Zynn-Zaz’zia

The Complete Four Volume

2nd Adventure of

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

© Copyright, 2014, by Robert Iannone

All Rights Reserved.

Summary of 1st Adventure

M’egg-Alynnia

BreeZee

Spirit

Reven

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

Summary of the First Series

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood is the story of nine-year-old Eloise Grace Graystone known to friends and family by her initials - Egg. She is very close to her grandmother and namesake and our story begins the day the older Eloise shares an incredible secret.

From a musty old chest in her attic, she pulls out a flying suit that has been passed down in the family for generations. Who created it and for what purpose is unknown. But it has been fifty years since the suit was last used, and now it is time for Egg to have it. She is also given three mysterious pieces of jewelry whose powers have never been determined.

Egg begins to use her new abilities as Flying Girl to help others. Along the way, she does what no one else had ever done . . . unlock the powers of the jewelry. What she doesn’t know is that it is a test designed by the suit’s creator to determine if she is ‘the one.’

From the day she first wears the suit, Egg has a recurring dream about Dazzle, a warrior princess. Eventually she comes to realize that Dazzle is not a figment of her imagination but the person who created the suit.

When Egg passes the test, Dazzle reveals herself and tells Egg her story. On her home world of Aerianna, the Warrior Princess fought against the evil Mobius who had stolen the throne from her father. M’earth, the rightful king, had brought peace to the world by uniting the three races . . . humans, dragons and sea serpents . . . after centuries of conflict. But now, he and all the other royals have vanished.

Try as she might, Dazzle was unable to defeat Mobius because he possessed the unlimited power of the Crystal Egg (a gift from the Old Ones, the alien race that created Aerianna). In a desperate plan, she surrenders to Mobius . . . but not before she has her spirit (the very essence of who she is) transferred into a suit made of serpent’s crystals. The suit, her DNA and the three pieces of jewelry are taken to earth.

The DNA is secretly introduced into hundreds of the most noteworthy families on Earth. It is hoped that when the bloodlines finally merge over the centuries, it will produce an individual who can solve the mystery of the jewelry. Dazzle is hopeful that person will be able to help her defeat Mobius. It takes a thousand years . . . but the plan finally works. That special person turns out to be Egg.

Dazzle asks the young girl for that help. Egg agrees and, in turn, recruits her best friend Sylvia. Together they travel to Aerianna to find five more sisters for the Hameggattic Sisterhood. They eventually recruit two sea serpents - Soo’nami and K’ssss, two dragons - Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz, and a green-skinned human – Sassi.

To begin their quest to defeat Mobius, they must cross the seven lands that guard the Crystal Mountain where he keeps Dazzle’s body preserved in a glass coffin. K’actus Kiln, Colorless Wood, Switch Swamp, the AyBee Sea, Crystal Forest, the Maze of Forever and the Never ’Glade are filled with bizarre creatures and incredible dangers. The girls prove themselves to be fearless, selfless and loyal in the face of the perils they encounter; and these tests of courage bond them into a true sisterhood. But the price is high. By the time Egg reaches the Crystal Mountain, she is the only one left.

With the help of the Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl (a representative of the Old Ones), Egg finds a way to bring back her sisters and to return Dazzle’s spirit to her body.

Once that is accomplished, the Sisters can go after Mobius and his evil minions. In the end, and without the help of her flying powers or the magical jewelry, Egg and her friends win the battle. Mobius is exiled and Princess Dazzle becomes Queen.

Unfortunately, the cost to Egg is great. The flying suit will no longer work . . . and Flying Girl is no more.

This story is told in the original series – Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood. There are twelve books (Flying Girl [includes Ham and Egg], Scrambled Egg [includes Broken Egg], Fried Egg with Bacon, Dazzle and the Crystal Egg, Sassi, K’ssss and Soo’, Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz, Oh My Gosh, Goodnight Girlies, All That Was and the prequel Rose’Alynnia).

Some additional information will be helpful:

- As mentioned, the Crystal Egg was a gift from the ‘Old Ones’ to the humans of Aerianna. It grants the possessor unlimited power.

- Hameggattic Sisterhood: When Egg’s best friend Sylvia Hampton moves into a new house, the girls claim the attic as the headquarters of their new club . . . the Hameggattic Sisterhood. (Ham + Egg + Attic).

- On Aerianna, dreams are considered very important. It is the way for those who have passed before to share their wisdom with individuals worthy to receive it.

- Dazzle’s real name is Rose’Alynnia. She gave it up on the day Mobius usurped the throne from her father. Only when he was defeated did she reclaim it. But to Egg, and all of the Sisterhood, she will always be Dazzle.

- Rose’s closest friend from early childhood was the dragon Storm. He died of old age but not before he had the chance to say goodbye to his lifelong friend. His spirit continues to visit Egg (and others) in her dreams.

- Time on Aerianna passes at a different rate than on Earth (about six years for every one year on earth).

- Egg and Sylvia both have rings with crystals that can transport them instantaneously to Aerianna. The rings also contain a translation crystal so that they can speak and understand their friends – be they human, serpents or dragon.

- The capitol city of Aerianna is Q’umulus. It floats two miles above the ground below.

- Serpent scientists long ago invented a space portal that can be opened between their world and any other.

- The Hameggattic Sisters are considered the Heroines of Aerianna and are revered by the people. Egg, as the leader of the Sisterhood, is held in the highest regard.

And here are The Seven Sisters:

Egg: A natural leader, fiercely loyal to her sisters, unnaturally lucky and a “never-back-down” attitude.

Sylvia Hampton: Egg’s best friend from Earth. Oddly enough, when they first met at camp, Egg thought the other girl was awful (mostly because she kept beating her at everything). They eventually worked out their differences and when Sylvia moved to town, the girls started the Hameggattic Sisterhood.

One other point of note: Sylvia is Egg’s Feminion. That’s an Aeriannian term for trusted advisor.

Sassi: Egg recruited Sassi when they met in the town of River’s Edge (that’s on Aerianna, of course). Sassi is quiet, beautiful and a very talented artist.

K’ssss: One of the first to be recruited, K’ssss (pronounced kiss) is a slightly overweight (I’m being nice) and not-too-bright (again, I’m being nice) sea serpent. No one understood why Egg recruited the girl. As it turned out, K’ssss saved her sisters on six or seven occasions. Egg voted her M.V.P.

Soo’nami: Known to her sisters as Soo, this sea serpent is the group clown. She has a wisecrack for every occasion (though most are directed at K’ssss).

Bl’azzz: The first dragon recruited by Egg was Bl’azzz. She, like all red dragons on Aerianna, is a F’yre Dragon. Unfortunately, she is also a vegetarian . . . a personal choice. Since dragons should be eating meat, not vegetables, this poor sister has a terrible gas problem. No, not that. She tends to burp a lot. Since she’s a F’yre Dragon, the gas ignites into a ball of fire. Most times it’s just funny . . . if you pay attention. She and Soo are particularly close because of something that happened on the Quest.

Aeri’elle:  This dragon was the last sister to be recruited. She’s unique among the seven for she’s the only college educated one. This proud dragon resented Egg for being put in charge of the Sisterhood and the Quest. But, as time went on, Aeri’elle came to realize that the Princess had chosen wisely.

Book 1

M’egg-Alynnia

Book 1 of Zynn-Zaz’zia

An Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel

© Copyright, 2014, by Robert Iannone

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 – Fast Forward

Chapter 2 – Reunion

Chapter 3 – Just Like Her Mom

Chapter 4 – Grammy and the Brat

Chapter 5 – School Daze

Chapter 6 – Social-Light

Chapter 7 – Stupid Cupid

Chapter 8 – A Royal Pain

Chapter 9 – What Goes Around . . .

Chapter 10 – . . . Comes Around

Prologue

(From the Epilogue of All that Was)

Queen Rose’Alynnia and Lord Z’kkk

“Are you not well, my dearest?”

“I am fine . . . thank you. It is just a little morning sickness.”

“Really? I wonder what might be causing it.” He had a sly look on his face when he said it.

The Queen smiled coyly. “I am with child. I had planned to surprise you this evening.” Then she noticed how his eyes seemed to be laughing at some private thought. “But you already knew, didn’t you?”

“I do confess that I was hoping . . . but I dared not ask. Rose, my love, I am overjoyed.” He hugged his wife . . . but ever so gently.

“I believe it will be a girl. Does that disappoint you?”

“Of course not. Besides . . . this will be our first child — not our last.”

She gave her husband a kiss. “You must help me with her name. I wish to honor my father and my mother and my sister Egg. That seems like an impossible task.”

“Hmmm . . . let me think. Perhaps we can use the M from M’earth . . .”

“Yes?”

“Ummm . . . Ahhh . . . and the initials of Eloise (he never called her Egg).”

“Go on.”

“And Alynnia from Kat’Alynnia.”

“Oh my gosh, I love it. That is what we shall call her — M’egg-Alynnia.”

“Princess M’egg-Alynnia it will be. And I expect she will be just like her mother.”

“Oh, I sincerely hope not. I was such a spoiled brat.”

Ham and Egg

They were sitting in Sylvia’s attic . . . the place where the Hameggattic Sisterhood was first founded.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

“I’m bored.”

“Yeah . . . me too.”

“Let’s go back to Aerianna.”

“Eggggg. We can’t just go back every time you’re bored.”

“Why not?”

“Well . . . just because. Besides, we’re going to have to get used to being just Ham and Egg again.”

“Yuk.”

“Come on . . . it won’t be so bad.”

“Syl . . . we fought Mobius and the rest of his evil friends. We made it through the seven lands. We have friends . . . sisters . . . who are dragons and sea serpents. How the heck can we just be us again?”

“What choice do we have?”

“Yeah . . . I guess you’re right.”

After a moment, Sylvia asked, “Tell me again what Storm said.” Egg had her first dream since they returned from Aerianna . . . and Storm was in it.

“He said something like . . . as I was once asked, so shall you be. And your reward shall be as mine . . . that which is priceless and forever.’”

The girls went silent trying to figure out what it meant.

“Still no clue?”

“None. I even asked Grammy but she had no idea.”

“Oh well . . . I guess you’ll find out sooner or later.”

“Yeah. But I hope it’s sooner.

Chapter 1 - Fast Forward

Sometimes a journey isn’t from one place to another . . . like from Earth to Aerianna.  Nor is it like a trip through the seven lands that guarded the Crystal Mountain.

Sometimes a journey . . . is a journey through time.

And along the way . . .

Young girls . . . become young ladies.

And memories of battles fought . . . begin to fade.

And old friends are remembered . . . but no longer experienced.

And things that were once so important . . . are all but forgotten.

*****

One Month after the Quest

They had been back at school for about two weeks. Most of the kids in their class were the same ones as last year including Melody, Presley and Angela. And the coolness between them and these former friends had gotten even chillier.

There were three new kids . . . a boy named Moses Veil, and two girls Ellen Airy and Susan Inman. Neither Egg nor Sylvia had talked to Moses, which was to be expected since he was a boy. But they had some very nice conversations with the two girls. Unfortunately the three X’s (as they called their ex-girlfriends) were doing their level best to recruit the newcomers into their social club.

As Egg and Sylvia sat by themselves at lunch, the talk naturally turned to the Quest and their sisters back on Aerianna.

“Do you remember the look on Aeri’elle’s face when Storm introduced her to Dazzle as his great granddaughter?”

“Her mouth flopped open . . . it was just too funny. Which reminds me, the next time we go back, make sure we bring a camera.”

“That’s a great idea. Hey, why don’t we go back this weekend?”

“Oh, I’d love to . . . but I’m going with my parents to visit my aunt.”

“Well, I guess I could go by myself,” said Egg disappointedly.

“Don’t you dare go without me. We promised we’d go back together.”

“Fiddlesticks . . . oh, all right.”

“And that’s another thing . . .,” teased Sylvia.

“What?”

“Fiddlesticks . . . that’s my word. I made it up when we were in the Never ’Glade. You already have oh-my-gosh.”

Egg started to laugh at a sudden memory. “Remember how J’azzz-min would tell me to stop with all the ohmygoshes?”

Sylvia smiled as the memories came flooding back. “What an obnoxious cat. She’s lucky that Bl’azzz didn’t set her tail on fire.” Their sister Bl’azzz was a F’yre Dragon.

“How about that stupid hat of hers? Every time we knocked it off she’d yell ‘not the hat, not the hat’.” And they both laughed.

J’azzz-min had been their guide through the seven lands that guarded the Crystal Mountain where Dazzle’s body was entombed. Mobius, the evil king who had stolen the throne from M’earth, her father, had transformed Kat’Alynnia, Dazzle’s mother, into the obnoxious cat. But they didn’t find that out till much later.

“What do you think was the saddest moment during the Quest?” asked Sylvia. Both girls loved these conversations. It gave them the opportunity to savor every delicious, unbelievable moment on Aerianna.

“It’s kind of strange . . . it should have been when Storm died. But it wasn’t. It was very sad at the time; but it was so . . . so . . . beautiful. You know what I mean. We could see his spirit float over to Dazzle and they hugged. He looked so young and happy.” Storm had been very, very, very old. But he had lived long enough to see his beloved friend one more time.

“You’re right. It all seemed so natural. Anyway, I think the saddest thing was when poor K’ssss was transformed into a D’ing bat.” Their silly serpent sister had tried to save the others from the scary creature; but it bit her. When that happens, you turn into one of them.

“Oh, that was just horrible.” Egg involuntarily shivered at the memory. “Especially when her green scarf fell off and floated down to the ground.” The scarf had been a gift from Sassi, their green-skinned sister, to K’ssss.

They ate a little more lunch in silence . . . each one lost in her own thoughts. Finally, Sylvia asked, “What was the scariest?”

“For me, it was when I was on Q’umulus (the floating capital city of Aerianna) and I finally saw Mobius. He was so big and ugly . . . at that moment I thought I was just about the dumbest person in the world thinking I could beat him.”

“I wish I had been there with you.” Egg had sent Sylvia to take Dazzle’s body and spirit to Sighing Whorl, the home of the Myst Tree.

“You had a much more important job.” The Tree put Dazzle’s spirit back into her body and the Warrior Princess returned to the land of living for the first time in a thousand years.

“I know. I was really proud that you chose me to do it.”

“Don’t be silly . . . you were my Feminion.” (A Feminion was a term used on Aerianna to describe someone who was a trusted advisor.)

Sylvia smiled at her best friend. “You mean I’m no longer your Feminion?”

Egg thought about that for a full minute before answering. Even though Sylvia was just teasing, it seemed to the other girl that it was a very important question. “You know what, Syl . . . I don’t think you are. Since I’m no longer Flying Girl, I don’t deserve to have a Feminion.” It was Dazzle’s spirit that powered the suit. Once  the Myst Tree had returned it to the Princess’s body, the suit no longer functioned.

That answer kind of surprised Sylvia. “Well . . . I guess that’s true.”

“It doesn’t matter. You and I have done things no one would ever believe. We’ve been to the Pleiades (that was the constellation where Aerianna was located). We crossed the seven lands and beat all sorts of creepy and scary things. We defeated Mobius, and the Green F’aeri and Bl’udd and K’aos. We brought Dazzle back and now she’s Queen and married to her Prince. We made friends . . . and sisters . . . out of dragons and sea serpents and a little green girl. So you may not be my Feminion, but you’re still my best friend . . . and my sister.”

Sylvia beamed at her friends words. “And as far as I’m concerned, you’re still Flying Girl and the bravest person in the whole universe.”

*****

Six Months after the Quest

They were in the attic at Sylvia’s house . . . the place where they had first created the Hameggattic Sisterhood. And even though it was April and the weather was finally beginning to warm up, today there was a terrible storm with heavy rain, hail, lightning and thunder. It was a perfect Saturday to stay in their clubhouse listening to music and talking.

“What do you think of the new Fandango Sally song?” That was their favorite all-girl band.

“It’s okay,” answered Egg unenthusiastically.

“Just okay? Well, I think it’s great.” The song was called ‘Man, Oh Man, What a Boy from their album ‘Boy, what a Joy.’

Even though Egg liked Zeke and his brother Zack (the boys were identical twins and lived next door to Egg’s grandmother), she was less impressed with the rest of the male population. Besides, the fact that she counted those two as friends was a major breakthrough for her.

She and Sylvia had even gone to the Halloween dance with the brothers. It was her way of repaying Zeke for helping her at the Crystal Mountain. After crossing the seven lands, and with all of her sisters gone, Egg had returned to earth and recruited the only person she could think of to help her. He agreed to go . . . though he had no idea what he was getting into. Together, they had rescued Dazzle’s body. And before the magic of the flying suit caused him to forget the whole episode, he had asked her to go to the dance with him.

Even though he did forget everything . . . she felt it was only fair that she should keep her promise. To her surprise, she and Sylvia had a very nice time; the brothers were a lot of fun to be with. And for the most part, they were hardly ever obnoxious like the rest of the dreadful boys in her class.

“Too much about boyfriends and love,” explained Egg. “I just don’t get why everybody finds that so interesting.”

“Eloise Grace Graystone . . . you really are too much,” said an exasperated Sylvia. After a moment, she asked, “Don’t you remember what Dazzle said about Z’kkk?”

The princess had told them the story of how she and her husband-to-be had met. She was maybe ten at the time and he was a year older. And the first thing she did was to slap him on his butt with a wooden sword and make him cry. When the girls heard this, they had laughed and laughed. Then Dazzle told them how she had fallen in love with the boy-turned-young-man at her coming of age party.

“Of course, I remember. And maybe if I meet a Prince, I’ll fall in love too.” However, there was something Egg had never told anyone . . . not even Sylvia. Just before she had left Aerianna, she had asked Dazzle if the Princess had anything to do with Zeke moving next door to her Grammy. The answer she got shocked her . . .

“Yes,” said the Princess.

“Why?”

“I will only say that should you marry Zeke, your child will be extraordinary.” That caused Egg to blush scarlet.

“Do I have to marry him?”

“Oh, no, my dear sister. You may marry anyone you wish.”

She felt a little guilty that she hadn’t told Sylvia or her Grammy . . . but she was just too embarrassed. And every time she saw Zeke, or heard his name, she would blush from the memory of that conversation.

“Well, just remember that we are both ten years old now. That’s the same age as Dazzle when she met Z’kkk.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you please just change the subject?”

“Well, if I must. Anyway, it was such a beautiful wedding . . . don’t you think?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Egg was quiet as she remembered the ceremony. Then she asked, “What did you think of her dress?” Dazzle refused to wear anything except the traditional dress of her people.

“It was nice. But who wears red to a wedding?”

“I think it was beautiful. It really set off her hair and eyes and skin.”

“You’re right . . . she was dazzling.”

One Year after the Quest

“Can you believe it’s been a year since we left Aerianna?”

“I know. It makes me feel bad that we haven’t gone back for a visit.”

“Me, too. Maybe we should go this weekend?”

“Ummm . . . I don’t think we’ll have time. We still have to go shopping before we leave for Hawaii. I desperately need a new bathing suit.”

“Yeah. I have absolutely nothing to wear. And we did promise Zack and Zeke we’d go to the movies with them on Saturday.”

“Oh my gosh . . . I completely forgot. What are we supposed to see?”

Sylvia made a face. “Something stupid and scary.”

Egg smiled at her best friend. “Those S words remind me of Soo.” Soo’nami was one of their sea serpent sisters from Aerianna. She was always making fun of K’ssss with phrases like silly-sack-of-stupid or slippery, slithering sea worm. But only she was allowed to kid her friend . . . she wouldn’t tolerate anyone else teasing K’ssss.

“I really miss them . . . all of them.”

Egg let out a big breath “Yeah. I hope they’re doing great . . . especially Sassi.”  She was the beautiful human girl with the green skin.

“I’m so glad that she got to go with her parents to that artist place.” Dazzle’s parents, and her sister Ss’ong, had started a retreat for artists and sculptors. Sassi was invited to join . . . not only because she helped saved the planet, but because she was a very talented artist in her own right.

“You know, we told her that we would invite her to visit us here on earth.”

“Wouldn’t that be fun? I wonder what she would think of our world.”

“We definitely have to go back and invite her.”

“Absolutely . . . the very first chance we get.”

“So, what kind of outfit did you want to get?” asked Egg returning to a more immediate problem.

“Well, I really want that little skirt and top we saw in the magazine . . .”

Two Years after the Quest

“Happy birthday, dear one.”

“Thank you, Grammy.”

“You know, I watched as your mom grew up. Now, I get to see it happen all over again with you. Twelve years old . . . almost a teenager; I just can’t believe it.”

“Do you know what makes me feel like I’m getting older?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “It’s the fact that I’m now in middle school.”

The older Eloise laughed. “And for me, it’s the reality that you have a steady boyfriend. How is Zeke these days?”

Egg still blushed when anyone mentioned his name. “He’s good,” she answered nonchalantly.

“He had better be,” said Grammy making a face that said, “you’re way too young for anything more than movies and dancing.” And, believe me, that’s not an easy face to make.

“Oh, Grammy.”

“Well, I won’t say another word . . . except you can tell him that I know where he lives.”

Egg threw her arms around her grandmother and hugged her for a good minute. Sometimes when she would see her namesake, she would remember that they were both getting older. And the thought of anything happening to her Grammy made the young girl sick with anxiety.

“Egg, dearest, I’m fit as a fiddle.”

The girl looked up at her grandmother and shook her head in amazement. “You always know what I’m thinking, don’t you?”

“It’s like you once told me . . . we’re one person in two bodies.”

“I still worry about you.”

“Now you know how I felt when I sent you to Aerianna on the Quest.”

“That was ages ago. I hardly remember it anymore. And when I do, it feels more like a fairy tale I read.”

“How come you and Sylvia never went back for a visit?”

Egg looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t know Grammy. I miss all my sisters and Dazzle. But . . .” she shrugged her shoulders.

“Does it have anything to do with you not being Flying Girl anymore?”

“Maybe.”

“Or maybe you’re afraid that you won’t feel the same way about your sisters as you once did?”

“I just don’t know Grammy.”

“Perhaps you’re just too busy growing up. Look at you now. I do believe that there are a few more curves than before.”

“GRAMMY.”

*****

Egg was sitting on Sylvia’s bed when her mom came in. “Girls, I have a very important question to ask you both.”

Sylvia looked from her mom to her best friend then back again. “What?”

“I really, really need the attic to store some of the stuff we’ve accumulated since we moved here. I know it’s the official headquarters of the Ham and Egg club . . . but, do you think I can have it back?”

Sylvia looked to her friend who nodded yes. “Sure, Mom; we never go up there anymore. Besides, the Hameggattic Sisterhood was something for nine-year-old girls. I think we’ve outgrown it.”

“Okay, thanks,” and she left.

“I have to admit; it makes me feel a little sad,” said Sylvia.

