Merlon wasn't sure if Marc would actually show up on the night of the Star Festival or not. Yes, He said he would, but he also had been noticeably absent from Merlon's life the past few nights. Even with Marc gone, Merlon had found it hard to fall asleep at the time he usually would. Instead, he spent at least a few hours waiting by his window during those nights, just in case Marc decided to show up.

The ancient paced back and forth in the comfort of his home, biting at his nails as he did so. The nail-biting was an old habit that he broke years ago, but for some reason ever since Marc stumbled into his life, the habit decided to re-appear. He would also peel away his hangnails, which in turn would occasionally make his fingers sting and bleed, but only for a few short minutes. 

Merlon looked out of his window and checked the sky. The sun was still quite high, so he wasn't sure why he was so anxious. The star festival still wouldn't start for another few hours. Marc was probably still asleep.

Next to her. 

Merlon shivered slightly and shook his hands as if shaking off the slightly squeamish feeling. 

What did she do to deserve someone like him? Marc didn't talk about her to Merlon much. All the ancient really knew about her was that she betrayed and hurt him. She hurt him and broke his heart. Marc liked to paint her as a good person who just simply didn't love him the way he wished she would, but how could anyone who could hurt someone like Marc be a good person? Merlon was a firm believer that there was good in everyone, as concepts like that and the power of love were constantly preached to him from a young age, but then he met Marc and realized, if someone could hurt someone like that, then they couldn't be a good person in his eyes. He couldn't turn a blind eye to someone's wrong actions simply because he believed that everyone was capable of kindness. People can act kindly and still be bad people. Just like how good people can act unkindly.

All this thinking about the concept of kindness reminded him of how Marc would often question concepts like this.

He momentarily brought his gaze to the floor, then back to the window. 

The sun was in the same position it was five seconds ago. 

Merlon forced out a breath, then ran his hands through his hair and walked over to one of his bookshelves. The Light Prognosticus was situated on its own podium, but he did have quite a large collection of other novels. He could recall one night when Marc was over and just silently sat down and read through book after book. He barely talked that night, but Merlon didn't mind because there was this strange sort of spark that seemed to ignite within Marc whenever he got excited about stories. Yes, he was quiet that night, but his eyes were alert and focused. He was still present. 

"I wonder why there aren't any stories about people like me," Marc had asked.

"What do you mean?" Merlon had questioned.

"Well, in all these tales, everything seems to come too easily," he pointed out. "Well, not everything, because there are certainly a few obstacles presented, otherwise the story wouldn't really have a plot, but by the end, everything works out. The protagonists get married and live happily ever after. How come there aren't any stories about the hardships that come with that? It makes these books seem less realistic. I mean, my own story feels like it didn't end when I got married. I think that's when my story actually began."

Merlon hummed in thought, then sat down next to him. "Well, make it then," he suggested. "You're a writer. Write your story."

"I hate my story, though."

"I don't." Merlon shrugged with a slightly goofy smile. "I mean, I hate all the bad elements, but I also love the good parts. Especially the parts the lovable side character Merlon is in! He's definitely my second favorite character!" 

Marc rolled his eyes and gently pushed him away. "Oh please. It's clear that Merlon is by far the best character. He's got everything a good character should have."

"Marc's the one people can connect with, though," Merlon argued. "He's the one who people root for because he doesn't get everything handed to him. He struggles and tries, which makes him feel more real. He's the one who people want to see get his happy ending because he's the only one who's really earned it."

Merlon chuckled at the memories, then turned his attention back to the window.

The sun was perhaps two inches lower.

Why was this taking so long?! Days didn't usually seem to last quite this long. Yes, it was summer, which meant that the night was shorter, but still, these past few days seemed to stretch on far longer than normal.

A small part of Merlon was worried that Marc somehow patched things up with his wife and decided to spend the festival with her- not that patching things up with his wife would be a bad thing! It would be a wonderful thing. 

