No Wishes

Never make wishes.

That was what Princess Miranda was told ever since she was young. As a Moon Girl, she always wondered what it would be like to travel to the Kingdom of The Stars. Their palace shone brightly over Moon World, and if she could, she would have flown there long ago—

The butterflies fluttered about aimlessly. Miranda was waiting for someone. She and Fernando were in the worst situation. Moon Girls and Star Boys did not intermingle. That was when a bright light erupted from above her, and Miranda was face to face with her Star Boy.

“Hey, Miranda,” he said, star dust still radiating off him in sparks.

“Hi, Fernando!” Miranda looked around her. Surely no one saw them, right? “I think you need a more subtle entrance. Someone could see us together!”

Fernando was offended. He was a Star Boy, sparkly entrances were his thing. “Okay, Moon Girl, but I can’t glow so subtly like you do.”

Miranda giggled. “O come on, you know what I mean.”

“I guess,” he said, “let’s go.” He smiled and offered her his hand.

Everything seemed fine, walking together with the butterflies. The stars shone above them, reminding Miranda of the sparkling world that she could never dream of being her home. At least Fernando could get to Moon World unnoticed. She gazed up at him. His eyes sparkled back at hers.

“What is it?” he said. “Are you thinking of something?”

The flower essences vapored around them.

“I just feel so bad,” she said, “Our kingdoms are at war.”

Fernando sighed. They had been in love far before any war broke out.

“I think we need to put our minds off that,” he said. They came to a quiet fountain. The water gurgled as though in whispers aiding in their secrecy.

Miranda looked at her reflection. She now hated the soft glow on her skin and wished she was a Star Girl, with vicous flaring sparks… however strange that might be for her—she’d do anything to change into something—anything—as long as that meant she could be with Fernando.

“I wish—” she said quietly… “Maybe I was anything but a Moon Girl.”

Fernand crossed his brows. “No way,” he said, “you are just gorgeous the way you are!”

Miranda laughed, but she cleared her throat. “I meant—Fernando, I meant I wish there wasn’t this stupid war, and that we could be—”

But before she could finish speaking, there was a whirl, and her first wish came true. When she opened her eyes, she was light. Her fingers fizzled at their tips, and she was cold. But in fact, she was so hot that it felt cold. Fernando’s mouth opened, and he stared at her. He couldn’t have imagined this.

“You’re—” he stopped, backing away from her.

“Fernando, what’s wrong?”

But the more she went to him, the more he backed away.

“Stand back!” he said. “What did you do with Miranda?”

“I—I am Miranda!”

“Miranda?” Fernando looked closer. “Miranda!? Why—how can this be?”

Miranda looked at her reflection. Her eyes were sparkling. Touching her face, Miranda felt the tiny sparks float off her and dissipate into the air. Golden hues bounced her and to the flowers.

“Fernando! Look! I’m a Star Girl!”

“But—” Fernando tried to look at her as she twirled around him. “You are a Moon Girl—”

“I’m a Star Girl!” she cheered.

“Heyy!!!” a shout came from behind the hedges. “Who goes there!!?”

“We have to go!” said Fernando, grabbing her arm.

“Wait!” Miranda tried to pull his hand away.

The soldiers came with crossbows. “It’s Prince Fernando! Kill him and the girl!”

The girl??

An arrow came descending upon them, just before Fernando brought Miranda running. “Do you know how to fizz?”

Miranda shook her head. Just as they approached a safe spot, they stopped. “Hold tight!” said Fernando. “Unless you want to dissipate and turn into a blackhole!”

Miranda nodded.

In a whirl of light, both she and Fernando disappeared. Two strokes of light emerged, and they were soaring back to safety. “Hold on!” said Fernando, keeping her close. Miranda looked around herself. She saw the pale disc of Moon World grow smaller and smaller. As they flew up into space, Miranda could see the tiny sparkles she had always seen from her bedroom window.

Blue, purple and magenta hues danced around them, but they were moving so fast, everything was in slow motion, until suddenly, in a blast of light, they made it to the Starlight Palace. Its spires towered higher than anything Miranda had seen.

Starlight knights flew together in unison, giving salutes to Fernando as they passed. Miranda held close to him, fearing they might want to impale her with their spears.

“Don’t worry,” said Fernando. “Come with me.”

Miranda floated across the spinning rings around the palace and made it inside with him. Inside, King Cosmix was seated on the throne. “My son, where had you been?” he said. “Who is this?”

Cosmix’s eyes winded when he saw Miranda, but to him, she was a commoner wandering into his palace—he looked closer and before he saw the Moon World tiara, she took it off.

“She’s just a friend,” said Fernando. “Visiting—as a student—of royal history—”

Cosmix smiled. “I see. Well, don’t bore her with books. There is a war taking place and you’re supposed to lead the army.”

“I see,” said Fernando with a touch of sarcasm. “Well, I won’t keep you busy. We have some studying to do—if we want to make sense of why we’re fighting this war.”

With a yank, Miranda suddenly found herself being pulled away to the library.

“This is bad,” said Fernando. “This is really, really bad.”

“What are you worrying about?” said Miranda, beaming. She was ecstatic by the radiating energy coming from inside her. “I’m a Star Girl! This is all I’ll ever be—if it means I’ll be with you—”

They arrived at the library. It was the darkest place she had ever laid eyes on since arriving at the King of The Stars. The room had a certain air of loneliness and ancient knowledge. The wall papers were laid with flowers and other sun-loving motifs.

