Sage and the Journey to Wishworld Read online

  Copyright © 2015 by Shana Muldoon Zappa and Ahmet Zappa

  Artwork © 2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Cover design © 2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Excerpt from Star Darlings: Libby and the Class Election © 2015 by Shana Muldoon Zappa and Ahmet Zappa

  All rights reserved. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney Press, 1101 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201.

  ISBN 978-1-4847-0183-6

  For more Disney Press fun, visit www.disneybooks.com

  Contents

  Dedication

  Starling Academy: Student Reports

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  Glossary

  Acknowledgments

  Preview of Star Darlings: Libby and the Class Election

  About the Authors

  To our beautiful, sweet treasure, Halo Violetta Zappa. You are pure light and joy and our greatest inspiration. We love you soooo much.

  May every step upon your path be blessed with positivity and the understanding that you have the power within you to manifest the most fulfilling life you can possibly imagine and more. May you always remember that being different and true to your highest self makes your inner star shine brighter.

  Remember that you have the power of choice….Choose thoughts that feel good. Choose love and friendship that feed your spirit. Choose actions for peace and nourishment. Choose boundaries for the same. Choose what speaks to your creativity and unique inner voice…what truly makes you happy. And always know that no matter what you choose, you are unconditionally loved.

  Look up to the stars and know you are never alone. When in doubt, go within…the answers are all there. Smiles light the world and laughter is the best medicine.And NEVER EVER stop making wishes….

  Glow for it….

  Mommy and Daddy

  And to everyone else here on “Wishworld”:

  May you realize that no matter where you are in life, no matter what you look like or where you were born, you, too, have the power within you to create the life of your dreams. Through celebrating your own uniqueness, thinking positively, and taking action, you can make your wishes come true.

  Smile. The Star Darlings have your back. We know how startastic you truly are.

  Glow for it….

  Your friends,

  Shana and Ahmet

  Starling Academy:

  Student Reports

  NAME: Clover

  BRIGHT DAY: January 5

  FAVORITE COLOR: Purple

  INTERESTS: Music, painting, studying

  WISH: To be the best songwriter and DJ on Starland

  WHY CHOSEN: Clover has great self-discipline, patience, and willpower. She is creative, responsible, dependable, and extremely loyal.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Clover can be hard to read and she is reserved with those she doesn’t know. She’s afraid to take risks and can be a wisecracker at times.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Panthera

  WISH PENDANT: Barrette

  NAME: Adora

  BRIGHT DAY: February 14

  FAVORITE COLOR: Sky blue

  INTERESTS: Science, thinking about the future and how she can make it better

  WISH: To be the top fashion designer on Starland

  WHY CHOSEN: Adora is clever and popular and cares about the world around her. She’s a deep thinker.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Adora can have her head in the clouds and be thinking about other things.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Azurica

  WISH PENDANT: Watch

  NAME: Piper

  BRIGHT DAY: March 4

  FAVORITE COLOR: Seafoam green

  INTERESTS: Composing poetry and writing in her dream journal

  WISH: To become the best version of herself she can possibly be and to share that by writing books

  WHY CHOSEN: Piper is giving, kind, and sensitive. She is very intuitive and aware.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Piper can be dreamy, absentminded, and wishy-washy. She can also be moody and easily swayed by the opinions of others.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Dreamalite

  WISH PENDANT: Bracelets

  NAME: Astra

  BRIGHT DAY: April 9

  FAVORITE COLOR: Red

  INTERESTS: Individual sports

  WISH: To be the best athlete on Starland—to win!

  WHY CHOSEN: Astra is energetic, brave, clever, and confident. She has boundless energy and is always direct and to the point.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Astra is sometimes cocky, self-centered, condescending, and brash.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Quarrelite

  WISH PENDANT: Wristbands

  NAME: Tessa

  BRIGHT DAY: May 18

  FAVORITE COLOR: Emerald green

  INTERESTS: Food, flowers, love

  WISH: To be successful enough so she can enjoy a life of luxury

  WHY CHOSEN: Tessa is warm, charming, affectionate, trustworthy, and dependable. She has incredible drive and commitment.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Tessa does not like to be rushed. She can be quite stubborn and often says no. She does not deal well with change and is prone to exaggeration. She can be easily sidetracked.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Gossamer

  WISH PENDANT: Brooch

  NAME: Gemma

  BRIGHT DAY: June 2

  FAVORITE COLOR: Orange

  INTERESTS: Sharing her thoughts about almost anything

  WISH: To be valued for her opinions on everything

  WHY CHOSEN: Gemma is friendly, easygoing, funny, extroverted, and social. She knows a little bit about everything.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Gemma talks—a lot—and can be a little too honest sometimes and offend others. She can have a short attention span and can be superficial.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  POWER CRYSTAL: Scatterite

