Once Tracey and Ash let go of each other’s hands, Tracey approached Makenna, and she comforted him some more. Ash didn’t get in their way. He was more interested in seeking out Evelyn and letting his little “trial” commence. He picked up his sword and put it up. Makenna and Tracey watched as he stepped forward and searched the area.
Ash then turned his head, and his eyes landed on them. “Are y’all ready to see the Aluna Village fairy sprites?” he asked. Makenna and Tracey gestured yes with their heads. Makenna was super excited, but Tracey still was a little edgy being at Coutarine Island. This was because the only memory he had of it was the ICU of the Coutarine Fairy Hospital, the deviled place where he fought for his life for three weeks on a ventilator. Ash smiled and said, “All right then. There’s only one way how the sprites will come though, and that’s through the power of song and a magic pose.”
“The power of song?” Makenna asked, “Oh wow!” She glanced at Tracey, “Tracey likes to sing! Don’t you, Tracey? Not to mention, Ash, he has a very nice voice. Merlin told me.”
Tracey blushed, “Well, um…”
“Perfect!” Ash cheered. He lifted his hands and excitedly leaped up and down, “Come on, Tracey! You can do it! Bring on the fire, my boy! Show the sprites the power of song and an off the hook magic pose! Makenna’s time to shine will eventually come too!”
“I can’t.” Tracey nervously spoke, but Makenna gently pushed him forward,
“Come on, Trace. You have a great gift of singing. You need to let it show. Besides, doesn’t singing usually calm you down?”
“Well yeah,” said Tracey, “but only when I’m alone! Not when I’m surrounded by people and animals!”
“There are only a few of us here.” Raeven told him, “Remember, Tracey, we’re all your friends. You can do it.” Ash crossed his arms and smiled an encouraging smile to Merlin’s apprentice. He let him take the stage.
A warm, ocean breeze soared through the tropical jungle and blew Tracey’s hair.
He peered at the treetops and whispered, “All right, the power of song and a magic pose will call the sprites of Aluna. The power of song.” Just at the thought of singing, he actually grew a little excited himself. Makenna was right. Tracey really did like to sing. He stole the stage in Mr. Gheesling’s class the year before by singing “Ninja Go” in Italian.
Merlin’s apprentice actually managed to crack a feeble smile. Another ocean breeze gushed through his hair, and it was here that Tracey started to sing. Immediately after he did, a bundle of joy exploded through his entire body. Just like Makenna said, he had an amazing voice! Tracey lifted his hand and pointed it at the island’s jungle. “Last year, things were much different. We were ready to say goodbye. But now, everything has changed, and we know how to live our lives.” Makenna and Ash smiled. Wow, Tracey really did know how to sing. He just made this song up right on the spot, and he ended up smiling throughout the entire performance. Tracey leaned down and ran his hand through the river Makenna drank from earlier, “Last year, none of this was here. This year, we are soaring.”
Tracey started to march, and he explored the jungle. Still smiling, Makenna and Ash followed him. Raeven though for some reason stayed behind. Gina rested on Tracey’s head. While he marched, he sang for just a little bit longer, but then he stopped himself. From there, he attempted a magic pose. He wanted to make Ash the Wizard Fairy proud. He wanted to prove to him that he too was capable of one day becoming a Wizard Fairy. Green and purple magic surrounded him, since green and purple were his theme colors, and he lifted his fists. Tracey acted out six, quick, midair punches, and then he lifted his hand over his head. There was his pose. The magic surrounding him charged into the sky and exploded into a blast of green and purple sparkles that rained down.
Amazed, Makenna said, “Wow!” She rotated her body so she could see every side of the raining sparkles.
Ash laughed and started to clap, “Well done, Tracey! Well done! You have completed my trial!” Makenna heard this. Wait a minute, trial? What trial? What was Ash talking about?
Turning to the knight, she asked, “What do you mean ‘trial’? Did it work? Are the fairy sprites coming?” Ash suddenly just became a lot more mysterious. Who was he? Even Tracey was confused about the word “trial,” but then, he heard a chime from the jungle’s treetops that caused the confusion to leave. He, Makenna, and Ash glanced up at the trees, and they saw a load of other sparkles heading towards them! The fairy sprites! Tracey did it! Makenna nudged Ash and asked, “What are those sparkles, Ash?”
“Just wait.” Ash answered.
“Wait?! I can’t wait! I’m losing it here, Ash! Losing it! This is just so exciting! I can’t wait!”
Ash glanced at her and smiled sweetly, saying, “Which that is something you need to work on, my child.” What? My child? What was going on here? Since when did Ash become all wizardry? Makenna was desperate to find out.
