"...Will shooting stars align 'neath the sun…"
"He's back to his usual, I see…"
Firefly watched from around the corner of the Radiant Feldspar's arcade section, eyes brimming with amusement as she saw Caelus up to his usual antics. Were chests really that valuable to the Nameless?
Her mirth wasn't exactly shared by the Intellitron the Trailblazer was having a stand-off with, with the latter fully fixated on acquiring the chest currently held by the former.
He had to be fully confident in his video game skills to challenge an Intellitron for it, though. Even the most basic artificial intelligence was commonly used as a filter for players in video games to weed out exceptional talent from everyone else. Intellitrons were beyond that to the point where they could hardly be considered "artificial" anymore. Or so Silver Wolf told her.
Speaking of Silver Wolf… She glanced at the identification badge that all guests of the Radiant Feldspar wore. It was quite glamorous, fitting in with all the luxury vibe of just about everything in Penacony, but her problems with it lay in the name.
Since Firefly's most recent forced entry into the dreamscape, she went under the alias "Samuel", a name that the Stellaron Hunter's hacker deliberately chose to toy with her, as was obvious enough even through the hologram she used to converse with Silver Wolf.
That and all the questions the hacker pestered her with before they went their separate ways. It wasn't bad at first, asking Firefly if she'd reevaluated what she thought of the Land of Dreams, but her first mistake was showing Silver Wolf her checklist to prove that she was almost done.
…
"You done with that bucket list of yours?"
"Yes." Firefly brought out the worn paper. It was a miracle that such a fragile thing survived all the hell she'd gone through to assist everyone in breaking free from the Order's dream.
"Hm? You wrote down another one." Silver wolf peered at the hastily scribbled handwriting, "Oho?"
Too late did it dawn on her that there was something there to be seen by her eyes only, "Oh, that–"
"Do a proper dance with him?" The wolf pounced on the opportunity, "Is that who I think it is?"
"Ah…" She looked away, not making eye contact with the hologram even as the virtual figure waved a painfully bright blue hand across her face.
Silver wolf gave up when Firefly didn't budge, putting her hands on her hips, "You've been getting into all sorts of business while you were here, hm?"
Firefly looked back down, she didn't like what the hacker was implying, "I don't remember having to inform you of my experiences here."
"Oh, what's your business is your business alone," Silver Wolf agreed, "But something as crazy as this is gonna get us all roped up. When's the big day?"
Firefly choked on her spittle, "W–What are you insinuating?"
The Punkeordian only threw a knowing look her way, "You know exactly what."
She puffed her cheeks, "You're teasing me."
Silver wolf replied with a toothy grin, "Of course I am. This is payback for all the times you rejected me."
"Those games you wanted me to play were dull compared to Sam, and I stand by those words." If that's how the hacker wanted to play the game, Firefly would certainly play.
"Spoilsport," Silver Wolf looked away, sighing, "It's a wonder someone as carefree as he got entangled with you."
…
"...It really isn't."
Caelus was a lot of things. He was the one who comforted her as she broke down at the edge of the dream, the same person she enjoyed guiding through the Golden Hour. He was willing to do anything to get his hands on something as basic as a treasure chest and would dive through all the trash in the world to find that one goldmine. Some of his antics were weirder than others, but it all came together to form the person she saw as endearing.
Back in the Arcade, the Trailblazer pumped a fist into the air in victory as his other arm held the well-earned chest tightly. The Intellitron, with the unfortunate fate of being his opponent, was on the ground, oil leaking from its eyes.
Silently congratulating him on his win, Firefly slipped away. There was one more place of interest she wanted to visit before the Charmony Festival began in full swing.
Firefly wandered the Radiant Feldspar, taking in the sights and smells. A Galaxy Ranger was drinking a beverage with a bullet inside, a doll that had an appearance resembling that of the Masked Fool, and an absurdly long line of people trailing off somewhere.
At the ship's interior, the employees of the Interastral Peace Corporation were hard at work, with a woman and their Warp Trotter overseeing the operations. Carefully sneaking past them, she finally found it.
Bonajade Exchange, the sign read. A hanging ornament on the door told her that someone was inside, stating that everyone must wait for their turn.
