The Journey into the Unknown: Part 3

Part threeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!  Yaaaayyy!!!!!
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                                                                      PART 3
            Lilly could hardly contain herself.  She and Firespark were going on a real adventure!  For the past two days, time had crawled.
            Queen Titiana decided that their departure from the Fairy Kingdom would not be made into a grand affair.  They were to leave around midnight, so no one would ask where they were going.  She had the cook prepare special food for their adventure, food that wouldn’t be crushed or ruined easily. 
            Firespark and Lilly, having grown up in the Fairy Kingdom, were well versed in the art of finding non-poisonous berries, roots, leaves, and nuts, should they ever lose their packs.  Lilly would carry a small, fairy-sized pack, and Firespark would carry a bigger one.  If they needed shelter, Lilly had enough magic in her to find a dry spot, or even create one if needed.  Titiana felt that they were well prepared.
            Lilly bounced up and down in her seat.  Firespark, on the other hand, was biting his claws.  “I don’t know,” he said, looking around nervously.  “Couldn’t this be some kind of trick or something?”
            “Come on!” Lilly chided him.  “You know Auntie would never send us away unless she had a good reason.  We’re going to have some real fun now!”
            They sat in the gatehouse.  The Fairy Kingdom was encompassed by a wall, high enough to keep away both predators and wish-seekers.  It was also enforced by a great deal of magic, making it unenterable from above and nearly impenetrable.
            Currently, it was about 11:00 pm.  Soon, Queen Titiana would let them out of the kingdom and into the unknown. 
            As if on cue, Titiana walked in to the gatehouse.  “Alright.  Ready for an adventure?”
            “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” exclaimed Lilly.  “Let’s go!”
            “Um, Titiana?” said Firespark.  “Are you sure we should do this?”
            “Dear, I’m positive,” answered the queen.  “It’s what your parents want.  Do you both have your packs?”  Firespark hefted his.  Lilly nodded.  “Okay.  Remember, those packs are bigger than they look.  I had them crafted especially for adventures.  I packed a tent just in case it rains and Lilly’s too tired to whip one up for you guys.  Just take out the bag it’s in and say ‘pitch.’  Well, that’s about it.  Come here and hug me.”
            Firespark carefully hugged Titiana.  After he finished, Lilly flew forward and squeezed her aunt.  “Always stay with Firespark, no matter what,” Titiana whispered into Lilly’s ear.  “He’ll keep you safe.”  She released Lilly.  “Now go!  Before I start crying.  Oh, and Firespark,” she added, “if you ever don’t know where to go, just follow your feet.  They’ll show you the way.”
            Firespark shot a confused look at Lilly, but thanked Queen Titiana for the advice.  Without any ceremony, he opened the door and stepped outside.  Lilly followed.  Titiana waved.  “Remember, follow your feet!”
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            “I’m tired,” Lilly complained.  “When can we stop?”  They had been walking for several hours.  The sky was tinted with the pink and orange hues of what promised to be a spectacular sunrise.
            “Lilly, I thought you wanted to go on an adventure,” Firespark said.  “We’ve only been walking for a little while.  The real journey will take days.”
            A large sigh came from Lilly’s direction.  “But when will we rest?”
            “You can rest on my head if you must,” said Firespark.  Lilly had been complaining for the last 15 minutes, and he was quite tired of listening to her. 
            “Oh yes.  I forgot about that,” said Lilly, flying over to sit on his head.  She swung her legs and was silent for twenty seconds.  “When will we get there?”
            Firespark stopped.  “Okay Lilly.  We’ll rest.  But only to eat.  I want to finish this journey soon so I won't have to listen to you anymore.”
            “Shush,” muttered Lilly, digging in her pack.  She pulled out a package.  “I think this is a sandwich.  Wonder what kind it is?”  After she unraveled the paper, she took a bite.  “Mmm!  This one is ham and cheese.  And pickles!”  She took another bite.  “Wow, this is really good.”