  WISH PENDANT: Earrings

  NAME: Cassie

  BRIGHT DAY: July 6

  FAVORITE COLOR: White

  INTERESTS: Reading, crafting

  WISH: To be more independent and confident and less fearful

  WHY CHOSEN: Cassie is extremely imaginative and artistic. She is a voracious reader and is loyal, caring, and a good friend. She is very intuitive.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Cassie can be distrustful, jealous, moody, and brooding.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  POWER CRYSTAL: Lunalite

  WISH PENDANT: Glasses

  NAME: Leona

  BRIGHT DAY: August 16

  FAVORITE COLOR: Gold

  INTERESTS: Acting, performing, dressing up

  WISH: To be the most famous pop star on Starland

  WHY CHOSEN: Leona is confident, hardworking, generous, open-minded, optimistic, caring, and a strong leader.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Leona can be vain, opinionated, selfish, bossy, dramatic, and stubborn and is prone to losing her temper.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Glisten paw

  WISH PEND
ANT: Cuff

  NAME: Vega

  BRIGHT DAY: September 1

  FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

  INTERESTS: Exercising, analyzing, cleaning, solving puzzles

  WISH: To be the top student at Starling Academy

  WHY CHOSEN: Vega is reliable, observant, organized, and very focused.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Vega can be opinionated about everything, and she can be fussy, uptight, critical, arrogant, and easily embarrassed.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Queezle

  WISH PENDANT: Belt

  NAME: Libby

  BRIGHT DAY: October 12

  FAVORITE COLOR: Pink

  INTERESTS: Helping others, interior design, art, dancing

  WISH: To give everyone what they need—both on Starland and through wish granting on Wishworld

  WHY CHOSEN: Libby is generous, articulate, gracious, diplomatic, and kind.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Libby can be indecisive and may try too hard to please everyone.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  POWER CRYSTAL: Charmelite

  WISH PENDANT: Necklace

  NAME: Scarlet

  BRIGHT DAY: November 3

  FAVORITE COLOR: Black

  INTERESTS: Crystal climbing (and other extreme sports), magic, thrill seeking

  WISH: To live on Wishworld

  WHY CHOSEN: Scarlet is confident, intense, passionate, magnetic, curious, and very brave.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Scarlet is a loner and can alienate others by being secretive, arrogant, stubborn, and jealous.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Ravenstone

  WISH PENDANT: Boots

  NAME: Sage

  BRIGHT DAY: December 1

  FAVORITE COLOR: Lavender

  INTERESTS: Travel, adventure, telling stories, nature, and philosophy

  WISH: To become the best Wish-Granter Starland has ever seen

  WHY CHOSEN: Sage is honest, adventurous, curious, optimistic, friendly, and relaxed.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Sage has a quick temper! She can also be restless, irresponsible, and too trusting of others’ opinions. She may jump to conclusions.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  POWER CRYSTAL: Lavenderite

  WISH PENDANT: Necklace

  “Are we there yet?” Sage asked eagerly.

  The only answer was a loud snore from Sage’s father, Leonard. As soon as he had programmed the coordinates into their Starcar’s console, he had fallen sound asleep—as usual. Sage’s mom, Indirra, didn’t even look up from her reading. That, too, was usual. Sage thought her mother should have been the one who was nodding off, as she was deep in a scientific holo-journal. But as one of Starland’s leading research scientists, she found it engrossing. Luckily, Indirra didn’t take her daughter’s lack of interest in her chosen field as an insult; rather, she took it as a challenge.

  Sage’s seven-year-old twin brothers, Archer and Helio, paid no attention, either. They sat cross-legged on the floor, cheering on their cyber-wrestlers, which were engaged in a fierce battle. “Pin him! Pin him!” they yelled in support of their opposing fighters.

  Sage stared at her family. How can they be so blasé? she wondered. It was no ordinary day. It was, actually, the most exciting day of her life! She leaned toward the dashboard and lifted a finger, letting it hover over the hyper-speed button. Should she press it? Suddenly, her hand was gently slapped away by her ever-watchful grandmother, a tough old lady everyone called Gran, who then uttered the words Sage had been hearing since she was a tiny Starling.

  “Patience, Sage,” she said.

  Sage rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t have any,” she responded. Sage smiled sweetly at her grandmother before she added, “Just like you.”

  Gran shrugged and handed Sage a wrapped candy from her large purse. Sage popped the candy into her mouth and promptly spat it out. Moonberry. Dis-gus-ting. Sage sighed and glanced out the window. She caught a glimpse of her reflection. Slightly sparkly skin, just like all Starlings had. Long, thick glimmering lavender hair hanging in braids that nearly reached her waist. A pointy chin and large twinkling violet eyes that gave her a slightly mischevious look. Cheeks permanently flushed pink. Rosebud lips that were usually curved into a playful smile but were drawn into an irritated frown at the moment. The car was traveling so quickly that the scenery was one big blur. But to Sage, it felt like they were going in slow motion. She just wanted to get there already!

