Prologue

There once was a child that fell in love with the sky. She believed every single day that
she could one day fly into the sky and live in the clouds. She believed so strongly in this one
single thing that she eventually flew up up and into the clouds, never to be seen again.
People say the shining lights in the sky are from the heavens she created with her own
imagination and unfaltering belief in her dreams

My grandmother told me this story once, she was quite the silly elf for sure, always
waving her hands and decorating our home with flowers of all kinds and sorts that nobody
had ever seen before. There werent a lot of flowers in Magi. The nation was primarily filled
with magi-technology that made the world more convenient for the denizens. As long as you
believed hard enough in something, it simply existed, that was the one rule of Magi. In school
we were taught to believe only in good. If one was to believe in the bad, bad things would
always come of it. I remember back in primary school, anyone that was caught trying to
cause bad things to happen, would be whisked away, never to be seen again, or, they would
arrive the next day like nothing ever happened and simply do good. Always. It was a strict rule
but now I understand why it exists, if you were to believe in the bad and bad happened, it
would cause a huge mess for the people of Magi and everyone would be constantly
miserable.

Magi is the nation we all live in, founded by an unknown entity that simply wished us all
into existence hundreds of years ago. We have elves, fairies, giants and giantess, heck, we
even have elemental nymphs which grow our trees and grass simply because they enjoy
doing so. The most common denizen of Magi Nation is the elf. We dont possess much power
or magic, usually we stick to the old fashioned building of stuff cause we enjoy the grind of it
all, but I am much more imaginative, I like the idea of flight and travel, that other stuff just isnt
as much fun to me, but most elves cant believe hard enough to fly, they lost a bit of the
imagination they once had that built this place from the clouds we stand on. Or at least, thats
what grandma tells me. My mom says grandma likes to tell old folktales and not to think about
them too much. I believe in my grandma though. If there is already magic because we believe
in it, then why cant we fly too?

There is one more rule of Magi. dont walk too close to thinning or sparse clouds. While
our nymphs are always hard at work making sure the cloud cover is thick and easy to walk
on, every once in a while, out in the rural lands, a hole slowly forms, leaking the bright city
lights and pastel magic of our city down into the lowlands. My grandmother says if you fall
through a hole and cant fly, you could get stuck down on the earth, covered in grass and dirt
and rocks, and never be able to fly back up. I promised myself that if I ever learned how to fly
that I would visit those people and teach them how to believe in themselves and join us all! I
would be the girl that brings the humans up to our wonderful world and teach them how to be
happy. I use to go hole searching, to peek over the cloud edges into the darkness and dim
void below. But at that whopping age of 5, I was too terrified to get any closer. Over time
though, I learned how to float, impressing my mother and illicit a great big smile on my
grandmothers face. I was one of the more powerful elves in this nation, and thank goodness I
only had good in me from the very beginning. When youre surrounded by positivity, its hard
to feel negative about anything! Sure we get sad sometimes but when you can wish for
almost anything and always have dreams to rely on for your joys too big for your britches, its
hard to stay sad for very long.
 I guess that brings us all the way to today! A bright summer day bustling to the brim of
positivity and creation, just in time for the magic festival! Which Im too busy searching for
holes to go to right now. Did I mention Im getting better at floating for longer and higher? I
finally made it on the roof of our castle! Im not ready to go down to earth just yet but just
you wait
2

Samaaaaanthaaaaa! an old voice cooed. are you ready for the fair? This is the day
theyre giving out those flower leis My grandmother exclaimed. She was so excited to see
what those fairies came up with at the festival. Every year they held a creation contest where
magic users could compete for a shiny gold flower necklace. Only one fairy ever dedicated
her studies to learning how to create gold, and she was a rare one indeed. Most of the people
here only studied one or two things their whole life and became masters of the craft they
desired the greatest. It took a long time to gather up enough magic to wish some things into
creation. My grandmother chose gardening as her field of study, growing food from soil daily
to offer to the people of Magi. There were lots of elves like my grandmother who learned this,
it was relatively easy and it was really useful! My mother chose technology, because
sometimes its easier to fabricate metal and make the machines then to wish yourself a
complex piece such as a computer. Some people could do it, but you had to think of every
little component for something like that to exist. My field of study, summons and flight revolved
around the ability to make my body as light as the air I'm surrounded by and float up until I
choose to become heavy again. thats super hard to do since you have to stay very bright and
cheery just to get off the ground let alone stay up there. Coming down was hard too, once
youre up sometimes you get too excited and get lighter than air and float too high. Then you
get scared and fall really fast and its just a mess to concentrate on, it took me a lot of self
control. The other half of my studies, summons, is more reliant on my ability to call spirits or
beings to me in times of need. Like arctic wolf spirits to catch food for me, or to ride. I like
riding them too. Sometimes if you dont summon an actual spirit you can instead summon raw
magical energy which glows pastel colors of whatever magical emotion youre looking for. Im
the best at pink cause pink is liking and loving something and I love everything!