Tracey’s sparkles soon vanished, and the mysterious new ones surrounded the three fairies instead. Makenna gasped, and her blue eyes lit up. All around her, Ash, Gina, and Tracey (wherever Raeven was) hovered tiny fairies! They didn’t at all look that much different than them.
Makenna couldn’t believe what she was seeing! “The fairy sprites!” she yelled, “The fairy sprites, Ash!” She ran to Tracey and grabbed his shoulders, starting to violently shake them, “You did it, Tracey!”
“Yeah.” Tracey smiled, “I did, didn’t I?”
“See?” questioned Makenna, “I told you singing would lift your spirits. Yippee! The fairy sprites! I’m looking at real fairy sprites! Me! Makenna Delling!” She leaped into the air and twirled.
Within the crowd of fairy sprites, one, a male, asked Tracey, “Is she always like this?”
“Only when she’s excited.” Tracey calmly answered, “I apologize about her, sir. She’s still kind of a new fairy.”
Where Ash stood, he lifted his hands and moved them apart in a greeting-like way.
He shook them a little bit after that, “Aluna, sprites! I have returned!”
The sprites together acted out the same greeting and said, “Aluna, Ash! Welcome back!”
Makenna observed the Aluna way of saying hello and tried it herself, “Um, Aluna,” but her hands became caught in one another.
Tracey chuckled and shook his head, “No, Makenna. You do it like this.” Makenna landed in front of him and watched intrigued, as well as Ash and the fairy sprites.
Tracey lifted his hands and beautifully acted out the Aluna greeting, “Aluna! Now you try.” Makenna did.
She moved her hands further apart from one another this time and waved them, “Aluna.”
“Better,” admitted Tracey, “Now try again. Don’t forget to shake your hands too.” He waved for the second time, “Aluna.”
“Aluna.” Makenna repeated.
“Not bad,” Tracey tittered, “We’ll work on it. ‘Aluna’ is how fairies say hello on Coutarine Island.” Ash watched this whole thing with a smile on his face.
A sprite, who hovered next to him, lifted her hand and whispered into his ear, “They make such a cute couple.”
“They really do.” Ash admitted, “If only somebody looked at me the way Makenna looks at Tracey.” He brought his fist to his lips and announced, “Ahem!” The fairy sprites turned their attention away from Makenna and Tracey and looked at him instead. Ash added with, “We were hoping you could help us. We’re looking for somebody.”
“Looking for somebody?” another sprite questioned, “Looking for who?”
Ash looked over to Makenna and said, “Makenna, do you think you can tell them? I kind of forgot.”
“Forgot?” Makenna asked, “How can you forget? You’re Ash!”
“True, but I have very short term memory. Please, Makenna, can you do this for me?”
“Short term memory?” questioned Makenna, “Since when did you become Dory? All right. Fine.” She sighed and faced the fairy sprites, “Um, Aluna! We’re searching for, um…Merlin the Great.” Behind her, Ash placed his hand over his face and shook his head. Makenna had a lot to learn about the fairy world. “So, um,” Makenna continued, “do you know where he may be located?”
“Merlin the Great?” asked the fairy sprites. They looked very confused, as if they didn’t understand Makenna.
Ash finally came in for her, “She meant to ask where we can find Evelyn so we can ask her where Merlin is.”
“Oh, yes! Yes!” Makenna spoke, “Evelyn! My bad.”
“Oh, Evelyn,” spoke the sprites, “Aluna’s Elder. Sure you can, young fairies.”
A female fairy, not Evelyn, soon spoke up, “In order for you to ask Evelyn where Merlin is though, you must first follow us to her house in the village.”
“Wait a minute.” Makenna excitedly stated, “You mean we’re flying to Aluna with you?”
Tracey touched her shoulder and explained, “That’s the only way how we’re going to find Evelyn, Makenn.”
“Sweet!” yelled Makenna, “Oh, my gosh! My heart is racing! I have never been to a fairy sprite village before!” She peered down on her transformation, “I should change into a dress. Oh, what am I talking about? All my dresses are home. Wait.” Makenna faced the sprites again, “How will we get there though? Don’t you think we’re a little big?”
Tracey opened his mouth to answer, but Ash interrupted him because he wanted Makenna to figure this out herself, “What do you think, Makenna? Which spell should you use?” Makenna thought for a moment, but nothing came to her. She couldn’t remember the spell that shrunk her. After a minute or two of awkward silence, Ash finally decided to help her. He gestured for Tracey to say not a word, and Tracey quickly zipped his lips shut. The young, knight-like fairy reached back and grabbed the hilt of his sword. He drew it and gestured with his other hand for Makenna to look at him. She did. Ash waved his hand, and a few sparkles escaped his glove’s fingertips. They circled the blade of his sword, and Makenna observed as it started to shrink. She gasped, “Oh, right! The Shrinking Spell! Duh!”