“Yeah, me too. But, we’ll always have terrific memories. Besides, as long as we’re best friends . . . the Hameggattic Sisterhood will still be alive.

“Absolutely.”

*****

That night, Egg dreamt of Aerianna . . . something she hardly did anymore. And in her dream, she was talking to Storm.

“Did you know that Sylvia and I gave up the attic where we first started the Hameggattic Sisterhood?”

“Does that trouble you?”

“A little.”

“Be not sad. The sisterhood was never in that room. It exists in your mind and in your heart. And, it will always be there when you need it.”

“But that’s just it. I don’t think we’ll ever need it again. I’m no longer Flying Girl and Mobius is gone for good and Dazzle’s the Queen.”

“There will always be a need for one such as you. And, in turn, you will always have need for your sisters.”

“Oh, I hope that’s true.”

“Actually, that is why I am here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Rose . . . um, My Queen . . . needs your help. She would like you to return to Aerianna.”

“You’re kidding?”

“I do not jest. The Queen is somewhat desperate . . . but the problem is of a personal nature.”

“What does that mean?”

“I would have her tell you herself.”

“Can I take Sylvia?”

“Her assistance would be greatly appreciated.”

“Ummm . . . are there any monsters to fight or evil villains to beat?”

“Oh no,” he answered, which made Egg feel a lot better until he continued with “monsters and villains would be preferable. The Queen’s problem is ever so much worse.”

Chapter 2 - Reunion

“I’m so nervous.”

“Yeah, me too,” agreed Egg.

“You two have absolutely nothing to be nervous about. Remember, you are the heroines of Aerianna.”

“Grammy . . . it’s been two years since we’ve been back. But for them, it’s more like eight or even ten years.” (Time ran differently on Aerianna).

“Well, that’s true. But for dragons and serpents, I bet you won’t be able to tell because they live so long.”

“But humans there live as long as we do here . . .,” added Sylvia.

“So Dazzle and Sassi will be much older,” said Egg finishing the thought.

“Girls, since you can’t change what you can’t change, don’t worry about it. Now, make sure you’re back by tomorrow night. And stop worrying. You’re going to have a wonderful time.”

Egg gave her Grammy a hug. Sylvia, who thought of the older Eloise as her grandmother also, gave her a hug too.

“Bye Grammy.”

“Give everyone my love. Now . . . go.” And the girls touched their rings with the special serpents’ crystals given to them by Dazzle . . . and disappeared.

*****

They materialized in the great throne room on Q’umulus. It was the very same room where Egg had the final showdown with Mobius. As they popped into existence, everyone in the room let out a loud gasp. The twelve Imperial Sentinels ran over and encircled the girls . . . their nasty ceremonial lances pointed menacingly at the intruders.

“Oh my gosh,” yelped Egg.

“As you were,” commanded a voice. The guards lowered their lances then returned to their positions along the walls.

“Sorry to scare everybody. I’m Egg and this is Sylvia. Maybe you remember us from before.”

“Eloise, how very wonderful to see you, and your Feminion, again.”

The only person on Aerianna that ever called her by her real name had been Prince Z’kkk. But the person standing in front of them seemed so much older than the young man they had last seen.

“Ummm . . . Prince, is that you?”

“Once I married the Queen, I became Lord Z’kkk,” he gently corrected. “But, yes, my lady, it is I.”

Egg smiled at being called ‘my lady’. It sounded so . . . so . . . royal. She actually curtsied; then blushed a bright red from embarrassment when she heard Sylvia giggle.

Then the Prince . . . I mean Lord . . . did something unexpected. He turned to all those in the room and announced in a loud voice, “Please welcome Egg of Earth and her Feminion, Sylvia.”

To the girls’ amazement, everyone there bowed low. Then after a few seconds, they stood and applauded. Now even Sylvia was blushing.

“It has been too long since we have had the pleasure of your company. My Queen will be so pleased. Come . . . she is probably in the arboretum. She would behead me if I didn’t bring you immediately.”

The girls gaped at Z’kkk when he said that . . . until they realized it was a royal joke. So they shyly waved to everyone in the room, and they followed him through the palace as he led them to wherever he was going.

Along the way, he asked, “And how is your grandmother, Eloise?”

“Oh, she’s fine. She said to say hi to everyone.”

“Please tell her that she, too, is missed. We would love for her to come visit.”

“She’d like that. Thank you.”

“Ummm . . . Lord Z’kkk?”

“Yes, Feminion?”

“Are our sisters okay? Do you think we might be able to see them?”

Z’kkk chuckled. “They are all very well. And, yes, you will be able to see them.” Something in the way he said it made Egg a little suspicious.

“You were expecting us, weren’t you?”

The Lord turned to the young girl and smiled in admiration. “You are still the same amazing young lady. Yes, Eloise, we were. That is why there will be a celebration in your honor tonight. And your sisters will be there as well.”

Egg and Sylvia both broke into big grins. All of their anxiety about seeing their friends again had been completely forgotten.

They reached a door and Z’kkk stopped. “It is truly a pleasure to see both of you again. You will find the Queen in there.” He hesitated then continued, “What you did for my wife and our people can never be repaid. Your heroism, loyalty and selflessness were extraordinary. I can only hope that my daughter will eventually grow up and be worthy to be called a Hameggattic Sister. Now, please don’t keep the Queen waiting.” And before the girls could respond to that statement, he opened the door and ushered them into the beautiful rooftop garden.

Since Z’kkk didn’t follow them into the garden, and they hadn’t yet spotted Dazzle, Sylvia asked her friend, “What was all that about his daughter?”

“I have no idea.” But before they could discuss it further, they heard an all too familiar voice . . .

“Egg. Sylvia. Oh, how wonderful to see you both again.”

They turned and there she was . . . Queen Rose’Alynnia.

She looked different . . . but just the same. Her long blond hair and gorgeous eyes were exactly as they remembered. Her face was still beautiful . . . but definitely older looking.

Without thinking, Egg ran to the Queen and threw her arms around her. “Oh, Dazzle . . . I’ve missed you so much.”

The Queen returned the hug with real warmth and affection. “And why have you not visited your old friends before now, if I may ask?” she teased.

“Grammy said it was because I was too busy growing up.”

“And how is your grandmother? Well, I hope.”

“She’s great. She said to say hi.”

“Well, please tell her the Queen of Aerianna would be honored if she would visit with us.”

“I will.”

“And, you, Feminion . . . you look well.”

“Thank you, your Majesty. So do you.”

Dazzle laughed. “Being Queen and a mother has left their mark on this old crone.”

“Oh, Dazzle . . . you’re still beautiful.”

“Thank you, Egg . . . for that little white lie.”

“How many children do you have?” asked Sylvia.

“I have a daughter who is now twelve and a son who just celebrated his fourth birthday.”

The girls looked at one another, and then turned back to Dazzle. “Your daughter is our age,” said Egg stating the obvious.

“Yes . . . she is. Unfortunately, that is all she has in common with you and Sylvia.” There was something in the way she said it that made them think of Z’kkk’s statement a few minutes earlier.

“Will we get to meet her?” Both girls were dying with curiosity to see what the daughter of Dazzle and Z’kkk would be like.

“Yes. She will be at tonight’s celebration.” There didn’t seem to be a great deal of enthusiasm in that statement.

It seemed like a good time to change the subject. “So, I guess you know why we’re here. Storm told me that you needed our help.”

Dazzle looked at Egg . . . then Sylvia . . . and sighed. “Yes. I am at wits end. You are my last hope.”

The girls waited expectantly, but Dazzle didn’t continue. Trying to encourage her to explain, Sylvia said, “You know we’ll do anything we can to help. Ummm . . . what exactly is the problem?”

“M’egg-Alynnia.”

Egg glanced at Sylvia who just shrugged. “What’s a mega lynnia?”

“My daughter.”

“I don’t understand?”

Instead of answering, Dazzle explained, “Her name honors my mother, my father and you . . . my dear sister,” and she explained how she and Z’kkk had come up with it.

But Dazzle didn’t want to say anymore just yet. Instead, she showed the girls the beautiful gardens and as they walked, they talked about things that had been happening in their lives since the Quest.

*****

That Evening

They were nervous again. As they reached the entrance to the ballroom, two Imperial Sentinels opened the giant ornate doors, stepped inside and stamped their ceremonial lances on the marble floor. Immediately everyone stopped talking and turned to look.

“Your Majesty, Lord Z’kkk, invited guests . . .,” intoned one of the guards in a deep baritone voice, “Egg of Earth and her Feminion, Sylvia.”

The girls stepped through the doorway and the room erupted into cheering and clapping. Not sure what to do (besides blush), they just stopped and stared. Court etiquette dictated that they go up to the Queen and Lord Z’kkk and greet them first. But they didn’t know that . . . and Dazzle didn’t care.

Then they heard a sound that was music to their ears . . .

“H’sssss. H’sssss. H’sssss.”

The girls broke into gigantic smiles and turned to see a silly sea serpent laughing.

“K’ssss,” they both screamed as they ran up to her and threw their arms around the plump serpent’s neck.

“Egg. Sylvia. I missed you guys so much.”

“And we’ve missed you,” replied Sylvia.

“Where’s your green scarf?” teased Egg. It was the one Sassi had given to her friend back in the seven lands.

“H’sssss. I wore it every day for two years until my mom made me take it off. So I framed it and hung it on the wall in my bedroom. Is that okay?”

“It’s perfect.”

“Hey, you slap-happy squishy squash, stop hogging the guests.” That voice . . . and those words . . . could only belong to Soo’nami.

“Soo’ . . .,” the girls screamed again. And they hugged their other serpent sister.

“You two are a sight for sore eyes,” and she looked at each of the girls from head to toe. “I’m no expert on humans . . . but you guys seem to have a few more curves than the last time I saw you.”

Both girls threw back their shoulders, lifted their chins, and smiled proudly. But before they could say anything, they heard another familiar sound . . .”

“Oops. Sorry.” It was Bl’azzz, she had burped, and the gas lit on fire with the sound of a loud whoosh.

“Oh, Bl’azzz . . .,” said Egg playfully, “it wouldn’t have been any fun if you had gotten your gas problem fixed.” She hugged the F’yre Dragon.

“We could always get a P’xxxie to bite her,” teased Sylvia. P’xxxies were little winged creatures from the Colorless Wood. If they bite you, they drain all your hope and happiness. It had happened to Bl’azzz. But the one good thing was it had stopped her from burping fire.

“No thanks. Once was enough. Well . . . you two look a little older, but not much.”

“And you three look exactly the same.”

“H’sssss.”

“What are you laughing at, you giant giggly goofball?”

“I’m not the same.” They looked at the serpent but couldn’t see what she was talking about. “I’m skinny now.”

The girls tried not to smile . . . but it didn’t work. “Oh, you’re right K’ssss. You look terrific?” Egg was being polite; the serpent looked pretty much as she remembered.

“Can anyone join this conversation?”

They turned around . . . and there was Sassi. She was still beautiful with her green skin. But she was noticeably older . . . much like Dazzle.

Egg and Sylvia took turns hugging the other girl.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. It was a little hard to think of this Sassi as the one that had helped them during the Quest. The older girl (well, to be honest, the young woman) understood what they were feeling.

“See . . .,” she said, “You should have invited me to earth. Then we would be the same age.” That was just the right thing to say and the tension melted away.

“How are your parents?” asked Sylvia.

“My mom and dad are great; and so is their house.” She said that proudly. Her parents had left the young girl with her aunt when they went off to fight Mobius. The little girl never had a proper childhood . . . and the one thing she always longed for was a house to share with her parents. After the Quest, she got her wish.

“What do you mean ‘their house’? Don’t you live with them anymore?”

“No.” She paused for dramatic effect then added, “I’m married now.”

“WHAT?” both girls screamed.

“And I have a six month old baby girl.”

“WHAT?” both girls screamed . . . again.

“She said she has a baby girl,” said K’ssss trying to be helpful.

“They know that, you simple sea slug.”

“Oh.”

“And we have our own house. But, it’s not too far from my mom and dad. They’ve made the best grandparents . . . and babysitters.”

“Excuse me . . . is this an official meeting of the famous Hameggattic Sisterhood?”

They turned to see Aeri’elle standing there.

Egg didn’t say a word . . . she just went up to the proud dragon and gave her a big hug.

“Hi, Egg. It’s so wonderful to see you and Sylvia again.”

“We’ve missed you, too. How’s your dad?” Aeri’elle’s father had been very helpful during the Quest by flying Sylvia and Dazzle’s body to the Myst Tree.

“He’s great. In fact, he’s over there,” and she pointed across the room.

For the first time Egg looked over the people in the room. She recognized many of them. “Oh my gosh . . . it’s the Shades of Nights.” They were the secret organization that fought against Mobius and helped Egg to defeat the evil king.

“I’ve waited twelve years for that.”

“For what?”

“For you to say oh-my-gosh,” and they all broke up laughing.

When the laughter died down, Sylvia asked the group, “So what’s going on with M’egg-Alynnia? What’s she like?”

The other five girls looked from one to the other but said nothing.

“Well?”

Reluctantly, each girl said what was on her mind . . .

“Ummm . . . first of all, it’s Princess M’egg-Alynnia.”

“And I wouldn’t forget that when I talked to her.”

“And I would always let her talk first.”

“And I would never interrupt her or correct her . . . ever.”

“And I don’t like her. She’s mean.”

The conversation came to a sudden stop when they heard the sound of lances banging against the floor. They turned towards the Sentinels.

“Your Highness, Lord Z’kkk, honored guests . . . the Princess M’egg-Alynnia.”

The doors opened wide and in entered a twelve-year-old girl with a face that you just wanted to slap . . .

The Princess stopped just inside the door and looked over the crowd. Everyone immediately dropped to their knees and bowed low . . . everyone except Egg and Sylvia.

Two of the sisters tried to pull the girls down. But it was too late; M’egg-Alynnia had spotted them. She walked over and stood staring at Egg, then Sylvia.

The girls smiled tentatively.

“Hi, I’m Egg . . .” But she stopped when she heard Aeri’elle groan.

“Bow.”

“What?”

“Bow.”

Egg wasn’t sure what to do . . . but one thing she did know. There was no way she was going to bow to this brat.

“As I was saying, I’m Egg from Earth and this is Sylvia. You must be M’egg-Alynnia?” This time all of the sisters groaned.

“What did you call me?”

But before she could answer, Dazzle had appeared at her side. “Daughter, these are our honored guests. They and their sisters (she pointed to all seven girls) are the ones that restored me to the throne and saved our people from Mobius.”

“Tell her (pointing at Egg) to bow and to address me properly. And this one, too,” pointing at Sylvia.

For the first time since Egg knew her, Dazzle looked uncomfortable. “Egg, Sylvia . . . this is my daughter; the Princess M’egg-Alynnia.” She emphasized the title.

“Hi,” said Egg purposely not calling the girl by her name or title.

“You must bow and address me as Princess.”

But Egg didn’t . . . all she did was to look the other girl in the eye and smile.

“Did you not hear me?”

“I heard you. But unless your mom (there was a small intake of breaths from the guests when they heard the Queen addressed like that) tells me to do it, there’s no way I’m going to bow. And if you want me to call you Princess . . . then you can call me Egg of Earth, Heroine of Aerianna” (more intakes of breaths . . . from the sisters).

“How dare you?”

“Your Mom and I and them (pointing at her sisters) faced Mobius and the creatures in the seven lands. She deserves to be called Queen. But I don’t remember what exactly you’ve done to deserve a bow from me.”

M’egg-Alynnia’s mouth flopped open in disbelief. Then she turned on her heels and stormed out of the room.

Egg made a face as if to say, “Oops, I’m sorry.”

“Well” said Rose’Alynnia, Queen of Aerianna. “I can see that the two of you are going to be great friends.”

Chapter 3 - Just Like Her Mom

“Dazzle, I’m sorry for being so rude.”

“No, Egg, it was not your fault. My daughter is a bit . . . headstrong. Please allow me to apologize on her behalf. You and Sylvia are our honored guests. This celebration is for you.” Then to everyone gathered the Queen said, “Please, enjoy yourselves. Our guests are here for only a short while and we should all take this opportunity to celebrate their visit.”

“Would you like me to go talk to her?”

Dazzle smiled at her sister. “You have always been the bravest person I know. But talking to my daughter . . . especially while she is in this state of mind . . . is far more than I could ask of anyone. No, dear Egg . . . I would have you visit with your sisters and your friends. Then later, we shall discuss the Princess.” She forced a smile for the sake of all seven of the Hameggattic Sisters . . . but her eyes belied how she really felt. “I will see you soon” and she walked away.

They waited for the Queen to leave before they started talking.

“Egg, you are one for the ages,” said Soo. “Never . . . and I mean never . . . have I heard of anyone talking to the Princess that way.”

“If you were a hero before, you’re a superhero now,” added Bl’azzz.

“She’s mean,” said K’ssss repeating her earlier statement.

“How in the world could our Queen have such an ill-mannered, insufferable and abrasive child?” Aeri’elle wondered out loud.

“Take it from a new mother . . . she obviously gets it from her father’s side.” They looked at Sassi . . . who was smiling. The girls all followed suit.

“I’m not so sure about that,” teased Sylvia. “Remember J’azzz-min.” Involuntarily they all looked around to see if the obnoxious cat would pop out of the ground like it did back in the seven lands.

“Actually, Dazzle said she was just that way when she was younger.”

“No way!” Bl’azzz almost burped and burned when she said it.

“Really. On the way back from Storm’s . . .,” but Egg stopped and turned to Aeri’elle. “Oh, I’m sorry.” It was the day her great grandfather had died.

“Don’t be. Please . . . continue.”

“Okay. By the way . . . it was Storm that came to me in my dreams and told me that Dazzle needed us here.”

That made Aeri’elle smile. “He appears so young in my dreams that it’s hard to recognize him.”

“I know what you mean, but I always know his voice. Anyway, on the way back I asked Dazzle how she and Storm became friends. She said that when she was nine or ten, she was a holy terror. Her father and mother didn’t know what to do so they sent her to live with Storm’s family hoping they would have a good influence on her. Well, obviously they did.”

“OH . . .”

“MY . . .”

“GOSH”.

Egg looked at her Soo, Bl’azzz and Sassi. “What’s wrong?”

It was Aeri’elle who said, “You tell her Sylvia.”

Sylvia had put her hands over her mouth trying to stifle a laugh . . . or maybe it was a scream.

Egg looked to her friend. “Well?”

“Dazzle’s going to ask you to do what Storm’s family did for her mom.”

Not understanding, Egg said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about . . .” But then the light came on in her head and she screamed, “OH MY GOSH.”

For a moment, there was dead silence. Then K’ssss started to h’sssss and they all burst out laughing. Well, six of them did.

“Hey, this isn’t funny.”

“Yes it is,” said Sassi who was now crying from laughing so hard.

“Come on you guys. What am I going to do?” She was beginning to panic.

“You can always hitch a ride on Mobius’ space ship,” answered Soo.

“Speaking of which . . . I wonder how he’s enjoying our singing?” asked Bl’azzz. They had K’ssss’ inventor-dad put a continuous playing tape of the seven girls singing every Fandango Sally song they knew in his space ship. Since his flight was supposed to take at least a hundred years, he might be finding the music somewhat annoying.

But Egg was in no mood for laughing and joking. “This is serious. How can I tell Dazzle there’s no way I’m going to take care of that horrible kid?” Then she turned even whiter as another thought came to her, “Oh no, oh no.”

“What?” asked Sylvia.

“Remember the first dream I had with Storm?”

“He comes to you a lot . . . doesn’t he?” The dragon was only slightly jealous.

Ignoring Aeri’elle, Egg said, “He told me that ‘as I once did, so shall you’. I didn’t know what he was talking about.”

“Now you do.”

“He also told you something else. Something like ‘And your reward shall be as mine . . . that which is priceless and forever.’”

“Now he sounds like the Myst Tree,” observed Soo. The Tree had used similar words with Egg . . . but it had to do with restoring Aerianna to the way it was before Mobius messed things up.

“I still don’t know what that means. Anyway . . . it’s the first part that’s the problem.”

“May I make a suggestion?”

All eyes turned to Sassi. “Oh, please,” said a desperate Egg.

“First of all, there’s no polite way to refuse the Queen of Aerianna.” Everyone nodded their agreement.

“So far, you’re not helping.”

“Secondly, you can’t simply show up at your house with a strange girl. The sisters started to giggle at that description. “Oh, I meant to say with a stranger. Anyway, your mom doesn’t know anything about the Quest or about us does she?”

“No.” Egg wasn’t sure where this was going, but she was beginning to feel a glimmer of hope.

“So, the only thing you can do . . .,” she paused again for dramatic effect. It was something she had picked-up from J’azzz-min. “. . . is to ask your grandmother to take her in.”

There was a collective “Ahhh” from the girls.

It wasn’t the perfect answer. “No, I won’t, I can’t, I ain’t,” would have been preferable. But, as a back-up plan, it wasn’t bad.

“Sassi . . . I bet you’re a great mother,” was Egg’s way of saying thank you.

“I like to think so.”

“By the way, what’s your daughter’s name?”

“Kiss’immee.” Sassi had grown very fond of K’ssss during the Quest. “But I call her Kissy.”

“H’sssss. H’sssss.”

“And, B’lazzz, Soo’ and Aeri’elle are her life guardians. That’s like an honorary mother . . . someone my daughter can always turn to for help.”

“That’s really great. I’m so glad that the Hameggattic Sisters are still helping each other.”

“I would have asked you and Sylvia to be life guardians, but . . .”

“But we never visited. I’m sorry about that,” interrupted Egg.

Sassi laughed. “That’s not what I was about to say. It would prove to be a little odd. When you turn seventeen . . . she’ll be older than both of you.”

The girls laughed.

“So, when we turn say twenty-one, you’ll probably be a grandmother,” teased Sylvia.

“Ouch” said Sassi in mock pain.

“Speaking of ouch . . .,” said Aeri’elle, “here comes the Queen.” Apparently, Dazzle was too impatient to wait any longer for her conversation with Egg and Sylvia. The girls turned and bowed politely.

“I hope everyone has had a pleasant time.” But without waiting for an answer, she turned to the two earthlings and said, “If I might have a word with you . . . alone.” The other girls took their cue to excuse themselves and hurried away.

*****

The Queen led the girls to a little alcove where they could sit and have some privacy (not that anyone would ever try and listen in on a royal conversation without permission).

“Egg, do you remember when you asked me how I had met Storm?”

Not wanting her friend to go through a long and difficult explanation, Egg said, “Dazzle . . . you want me to take M’egg-Alynnia to earth, right?”

The Queen smiled warmly. “You never fail to amaze me.”

“Sorry to disappoint you . . . but it was Sylvia and the others who figured it out.”

“Feminion . . . you still serve your friend well.” She hesitated a moment then asked an obviously difficult question. “What were your first impressions of my daughter?”