But enough about magic and schools of imaginative arts, that stuff can be long-winded
and boring comiiing grandmaaaa!~ I yell from upstairs, grabbing my satchel and racing to
meet her at the front door. what are you entering in the contest anyway? I ask, fiddling my
fingers cause my submission was less a thing and more of a show. She smiled at me,
beaming her classic grin of everlasting amusement, something I was astounded by every
single time I looked at her. She held up a baby carrot, which was singing. I call it the Root
Opera!~ she chuckled and I poked the carrots belly, it giggled and stopped singing for a bit
before it went back to humming. it really likes music, huh... I replied, smiling at the vegetable
and wondering if it was even okay to eat it now that it had a face. I decided probably not, at
least not before it lives a ripe life of a few weeks as vegetables naturally do. Have you ever
grown a 30 year old carrot? Neither have I.~ what about you sweetie? she asked,
interrupting my derailed train of thought. oh! I jumped up and down and opened the front
door. Its a surprise! I said as I grabbed her free hand and pulled her excitedly to the fair.
Our sidewalks are always so perfect... I mumbled, amused since honestly everything always
looked perfect here, at least to me.
 As we made our way to the fair, we passed several other castles like ours, homes to
hundreds of thousands of people up here. They all glistened and glowed beautiful colors.
Green for joy, pink for love, blue for peace, orange for curiosity, and plenty other colors that
made me think of zillions of rainbows. The street lights were always shining a perfect white,
the purest color you could get, the whiter your colors, the happier they were and the brighter
they looked. Sometimes things were made gray or black though, and you could make those
out of joy too, but they were glowy and bright, non illuminating colors actually lack emotion
and stem from an intellectual background. The deepest blacks and purples and dark dark
blues could be made by the worlds smartest people! Grays from average folk were always
nice too! But you had to watch out for reds. Some reds were good, the pink reds stemmed
from deep intimate and passionate love whereas orange reds or brown reds were usually
from anger and deep blacks that lacked any other color in them came from hateful feelings.
Sometimes we had to call upon those emotions temporarily to make those colors but we do
our best to avoid large objects made of those things, because they made us feel a little
uneasy, thats why we stick to intellectual dark colors, they felt less bad and sometimes
helped you feel a little smarter! Like for suits or dresses!

The fair however was the most beautiful place to be in Magi during the holidays, the
carts and stands were decorating with oranges and browns of earthy feeling, and the sky was
always a brilliant baby blue, with the pastel yellows of the bright sun showering us all with
warmth and security, the very thing yellows were known for. Every denizen of Magi admired
yellow the most, our officers that helped out citizens were always dressed in bright pastel
yellow, and was known for being the assistance folk. If someone accidentally got hurt and
color started pouring from their skin in bright rainbows, it was known to cause us to freak out
a little cause our energy and our magic was falling out of us, which a lot of us got scared from.
The yellow helpers were there to prevent accidents and quickly help those who had suffered
an accident from bleeding out and passing away. A graphic thought, I know, but most people
only ever got little scrapes or cuts now and then, nothing serious enough to die from. I kinda
like the fascinating sparkling gilded blood of the elves. They never stayed one color, always
changing from moment to moment like a liquid rainbow. Sure it was a little scary if you got cut,
but at least the colors were pretty to look at. I never got scared about those things, my mom
was such a worrywart but if I got scraped I knew eventually the wound would close and Id
heal and be okay. Thankfully there were no accidents at the fair so far, everyone was as
happy as ever! Even the orange man.

THE ORANGE MAAANNNN!!!!!~ TAAAAAARRRDDDEEENNNNNN! I I squealed

happily as I slammed into his booth full tilt. can I have an orange? I pleaded. His oranges
were known for being the fruitiest, sweetiest, most juiciest things one could ever taste, and he
only ever made them for the fair. Which if you ask me, was no fair at all~
pleaspleasepleaseplease pleaseee!!!!!~ I rambled as he guffawed, handing me an orange.
of course, Sam! he bellowed cheerily. The giant grinned as I peeled off the skin and hungrily
devoured the delicious fruit. mmmmmh, so gooood I murmured, my mouth full of orange. I
thanked him and scrambled to the next booth I was interested in. tTe jewelry, they always had
really cute charm bracelets that glowed in the dark a bright pink, my absolute favorite color!
Our people had no need for currency, everyone gave each other what they needed if we had
it, and nobody ever wanted to take advantage of it since making things they loved was fun for
them, it was a beautiful coexistence that came to be when we booted all the baddies from our
city and nation. Flawless in execution, even more flawless in creation. My job so to speak
was to deliver things from some people to other people, often I got to ride my spirit animals or
put on shows for kids to keep them entertained and happy, I loved my job and people loved
that I helped them out, so it was a win-win! Especially when I got to have these beautiful
charm bracelets for helping people out.

