Meteorwind Reception: Wish
In the Perilunal Plains, Pantalaimon and Troia laid underneath the shade of a tree. The tree’s boughs, laden with dark green leaves, gently swayed in unison with the endless expanse of golden grasses rippling from the gentle breeze. Everything here had the scent of the end of summer; it was something like hay, gradually falling leaves, and a subtle, warm magic that especially comforted Pantalaimon. It was the evening of the Sunrise Celebration, and the sun had just begun its descent into the sky to bathe everything in it’s last hours of golden light and a clear blue sky. There could have never been a better evening than this to enjoy a meteorshower.
Pantalaimon smiled as they peered upwards, and their faerie halo flitted as high as it could to watch the sky too; they could see the faintest trails of glittering white streak through the horizon. A meteor shower that the weather reporter had broadcasted was already starting to begin. Pantalaimon’s white pwigi Alicanto nestled snugly in their soft chest feathers, and Troia’s Lunewyrm scampered towards it, trying to burrow into Pantalaimon’s chest as well. Alicanto trilled in protest and the Lunewyrm chittered in response, arching it’s back and puffing out its tail before running back to Troia’s side. Pantalaimon chuckled. “No need to fight now, you two! I’m not going anywhere.” Troia merely watched, expressionless, before turning her head up to resume watching the sky.
Pantalaimon turned to Troia with a smile as Alicanto made itself comfortable. “Troia, you’ve never told me if you’ve wished upon a meteor and chased it to see where it fell. Have you ever done so?”
Troia didn’t look at them, and merely flicked her tail, taking care not to lash at her Lunewyrm with the stinger of it.
“No,” she said flatly, “You know I don’t really do these kinds of things.”
Pantalaimon stuck out their pale green tongue at her, and Alicanto narrowed its eyes and twitched it’s head feathers at Troia. “You’re so stuffy as always, Troia! You ought to loosen up a bit,” they said. They playfully brushed her feathered shoulder with their wing, and her Lunewyrm scooted away to avoid being flicked in the face by their feathers. “Ever since I was a xynlet, whenever I saw one I’d always make a wish, and try to see if I could sneak away from home here in the Plains to find what was at the end!”
They paused, and looked up at the sky again. Though the sun hadn’t set entirely by this point, the sky itself had faded to a gentle shade of ocean blue. Stars had already begun to dot the sky. “You know, I just thought it was really nice to hope to find something better than what I’ve had to live with at home. With Mum and Father not always being such pleasant folk and all that.” Their voice was oddly quiet, and even their Faerie Halo slowed it’s joyous flight, perching on their horn to droop it’s wings.
For a few moments, the air was filled only by the silence of the wind and swaying grasses of the plains. Troia remained silent, and didn't press further; she knew what it was like. But she never fully understood how Pantalaimon always seemed to be so optimistic and playful at the end of it all.
Something in the horizon flashed a brilliant and shining blue; it was a meteor, and it tore across the sky in seconds to leave behind a mesmerizing trail of stardust in it’s wake.
Pantalaimon jolted up to their paws in excitement and Alicanto squeaked in surprise at losing the warm nest of Pantalaimon’s feathered chest. Their eyes were sparkling, and their Faerie halo, too, fluttered furiously by their side, as rapidly as a dragonfly could dart around.
“Come on, Troia!” Pantalaimon exclaimed. They seemed to have already forgotten their troubles. “I’ve made my wish, the second that meteor appeared- I’ll chase it now! Try to catch me if you can!”
They laughed, and bounded away, leaping up into the sky to fly as fast as they could to the direction of the meteor’s falling together with Alicanto.
“PANTALAIMON-!” Troia and her Lunewyrm leapt up to her paws as well, but before she could shout further, Pantalaimon and Alicanto had already long flown off into the distance. She shook her head in disappointment, and lowered her body so her Lunewyrm could hop onto her back. And with that, she sprinted as fast as she could on the ground to chase after Pantalaimon.
Troia never made wishes. They weren’t practical; how could you simply expect something if you didn’t work towards it? And she still didn’t feel compelled to do so; but Pantalaimon’s enthusiasm sparked some dull curiosity in her, and she wondered what lay at the end of the meteor’s trail…
