Eventually, the storm passed. The rain stopped, and the wind slowed down. However, the Atlantic Ocean was still rough. The dark clouds started to leave Seabrook Island, and very faintly, the sun poked out from behind one of the clouds. On North Beach, Makenna Delling’s surfboard was still resting on the location where she left it, but there was no sign of the young fairy. She was nowhere to be seen. Besides the surfboard, the beach was dead empty. Powerful waves and foam crashed onto the shoreline.
As they crashed, they said, “Beware, Seabrook Island! This isn’t the last time you’ll see a storm like this! Another, more powerful one is going to come, and we can guarantee you that somebody is going to get hurt!” Another large wave hammered the shoreline, and this one grabbed Makenna’s surfboard and whisked it out to sea!
Across the rough Atlantic Ocean, beyond the horizon, the sea continued on and on until finally, it fed into a small, mysterious island that was filled with vegetation. Numerous coastal trees and even a volcano stood and overlooked the ocean. The island’s beach was covered in fluffy, white sand, and small waves crashed onto it. Resting on the sand, on her front, still unconscious, was young Makenna Delling! Whoever it was that had rescued her had taken her to this island. Makenna was out for quite a few hours. When finally, she woke up, she groaned and rubbed her nose on the sand. Lifting her head, she spat out sand and coughed up a storm. Ugh, she must’ve swallowed half the ocean.
When Makenna managed to catch her breaths, she dropped her hand from her chest and peered behind her, out to the ocean, asking, “What the?” as she got up on her knees. Sighing, she brushed the sand off her, and feeling her dress, she peered down at it and gasped at the sight of her new outfit. Oh no, she was still wearing her fairy-like attire! Makenna gasped again, and she jumped to her feet. In a feeble voice, she whispered, “Oh gosh,” and built up her confidence. Then, very slowly, she twisted her head, and her eyes landed on her small wings. They waved “hello” at her, and Makenna stared. Then she screamed and reached for her head, shouting, “AHH! I REALLY AM A FREAK! No.” She shook her head, “I may be a freak, but I am not a fairy! Get it together, Makenna!” After saying this, she next peered back to the forest, and gulping nervously, she added with, “That does not look like Seabrook Island.” Her eyes were fixed upon the volcano. Makenna shook her shoulders and took a step forward, toward the island’s forest, adding, “Oh please say there’s someone in that forest that will take me back.” Taking a deep breath, she brought her hands to her chest and approached the forest. Soon standing in front of it, she nodded and said, “All right, here I go,” and took a step forward, but just before she could enter the forest, it happened again! Makenna’s wings flapped, and for the second time, she was thrown into the sky! “AHHH!!” screamed the young fairy as she peered down at the forest, “Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God!” Purposely, the wings dropped her, and Makenna yelled as she crashed through some tree branches, but she managed to grab hold of one of the branches and break her fall. She closed her eyes as she felt the branch bending, and soon, young Makenna Delling hovered over a rocky, rough river in the forest. The forest was beautiful. The sun’s rays, which were now poking through the clouds, scanned its bed, and plants of all sorts waved in the wind. Makenna was holding on for dear life, and opening her eyes, she said, “Uhh,” as the branch continued to bend, and a very faint cracking sound came from it. Oh snap, Makenna was dead! “No, no, no!” she begged, “Don’t break on me! Don’t break on me please!” Her begging technique failed to work. Before she knew it, the branch broke, and Makenna fell toward the river, yelling. However, just before she could hit it, her wings flapped and caught her an inch from the river’s surface! Makenna gasped as the tip of her nose touched the water, and her eyes widened at the sight of the rocks. After a bit, her wings pulled her up and took her over to the riverbed.
Makenna landed on her bum, and the second she landed, her wings stopped flapping.
For a bit, she sat there, frozen, but then, all of a sudden, she had this tiny pinch of excitement in her, and she peered back to her wings again, saying, “Wow.” Then she shook her head, “No!” and jumped to her feet, “I’m not a fairy! That was just a trick of the wind! It was not my wings!”
