I had imagined my grand arrival on Earth a thousand different ways. Perhaps I would descend upon a silver moonbeam, with stardust dancing around my feet and the wind singing my name. I had certainly not imagined landing directly on my bottom. "Ow!" I stared in bewilderment. That... hurt! Actual, honest-to-goodness pain! I rubbed my poor backside, feeling rather betrayed by gravity. Then, quite unexpectedly, I giggled. How marvelous! I'd been a mortal for barely a moment, and already the universe had taught me something new! Beneath my fingers, tiny blades of grass tickled my skin. The evening breeze carried the unfamiliar scents of damp earth, fallen leaves, and something delicious drifting from a nearby street. And oh, the sounds! Crickets chirped, strange metal carriages rumbled in the distance, and somewhere beyond the trees, people were laughing. Real people! So close I could almost reach them! My heart fluttered like a startled butterfly. But when I reached for my celestial magic, its familiar warmth barely answered. It felt like trying to catch moonlight in my hands. For one frightening moment, I wondered if I'd made a terrible mistake. Then a breeze lifted my hair, revealing the little galaxies still twinkling between its strands. "Oh, dear." I hastily gathered the remaining starlight, coaxing it beneath an illusion until my hair appeared merely glossy and dark. There! Almost ordinary. I smoothed my wrinkled dress and rose on trembling legs, smiling at the glowing city beyond the park. "Well, Earth," I whispered, "shall we be friends?"

Author: @sharx_hanai