Ash bobbed his head up and down and returned the sword to its normal size. “Allow me to demonstrate it in a more regal way,” he elucidated, “You’ll like this, Makenna. Hopefully you’ll learn how to do this soon. I’m sure the wizard Selene wants you and Tracey to meet will kindly teach you. Now watch.” Ash smiled, stood up straight, and announced, “Shrinking Spell!” He twirled his sword and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Ooh,” spoke the fairy sprites. Ash did something that was strangely kind of similar to what Tracey did when he performed his magic pose. He too did an action and pose. Ash threw back his hands and stomped his right foot. He crouched down and tightly clenched his non-dominant fist. Green and blue magic, his theme colors, danced around him, and Ash jumped up, throwing his hands into the sky. And just like that, he, his sword, and his shield shrunk down!
Makenna blushed. “Wow,” she squeaked. She was so fascinated.
Ash, now two inches tall, hovered in front of her face. “Wala!” he announced, “Well, Makenna, Tracey’s completed his trial. Are you ready for yours?”
“Um,” said Makenna, “I don’t really know what you mean by that, but sure! As long as it gets us to Merlin and the wizard. I want to try the Shrinking Spell that way! What about you, Tracey?” She turned her head, but her eyes widened when she saw that Tracey had already shrunk! He rested on Gina’s back. “Wait, Tracey!” Makenna yelled, “Did you just do what Ash did too?!”
Tracey shook his head and said, “No. I just performed the spell how it’s normally performed. Makenna, it’s not easy to master that kind of skill Ash is showing you.”
“Oh, really?” asked Makenna. She placed her hands on her hips, “It didn’t look that hard. Just watch me, Tracey. Okay, Ash, so you first kind of crossed your arms over your chest.” Makenna did that, “Then you shouted ‘Shrinking Spell!’ and stomped your foot. Which one was it again?” Ash chuckled, “Why don’t you just do the spell how you would normally do it?”
Makenna sighed, “Fine, but it’s not as cool.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just shrink so we can visit Evelyn. Whew. Don’t you think it’s a little hot here?” He waved his hand in front of his face and shook out his blonde hair. Sweat sprayed off it when he did.
Makenna closed her eyes and cleared her mind. She thought about being small for the Shrinking Spell and soon shrunk down to two inches tall as well.
She gasped when she saw how far off the ground she was, “Whoa. I never knew how tiny two inches is.” She, Tracey, and Ash were now all the same height as the fairy sprites. Ash flew with the help of his flying magic while Tracey just rode on Gina. Makenna soon called for Raeven, “Come on, Raeven! We’re going to meet Evelyn of Aluna Village! Raeven?” Makenna searched the area, but she didn’t see Raeven at all! Raeven was gone! “Raeven!” Makenna called, “What the heck? He’s gone!”
On Gina’s back, Tracey brought his hand to his chin and said, “Weird. Where could he have gone though?” He and Makenna thought for a moment, and then they turned to Ash. Maybe he knew where Raeven was?
Noticing this, Ash held up his hands and said, “Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t see him leave. Evelyn will probably tell us though where he went.” Makenna gasped and faced the fairy sprites again, “Please, you’ve got to take us to Aluna! I need to know where my bat friend went!”
“Bat friend?” one of the sprites asked, “All right then. You have our word. Follow us.”
Together, the sprites flapped their tiny wings and took off in flight. Makenna rushed after them since she was desperate to know where Raeven was and if he was okay, and Tracey flew after her on Gina. Ash temporarily stayed behind. He placed his sword back in his scabbard and smiled a mysterious smile. He surrounded himself with magic again and acted out another magic pose. What was with all these magic poses? There just had to be something behind it. For this one, Ash acted out something that looked a little similar to hula dancing, and then he clapped his hands together and closed his eyes.
Through telepathy, he called to Raeven! “Raeven,” spoke the young knight, “Makenna and Tracey have headed off to meet Evelyn. Get Merlin ready.” After communicating, Ash opened his eyes and dropped his hands. Suddenly though, from out of nowhere, he felt his sword start to shake on his back! “Huh?” Ash asked. He drew it once again and asked, “What’s wrong, Crusader? Do you sense something?” He named his sword “Crusader” only because that was the kind of sword it was when it was in sword form and not staff form. Crusader’s blade, from out of nowhere, soon glowed up a bright, golden color, and Ash peered down on it. The magic whispered something to him. “Do you really think so?” Ash asked after a bit, “Do you really think they’re ready to learn the Special Spells now? Makenna hasn’t even passed the trial yet. Oh, all right. I get it. Thanks, Crusader.”
“Ash!” the knight suddenly heard Tracey call to him from behind, “Are you coming or not?”