Both girls turned scarlet . . . each hoping the other would answer.

“I am sorry . . .,” said Dazzle seeing their embarrassment. “I will answer my own question. She is a brat.”

Both girls didn’t argue . . . they just looked down at their hands.

The Queen felt compelled to balance that statement with something positive. “She is also very intelligent, highly competitive and . . . on occasion . . . very considerate and compassionate.”

Still the girls said nothing.

“But mostly she is headstrong and obnoxious. She would have made a fine J’azzz-min.”

This time the girls smiled . . . then giggled. Dazzle smiled back . . . but it was a sad smile.

“So what exactly did you want us to do?”

“And for how long?” added Sylvia.

“I would like my daughter to find humility. She also needs to learn selflessness and loyalty. She must discover how to put the needs of others ahead of her own. She needs to find self-control and discipline. She must learn to trust in others. And, she must understand her own limitations and stop taking unnecessary risks.”

The girls took a moment to digest all of that. Then Egg said, “Is that all?” She meant it as a joke; but Dazzle didn’t seem to take it that way.

“If she could become more loving, tolerant and understanding . . . I believe that would serve her well.”

“Dazzle . . .,” asked Sylvia, “does M’egg know that you want to send her to earth?  And does she know that you want her to learn all these things?”

The Queen sighed deeply. “No . . . and no.”

“Any ideas how we’re supposed to do all this?”

“No.”

“And how long did you want her to stay with us?”

“You are in school now?”

“Yes.”

“When does it end?”

“In about six months.”

“Then that is what I wish . . . for her to spend the rest of the school term with you.”

“Dazzle . . . I can’t just take her to my home. You understand that, right?”

“Yes. But I was hoping . . .” she let the rest of the sentence melt away.

“Sassi had a great idea. She suggested that we ask Grammy to help. Then M’egg can stay with her and no one will have to know that she’s from a different planet. Besides . . . if anybody can teach your daughter some manners, it’s Grammy.”

Dazzle’s face lit up. “Oh, that is a wonderful plan. Do you think your Grandmother will agree?”

“There’s only one way to find out . . . we’ll go home and ask her.”

“If she agrees, please invite her to come back to Q’umulus with you. I would like to speak with her about . . . the princess.”

“She’d like that. So . . . is it okay if we go back right now?”

“Oh, yes . . . please.” She forced a smile to her face and added, “I do hope she agrees. I am so desperate. My daughter has so much to offer . . . but all that goodness and potential are trapped inside that twelve-year-old monster.”

*****

“Hi, Grammy.”

“Well, that was quick. How did it go?”

“Oh, it was incredible to see everybody again.”

“It was like we never left,” added Sylvia.

“Ummm . . . but there were a few changes.”

“Such as?”

“Sassi looked a lot older . . . and she’s married and has a six-month-old daughter.”

“Oh, I’m so happy for her.”

“And Dazzle looked older and . . . ummm . . . she has a daughter our age.”

“Isn’t that wonderful. Did you get to meet her?”

“Yeah . . . kind of.”

“What does that mean, dear?”

“I . . . umm . . . just got to say hi; and then she left.”

“Oh. Well, what did you think of her?”

Egg looked at Sylvia for support. The other girl nodded encouragement.

“Grammy, that’s why we came back so soon.”

“Why is that dear?” The older Eloise wasn’t quite following.

Egg took a deep breath then blurted out, “She’s a brat and Dazzle doesn’t know what to do and she wants you to take care of her for the rest of the school year and to teach her how to be nice.” She was very pleased with herself for getting it all out so well and turned to Sylvia for approval. The other girl just rolled her eyes.

“What did you say?” asked Grammy. She wasn’t sure she had heard right.

“Grammy . . .,” explained Sylvia, “M’egg-Alynnia is a spoiled princess who thinks that everybody should bow to her and do whatever she says. Dazzle doesn’t know what to do to change her into someone who can be Queen someday. She thought that the three of us could teach her how to be a nice person.”

“I said the same thing,” said a huffy Egg.

“Oh, I see,” said Grammy after hearing Sylvia’s explanation. “Well, I guess we should be flattered that Dazzle would ask for our help.”

“Will you do it?”

“I don’t see why not. How bad can she be?”

The girls didn’t answer . . . they just looked down at their shoes.

“Oh my . . . that bad?”

“If you still want to do it, Dazzle wants you to come with us back to Aerianna so she can talk to you about . . . about whatever she needs to talk to you about.”

“Well then, let me just make sure the tea kettle is turned off . . .,” and she walked into the kitchen then back out again. “Okay, let’s go visit the Queen.” And she took Egg’s hand and they disappeared.

*****

“Eloise, how good of you to come. It has been much too long.”

“It is good to see you too, your Majesty. You are looking as beautiful as ever.”

“Perhaps a little older, but thank you for saying so.”

“I understand that you would like some help with a certain family matter.”

“Yes . . . I do believe that you and your two grandchildren (Dazzle knew how close the older woman was to Sylvia) could render me a great service.”

“I would be honored to provide whatever small assistance that I can.”

“Grammy . . . where did you learn to talk like that?”

Dazzle and her grandmother laughed, “I watch a lot of movies.”

“Eloise . . . we are family. My blood flows in your veins. You need not worry about how you address me.”

“Thank you, your Majesty. But truth be told . . . I rather like talking this way. It is not something I get to do back on earth.”

“As you wish. As to the matter at hand, I am sure Egg and Sylvia told you of their meeting with my daughter?”

“Oh, yes.”

“And you still choose to help?” she said in wonderment. “You are as brave as your namesake.”

“I just assumed that the girls were exaggerating a bit. I’m sure your daughter is a lovely person who just needs a bit of encouragement.”

Dazzle stared at the older woman. Then she turned to a Sentinel and commanded, “Please get my daughter.” To Eloise she said, “You may judge for yourself. And, if you have a change of heart . . . I will understand.”

“Oh, my,” was all Grammy could say in reply.

A moment later, the doors opened and in came the Princess. She walked up to the Queen . . . ignoring the three guests. “What is it, Mother?”

“I would like you to meet Eloise . . . Egg’s grandmother and my friend.”

M’egg-Alynnia rolled her eyes and reluctantly turned around. She stared at the two young girls then turned her royal gaze at Grammy. “I am Princess M’egg-Alynnia.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, dear” and she held out her hand.

The girl stared at the appendage as if it was poisonous. Then she slowly lifted her eyes and looked intently at the woman in front of her. “I am a Princess. You will never address me as ‘dear’. And . . . as for that (pointing at the outstretched hand) . . . take it away or I will have it chopped off.”

“Daughter . . . do not speak to my friends in such a manner.”

“I’m sorry, your Majesty . . . it’s entirely my fault.” Everyone turned to look at Grammy. “The Princess is absolutely correct.” She turned to M’egg-Alynnia and said, “Please accept my apology. I am unfamiliar with the customs of your planet. Ignorance, of course, is no excuse. But perhaps your Highness will see fit to forgive an old woman.”

M’egg-Alynnia looked surprised . . . and then pleased. “You are forgiven.” Unfortunately, the brat couldn’t just leave it at that and added, “Don’t ever forget yourself again.” To Egg’s shock, Grammy just bowed.

“Mother . . . I really must leave,” and without waiting for permission . . . or saying good-bye to the Queen’s guests . . . the Princess turned and strutted out of the room.

No one talked for a full half-minute. Then Egg said, “Grammy . . . why did you do that?”

“Egg, dearest . . . our young Princess has so much to learn; but now wasn’t the time for her first lesson.” Then she turned to the Queen and said, “I will be very glad to have your daughter stay with me for the rest of the school term. I look forward to getting to know her.”

Dazzle smiled as she had never smiled before (or at least since her daughter turned three). “Eloise . . . I will be eternally indebted to you and your family. For the first time in a very long time, I do believe that the three of you might be able to do what I could not . . . knock some sense into that little horror.”

Egg and Sylvia giggled. But Grammy said, “Before we head home, I think you and I should agree to some ground rules.”

“There is no need. You may do whatever you wish. Just try not to beat her too badly . . . unless you feel it is absolutely necessary.”

Assuming that Dazzle was mostly kidding, the girls giggled again.

Chapter 4 - Grammy and the Brat

Egg and Sylvia went to say goodbye to their sisters. “Hey, you guys, it was so great to see all of you again.”

“The same goes for me,” said Sylvia.

“That’s not fair . . . we didn’t get to spend enough time with you two,” complained Bl’azzz.

“And I wanted you to meet my husband and daughter.”

“And Dad and I wanted you two to talk at the university. He and I both teach history . . . and having your firsthand account of everything that happened during the Quest would be invaluable.”

“I’m with Bl’azzz . . .,” said Soo. “I was really looking forward to just sitting around and reliving some of our adventures and catching up on what we’ve been doing since.”

“H’sssss. I want Egg and Sylvia to go home.”

“Why . . . you loopy lovable leviathan?”

“So they can take the Princess with them and turn her into a nice person.”

Sassi added with a smile, “I agree with K’ssss. If you can’t stay . . . then go home and do your magic on that . . . that . . . that . . . princess (insulting the royal family just wasn’t done). But when it’s over . . . you have to promise to come back and spend lots of time with us. We’re going to want to hear every last detail about her earthly visit and how you changed her into a loveable little lady.”

“Hey . . . I do the L words.”

“Sorry.”

“Okay, we absolutely promise. We’ll be back in six months . . .,” but that caused her to stop. “Oh, that’s earth time. It’ll be more like two years on Aerianna.” She involuntarily looked at Sassi.

“We can’t help what we can’t change, dear Egg. I’m getting older. But, I can promise you that young Sassi still lives inside my heart. And she will always be your sister.”

Egg threw her arms around the greenish girl and hugged her warmly. “I wish there was a place like Never-Land.”

“What’s that?” asked Bl’azzz.

“A place where you never grow old.”

“H’sssss.”

“Now what, you silly sack of sea serpent?”

“That sounds like a fairy tale.”

Everyone laughed until Aeri’elle said, “Or maybe it’s where our next great adventure will be.” Everyone looked at her expecting to see her smiling. But she had the strangest look on her face.

“What do you mean?” asked Sylvia.

“When K’ssss said it, I got a . . . a premonition I guess you’d say. I saw us in a place where time stands still. Weird. That’s never happened to me before.”

No one could think of anything to say, but Egg got goosebumps.

*****

“I absolutely refuse.”

“Daughter . . . you are going to earth. You will learn everything Eloise and her two granddaughters choose to teach you. And you will return to us better suited to rule Aerianna.” Lord Z’kkk stared at the Princess without wavering in his resolve . . . even though she scared the heck out of him.

“No. I will not go to such a backward, barbaric place. I will not mingle with non-royals. And I will not take orders from anyone. I am a Princess.”

“No, you are not.”

M’egg-Alynnia turned to her mother, raised her chin, squinted her eyes and said in her most royal voice, “And what does that mean?”

“If you do not avail yourself of this opportunity, then you are not worthy to be a princess . . . or to ever rule Aerianna. You may choose to go to earth, or you may choose to renounce your birthright (meaning her royal heritage and her right to be princess and eventually queen). The decision is yours.”

“Mother . . .”

“Decide now.”

The Princess was not used to being treated this way . . . by anyone. But she had enough sense to realize that her parents weren’t going to back down. So . . . she would have to make the best of it. “Then I (she emphasized the word) choose to go to Earth.”

“You will treat your hosts with the respect that they deserve. Remember, always, what they have done for me, for your father and for this planet. Do I make myself abundantly clear?”

“I have said that I will go to earth.” That statement, of course, did not acknowledge what Dazzle had just said.

“M’egg-Alynnia, make the most of this opportunity.”

The girl smiled . . . but it was not a friendly smile. “Oh, I will. Of that, I can promise you.”

*****

“I cannot thank you enough, Eloise. No matter what happens, I will always be grateful for your efforts.” She turned to include Egg and Sylvia and added, “All of your efforts.”

“Please, your Majesty, think nothing of it. However, I do have some practical concerns. How will your daughter know our customs and history . . . things that any twelve-year-old girl would be expected to know?”

“We have given her a ring with three special serpents’ crystals. One is the translation crystal, one contains the knowledge of your history and the last has all of your social and cultural information. She can access them with just a thought.”

“How did you get all of that stuff?” asked Sylvia.

“We have been gathering information from earth ever since our first visit. But, I must warn you that some of the social and cultural information may not be the most current. So I would ask you both (meaning Egg and Sylvia) to assist my daughter if this becomes a problem.”

“Well, then . . . I guess we’re ready. Where is the Princess?”

“She will be here presently. My people have put together a wardrobe for her that is more appropriate to her new surroundings. I am sure she is just trying to decide which to wear.”

Just then, the doors flew open and in came the Princess. She was wearing jeans and a sweater . . . and looking like a ‘normal’ twelve-year-old earthling (if you ignored her jewel-encrusted tiara).

“MOTHER . . . look at me. Just look at me,” she screamed.

Dazzle couldn’t help but to smile at her daughter’s transformation. “You look very Egg-like.” It was meant as a compliment.

“I look like a poor peasant. Like . . . like . . . like . . . a laborer.” She spat the word out.

“No one wishes to be poor. But most of the poor I have met still maintain their dignity and pride. As to looking like a laborer . . . that is as noble a profession as any.”

“OHHH . . . you are impossible.”

“I think you look great,” said Egg trying to be helpful.

M’egg-Alynnia stared at the girl as if she were a bug. “No one asked you.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to be nice.”

The Princess actually growled at the girl . . . then turned back to the Queen. “Mother, please don’t do this to me. I promise I will behave any way you wish. I can be the sweet, loveable little girl that you seem to want. Just don’t send me away. I beg of you.”

“My daughter, I love you . . . and that is why you must go. Your abominable behavior is as much my fault as it is yours. Be that as it may, these three friends are your last hope . . . our last hope.”

“I refuse to go,” the girl said in one last bid for a reprieve . . . though she said it with little conviction.

Dazzle didn’t answer; she just stood up, walked over to her daughter, hugged her, kissed her cheek, took the tiara off her head, and walked out.

“Well, dear . . . time to go.” And before the Princess could scream about being called dear, Egg grabbed her hand and together they disappeared from Aerianna.

*****

They materialized in Grammy’s living room. And for a moment, the Princess didn’t move . . . she just scanned her surroundings. When she had seen all that there was to see, she said to no one in particular, “Is this a barn?”

“No, dear. This is the living room of my house. And for the next six months, it will be your home.”

The girl glared at the older woman then said, “There is some mistake. My mother would never subject me to such humiliation. I demand to be taken back immediately.”

“Would you like some tea?”

“Did you not hear me, old woman? Take me home this instant.”

“Hey, don’t talk to my Grammy like that.”

“Or what?” said the Princess with contempt.

“Or I’ll . . .,” but before she could finish her threat, Eloise interrupted.

“That’s quite enough, girls. Egg, thank you for coming to my rescue, but I believe I can take care of myself. And, as for you, young lady . . . I don’t have the power to take you home . . . only they do. However, if you don’t like this house, you are free to leave. Egg, show the Princess the door.”

Egg walked over to the back door and opened it. She hadn’t notice till now that the weather was cold, wet and windy. By tonight, the temperature would drop low enough to turn the rain to snow. But for now, it was just slushy sleet.

“Here you go, Meggy,” said Egg mischievously.

Not even stopping to pick up her suitcase, the Princess turned and walked out the door. Egg closed it behind her.

“Boy . . . is she like the nastiest person you ever met?” asked Sylvia.

“Oh, she’s just a little spoiled. She’ll come around . . . eventually,” said Grammy.

“Where do you think she’ll go?”

“My guess is that she’ll be knocking on the door in about ten seconds.”

Grammy was wrong . . . it was only seven seconds. “Let her in; would you dear?”

Egg went to the door and opened it. Then she laughed.

M’egg-Alynnia, Princess of Aerianna, and heir to the throne of Queen Rose’Alynnia stood their soaked from head to toe. Her hair was matted against her face and little drops of water dripped down her forehead, over her royal nose, down her chin and onto the floor.

“Yes, dear . . . did you forget something?” asked Grammy innocently.

“I have decided to stay the night. Take me to my room and draw me a bath.”

“Well, isn’t that lovely. I’m so glad you decided to accept my hospitality. Egg, please show the Princess to the spare bedroom. And Sylvia, would you run the bath and fetch some towels for our guest?”

“Sure, Grammy.”

“I think it’s a lovely day to make a delicious hot stew. I’ll get the ingredients and when everyone is ready, you can all help me cook.”

“I do not cook.”

“Of course you don’t. But I’m going to teach you. Won’t that be fun?”

M’egg-Alynnia gave Eloise a look that could melt iron. Then she gathered all of her royal dignity (which isn’t easy when you’re standing there looking like a drowned rat) and walked to the staircase that led to the bedrooms. She just stood there until Egg came over and led her upstairs. She walked up in stony silence.

*****

They waited for the Princess to finish her bath. She finally came downstairs in one of Grammy’s bathrobes. And to her credit . . . she made it look like a Queen’s ceremonial robe. She had obviously toweled dried her hair, but because it was long like her mother’s, it was still very damp.

“I am hungry,” she announced.

“That’s nice, dear. With the four of us working together, will have dinner prepared in no time.”

“I do not cook.”

“Yes, you already told us that. It’s actually quite simple. I’m sure you’ll learn in no time. By the way, your hair is still wet. Did you not see the blow dryer on the shelf?”

The girl stood there silently for a moment. Egg and the others would come to realize the Princess was accessing the serpent’s crystals to try and understand an unfamiliar reference. “Ah . . . a device that dries hair. I have never seen one. You (pointing at Sylvia) . . . go fetch this device and demonstrate its use.”

Before Sylvia could tell the girl to go fly a kite, Grammy asked, “Are you injured?”

M’egg looked momentarily confused by the question. “No. I am perfectly fine.”

“Oh, that’s good to know. So, you are quite capable of fetching the dryer yourself. The girls will be happy to show you how it works.”

The Princess did her now-famous glare. “How dare you speak to me that way?”

“What way is that, dear?”

“You know perfectly well. You speak to me as if I wasn’t highborn; as if I was a commoner.”

“Love, I’m sorry to have to tell you this . . . but on earth, you’re just one of us girls. Now, go fetch the dryer before you catch a cold with that wet hair. Hurry now.”

“Uh,” the highborn girl huffed in frustration. But she did turn and go upstairs.

“Well, isn’t this going to be just the funnest six months of our lives?”

“It’s going to be a disaster,” observed Sylvia with a shake of her head.

“Now, girls. Let’s think of this as a mini-Quest. You rescued Dazzle before . . . you’re just doing it one more time.”

“Grammy . . . you are just amazing.”

“Nonsense, my love, I just love a good challenge. Don’t you?”

“Yeah,” said Sylvia, “if it’s a monster or an evil king.”

*****

When M’egg-Alynnia returned with the dryer, the girls took her to the downstairs bathroom and showed her how it worked. Despite herself, the Princess was impressed. When she returned to Aerianna, she would have one of the scientists build her one.

But she had no intention of letting on to these two ragamuffins. “This device seems adequate. You may continue to use it on my hair after I bathe.”

Instead of getting mad at the obnoxious comment, the girls just laughed and started to walk back to the kitchen.

“You do not have my permission to leave.”

“Darn it,” said Egg sarcastically. “Now I feel like a perfect jerk.”

“Oh no, Egg,” said Sylvia playing along, “you’re not a perfect jerk . . . you’re a royal jerk.”

“You’re right . . . gee, I feel so much better.” And they left the Princess standing there fuming.

*****

Back in the kitchen, the girls were beginning to prepare the meal. Well . . . everyone but M’egg-Alynnia.

“Sweetheart, if you don’t help . . . you don’t eat.”

“You would not dare . . .”

“House rules, sorry.”

In the end, the Princess cried . . . from chopping onions.

*****

Over dinner, Grammy laid out the plan . . .

“We need to get our story straight. So, the first thing is the princess’s name.”

“What is wrong with my name?”

“It’s a beautiful name . . . but not an earth one. So, for the next six months you will be Megg Alynnia.”

“But that is my name” and she rolled her eyes as if she was being forced to listen to a demented old fool.

“Yes and no. On earth, everyone has at least two names. So, your first name is Megg and your last name . . . sometimes called your family name . . . is Alynnia.”

“That is absurd.”

“Perhaps . . . but you need to get used to it. Next, you are my legal ward. Your mother gave me papers that will show that. And lastly, you are an orphaned second cousin of my old friend Grazy Grackle.”

“What?”

“We have to have some reasonable explanation of where you came from and why I’m taking care of you. Which reminds me, you’re from London. That’s in England. Please review its history so that if anyone asks you questions, you’ll have a ready answer.”

“This is too much; it will never work. Just take me home and I will tell my mother that you tried . . . all of you. But this plan has proven too difficult to implement. She will understand. I am sure she will still give you whatever reward she has promised. She is very generous.”

“There is no reward. We do this as a favor to your mother . . . our friend. And you are not going home until the school term is over. We will make this work. So, please adjust your attitude accordingly.”

“You are insane.”

“Dear,” said Grammy in a very quiet voice (a sure sign that she was very, very upset), “you will not insult me while you are in this house. If you do, I will make you sleep in the tool shed out back. Tell me, do you have mice and spiders on Aerianna?”

“They definitely have spiders,” answered Egg.

“I do not know what a mice is . . . but I hate spiders.”

“Me, too” said Sylvia. “See, we have something in common.”

“Then, dear . . . you will treat me with respect and I will allow you to sleep in this warm, comfortable house.”

M’egg-Alynnia sat there fuming. But she knew she had no choice. “Thank you for this delicious dinner, Eloise. If you will excuse me, I would like to retire to my room.”

The girl obviously didn’t mean a word she had said. But it didn’t matter . . . she had said it.

“Why thank you. Have a pleasant night’s sleep. Tomorrow, we will register you at school.”

The Princess stood up, straightened her shoulders, pushed out her chin and said as regally as she could, “I cannot tell you what that means to me.” But the other three could guess.

Chapter 5 - School Daze

Eloise drove M’egg-Alynnia to school the next day. This was the girl’s first chance to see what Earth looked like. And even though she had access to all sorts of information through her crystals, seeing it first hand was an entirely different experience.

And what she saw didn’t impress her. “You earthlings live poorly” she said to Grammy.

“Why do you say that?”

“Look at these dwellings . . . they are almost identical (she was talking about the houses). Each sits on an insignificant piece of land. There are so many of them all crowded together. And look at this lane (she meant the main road they were riding on) . . . it is inadequate to properly accommodate the volume of self-propelled carriages (she was referring to the heavy traffic and the cars). There is litter everywhere. And the wooden towers holding those cables . . . they are unforgivably unsightly (she was talking about the telephone poles). The weather is abysmal . . . better suited to dragons. And if I hear the blare of one more horn, I might scream (she meant car horns).”