can I haaavvveeee.. this one please? I pointed out a pretty pink and blue one
with stars and moons on it, with a big yellow sun charm in the middle and asked kindly. The
lady smiled and handed it to me, happy someone was so enthralled with her art. we dont get
too many people in need of jewelry around here so my gifts often go ungiven. she mused
thoughtfully. I frowned a little. aw, really? I love them! And as long as you keep making them,
ill have as many as you wanna give me!~ I giggled, looking up at a large ornate necklace
laced with silver and a big fuchsia glowing heart in the center. She followed my gaze and took
the necklace off the stand. tell you what, since youre a big ol fan, you can have this too! Just
remember though, this is imbued with quite a powerful feeling of love! If you ever get swiped
off your feet by the feeling, it might just mean youve met your match, hun! she joked with me
handing it to my awaiting gentle grasp. I stared at it so mesmerized its so beautiful... I
said softly, too shocked by its beauty to fully understand her words. I gingerly put the
necklace over my head and rested the small ornate chains on my shoulders and neck. It hung
from my body like it was a part of me, sinking against my skin and feeling perfect. I pulled the
charm bracelet on and joyfully tanked her over and over for the gifts.

I looked around the fair, looking for my grandmother when an announcer blared
through the speakers set up around the stalls and events. ladies and gentlemen! Gather your
families and your wits and dreams! The time has come to begin the creation contest! Those
with objects begin first!, next stage will be shows and displays of magical abilities! Hold onto
your hats because this is going to be one wild ride, folks!~ the speakers clicked as the
announcement ended and I panicked a little in excitement. The contest! Right! I ran towards
the crowd slowly forming and found the lineup for the events, watching as people with all sorts
of gadgetry and items made their way onstage to display their items. I watched on the floating
screen as item after item went up on stage, zoomed in to folks hands and displaying the
immense talent our generations seemed to posses. I saw my grandmothers worn hands show
up onscreen and hooted and cheered. WOOOH! GO GRANDMAAA!~ a couple families
chuckled at my enthusiasm. There were three separate contests, one for items, one for
talents, and one for utilities and inventions. The items got a gold flower lei. The inventions got
a silver crown etched with ornate carvings, and my contest prize, the talent show, was given a
dress or suit of clothes designed by the top designer in all of magi, selflessly donated by the
queen of fashion herself. With her at the helm, she could make you a garment that never got
dirty or needed to be washed, and had the purest most brilliant colors one could ever ask for.
It was the one thing I desired the most! And I knew exactly what I wanted.

Since most of the citizens here provided goods rather than services, the queue for the
talents was staggeringly short, only seven people including me ever entered. The last years
show was probably the most impressive, imps would show the life cycle of a peach tree
every year, imbuing the peaches with gilded colors of gold and pink. The giants and
giantesses would ball graphite in their bare hands and turn them into diamonds, sometimes
doing it to other rocks and creating gems from the compression. A true display of power.
Fairies would dance ballet and use their wings to dance pictures into life and tell stories, using
different colors of fairies for different things. And then there were the elves, I was the only one
who ever entered last year I tried to show people I could float but I got so nervous that I
jumped into the air super high and fell down. Needless to say, I didnt win, but this year I have
something a little different planned, more in tune with my summoning than my easy to falter
floating magic. By the time I was called up, all the other acts had intimidated me into not
wanting to go up, but I mustered the courage and stood on the stage, looking out at the
thousands of people watching me.

I was so nervous that I just stood there a good fifteen seconds. The announcer walked
up to me and whispered that I was allowed to go now, and not to worry. I looked at his face
which seemed comforting and apologetic. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and pushing
out all the worries I had. I could do this! I opened my arms, spreading them wide and far apart
on each side. I opened my eyes and focused all of my beliefs into this one moment. I COULD
do this! The sparks began. At first shimmering glittery flecks of light, that explanded as
gateways and runes formed delicately up my arms, I swung my right arm to my left and
brought a baby blue wolf into existence, the light of his spirits pulsed and flowed as he played
with the hem of my dress, letting out cute yips as the crowd awed in delight. I smiled, I was
already succeeding!~ I placed my palms together and pulled them apart, webbing soft pink
nets that pulled forth spirits of hundreds of doves, releasing them into the air and watching in
my own amazement as they flew in all directions, scattering into the skies and fading as they
drifted back into their realm. My happiness increased as I placed my hands to the ground and
floated my body up, pulling a bright lilac purple from the stage floor all the way up into the sky
and opening the doorway for a great big elephant to prance onto the stage. The crowd
cheered and applauded as I floated there for several seconds, concentrating with all my might
to send the elephant back and float down before I lost my concentration, I wobbled a little and
landed on the elephants back, which tooted joyfully and took me in a ride in circles on the
stage before fading into glittery dust like the rest of the creatures, I plopped down onto the
stage floor and stood up, taking a bow before walking off stage. The applause was a lot
louder than I thought it would be, but I was in too much of a head-rush to notice. That
elephant totally save my performance by catching me! Thank goodness those spirits are so
willing to help me out!~

