"She lied," the firefly said.

"An angel once took me to greater sky," the firefly said. "I didn't know at first but she placed me inside a bottle. She said it would keep me from burning up. I didn't know what it meant. But then again, to be honest, I thought she had caged me. I was afraid at first. Wasn't that what anyone would thought if someone suddenly placed you inside a prison of some sort?

"And so she took me. She had greater wings than I have. She wore different armor and a shiny mask. I don't know what they were for but she felt most comfortable in that attire. Though I wouldn't mind seeing her face even that would have been possible. And then we took flight.

"The bottle I was in was shaking. She held me in her arms while her hands held something I do not know of. We were also in a jar of some sort, but I don't know if she'd call it a jar. All I saw was glasses behind the glass I am in. I looked at her and like wise our glances met. Though it was brief, she was worried about me.

"'Don't worry,' was what she said to me. As her eyes avert from mine back to the sky. I closed my eyes then. I was really afraid of what was going to happen. I held onto the side of the bottle I'm in. I didn't know why but it felt worse than floating in it. But I didn't have enough strength to muster myself. I was afraid of what was happening.

"And then she said, 'open your eyes, we are here.' To which I did. And there I saw, many stars a bit closer from the scenery I'm used to but nonetheless far away from my reach. The clouds around us were like fog from the river I usually fly by at night and as for the moment, it was the one thing that had been ever closer to me. Other than her, of course.

"She took off her mask. I saw her face, under the moonlight, her smile and eyes were more beautiful than ever. I wished that moment lasted long. But of course, it was just a moment.

"She took a deep breath as if inhaling the air outside the glass we are in. I did the same. Somehow, I tasted it too. It was different. Breathing from a different altitude was not the same from the ground. It felt heavier and yet have more depth. 'Is this your first time seeing this place?' she then asked me. And I said, 'yes.' I doubted she could hear me behind this jar I'm in but her smile affirmed it.

"Then I confessed to her, 'I love you,' She wasn't looking at me. She must have not heard what I said. She must not have read the words I formed with my lips. She was looking at the stars. Was she always like that? I asked myself. We just met and I doubt if ever she knew me.

"Suddenly she said: 'I love you.' Words I just said, coming out of her lips. She heard me. She knew. She felt it. My eyes widen, my chest tightened, and my heart beat fast. We're in the sky and we're in love.

"It was all like a dream to me until she continued speaking, 'that's what I told him. But even so, she loved someone else.' Her eyes seemed to have shone sparkly. Waters are forming beneath it. She was crying. Yet the smile on her lips was most unusual. How can one cry and smile at the same time?

"It broke my heart. To million pieces at least. She was beautiful and yet I was in pain. But her words, I'm sure. She was in pain as well. Suddenly, on my cheeks slithered cold water. I was too late to notice but with her I was crying. I tried to hid it. But she saw it. The little firefly she was holding was crying.

"She opened the jar and with her careful hands tried wiping my tears for me. 'You're crying, little firefly? Is it you're crying for me?' is what she thought. But in truth, she was the reason I was crying. But then I can't tell her that. Who am I to her, anyway? And so I steeled myself. Dried my emotions and braved it so that I won't cry, right in front of her. I smiled that most fake and forced smile ever I did in my life after fixing myself.

"She wouldn't want someone pitying or crying for her when she was all down like that, all humans are like that, right? So I tried to make her smile. I wanted her to forget about everything she was sad about. And so I succeeded. I flew here and there around her as we flew across the sky. She was laughing and amazed at what I did. Or so I thought. She suddenly told me to, 'stop trying hard and lying to yourself. You're sad, right? I just told you something about me, little firefly. I just wanted you to feel how I really feel. Even though I got rejected, I apologize that I nonchalantly spoke how I felt. Somehow, little firefly, I think I'm in love with you too.'

"But then again, it's a love that must not be. She stared at my eyes as mine stared at hers. At that moment we were captivated through each other's depth. Time must've suddenly stopped. I don't know why but it felt like the world just did. The shaking I felt riding that glass with her was no more. The voice of the air and the cloud as we soared through was not to be heard. At that frozen still moment, along with our audience, the star, the moon and the earth down below, we were lovers. Of some sort.

"But as I've said, it was a love that must not be. Even fate held it high. Somehow suddenly, we heard a loud crash from behind us. I couldn't remember well but I saw her looking back and forth. She was confused. Panicking. She did not know what to do. And then I saw fire. I got scared and so I flew back to the cage she held me. I was afraid. I don't want to die. I was afraid.

"And then I heard her say, 'don't worry. Everything's alright. I'm here. Don't be scared. I won't leave you. I promise you that.' I would have been convinced that she was lying were it not for the smile she put up. I don't know what happened but I just have faith her and closed my eyes. She lied to me though."

"What happened next?" the fairy princess asked.

"She lied," the firefly said.