Grammy smiled at the girl’s observations. “I would certainly agree that some of what you say is true. But don’t be too quick to judge us. You will find that we earthlings have much to offer.”

The Princess snorted derisively, “I will grant you one thing. This carriage is far more luxurious than those on my world.” Virtually all of the vehicles on Aerianna tended to be simple . . . but functional.

“Well, that’s a start. One thing, dear . . . your terminology isn’t quite right. We refer to this carriage as a car or automobile; dwellings are called houses and the wooden towers are telephone poles.”

“I know the earth terms. I simply do not wish to use them.”

“That may well be. But if you don’t want people to make fun of you, I suggest you use the proper terms.”

They drove the rest of the way in silence with the young girl taking in every last detail as this new world rolled past her window. When they reached the school, Eloise parked the car. But before they got out, she asked, “Would you like to review our little cover story one more time?”

Instead of answering, the Princess just looked at her companion and frowned contemptuously.

“Well, I’ll take that for a no. Then, since you’re ready . . . let’s go see the principal.

*****

Their appointment lasted a half hour. And in the end, M’egg-Alynnia was tentatively accepted. But because she had no transcripts from her previous schools (a small detail that Grammy had overlooked), the girl was required to take an aptitude test in English, History and Math.

With the help of the crystals, she got a perfect score in history.

She had always been good at math . . . and numbers are numbers regardless of what planet you’re on. So she scored very well.

English was more of a problem. She wrote like she thought . . . namely like a princess of Aerianna. And though she answered everything . . . her essays were a bit unusual.

“My goodness,” said Principal Knotworthy as he scanned the results of the tests. “You are a highly intelligent young lady.”

“Yes, I am,” answered the very self-assured Princess.

The Principal looked at M’egg-Alynnia and smiled. “It’s nice to see a young lady with such confidence. May I ask you a question?” he didn’t wait for permission. “Your phrasing on the essays was a bit unusual. It had an air of . . . ummm . . .,” he searched for just the right description, “. . . ah, yes, an air of royalty. You must be an avid reader of the British Monarchy?”

“I am royalty,” she declared . . . causing Grammy to groan under her breath.

“Are you now? In what way?”

M’egg-Alynnia had studied England all too well. She knew the complete history of the British Royal family. “I am a third cousin, once removed from Prince Phillip, the Duke Edinburgh (he was the husband of Queen Elizabeth, the current queen of England.)”

“Really? Then if I may ask . . . what are you doing here, in the care of Eloise?”

Grammy was thinking furiously, trying to come up with some semi-reasonable explanation to this stupid statement by the Princess. But Meg-Alynnia already had an answer. “My father was a bit of a black sheep and the family did their best to keep him at a safe distance. When he and my mother died (that was part of the story that Grammy had made up) they chose to disavow that whole wing of the family. I was told to leave England and not to make any trouble. For that, they would forgive all of my father’s gambling debts.” Then she leaned closer to the Principal who did likewise. “You will not tell a soul, will you?”

“Absolutely not; my lips are sealed. And, may I be the first to welcome you to Athenian Middle School. If there is ever anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you,” answered the Princess sounding very much like one.

“There is one thing you can do for us, Principal Knotworthy. It would be very helpful if Megg could have her classes with my granddaughter or her best friend, Sylvia Hampton. They are the only people this poor child knows and they’ll be able to give her support and help her adjust to life in the States.”

”Absolutely. Consider it done. Then, if there’s nothing else . . .”

“You have been most kind,” said M’egg-Alynnia with false sincerity.

“You’re quite welcome, My Lady . . . I mean Megg. We’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight o’clock.

Everyone shook hands and Grammy and her charge went back to the car in silence. After they got in, she turned to the young girl and said, “I should be furious at what you just did but I’m not. You are very clever and resourceful . . . and that’s something I admire. But be warned . . . don’t take this royal act too far. Do you understand me?”

M’egg-Alynnia didn’t even look at Grammy. She stared straight ahead and said mockingly, “absolutely.” Eloise could just see the edge of the girl’s self-satisfied smile.

*****

Apparently, humans on earth and humans on Aerianna have a lot in common. M’egg-Alynnia’s plan worked perfectly. By the time she got to her first class the next day . . . everyone knew she was descended from royalty (albeit British and not Aeriannian).

First period English was one of two classes that Egg, Sylvia and the three X’s shared. And now M’egg-Alynnia would join them. The other class with all six was last period P.E.

After they all sat down, the teacher, Ms. Pigfurd (yup, the kids called her Miss Piggy behind her back) introduced the new student.

“Everyone, please welcome Megg Alynnia. She comes to us from England and I’m told she has a bit of blue blood in her veins. Megg, perhaps you would like to tell us a little about your background?”

“What does blue blood mean?” Egg asked Sylvia in a whisper.

“It means she’s descended from royalty.”

“Oh my gosh . . . nobody is supposed to know that.” Grammy had forgotten to tell her granddaughter about their conversation with Principal Knotworthy.

M’egg-Alynnia stood up, walked to the front of the class and surveyed her new kingdom. “Thank you, Miss . . . ummm . . .,” she turned and smiled warmly at the teacher. She actually knew her name, but it would be unbecoming for a Princess to show familiarity with the hired help.

“It’s Ms. Pigfurd.”

“Of course it is. Thank you. And, it is true that a distant relative of mine . . . one I shan’t name . . . is of Royal birth. Please do not hold that against me. I am just an ordinary girl hoping to make new friends. And if I am unfamiliar with certain of your customs or words, perhaps you can correct my ignorance. Thank you all for this warm reception.” She turned to the teacher, almost smiled then sat down.

And to Egg’s shock and Sylvia’s dismay, the class applauded . . . loudly.

*****

The class went without incident. But when it was over Melody, Presley and Angela made a beeline to the new girl and introduced themselves.

“It is very nice to meet you,” lied the Princess.

“What’s your next class?” asked Melody hopefully. “Maybe one of us will be in it with you.”

M’egg-Alynnia checked her schedule. “I do believe I have mathematics next.”

“We just call it math,” said Presley helpfully.

Normally, the Princess would have bitten the girl’s head off for daring to correct her. But, for now, it was all part of her plan to win recruits. “Oh, thank you. Math . . .” she said as if trying out the word. “I do hope one of you will be with me.”

Just then, Egg and Sylvia came up to the group. “Come on, Meggy,” said Egg purposely trying to annoy the royal witch.  “You’re in my class.”

“Go away, Egg. The Princess . . .,” Angela stopped when she said it. “I’m sorry, Megg . . . but is it alright if we call you Princess? If it wasn’t for your father’s gambling, you would have been a princess . . . right?”

M’egg-Alynnia could hardly contain her smile. These earthlings were so pathetic. “Since you are my new friends . . .,” she stopped and smiled at each of them, “. . . at least I hope you are, then in private you may call me by my title. But mind you . . . only in private.”

The three girls were thrilled. “Oh, absolutely; we understand,” said Melody breathlessly.

M’egg-Alynnia gave each girl her best Royal Smile. “We are going to be such good friends . . . I can just tell. Now, other than this person (she was referring to Egg) which of you will be joining me in mathematics (she said that on purpose so the others would correct her)?

“Math . . . remember we call it math,” reminded Presley.

“Of course. Thank you. Math it is.”

*****

As far as Egg was concerned, Math class went much better. The teacher, Mr. Addington, announced the new student but that was all. No fuss, no special attention and no mention of her stupid blue blood. However, M’egg-Alynnia did sit between Presley and Angela who looked more like bodyguards trying to protect a famous person.

Sylvia had it much worse in music. Mrs. Mobach introduced the Princess, made a reference to her royal heritage and then asked her if she played a musical instrument.

“As you might expect (which was a not-so-veiled reference to her blue blood) I do. But it is a special instrument called an Angel’s Reed (the girls all oohed and ahhed at the sound of that).”

“I have never heard of such a thing. Can you describe it?” And the princess did.

“Why that sounds much like our recorders,” and she went into the storage closet and came out with three of them . . .

M’egg-Alynnia gave the teacher her most dazzling royal smile. “Oh, I am so pleased. They do look very similar. May I try one?”

“Well of course,” and she offered all three to the princess.

She chose the red one, put it to her lips, and blew a few practice notes. She stunned everyone (even Sylvia) by playing a beautiful, haunting piece with great complexity. When she finished, she smiled and said, “Forgive me, I am out of practice.”

The class broke out into very loud applause . . . even the boys. The fact that M’egg-Alynnia was also very cute added to their enthusiasm.

“My, my . . . that was extraordinary. I have never heard that particular song before. What was it?”

“I call it Life Amongst the Clouds . . . I hope it was adequate for this class?”

Mrs. Mobach was stunned. “You wrote that? That’s amazing. It was simply beautiful and you played it flawlessly. Perhaps you can teach the rest of us . . . .”

But by this time, Sylvia had tuned-out the whole exchange. She and Egg were supposed to be teaching M’egg-Alynnia how to be a better person. But now she was getting the feeling that the Princess had turned the tables on them . . . and she would be teaching the lesson, not them.

*****

“She’s been here for half a day, and she’s taking over the school.”

“How can they possibly like her?” asked a bewildered Egg.

The girls were sitting by themselves. Princess Blue-blood was sitting with the three X’s and a half dozen other girls. There were even a couple of boys hanging nearby.

But before they could explore this impossible turn of events, Zack and Zeke came by holding their lunch trays.

“Hey . . . got room for two incredible hunks,” asked Zeke with a big smile.

“Always . . . do you know any?” teased Egg.

The boys sat down opposite the girls and began eating. “So what’s with the new girl?” mumbled Zack with a mouth full of food.

“Swallow your food then try again in English,” chided Sylvia.

“He said, what’s with the new girl?”

As much as the girls didn’t want to talk about her, they really had no choice. So Egg explained, “Her name is Megg Alynnia. She’s an orphan and related to my grandmother’s best friend. She’s staying with her for the rest of the school year.”

“She’s cute.”

“Shut-up,” Sylvia said to Zack (her boyfriend).

“And she’s living right next door to us.”

“Shut-up,” said Egg to Zeke (her boyfriend).

M’egg-Alynnia had noticed the good-looking boys sitting with the two girls, so she excused herself from her new friends and went over to cause a little trouble.

“Egg, Sylvia . . . will you not introduce me to these very handsome young men?”

The girls jumped at the unexpected sound of that irritating voice. They turned around to see the princess looking down her royal nose at them . . . wearing a grin that would make the Cheshire Cat proud.

Reluctantly, Egg said, “Megg these are the twins Zack and Zeke. They live next door to Grammy.” And as soon as she said it, she knew it was a mistake.

“How fascinating. Perhaps you will drop by sometime; I would love to get to know you better. You are the first . . . men . . . I have met.”

“Yeah, that’ll be cool. Thanks,” said Zeke with way too much enthusiasm.

“Yeah, thanks,” added Zack, not to be outdone by his brother.

“Well, I must return to my new friends. It was very (she exaggerated the sound of the word) nice to meet both of you.” She turned and left.

The boys watched her walk away . . . each sporting a silly grin.

Egg glanced at Sylvia who nodded. The girls both stood up and accidentally spilled their drinks on the boys’ laps.

“Hey, watch it,” yelled Zack.

“Ah, man . . . look at my pants,” complained Zeke.

“Oh, guys . . . we’re so sorry,” said Egg who wasn’t sorry at all.

“Maybe you can use the hand dryer in the bathroom,” suggested Sylvia.

The boys grumbled something about clumsy girls then hurried off to the boys’ room. When they had left, Egg said, “If he so much as talks to her, I’ll transport him to Aerianna and leave him in the middle of the Crystal Forest.”

“You’re being too nice. We should just shoot them both.”

Over at her table, M’egg-Alynnia was laughing. Melody thought it was because of something she had said. But of course, she was laughing at Egg and Sylvia.

*****

After lunch, American History was a disaster. Mr. King introduced M’egg and asked her about her connection to the royal family. Reluctantly, the princess went into more detail . . . much more.

She then took the class into her confidence and talked about a distant relative, King George III, who reigned during the American Revolution. The king was more than a bit loony and the Princess had the class in hysterics telling some of the lesser-known stories of his sad exploits.

Egg made a promise that she would steal M’egg-Alynnia’s history crystal the first chance she got. That would change things . . . for the better.

*****

Science was great. The teacher didn’t introduce his new student and she in turn apparently knew nothing of science. It was a perfect class.

*****

The last class of the day was P.E. and all six girls were in it. Today, because of the weather, they were inside playing dodge ball. Sylvia and Egg made sure they were on the opposite team from the other four.

“Now, it’s payback time,” said Egg. This was her favorite sport. Nobody ever beat her when she was teamed with Sylvia.

The teacher, Miss Payne, had to explain the rules to Megg who of course had never heard of the game. Then they played.

After ten minutes, it was down to Megg and Egg.

Megg won.

*****

On their way home (Grammy had picked up M’egg-Alynnia and Mrs. Hampton had come for Egg and her daughter), the girls were in complete shock and total despair.

“How can she be so smart . . . ?”

“And so good at sports . . . ?”

“And so terrific with the recorder . . . ?”

“And make so many friends . . . ?”

“And be the most popular girl . . . ever?”

“And have all the boys drool over her?”

They contemplated this unexpected turn of events in silence.

Then Egg came to the only conclusion possible. “I think I hate her.”

“If only she was really, really ugly . . .,” said Sylvia wistfully.

Chapter 6 - Social-light

“Hi, Grammy.”

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“We have to talk. Where is you-know-who?”

“Taking a royal bath,” she said using some kind of highborn accent.

That made Egg giggle and feel just a little bit better. “Did she tell you about school today?”

“I asked. All she would say was that it went as expected. What can you tell me?”

“Grammy . . . it was horrible. It was just like the time I first met Sylvia at camp . . . but much, much worse. (Egg was eight when she first met the girl who would later become her best friend. But it didn’t go well. Egg was very competitive and very serious . . . and when Sylvia beat her at every event, she was frosted. It took a long conversation with Grammy before she was able to put it all in perspective).

“Oh my. What happened?” And Egg gave her all the sordid details.

“Very interesting. It just goes to show you what our Megg could accomplish if she put her mind to it.”

“But Grammy . . . she’s like the queen of sixth grade. And . . . and . . .,” she sputtered, “it’s only been one day!”

“Calm down, love. Remember, our princess is only pretending to be this person they all seem to admire. I promise you that over time, the real M’egg-Alynnia will show her true colors. And that’s when you and Sylvia will teach her how a real queen should act.”

“I’m no queen.”

“You’re a Hameggattic Sister . . . that’s even better.”

“Thank you, Grammy. I guess this is all going to work out okay . . . even if I have no idea how.” Then another thought occurred to her. “Ummm . . . if Zeke or Zack should come over to your house; would you please tell them to go home?”

“Uh oh . . . I take it they met the Princess.”

“Stupid boys . . .,” Egg growled, “you'd think they would have better sense than to be fooled by the likes of her.”

Grammy laughed. “I have a feeling that they’re no match for the next Queen of Aerianna. And if they do come over . . . I won’t let them out of my sight.”

“Thanks, Grammy. You’re the best.”

*****

From Egg and Sylvia’s perspective, things went from bad to worse . . .

The bad news was that by the end of the week, everyone at school knew that M’egg-Alynnia apparently had some connection to the English royal family. And her reputation as good-looking, smart, athletic and talented had also been established.

The only glimmer of good news was that the eighth grade clique of girls who considered themselves the cream of Athenian Middle School society had decided to put the newcomer in her place. These girls just hated the idea that anyone who was not part of their little circle would garner more attention than themselves; especially if they were sixth or seventh graders. And at lunchtime, there was a showdown.

The leader of the group and this year’s homecoming queen was Isadora Duncan . . . Izzy to her friends (and only her friends). She was tall with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was also a straight A student and captain of the volleyball team. Her two closest friends were with her . . . Dora Krabapple and Brittany Stuart.

They walked up to the table where M’egg-Alynnia was holding court with ten of her new friends. They stopped, stared, and didn’t say a word for a good thirty seconds . . . it was their little way of trying to intimidate people. Everyone had gone quiet . . . waiting for Queen Izzy to address them.

Egg and Sylvia were a couple of tables away. “Hey, look,” said Sylvia pointing.

“Uh oh . . . you think we should go help her?” M’egg was still their responsibility.

“Let’s just see what happens first.”

“Which one of you thinks she’s a fairy princess?” said Izzy with a smirk. M’egg-Alynnia’s friends all turned and looked at her.

M’egg smiled . . . she instantly recognized someone worthy to be a royal. And this girl was obviously that. “I am Megg Alynnia. Perhaps you are referring to my very humble connection to the English monarchy?”

“Oh please . . . you’re as much related to the Queen of England as I am.”

Purposely misunderstanding the girl, Megg said, “Really? To which branch of the family is your lineage? I am sure that I do not recognize you?”

Izzy’s eyes went wide and the tips of her ears had turned the slightest shade of pink. There was just a hint of doubt in her voice when she said, “What?”

“Ours,” she said obviously including Izzy, “is such a large family. My father being the outcast that he was (she said this with great modesty and sadness), it is conceivable that your family chose not to associate with us. I perfectly understand. Be that as it may, we are most likely cousins. How wonderful.”

Now Izzy was totally flummoxed. This wasn’t going well at all. “You’re not my cousin, you stupid cow.” Wit and charm had given way to crass name-calling.

M’egg-Alynnia, Princess of Aerianna, slowly stood up. The rest of the table . . . heck, the rest of the cafeteria . . . had gone deathly silent. “I am unfamiliar with that reference (meaning stupid cow) . . . forgive me.” Showing such restraint and apparent courage increased Megg’s reputation even more. And Izzy was beginning to look less queen like with each passing word.

Izzy was smart enough to know that if she attacked this girl anymore, it was she, and not the fairy princess, that would suffer humiliation. It was time for plan B . . . which was to just walk away as if this person was so far beneath her that even the act of talking would be an unworthy use of her energy. So she gave one more glare and turned to leave.

But M’egg-Alynnia was just getting started. “I introduced myself; is it not custom to do the same?” She made it sound like a real question.

Izzy stopped and turned back. Everyone at school knew who she was . . . she never needed an introduction. She gave her two friends the evil eye which meant ‘tell her who she’s talking to’. M’egg waited patiently . . . her smile still affixed to her face.

Finally, Dora got the message and quickly made the introductions. “Everyone knows Isadora Duncan . . . like she’s the homecoming queen and captain of the varsity volleyball team. Like . . . where are you from, outer space or something?”

“And you two are?” looking at Izzy’s two friends.

“Like I’m Dora and this is Brittany. Duh . . . get a clue, will ya.”

Turning back to Izzy, Megg asked, “There was a very famous American dancer name Isadora Duncan. Are you perhaps related?” Her culture crystal was coming in handy once again.

Izzy had heard this question before. “No, I’m not.” Now she was thinking furiously about how to get out of this conversation without looking like a total jerk.

“You certainly have the body of a dancer . . . you must be a gifted athlete.” Megg was throwing her would-be enemy a small bone . . . and the girl took the bait.

Izzy actually smiled; now that was better she thought. “Well, thanks. I work out a lot. How about you? You look like you’re pretty fit. We can always use someone good on the volleyball team.” She didn’t really mean it; she was hoping to humiliate her on the court. But the invitation shocked everyone . . . except Megg.

“It would be an honor to play alongside one such as you. But, alas, I do not know this game.” That admission got Dora to laugh derisively.

“Shut up,” commanded Izzy causing her to turn red. “You have last period PE. Just tell Miss Payne that I want you to come over and work out with the volleyball team . . . and we’ll see just how good you are.” She turned and walked off before Megg could say anything else.

When the three girls had left, Megg’s friends broke out in laughter and applause. As far as they were concerned, their Princess was now Queen.

Over at the other table, Sylvia wanted to scream. “This just can’t be happening.”

“Keep your fingers crossed . . . maybe she’ll do terribly.”

“Like that’s going to happen.”

*****

Miss Payne let everyone go watch the tryout.

It took M’egg a minute to learn the rules.

It took her two minutes to learn how to return and set-up.

It took her almost four minutes to learn how to serve.

She played offense for ten minutes and defense for about another ten.

And by the end of thirty minutes, M’egg was invited to join the varsity team . . . the first sixth grader in the history of the school to have ever done that.

*****

“See what an incredible influence we’ve had on her,” said Egg sarcastically. “She’s now the most popular person in the entire school. Everyone loves her.”

“You’re absolutely right . . . our job here is done. We should take her back to Aerianna today.”

It was Saturday morning and the girls were sitting on the bed in Egg’s room. They fell silent as they contemplated their horrible fate at the mega-disaster that was Megg.

“Can you believe that she’s spending the day with Izzy and her friends? Izzy’s like the most ‘in’ person there is. For her to pal up with our princess is just unbelievable. It makes me want to vomit.”

“Birds of a feather . . . I guess.” Sylvia didn’t much care about things like that. “We got another problem.”

“Great . . . what?” asked her depressed friend.

“The Valentine’s Day dance.”

“Why’s that a problem?”

“Cause you can bet your life that Meggy is going to try and dance with Zeke and Zack.”

“She wouldn’t dare . . .,” which caused Sylvia to look at her best friend and smirk. “Well, fiddlesticks, what are we supposed to do?”

“For one thing, we can outdress her. The clothes she brought with her aren’t exactly Hollywood hip.”

Egg’s face lit up with a mischievous grin. “Maybe we could find something really special for her to wear . . . from Grammy’s attic.”

“Hmmm . . ., ” said Sylvia giving the suggestion a lot more serious thought than it deserved, “ . . . nah, her stupid culture crystal would probably warn her that the Roaring 20’s is out of style.” Actually, it had been out of style for about thirty years by the time Grammy was twelve.

“Well, forget about her . . . what are you going to wear?’

“I was just going to do the college preppy thing with a plaid skirt and sweater. But now that seems way too dorky. How about you?”

“My mother wanted me to wear a dress,” and Egg put her hands around her neck and pretended to squeeze so hard that her tongue flopped out and her eyes rolled back inside her head.

“Let’s go shopping.”

“You have any money?”

“About thirty dollars. You?”

“I still have that hundred dollar bill Grammy gave me for my birthday.”

“That should be enough . . . for something.”

“How are we going to get there?” The girls were actually home alone; something that rarely happened. But Egg’s sister Ashley was a freshman at college and her parents had gone to check out an estate sale about five miles away. (They lived to go antiquing). Since the girls were now in middle school and Sylvia’s mom was only two blocks away, the Graystone’s agreed to let the girls stay by themselves for the morning.

“My mom would take us . . . but she and her friends are baking.” There was a bake sale at their church the next day.

“I guess I could call Grammy.”

“No, don’t.” Egg’s grandmother lived on the edge of town . . . about three miles away. “She does too much for us already.”