“Here!” said Fernando, picking up a giant book from a bookstand. The golden brim shined in the light coming from the nebula outside the window. “Star Dust and Wishes.”

Miranda’s eyes widened. She looked up the glowing words on the old paper. It read:

Before the sun sets

and the cicadas play

there is a wish

that can be made

For anyone

ever so worrisome

and in dismay

A wish for a man or maiden

can be made

today

“It says that they wish can only be made by a person who is worrisome or in dismay—which means you were—why?” said Fernando.

“Don’t looked at me like that,” was Miranda’s response. “In truth we ought to have each other killed for our fathers.”

Fernando sighed. “Don’t you see what this means?”

“What?” Miranda lowered her hands to her hips. “You don’t feel like this can be a good thing? Fernando, we can finally be together!”

“And you are still a Moon Girl, Miranda! Changing the outer appearance does not change you. I love you for who you are, and I don’t want you to change!”

Miranda squeezed her forehead. “Oh dear, you fragmented boy.” She thought this in her heart, but then she spoke out loud. “Will you then defy your father to save our kingdoms from war?”

“No—I..”

“That’s what I thought—the only way forward is if I stay the way I am, and now we won’t need to worry about this war keeping us apart!”

“But Miranda,” said Fernando, trying to get a hold of her before she walked off. “Your father will miss you, won’t he?”

“He’ll just need to be informed that I am a Star Girl now, that I broke the only rule I promised I would never break! He’ll have to choose between me or his war, since you won’t.”

Fernando swallowed his saliva. “Are you saying if I oppose my father’s wishes, you will wish to turn back into a Moon Girl?”

“I would.”

Then, the trumpets sounded.

“I have to go now, Miranda. Stay here. Be safe.”

Fernando put on his helmet and drew out his sword. He came closer to the window. “You are a Star Girl after all. I will fight for you.”

But Miranda did not want to be fought for in this way. No matter what, her lover did not want to defy his father and stop the war—She had to inform her father of her rule break and perhaps he would cease fire.

Miranda floated to the doors, but some guards stopped her. “Excuse me,” she said, “but I really need to speak to my father.”

“Go back inside. The war has ensued.” The guards held their spears in an ‘X’ to ward her back inside.

“No,’ she said, “I don’t think you quite understand!”

In a whirl, she fizzed.

Back on Moon World, the Lunar Warriors were charging off for battle. At the peak of their charging, they saw a light flashing through the skies.

“It’s a Star Knight!” said a Lunar Warrior. “Kill it!”

But as they came closer, they discovered it was a princess. An arrow drove through her right arm, and she fell. Crashing into the butterfly garden, Miranda could only stare at the purple-blue clashing of Lunar-Celestial power. She was paralyzed. She could not remember the arrow in her arm. She just watched, horrified. There was nothing she could. What if a Lunar Warrior saw her now?

She could wish to turn back now, but two wrongs do not make a right.

In her pain, she slowly moved—She looked at the white butterflies fluttering above her—so free—

She was not even like a butterfly—free to fly and move about—she was going to go through her metamorphosis once again—but this time, she wasn't changing her exterior. She had believed she needed to conform to the circumstances—but now she realized she was capable of so much more.

Suppose my father does not recognize me?

It did not matter anymore. If he killed her, so be it. Limping across the garden, Miranda fizzed, and the arrow broke in half. She looked upon the battle.

In the tumult of chaos, was Fernando, leading his army of Star Knights against Miranda’s friends and people. The very sight brought a broiling disgust. How could he do this? But then, she saw her father. He was leading his own army as well—and Miranda felt a sudden deep sympathy for both of them.

They are conformed to their circumstances—maybe once I stop this war—I can finally change back—

Miranda flew in. She did not know what she was feeling, but her mind had never been so made. In the lashing blazes, Miranda found her way to her father and Fernando. She had taken a spear from a fallen knight, and blocked her father’s blows.

“Miranda!?” the Moon King exclaimed. He saw her deep black eyes and recognized her immediately, even though they were now accumulated with starlight.

“Dad—stop this war—” she said. But it was no use.

The golden chariots still charged on, and the king simply stared at his daughter. “What have you done?”

“I made a wish,” she said.

“I told you not to make wishes,” said the Moon King. “It has turned you into one of them.”

“You can wish her back,” said Fernando.

“I don’t need your Star talk,” said the Moon King.

“Why do we even need wishes?” said Miranda. “You have the power to stop this war. Just make the order!”

“No, Miranda!” said both the Moon King and Fernando.

They continued dueling it out. Miranda was pushed away. Even as a Star Girl, there was nothing she could do. She thought of the butterflies: free and alive—

She just needed to metamorphosize.

If she could turn into a blackhole—like Fernando warned—perhaps—she could do something else as well—

Miranda flew high, overseeing the battle. She sighed, somewhat sorry for them, but she smiled. She erupted and turned into a giant butterfly of starlight.

The warriors and knights were lost in her mists. Forever she’d be known as the Butterfly Nebula.

Miranda’s physical appearance may have changed, but there was something in her that changed as well. Perhaps she was not the one to conform to the circumstances anymore. She broke the only rule she had promised not to break—and she never did again—

Now we are left with just one question—

Why do we who have the power to change not use it for the ones who can only— wish?