As the four of them stretched out their wings to rest and enjoy the serenity, the peace was quickly disrupted by the sound of chattering and footsteps. A group of students had apparently followed them, eager to claim the same open sky for stargazing.

Deadleaf groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Of course. Can’t have anything nice without the whole school tagging along.”

Richmond sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean... it’s not like we own the clearing.”

“It’s not about ownership,” Deadleaf retorted. “It’s about peace. Which we clearly won’t get here.”

Before anyone could respond, even more locals began trickling in, chatting excitedly about the comet. The soft hum of voices quickly grew into a noisy crowd.

Glasswing crossed his arms, shaking his head. “Okay, yeah. This is officially too crowded. Maybe Deadleaf has a point.”

Luna, wrapped snugly in her blanket, hesitated. “Do we really have to move again?"

“We don’t have a choice,” Richmond muttered, glancing at the growing crowd. “Let’s head deeper into the forest. Hopefully, we can find a spot that’s actually quiet.”

With collective sighs of resignation, they fluttered into the dense forest. The further they went, the quieter it became, the distant noise of the gathering fading into the background. The tall trees loomed overhead, their leaves glowing faintly under the starlight.

After what felt like hours of navigating the twisting paths, they stumbled upon a meadow that seemed untouched by time. The moonlight illuminated a vast expanse of wildflowers, their soft hues creating a natural carpet. Fireflies danced above the petals, their gentle glow adding to the enchanting scene.

Richmond’s eyes widened in awe. “I never knew this place existed... it’s beautiful.”

Luna gasped, her hands clasped tightly over her heart. “This is... amazing. I don’t even have words- ”

Then, she looked down.

Her foot had almost landed in a very suspicious, very undeniable pile of animal poop.

She froze. Her breath hitched. Her entire body stiffened as her brain processed the near-disaster. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to the sky, eyes hollow, as if silently questioning the universe itself.

A long, exhausted sigh escaped her lips.

“I need… a minute,” she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose like someone who had just witnessed an unspeakable tragedy. “This is it. My villain origin story.”

Richmond and Glasswing exchanged looks.

After several moments of dead silence, she inhaled sharply, turned to them, and asked in the calmest, most serious voice possible-

“Does anyone… have a spare pair of shoes?”

Deadleaf blinked. “Luna, you didn’t even step in it.”

“But I could have.” She exhaled slowly, as if already grieving the mere possibility of stepping in it. “And that’s almost worse.”

She carefully sidestepped the mess and delicately continued forward- pausing only to shoot one last, deeply offended glance at the offending pile of dung behind her.

Glasswing pointed to a different patch of the meadow. “Let’s spread out. If we’re lucky, we might find an actual clean spot.”

  The group split into pairs to explore the meadow. Richmond and Deadleaf naturally stuck together, while Glasswing and Luna ventured off in the opposite direction. The dense forest seemed to close in around them, its towering trees muffling even the faintest sounds.

Richmond and Deadleaf trudged cautiously through the mist, their footsteps barely audible on the soft, damp earth. The faint glow of the coral lamps from the village was completely swallowed by the fog, leaving them in an eerie silence.

“This place feels... off,” Richmond muttered, his wings twitching nervously. “I mean, it’s beautiful, but don’t you think it’s a little too quiet?”

Deadleaf rolled his eyes. “Probably because we’re in a forest. And It’s called peace, Richmond. Maybe you should try it sometime.”

“Peace doesn’t usually feel like it’s watching you,” Richmond shot back, his voice dropping to a whisper as he scanned their dim surroundings.

Deadleaf’s wings shifted restlessly. “Let’s find a spot and get the others before this mist drives you completely paranoid.”

A short distance away, Luna and Glasswing wandered through the mist, their voices faint against the thick, damp air. Glasswing pointed toward a patch of glowing wildflowers. “This could work. Open space, clean ground- no turds. Big win.”

Luna chuckled nervously, clutching her blanket tighter. “Yeah, but... doesn’t this mist feel weird to you? It’s like it doesn’t want us here.”

Glasswing tilted his head, thoughtful. “I didn’t think about it like that, but now that you mention it... yeah, it’s creepy.”

   As the mist thickened, Richmond and Deadleaf stumbled upon a suitable clearing, a large patch of grass under an open stretch of sky. Deadleaf’s eyes darted around. “This is good enough. Let’s get the others before they wander off too far.”

Richmond called out, his voice breaking the eerie quiet. “Hey! Glasswing! Luna! Over here!”

The words echoed faintly, swallowed quickly by the dense fog. No response came. Richmond frowned, glancing at Deadleaf.

“They didn’t hear that?”

Deadleaf’s wings twitched uneasily. He cupped his hands and called louder, “Luna! Glasswing! Where are you?”

