#;anonymous

As he got closer to the end of the trail the sky was lit up. Had someone built a bloody bonfire up there? The whole reason he lived up here was to avoid light pollution! Whoever the hell was up here was going to get a piece of his mind! Picking up his pace, he was still working himself up when he reached the top and the source of the light came into view, causing him to grind to a halt, both physically and mentally.

Before him, at the edge of the cliff where he normally set up to watch the stars, was a great fiery bird. As he stared he saw her head turn, one blazing golden eye focusing on him, and then she began to shift and change, shrinking into a human-like form. And she was... breathtakingly beautiful. Taller than any human woman he'd seen before, her skin looked like it was made from burnished copper, and her hair glowed red-hot like embers. All previous thoughts were gone. The stars in the sky, for just a moment, didn't matter as much as the one standing before him. Carefully Desmond approached, clearing his throat to get the woman's attention. Eyes like twin suns gazed down at him, one brow raised in a silent question as the mortal man drew closer.

"The stars must be hiding in shame, for their beauty pales in comparison to yours." He said, with telescope and star charts still held under an arm.

He could see that she was surprised, could see it in the way her her expression shifted, subtly at first before a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"You're very kind." She replied, turning to face him fully.

The garb she wore seemed to shift and change as she moved, flickering between various shades of orange like a flame.

"Would you... like to join me?" Desmond asked, raising the woven basket he still held. "I have enough to share."

Whether she was genuinely interested or simply humoring him Desmond would never know, and frankly, he didn't care. The next few hours were spent sat upon the grass, sharing sandwiches and tea as he pointed out different constellations and shared his knowledge. She listened intently the whole time, always with that faint smile upon her lips.

When dawn's light began to creep over the horizon they both stood.

"I must go now." The woman said, turning to walk toward the cliff again before Desmond stopped her.

He held her hand carefully, as though even the slightest pressure would cause it to crack.

"Before you leave-" He started, sounding for the first time uncertain. "I never got your name. Mine is Desmond."

"My name is-"

Suddenly the memory seemed to flicker and change, as though someone else was working against the magic of the unknown figure that had caused this. Images rapidly flashed across Hope's mind, each more garbled and broken than the last; the firebird and her human guise, Desmond sharing in her laughter, a̷̓͠n̢̤̈́ ͇̯̮̮̘̽͑̕͟e̦̼͈̳̹̪͐̌̈g̶̵̡̻̰̿́̄͜ģ͍̪̖̼͉͗̅̔-