It is a long night, sitting inside my star. It feels cozy in there, but I still cannot shake off the warmth that came off of the bread I cut in the kitchen with Pinocchio's help. The smells of the kitchen linger, and I am more than tempted to leave my star just so I can sit on Earth and know that such smells are so close by. But that's the only thing I don't like about being bound to my star by night—I cannot leave unless someone calls to me with their wishing hearts. And that's just what I wish someone would do right about now.

Goodness, even now, I can still smell the soup, and the wood shavings scattered throughout the house. I'd forgotten how pungent such smells can be, because I never smell them up inside my star. As a matter of fact, since my visit to Earth, I am starting to realize how bland life in my star is, despite that it's a magical place. Nothing is ever cooked, nothing is ever grown, nothing is ever created—aside from the remnants of wishes I have granted before. But even so, it is not quite enough.

I just…wait. And it's a long time to wait between wishes. Only when I do get a call, am I too happy to breach my star, and return to Earth. But it doesn't come very close to when I can become a human, and be among the townspeople for hours at a time. Several wishes only take minutes to an hour, depending on the request.

And so, the moment that the sun starts to rise, I shed my blue gown, skin, and hair, exchanging it for the white dress and caramel hair once I am safely on the ground. I start to tell myself that I am no longer the Blue Fairy, but a young woman called Serafina, while I wander the streets yet again.

The sights are familiar to me, but the way everyone goes about today seems different. Everyone is dressed differently, the children laugh at different games, and there seems to be a bit more excitement in the air. I wonder why.

I don't run into anyone for a long time. But when I do, I'm very much surprised.

I managed to locate Geppetto's house, and I am stepping close to the door, when suddenly, out from under my feet, a little insect hops up onto the steps leading up to it. I jump back, with just enough time to notice that this cricket is wearing a top hat, with a little black coat, and is carrying a red umbrella.

"Jiminy Cricket!" I gasp, both in surprise and joy to see my old friend.

"Huh?" a tiny voice says. "You talkin' to me?"

"Yes," I answer, bending down to get a look at the little cricket. "I am."

"Hmm," Jiminy says, tapping his foot thoughtfully. "I didn't think you would notice me. A cricket can't be too careful, you know."

"Yes, yes," I say. "What are you doing?"

Jiminy looks up at me, still seeming surprised, but I hold back a chuckle when I notice that his face is turning bright red. He tugs on his collar, a little nervously. "Well…I-I, I was…comin' outside for some fresh air. A lot of excitement around here today."

"Why is that?" I want to know.

"The heck if I know, milady," Jiminy says, shrugging his shoulders. "Geppetto's been rushin' around to finish things, and my old pal, Pinoke—well, he's taggin' along to help his father."

"Are they inside right now?" I ask.

"Oh, sure," says Jiminy. "You want me to get Pinocchio?"

"Would you?"

Jiminy tips his hat just as the blush disappears from his face, and he bounds back inside the house. After just a few moments, the door opens, and Pinocchio appears. His black hair is a little tousled, his clothes full of sawdust, looking as though he has just dived into a basket of decaying toys.

"Pinocchio!" I say in a gasp. "What have you been up to?"

"Good to see you, Serafina," he says, dusting himself off. "Oh, my. Crazy action like you could never imagine. I…I'm surprised you're not with your own family preparing."

"Preparing?" I say. "For what?"

Pinocchio gives me an odd look, before he unsuccessfully stifles a laugh. He leans against the doorframe, looking at me, as he dusts himself off one final time. "You're a funny person, Serafina. But I'll tell you about what big day is coming up tomorrow." He pauses, but doesn't laugh. "Tomorrow is the Ferragosto holiday. Everyone in the town is going to gather on the seashore, and we're going to dance, and eat a lot of good food, and just have fun together."

"Oh," I say. "Well, this celebration certainly sounds like a good time to me."

"Yeah," Pinocchio agrees. "Today is the last day that everybody in the country works, so that tomorrow, we can all celebrate together. It's going to be big! Very, very big!"

"I can see that," I remark.

"You will be coming, right?" Pinocchio asks. "Because, you know, practically everyone in town will be down at the seashore, and you can't have any fun in town by yourself."

"No, no," I answer. "I will come. As long as you can show me around. I don't like saying how unfamiliar I might be."

"It'll be no problem," says Pinocchio. "I tell you, Serafina. It will be the best time you've ever had!"

"I trust your word."

