Moon Fairy Mary's Space Adventure

                                                          "Moon Fairy Mary's Space Adventure"



                                                                                By



                                                                          Jerry Steele







"Mom, I'm bored," Moon Fairy Mary yawned. "There's nothing to do."



Mother Moon thought and thought. "Why don't you go outside and chase some satellites?"



"I did that yesterday."



"How about going out to the stars? Have you talked to the North Star lately?"



"I did that last week. She just sat there, not saying much, just beaming brightly, nothing new."



Mother Moon stopped sweeping up moon dust in the kitchen. She just had to cheer her daughter up. That's what mothers are supposed to do.



Finally, Mother Moon snapped her fingers and said, "I've got it! Go visit all of the planets, all the way out to Pluto...well, I guess Pluto's still a planet. Anyway, it's got to be lonely out there for him all alone. He'll be happy to have visitors, I bet. Just make sure you're back before Mr. Sunrise gets here. Besides, you don't want to keep your father waiting."



"Do I have to?"



"Yes, I think it's about time you got out there," Mother Moon said. "They're all of your relatives. It's time that you got to know your own solar system. After all, you're all in the same orbit. Going out into outer-space will do you some good; get you away from the sun for a while."



"Why bother? Everywhere I look, all I see is the moon. What can be bigger this? Look," she said, pointing out to a small spinning sphere, "that planet Earth is so tiny, what can I learn from it?"



"For openers, that's Mother Earth to you dear, and she's the third planet from the sun. Your father's job is to keep this moon circling around her every 29 days. Anyway, she is one of your closest neighbors young lady," Mother Moon said, turning her daughter around to face her. "So you see, there's plenty to learn. And don't let Mr. Universe hear you talking that way. He's very proud of his whole family of planets."



"Look around you," said Mother Moon. "Your Man-in-the-Moon father and I built this lunar crater on our own. We dug it out ourselves. It's where you were born and raised. Now, I think it's high time you saw how others live."



"Now give your mother a hug. Remember, I want you back here before school starts. I'll explain all of this to your father later. He's out there working on a full moon right now, and he can't be disturbed. You know how he gets this time of year."



"And will you please do something about your 'Moon-Do' hairstyle?" Mother Moon asked, brushing the flickering lunar strands off of her daughter's forehead, "after you get back?"



"Mom, all the fairies are wearing it this way."



"So, I suppose if all of the other moon fairies ate moon pies eery one in a blue moon, you would be doing that too? Well, you can just thank your lucky stars that your father isn't here to you going out this way. And just remember what I told you about Mr. Sunrise."



"But before you go flying off," said Mother Moon, wiping a tear from her eye, "let me give you this one last piece of advice that my mother passed on to me. Martians are strange," Mother Moon said, "so stay away from them."



"Why?"



"Oh, something that happened many moons ago, I guess," Mother Moon said, clearing moon rocks off her table. "Mr. Universe got mad over something that he overheard among the planets. It was something about why some got longer orbits around the sun than others. Anyway, he finally blew his top, scattering us all to the solar winds. Your father and planet Mars had words about it."



"Mr Universe then decided that in order to keep peace in the galaxy, our moon would remain close to Mother Earth, and Mars would become the fourth planet to the sun. And that's the way it's been ever since. Now go!"



Meanwhile...



"Mom, I'm bored,"Martian Marty yawned. "There's nothing to do."



Mother Martian thought and thought. "Why don't you go outside and play with that land rover?"



"Nah," Martian Marty said. "It doesn't talk anyway. It just beeps back at me. It just keeps digging up ice with its little shovel, and going around in circles."



"How about building a sand castle? You always used to enjoy that."



"Yeah, but as soon as I finish, it floats away."



Mother Martian put donw her bowl of Red Martian stew. She just had to cheer her son up. That's what mothers are supposed to do.



Finally, Mother Martian snapped her fingers and said, "I've got it! Go visit all of the planets, starting with Mercury. He's a little hot under the colllar, being so close to the sun and all, but I bet he'd be happy to see you. Just make sure you're back before Mr. Sunrise gets here."



"Do I have to?"



"Yes, I think it's about time. You need to get out there and see how the other half lives."



"Why bother? It's perfect here, except for those silly things that land here, and try to take pictures of us. The stars and those funny satellites keep it bright out all year long. What can I lean from whatever's out there?"



