To him, the night sky was the most beautiful thing. Nothing else on earth compared to it. It became his haven, a place to escape from the life that he so loathed. The stars soon became his friends, his confidants. Being a prince was no easy task, and finding sincere friends was just as difficult. So he easily found solace in the darkness above him.

 

As he grew older he became more miserable, more lonely, the world was his greatest enemy. But since he was a prince he had to hide his true self behind a mask. Smile for the people. For one day he will become king, and the land will be under his control.

 

“What is it like to see?”

 

Jimin looked over at his friend, the prince, who had just asked him a very strange question. The two had been enjoying their lunch outside in the garden as they usually did. Jimin, not at all expecting to hear such a thing,  squinted his eyes in confusion and replied, “You’re not blind.”

 

“I know,” Taehyung sighed, “But what is it like to truly see, to truly be? Are the colors brighter? Is the wind gentler? Is the water sweet and refreshing?” Taehyung, with his chin resting on his open hand, seemed to seriously ponder over his own question.

 

“Tae… what are you talking about? Are you okay?” Jimin was utterly perplexed by the prince’s cryptic words.

 

Taehyung raised his head to look at the other boy and gave a sad smile. Jimin hadn’t noticed before, but in those few seconds that Taehyung had looked at him, he saw so much pain in those eyes. As he watched the prince stand up and walk away Jimin felt his heart drop to his stomach, and a feeling of dread washed over him.

 

Jimin was Taehyung’s very best, and only, real friend. The two boys grew up together since Jimin’s father was the king’s personal consultant, and their mothers happened to get along quite well. But even though Jimin and Taehyung were close, the older boy always felt as if there was an invisible barrier around the prince. A cage that he built up around himself to keep others away. But it wasn't until that moment, when Taehyung looked at him with those pained eyes, that Jimin truly saw that invisible cage.

 

He continued to watch as the prince walked away from him. He knew the other boy was headed towards the fields beyond the mansion walls. It was where Taehyung spent most of his time, so much so that Jimin sometimes forgot that the prince even had a room of his own.

 

The night was cool, but the chilled air did not bother the prince. He lay in the damp grass under the navy blue sky. Bright shining stars blinking at him from millions of miles away. Taehyung longed to be there as well, a place where he could shine.

 

He reached out, grasping for the darkness, for the light that resided in that darkness. He could almost feel the warmth that emanated from the stars. Oh how he longed for that warmth.

 

Soft footsteps and the rustling of grass seemed to echo through the field. Taehyung didn’t have to look to know who the footsteps belonged to. The prince closed his eyes for a moment and felt as Jimin laid down beside him.

 

“Tae, you’ve been out here for a while. We should go home.”

 

Taehyung couldn’t help but peer up at the sky upon hearing those words.

 

Home.

 

The prince to his side to face Jimin. The boy next to him, his one and only friend, was so bright, so welcoming. He had a brilliant smile that could warm the coldest of hearts. That’s probably what drew him to the young man when they had first met as children, because inside he always felt so cold.

 

Taehyung scooted closer and placed his head on Jimin’s shoulder.

 

“You smell nice.”

 

Jimin giggled. “Oh?”

 

“You smell warm.”

 

“Warm? How can a person smell warm?”

 

“I don’t know, you just do.” Taehyung wrapped his arms around the other boy. Jimin once again laughed and patted his friend’s head, admiring the way the moonlight reflected off of his silky brown hair.

 

“ Hey, Jimin.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I don’t want to be a king.”

 

This was the first time Taehyung had spoken these thoughts aloud, they tasted forbidden on his tongue. Regret started to swirl inside of him, grabbing and clenching onto his stomach making him feel sick. But he continued, “I don’t even want to be a prince anymore.”

 

But Jimin was very understanding. He knew that being the future leader of a kingdom couldn’t be easy, and he could sense that Taehyung was troubled by this. So he did what any good friend would do and listened to his troubles. “What do you want to be then?”

 

Taehyung sighed and his grip on Jimin tightened. “You’ll laugh. Might even think I’m crazy.”

 

“I already think you’re crazy.”

 

There was a pause after Jimin spoke and a few moments of silence passed. Worried that he had offended his friend Jimin opened his mouth to apologize but was quickly cut off.

 

“A star.”

 

The prince’s heart began to race. Yes, a star, that is what I want to be.

