Evie had a hard time believing all the terrible things that had happened to her and her family in the past week. The Acceptance Ceremony’s display helped calm her nerves. She felt like she was living a fairytale. The orange and yellow embers of the enormous bonfire beside a wooden stage mesmerized her, even more so than the umbrella-like mushrooms hovering over them.
Evie, her friends, and her family met up with King Benjamin on the stage. They rested their arms over the smooth, dark-colored wood and smiled at him.
Like John, Ben looked as if he felt a little guilty about his actions. The cut on his cheekbone had started healing, but a scar formed. “I can’t believe I fell for Fororli’s trap,” he muttered.
“Hey, even kings aren’t perfect,” Evie said with a slight shrug. “You didn’t know what you were doing, Ben.” Her eyes rolled over to Embrose, who dangled his legs over the stage’s edge. “Even Embrose didn’t. Right, Embrose?”
Embrose stared blankly at her. He wanted to talk, but he still could not find his words.
“Oh, I know what we need to do to get our minds off it,” Evie continued. She clapped her hands together. “Let’s play a game of Charades!”
Charades? What on Earth is Charades? Embrose asked himself.
Even Sam did not know what the game entailed.
Evie’s friends smiled. They were all over her idea.
“Ooh, yes, yes!” said Ashlynn. “I love Charades!”
Keegan and Charlotte chuckled. It was nice to see the children being children.
“Well, you kids have fun,” Charlotte said. “Mr. Madison and I will grab you some lunch.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Evie chuckled. She watched her parents walk away with their hands hooked. She hopped onto the stage with Ben the second they were gone, and her friends joined her.
“So, how do we play?” Sam wanted to know.
“Charades is awesome!” Ashlynn said. She gestured for everybody to sit in a circle, and they obeyed. Ashlynn clutched her knees. “Charades is a guessing game, Sam and Embrose. One person acts out an action, and the players must guess what it is. Allow me to demonstrate.” The little girl cleared her throat and rose to her feet. She shuffled into the circle’s heart so she could have the spotlight. Breathing heavily, she ran in place, then acted out riding a bicycle and swimming a lap in a pool. She was quite the little actress.
“Ooh! Ooh! I know!” Tate said. “You’re an athlete in a triathlon.”
“Exactly!” Ashlynn replied, laughing. “You’re a pro at this, Tate. All right, now it’s your turn.”
“Oh yeah!” Tate leaped to his own feet. He took Ashlynn’s place in the center of the circle. Tate thought for a minute, and then he got something. He fell to his knees and pretended to start building something. With each passing second, he moved his hands higher and higher until he finally pretended to rub a blanket of sweat from his forehead.
Sam, starting to understand the gist of the game, tossed himself into the fray. “Wait, are you building a sandcastle on a beach?” he asked.
Tate nodded vigorously. “Yes! Nice guess, Sam. You got it on your first try.”
“Does this mean it’s my turn?” Sam inquired.
“Uh huh,” Tate replied.
Ben may have been a full-grown adult, but he, too, enjoyed himself. It was nice to be a kid again. Besides, Evie was right. The game let him get his mind off what he did under Anecka’s spell.
Sam switched places with Tate, but a familiar voice called to him and his friends from the sky before he could act. “Hold on! Are y’all playing Charades without even inviting me? How rude!” John the Red-Crowned Crane swooped down from the atmosphere above.
“John!” Evie and her friends shouted. They quickly moved out of the way since John was not the best at landing. He crashed onto his front and slid down the length of the stage. He moved so quickly that Evie and her friends could have sworn they heard car tires screeching.
John slid off the stage and bumped into Keegan, who returned from one of the ceremony’s buffet tables. He knocked the man’s feet out from under him. The two toppled on top of one another, and Keegan spilled the plate of food. Sauce, greens, and fruit exploded onto John’s white feathers, like when somebody threw one dark thing in with a load of whites. His hat ended up on Keegan’s head.
Embrose jumped up. After hesitating, he said his first word in one thousand years: “John!” His voice was calm, steady, and not too deep. It sounded like it belonged to a teenager.