"Out there," Mother Martian said, placing both hands on his shoulders, "are other life forms. Do you think that we're the only ones in this galaxy? Your father and I built this cave on our own, on nights and weekends when your father wasn't working at the Martian Antenna Factory. This is where you were born and raised. Now I think that it's time that you explored the other worlds."



"Now, give your mother a hug."



"Ah, mom."



"Shush," she said, drawing Martian Marty near. "I'll talk to your father when he gets off work. Now, I want you back here before Mr. Sunrise comes around. And you watch out for those asterloids young man, and drive carefully."



"But before you go out in that saucer of yours," said Mother Martian, wiping a tear from her eye, "let me give you this last piece of advice, that my mother passed on to me. Moon fairies are strange, so stay away from them."



"Why?"



She looked into her young son's innocent green eyes.



"I'm too tired to explain it to you now," Mother Martian said. "That's a conversation that we'll have another day. Now go!"



And so it came to pass.



Moon Fairy Mary gazed up into the star-lit sky, flying off. For the longest time, she flew by the light of the moon. Her wings took her to the outer limits of space, passing hundreds of satellites; beeping, humming, and twirling as she sped by.



"Hey there, where are you going?" said Shooting Star, along with Halley's Comet, Moon Fairy Mary's closest friend.



"Oh, mother says it's time that I see the solar system," Moon Fairy Mary said, "I'm off to see Pluto."



"Wow," Shooting Star said, whizzing circles around Moon Fairy Mary. "I haven't been out there in I don't know how many light years. It's just hard to find the time," said Shoot Star. "Be careful, Moon Fairy Mary. I've heard stories from a few satellites that have gone out that way. No one has actually seen Pluto, you know. They all say the planet's just really dark and cold. You don't want to damage your wings out there." With that Shooting Star was off, leaving a bright trail of star dust behind him.



Moon Fairy Mary flew long into the night. Slowly and mysteriously, she saw the space around her turning bright white, as if she was flying into a snowstorm. It looked like the ones she'd seen on planet Earth, from the dark side of the moon. It was so bright, it blinded her.



"Where am I?" she screamed. Something thick and milky began sticking to her wings. "Where am I?"



"There, there, my child," came a deep, booming voice. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm the Milky Way."  Moon Fairy Mary then found herself looking into a round, kind face as white as snow. "If I may ask," he said, floating closer, "who are you?"



"I'm Moon Fairy Mary," she said. "And I'm on my to Pluto for a visit."



"Ah, another visitor."



"Another visitor?"



"Martian Marty just came through here," Milky Way said, turning his great bush head around," he's over there. He's on a journey too. He just flew in here for the first time, saying that he's going to Mercury, of all places. Come, my child," said Milky Way, takingn her by the hand, "let me introduce you."



And before she knew it, she was face to face with a Martian. Martian Marty as just as surprised. They stood and and stared. They blinked back at one another. They didn't know what to say. They didn't know what to do.



Mr. Milky Way was puzzled.



"What's wrong with you two?" Milky Way asked. "Why don't you talk to one another?"



"I'm not supposed to speak to Martians," said Moon Fairy Mary.



"And I'm not supposed to speak to Moon Fairies," Martian Marty said. The Milky Way floated down, close to them. "Hmmm...I'm disappointed in both of you. You won't talk to one another, and you don't know why? This is  so strange," he said, his face clearly troubled, "that in my galaxy in which both of your planets call home, and live in the same house, that you've been taught not to speak to someone that you've never met. Who's told you to do such a thing?"



"My mother, she also said that I need to see the rest of my world," Moon Fairy Mary said, looking down at her wings.



"And you, Martian Marty?"



"My mother said the same exact thing!"



"Well now," the Milky Way said, folding his star-covered arms, "isn't that the way? Two creatures, passing through my galaxy have a common goal, and they didn't even know it. Two creatures, raise not to speak to one another, have now found out that they're after the same thing."



"Wow, that is something," said Martian Marty to Moon Fairy Mary. "I guess that I can see Mercury another time. I haven't been out to Pluto, and that would be fun too. What do you think, Moon Fairy Mary?"



"Come on," Moon Fairy Mary laughed, taking his hand, "let's get started. I have to be back before the sun sets. Thank you, Mr. Milky Way, thank you so much!"



