Magic Resilient

by Kayla Bashe

  Char covers for her, as gracious as ever. “My friend says that she had a lovely time, and so did I.”

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  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

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  back to school yo

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  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

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  “We had so much fun staying with you—everything here is so beautiful, and you were so generous,” Shani says earnestly.

  “It was very eye-opening to see all the trees. I…I like trees.” Malou isn’t the best at emotional speeches, so she mumbles a bit. Tears glint in her eyes, and you can only hear what she’s saying because you’re standing right next to her.

  Char covers for her, as gracious as ever. “My friend says that she had a lovely time, and so did I.”

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  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

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  After a ride of a few hours—which means a nap of a few hours, hurrah! —you reach the Academy. When you arrive at the gates, it seems there’s some sort of event going on. A student with a clipboard runs up to you.

  “Hey, which do you miss more, dogs or cats?”

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  "Dogs!"

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  "Cats."

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  Please turn back a page

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  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

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  After a ride of a few hours—which means a nap of a few hours, hurrah! —you reach the Academy. When you arrive at the gates, it seems there’s some sort of event going on. A student with a clipboard runs up to you.

  “Hey, which do you miss more, dogs or cats?”

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  "Dogs!"

  * * *

  "Cats."

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  Please turn back a page

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  * * *

  Please turn forward a page

  * * *

  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

  * * *

  After a ride of a few hours—which means a nap of a few hours, hurrah! —you reach the Academy. When you arrive at the gates, it seems there’s some sort of event going on. A student with a clipboard runs up to you.

  “Hey, which do you miss more, dogs or cats?”

  * * *

  "Dogs!"

  * * *

  "Cats."

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  Please turn back a page

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  Please turn forward a page

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  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

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  She puts her hands over your eyes and ushers you to a room. What you see when you open the door is an amazing surprise: puppies and dogs, over a dozen of them!

  “Since we’re not allowed to keep pets at the academy, some of the local dog owners and breeders allow us to play with theirs.”

  A small ball of white fluff rolls over onto her back with her paws up. She licks your hand when you give her a belly rub, and she has the cutest little pink tongue!

  A big, shaggy dog with a tail that keeps thumping against the ground practically washes your face with her tongue; when you give her a big hug, her tail thumps even faster.

  The tiniest little Yorkshire terrier you’ve ever seen, runs around you, then licks your face. His fur is so soft and silky!

  So warm and calming, you can’t help but think; so very fuzzy. SMOOCHY CUDDLES.

  It’s so much fun playing with dogs, and it’s really relaxing.

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  Please turn back a page

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  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

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  Although you didn’t have pets at Castle Vestri, there were always a few cats roaming around town; after you fed them some leftover fish, they would let you pet them.

  “Okay, come on, then! This way!” She shows you to a room at the end of a first-floor hallway.

  When you open the door, a fantastic surprise greets you: dozens of cats and kittens lounging around! They all seem excited to see you, and set up a chorus of meowing, flocking to you as you enter the room.

  “Since we’re not allowed to keep pets at the academy, some of the locals lent their cats to us so we could play with them as a form of stress relief. I’ll give you some time alone in the cat room and let you know when it’s the next person’s turn.”

  A little gray kitten barely old enough to walk toddles over to you. An orange tabby with a missing ear rolls over for a belly rub. You are surrounded by cats. It’s the coolest thing ever!

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  >>

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  Please turn back a page

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  Please turn forward a page

  * * *

  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

  * * *

  She puts her hands over your eyes and ushers you to a room. What you see when you open the door is an amazing surprise: puppies and dogs, over a dozen of them!

  “Since we’re not allowed to keep pets at the academy, some of the local dog owners and breeders allow us to play with theirs.”

  A small ball of white fluff rolls over onto her back with her paws up. She licks your hand when you give her a belly rub, and she has the cutest little pink tongue!

  A big, shaggy dog with a tail that keeps thumping against the ground practically washes your face with her tongue; when you give her a big hug, her tail thumps even faster.

  The tiniest little Yorkshire terrier you’ve ever seen, runs around you, then licks your face. His fur is so soft and silky!

  So warm and calming, you can’t help but think; so very fuzzy. SMOOCHY CUDDLES.

  It’s so much fun playing with dogs, and it’s really relaxing.

  * * *

  >>

  * * *

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn back a page

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn forward a page

  * * *

  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

  * * *

  Although you didn’t have pets at Castle Vestri, there were always a few cats roaming around town; after you fed them some leftover fish, they would let you pet them.

  “Okay, come on, then! This way!” She shows you to a room at the end of a first-floor hallway.

  When you open the door, a fantastic surprise greets you: dozens of cats and kittens lounging around! They all seem excited to see you, and set up a chorus of meowing, flocking to you as you enter the room.

  “Since we’re not allowed to keep pets at the academy, some of the locals lent their cats to us so we could play with them as a form of stress relief. I’ll give you some time alone in the cat room and let you know when it’s the next person’s turn.”

  A little gray kitten barely old enough to walk toddles ove
r to you. An orange tabby with a missing ear rolls over for a belly rub. You are surrounded by cats. It’s the coolest thing ever!