“Then what?”

Sylvia just shrugged. She then leaned back against the pillows and her eye caught the reflection of the morning light off of her ring. She absently touched it with the fingers on her right hand while trying to figure out how they could get to the mall. Then she glanced down at her ring and her eyes went wide. “OH MY GOSH”.

“What?”

“Our rings.”

“Yeah . . . so?”

“If they can take us to Aerianna which is like a gazillion miles away, why can’t they take us to the mall?”

“Don’t move,” Egg told her friend. She then touched her ring and disappeared. A couple of seconds later, she was back wearing an ear-to-ear grin. “Good thinking, Feminion . . . it works.”

*****

They made their way to Tops to Bottoms, a local clothes chain that was popular with middle and high school kids. The store had a great selection and all the merchandise was very reasonably priced.

But the good news was also the bad news . . . a great selection meant that the girls had to try on dozens and dozens of tops and skirts and pants and vests and boots in every conceivable combination. After about two hours, they had narrowed their choices.

“How about this?” said Sylvia as she came out of the dressing room.

“Isn’t that what what’s-her-name wore in last month’s Teenie’s magazine?’

“Maybe,” answered Sylvia coyly.

“Well . . . you look totally too cute.” Then after admiring her friend from every angle, she added, “Would it be like really weird if I wore the same outfit?” She was only half joking.

“I think your mom was right . . . you should wear a dress.”

“Better yet, you wear a dress and I’ll wear that outfit.”

“Like that’s going to happen.”

“I should never have brought you back,” said Egg with a mischievous grin. She was referring to the time in the Never ’Glade when Sylvia had been bitten by the Tack-Toed Tick. Once that happens, you disappear and everyone forgets you ever existed. Lucky for her . . . and everyone else as it turned out . . . Egg had written so much about her best friend in her diary that she was able to bring her back.

“You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Probably not.”

“Well, not only am I not going to let you wear this, you’re going to pay for the privilege of seeing me ‘so royally attired”. She said the last part with a voice that was a pretty good imitation of the Princess. “Now fork over that hundred dollar bill.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” said Egg bowing low.

“You’re a good girl . . . for one not of royal birth,” and they both giggled. Making fun of M’egg-Alynnia was always so enjoyable.

*****

They paid for the clothes and decided to walk the Mall before heading home. Egg still needed to find an outfit. And even though she was out of money, she could always beg her mom or grandmother to contribute to the ‘If-I-don’t-get-a-great-outfit-for-the-dance-I’ll-just-crawl-under-a-rock-and-die fund.’

They stopped at several stores but were content with just looking through the windows at the mannequins. Unfortunately, the only outfits that caught their eye were at Hollywood Holly’s . . . the most expensive store in town, if not in the whole world.

It was so pricey that they had never, ever shopped there. But they did like to look at the clothes just to see what the in-fashions were. Then, if they found something they simply had to have, they’d go buy an inexpensive copy over at Tops to Bottoms.

As they looked through the window and oohed and ahhed at the wonderful clothes, they heard a truly awful sound . . . M’egg-Alynnia’s voice.

“I do believe I know these two ragamuffins.”

Egg and Sylvia turned to see the Princess standing there holding a large bag from the store. Standing next to her was none other than the homecoming queen herself . . . Isadora. She, too, was holding a store bag.

Izzy looked at the two sixth graders to be certain that they weren’t anybody important. Satisfied, she turned to her companion and said, “Let’s go. I’m dying to get home and try these on again.”

Megg actually ignored her friend so she could irritate Egg and Sylvia. “I am surprised that you two can actually shop here. Izzy has told me that the merchandise is considered very expensive. Surely it is far beyond your meager means.”

Egg glared at the Princess. “How come you’re shopping here? I don’t remember Daz . . . ummm, my grandmother giving you any money.”

“She obviously did not consider the possibility that I would actually have to pay for something. I am sure she assumed that everything I needed would be provided. However, since that was not the case, my dear friend Izzy has kindly purchased these clothes for me.” Izzy was known to be from a wealthy family. “And if you are wondering which outfits we chose for the dance, I would never dream to keep you in suspense. That outfit there is the one I shall wear . . .” She pointed at one of the mannequins . . .

“. . . and Izzy will be wearing that one . . .”

The girls looked at the two outfits and were immediately overwhelmed by envy. They were to-die-for.

“Well, we do have to run,” and she turned her back on the girls and walked away.

Stunned into silence by this unexpected encounter, they watched the Princess and the Queen saunter away, swinging their bags back and forth . . . obviously without a care in the world.

After they disappeared around the corner, Sylvia said, “They’re going to look incredible.” In her mind, she was picturing Zack staring at those two in their hot little outfits.

Egg was thinking just like her friend. “If she gets within twenty feet of Zeke, I’m going to scratch her eyes out,” she hissed.

“Come on . . . let’s find you something to wear.”

“What’s the use . . . how can I compete against someone like that?”

“Because you’re Egg . . . and you’re not afraid of anyone or anything.”

“Yeah, right,” her friend answered in a most unconvincing manner.

Chapter 7 – Stupid Cupid

“I absolutely can’t wear this.”

“Why not? You look cute.”

“MOTHERRRR” whined an exasperated Egg “I look like a freak.”

“Sweetheart . . . trust me, you look terrific.”

“That’s it . . . I’m going back to Aerianna and lose myself in the Maze of Forever.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Is that some kind of video game or someplace in Warthog? (She meant Hogwarts, the castle-like school from Harry Potter).

Egg had momentarily forgotten that her mother didn’t know anything about her secret life as Flying Girl or about her Quest to help Dazzle. Pretending as if she was just talking nonsense, she answered with, “Yeah . . . something like that.”

“Anyway . . . it’s too late to go shopping now. Sylvia’s on her way over and the boys will be here any minute to pick you two up.”

“Just tell them I’m sick. I think I’m getting a fever because I’m probably coming down with malaria or chicken pox or the measles. That’s it . . . the measles. Tell them I’m highly contagious and they have to stay at least a mile away.”

“Oh, stop that now,” insisted her mom. “You look wonderful.”

“Let me wear the other outfit . . . please.”

“NO. I’m taking it back tomorrow. And I’m going to give your grandmother a lecture about what’s appropriate dress for a twelve-year-old girl. Now, finish combing you hair and come downstairs.” Mrs. Graystone turned and left the room.

The outfit that Egg had purchased with the financial help from Grammy was so great . . .

. . . but when she got home and tried it on, her mother went ballistic.

“No daughter of mine is going to wear that . . . that . . . whatever that is. And what the heck does seven mean anyway?”

“It’s just my lucky number (as in the number of sisters in the Hameggattic Sisterhood, she thought to herself).”

“Well . . . way too tight and altogether too much skin showing. Now go and try on that other outfit,” and she stormed out of the room.

So here she was . . . wearing this terrible shift. She felt like screaming and crying. Then, after looking at herself again in the mirror, she almost touched her ring so she could travel to Aerianna and hide. But, that might’ve been hard to explain.

How was she going to face Zeke? She just knew he was going to laugh.

Worse . . . M’egg-Alynnia and her friends were going to go nuts making fun of her. This was a disaster.

“Egg . . .,” her mother yelled. “Sylvia is here.”

“Send her up . . . please.”

Sylvia rushed up the stairs expecting to find her girlfriend in the hot little outfit that she had just bought. Instead, when she opened the bedroom door, her eyes popped wide at the shock of what she was seeing. After an embarrassing moment of silence, she said, “Your mom didn’t like it, I guess?”

“Hated it . . . she’s taking it back tomorrow.”

“Well . . . that’s kind of cute,” Syl said half-heartedly.

“No, it’s not. I feel like I’m back in fifth grade.”

“It’s not that bad,” lied her friend.

Egg sat back on the bed with her shoulders slumped forward. “Wait till Meggy gets an eyeful of me. I can hear her now . . ., ‘Oh, you poor thing. I hadn’t realized how desperately needy your family must be. Perhaps when I am finished with this outfit, I will donate it to you.”

Sylvia laughed at the great impersonation. “Not quite . . . Meggy would never say the word hadn’t. She doesn’t use contractions.”

For the briefest of moments, Egg forgot her self-pity. “Really? I never noticed that.”

“Dazzle doesn’t either.”

“Geez . . . aren’t you the observant one.”

“All part of being a good Feminion. Anyway . . . not to interrupt your wallowing in grief . . . but how do I look?”

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. You look absolutely fantastic. At least one of us will show up Princess Obnoxious.”

Sylvia did a little curtsey. But before she could give her friend more words of encouragement, they heard the doorbell.

“Great . . . just great,” said Egg dejectedly.

“Zeke isn’t going to laugh or embarrass you.”

“He’s a boy. It’s in his DNA to be insensitive.”

“He’s a great guy . . . just like his brother. Now come on . . .” She was anxious to see Zack’s reaction to her outfit, but of course, she didn’t tell Egg that.

“Let me go first. This way they’ll think your outfit’s just cuter than mine and not that my outfit is uglier than yours.”

“Wow . . . you must have used a lot of brain power to come up with that. You really are desperate.”

“If trying to decide whether I should fall down the stairs and break my leg is desperate . . . then I guess I am.”

Sylvia playfully shoved her friend out the door and down the hall.

They actually walked down the steps together and at the bottom, they greeted their dates.

“Hi,” said Egg to Zeke. He was dressed in a red sweater and jeans. One of the amazing things . . . at least to Mrs. Zambroski and Grammy . . . was that the girls could tell the two identical twins apart. Even Mr. Z had trouble doing that sometimes.

“Hey,” he replied. “Here . . .,” he added without preamble. It was a single red rose.

“Oh it’s beautiful. Thank you.” Zeke blushed a delicate shade of pink.

Meanwhile Zack was telling Sylvia how terrific she looked. He was wearing a yellow sweater and jeans. And in his hand was a single yellow rose . . .

“Is that for me?” Sylvia asked with a smile.

“Huh . . . oh, yeah. Sorry,” and he handed her the rose.

“Thank you . . . it’s beautiful,” and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Unlike his brother, he didn’t blush . . . he just grinned and raised his eyebrows in a kind of silly salute.

Then they all stood there in awkward silence until Zeke remembered, “My mom’s in the car so I guess we should go.”

So the girls got their coats and Egg handed her mother the two roses.

“I’ll put the flowers in some water for you. You guys have fun,” she told them as she stood in the doorway and watched them get into the car. She waved at Mrs. Z then went back inside. It was too cold to just stand there.

*****

The dance was in the multi-purpose room, which had been decorated by the Social Committee to reflect the spirit of Valentine’s Day . . . creepy looking cupids with bows and arrows, heart-shaped balloons and all of that traditional corny stuff. The band consisted of five kids from eighth grade who called themselves Saint Vitus’ Dance (which was actually kind of clever since that was the name of a little known disease).

Most of the kids who were planning on attending were already there. The notable exceptions as you probably guessed were M’egg-Alynnia and Izzy. Naturally, one couldn’t make a grand entrance without being fashionably late.

The four friends ditched their coats and made their way to the refreshment table. Sylvia grabbed Zack’s hand and pulled him along. The other two lagged behind.

“I’m sorry about this outfit,” apologized Egg.

Zeke was a great kid . . . but at age twelve, most boys don’t take much notice of what a girl’s wearing unless it was something truly spectacular. “What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?” he asked confused.

“It’s awful. I look like I’m in fifth grade.”

He looked at her and her clothes but had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. “Looks okay to me,” he mumbled uncomfortably. He was sure it was probably the wrong thing to say . . . but he had no clue what the right thing might be.

“How can you say that? I look stupid.” Egg was horrified that he found her attractive when she was dressed like such a dork. What was wrong with him?

Poor Zeke . . . in his mind the alarm bells were going off. If he agreed with her and said she looked bad . . . then he’d be in deep trouble. If he didn’t agree with her . . . well apparently he’d be in worse trouble.

“Ummm . . . well . . .,” then a great idea came to him, “. . . ummm . . . it only looks good because you’re wearing it. On anybody else it wouldn’t look so good.”

Now that momentarily confused Egg and she went silent as she tried to think of some reason to argue. But she couldn’t. “Well . . . okay then,” was the best she could muster in response. She still wasn’t sure if she should be happy or mad at his comment.

To Zeke’s relief, they had caught up to his brother and Sylvia. But then all heads turned to the door and everyone went quiet. The Princess and the Queen were making their entrance.

“Whoa,” said a boy awestruck by the sight.

“Geez . . . dude,” said another though it was not clear what that meant.

“Gimme a break,” said a girl under her breath.

Every girl who came with a boy grabbed for her date’s hand . . . including Egg and Sylvia.

Not waiting for Zack to say the wrong thing, Syl asked him, “Wish you were with them?”

At first Zack didn’t hear the question because he was staring as hard as everyone else. Then when Sylvia tugged his arm and glared at him, he recovered very nicely “. . . No way. They may be eye candy, but you’re the real deal.”

Sylvia kissed him . . . again. However, this time her lips brushed his . . . by accident of course.

“What about you?” demanded Egg.

“Me what?”

“Are you sorry you’re not with them?”

Zeke unfortunately hesitated too long before saying, “No . . . no way.” Not only did that not get him a kiss; Egg actually pulled her hand away.

As she stood there watching everyone stare at Meggy and her friend, Sylvia got an idea. “Egg . . . come with me to the girl’s room.”

“Already? We just got here.”

“EGGGG.”

“Oh, all right.”

When they were out of sight of the boys, Sylvia said to her friend, “I think we should tell the guys to ask Meggy to dance.”

“WHAT?”

“Look, she’s only here for a few months. When she’s gone, she’ll be in a different part of the universe. They’ll never see her again.”

“So what does that have to do with anything?”

“You just know she’s going to ask them . . . if for no other reason than to irritate us. Let’s beat her to the punch. And, besides, think of what it does for us.”

“What?”

“We’ll be dating the guys that Meggy wanted for herself.”

That kind of made sense . . . but seemed awful risky. “I don’t know . . . what happens if she says no?”

“She’s going to say no.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She wants to ask them to dance to annoy us . . . but she’ll expect that you and I won’t let them. But if we say yes . . . then she has to say no.”

“You’ve gone completely nuts. Now, you stay right here while I call 9-1-1. We’ll get you all the help you need.”

“Egg . . . she can’t dance. Well, at least she can’t dance earth dances.”

“Oh  . . .,” and as understanding began to seep into her brain, she looked at her Feminion with great admiration and said, “You are one very devious girl.”

“It’s the company I keep. Come on, let’s get back.”

They pushed their way through the crowd and made their way to where they had left the boys. But as they got closer, they stopped and stared in horror.

Both Zack and Zeke were dancing with M’egg-Alynnia. What was worse . . . they were each wearing little puppy dogs expressions — goofy wide-eyes and uncontrollable grins.

“Nice plan,” said Egg sarcastically.

“Well, fiddlesticks.”

“But you gotta give her one thing . . . she’s good.”

“I don’t have to give her anything . . . especially my boyfriend.” Sylvia marched out to the dance floor and Egg scrambled to keep up.

“What are you going to do?”

Sylvia didn’t answer. She just walked up to M’egg and tapped her on the shoulder. The Princess slowly spun around; the twins stopped dancing and everyone within twenty feet turned to watch.

“Ah, my two dear friends,” said M’egg with the utmost insincerity. “I was just enjoying a little dance with these two handsome young men. I do hope that I have not transgressed on some local social custom?”

“What?” said Egg frowning.

“You have,” said Sylvia with a snarl.

“Oh, dear,” said the Princess trying to suppress a smile. “I believe the correct phrase at this time would be ‘My Bad’.” A few people giggled.

“The correct phrase would be, ‘I’m sorry for being such a twit’”.

“I accept your apology.”

Now it was Sylvia’s turn to say, “What?”

“You are being rude and boorish. I am a guest in this country for such a short time (she glanced at Egg with a knowing look) and I would like to experience all of your culture. Surely asking these young men to dance was not such an offense as to cause you to assail me.”

“I didn’t do anything to you.”

“I beg to differ. You placed your hands on my (she was about to say royal, but changed her mind) person. Surely, that is unacceptable behavior in any society?”

“Okay . . . what’s going on here?” It was Miss Payne . . . gym teacher and dance chaperone.

Everyone turned to look at the woman.

“Well?”

“We’re just talking,” said Egg.

Turning her attention to the Princess, the teacher asked, “Meg . . . are you okay?” As the coach of the volleyball team, Miss Payne was already fond of the new student . . . and team member.

“Thank you, for asking Miss Payne,” then she hesitated as if she was wrestling with some important thought. “I believe Sylvia and her quaintly dressed friend (meaning Egg) were just leaving.”

“Don’t you dare make fun of her clothes,” said a very angry Feminion.

“I assure you that I had no intention of demeaning what the poor girl is wearing. I just find the outfit has a certain unique charm.” Again, there was a smattering of giggles.

“You’re such a . . .”

But Miss Payne cut her off from finishing the thought. “That’s enough. I want you and Eloise to stop harassing Megg. Now . . . go find another part of the dance floor and leave her alone.”

“But Miss Payne . . .”

“I said enough. Now, go.”

Sylvia glared at the teacher then at the Princess before turning around and walking away. Egg glanced at the twins . . . shooting daggers with her eyes. Then she, too, turned and walked away.

Zack and Zeke knew they were in trouble. But only Zack had enough sense to say, “Thanks for the dance, but I’m with Sylvia.” And he ran after his date.

Stupid Zeke just stood there for a few seconds not sure what to do. “Perhaps you should run after your friend,” suggested M’egg-Alynnia.

“Oh, yeah. Okay. Bye.” And he hustled after his brother and the girls.

“I do believe those two boys are in a bit of trouble,” the Princess announced to the crowd of kids who had watched the whole encounter. And they rewarded her by laughing at her pronouncement.

When Zack caught up to the girls, he said, “Hey, Syl . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t want to dance with her but she said that she had asked you and you said it would be okay.” Then when Sylvia turned around and gave him a death stare, he added, “I guess you didn’t, huh.”

“What do you think?” If she had been Bl’azzz, fire would have come out of her mouth.

“I think you would have. You’re such a nice person . . . and I know she’s staying with Egg’s grandmother. It just seemed like something you’d say.”

Sylvia stared at him to see if he was telling the truth or just trying to get out of trouble. After a moment, she made her decision. Walking up to him, she kissed his cheek for the third time then took his hand and pulled him out to the dance floor.

That left Zeke standing there with Egg.

“What’s your excuse?” she asked him.

“Ummm . . . no one that cute ever asked me to dance before. I just forgot that I was here with you.”

WOW . . . was that ever the wrong thing to say. Sometimes an honest answer is not the right answer.

Egg’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. She was standing next to the refreshment table so she turned, picked up a coke and dumped the liquid contents on Zeke’s head. “You are an idiot.” She turned and stormed off.

“But . . . but . . .” But Egg didn’t care what he had to say. As far as she was concerned . . . they were finished.

Chapter 8 – A Royal Pain

She was pleasantly surprised.

When her mother had exiled her to earth, she thought it would be the worst experience of her entire life. But she was wrong . . . and she wasn’t too proud to admit it. She was having fun . . .

Virtually the entire sixth grade class was hers to command.

The eight graders that were considered the cream of their class – namely Izzy and her circle of friends – were under her spell.

Almost all of her teachers, and of course Principal Knotworthy, were treating her as was proper . . . namely as a princess.

She was the star of the volleyball team . . . though she was willing to grant that Izzy was almost as talented.

And with almost no effort at all, she had caused an irreconcilable breach between Eloise and her silly boyfriend. What a wonderful lesson for that puffed-up, pompous and irritating girl. Unfortunately, she had not quite achieved the same results with Sylvia. But . . . there was time.

The only thing she hadn’t yet accomplished was to put the old woman (meaning Grammy) in her place. M’egg-Alynnia simply couldn’t abide with anyone who presumed to be her better. And this . . . this . . . person had the gall to try to instill her silly beliefs and principles on the next Queen of Aerianna. The woman was not even of noble birth. Her audacity was beyond belief.

But, again, there was time.

And she smiled with great satisfaction at what she had accomplished.

And, she tingled in anticipation at what was left to be done.

*****

“Good morning,” said Grammy to her houseguest.

“And to you,” said the Princess with absolutely no feeling.

“What would you like for breakfast?”

On Aerianna, the Princess would normally be offered such things as bacon and eggs, pancakes, pastry, fruit . . . all the food that you might order if your parents took you to a restaurant on Sunday morning.

What she never had was cereal and milk. No one on her home world had invented such a thing. But from the first time she tried it, Meggy was hooked. She loved all the different varieties . . . from toasted O’s to Magic Charms.

But she would never admit to anyone that she found this new type of food so delicious. It was obviously something that only the common people would eat . . . and she, of course, was a princess.

“One of those packaged foods will suffice,” she answered haughtily.

“When we’re in a rush during the week, cold cereals are fine. But on the weekends when we have all the time in the world, I insist that you have something more substantial.”

Megg knew that Grammy loved to cook . . . and did it extremely well. That’s why she said, “Your preparation of even the simplest meal leaves much to be desired. I suggest you take lessons from someone with more talent. In the meantime, I believe I will accept a bowl of those wafers of grain with the dried fruit (that would be raisin bran to the rest of us).”

The insult to her cooking didn’t go unnoticed. But Grammy was much to wise to be taken in by M’egg-Alynnia’s insults. “I’m so sorry you find my food so unpalatable. Perhaps I’ll ask Egg to go back to your mother and get some of your favorite recipes.” Grammy smiled to herself and waited for the expected reply.

Obviously, the Princess wasn’t anxious for Egg to be talking to her mother about what had been going on with her daughter. So she quickly said, “Thank you for your concern, but that is not necessary. I am here to experience all that Earth has to offer . . ., which, I presume, includes your cuisine. I will list the meals that I find least objectionable and ask that you limit yourself to those. In the meantime, a bowl of cereal will be sufficient.”

“As you wish. The bowls are in this cupboard, spoons are in this drawer, the milk is in the refrigerator and the cereal is over there. Help yourself.” And she turned her back on the princess and left the kitchen.

M’egg-Alynnia fumed at such rude treatment. But, in truth, she was just angry that her nasty words apparently fell on deaf ears. ‘Stupid woman,’ she thought to herself, ‘she does not even recognize an insult.’

As she was getting her own breakfast, the phone rang and she heard Grammy pick it up. Her words were muffled by the closed kitchen door but Megg did hear her say something like, ‘good-bye sweetheart’.

It obviously was Egg.

And then a wonderful thought came to her. Besides cooking, the one thing that this woman prized above all else was her granddaughter. Though why that might be, Meggy could not fathom.

So, she would find a way to sever that relationship . . .

. . . and, while she was at it, the one between Egg and Sylvia.

Then she could go home.

*****

“Where are you going?”

