They logged off and waded back into the crowd. They had to push through one of the food queues. Some old lady thought they were cutting in line and got angry, but Allie cursed her right back and they escaped into section B.

It was a spacious sideways tower pointing straight into Un, with earth-colored metals, thick smooth stone, and humongous windows that rippled like ponds. Like all things Magogram, everything from the support pillars to ceiling arches was extra and full of engravings and squiggles and useless statues. Already from the top of the entrance stairs, Raz could spot the isola Maroque had rescued: a big apartment building shaped chunk overrun by writhing neon pink jungle.

Maroque was there amongst other wizards, more bearded than ever and a little scruffy, holding the hand of some woman on a floating stretcher. Much of her body had warped into pink jungle life. Healers had attached ten different tubes to her one human-like arm, and one of her eyes had turned into a weird flower. But she still laughed as she cried.

Four other rescuees, adults with a bit less severe warpings, sat on the side with cups of hot food. However, they were too busy gawking at the wizards and Un-station to eat. One was receiving attention from a HBW wizard in green white. Another was helping a frazzled lady in the volunteer uniform to make him a temporary ID.

Maroque sat down to ask something of the oldest rescuee, a grandpa whose beard had become pink vines. He looked so kind while speaking. The grandpa touched his arm and said something, his eyes tearing.

The scene made Raz unreasonably happy, proud too. Even if life at New Europe camp wasn’t perfect, she was glad Maroque and his friends had found them and given them a chance.

She reached the edge of the crowd with other curious kids and teens.

“Yo, angry plant girl!” some older boy with light stoney warping shouted at Allie.

“Yo yourself, dumb rocktwerp.”

Allie made a face at him.

The boy laughed with his friends.

“Small friends.” Maroque’s deep wizardy voice boomed. He had left healers to their job and found a chair near the crowd. “Who wants to fly?”

Younger kids started bouncing and screaming ‘memememe’.

Maroque’s pupils spread into horizontal dancing lines across glowing red eyes. Transparent veils of gold and red began to swell out of him in a wonderfield, but a swift flourish of his hand caught them all and sent a handful of the magic to every eager child.

“Then fly,” he said. “Soar!”

A flock of kids took flight at modest speed, with two dozen different flying techniques. Some flapped hands. Others swam or went superman. One was doing a yogi impression.

Raz, of course, would never pass on such a chance! She was whooping while surfing through the air. She speeded high, scarily high up to the suspended lights and hanging wires, then scream-laughed throughout the entire descent back to Allie and Faham.

“C’mon!” she urged them to join.

Faham hesitated, but raised his hand and received magic. He began floating. A single wing buzzed awkwardly beneath his baggy hoodie, but he didn’t seem to mind. Giggling, he flew circles at low altitude and made some careful explorations higher.

Raz hadn’t noticed Allie raising her hand, but eventually she bumped into her. Gold-red curtain appeared between them for just a bit, softening the already gentle impact.

“Wanna race?” Allie asked.

“Yeah! Where to?”

“From wizard to windows and back,” said rockboy and took off. 

Allie cursed and chased after him, Raz right behind her.

More kids, and even some adults joined in to play in the air. While clapping at Faham’s awkward backflip attempts, Raz noticed some elderly slavic lady twirling along to some zero-g ballet. Hundreds of people were in the air, goofing around. 

Lights never turned off in the main halls of unstation, but people can’t fly forever. Hours later, a little before the end of dinner service, the flight slowly lost its flightiness. Kids were collected by their parents. One boy tried to hide in the ceiling, until Maroque floated him down with a flick of his finger.

He was still sitting on that bench, tousling the ceiling boy’s hair. His wizard garments were as perfect as ever, untouched by travel, but his eyes looked a bit darker and his smiles stiffer. 

Raz wondered what the wizard was thinking. He had to be tired from the journey. Would she cheer him up by approaching, or just annoy and add to his stress? He’d been nice before, but ‘nice’ seemed like his factory setting. 

Allie nudged Raz. “What’re you, a wuss? If you wanna say hi, go say hi.”

“I was going to.”

“Nah. You weren’t. You were doing your sad wiggling.”

“Sad wiggling?”

Allie made an exaggerated pouty face and started fidgeting with her fingers.

“I don’t do that.”

“Do. Totally do.”

Raz looked to Faham for support.

“Sorry.”

