The stars shone brightly that night, flares of flame against the black sky. Page watched them closely as he did every night, his daughter Gale Measure sitting in his lap. She was young still, but she was old enough to enjoy the stars. “Aren’t they beautiful,” Page said, smiling. She nodded, causing him to smile further. “Do you know why the stars are so pretty, Gale?”

Gale shook her head, thinking. “Cuz of Luna?”

Page glanced down at his daughter, smiling. Little did the young mare know, he had been thinking about the stars just the night before. “The stars are pretty because they are ponies we knew who left us for a very long time. Without them here, we get sad. They want us to smile, so the stars make themselves very pretty for us, so that everyone smiles.”

Gale tilted her head to the sky once more, gazing at the stars. She spoke softly, as though not to disturb the fragile silence that seemed to exist in each night as you watched the stars. “Will you and mommy leave someday?...”

Page was somewhat surprised by the question. He didn’t wish to worry his daughter, but… He held firm with the belief that he should use strict honesty with his family. “Yes, Sweetie… One day, Mommy and I will be up there.” Gale frowned and Page shook his head. “Now now, no frowns. Mommy and I won’t be leaving for a long time.”

“B-but why ever,” the filly asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Page sighed softly. “Because we all must, one day. You will too. You’re younger than us, though, so it’ll take a bit longer.”

“O-Okays…”

Page smiled at his daughter as she curled up against him, nuzzling his hoof. “It’s alright, Gale. Mommy and I are here to stay for a long time~” Gale nodded, happy to be snuggled up to her father. “Besides,” Page added, still smiling. “You can always hold each star close to your heart. Some say, if the bond with a star is strong enough, you can even speak to them. And guess what?” Gale looked at him curiously. “They can even speak back~”

“W-wow…” Gale glanced back up at the sky, watching the stars shining high above them. Page glanced up with her, smiling at the stars he once explored. The stars merely shined on, winking in and out as clouds shaded them from view. Gale thought for a minute before she spoke again, hesitant to break the beautiful silence of the night. “What stars do you speak to, Daddy?”

Page’s smile dropped from his face as he thought of his friends and family, all those who had died knowing him. “There are… two ponies. Two in particular that I speak to often.”

“Who?”

“One… one was a little filly… I once knew her, long ago… Her name was Mistearia.” Page smiled softly in remembrance of the mare he had called daughter. Her long black mane with purple streaks and her misty amethyst eyes… The little parentless mare he had once known had grown into a lovely mare who had forgiven him in the end. He would never forget her.

Gale nodded, snapping Page out of his daydream of the past. “And the other?”

“The other… She was a mare I knew, long ago as well…” Radiant… “She was quite a bit like your mother.”

“Another mommy,” Gale asked, confused.

Page shook his head. “She was like mommy, but she wasn’t the same. Besides, your mommy is the mommy who is here right now~”

Gale nodded, stargazing once more. Page gazed into the black and blue sky, glorifying in now his past lives, thinking of all those he had met, the lives he had saved. He had lived hundreds of years, and all of them hung in his eyes like the stars in the sky. He smiled, thinking of the idea of his loved ones above him, listening to his callings. Mistearia… I love you… and Radiant… Know I will never stop loving you, though I have re-married. You will never be lost from my heart.

Gale gasped. “Daddy, look!” Page jumped slightly, snapping out of his daze once more. Page looked up at where her hoof pointed. “D-daddy, the star moved!” Gale’s eyes were filled with delight, watching the star fall.

Page smiled, watching it. It’s beautiful… but it’s rather big… He squinted his eyes, watching it closely. “Is it… getting bigger?” Or… Closer? Page gasped slightly, standing as he held onto his daughter. She looked at him, confused. “Sweetie, I need you to be very brave for me, alright?...”

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