 

“Star?”

 

“I want to be a star.” Taehyung took a deep breath, he was afraid. What would Jimin think? “Jimin, you’re my dearest friend, and I’m glad that you’re a part of my life. You’re the only person I really need. But somehow I still feel so lonely. Everything about my existence feels wrong. Like I don’t belong here.”

 

Jimin didn’t reply, he didn’t really know how to respond to that. Here he was, lying next to his one and only friend, listening to him speak of how he wished to become someone else, something else. Those words were painful, not only for the one that said them, but also for the one receiving them. What could he say to that, how should he respond? Only a few seconds had gone by, but those few seconds of silence was torture for the poor boy.

 

But it seemed that Taehyung didn’t mind the lack of a response since he didn’t bring it up, and just continued to lie there, head now on Jimin’s chest, and gazing at the stars. And Jimin just laid there wide-eyed, staring with contempt at the dark void above.  

 

Days had gone by since their late night conversation in the field. And all Taehyung could think about was those words he said to his dear friend. Becoming a part of the sky. The more he thought about it the more he wished it to be true. But how could he go about achieving such a thing? He could feel the anxiety bubbling up inside of him, threatening to burst out at any moment.

 

How can I become one with the sky?

 

The thoughts bothered him for days, weeks. Jimin noticed as the prince became more distant, and constantly spacing out. Taehyung would often forget where he was at or what he was supposed to be doing. His duties as prince went either half fulfilled or completely unacknowledged; which soon became a source of frustration for, not only his attendants, but his father as well. It became such an issue that even the citizens began to hear of it.

 

Rumors began to spread that the prince was sick, possibly even dying, as it was told that Taehyung was often locked up in his room. Though the royal family did everything they could to shut down the preposterous gossip. But new rumors began popping up, mutating from the original source into something beastly.

 

"Maybe he’s going to abdicate the throne."

 

"What if he's plotting something?"

 

"I heard the prince plans on killing the king." 

 

"War I tell you. The prince is going to start a war."

 

It infuriated Jimin that people could say such atrocious things of their beloved prince. But when brought to his attention Taehyung didn’t seem bothered at all. He laughed it off and went about his own ways.

 

Jimin was startled when someone came bursting into his room. It was well past midnight and he had nearly been asleep when his door was suddenly thrown open, slamming into the wall.

 

“Jimin, I know what I have to do. And I want you to come with me.”, Taehyung practically shouted as he clambered onto the other boy’s bed.

 

Jimin reached across to his bedside table to light the lamp, and found a smiling prince just a few inches from him. “Tae, are you alright? What are you talking about?”, he said through his yawn.

 

“Remember what I said before, about becoming a part of the sky? Well I think I know how to do it.”

 

That same sensation he had felt only weeks ago took ahold of him once again. He could feel it welling up inside, and surely it showed on his face. But he quickly masked it with a look that made the prince laugh.

 

“Now don’t give me that look. I know I sound like I’ve lost my mind but just listen. I had a dream, of the stars, they spoke to me. Orion, he spoke to me. He said to go to the land of falling stars. I must go there as soon as possible, and I need you to come with me.”

 

“But Tae, the country of falling stars is forbidden territory. We can’t go there.”

 

The prince had a look in his eyes, begging, pleading to the other boy. “Please Jimin.”

 

There was something there, in his eyes, calling to Jimin. Telling him to go along with his friend’s whims. And without meaning tob he simply shook his head. Thinking it was directed at him, Taehyung released a sigh and moved to sit against the headboard of the bed.

 

“Listen, Orion spoke to me in my dream. He told me that I can become a part of the night sky if I just consume a piece of it. I know it sounds crazy, I really do, but... I need to do this, even if it’s only some stupid dream, even if it’s a bit of false hope, I must do this. And I can’t do it without you.” The prince sighed once again.

 

“I’m sure you know by now how miserable I’ve been, how lonely I am. If I do this, and if it succeeds, perhaps being among the glittering darkness I will finally be happy.”

 

A searing pain shot through Jimin’s chest and he turned his head away. This was all so painful for him to listen to. His friend was truly hurting, and it pained him to see that. But what if this thing, this silly stupid dream was real? Was he about to lose his greatest friend?

