Race Against Time

To some, it seemed that Felicity must be crazy. To others, she seemed lonely. But Felicity knew the truth. Felicity knew that Nilli existed. Felicity knew that Nilli was real. Nilli was Felicity's best friend. Had been since she was a tiny baby. Had been for as long as she could remember. But, Nilli was also a little magical. He was invisible to everyone but Felicity, and to everyone else, Nilli was just her imaginary friend.

The problem was that Felicity was growing up and the two friends didn't know what would happen when she did. Would Nilli still be around when she grew up? Would he loose his magic and become just a lifeless children's toy once again? Would he become invisible to Felicity? Or, would everything stay just as it was now? Just the same, like nothing at all had changed? 

The answers to these questions Nilli nor Felicity knew. That was why they were in a race. A race against time. They had until Felicity's birthday. That much they knew. After that, they didn't have any idea what would happen. The two friends knew of a single potion. A 'cure' of sorts that would, like the Blue Fairy had done in Pinnochio, turn Nilli into a real boy. And they had until Felicity's birthday to find it.

The friends worked round the clock, day and night in search of the magical cure to their predicment. The 'real' potion was legend to Nilli's kind, and he'd heard of it only in whispers. Not once had he spied it with his own eyes.
"What do you think?" Felicity asked, turning to face him, another glass full of brightly coloured liquid in her hand. Nilli studied it, turning his head one way then the other as if this might give him a better view.
"I don't know," he said uncertainly at last, meeting her eyes. Felicity's face fell. "Legend has it that the real thing, the real 'real' cure is rainbow, and sparkly."
Felicity wanted to laugh, and she did. "Seriously?" she asked. "It's rainbow, and it sparkles? It's like something out of a kid's story."
Nilli shrugged. "You have to admit, Felicity," he said in his high pitched voice, "you and I, we're like something out of a kid's story."
A smile formed on her face. "You're right, Nilli. You're a dream come true. Everything I ever could have wanted. Everything any kid could have possibly wanted, I've got with you." She paused, taking a deep breath. "That's why we have to win this race. That's why we have to make you real."

So the friends worked without stopping until they miraculously produced the sparkly rainbow potion required to turn Nilli into a real boy one sunny afternoon a mere week before their time was due to run out.

Right after Felicity blew out her birthday candles, making her wish, Nilli drank the rainbow coloured liquid. Felicity's family gasped as Nilli materialised right before their very eyes. Sccared by his sudden appearence, by the unknown, some of them screamed. Others recoiled or ran away. So Nilli went into hiding, resuming his invisible form so as not to frighten anybody else.

Little did Felicity's family realise when she brought home her boyfriend Neal to meet them years later that they were meeting the very same person who had frightened them that day of Felicity's birthday when he'd suddenly materialised before their very eyes.

Now, on their wedding day, you could not wipe the smiles off the face of anyone in the room. As she recited her vows, Felicity could not have meant anything more in her life. Everything she said as she gazed into his bright blue eyes was truer than anything she'd ever said before. "Today, I;'m getting everything I ever could have wanted. Today, all my dreams are coming true. Because today's the first day of the rest of our lives. Today is the day I get to marry my very best friend, and I couldn't wish for anything more in all the world."
Her smile grew wider still as she leaned in to whisper into his ear. "I love you," she said, "Nilli."