She blinked, shaking her head. “I don’t. And besides, don’t you think it might come off as… I dunno, I don’t want him to think I’m trying to cling or fangirl…”

“You’re totally a fangirl, tho.”

“...or think–” Raz squinted at Allie. “Sure. But, like. He’s a powerful wizard. I don’t want him thinking I’m trying to get something, or take advantage of his kindness. I’m sure he’s busy.”

The ceiling boy apologized to Maroque and jogged, leaving the wizard alone. He turned to stare at the big chunk of warped Earth still parked outside.

Allie gave Raz an elbow nudge. “Wuss.”

“Okay okay. I’m going.” Raz started towards him, then turned. “You should come too. I bet he wants to know you two are getting better.”

Allie shrugged.

“Maybe…” Faham hesitated. “Do you think he would help with my exercise? If I’d like to ask about magic?”

“He’d probably be happy to teach!” He’d tried his best to answer her every magic question about magic, even if she’d had to ask some a couple times because of his goofy English.

“C’mon already!” Allie gave her a light shove.

Raz approached as casually as she could, though her hands couldn’t decide whether to be in pockets or wave, so she ended up doing a double wave, when Maroque noticed them.

“Heeeeeyllo, haha. Welcome back!”

“My special small friends.” He turned their way slowly. “Allie, you walk! Amazing. Amazing. Very strong. And Faham, good to see stronger too. Has life been good?”

“Yeah.” Raz nodded. “It’s been fine.”

“It’s whatever,” Allie added.

“And Faham?”

He nodded. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

“Fine means good. Good!” Maroque nodded stiffly, smiling.

Cool air wafted from him. Only then did Raz notice that the curly metal bench beneath him was covered in hoarfrost. His lips were a little blue.

“Looks a bit cold.” Raz poked it with her shoe. 

“Ah, this is, how to say…” Maroque closed his eyes in thought. “The cost of moving is rest. Not pick the right words, but close. Is my magic’s recoil.”

“For the flying? You didn’t–” Stunned, Raz stumbled on her words. “Did you hurt yourself to– Unbelievable… What the heck, Maroque?”

“It doesn’t hurt?” Allie asked.

“No-no-no.” The recoil turned his profuse gesturing into a slideshow. “Very light recoil. And no, little Raz. This is, how you say… accumulated debt. From Un. Giving gift of flying for some hours? That is a stick in the pond. Stick in the pond compared to magic taken by Un.” 

Raz stared at him. “Stick in the pond?”

“Yes, yes. Stick in the pond floats on top and make almost no ripple. Is common saying, no?”

“No.”

Maroque looked at her, shocked. “No?”

Faham shook his head too. “No, sorry.”

“Someone’s goofed you,” said Allie.

“Ahhh…” He cursed in wizard, scratching his golden beard. “My friend is, how you say…”

“Prolly not the way you’re gonna say it.”

Raz and Faham tried to hide their snorts but failed.

Maroque shot them a playful glare. “This I know. Good word from your culture. My friend, he is a troll.”

Allie chuckled.

They chatted this and that. About therapy exercises, their occasional computer adventures, their new sleeping space being a bit small but clean, the wonder of magical showers, and the food.

“It’s much better here. Even the worst soup days beat every flour day,” said Raz.

“Amen, sis.”

Raz blinked at her, but Allie didn’t even notice. Then, a grin started spreading on Raz’s face, followed by a bubbly warmth. She almost screamed from cheer. 

“Only thing...” Faham paused briefly. When nobody interrupted, he continued, “I feel like there could maybe be more sugar. There isn’t much sugar in their foods. I actually really liked the drinks Raz used to make me.”

“Aww.” She gave him a small hug, feeling a little drunk on happiness. “Thanks. You know they were just jam and water.”

“Still, I liked them.”

 “The HBW, they try their best, but difficult to make perfect food for many different altered,” said Maroque.

Faham nodded, eyes falling to the exercise notes he had finished.

The lull stretched, dimming the earlier joy.

Maroque leaned forward. His movements weren’t as stiff anymore, but his gaze was heavier. “So, there is no luck yet?”

“Nah.”

Raz shook her head.

Faham didn’t say a word.

Maroque glanced at the neon pink jungle still parked beside the unstation. A defeated look crossed his face. “I never mention, me and my friends, we are not part of HBW or volunteers. Swifta, Tabul, Ghermang, they are members of… you would say it is part of the Magogram special force.”