An hour and a half of nail biting and pacing later, the judges came to me to pull me
onstage with the rest of the performers. I was so nervous that I almost tripped up the stairs. I
looked to my left and noticed the other contestants were staring at me grinning with thumbs
up. The announcer looked to us and then to the patiently awaiting audience and the
winner for this years summer festival showmans act is!. the crowd fell silent as the drum-
roll continued SAMANTHA EWANS AND HER GILDED CREATURES OF MAGI!~ the
crowd erupted into cheers and hollers, and a few good-natured jovial boos as families of
contestants didnt win. I stepped up to the podium trying to take in the fact that my name was
mentioned before looking at the big screens that showed my face. I won I won?? holy
crows I WON?! I shouted in surprise. Oh my goodness, I won! I squealed, jumping up and
down as I was ushered next to the top designer of Magi, shaking her hand and laughing
hysterically at all this luck. They really did mean it when they said if you wish for something
hard enough, I comes true! I was so fortunate to get this. Thank you! AH THANK YOU SO
MUCH!~ I exclaimed as I was handed the token that represented my victory. The lady smiled
alongside the announcer. 7 years of entering this contest and I finally won! Then again,
everyone who entered had won this at leas once now in my category, since there were so few
contestants. But I worked hard for this! I worked so hard and practiced day and night! I
beamed my most brilliant smile and held up the token, erupting another set of cheers from the
crowd before trotting giddily offstage and back unto the general public. I was still vibrating
from the excitement as I made my way to my grandmother who immediately sucked me into a
big grandma hug and congratulated me. Im so proud of you Sam!~ she cooed happily as
she walked with me back to the other stalls. I thanked her up and down before asking about
her entry. did you win? I was busy backstage so I didnt hear much about who won your
category! I explained apologetically. She giggled and patted my head. No but it was certainly
a crowd-pleaser!~ she jeered. A little girl about ten years old came to me and asked if she
could play with the carrot, so I gave it to her. The smile on that little girls face was about as
much of a prize as I needed! her chuckles made me feel a little better about her loss, but she
seemed a lot happier than any of the other contestants, who were laughing, a little downcast
about their defeat, with their families. Next year. Next year they had a new chance~

By the time we had made it on our way home, the sky had darkened to a brilliant navy
blue and the houses and lights illuminated the sidewalks. The cool breeze had done a good
job of calming me down as I held the token in my hand. Tomorrow, the lady was coming over
to my house to exchange the token for the outfit I had requested. A yellow and pink dress with
baby blue bows on it. I had wanted a dress like that since I was a kid, usually my mother
didnt let me wear a lot of yellow since people might come to me in crisis. She was worried I
couldnt handle such a difficult task so we compromised and added a few other colors to
make it look less formal yellow and more like casual everyday wear. It was my gift from my
mom to let me pick this outfit since if Id won, it meant I was studying good and hard of my
magic, and proving my responsibility. As a kid I didnt think It was very fair but now I
understand that at the age of six and seven, it would be a lot of hard work if someone mistook
me for a safety officer, I didnt know any healing magic so Id need to help them get to a
hospital which at such a tiny size could lead to someone not getting the help they needed. If
you think its odd for someone at 6 to be mistaken for a safety officer, you probably havent
seen some o the smaller elves that are in their twenties that still look like kids. Even at
fourteen I look pretty childish, and the dress I was about to get wouldnt make that any less of
an issue.
 Tomorrow after the dressmaker would visit, I planned to go hole searching again. I
didnt get to see much this morning and now that I know I can float hundreds of feet, I know I
can safely land on the ground if there is any, or float back up if there isnt. With nobody to
distract me, itll be even easier than it was onstage today! I opened the front door and held the
token up to my mom, who squealed with me and danced around in the kitchen. my baby girl
is finally all grown up and womanly!~ she sang as she started making pancakes for me. My
grandmother made her way to the kitchen table and sat down laughing. I havent seen my
daughter this excited since she graduated from her tech studies!~ I laughed and poked my
grandmas shoulder, giggling with her. My mom stopped dancing to give a disapproving mom
frown at the two of us. oh please! Am I that much of a stick in the mud to you two? she
asked mock hurt. I laughed and gave her a hug. no, youre the safety mom! Sure sometimes
I dont like your rules but I know youre looking out for me! I responded, feeling her arms
wrap around me and my collarbone warm up. It was a soft warmth, one that felt soothing and
safe. I remembered int hat moment the necklace I had on. OH OH! MOM WAIT! I shouted,
pulling the necklace from under the collar of my dress. She gasped, oh honey thats so
pretty! Where did you get it? she held the heart gem in her palm and felt it radiate heat and
light. The woman at the jewelry stall!~ she gave it to me as a gift My mother grinned ear to
ear and patted my hair. You really are growing up to be a wonderful, beautiful woman... I
beamed up at her then pointed to the pan. ma, your pancakes are burning. she turned
around panicking and flipping her pancakes, heaping them onto a large plate. As she hurried
around the kitchen I mouthed to my grandmother. I call the well done ones!~ I sat next to her
and rested my head on the table. Its been a long day

