I braced myself against a wall, my legs shaking like a newborn calf.

Moxie.

No one had anything against Moxie… how could they?

Obviously, it was my own fault. I avoided the mist like a coward, and it took her instead.

My half-crazed mind sputtered one sentence: And now, I must find her.

“This has to be the Dragon Duchess, right?” I asked the brunette officer, trying to keep hysteria out of my voice. “Moxie was the Chosen One, after all. Does she have an army of dragons or something?”

“No,” the man said. His nametag read Officer Thoms. “It’s probably just a title. Dragons have been extinct for centuries. Secondly, dragons protect, not kill. They’ve protected villages and kingdoms for millennia. You should know this from your history books.”

“I guess I wasn’t paying attention. Why is she called the Dragon Duchess if she has no dragons to command?” Max asked, equally stunned.

“It’s been used as a villain name before. I think-”

“Speaking of dragons,” a tall woman suddenly appeared from Moxie’s room. She was only in her mid to late twenties. Her black hair flowed down her shoulders in loose curls of silk ribbons, and she was wearing a black jacket with silver shoulder pads. Her radioactive-green eyes glowed as she looked down upon us. A silver metal tag on her dark blue outfit read: Detective Thornia.

“Other than several drops of the victim’s blood on the floor next to a recycling bin, there are no other suspicious clues to be found. Although Awitchuplea… does show the presence of a dragon. ”

“How-” Officer Toms started, but Detective Thornia interrupted.

“Dragons were not entirely extinct, although the textbooks stated otherwise. There were two left, a male and female. The Council of Immortal Witches worked days and nights to keep them locked up separately, and they still are, even today. What makes these magical traces more suspicious than they already are is that they do not match either of theirs.”

My soul vaporized.

“What’s Awitchuplea?” Amber asked.

“A tracking spell,” she said, her fingertips glowed a faint venom green. “It’s very simple, and only shows the broader elements, so that’s why it is often overlooked. However, the big picture is just as important as the little details. The lingering traces of it show that the dragon came from New York City. Write that down, Officer.”

Our current location: In some pocket dimension in California. Moxie’s (possible) location: across the country.

“Where in New York City?” Gwen croaked, her voice barely above a whimper.

“Fire Port Building, also known as the New York City Fire Museum to the humans,” Detective Thornia murmured, with a glance at Gwen. “I haven’t been to the human world in decades, so we’ll have to do some research before beginning a formal search,” she said with an apologetic tone.

I turned around so hard my neck cracked.

I left, sprinting for the elevator without a word. Max and Amber called and shouted after me, but I ignored their pleas. Research was going to take too long. However, I didn’t have to do any. All I needed was an address.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I took my backpack and put a few bowls of Ramen Noodle Supreme Soup Bowls in it. Despite being terrible with magic, I took my spell book, too. It went in along with some fresh clothes and my cellphone. I put on my lime green hoodie and slipped on my gauntlet.

I swung open the dorm door with such force the wall behind split into a web of cracks.

I was going to save Moxie. If this was my fault, then I had to take responsibility for my own mistakes. I had to get her back no matter what the price was.

The elevator shot downwards as I softly growled.

No one ever really liked me before coming here, since I was nothing but a self-pitying kid whose parents died. No one really cared at all, definitely not Teresa. Amber, Max, Olive, Brianna… they accepted me without any hesitation or ulterior motives. They didn’t judge me like everyone else did. They probably had epic backstories as well.

Outside, I sprinted towards the portal lake, swatting away the whispering fireflies. I pumped my arms and dug into the ground with every flying step. My breath felt like pieces of glass inside my lungs.

The lake’s glowing waters seemed to say, hurry!

I inhaled deeply, and took a flying leap for the water.

Suddenly, something wrapped around my left ankle and yanked. I twisted my head around and saw a writhing green…

Plant?

“Mackie!” I heard Amber.

“MJ!” Max yelled.

Gwen’s voice was louder than the others. “MACKENZIE!”

“Mackenzie Jade Buckley!” An unfamiliar tone demanded as I crashed down into the grass.

I hit the ground with my chin. Biting back the pain, I swiveled my head around. With Moonshine ready, I came face to face with Amber, Max, Olive, Gwen, and the principal's daughter.

Minh’s piercing purple eyes burned into mine.

“Please excuse me,” I wheezed, burnt out from my mad dash.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Minh sounded exactly like her mother.

Gasping ragged breaths, I croaked my answer. “I shouldn’t have tried to avoid the Mist... This is my fault… And now Moxie is gone… She’s my friend… I have to go… I need to save her...”

“Mackie, no,” Amber rasped.

“Yeah… don’t… leave…” Max panted, breathing heavily. His dark hair fell in awkward strands down his face, slick with sweat.

“I’m saving Moxie... whether you all like it or not. Don’t try to stop me,” I said, breathing hard.

I wasn’t going to let them destroy the chances I had left. Air rushed in and out of my lungs, and I felt a sudden wave of dizziness.