Mr. Milky Way let go a rumbling, jumbling, bumbling belly-laugh, and when he did, the whole solar system shook. Up and up he went, floating away, calling out over his shoulder of long, flowing, creamy; white hair, "you two are friends now. Be friends for life, for they are the best ones to have."



"Hey, I've got an idea," Martian Marty said to Moon Fairy Mary, "let's take my saucer. I bet it can go a whole lot faster than you can fly."



Moon Fairy Mary just looked back at him . "Hah! You just wait and see," she said, unfolding and stretching out her super-long wings. "Let's see who gets to Pluto first!" and before he knew it, Moon Fariy Mary was gone.

She flew so fast that the stars and satellites became a blur to her.



Suddenly, she found herself dodging fiery, red-hot asteroids and meteors. They came so close, one after another, that one nearly clipped her wings. Moon Fairy Mary went up, down, and sideways, but no matter which way she flew, they kept coming.



"Oh, boy," said Martian Marty in his saucer close behind, "she's in big trouble now."



"Help! Martian Marty, help!"



Martian Marty did the only thing that he could do. He guided his saucer underneath Moon Fairy Mary's wings, pushing her wings up and up, until she was out of the asteroid and meteor fields.



"Whew! That was a close one," said Moon Fairy Mary. Martian Marty smiled and waved. There was no time to lose. There time in space was whizzing by.



"Wow! What's that?" Moon Fairy Mairy asked. "That's the biggest plant I've ever seen."



"Jupiter, I think," said Martian Marty. "My dad says that it's the fifth planet from the sun, the largest in the solar system. Watch it, don't get too close."



But it was too late. Moon Fairy Mary was face-to-face with Jupiter. He was not pleased.



"Who are you?" Mr. Jupiter boomed. "What are you two doing here?"



"I'm Moon Fairy Mary, and this," she said, pointing back to the sleek and silver shiny saucer, "is Martian Marty. We're on our way to Pluto."



"Hmmm-" said Jupiter, with ;his big nose, bulging eyes, and big ears on his large face, "so I've heard. And you," Jupiter said, his face glowing  brightly, "must be Martian Marty."



"Who told you?" Martian Marty said, his antennas crossing, confused.



"Oh, you know that Milky Way, he talks loud and laughs louder," said Jupiter. "When I heard that belly laugh of his way out here, I knew you two were on your way out here to see me."



"Now, be careful," he said, as his large eyes slid from side to side. "I haven't seen him, mind you, but I hear that Pluto is a character. And as for Saturn, down the road, since he's only the second largest plant in the solar system, I do beliece3 that he is a bit jealous of me."



"Here," he said, lifting both Moon Fairy Mary and Martian Marty, still in his saucer, "though with one small puff I could send you both back to that boiling sun, let me give you both a boost. Out to the stars you go!" And with that, Jupiter flung the two of them even further out into space.



Moon Fairy Mary went flying head over wings. Martian Marty found himself flying upside down. As Moon Fairy Mary finally balanced her wings, she saw Martian Marty's saucer twisting, falling, spinning out of control.



She did the only thing she could do. Moon Fairy Mary dove straight down, flying beneath Martian Marty's saucer. Then, with all of her strength, she pushed up, until the saucer was flying straight again.



"Thanks!" Martian Marty shouted, waving to Moon Fairy Mary.



"There," said Moon Fairy Mary, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, "now we're even."



Now Moon Fairy Mary was darting towards another planet surrounded with huge rings, spinning wildly around it. As Moon Fairy Mary and Martian Marty tried to slow down, the planet's head whipped around.



Suddenly, a bolt of white lightning struck them. Martian Marty's spacecraft lost power. Moon Fairy Mary's wings quit working. They tumbled from space. Martian Marty's suacer rolled, tossing and turning, sliding to a stop. Moon Fairy Mary crashed right in front of a bottomless crater.



"My name is Saturn," the voice said. "As you can see, I can run rings around both of you. Now, who are you?" He glared at both of them.



"I'm Martian Marty, and this is Moon Fairy Mary. We're just out looking around."



"Looking around? No one comes out this far to just be 'looking around'. What have you two seen?"



"Well, we've just come from planet Jupiter," said Moon Fairy Mary, "and he says -"



"Jupiter? Jupiter?" Saturn said, looking away, "I know all about Jupiter, thanks to my ringleaders. Where are you two off to?"



"Pluto," said Moon Fairy Mary, fluttering about,"to learn about life out there," she said, pointing with her glowing, star-studded wings.