Evie, her friends, Ben, and Sam gasped. All of them glanced at Embrose.
“Oh wow! Embrose!” Evie said.
A few villagers, who also witnessed the crash-landing and surprise, focused their attention on the crane and boy, too.
Tangled up in a pretzel, John and Keegan freed themselves from one other. John screamed when he saw his feathers. “Ah! My beautiful feathers! I now have to take another trip to Bird Central!” He then remembered what happened last time when he cared more about his looks than his mission. Instantly, John shut his beak.
Beside him, Keegan scoffed. “Well, excuse me, John. I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
Chuckling, Charlotte said, “Keegan.” She lugged him to his feet and removed John’s hat from his head. Charlotte wasted no time tossing it to the bird.
He caught it in his right claws.
While distracted, Evie, her friends, Sam, and Ben hugged Embrose. “Embrose! Embrose!” Evie said. “You said your first word after one thousand years!”
Ben clutched the boy’s shoulder. “Can you say your name yet?”
Embrose gave him a funny look. He then took a deep breath and muttered, “Em-Embrose.”
“Yes! You did it!” Ben cheered. “Come on! Give your Uncle Ben a hug!” Without warning, he picked up Embrose and kissed him on his cheeks.
Embarrassed, the boy blushed. Did his first word deserve such a celebration?
It wasn’t long until Edger fluttered onto the crowded stage, his wings flapping excitedly behind him. A small group of Bittersweet’s children followed. They were very curious about the fae man. It was customary for the Bittersweet to have a tight connection with the fae, but it had been a while since they saw another fairy—sixty years.
Edger pulled Embrose away from his family and friends. He shook his arm and said, “Embrose, my boy! Congrats on your first word. It’s proof that it’s time to start your acceptance ceremony.”
“Oh, okay,” Embrose muttered. Those two words earned him a friendly smack on the shoulder. Edger was a little too proud.
John rose to his shaky legs. He sighed with relief, knowing that while he may have messed up his feathers and missed Charades, he made it in time for Embrose and Keegan’s ceremony.
***
It started at exactly noon. The Bittersweet stood in a circle around the stage. Each family lined up like elementary school children. Evie, Sam, Ben, and Evie’s friends cleared the stage for Embrose. They mimicked the Bittersweet and stood in a straight line behind each other. Edger and Embrose remained in the spotlight.
The gryphons lined up side-by-side in the gaps between the elementary school children. Each creature unfolded its wings, creating a curtain-like display. Bittersweet’s villagers cheered and clapped for Edger and Embrose.
Edger bowed to them. “Thank you! Thank you!” he said. His eyes roamed between each member of the Bittersweet. “As y’all may know, today is a special day for the Paperblank Forest. Bittersweet’s lost child, Embrose the Great, has returned.”
The villagers cheered again.
The gryphons reared and waved their front feet.
“Oh boy,” Embrose nervously said. He sheepishly flicked his wrist at the villagers and creatures. He was not used to being a celebrity. It was difficult when one spent years under the influence of Evie and Mateo’s great-grandfather. Honestly, Embrose wanted to turn back into the basilisk and bury his face in the dirt. Now was not a good time to be an introvert.
“Today, we shall welcome Embrose back into the Bittersweet,” Edger continued. His eyes rolled over to Ms. Julie, who stood at the front of one of the lines. “Ms. Julie, would you do the honors?”
“It would be my pleasure,” Ms. Julie responded. She stepped out of line and approached Allister, who was on the very end of the line of gryphons. He eagerly leaned down like a dog and waved his tail behind him. Ms. Julie escorted him onto the stage.
Embrose gulped when he noticed how close the lion/bird-like creature was to him.
Allister’s front claws tapped the stage’s squeaky wood. At his command, a bittersweet magically appeared in between his feet. A golden glow surrounded it like a slightly dimmed light bulb. He grabbed the flower in his beak and offered it to Ms. Julie.
“Thank you, Allister,” she said as she accepted it. She held the flower in her open palms and carefully approached Embrose. “Embrose the Great, do you know why we named ourselves the Bittersweet?”
