1 An Abnormal Cloud

Vast and so very open, the cerulean sky was clear of clouds with the sun gleaming from high above. It wasn't sweltering hot though, just a pleasant warmth that would make people drowsy if they didn't focus on other things. As said sky was devoid of clouds it was quite a sight to see one floating closer to the ground. If perhaps larger and denser one may be able to persuade themselves that it was fog even on such a day as this. It could be attributed to random phenomena. However, it was small and too light to naturally be where it was currently positioned. But that's ridiculous, how else would a cloud be there if not for nature or man's intervention?

There was a field below. It was a simple space of land. Grass that hadn't been cut in a while but wasn't tall enough for it to not have been maintained, flowers and a few weeds peeping through. Insects and small creatures that thrived in the protection it gave them crawled around.

The image was serene and relaxing, yet the mass of white above it was mildly off-putting. This veil was positioned closer to the middle of the field and would be an unusual sight if people looked closely. They wouldn't though. Look properly that is. People have a tendency to disregard these things and if it by chance caught their eye, well who knows? Perhaps it would be gone before a second look. Not to mention it would be unlikely for people to be this far out in the country in the middle of a weekday like this unless they were a farmer.

The cloud, odd enough on its own, would be even more peculiar if you were to notice the small humanoid figure that rested upon it.

Her skin contrasted greatly with the white water vapour she laid upon. It was a lovely dark chocolate tone and her hair was almost black. Her hair had been tugged and twisted painstakingly into a tight bun that rested atop her head. Likely held in place by a dark hair bobble, it was clearly naturally curly as it attempted to escape out of its classic bun shape. The rest thankfully remained close to her scalp by some miracle.

Her dress was a light green sleeveless halter neck. It was long and went to her ankles, it had some darker green embroidery near the hem and she wore a light grey underskirt. Her shoes were simple sandals the same shade as her dress and a lace bow that wrapped around her waist and tied at the back. Her only accessories were black hair bobbles worn on her wrist and a large summer bag. She had wings, they were just over half the size of her body and each wing split into three sections, one larger than the other. They had a delicate pattern carved into them and opposed to what you may believe were asymmetrical. Her eyes were a bright peridot colour and she gazed upwards.

She was, more likely than not, waiting for a plane or a helicopter to pass overhead. As it was something she often did when the sky was clear and she was unable to find any passing cars to marvel over, her friend was not surprised.

This friend was close by. Sat upon her bag which appeared to be more an old fashioned briefcase, if not for its light pink colour. She was on the ground and did not share her friend's enthusiasm for human machinery. Personally, she was far more interested in the magnificent gardens and architecture the humans were able to build using said machines. She was particularly fond of stained glass windows and would look at them for days to see them change in all the positions of the sun and moon if she were able.

Unlike her companion, she was not naturally dark, but she had developed a strong tan after constant exposure to sunlight. Her hair was a light brown and though also naturally curly, it was far tamer and gentler than her friends. She wore it cut short and it rested just below her chin, though when straightened it could reach the base of her neck. She had tied a section of it up, not much, just a small amount twisted together and fastened by a silver clip.

Her dress was coloured with different shades of pink. The top had a sweetheart neckline and was a stronger pink than the rest of the dress but still pale. Her sleeves covered her shoulders made from a transparent pink material and she had a broach of natural-looking fake flowers pinned on her right where the sleeve connected with her top. The rest of her dress was a pale pink and reached her knees, it had an even paler pink lace over the top, joined together at her waist but wasn't stitched to the dress at the hem. It was far more intricate than her friend's simple gown. Her shoes were, yes, pink. They were summer sandals with a small heel. Her accessories were mostly jewellery and her bag. She too had wings, smaller than her friends, probably due to the fact she was smaller anyway. They were each in two parts and also crafted in a fashion that made them different to one another yet possess similar markings upon them.

Her eyes, however, were deep indigo and she was often informed they didn't seem to suit her. Her friend had suggested on many occasions she try to incorporate some purple or blue into her outfit so that they seem less out of place. Blue and purple, she argued, were just not her colour which was why such a hue seemed out of place on her.

Whilst sat waiting for her friend to become bored so they could move on she had been admiring the flowers. Or attempting to at least. They were mainly common flowers and anything else within her viewpoint she had inspected at least ten times by this point. She truly would never understand how her friend could manage to look at the empty sky for hours on end on the off chance she'd see something. Her patience was wearing thin and she had even taken to looking at birds in her boredom.

