Riley always knew where she could find Maya. Sometimes she would switch it up on her, but Riley always knew. She laid her hand on the whitish grey stone as she climbed the spiraling steps, the same stone that surrounded her on all sides and plunged upwards. It was cool to the touch, but a refreshing change from her warm winter robes. It reminded Riley of the feeling you get from flipping your pillow over on a hot night- just a little thing that made you feel all tingly inside as you fell asleep. The stone became brighter, and she could see the iridescent components of the wall start to shine as she reached the top of the tower. Riley slowly climbed through the door way, and she recalled at once this was Maya's favorite room of the castle-it was the tallest, with large, paned windows covering nearly the entire circular wall. Riley stood in the opening, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the white light that flooded through the windows. It wasn't the sort of light that was sunny, but the light of a cloudy day that seemed to come from all directions and formed no shadows. Finally, as her vision acclimated, she could rest her eyes on the blonde curly mane of her best friend. She sat on the other side of the room, facing out the window. She sat on small stool, and in front of her was the fold away easel Riley's father had given Maya for her birthday last year.
"It's almost time to leave, you know…" Riley began as she took a few steps over the burgundy shag carpet to an oversized armchair, the only other piece of furniture in the room, facing perpendicular to her friend only a foot away. Maya didn't look away from her canvas but smiled.
"I know Riles- I just had to come up here and make something, "Maya turned to friend, now sprawled on the chair, "I mean look at it out there."
Maya put her brush down and tugged on Riley's sleeve, guiding her friend out of the chair and next to her as they both peered out the window.
"Oh. My. Unicorn. Maya, you are right..." Riley gushed. Outside, the snow was coming down in gentle flurries, and from this height you could see all the way across the Great Lake to the mountainous shores on the other side, where evergreens were still alive and bright with color. Even more special were the owls, who were enjoying the winter morning with a flight around the lake.
"It's like they're celebrating holiday break too!" Riley beamed and looked down to see Maya laughing.
"What is it?" Riley asked.
"Nothing, it's nothing…it's just, you're the only person who I would want up here seeing this with me." Maya said as she picked up her brush again. It was then Riley finally noticed Maya's canvas.
"Oh my gosh Maya. It's beautiful." The watercolor perfectly captured the landscape that surrounded the girls. Despite most of the view being white, the depth of the sky, the snow covered ground, and the falling snow flakes of the painting were all boldly differentiated from the richly colored trees and pale water. The birds soared across the canvas as well-all shades of brown, grey, and tan- even the brilliant white Snowy Owls were clearly defined, yet soft and dreamy at the same time. "Thanks hun," Maya smiled contentedly as Riley slumped back into the plush seat of the armchair. They both sat there for a couple minutes, taking in the perfectness of the moment-both outside the window and on the easel.
Riley straightened herself in the seat and pursed her lips. "Maya…?"
The girl turned to her friend, one eyebrow up and mouth closed in a skeptical smile, "what is it, ya goof?"
"Have you ever…" Riley looked down into her lap, "Ahh, nevermind. Do you want to go see what Lucas and Farkle are doing? I think they're playing wizard ch-"
"No, Riley, what were you going to say?" Maya asked as Riley looked up, "it's ok you can ask me anything."
"Have you ever, you know, made your paintings move? Well, I mean, all the paintings in the castle move, have a life of their own-"
"oh." Maya's smile faded.
Riley was horrified. "Oh wait no! I'm sorry Maya I didn't mean it like that. I love your art so much, I-"
"I know Riley, I know what you mean," Maya's small smile returned. "I guess…I like that art doesn't have to be magic to be special."
"You are so right," Riley relaxed again in the armchair.
"Also…" Maya continued, "I don't think I can…I mean…I don't know the spell exactly and I've never been that good at-"
"Say. No. More, Peaches!" Riley beamed and almost bounced out of her seat. "I know you can do it if you try. Only if you want though, your painting is pretty awesome on it's own too!"