Or, at least Merlon was trying to convince himself that it would be a wonderful thing. He wanted to see it as a wonderful thing because he wanted Marc to be happy. 

He was just... looking forward to seeing the comet with Marc. His friend. 

The sun slowly continued to set over the horizon, allowing the stars to carefully reveal themselves. They started out rather dim, but as the sky grew darker, they grew lighter. 

Not everyone in Merlon's village knew all that much about the Star Festival, however, there were still a few people out in the village square waiting to watch the great comet pass. 

Merlon watched and waited patiently by his window, hoping that Marc would arrive soon. He was beginning to feel like he was watching a pot of water, waiting for it to boil. The act of waiting became tedious. 

Every second that passed made him grow more and more worried that Marc wouldn't come. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this kind of anxiety. It was a similar kind of fear to the one he felt back at the duel, but this one was far more selfish. He knew that no one would be physically harmed if Marc simply show up. It wasn't even that big of a deal. It just FELT like a big deal.

Why isn't he here yet?!

Merlon walked back to his bookshelf. Ran his steady hands over the spines of each and every novel, noting their names. Some didn't have authors listen alongside the titles. It wasn't uncommon for novels to be written anonymously. He wondered if Marc would attach his name if he ever finished his book.

Marc. Where is Marc?!

Merlon walked back to the window, passing the jar of coins, which was slightly fuller than usual. He knew it would never get full, though. A part of him wouldn't allow it to get full. There were always going to be people who needed the money more than he did. There were more important things in life than getting a staff. 

The stars were sparking and twinkling in the sky. The comet would surely pass at any moment now.

Where was Marc? He didn't want to see the comet without him. There was no point in seeing the comet without him. What good is an experience if there's no one to share it with? 

Merlon let out a sigh and leaned his forehead on the cold glass, when he finally spotted the color dark blue. A sense of relief washed over him and his eyes seemed to light up as he threw open the front door before Marc could even get there.

"You came!" Merlon exclaimed.

Marc awkwardly waved and brushed himself off, and Merlon was so glad to see those familiar uneven steps as Marc walked over to him at a slightly hurried pace. 

"I said I would," Marc stated with a small smile, though it was clear he was slightly out of breath. His hair was wavier and messier than normal as well. There was joy in his eyes, but also a somewhat tired quality that Merlon wasn't used to seeing.

"I was a little worried," Merlon admitted. "It's been a while since you've visited."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Marc explained. "The Tribe has been setting up for the celebration, so it has been harder to escape to come and see you. I had to wait until I could sneak out without getting caught. I made it, though. Nothing in the universe was going to make me miss this."

Merlon nodded, barely able to contain his happiness. Marc made it. He didn't decide to spend the festival with someone else. 

The ancient grinned, then noticed how Marc's lantern wasn't glowing its usual bright white color. Instead, it was dim, as if it had been turned off.

Funny. Merlon wasn't aware that the lantern had an off feature. Even when Marc wasn't holding it, it would always continue to glow. "Your lantern isn't on," he noted, furrowing his eyebrows slightly, though his smile did not fade.

Marc nodded, then briefly looked down at his dim lantern, holding it forward slightly.

"Yeah. I know... I thought it would be easier to see the stars in the dark," he shrugged. His shoulders were relaxed and his tone was steady and casual, which was slightly odd considering how dependent on the light source Marc usually was. 

"But aren't you afraid?" Merlon questioned, vividly remembering all the times Marc would clutch his lantern tightly whenever the world seemed too dark. Even when they first met, Marc was grasping the lantern tightly as if it was his lifeline. 

"Yes, but I'll be fine," Marc smiled, completely at ease. "You're here."

Merlon felt his chest tighten slightly and his face flush. He wasn't sure if Marc was even aware that he just said something so incredibly sappy. After all, it wasn't unusual for Marc to randomly blurt out weird things. 

"Um, thanks," he murmured with a hint of awkwardness. "F-follow me. Earlier I searched the town for the best place to view the stars. It's right this way."

