Alex looked up in awe. He almost dropped his suitcase looking at the massive size of the space elevator as it moved on a track spanning across the equator, held about 20,000 feet up in the air on towering columns.

“Woah…I can’t believe it!” He looked back to Linda as Scally squeaked nervously looking at the gargantuan size. His light, frilly blue jacket flapped in the wind. “I knew it was bigger up close but…dang!”

His mom laughed and set her own luggage down beside him. “It’s pretty impressive, isn’t it? Well, let’s see what the ride up feels like!”

Alex got all bubbly just thinking about it as his eyes sparkled. He was going to finally step into space and make his way to the first landmark for many on their initial voyage off the home planet: the Moon! Ever since the war ended, ever since Elysia and its satellite were connected, people from all over would mark their extraterrestrial travels with at least one trip to the first colonized body beyond the birthplace of humanoid-kind and all life.

The young boy and his mom beckoned their companions and got on one of the hovertrolleys, which made its way up to meet with the docking bay of the megastructure. There was a large square platform around the atmosphere-breaching, stadium-sized cylinder, and it stood its own as a tourist attraction of its own right for visitors and travelers. Some passerby were taking out their holophones and activating their bubblecams to create three-dimensional pictures and videos. A swarm of floating nanobites wearing spinning, double-edged cameras would burst from the devices to record their surroundings. People could look down at the planet below and gaze in wonder at the near-endless scenery, stare in awe at the curve of the world on the horizon, admire the golden letters designating one Amalia Chasteny as the structure’s architect…

And once people were finished gaping at the view below, they could make their way inside through security to one of the four commercial terminals. There were of course concessions and souvenir stands for people to preoccupy themselves while waiting for their designated megalift to descend from on high, letting out old passengers and collecting new ones.

As Alex bounced from one marvel to the next, he enthusiastically discussed the scenery with his mom. She laughed as he talked about how he didn’t know this or asked if she knew that.

It had been a year since he had forged his bond with Scally, and Linda had made a change too. Although her parental instincts still wanted to kick in, she allowed him more freedom and gave him more chances to take steps for himself. Sometimes he tripped, sometimes he learned, sometimes he succeeded. But he always kept exploring no matter what the outcome was, and she did her best to let him keep making new discoveries.

“Woah….” At one point the young boy brushed the tuft of hair from his eye to gaze at a mural honoring the peace between worlds. “I didn’t know things got so…bad.”

The image of a massive crater on the one side of a moon was well known; it served as a scar from the final battle that still haunted the many people who witnessed it. Sometimes, however, the schools for younger ages skipped the more intense details.

Linda walked up beside him and held his hand. “It got a lot worse at times…But good people knew they had to keep fighting.” She looked to him. “It’s important to know that things can get really rough in life.”

Alex stared back at his mom, then to the image again. A number that he recognized was highlighted in the small summary of the war and its effects.

Seven and a half billion people.

Mom’s hand squeezed tighter. “It may be a little selfish of me, but I am happy you don’t live in that world anymore. Just…remember that it happened, though.”

Her son’s brows furrowed in thought.

Suddenly the voice for terminal information sounded from speakers. “MEGA-LIFT FOUR IS ARRIVING. ALL PASSENGERS, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE LOADING DOCK.”

“Okay, let’s go, kid.” Linda smiled, letting go of his hand.

His body turned and he walked in the terminal’s direction, even as he kept looking back to the mural.

Scally hopped onto Alex’s shoulder as they bustled their way through the crowds and into the lift, and he guided his mom towards the outer window to get the best look. His mind turned to the thrill of the incoming ride.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” He pressed his face against the glass excitedly. “I don’t wanna miss the liftoff!”

“Calm down, they’re still loading everyone for the ride.” Linda got behind him finally. “Now…I think our home is waaay over there!” She pressed her finger beside his face against the icy surface to point in the general direction. A series of floating islands filled the view, the green of nature colliding with the whites, silvers, yellows, and blues of artificial structures.

“Right behind this dirt speck?” He giggled and rubbed it clean. It was way too far away to see.

