Bobo was a winged monkey. A respected messenger of Mornwood, trusted by Lord Crescent himself. Everyone knew that Bobo was the best choice for any important delivery.

When Lord Crescent called him to the Palace of Light and handed him a beautiful box tied with a peach-coloured ribbon, Bobo bowed low with dignity.
"These are the peaches from my garden," said Crescent. "They bloom once every thousand years. This year's harvest is especially wonderful. Take them to my sister, Morning Star. Only you, the most honoured messenger of Mornwood, can be trusted with such treasure."

In the garden, as the peaches ripened, the trees hummed a soft, sweet melody.

Bobo nodded solemnly, took the box, and soared into the sky — immediately flying into a peach tree. Leaves fluttered down around him. He shook himself off and continued on his way.

Three days and three nights he flew, without sleep, without rest, dreaming of the reward. He imagined Morning Star kissing him gently on the forehead. He smiled, lost in his thoughts. Then he looked down. His hands were empty.

Panic. He circled back, scanning the ground. A strange glow caught his eye. A bear sat below. A bear with tiny fairy wings. He hiccupped and glowed with an unearthly light. Beside him lay the crumpled box and several peach pits.
"Did you… eat my peaches?" Bobo whispered. 
The bear hiccupped. "Delicious," he said. Then he wobbled into the air on his ridiculous little wings and floated away. "It's late. I'm going home."

Bobo stared at the empty ribbon in his hands. He folded his wings and landed on the ground. He dragged the ribbon through the dust, walking nowhere. His shoulders sagged. His heart felt heavy. He had failed. The most honoured messenger of Mornwood — and he had nothing to show for it.

Then he saw a black cat sitting on a log, calmly washing its face. Bobo's face lit up as if nothing had happened. He grabbed the cat, tied the ribbon into a fluffy bow around its neck, and soared into the sky with a joyful cry. The cat, too stunned to protest, simply accepted its fate.

The wind whispered warnings in Bobo's ear as he flew, but he did not hear. He never did.

Morning Star was waiting in her tower. Bobo presented the cat with great ceremony.
"A gift from your brother. This year's harvest is especially wonderful," he said. "A Night Peach."

Every time a gift arrived from Crescent, Morning Star felt a warmth in her chest — a faint echo of her brother's presence. They could not meet. It was simply the way of things. But the gifts were their thread.

Morning Star tilted her head. "It looks… strange."
"New variety," Bobo said smoothly. "Requires simple care. Feed it cream. Give it a soft bed. It will bring you joy."

Before she could ask more, a crash came from above. The cat had knocked over a vessel of night dreams. Pink mist poured out, singing in a chorus of fairy voices.
Morning Star stared. Bobo shrugged. "Yes, well. Unusual harvest. Nothing to be done. Peaches bloom only once a thousand years — this millennium turned out to be special."
Morning Star sighed. "Brother would not send me something bad. I shall try this Night Peach." She kissed Bobo on the forehead.
Bobo flew off, blissful, immediately tangling himself in a cloud.



***
Some time passed. Bobo returned with another delivery — moonflower pollen from Mother Bee, wrapped in a soft maple leaf. As he flew, a sparkling trail of pollen drifted behind him like glowing dust. He carried it carelessly, as always. The wind tried to guide him, but Bobo hummed loudly and did not listen. When he handed the package to Morning Star, it was nearly empty. A few precious grains clung to the folds of the leaf.

"Thank you, Bobo," she said warmly. "This is such a rare and valuable material. The bees collect it in tiny amounts. Because of that, I have been weaving the ethereal veil of celestial light since the beginning of time, and I still have not finished. It is the work of my entire existence."

Bobo nodded solemnly. "Yes, yes. Important, painstaking work. The bees gather as much as they can."



***
Days passed. The cat, now living in the tower, knocked things over, bounced on the furniture at odd hours, and chased away Morning Star's friend, Titmouse Tanya.

"He is very… tiring," Morning Star confessed when Bobo returned with yet another delivery.
Bobo glanced at the cat. "Ah, I see you've befriended the Night Peach. Wonderful. This variety takes time. But joy will come. I am sure of it."

Morning Star sighed. Just then, the cat tumbled into her knitting — the ethereal veil she had been weaving since the dawn of time. He emerged tangled in shimmering threads, bounced across the room, and with every leap, sparkling moonflower pollen scattered from his fur like tiny stars.

Morning Star picked up the veil. Giant holes gaped back at her. The precious pollen, gathered over millennia, now lay scattered across her floor. She swayed, and Bobo caught her.
"Take him back," she whispered, pointing at the window.
Bobo tried his usual excuse — this harvest will bring joy, just wait — but Morning Star would not listen.

That night, after Bobo left with the cat, Morning Star sat in silence for a long time, looking at her ruined work. Then, in despair, she threw the veil out the window and turned away.

Crystal tears fell from her eyes and shattered on the floor.

She did not see what happened next.

The wise Wind caught the veil and carried it high into the sky. The loose threads stretched across the heavens, glowing like scattered light. And Lord Crescent, far away in his palace, saw the luminous trail. He stepped outside. He set foot on the path of light.

It led him through the night, across the sky, straight to his sister's tower.
"Morning Star," he called softly.
She turned. She saw him through the open window. And she laughed — a bright, happy laugh, the kind she had not laughed in a very long time. The Night Peach had brought joy after all.



***
From that night on, the Path of Light appears in the sky. It guides lost travellers and connects brother and sister across the heavens.

And the black cat? He returned to the tower. Morning Star kept him. He became her dearest friend.

Bobo received the highest honour of Mornwood once again. He was, after all, the most trusted messenger.

Tilda Publishing

The Night Peach