A crowd of familiar faces greeted Carnelia and Jeorr at the center of town.

It was Miss Eleina, Opal, Miss Zenic, and everyone who had helped to search for Carnelia during the earthquake. All her friends and neighbors gathered together to say their goodbyes, with the Chute behind them, the golden light of the sun shining down through it. Everyone was here.

As she stepped forward with a wave, Opal was pushed forward by their teacher. The shy boy met her halfway with a small bag in his hands.

“Hi, Carnelia. We got you a goodbye present.”

He dropped it into her hands and ran back to Miss Eleina’s side. It was surprisingly heavy for its size. Carnelia gasped as she peered inside and realized it was filled to the brim with coins.

“Where’d you get all this, Opal?”

The boy blushed and tucked his head behind Miss Eleina. The governess extended her arm to the crowd behind her.

“It’s from all of us. Opal came around to all of our houses and did a little collection. He figured that since we all have some spare change from our younger days that we don’t use anymore, why not give it to someone who can use it?” Miss Eleina mussed the young boy’s hair. “And all without asking me for help. Isn’t that amazing?”

“It really is! Thanks, Opal! I’ll buy you a great souvenir while I’m up there!”

Carnelia stepped up to the boy and planted a fat kiss on his cheek. Opal turned bright red and shoved his face deeper into Miss Eleina’s leg.

“That’s not all,” Miss Eleina continued, as she pulled out a few sheets of notebook paper from inside her cardigan. “We also wrote down notes for you. Places we liked during our travels, secret little places they don’t show tourists, stuff like that.”

“I wrote down some restaurants I used to work at. Just drop my name, and it’ll get you primo-seating for sure!” said Cafe Crystal’s chef proudly.

“And I filled in some holes in your research on the Confirmation. The information might be a little outdated, but it should help!” chipped in the librarian.

The two turned to the fungi farmer. She stared back at them.

“What? You two never told me anything about a gift!”

“We shouldn’t have to, you heartless crone!”

“Bah. Fine.” She turned back to Carnelia. “I’ll watch over your fungi while you’re gone.”

“Thank you, everyone! You’re all so very kind!”

Carnelia beamed happily as she accepted their gifts from Miss Eleina and tucked them in the pages of her notebook. As she looked across all their smiling faces, Carnelia realized she wasn’t surprised. This was no more or less than what she had come to expect from the people of Downtown. Her home.

Looking at his watch, Jeorr waved her over to a large empty net hanging from the Chute.

“Carnelia!” he warned. “You’d better hurry! They’re about to start the transfer.”

Carnelia turned and saw that the rope trailing up the Chute was bouncing up and down; the signal from the pulley operators that they were ready to pull up this week’s shipment. Namely, her. Carnelia quickly gave a round of hugs to as many people as she could before settling into the netting.

She was hardly ready when Jeorr tugged on the rope three times to signal the operators that she was ready to go. And without any ado, the net began to rise, immediately. It was, in many ways, so quick. The future, inexorably pulling her into it, ready with whatever tribulations and joys it had in store for her. Already, they were on their way, being delivered to her.

Her heart felt like it was being pulled in two directions; home and sky. It hurt in the best way possible. As she was carried away, Carnelia waved and called out to as many people as she could

“I’ll be back!” she shouted. “And the next time you see me, I’ll be a Challenger!”

As her goodbyes rang out across the stone streets and buildings of Downtown, then again against the namestone totems and dripping stalactites in the distance, a chorus of farewells sounded in return.

“Make us proud, Carnelia!”

“Stay safe out there!”

“We’re counting on it!”

In those last few moments of goodbyes, well-wishes, and last-minute call-outs for souvenirs, as Opal began to cry and Miss Eleina clutched the young boy tightly to her chest, Carnelia met her grandfather’s eyes one final time. He was smiling, but there were also tears in his eyes. His stoic melancholy was a gorgeous, sapphire-blue amidst all the excitement and celebration. She reached out to him with a message, mouthed just for him, before she passed beyond the point where he could see.

I promise I’ll come back. I promise.

She would return. Her name and her word on it, she would return.

Jeorr wholeheartedly believed it. But in order to return, she first had to leave. Like ships weren’t made for harbors, nor birds for their nests, young bright girls like Carnelia weren’t made for a place cold, drab places like this. They were made to step out into the world, spread their wings, and make waves. And although some small part of him still wondered if she were truly ready, whether she truly understood how much that tiny bit of sky she’d always stared at was going grow in size… when you gazed into the light, the light gazed back into you.

Upon her lips was a smile he could see all the way ’round on the far side of her face. In her elbows, her hair, and her heels and toes too. Of course, Jeorr couldn’t help but smile.

Finally, as the rope lifted his ward up out of earshot, the cheers began to fade. And once Carnelia was but a dot in the distance, Miss Eleina joined him at his side. She took his hand, shaking her head.

“Crazy. Absolutely crazy. I would’ve waited until she was eighteen at the very least!”

Jeorr ignored the teasing lilt in Miss Eleina’s voice and staunchly stared upwards, tears dripping down his cheeks. He squeezed even harder.

“…me too, Lily. Me too."