“Yeah!” Ash called back, “Sorry!” Crusader’s blade stopped glowing, and he studied her as he turned and used his magic to fly after Tracey, Makenna, and the fairy sprites.
Raeven had snuck away from the three fairies and Gina. He did this for a reason. See, he knew what Makenna and Tracey’s task was on Coutarine Island. They weren’t called to deliver Merlin’s package for no reason. The task was the other reason why he went to Makenna at Folly Beach. Raeven knew where Merlin was. He knew everything – including the wizard Makenna and Tracey were supposed to seek out. Raeven soared through Coutarine Island’s jungle and thought negative thoughts the whole time, “What if we don’t make it? What if we’re too late? What if Makenna and Tracey aren’t taught the Special Spells on time? Then that means the Octopus Man will win, and both the human and fairy worlds will fall to complete destruction! Oh, what am I doing? I started thinking negative again.”
Raeven soared in between the trunks of two trees close together and escaped the jungle onto a beach. He took in a whiff of the tropical breeze and flew over the fluffy, white sand. This beach had some logs washed up on it, but it still was very pretty. The Megabat looked further down the beach, and his eyes landed on a figure sitting on one of the logs. Seeming to smile, he flapped faster and headed in the direction of it. “Merlin!” he called.
Sure enough, the figure sitting on the log was none other than, Merlin the Great himself! This was the same Merlin who mentored Arthur all those years ago and in modern time, Tracey. He looked exactly how he was portrayed in the Arthurian legends. He had a long, white beard – he wore a tall, blue hat on his head and a long, blue cloak. Both his cloak and hat had star designs on them. Over his face, Merlin wore a pair of glasses. What was he doing on Coutarine Island’s beach?
Merlin the Great heard Raeven call his name, and he smiled when he recognized the voice. Hopping off the log, his blue shoes hit the white sand, and he turned in the direction of the bat flying towards him.
At the sight of him, he cracked a huge smile and lifted his hands over his head, “Ah, well if it isn’t Raeven! Whoopee! He’s here! He’s finally here!” Merlin started to jump up and down, but suddenly, his back cracked, and he reached for it, “Ah, me back! Me back! Yowch!” Raeven soon stopped, and he hovered in front of him.
He waved his wings in the Aluna greeting way, “Aluna, Merlin!” and shook them, “You’re not going to collapse and die on me, right?! Oh no, you are! What are we going to do when you die?! You can’t die!”
Merlin straightened out his back and said, “Relax, Raeven. I’m not going to die. I’m just so excited that I can’t help but to dance!” He danced some more, “Are Makenna and my apprentice here yet?”
Raeven nodded, “They are, sir. Currently they are traveling to Aluna Village to seek out Evelyn. Ash told me.”
“Do they have my package?”
“They do, sir, and they’re going to bring it with them when they come. Ash is doing really, really well with Makenna and Tracey. They have not a clue what he’s doing with them.”
Merlin clapped his hands together, “Perfect! That’s exactly the way we want it to be! To reward Ash for all his hard work, Raeven, I’m going to give him a little surprise when he brings Makenna and Tracey here.”
“Really?” Raeven asked, “What?”
He flapped his wings and soared down to the log Merlin used to sit on. Raeven landed on its surface and glanced forward. He watched as Merlin turned towards the jungle and placed his pinkies in either side of his mouth.
He whistled, and Raeven jumped when he heard how loud it was. “What are you doing?” he asked Merlin. Soon after Merlin whistled, he stepped back, for pounding horseshoes were heard. A large, Palomino horse then appeared from around the beach’s point! She was a beautiful horse. She had a white mane and tail and dark brown eyes. She wasn’t tacked with a saddle, but she did wear a red halter. Raeven smiled at the sight of the horse and said, “Oh, wow! That’s Harmony, Merlin!” Harmony it was, Ash’s horse that he mentioned to Makenna and Jessica and also the same horse that helped him get rid of the sirens. He wasn’t kidding when he said he had a horse.
Merlin laughed and nodded, “Yep, it sure is, Raeven. I know how much the two love each other. Say, Harmony.” He approached the horse, and she stopped running momentarily to listen to him. Merlin rubbed her nose and looked her straight in the eyes, asking, “Are you ready to see Ash? He’s going to be here soon with Makenna and Tracey.” At the sound of Ash’s name, Harmony immediately became excited. She whinnied happily and cantered away from Merlin. He and Raeven watched as she danced on the beach. She soon fell onto the sand and started to roll around in it. Merlin laughed, “Yep, she definitely is excited.”
Raeven seemed to smile, “I can’t wait to see Ash’s face when he sees her. His head is still wrapped around the idea that she’ll be waiting for him when he gets home. She’s such a great horse.” Harmony continued to roll in the sand. She looked like a dog. Merlin and Raeven couldn’t help but to chuckle.
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