“I intend to visit your neighbors.”

“Young lady, first and foremost . . . do not leave this house without discussing your plans with me. Do you understand?”

“Am I a prisoner?” Being nasty just came so easy to the Princess.

Grammy didn’t answer right away . . . afraid she would lose her temper. Instead, she took a deep breath, forced a smile to her lips and said, “You are my guest and my responsibility. Someday when you are Queen of Aerianna, you, too, will have people for whom you are responsible.”

“Obviously. But you are no queen.”

“Nor are you,” and Grammy kept her gaze fixed on Megg.

They stared at each other — neither one intending to be the first to blink. But after a good sixty seconds, the Princess yielded. “I understand your position.” However, she wasn’t about to apologize.

“Good. The second thing is that on earth, we usually call before we drop in uninvited to someone’s home. We consider that a common courtesy.”

“I am not common.”

“Perhaps not; but you are on earth. So, please call.”

M’egg-Alynnia had had enough of this petty nonsense. She zipped up her coat, pulled on a hat and said, “They are your neighbors, and this is your custom. I suggest you make the call.”

And before Grammy could say anything, Meggy turned and walked out.

*****

Mrs. Z opened the opened the door. “Hello. Can I help you?”

“I am Megg Alynnia. Perhaps your sons have mentioned me?”

“Oh . . . yes they have. Yes, they have. Well, very nice to meet you Megg. Please . . . come in out of the cold.”

“Thank you.”

“I am Mrs. Zambroski . . . Zack and Zeke’s mother” and she offered her hand.

The princess looked at the appendage without the slightest interest in shaking it. “Forgive me, my hands are so cold . . .,” and she shrugged as if to apologize.

“Oh, that’s okay” and Mrs. Z pulled her arm back. “Now, what can I do for you?” Since she had picked up her sons and their dates, she knew all about what had transpired at the dance.

“I wish to speak to Zeke.”

“Do you?” Mrs. Zambroski really liked Egg and her grandmother. The idea that this girl might come between her son and his girl (temporarily ex-girl) didn’t sit well with her.

But before she could decide what to do, the twins came into the room. They had heard the doorbell and then Megg’s voice.

“I wish to talk to Zeke . . . alone,” announced the Princess. And she pointed at the boy as she said it.

“How can you tell them apart?” asked their astonished mother. Only she, Egg and Sylvia could do it. Her husband got it right only about half the time.

“Is it not obvious?”

“To me, yes. Most people can’t.”

“Sylvia can,” said Zack feeling the need to defend his girlfriend though he wasn’t really sure from what.

“So can Egg,” said Mrs. Z seeing that Zeke wasn’t about to say anything.

“All very fascinating,” intoned the Princess who was utterly bored with this discussion. Turning to a blushing Zeke she asked, “May I have a word with you . . . in private?”

“Uh . . . sure,” but he didn’t move.

“You two can make yourselves comfortable here. Zack, you come with me” and she led her other son back to the kitchen.

When they were gone, Megg said, “I wish to go to the movies with you . . . tonight. Will you take me?”

Zeke’s mouth dropped opened and the pink blush was turning a nice shade of red. “Ummm . . . yeah.”

“Good. But you must be sure that your brother and his date go with us. Will you do that for me?” and she grabbed both his hands in hers. Now the red was turning to an impressively deep scarlet.

“Uh . . . uh . . . uh huh,” was the best he could manage to sputter.

“Wonderful. Pick me up at seven” and she kissed him on the cheek and left.

*****

“Hi . . . it’s me.”

“Hi, Egg.”

“What are you doing?”

“I was working on that book report. How about you?”

“What a co-inky-dink; I was supposed to be working on it too.”

“Supposed to be?”

“I tried . . . really. But it’s such a sad book. Every time I think about it, I cry.” (She was referring to Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls).

“Eloise Graystone . . . don’t try that excuse on me,” said her friend who was only half-kidding. “The paper is due Wednesday.”

“Exactly. And today is only Saturday. I have plenty of time.”

“You are impossible.”

“Meggy is impossible . . . I’m just undisciplined. Anyway, why don’t you come over when you’re finished? You can stay for dinner then we can go catch a movie.”

“I can’t. Zack already invited me to the movies. Sorry.”

At the mention of her boyfriend, Egg suddenly felt . . . well, she wasn’t sure what she felt. Maybe jealousy that Sylvia still had a boyfriend; maybe annoyance that her ‘ex’ was such a dope; maybe anger over what Megg had done . . . or maybe all three.

“Egg . . . you still there?”

“Yeah. Well, I guess I should get back to the book report. Have fun tonight.”

“Egg . . . don’t be like that.”

“Sorry. It’s not your fault. Call me tomorrow.”

“Sure. See’ya.”

“Yeah, see’ya.”

*****

As Zack and Sylvia approached the minivan, she asked, “I didn’t know Zeke was going. Does he have a date?” It was hard to see because it was one of those evilly dark winter nights when even the moon was afraid to come out.

But before he had to answer, the side door slid open automatically. And there was M’egg-Alynnia sitting very close to Zeke . . . holding his hand.  Sylvia stopped dead in her tracks and stared in horror at the unexpected sight.

“Good evening, Sylvia. I am so very pleased you could join us,” said the Princess with heartfelt sincerity. Of course, it wasn’t from the expectation of an enjoyable evening with three dear friends . . . but because it was the next step in her sinister plans.

Sylvia didn’t even bother to answer. She turned to Zack and hissed under her breath, “What is she doing here?”

Zack looked at her and shrugged helplessly, “What could I do?” he said pleadingly.

“You could have told me.”

“Then you wouldn’t have come.”

“You’re darn right I wouldn’t have.”

“Are you two getting in? We’re going to be late,” called Mrs. Z from the driver’s seat.

“Come on, Syl. Please.”

If his mom weren’t there, Sylvia would have turned and walked back into the house. But, she was embarrassed to do that in front of Mrs. Zambroski. It would be too hard to explain. So, reluctantly she climbed in . . . and sat next to the Princess.

“Is something wrong?” asked Meggy innocently.

Mrs. Z knew exactly what was wrong and came to Sylvia’s rescue. “Hey, it’s way too crowded back there. Sylvia, come sit by me.”

“Thank you . . . that would be great,” and she gave Meggy the evil eye as she moved to the front.

As they drove away, the van was filled with a deafening silence. Afraid that Megg would say something that would cause his girlfriend to go nuts, Zack leaned over the front seat and turned on the satellite radio to one of his favorite stations. When he finished he tried to squeeze Sylvia’s hand . . . but she moved it away pretending like she was fixing her hair. He sat back down and muttered, “I’m going to kill him,” under his breath. The ‘him’, of course, was Zeke.

Mrs. Z flipped a control and put the music on the rear speakers so that she and Sylvia could talk quietly. “I take it my son didn’t warn you about Zeke’s date?”

“No.”

“Don’t be too hard on him; he was just trying to help out his brother.”

“What am I supposed to tell Egg?”

“The truth. She’ll understand.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Sure she will. I’m just sorry that she’s not here right now. I prefer her company to . . . umm . . . well anyway, I’m very unhappy she and my son are no longer dating.”

“He was such a jerk.” Then realizing who she was talking to, she said, “Sorry.”

Mrs. Z smiled. “I love him to death; but sometimes he just acts like a thirteen- year-old boy. Which, of course, is what he is.”

Sylvia looked at Mrs. Zambroski and shrugged. There really wasn’t anything to say.

“Anyway, I just wanted to say that I’m so very happy that Zack and you are dating. Truth is, I think you’re both too young to be going steady. But, if it has to be someone, I’m glad it’s you.”

It was a really sweet thing for Mrs. Z to say. But at the moment, Sylvia was more inclined to agree that she was too young for all this boy stuff. However, all she said was, “Thank you.”

“Cheer up . . . everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.” That actually got Sylvia to smile. It was something that the Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl might have said.

*****

The movie was the typical middle-earth type story about witchcraft and fire breathing dragons and an incredibly handsome young hero and an equally breath-taking heroine.

There was the usual fighting and screaming and daring rescues; and the special effects were particularly spectacular.

M’egg-Alynnia and the boys loved it. Sylvia, who was in a foul mood anyway, thought it was boring since she had personally fought battles much tougher than the ones in the story.

When it was over, Zeke said, “Let’s go get a coke or something.”

“I have to get home,” declared Sylvia.

“My mom won’t be here for another hour . . .,” and Zack cringed when he said it.

“Oh, do come along, Sylvia. It will be wonderful to chat about the movie. It did remind me so much of home.”

Sylvia gave the princess a look that said “shut up,” while the boys looked at her with interest.

“Don’t tell me they have dragons back home in England,” said Zeke.

“Or witchcraft and magic,” added his brother.

M’egg-Alynnia gave one of her best royal smiles, “Oh, do not be silly. Of course, there is no magic. At least, not since the Crystal Egg was destroyed.”

“MEGG”.

“Oh, Sylvia. It is just an old wives tale. Surely you do not believe it ever existed?”

Sylvia obviously couldn’t answer . . . so she just glared.

“Of course, you do not,” answered the Princess for her. “But, come, let us find a warm place to sit and I will tell you the story. Then you may decide for yourselves.” The twins were hooked.

Sylvia was livid.

*****

Egg called early the next day. “How was the movie?”

“Okay.”

“Wow, high praise, indeed.”

“Ummm . . . I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

“Promise you won’t get mad?”

“Syl . . . just tell me. Never mind, let me guess. Zeke went with you.”

“Yeah.”

There was a few seconds of silence until Egg asked, “Did he have a date?” With a sinking feeling, she knew what the answer was going to be. Her heart was pounding pretty hard as she waited for Sylvia’s reply.

“Yeah.”

How strange. He wasn’t even her boyfriend anymore; but she was still finding it a little hard to breath. She forced herself to take a deep breath and asked, “Who?”

Sylvia was actually shaking when she answered, “Megg.”

Egg felt like she had been punched in the stomach. “You double dated with her?” and her eyes began to tear.

“Egg . . .”

“How could you do that to me?” and she began to feel nauseous.

“Egg, listen to me . . .”

“I thought you were my best friend?” and she started to cry.

“Egg, I didn’t . . .,” but the rest was cut off.

The phone had gone dead.

Chapter 9 – What Goes Around . . .

M’egg-Alynnia couldn’t have been happier with how her plans were working out . . .

Not only had she caused the break-up of Egg and Zeke . . .

. . . after their double date, Sylvia had ended her relationship with Zack.

. . . and Zack was so mad at his brother that they were no longer speaking.

. . . but best of all, Egg no longer considered Sylvia as a friend.

Now, all that was left to do was to find a way to get Egg and her grandmother angry at each other.

Then, she could leave this dreadful planet and return home to where she belonged.

And resume her rightful place as Princess of Aerianna.

But one thing did bother her . . . This was all too easy. In fact, it could hardly be called a challenge.

And that reinforced her belief that all the adulation given to the Hameggattic Sisterhood . . . and especially to Egg . . . was all seriously misplaced. There was no way that she and Sylvia could have ever done all the things that the history books gave them credit for. Obviously, her mother was using the Sisterhood to deflect attention from herself. She was always too modest.

When she was Queen, M’egg-Alynnia would have the history of the Quest re-written. All the glory rightfully belonged to her mother and her family, and she would eliminate any mention of these two earthlings.

She would also instruct the scientist of Aerianna to terminate the gateway to this planet . . . and to find a way to neutralize the rings that allowed Egg and Sylvia to travel to her world.

*****

It was the most important game of the year . . . the Athenian girls’ volleyball team against their hated rivals — Marathon Middle School. The winner would go to the district finals. The losers . . . would go home.

Since the game was at Athenian, just about everyone from the school was there . . . including Egg and Sylvia. It had been almost two weeks since that fateful double date and the girls had yet to make up. In fact, they hadn’t said a word to each other. Well, that’s not entirely true. Sylvia did try to talk to her friend but she got as far as, “I’m sor . . .,” before Egg turned and walked away.

Sylvia had even tried to talk with Grammy about what had happened. But when she called, Megg had answered the phone . . . so she hung up.

The last time the girls had fought was maybe three years ago. She and Egg were on their way home from seeing a Peter Pan play. Sylvia had made fun of Egg who thought that having the ability to fly would be really neat. Since Sylvia didn’t know at that time that her friend was Flying Girl . . . she poo-poo’d the idea. And that made Egg so mad that she ended their friendship right then and there.

But they had eventually made up . . . with a little help from a mutual friend. Unfortunately, this time felt different. This time the pain was much deeper.

And Sylvia blamed herself. She should have had the courage to turn around and not get into the van that horrible night. But she did get in . . . and now she was without her best friend.

She felt dreadful. It was like a part of her was missing . . . which, in way, it was. Egg was her idol. That girl had changed her life in ways no one in the entire world could ever understand. And they were more than friends, even more than ordinary sisters . . . they were Hameggattic Sisters. They had been to the other side of the galaxy, fought evil, and beat it. They had braved incredible dangers and in the end, they saved a world and all of its people.

Egg had been Flying Girl and she had been her Feminion.

They were the Heroines of Aerianna . . . and best friends.

Then M’egg-Alynnia had purposely and maliciously ended all of that.

But Sylvia wasn’t about to let the Princess have the last laugh.

*****

It was an exciting match. Athenian won the first game; Marathon the second. The scoring in the third game went back and forth. But it was now 20 to 19 in favor of Athenian. They only needed one more point to win the game and the match . . . and to advance to the finals.

Izzy served and number 14 from Marathon did a great job to dig it out. Then number 10 set the ball to number 5 who spiked it over the net.

The not-too-bright Dora handled the ball for Athenian and passed it to Megg. But instead of setting it up for Izzy to spike, M’egg-Alynnia slammed the ball over the net for the game winning point.

And the crowd began to chant “Meg-E; Meg-E; Meg-E.”

But Izzy was livid. By all rights, Megg should have set her up and she would have been the one to win the game. She couldn’t confront the girl with everyone watching; it would have looked bad. So . . . Izzy bided her time.

“Nice one,” she said with feigned sincerity.

Unfortunately, M’egg-Alynnia’s response wasn’t quite what it should have been. “Yes, it was. I do think that the person with the superior skills should take the shot when the opportunity presents itself. Do you not agree?”

“What?”

“I did not set you up because, as the better athlete, it was my responsibility to do what I do best . . . for the team’s sake, of course.”

Izzy used every ounce of self-control to resist from scratching Megg’s eyes out. “Whatever,” and she turned and walked away.

*****

Sylvia had watched the last point with interest. She knew that basic volleyball strategy called for a pass, a set-up and a spike whenever possible. And on that last point, instead of doing what was best for the team, Meggy had decided to take all the glory for herself.

She watched as Izzy and the princess exchanged words, and then the older girl stormed off.

The seeds of an idea began to sprout in her mind. Maybe Grammy was right when she said that sooner or later, M’egg-Alynnia would start to show her true colors. As the idea began to take shape, she began to think that maybe, just maybe, she could help speed up the Princess’s education. So far, Sylvia admitted to herself, it was Megg who was teaching she and Egg how a Royal Pain in the Butt could make life miserable.

However, for her plan to work, she was going to need help. And who better to start with than dear old mom.

And if that went well, she would call Grammy.

But what was she going to do about Egg? Her best friend hated her . . . and not without cause. That might be a problem.

All in all, it was going to be a busy weekend.

*****

It was Thursday, a week after the volleyball game and Megg and Grammy were driving home from school.

“So, did you spend any time with the girls today?”

“Normally, I hardly see either one . . . except during class. And, we never talk. But strangely enough, Sylvia volunteered to be my partner on a science project.”

“I believe you once said that science wasn’t your favorite subject. I’m sure she did it as a courtesy to you . . . or maybe to your mom.”

“Perhaps,” said the Princess not fully understanding how Sylvia could ignore everything she had done to her.

“Should I invite her over tomorrow night so the two of you can work on it?”

“That would be satisfactory. May I suggest that you also invite your granddaughter?” This wasn’t what it seemed; the Princess was just trying to implement the next part of her plan.

“That won’t be possible. I believe you are aware that the girls had a small disagreement.”

“They share nothing of their personal lives with me. With the exception of this science project, they are intent on ignoring me. Since we spend virtually no time together, then my stay on earth serves no purpose. No doubt, my mother would agree. So perhaps you would be so kind as to take me home.” (She, of course, was referring to Aerianna).

Now M’egg-Alynnia knew that wasn’t going to happen. So poor Grammy was going to have to find a way to get Egg to do what she absolutely didn’t want to do . . . talk to her — and to Sylvia. This was going to be such fun.

“You are my guest until school is out in June. But . . . you are correct. Your visit will be wasted if you don’t spend more time with the girls. When we get home, I’ll give them a call.”

“That would be delightful. You are such a gracious host,” said the Princess with a voice that was dripping with sarcasm.

*****

When they got home, Megg excused herself and climbed the stairs towards her bedroom. Grammy watched her go then went into the kitchen to call her granddaughter. It was a call that she had rehearsed in her mind a number of times.

Megg stopped at the top and waited to hear the kitchen door open and close. She then tiptoed downstairs and over to the door so she could eavesdrop on the conversation. She grinned in anticipation.

“Hi, dear one.”

{response from Egg}

“Are you doing anything tomorrow night?”

{response from Egg}

“Egg, sweetheart, I think you and Sylvia need to come over for dinner. You, two, have spent so little time with Megg.”

{response from Egg}

“But, love, you made a promise to the Queen.”

{response from Egg}

“Egg, I know it’s difficult for you. But it is your responsibility.”

{response from Egg}

“Please don’t talk to me that way.”

{response from Egg}

“Egg . . . you’re being childish.”

{response from Egg}

“Egg . . . Egg . . .,” but her granddaughter had hung up.

Grammy stood there staring at the phone. After a moment she replaced the receiver and said, “Oh, dear. Oh, dear.” Egg had never, ever hung up on her before.

M’egg could hardly keep from laughing.

*****

The next day, Grammy picked up both Megg and Sylvia.

“Is not Egg going to join us?” asked the Princess innocently.

“Umm . . . she couldn’t make it,” answered Grammy uncomfortably.

“How very sad.”

Ignoring the insufferable girl, Grammy asked Sylvia, “Do you have what you need for the project?”

“No. Could we go to the crafts store by your house?”

“Of course.”

“Sylvia . . . I was so pleased you volunteered to be my partner. But, in truth, I am surprised. After our double date, I had the distinct impression that you held me responsible for subsequent events.”

“I overreacted. Sorry.”

“Your apology is accepted,” said the Princess graciously (and not just a little obnoxiously).

*****

“Exactly what do you propose to create for the project?”

“A working volcano.”

“And how, may I inquire, do we do that?”

“It’s actually kind of simple. We’ll use the plaster of Paris to make the volcano and mount it on this board. When it dries, we’ll paint it.”

“But does it not need to erupt?”

“Sure. That’s actually pretty easy. Inside the model, we’ll put this soda bottle with the top cut off. Inside the bottle will be water, soap, red food coloring and vinegar. Then we’ll put baking soda in a tissue. When we drop the tissue into the bottle . . . it’ll erupt.”

Though Megg was impressed, she pretended otherwise. “Of course. I thought perhaps you had a way to do it more realistically.”

Sylvia ignored the comment. “Okay, let’s start by preparing the plaster. I suggest you take off your jewelry otherwise it might get damaged.”

“Without my ring, I will not be able to understand you.”

“No big deal. This is what we’re going to do . . .,” and she explained the process. “It’ll only take a few minutes.”

So Sylvia took off her ring . . . and the Princess did the same.

And they prepared the plaster of Paris.

When they finished, Sylvia reached for both rings. She slipped hers on . . . but dropped Megg’s. She bent down and fumbled with it . . . then stood up and gave it to the Princess.

“Sorry.”

Megg examined the ring to make sure it was undamaged. “Do be more careful,” she said huffily.

Sylvia shrugged another apology and they both went back to work to finish the volcano. When it was done, they had dinner to let everything dry.

As they ate, Grammy asked, “Is there a presentation that goes along with the model?”

“Yes,” answered Sylvia. “If it’s okay with you, Megg, I’ll talk about how volcanoes are formed and you can talk about how they erupt.”

“I find the study of science to be of no use to the future Queen of Aerianna. And quite frankly, if I fail this course, it would mean nothing to me.” That actually wasn’t true. The Princess very much wanted to make the dean’s list. “So, if you would be so kind and do the entire presentation, I would be grateful.”

“Well . . . I’m not sure.”

“My mother would take it as a personal favor. She would be eternally grateful.” Evoking Dazzle every chance she got was just another of the Princess’s irritating behaviors.

“I guess I can’t turn down a Queen.”

“Thank you. Shall we go test our model?” She was anxious to see if it really would erupt.

“Is that okay, Grammy?” asked Sylvia.

“Of course. But, let’s put the dishes in the sink first. Then I want to watch.”

Megg pretended she had to go to the bathroom . . . and only finished when Sylvia and Grammy had completed cleaning the table.

They tested the model . . . and it worked perfectly.

*****

They brought the volcano to school and placed it in the classroom. Everyone else had done the same.

Megg looked at all the other projects and smiled. As far as she was concerned, hers was by far the best. She would definitely get an A if Sylvia didn’t mess up the presentation.

The Princess then spent the entire day hounding Sylvia whenever she got the chance. “You are prepared?” she kept asking.

“Yes. For the hundredth time . . . yes.”

“Do not fail me.”

“It’s OUR project.”

“Of course. But do not fail me.”

“Megg . . . take a deep breath and chill.”

*****

“Okay, our next presenters are Sylvia and Megg.”

The girls walked to the front of the room. The Princess was smiling while Sylvia looked incredibly calm. But, if you knew her really, really well . . . you would have noticed a twinkle in her eyes.

“Mr. Starr . . .,” said Sylvia, “we would like to present our working model of a volcano. This one resembles Mount Saint Helen . . . before it erupted, of course. So, the first thing we would like to share with you is how volcanoes are formed. There are actually three ways . . .”

And for the next ten minutes, Sylvia did a wonderful job explaining the three basic ways that the earth formed these pyro-technical wonders.

When she finished, she asked, “Any questions?” There were none.

“Okay, next we would like to explain the different types of eruptions. At the end . . . we’ll see if this (she pointed at her model) will do the same. So, Megg . . . it’s all yours.” And Sylvia stepped back.

Megg looked at Sylvia still smiling . . . until she realized what the girl had just said. Then her eyes went wide and she started to blush.

“Megg . . . don’t be embarrassed. We’re not here to judge you on how you speak . . . only on the thoroughness of your facts,” said Mr. Starr helpfully.

The princess began to panic. She tried to access her crystals . . . but there was no scientific information in them. She turned to Sylvia with a pleading look in her eyes. Sylvia just smiled . . . much like a shark who was about to have dinner.

