CHAPTER 9: AS DREAMERS DO
"Headmage?" Ortho spoke up. "Idia and I have been keeping track of this storm as well. And we've devised a Plan C in case this happened."
"Plan C? And what would that be?" Crowley asked hopefully.
"I'll email you the details," Idia said. "Basically, we can make sure there's a clear sky and that the Wishing Stars can be seen dissolving into stardust."
"Really? Well, in that case… we can let the ceremony commence!" Crowley replied with a bright smile. "I'm happy to see you doing your part to make this a success!"
"Didn't have much of a choice…" Idia muttered. "Anyway, see you guys tomorrow." And he logged out, letting the tablet drop into Ortho's hand.
"We may as well give this all we have," Trey agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow too." He bade farewell to the other Stargazers and the headmage, glanced back at the tree full of Wishing Stars, and took his leave.
"Idia and I have lots of things to take care of!" Ortho said excitedly. "I can't wait for tomorrow night! See you then!" He floated away, waving excitedly as he left.
"Regardless of what happens, I'm proud of all of you," Crowley assured the others. "I will wish for a good Starsending." He was the last one to leave the field.
Now it was just Jill, Deuce, and Grim in front of the Wishing Stars. Jill could only imagine how beautiful it would be at night, and seeing the glowing Stars rise up and become one with the sky…
"Jill? Are we leavin' yet?" Grim asked impatiently. But the goth just sat down with Deuce in the grass, and after a whiny cat noise, Grim sat down as well.
"I still can't believe we did all this…" Deuce said in awe.
"You did most of it," Jill told him. "You pulled your weight and then some."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Deuce assured her. "I felt kinda guilty about not giving you more lessons, but you got all your Stars anyway, all by yourself! I heard what happened to the guys who tried to fight you. Like biting Brian Fenn's arm…" He chuckled. "I shouldn't find that funny, but…"
"You should hear the way he screamed," Jill smirked nastily. "That's what he gets for hitting a lady."
"But it seems like our work might finally pay off," Deuce changed the subject. "With how smart Ignihydes are, I know Idia and Ortho will come up with something incredible."
"Yeah, I woulda hated to see this cancelled," Grim commented. "But doin' all that extra work… you really wanted your Wish to come true, huh, Deuce?"
"Well, yeah, but it's more than that," Deuce said. "It's about doing my part for the school. And anyway, wishes don't come true on their own—you have to work to make them happen." He stared at the tree, maybe trying to find his own Wishing Star within the collection, if Jill had to guess.
"Hold on, Jill told me about that Pinocchio story that this whole event is about," Grim said. "She said that a fairy brought that puppet to life, no strings attached!"
"Yes, but he still had to work to become a real boy," Jill elaborated.
"Still dunno why the fairy didn't just make him human right away," Grim said.
"Because then Pinocchio wouldn't learn any lessons," Deuce explained. "After all, if you got everything you wanted immediately, you wouldn't appreciate it. Like for example, look at the work you and Jill did to create Hallowgrim dorm."
"…I guess," Grim said reluctantly. "Still stinks that we got the fixer-upper, though…"
"So, Deuce, tell me… what did Trey wish for?" Jill asked suddenly. "Our group is separated for most of the Star-gathering, so I didn't get the chance to ask."
"Oh, I was the one who collected Trey's wish. He wanted a peaceful school year," Deuce said.
"Really? That's… dull," Grim complained.
"Well, Trey has to deal with Riddle the most out of all of us," Deuce explained. "When Riddle loses his temper, everyone in the dorm has to walk on eggshells. I guess Trey just wants a semester with no drama."
"Riddle's that bad?" Jill asked worriedly. She hoped she wouldn't have to deal with that temper anytime soon.
"Yeah, but it's okay," Deuce said. "I was put in Heartslabyul for a reason, so I'm working hard to be like a diligent card soldier."
"Oh yeah, because you want to be an honor student," Jill recalled.
"Yeah, and after I graduate, I want to be a police officer," Deuce confessed. "I want to be a strong, dependable person, someone that people will trust to protect them and solve their problems."
