Animal Crossing: Skies High

1. Advancing

"Are you sure it's safe?" questions Adam's mum as he approaches the door with only but a backpack and a cap. "What if it crashlands -- uh uh What if there's too much wind that the balloon can't take it no more?!" Adam, rolling his eyes and sighing reassures his mother "Nothing is going to happen mum! Calm down, I'm just going to a new town! Time to live on my own. I promise I'll send you letters and emails and texts, all of 'em!" Adam's mum, stares into his eyes, tears running down her face to her pink-striped collar, brushes his soft hair with her hand and kisses him on his forehead says with a smile "It's really time isn't it. The clock really ticked fast this time. Remember I will always love you and I will always be here for you whenever you need me -- MIKE GET DOWN HERE, YOUR OWN SON IS LEAVING!" Adam jumps a little, staring at his mum in shock. "Still gets ya does it Adam? Heheh... I'm gonna miss it -- nah just kidding -- WILL YA GET DOWN HERE ALREADY! HE'S ABOUT TO GET INTO THE TAXI" Adam again, jumps a little. "I'm coming, I'm coming, gimme a sec." The sound of footsteps down the stairs and cheerful humming from Adam's dad's lips are heard getting closer and closer. "Ah, my boy, look at 'im! All grown up -- wait eh minute, ye still don't have a beard!" "Daa-ad" says Adam, rolling his eyes once more. "Heheheheh" chuckles his dad. "I'm only messin' 'round, here, I want you to have this." Adam's dad hands him a box, engraved with some sort of signature and covered with silk material. Astonished and curious, Adam asks " Wh-what is it dad?" "You'll figure out soon my young man, for now, let's make sure you're not late for yer trip. Off ya go munchkin." Adam's dad gives him a big hug and a kiss on his head and whispers to him "How dare you leave me with yer mum!" "Hrmmph! What are you talking about!" says Adam's mum. Adam and his dad both chuckle loudly and say "It'sa secret!".

Adam walks towards his taxi which just arrived, he turns around, gives his parents one last wave, knowing he won't see them for a very long time. A few tears rush down on all their faces. "You're gonna be late, sir!" Says the taxi driver. "O-okay." Adam turns around very nervously and enters the taxi without saying a word. He closes the car door trembling with anxiety and looks at his parents one last time. "All ready to go sir? The balloon will take off any minute!" Adam waves and signals to the driver that it was time to go.

•in taxi•

It starts sprinkling. Adam has more than hundreds of thoughts racing in his head like a fastfoward home video. As he looks at his town for one last time, Adam remembers all his childhood memories - playing handball with his sister and brother down the road, buying snacks and sneaking them home from the corner store, then getting his first job at that corner store! The taxi is approaching the main road, leading to the town's HABA (hot-air-balloon airport). Most of Adam's nervous feelings are replaced with endless excitement - who will he meet, where will he live, what will he see.

"Don't mind me asking, buuut, what's your name?" asked the taxi driver with a curious tone. "My name is Adam. What's yours?" "My name is Leila" "-- LEILA? Th-the girl from the tropical island? Kapp'n's daughter?" gasped Adam. He had heard of a Leila from the tropical islands, he was emailed a digital copy of a brochure about it since he will be moving to a town that provides transportation to such places. "Yes, yes... that's me! Kapp'n's daughter. I got stuck with the transportation business like my dad and mum, my grandma tagged along but she only sold stuff on the way. I got sick of doing what I was told all the time - where I had to go - so I got my own job and I love it! I love seeing people moving from place to place with new adventures. I learnt how to speak without slang, which was a bit hard but I managed. Now back to you, where you headed?" Leila seemed to keep babbling and talking, she summed up her life in a few long sentences but Adam seemed to enjoy such talk. Not really knowing where his going, Adam replied "To be completely honest with you, I don't really have a "place" to go to, but I'm thinking of Oakslast Ridge" "-- Aaah, Oakslast Ridge. I've always loved that place. Maybe after I retire, I can live there." she interrupted, but Adam did not seem to mind. "Yeah... erm that's sounds nice."

•at HABA•

"Weeeee're here! Our local HABA, or really, your old local HABA. There's Portalina; she'll be your 'flight attendant' you could say" she chuckled. "Okay then, thanks for everything, I'll see you soon! -- hopefully." said Adam grabbing his backpack and exiting the taxi. "Boonnnnn voyaaaage!" shouted Leila sounding as excited as Adam.

