Volume 1 ~ Major and The Morning Star

A Lone Swan

They had been walking for awhile, and Major had remained silent so as not to be a nuisance by asking so many questions. But , questions did burn through his mind, and he knew he would have to ask them. If Major did not, he felt as if his head might explode. Of course, she didn't seem to mind answering his prying questions.

"So...in space. What is it like?" He finally asked, walking up beside her. She smiled at him and adjusted her straw fedora, almost like prep to answer the question.

"Major, I am from a place called the astral realm. It's different from your realm of course. And well, yes, stars are merely burning balls of gas in your realms. But in our realm, those burning balls of gases become people, like me, and our houses too. We look out our windows at night, and watch your planet for those who want to make wishes. And it is our job to grant them. I have an easy job comparatively speaking, because I am only visible on earth for about an hour before the sun rises. So I only have to work for an hour." She explained thoughtfully, looking up into the trees. The sun shone brightly through the green leaves of the trees, making the forest gleam a beautiful green as they shone. The light reflected off of her glasses making them flash light (as if she weren't already bright enough). Birds twittered and bugs buzzed making a forest song of its own. But aside from those sounds, it was silent. Just Major and The Morning Star alone.

"What about the sun? Is it a person like you?"

"Yes. He is our boss. And a bit of a jerk too." She replied, sighing a sigh that seemed to be a cross between amusement and irritation.

"The evening star?"

"My brother." The Morning Star said with a roll of her eyes, "any star is a person."

"What about shooting stars?"

"Yes. Though some of them aren't stars, some of them are—". They were interrupted by the sound of an overhead creature. They looked up, but the leafy canopy blocked their view. The sound of it's heavy beating wings stopped them in their tracks. But the sound retreated into the distance soon after they stopped. Something large had flown above the trees. Major assumed that is was perhaps a dragon, as they were not all that uncommon. He exchanged glances with The Morning Star, and they continued onward.

"Some of them are what?"

"Other creatures live in the astral realm," She began, pulling an oddly shaped fruit out of her pocket and examining it, "creatures that you know by different names."

"Like what?"

"Comets are space dragons enveloped in ice and fire. Meteoroids are in fact...just rocks. Asteroids too. But we also have phoenixes, little creatures called Moon Men, and a dying breed: The Jupilones." Morning Star replied with a wave of her hand. Major tried to imagine what the Astral Realm was like. Perhaps, since The Morning Star hadn't granted his wish as of yet, he could wish to go there instead at some point. The ultimate adventure.

He watched as she took a bite of her fruit thoughtfully while they walked. The fruit was yellow and it's juices gleamed in the green sunlight that filtered down through the trees.

"What kind of fruit is that?"

"Starfruit. Originally it only grew in the astral realm, but somehow some seeds made it to your realm. So they grow here too."

The two kept walking through the forest until they made it to a side path. This took them to a clear blue lake, idyllic scenery all around. Waves lapped at the soft sandy shores, and lilypads floated not too far from land. A few shells littered the beach, and gleamed beautifully in the sunlight. It was here where they decided to rest awhile and enjoy lunch. The two sat down on the plush grass, which was not too far from the shore, and began to consume a lunch of cookies, bread, cheese, and starfruit. Once finished with her lunch, The Morning Star took out some metal parts from her small bag and began fitting them together nicely. They turned out as a sturdy makeshift chair. So she proceeded to unpack her cello and begun to play it.