The comet sped off into the darkness. Earth smiled as it went, waited for the last rays of its light to dwindle, and then settled in to wait. Faintly, she could still hear the comet. "Whee!"

+++

"Surprise! I'm here again!" the comet said, coming up behind Earth.

"Hello there," said Earth. "I've missed you."

The comet looked a little crestfallen. "I missed you too, only I took a little longer this time. I'm sorry. Do you mind, horribly?"

Earth laughed. As she did so, the animals on her surface felt the nearness of the comet, and hid as well as they could without knowing why. "No, I don't mind, comet."

"I wouldn't not come, you know," the little comet said earnestly. "You're one of the few planets that talks to me, and I know you like our chats. I wouldn't not come."

Earth smiled peacefully. "I know, little friend."

"I'm glad we're friends!" beamed the comet. "Only, now I have to rush along and make up for my delays. We'll talk longer next time."

+++

"Hello, Earth, I've missed you!" sang the comet.

Earth looked at the comet sleepily from under a blanket of snow. "Comet? What?"

"Oops! I forgot!" said the comet. "Go back to sleep, Earth. You're having an Ice Age! You need your rest."

Earth nodded, ice slipping over her face, glaciers and seasons passing as she dozed.

+++

"Hello again!" said the comet, swirling around Earth and pulling all her clouds new directions. "Tell me about your animals!"

"Hello," Earth said, and she chuckled. Then, she told the comet all about her animals and her continents and the way her weather system worked, until the comet danced off again.

+++

"Hello!" the comet called ahead of itself.

"Hello!" responded the Moon, having just learned to talk. The comet was quite surprised.

"How are you, Moon?"

"Hello!" said the Moon again.

"Oh, hello.." said the comet. Seeing Earth, it brightened. "Hello, Earth!"

Earth felt her storms dissolving as the comet pulled close. "Hello, little friend, it's good to see you again."

"How are your creatures, Earth?" asked the comet politely.

"Growing more adventurous," she said happily. "My ocean dwellers are swimming deeper than ever before, and my flying creatures are soaring to the clouds, now."

The comet peered at the planet. "My, that's impressive," he said. "But can your creatures fly as fast as me?"

"Nothing can," laughed Earth, "except perhaps light."

"I am light," sniffed the comet. "Well, sort of." And, with that, the comet soared off into the dark again.

+++

"Hey," said the comet upon approach, "Look what I can do."

Earth waited.

Bashful, the comet added, "Sorry, it takes a minute."

Earth watched.

"I've almost got it, I promise," said the comet, as it neared the end of its orbit around Earth. "I've got it, watch!"

And, very hesitantly, the comet began to spin.

"That's beautiful, dear," said Earth. Her little friend was beautiful, slowly rotating through the star-strewn and giving off gentle blue sparks as it went.

+++

"HELLO EARTHINGS" bellowed the comet, startling Earth into laughter.

"I doubt they'll understand you, comet," she chided gently. "They don't speak as well yet as I'd like, but they know me!"

"Which? The dolphins, or the bats, or...?"

"Humans, they're new since the last time you came by. They're young, but they're aware of me. They ask me for things. They're making things, already."

"Tell me more about them next time I come by," said the comet, dashing away.

+++

"London," said Moon, smiling. "Hello. London."

"Yes, Moon, that's London. One of the great cities they've built."

"London." the Moon repeated, proud of itself.

"That's very nice, I guess," said the little comet, drifting off.

+++

"I have something for you," said the comet, blushing.

"Oh?" prompted Earth.

"Just a something, for when I'm not around," explained the comet, twirling a little bit harder than normal. A little bit of the comet dislodged itself and settled into orbit around Earth. It had the same blue sheen as the comet, and twisted beautifully in the outer reaches of Earth's gravity pull.

"Oh, that's lovely!" exclaimed Earth, marveling at the little gift. "I don't believe I've ever received such a precious, lovely gift. Thank you, comet."

The little piece of comet spoke in a tiny voice.
"hello," the little rock said.

The comet said, "It's for when I'm not here. Just so you'll remember me!"

"Oh, comet..." Earth didn't quite know what to say.

The comet was almost out of reach of Earth by now. "Well, there it is. I hope you like it!" and, with that, the comet raced behind Jupiter and continued on its way.

Earth watched the little rock settle into its orbit. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" she told it, and the small rock wriggled gleefully.

+++

When the humans of Earth started sending songs and radio messages into space, the small rock spoke again for the first time, repeating what it heard. "Remember those messages," Earth told the little rock, "so that you can help me tell the comet about this when it comes by again." Earth thought that the comet would be delighted with the messages from the humans of Earth. Maybe, she thought, they'd race out from her to find it on its path, and when it came by again, it would sing to her.