Notes: The word nozomi means wish. Lyrics are from the Love Live Wiki.

"What do you know of the dark?" Eli asked, hoping that somewhere within the woman's veils and charms was the answer she desired.

"Oh, plenty," the story teller replied with ease. "I know of hidden passions, of stowed away secrets, of whispered longings. I know of the clear night skies above and the wonders tucked away in the caves below. I know of fear and danger, of panicked breathing and restless, searching eyes. I know of the deepness of sleep and the airiness of dreams, but then I suppose dreams aren't really dark in the end, are they? For even the darkest of nightmares can shed light on unknown worries. So?" The woman's green eyes sparkled from beneath her gilded hood, and Eli thought she could see the curve of a smile behind the layers of shimmering fabric covering her face. "What would you like to hear about?"

"Fear. If you please."

"Fear, hmm? So be it. Well then, shall we begin?" The woman stretched out a pale hand and sprinkled dirt over the fire, smothering the flames until only burning embers remained. A familiar shiver ran its way down Eli's back as the forest clearing darkened. It wasn't night yet, not truly, but the shadows of the trees stretched far across the ground in the light of the setting sun, and faint stars could be seen high above. The woman had all but disappeared in the sudden dusk, her purple hair and dark cloak fading into the background until only her bright eyes could be seen.

"This is a story about a young girl," she began in a low, smooth voice. She drew a small drum from her bag and starting tapping out a steady rhythm, the jangling of her bracelets offsetting the deep beats. The music reverberating in her chest, Eli shut out the rest of the world and listened to the woman's song.

A long, long time ago, in lands lost from memory, a small child lived among the flowers and trees and birds. Her hair was the color of the violets and pansies covering the meadows and her eyes sparkled with the color of leaves basking in the sunlight. She was happy, this girl, dancing and singing in her world of endless light. There were no worries, no problems, no obstacles to overcome.

But there were also no people.

The girl was lonely, she realized one day. She had woken up with a curious feeling in her chest, an unexplained hollowness that she had never experienced before. She tried to chase it away with a song, but it didn't alleviate the heaviness. She tried to cure it with a dance, but it didn't stop the tears from pricking her eyes. Hands pressed over her heart, the little girl walked and walked through the flowers, hoping to find an answer.

The sun never set in this strange land. It was always overhead, lighting up the world beneath it. With no changing of shadows to tell the time, the girl had no idea for how long she walked. Finally she reached a river, collapsing at its side and drinking the cool water. Never before had she felt so tired, but she knew her journey was far from over. She pushed herself back to her feet a moment later, looking around to see where she was. Flowers coated the land for miles, their colorful heads bobbing in the wind. A few trees stood tall, and if she squinted her eyes the girl thought she could see more along the horizon.

"Hello?" she called out into the air, searching for someone, anyone. "Hello?"

There was no reply, not even a faint echo of her own voice. With a sigh the girl sat down again on the riverbed, knees pressed to her chest and fingers dangling in the water.

"I wish I wasn't alone," she murmured.

"Wishes are easy to cure," came a voice, and the girl jumped at the sound. There was a fish in the water below her, with deep blue scales and amber eyes. It was looking up at her through the ripples in the water, and the girl realized she was crying.

"You're the first voice I've heard aside from my own," she explained, and the fish seemed to nod with understanding. "But how can you talk? None of the fish near my home have ever spoken to me."

"Wishes are easy," the fish repeated. "I saw you sitting there, so sad and alone, and I wished that I could help."

"Thank you," the girl said, touched by the kindness. "But I wonder if my wish is as easy. I have been wishing for a long time, and it still hasn't come true. I don't think I'm the type of person whose wishes are granted."

"Everyone's wishes will come true someday if they try hard enough. You just need to keep moving forward."

"But how? What am I supposed to do?"

"Do you see those flowers next to you? Take one and cross the river, and it will make your wish come true."

"A flower? But how will a flower help? Flowers can't sing or dance with me."

There was no reply. The girl blinked, and the fish was the gone. She felt a sharp pang in her chest as she realized she was alone once more. It hurt worse than before, now that she had known companionship for one fleeting moment. All she wanted to do was curl up and cry and hope that the pain would go away. But it wouldn't, she knew, so she unfolded herself and looked out into the distance at the distant smudge of trees on the horizon.