  Finally, when Sage thought she might scream, they were almost there. She looked out the window and gasped. The long, straight road that led to the gates of her brand-new boarding school was lined with towering trees, their spindly branches covered in brilliant lavender blooms. The branches stretched up into a tangled canopy overhead, forming a colorful tunnel that led to the entrance.

  Gran spoke, startling Sage. “Kaleidoscope trees,” she told her granddaughter. “I haven’t seen those since I was a young girl. They’re quite rare. I forgot how beautiful they are. Keep watching—they’ll change color.” Sure enough, the blossoms began to turn a cheerful shade of pink before their eyes.

  “Starmendous,” said Sage. “I wonder how they change color like that.”

  “It’s because they are composed of ninety-four percent iridusvapor,” said Sage’s mom without looking up. “Of course.”

  Sage and Gran exchanged grins. Indirra never missed an opportunity to share scientific information with her family. Her powers of concentration were a family legend. Once she had held a holo-conference call while the twins, convinced they needed to bathe their pet glowfur, chased it all around the house, wreaking havoc around her. She hadn’t even seemed to notice. But Gran more than made up for that with her constant attention to detail and her habit of stating the obvious.

  The car hovered up to the high black iron gates, which had an oddly lovely design of delicate curlicues and dangerously sharp spikes. Beyond them lay the campus of Starling Academy. Sage caught a quick glimpse of neat walkways, hedges trimmed into whimsical shapes, glittering buildings, and a lone white tower reaching high into the sky. The school, on the outskirts of Starland City, the largest metropolis on Starland, had an enviable location. The campus was near the violet-hued Luminous Lake and the stunning Crystal Mountains. The breathtaking site had inspired students for hydrongs of staryears. In the distance Sage could see the mountains in all their multicolored glory. The clouds parted and a beam of sunlight broke through, lighting up the campus with a rainbow glow while transforming the low-lying clouds into delicate spun-sugar confections. Sage shook her head. She was excited to finally be at Starling Academy, and it was almost too much to take in at once. She was superbly, stupendously, starmendously excited. That was what she had been working so hard for. Nothing was going to stop her now.

  The gates rolled open slowly and the car inched forward, then came to a stop in front of a small glass booth. A Bot-Bot guard appeared and held up a hand scanner. The Starcar’s window lowered, and without a moment’s hesitation, Sage reached out and placed her palm on the scanner. It lit up bright blue. Accepted.

  “Welcome to Starling Academy, Sage,” the guard said. It handed her a holo-book.

  She took it and replied, “Star salutations,” the traditional Starling thank-you. She gave the Bot-Bot guard a friendly wave, which, as expected, was not returned. Her little brothers broke into peals of laughter at the clipped cybernetic voice. “Welcome. To. Starling. Academy. Sage,” they echoed.

  Gran looked over her shoulder. “It’s the Student Manual,” she whispered.

  “Are you sure?” Sage replied, pointing to the onscreen title. “I thought it was the cafeteria menu.”

  “Fresh,” said Gran, mock seriously.

  Sage loved her grandmother fiercely but also liked to tease her. Fortunately, Gran liked to give as good as she could take.

  Sage’s mom shut off her holo-journal and looked around at everyone, blinking slowly. “Are we here already?” she asked brightly.

 
; Sage rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom,” she said.

  Sage’s father startled awake with a loud snort. “What—who—where am I?” he sputtered. That sent the boys on another round of giggles.

  Sage ignored them. She looked around, took a deep breath, and squinched her eyes closed as the car glided through the entrance and the gates rolled shut behind them. She could really picture herself happy there. I wish for big, exciting things to happen to me here, she thought.

  Her wish would come true.

  And then some.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Sage. Are you ready to begin your tour?”

  Sage spun around.

  “Up here,” the voice said.

  Sage craned her neck. Hovering in the air over her family members’ heads was a medium-sized metallic orb. It flashed in the sunlight, forcing Sage to look away.

  “What is that thing?” Gran asked, shielding her eyes and squinting.

  “It’s a floating Bot-Bot guide,” explained Sage’s father. “The neighbors hired one on their trip to Booshel Bay. They’re supposed to be quite informative.”

  “Affirmative,” said the Bot-Bot guide in its clipped tone. The boys giggled, but a stern look from Gran shushed them. “I am MO-J4 and I am quite informative, if I do say so myself.” He blinked when he spoke.

  “So can we go to the dorm now?” Sage asked.

  The Bot-Bot guide paused, apparently running the request through his program to determine its validity. “Negative,” he answered. “Before you head to your dormitory room and bid farewell to your family, you must first receive a tour to familiarize yourself with the campus.”

  “Startastic,” said Archer, rolling his eyes.

  Gran poked him in the shoulder. “Don’t be rude, young man,” she said.

  “Sorry, Gran,” he said sheepishly.

  Sage glanced around. More Bot-Bot guides had appeared and were taking other new students and their families on their tours, setting off in all directions. She turned back to her family, then did a double take. Wait—someone was missing.