He knew from what Marc had told him that the Star Festival was a big deal in the Tribe of Darkness, so he spent the last few days looking for the perfect place to view it. He didn't want to tell his own village to throw a party as well, since Marc didn't seem to care for those kinds of social gatherings, but he still put in the effort to make sure the night could be special in its own way. 

Only because he was a good friend, though. This was just something good friends did.

He reached for Marc's wrist but stopped himself. At the last second, he chose to hide his hands inside his cloak and simply lead the way, instead of taking his wrist and guiding him along like he did when they first met. His heart kept beating loudly in his ears and all the weird feelings inside him were getting hard to ignore, but he pressed onward anyway and tried to convince himself that he was only acting this way because of the fact that the comet was coming soon. He did love stars, after all. It was one of the first things Marc had told him. Since then, he had painted all kinds of silver stars to go with the gold ones on the ceiling in his small home.

"Regarding the lantern..." Merlon trailed off, trying to distract himself from the slightly warm, flustered feeling. "I've been... thinking about it a lot. I suppose the concept of it just confuses me."

"Lanterns glow," Marc explained. "They're meant to help people see in the dark-"

"No, no, I know," Merlon quietly chuckled. "I don't mean the concept of lanterns in general. I mean your lantern."

"Well, it's not a normal lantern," Marc shrugged. "It's my staff. In the Tribe of Darkness, we're awarded our own staff when we become teenagers. Most of us don't carry them at all times, but I like to keep mine on me in the form of the lantern just because it feels less threatening."

"No, no, I know it's your staff," Merlon assured him, remembering the duel when the seemingly normal object shifted into a magnificent object of power. He could almost still feel the shock that came with the realization that Marc's staff had been with him the entire time, just disguised. "I just... I suppose I'm confused by the fact that you are from the Tribe of Darkness, yet all I've seen you use are light spells."

Marc scrunched up his nose slightly, then quietly chuckled.

"I'm not using light spells," he laughed. "I grew up in the Tribe of Darkness. They teach us practically nothing other than a fraction of the history regarding Light Magic, and even that is taught from a biased perspective. No, no, my spells are variations of dark spells. When we're young, the tribe leaders teach us common spells such as draining the light from a room and casting dark projectiles. I've always been afraid of the dark, so I simply modify those foundational spells by doing the exact same thing, but in reverse. From what I've read, Light Magic and Dark Magic have completely different foundations, so I'm not actually using light magic. Just... un-using dark magic, I suppose..."

"Okay... I suppose that somewhat makes sense, but how can you sustain it for so long?" Merlon wondered out loud. "Until now, I've never seen your lantern stop glowing. I've never met a single person who has the magical control to keep a spell running for that so long, and with such consistency.  Not even Merloo can do that! On top of that, you're using dark magic, which is generally much more difficult to control and modify."

Marc paused to silently think about it for a moment, then simply shrugged.

"I'm... honestly not sure," he admitted. "I don't think of my own powers often. I suppose I just think of the light from the lantern as less of a spell and more of an extension of myself. Like... the light is part of me. It's formed from darkness, yet it still wards off the dark, if that makes sense."

It didn't really make much sense to Merlon, but he nodded anyway and pretended he understood, not wanting to appear dumb, which was honestly hard to do whenever he was around Marc. 

Melon was starting to think that maybe Marc was better at magic than he thought himself to be. Marc always talked about how he wasn't a warrior and how he didn't do well when it came to simple spells, but to have the ability to keep the light shining without even thinking about it was quite impressive and showed quite a large amount of control. Merlon would pass out if he tried maintaining any spell for hours. Yet Marc's lantern continued to glow even while he slept!

Merlon shook away the thoughts and tried to accept the fact that there was always going to be something odd about Marc. Odd, but fascinating and intriguing. He led him just outside the village and up a small hill, where the trees were long gone and the sky was left wide open. They were just far enough from the village to no longer be able to hear the distant chatter, but close enough to still see all the small houses.