So that's what the line was for. A lot of people want to give it a try, too…
She did as instructed, avoiding direct eye contact with everyone. Several interesting reactions were made by those who entered the pawn shop, raising the anticipation further.
A Pepeshi busted out the door and made a break for it, shouting someone's name, an Intellitron calmly walked out, communicating with somebody on an earpiece, and a gambler Firefly had seen at the arcade earlier, a scary look plastered on their face as they muttered about being unbeatable.
That meant there was some merit to what this place advertised, right? Firefly was cautiously excited at the prospect.
Eventually, the queue shortened until only she remained, and the door opened, signaling her to enter.
Inside the shop was a woman. Lady Bonajade, according to the attendant she'd asked earlier.
That name sounds familiar. Didn't Silver Wolf say something like that?
"Welcome to the Bonajade Exchange," The lady's voice was smooth like silk, "How should I address you, dear?"
"Samuel." She plainly answered back.
"Samuel," Lady Bonajade let the name roll off of her tongue, "What do you need?"
"I want to continue living." This was the moment of truth. Could such a request be fulfilled just like that?
The woman nodded, "Of course."
"Really?" Firefly stared at her, wide-eyed.
"Certainly," Lady Bonajade repeated, "But you are aware that this is a pawn shop, aren't you? Something of equal value must be given."
"As for what…" She leaned into Firefly's ear, and her blood went cold.
"Surely there is a different option?" Firefly asked the pawnbroker. That was the one thing she would not give up.
"I'm afraid there isn't," "There is nothing else you have that holds a similar value, you see."
Nothing else? The words rang out in her head, adding even more insult to injury as doubts about this place's legitimacy started to appear.
Lady Bonajade gave her a pitying look, "If you don't believe me, why don't you look for my previous customers? That should allow you to understand what going here truly means."
Excusing herself for a moment, Firefly did just as she said. Scouring every inch of the Radiant Feldspar to check on the people she saw leave the establishment earlier. As the woman said, they were all upbeat, overjoyed at something.
The full truth was revealed when she returned to tell Bonajade her findings. A star-crossed lover would lose everything he had to take that next step with his beloved, a detective was willing to erase himself to catch one criminal, and a loser would finally win everything they lost, only to lose all they already cherished.
Once Firefly knew of the Bonajade Exchange's nature, she excused herself and quickly left, not even giving the madame inside a chance to speak. The gaze glued to her back as she left the pawnshop had already said enough.
"I guess it's hopeless." Firefly muttered to herself, leaning on the mighty ship's railing to breathe fresh air. Someone caught her eye below, two of them to be precise.
"Hey, Caelus!" March 7th shouted at him from a safe distance, holding on to her hair as the wind threw a fit, "You're going to fall!"
Caelus ignored the warnings of his Nameless peer, slowly inching to the edge of the ship's bowsprit as he tried to speak in Origami Bird. Judging from their reactions, it wasn't working all too well.
Unseen by either of them, Firefly laughed earnestly at their predicament. Casting a final glance of longing, she swiftly left the scene.
She wouldn't give them up for anything.
"…In whispered hopes where journey's begun…"
"Ugh…" He was dying.
Caelus was sprawled out on the deck, absentmindedly staring at the dreamy night sky even as other guests aboard the Radiant Feldspar looked at him funny. It probably had to do with the puddle of vomit sizzling next to him. Trying to catch an Origami Bird was no joke at the edge was no joke.
That didn't mean he could just laze around, though. The Charmony Festival was about to begin, and his gut feeling told him that the Astral Express had to be there. They were invited, of course, but he felt that it was more than just that, and he couldn't simply let March hold the fort down on her own.
I won't leave you. There was also that to look forward to.
Pushing himself up, he kept an eye out for her as his feet took him all over the Radiant Feldspar, passing an odd pile of red buttons that the Masked Fool had also given him that one time, as well as several plushies of that same troublemaker.
In any case, Caelus felt like a target had been painted on his back. He withdrew from the search and went for the pool, hoping to find a chair to sit on to wait out the countdown until the festival.
As luck would have it, one was available at the very edge, away from prying eyes. Perhaps he could finally beat that video game.
