The eerie light of the full Moon softly illuminated two figures flying across the starry night sky. They were a crow tengu chief and a kuda-gitsune. But where were they going so late at night? A shooting star blazed high above them as if guiding their way.

Wispy clouds drifted across the glorious Moon and twinkling stars, casting ominous shadows down upon the land. What business did a crow tengu and a kuda-gitsune have on a night such as this? Were they up to no good? Or where they simply out and about for a spot of stargazing.
They aren’t the only people in Gensokyo who enjoy looking up at the stars. There is even a magician who has fallen in love with them. In another world, she dresses all in black, reminiscent of the night sky. And in another, she dresses in a red as bright as Betelgeuse―one of the stars that make up the Winter Triangle. The ordinary magicians seem completely taken by the starry sky’s beauty no matter what world they’re from.

“Countless stars are spread across the impossibly vast sky. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could gather them all up and make them your own?” asked the kuda-gitsune to the crow tengu beside her.
The kuda-gitsune looked disappointed when the crow tengu shook her head. But after a moment’s thought, she realized that her cunning, clever, and dazzling boss must have another idea in mind―a marvelous idea that would surely lead to untold profit. The kuda-gitsune’s eyes sparkled as she waited expectantly for the crow tengu’s reply.

“You’re right in that it would be amazing to obtain something as beautiful as a star and keep it all for yourself. But sometimes, things are beautiful precisely because nobody can own them.”
The kuda-gitsune tilted her head, not entirely convinced.
“Wouldn’t that just make you want to own it more?”
The tengu nodded, noticing that, like a child, the kuda-gitsune’s innocent question came from a pure desire to understand.
“Perhaps. But if you did somehow manage to obtain a star, you would then want something else. The beauty and value of the star would be lost the moment it became yours. That’s why everyone continues to yearn for them.” The tengu paused to gently scratch behind the kuda-gitsune’s ears before continuing. “The stars shine ever more bright when their beauty is shared.”

“Yeah, they do look pretty,” said the kuda-gitsune, nodding in agreement.
The tengu smiled when she saw the genuine joy on the kuda-gitsune’s face. She had been a little worried that her words would be criticized for being overly sentimental or corny. She took the kuda-gitsune’s hand and flapped her large wings, ascending higher into the sky.
“Then let’s stay out and watch the stars for a while longer.”
Everyone pursues what they cannot obtain. Even knowing that the stars are impossibly distant, you cannot help but reach out to them.