Then, the horror dawned upon me. Was I crazy?

I just completely overreacted, first with the police witches and now with the insane dash across the campus. I probably landed my friends in an endless void of trouble, and now the principal’s daughter is staring at me.

“I was gonna say...don’t leave...without us…”Max finished, breathless.

Huh? Then I noticed that he and Amber had their backpacks on. So did Olive.

Max confidently smirked, still out of breath.

“Guys…” I started in protest, but Minh spoke.

“I want them to go with you,” she said quietly. Her midnight black hair was tied into a bun as if she was ready for action, but the long sweater that wrapped around her shoulders said otherwise.

“I know Moxie. She’s my friend, too. I want her to be safe, maybe even more than you do. But if I go with you, then my mother will notice and hunt us down.” She laced her fingers together nervously, like she knew something I didn't. “I can access your school files. I can make it look like you weren’t absent with a few quick spells. That should at least cover you for a few days so that my mother doesn’t send people after you.”

I thought Minh was exactly like her mother… which couldn’t possibly be more wrong.

I was amazed and baffled. “Why? You are the principal’s daughter, and you’re supposed to not only follow, but enforce the rules. And why don’t you just leave it to the police witches?” I asked, regaining my posture.

Minh laughed a mirthless laugh, smiling wryly. “First of all, why don’t you leave it to the police witches?”

I clamped my mouth shut and quickly averted my gaze.

The girl began to walk around us with her hands behind her back. “Everyone thinks that. Oh, Minh, the principal's daughter! She’s such a prodigy! So powerful!” Minh whirled around.

“Gee, that must be so terrible to hear,” I replied sarcastically.

She gave me a glare as she continued. “Well, let me tell ya! They only talk to me for my connection to the principal, that’s all. No one wants me as an actual friend!”

Her strange violet eyes glowed with bitterness and she threw her hands up in the air. “Moxie was different. It might just be the fact that she’s young and naive, but she showed me more compassion than anyone ever has. She was the first person that truly wanted to be my friend, just for me, no strings attached.”

“Same,” I softened, sitting back on the grass. “In fact, I was actually a total loser before I got here and met-”

“That brings me to my next point…” Minh cut me off before I could say my own sob story. “-she’s just a kid. She needs help as soon as possible. I trust you because of your genuine love for her. That’s more than what the police witches could ever do.”

My eyes narrowed. “How did you know that I was friends with Moxie? How did you even notice my existence? You know a lot about us, yet all I know is your name and... your mom.”

Minh rolled her eyes, “I watch, and I listen. You have eyes and ears, too, don’t you? I’ve had to investigate everyone that has come into contact with Moxie, since she’s been…” Minh trailed off. “Also, you stand out among the newbies, and I’ve been keeping tabs on you. Your physical skills are quite impressive, and enough to take down more seasoned warriors.”

I almost had a heart attack. Impressive? Me? Those two words don’t go together.

The “seasoned warrior,” Gwen, looked down and sank to the ground. “Mackenzie, I’m really sorry. I was a flat-out jerk towards you.”

She looked at me without malice or any bad intentions for the first time since I had met her. Instead, her eyes were earnest. “You need to go. You need to. But I can’t come with you. There is a specific spell to keep me inside Glowing Dragon Academy.”

She walked over to the lake, tying her hair up, and tried to jump into the lake. But instead of sinking through the glittering portal, she ended up just flopping on the very water, a reflective-shield-like magic blocking her from the water.

She stood up shakily and looked at me again. “Find Moxie. Please, I’m begging you.”

Eyes watering, she stared right at me, gaze unwavering. Those eternally sparkling aqua-colored irises, now lined with silver, only looked tragic.

“Please save my little sister and bring her back safely. If it means anything to you now, I’m truly sorry for everything I did. I can’t control myself when I get angry. I don’t know why, these issues are usually not that bad. But I’m really, really sorry.” Her tears had overflown and were now openly trailing down her cheeks.

I softened. She’s gone through a lot, too. “I’ll find Moxie. I promise you that.” I gave Gwen a sad but reassuring smile. Maybe we could be friends when I came back alive, as long as I didn’t get punished for ditching school.

“But why Olive?” I asked, turning to face the tiny child. Her normal smile was replaced by a serious expression, jaw set in determination.

“My ability allows me to see the future.” She shifted her eyes from the ground to my gaze nervously.

Olive began looking into the distance, eyes clouded with gray.

When she snapped back to reality, she yelled, “Now, LET’S GO!”

“Olive, they don’t have to go yet. I need to explain some things,” Minh said, putting her hand on Olive’s shoulder while reaching into a pocket with her other arm. “I want you to use this charm every time you run into something suspicious.” Minh placed a leaf-shaped crystal necklace into Olive’s palm. “This will act as my eyes. It will show me whatever you’re dealing with. Then, I’ll be able to help you, if it is possible. I can use a spell to get there, although it cannot travel far. It might only get me out of the GDA pocket dimension.”