Marc looked up at the sky in awe. His silver eyes widened as he spotted the dozens of multicolored stars begin to dance across the sky while a large, bright comet passed over the village. The smaller stars seemed to rain down from all over, covering the land. 

They weren't real stars, however. They were soft and squishy, like jelly. Star-bits were their names.

Marc quietly chuckled, then picked a golden star bit up, holding it up to the sky, which was practically alive with all the glittering and dancing. It was like the night sky celebrating as well. Beauty rained all over the land, and the world that was once at war felt completely and utterly at peace.

Marc remembered the celebration of the new year from when he was only nineteen years old. Back then, he questioned if simply being alive was something worth being celebrated. 

Now, he knew it was. Just looking at the sky and how lively things that had once seemed so dead were proved to him that anything could find those reasons to come alive.

Merlon didn't watch the stars, however. Instead, he kept his gaze on Marc as the writer's eyes lit up. He took the time to note all the small details, like how waves of excitement and wonder flashed over his silver eyes while he held the small golden star bit.

"I'm gonna eat it," Marc stated.

"What?!" Merlon asked, laughing. "Marc, you don't know where it's been-"

Before Merlon could even finish that thought, Marc had taken a bite out of the small star bit, which in turn made Merlon gasp, then elbow him in the side.

"Gross, what is wrong with you?!" Merlon exclaimed, half joking.

"It tastes like honey..." Marc trailed off, laughing a quirky laugh. "You should try one."

"No way! What if it's poison?!" Merlon exclaimed.

"They're not poison," Marc chuckled, picking up a silver star bit and holding it out to Merlon. "They're fine. Trust me, I've read about these. They're called star bits. It's a common cosmic food that star children live off of."

Merlon frowned, both loving and hating the fact that Marc knew so much. It made it much more difficult to argue with him knowing that he had studied all sorts of things and had a very strong memory. Still, it was one of the things Merlon appreciated most about him. 

"Fine," Merlon breathed, carefully taking the star bit and taking a bite.

The texture was soft and gummy-like. The flavor was sweet as well. 

"...Dang it, you're right," Merlon breathed upon realizing that the star bit did indeed taste like honey. 

"Did you think I wouldn't be?" Marc chuckled.

"No," Merlon admitted. "But still, I'm going to outsmart you someday. Just you wait."

Merlon and Marc both chuckled, knowing that day would likely never come. Merlon was smart, but his brain wasn't as quick as Marc's and his memory wasn't nearly as solid. Sometimes, Merlon wondered if Marc had a photographic memory. He was capable of remembering every story the two had read together from the Light Prognosticus practically word for word, which even Merlon couldn't do, and he grew up on those stories! 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Marc asked, sitting down on the soft grass and picking up the star bits that had rained onto the ground around him until his arms were filled with a variety of different shining, multicolored star bits. The ones he couldn't hold still jumped and danced on the ground around him, shimmering and shining.

Merlon smiled at him, then looked up at the sky. It really was beautiful. He had never seen anything quite like it.

"Yes..." Merlon trailed off, sitting down next to Marc and smiling. "It's... different than I thought it would be."

"How so?"

"Well, I didn't know there would be free food."

Marc snorted and quietly laughed, which in turn made Merlon's smile grow

"I'm glad you invited me..." Marc breathed, laying on his back so he was looking up at the sky. He let go of the star bits he was holding, allowing them to slide off of him and onto the ground as his eyes continued to watch the countless bits that rained down over the land. "My... Danielle... has been staying with the healers. There are a few complications with the birth and she has fallen ill... so even if she wanted to spend the festival with me... she couldn't."

Merlon's eyebrows furrowed slightly. A sorrowful, empathetic feeling swelled in his heart as he lay down next to Marc, his hands folded over his stomach and his face looking towards the sky.