The trio perked up.

“Mission I cannot speak of, but it very important for Magogram, or so I thinked. Then we find three children.” 

He looked at them.

Raz didn’t know how to reply, or if he even wanted one.

“Thank you,” said Faham.

“My very pleasure,” said Maroque, beaming. “My very, very pleasure. It helped remind something I forgot: Why I became wizard. That reason, I think, is not to work with Magogram special forces. It is something very different.”

There was a gleam in his eyes, the same light mom had had, when she had drank three glasses of wine and explained to Raz about why she liked being a kindergarten teacher despite complaining about the kids every day. It was a very special light.

Raz held her breath.

“We have one last dive before Magogram kick me from being leader, because not following mission.” Maroque poked out his tongue. He didn’t look sorry at all. “One last trip into Un. A big isola near last one with maybe hundred, maybe thousand survivors. Then, when I come back, if you three want, maybe you come to Oor with me?”

Raz’s heart might’ve stopped.

“Wow,” said Allie.

Maroque hurried to add, “Not have to. But, if you have no luck with finding important people, then maybe life in Oor better than here. Maybe other children too if find them, but…” He ran fingers through hair, licking his lips. “Not thinked until the end yet if being honest, but want to make something for ahh, how to say… to help connect everyone so they care again? Ahh!” Maroque’s pointy hat nearly fell as he raked his hair in frustration. “Not good way to say it. When Nounsica finishes eating Earth languages, I will say details better. Is it maybe two-hearted to not offer this only to you, yes. But, maybe can build something later to…”

He chuckled, offering them an apologetic smile. “Rambling is the word, yes?”

“Yu-uh,” said Raz.

A real wizard wanted them to come live in Oor with him.

And not just any wizard, but Maroque. Big goofy goldbeard. The Christmas spice wizard. 

Her hands trembled.

Her head spun. 

For some reason, she felt guilty. Like she was betraying mom and dad by being excited to be adopted, but that was dumb. They would have loved Maroque. They wouldn’t have wanted her to mope around and wait for them until she was a sour scooter hating granny.

Raz began, “Yessnnwait, I mean…”

Her eyes darted between Allie and Faham.

Faham was buzzing too much to get a word out, but seized her hand and squeezed it. Allie took her into a laughing hug and broke the tension.

Raz laughed with her and hugged her back, then they gathered Faham into the hug and squished him.

They were with her. Would be. Always. Her new big sis and lil bro.

“Yes!” Raz found Maroque grinning wide. She made as good come-hug gestures as she could without free arms, and shouted, “Yes!”

He understood, stood, and, for a few wonderfully long minutes, made her feel like she had found her place.

***

Re; Week 4 exercise number 2: 

 I want to become a person who people can’t forget as often as I can.

Even though right now having nothing to do makes it challenging.

One small step I can take to overcome the challenge is try to be helpful when I can.

sorry, Dr. Sievining :( i’m not sure my answers are accurate anymore but they are what I wrote. life is looking so good right now! Maroque the wizard I told you about adopted us and we are going to Oor soon!!! Thank you so much for helping us over here even when you are so busy omg. you were such huuuuge help. really really thanks. i’m so thankful you helped Allie and Faham even more. im gonna one day do something nice for you

Dear Razandra,

It fills me with great joy to hear about the exciting new chapter you, Allie, and Faham are embarking on. Your journey, with its ups and downs, has been inspiring to witness, and I'm honored to have been a part of it, even briefly. 

As you prepare for this wonderful adventure to Oor, I want you to be proud of your progress. You’re a very insightful and mature young woman with a good heart. Remember, the skills and insights you've gained during our time together are yours to keep and build upon. You've shown remarkable ability to face challenges with courage and to find joy in the journey.

While our formal sessions may be concluding, please remember that the progress you've made is just the beginning. Keep embracing life with the same openness and enthusiasm you've shown. Your future is bright, and I have no doubt you'll continue to touch the lives of those around you in meaningful ways.

I would absolutely cherish a photo of you three in Oor! If you must repay me, please do so at your earliest convenience.

If you ever need support or simply wish to share updates about your journey, know that my inbox is always open. Take care of yourself and each other.

Wishing you all the happiness and adventure that life can offer,

Dr. Sievinen

Okay i will :) thanks again :)

Dear Razandra,

Thank you :) 

Dr. Sievinen

:)!