“You’re wrong, miss!” a sudden, young, male voice said from out of nowhere, “That was definitely your wings. And if you don’t mind me saying, miss, your ignorance is showing, because obviously you have no clue that you’re a real fairy now.”
“Who said that?!” Makenna shouted, “How dare you call me ignorant!” She rapidly searched the area, “Where are you?! Who are you?!”
“I don’t have to tell you who I am,” said the voice, “You’re the one who should be telling me who you are.”
Continuing to search the area, Makenna clenched her fist and said, “I’m Makenna Delling, and I need to get back to Seabrook Island!”
“Oohh,” said the voice, “so you’re Makenna Delling. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” It sounded like the mysterious voice was coming from up above. Gulping, young Makenna peered up to a tree, and she gasped when she saw that hanging out one of the tree’s branches, with his hand on his hip and smiling, was Tracey, Merlin’s young apprentice! “I’m Tracey,” he said, “Merlin’s apprentice, and I must admit that I am honored to finally meet you face to face, Miss Makenna Delling.”
“What in the name of?!” Makenna asked in a shocked voice, “How did you get up there, kid?!”
“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Tracey. He closed his eyes, “I flew up here,” and opened them again, “Like you, I can fly. Hyah!” Suddenly, he turned into nothing but a green blur and leaped from the tree, landing next to Makenna Delling. She gasped and turned to him. Waving, Tracey nervously said, “Hi.”
Makenna glared.
“What are you supposed to be, Ninja Boy?” she asked the teenage fairy, “An ogre?”
Tracey narrowed his eyebrows to an angry position and said, “I’m a fairy, and my name is Tracey!”
Makenna held up her hands and shook her shoulders, saying, “Excuse me,” in a sarcastic tone.
“And who are you?” asked Tracey, although he listened earlier, “What are you doing here on Merlin’s Island?”
Again, Makenna clenched her fist, and she said, “My name is Makenna Delling, Ninja Boy, and I don’t have time for your ridiculous fairy tales! There is no such thing as Merlin’s Island!”
Tracey crossed his arms and said in a calm voice, “Well, that’s more your problem than mine, right?”
“Amateur!” Makenna shouted, “Get out of my sight! I don’t need any so-called fairies like you bothering me!”
“I’m not leaving,” he said, “not until I get a ‘thank you’ for saving you from drowning.”
“What?” Makenna asked amazed, “You’re the one who saved me and brought me here?”
“I am.” Tracey seriously said, “And I would like a ‘thank you.’”
“Fine.” Makenna growled, “Thank you.”
Tracey glared. “Politely,” he calmly said, “I think you’re the amateur here, Makenna.”
“Who do you think you are?!” Makenna asked.
“I’m Merlin’s apprentice, and I am to take you to the great wizard.”
“You’re disgusting!” Makenna shouted, “Merlin’s not real! So long, Ninja Boy! I’m going home!” She turned on her heel and marched past Tracey, but he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Makenna turned and glared.
Tracey asked her, “Do you even know the way back to Seabrook Island?”
“No,” answered Makenna, “but I don’t need any likes like you getting in my way!” She peered down on her wrist and tried to rip it free, “Let go of me, Ninja Boy!” She finally released her wrist, and the second she did, she clenched her hand into a fist and punched Tracey across the face, knocking him to the ground! Then she shook out her hand and turned, marching away. She dove behind a bush and disappeared into the forest.
From where Tracey rested, he groaned and reached for his cheek. Man, Makenna knew how to punch, but he wasn’t going to slow down all because of one punch! He was going to chase after Makenna, even if she was a brat! Dropping his hand from his cheek, Tracey struggled to his feet, but once standing, he wobbled a bit. That punch had thrown him a bit off balance. When Tracey finally regained balance, he peered into another tree and nodded. He would probably be able to spot Makenna better up on another tree branch. Again, Tracey nodded. Then, bending his knees and opening his arms, he jumped, turned into a green blur, and randomly appeared on a branch of the tree. From up there, he searched for Makenna, but his view was blocked by overgrown Kudzu vines that grew in the forest behind the river. Tracey thought fast. Then he flapped his massive wings and leaped into the sky, reaching behind his back. From it, he pulled out his throwing stars and threw them forward which the stars sliced the vines and made his view clear. There was Makenna. She was marching on the forest bed, and she was kicking a few stones. Tracey next leaped all over the area where the vines used to be, like a flittering fly, and picked up his stars.