"Have you talked to her...?" Merlon asked. "About your relationship. What are you going to even do? Are you staying with her-"

"No," Marc answered quickly.

He shook his head no, briefly letting out a tired sigh. He knew that the tribe required most people to be married, but he couldn't force himself to stay with her after she hurt him like that. He couldn't find it within him to still be in love. Sometimes, he couldn't tell if he loved her at all anymore. He was only filled with sadness and betrayal whenever he thought about her anymore. 

However, he had yet to speak to her about any of this. He just needed more time to figure out what he was going to do.

"I don't want to make this pregnancy harder on her. I suppose I just... keep waiting for the right moment to show them to her, but every time the right moment comes, I find that I can't even bring myself to speak to her. I can't bring myself to stay with her and continue holding her back from what she really wants, but I can't bring myself to leave either. It's just... messy."

"Messy..." Merlon breathed, turning his head to the side and looking at Marc. 

Marc continued to look at the sky, trying not to think about the mess his life had become back at home. He didn't want to think of any of that right now. All he wanted to do was lay back and watch the stars. He wanted to be transported to another world. A world with no war, no cheating, and no heartbreak. A world with just him, his friend, and the dancing night sky.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," Merlon breathed. "I just... I want you to know that you're important too. Whenever you talk about your relationship, you make it sound as if you are the one holding her back, but you're not. You're not a burden and you're not invaluable. I think that people like you deserve the world."

Marc softly smiled, then turned to face Merlon as well, seeing nothing short of honesty and genuineness in Merlon's eyes.

"Thanks," Marc quietly replied, softly smiling, then looking back up to the comet. "And people like you, kind, good people, deserve the sky and all the glittering stars that come with it."

Merlon's heart swelled again as Marc sat up and grasped his dim lantern.

"It's funny..." Marc trailed off, looking down at the dim object. "We're so different, yet being close to you doesn't feel wrong. Isn't that weird?"

Merlon sat up as well, looking up at Marc. "I don't think we're different."

"You don't?" Marc asked.

Merlon nodded.

Marc frowned, then turned so he was facing Merlon. He set down his lantern once again and grasped one of Merlon's hands in both of his own. His smile faded as he wore a deep, thoughtful expression. "Then why are your hands so warm, yet mine are always so cold?" he questioned. "Sometimes, I forget, but we really are different."

Merlon's face flushed a light pink color, then he smiled up at his friend, his dimples returning to the sides of his face. 

"Well, sure, there are some differences, but at the end of the day, I believe that we're actually more similar than anything else," Merlon explained.

"How?" Marc asked.

"We both have the same end goals," Merlon said. "We both want a happy ending. We both want love."

"But you can't have love," Marc stated, before taking his hand back and covering his mouth. Again, he wished he would stop just blurting out hurtful things like that. "I'm so sorry, that sounded really judgemental and critical, and I didn't mean it that way!"

Merlon winced slightly, but he wasn't all that hurt by what Marc had said. He knew very well that he wasn't allowed to be in love. Still, it hurt to hear out loud. 

Merloo's rule never really bothered him before, but it did now. 

Almost every prophecy he read involved love and preached how powerful love really was, yet he wasn't allowed to have it. He wasn't meant to be like the heroes from those prophecies. For a moment, he almost forgot who he was and who he was supposed to be, which only made the reminder sting more.

The blonde bowed his head, looking at his empty hands which were now folded in his lap. "I know..." he trailed off. 

There was an awkward silence for a moment. 

Marc could feel a spark of empathy light inside of him. A spark of tenderness and sorrow. A spark of sadness and guilt. He let out a deep breath, then turned his gaze away, looking at a cluster of star bits, bouncing and dancing around on the soft green grass. 

"I... really wish you could..." Marc trailed off, looking away. 

"You do...?" Merlon asked, frowning slightly.