“Okay, Minh. It looks so cool! Now let’s goooo!” Olive cheered, grinning as widely as ever.

“Patience, please.”

Minh turned back to me. “I want you to flee for your life if you run into anything near a dragon. Same thing with anything too dangerous. You all are very inexperienced, and I can’t send any experienced, useful witches because the principal would notice their absence, even if I change the files.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

Olive piped up again. “Let’s go?”

“Wait,” I said, and Olive’s face morphed into a frown. I looked at the group. “You guys really don’t have to come. Especially you, Olive.”

“Oh no,” Max responded with a grin. “We’re coming all right. Whether you like it or not, like you said earlier. ” His sword formed in his hand, and his smile widened. His brown eyes were twinkling. “For one, you’re our friend. Also, don’t forget that Moxie is our friend as well, not just yours.”

“Yeah,” Amber agreed, taking out her spell book. “We three may be inexperienced, useless, clumsy children-”

“Encouraging,” I commented.

“-But it’s better to have three inexperienced people than one, right? Plus, we want an excuse to skip school,” she said, jokingly.

Minh frowned at her. “You little…”

“Okay, okay!” I laughed, still nervous inside. “Now what do you say we go get our friend back?”

“Wait, one last thing,” Minh interrupted, taking her phone out and passing it to me with an empty contact. “Let’s trade numbers so I don’t have to teleport myself wherever you guys are every time I want to talk to you about something.”

Quickly, I inputted my contact information and pressed Save, before handing the phone back to Minh with my own.

“Text me if you need something that isn’t a life-or-death emergency, alright?” She grinned, almost mischievously.

I gave her a thumbs-up in confirmation and turned to face the lake again, my three friends joining me by my side this time. Minh made a good-luck gesture, and Gwen waved sadly.

I smiled at them, and turned around. We jumped into the lake, colorful bubbles surrounding us, and once again, the world flipped over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We shot out of the water at full speed. Unsurprisingly, not a single drop of water was left on any of us. We were deposited in the middle of a clearing surrounded by trees, although the structures and buildings of a town peeked over the canopy. The honking of cars, the shouts of people, random bursts of music, and even an occasional scream reverberated in my eardrums.

“What now?” Max asked, turning his sword back into a gauntlet.

“I don’t know yet. Let’s get out of this little tree-infested dirt block first and find a safe place to plan,” Amber muttered.

Taking Olive by the hand, I skidded down the dirt hill, and led our group out into the normal world that I remembered.

We were standing at the edge of a street, which was definitely not where our train had landed. Spiderweb-like cracks sketched over the sprawling cement sidewalks. People were rushing around like ants, often holding a phone to their ear or a sandwich to their mouth that they were quickly wolfing down. The air smelled of dust and mold. A quick glance at a nearby sign told us that we were in Mill Valley. The sky was gray despite the uncomfortably bright sun bearing down on us.

“Let’s find a bus stop first,” Amber replied to Max’s confused glance. “We got a long trip ahead of us. No travelling in airplanes since we are too young to travel alone and none of us are tall enough to masquerade as adults. Except for Mackie, who is lanky enough but she has an obvious baby face.”

“Pardon?”

Amber ignored me. “Plus, we’ll have to present passports and everything. We’re supposed to be at a boarding school, remember? We can’t have the government following us and arresting us for truancy.” She then marched off towards a group of civilians conversing nearby to ask for directions.

“Do we even have money? Bills, right?” Max asked.

I blinked at him, uncomprehending. What was he talking about?

Oh.

I came to a horrifying realization.

Mackie, why did you have to forget that of all things?! I screamed at myself, cursing my own stupidity. Great, now I had to tell Max.

“OH NO!” I practically yelled, smacking myself in the head. “I completely forgot to take my wallet with me!”

“Umm… I’m pretty sure we’re going to need money if we’re going on a bus trip.” Max told me.

“Wow, Max, clearly you learned something during school,” I whacked him in mild exasperation, even though I was frustrated with my own carelessness. “And why am I so stupid? I should have known. I should have remembered. Am I really this dumb?” I groaned.

“Yes, you are. And you are even dumber for another reason.” Amber agreed as she walked back over clutching a tourist map that a kind stranger had given her.

“Huh?” I was completely baffled.

“Well,” Amber said as she rolled her eyes and stared at me, “We can make it appear out of thin air, right? Are we witches or not?”

Max and I looked at her.

“What?” Max and I said in unison.

“We can create money,” she said, snickering as she continued along. “Although it’s not really a noble thing to do, but since someone forgot the basic essentials of a trip…”

I felt heat rush to my face. “Alright, but I am completely certain that we never learned-”

“Chill out, I know how. We can’t really make real money, but we can make pieces of paper that look like it.”

“Jeez, Amber!” Max groaned. She snickered some more.

“Hey guys?!” Olive suddenly yelled. As I looked at her, her irises became white as she stared off into the distance. “Something bad is about to happen!”