Footman, sitting proudly in front of the banana carriage beside the coachman, placed a dignified palm over his chest and delivered his royal-like announcement with elegance.
"Ehem… my lady, good sir detective — Welcome aboard Banana Air, where your seats are of finest fruit, your view is naught but stars, and your pilot for this grand journey is none other than our ever-dependable sandwich-born coachman.
"We shall be departing forthwith on a smooth and ever-so-slightly squishy ride to the moon. Pray, keep your limbs inside the carriage at all times—space is vast and unyielding, unlike the warmth of our golden banana walls."
"Now, prepare yourselves for liftoff."
Ryo, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in disbelief, groaned.
"Oh great! first it's a store-bought orange juice, and now it's giving in-flight announcements…"
With a flourish, Fairy Greatmother lifted her wand high, then pointed it dramatically forward...
…boldly. "MARCH FORTH!"
The jam sandwich coachman, wearing a tiny golden top hat and monocle, raised his reins like a conductor leading an orchestra.
Coachman, with gusto. "HIYA!"
The unicorn "NEEEEEIIIGHED" proudly, lifted a leg with flair, and started trotting forward… very slowly.
Ryo raised an eyebrow and said flatly. "…This is kind of anti-clim—"
Coachman whipped the reins again. "HIYA!!!"
The unicorn burst into a fast gallop, its hooves pounding the air as it sped up. The banana carriage shook wildly, like a theme park ride made by someone who drank too much coffee.
Inside, Ryo gripped the seat like it was the last piece of solid ground on Earth, teeth clenched, eyes wide.
Ryo, vibrating like a washing machine. "WHY IS THIS THING MOVING LIKE A JET-PROPELLED BANANA!?"
Next to him, Fairy Greatmother simply hummed a merry little tune, her posture completely unshaken. She might as well have been knitting.
In front of the carriage, the footman—still the ex-orange juice—raised his hand. He chanted softly, and a mist of blue and silver rose from under the wheels, creating glowing steps that led up into the sky.
Ryo gasped, eyes bugging. "What is all this mist!?"
Fairy Greatmother, casually, like she's talking about a garden path.
"Oh, just a stepping stone for our unicorn and carriage, dear. We're galloping skyward."
Ryo, voice cracking in panic. "Are we going full-on Santa Claus reindeer mode now?!"
Fairy Greatmother, eyes lighting up fondly.
"Oh, you know Santa? I had dinner with him and his family just last year! Delightful evening—he made Stardust Cheese Puffs, Moonbeam Pie, and the most divine Midnight Hot Cocoa you've ever tasted! His wife insists on adding a drop of comet syrup. Simply magical!"
Ryo, brain short-circuiting. "SANTA IS REAL!? AND YOU ATE PIE WITH HIM UNDER THE STARS!?"
Before he could fully process what was happening, the glowing mist staircase twisted upward toward the clouds. The unicorn charged forward, galloping along the path in the sky, while rooftops rushed by beneath them. One chimney almost hit the carriage, making Ryo duck and gasp as if he'd just had a near-death experience.
Ryo, gasping for air.
"I've flown with Aladdin, Captain of Carpet Airlines! But at least he was panicking too! Why is everyone here so calm except ME?!"
Fairy Greatmother, still humming cheerfully. "♪ LALALALAAAA… LALALAAAAAA…♪"
The unicorn ran faster, faster, F A S T E R until the mist sparkled with glittering trails, and then—
BOOM!
A loud crack split the sky as the banana carriage rocketed past flocks of birds, airplanes, and a confused jet pilot who did a double-take.
Jet Pilot, over radio. "Control, I think I just got overtaken by a fruit. Over."
They soared upward, the clouds blurring as glittering mist trailed behind them in streaks of gold and lavender. Ryo held on tightly, his hair a mess from sheer terror.
Three minutes later, the clouds were gone, and stars began to shine.
Ryo, eyes wide. "Holy crap… we just hit the stratosphere in under three minutes…"
Fairy Greatmother, casually realizing.
"Oh my! We're nearly in space! A breeze of fresh air would be ever so delightful, don't you think, Mr. Detective?"