  * * *

  >>

  * * *

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn back a page

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn forward a page

  * * *

  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

  * * *

  She puts her hands over your eyes and ushers you to a room. What you see when you open the door is an amazing surprise: puppies and dogs, over a dozen of them!

  “Since we’re not allowed to keep pets at the academy, some of the local dog owners and breeders allow us to play with theirs.”

  A small ball of white fluff rolls over onto her back with her paws up. She licks your hand when you give her a belly rub, and she has the cutest little pink tongue!

  A big, shaggy dog with a tail that keeps thumping against the ground practically washes your face with her tongue; when you give her a big hug, her tail thumps even faster.

  The tiniest little Yorkshire terrier you’ve ever seen, runs around you, then licks your face. His fur is so soft and silky!

  So warm and calming, you can’t help but think; so very fuzzy. SMOOCHY CUDDLES.

  It’s so much fun playing with dogs, and it’s really relaxing.

  * * *

  >>

  * * *

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn back a page

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn forward a page

  * * *

  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

  * * *

  Although you didn’t have pets at Castle Vestri, there were always a few cats roaming around town; after you fed them some leftover fish, they would let you pet them.

  “Okay, come on, then! This way!” She shows you to a room at the end of a first-floor hallway.

  When you open the door, a fantastic surprise greets you: dozens of cats and kittens lounging around! They all seem excited to see you, and set up a chorus of meowing, flocking to you as you enter the room.

  “Since we’re not allowed to keep pets at the academy, some of the locals lent their cats to us so we could play with them as a form of stress relief. I’ll give you some time alone in the cat room and let you know when it’s the next person’s turn.”

  A little gray kitten barely old enough to walk toddles over to you. An orange tabby with a missing ear rolls over for a belly rub. You are surrounded by cats. It’s the coolest thing ever!

  * * *

  >>

  * * *

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn back a page

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn forward a page

  * * *

  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

  * * *

  A few days later, you and your squad decide to take a Wilderness Challenge, just for the heck of it. That’s a day’s hike out, a day’s hike back.

  It’s midday, and you’re walking in the woods, enjoying the fresh air and the sense of well-being it gives you. It just stopped raining an hour ago, and you splash through puddles, feeling the cool water lick at the toes of your boots.

  Suddenly, a crackle of static pulses through the air.

  Char pauses, stops everyone with a manicured gesture. “Radio—who’s got it?”

  Malou unloads her pack, fumbles through everything. “Got it-”

  “Someone must be trying to send a message.” Shani’s soft fingers race over the buttons and dials. “Let me get the signal-”

  At last a man’s voice comes through, loud and clear and terrified. “Mayday, mayday, this is Serendipity Village, right outside the forest, we’re under attack, we only have one magical girl, we need reinforcements-”

  Everyone looks towards you, so you take a deep breath, draw yourself up, and snap into Leader Mode.

  “This is squad leader Verdi Vestri. What’s your location?”

  “Oh, thank Maona, I thought no one would hear us-”

  “You’re using an outdated radio frequency—it’s a good thing we got such old gear. What’s your location?”

  He stammers out a series of coordinates before you lose the connection and it dissolves into static again. Shani, chewing on her lower lip, pushes some buttons to mute the noise.

  “What do we do now?”

  “Head out to help. Drop the gear, we’ll travel lighter without it—we can pick up the tents on the way back.”

  You catch another girl’s eye, and you can tell what she’s thinking: if we get back.

  Because, in a tiny nervous part of your mind, that’s your thought too. An invasion of this scale…it’s serious.

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  Go to the village

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  * * *

  Please turn back a page

  * * *

  * * *

  Please turn forward a page

  * * *

  Magic Resilient, by Kayla Bashe

  * * *

  A few days later, you and your squad decide to take a Wilderness Challenge, just for the heck of it. That’s a day’s hike out, a day’s hike back.

  It’s midday, and you’re walking in the woods, enjoying the fresh air and the sense of well-being it gives you. It just stopped raining an hour ago, and you splash through puddles, feeling the cool water lick at the toes of your boots.

  Suddenly, a crackle of static pulses through the air.

  Char pauses, stops everyone with a manicured gesture. “Radio—who’s got it?”

  Malou unloads her pack, fumbles through everything. “Got it-”

  “Someone must be trying to send a message.” Shani’s soft fingers race over the buttons and dials. “Let me get the signal-”

  At last a man’s voice comes through, loud and clear and terrified. “Mayday, mayday, this is Serendipity Village, right outside the forest, we’re under attack, we only have one magical girl, we need reinforcements-”

  Everyone looks towards you, so you take a deep breath, draw yourself up, and snap into Leader Mode.

  “This is squad leader Verdi Vestri. What’s your location?”

  “Oh, thank Maona, I thought no one would hear us-”

  “You’re using an outdated radio frequency—it’s a good thing we got such old gear. What’s your location?”

  He stammers out a series of coordinates before you lose the connection and it dissolves into static again. Shani, chewing on her lower lip, pushes some buttons to mute the noise.

  “What do we do now?”

  “Head out to help. Drop the gear, we’ll travel lighter without it—we can pick up the tents on the way back.”

  You catch another girl’s eye, and you can tell what she’s thinking: if we get back.

  Because, in a tiny nervous part of your mind, that’s your thought too. An invasion of this scale…it’s serious.