 

The older boy didn’t dare raise his head, didn’t dare look into the prince’s eyes. Because he knew what he would find there if he did, and his heart was already breaking. So he silently nodded in agreement, which was instantly rewarded with a hug and the most delectably joyous laughter. And so it was decided that they would soon head for the country of falling stars in about a week’s time.

 

It was a long journey that would take approximately 45 days by horse to reach their destination. The two boys only packed the absolute essentials which consisted of clothing, blankets, items for proper hygiene, a bit of food, and of course money.

 

Jimin spent the entire week finding the best route to take. He carefully chose which towns they would stop in, making sure they had no direct connections to their own kingdom, so that they could not be recognized. Even the clothing they picked out was for that very same reason, choosing to go with commoner’s clothes rather than their more glamorous silks.

 

When the day finally arrived they quietly slipped out in the dead of night, stalking off to a stable on the outskirts of town. The stable boy was handsomely paid to, in Taehyung’s own words, keep his mouth shut. The stable in question was specifically chosen as it was in the opposite direction of where they were going, just in case anyone noticed them and were to follow.

 

Once the horses were saddled up they quickly but quietly made their escape. And just like they had planned, the two young men went south about ten miles, then another ten to the east, and finally north toward the country of falling stars.

 

The first few days and nights passed with ease. They hadn’t yet reached the first town so the two young men of affluent nature were forced to sleep on the cold hard ground. It didn’t seem to bother them much but they were very thankful when they finally found an inn to take refuge.

 

Jimin would have slept all day had Taehyung not woken him up. After a filling breakfast and stocking up on food, they continued on their journey. The two companions kept up light conversation, sprinkled with laughter here and there. The venture was quite enjoyable, with Jimin almost forgetting the reason for it. But one look at Taehyung and reality came crashing back down on him.

 

There was a determined sparkle in Taehyung’s eyes that Jimin couldn’t ignore. He had never seen such a thing before, not from his long time friend at least. He faced forward and instead focused on the trotting of the horse, the slight breeze that tickled his face, even the scent of the grass and trees. Anything to distract himself from that horrible shimmer that twisted his stomach and squeezed at his heart.

 

Forty days came and went and the two young men, from a kingdom far away, were almost at their destination. They had reached the final town where they were kindly invited into an elderly woman’s home. She fed them well and all three had wonderful conversation before heading to their respective rooms for the night.

Jimin and Taehyung settled into their beds in the shared room and both breathed out a sigh of exhaustion. As soon as Jimin closed his eyes the prince spoke up.

 

“I’ve learned something lately. There’s two different kinds of light, the kind that is created and the kind that is reflected. You create your own light, it radiates from you, you’re like the sun. But I only exist to reflect your light, I don’t have the ability to make my own. If I become a star I’ll have my own brightness, my very own light, and then, only then, shall I be happy.”

 

Jimin didn’t respond and Taehyung just rolled over and went to sleep completely content with himself. That night, and the nights following, Jimin was restless. All he could do was think over Taehyung’s words, more cryptic words that he didn’t quite understand.

 

Taehyung and Jimin knew they had reached the country of falling stars because the entire area seemed to be completely different from the rest of the world. There was a certain calmness about the land, and the air was much too cold for the time of year. The usual midnight sky had a green tint to it, and a bright haze seemed to linger above them. While the ground ahead was littered with craters from the impact of fallen stars.

 

The prince slipped off his horse and headed out into the crater filled field. The sight before him was truly the most amazing thing he had ever witnessed. Stars raining down from the sky all around him. For the first time in his life he felt at peace.

 

Taehyung looked up to find that he was directly under Orion. A smile made its way across his face and he shouted out to the constellation, thanking it for helping him.

 

Suddenly a light on Orion’s belt flickered out and a moment later the sky lit up as bright as the noon sky. Taehyung and Jimin shielded  their eyes from the flash of light, and when they opened them again a star could be seen heading straight for the prince.

 

The older boy was much too far from his friend to come to his rescue, having chosen to stay on the edge of where the forbidden country began. He watched in terror as he was certain that his friend was about to be struck by the falling rock. But to his surprise, the star came to a halt in front of the prince.

 

Jimin watched as his friend reached up with both hands to grasp the tiny glowing star, bring it to his mouth, and finally swallow it.

