~Chapter 22~

"Awww come on Nymph. I'm sure he hardly felt a thing."

"You hit him in the face with a brick!"

As soon as we had come home from the shopping trip Nymph hadn't even looked at me just because I'd hit that Ashton boy around the head with a brick.

"Hey guys check this out!" Yelled Amanda excitedly rushing into the lounge with a newspaper.

"Amanda, you can read?!" Said Vivian sarcastically.

"Just have a look at the front cover!" She continued ignoring Vivian's comment. As she rushed towards where we were sitting on the sofa she tripped over the edge of the rug and her bunny slippers went flying. So did the newspaper. Luckily the newspaper landed on my lap while Vivian got a face full of Amanda's slippers.

I turned the newspaper the right way up and took in the front page. There was a picture of the sky and in the middle of it was what looked like a giant floating island. It looked to be at about cloud level and in the distance you could also make out various other islands as well.

"What the hack is this?!" I said scanning the text.

"Looks like floating islands." Said Vivian looking over my shoulder.

"Amanda where is this?!"

"Japan." She said righting herself and grabbing her slippers.

"It seems that these islands suddenly appeared after huge pillars dropped from the sky and tore up most of Japan. Hundreds of people were killed or injured." Said Vivian reading the text. Even Nymph leaned over to get a better look. "Then apparently eye witnesses said that a human figure was seen cutting these pillars and severing whatever they were attached too in the sky, shortly after the figure vanished in a blinding light."

"That does sound troubling." Said Dena walking in, scrubbing her hair with a towel.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked questionably.

"Well whoever dropped those pillars could be friend or foe? And then they just disappear and supposedly are hiding on the floating islands. How do we know they're not like us?"

"Good point." I said passing the paper on.

"Then I nominate Astria to go check it out!" Said Amanda suddenly, pointing a finger at me.

"Wha-What?! Its in flippin Japan! And how am I meant to get there, let alone school."

"Relax. You can just call in sick from school for a week and leave all the other little details to me." Said Dena soothingly.

"You're being oddly cooperative." I said suspiciously to Dena.

"Hey. I'm just as interested as anyone here to find out what's up on those islands."

"Fine. I guess it would be in our best interest to see who those guys are anyway." I said finally.

"Great! Then you leave tomorrow!"

"Wha-?!"

"Hey Astria wake up you're going to Japan to see the floating islands today!" Yelled Nymph jumping up and down on my bed.

"Just a few more minutes." I grumbled, pulling the sheets higher over my head.

"Now, now!" She yelled.

After being practically pulled out of bed I got changed and walked into the lounge where everybody was already up.

"Hey Astria I hope you don't mind skipping out on breakfast but I have a feeling teleporting will make you throw up." Said Dena cheerfully.

"What?!" I said perplexed.

"Oh and we've decided that it would be best if I changed your appearance. There's no telling what sort of people could be up there and we don't want them to be put off by you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I said accusingly.

"Oh don't worry, I'll only make a few changes." Before I could protest any further my entire body lit up and Dena began waving her arms around while chanting gobbledy goop.

I felt as if my body was shrinking as I was completely shrouded in blue mist and my eye sight went blurry. Went the mist finally vanished I took a nervous glance down at my new body.

"What the heck?!" I ran over to a mirror and stared in horror at my new face. "I look like a fricking 15 year old!"

"I know. Aren't you cute." Said Dena giggling.

My hair was no longer brown but a beautiful golden blonde. My eyes were now a misty blue and my body was small and petite. I was also wearing a simple turtle neck cream jumper that was actually a dress, it was nice and warm and against my skin.

"What's up with this get up?" I said not sure whether to be angry or not.

"Well seeing as we don't know who the ruler is on the islands a small cute girl was the best approach. We don't want anyone bullying you." Said Dena enjoying it far too much. To be honest I was cute, and very beautiful at that matter too. I guess Dena's tactic was the best one to go with.

"Are you ready to go?" Said Amanda standing up from the sofa.

"What right now?!"

"Your objective is to find out who these people are and if they mean us any harm or not. And it would also be best if you explained the whole supernatural situation to them too." Dena said, conjuring up a swirling purple vortex. "We'll come get you in a week so see ya." She then shoved me through the portal as I heard everyone say their goodbyes and I blacked out in the swirliness.