Festival Of The Sun

Winter has melted away, giving itself over to spring. The warmth of the sun spills across Ossamaris once more, chasing shadows from the canals. Beside the cobble stone streets flowers burst into color, their petals swaying in the gentle breeze. The air is soft and alive, carrying the scent of new growth and the promise of brighter days. 
          The fortress walls rise unbroken, their scars of war patched and painted, a testament to survival. Atop the highest tower, the Ion Pulse Cannon gleams in the sun, a silent guardian watching over the city. Nothing can breach their defenses now. The streets are alive with laughter, the markets buzzing, the town flourishing in the glow of hard-won peace. 
          Small boats drift from the water houses to the mainland, oars dipping in rhythm as families arrive together. Lanterns sway from the docks, their reflections shimmering across the canals. Chatter spills through the waterways, rising as the town gathers for the celebration. 
          The Festival of the Sun transforms Ossamaris into a blaze of color. Banners of gold and scarlet drapes from the bridges, their reflections dancing across the canals like fire on water. Bright petals scatter from balconies, drifting lazily downward until they settle on passing boats, covering the surfaces with a patchwork of blossoms. 
          Crowds flood the plaza, faces lifted to the clear sky in wonder. The air is rich with spices and roasted food, the scent mingling with the salt off the waves. 
          Children laugh as they chase one another through the streets, their cheeks smeared with streaks of ocher paint. They dare each other to reach out and poke Moss’s shimmering slime, squealing with laughter as they dart away. A circle of little girls weave flower crowns and stack them one after another on his head and shoulders. Moss sits gleefully in the center of it all, soaking up the attention, a gentle giant crowned in blossoms. 
          Musicians gather in plazas, plucking strings and striking drums, their notes echoing between the painted walls until the whole city comes to life. 
          The team drifts into the crowd, swept up in the music. Dosei stumbles off-beat with nearly every step but he keeps moving anyway. The grin on his face never fading. Yumi twirls in her best dress, spinning beneath Benji’s awkward but earnest lead, both of them laughing as their steps tangle. Norio nods along to the beat, mug in hand, smiling between swigs as he drinks with Thorn. Beside him, Thorn lifts his glass toward Halo and Rubble across the square, the hard edges of his expression softened by the sunlight. 
          Halo and rubble watch their friends happily. She gives him a quick glance, and he nods. They slip out quietly from the festival, the music and laughter fading behind them. At the dock, a small teal boat waits. Rubble steps into the boat, the hull rocking gently beneath his weight. He steadies it against the dock with one hand, then extends the other toward Halo, palm open in quiet invitation. She takes it, his touch firm but gentle, and steps down into the boat. 
          The oars dip in rhythm, rippling the water as they drift from the crowds. Paper lanterns bob gently as they float past, their pinks, blues, and purples casting jeweled reflections across Halo’s face. Rubble rows them into a quieter canal, a part of Ossamaris untouched by building, where nature still blooms freely. Here, the world feels hushed, dreamlike. Lilac-colored wisteria trees line the banks, their blossoms spilling like curtains that trail almost to the water. The air is filled with their fragrance, petals drifting down in soft spirals to scatter across the glowing surface.
          Halo and Rubble finally find a quiet moment together.
          “What will we do now?” Halo asks.
          “What do you mean?” He looks at her, his blue eyes wide and earnest, as if she were the only thing in the world. 
          “Now that we’re safe inside these walls, what will we do with our time?” 
          “I mean, I guess we could be farmers,” Rubble teases.
          Halo pushes him playfully. Rubble falls back dramatically as if gravely wounded, making the boat rock. Halo grabs the side to steady herself, rolling her eyes. Still lying down, Rubble reaches out for Halo. She hesitates a moment, then smiles, settling down beside him. 
          “What did we do before, on Earth?” He asks. 
          “We worked dumb part-time jobs and came home and complained about it,” she laughs. 
          “We came home to each other?” Rubble asks, surprised. 
          “Yeah, we did,” she reminisces. 
          “We can still do that.” He turns to look at her, studying her reaction. 
          A wide smile spreads across her face as she covers her eyes with her hands, hiding her embarrassment. 
          “Guess I’d better build a house, huh?” Rubble watches her in amusement as she squirms, red-faced from blushing. He gently pulls her hands away from her face. 
          “You’re cheesy” she laughs. 
          “Cheesy?” He grins and dramatically looks up, “You’re the sun,” he says, “And me… I’m just the sky. I don’t make sense without you.” 
          “Rubble!” She laughs while playfully swatting at him to make him stop. 
          “But, really though, Halo… I want to come home to you every day.” 
          Halo’s emerald eyes study his face for a moment. “On one condition.” 
         “Name it.” 
          “You have to stay this time. I can’t lose you twice,” she says softly. 
          “Promise.” He smiles and holds out his hand for a pinky promise. 
          “Do you remember doing these?” she asks, wrapping her finger around his.
          “I had a dream about it,” he murmurs as he shifts onto his side. 
          She mirrors his movement. “Maybe it was actually a memory.” 
          He reaches out and gently strokes her cheek. “Will you run away this time?” he asks, a quiet echo of the moment they shared at the herb shop. 
          “I won’t run away,” she whispers. 
          He watches her lips part as if she’s about to speak, but no words come. His chest aches with everything he can’t put into words. 
          Halo rests her hand over his heart. His fingers intertwine with hers. He leans in and kisses her softly. He feels the warmth of her lips, flooding through him until there’s nothing else. The kiss comes in like a tide pulling them under. She draws him closer, running her fingers through his hair as he holds her tight in his arms. The kiss deepens, carrying all the words they’ve left unspoken. 
          When they finally part, breathless, their foreheads rest together. 
          They shift onto their backs, side by side, gazing up at the canopy above like a ceiling of lilac blossoms. Petals flutter down, draping across them. Halo reaches her hand up to catch one. 
          The glow of the sunset paints Rubble’s hair a silver-blue, and Halo’s a warm sienna. 
          He smirks. “You really are the sun.” 
          “Rubble, stop!” she laughs, embarrassed. 
          Halo curls into Rubble’s side as their boat drifts across the shimmering water, the golden sun sinking toward the horizon. She closes her eyes, and for the first time since waking on Novaterra, she feels as though she truly belongs. The battles are behind them, and the future is theirs to shape together. 

Far beneath the mountain’s surface, a creature stirs. A low, guttural growl rumbles through the depths, carried on the wind like a warning.