What in Grambi's name was that supposed to mean? Merlon knew now that sometimes Marc would just say things without truly meaning them, like when he would refer to Merlon as classically attractive. (Although, Merlon was fairly sure that Marc actually did mean it whenever he said that. Marc wasn't a liar. He just didn't mean it in the "I personally find you attractive," sense. He meant it in more of a "this is a fact that I am stating" sense.) There were also instances when Marc would get deep in thought and start pondering concepts like the meaning of life, which would often lead to him saying weird things like this. That was probably what was going on at the moment, now that Merlon thought about it, but he still couldn't help himself from wondering if there was ever more meaning behind the things Marc would say.

"Yes. I think you'd be good at it," Marc explained. "Being in love, I mean. You'd be far better than I am." 

Merlon quietly chuckled a slightly sad chuckle, picking up another silver star bit and squinting at it, as if the squishy piece of outer space was a puzzle he needed to solve.

"You're not as bad at it as you think..." Merlon breathed. 

Marc nodded, but he didn't believe Merlon's words. Merlon was definitely trying to make him feel better, which he appreciated, but it didn't change the fact that he didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to love. Or any kind of relationship. Merlon was the second real friend he ever had, the first being Danielle. Despite everything that happened, Marc couldn't bring himself not to see her as a friend, even though she hurt him, because there were many moments where she really did try to make him feel included. 

Merlon was just a different kind of friend. He was the type of friend who Marc didn't feel like he had to push himself to be more for. He could just be himself without having the impending feeling that he was dragging him down. Whenever he was with Danielle in years past, he would feel like he was some sort of burden, preventing her from going out and living the life she really wanted, which wasn't her fault by any means. Marc just would often see how bright and social she was and be hit with a feeling of self-doubt and insecurity knowing he could never match that energy. With Merlon he never felt that way. He never felt that same sense of insecurity or displacement. Merlon was the first real friend to never hurt him, the first real friend not to make him feel small or insignificant. 

They both then silently looked back up at the sky, where the great comet was still slowly passing by. 

Neither knew what the future would hold or where their lives would take them next, but none of those mattered at the moment. All that mattered were the countless stars raining down from the sky, the glowing comet, and the friend by their side.

For Marc, all his worries and problems back at the tribe seemed trivial now. Especially when thinking about all the other countless dimensions and worlds hidden out there beyond the stars and sky. Everything he ever knew seemed so small when looking at the larger picture. 

He wanted to reach forward and grab a handful of stars. He wanted to explore all the stories each and every twinkling light had to offer. He wanted to feel a sense of purpose and meaning as he set out to make his mark. He wanted to have a taste of what it means to be a real artist, a real explorer. He wished he wasn't so trapped in such a small village. He wished he was brave enough to take the journey. He wondered if there was life out there amongst the stars. There were so many, surely there would be some form of life waiting to be found? And with life, come stories. There are stories everywhere, people just need to be brave enough to search for them and insightful enough to see them. 

Maybe there were worlds out there where people didn't feel so trapped. Maybe there were worlds filled with peace. Maybe there were worlds where sweet honey-flavored star bits would rain down every day.

"Maybe in another world, a world far away, hiding beyond the stars," Marc started, a soft yet crooked and quirky smile making its way onto his face as he continued to gaze at the vast sky. "I could love you and be with you, and that would be okay. Wouldn't that be something?" 

Merlon's heart practically stopped and he looked over at Marc, but Marc didn't return his gaze. He kept his eyes looking forward, doing his best to memorize every star, memorize the feeling of experiencing something new. The idea of new had always seen so foreign and scary to him, but he was beginning to realize that new could be beautiful. New could be bold and bright. Merlon was new to him once, as were the stars. As were books and stories. As was everything.

"I think that would be something splendid," Marc smiled, bringing his eyes to the comet, which left a tale of sparking blueish-white light behind it as it soared across the galaxy. He recognized the color as the same glow that would usually emit from his lantern. The color of the stars and the moon, a color that would only reveal itself in nature at night when surrounded by darkness. "Silly, outlandish, yet splendid..."