Golden Hour
"But now... I actually have my own dreams."
They have obtained the rights they deserve as human beings.
"But..."
Sera started the conversation, and Firefly naturally followed.
"However, even if dreams are truly beautiful, we must eventually return to the reality of wakefulness."
"That's right, no matter how beautiful a dream is, it's still just a dream."
Just like what we love, we can never truly grasp the reality we live in.
"Then-- Firefly."
Sera looked at Firefly with a smile in her eyes.
"Um?"
Firefly tilted her head, somewhat puzzled.
"Would you like to try some small cakes?"
Sera magically produced a box from behind her back, and inside the bag was a delicate little cake.
"Huh?... This is too expensive, isn't it?"
Firefly hesitated for a moment. She had seen the brand of this little cake when she was browsing the interstellar network. It was made by the best pastry shop in Penacony, and the price of one of these cakes was more than the lifetime wages of many people on remote planets could afford.
"Is it expensive? As long as Firefly likes it, that dessert shop can make it every day."
This is what you deserve as the last line of defense.
Alright, alright, go ahead and try it.
Sera stretched out a table and chairs, laid a tablecloth with a firefly pattern on it, and set out cutlery.
Firefly blinked. Why did these things appear in front of her in the blink of an eye? She blinked again, trying to refresh the image.
Unfortunately, she did not succeed.
After hesitating for a moment, Firefly reached out and cut half of the cake with a knife, then carefully placed the cake on a small plate on the table.
After gently pushing the half in front of Sera, Firefly finally spoke.
You eat too.
With a firm stance, Firefly placed her hand on the plate to prevent Sera from pushing it back.
"Okay, okay~"
Sera picked up another fork from somewhere and began to eat leisurely.
While watching Sera eat, Firefly picked up a fork and started eating herself.
Only after Sera ate did she focus on eating the cake in front of her.
Snap--
Sera snapped her fingers, and Firefly looked up.
"Look, a shooting star."
The Firefly turned to look at the sky, where countless shooting stars were streaking across the sky, accompanied by the song of Robin.
"Shooting star... so beautiful."
Firefly stopped what she was doing and stared blankly at the sky above the Dream's Edge.
"Didn't the Firefly and the Galaxy Rangers become shooting stars not long ago? In my opinion, that scene was much more beautiful than this."
That's different.
Firefly shook her head.
"The meanings are indeed different. Shooting stars represent wishes, while the Hunt stars represent justice and hope."
Would you like to... try making a wish upon me?
It might actually work!
"That..."
The Firefly closed its eyes and prayed with its hands clasped.
Hopefully, the galaxy can avoid its Finality.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Sera's smiling eyes radiating an unusual light in front of her.
"Your wish—I'll accept it. Don't worry, it will definitely come true."
"Firefly, what were you thinking when we first met...? Did it seem strange?"
"Hmm... yes."
At that time, I was preparing to risk my life to resolve this dream, but you suddenly appeared in front of me like a falling star.
It's strange that you offered to take me to see fireworks in front of a bunch of "Propagation" insects...
But when the Swarm turned into fireworks, I felt very confused. I started to think about what you meant and wanted to figure out your intentions.
Firefly looked puzzled. She still didn't understand why, when all they needed to do was kill the Swarm, they had to go through the trouble of turning them into fireworks.
"Maybe... I just want to invite you to watch fireworks?"
"You've seen 'me,' or rather, another version of me, haven't you?"
Firefly wasn't unintelligent; Sera's knowing manner and her identity from another timeline all pointed to the fact he had never concealed.
"Right."
Sera nodded.
"I'm another one of your bosses."
"... Boss?"
Firefly blinked. Hadn't her other self joined the Galaxy Rangers?
How did I join?
"Hmm... It was a beautiful night with fireflies, and that's when I found you."
The Firefly remembered that place; it turned out that it had found me from the very beginning.
"So... Firefly, how did you join the Galaxy Rangers?"
Sera was somewhat curious whether things were as he thought.
"Hmm... After I woke up, I drifted along the star trails between the stars, and occasionally I would deal with Swarm that were ' Propagation ' nearby."
Once, while dealing with Swarm, I encountered a group of Galaxy Rangers, who invited me to join them.
"That's about what I thought, let's go."
After Firefly finished eating the small cake, Sera raised her hand and opened a door. On the other side of the door was one of Penacony's the Twelve Hours, the Golden Hour.
No one paid any attention to the two people who suddenly appeared across the door; this was a dream, where anything could happen.
"A life of extravagance and debauchery."
Sera looked around and shook his head. The people here were dressed in fine clothes, indulging in their dreams. He didn't like this scene; it would be better to be quieter.
"Come on, let me get you some new clothes!"
"Huh?! No need... I have clothes."
Firefly quickly waved her hands.
"You can never have too many clothes; in fact, the more the better."
Listen to me, pick one you like.
Sera led Firefly to the most eye-catching clothing store on the street. Although Penacony was a dream, the clothes could indeed be taken out.
After hesitating for a while, Firefly entered the clothing store under Sera's watchful gaze, and came out a while later with a set of clothes in her hand.
"How about this...?"
Sera examined it closely. Wasn't this the same outfit she'd received as Springtime Gift? It seemed fate had intervened.
"It's beautiful, perfect for Firefly. I've already bought it, go try it on!"
(My mind is a complete mess; I can barely write a few words. This book is about to die, and I still can't write a single word in ages. I can't even stand reading what I've written.)