Kori clambered up onto the window sill in Nashi's room. He plopped down on his belly and propped his head up with his hands. The young prince gazed at the countless sea of stars that dotted the inky black sky. Kori then turned his attention to the door that had just opened and saw his mother walk into the room. Nashi shut the door and then was startled as she saw her six-year-old son sitting at the window.

"Kori, what are you doing up so late?" she asked as she walked over.

Kori pointed to the sky. "I was lookin' up there." He peered up at the nighttime sky once again as Nashi sat down beside him. "How'd the sky get to be so pretty?" he asked, turning to Nashi. Nashi took Kori and placed him on her lap. The prince sat down with a smile on his face. Yay! Story time! he thought.

"Well," Nashi began, "I was once told a legend about why the sky looks the way it does now...

"Once, long ago, when the universe was still being formed, all the gods and dragons argued about how the sky should look. The only thing that all could agree on was that the black sky should be of a different color, as to hide the endless void of empty space. The dragon elder looked upon all of them as being petty and chose to remain outside of the conflict.

"Dahlia, the claret dragon of war, spoke up. 'Make the sky a bright crimson red,' she said. 'It will inspire all warriors to fight fiercely.' She frowned and turned the sky blood red.

"'No!' cried Beryl, the sapphire goddess of serenity and peace. 'We do not want the inhabitants of these worlds to be torn apart by conflict and war! Make the skies blue, to encourage a cool sense of mind and peace for all,' she finished and breathed out a mist of azure frost, turning the sky to a sparkling blue.

"Saffron, god of gladness, leaped forward. 'Ah, yes, but does blue not also symbolize sadness?' he asked, snapping his amber-tinted fingers, and doing so, turned the sky bright yellow. 'Make the sky a golden yellow, so all may be happy and content.'

"'If you are so concerned about the life of the universe,' Malachite, dragon of life, started, 'then why don't you celebrate and praise it by dedicating the sky to it.' The jade dragon stood and stretched, shaking its scales which were make of leaves. Some of the leaves fell, expanded, and floated up to the sky turning it to a mossy green. 'Make the sky a deep emerald green.'

"'Well, I think the sky should inspire all to be loyal to their rulers so that there can be peace and happiness,' said Heliotrope, goddess of loyalty and devotion. She spread her hands and the sky turned to amethyst. By now, the dragon elder simply shook his head with each new idea. He could barely watch.

"'Well, how about making the skies silver and grey, ' spoke the iron-skinned dragon of indifference, Hai'iro.

"'Why would we want to do that?' shouted all the others.

"'Well, why not?" Hai'iro spat back. All the deities were arguing quite violently now, turning the sky from green to purple to blue to yellow and back to red again. Suddenly the sky started flashing all on its own, causing the gods, goddesses, and dragons to look up from their quarrel. Eventually, the sky exploded in a rainbow of color, all the colors of the deities and their beliefs, before the colors turned to a whitish crystal and floated to all the corners of the universe and sky. But, the background was the cold, inky blackness that they had started out with. The dragon elder stood.

"'Now you see what all this bickering has gotten you?' he admonished. The other deities hung their heads in shame. 'You're back to where you started, this cold, unfeeling blackness - that's your punishment for all this silly arguing. But,' the elder looked up to the dots of crystal that sparkled in the sky, 'you did come together for a common cause. Look,' he said, pointing to the sky. 'Look how beautiful the outcome can be if all are joined together.'

"And so," Nashi concluded, "The sky is still dappled with beautiful points of light."

"Yeah, right," said Kori, sleepily, for by now it was very late, even for little princes. "All those colors can't make white, it'd be... a yucky black color."

Nashi smiled and stood. "Come, Kori - you'll see." Nashi led Kori out to the courtyard where she found Piccolo meditating. "Piccolo," she said, getting the Namek's attention, "will you help me for a moment?" Piccolo grumbled an affirmative and walked over. "Kori," Nashi instructed, "form your handsome red aura." Kori looked up questionably, but then complied. Nashi did the same, forming a blue aura. Piccolo, catching on, formed his yellow aura. "Now, watch," Nashi said, bringing her glowing blue hand to Kori's. Piccolo brought his yellow aura over as well, and the place where all three met turned white. Kori looked up, shocked.

"Wow," he said. Piccolo glanced at Nashi in an 'are-you-finished?' look. Nashi nodded and Piccolo left the group, returning to his meditation tree. Kori and Nashi banished their auras.

"Now," whispered Nashi, "you see?" Kori nodded, eyes half shut, and yawned. Nashi picked up her son and carried him to his room. She laid him down on his bed and pulled the blanket up to his chin. Kori yawned again and snuggled into the pillow, already nearly asleep. Nashi smiled and kissed his brow. "Sleep well, my young prince." Nashi left the room and quietly shut the door behind her. She walked to her chamber and sat upon the window sill once again and looked to the sky.

"The sky is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"

Nashi turned and saw Zarbon walking towards her. He sat down beside her and kissed her on the cheek. She leaned back as he took her into his arms. "You must have come from the sky," Zarbon said. "You must have descended from one of those lovely stars, like an angel. Only the sky could have produced someone as beautiful as you." He kissed the top of her head. Nashi closed her eyes and smiled and began to fall asleep in Zarbon's arms.

"Sleep well, my beautiful angel."