"Take a flower and cross the river," she whispered to herself. The fish had wished so much to help her that it had learned to speak, and the girl decided to never forget that. She picked the most beautiful white lily she could find and stepped through the water.

Something seemed to change as she reached the other bank. The girl couldn't pinpoint what, exactly, she only knew that it was subtle and that it was there. Glancing around uneasily, the girl continued walking forward, clutching the flower tightly. It was a long time before she stopped again, resting in the shadow of a tree.

When she finally caught her breath she called out again: "Hello? Hello? Is there anyone there?"

There was no reply, not even the faint echo of her own voice. The girl smelled the sweet scent of the lily and remembered the kind fish she had met so long ago.

"I wish I wasn't alone," she murmured.

"Well, that's prrretty easy to fix," came a purr, and the girl jumped at the noise. An orange cat was sitting in the tree high above her, tail swishing back and forth. It dropped down next to her and yawned, then blinked its green-yellow eyes and seemed to grin. "See? Now you're nyat alone!"

The girl smiled and felt the pain in her heart ease a little. She stretched out a hand and stroked the cat, feeling its body rumble as it purred. "But how did you come to talk?" she asked.

"Oh, it was simple! I was in the middle of my afternoon nyap and I was wishing I could have some fun. And then you came along with your wish, and I thought, we could have fun together! And all of a sudden, I could talk! So, what do you say? Do you want to have some fun with me? Prrretty please?"

"Yes, I think I would like that," the girl said, and the cat meowed with delight.

They played together for a long time, the cat and the girl, making up games and telling jokes. The cat showed the girl how to climb trees and the girl taught the cat how to sing. They ran through the flowers together, racing between the groves of trees. Sometimes the cat was ahead, leaping and bounding across the meadow with feline grace. Sometimes the girl was ahead, the petals tickling her bare legs as she ran with all her might. It was during one such time that the girl slapped her hand against the bark of a tall tree and stumbled to a halt, giggling as she tried to catch her breath.

"I won!" she called out with a smile, "Did you see that, cat? …Cat?" The girl looked around for her companion, growing more and more worried when it was nowhere to be found.

"Cat? Cat, where are you?" she called over and over again. But there was no response, for the cat had disappeared. She was shaking, the girl realized, and she slumped against the rough bark of the tree and failed to hold back her tears.

When she finally stopped choking on her sobs, she stood back up on trembling feet and looked around. Behind her was the field of flowers she had played in, and the girl felt a feeling of longing looking at the colorful display. She could go back, she thought for just a moment. She could find the fun cat again, and the kind fish, and bring them home with her, and she could be happy.

But the lily tugged her away, its white petals leaning just the barest bit towards the other direction, and the girl knew that she had no choice but to follow. She turned around and found herself looking directly into the sun.

The girl froze at the sight, her eyes growing wide even as they watered at the light.

"The sun is falling," she whispered to herself, her body turning cold. And she remembered the cat's story from so long ago of its afternoon nap, and how the shadows of the trees had stretched across the ground, and how there had been a tingling sense of wrongness ever since she had crossed the river.

Night was coming.

Night was coming, and the little girl was terrified.

She stumbled backwards with the quick, jerky motions of fear. Her heel caught on a raised root and she toppled over with a cry of panic, rocks digging into her back. There were no flowers in this land to soften the ground. Everywhere before her were tall, menacing trees, standing amongst the sharp blades of grass. And on the horizon, looming closer than ever, was the impenetrable forest the girl had seen at the beginning of her journey.

The girl got slowly to her feet, clutched the lily as hard as she could, and took one shaky step after another. She walked in that stilted, hesitant gate for a long time, the grass cutting into her soft skin until she left pockmarks of red across the darkening landscape. She fell once, then twice, and on the third time she didn't get up again.

"Hello?" she called out hopelessly, mournfully, her voice muffled by the dirt. "Hello?"

There was no response. The girl rolled over onto her back and stared up at the dusky purple sky. It was the same color as her hair, she thought dimly, and she wondered if this darkness had been with her from the beginning, tainting her life and staining her soul.