“No, the other one!” She tussled his hair. “Silly…”

The speaker sounded again. “HELLO DEAR PASSENGERS! TAKEOFF IS IN 30 SECONDS. PLEASE ENJOY THE TRIP AND VIEWS, AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE EXITS AT ALL TIMES! THANK YOU FOR RIDING THE STAR CONNECTION.”

Everyone began looking towards the windows, either straight outward and below or up. The Mega-Lift was tall enough to allow people in the middle to still have a look at the outside as they broke the atmosphere.

Alex counted down in his head with his adrenaline rising each moment. Three…two…one…

A spark snapped beside him and his ears pricked.

The elevator shot up and everyone bent their knees a little as the egg-shaped vehicle sped quickly along. The view was almost a blur as Alex watched Elysia’s horizon shrink below them. The curved line bent in on itself as the seemingly endless expanse of the planet closed in.

The sky faded from a clear lighter blue into something darker; they shot through even the highest-reaching clouds. Tiny dots of light appeared above them, and below Alex began to see the earth spinning. He got a bit dizzy from it all, but it was so extraordinary. As they entered space, he stared straight up to the domed window at the top. The universe itself seemed to surround them. Far off in the distance he saw the Moon, ready to welcome him and all the incoming guests.

Of course, those on other planets had the more traditional method of entering the Moon. Jill and Julian had jumped on passenger ships with their families and cruised along the interplanetary highway to their destination: a big party to celebrate employee’s devoted efforts and mark another year of success for the company.

Amy and her family merely jumped on one of the lower-budget shuttles which scuttled along from one terraformed, encapsulated field to the next along the lunar surface. She enjoyed seeing the artificial sunny or night-filled skies in each terrapod, making sure to sketch a lot of pictures along the way of interesting sights.

Everyone landed at the central location at about the same time. Jill and Julian’s ships docked and they hopped out on their way to the city center. Jill pointed out a few cool sights to Kalen, who had never been here before. Julian’s uncle did the same for him, although the nephew recalled flying past the Moon years ago. Amy got off the shuttle with Mom and Dad and quietly took in the scenery. The place was bustling with tourists excited to take part in a festival downtown. Aliya cooed and held Amy’s things on top of her cloudy head while they walked beneath a mighty statue. Meanwhile, Linda and Alex had entered the atmospheric capsule and touched down on the lunar surface.

Galanda was one of the largest terrapods on the Moon, full of marvels and exquisite sights. It had led the recovery once peace was achieved and quickly built diplomatic and trade relations with the other extraterrestrial colonies and Elysia. The prosperity that followed slowly spread across the rest of the terrapods and ensured that the golden age would not leave the Moon behind.

The young boy and his wandermouse kept spinning around while walking to take it all in as mom followed suit.

“They really love statues here!” Alex smiled and looked at the towering figures which appeared to reach to the sky as if in prayer. One remarkable statue showed 6 figures, two of which held their little girl’s hands in the middle. All stared upwards towards something far off ahead. “Oh, this one’s familiar!” He remembered reading about the Heroes of Unity who guided the Lunar Empire’s people through hard times.

His mom patted his head. “I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of them! Let’s head downtown, honey.”

All four families converged on the epic scenery lying ahead. In the middle of the high-reaching buildings there was a peninsula of trees and a beautiful waterfall stretching and splitting the city. The groups occasionally passed by each other as they took photos and selfies by the artificial water formation, never really noticing each other yet.

Amy giggled as her Dad made faces to elicit a smile for one photo, Julian got some street food for Uncle Galo, Jill rolled her eyes to herself as her parents made a comment about how the technology was behind here. The place was sprawling.

The light of the day slowly set. All the families made their way to their respective hotels to prepare for the first night of the party.

***

The screen turned on and all the partygoers looked up. The hall was hushed as the man with long straight silver hair smiled and looked upon them all, sitting in an elegant oaken room behind his famous fine-carved desk. On one side was a placard with the name Armaday Frayan inscripted on it. Behind him, mounted on the wall, was a handgun.

“Welcome, everyone, to the tenth annual IronStar Corporation Anniversary Celebration. It’s been another great year, hasn’t it?” His eyes glimmered as he held up a glass of vintage aged wine. “So many ups and downs…though mostly ups as usual!”