The Trailblazer set one hand on the chair to support his body as he sat down, but he wasn't expecting to find someone else's hand already there, bearing the exact same thing in mind. It was–
"Firefly–" Caelus' gasp of surprise was blocked out when Firefly's other hand covered his mouth.
She took her hand away once it was clear no one noticed, "Call me Samuel."
"Very well then," Like a well-trained butler, he bowed to her as his hands beckoned her to the vacant chair, "I believe this seat belongs to you, Miss Samuel."
Just as courteously, Firefly refused his offer, "I'm afraid that won't be needed anymore, sir."
They stared the other down awkwardly before breaking out into bouts of laughter. If nobody was looking at them before, everyone had eyes on them now.
She took his hand and dragged Caelus away from their stares, finding them a small, quiet bubble away from the public eye.
"It's been quite the vacation for the Astral Express, hasn't it?" Firefly asked, her eyes tracing the stars flying above yet again.
Caelus chuckled, "That it has."
What was supposed to be the recovery of the legacy of the fallen Nameless disguised as a vacation turned into a murder mystery that shouldn't be possible, all the pieces coming together to form the full picture, a nefarious plot to use an Aeon to build the world anew.
"...Will you be leaving soon?" She whispered, slouching against the railing.
He shrugged, inching closer to her, "We don't have a destination in mind yet, but moving forward has always been the way of the Trailblaze."
"I'm sure we'll see each other again every now and then, though." The Trailblazer tried to lift her spirits. He understood where she was coming from. He was also pretty bummed about having to leave.
"We have exchanged contacts, so I suppose that's true…" Firefly trailed off, reaching out for the faraway stars, all in the palm of her hand. So close, yet so far.
"Caelus," She turned to him, "Why does life slumber?"
The question she'd asked him at the start of his Trailblaze journey came full circle. Unlike last time, however, he had an answer.
"Because we'll wake up from our dreams," Caelus answered stalwartly, looking her right in the eye.
"Wake up?"
He followed the stars Firefly had been grasping for earlier, "When we're asleep, we dream of fantasy worlds, our greatest desires, everything we could want."
The Trailblazer kindly smiled at her, "But we can't find what we need there. We realize that what we need is already in reality once we wake up."
"I see…" She took in his words, "...Thank you."
"No problem–"
"That's her!" A shout came from behind. They turned to see a familiar pair of Bloodhound guards, this time without their Sweet Dreams Troupe escorts.
"You won't get away this time, stowaway!"
"Looks like I have to go," Firefly was going to make a run for it, yet stopped when his hand grabbed her arm, refusing to budge, "Caelus?"
He gave her a wry grin, "There's no need."
"What–"
"We're just going to get in trouble again, screw this!" Suddenly, they were in tears, their wails so great that a puddle was already forming on the floor.
"To think that the Bloodhounds would meet their match in a shameless stowaway…" They dejectedly muttered, their heads sagging in defeat as they made their slow getaway.
Firefly observed the guards in befuddlement before looking at him, eyebrow raised, "Do you have anything to say for yourself, mister?"
Too bad for her, he already knew what to say, "You wanted to watch Robin perform, right?"
Once the fuse had been disarmed, the pair ran it back just in time to watch as the Charmony Festival started with a bang.
Robin was the center point on stage. The Halovian channeled the Harmony as she put all who listened to her in a trance with nothing but her voice. March, who he and Firefly had met up with, had dragged her along to the front of the crowd, waving purple glowsticks around.
Once the singer's performance was over, she took a moment to raise a toast for Mikhail Char Legwork, the Watchmaker, on top of thanking the Astral Express for their assistance in resolving the crisis.
It was an uncomfortable moment for him, as March had Firefly by her side to deal with all the stares while Caelus was left to fend for himself against all their piercing looks. The problems that couldn't be solved by swinging a baseball bat were always the hardest.
But the apprehension was worth it. As a token of their appreciation, the Family gifted the Express the Radiant Feldspar as thanks. While he wasn't sure how it would come into play in the near-future, what with already having a ship and all, the prospects of being a captain felt cool.