'I wish I wasn't alone,' she wanted to say, but the words caught in her throat and refused to budge, for she was no longer sure if she deserved any sort of companionship at all. So instead she closed her eyes and slept, hot tears spilling silently down the sides of her cheeks.

The girl awoke some time later to a tickling sensation on her nose. Her eyes opened slowly, not willing to see the dark sky she knew was still above her. There was a dull heaviness on her chest, filling her limbs with stone so heavy she couldn't even begin to move. It wasn't until a small voice spoke above her that the girl finally became alert enough to notice the butterfly resting on the tip of her nose.

The girl sat up slowly, holding her breath as she stared at the small creature in wonder. It fluttered onto her outstretched hand and seemed to smile at her, its grey wings fluttering slightly in greeting.

"Good morning!" it said, in a voice that reminded the girl of sunshine.

"Good morning," she replied back, barely daring to hope. "But I'm not so sure it's morning. Isn't the sun setting?"

"That depends on which way you're going!" came the quick reply, and after a moment's thought the girl accepted the statement. She decided not to wonder what it meant that she was heading away from day.

"Which way are you going?" she asked instead.

"Oh, I'm going towards the sun, of course! I have a wish to see the world, you see, so I'm flying towards the light." The butterfly paused for a moment, then said: "You can come with me, if you want. You don't seem very happy here, but maybe you would like it better where it's brighter!"

The girl considered it for one brief moment, then squashed the idea before it could grow into a desire. "I'm afraid I can't," she said with a sigh. "I have a wish too, and it seems that I have no choice but to go where it's darker."

"What a shame," the butterfly said, its wings drooping. The edges were dotted with orange spots, the girl noticed, and she was reminded of the other companions she had met.

"If you happen to see an orange cat on your journey, or a blue fish, will you tell them I said hello? They made me happy, but I'm afraid I may never see them again. Will you thank them for me?"

"I would love to," the butterfly said, and circled once, twice, around the girl's head before flying off towards the field of flowers the girl had left behind so long ago. The girl watched it go, watched as it turned into a speck on the horizon before disappearing completely. She raised a hand in farewell and silently wished the butterfly luck.

It was some time later before the girl stood again, wincing as she put weight on her injured feet. The white lily was still clutched tightly in her hand, and she rubbed the petals for comfort as she forced herself to walk towards the forest.

The sun sank lower and lower in the sky until suddenly the trees loomed before her. They all but hid the setting sun's light, and the girl knew that the moment she stepped inside the fortress of trees it would be night. She hesitated at the entrance, not willing to take that last step.

"I wish I wasn't alone," the girl whispered, swallowing hard as her words were eaten by the forest. If the cat was with her, or the fish, or the butterfly, she thought that she might be brave enough to see what was inside.

"I think I may be able to help with that," came a small voice, and the girl looked down to see a bunny blinking up at her, its ears drooping cutely. The girl held her breath and knelt down next to creature, holding out a hand for it to tentatively sniff.

"You really think you can help?"

"W-well, I'd like to think so. As long as you don't go into the forest, that is."

The girl's shoulders fell in disappointment, her hopes plummeting. The bunny seemed to realize that, for it hopped the few inches between them and nudged her leg with its soft head.

"Do you… do you have to go into the forest?" it asked cautiously.

"I'm afraid I do. That's where my wish is leading me."

"Oh." The bunny seemed to think for a moment, before saying: "I don't think I can help you with that. But I think I could cheer you up, if you want. That would be my wish, I think."

"I like your wish very much," the girl said with a smile, and the bunny jumped into her lap and shared its warmth. They sat together for a while, the girl holding the bunny close and humming a soft song. But they couldn't stay like that forever, so when the girl finally decided she was brave enough to enter the forest she set the bunny lightly on the ground and voiced her thanks. The small, shy creature wished her good luck and hopped away, and the girl was alone once again.

Even after all this time, after all this way, the lily still smelled as sweet as spring. The girl pressed her nose into the flower and took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was about to come. There was only forward, she told herself. There was no way she could turn back, not now, not after all she'd gone through. With one last glance at the world behind her, the girl cradled the lily close for comfort and stepped inside the forest. The sun set, and the world was plunged into night. The girl froze.