After pancakes and a little bit of T.V. I headed up to my room to go to bed. After an
eventful day like that I was itching to go to sleep and let myself dream up a bunch of wild
things. Sure my life was always filled with happiness, but feeling the same things everyday
sometimes got a little boring, my dreams were where I could feel anything and everything
good and bad. It made me a little thankful for all the overwhelming good I got to experience,
and was another reason I wanted to go hole hunting. If my grandma was right, which she has
been so far, I could be spreading that happiness with many people on earth! Apparently the
people that inhabited that place looked like elves with shorter rounder ears. I imagined they
looked like bears but my grandma shook her head when I asked. They were apparently much
more unique! I crawled into bed after changing into my pajamas and drifted off into sleep,
dreaming of stars and butterflies and what space had to offer me if I ever went exploring that
far. All in all, Id say today was absolutely perfect
 3

I woke up to the sound of people talking downstairs. When I opened my eyes, the light
was filtering through my window and decorating all the bright pastels of my room. My window
was open, sifting warm breezes through it and filling my room with a quiet warmth. The gentle
hum of voices helped me collect my scattered dreamy thoughts and get my butt into gear,
padding in my baby blue slippers, downstairs to explore the commotion in my living room.
There stood the most beautiful woman Ive ever had the pleasure of meeting. Gala, the queen
of fashion, and the sole reason expensive gatherings of powerful people were called galas in
the first place. I shook hands with her again, staring in awe as she held out her perfectly
manicured hand for the token. I handed it to her as she explained the process. the reason
they give you a token overnight is because it collects all your emotions and thoughts and
translates them into the perfect dress for you. It was a little idea I had when people were
super picky. It made designing things people wanted, much easier... she spoke, her voice
was smooth as she pressed two fingers together holding the coin and watching as she
transformed it into a brilliant pink, yellow, and blue dress. The threads gathered and pooled,
turning into soft sheets of cloth and binding themselves swiftly to other colors and materials
until several minutes later, my dress was complete. She held the dress draped over one arm
and began to hum, the dress glowing brighter and settling with lilac accents. this dress is
tailor-made for you and you only. Nobody else shall ever set a limb in it as it answers only to
you. It will mend itself, clean itself, and collect magic around you to help you create more
powerful and cleaner spells. I hope it serves you well, darling... she closed her eyes and
knelt before me, offering the dress before me. I gingerly plucked it from her arm and looked it
over. its perfect... I mumbled in awe. My mother who had stayed silent for this process
silently had her own little dancing party on the spot. I could tell she was happy for me. I
grinned up at gala who stood up after Id grabbed the dress, and asked, can I put this on right
now? she nodded and that was all the permission I needed to thank her up and down and
run off to my room to change.

