Page 106 of Barbie: Dreamscape

Robin is standing there, eyebrow raised.

“We’re going to see you off, of course,” I tell her. Then I smile. “And after that to Summerland. For a few days, maybe.”

Sunny leaps down from his boat to help Robin with her luggage. She cringes as he throws her bags up, punching the air every time he manages to actually get one into his boat.

Unfortunately, most of her bags have to be fished from the water.

With a flick of my wrist, we all float up into Sunny’s boat, and then we’re off, shooting toward the horizon.

Below, people are floating merrily in their boats. Some look up and wave at us. I wave back.

Ever since the night we saved Heartland, Robin agreed to give up her control over everything. That was my condition to ever having a relationship with her.

She came clean with everyone about the Fates. There was anger, but there was also forgiveness—many realized they didn’t like the Fates that had been decided for them and wanted to try something new.

So we did away with Boxing Day, forever: Everyone in Heartland can be anything their hearts desire, maybe something already encapsulated in The Book of Fates, and maybe something entirely new.

We all get to choose.

And that is magic.

Speaking of magic…

I turn around, following Robin’s gaze toward the school.

A bright pink light shines like a star from the top of her staff, now embedded in the roof of Swancrest’s tallest tower. It glimmers in the diminishing sun, like a wink.

The power Robin used to hold in her fist is now raining down upon all of us. Every person in Heartland can use it how they wish. It was another condition of Robin’s forgiveness.

The boat floats higher, until the canals look like veins through the bustling heart-city. And from this view… I can see it.

All the worlds previously blocked by the border mists. We cleared them after restoring Swancrest.

And we built bridges.

Dozens of long, thin, floating roads, branching off from Heartland in every direction, each leading to different lands. Some I’ve visited—and others I have yet to explore. But I will.

The bridges are all full of various people and creatures walking back and forth, finally joined once more. I spot Bartholomew heading into Heartland and call to him from the clouds. His horn glimmers as he nods hello.

Sunny parks his boat on one of these glimmering pink paths, which pulses with light below our feet.

“I suppose this is goodbye,” Robin says as she grunts, taking the heavy luggage into her hands. The last condition of Robin’s forgiveness, decided by the people of Heartland: She would spend one year visiting all the various lands she previously cut off, in the hopes that she would learn the importance of letting new people and experiences in.

“I’m sorry, Barbie,” she tells me again, for probably the dozenth time. “For everything.” There’s a moment of silence. “Be careful,” she adds, as though she can’t help herself. Then she nods at Callie and Sunny and turns to go.

But I close the distance between us and stop her, throwing my arms around her shoulders. “Thank you,” I whisper, because I know it isn’t easy for her to accept her flaws and go through with this. She could have easily taken her staff and fled, avoiding accountability. But she didn’t. For me… she didn’t.

“Thank you,” Robin murmurs back, her eyes glistening with tears. “For giving me another chance.”

I give her one final hug before she walks away. I watch her go until she’s just a speck in the distance, off to explore for the first time since she and my mom left Dreamland all those years ago.

Callie’s arm wraps around me from one side. Sunny’s curls around my shoulders from the other.

They don’t say anything about the tears sliding down my face, and I’m grateful. We just stand there for several minutes.

Until Sunny turns and says, “Look at that. We waited here in awkward silence for just enough time to catch the sunset.”

“Did someone say ‘sunset’?”