Holly blushed. “I mean…”
Clara answered for her. “She’ll do it!”
The woman smiled. Clara was genuinely thrilled for Holly and gave her a huge hug. The producer then reached out her hand to Clara. “And you, girl—you are an original! I haven’t heard a sound quite like yours before. Would you consider auditioning for the show, too?”
Clara was shocked and beyond thrilled. “Yes, of course!” she exclaimed.
Holly grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I knew you would get a spot,” she told Clara, her eyes filled with happiness at the news that the amazing opportunity was happening for both of them.
The producer observed, “I have to say, I love when friends support each other. It’s one of my favorite things to see.”
But what the producer couldn’t see, and what was even more beautiful, was the massive amount of exquisite positive wish energy pouring out of Clara and into Sage’s, Leona’s, and Scarlet’s Wish Pendants. The wish energy was extra special because it came from Clara’s understanding of how special she truly was, and her realization that she didn’t have to bring someone else down to lift herself up.
The Star Darlings loved watching the happiness of the Wisher and her friend. They wished they could stay longer and spend more time with Clara and Holly now that the two were close again. But they had to move quickly. They needed to say their good-byes and return to Starland in order to deliver as much positive wish energy as possible.
Sage turned to the other Star Darlings. She told them, “Vivica already left for Starland. I saw her sneak off during Wordsworth’s speech.”
“Do you think Lady Stella will expel her?” Scarlet asked.
“Who knows? Vivica was overtaken by negative energy and was under Rancora’s control…until we changed all that!” Leona said.
“Anyway, it’s time for us to say good-bye to our Wishling friends,” Sage reminded them.
The Star Darlings approached Clara and Holly. Clara couldn’t contain her excitement. “Holly and I were chosen to audition for Song and Chance. It’s going to be on TV! You have to promise you’re going to watch it.”
“We will if we can!” Leona said.
Holly chimed in. “Your band sounded great out there. I hope we can play together sometime.”
“Yeah, that would be great,” Sage said. She knew she was going to miss both girls. But she was also super excited to return to Starland and get back to the academy to show Lady Stella all the wish energy the Star Darlings had collected. And to share how she had figured out the key to changing the bad wish into a good one. Sage was ambitious and eager to prove her worth.
Scarlet turned to the Star Darlings. “Wait, before we go, I’ve got to do something.”
Sage tried to stop her as she walked off. She called out, “Scarlet! We need to leave….”
Scarlet assured Sage, “I’ll be right back! Promise!” She rushed from backstage into the theater and looked around, but it had mostly emptied out. Then she headed out the main arts center entrance. She was so absorbed in her feelings she didn’t notice that it had started to rain lightly as she ran outside in search of Maxwell. She knew he had been at the show to see his sister perform, so he couldn’t have gone far. She ran toward Port Harbor, where she and Maxwell had first taken a walk and gotten to know each other. Tears ran down her face. She had to say good-bye to the Wishling boy who had stolen her heart. She knew that she would probably never see him again.
She spotted him with his skateboard, walking toward the skate park.
She took a deep breath and caught up with him. “I’m leaving now.” Swept up in the moment, she took her lucky fuchsia drumsticks out of her back pocket and handed them to Maxwell. She whispered, “To remember me by.”
Maxwell didn’t understand. “What? Where are you going?”
Scarlet got choked up. She held back her tears. “Home,” she said.
“But I thought you lived around here.”
She hesitated. “There’s a lot to explain. I just can’t right now.”
He reached out to hug her, and she let him. Even though they were standing out in the rain, soaking wet, Scarlet wished they could stay like that forever, but she knew that she was a Starling and he was a Wishling, and as much as she could dream about it, their worlds would never fit together.
Scarlet erased Maxwell’s memory of her and everything that had transpired between them. She quickly ran back toward the theater to find the other Star Darlings and return to Starland. She never looked back.
The rain had stopped. Maxwell shook himself out of what felt like a dream. He looked down and discovered a pair of hot-pink drumsticks in his hand.
A warm feeling shot through his body when he touched them. He smiled, but he had no memory of Scarlet or what had happened between them. He put the sticks in his backpack, put on his headphones, and started to listen to his new favorite song, “Far Away.” He jumped on his skateboard and took off.
The Time of New Beginnings had officially arrived in Starland by the time the Star Darlings returned. The featherjabbers and druderwomps were in full bloom. Preparation for Light Giving Day had started. The Celestial Café sizzled with excitement. Steaming moonberry crumble cooled on trays while bluebeezle beam puffs chilled in the kitchen’s cosmic freezers. Sparkling energy filled the bright sky. The soothing sweet, fruity fragrance in the air reminded all the Starlings that a celebration was about to take place. Thanks to the Star Darlings’ successful Wish Mission, Starland glowed extra brightly on that glorious day.