 

Jimin could feel it. From the moment the star entered Taehyung’s body he went through a change. It wasn’t something that could be seen, and he wasn’t even sure if the prince had noticed. But Jimin sure had, and it was absolutely terrifying for him. What was going to happen now?

 

Their journey back home seemed to pass by in a flash. The whole way Jimin carefully kept an eye on the prince to see if there would be any noticeable changes. Physically he was still the same, but Jimin could sense something growing inside of Taehyung, a brightness that had never been there before.

 

It had been a month since the two boys returned from the country of falling stars, and Taehyung hadn’t seen Jimin since they day they got back. And although both of them had been very busy he felt as if his friend was avoiding him. For what reason, he had no idea.

 

On a particularly warm evening, after finishing hjs required duties, Taehyung made his way to his room hoping to get a decent night of sleep. As he rounded the corner of the long hallway he found Jimin standing outside his bedroom door. It had been a while since the two had seen each other, and the prince was surprised to find his best friend waiting for him. They both greeted each other and Taehyung invited Jimin into his room.

 

“It’s been over a month since we last seen each other, hasn’t it? So why are you here?” Tae gave a teasing smile to his friend.

 

“What? I can’t visit my best friend?”

 

“Of course you can, but I think we both know that you’re not here just to admire my pretty face.”

 

The smile on Jimin’s face slowly faded and he sighed. “You’re leaving aren’t you? I can feel it.”

“What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere.” Taehyung laughed and reached over to ruffle Jimin’s hair. The prince was a bit surprised when the other boy leaned into his touch then took his hand into his own.

 

“Tae, I don’t think you’ve noticed, but I have. You’ve changed, you’re different, you’re not who you used to be.” Jimin stared into the prince’s eyes with a pained look on his face.

 

When Taehyung didn’t respond, Jimin sighed again and released a small laugh. “You don’t know. But I know. I came here to say goodbye Tae. I never thought there would be a day where I would have to, I thought we would grow old together, and maybe we will, but not in this life, not like this.” Jimin let go of Taehyung’s hands and cupped his face, wiping away the other boy’s tears. His skin was very warm, and amazingly bright.

 

“Jimin, what are you talking about?”

 

Jimin just gave the most comforting heartwarming smile he could muster and brought the prince into his embrace. He was growing hotter and brighter with every passing second. Taehyung was now sobbing and strongly gripping onto the older boy. And they stood like that for several minutes, the prince’s crying slowly growing quieter.

 

Jimin held onto the prince tightly, but eventually his arms slowly began to wrap around himself. When Jimin opened his eyes there was an empty space in front of him where the prince, his most precious friend, had originally stood.

 

That night, Jimin went out to Taehyung’s favorite spot in the field behind the mansion. Right above him he could see a magnificent star, bright and twinkling, in the very center of Orion’s belt. And Jimin knew right away that it was the prince. He could feel the happiness shining down on him. But now Jimin was the one in pain. He tried to hold back the tears but they began to relentlessly spill from his eyes as he collapsed to the ground.

 

For days after Taehyung’s disappearance the country was in near chaos. Search parties were sent out all across the country, but all came up empty handed. Meanwhile, Jimin was being constantly questioned. All he told them was that Taehyung wanted to live somewhere where he could be truly happy and didn’t tell him where he was going. The boy felt bad for lying but how could he tell the truth, who would believe him? After several months of false leads and no prince to be found the search was finally called off.

 

Jimin doesn’t agree with the prince, he is not like the sun, he doesn’t believe he creates his own light. Rather he is like a rock. A rock doesn’t create light, nor does it reflect it, but it absorbs the light and the warmth. The prince mistook his warmth for the sun, when all along he was a simple stone.

 

“I will become part of the earth as you have become part of the sky.”  So Jimin laid down in the area that Taehyung so loved and became the earth beneath him.

 

From very far away Taehyung weeped for his friend. For many days he cried and his tears rained down upon the earth. Through the tears the prince couldn't see that a magnificent tree grew from the spot in which Jimin lay.

 

Jimin called out to the nightingales, whispered with a gentle breeze. “Go to my friend in the sky and tell him that I am still here, I have not gone anywhere. And tell him that from now on we may speak to each other in this way. You shall be the messengers for us, if that is alright with you.”

 

The birds agreed and flew off towards the shimmering night sky to relay Jimin’s message to the prince. And so the two friends kept in touch for the rest of their days with the nightingales’ songs.