He slipped them back into his back pocket and yelled after Makenna, “Makenna!” but Makenna simply shouted,
“Leave me alone!” to him.
“No, Makenna!” Tracey shouted, “Wait!” He flapped his wings and leaped into the sky, chasing after her. Behind him trailed a trail of green and purple fairy dust.
As young Makenna Delling marched through the forest, she mocked Tracey, “‘Well, that’s more your problem than mine’s, right?’ Humph, Ninja Boy thinks I don’t know my way home. I’ll show him who the real boss is when…”
“Makenna!” yelled a sudden voice behind her. It was Tracey.
He landed in front of her, and stopping, Makenna glared and asked, “Why are you back?!”
“Makenna, listen to me!” said Tracey. He took her shoulders, “Merlin the Great wants to see you. We’ve waited seven long years for you to become a full-fledged fairy, and we need your help.”
“With what?” Makenna asked.
“Well,” spoke Tracey. He let her shoulders go and offered her his hand, “Come with me, and I’ll take you to Merlin’s Cave where we’ll talk about it.”
“Fine,” rudely agreed Makenna. She slapped Tracey’s hand away, “but get that filthy hand away from me, Ninja Boy.” Tracey pulled his hand back and apologized.
Then he glared and said, “My name, Makenna, is not Ninja Boy! It’s Tracey!”
“Whatever.” Makenna said. She clenched her fist again and held it up to his face, “Take me to this so-called Merlin, Tracey, unless you want a broken jaw!”
“Don’t you dare threaten me like that, Makenna!” Tracey snapped. He pushed her fist away, “You don’t want to get into it with me. I’m more knowledgeable about fairies and magic than you think, and cockiness is not an option for a Metamorphic Fairy.”
“Oohh!” Makenna scoffed, blushing. She shoved Tracey’s chest and knocked him down onto his backside, “Shut up, Ninja Boy, and just take me to this so-called Merlin! I swear, when I get back to Seabrook Island, I’m going to send my dad here, and he’s going to beat the chizz out of you!”
“You’re a liar.” Tracey giggled sarcastically, “You’re not going to do that. Admit it, Makenna, you’re just trying to cause a scene. You think somebody is going to hear us and come get you, right?”
“Uh,” Makenna stammered, “maybe.”
“Well it’s not going to work,” said Tracey, “And if you’re wondering why, well, allow me to elucidate.” He stood up and brushed himself down, “This island is magical, and only a magical being can see it and walk amongst its sand.”
“What the?!” Makenna asked. She took a step back.
“That’s right, Makenna,” said Tracey, “There is a force field that surrounds this island. If you weren’t a magical being, then you wouldn’t be here. But you are, and this is the proof. Obviously, because I’m here, I’m one too.”
“Dang, Ninja Boy,” Makenna said with a shake of her head, “you’re even worse than my brother!”
“Your brother?” Tracey asked. He crossed his arms, “His name wouldn’t happen to be Caleb, right?”
“What the?” asked Makenna. She glared, “How do you know him?!”
“Well,” Tracey explained, “it goes back to what Sensei Merlin wanted me to do before the storm.”
“Whoa, what?” snickered Makenna, “Sensei?”
“Yeah,” Tracey said, “He taught me martial arts and ninjustu. He’s my sensei. Before the storm, Makenna, brace yourself, he wanted me to use your brother as bait. He thought that maybe if I brought him here to Merlin’s Island, then you would want to look for him, and your fairy instincts would lead you here.”
“You kidnapped my brother?!” Makenna shouted, “How dare you! He’s only eleven!”