Adam is running fast, emotions race through his head as he does. In the distance he sees balloons departing, landing and just sitting there. There's a big electronic sign that reads: 'OAKSLAST RIDGE - DEPARTING IN 2 MINUTES'. Adam forgets everything and realises that he has two minutes to validate, get checked and board the balloon. He runs as fast as he can now, with one hand on his head so his hat doesn't fall off. In the distance there's monkey shouting. It looked like a girl, brown hair dangling and wearing a uniform. "HURRY YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE!" Somehow Adam manages to get there in time. Trembling and nervous he says "Er-rmm s-sorry, do you need to check my stuff and ticket" he gets interrupted by the monkey "-- no time no time! Get on NOW!!" Adam follows the rushed monkey to the boarding station, she jump onto this rope to climb up to the platform. "You coming?" Adam, not very willing to climb a rope, holds on and starts climbing. He then jumps onto the platform and to his surprise, straight away, the balloon was off just in time.

•on the balloon•

"That was a close call, bud-eek! I'm Portalina, from flight control -- now who do we have here... hrm derm hrrrmm..." Portalina mumbled to herself, muttering words under her breath. Adam was quite astonished at her confidence. "Yeah, that was too... sorry." he apologised. "Nah that's fine all good -- hrmph... -- EEEK. Comon that Rover kid, so annoying. You're a newbe huh. Well be careful, he's gonna ask a heck load'a questions eek-eek! Show me your ticket." Adam grabs his bag and fiddles through the pockets of the bag, looking for the ticket. "Ah, here it is." He hands the ticket over to Portalina. She reads it. "Your name's Adam eh? Well Adam, you must be lucky going to Oakslast Ridge eeek! It's a wonderful place!" she says before she is interrupted. "-- *clears throat* um excuse me, may I butt in?" Rover says whilst approaching both of them. Rolling her eyes and grunting, Portalina replies "What do you want EEK?!" "Thanks Portalina, very nice of you again. My name is Rover, I am a cat who likes to travel and meet young, new travellers like yourself! I can give you advice, maps and just good company" Rover smirks. Portalina rolls her eyes and says "Yeah yeah that's what ye always say, eek! Leave 'im alone, I'll be fine talking to him on my own thank you very much eeek eek!" She pushes Rover away and says "Now where were we..." before being interrupted a second time by Rover "Nah ah ah ahh, come on my young friend, Portalina here needs to focus on the balloon for a safe and relaxing flight, don't you?" Rover pulls Adam away from Portalina quickly. "Pfft fine, whatever, good luck bud-eek!" Portalina turns away and starts focusing on steering and gas.

Rover pulls Adam away from Portalina a bit more, trying to grab his attention. He starts opening up a conversation with his eyes wide open staring at Adam. "Sooo! Hi! I'm Rover, the travelling cat. Never seen me before? Hmm... Gah! That's weird! I'm known and loved by everyone I meet! This hot-air-balloon stuff is still new to me and I'm a bit icky bicky on it but it still does the job. It's much different than a train or bus -- Ahhh, the good old days... -- Oh! Anyways, what's your name boy? Where you from? Where you going?" Adam was surprised he took all that in but he was fine. He thought to himself, "why should I be giving him all this information about me? But eh, what's the worst that's gonna happen?" He replies "Uh, my name's Adam. I'm from Raddleston, and now I'm making my way to Oakslast Ridge" "OAKSLAST RIDGE!! Woah you're so lucky boy! It's a beautiful place! I know a few people from there and they enjoy it! It's a wonderful place full of -- wait lemme see if I have a map..." Rover takes his backpack off and opens it up. He pulls out a bunch of papers. "Hah, there they are -- NOOOOOO!!!!" Rover's papers are let go of his hands and fly through the wind. "Comon!! Those were all my maps of places!! GRRR gah!! What am I gonna do now?" Rover sits down, head down with his hands on his head, muttering things to themselves. Portalina turns around and shouts "Ya littered Rover! Ha!" Rover looks up at her, squints then looks down again. Not knowing what to say or react, Adam says "Uhh-h it's OK Rover, you'll get other maps when you travel again! I'll be fine on my own, I'll make my way." Rover looks up at Adam with a little hope in his eyes and says with still a low voice "Errrmm, yeah maybe you're right. Well, thanks for being so nice and calm about it, unlike monkey-face over here. I'm gonna send you letters all the time now!" Rover cheers up in a matter of seconds. "Ohhhh boy! Good luck with that bud-eek!" Portalina shouts out. Adam doesn't know what to feel but he'll figure out over time. "Hey Adam, come check out this view, eek eeeek!!"