Flight to Jupiter

 

Ellie took a deep, steadying breath. She was excited, but nervous. Her entire life had been filled with stories of Jupiter’s magic school from her older siblings. Magic was strong in her family, and all six of her older siblings had attended there. Now it was her turn.

The private jet parked outside looked ordinary enough. From the outside, it seemed like it could hold ten passengers comfortably, but the inside was a different matter. Having heard about this from her family beforehand, she wasn’t too surprised when she stepped inside the plane and found herself inside a space that could have easily held an entire basketball court. Rows of soft, comfortable chairs filled the area. Chatter surrounded her as students from all over the world prepared for their flight. Smiling attendants helped each student find their seat.

The kind-faced woman who led Ellie to her seat seemed a little overexcited and chatted about how thrilled she was to have a spot on the plane. Ellie didn’t say much. She knew how exclusive the school was, and how rare it was to even get a glimpse of the place. She smiled and sat down in a comfortable recliner as the woman asked her if she needed anything.

When the woman finally left, Ellie turned her attention to the other student seated next to her. “Hello,” she said brightly to the girl who looked as nervous but excited as she felt herself. “I’m Ellie. What’s your name?”

The girl’s soft voice answered, “Melissa. Nice to meet you.” She flashed a small smile.

It took nearly an hour for all the passengers to arrive, in which time Ellie and Melissa were fast becoming friends. It turned out that Melissa also had older siblings that had attended Jupiter Diamond Academy.

Finally, they felt the jet engines roar around them and a clear voice came over the loudspeaker. “We are cleared for takeoff. Please keep yourselves securely fastened in your seatbelts. Our estimated travel time is three hours.” The engines increased in volume until Ellie was sure that she would have permanent hearing loss. The plane moved forward, and Ellie found herself being pushed farther into her seat as they accelerated.

During takeoff, the nose of the plane rose until it was nearly vertical. When Ellie looked through the large windows at the end of their row, she was startled to see that the sky was already gone. Black space surrounded them. “Whoa,” she breathed softly. Her older siblings had always told her that the flight to school was amazing, but they could never convey the way that Ellie felt now. They hurtled past the moon, and soon all Ellie could see was stars.

Ellie spent almost the entire journey gaping out the window. She and Melissa enjoyed seeing the small red planet of Mars fly by, and as they neared Jupiter, they excitedly talked about what would be coming next.

“It’s weird that most of the world thinks Jupiter’s made up of gas,” Ellie said with a smile.

Melissa grinned back. “Well, they had to do something to hide its true nature. They didn’t want any unexpected visitors.”

“Of course. Only the magical community knows the truth about what’s lying underneath the swirling gas clouds.”

Melissa nodded fervently. “I can’t wait to see all the animals that everyone else thinks are only mythological. I’m especially excited to see the unicorns.”

“I can’t wait to see the dragons. I have dreamed about training a dragon since my older brother talked about his when I was only three years old. For the last ten years, that’s all I’ve thought about.” The excitement in Ellie’s eyes grew more intense. “And then there’s the magic, of course. I can’t wait to work the magic that allows me to fast travel between Earth and Jupiter. Then we won’t have to bother with the three-hour plane trip.”

“Yes, that will be so cool. But I’m also excited to stay at the school.” Melissa looked at Ellie with a grateful smile. “I was worried about being alone before, but I’m glad I’ll have a friend.”

Ellie grinned back. “For sure.”

After they descended through miles of swirling orange clouds, they finally got a glimpse of the real Jupiter. Lush green forests surrounded tall buildings. Ellie’s heart sped up when she spotted a few dragons doing training maneuvers with their riders. She felt confident as she disembarked the plane, and she and Melissa entered the magical world of Jupiter together.