A round of applause kicked up, with him joining in as well.
All's well that end's well…
A fiendish presence made itself known near his ear, "...Right?"
Caelus turned around but saw nothing. All that was on his mind was the giggling of that Masked Fool, "Haven't you forgotten, my friend?"
A notification on the Trailblazer's phone got his attention. He'd already been invited to a new group chat, courtesy of the Masked Fool herself. Even more surprising was that everyone else had been brought in, too. Just what went on in the heads of a follower of the Elation? The universe may never know.
The user From Where To View Fireworks was kind enough to explain. The time limit before complete disintegration by Imaginary Neutron bomb aside, the objective of searching through nine hundred and ninety-nine dolls on the ship to find the bomb was pretty simple, all things considered.
With a quick nod from March and Firefly, they split up. Through the Family, Interastral Peace Corporation, and everyone else's help, the Radiant Feldspar was turned upside down as they worked against the clock.
"I'm not even a real bomb!" Well, mostly. The sentient bombs themselves, real or not, seemed to have no sense of urgency.
"...I could tell." Caelus eventually said.
"Was it surprising, shocking, horrifying?"
"Nope."
"No? Really? Fine. That's too bad, then."
"Yep." It really was a shame that this wasn't the real bomb. Defusing it with a quick bonk to the head would be easy.
"You really ought to learn how to win a girl over!" The doll's red eyes sparkled, "Never mind, you already have!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" But by the time he looked over, the toy was already gone.
Only one left to go. Near the pool. He glanced at the group chat. Only one person hadn't talked so far, and he had a bad feeling about this.
"Caelus." As was usual, the Trailblazer was right in the worst ways possible.
Floating in the pool was the final doll, a sharp beeping noise playing through its speakers at five-second intervals, the timer reading showing only one minute left.
Firefly jumped in, taking the bomb into her hands as she looked at him sorrowfully.
"...No time, right?" His question was met with a nod.
This was it, the prophesied third death. You'd think his nerves would calm down after the first and second one, but no. It was always like this. He felt like he was watching her get stabbed through the chest all over again.
"Don't worry," With a smile on her face, she lifted it up, "I promised I'd never leave, right?"
Caelus didn't speak. If he did, what he would say next could never be taken back, and the consequences of saying those words could be enough to sway her resolve.
Even as the water turned to steam and a pillar of fire shot out to the sky, the Trailblazer didn't move.
The orange flame morphed into a verdant light trail as if Firefly had joined the stars she desperately grasped when they first met.
The sound of an explosion tore through the sky, and dazzling lights bloomed above, far from what one would expect from a weapon of mass destruction. But he still couldn't see her.
Caelus couldn't take it anymore.
"...In dreams, we waltz the sky, you watch me drift on by…"
"Lame." Sparkle commented, dropping the comically-sized mallet in her hands as she stared at the spot where the Trailblazer had been.
It was the perfect setup. Prank him a little, then give a light nudge for the credits to finally start rolling. The Masked Fool didn't expect him to go and take the leap himself. That lance made for a fairly good rocket. She wouldn't mind taking it for herself and using it for a firework or two.
Sparkle was getting off-track. This wasn't her story!
The trail of blazing fire cut off, and in its place bloomed a flower of beauty and destruction, more ethereal than any firework the Masked Fool hoped to make.
Both Nameless and Stellaron Hunter soared through the boundless sky, holding the other in close and never letting go. Peering through her binoculars, the lovestruck pair didn't heed the Masked Fool's wonderful fireworks, too lost in each other's eyes.
What a waste. Wasn't anyone going to acknowledge all the hard work Sparkle put in to make their budding emotions blossom without a cinch? If Sparkle had known that tweaking the script would get the Fool zero credit, then…
…Well, Sparkle would have still done it.
The main pair in question were now flying off into the sunset, much to the dismay of everyone still on the Radiant Feldspar. The poor people on the ship were worried sick for them, and they just went off to do their own business, completely disregarding the feelings of others and prioritizing their own.
That sounded a lot like someone Sparkle knew. Heh.
Sparkle snickered, "What a Fool."
Enough about them, though.