            While Lilly ate her sandwich, Firespark opened his pack and investigated the contents.  He also pulled out a package shaped like a sandwich.  He opened it and took a bite.  “Yum!  I got ham and Dijon mustard and chipotles.”  Strangely, after taking a few more bites, he felt full.  Firespark glanced over to where Lilly sat.
            “You feel it too?” she asked, with a hand on her stomach.  “Maybe I ate too much.”  She looked at the sandwich in her hand.  There was only a few bites out of it.  “I guess Cook made them so they’d last for a long time.”
            “I guess so!” answered Firespark.  “Ready for desert?”  He dug out a paper-wrapped package that smelled like chipotle cookies, his favorite.  Lilly groaned.  “No thanks.”  Firespark shrugged and munched on a cookie.  “Your loss.”
            After he finished his cookie, Firespark laid back against a tree.  “Let’s just rest for.....a.......little............while.........”
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            Lilly woke up with a start.  How long have I been sleeping? she thought.  The sun was low in the sky.  Wow, I’ve been asleep since yesterday morning!  With all the excitement, I must have been exhausted.  She heard a snore.  Firespark was still sleeping.  The magnificent orange dragon rolled over to face Lilly.  She snickered.  He was drooling.
            “Firespark!  Wake up!” she called.  Firespark made no response.  “Firespark!  Come on, we need to get moving!”  He grunted. 
            A mischievous grin spread across Lilly’s face.  She had an idea.  Mustering up her magic, she created thousands of tiny ants.  Trying not to laugh, she directed them to crawl all over Firespark.  He hated being tickled.
            As the multitude of insects began their journey over Firespark, he grunted.  And grunted again.  And again.  Then he began to giggle.  “Mff!  Lilly, stop it!  Heehee!  That tickles, stop, stop!  Haha!!”  He curled up in a big ball.  “Leave me alone!”
            By this time, Lilly was laughing outright.  She called off the ants.  “I knew that would get you awake!”  With a little concentration, she made the ants disappear into sparkles that blew away with the wind. 
            “Let’s eat!  I’m starving,” Firespark exclaimed.  He pulled a bag of granola out of his pack.  “We can eat on the go.  I want to find my parents soon.”
            Lilly jumped up and flew in a loop-de-loop.  “Okay, but I’m to excited to eat right now.  I can have breakfast later.”  Firespark nodded in agreement, and hopped to his feet.
            They began walking.  Having nothing much to do, Lilly looked around.
            They were in the forest still, but she could see a clearing up ahead.  “Look!”  She pointed it out to Firespark.  He began to walk faster, and Lilly flew in front of him.  Soon, they reached the clearing.
            “Wow.”  Firespark and Lilly had never been outside of the forest.  Before them was a beautiful green meadow, which seemed to stretch on forever.  Lilly looked at Firespark.  “Let’s see you fly!  There’s plenty of room.”  He glanced behind him at his wings.  “I don’t know.....”
            Lilly flew behind him and tugged on his wings.  “Come on!  Just give it a try.” 
            “Okay, but if I kill myself......”  Flapping his wings up and down, Firespark prepared to jump.  “One....”  The wing flaps became harder.  “Two....”  He swallowed.  Lilly gave him a thumbs up.  “Three!”  He jumped off the ground and hovered.  “Yahooo!!” yelled Lilly.  “Now just pump harder!”  He did, and flew about ten feet above the ground.  “Woah!  Better turn it down a little.”  With poofs of dust, he settled down on the ground again. 
            “Yay for Firespark!!”  Lilly did a somersault in midair.  “Now, just lean to the left or right to steer.”  Firespark flew up again, and then right, and then left.  He yelled.  “Wheeeeeee!!!!  This is sooooo fuuuunnnn!!!!”  He tried a loop-de-loop and almost fell, but caught himself at the last second.  “Let’s go!” 
            Lilly followed him up into the air, and they continued their course, but this time in the air.  “Hey, so Firespark,” said Lilly.  “How do you know which way to go?”

            Firespark stopped flying forward and hovered.  “I....I don’t know.  I'm just.....following my feet!  Just like Queen Titiana said!  Haha!”  He pointed.  “This way!”  Lilly flew in the direction his finger pointed.  “Let’s get moving!”
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Writing is so fun!!!!!!
LOVE IT!!!!!
~~Zoë Wingfeather

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