“True,” said Tracey, “but keep in mind, Makenna that I didn’t want to kidnap him, but I also didn’t want to disappoint my master. He was a good sport about it. He promised he would do everything in his willpower to help you become a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy, and to start, he would let me kidnap him.”
“What do you mean ‘Crystal Metamorphic Fairy?!’” Makenna shouted, “What are you talking about, Ninja Boy?! I just want my brother back! Where is he?! You better not have hurt him!”
Lifting into the sky, Tracey said, “He’s fine, but I’m not allowed to give you clues to him. You have to ask Sensei Merlin. He knows more than me.”
“Where is this sensei of yours?” Makenna growled, “You better take me to him, Ninja Boy, so I can give him a piece of my mind!”
“Ah.” Tracey said, “For once, I like your attitude, Makenna. Come on, I’d be glad to take you to him. It’s always nice when two friends work together as a team.”
“We’re not friends!” Makenna shouted, “I don’t care about you and this so-called Merlin! I just want my brother back!”
“Aw man,” said Tracey, “that hurts. That’s gonna leave a scar. Fine, if you don’t want to be friends, then we’re currently just partners.”
“Partners are just fine,” Makenna said, “but we will never be friends!”
She and Tracey met eyes, and there was an awkward silence between them. They both had this warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and they slightly smiled at one another.
Then, Makenna shook her head and glared again, saying, “Don’t just hover there, Ninja Boy, take me to this so-called Merlin!”
Tracey bowed and said, “As you wish.” He gestured with his hand, “Follow me,” and flew forward.
Behind, Makenna mocked, “‘As you wish,’” and groaned. Then she jogged after the young, ninja-like fairy.
They ventured through the forest for a very long time. Makenna took the lead, and she walked in front of Tracey, trying to ignore him, and he was flying behind her, running his mouth.
He said, “So, Makenna, what’s the human world like? I mean, I know there are cities and all, but is it true that every human has the heart of an angel? I read somewhere that humans made these huge pieces of technology called airplanes that can transport humans from place to place. I also heard of these things called tanks that can blast hello and goodbye. Don’t you find the human world fascinating? I mean, I know I do. Isn’t there a place called Nova Scotia where everybody who lives there is nice?”
“Every Canadian is nice, Ninja Boy,” said annoyed Makenna Delling, “Quiet please.”
“Really?” Tracey asked, “I’ve never been to Canada. Is it really as pretty as people say it is? I’ve heard that camping is amazing there. Isn’t camping when you gather a tent and sleeping bag and stay in a national park?”
“You can also camp in a provincial park,” Makenna explained, “And yes, camping is wonderful in Canada. Now shush.”
“What about surfing?” inquired Tracey, “How’s the surfing there? Isn’t surfing when you gather a board and try to catch oceanic waves?”
“Ninja Boy!” Makenna shouted. She did a facepalm, “Shut up!”
“But I’m curious!” said Tracey, “I’ve been living as Merlin’s apprentice my entire life! I’ve never had the chance to see the world beyond Seabrook Island! Sensei keeps me busy! I want to know what’s…,” Makenna grabbed him by the wristband and twisted his wrist as hard as she could. “Ow!” yelled Tracey, “Why would you do that?!”
Makenna threw him to the ground, and she said, “That’s for not shutting your mouth, Ninja Boy! Goodbye! I’ll see you at Merlin’s Cave!” She turned on her heel and marched right into a mass of overgrown Kudzu vines! Gasping, Makenna yelled, “Ninja Boy, help!” as the vines started to wrap around her and lift her into the sky.
Tracey, who was massaging his wrist, jumped to his feet, and in a calm voice, he said,
“Makenna! Oh no! Don’t worry! I’ll help you!”
“Ninja Boy, hurry!” Makenna yelled as the vines started to wrap around her neck, “Kudzu vines! They’re Kudzu vines!”