I rushed in and slammed the door behind me, eager to put the dress on. I pulled it over
my slim body as it shrunk to fit me perfectly. I smiled and stared at myself in my mirror,
placing my necklace on once again and watching the necklace sink against my skin once
more. The dress shifted its pinks to match my necklace and I smiled into my own reflection.
This was possibly the most me thing I have ever worn. And with that I ran back downstairs to
be greeted with a pair of ballet flats adjusted to match the dress. I looked at gala and carefully
collected the shoes. Shoes too?~ I cooed happily. She nodded. Whats a dress without
shoes to match? she laughed softly. I slipped my feet into them as they too fitted to my feet.
They felt night as air! I felt like I could float away at any moment in these! what are they
made of? she looked me in the eye and bent down to meet me face to face. a special cloth
just for you. I noticed yesterday that you were one of very few elves that can float, so I made
these white shoes to help your abilities. I smiled and tried them out, pushing softly off the
ground and floating midair. In these, it was a breeze to concentrate and fly! How was that
possible! As I laughed she continued on to explain them better. The gft you possess to make
yourself as light as air is one very few elves can master. Those that learn need to focus on a
very pure type of magic, one not typically found easily around us. These shoes collect and
produce this magical energy so you can find more of it easier. her words sank in a little and I
felt like I had missed a huge gap of studies. how come I never knew about that? I asked.
Gala sighed. unfortunately, proper abilities to float are a difficult lesson to teach an elf,
especially if none of the teachers ever master it themselves. its a lesson you mainly need to
learn through discovery, which I think you will have no issue doing!~ she said as I floated
back down to touch the floor. I hugged her and thanked her again for all her help. I finally felt
like a real magical elf! thank you for everything youve done, gala! You made my life a heck of
a lot easier in my studies! she laughed once more before turning to leave. use them
responsibly my dear! she cooed as she left, turning to look at me one last time, a gleam of
knowledge and intimate understanding shone in her eyes somehow, she seemed to give
me everything I needed as soon as I needed it she was definitely more powerful than she
lets on

After lunch I made my way outside, skipping and sometimes floating my way to the
woodsy area near my house. Sometimes a nymph would forget to patch a rabbit hole from a
spectra hare or a tunnel from a gopher spirit, those were the ones that expanded enough to fit
a girl my size the best. After about an hour of searching I finally found what I was looking for.
A sparse collection of cloud cover that had a sizable hole through it. It could fit three of me
easily so one of me should be smooth sailing. I was about to break a rule I was told not to
since birth. I was gonna jump into a hole. I surely hope my grandmother was right about what
lies down here! I stared down the hole at thick clouds that walled each side. I stepped to the
edge, careful to float a little in case the clouds werent dense enough here. The nymphs were
very diligent with keeping these holes from appearing in the city, eighty percent of the clouds
there were artificial and the streets kept the gases there permanently. Out in the countryside
of the this skyland there werent roads to keep the clouds from dissipating, so nymphs would
often travel to the edges of Magi to keep them together. It was a risky job for anyone other
than them. Since the nymphs had wings similar to the fairies, they could float outside the city
and push clouds back to us easily. This hole however, looked like it had gone unnoticed since
it was so far inland and nobody ventured here often enough to report it. It was my saving
grace today. I took a deep breath, gathered the courage, and jumped, letting myself free-fall
until the clouds no longer surrounded me. I looked down through the haze and noticed a fast
approaching land mass. And closed my eyes to calm myself down. I slowed down
dramatically but still landed pretty rough, tumbling through imperfect trees and onto dense
bushes. I rubbed my leg and winced. I probably scraped myself. I looked down, worried I
might have badly hurt myself but was relieved to find out the scrape was tiny. My skin there
was raw bu I certainly wasnt bleeding. My blood was still safely pulsing its rainbow goodness
through my body. With how thin my skin was there, I could see the colors rushing around. I
placed a big ol band-aid on my leg and stood up. oof!~ sore landing I muttered to myself as I
rubbed a few tender spots and walked down the hill, the clothes mending themselves and
brightening up to clear the stains off the frills and apron-esque front.

I smiled and dusted myself off, making my way inland to where a bunch of small
houses seemed to be collected on dirty stone pathways. this place sure loves their dust and
dirt!~ I cheerily noted aloud, trotting towards the residential area. Everything was dull here
and I loved it. I really did! It was refreshing to see so many muted darker colors that didnt
constantly glow. I looked back at the hole I fell through and saw brilliant light cascading
through the cloud hole. As I looked around there were hundreds! Some were too small for
people while others were big enough for cars way out near the edges. I had no idea there
were so many! At least I always had a way back that was easy to find I stopped before a
particularly large street and looked inside the amass of glass doors that hid themselves deep
in stone walls. Why make things out of such a dirty red color? Who knew I wandered the
streets until I found a small crowd of people, that seemed to be watching a man on a
television screen through a window. thats when I noticed their ears. Short, round, and
definitely not bear like. I gasped and a few of them turned to look at me before refocusing on
the screen. I skipped and danced and laughed my way uncaring of the people looking at me,
and skidded to a halt near a large building. It must be an education center we have schools
like this but much bigger on Magi. So it was true! That little girl that believed she could fly
came from this planet she lived on, and imagined herself a whole city! I ran into the field
where a bunch of humans my age seemed to be collected in groups. I walked past several of
them, curious as to the laughter and jovial expressions on the kids faces as I walked by.

