E P I L O G U E:

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart.”

-Helen Keller

Two girls sat watching the moon, side-by-side, enthralled.

One girl was but a child, no more than four in age, while the other was already a young lady, but the two shared with eachother a close, forever-holding bond that no force on Earth could interfere. Their tightly interlocked fingers stood out in the silvery darkness as nighttime resounded around them, and the two smiled at eachother, at peace. A little girl and her imaginary friend, as one would believe, but they were so much more than as they appeared.

The stars shined down as their hold tightened.

The child sat observing the older, clutching her teddy bear nearer to her as she watched the young lady sing a song to the moon. The chilly air clung to the girls' faces and clothes, and the little one shivered as her small form was dressed only in a nightgown, just long enough to cover her knees. She sighed, shaking. If the little girl had known that her imaginary friend would take her here, she would have grabbed a coat, but sadly that was not reality. The child scolded herself for not following her instincts as she shivered away.

The older on the other hand seemed unaffected by the chill, closing her eyes as the wind whooshed around her, her long, dark hair billowing behind her as she sang. The young lady was dressed in a glowing, sleeveless gown, and stardust clung to her arms. The duo was unlikely, but all the more fitting, for their story went back even farther than when the little girl was born. Seeing the child shaking, the young lady reached out and conjured up a silver coat, seemingly out of thin air, and offered amusedly it to the girl. She took it gratefully, giggling.

“Oh Star,” the little girl sighed, hugging her teddy bear nearer. “Why can't we play in my room like we usually do? Why did you take me out here?”

The young lady, referred to by the child as 'Star', only smiled softly, leaning back as she answered.

“Well you see, Young Astra,” she laughed, rather entertained by the child's innocent questions. “I'm here to tell you the story of why your adoptive parents gave you the name that you have. It's a rather depressing story, but there are lessons to be learned from it. I'm sure you can take it.”

She hesitated slightly, looking down.

“That is, unless, they have already told you the story,” she smiled, shaking her head. “Knowing your fathers, I wouldn't be surprised if they have.”

She looked at the child. “Have they?”

Astra bobbed her head excitedly, nearly throttling her teddy bear in her rush to speak. “Yes they have!” she chattered, wriggling. “They tell me it all the time! I memorized the whole thing.”

The young lady laughed. “Well then, let's hear it,” Star exclaimed, eyes lighting up. “This is going to be good.”

Astra cleared loudly, squirming into Star's lap.

“Oh, it will be,” she reassured. “My fathers always tell me that I'm a great storyteller.”

She began:

“A long time ago, before I was born, one of my fathers had a friend named Astra, who he was desperately in love with. She was stunningly gorgeous and extremely talented, but she never knew it because no one ever treated her nicely. This girl was the result of a teenage pregnancy between two irresponsible people, and it was obvious through the way they treated their daughter that they never deserved to be parents in the first place. Growing up, these parents would constantly forget Astra's birthdays and other celebrations, and they were very abusive to one another. In fact, besides being verbally and emotionally abusive to Astra, these selfish parents would often drunkenly fight in the night, causing their daughter to hide, crying in her room. However, these parents, if they could even be referred to as that, never cared, and would often forget about their child altogether. Astra's childhood was spent being lonely and scared, and she never realized how much she deserved to live, and she never did in the end.”

Astra hyperventilated for a few seconds before continuing, much to the amusement of the young lady.

“Later in life, she went to Junior High,” the little girl chirped. “And on the first day of school, she met a boy two years younger than her that would someday end up my father. At first, because they were so different, their relationship was very awkward, but after a while, they became very close, and eventually, they fell in love, although my father fell much deeper than the girl.” Astra frowned slightly at this, as if finding it sad. “Years went by, and my father could feel Astra slipping from his fingertips, and he fell into a big depression. He loved her, but Astra had no wish to stay. She told him her plans one day, and she broke my father's heart. When he went to her funeral, he felt his world fall apart.”

Star stared as Astra choked up a bit, hurriedly rubbing her eyes.

“Because you see,” the child wavered. “Astra left and flew up to the stars, but when she did, she took my father's heart with her. My fathers named me after her because they wanted her to be remembered.”

Gentle tears slipped from Astra's eyes.

“It's such a sad story,” she cried.

Star tightly embraced her, sighing.