Below the bustling campus, in the labyrinth of the underground caves, Lady Stella met with the returning Star Darlings in the Wish Cavern. The other seven Star Darlings were there, too, to honor their friends, who were back safe from Wishworld.
Sage, Libby, Leona, Vega, and Scarlet stood in front of Lady Stella, ready to receive their accolades for their stellar Wish Mission. Lady Stella began to speak. “My Star Darlings, may I commend you on succeeding in this most difficult Wish Mission. You showed us what true Star Darlings you were when you discovered the best part of yourselves to overcome a Wishling’s misguided wish, and you even helped one of our own Starlings, Vivica, to see the best part of herself.”
The girls smiled at each other.
Lady Stella continued, “Above all, you may not have gotten Rancora’s teardrop pendant, but you did something more important—you made a very important discovery. One I hadn’t even known about myself or figured out in all my years of wish granting. You figured out that when the right music is played at the right time, for the right person, it can change hearts and minds. Music has the power to inspire immense positivity.”
She acknowledged Sage. “Your leadership during the mission did not go unnoticed. I see greatness in you, Sage.”
Sage glowed, overcome with the feeling of accomplishment, having helped her home star. She looked forward to more Wish Missions for Starland. She bowed her head at Lady Stella. “Celestial gratitude,” she said, beaming a warm lavender glow.
Each of the five returning Star Darlings was given a new Wish Blossom. Sage’s boheminella blossom glowed with a soothing lavender light. Scarlet’s dark and mysterious punkypow flower emanated a vibrant radiance, and Leona’s golden roar bloom shined brightly. Libby’s blushbelle, with its puffs of sparkling stardust, and Vega’s richly colored bluebubble practically lit up the entire room. The blossoms, along with their Power Crystals, warmed the cave with a healing light.
“Before the Light Giving Day’s celebration commences, I want to share with you that after much contemplation, I have made the decision to allow Vivica to stay here among us at Starling Academy.”
The Star Darlings were surprised that after Vivica had betrayed Lady Stella and Starland, Lady Stella would even consider forgiving her for what she had done.
Lady Stella explained, “Vivica was under the influence of a powerful amount of negative energy. She is a talented Starling and in many ways has earned her place here at Starling Academy
. I will keep a close eye on her during a short probationary period. I’d like you to consider the matter closed.” She paused, thinking about all that the five Star Darlings had overcome. “I ask you, Star Darlings, to give Vivica a second chance. I did, and I expect the same of you.”
She looked into each of the five pairs of Star Darlings eyes that had faced Vivica and witnessed her dark side. “I understand your concern, but we’re safe now. Thanks to you, Starland has the positive wish energy it needs to thrive. Of course, there will be more good wishes to grant, but for now, until a Wish Orb becomes active again and the timing is right for a good wish to be granted, we must celebrate our victory over Rancora and the great success of your mission.” She smiled. “Speaking of celebrations, it’s Light Giving Day. Shall we join the others?”
Lady Stella led the Star Darlings up the winding stairs into the open air to enjoy the festivities. She watched as the Star Darlings carefully dispersed, so as not to call attention to themselves.
A bright, colorful sunburst display filled the sky and a solar-horn resounded, signaling the start of the celebration. “Time to rejoice!” said Lady Stella.
The Light Giving Day celebration was in full swing. All the students at Starling Academy participated in the wondrous day of stargazing and gift giving. Some Starlings danced under the starry sky barefoot, while others snacked on cocomoons and ozziefruit cake. Bot-Bots buzzed around with serving trays of moonberry crumble and bluebeezle beam puffs.
As the Starlings picnicked and exchanged glowing gifts with one another, MO-J4 circled around Sage, who sat with Leona. He spoke excitedly. “Nice to have you back, Miss Sage.” He had missed his favorite Starling. “Starland hasn’t been the same without you.”
Sage giggled under the glow of the luminous sky. “So happy to be back home, Mojay!” She reached behind her back and presented him with a gift.
“For me?”
“Yes.” Sage smiled. “Open it!”
MO-J4 quickly unwrapped the gift. It was a recording of “When We Shine,” the song the Star Darlings had written on Wishworld. “I look forward to listening to your musical creation.” He bleeped. “I must attend to the other Star Darlings now.” He zoomed off, carefully storing the recording in his star processing drive.
Leona had a gift for her roommate. “I don’t see Scarlet anywhere,” she said.
Scarlet sat on a hill high above the festivities, off by herself, under a glorange blossom tree. Leona Star-Zapped her: WHERE ARE YOU? I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU AND WE’RE GOING TO PLAY OUR SONG SOON!