I smiled politely and waved, they would turn away and giggle more. It was good to see
a bunch of people so amused. I probably did look pretty funny to them! There wasnt anyone I
could see with long ears and unnaturally bright clothes so I stood out quite a heap. I looked
around for someone who might be able to direct me around this place, eventually settling on a
boy standing by himself, looking up at the sky. I followed his gaze to a particularly large hole
that didnt seem to emit any light. How curious, but that was to be explored later. As I walked
over to him, my stomach started to turn and I felt a little sick. Oh boy, is it the stagnant
unclean air here? I wondered as I kept making my way there. The feeling got worse as my
stomach became incredibly uneasy. I never actually talked to a human before so I chalked it
up to me being nervous. I stood directly in front of him and posed his chest, gaining his
attention. He looked a little startled and stared at me. y-yes? he asked, distracted by
something when he looked at me. I looked down and noticed the necklace was glowing and
the metal was hot. I frowned. What did that lady say about hot glowy necklaces? Nothing.
Crud. Fake it til you make it!~ uhh, my necklace just has a light in it.. I explained to the boy,
whos concern quickly melted to curiosity. what? he replied. I shook my head. never mind
that its not important. I rushed out, feeling rather embarrassed that my first conversation with
a human being was going so poorly. I felt so awkward! what.. what are you? he asked,
looking at my face like I was an alien. My face grew hot and I felt my stomach flip. geh.. Im a
person? I guess technically Im an elf but- he cut me off in surprise, elf?! he stared at me
and seemed to grow concerned again, stepping back. I stepped forward shaking my hand out
in worry and panic. nonono! Wait I'm not gonna hurt you! Please I just need help
understanding whats going on! I felt my eyes get watery. I didnt like this feeling, it reminded
me of when I would get hurt as a kid. Scared. Sad. Really really sad actually. I took a step
back, worried Id just scared him off for good and ran away, tears falling from my face as I
looked for one of the tree patches to hide in. thankfully this school was near a meadow and I
had plenty of places to run to. I faintly heard him call out to me as I bolted for the trees, diving
into the bushes and curling up on the ground that was caked with the not so fun soil of this
earth. I had no idea where I was and my mood was certainly not uplifting enough to go back
to my home.

I heard the leaves rustle as a body formed next to me. My stomach felt like it was filled
with a bunch of fairies and I felt like I was going to be sick. I wiped the tears from my eyes and
tried my best not to look up through my hair at the boy who had materialized near me. He
quietly sat down next to me and I felt uncomfortably warm. He waited patiently for my tears to
stop falling before he spoke. i didnt mean to make you upset... he said quietly. a lot of kids
here wouldnt care for sure but I cant let you just feel bad cause of me... he half rambled half
explained himself a little before sighing. Im sorry youre probably lost and confused... he
finally said after a long draw of silence. I felt oddly soothed and uncomfortable at the same
time around him, so I did what felt best and just leaned against him, letting go of my weight
and practically flopping my body off to the side just to lean on him. its okay... I mumbled,
wiping my eyes and trying to catch my breath. He spoke up again, this time a little less
freaked out, so whats your name then? he asked, I stayed silent. Mines Avery... he
continued softly. i was surprised you had come up to me because Im usually not social with
anyone in my class... it caught me by surprise he continued on. I sighed, my name is
Samantha most people call me Sam or Sammy I replied, gathering enough courage to
speak. My heart was pounding and my throat felt like something was stuck in it. I hated it but
also didnt want it to stop. where Im from, people avoid bad feelings at all costs, and
everyone is nice to each other... I said softly. its a lot different here I guess... I felt him laugh
a little. yeah, here in Glen Oaks we dont really treat each others super nice unless theyre a
friend. he mumbled back. I frowned, really? Why be so nice to me then? Are we friends
then? he laughed nervously, well you treated me nice so I didnt really have a reason to be
mean did I? he said, hesitating before adding to his thoughts, do you want to be my friend?
he phrased it more as a retort to my statement than an actual question but my heart jumped
into my throat anyway and I croaked out, sure, why not. he laughed a little again and leaned
his head against the tree. you said you were an elf where do elves even live on this earth?
I sat back upright and pointed through the leaves at a bright hole in the sky. up there. I dont
actually live on the earth... he stood up and looked down at me, offering me a hand, which I
took. His hand was warm and it took me a moment to actually move, I was too distracted by
how warm he was to register he was helping me up. I swiftly caught myself and stood up,
laughing it off as we walked out of the trees.

