One Grand Wish

“Mom, will you play with me?” Shouted Izzy from the living room, she was holding an airplane and spinning in circles making flying noises.

“I can’t right now, I have to finish cooking, ask your dad!” She yelled back from the kitchen.

Izzy stopped flying her plane and looked up at her dad on the sofa.

“Sorry sweetie, dad's watching the game right now.” He didn’t take his eyes off the TV.

Izzy heaved a deep sigh. “You two are always too busy to play, I want a little brother.” 

Her dad took his eyes off the tv now and looked down at her, smiling. He patted the sofa cushion beside him. Izzy ran and bounced and then climbed up beside him.

“Remember what me and your mom told you, sweetie, about having a little brother?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, good. I’ll play with you as soon as my game is over, okay? And tomorrow you will have your friends at school to play with.” He looked at the TV again and started yelling for someone to run.

Izzy climbed onto his lap and snuggled into her favorite spot. Ten minutes later, she was asleep.

••••

“Are you hungry?” Said a strange voice.

Izzy woke up and rubbed her eyes with her small hands. She looked around and saw that she was in her bedroom.

“How did I get up here?” Izzy asked.

“The one you call Dad picked you up and brought you here. What barbaric things your kind does to waste energy. He could have just used a transporter and dropped you off on your bed.”

Izzy looked up to see where the voice was coming from, and caught sight of a black cat perched on the end of her bed.

“You’re a cat, a talking cat?” She sat up.

“Why are you humans always so surprised when we speak? Humans say we cats are so cleaver, but talking, that’s too cleaver.” The black cat shook his head and jumped off the bed. “Follow me now human child, we must not be late where we are going.”

Izzy climbed out of bed. “I don’t think it’s too clever, I wish all cats could talk. Then I’d have someone to talk and play with all the time. It would be like having a little brother, since mom and dad say I can't have one. Can all cats talk?”

The black cat sauntered down the hall. Izzy kept up with him with her small steps.

“You sure ask a lot of questions, child. But no, all cats can’t talk, at least not here in this realm where you live.”

They turned the corner into the kitchen, the black cat jumping up on the counter.

“What’s your name? Mom said you should always know someone’s name, it’s respectful.” Asked Izzy.

“My name is not important, child, but if you must know it, it’s Mittens.”

“Mittens. Nice to meet you Mittens, I’m Izzy.” She held out a hand to Mittens.

“I am familiar with this strange custom you humans have.” Mittens held out his paw to her, and Izzy grabbed it and shook it.

“I must ask you again, are you hungry?” Mittens asked.

Izzy’s stomach growled in response. “Yes, I fell asleep before mom finished cooking.”

“Then you should eat something before we go, you will need all your energy.”

“Where are we going?” Asked Izzy as she walked to the refrigerator.

“So many questions, human child, you need to eat. We don’t have much time left, please hurry up with your energy consumption.”

Izzy pulled out her stool that they had placed next to the refrigerator and sat it in front of the open door. She reached for a pot of spaghetti and pulled it out.

“At this rate, it's going to take you forever, here.” Mittens waved his hand in the air and the pot floated out of Izzy’s hand. Then a cabinet and a drawer opened. A bowl floated out of the cabinet and a fork out of the drawer, both coming to a stop in front of Izzy. The lid slid off the pot and spaghetti strands rushed into the bowl. The fork dropped into the bowl. The pot lid slid back on and the pot floated back into the refrigerator.

“Here, eat.” Mittens said.

“Whoa, you can do magic. How do you know magic?” Izzy grabbed the bowl out of the air.

“No more questions, just eat.” Mittens said.

Izzy ate her food while staring at Mittens, who groomed himself while waiting.

When Izzy was almost done eating, Mittens looked up from his grooming.

“Why are you staring at me, child? You have a question, don’t you?” Mittens asked.

Izzy nodded.

Mittens let out a cats sigh. “What is it?”

“Where are we going?” She asked with her mouth full of the last piece of spaghetti.

“You're done, right? Come on, I’ll show you.” Mittens hopped off the counter and headed toward the living room. He stopped in front of the TV.

“Follow my lead.” And with that, Mittens jumped into the TV and was gone. The black surface rippled like a stone falling into water.

Izzy smiled with excitement. She backed up to the sofa, then ran and jumped right behind him.

••••

Izzy looked around and saw that she was in a small room with three bare walls, and the fourth was a huge gate. The ground was a mixture of sand and clay, leaving her feet dusty.

“You’re late!” A white cat shouted.

“Another talking cat!” Izzy yelped.

