Name/Element: Comet
Gender: Male
Age: Comet is roughly the equivalent of a 12 year old human boy.
Likes: Gazing at stars, playing hide and seek, exploring, flying, getting dirty, play-fighting, eating cake, making friends
Dislikes: Taking baths, vegetables
Personality: Comet acts very much his age: he always likes to be running around and exploring things (in his humanoid form) and flying as often as possible (in his dragon-spirit form). He loves to make friends and will try to get almost every creature he meets to play hide-and-seek with him. He is rambunctious and can be quite stubborn, especially if someone tries to make him clean himself up, but Comet can also be very kind and considerate of others.
Story:
On a cool summer night, Comet flew low in the sky, taking in the sounds and smells of the human town below him. Normally he tried to follow the rules and avoid being so close to people in his dragon form, but tonight he had an urge for adventure, and he couldn't resist taking a quick peek.
It was a beautiful night, very clear and crisp, and the moon was shining in splendor. Comet loved nights like these; he could see almost all the stars and much of space on clear nights, and he loved nothing more than flying out under the stars. Below him, the town looked dark and mysterious, and with the clear, cool air invigorating him, Comet was feeling adventurous.
Taking a risk, Comet decided to land and explore the human world from the ground. He chose a house whose lights were all off and landed softly in the backyard, morphing into his humanoid form and ducking into the shadows, taking care to keep his ears, tail, and horns invisible.
From his position, he could see the side of the house and some of the back porch. Being close to the house made him sort of nervous, so he moved through the bushes, intending to sneak around the side and out onto the street. But something on the side of the house caught his eye. He crept closer and then stopped in his tracks, startled by what he saw.
A young boy was climbing out one of the darkened windows. He had one leg out, his foot reaching for the ground, and he was clinging to the windowsill, trying to get his other leg over the ledge. In one move, he brought his other leg around and let go of the sill, landing with a soft thump on the grass below the window. The boy glanced back into the house and then crept quietly out to the backyard.
Comet's curiosity was blazing inside of him, and he crept behind the boy, taking care not to make a sound.
The boy walked to the edge of the backyard and crept under a hole in the hedges that lined the perimeter. Once he was on the other side, the boy broke into a run, heading toward the top of a steep hill that stood in the middle of the fields behind the neighborhood.
Comet dove through the bushes and raced after the kid, shaking leaves out of his silvery hair as he ran. The kid was quick, and it was challenging for Comet to keep up.
Once he was at the foot of the hill, Comet slowed his pace and took his time, trying his best not to be seen. The hill was completely bare except for grass, and Comet knew that if the kid turned around at all, he would see him following him. So he let the kid climb up first and then snuck up after him.
When he finally got to the top of the hill, he was surprised by what he saw. The kid was standing at the top of the hill, gazing intently at the sky. His fists were clenched, and he seemed to be whispering something; his mouth was forming words quickly and urgently, but he was not saying them aloud.
Comet lay down on his belly in the grass and watched the kid. Many minutes went passed, and the boy never stopped his vigil, nor stopped his silent pleas to the night sky. Yet after some time had passed, the boy sank to his knees, and started to cry.
A pang of sadness ripped through Comet. He stood up and approached the crying child.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked softly.
The boy jumped and spun around, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. He made like he was going to run away.
"No! Wait!" Comet said, waving his hands. "No, I'm not a grown up. It's okay."
The boy stood up. "Were you watching me?" he said with a sniff, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
Comet nodded. "Why are you crying?" he asked.
The boy sniffed again and shook his head, reluctant to speak.
"You can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I promise." Comet said, and very solemnly pretended to lock his mouth tight and throw away the key.
Looking down at his feet, the boy said very quietly, "My mom's sick, and my dad told me a story once where a kid saw a shooting star and got to make a wish, and I was trying to see a shooting star so I could wish for my mom to get better, but I didn't see any..."
The boy's face twisted up, and tears started to pour down his face again. Comet walked over and patted the kid on the head.
"I might be able to help with that," he said with a small smile.
The boy looked up into Comet's face. Then his eyes got wide with surprise. "You have horns!" he cried, pointing.
Comet looked up out of the corner of his eyes. Sure enough, his horns and ears were sticking out. He was always terrible at being able to hide them for long.
Well, the secret was out. "I'm actually a dragon," Comet said. "And I can help get you a wish!"
He threw his arms out dramatically and morphed into his dragon form. The boy stared at him, his mouth completely agape, as Comet stood and shook his fur, letting it shine brightly in the moonlight. Then he turned his head toward the heavens and roared.
The sky seemed to quake, and then suddenly, like a midsummer's rain, comets began to fall from the sky, one by one, and then by the hundreds, lighting up the sky with their bright tails and burning up in the atmosphere. They fell in droves, a silent shower in the night sky.
Comet looked down at the boy and smiled.
The boy smiled back. And then he looked up at the falling stars, and wished.