We got to talking and apparently it was the end of the school day for him, so he had a
few hours to hang out and talk with me before he had to go home, so I rambled on and on
about Magi and how the city worked. At first he was shocked but he had heard the same
folktale about a child that flew into the clouds by believing hard enough in herself. After that I
used the popular folktales my grandma told me to explain everything else to him. He lowly
warmed up to my strangeness and we actually had a little fun! We ran through the woods, no
longer worrying about cloud holes on my part since the ground on earth in Glen Oaks was
apparently solid as rock. I came up with a bright idea later in our trekking o walk up the giant
hill I started at and pointed to the hole I came through. do you want to see where I come
from? I asked, excited. He hesitated scratching his fluffy brown hair and looking down at his
feet nervously. i think it would require a special kind of creature to walk on clouds... he
responded, clearly nervous. we wont know if we dont try I shouted happily and grabbed his
hands. His face turned bright re and he panicked a little as I jumped from the hill and floated
up. Since he couldnt use magic, I had to focus super hard at making myself much lighter than
air to lift him off the ground. I had tried at first to hold his hands but I found I got a better grip
by hooking my arms under his, enough so that by the time we cleared the cloud layer and I
set him down on the soft white tufts several feet away from the hole just in case. I let go and
he closed his eyes, ready for the worst. Which never came. He opened an eye and stood on
the clouds, afraid to take a step. I held out my hand to him. here if you fall Ill just catch you
okay? I smiled reassuringly, he looked to me and nodded, cautiously stepping at first the
slowly gathering the courage to walk normally as we made it to the denser cloud of the city.
As soon as we hit the sidewalks he stopped and gasped. everything is so bright here! he
squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light. How is this all real?! he exclaimed, tapping his
foot on the perfect sidewalk stones. I was enthralled to watch him gush of how beautiful
everything was, satisfied that I had made someones day. were gonna be late, Avery! I called
out after him as I ran up to catch him laughing and running down the sidewalk. He slowed
down and turned to me, smiling like it was his birthday, late for what? he asked curiously.
dinner, dummy! I laughed and grabbed his hand, getting that same warmth fro before that
always made my stomach flip. I ignored it once more in lieu of food. I was starving. He
laughed from behind me, taking in the illuminated scenery and trying to keep up with me as I
ran home.
 I charged through the door to my castle and giggled at how in awe he was at literally
everything so far. \your house is so big!!! he gasped and took off his shoes. I looked at him
for a second and decided to heck with it. Might as well be a socks kind of day! And took off
mine too. Humans were so bizarre and I couldnt wait to show grandma the friend I made. I
ran after him calling out for her, finding her in the kitchen, cooking dinner. hey wheres mom?
I asked. She turned to me with a bright smile. out with your father! He got home from his little
business trip so they decided to go to his place for the night! its just me today dear! I
vibrated in anticipation in the doorway, holding Averys hand past the frame. well g-ma, I have
something to show you! she set down her plate and turned to face me. out with it dear! she
said matching my enthusiasm. ta daaaa!~ I said, pulling Avery from the hallway into the
kitchen. She gasped and sang out, ohhh you found yourself a human village!!~ her eyes lit
up and she rushed over with a cloth, wiping the dirt from his face giggling. you must be so
surprised to be here! she exclaimed, well none the matter, its time for supper! Go get
washed up kids! Avery pulled out his phone and quickly started texting someone. Curious I
peeked over his shoulder. His face went red and he looked over at my face. Im just letting
my mom know Im at a friends. Am I staying the night? Its Friday so I have tomorrow off! my
grandmother laughed at my confusion. we have a spare room dear, tell your mother you are
allowed to stay the night here if you wish! I stood there dumbfounded. Friday? I mused. What
in Sam heck was a Friday awh who cares. Sleepover! I jumped up and down as he finished
texting his mom about fridays and pulled him tot he bathroom to wash his hands. He looked
so worried that he was going to dirty something that I had to turn on the tap for him. we can
always clean up later! Quit being such a worrywart!~ I exclaimed as I washed up and gave
him the bathroom to himself, wandering back into the kitchen and sitting at the table, eager for
dinner.

By the time Adrian made it to the kitchen, I had already stared eating, too hungry to
wait for him. My grandmother was so amused at this human that she asked him a ton of
questions about where he lives, seeming to understand all of it. Some of her knowledge was
outdated but for a lady who was 900 years old, she sure knew quite a bit. The human and my
grandmother talked extensively as I listened in, eating and soaking in all the info about earth
that I possibly could from their conversation. My grandmother welcomed him to stay at our
place as long as he liked, so long as his mother agreed to it, he politely thanked her for the
offer but apparently hed need to go back to school in two days so he cant really visit more
than a few days at a time. Not to mention, he kinda needed me to get here or back down in
the first place. It was then that I decided to take this human on as an apprentice to learn
magic. After all, he would need to be able to get here on his own in case I was ever unable to
do so. I could let him borrow my shoes probably. The dress was tailor made for me but the
shoes were actually pretty generic as far as elfwear goes. Offering him my shoes might make
it easier for him to get started since we would need to catch up a lot to keep him up to speed.
I believed in him though, he could certainly do it if he wished hard enough to learn. A human
did it once before him, it only makes sense that a human be able to again!