She had nothing against birds even if they would sometimes attack her due to the confusion of if she was prey or not. She could excuse that as she knew birds were not able to differentiate between her and food. Still, just because she did not dislike them didn't mean she was capable of using them to distract her from the constant consuming craving for something to do.

She turned her gaze to her associate before inquiring how much longer she would stare at the sky. Her voice was slightly high in pitch yet held some authority that made it a question that wouldn't let itself be ignored.

"Relax, Maria, there's no point complaining because we don't know where the next town is so we'll have to wait for a vehicle to pass by and take us somewhere." This was her friend's reply. Her friend's voice was lower in tone than her own and seemed softer and more thoughtful in comparison.

It was logical and made sense. Flying aimlessly would exhaust them and it was how they came to be in this predicament in the first place. That didn't mean she'd look past the fact her friend clearly wasn't paying her any attention and was only answering so she'd shut up. She turned from her companion and as her small wings flapped quickly they gathered enough force to lift her minuscule body off the ground and into the air.

With an ease that implied she'd done this thousands of times, she adjusted her body so she took to flying over the area. This was her attempt at finding anything more interesting that may be lurking in this dull environment. She loved gardens, with all the fountains and pretty floral arrangements that even fairies couldn't rival, but an ordinary field? There was only so much admiring she could do and the lacklustre grass wasn't helping.

After gliding a few meters away she hesitated. Although it may not seem that far to most, for creatures of such small stature, it was quite far. She might not seem the type to care but leaving her friend was not something she'd normally do.

She was hovering above the greenery and though she was close by it, the breeze generated by her gentle flaps didn't stir even the most delicate strand of grass.

She turned to look at her friend hoping for some indication she was needed. Her friend was still staring up at the sky in expectation not paying her any attention whatsoever. She appeared to have not noticed her friend had even moved. Though this made Maria want to fly off in a rage, it wouldn't help either of them and she cared far too much to do so. For worry that an abnormal gust of wind would blow her associate away, she settled on sticking to the surrounding area, just in case.

Time passed by, to one it felt like a lifetime, however, to the other, a few minutes. As Maria was beginning to lose hope and was contemplating taking a nap they heard a noise. The droning of an engine. They would have to move quickly in order to hitch a ride and if they missed this, who knows when the next car would pass by.

Maria shot up and saw her friend dive towards the sound. Seeing her complete lack of awareness she had to remind her friend of her floating cloud. One which should not be left for humans to discover. After hearing her call she quickly turned around and flew back to her temporary resting place as Maria fled to the vehicle to make sure they didn't miss it.

Her friend, Jade, had returned to her cloud and quickly dissipated it back into water vapour that was carried away by the wind. The water molecules spread out and were easily lifted and transferred to somewhere far away. Upon preparing to fly towards Maria she noticed a pink briefcase in the grass, she hurriedly dove down and grabbed it before heading to her destination. Even if she was capable of ignoring her violet-eyed friend that didn't mean she would disregard her completely. If she did not have a soft spot for her companion then they would not have travelled together in the first place.

She quickly joined Maria and they watch the car as it speedily approached. They now faced another problem.

How would they stay on the car without falling off?!

It was travelling fast and the model wouldn't provide any shelter from the wind. It quickly approached and they needed to figure out what they were going to do in a short space of time. As it came closer, neither could spot a sheltered position away from human sight they could stow away in. It was worrisome. If they missed this it would be more endless waiting until something else came by and that was not something Maria could cope with. It didn't help that Maria's thoughts were not cohesive under pressure. The vehicles sudden appearance and her own anxiety made her incapable of finding a reliable solution.

"Jade... I don't think this will work." Her voice was anxious she was scared and desperate for this to work out another chance may not arrive until nightfall.

"Relax." A word she often used towards her travelling companion whose cautious nature she did not share.

Thankfully, luck was on their side today as Jade notice the two bikes attached to the boot of the car. Both of them could safely hide behind and hold onto the bikes, the boot would provide shelter from most of the wind, it was a wonderful solution. Now all they needed to do was grab on when it passed.

Unsurprisingly, this wasn't the first time the two needed to clutch onto a speedily arriving vehicle, nor would it be the last. With the panic of finding a good spot over, both of them were able to get into position with a sort of ease. They were both securely in place as the car continued on its journey.

As the field went back to being an ordinary field, with nothing odd insight. As the slightly tall grass continued growing beneath the clear sky. And as the bugs and critters continued their daily life, two mystical creatures disappeared. Each with their reason to explore and each reason different from the other, however, with the same goal in mind they continued to move forward together.