And Pearl thought it would've been a disaster at the Starstuhm's surprise. But she was wrong—and she is glad she didn't. Just as the scent of peach leaves her nose and is replaced with a taste of staleness and workload, she realizes the world isn't all shiny and glistening like she thought.
But up above, the Joyling sees for once—a sun and a daylight. The world is as bright as it seems from the window, with wooden wallpaper and checker floors bearing the past of a famous Joyling. She could stand all day shimmering in the sunlight at the ceiling.
"Woah..." She muttered with her eyes on the ceiling's window.
"That's a huge spotlight..." Pearl awes.
"I don't know what else to say..."
"Eugh, it's hot! I didn't know they were hot! Ouch! Ouch!" Starglaze backs off.
"Oh, you never change, Starglaze. On a day like this, you could never complain of anything else..." She uttered.
In that wooden Institute alone, there was nobody but Pearl to differ at the humans' presence. Her pristine skin reflected the sun brightly, leaving her a statue by the hall. It took no time for David to witness a contemplating Joyling on that very stand of an actor. A graceful-looking princess without a tower or a castle—yet held beauty unmatched.
"That's her..." The father thought.
"That's...really Christine..."
"I...I guess that's Christine..."
"No, of course it is! Ugh..."
The man didn't want to intervene on that tranquil discovery, but time went so quickly that he couldn't let himself into a trance like her. As the man extends his arms into the light, Pearl's left shoulder can feel an unusual grasp similar to a man's grip.
"Pearl..." David calls.
"Aah!" She replies.
As the man's touch felt too thickening, remnants of the past reached her mind yet again. But when she thought it was Sebastian who was waiting for her, she was surprised it was her father's call. Confusion brings the two to an awkward stand.
"Pearl, are you okay?" The father backs off.
"S-sorry! I was...surprised...! I wasn't aware you were..."
"Why surprised? You didn't seem to be in trouble..."
"W-well, I was just missing this place...so many memories are made here...and..." Pearl felt her father's hands on her cheeks.
David was in disbelief. His eyes couldn't believe that Pearl was like three-quarters of him. Her shoulders were as tall as his chest, and her face was clearly not as round as the baby he used to babysit. How times have changed for the two of them, yet she was growing when he was gone.
"My goodness. You're not even a child anymore,"
"Have you grown without me? Are those years you have been..." He pauses.
"I love you, my daughter. But I wonder if those words could mean with what you have become."
"It does...you're here...doesn't it?" She stutters.
The father kneels in shame, feeling even more guilty for Pearl than she does with his words. But that's something he wouldn't let his daughter watch, for as quick as he was weeping the sadness with another smile. The man quickly comes up with an idea—a reunion idea.
"Is it too late for us to play softball?"
"Not really. I don't think you're late for anything..." Pearl replies. Her eyes were too uncomfortable with the father's approach.
"Yeah? Why else do you think we're here for? But what's softball, anyway?" Starglaze slips in.
But before he could describe the amazement he planned for the daughter, Donna found the three in a lonely room with what seemed to be a father in care. But unlike David, she wasn't interested in holding Pearl any longer in this place.
"Pearl, what are you doing there? Come back here!" The mother yelled.
"Donna! Oh, uh..." The father looks back.
"Mom? Yeah, right...! Be there!"
"I wanted to look at it! Come on, Pearl! Don't leave me!" Starglaze hovers.
They wasted no more time in the temporary view of the outside, as Pearl and Starglaze couldn't be more excited to leave. Escorted with guards on their way out, the family finds themselves one last surprise.
"What the..." The father stops.
Dozens of doctors and scientists await by the front door, seemingly congratulating Pearl for not only her swift recovery but also her 'graduation' from the Institute. Yet the party was less colourful and prepared, just as Pearl wanted. All doctors clapped for her faintly while lights were set on a dim space.
"Congratulation for Ms. Christine for her success." Carolina pops a surprise—A balloon surprise.
"I must say, for one challenging Joyling, you make a swift progress against every odd."
"Heh," She chuckles. At first she was nervous, but only for a moment.
"This feels less festive. Where's the balloon?" The mother comments.
"Just one step into the door, and you'll be greeted with a fresh—"
Just as everything seemed calm and warm, she was surprised by the number of humans waiting outside. Yet these people are not the ones looking for her as the Starstuhm does. Otherwise, the screen won't flash upon her face madly.
*Flash* *Flash* *Flash*
"—sunlight?" She continues.
"AH!" Pearl backs off with a horrified face.
"Woah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Starglaze jokes.
The world wouldn't leave Pearl without a notice. She was their most glistening and priceless star for the show. From the stairway to her new life, journalists and screensquares are held before her face. Everyone was speechless.
"There it is! Screen on, now!" The journalist sets the screensquare.