Jill was taken aback. Given the divisive reception of police in her country, she'd never heard anyone openly wish to become a cop. But at the same time, Deuce was so kind and responsible that she could easily trust him in any role of authority.
"I think you'd be a great officer," Jill told him warmly.
"As for me? I still wanna be a great mage. No, the greatest mage of all!" Grim said. "I wanna be so great, they'll have to make a new school all about me!"
"No shortage of confidence, huh? Or whatever that is," Deuce laughed.
"The first great direbeast mage, right?" Jill reminded Grim.
"Well, yeah. No other direbeast has ever been a mage," Grim said. "Sure, a lot of us can use magic and talk and stuff, but we're just seen as animals. Accordin' to those boring history books, direbeasts have just been companions for mages… just sidekicks. But I wanna be in charge, baby! I've already got Jill as a hench-human!"
"Don't forget, bosses pull their own weight," Jill told him. "And they study hard."
Grim sighed irritably, Deuce chuckled, then the spade-eyed student turned to Jill. "What about you?"
"Huh? What about me?" Jill asked.
"I know you're from another world, and I'm sure your goal right now is to go home… but what's your lifetime goal?" Deuce clarified.
"You know, ya never really talk about your world," Grim said. "Like, if ya got sent back tomorrow, what would you be workin' towards?"
"That…" Jill was tongue-tied. She laced her fingers together, looking at the blue polish on her nails. "I'm going to be a mortician."
"I think you mentioned before that your parents ran a funeral home. But is that something you want to do?" Deuce asked quietly.
"Yes… and no. It's kind of… complicated," Jill confessed. Since Grim and Deuce weren't going to back down, she decided to just tell them the whole deal. "I live in a small town, meaning that every position matters. Being a mortician is hard, but it's necessary. The funeral home was established by my late grandpa, and my parents maintain it now. Taking up the mantle would honor Grandpa, and it would help my family so much. True, I don't like the thought of comforting grieving families or preparing corpses, but I can—"
"But that's not what we asked!" Grim interrupted. "We asked what you want to do, not what your parents want ya to do!"
"Oh!" Jill snapped her head up. "I guess the truth is… I don't know. The thing is, I hate the thought of doing one thing for the rest of my life. If I had my way, I could maybe be an explorer of some kind… maybe an astronaut or something, or a deep-sea biologist. But I also want to get married and raise a family. Oh, but I also want to travel all over the world, and I want to learn to play lots of instruments, and speak different languages, and maybe teach kids… or perhaps…"
"So you're totally clueless, then," Grim said.
Jill blushed, fiddling with her jewelry. "Yeah, you see my problem. Being a mortician is the only stable job I have access to. I can't decide for myself…"
"That doesn't mean you hafta take a job ya hate!" Grim argued.
"It's okay not to know everything right away. My dream might change in the future, too." Deuce gave Jill a calm, understanding smile. "Whatever you're looking for in life, Jill… I hope you find it."
"Yeah," Jill agreed. "…I hope so, too."
She looked back at the tree full of Wishing Stars, imagining the bluish gems dissolving and becoming one with the cosmos.
Since she unceremoniously arrived here, Jill didn't want to think too much about the future. Hardly two weeks have passed since then; the dreamlike feeling was gone, but this place still didn't feel like reality. She quickly promised herself that if—no, when—she returned to Crittenden, she would double down on her normal schoolwork and mortuary training without a single doubt or complaint. It would be hard to explain how she disappeared or where she'd been all this time, but she would find a good excuse. She would fully embrace her duties, for if her mind wandered too much, she may find herself falling down another rabbit hole…
But what if she never went home? That was the scariest question, but one that needed answering.
As homesick as she was, the world of Twisted Wonderland was fascinating. So many towns and cities inspired by Disney movies, so many different cultures and locales… she wanted to see them all and then some! So many people she could meet, so many different activities she could try… but it wasn't to be. It was never a good idea to bring her hopes up too much.
If only I could go back and forth between the two worlds, Jill finally thought. Then I wouldn't be so torn.
But that seemed like a dream even a star couldn't grant.