She was afraid. Fear tingled up her spine like icy fingers and her hands shook like bare branches in the winter wind. There was a pounding in her ears, and through the beats she could hear her own ragged breathing.

Darkness had finally found the little girl.

She walked slowly, straining to see through the black. Trees appeared out of the nothingness, inches from her face, and brambles and thorns tugged at her dress. There was a loud sort of quiet filling the forest; there was no trilling of birdsong or rustling of leaves, only the eerie echoing of the void. The girl didn't dare breathe, unwilling to break the tenuous balance holding this world together.

In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by an all-consuming darkness that tangled its way into her mind and thoughts, the girl stopped walking. She didn't mean to. She didn't want to, for the motion of her legs and the constant awareness needed to avoid obstacles were the only things that kept the fear from overflowing her. But she couldn't go on. Her feet refused to move, no matter how hard she willed them to.

"Hello?" the girl called into the forest, for if she was going to be stuck in this night for the rest of time she may as well ask if anyone else was around. "Hello?"

A weight dropped down on the girl's shoulder and she screamed. A pair of gleaming eyes appeared in front of her and with the barest bit of light that filtered down from the sky she was able to make out a round, furry face. The monkey grinned at her and the girl tried to calm the rapid pattering of her heart.

"H-hello," the girl stammered out, acutely aware of the pinpricks of the monkey's fingers against her skin.

"Hi!" the monkey replied with a voice as energetic as leaves on a windy day. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking."

"Looking for what?" The monkey scampered across the girl's back to sit on her other shoulder, tilting its head curiously as it looked at her.

"I'm not sure," the girl admitted. "A friend, I suppose. But I've made friends coming here, and I've had to leave them all behind. So I don't know anymore."

"Hmm. Well, maybe you're looking for a special friend? Yeah!" The monkey nodded its head, proud of its solution. "You just have to find the right friend! But you can't look very well if you stand in one place. Why'd you stop?"

"I'm scared," the girl said simply. She did not say what she was scared of, for there were so many things. She was scared of the creaking branches, the bone-deep cold, the suffocating blackness. She was scared of spending an eternity lost in this forest of darkness, with no one to save her.

"That makes sense." The monkey jumped on top of the girl's head, and she shivered as its tail wrapped itself loosely around her neck. "There are lots of things to be scared of! Mean animals hiding in the dark, weird noises that come from nowhere, and holes that swallow you up! This is a really scary place to be!"

The girl was shaking, and she wondered if the monkey could feel it. The world seemed to shrink until it pressed against her, squeezing her so tightly she couldn't breathe. At the same time the forest stretched infinitely out before her, a never ending void filled with unpredictable dangers. There was no salvation, no end in sight.

"But that just makes it an adventure!" the monkey chirped, and the girl blinked herself back into reality.

"What?"

"It's an adventure," the monkey repeated, clambering down until it was hugging the girl's arm, its soft fur a sudden comfort. "I've always wanted to go on an adventure! Traveling around, fighting dangers, it sounds like fun!"

"It's not," the girl whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's very lonely, and very scary. "

"You're not alone right now though. I'm with you!"

"Mm. But you won't be for long."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to leave, just like everyone else did. I don't know why they do, but everyone I've met has left me. I must not make a very good friend."

"…I guess I should leave then too, huh," the monkey said after a moment, and the girl's eyes widened in fear.

"Wait, why-"

"So you can keep going!"

"What?"

The monkey grinned up at the girl. "That's why everyone's been leaving, you know. It's not because they don't like you. It's because if they stay, you'll never move forward! So I gotta leave, see, so that you can meet the person you're looking for!"

With one last smile and a clumsy pat to her shoulder, the monkey jumped off the girl and disappeared into the trees. The girl took a deep breath as she found herself alone again, with only her thoughts for company. But for the first time since she'd entered the forest, the weight of the darkness seemed just a little bit lighter.

"Keep moving forward," the girl murmured to herself. A breeze passed by at that moment, rustling the leaves and tugging gently at the petals of the white lily, still clasped tightly in her hands. The flower pointed forwards, deeper into the forest, and the girl followed it.