"What the...why are journalists here??" Carolina looks around the guards. But they were all confused.
The men were all cluttered and confused, but their duty remained on the frontline. Only a little of them could stop what a horde of curiosity could do. But while it seems like Pearl is about to get into a moment of tragedy, the few helping humans buy enough time to find out what happens.
"You. What happened here? Didn't I told you to secure the place?" Carolina confronts the guard.
"We've tried, but these people are beyond our strength. They just so happened to be at the gate when we were guarding them," The man replies.
"Someone is leaking an information from our place to the public press! We've failed to find out the perpetrator, and I fear almost everyone in Wiltham is aware of J-P-F-001 presence."
"What...?" Pearl nods at the face of the doctors with horror.
There was no denying that Pearl was no longer safe. With Wiltham's eyes opened before her, Pearl shimmered into the world as she had once before, even without stepping onto the stage. But that was not praise or good news for her.
"Clear the perimeter. Have the guards lined up so this family can leave." Carolina command.
"Got it!"
"But what about J-P-F-001? She won't be safe out there!" The man thought.
"We'll have Starstuhm know that they won't be left alone."
The gate was opened by the front, and for a moment, the wave of curious photographers split in half for the Starstuhm and Pearl. For they do not waste more time, they head as swiftly as they can between. But Pearl was enthralled in horror, as the flash was seemingly real.
Back to where it all began—a stage full of screensquare and her as the spotlight. Flashes and screams of crowds applaud her, and they are waiting for the Joyling to make a move. But Pearl could only stay in her ground, fearing the day she would make that mistake again.
"Come on, Pearl! The world awaits you!" Yelled from the darkness.
"Huh?"
"Where's the beautiful pearl who awaits the moonlight?"
"No! No! No!" Pearl clutches on her...head. But nothing could help her.
"Pearl..." A faint call from the audience.
"Pearl."
"Pearl!"
The line was open, and Pearl's eyes were awake. The humans are as vicious as a Frowling for her attention, trying to flash her repeatedly for the news. But Carolina was there to help her, reaching out to the lost-minded Pearl with her hand before the wave could sweep at her.
"Aah! Ms Carolina!" She yelled.
"There you are! Now get out already! Your parents are waiting by the car." Carolina yelled.
"Yeah, Pristy. Don't get lost like that again...who could've been my friend in the human world?" Starglaze pushes her from behind.
The chase is on, the mice are gone, and it is not Joylings and her humans. Pearl had never felt more relieved to escape such madness,
The only thing waiting for the two is a carriage parked by the railway with their parents in the front seat. The vehicle looks sturdy and clean, something Pearl could only see on a stage as a prop. But it was real and had a larger wheel than what she remembered.
"W-what's that? Are we going there?" Pearl stares with a curious eye.
"Yeah! You know the carrier, right? That's the thing we humans used to ride from place to place. Fancy, isn't it?" Carolina replies.
"I heard that before...in class..."
"Can it really fit all of us? I didn't see much space there..." Starglaze mumbled.
"Well, how about you find out, little one? Wanna know how?" She grasps tightly.
"Wait, what are you doing? Please don't tell me you are trying to—" Starglaze persists.
"And here's the shooting star!" She yelled.
Carolina hurled the least of her trouble with a swing of her hand, smiling at the sound of his Starglaze's scream for help. Starglaze, who has no time to balance himself in the air, can only embrace the velocity and crash into the metal cover that makes the carriage.
*Pang*
"What's that?" David looked left and right.
"Don't worry, it's just the star thing crashing on our door..." Donna replies.
"I'm fine..." Starglaze muttered.
Here they are, safe on the carriage on the way to leave this place. Pearl would've wanted more time to bid farewell, but it seemed time had another plan. It was a tragic end and a proper goodbye to Carolina. Now, it is for Pearl to leave her alone.
Carolina and Pearl stand beside the carrier.
"Ms Carolina, I know this isn't a perfect time to tell you, but I wanted to thank you for everything we have done in the two months! You are the best human I'll ever have." Pearl mumbled.
"And I can't lie that I miss your grunts, too!" Starglaze jokes.
"Aww, that's sweet! But I can assure you that I'm not going anywhere. Your parents assures you that we'll meet again anytime you wanted. Just call me whenever you feel like."
"Oh, really? Phew, I...I thought you were about to leave me...forever..." Pearl sighs in relief.
"Oh, Pearl. If I were to break that pristine heart of yours right here, do I even deserve all those gratitudes here?" She jokes.
"I told you I'll be there for you. And I promise to you, that you won't be alone even in the world where I won't be found."
"Now, go. Sail far and reach that moon you've been looking for." Carolina commands.
"O-on it, ma'am!" She walks into the carriage with a salute.
