Why are you letting strangers into our house? Can you really trust the first person you meet? What if she isn't who she says she is?"
"Don't worry." Nibi's voice was steady. "If I'm a bother, I can leave. I didn't mean to bring trouble to your family."
"No, don't say that…" his mother's eyes softened, the last fog of sleep vanishing from her face. "It's just unusual for anyone to show up here. We live so far off the beaten path, cut off from civilization."
"I don't need civilization." The guest shook her head. "I'm interested in you, not skyscrapers."
Mom softened even more. Wrapping herself in her trademark robe—embroidered with threads like little galaxies—she invited everyone into the kitchen to make some tea.
"I really liked that drink of yours. Thank you," Nibi said with a polite nod.
"Oh, don't be so formal! In your country, do you drink something else instead? Maybe sherbet, or kvass?" Mom asked while already fussing at the stove, switching on the right burner.
Erich panicked for a second—what if Nibi said too much? He jumped in quickly.
"Nibi loves traveling so much that she doesn't even know what her favorite drink is. You could say she likes everything at once. But tea? Especially tea."
He glanced over at Pobbi, who sat patiently on the doormat, refusing to come in with his muddy paws. Erich raised a finger to him, asking his buddy to wait just a little longer. He'd wash him soon. For now, he had to fend off Mom's next round of sharp questions.
"And where exactly is Nibi from?"
"I told you, Mom—she travels all over the planet."
"Then what about her parents? Why is she here all by herself?"
That one caught him off guard. Luckily, Nibi came to the rescue with an evasive answer.
"My parents are always with me… even when they're not."
Mom frowned and nearly spilled water from the kettle.
"That sounds… complicated. Oh well. What matters is you don't stay up too late. Eat these muffins, wash up Pobbi—" with a magician's flourish, she produced a whole plate of treats, as only real magical moms could, "—and then straight to bed. You've got school tomorrow. Well, technically, today."
"Mom, can Nibi come with me?" Erich pleaded.
"Of course, of course. But just like Pobbi, this young lady could also use a shower. That tail of hers is all muddy."
Erich nearly choked on his second pastry. He turned wide-eyed toward Nibi, who was swinging her legs. Only now did he notice the neat little tail dangling beside her. It didn't look like the rest of her—it shimmered metallic, with a tuft at the end like a lion's, only made of some strange flexible metal.
"Oh, you mean my lats." Nibi nodded knowingly. "It's my companion for each new turn of my journey. Before every new stage, they attach another lats to me. It grows longer the more places I've traveled."
"Wow! Have you been to a lot of places already?" Erich blurted out, forgetting he was supposed to protect her 'secret identity,' like in spy novels. "And what's it for? Does it help you somehow?"
"So many questions… and I just feel like yawning." She dodged smoothly, and then actually yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "Maybe we should help Pobbi look presentable?"
"Good thinking, Nibi," Mom agreed warmly. "You can sleep in the living room. I'll set up the couch for you. And you two—finish your chores. And you, big Er, stop stuffing yourself with pastries or you'll have a stomachache in the morning."
With his mouth full of sweetness and eyes full of tears at having it taken away, Erich trudged off to fulfill his sacred duty of washing Pobbi. The dog barked joyfully, tail wagging, betraying her usual calm—she was so eager to come inside at last.
The kids thanked Mom for the tea party and headed toward Pobbi. Just as they left, they caught her muttering under her breath:
"She even added a tail. Huh… the things kids in big cities do to stand out. Still, clever. Looks pretty cool, actually."
Erich spun around at once.
"I heard that! Mom, would you want one too?"
The question flustered her so much she waved her hands, urging him to hurry along. It was, after all, the middle of the night.
When the bathroom was finally theirs and Pobbi splashed happily in warm water, Erich asked the one thing that had been gnawing at him.
"So… who gave it to you? Was it your parents?"
"Who else?" Nibi looked surprised. "The Stars, of course." She dipped her hands into the pleasant steam of the bathwater.
The Second Wish
Just before dawn, a comet swept across the sky. Its long, glowing tail reminded Erich of someone who was, at that very moment, curled up asleep on the couch.
The sunbeams once again failed to break through the heavy blanket of clouds above—just as they had every other day—and that, more than anything, annoyed Erich.
He was locked in a desperate battle with his alarm clock, and losing badly. His groggy complaints were drowned out by its relentless ringing. And then, as if to make things worse, Pobbi leapt onto the bed and began padding around on his feet with soft, insistent paws.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You've all turned against me and want me to be the smartest kid alive. I'm up, I'm going, I'm learning," he mumbled, dragging himself out of his pajamas and into school clothes without even looking. Then came the routine he knew better than any poem: washing up, brushing teeth, all the boring daily stuff.
"Wait!" He nearly smacked his forehead. "Today isn't just a regular day. It's practically a holiday! Nibi's walking me to school! That means today won't be boring at all."
A brilliant plan immediately formed in his head: skip the main road where the school bus picked him up and walk to town instead. It would take longer, sure—he might even miss the first class—but so what? How often do you get to crunch through autumn leaves with a guest from the sky?
And Nibi? She didn't seem to notice the gloomy sky, the thick clouds, or the rude, biting wind. Instead, she raced through the leaves, kicking them into heaps and showering herself in her own handmade "rose petals."
Eventually, Erich couldn't resist. He hurled himself into the giant pile she'd built, landing right beside her.
They lay there together, staring up at herds of dark clouds galloping across the heavens, rumbling faintly as they went. The fallen leaves gave off a spicy, heady scent that tickled Erich's nose and made him sneeze several times. But overall, the smell was wonderful, and lying there felt even better—except it was cold. He shivered, pulling his shoulders up, and glanced at carefree Nibi in bewilderment.
She didn't feel the chill at all. Dressed in a gray vest, dark pants like ordinary jeans, and platform boots, she looked perfectly at ease. Erich thought to himself he'd wear boots like that too—if only he knew where to buy them.
Two little birds hopped past them. They had decided not to migrate south, choosing instead to stay home rather than trade it for the long road of wandering. Erich sighed, thinking of Pobbi, who had to stay behind as always. No one had invented math lessons for dogs yet. But someone really should.
"What are you thinking about?" he finally asked, breaking the long silence. Maybe he shouldn't have. Maybe it was enough just to lie there in wordless comfort, looking at the familiar world that suddenly seemed so different—mysterious, incomprehensible, and therefore twice as enchanting.
The valley where his house stood no longer seemed like just a place by the forest. It felt like a hidden continent, cut off from the world, where lived not heroes, but—