There was a spattering of laughter and cheers throughout the hall.

“We’ve fought hard to cement ourselves as a vital part of the star system, making new deals in the outer region and earning those hard-fought contracts with the Mass Solar Array Program around our sun.” He leaned in and his sharp custom-tailored red suit made a slight rubbing sound against the seat. “In fact, with the final deals in place, it is with the utmost pleasure that I can say we are the highest grossing company across the star!”

The cheers roared this time, everyone was ecstatic.

“This kind of success is exactly why we’re able to have these illustrious events!” He waved across the screen to the near-royal event hall where they were situated. “I always deliver the best to those who deliver to us, and believe me that you all are exemplary of our work ethic, or else you show tremendous promise going forward. So raise your glasses, dance the night away, and make a new connection while you’re here! You never know who’s going to be at the top next.” He cheered his glass to the screen, smiled wide with his head tilted forward, and the feed shut off.

The audience of formally dressed employees clanked their glasses together as well, and the celebration began. It was time to party.

Just at this point, Alex and his mom entered the giant lunar ballroom, the son skipping to the beat of the dance music that sounded from the middle of the crowd. His tussled hair bounced a little as he hopped alongside Linda, but once they entered the main event he stopped in his tracks. His expressive eyes grew wide.

“Woah! Mom…Mom, look!” He tugged the side of her sparkling red dress. “They have a gravidance-floor!” He practically was bouncing in place already in his deep-blue suit. “I’ve gotta try it out!”

“Okay, okay!” Linda said with a laugh. “Go have fun, but come over when I call you!” She flicked his ear, and he winced and giggled. “And be careful! Something always happens at a party, especially with you around.”

Alex nodded enthusiastically and kicked his feet against the ground to run his way over. His mom smiled after him, but then she got distracted by a familiar voice behind her.

The boy immediately joined the others and looked around as all the kids had gathered to bounce around like crazy. Some of them were almost professional as they jumped off the elevated platform and floated into the air. It was the one area not encumbered with the artificial gravity that encompassed the rest of the terraformed dome where the city and forests lay. They swung together, some holding hands, as they danced in the air gleefully.

Alex swung around with them, laughing and taking a few turns with partners as familiar hits played on the dance floor. He leaped and did rolls, kicked off the extremely high ceiling, and bounced off of others as they shuffled and glided around.

Finally, though, his mom signaled him with a notification on his smart watch. He felt a buzz as he leaped high in the air and looked down at the crowd, saw her with four people, and landed his way back onto the floor to make his way over with a fulfilled smile.

“Well, that’s what she said! And I…Oh there you are, kid!” Linda waved her son over and Alex bounced to her side. “Julian, you remember Alex from eight years back?”

The young man laughed beside his uncle. “Well, it’s been a while, but yeah I think so!” He wore a little blush as his glass tilted in his hand. “But sure, nice to see you again!”

Linda patted her son’s shoulder. “Oh, I remember it like it was yesterday. He was following you around like a little trooper! Pretending to be like one of your Connections, poor kid in diapers!” She peered to her now-pouting son and fuzzed up his hair.

“Ah!” He laughed at the jab and poked her back.

“Don’t worry, little guy!” Galo chuckled. “If you think that’s bad, this bundle of joy was supposed to be making sure I stay on the up!” He clinked his glass with Julian and elbowed him.

The nephew rolled his eyes and waved off the indictment. “Ahhh, I can handle a few more Besides, I’m nowhere near as bad as you were at Belo’s party last month!”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Alex chuckled as they got into lengthy detail about said party, though he glanced over to the couple who was quietly enjoying the conversation with everyone else. Although he barely remembered a younger Julian from a picture or two that Mom had around the house, these two seemed especially new.

Galo noticed and laughed. “…Oh, where are my manners? Little guy, these two are Mr. and Mrs. Laban. They’re some friends of mine that I was just introducing to your mom!”

“Oh, fairest greetings!” Alex tried his best to make the proper Lunar gesture. “I’m Alex!” He reached out to shake hands.

“Oh, very polite young fellow!” The slightly-bearded man smiled back at the kid and shook back firmly but kindly. “Fairest greetings to you, as well.”