“I . . . well, I . . . uh . . . I . . . that is to say . . .,” but she had nothing to say.

No one had ever seen the Princess like this.

And, as kids sometimes do, they laughed.

Megg turned lava red then erupted in anger and pushed the volcano off the table. She strode from the room trying her best to maintain her dignity.

Chapter 10 –  . . . Comes Around

Principal Knotworthy explained to Megg that such displays of temper were unacceptable. She tried to argue that it was all Sylvia’s fault, but her arguments fell on deaf ears.  Realizing she needed to cut her losses, she apologized with, “I do believe I was treated unfairly, but I accept the fact that I must abide by your rules.”

By the time she left the office, school was over. So she collected her books then went to find Grammy. She got in the car and slammed the door.

“Oh, my. A bad day, dear?”

“That treacherous little wench . . .”

“Who would that be?”

“Sylvia.”

“Sylvia? What happened?”

“She promised me that she would give the entire presentation. But she lied. I was humiliated.”

“I’m so sorry, dear. But I can’t imagine that Sylvia would do something like that on purpose. Why would anyone mistreat another person for no reason? Surely if the girls have learned anything from being around someone like yourself . . . a person of nobility . . . they would have learned what you obviously have known from birth.”

Megg had no idea what the old woman was talking about. “What have I known since birth?”

“That when a person is in a position of power . . . like being a Princess, or like Sylvia was in your presentation . . . that to abuse that power to hurt another is a sure sign of being unworthy. The mighty should never hurt the meek . . . don’t you agree?”

“You are speaking nonsense.”

“I am? Why?”

“Those in power should always use it to put those less worthy in their place.”

“Oh. So, then Sylvia was right to do what she did? Obviously, she had the power of being prepared and taking the assignment seriously. And, of course, you didn’t.”

M’egg-Alynnia glared at Grammy . . . but said nothing.

*****

The next day in history, Mr. King told the class they were going to play a version of twenty-questions. It was a scheduled event and no one was surprised by the announcement. He broke the class into three teams led by the Princess, Egg and Melody. Everyone wanted to be on Megg’s team because she knew everything there was to know about history. Mr. King put the kids with the worse grades on her team. They could use the extra points they were going to win.

“Whichever team has the highest score will get ten extra points added to their grades. There’s a buzzer attached to a light in front of each of the captains. A wrong answer is minus a point, a right answer is plus a point. So talk it over before you buzz in. Ready? Okay, here we go . . .”

“The war ended with what battle? Megg . . .”

“Bunker Hill.”

“Wrong. Egg . . .”

“York Town.”

“Correct. The first battle of the war was . . .  Megg?”

“The Boston Tea Party.”

“Wrong. Egg . . .”

“The battles of Lexington and Concord.”

“Correct.

And at the end of thirty minutes, Egg had personally answered every question correctly while Megg had answered every question incorrectly. Melody and her team never even buzzed in.

“Congratulations, Eloise. That was an amazing display of knowledge.”

“Thank you. And I apologize to my teammates for hogging all the answers.” But her team just cheered her.

“Megg . . . what happened? Bit of a brain freeze?” That got everyone, but her teammates, to laughing.

“I . . . I . . .,” but she was too stunned and embarrassed to offer an explanation.

“That’s okay,” said Mr. King trying to be supportive. “It happens to the best of us.”

The class ended and Megg walked away dazed. She kept looking at her ring with the crystals but could see nothing wrong. But obviously something wasn’t working correctly. When she got back to Aerianna, she would find the person who made the ring and have them exiled to earth. That would teach them to be so careless.

With her mind so preoccupied, she never heard Angela, Melody and Presley whispering and giggling. They were surprised and a bit disappointed to find that the great and wondrous Princess was not so perfect after all.

Of course, they also mentioned that know-it-all show-off Egg. Apparently, even stupid people could get lucky.

*****

It was the night of the big volleyball championship and Megg was looking forward to the game. She needed an opportunity to reassert her position with her followers. The fiasco in science and in history had spread up and down the student body and she thought some of the kids were actually laughing at her behind her back.

That just frosted her. If she were back on Aerianna, she would have every one of these peasants tossed out of school. They weren’t worthy to be anywhere near her . . . let alone in the same classroom.

“Remember everything that got us here,” said their coach, Miss Payne.

And the girls all answered in unison, “TEAMWORK.” Megg didn’t actually say the word, she just mouthed it.

“Okay . . . relax and play your game. You’re good and we’re going to win.”

“And, don’t forget to set and spike” Izzy reminded everyone while looking at Megg.

The Princess just smiled.

And game one of the three game set began . . .

Athenian won easily; 21 to 15.

The second game was much closer . . .

17 to 17, all tied

18 to 17, Athenian

19 to 17, Athenian

19 to 18, Athenian

And now, Megg thought, it was time to shine. And just like in the previous match, she failed to set to Izzy and instead spiked the ball.

It hit the net and bounced back . . . and the serve went over to the other team.

“Stop doing that,” Izzy hissed.

“Play your game, and I shall play mine” snarled the Princess.

On the next play, Megg did it again. And the results were the same.

19 to 19, all tied.

Not one to give up on her plans, Meggy did it twice more . . .

And Athenian lost 21 to 19.

The team went off to their side for a five-minute water break.

“Okay, guys. We’re still better than they are. Same game plan. However, Jenny . . . I want you to play for Megg. She needs a breather.” Miss Payne was a good coach and her belief in team work was unshakeable. Megg was playing for her own glory and not the teams. That was unacceptable.

“I am fine. I will play this last game.”

“No you won’t. Jenny . . . get in there and play well.”

And the teams took to the court.

And Jenny played well.

And Megg watched from the sidelines.

And the team won the game, the match, and the district title.

And they went nuts . . . jumping and screaming along with their fans.

And in the confusion, Megg slipped away and went home.

*****

After a quiet dinner, Megg excused herself and went up to her bedroom.

Grammy knocked on the door and said “May I come in?”

She was in no mood for whatever this old woman had to say . . . but decided against her better judgment to be polite. “The door is unlocked.”

“I brought you a cup of hot chocolate. It will help calm you.”

Meggy loved hot chocolate. She considered it one of the finest inventions of earth . . . next to cereal. Without thinking, she smiled and said, “Thank you.”

Grammy placed the cup on the nightstand, then sat uninvited on the edge of the bed. “Did you know that you look incredibly beautiful when you smile?”

Megg was surprised by the compliment. “Thank you, again” and like the smile, it was sincere.

“You’ve had a rough time of it at school. Would you like to talk about it?”

Now the woman was stepping over the line. Who ever heard of a commoner asking such personal questions of a Princess? “I have nothing to discuss with you” she replied in her usual churlish way.

“I understand. But before I go, I would like you to consider an earth saying . . . what goes around, comes around.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that what you do to others, will sooner or later be done to you. Now, enjoy your chocolate while it’s still hot. Pleasant dreams.” She stood up . . . then bent down and gave the Princess a kiss on her forehead.

M’egg-Alynnia was too surprised by the act of tenderness to say anything. She just watched the old woman . . . Eloise, she corrected herself . . . leave the room.

Fighting back tears, she did as she was told and drank the hot beverage. Then she turned off the light and went to sleep.

And she dreamt . . .

It was that old dragon, Storm and he was with a young girl.

To her surprise, the girl was her mother.

And the dragon said to the young Dazzle “To be a great Queen takes a weapon of enormous power.”

“Like the Crystal Egg?”

“No . . . not the Crystal Egg.”

“What then?” asked the young girl.

“Kindness. It is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.”

“What of love and loyalty and selflessness?”

The dragon laughed, “Those are also great weapons. Put them all in your arsenal . . . and the world will be yours to command.”

*****

The next day in English, the class was to discuss the book they had been reading . . . the one Egg and Sylvia (as well as everyone else) had written a book report on. That, of course, was Where the Red Fern Grows.

Ms. Pigfurd smiled at the class then called on the Princess. “Would you give us a quick summary of the book, Megg?”

“Of course,” and she stood up. Like any good speaker, she looked into the eyes of all the students before she started to speak. The only one not looking back at her was Sylvia who was pretending to be busy with a piece of jewelry pinned to her blouse.

“Where the Red Fern Grows is a story about a boy and two dogs that he really wants but can’t afford. It’s during the great depression and his ma and pa are as poor as dirt. They can’t afford money for no fool thing like dogs that Billy Coleman just has to have.”

She stopped because her voice sounded strange . . . and because everyone was staring at her.

“That’s very clever, Megg. But just use your own voice.”

“What’ya talking about?” That didn’t sound right either.

Ms. Pigford was trying to be nice. “Please, dear. Just summarize the story without the theatrics.”

“I ain’t talking no different then I usually do.” But now she was sure that she was. It must be those stupid crystals again.

“Okay, Megg. That’s enough. Please sit down.”

Megg slinked back to her desk, desperately trying not to blush.

“What’s with your voice?” whispered Angela.

“Ain’t nothing wrong with my voice.”

“If you say so,” and she turned to Melody on her other side and made a goofy face.

*****

By lunchtime, everyone in the school knew that the Princess was no longer talking like one. In fact, she sounded more like a country bumpkin then royalty from England.

“Do you think it was all just a put-on?” asked Presley.

“I guess,” said Melody as bewildered as everyone.

“To think we’ve been sucking up to her since she got here,” added an indignant Angela.

“They even took her out of the volleyball game 'cause she kept messing up.”

“Yeah. What a loser.”

“Shhhh . . . here she comes.”

“Could I sit with you guys?” and the Princess could only hope that she wasn’t still talking weirdly.

“Umm . . . sorry. All the seats are taken,” replied Angela.

Megg looked at the four empty chairs. “Sure,” and she walked to a table over by the trashcans and sat down by herself.

A little while later, Izzy and her cohorts came by to empty their trays. They looked at Megg then turned away . . . without saying a word. Obviously, she would no longer be part of their eighth grade ‘in’ crowd.

*****

She managed to get through the rest of the day without talking to anyone. When the final bell rang, she ran to her locker, got her books and went to look for Grammy. When she got in the car, she began to cry.

To her surprise and disappointment, Grammy didn’t say a word . . . she just drove home.

When they got into the house, Megg was still crying. And she desperately wanted Grammy to say something encouraging.

“Megg . . .”

“Yes” answered the Princess hopefully.

“I want you to read something.”

That wasn’t what she was hoping to hear. “What?”

“This is Egg’s diary. You can read the whole thing . . . but I really want you to read the pages I marked. Please do that now.”

“I don’t understand?”

“When you finish, come down and we’ll talk. Please.”

So Meggy took the diary and went to her room and read . . .

. . . and she learned of the flying suit and how Egg became Flying Girl.

. . . and how she had discovered the power of the jewelry

. . . and how Dazzle asked her to help her fight Mobius

. . . and how she recruited Sylvia and the other sisters

. . . and how they made it through K’actus Kiln,  the Colorless Wood, Switch Swamp, AyBee Sea, the Crystal Forest, the Maze of Forever and the Never ‘glade.

. . . and how Egg recovered Dazzle’s body

. . .  and how she helped Prince Storm see his old friend (Megg’s mother) before he died.

. . . and how she almost single-handedly beat Mobius

. . . and restored her mother to power.

. . .  and in the end, she willingly gave up being Flying Girl so that everyone on Aerianna could be free.

And M’egg-Alynnia cried. She had read most of this before in her history books. But to have a first-person account . . . to see the struggles as Egg saw them . . . was something entirely different.

Her mother was right . . . Egg and her sisters were the Heroines of Aerianna.

And she was just a spoiled brat . . . a make-believe princess who could never have done what these seven did. And she was so ashamed.

*****

She composed herself and went downstairs and into the kitchen.

And there was Grammy, Egg and Sylvia sitting around the table drinking hot chocolate. She should have been surprised . . . but she wasn’t.

“Would you like a cup, dear?”

The Princess stared from face to face . . . then said, “Please.”

*****

“How did you do it?” Megg asked Egg.

“It was Sylvia’s idea. By the way, did you know that she and I are best friends?”

“Yes. I am sorry I tried to . . . you know . . .”

“It worked. Stupid me blamed Syl when it was never her fault. Or Zeke’s.”

“I am so ashamed about all of that.”

“Why, dear?” asked Grammy.

The old woman . . . umm, she meant the older Eloise . . . never failed to amaze her. It was the perfect question and she repeated it, “Why?”

“Yes, why? What is it that you’ve learned that has changed your attitude?”

Megg took a deep breath and said, “It was the humility of my failures at school, the knowledge I gained from Egg’s diary, the lessons you tried so hard to teach me and some advice I received in a dream.”

“Did you dream about Storm?” asked Egg.

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Lucky guess.”

“So . . . will you tell me how you did it?”

“Syl . . .,” said Egg deferring to her friend.

“I went to see your mom. I told her that things weren’t going very well and I needed help. So she made me a new ring for you . . . one with crystals that didn’t work exactly the way they were supposed to.”

“I knew it was the crystals . . . but how did you . . .,” she stopped and remembered the science project. “When we made the volcano you had me remove my ring. Then when you picked them up, you pretended to drop mine and that is when you made the switch.”

Sylvia beamed, “You’re pretty smart . . . for a princess.”

Megg almost got mad . . . but caught herself. “And so are you. What of my speech . . . which apparently is back to normal.”

“This pin . . .,” and she pointed to a piece of jewelry on her blouse. “When I touch it, it caused the translation crystal to change your voice.”

“Was that your idea or my mother’s?”

“Mine.”

Megg just nodded appreciatively. Then she asked, “So I now understand why my answers were wrong in history . . . but Egg, how did you get them all correct?”

Egg held up her hand to show a ring just like Megg’s.

“Of course. And Eloise, when you called Egg and then she hung up on you . . . that was all staged for my benefit?”

“Yes, dear. Did I do well?”

“I was convinced.”

“Oh, I’m so glad.”

“That leaves just one question . . . Sylvia, how did you and Egg make up?”

“Egg . . .” Sylvia looked to her friend.

“She appeared in my room one night, grabbed my hand and the next thing I knew we were sitting on George Washington’s head. Then before I could say a word, we were in the Tower of London, then the Eiffel Tower and then at Se’rene on Aerianna. It was all the places she and I had been to together.”

“Too many good memories for her to ignore. We hugged and that was that.”

Megg sighed and said, “Someday I can only wish to have a best friend like each of you have.”

“You will,” said Sylvia.

“And we may not be best friends yet . . . but we’re still friends,” added Egg.

And M’egg-Alynnia, the former brat from Aerianna, started to cry again.

Egg and Sylvia got up, walked over to the Princess, and hugged her.

“Thank you . . . for everything,” she managed to say between sobs.

“Just part of the service of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

“And now, sweetheart . . . I think it’s time for you to go home.”

Megg looked at Grammy in surprise, “Why?”

“You have nothing more to learn. Going back to school after all that has happened will only subject you to further embarrassment. Your mother misses you and your people need you. Go home and be what you were always meant to be . . . a Princess.”

“Grammy . . .,” said Meggy without realizing she was using that term of affection, “. . . you are a truly remarkable person.”

*****

Egg took M’egg-Alynnia home to Aerianna.

When they entered the throne room, the Princess ran to her mother, threw her arms around the Queen, and hugged her tightly. “Mother, how I have missed you.”

“And I, you, my daughter.” The Queen looked into her eyes and smiled. “Was your visit to earth successful?’

“If you mean did I outgrow being a royal brat . . . I believe the answer is yes. Do you agree, Egg?”

“I absolutely agree.”

“You are so much like I was at your age, my dearest child. It took my friend Storm and his family to open my eyes to my responsibilities. And, Egg and her family have done the same for you.”

“He came to me in a dream.”

That made Dazzle smile brightly. “He would only do that if he felt that you are worthy to be Queen. I am pleased.” Then she turned to Egg and said, “There is no way for me to express my gratitude, my sister. You and Sylvia and your Grandmother have again performed a great service to my family and my people.”

“Heck, we hardly did anything. You have a terrific daughter . . . she figured it all out for herself.”

“Perhaps. But, I do have a small gift for you . . .” and the Queen looked up and signaled the Imperial Sentinels. They opened the big doors and in slithered none other than Soo’nami.

“Hey, Egg . . . back so soon?”

“Hey, yourself, you giant green goofball,” and she hugged her serpent sister.

“Come on, you’re supposed to leave silly sayings to me.”

“Egg, on behalf of the people of Aerianna, I would present you with a small token of our appreciation. Soo’nami, if you please.”

“Egg-o, I believe this is yours . . .,” and she handed her friend a package.

Egg opened it and almost fell on the floor. It was her flying suit.

“Oh my gosh . . . does it work?”

“Of course it works. Me and Tink’rrr (K’ssss’ dad) have been working on for years.”

“Egg . . .,” said the Queen, “. . . you are once again Flying Girl.”

Egg stared at the suit and tried to say something . . . but her mouth wouldn’t work. She wiped at her eyes, which were beginning to tear.

“Mother, I do believe you have rendered our friend speechless.”

And still Egg couldn’t speak . . . she just held the suit very close to her chest. She had given up being Flying Girl in order to bring back Dazzle. It was a sacrifice she made willingly. But to have it restored to her gave her joy beyond imagining.

“Egg, my sister . . . there is no one in the universe that deserves the suit more than you. You are the most extraordinary person I have ever met.”

“And that goes for me also. I wish I, too, could give you and Sylvia and Grammy a gift.”

Egg finally found her voice, “.  .  . friendship is the only gift we need.”

“And you will always have that,” and Dazzle squeezed her daughter’s hand in approval.

Soo’ listened to this exchange between Egg and the Mega-brat and almost fell over backwards. She couldn’t wait till to tell the others.

“Dazzle . . . thank you,” and she hugged her friend who returned the embrace just as fiercely.

But before they could say another word, a minister ran into the room unannounced. “I am sorry to intrude, my Queen.”

“What troubles you, minister?”

“Lord Z’kkk and his party . . . they have encountered a . . . umm . . . a problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

“We just received a message from them. It reads, “We are under attack and our survival is at risk. Do not send help . . . the danger is far too great.”

“Where are they?” asked M’egg-Alynnia who had gone white.

“On the planet Zynn-Zaz’zia. Lord Z’kkk led a delegation of cultural and scientific representatives . . . including Princess Ss’ong, Prince Soar’elle and Eloise’s sister, Sassi. We thought we had been invited. Apparently it was a trick.”

“Summon volunteers . . .,” commanded the Queen. “I will dispatch an army to affect their release.”

“Your Majesty . . .,” interrupted the Minister. “I strongly advise against that.”

“Why?”

“Invading a sovereign world is tantamount to declaring war. We do not know who is responsible for this outrage. Until we have more information, we might be making an enemy of a potential ally.”

Rose’Alynnia weighed that advice and reluctantly agreed.

Into the ensuing silence, Egg asked the Queen “What can I do?”

The Queen looked at Egg. The Sisterhood would be the ideal solution to this diplomatic problem but could she ask them to once again risk their lives. She mentally struggled with her decision and reluctantly decided, “I cannot ask you for help. You have done too much for my family already.”

“Dazzle . . . there’s no way I’m not going to help Sassi.”

Again, the Queen went silent as she considered her answer. “You cannot go alone.”

“Speaking for the rest of the Sisterhood, your Majesty . . .,” said Soo, “she won’t be.”

Egg smiled at her serpent sister. Then she turned to the Queen, “And Sylvia will go. That makes six of us.”

“Mother . . . unless Egg and her sisters refuse, I too will go.”

Everyone turned to stare at the Princess.

“I will not allow it.”

Without thinking, Egg said “Dazzle . . . I think she should go.”

“Why?”

“I just have a feeling.” Egg was famous for her intuition. It inevitably turned out to be correct. “Besides, the Hameggattic Sisterhood needs seven sisters . . . it’s a tradition.”

Without hesitation, Dazzle said, “Then she may go.”

“Great. Soo’ . . . can you get the others while I go back and get Sylvia.”

“Sure.”

Just then, a page ran in and handed the minister a note. “Your Majesty . . . I have received a message from Lord Z’kkk.”

“Read it.”

The minister cleared his throat and read, “. . . we have surrendered.” He looked up and said, “I am sorry. We lost the transmission at that point.”

Dazzle fought to calm her emotions and to hold back her tears . . . to cry at a time like this was something a Queen could not do. She looked at her daughter then turned to Egg. “I cannot bear to lose him again (she was referring to her husband Z’kkk whom she had lost for a thousand years because of the evil Mobius). Save them, my sister. Please.”

Book 2

BreeZee

Book 2 of Zynn-Zaz’zia

An Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel

© Copyright, 2014, by Robert Iannone,

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Make a Mother Proud

Chapter 2 – Trees and Dreams

Chapter 3 – Getting to Know You

Chapter 4 – Zynnia

Chapter 5 – Gone with the Wind

Chapter 6 – Now and Then

Chapter 7 – The Nauti Get Naughty

Chapter 8 – Zazzi, the Caretaker

Chapter 9 – OH NO MO

Chapter 1 – Make a Mother Proud

“Majesty.”

“Yes, minister?”

“You must not send the Sisterhood . . . it is far too dangerous.”

“Would you have me do nothing?” Rose’Alynnia asked with forced calm.

“It can’t be any more dangerous than facing Mobius or crossing the seven lands,” interjected Egg angrily.

The minister glanced at the young girl then turned his attention back to the Queen. “I am sorry, your Highness. Forgive me. What I meant to say is that they should be properly briefed and adequately prepared before they venture into an unknown and obviously dangerous situation.”

“Thank you. That is sage advice.”

“And, perhaps our scientist can give them a measure of protection if not an outright advantage over the enemy. The Flying Suit was just one of the many projects they have been working on.” (Egg’s flying suit had been powered by Dazzle’s spirit. When she had the Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl restore that spirit to the Queen’s body, the suit had ceased to function. Aerianna scientists had worked for years to find an alternate power source. They succeeded and the suit was just recently returned to Egg).

“Another excellent suggestion, Minister.”  The Queen turned to her earthly sister, “Egg, we do not know what you will face. But taking the time to prepare you for your rescue mission will minimize the danger and increase your chances of success.”

“But, Mother . . . the longer we wait, the more danger my father will face.” The fact that M’egg-Alynnia made her argument without her usual theatrics was a testimony to how well Egg and Sylvia (and of course Grammy) had influenced the young Princess during her short stay on Earth.

“No, my daughter. He has already been captured. If he is still alive . . .,” she hesitated for just a heartbeat, “. . . then a brief delay should pose no additional risk.”

“So what do you want us to do now?” asked Egg.

Dazzle didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she stood up and walked over to an impressively large portrait of her husband that had been painted just the year before.

‘How handsome, he is,’ she thought to herself as she gazed at his face. Everyone respected her need for quiet except for the gigantic clock mounted high overhead. It rudely insisted on ticking away each precious second . . .

. . . with overly loud mechanical clicks that echoed throughout the otherwise silent great hall.