"Ah, Pluto," said Saturn, adjusting the giant rings on his fingers, "I haven't heard about him in a long time. I do hear his voice faintly though, way, way out there. I also know that his orbits are long and far between. It's impossible for all of us planets to get together in the same orbit, you know."



"Jupiter says that he's a character," Moon Fairy Mary said.



"Jupiter this, Jupiter that," Saturn grunted, fading away. "Leave my planet now and next time, let me know you're coming, or you'll have to deal with my ringleaders." Then, Saturn and his ringleaders were gone, as quickly as they had come.



Seconds later, the next planet made a grand entrance, with five smaller star-spangled planets whirling and swirling around it.



"Boy," said Martian Marty, slowing his saucer down to half-speed," I've never seen anything like this before."



"Me either," Moon Fairy said. "It's much bigger than Mother Earth."



"I heard that, young lady, now mind your manners. I am neither Mother Earth nor pretty girl Venus either for that matter, dear child. I am Uranus."



"I'm Moon Fairy Mary, and this is Martian Marty, and we're going to- "



"I know dear," she said, "I know you're both going on to Pluto. Dear, dear Pluto," Uranus said, rolling her eyes.



"How," Moon Fairy Mary said, looking amazed, "how did you know?"



Uranus laughed, and huge sparkles of light danced off her flowing red hair and shimmering silver gown. "It's a small universe, my dear children. Out here, you'll find that it's hard to keep a universal secret."



"Now," she said, with a wave of her star-studded hand, "be off with you two, and don't be so starry-eyed that you end up running into one of my satellites. They're my little darlings. They've been spinning around me for I don't know how long now. Be gone now, and have a safe journey." Uranus then blew them a kiss, sending the stars scattering in all directions, and then she was gone.



"I never knew that there was so much out here, Moon Fairy Mary," Martian Marty said, checking his solar cell tank and meter. "We've already gone close to lthre gazillion light years, and we're still not to Pluto."



"So, are you getting tired?" Moon Fairy Mary giggled, circling the saucer.



"No way," said Martian Marty, shifting his solar gears, "let's keep going."



Soon after, Moon Fairy Mary stopped suddenly, causing Martian Marty to hit the brakes hard. The quick stop sent all of his space charts flying all around his saucer.



"Look at that, Martian Marty!" Moon Fairy Mary said. A planet filled with deep, dark blue ocean stood before them. Suddenly, a giant head rose from the ocean, with gushing water flying off his golden locks, splashing onto Martian Marty's windshield so hard he had to turn on the rocket-wipers.



"Ahoy there," he said, "I am Neptune, god of the sea. Who are you?"



"I'm Moon Fairy Mary," she said, fanning her wings super-fast on the windshield to dry it, "and this is Martian Marty. We're on our way to Pluto."



"Pluto? Pluto? I've heard of no one visiting Pluto. Why?" Neptune asked bluntly.



"Our mothers said that it was time that we go and see the end of the solar system, to see Pluto," Martian Marty ssaid. Moon Fairy Mary hovered over the water, then flew back beside the saucer. "That's right," she said, "we just want to meet all of our neighbors."



"How neighborly Pluto is, I do not know," said Neptune, gathering water in his massive hands and splashing it back on to his thick, golden hear of hair. "But, beware, beware. Satellites, meteors, even asteroids have come back from there, faster than when they've left here, never to return."



"Why?" Martian Marty and Moon Fairy Mary asked together.



Neptune sighed. "That's one of the mysteries of the universe. I just hear that there's no talking to him. Now, take care, my children," and with that, he sunk back down beneath the rough and choppy sea.



For the first time in her young life, Moon Fairy Mary was frightened.



"Oh, Martian Marty, I don't know what to do. I don't want to disobey my mother's wishes..."



"Come on, Moon Fairy Mary," Martian Marty said, revving the saucer's engine, "we've come too far to turn back now."



It was dark, cold, and misty as the pair landed on Pluto. Where ever Pluto was, he was not there to greet them.



Moon Fairy Mary walked along with Martian Marty for hours, looking for any sign of life. Then, near the end of the day, not far ahead of them, a deep, blue light went on in one of the planet's craters.



"Who are you?" a deep voice asked softly, "and why did you come?"



Martian Marty and Moon Fairy Mary looked at one another. They were afraid to speak.