As Pearl sat cosy on the carriage, she realised how comfortable a leather seat was. It was stretchy like rubber, and it was more cushy than a pillow. The Joyling never thought of a seat more comfortable than in the studio. Back there, she could only sit on a wooden chair that kept creaking and hurt her butt when she sat. Now, she gets to enjoy a little cushion.
"David, start the carrier now," Donna muttered.
"I'm trying! But it won't budge! It's stuck..." David pulls with fierce.
"What? You can't be serious! This is a new carriage, David. How can it break here?"
"Uhm, guys...?" Starglaze muttered with a suspicious eye.
But the carriage hasn't moved yet. The father tries everything to push it forward, but its cog is stiff, making the Joylings' position more open than ever. Pearl could only watch as her fear drew near with each second passed, only to be proven right again.
"There they are! They're leaving this place!" A journalist glances to the left.
"Uh oh..." Carolina looks back.
"Don't let them get away!"
The humans and their screen captures—One trouble that Pearl had been avoiding since this morning. Somehow, they found her, and their captures kept flashing before Pearl's eyes. She was not in a good time for another dream.
*Flash* *Flash* *Flash*
"Ms Starstuhm, please tell us! Are you still a human right there?"
"Are you really recovered from the trauma? Can you tell us about Sebastian to us?"
"What is it like there? Is there more of your kind inside?"
"Aah! No! They're here!" Pearl covers her face.
They have so many questions for her, and Pearl isn't ready to answer all of them. Silence upsets their already doubtful faces, and humans don't like being worsened. So they start pushing the screen captures even closer, trying to find out.
*Flash* *Flash* *Flash*
"Is it true that they turned children into a mascot? Please tell us!"
"The news said they find him dead. But do you think he's still out there?"
"What did you see in that studio, young lady?"
"Dad!" Pearl begs.
But they couldn't see past through her straw hat, with her fish fins still hiding and her pink face covered in sunglasses and shadow. If one of them dared to lift the hat, Pearl might have been in big trouble with the public forever.
"Alright, that's enough!" The father turns the carrier's switch.
"No one's talking to my daughter like that anymore!" Donna stands up against the family.
"You're all—" Before Donna could finish, the carriage turned on.
After a perfect touch, David finds the machine compliant with his will. The switch no longer locked, and the carriage released a satisfying buzz and gear-cranking sound that could only mean one thing. The carriage began to build up something into the rail, and an inch passed on the wheel.
"Noo!!" They yelled from behind in disbelief.
The bad humans no longer harm Pearl anymore. The bad humans are stranded on the railway without an answer, while Pearl is a few stars away with her new family. At last, she is free into the human world once more.
"*Sigh* Phew...that was close..." Pearl relieves.
"I never thought I would ever feel so threatened for a—"
Just as Pearl breathes her relief on the carriage, the railway sets a steep, sharp line to descension. It wasn't a shortfall or another build-up rise like in the studio. She was falling like an angel losing its wings, and she couldn't see the ground clearly from such height.
"—Flash??" She changes from relief to horror.
"Oops. We've reached a steep hill...I forgot we went through this route..." David mumbled.
"Fasten your seatbelt, Pearl. You wouldn't want to fall away from carriage."
The couple strapped themselves with a safety precaution.
"Woo! This is the best ride of my life! I could go down to this all day!" Starglaze floats freely from ceiling to floor without gravity.
"This is the worst ride of my life! I could go downhill and nothing else!" Pearl clutches only with the chair.
Bwoosh!!!!
A strong gust howls into Pearl's face, as it seems Pearl has crashed into something on the ground. For Pearl, it was all black and silent—ears ringing a high pitch and eyes shut tight. But Pearl realises she hasn't died yet, for she can feel herself touching the seat.
"Alright, you two. You can open your eyes now." Donna mumbled.
That was surprising to see. The ride has ended its extreme rail, and Pearl hasn't yet lost a skin or a soul. But now it seems she was about to lose one from the ride. How can she withstand such tension?
"W-what? I'm still alive?" Pearl opens her eyes.
"I'm still alive! Haha! Hehe..."
"Augh..." She fainted.
And so began the journey, as Pearl and Starglaze left the mountain at once into the real world—A world with living humans, a world with people unlike them, and a world that never sees such wonders in a concrete bunker.
"W-what...? Where am I?" She awakes —head's dizzy and eyes tired.
"Alright, you two! Feast your eyes on the world of humans! Welcome to Wiltham!" Donna opens a small window.
"Woah..." They muttered.
The daylight welcomes the two like the light they have never seen before and a road as long as the studio they once dwelled in but not as lively as a bypasser to fill. Wiltham is a big town for Pearl, with people she's about to meet as one and only Joyling in the world. How long has she ever interacted with the outside world? Has six years of absence changed everything?