Mrs. Laban made a curtsey as she shook his hand as well. “We heard a lot about you from your mom already. She tells us you love being a little explorer!”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it!” Linda interjected and feigned a swoon. “The number of times he’s given me a heart attack, I’ll tell you! But…” She flicked his ear again. “I’ve learned to let him have his fun. I know he’s smart!”

Alex rolled his eyes and Julian chuckled as he took another sip.

Alex’s mom lit up like she remembered something. “Ah, by the way! Mr. and Mrs. Laban have a girl your age, you should go hang out with her.” She patted his back. “Give her a good time!”

“Sure, where is she?” asked Alex as he glanced around.

“Oh, she said she wanted some quiet time to draw outside.” Mrs. Laban gestured towards the open end of the building that led out to a vast garden. Plenty of people were celebrating on the wide field. “Look for a place without many people, she will probably be there.”

Galo nudged his nephew. “Julian, you take a walk with the little guy. I think you need the air!”

“Fine, fine…” said Julian, nodding sarcastically. “Come on buddy, I’ll take you.”

Alex waved to his mom and the other adults. “Okay, see you soon!” He and Scally followed alongside the spikehaired young man as they made their way through the party.

“So, you got more companions than these two?” Alex glanced over at the two creatures following Julian.

“Oh yeah, got a few that I’ve trained at home!” The older boy tilted his head to the side with some pride showing. “I actually fight with them in tournaments.”

Scally’s ears pricked up.

“Oh cool!” Alex brightened up at the sound of that. “So, you’ve seen lots of species? What’s your favorite?”

“Oh! Well…” Julian trailed off as they sifted through two couples, one of which was two men and the other a man and a woman. “Hard to say.”

They kept walking as a young woman and her younger brother approached. Julian glanced toward the redhead tugging uncomfortably at her formal attire as his eyes drifted.

“Well, I’ve definitely got a favorite,” said Alex. “Mine’s—"

Suddenly, the wandermouse leaped from Alex’s shoulder and bolted past them, heading towards the outside. The creature’s gallop was so sudden that the girl tripped backwards to get out of its way.

“H-hey, Scally!” Alex’s face scrunched in confusion before he dashed forward to chase the rodent. He left Julian behind as the older boy helped the knocked-over girl get back on her feet.

“I’m so sorry, here, let me help you,” said Julian as his voice got fainter behind Alex.

“Ugh, what did that little furball eat!” The redhead massaged her side as she was pulled up. “Little thing must be on something! What was that about….”

But that was about all that Alex’s ears picked up before he turned the corner and entered the vast courtyard. He zigged past countless adults discussing how a big project was soon to be released, others who jumped out of the way of the frenzied little creature. Other connections yelped and called after Scally, looking as confused as their humanoid companions.

This was going nowhere! As soon as it was safe to do so and he had enough room, Alex spread his wings and shot into the air to pursue the fleeting fuzzy troublemaker as she began climbing up a walkway to a hilltop.

What was she doing? Why was she bonkers all of a sudden? The boy glided after Scally and couldn’t figure out what had set her off. This wasn’t like her…

But suddenly she began slowing down at the top, passing underneath a nature-adorned arch arbor blooming with white flowers. Alex frowned he landed at the feet of the archway before chasing after her a little further.

However, he found her at the feet of someone on a bench, finally stopped in her tracks. She was nearly motionless, even. However remained on high alert as someone’s hand reached down and petted her soothingly.

“Scally, what’s gotten into you!” He stomped over and pouted with his hands on his hips. “You’ve never….”

He trailed off. His emerald eyes had followed the hand up to the face, and they met with the gentle blue eyes of the girl on the bench. Her cloudlike pet looked a little anxious, and she had stopped in the middle of drawing something on her sketch pad.

He swallowed back whatever words he was about to say. His heart felt like it bounced out of his chest.

For once, he felt silent.

“O-oh…Hi there, is this little guy yours?” The brunette softly asked. “I mean, I guess of course he is, t-that makes sense!” The girl was tripping a over her words as she blushed. “You-he’s very cute! I mean, uh…” she pulled her hand back from the creature shyly, her eyes as wide as saucers as she bit her lip.