"Okay." Pinocchio turns to look inside, as Geppetto rushes past with his arms full of tools, some of which fall out with a clang to the floor. Pinocchio chuckles nervously as he looks back at me. "I guess I have to go back in and help my father. It's our last day of work, you know, and it looks like he needs help with the tools."

I laugh with him, sweeping aside some of my hair to keep from guffawing too loud. "Well, then I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, Serafina. I'll see you soon." And with that, he ducks back inside, followed by Jiminy Cricket.

Suddenly, I feel like I've been left stuck in the ground. Since now everyone is preparing for this grand celebration, there is nothing for me to do but wait for the day to come. It's sort of like what I told Pinocchio about running wild and chasing the chickens around—except in this case, everyone is doing it, and it is crazier than I ever pictured. It would be nice if there was something I could do to help, but I won't know for sure, unless someone wishes for it upon my star, and that chance has come and gone.

Finally, I go away from Geppetto's house, and walk past all the shops and storefront carts, until I reach the edge of town, where, just between me and the horizon, there is the sea. It glints like ice in the summer sun, the waves crashing gently onto the shore. I take a sniff, and that sweet, salty smell returns, tantalizing, and alluring. I look back towards the town, and I figure that, since no one will be looking for me to do anything, I decide to take the long walk down to the sandy shore.

It feels kind of nice to walk through the grassy field towards the seashore. I'm wearing thin shoes, so the blades can still touch most of my feet. They bend in the wind towards my feet, and it's hard not to laugh at the feeling. This is the sort of thing that I don't feel inside my star, and so I want to enjoy it. The smell of the sea, plus the cozy grass, it makes me want to lie down, and sleep there, until the Ferragosto celebration is at hand. I cannot quite see what else I could do until then.

Still, I make my way towards the sand, finally catching the tiny grains between my toes. The sand is warm from having sat in the sun for most of the morning, but it's really quite welcoming. The warmth spreads along my body, making me shiver. But it feels good. The beach is empty, so the entire expanse of sand and water is mine for now, and I'm confused as to what I can do with it.

The first thing I do, is take off my shoes. The sand feels a hundredfold warmer, piling over my feet as if the earth is trying to hug me. But I pull free easily, while I plow through towards the water, which forces the salty aroma further into me. It's never unpleasant, of course. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced so up close before. The beach is like a whole other world that stands apart from Earth, because it is so empty, but it is so beautiful—the way the clouds stroll across the sky, the grass bends towards the sea, and the waves fall white upon the sand. It feels like there never was an Earth—this is it, altogether.

To pass the hours, I walk along the water, letting the wet sand swallow my feet, and the water to chill my toes. The water itself is clear, so I can see the little schools of fish that come and go. The light that comes through the water is enchanting, making the colors of the fish dance around, and when I swish my foot through the waves, the light goes in all different directions. The fish scatter, but it's absolutely breathtaking.

"Oh," I sigh deeply. "I wish I could have taken Geppetto and Pinocchio with me here."

But then, I notice something strange in the water.

I bend closer to the water, kneeling so that my dress is getting wet in the waves' foam. I can now see my reflection wavering in the water, but it's not the way I look now. I should see caramel-colored hair, ivory skin, and a white dress dampened by water.

Instead, there is the face that sparkles blue, with long ringlets of blue hair. The eyes are a bright, otherworldly blue, and a pair of large, blue-purple wings flapping delicately behind my back.

The Blue Fairy. Not the girl called Serafina.

It's hard to see myself, because it's a side of me that I wish I didn't have to go back to. There are such beauties on earth that I don't ever want to leave. And, besides, I feel myself wanting to get closer to Geppetto and Pinocchio. I've never seen such growth over the course of a lifetime than I've seen in Pinocchio, nor a better, prouder father than Geppetto. For me, it's hard to not feel like I've made a connection with the two of them.

I turn away so that my fairy reflection has completely vanished from sight. The celebration—oh, dear me, why can't it be tonight? I would love to enjoy it before I would have to return to the star, and leave behind my dearest friends.

With another sigh, I turn over, and lay on my back in the sand. The sun glares down on me, seeming to sink beneath me, into my fairy skin. I can feel the heat, even in my bones, but, like the smell of the sea, it is not discomforting. It's lovely, calming even.

And that is where I find myself for several more hours—asleep on the shore, until moonlight starts to creep into the sky. It's when I know I have to shed my human guise, and stretch my numb wings for the flight back to the star.