Ryo, blinking rapidly. "…Huh? What do you mean, 'fresh air'? We're in the—"
Before he could finish, Fairy Greatmother twirled her wand in graceful circles, leaving sparkling trails floating around them.
Fairy Greatmother, chanting like a theatrical opera wizard.
"Let breath be thine even where stars do whisper…"
"AERASPHERA LUMINA!"
A shimmering gust of wind surrounded the banana carriage, wrapping it in a magical bubble. The air inside felt fresh, like oxygen was magically restored.
Ryo, blinking. "Wait… what just happened…?"
Before he could get an answer—WHOOSH!
The unicorn launched like a shooting star, bursting past Earth's edge into the black velvet of space, leaving a glowing trail behind like a comet.
Ryo, slack-jawed, awestruck. "Wooooaaah…"
He looked around, noticing the stars around them and the glowing planet below, and slowly realized—
"Wait a second… I can breathe! I can actually breathe up here!"
Fairy Greatmother, beaming like they were at a breezy mountain picnic.
"Why yes, Mr. Detective! Isn't the air simply lovely up here?"
Ryo, eyes twitching again, gave her a nervous sideways glance. She was sipping tea now. From a cup that hadn't existed seconds ago.
He muttered with dry sarcasm. "Yeah… wohoo… such a… fresh air…"
Ryo's unicorn—once his fried egg breakfast—galloped faster and faster through space, its hooves pounding the glowing mist like thunder on stardust. Stars twinkled around them, and the giant banana carriage sped through the cosmos like a golden comet of pure nonsense.
Then, amidst the spectacle, Ryo blinked and finally voiced the most logical thought he could summon in this moment of total madness.
Ryo, squinting into the void.
"Ma'am… I know we just hit space and all, but… how long does it actually take to get to the moon now? Usually it takes three days in a rocket."
The Fairy Greatmother tilted her head thoughtfully, then casually dropped yet another cosmic bombshell.
Her brows lightly furrowed.
"Oh my, I'm not sure what a rocket is, dear, but three days? Goodness! Last time I traveled from the moon to your world, it only took me about two hours—with three enchanted apples, of course. One turned into a coachman, one into a carriage, and one into a Pegasus."
Ryo paused.
Blinked.
Slowly turned his head toward her, eyes wide.
He deadpanned. "…Did you just say… Pegasus?"
Fairy Greatmother, smiling fondly.
"Why yes, those beautiful, normal winged horses. I once fed them moonberries straight from the palm of my hand. Oh, they nibbled so sweetly."
Ryo groaned internally, his brain now under siege.
He twitched. "She said… NORMAL winged horse."
And then sarcastically…
"Yeah… TOTALLY NORMAL. Just your everyday moonfruit-snacking air horse."
Still trying to process that, Ryo didn't even stop her as the Fairy Greatmother leaned out the carriage window and called ahead to the food-based front crew.
Fairy Greatmother, calling out sweetly.
"Footman, how long will it take for this carriage to reach the moon? Mr. Detective here said it takes three days."
The juice footman, stunned. "Three days?! My word, that's terribly inefficient! Allow me to confirm with the coachman."
He leaned sideways and whispered into the sandwich-born coachman's ear. Without so much as turning his head, the coachman calmly whispered back.
Meanwhile, the footman—ever theatrical—drew a gold-trimmed pocket watch from the front pocket of his royal waistcoat and began calculating with the seriousness of a royal mathematician.
After a moment, he looked back with pride.
"No worries, my lady, good sir detective! With the combined powers of myself, the noble coachman, and our glorious unicorn… we shall reach the moon in approximately five minutes."
Ryo, absolutely floored. "WHAT?!"
Fairy Greatmother, clapping her hands together like a child at a parade.
"Oh my, Mr. Detective, your breakfast is quite powerful! You really do start your day strong!"
Ryo, stunned, voice thick with sarcasm.
"…How wonderful. My breakfast is more overpowered than a god-tier apple from a Fairytale world."
Before he could say another word, the footman suddenly straightened and spoke like a fantasy-themed tour guide on a space cruise.
Footman, gesturing grandly to his left.
"And before we make our final leap to the moon, please turn your gaze to the left window and enjoy the enchanting sight of a floating castle."
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "…Floating castle? In space?"