“Uh…” Alex couldn’t really even correct her at the moment.

“Oh, um…m-my name’s Amy by the way, where are my manners! Fairest greetings.” She stood up despite her suddenly weak legs and curtsied, although she fumbled a little doing it. “Uh, s-sorry…”

“Buh…” The boy was feeling flat-lipped as he could barely utter a syllable. He felt his cheeks go a little pink even though he was begging them not to, but it was no use while seeing her shaky attempt to make a little bow in her silky white dress. Watching her tail tuck itself downward in embarrassment as she looked at him with a timid grin, he wasn’t sure what he could even say to her at the moment.

Before he could run out of variations of the word “uh,” however, two familiar voices sounded from behind him.

“There you are, buddy!” The redhead stomped over beside him as the two kids broke eye contact to witness her. “What was that all about?”

“H-hey wait up Jill!” Julian panted as he caught up with everyone else. “Wow, you’re fast.”

“Nah, you just can’t keep up, mister. Anyways…” Jill poked Alex’s temple. “What happened back there? Little miss fuzzball left a lot of havoc!”

“H-hey!” Alex’s voice regained its strength finally. “She didn’t mean to! She just got…” He frowned and glanced at the wandermouse. “Actually…I dunno what happened.”

“S-she?” Amy’s face got a little more pink as she followed everyone else’s gaze onto the creature between them. “Oh…What’s her name?” She trailed her eyes up to Alex a little expectantly.

“Her name is—Uh…” Alex began to answer, but he got caught off guard again when he looked back at her. But he finally managed to get a few words out. “S-Scally. And me, Alex.” He smiled about as confidently as Amy had earlier.

The young girl couldn’t help but giggle a little.

The two older youths cocked their eyebrows in near unison before flashing a knowing look at each other.

“…Anyway, you’ve gotta be careful, buddy.” Jill made a gesture to the rodent. “Scally-with-a-double-S here might need a little more training before joining big crowds. Has she freaked out like this at other social events?”

“N-no, never.” Alex shook his head and began to kneel beside the wandermouse. “She’s never acted this crazy.”

“She’s acting strangely too?” Amy chimed in. “Aliya’s been a little nervous as well, ever since a few minutes ago.” She patted the magicloud while the creature looked expectantly in the same direction as the wandermouse below it.

A spark snapped nearby.

“Oh! Julian, you have any idea?” Alex asked the tallest of the group.

Julian pondered while the others looked at him in anticipation. “Hmm…I can’t really tell. They’re alert like something’s going to happen, but I’m wondering why the other companions aren’t acting the same way.” He glanced to the forest nearby while he rested his chin on his fist. “In fact…I’m not sensing anything from any other creature at the moment.”

Jill raised an eyebrow. “That sounds weird…” She looked to her smartwatch and drew up a holographic search program. “Wonder what’s up with these two?”

They were cut off, however, by the sound of cheers.

Amy’s face lit up. “The fireworks are about to start!”

The band of four got up and looked over the hedge behind the bench to the field down below. All the people in the courtyard far beneath them were dancing to the echo of drums reaching from the nearby city.

“That’s where they’re going to come from,” said Amy. She pointed to the metropolis, feeling elated that she could watch it again after 5 years of waiting. “Falanay City. Mom and Dad said this is probably why the company’s event was held here! I heard they are doing a special twist with the fireworks this time…”

Alex looked over and saw how her eyes shimmered with excitement. It was such a funny feeling he got watching her… He giggled and watched down below too.

Jill was equally ecstatic. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this all night! I read about them back on Sotra, they’re famous! Wish they weren’t illegal on my world…”

“Oh? Wonder why they’re banned there.” Julian placed a hand on the bench and watched.

Each of them waited in silence for a few moments, an electric sensation building up. Four young individuals from around the star system together, waiting for a big bang.

Julian smiled. “Things are changing so fast. Maybe soon those fireworks will be available where you live.” He gave a nod to Jill.

She returned his glance with a less certain expression before staring down at the launching site. “I just hope they don’t ban them here, too.”