“Stay calm, Makenna!” yelled Tracey, “I’m coming!” With his eyes glued on Makenna, he sprinted toward her, and…CRASH! Tracey crashed right into a tree. “Uhh,” he said. He fell onto his back. While he was trying to recover from his crash, a few of the vines slithered toward him and wrapped around his ankle. “Oh yikes!” Tracey said as the vines also lifted him into the air.
Soon, he was hanging upside-down next to Makenna, with his arms dangling, and glancing at him, Makenna said, “Ninja Boy, what the heck?! I thought you were Merlin’s apprentice!”
“I am!” voiced Tracey, “Don’t worry, Makenna, I’ll get us out of this!” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out one of his stars. Then, with the star tight in his grip, he reached up and started to saw away at the vine wrapped around his ankle. He was very fast. You couldn’t even see his hand – it was moving so fast. After a bit, Tracey finally released his ankle, and he fell toward the ground but landed on his feet. Once recovered from his fall, he shouted, “Makenna!” at the young, Metamorphic Fairy and groaned, turning back into a green blur. Sprinting toward her, he jumped, and his blur leaped all around young Makenna. He was so fast that Makenna couldn’t even keep up with him, and when she attempted to, she grew dizzy. Finally, Tracey’s blur left her, and young Makenna peered down at the vines wrapped around her and gasped when together, they sliced apart and fell to the ground! Makenna was free! But how?!
She checked her hands and asked, “What in the world?” Then she fell to the ground and landed on her buttocks. “Ow!” Makenna yelled, “My buttocks!” She rubbed her tailbone, and Tracey, who was still holding his ninja star, hurried toward her but tripped, because he wasn’t used to walking, and fell onto his face. Tracey huffed from where he rested.
Then, flapping his wings, he lifted off the ground and flew to Makenna, grabbing her hand, starting to drag her. “Quick, Makenna!” he said, “Let’s get out of here! Fly! Flap your wings!” He peered back and gasped when he saw that the Kudzu vines were creeping toward him and Makenna again.
Freaking out, young Makenna said, “But I can’t fly, Ninja Boy! I don’t know how to!”
“Well,” said Tracey, “you’re going to learn, and you’re going to learn right here! I won’t have any of these dumb excuses, and again, Makenna, my name is Tracey!”
“I don’t care!” Makenna shouted at him, “Just take me to your so-called Sensei Merlin, Ninja Boy, and find a way to get rid of these plants!”
Scoffing, Tracey shook his head and said,
“You’re a disgrace, Makenna. It’s sick.”
“Disgrace?!” yelled Makenna, “How dare you! You better shut that big mouth of yours, Ninja Boy, or else you really are going to have a broken jaw! I despise people like you!” Ignoring her, Tracey landed in front of her and faced the Kudzu vines.
Then, with fire burning in his eyes, he shouted,
“You Kudzu vines are getting on my last nerve!” and yelling, he clenched his fists, peered into the atmosphere, and green, fire-like magic appeared around him. Yelling again, Tracey brought his hands forward, and a great blast of green magic shot out of them and slammed into the vines, throwing them back and slicing them!
Gasping, Makenna shouted, “Oh, my gosh!” and yelling, she leaped out of the way of Tracey and dove behind a tree. Merlin’s apprentice continued to attack the vines, and as he attacked, a great blast of wind blew his hair, and Makenna gasped again at the sight of his pointy ears. He really was a fairy! After a bit, Tracey hit the vines one last time, and terrified, they backed away from him, slithering on the ground like snakes and disappeared into the forest. Makenna peered out from behind her tree, and she noticed that the green, fire-like magic that had surrounded Tracey was no longer there.
Cupping his hands, he yelled at the vines, “Yeah, and stay away! Humph.” He brushed himself down, “Amateurs,” and turned toward Makenna, “I’ll take you to Master Merlin, Makenna, and hopefully you will have a different perspective of him and me when you leave.” Turning on his heel, he repeated, “Humph,” and opened his wings, “You’re welcome,” taking off in flight.
As he flew, behind, Makenna, amazed, said, “Whoa. That was some pretty serious sorcery.” Then she glared and scoffed, “What a mouth.” Then, with a huff, she followed Tracey.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