I’LL BE THERE IN A STARMIN, Scarlet quickly Star-Zapped back. She needed some time away from the rest of the Starlings. She still couldn’t shake her thoughts of Maxwell from her mind. It would be the first time the Star Darlings band would play “When We Shine” on Starland, and she knew it would bring back her memories of her time on Wishworld and of Maxwell. She reflected on her short stay in Port Harbor, where so much had transpired, and where she had opened her heart for the first time. She knew that there was nothing she could do right then but play the song with the Star Darlings. She reached for the lucky drumsticks that were always in her back pocket, but they were gone! Then she remembered where they were: on Wishworld! “Starf!” she exclaimed. Caught up in the emotion of the moment when she had said good-bye to Maxwell, Scarlet had given him her drumsticks to remember her by, something expressly forbidden on Starland!
Down in the band shell, Leona set up the microphone. “Where is Scarlet?” she asked Sage.
Sage pointed into the audience of Starling Academy students that was slowly gathering. “There she is!”
Out of breath, Scarlet hurried onto the stage. Leona rushed over to her. “Before we play, I wanted to give you a gift for Light Giving Day, roomie.”
Scarlet didn’t have time for a gift. She needed to figure out how she would play the song without her lucky sticks. “I can’t right now.”
Leona insisted, “Scarlet, open it!”
“Okay, okay.” Scarlet hurriedly opened the gift and looked down at it. Her mouth formed a reluctant smile. Leona had given Scarlet a set of sparkling pink drumsticks! They were similar to her old ones but with a cool new pattern. Leona couldn’t imagine how much this gift meant to her. “They’re perfect. Thank you,” Scarlet told her.
Leona asked, “Are you getting emotional on me, Scarlet? I didn’t know a new set of drumsticks would have such an impact.”
Scarlet tried to brush it off; she had to keep up her tough-girl reputation. “I’m all good. Thanks, Leona.”
“So you like them, really?”
“You have no idea.” Scarlet lifted the drumsticks from the box and held them like they were the last set on Starland.
It was time for the Star Darlings to perform. Sage checked that all the Star Darlings were tuned up and ready to play. She approached the microphone. “Hello, Starling Academy! Happy Light Giving Day! We’re here to play you our new song. We hope you enjoy it. It’s called ‘When We Shine’!”
Vivica was there alone, standing apart from the other students. She watched the Star Darlings perform onstage, and some of the old feelings came back. She couldn’t help feeling miserable: there they were onstage, admired by the whole student body, while she was in the background, watching them soak up the starlight. She was just another student—and on probation at that. Vivica’s whole body filled with anger. Her face tightened, and her aura turned gray, blue, and black. Nothing has changed! she realized. I will always be in the shadows as long as the Star Darlings are the chosen ones.
Later, Lady Stella was back at her office, about to shut down for the night and go back to her home at the top of StarProf Row, when she remembered a box the Bot-Bots had given her a few weeks earlier, after she’d had them remove and contain all the negative energy Rancora had been storing on the Isle of Misera. The box contained a few of Rancora’s personal effects, mostly junk—things Lady Stella wasn’t sure what to do with. She suddenly felt the urge to get rid of them. Something about the Time of New Beginnings always made her want to get rid of clutter and freshen up her space.
Lady Stella pulled the small box from the closet where she had kept it, and walked down the long flight of stairs to the fountain in the Wish Cavern below her office. Its water was charged with positivity, the perfect way to dispose of Rancora’s belongings. First Lady Stella tossed in an old, ratty scarf, then a spell book titled Negatite Magic. There were some coins from Wishworld that Rancora had collected when she was there. She got rid of those, too. And there was a small metal tin, which Stella was about to toss but then felt compelled to open. Inside was a piece of paper, folded into a tiny square. Lady Stella recognized the page immediately, and her surprise caused her to lose her breath for a moment.
It was the page from the oracle Rancora had stolen.
As Lady Stella unfolded it, the words that appeared before her eyes made her glow turn completely pale.
A dark Starling will rise and determine the ultimate fate of Starland.
In that moment she understood why Rancora had sent Vivica on the Wish Mission. Vivica was the dark Starling, and Rancora was trying to control her. Lady Stella carefully slipped the piece of paper into her pocket and headed back up to her office to start making plans.
“This,” she whispered to herself as she climbed the stairs, “this changes everything.”
DON’T MISS THESE OTHER STAR DARLINGS BOOKS
Sage and the Journey to Wishworld
Libby and the Class Election
Leona’s Unlucky Mission
Vega and the Fashion Disaster
Scarlet Discovers True Strength
Cassie Comes Through
Piper’s Perfect Dream
Astra’s Mixed-Up Mission
Tessa’s Lost and Found
Adora Finds a Friend
Clover’s Parent Fix
Gemma and the Ultimate Standoff
Good Wish Gone Bad
Wish-a-Day Diary
Wish Car
ds and Book
A Wisher’s Guide to Starland
COMING SOON
Star-Crossed Summer
Stealing Starlight Page 11