It was a long, silent walk through the trees. The girl did her best not to cringe at each small sound, instead distracting herself by thinking about the monkey's words. It had talked about a special friend, but what did that mean? After being alone all her life, she thought that every friend was special. She didn't want to give up any of them.

What made this friend extra special? All the girl wanted in the end was someone who could sing and dance with her, and everyone she'd met could do that. Even the fish could dance in the water, if it chose. But what would be really nice, the girl thought, would be someone who could smile with her, someone who would laugh with her. Someone who she could hold hands with, and never ever let go. The girl thought that she might be willing to give up even the light of day for someone like that.

A loud rustling sound nearby pulled the girl out of her thoughts, and she remembered the other things the monkey had said, about weird noises and mean animals. She took a shaky step backwards, folding in on herself and hoping that something good would come out of the bushes. A pair of eyes became visible in the gloom, then a delicately shaped head, and the girl sighed in relief as the deer stepped fully out of the brush. It looked just as wary as her, fidgeting slightly as it stood a few feet away, so the girl put on a big smile and hoped that it was visible in the dark.

"Hello," she said, keeping her voice slow and calm. There was a pause before the deer responded, nodding its head in acknowledgment.

"What are you doing here?" it asked. "I haven't seen you around before."

"I'm looking for a special friend."

This caught the deer's attention, and it stepped closer curiously. "A special friend? What does that mean?"

"I don't know yet. Something good, probably."

"If you don't know what it is, then why are you looking for it?" The deer had a hint of annoyance in its voice, and the girl giggled.

"I'm tired of being lonely," she said, a hint of sadness softening her words. "So I made a wish to find a friend, and my wish has led me here."

The deer didn't respond. It gave her an unreadable look, taking one step closer and pawing the ground nervously.

"Do you have wish?" the girl finally asked, breaking the silence.

"A wish? Me? Of course not," the deer responded immediately, and the girl smiled to herself.

"Is that so."

The deer snorted at the teasing tone. "I'm leaving," it said, and turned around.

"Wait!" The girl ran across the last few feet between them and threw her arms around the deer's neck, leaning up on her toes to reach. The deer stiffened at the contact, but it didn't move away.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered. "You want a friend just like I do, don't you? But I'm not the right one, and you're not the right one for me. I'm sorry I can't help you. But let's stay together anyways, just for a bit. That's okay, right?"

"What's with you," the deer muttered, "I don't get it." But it relaxed anyways, resting its head on the girl's shoulder. They stood quietly, taking in each other's warmth and treasuring the brief company. After a long while the girl grew tired, her legs trembling from the strain of perching on the ends of her feet. She lowered herself gently down and stepped away, looking the deer directly in the eyes.

"Good luck," she said, and the deer understood. The bushes rustled and the girl was alone once more. It was time to continue searching.

The darkness was still terrifying. The girl's eyes had long since adjusted to the almost non-existent light, but the trees only a few feet in front of her were still shrouded in shadows, barely visible. She forced herself to walk surely through the forest anyways, for how could she know the deer would find a friend if she didn't trust herself to do the same?

Alone in the quiet forest, the girl decided to do something she hadn't done in a long time, something that she used to do her every waking moment: she decided to sing. Her voice was rusty after so long, but soon she overcame it and her high notes drifted up into the air, pushing the night away one melody at a time.

Open your eyes, and let out your wish once more
Receive this formless power,
The power to achieve victory from here on

The girl felt her spirits lighten as she sang, a glimmer of happiness rising within her for the first time since she had left the meadow. Finally, she felt that everything was going to be alright.

Waiting... But just this is an unmoving love
No matter which you choose, the situation will change right?
Waiting... Rather than that, wouldn't you take the leap?

She hummed the tune of her song, words tumbling over in her mind as she decided on the next verse. Another voice added in a harmony, and the girl faltered for a moment before spying the crow perched in the tree above her. Holding out her hand and smiling up at the bird, she continued singing:

Believe in it... this moment when your heart is throbbing
Because you see, encounters aren't by choice but coincidences

The crow fluttered down to rest on her arm, cawing the last few notes. Silence fell on the forest when they finished, but it was a soft one, filled with the promise of laughter.