Curious, both he and the Fairy Greatmother turned their heads to the left window—hers lined with embroidered blue curtains, because of course it was—and gazed outward.
There it was.
A massive metallic structure drifted silently in the cosmic dark. Panels stretched out like silver wings. Lights blinked. And on its edge, a tiny human figure in a white suit flailed its arms like it had just seen the ghost of breakfast passing by.
Fairy Greatmother, beaming.
"Oh, look! Isn't that a lovely floating castle, Mr. Detective? And the armored guard is waving at us—let's wave back!"
She waved enthusiastically out the window, humming.
Ryo's eye twitched as he stared at the sight.
He calmly explained while holding back existential dread.
"Ma'am… that's not a floating castle. That's the ISS. The International Space Station."
He pointed at the astronaut now spinning in sheer panic.
"And that isn't a guard—it's an astronaut. He's flailing because he just saw a giant enchanted banana getting yanked through space by a horned egg-horse. And now he's going to question his life for the next 40 years."
Cut to: the poor astronaut outside the ISS, tools floating around him as he flails wildly, trying to call mission control, pointing desperately at the banana comet zooming past.
The astronaut, muffled through his suit.
"HOUSTON—HOUSTON! I SWEAR TO YOU—A BANANA JUST WENT BY. A HORSE. BANANA. MIST. SEND BACKUP!"
Back inside the carriage, the Fairy Greatmother just giggled cheerfully.
"Isn't space magical, Mr. Detective?"
Ryo leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, eyes wide at the ridiculousness of it all.
"Yeah… Magical… Totally..."
Suddenly, the juice-footman seated at the front of the carriage straightened. His voice shifted once more into a polished, pilot-like tone, echoing through the banana cabin with surreal authority.
Footman, confidently.
"Ladies and gentlemen—my lady, and good sir detective—we are now preparing for our final burst toward the moon. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the complimentary appetizer meal located in the pocket in front of you."
"Thank you for choosing Banana Air."
Ryo and the Fairy Greatmother glanced down. Sure enough, in a lacy fabric pocket embroidered with glittering thread, each of them found a small meal box.
Inside: a neat carton of orange juice and a delicate slice of warm-looking bread.
Ryo raised an eyebrow at the orange juice carton, holding it up cautiously between two fingers like it might start speaking.
He mumbled.
"Pretty sure this was…you. But, hey, at least it's a boxed version of you and not just a straw in your face…"
The footman in front gave him a thumbs-up. Somehow. Despite being a juice.
Fairy Greatmother, delighted, held up her slice of bread as if it were a sacred relic.
"Oh! Mooncrust loaf! From my world—it's my absolute favorite. Baked with moonlight and dreams."
Ryo, looking unconvinced.
"That's nice and all, but how the hell am I supposed to enjoy moon-dream bread and my ex-footman juice while we're about to leap to the moon in five freaking minutes?! At—what I assume—is nearly light speed?!"
Before anyone could answer, it began.
The unicorn, coachman, and footman suddenly glowed, each shining with bright energy. Waves of shimmering colors in blue, green, and violet flowed through them, outlining their forms in glowing swirls.
The light flooded into the carriage, dancing across the banana walls. The whole vehicle began to shimmer, like it was being painted by the universe itself.
Ryo, panicking, gripped the cushion of his seat with one hand and clutched the window frame with the other, bracing himself for whatever was coming.
His voice was shaky. "This is it, isn't it?!"
Fairy Greatmother, calmly sipping her juice.
"Yes indeed. And no need to worry, Mr. Detective—just relax and enjoy the short ride."
Ryo, horrified, gulped.
"Short ride?! As in near-light-speed-warp-drive-catapult-through-space ride?! YEAH. I'M TOTALLY RELAXED!"
The egg unicorn's eyes flashed open, now glowing an intense, radiant blue. Power radiated from its hooves like a storm of magic. The coachman raised his hands. The footman snapped his juice cap open like a switch.
And then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The universe bent.
The egg unicorn launched forward at a speed that defied every law of physics, time, and breakfast. The massive banana carriage was pulled across the cosmos like a streak of blazing gold, leaving behind a dazzling trail of rainbow light. Stars blurred. Galaxies twisted. The laws of reality politely stepped aside.
