Hope

“Father?” The child asked, “Why do stars die?” It was past midnight as the boy and his father walked alone in the garden surrounding their cottage between Little Peak and East Peak. “I guess the simple answer is that they are too tired to carry on” the father answered smiling.

“But why would a star tire, Father?” He sighed and placed a hand on his child’s head. “They light up entire worlds. I can imagine that gets tiring, can’t you?”

"No, daddy, if I was a star, I'd twinkle forever," the daughter said. The father smiled, held his little girl tight, & thought back to the time before, to the life he'd once had, blazing in the dark, illuminating nebulae & melting comets, until he'd left it for this quieter life.

"oh darling, I see the twinkle of the stars in your eyes already." he said, pulling his daughter to his side. Pointing upward, he began to tell her tales of the life he had lived. "On this world, your sparkle may not seem like much, but you will light up worlds someday.

And light up worlds she did. The daughter became known as Galaxy Daughter, soaring through space, toppling oppressive empires and freeing the citizens of every world with her light powers, being a shining light of hope and freedom to the masses across the galaxy. A smile for all.