"Hello," the girl said. "You have a great singing voice."

"Well, duh," the crow said, fluffing its feathers. "Of course I do. …And I suppose yours isn't too bad, either."

"Thank you." The girl sat down to rest and leaned her back against a tree, looking at the crow curiously. "Do you sing a lot?"

"Of course! I sing all the time. Haven't you heard me before?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm not from around here."

"Oh really?" The bird hopped closer, peering at the girl with one dark eye. "Why are you here then? Oh, I know! I bet you came to hear me! Has my fame spread so far already?"

The girl laughed. "I never knew crows could be so narcissist," she teased, "but no, I didn't come here for that. I would like to hear you sing, though. I've never met anyone else who liked to sing before."

"You've met some boring folks then." The crow paused, preening itself idly as it thought of a song. "Ah, I got it! Here we go!"

I have to earn my happiness on my own!
My smile smile is my weapon!
Look up, yeah! Yeah!

The crow started dancing then, hopping about and flapping its wings. It looked strange, but the girl didn't laugh. The bird was having so much fun, after all, and she would never dream of ruining that.

Hoppity hop hop! How small~
Try giving me a hug, hoppity hop!
Will my smile smile also grant my greatest dream?
Hoppity hop hop! How small~
Try giving me a hug, hoppity hop!

"There! How was that? Perfect, right?" The crow looked up at the girl expectantly.

"Most definitely."

The crow seemed to swell with pride and trilled out another verse. The girl echoed it back, shifting the notes and words to suit her whim. They sang with each other for a long time, trading tunes and melodies and creating new songs.

You can't be playing such mean pranks
Come on, stop that! (Straighten up!)

The forest echoed with the sounds of their voices. The darkness was still all encompassing, pressing in from every side, but it had turned into a warm embrace that sang along with them.

Shove those jokes into your pocket! (Think about it seriously)
I'll teasingly scold you with a super scary face

Their laughter rang through the night, a glorious sound that swelled with childish delight. Far off in the distance a deer picked its head up, ears pricked as the sound reached it. Farther still, and a monkey grinned proudly as it swung between the trees.

Come on already! (Straighten up!)
You're best when you're serious, after all

Just kidding!
Yahoo! Yahoo!

The girl collapsed to the ground as the song ended, out of breath and smiling grandly. The crow fluttered down beside her, genuine enjoyment present in the sparkle of its eyes. They sat quietly, soaking in the happiness.

"What's that?" the crow asked suddenly, pecking lightly at the girl's hand. She smiled, raising the lily up and breathing in its sweet scent.

"It's a gift," she said, "from someone I met a long time ago. It's leading me to my wish."

"Your wish?"

"I'm wishing for a very special friend."

"Huh." The crow mulled over this information for a few moments. "You should have told me," it finally said. "I wouldn't have kept you for so long."

The girl shook her head. "No, no. I had a lot of fun. It's made me really happy, singing with you and dancing with you."

The crow hopped a few feet away, preening its wing in awkward motions. It was embarrassed, the girl realized, and she smiled fondly. She would miss this.

"We'll sing together again sometime," she said, rising slowly to her feet. "I promise."

"You better keep it." The crow leapt off the ground and flew gracefully into the trees. The girl waited a moment longer before setting out. This was the hardest parting so far. If not for the constant tug of the lily, she thought she would have been content to stay with the crow forever.

Take a deep breath, okay? Higher, higher
Isn't it simple? Yeah!

The girl paused at the familiar voice, a pang of longing already filling her.

Sending you magic, the magic of a smile
To make everyone happy
A smiley magic, the magic of a smile
Say good-bye to all your tears
Here's a nico-nico smile!
C'mon, have fun!

The crow was right. She'd gone all this way to find a friend, and she was so close. This was no time to be sad. So she put a bright smile on her face and rubbed her wet eyes, and sang back her promise.

I'm sure
We are destined to meet, and even if we will be separated
The feeling that today will surely be bright still overflows

She pressed on through the darkness.

A long time passed. The last echoes of the crow's song had long since faded, and the girl's memories of the sun grew gray with age. Still the lily pulled her onwards.

