The Lone Traveler's Diary and other Short Stories

Sky Log #30: The Little Prince's Farewell

CAUTION: EDEN AND THE SEASON OF THE LITTLE PRINCE SPOILERS. This is a continuation of Sky Log #26: Teatime With the Little Prince.

How do you make a farewell less hurtful than it should?

How do you say goodbye to a friend when you, simply, don't want to?

I did not know what I signed up for when I first met the Little Prince. Yet, I always knew he was never meant to stay here forever in my heart.

The Little Prince may be different in appearance, but he was just like us deep within. He relished in the simple joys of our world; the creatures of our world, the flowers in our world, and the people within it. Where he laid eyes upon, he loved them. And it was hard not to love him back.

Yet, the more I spent time with him with our chance encounters, the more I felt the time of his departure growing closer.

It loomed over me when I followed him across the Starlight Desert. At that moment, I felt like if I didn't grab onto him, he might disappear. The thought itself was terrifying, so despite the harsh winds that kept pushing me away, I persistently pursued him. Until I found him at the campfire, shivering from the cold, bitter winds.

I chuckled at how, after traveling to so many worlds, the Little Prince had not known how to light up a fire. I felt that my fears were for naught for that brief moment in time. Like a passing dream.

With a silent nod of gesture, I sat down across from him, with the fire in between us. There was a brief moment of silence before he said he would give me a present. I really thought he had prepared a physical gift for me. Instead, he laughed and said his laughter was my present from him. In response, I laughed, for it was like him to think of something like that.

Then, the Little Prince claimed that he was going back tonight in a serious face.

Perhaps, the Little Prince felt my reluctance and sadness at his departure. It was hard not to after getting acquainted with him for so long. So, he gazed up at the night sky and said that he would be living on one of the stars. On one of the stars, he would be laughing. Since there is no way to tell which star he would be on, all the stars could have him living on them, laughing without caring about the world.

Unfortunately, as he said, the road to home would be difficult. It would seem like he was suffering, and he did not wish for me to see it.

"At night, you will look up at the night sky. My star will be one of the stars, for you. And so, you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens." The Little Prince looked at me, with a serene smile on his face. "They will all be your friends."

I wanted to say something. Yet, words have failed me.

That was because, at that moment, the Little Prince looked so wise and sure that I believed his words. I felt that when he left for home, all the stars in the night sky would remind me of him, his laughter, and the days we spent frolicking together. I believed that he would be on one of those stars, living with his rose and making sure the lamb would not sneak a bite at her. And I was convinced that when he looked up at the night sky, he would see me on one of the stars.

He laid down on the ground and closed his eyes without a word. And I watched over him as the fire died down to embers.

When I woke up with a start, I felt a brief moment of panic when I realized that I had given in to the sinful lures of the campfire. The Little Prince was gone. He had slipped away when I was sleeping. By the time I got to him, he had gone past the krill who was patrolling and headed straight to Eden. I could only watch him get further and further away.

His silhouette grew smaller and smaller until I could see him no more.

However, I was worried about him. Even though he did not want me to see him on his journey home, I wanted to be there for him. I didn't really like Eden for the painful pelting of rocks, the handful of krills, and the depressing atmosphere there.