Wishing upon a Star.

Maya was lying on her backyard's plush grass, staring up at the brilliantly beautiful night sky. Stargazing was something she had always enjoyed, even as a little child. She felt little, alive, and full of curiosity because of something wonderful about those tiny pinpricks of light.

"I wish I could visit all those stars someday," she thought wistfully.

A shooting star appeared in the sky at that moment, a brilliant streak! Maya grew excited in a way that only children could. She closed her eyes fast and wished silently, the way her mother had taught her when she was five years old.

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"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight..."

Maya made her wish and then opened her eyes once more, her smile growing. She liked to think that wishes on shooting stars come true, even if she wasn't sure whether they did. It offered her hope—that, if you wished hard enough, the universe may really deliver you what you really wanted.

"Maya! Time to come inside, sweetie," her mom called from the backdoor. "It's getting late."

Alright, Mom! Coming in a moment," Maya said. She rose and walked inside after taking one last longing glance at the sky, wondering what incredible adventure awaited her in dreamland.

The next morning at breakfast, Maya's little brother Caleb asked her, "Did you make a wish on a shooting star last night? I saw one too!"

"I sure did!" Maya grinned. "But I'm not telling what I wished for or it won't come true."

Caleb stuck his tongue out at her. "That's just a silly superstition."

"You never know," Maya said with a mysterious smile. "Anyway, what did you wish for?"

"A pet dragon, of course!" Caleb proclaimed without hesitation.

Their dad nearly choked on his coffee as he tried to stifle a laugh. "Good luck with that one, kiddo."

Maya just shook her head fondly. Her little brother and his overactive imagination...

Maya was sitting in her patio sketching in her sketchbook later that day. She had just completed drawing the house next door when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. The strangest tiny creature approached her, waddling across the grass, and her mouth fell open.

It appeared to be a little human, scarcely larger than her hand, complete with pointed ears and glittering gossamer wings! As it approached, she could see that it was covered in leaves and flower petals and had a face resembling a cherub.

"H-hello?" Maya stammered in disbelief. "What...what are you?"

The tiny winged person stopped in front of her and did an elegant curtsy. "Greetings! I am Zinnia, an elemental fairy. I've come to grant your wish upon the evening star."

"My wish?" Maya's eyes went wide. She hadn't actually expected anything to happen! "You mean...the shooting star last night?"

Zinnia nodded sagely. "Indeed. We star fairies have the power to grant wishes made on shooting stars, if the wish comes from a place of hope, light and wonder. So tell me, what was your heart's desire?"

Maya's mind raced. She had wished...what was it again? Oh yes! "I wished I could visit all the stars someday," she admitted shyly.

The little fairy's eyes twinkled with delight. "An adventurous spirit with a longing for the celestial unknown! How delightful. Very well, I shall take you on a journey among the cosmos."

Zinnia waved her tiny hand and instantly, Maya felt her body becoming lighter, almost weightless. Looking down, she gasped - her form had turned ethereal and translucent!

"Quick, while the starlight still shines!" Zinnia took Maya's hand, her gossamer wings beating rapidly, and together they lifted off into the air, shooting up towards the heavens.

Maya's sense of wonder reached new heights as they soared past the clouds, up through the atmosphere, and out into the inky blackness of space. The stars surrounded her, shining brilliantly in a magnificent tapestry of celestial bodies.