Julian tilted his head curiously before looking in the same direction.

Suddenly, the night sky lit up. Four creatures flew up at the ready as their owners gave them the signal from the launch pad. Behind them, hundreds of rockets shot up into the air and began delivering a cacophony of beautiful, multicolored explosions. Showers of sparks glittered and popped, and after a few seconds the sound of the blasts rolled over the hills and upon the ears of Alex, Amy, Jill, and Julian.

“Woah!” Alex leaned further over on the railing to get a good look. “Look at em go!”

Amy’s tail flittered with excitement. “Just wait until the fire nobles do their part—Oh, there they go now!”

The soaring creatures above began manipulating the explosions and sparks of the fireworks, twisting them together and swirling them into a beautiful mix across the tapestry of the night. Each new booming shot was greeted with another color swelling underneath the stars before it wisped into the rest. The creature in the middle then received a signal from below, and its arms stretched out forward before spreading out side-to-side. Just as quickly as it did this, the painted ceiling of fire parted down the middle like an ocean being split in two.

The hues and shapes lit up the eyes of the young four, smiles brimming on Jill and Alex’s faces while Julian and Amy simply took in the beauty. The night sky reappearing as a column down the center of this chapel of colors somehow added to the splendor… a calm middle in a sea of iridescent waves. Everything above had a chance to attract their gaze.

Then the other creatures chimed in with their own contributions. A series of new fireworks blasted off to join them in their midst, but these were different. They were less aggressive compared to the rest and all colored a distinct white that was beset by the technicolor cascade behind them. It was time.

“Oh, here they come!” Amy’s voice barely rose above the explosions as her tail flicked expectantly.

“That’s them?” Jill locked her gaze straight onto the sparkling orbs. “Gosh, finally!”

At that moment, the creatures unleashed the white firework orbs and sent them flying to the crowds down below. Each one landed in front of a lucky group, and after a few seconds the sparks crackled and enveloped those people in a hollow sphere of light. Some of them made their way from above the city to the IronStar Corp. celebrations.

“Oh! There’s one coming this way,” said Julian, pointing to the crackling orb which shot in their direction.

The young four watched as the firework stopped itself just a few inches in front of them. The other three looked at Amy curiously, wondering how to activate it.

Amy smiled with a knowing look and reached out, gently touching the sparkling ball of white flames, and suddenly the orb shot open. White light encircled and surrounded them until they were fully encapsulated. But that wasn’t the best part—Next, the light transformed into more colors, turning the bare white into various new hues and finally forming a moving picture. It was a recording surrounding them.

Alex’s was fully captivated. He hadn’t ever seen something like this.

A young woman, probably 20 years old and dawning a red-haired ponytail, slowly appeared. She was dressed in a bikini and poking at the screen of fire.

Julian and Jill looked at each other confused. Odd choice of outfit for a message like this…

Beyond her, the recording was showing a somewhat busy beach just beside a large, advanced city. Her face was scrunched as she figured out the recording. “Is this darn thing on? Well, shoot…Oh, there we go!” She grinned with a satisfied look.

Alex frowned. Had he seen her somewhere before, a long time ago?

“Hey there, whoever you are! Name’s Melly, and—Oh, come over here Brecken!” She gestured to someone who poked out from below the recording device that made this video. He waved happily, evidently having checked out to make sure it was working.

“So that’s us, glad to have a chance to send this message to y’all on the Moon!” She wrapped an arm around her dark-skinned friend. “We’re doing well over here by Amon, sending some Planet Icaria pride!” She pointed to the large sun in the sky there, beating down on the sand. “So cool that you’re lettin’ other places send messages this year! But anyways.” She turned and began guiding the floating recording device while Brecken followed. “This is our home, Balnac City. One of the biggest tech centers in the star system and still goin’ strong!”

Julian cocked an eyebrow before recognition swept his face. “Wait…Melly from Balnac! I remember seeing her on the news when the war ended!”

Jill shushed him.

Melly continued with a hop in her step, grabbing Brecken’s hand. “I’m sure you folks’ve heard of the famous Flight Fountain here.” She pointed to a large, majestic fountain far down a busy road. The fact that they could see it from this distance showed just how vast its scale was. Beautiful sculptures of women were bowing to a large divine creature at the top of the vast water structure, and the sprays and jets were magically warped to make circles and elegant swirls of water streams that lead to the being.