"I said, why did you come?" And with the question, a purple giant, climbed slowly out of the crater, with the ground rumbling, and his eyes squinting from the darkness. He was so tall that he cast a deep shadow over the entire planet.



"Well, to-, to see you, if you are Mr. Pluto," stammered Moon Fairy Mary. "I'm Moon Fairy Mary, and I've come from the moon. This is Martian Marty, and he's come from Mars. Sir, we mean no harm. Our mothers have sent us out to see the rest of the universe."



"And what, pray tell," mumbled Pluto, gazing upon them intently with glowing eyes, "do you see here?"



"It looks dark," said Martian Marty, "and it feels colder than Mars."



"But-but you, Mr. Pluto, you've come out to greet us, and that's good," Moon Fairy Mary said. Her suddenly shivering bones seemed to match her fluttering wings.



He's scary-looking, thought Moon Fairy Mary. He's scary-looking, thought Martian Marty.



Pluto stared at both of them for the longest time. Then, his sad face brightened. He smiled, flashing bright, white teeth that seemed to light up his dreary planet.



"Hah! Hah!" Pluto threw back his bald head and roared with laughter. "I respect your bravery, little ones. You didn't run away, like all the others. Yes, it is lonely out here. My only visitors are the stars, and they can't come down to visit with me. Oh sure, Halley's Comet shouts out a 'hello', but that's not often. Anyway, come on, let's go back to my home, where we can sit and talk."



And with that, Moon Fairy Mary and Martian Marty went down, down deep into the crater. What they found there amazed them. A roaring fire of used small asteroids warmed them as they ate astro-dogs and rocket-fries.



"Let me tell you about my home, the moon, Mr. Pluto," Moon Fairy Mary said, picking up another crater cookie, "we have the best tasting moon pies there. I can tell you about the sun, if you want, and then, oh, I almost forgot, about plant Mercury, that's where Martian Marty's going next, which is closest to the sun-"



"And then I can tell you about my home, Mars, Mr. Pluto," interrupted Martian Marty, jumping to his feet, "and then about Venus, the second planet from the sun, and then Mother Earth, she's really close by-"



"Hold it, hold it, both of you," said Pluto, standing up from his crater chair. "Come with me."



Minutes later, Pluto stopped before a closed door. He opened it, and before them was a huge library, filled with hand-written books, in the shape of stars, large and small.



Moon Fairy Mary was amazed. "Look at all of these books, Martian Marty!" She opened one, called "The History of the Moon". Martian Marty picked up another, named "Mars - Fourth Planet From The Sun".



"Why, you've known about our universe all the time," Moon Fairy Mary said.



"And we didn't even know about you," said Martian Marty. "Why?"



Pluto took a deep breath and said, "Just because I couldn't see my brother and sister planets didn't mean that I couldn't hear them. Mr. Milky Way, by the way, is the loudest of them all."



"Anyway," Pluto continued, "every time I heard someone talking out there, I came down here and wrote it all down into all of these star-books you see here. I've been learning about the rest of my universe for a long time. I wrote it all down to share with someone like you two, fopr a moment like this."



"Why?" Martian Marty said. "Why didn't you come out and greet all of your other visitors?"



Pluto shook his head, and with one hand, stroked his long-flowing beard, which turned red-hot. "Because I'm afraid they all lacked patience. The others just couldn't wait. By the time I'd climbed out of my underworld home here, they had gone."



"You two, Moon Fairy Mary and Martian Marty, were both brave and patient enough to come out and find me. I know that took real courage. And living out here all alone, I think I know what true bravery is."



Later that night, before leaving, Moon Fairy Mary said, "don't worry, Mr. Pluto, we'll be back to visit you real soon. You'll never be left alone again."



Then, as Martian Marty and Moon Fairy Mary flew away, they watched as Pluto slowly disappeared  back down into his underground home.



"Wait until our moms hear about this," Moon Fairy Mary said to Martian Marty, over her shoulder, as they flew at warp-speed, home.



"Yeah," said Martian Marty, steering around another rumbling, tumbling asteroid, "and wait until they hear about us."



"Oh, I hope she gets back here soon," Mother Moon said.



"Oh, where is that boy of mine?" fretted Mother Martian.



God was listening.



"Please wait a bit longer this morning, Mr. Sunrise."



Mr. Sunrise turned and smiled, nodding his glowing-red head.



And so he did.







                                                                      THE END