"I guess…if you help me." Maya giggled at her hyperactive friend.
"Ok!" Riley stared at Maya, who looked confused as her eyes darted around looking for what Riley wanted. "Take out your wand, silly!"
"Oh, I thought you were gonna use your wand…" Maya said as she reached into her robes and grabbed her wand.
"Oh no, Maya, it's your painting. I think you have to do this." Riley got up and walked behind Maya. "Ok. So you know the position to hold the wand, and the motion to make…"
"I guess." Maya mumbled.
"And then, "Artem Vitalis"."
Maya looked at Riley nervously, who smiled encouragingly. Maya sighed and turned back to her painting.
"Artem Vitalis."
Maya slowly waved her wand, but the painting stayed the same. "Yeah, see Riley I don't think I can do it."
"You can so do it. You just have to bring your energy up. You're bringing an inanimate object to life-you just have to give a little bit more."
Maya gave another attempt with a quicker wave, again with no success. "Maybe you should just do it Riley..." Maya smiled at her friend, but Riley knew it wasn't sincere.
"You know what can help?" Riley all of a sudden got serious.
"Wha?-OOF!"
Riley launched out of the chair, tackling Maya off her stool and onto the thick carpet. "A VISIT FROM- DUN DUN DUN-THE TICKLE MONSTER!"
"Ri-Riley," Maya couldn't defend herself from Riley (who was the ultimate tickler). "Cut it out!" Maya laughed and tried to squirm out from under the ball of terror and 13 year old girl that sat on top of her. Riley finally stopped her hands from attacking and let Maya crawl away.
"You," Maya tried to regain her composure, "are crazy!" Maya was still laughing at her friend, who crawled back onto the chair like a puppy. "How was that supposed to help me?"
"Try it now. The spell. Think of something that makes you excited." Riley's face was smiling yet serious somehow, even after tickling Maya to the floor.
Maya giggled and stood the stool up again. She sat and picked up her wand, which had fallen to the floor. Maya looked back at Riley for a moment, her head cocked. She turned back, still holding back laughter, and raised her wand.
"ARTEM VITALIS!"
As Maya brought the wand down, a burst of reddish pink magic erupted from the end of the wand and quickly was absorbed by the painting. Maya's mouth dropped. As softly as the snow outside, flurries began to fall down the canvas. The watercolor owls soared over the lake and banked wide to face Maya. She turned to Riley, her hand now covering her mouth and tears forming in her eyes.
"I knew you could do it."
Maya felt her hair blow up by a gust of wind, and turned quickly to see an owl, a great Snowy Owl with soft watercolor feathers, burst out of the canvas and quickly plunge her wings down to soar upwards after the other birds.
"oh my gosh…" Maya's eyes opened wide. The owls were coasting up and around the area of the tower, hooting and playing with one another. Riley started giggling and attacked Maya again, this time with a hug. Both the girls sat on the floor, and soon Maya joined in on an uncontrollable chorus of laughter that seemed to blend momentously with the sounds of wings flapping and owls calling. Maya and Riley lay on their backs for a moment and watched the owls circle them. As if Maya had painted them right onto the air, each time their wings folded down was another soft stroke of the paintbrush. Then, one by one, the owls dive bombed into the center of the room and, at the last second, swerved back into their canvas home. The last to return was the Snowy, who gave one last magnificent hoot before gracefully soaring back into Maya's painting. And with that, the room was quiet once more. The girls sat up and looked to the canvas, where things had grown stationary once more. The owls who had just been soaring above their heads had taken their place over the lake in a paused state of motion.
"Maya?"
"Yeah Riley?"
"Art that doesn't move is my favorite too."
Maya furrowed her brows and laughed. "Why?"
"It can capture a single, perfect moment in time. I don't think there's anything else in the world that can do that."
Maya studied Riley for a moment. "Yeah," Maya laughed, "but that was pretty awesome too."
Riley tackled Maya again.