For years and years, Star, or more truthfully, the original Astra, had watched over Taehyung as she lived in the stars. The Afterlife was everything she had ever wanted, complete with the peace she craved, but a little part of her soul had always lingered on Earth, connecting her to Taehyung. The cosmos had angels and stars and beauty galore, but Earth had the one she loved. When the dreamer had refused to let her go, Astra became terrified that he would try to join her, for at least for him, too many would grieve if he left. Astra had to admit that she did have a small part in Miss Jung asking Jin to tutor Taehyung, and she did often guiltily visit the younger boy's dreams, for she too was unable to move on. In many ways, Astra had missed Taehyung just as much as he had missed her. It truly was beautifully tragic.

Star turned to the child, smiling.

“I think it's time to go back home.”

That night, as Star snuck little Astra back into the house and tucked her blanket around her, she gave the child a message to give Taehyung when she woke up.

“Are you going to be back again, Star?” Astra whispered, big eyes still blinking back tears. “I don't want you to leave.”

The young lady's eyes softened.

“Oh honey, I'll always be here, even when you reach the age when you can no longer see me,” Star sighed, brushing back Astra's hair. “I'll always watch over you, keeping you...and your family....safe from harm.”

She hummed a soft, comforting tune, trying to lull the child to sleep, but Astra asked another question, closing her eyes as she tightly held her teddy bear to her.

“The song you're humming now...and the song you were singing earlier....what is its name?” she inquired, voice fading. Sleep was starting to engulf her. “It's such a pretty song.”

Star paused, a little caught off guard by the question, but she answered it all the same.

“It's Clair de Lune by Debussy,” she smiled, a little uncomfortable.

Astra sighed, “It's such a beautiful song.” Her little face brightened as she opened her eyes. “Like you.”

Star snorted. “You're much prettier than me, child.”

“And you look like the type of girl people write stories about.”

The young lady's eyes widened as Astra giggled, hiding her face, and after a while, she too laughed. Although the child was young, Star could see already that she held in her a wisdom seldom seen in modern society, and the older reckoned the girl would someday bring great pride to her parents, and of course, her imaginary friend would be along for the journey.

Astra blinked as Star smiled down at her, reaching out to touch her face.

“You know, now that I think about it,” the little girl intoned, forehead wrinkled. “You kind of look like the Astra my father describes when he tells the story. You even have the pretty eyes.”

She tapped her little finger to her chin, eyes deep in thought. “I wonder....”

Star laughed awkwardly, waving that idea aside. “No no no, child. Let's not go there.”

She gently petted Astra's head. “Although I do want you to do me a favor.”

Astra blinked. “And what is that, Star?”

“Tell your father I got the letter.”

“Huh?”

“He'll understand.”

With that, Star, the original Astra, turned to leave, her long dress trailing behind her as she walked to the window. From the sky, the stars called to her, as they usually did, and she knew that it was home. One of the curses of the Afterlife was only being able to come out when the moon was up, and ironically, sunsets became an even more prominent symbol for the girl after her death. She turned and waved goodnight to the child as she stared thoughtfully at her, and she couldn't help but want to stay.

“Goodnight, Child,” Star called, stepping out the window. “I'll see you tomorrow night.”

Little Astra waved back, sleepy, and as the young lady flew out the window and towards the cosmos, she thought she could hear a small voice calling after her, innocent, but eerily all-knowing. The unmistakably fragile, feminine voice was layered with amusement.

“Goodbye...Astra...”

The original Astra grinned. What a smart child.

Her wings spreading out behind her, the young lady flew up to the place where her heart was most free, and as the sky opened up, the moon brought her back to her place. The stars, they were an extraordinary place, but a place only people who had lived meaningful, wholesome, and heart-touching lives could go. Astra was ever grateful that they had accepted her, and that she had found home. Without the cosmos, the young lady may have wandered the earth, sad and lonely, forever. She smiled at the thought of the day that she may someday see Taehyung and Little Astra up here, as well as formally meet Jin, where she would teach them to fly. It was a very attractive dream.

The angels reached and sang out with their ethereal voices, welcoming her, and Astra returned their heavenly smiles.

She didn't look back.

A/N: A reader sent in these songs, both of which really go along well with the story. Check them out! 

My Immortal 

All About Your Heart