him to go to sleep, and she trusted that he'd be back before he got too tired.
"There," she muttered to herself after brushing out one last tangled knot. She brushed her hair aside and threw it over her shoulder before turning out the gas lamp beside the vanity. Colette then began to make her way to her bed, having just pulled the covers back before something outside of the window caught her eye.
She watched as a bright streak flew across the sky. That streak was followed by another, then another, until a storm of falling stars lit up the town. Colette gasped in amazement, walking over to the window and opening it to get a closer look.
"It's so beautiful!" she thought aloud. Mesmerized by the sight, she yelped in shock when the door to the room slammed open.
"Colette!" cried Lloyd excitedly as he ran over to her, forgetting to shut the door behind him. "Colette, are you seeing this!"
After sighing in relief that it was just her friend, she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Oh, Lloyd, it's amazing!" She turned back to the window, watching as people across the street opened their own windows to behold the spectacle.
"Yeah! Man, this is so cool!" Lloyd's face lit up. "This is the first time I've ever seen a meteor shower!"
"It's just like a shooting star," added Colette, "only there's so many of them!" She turned to Lloyd. "Do you think, if we made a wish, it would count for all of them?"
"All of them, huh?" He grinned. "I guess we could try! It'd be worth a whole lot more than just one shooting star, that's for sure!"
"Okay," said the girl before closing her eyes and clasping her hands together. However, after a moment, she looked back up with a frown. "...I can't think of anything to wish for..."
The swordsman looked at her in surprise. "You can't? Seriously?"
Colette shook her head. "Whatever I saw a shooting star before, I always wished for one thing." She looked down. "That you would be happy... without me."
Her words were like a punch to Lloyd's gut. "You... Colette, why would you wish for something like that?"
"Because I didn't think I would be alive to see this." She looked outside the window again. "I thought I would have to leave you and the others behind. I had hoped you could move on without me. But... now, I know I don't have to leave." She smiled. "So I don't know what else to wish for...!"
Lloyd swallowed a lump in his throat. It was so like her to think of him, even when her own death was looming over her. But that was all in the past - he had risked everything to save both their world and this girl that was so important to him. He took one of her hands as an idea formed itself in his mind.
"I think I know what to wish for," he said, turning to the night sky. "I wish on every single shooting star tonight that me and Colette can be happy... together!"
The girl could feel tears forming as he made his wish. "Lloyd...!"
"...Maybe that'll cancel out all your wishes," he said with a frown. "If I had lost you back then, I... don't think I'd ever be as happy."
"I-I'm sorry," she sniffled, rubbing her face with her free hand.
"You'd better be," Lloyd replied, flicking her forehead, "you dork."
Colette giggled, turning a pale shade of pink as she fought back tears of joy. Never before had she been so happy to regret her wishes; from now on, she thought, she would share all of her shooting star wishes with Lloyd and continue to pray for happiness - for both of them.