Sunny woke up to birds chirping loudly outside of her tent. She stretched and yawned, heading outside. It was a little after what would be sunrise, but it was always daytime in Daylight Prairie. Sunny remembered that today would be the first gathering. The Elders had said that each Sky Child would have a scroll delivered to them this morning, along with a spirit stone that would take them to the realm the gathering was that day.

On the horizon Sunny spotted a white dot, growing steadily bigger until it resembled a shape. A golden messenger manta was speeding towards Sunny with three scrolls strapped to its tail. Sunny flapped her cape a couple of times and easily flew up to the manta, feeding the glittering creature a couple of berries from a nearby bush, and received the scrolls. Landing silently, she left a scroll just outside each of her sleeping friend's tents. Unrolling hers, a glowing blue stone fell out, and she rolled it around her palm. It shimmered from silver to blue.

"A spirit stone." Sunny breathed.

The scroll stated:

Each morning you will attend a gathering, in a realm not revealed until you arrive. You will learn skills and magic, and some will learn to fly. Every child will be sorted into a group, consisting of three or two other Sky Children. Do your best.

~The Elder of the Prairie

Sunny heard a voice behind her.

"So it's a mystery realm. Every day. That's SO like the elders."

Turning around, Sunny saw Zaira, holding her scroll and looking at it disdainfully. Zaira inspected her stone. "I suppose this is cool though."

Sunny agreed. Eclipse emerged from her tent, having already read the scroll, mysteriously a step ahead of the other two, as always.

"You guys ready to go?" she asked.

"Uh, sure," Sunny replied. Zaira just grunted.

"OK then! You two know how to use these, right? You light the center with a candle, and it should make a portal."

All three children did so and stepped into the light.

✵

"The Isle of Dawn, I guess that makes sense!" Eclipse exclaimed.

"How come?" Sunny asked her.

"Well, some of the Sky Children don't know how to fly very well yet. This is the best area to learn!"

They walked silently through a cavern, marveling at the drawings that illuminated when they walked by. They emerged on a ledge, with a lot of wingless children of light running around. Each touched the glowing golden statue below, earning their wings.

"Where is the gathering?" Sunny wondered aloud.

"Up there." Eclipse pointed to the top of the cavern. All three flew up the rocky slope and arrived at the top. The cavern roof was covered in spacious white tarps, a few with food on them. Children of light skittered around and were sitting on the tarps eating breakfast. A group of Golden Wasteland sky kids was playing a game that involved tossing around a shimmering green ball. One Wasteland kid even had a pet baby Dark Dragon!

"Uh, where do we sit?" Zaira said. A voice answered from behind them.

"You will be sorted into a group with two or three children from the other realms as the scroll said!" The three children turned around to see a glowing blue figure with short fluffy hair. "I'm a spirit," he said, noticing their confused expressions.

"WOAH!" they all said at the same time.

"Do we need to bow or something?" Zaira smirked.

"No thanks! I'm just a normal spirit! Not like those snobby elders - don't tell them I said that!" He laughed, "Anyways, here are your scrolls! The tarps are numbered, and you'll meet your group of three there! Have fun!" He walked away.

Sunny opened her scroll, "We're all in different groups." She sighed.

Eclipse smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "It'll be fine! Just try to learn and make new friends!"

Sunny and Zaira nodded reluctantly, wandering off through the throngs of strange Sky Children.