"You live here?" Eclipse stood in awe.

"Yup! Best place in the entire Golden Wasteland to live!" Rayem answered. Eclipse and her friends gazed around the vast expanse of golden shimmering sand to see a majestic ark. Flowers covered the ground and gentle winds rose upwards. The moon glinted through the deep indigo clouds, and colorful tents perched on the ark.

"I live in that one" Rayem pointed to the one highest up on the ark, to the right. There were a lot of Wasteland sky children running around, talking with the various season spirits, or shooting up high with the updrafts. The four friends lifted off the ground, gliding over the sand and flowers to Rayem's tent. Their gathering had been on sky magic that day, the art of telekinesis and creating light energy. The friends had agreed to meet up at Rayem's tent and go to the Vault after their gathering to talk to the telekinesis spirit about technique. Landing with a thump on the cloth floor of the tent, Rayem set Ao down and started growling at her.

"Uh, Rayem, what are you doing?" Eclipse asked him.

"Telling Ao to stay here while we go visit the Vault," he replied. Eclipse's mouth dropped open

"You can speak dark dragon?"

Rayem petted Ao's furry head "Yup, it's required for all the Wasteland Sky kids to know. How do you think I kept my flight stars without the Dark Dragons eating them?"

"True..." Eclipse heard a shout from Sunny

"GUYS! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!" Eclipse launched into the air followed by Rayem and landed by Sunny. Sunny stood by a glowing white circle set into the ground, throwing off white-hot sparks. "Zaira sat there... AND SHE DISAPPEARED!" Sunny cried. Eclipse had already made up her mind about the situation. Sitting in the circle, she got whisked away by the white light.

Rayem and Sunny watched Eclipse sit in the circle and fade away, leaving only her eight stars behind.

"That's exactly what happened to the missing sky child!" Rayem exclaimed. Sunny gasped

"You're right!"

Rayem hesitated "I think I'm going to follow her."

"Me too." Sunny sat in the circle and disappeared.

Rayem took a deep breath and did the same.

Zaira opened her eyes to a flock of birds flying overhead. She got up and looked around. Appearing to be on a small island, with seven portals sitting across from her. A stone structure to the left looked like a closet, and she could see the stars up above. No one was there beside her, it seemed. Then, a sky child landed next to her. She was small, with a white and gold tasseled cape, and a piano. Zaira recognized her as the child that had disappeared at the first gathering.

"Are you real?" they whispered.

"Last time I checked, yes I was!" Zaira replied, getting up. "What is this place?"

"The Home Island," The sky child replied, "I think those portals go to the other realms, but I can't be sure." Zaira walked up to a red one and heard faint cheering coming from it.

"I think they do go to the realms." She said. Zaira heard a thump from behind her and turned around to see Sunny and Eclipse looking around wide-eyed from the ground "This is the Home Island" Zaira explained. Rayem appeared just as Sunny was standing up, and fell on top of her. Zaira knew what was coming next. Sunny whacked Rayem with her piano and he scrambled away from her. "Guys, this is...?" Zaira gestured at the sky child.

"Edna." They replied.

Sunny waved. Rayem looked around, soaking everything in. "Over there you can change your clothes," Edna pointed at the stone closet-like structure, "Here you can see the stars, and meet spirits," Edna nodded her head towards the short stone table they were standing on, "And those," She said, "Are portals to all the realms, even Eden," she shuddered, her fingers releasing small golden sparks of light.

"This is like an in-between realm," Rayem said, "I also noticed I got full charge when I arrived."

Edna nodded, "I think this place was meant as a safe area for adventurers to rest in before continuing their journey in the Sky Kingdom."

"Wait," Zaira said, realizing something, "How did you get here? You were in the Isle of Dawn!"

Edna bit her lip. "I didn't feel safe at the gathering. One sky child there is dangerous. I saw them doing shadow magic and I didn't feel safe, but I had a feeling there was somewhere I could be safe? I just sat down, and ended up here."

Shadow magic again... Zaira thought. It's supposed to be a myth...

"That's a lot to take in," Rayem said, looking around once more, "A realm only accessible by the power of your mind? Shadow magic? And in the Forgotten Ark, that circle was never there before!"

Edna spoke up, "I think we should get out of here. My friends probably have been looking for me, and it will cause chaos if they notice you guys are missing too."

"Good idea," Sunny said, stepping towards a light blue portal with manta and bird calls coming from it. "I think this one will go to Daylight Prairie." She held out her hands to Zaira and Rayem

"Are you coming Edna?" Zaira offered her hand to her. Edna nodded and took it. Sunny walked through the portal, and they were all whisked away by the white light.