The darkness was dizzying. She soon gave up pushing it back with bursts of song, instead letting it seep into her and wrapping her in its embrace. She walked mindlessly through the trees.

A change in the silence made her pause, the distant sound dragging her out of her half slumber. She shook away the tendrils of night coating her mind and listened.

Water. A faint bubbling of a stream meandering its way through the forest. The girl found it, dipping her hands in the cool water and smiling. Fully awake now, she followed the water upstream with a skip in her step. She was almost there. The end of her journey was near, and she could feel it in the growing warmth of the air and the energy that filled the lily to the brim. The girl rounded a tree and came upon the source of the stream.

She saw her, then, a girl with hair the color of the sun and eyes the color of the noon sky, sitting at the edge of the small spring. She was humming a soft tune, her feet dangling lazily in the water.

This was it. This was her, the one she'd been searching for all this time. Clutching the lily tighter, the girl gathered up the threads of her courage, remembered the voices of the friends she had left behind, and took the last few steps of her journey.

"Hello," she said, "I've been looking for you."

The girl looked up at the words, and when she smiled it was with the brightness of day. She patted the space beside her, and the first girl sat down. They didn't speak for a long while. There was no need, for no words could convey the way they fit together so perfectly. Not even a song could explain the feeling of rightness that came from simply being next to each other.

"How did you find me?" the girl of light finally asked. Her voice was like music on its own, the words a loving melody.

"I made a wish, a long, long time ago," the first girl responded. "I wished to find someone I could sing with, and dance with, and stay with forever. So I searched. I left my home and walked a long, long way, and finally I found you." She smiled, and her heart fluttered when the girl smiled back.

"What is your name?" the other girl asked.

"I don't have one," was the reply, for there was no need for names when there was no companion to call it.

"Then I will call you Wish, for it was your wish that brought you here."

"I like that," the newly named Wish said, and she felt a wound heal that she never knew existed. "But what did you wish for? Everyone I've met on this journey has had a wish, so you must too."

The girl smiled again, her eyes filled with warmth. "I wished for you. I wished for you, and you came."

"Have you been sitting here all this time, then?" Wish asked, and when the girl nodded she continued: "Did you not look for me?"

"No, I didn't," the girl said, apology in her voice. "I wanted to, but I'm scared. It's very dark in here, and I couldn't get myself to move."

Wish couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. She tried to stop her giggles, but watched helplessly as they grew into full out laughter. The other girl huffed, crossing her arms and turning away to hide the blush coating her cheeks.

"Don't make fun of me," she complained. "The dark is scary! It smothers you, surrounds you with sharp noises, and never lets you escape. So don't laugh at me!"

"No, no, I'm not laughing at you. It's just that…" Wish took a deep breath, breathing in the night air, and gave a reassuring smile.

"Don't you feel it?" she asked, sweeping her arm around them. "The darkness is a blanket, hugging you, protecting you. The creaking branches are its song, the wind its words. The night is alive. The night is singing. And don't you see?"

She pointed upwards, and the girl followed her gaze, peering through the trees. There was a small gap in the leaves, high above them, and through the hole a single star twinkled with all its might.

"Don't you see? There is no need to be afraid of the dark." Wish smiled, taking the girl's hands and holding her close in the shadows of night. "Because it's only in the dark that you can find the light."

Eli opened her eyes.

It was the middle of the night. The fire was burning high and the space across from her was empty, and if it wasn't for the words still echoing in the back of her mind she would have thought she'd dreamt the whole encounter.

There was no sign of the storyteller.

Eli stood up abruptly, searching the clearing for a clue. Her heart was pounding for reasons she didn't know, didn't understand, but she had to find the woman. It was a necessity, running through her veins and filling her body.

But she had disappeared without a trace.

No, that wasn't true. At the far edge of the clearing Eli spied something white. She barely breathed as she walked over to it, picking it up gently and cradling it in her hands. Before her stretched the forest, shrouded in black. She didn't know what was in there, what she would find, whether it would be good or bad. She realized she didn't care.

Eli smelled the sweet scent of the lily and stepped into the darkness.