“The human child had to eat, it’s not my fault.” Mittens explained.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

The white cat turned to Izzy.

“Nice to meet you Izzy, I’m Fluffy.” She held out a paw.

Izzy crouched down and shook her paw.

“Nice to meet you, how do you know my name already?”

“Oh, I know you Izzy, I've been keeping an eye on you. You’re going to be our next champion!” Fluffy raised a paw triumphantly.

“We’ll see about that.” Mittens shook his head.

“Don’t be so sceptical, Mittens, I know a champion when I see one. She's smart, very, very smart, you’ll see.” Fluffy.

Mittens just shook his head.

“Why do you keep calling me champion, where are we?” Izzy asked.

“We are in the Grand Universe arena. You have been chosen to fight for the glory of your realm and if you win, no, when you win,” Fluffy glanced at Mittens, “then you will be granted a wish.”

Trumpets blared and the gate in the room began to open.

“We’re out of time, it’s starting, did you bring a weapon?” Fluffy asked.

“My dad said my brain is my strongest weapon!” Said Izzy and straightened up.

Mittens put a paw over his eyes and shook his head. “We are doomed, you should have let me get a dragon from the inferno realm.”

“Oh, hush, Mittens.” Fluffy said then looked back at Izzy.

“Go, champion!” Fluffy pointed with one paw at the open gate.

Izzy nodded and strode through.

••••

In the great arena the crowd roared and applauded. Izzy stood on one side and on the other side stood a very large green creature. It had one big eye and held a club in its hand. It roared, raised its huge club, and ran toward Izzy. Izzy causally started walking towards the creature.

Dust swirled behind the creature and the ground shook with each of its steps.

It came to a stop in front of Izzy and roared in her face. Then it grabbed the club with both hands and raised it above its head with a smashing motion. Izzy tilted her head back so far to see the club that she almost lost her balance.

“Wow, that’s a nice club you have there, where did you get it?” Izzy asked.

The creature looked down at Izzy, stunned that she was talking. Slowly, it lowered its hands again and placed the club at its side.

“I made it from a tree I fought, the Great Taxondor. It was a great fight, so I honored him by making this club.”

“It’s really nice, like a big baseball bat. I bet you have a good swing too!”

The creature picked up the club and swung it. A big gust of wind blew out of its path.

“How’s that?” Asked the creature.

“That was great!” Izzy exclaimed.

“What’s baseball?”

“You’ve never played baseball! You’d be the best player ever. Come with me, I’ll show you how to play.” Izzy searched the floor of the arena. When she found what she was looking for, she ran over and grabbed a rock that filled her hand. She went back to the giant creature and showed him the rock.

“You stop here, then I’ll go back and throw the rock at you. You have to take your club and hit it as hard as you can. I’m sure you will hit a home run on your first try!”

She walked back a bit.

“Stand sideways like this and hold your bat up like this.” She showed him a batting stance.

The creature mimicked it awkwardly.

“Are you ready?”

The creature nodded.

Izzy threw the rock and the creature hit it with a powerful swing. Dust flew up, and the wind threw Izzy on her butt.

The stone hurled through the air. It bounced off the arena wall and flew right back at the giant creature.

It hit the creature right in the eye. It cried out in pain, dropped the club and grabbed its eye. It stumbled, then tripped over the club and fell flat on its back, hitting its head on the ground. It remained lying there, groaning. Izzy quickly got back up and ran over to it.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

The creature groaned.

“Hold on, I’ll get you help.” She ran back to the gate she came out of, and the crowd roared and applauded.

“Fluffy, Mittens, can you help, uh, shoot, I didn’t get its name!”

Fluffy sat down and clapped her paws. “I told you she was amazing didn’t I!”

Mittens meowed. “It’s okay, human child, Granduloaf will be fine. He will be overjoyed that you bested him.”

“Okay, as long as you say he’ll be fine. He was nice enough to play with me.” Izzy said.

“Yes, yes, I didn’t think you would win, but you proved me wrong. Your deed here is done, come along.” Mittens walked back through the gate.

Fluffy raised a paw to stop Izzy before she followed. “Great duel, Izzy, great duel. As promised you will get a wish granted, any wish. What do you wish for?”

Izzy told Fluffy what she wished for, and her heart overflowed with joy.

••••

Mittens took her back the way they had come. They came out of the TV, went back to her room, and Izzy climbed back into bed.

“Thanks for all the fun, Mittens!” Izzy said cheerfully.

Mittens stood at the door and waved a paw at her before disappearing into the hallway.

Izzy pulled up her blanket and lay down, smiling. She fell asleep thinking of all the fun she was going to have with her little brother.