“And of course, one of the big HQ’s of Devlab Corp!” She looked at a giant building and rolled her eyes. “Those guys’ve taken over everywhere! But we just gotta keep pushing forward as hard as we can. Gotta keep going for that perfect future, right?” She stuck her tongue out at the camera. She and Brecken began slowing down though, the skip in their step fading.

She sighed, a longing look crossing her face while her hand squeezed her boyfriend’s tighter. “…Everything’s been crazy these last few years, hasn’t it?”

He gave her a reassuring smile and bumped her shoulder with his playfully.

“Heheh, cut it out silly.” She looked back to the camera. “Well…only thing you can do is pray for a greater future! It’s always gotta get better.” She poked the camera and giggled. “Can’t wait to see you all there!”

Both she and Brecken waved at the camera and the feed began to mix back into white, the bubble still encapsulating the four young ones.

“Wow…” Alex and the others were so captivated by the moment. They looked at each other and suddenly the realization set in. Only 10 years ago, they wouldn’t have ever been able to meet like this. A group from four different planets.

It might seem like a long time, but it suddenly felt much closer.

Alex finally mustered some courage to say something to Amy. “This place is amazing. I wish we could have these kinds of fireworks on my planet!”

“Aww, w-well it’s nothing…” Amy smiled shyly and peddled one foot on the ground. “Just a way to stick together, that’s what Dad says.”

“Heheh, we do that with sports at my place!” Jill said confidently and pounded her chest. “Sotran’s team never lets us down. Everybody’s on the team or out of luck!”

Julian rolled his eyes and prodded her teasingly. “Well if I remember right, we won the championship last year!”

“Oh shush!” She shoved him back and they all started laughing as the orb of light surrounding them began to dissipate.

Suddenly, down below in the middle of a conversation with Amy and Julian’s families, Linda’s eyes widened. Her head jerked in the direction of the young four.

One of the towering robots lit up and looked over that way too.

All the animals were next.

In the middle of the ceiling of technicolor flares from the fireworks, sparks began to shoot in every direction. Flickers of light flashed on the ground around people and in the air. More and more with violent popping sounds.The sparks in the center began to intensify and all the people looked up in confusion, other than the four in their white bubble.

A strange fiery shape formed and appeared to warp space and light around it. The fireworks were swirled and swallowed up by the tear in the sky while it grew bigger and bigger still. Soon it was wide enough that people started panicking below and backing away. This couldn’t be part of the light show, right?

And that’s when it happened. Something stretched through, further, further. Whatever it was must have been trying to keep itself together, until it blasted out like a slingshot.

The form became clear. It was an alien space ship.

As it flew through the air, something was happening to the spacecraft; the surrounding matter seemed to react and tear apart before coming back together, which caused shock waves around the vessel. The four creatures that had been guiding the fireworks were pulled in towards the distorting effects of the ship before being flung back out just in time.

The ship flew towards the ground and hit it hard, ricocheting back off. The dirt it collided with seemed to explode violently before being pulled back together. It went up in the air before the crashing spacecraft hit the ground again. It launched up toward the hill.

And the young four were still laughing by that time. All of this happened so fast, the insulating sphere of light fading more and more. As the laughter faded, they heard something strange outside.

More of the orb dissipated. Alex was the first to see. His face filled with shock and the others were very quick to follow. The orb faded all the way.

The large spaceship was heading straight for them, ready to crash into the ground.

Jill and Julian acted fast and grabbed the younger two by the hand. Alex and Amy were pulled away, running and then jumping in opposite directions to leap as far as they could from the craft. The companions dashed with them, with all the wild creatures on the hill dodging the incoming impact.

As they threw themselves into the air, the ship hit the ground where they had been and the young four were pulled back towards the ship before they too were thrust back out. Dirt rained on them, and Julian and Jill covered the other two as best they could.

The ship propelled itself through the trees behind them and made its final crash landing. The buzzing of the engines whirred a few more seconds before everything went silent.