Inside the carriage, Ryo was screaming into the void, cheeks flattening from sheer acceleration.
Meanwhile, the Fairy Greatmother sat peacefully, nibbling her mooncrust loaf with a graceful smile, completely unbothered.
And five minutes later—it stopped.
The light faded. The stars steadied. Gravity returned.
The massive banana carriage gently slowed, its shimmering aura dissolving like dust in the wind. Below them… a grey, cratered landscape glittered in the sunlight.
They had arrived.
The carriage touched down gracefully onto the surface of the moon, bouncing slightly on its banana peel tires.
Footman, announcing his grand lunar touchdown with royal flair.
"My lady, good sir detective, … we have now arrived at our brief and most distinguished pit stop upon the moon. Banana Air thanks you for remaining seated upon our finest fruit as we prepare for the next leg of our journey."
"Just ahead lies the portal to another world—mysterious, magical, and full of the unknown."
"We shall be continuing shortly."
And with a proud nod.
"Do take in the view, for the stars are ever gracious—but hold fast, for our next destination draws near."
The Fairy Greatmother clapped her hands cheerfully and turned to the shaken detective beside her.
She beamed. "Oh my! That was a splendid ride, wasn't it, Mr. Detective?"
Ryo, now pale as a ghost, his hair sticking up in every direction, mouth dry, eyes twitching uncontrollably, nodded with the last bit of strength in his soul.
Barely breathing, whispered.
"Splendid... yeah… I think I'll just… freshen up with the footman's juice…"
He shakily lifted the boxed orange juice with trembling hands, treating it like his final lifeline, and took a sip.
Ryo definitely needed a timeout… or maybe a nap, or both.
It took him a solid thirty minutes to recover. During that time, the Fairy Greatmother calmly finished her mooncrust loaf and sipped her boxed juice with perfect poise, as if she hadn't just shattered every law of physics with a smile.
Finally, Ryo sat up, rubbing his head and looking around. His face slowly shifted from exhausted to... awe-struck.
He stepped out of the banana carriage, boots landing with a soft crunch on fine moon dust.
Ryo, quietly, almost to himself.
"Damn… to think I'd be standing on the moon this early in my life…"
He took the boxed juice from earlier and casually tossed it upward. It floated for a moment before gently drifting back down into his palm. He caught it, blinking, smiling.
"Yup, Moon Gravity"
Then… his smile faded. Something heavy settled in his chest.
That talking cat—Lunaria? No, Dusty—whoever she really was. She did grant his wish. More clients, she said. But what came with that wish was… everything else.
First, an Arabian fantasy kingdom. A hidden land.
Now? He was standing on the actual moon—a pit stop on his way to another world entirely.
Ryo never expected it—but he had a client from a hidden land... and now, from another world.
It was actually happening. And Dusty mentioned all this like it was a big secret she was trying to keep.
Ryo's eye twitched as he sighed through his nose.
He internally thought.
"Dusty, that damn talking cat… why act like you're protecting the secret of hidden lands and other worlds when you're practically launching me headfirst into them…"
He looked up at Earth, glowing like a blue marble in the sky.
Then looked down at the space rock he was currently standing on.
A thought crossed his mind, and he frowned deeper.
He muttered to himself.
"…I really hope I don't end up having an alien as a client someday."
Then, out of curiosity, his inner child stirred—and he found himself about to take a step across the moon's surface, eager to do a bit of moon exploring.
Fairy Greatmother patted her lips with a napkin, brushing away the last crumbs of her mooncrust loaf. Then, she glanced toward Ryo's wide-open carriage door and offered a gentle reminder.
She said calmly.
"Make sure not to wander too far from the carriage, Mr. Detective. The 'fresh air'… only exists near the carriage."
Ryo froze mid-step, one foot lifted off the lunar dust as he nearly walked straight into a very oxygenless death.
He quickly turned back.
"…You know what? I'll just head back inside the banana carriage."
He slipped back in, casually brushing nonexistent dust from his trench coat like nothing happened.
Then, the Fairy Greatmother tilted her head, pointing through her window toward the far edge of the moon's silver horizon.
"Mr. Detective… do you see that over there?"