“I-I don’t remember,” Embrose nervously replied. And he didn’t. He turned into the basilisk on the day of his rite of passage, so he had forgotten everything he learned.
It was no issue for Ms. Julie. “Because purple symbolizes magic, mystery, and peace,” she explained. “These three components represent the fae and the Paperblank Forest. We are friends with these wonderful beings. Fifteen hundred years ago, when we first befriended them, they gave us a bittersweet gift for our newborn friendship. From that day forth, we called ourselves the ‘Bittersweet’. It is time for us to pass their gift down to you and have you officially become one of us again.”
The whole thing was fascinating to watch. Evie definitely knew she was living a fairytale. She clutched Ashlynn’s hand excitedly and whispered, “Oh my gosh.” If only Mateo, Krysta, and Maria were there to witness the ceremony, too, but she understood why they weren’t.
Ms. Julie released the flower from her hand. It floated in between her and Embrose. Using her magic, one bittersweet turned into two and then three. The pattern continued until finally, a bittersweet diadem replaced the lone flower. Gold outlined the crown as a symbol of royalty and acceptance.
Embrose’s knees knocked together. Did he deserve a place back in the tribe after what he had done? This was so formal that he did not know if he was ready.
Ms. Julie knew he was nervous, so she smiled friendlily. “Embrose, do not fear what you have done. Even with your flaws, we accept you back into our tribe.” Just like that, she placed the diadem over Embrose’s head.
Instantly, the bittersweets shimmered like fluorescent lights. Like rocks from a catapult, green and yellow magic launched into the sky and swirled together to create a cloud. The fae unleashed a curtain of fairy dust that showered Embrose with newborn confidence. One by one, the fairies appeared within the cloud. They soared down to Embrose and circled him from his heels up. There was a gentle mix of men, women, and fairy children. These fairies weren’t the full-sized ones like Edger but the pixie-sized ones like Euphorbia.
Embrose felt his feet lift off the ground. He gasped when he noticed the stage growing smaller and smaller.
The fairies chittered. Each one kissed Embrose’s forehead. “These are gifts from Euphorbia,” a wise, white-haired one explained. “Even under the hunter’s influence, she always knew good was still in you.”
Another pixie soared down to the tear in Embrose’s shirt. Her green magic sewed the hole together.
“Thank you,” Embrose whimpered, on the verge of tears. He was officially part of the tribe again—the tribe of the Gifted Humans.
Evie, her friends, family, and the villagers gave him massive applause. “Bravo, Embrose! Bravo!” they chanted.
The fairies escorted Embrose back down to the stage. Fairy dust now decorated his clothes and crown. He jumped when he suddenly felt something tap his left arm. Allister. Up close, his deep brown eyes were mesmerizing. They reminded Embrose of a cat and dog. He lifted his hand and pressed it up against Allister’s hard beak.
Evie and the rest of her party re-joined him. “Congratulations, Embrose!” they said.
“Oh, I’m so proud of you!” John shouted. “Don't be shy. Give your boy John a hug, too!” He leaped into the sky and grabbed Embrose’s head with his feet. John hugged him to his belly. He tapped Embrose’s head with the base of his beak.
Even Keegan couldn’t help but smile. He held his hands behind him and said, “Yes, Embrose. Congratulations.”
Ms. Julie grinned at him. “Mr. Madison, the ceremony isn’t over yet. There is one more person the Bittersweet wants to accept back.”
“Really? Who?” Keegan had never felt so bewildered in his life.
Allister left Embrose and came within reach of his owner. All eyes in the area landed on Keegan. Within seconds, nervousness overtook his excitement. Wait, Ms. Julie didn’t mean…?
Allister started to tap his feet again, but a sound stopped him: short, choppy sirens.
Everyone's eyes moved away from Keegan and landed on Bittersweet’s entrance, which consisted of an archway of tree-sized mushrooms.
An orange, black, and white vehicle pulled into the village, its lights flashing. On its sides, the logos of EMS and the Ranger Union were displayed.
The Union’s logo consisted of a fairy with her hands cupped together. She faced the world before her, stuck in a mystical-looking pose, and magic hovered over her palms.
It was time for the ambulance to pick up Mateo.
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