Beyond the sky and in the middle of the stars, there was a boy living on an asteroid. He was sitting on a stool in front of his house and watching the sunset. Many times had he moved the stool around to watch the sunset again, for his asteroid was very small. His golden hair danced in the cool breeze and he propped up his worried face on his hands.

The boy was fighting back the urge to sleep because he was afraid of having nightmares. When children have those, they'd run to their parents' room to be comforted. As they grow up, they learn that there is nothing to fear about nightmares after one wakes up. But while it is still happening and immediately after, children do not have as much capacity to deal with it as the grownups.

And the boy had no family to turn to when it inevitably happened. What he did have was a very powerful imagination, so he would draw pleasant images and look at them for a long time before going to sleep. This way he hoped to fight the bad dreams with good dreams, and maybe forget his loneliness. On that night, he found himself wondering what it must be like to have a grownup looking after him. The thought was a little strange, so he decided to draw an older brother for himself. This sibling would not be too old or too young, so he could understand the boy's feelings but still be strong and wise enough to protect him in times of need.

The boy fell asleep, not noticing the shooting star headed toward his asteroid.

His dreams were filled with darkness and cold. He was trapped in an icy planet far away from its sun, calling out to anyone who might take him into their home. For many miles he'd walk shivering through the snow, not knowing where he was going or if he was truly alone. To make it even worse, there was a blizzard coming toward him, ready to bury him forever. Having walked for far longer than his legs could handle, he fell and began to cry. But something deep in his heart told him it didn't have to end like this, and he gazed up to see something flying through the sky at amazing speeds. The blizzard seemed to melt away and night turned to day, but he was still lost. He followed the path of the object with quick and hopeful steps. As he approached the placed where it landed, he was bathed in a bright blue light that made him cover his face with his hand. There was a voice coming from the center of the light, urging him to come closer. The moment he reached the voice, all of his terror faded away and he could feel warmth touching his face.

That is when he woke up. His eyes slowly adjusted to the morning's sunlight beaming through the window. Pushing away his bed sheet, he checked the time on his clock. He was late for taking care of his asteroid, and so he jumped out of bed and got ready in a hurry. When he left through the front door with his tools in hand, he found that the baobabs had been removed and that he had a visitor. Standing proudly and dressed in the colors of the starlit sky was an older boy, not too different from his drawing he made the night before. He had a sword and revolver at his side, a crown upon his head and was checking his face in a hand mirror. Upon noticing that the boy was up and about, the visitor smiled from ear to ear and waved with enthusiasm.

"Good morning, sleepyhead! I took the liberty of helping out with your chores. No need to thank me, I'm cool like that."

The boy was totally awestruck, to the point where he let his tools fall to the ground and his jaw drop. Surely he was still dreaming, so he began to pinch his own arm to wake up. The visitor raised an eyebrow at this.

"Why does everyone do that? I guess it's hard to believe I am real at first sight, hahahahaha!"

When the boy realized he was no longer dreaming, he found himself ready to ask a hundred questions to his visitor.

"Why are you armed? There are no dangers in here beyond the baobabs. People usually carry weapons to protect themselves or to look for a fight. But you seem more worried about your appearance."

"Rest assured, these are only for self-defense. And of course I care about my looks! Have you ever seen a face like this? But more importantly, I'm visiting your home and we don't even know each other's names!"

"You could have sent a letter, you know. I'd write back as soon as possible. But since you asked, most of the people I know call me the Little Prince."

The visitor seemed embarrassed for having overlooked that option, but quickly regained his composure and flair. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince! I am Morpheus, at your service! Accept no substitutes!" He bowed with a flourish and approached the Prince.

"You're not much bigger than me, but you act almost like a grownup. Where did you come from?"

"I arrived here through your dreams! I had a feeling that someone around here needed a friend. What do you like to do for fun?"

The Prince shrugged. "I haven't had friends over in quite a while, so I haven't had much fun. I do have a sword like you, though. Maybe we could pretend to be knights?"

"Excellent idea! I'll teach you how to be the best at fighting with swords! That way, whenever a bad guy wants to hurt you or someone you care about, you'll know what to do!"

The two of them got their weapons ready and played pretend for quite a while, both running around and laughing. Every time Morpheus blocked one of the Prince's attacks, the older boy would give compliments and suggestions to the younger one. They eventually got tired and lied down on the ground to rest.

"You know, I really like watching the sunset," commented the Prince.

"Really now? I really like stargazing. Too bad we can't do both while near each other," replied Morpheus. "You seem to be worried. What are you thinking about?"

The Prince did not answer, and instead asked a question of his own, as he usually did. "Do you think grownups miss being kids?"

Morpheus chuckled. "All the time, of course. Every kid wants to be a grownup at some point, and when they do become one, it's perfectly normal to look back and feel foolish."

"Have you ever noticed how some children seem to become completely different people when they turn into grownups? Are they still the same deep down or is the child from yesterday gone?"

"You sure are a very curious person! But don't worry, your curiosity is a good one. To answer your question, it really depends on what you think are the most important parts about a person. But then again, even that tends to become blurry with time. A wise man once said you can never step into the same river twice, because it is always a little bit different every time."

The Prince assumed a sitting position and hugged himself as if trying to prevent something inside of himself from escaping. "I don't want to become a grownup if it means I'll turn into someone else..."

Morpheus gave the younger boy a compassionate smile and a reassuring hug. "I don't think that will happen. Just take life at your own pace, and always remember to stay true to yourself. The essence of a person never dies if they take care of it with love."

"What is an essence?" asked the Prince, growing more interested in Morpheus' words by the minute.

"That's a little hard to explain...the essence of something is more or less what it is meant to do, or its place in the world. A pen writes things, the sun shines and I am the most awesome friend anyone could ever hope to have!"

The Prince laughed merrily. "You're so sure of yourself. Tell me what is my essence, please!" He said as he brought his hands together in a pleading gesture.

"Ah, I'm not the one who is suppose to determine that. But I can see a lot of great things in you. Friendliness, imagination, determination...you should hold onto them no matter what, but don't close yourself to other great things that might come to life in your heart. And let me tell you something very cool. It's a secret so you will have to come closer."

The Prince did so and Morpheus whispered into his friend's ear. "One day you will be the most amazing grownup the world has ever seen!"

"You really think so? Why?" asked the younger boy, eyes overflowing with wonder.

"And now is the part where I'm afraid I'll have to let you come to your own conclusions. That being said, pay close attention to your dreams tonight, and don't go sleeping too late!"

Morpheus disappeared into a cloud of fireflies of every color and flew away into the starlit sky. The Prince was alone for now, but much to his surprise, he did not feel like that was the case at all.

He felt like tonight would be the beginning of something new and wonderful.