Find Your Wings

Chapter 5 - To the Cottage

North and I went to search for Star in one direction, and left the fairies to go the other. After half an hour of searching, we finally found her sitting on a big rock and throwing stones at the tree right in front of her.

"Star!" I shouted.

"How did you find me?"

"What were you thinking?! You got us all worried! We thought you had disappeared like some of the other fairies!"

"Look, OK, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well you did!" Star started crying

"Amber don't shout at her." North said. He went over to the rock she was sitting on. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he was whispering in her ear until she slowly stopped crying. When she had completely stopped, she walked over to me and said: "I'm sorry I scared you. I couldn't take it anymore. I don't like these fairies and I just couldn't stand next to them anymore."

"I know how you feel, I hate them two." that didn't sound as reassuring as I thought it would be.

"Not the way I do. You don't know how they treat me. They talk about me behind my back. Why do you think they didn't want to give you more information? It was because I was there. You don't know what they did to my family. They... never mind. You'll find out later anyway"

"But why would they do that? Why would they treat you like that?" North said.

"Because I'm Amber's friend. Because of my bro... " She didn't finish the word. I knew she was hiding something but I didn't push her.

"Because I'm a human's friend. Fairies don't like humans. They blame them for everything. They say that they invaded this planet and took over it like it was meant to be theirs. They just forget this isn't their world either." Star said finally.

"But humans did cause fairies to disappear, didn't they?" I ask.

"They caused them to turn invisible, but I don't think they are the ones who caused them to start disappearing." Star said. It bothered me how she said "they". It reminded me that she isn't really human.

"Then who caused it?" North asked.

"I don't know"

"OK. Change of subject. Let's make a list of things we don't know and need to know before my birthday." I like lists. When I was little I used to make a list of things I liked and didn't like. Or just random things like "If numbers had colors they would be.." just to pass the time.

"Okay. Anyone have a pen and paper?" North asked.

"One step ahead of you." I raised the pen and paper I had taken out of my backpack.

"Number one- how do we get to the fairy world?" I started writing, "Two- what does this flower look like, what is its name, and where exactly is it?"

"Why do we need the name?" North asked.

"Why not?"

"I may be able to help with these questions." Star said.

"You know how to get to the fairy world?!" North and I said happily.

"I know someone who can help us get there."

"Who is it?" I asked.

"An old friend. He lives nearby in a small cottage. We can go now if you want."

"Well then what are you waiting for? Lead the way." I said.

I don't think Star's "nearby" is the same as mine. We've been walking for over half an hour and there isn't any sign of the cottage.

"Are you sure this is the way?" I asked.

"I'm sure." Star said confidently.

There was something good about this walk. It gave me some time to think about how North whispered to Star. How he calmed her.Why did he do that? How did he do that? How did he know it would work? I had so many questions, but no answers. This will be my third mission. Or is it the fourth?

My thoughts were cut off by Stars voice. "Here we are" She said cheerfully. I looked ahead to see the cottage. It took me a few seconds to realise what it is. Before us stood the worst looking cottage I've ever seen. It was old and crumbling, with jagged pieces of wood with rusty nails sticking out of them. The whole structure, if you could even call it that, was leaning heavily to the right, like a giant had been sitting on it and when he got off, the cottage just decided to stay that way.

"Come on, why are you two just standing there?" Star called from the door.

"You didn't mention the, um... state of the cottage." North said as politely as humanly possible.

"What's wrong with the cottage?" Star asked judgmentally.

"Wel.. it's kind of... out of shape" I said.

"What do you mean, "out of shape"?"

"You really don't... I mean, I'm sure it's beautiful from the inside..."

"It's not" Star said.

"So you do see what we mean by "out of shape"?"I asked.

"Of course I do! I'm not an idiot. I can see that this is the worst looking cottage in the history of cottages." said Star.

"So why did you bring us here?" I asked.

"You wanted to know how to cross dimensions, didn't you?"

"Yeah"

"And the person who lives here can help you do that."