Ryo leaned closer, squinting. A light green spiral shimmered in the distance, slowly rotating like a ribbon twirling in water.
He slowly. "Ma'am… could that be…?"
Fairy Greatmother, smiling. "It's the portal to Evendelle. We'll be going there now."
Ryo blinked, stunned. "So it's finally time, huh… I'm actually going into a fantasy world."
Fairy Greatmother, absolutely thrilled and ready for another extreme rollercoaster ride.
"Alright then. Let's begin moving again."
Ryo, immediately pleading. "Please… at a steady speed this time."
Fairy Greatmother, a little disappointed. "But that ride to the moon was so much fun, Mr. Detective…"
Ryo, rubbing his chin. "Right… before we go through, just to be sure—where will we land?"
Fairy Greatmother, giving the safe answer.
"On the ground, in the fields just outside—not too far from the kingdom of Evendelle."
Ryo nodded with relief and turned to his breakfast crew.
He poked his head out of the banana carriage window.
"Alright, boys." He pointed at them with the weight of command in his voice. "This time… a steady pace. No warp-speed heroics."
The orange juice footman and sandwich coachman nodded respectfully to their true boss—Ryo.
The Footman turned to his master, bowing deeply with theatrical elegance.
"As you command, good Sir Detective. Your will is our path."
Fairy Greatmother, with sparkly disappointment and a dramatic flutter of her sleeves.
"EH?! No more fast rides?! But the wind in our hair! The thrill! The glitter trails! Surely we can go just a little faster?"
The unicorn began to trot slowly, its hooves pattering gently across the moon's surface, drawing the banana carriage closer to the glowing portal.
Fairy Greatmother, pouting.
"Oh come on, Mr. Detective, don't you have any sense of adventure?"
Ryo, exhaling, trying not to sound rude.
"There'll be plenty of sloooow adventures in Evendelle, ma'am. After we find Cinderella, maybe she and you can show me around."
Fairy Greatmother, brightening.
"Oh! That's right—Cinderella! We must find her first. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to show you around the kingdom once we do."
Ryo squinted at her, eyebrow raised.
He muttered. "…Don't tell me you almost forgot about Cinderella after that whole space adventure fiasco…?"
The unicorn continued steadily toward the spiraling green light. The Fairy Greatmother sighed dramatically, resting her chin in her palm, clearly mourning the lack of another high-speed thrill.
As the vortex loomed larger, shimmering and swirling with magical energy, Ryo felt his nerves tingle.
Ryo, half to himself. "Oh my god… I'm really about to step into a fairytale fantasy world…"
And then—
FLASH!
Everything burst into blinding white. Ryo instinctively shut his eyes, shielding them from the brilliance.
Then, a gentle hand touched his shoulder.
Fairy Greatmother, softly smiling. "You can open your eyes now, Mr. Detective."
Ryo opened them—and gasped.
He was no longer in space. No longer on the moon.
He was on land.
Golden grass swayed gently in the breeze. Leaves in shades of amber, russet, and gold floated through the air like slow-falling memories.
The trees were tall and graceful, dressed in the rich colors of autumn. Their bark was twisted with age, and their branches curled like poetry.
A soft mist hung in the distance. It parted just enough to reveal stone paths, cozy cottages with thatched roofs, and a grand castle in the distance.
The grand castle stood tall atop a hill, elegant and towering, like it had always belonged there.
The whole world seemed like it had stepped out of a storybook—timeless, regal, and gently magical.
In the distance, people wore clothes from an old, fairy-tale-like era. Coats with long tails, wide skirts, and soft linen and lace.
Horses trotted through dirt roads, and bells chimed softly from a stone clocktower.
But all of it was dressed in autumn's light—as if the world had been painted with harvest gold.
Ryo stepped out of the carriage, mouth slightly open and eyes wide.
Fairy Greatmother stepped ahead of him, then turned with a warm, proud smile.
She said softly. "Mr. Detective… welcome to the Kingdom of Evendelle."
Ryo looked around again, at the storybook world laid out before him.
The air smelled like cinnamon and old parchment.
He stood in silence, overwhelmed by the magic of it all.
And at last, utterly stunned, all he could say was...
"…HOOOOLYYYYY CRAAAAAAP… I'm in a storybook…"