"Why do you think life slumbers?" Do people dream to escape from reality? Maybe there are things only attainable through this world where anything is possible. If such a flawless world were to truly exist, would some disregard the real world in its entirety?
Perfect is pretty boring, though, don't you think? The average person, by nature, is more likely to put their own interests above others. A world without conflict, where all are equal, would eventually grow stale if it hadn't already, and the so-called people contently living within it would be nothing more than cardboard cutouts of a living being.
Rather than try and make an impossible world like that a reality, why not be a bit selfish? Pursuing happiness itself isn't inherently bad, and as long as it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of others, is there a reason not to do so?
Wait. Sparkle was getting too far off-topic.
The final salvo of fireworks blew up in the sky, painting the bleak sky of the night with lively colors. To the Masked Fool, a bang was the only acceptable way for this grand play to end, and any other would be shot down, sometimes literally.
Well, the play was over, but the story was anything but. Once the final words have been typed out, as long as you, the audience, felt something while witnessing this deviation from the script, then this would all be worth it.
Now, where were they?
"...In your memory, a whispered song…"
"I promised." Firefly rested her head on his shoulder, content to watch the sunrise on a new day.
"You did." Caelus sighed in resignation as he wrapped an arm around her, relishing in the day's glow.
They were back here at the edge of Golden Hour, propelled at ludicrous speeds with the aid of a giant mech suit. The Dreamweavers had not slacked off since they were last here, a place that could no longer be called the Dream's Edge.
There was now an actual bench to sit on and enjoy the view. The path to it was no longer riddled with devices like the Dream's Eye or required any annoying puzzles to cross. Just a simple walk did the trick.
"Were you scared?" She asked, huddling in closer.
"Terrified." The Trailblazer admitted.
He had so many things to say to her at the Radiant Feldspar, but now that things have returned to some semblance of normalcy, those words scattered like the fireworks in the sky earlier.
"Falling through the sky is pretty fun." The relief of seeing Firefly alive and unharmed was taken a step further as they held on to each other for dear life as gravity did its work. Even in that life-or-death situation, they were too lost in each other to notice.
"Want to do it again?" She asked, poking at his ribs to rile him up.
"Never." They giggled a little before silent again.
It was strange to think that the last time they were in this same place, she was crying in his arms as he tried his best to comfort her. Now, it felt like the roles had switched completely, or at least reached the point where they could be considered equals.
"What do you think of Penacony now?"
"It's beautiful," He earnestly answered, "But I'd have a different opinion on it if it weren't for the people I met within this Land of Dreams."
"By the way, do you still have it?"
Firefly silently pulled the list out. The fireworks had finally bested the stubborn little thing, as most of it was now a blackened sheet of ash save for a wish that was still unfulfilled."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Caelus jokingly said, earning him a pinch to the cheek as Firefly pouted.
"...Want to check the final one off?"
"Gladly."
They disentangled from each other and pushed the bench aside. The stars that drew a line across the sky were no longer moving, watching the pair with bated breath.
Caelus got down on one knee, extending one hand forward, "May I have this dance?"
Firefly took his hand with hers, "You may."
They started off slow, getting a feel for the other without making clumsy mistakes like they did so previously. Once the pace started to pick up, Caelus let Firefly take the lead, perfectly adjusting himself so she could do whatever she wanted, and he would be there for her every time.
She noticed it, "Where'd you learn to dance?"
"I had Argenti teach me." While the Knight of Beauty's passion was a bit overwhelming, this was one of the few occasions where Caelus knew that Argenti's passion would excel. The red-haired knight was a surprisingly great teacher.
"That must have been nice. All I had to go off were videos Silver Wolf sent me." The hacker consistently sent her one video of a dance she could try with him every hour, demanding her to watch them all like an overbearing big sister.
Firefly would dip, and he would gently lower her down. She would twirl, and he was there to keep her steady. Even when she slipped up and tripped, he caught her effortlessly, their eyes never looking away from the other.
The Penacony Grand Theater in the distance had grown silent, the radiant light it emitted before completely gone. In its place was only them, a pair as radiant as the brightest of suns, dancing to a harmony only they knew.
Farewell, Penacony.
"...A seed of hope, where we belong."