Again, the mist absorbed the sound. Richmond squinted into the thickening fog, his wings twitching nervously. “Deadleaf, is it just me, or is this mist getting worse? I can barely see the trees now.”

Deadleaf frowned, his usually sharp tone softening as he scanned the surroundings. “It wasn’t this dense a minute ago. Something’s not right.”

Richmond looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of the stars, but even the sky seemed to vanish behind the suffocating gray. “It’s like it’s... blocking the sky. How is that even possible?”

Deadleaf’s wings twitched as he stepped closer to Richmond. “Stay close. I don’t want us getting separated in this.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the meadow, Luna and Glasswing stood in what appeared to be a perfect spot- a wide, open area surrounded by tall grasses. The mist, however, was making it hard to enjoy the view.

“This place would be perfect if we could actually see the sky,” Glasswing muttered, folding his arms as he tried to peer through the fog. “Where did this even come from?”

Luna pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders, her wings fluttering nervously. “I don’t know, but... I don’t like it. It’s so quiet. Shouldn’t we hear Richmond and Deadleaf by now?”

Glasswing’s antennae flicked as he turned, scanning the area. “We should’ve seen them by now. The meadow isn’t that big.”

Luna sighed, her usual cheer dimmed by the oppressive fog. “I’m starting to think splitting up wasn’t the best idea.”

Glasswing gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll find them. Let’s circle back toward the middle and see if we can spot their wings.”

The scene alternated between the two groups, each struggling to navigate the mysterious fog. As Glasswing and Luna made their way back toward the center of the meadow-

Luna suddenly stopped, her antennae flicking. “Wait... do you hear that?”

Glasswing paused, straining his ears. A faint rustling came from the distance, too deliberate to be the wind. “Richmond? Deadleaf?” he called out, his voice cautious.

No answer.

Before either could react further, a sudden streak of light cut through the fog above them. The thick mist, oppressive and blinding just moments ago, began to thin, illuminated by an ethereal glow. Luna’s eyes widened as she looked up. “What... is that?”

Glasswing followed her gaze, his wings trembling as he caught sight of the gem comet slicing through the dark sky.

Its brilliance was breathtaking, casting the entire meadow in hues of vibrant blue and shimmering silver. The fog seemed to dissolve under its light, revealing the vastness of the meadow around them.

“It’s... the gem comet,” Glasswing whispered in awe, his voice barely audible over the hum that seemed to emanate from the comet itself.

For a moment, it was mesmerizing.

But then-

The comet veered sharply.

Glasswing’s breath hitched as the glowing streak swerved, its once-distant brilliance now shifting- no, barreling straight toward them.

The hum in the air grew louder, turning into a deep, bone-rattling rumble. The ground quivered beneath their feet.

Luna and Glasswing stood frozen.

For a split second, neither of them moved, their eyes locked onto the comet like helpless prey caught in the glare of an oncoming predator.

Then-

Glasswing’s wings snapped open. “MOVE!” he shouted, grabbing Luna’s wrist and yanking her backward just as the air around them seemed to crackle with energy.

Luna stumbled, her wings flaring out instinctively. “Wha- ?! I- ” She blinked, as if just now processing what was happening.

The two of them bolted, their wings flaring as they took to the air, desperately trying to escape the comet’s path. The once-majestic glow of the gem comet now felt ominous, its light intensifying with each passing second. The rumbling grew louder, the air around them buzzing with an unnatural energy.

As they darted through the thinning fog, two familiar figures came into view ahead- Deadleaf and Richmond, both scanning the meadow for them.

Richmond felt a deep rumbling and saw a blinding light behind him. He turned, eyes widening-

A comet.

His breath hitched. “OH MY GOSH-”

Before either of them could finish their thought, Luna and Glasswing swooped down, grabbing them mid-sentence.

The group shot through the sky, the comet’s glow drenching the landscape in an eerie, otherworldly light. The low hum behind them deepened, turning into a thunderous, bone-rattling roar- like a predator closing in on its prey.

“FLY UP! FLY UP!” Glasswing shouted, panic tightening his voice. If the comet was going to crash, the only way to escape was up.

Their butterfly wings flapped furiously as they soared higher and higher, bracing for the inevitable impact. They waited.

And waited.

But- nothing.

They continue flying up and Deadleaf’s antennae twitched. “...that’s odd. Where’s the loud crashing sound? Or am I turning deaf?”

Richmond turned, his heart hammering. The others followed suit.

They froze.

High above the clouds, where they had expected to dodge falling debris, the comet wasn't falling at all.

It was completely still- as if it had paused mid-air, waiting.

No impact. No explosion. Just the comet- hanging in the sky, motionless.