Firefly Catching

Amelie replies to Hey Kid, "That is a splendid idea."

Looking up at the fireflies, the maidbot says, "-.-. --- -- . --- -. . ...- . .-. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- .-.. . - ..- ... --. . - - --- --. . - .... . .-."

Dozens of fireflies respond to the robomaid’s guiding light, some flying overhead, others entering different jars willingly.

Sal is sitting on the grass, plucking his guitar. "You guys go ahead I've got to write this stuff down before I forget." He pulls out some paper and a pen and starts writing while mumbling to himself. "... reality ... light up ..."

"This could be a top hit!" He says, dreaming out loud. "I can picture it already. I'm getting one of those golden records. The president is there to congratulate me." Then his face gets a bit glum as he returns to reality. "I mean... If I was on like a record deal or something."

The Moon Prince smiles at their friends, then looks up at the night sky far above. The moon gleams golden--their home, now so far away.

"I remember when I was a child growing up in the Lunar Palace," they begin. "I'd often look up on nights like this, gazing at the beautiful blue-green orb in the distance. I wondered if I'd ever get away from the stifling life of a royal, with all its expectations and demands. If my mother could see me now... Perhaps it's for the best that she can't!"The question that's been on Hey Kid's mind can't be held back anymore. The young devilish child asks aloud, "What is it going be like to grow up?"

---

Amelie contemplates the Prince’s words, and asks the group, "What is it like to be a child?"

"Growing up is going to be awesome! Being able to do what you want all the time must be so fun!" the demon child blurts out. "But it'll probably be scary... and sad too," they say, thinking about Gertrude.

Sal pats Hey Kid on the shoulder. "It definitely will be awesome!" He agrees. "But there will also be parts of being a kid that you miss. Oh and don't forget you'll have to pay taxes! Every adult's worst nightmare." He chuckles.

"Hey Kid, don't worry about it. Be a kid while you can. And if you need it, we'll always be around to help you out. Even when you're an adult!"

The Moon Prince sighs. "Growing up means I won't be able to avoid my responsibilities any more. I am the rightful heir to the Lunar Throne, and eventually I will have to assume my place as the next Moon Monarch. I've yet to decide if it is more of an honor or a burden."

The Ptisilith has been silently floating nearby this whole time. Now, the carvings along one of its faces begin to glow with a soothing, blue light. The light washes over the rest of the residents, seeming to soothe their worries and apprehensions. Perhaps this is its answer to Hey Kid's question.Now that Hey Kid's question has been answered, the one Sal has been contemplated comes to light: "Would I have become famous if I had chosen a different route?"

---

Amelie says to Sal, "You have fans here. You may not be as famous as Demi Gorgon, but if you’re happy and have friends now, it is probable that a different path would have lead to less happiness and less friends."

"Well, if you were famous, we probably wouldn't be friends since famous people are always busy doing stuff on TV. And I like that we are friends so we can catch fireflies together! But at least I'd still get to hear you sing on the radio I guess."

Sal smiles, hearing the nice responses from his friends. "My dream has always been to be a famous rock star." He sighs, thinking of what could have been. Then he picks up the jar with a firefly in it. "If I had taken other choices, I suppose it could have happened. Maybe I didn't believe in it enough?" He looks a bit solemn at this point as he reflects on his life. "But, you know what. If a had to choose between fame and anyone here at the B&B, I'd pick my friends. With you guys around, I feel like a rock star every day."

He slowly twists the lid off of the jar. "So, I think we should let these fireflies go, so they can go and hang out with their friends." He says, letting the fly exit the jar. "I know that's what I would want if it were me."

Gently, he returns the jar to the ground and gathers the gang for a group hug.

At the mention of the phrase "rock star," the Ptisilith spins around slowly, rotating a full 360 degrees before coming to rest once more.

"Fame is ephemeral. Friends are eternal," says the Moon Prince. They haul themself to their feet and hobble over to join in on the group hug.

As the group embraces, they ponder the big question of the night:

"What does it mean to change?"

"Change means using where you are to go somewhere different.

To Sal, change means accepting that even if things don't go your way, life can still be beautiful.

"To change is to leave a part of yourself behind, and blossom into your newer self."

"To change is to enter a new phase in your life, like the moon's ever-shifting phases," says the Moon Prince.

The Ptisilith's runes glow with a soft golden light. It then soars up into the night sky, ascending swiftly until it disappears among the clouds.

Hey Kid watches the Ptisilith depart and then gathers the lidless jars of glowing insects everyone has collected, so they can all watch the bugs fly off into the night. The points of light concentrated in the jar slowly disseminate into the dark field, looking like sparks drifting off a dying fire. The susurrus of the crickets and night frogs fills the spaces between Sal"s songs as the evening marches into night. The stars rotate and the sky changes view, just as it does every night. And every day, even if no one sees it in the light of the sun.