The Queen finally made her decision. She turned to Egg and said, “Sister, I know that you cannot simply leave earth for a week or two without the assistance of Eloise (she was referring to Egg’s grandmother who was the only one that knew of Egg’s exploits on Aerianna). So first and foremost you and she must make those arrangements.”

“Next week is spring break. It’ll be perfect.”

“I am unfamiliar with that expression.”

“It is an interval halfway through a school term in which no classes are held,” answered the Princess.

Dazzle smiled as she remembered where her daughter had been for the last few months. After suffering with M’egg-Alynnia’s uncontrollable selfish and self-centered behavior for years, she had enlisted the help of Egg, Sylvia and Grammy and sent the girl kicking and screaming to earth to learn a little humility.

In fact, the Princess had just returned only to be greeted by the news of her father’s troubles.

“We have yet to discuss your brief stay on earth. Will you join me for dinner tonight so I may hear of your visit?”

The old M’egg-Alynnia would have responded with some rude comment to this invitation. But, the new and improved Princess was able to look beyond herself and see how much her mother was suffering with this crisis. As importantly, she was embarrassingly aware of how everyone on Aerianna thought of her – conceited, ill mannered, and woefully undeserving to be the next Queen.

“Mother, I would love to have dinner with you. But, with your permission, I would also like to invite the Sisterhood. It is not enough for Egg to accept my help. I believe all of the sisters should be allowed to judge for themselves whether I am worthy to join them.”

Dazzle stared at her daughter in wide-eyed astonishment.

Soo’ stared at the Princess with open-mouth disbelief.

The minister tried very hard not to stare in shock.

Egg just smiled.

*****

Egg used her ring and popped back to earth to tell Grammy what was going on and to fetch Sylvia. By the time they got back to Aerianna, Soo’ was just arriving with the rest of the Sisterhood.

After the usual happy hugs and heartfelt hellos, Aeri’elle asked, “Egg, what’s going on? All Soo’ would tell us was that there’s some kind of trouble and the Queen asked for our help.”

Neither Aeri’elle nor K’ssss knew what fate had befallen their fathers . . . or Sassi for that matter. Dazzle wanted to be the one to tell them and had instructed Soo’ not to say anything other than what she did.

But before Egg had to make up an answer, M’egg-Alynnia opened the door and walked into the room. The two serpents and two dragons bowed low. “Wonderful . . . you are all here. Please come in.”

Surprised by the unexpected sight of the Princess, Bl’azzz stole a look at Aeri’elle who looked at Soo’, who refused to meet her glance.

“Please . . .,” said M’egg-Alynnia, and she stepped back so the others could enter the room in front of her. K’ssss looked panic stricken at the thought . . . and simply froze. Only Soo’ who knew of the apparent changes in the Princess had the courage to do as she was asked. The other three Aeriannians had no choice but to follow her lead.

“Welcome, Sisters.”

At the sight of the Queen, the girls bowed again than stood and smiled. Rose was loved by all of Aerianna . . . but she had a truly special bond with the Hameggattic Sisters.

“I believe you all know my daughter . . .,” and she pointed to the Princess. The two dragons mumbled something unintelligible while K’ssss sort of whimpered.

Without thinking, M’egg-Alynnia’s first impulse was to explode in anger. But as the words reached her lips . . . she realized what she was about to do and blushed in embarrassment. Only her mother noticed . . . and her eyes beamed with pride.

“Please, everyone, make yourselves comfortable and I will explain why we are all here.”

The room they were in was designed to accommodate all three races. There were little wading pools for serpents to sit in, branch-like perches for dragons and large cushy chairs for humans. In fact, these were so large that Egg and Sylvia sat together in one.

When everyone was settled, the Queen began to explain the situation. “Bl’azzz, you are the only one here who may not know of the delegation I sent to the planet Zynn-Zaz’zia. It was led by Lord Z’kkk. With him were Princess Ss’ong, Prince Soar’elle, Tink’rrr and your sister Sassi.” She paused to let the F’yre Dragon absorb the information.

“Actually, I did, your Majesty. Sassi asked the four of us to keep an eye on her daughter while she was gone.” She and the other three sisters from Aerianna were Life Guardians to the baby Kiss’immee. It was like being a godmother back on earth.

“Of course; I should have known. How is the child?”

“She’s beautiful like her mother.”

“I’m sure she is.” Dazzle took a deep breath. With all that was going on, she had completely forgotten that Sassi was married and had a daughter. That just made a bad situation even worse. “My sisters, there is no easy way to say this. We have received word that Lord Z’kkk and his party have been taken prisoners by an unknown enemy.”

“Oh, no,” cried Aeri’elle.

“Oh, not Sassi . . .,” wailed Bl’azzz.

“Oh my goshes,” moaned K’ssss.

“I must tell you that we do not know their condition since they were taken captive. But we have no reason to believe that they have been harmed.”

Neither K’ssss nor Aeri’elle reacted to this statement . . . the dragon because she was too proud to show any emotions in front of the Queen, and the silly serpent because she really didn’t understand how dangerous the situation actually was.

“What can we do, your Majesty?” asked Aeri’elle.

“Egg has volunteered to go to Zynn-Zaz’zia. I am hoping that you will join her.”

“Of course, I’ll go.”

“Count me in,” added Bl’azzz.

K’ssss had long since proven how brave and fearless she was. So it was no surprise when she said, “I have to help my dad and Sassi.”

“That is wonderful. But I should tell you that if Egg did not insist, I would not have asked the Sisterhood for help. You have already done more for me and this planet than anyone had a right to ask.”

“With respect, Majesty . . . this time we do it for selfish reasons. It is your husband, our fathers and dear Sassi. Whoever has taken them best be prepared to face six very angry young women.”

“Seven.” Everyone turned to look at M’egg-Alynnia. “It is also my father who is held hostage.”

Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz both stared at the girl as if she had gone insane.

But it was K’ssss who spoke up . . ., “H’sssss. You can’t go. You’re not a Hammygatic Sister. You’re just a princess.” The other three Aeriannian sisters cringed at those words. They assumed Her Royal Nastiness would go ballistic . . . but they were wrong.

M’egg-Alynnia didn’t really know K’ssss very well. In fact, she had hardly ever spoken to any of the Sisters. But she had heard that the serpent was very brave but also . . . ummm . . . intellectually challenged. “K’ssss, I would like your permission to go on this rescue mission. Like you, I cannot sit home while my father is in danger. Can you understand that?”

Well, that was good enough for a simple sea serpent . . ., “Okay.”

However, Aeri’elle was in no mood to put up with M’egg-Alynnia’s nonsense. “Princess, you might very well be the next Queen of Aerianna but, like K’ssss said, you are not a Hameggattic Sister. You will only get in the way. I’m sorry but taking you is simply out of the question.”

With these harsh words, the room grew very, very quiet.

Now, at this point, you might have thought that the Queen would say something in defense of her daughter. But she purposely did not. It was up to M’egg-Alynnia to convince the sisterhood that she was worthy to join them on this rescue. So Dazzle (to the Hameggattic Sisters, Rose’Alynnia would always be Dazzle) just sat back and watched.

“Aeri’elle . . .,” said Egg trying to defuse the situation. But M’egg-Alynnia cut her off.

“Please, Egg,” she said as she touched the girl on her arm (a gesture that surprised the others). “I would like to respond to your sister.”

“Ummm . . . sure.”

“We can certainly agree on two of your three points, Aeri’elle. I do not belong to your sisterhood and I will be the next Queen of Aerianna. However, I pray that it will be many, many years before that comes to pass (and she gave her mother a quick smile). As for getting in the way, as you described it, I beg to differ. I have not faced any of the life-threatening dangers such that you and the others have. But I have faced danger. Foolishly, I might add . . . and against my mother’s wishes. Nonetheless . . . I am athletic, skilled at many things and I most certainly would never shy away from a challenge.”

“Oh, please. Do you think your childish games could possibly prepare you for whatever awaits us out there?”

“Aeri’elle . . . she’s still the Princess,” said Bl’azzz in an effort to keep her sister from being beheaded . . . or worse.

“Isn’t that what all of this comes down to in the end? She’s royalty and she can do whatever she pleases.” That comment was made to Bl’azzz. Aeri’elle then turned back to M’egg-Alynnia and said, “You have no business coming along on this mission . . . but I assume I can’t stop you.”

Everyone tensed as they waited for the other girl’s reply.

“Aeri’elle . . . you did not think my mother should have put Egg in charge of the Quest. Were you wrong then?” M’egg had read that in Egg’s diary.

If dragons could blush, Aeri’elle would have. Instead, she stood up taller and said, “I was wrong.”

“Is there any chance you could be wrong about me?”

The dragon stared at the Princess before answering. “Perhaps. But I don’t think so.”

“If I told you that Egg thinks I should go, would that change your mind?”

Aeri’elle hadn’t expected that. “Egg . . . is that true?”

“Yes, and I’ll tell you why in a minute. But first I want to ask you and the others a question.”

“Okay.”

“The real reason you don’t want her to go is because you think she’s just a conceited spoiled brat? Am I right?” Bl’azzz and Aeri’elle looked like they wanted to run away rather than answer that question. Soo’ just stared at the ground. However, leave it to K’ssss to be honest.

“She’s really mean.”

“Okay, just shoot me now,” said the F’yre Dragon thinking that they were all about to die at the hands of a crazed princess.

“Oh, K’ssss. I am sorry that I was mean — to you and to everyone else. But that was the old me; you can thank these two (she pointed at the two earthlings) for opening my eyes to what a truly horrible person I had become.”

K’ssss didn’t quite understand what she had just heard. “Are you only mean when your eyes are closed?”

“Excuse me?”

“Egg and Sylvia opened your eyes and now you’re nice. So when you close your eyes do you become mean again?”

“Oh, you are one dumb ditzy denizen . . .,” teased Soo’.

“Thank you.” And as K’ssss was wont to do . . . she made everyone laugh despite themselves.

“You are a very unique individual K’ssss. I can see why the others are so fond of you.”

“H’sssss.”

“Now what?” asked the other serpent.

“I think she said something nice.”

Aeri’elle brought the conversation back to the matter at hand. “Egg, are you suggesting that in the short time the Princess was on earth, you and Sylvia were able to . . . to . . .,” but she didn’t know how to finish the sentence without saying something rude.

“Let me tell you what happened. First of all, she’s good. Really good. It took her about four hours to take control of my class. At the end of one week, she owned the whole school . . . including the teachers. She learned to play an earth game called volleyball in about thirty minutes . . . and became the star player. And when she set her sights to get even with me and Sylvia . . . she was incredible. Mean doesn’t do her justice; she was awesomely evil. If Mobius had her on his side, there’s no way we would have won.”

M’egg-Alynnia smiled at the characterization of what had transpired . . . it made her proud to know that Flying Girl thought so highly of her.

“So why is she different now?”

“Ummm . . . suffice it to say that my Feminion came up with an awesome plan and it worked.” Sylvia smiled and nodded in agreement.

M’egg explained. “You would have been proud. These two completely and totally humiliated me in front of the entire school. I had never experienced anything so humbling in my life. Then, when I was feeling sorry for myself, Grammy Eloise made me read Egg’s diary. That is when I truly understood what heroes all of you were. I also realized that I was just a make-believe princess. I had done nothing to earn the right to rule this world.”

The girls tried not to smile at the image of the high and mighty M’egg-Alynnia brought low by their two sisters . . . but failed. However, they were also more than a little touched, and very much surprised, by her confession. She certainly sounded like a different person.

Then Egg added the magical words, “Besides . . . I just have a feeling that she should go.”

“Geez . . . why didn’t you just say so in the first place?” groaned Bl’azzz. That was all they needed to be convinced. The girls had learned that you simply never went against Egg’s feelings or dreams. Never.

“M’egg, you need to agree to two things,” said Sylvia. “First, Egg’s in charge. Second, other than that, we’re all equals . . . at least until we get back. Okay?”

“I understand.”

“Who’s M’egg?” asked a confused K’ssss.

“That was my earth name. I would be very pleased if you called me that also.”

“Okay . . . but only when your eyes are opened.”

Soo’ cringed. “You make my head spin, you nutty nincompoop.”

They all giggled at this exchange . . . but it was soon replaced by an awkward silence.

Dazzle, who had watched all of this without interfering, was bursting with pride at how her daughter had handled herself and how the sisterhood had accepted her. But it was still obvious that Aeri’elle had been persuaded more by Egg’s feeling than by M’egg-Alynnia’s arguments. But that could be easily fixed.

“Daughter, tell Aeri’elle of your dream.”

“My dream?” she asked not understanding what her mother was referring to. Then it came to her . . ., “Oh, you refer to Prince Storm.” She turned to look at his great granddaughter. “After the lessons I learned on earth, I dreamt of the Prince. He congratulated me on my new awareness and he asked if he could visit with me more often. I was honored.”

If Aeri’elle had any lingering doubts, those words put them to rest. If Storm approved, then the Princess must really and truly have changed for the better. Her trust in the judgment of her great grandfather was absolute.

“I have one condition,” and everyone turned to look at the dragon. “If you are to come with us, you must agree to become a Hameggattic Sister.”

M’egg-Alynnia smiled from ear to ear and ran over and threw her arms around Aeri’elle. The other five joined in and they shared a group hug.

Heck, it wasn’t every day that the sisterhood got a new member.

And it wasn’t every day you got to hug a real live princess.

Chapter 2 - Trees and Dreams

“Why are you bringing that outfit, dear?”

Egg was dressed in her flying suit . . . something she hadn’t done in over two years. “Now that I’m Flying Girl again (those words brought a smile to Grammy’s face), I thought M’egg would like to wear it.”

“That is very thoughtful of you. I’m sure she’ll love it.”

What they were talking about was the outfit that Dazzle had given Egg when the girl gave up the flying suit. It was also the one the young Princess had worn the night she became engaged to Prince Z’kkk.

“Grammy, thank you again.”

“For what, love?”

“For covering for Syl and me while we’re away.”

“Don’t be silly. I always wanted to take a sea voyage.” Grammy had received permission to take the girls on a cruise ship during spring break. Of course, she would be going alone, while the girls went about their rescue mission.

“Still . . . without you, I don’t know what I’d do.” She looked at her grandmother and noticed that her hair was getting a bit grey. Next month would be her sixty-fifth birthday . . . and for the first time Egg became aware that her grandmother was beginning to get along in years. She threw her arms around the older woman and hugged her tightly. “Grammy . . . I love you.”

“And I love you too. I can’t possibly tell you how much joy you’ve brought me since the day you were born. You are an amazing young woman.”

That was true in more ways than one. Egg had reached the age where a young girl’s body begins to take on the first hints of the woman she will become.  “Grammy, no matter how old I get, I’ll always be your little girl.”

They held their embrace for a good minute. It would have gone on longer, but Sylvia was waiting to be picked up . . . and there were a bunch of people that needed saving.

*****

The seven sisters were with the Queen in her antechamber waiting for the Minister of Science. That was the person who was in charge of all scientists as well as the Explorer Force, which controlled the space portal and the exploration of promising new planets.

While they waited, the conversation was chatty and light . . . their way to ward off the nervousness they all felt about the upcoming rescue mission.

“Either I’ve seen that outfit before or every royal brat gets the same cool costume,” said Bl’azzz purposely testing the Princess with her sarcasm.

“It was my mother’s. I cannot thank you enough, Egg. And thank you for letting me use a copy of your flying belt . . . the Sword and the Rose should be my family’s new crest” (it was the symbols Rose’Alynnia wore when she became a Knight Guardian in the Order of the Crystal Egg - a rose for her name, and a sword that she had named Dazzle).

“Now that I have my flying suit back, I thought you should have it.”

“H’sssss.”

“What now, you lovable, laughing leviathan?”

“I think we should have a Hammygattic uniform. Maybe all of you could wear a scarf like mine.” It was the green scarf that Sassi had given her during the Quest.

“Hey, K’ssss, I like that idea. What do you say Egg?” asked Sylvia.

“Let’s put it to a vote. I say yes.”

“I’m in,” said Bl’azzz.

“What the heck,” added Soo’.

“Oh . . . alright,” answered Aeri’elle who was less than thrilled with wearing clothes. It was something dragons and sea serpents never did.

“Then it’s unanimous,” added M’egg. “I will ask the royal seamstress to make them tonight.”

As the girls continued to talk about the scarves and human clothes in general, the Queen walked up to Egg and asked, “May I have a word with you.”

“Sure,” and the two walked to the other side of the room.

“Sister . . . there are many things I need to say, so please bear with me. First and foremost, thank you again for volunteering. But I do hope you understand that this can be as dangerous, if not more so, than the Quest.”

“I think we all know that.”

“Dear Egg, I say this with all due respect . . . do not let your success against Mobius give you a false sense of invincibility. I look at you and your sisters at this very moment and sense mostly confidence. None of you believes that this mission can fail. And that worries me.”

“Are you saying we should be scared?”

“I am suggesting that over-confidence can cloud one’s judgment. Do not allow that to happen to you or the others.”

“I think I understand.”

“Good. Now as to my daughter . . . M’egg-Alynnia is to be treated as you would treat the others. No more, no less.”

“I know.”

“Whatever threats you would face . . . so should she.”

“Okay.”

“However, do not let her do anything that you yourself would not do. She loves a challenge. And if it is dangerous, so much the better.”

“I’ll keep her from doing anything stupid.”

“Thank you.” The Queen grew quiet for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. “If it is not possible to save my husband and the others . . . so be it. Do not take unnecessary risks. Losing any of the sisterhood would make a tragic situation even more unbearable. You must give me your solemn promise.”

“Dazzle, I promise.”

“Allow me to give you one last piece of advice.  Sometimes it is the wiser course of action to admit that you cannot succeed and to walk away. As long as you are alive and free, then victory is still possible.”

Egg thought about those words then realized that Dazzled had once done just that. “Like when you gave up your fight with Mobius and put your spirit into the flying suit.”

The Queen smiled warmly. “Yes, my sister. That is exactly correct.”  And she rewarded her young friend with a hug.

They walked back to the join the others. As they stood there, the Queen looked at the seven girls and said, “I believe K’ssss was correct in suggesting everyone should wear a scarf. It is a tribute to Sassi and a symbol of your devotion to each other. With your permission, I will have the badge of the Sisterhood embroidered into each one.”

“What badge is that, Mother?”

“The girls carry a communications crystal in a piece of jewelry designed by Sassi . . .”

Egg showed hers to Megg.

“It is very clever. Should I not have one also?”

“Yes,” said the Queen. “The Minister will bring it with her when she arrives shortly.” And as if on cue, the guards announced the woman’s arrival.

*****

They gathered around a large table and listened to the Minister’s review of the planet Zynn-Zaz’zia and its people. It was both exciting and dull. The excitement came from the description of the strange inhabitants they were going to meet. The boring came from all the tedious details they were given about the planet.

But their lives and the lives of the others depended on them knowing as much as they could . . . so they did their best to give the minister their full attention.

“We discovered one advanced race on the planet but they appear to have split into two distinct groups. They are human in appearance but have large wings that allow them to soar like gliders . . .”

That was greeted with a bunch of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhhs’.

The minister tried unsuccessfully not to smile at the girls. When they quieted down, she continued, “We have been unable to discern any noticeable difference between the two groups other than their names. One group calls themselves the Wind’dancers and the other calls themselves the Nauti, which is spelled N-A-U-T-I and not N-A-U-G-H-T-Y. I am sorry to say we have very little additional information about these two subcultures.

The only other fact that we have been able to learn is that they use a species of a gigantic tree for their habitats. Some of these trees have large crystalline like structures that sit at the very top. We don’t know their function.”

“So these flying people live in nests like birds?” asked Bl’azzz.

“No. The trunk above the top of the branches is hollow. They live inside.”

“That is unusual,” said Aeri’elle.

“More than unusual . . . it is unique. These trees apparently are very important to them – probably critical to their continuing survival.  All in all, it may very well be that they did not evolve naturally.”

“What are you suggesting?” asked the Princess.

“That perhaps there is an unknown force at work on this planet.”

“Maybe the trees also offer protection from some form of animal or insect,” offered the college-educated Aeri’elle.

“That is a very interesting theory. Living in a tree could help to keep out carnivores, snakes and, if I may be less than scientific, other creepy crawly critters.” The minister was just teasing the girls and it worked.

“SNAKES?” cried K’ssss.

“Great. Just great. Can’t anyone live in a normal house with dogs and cats and canaries?” This was from Sylvia who just absolutely hated spiders and anything else that could creep, crawl or slither (except sea serpents).

“What’s a canary?” asked Soo’.

“I could do without cats,” added Bl’azzz remembering the ever-obnoxious J’azzz-min.

“I do wish we had dogs on Aerianna,” commented Megg.

“What’s a dog?” asked someone.

“I once had a pet eel . . . but I accidentally ate it. My mom was really mad.” Yeah, that was K’ssss.

“Enough,” interrupted the Queen. “Please . . . pay attention to the Minister.”

All seven girls mumbled an apology.

Egg took the lead to get everyone refocused on the issue at hand. “Okay . . . let me make sure I understand. There are flying people on this planet. Some of them are called Wind’dancers and the other are called the Nauti. But we don’t know if they’re different in any way. Both kind live in weird trees.”

“Correct.” replied the minister. “There are also sea serpents but they appear to be semi-sentient.”

“Which means what?”

“They are not yet self- aware,” answered Aeri’elle.

“Still don’t get it?” The other girls nodded their agreement.

“If I may,” said the Minister. “They may have intelligence . . . but not necessarily the ability to reason.” The girls still looked befuddled so the Minister tried to simplify the concept. “If you were to tell them to go to school, they could probably find the building but they could never be taught concepts like math or science.”

“Ha,” said Sylvia with a grin, “sounds a lot like Egg” and despite the Queen’s admonition, the girls broke into laughter. Even Rose’Alynnia was forced to smile.

When the merriment died down, Soo’ said, “So far neither the bird people nor the not-so-clever fish folk sound dangerous.”

“I am afraid you are correct.”

“Please explain,” asked the Princess.

“Our scouting party found that neither the Wind’dancers nor Nauti were particularly warlike or aggressive. So we feel reasonably sure that neither of them kidnapped our people.

“So would the Wind’dancers and Nauties help us?” asked Sylvia.

“Excellent question. Unfortunately I cannot answer it.”

Then M’egg-Alynnia asked the most relevant question “So who did my father and his delegation go visit? Who invited them?”

“One of our scouting party was separated from the rest. When he returned a few days later, he bore a note from an individual who calls himself Sui’bom, the Supreme. The scout described him as an impressive individual and the obvious leader of the Nauti. We pressed for more details but for some reason our man was unable to recall anything else of significance.”

“But if they are not war-like, why would they take my father prisoner?”

“We do not know for sure. It may be that this a faction within the larger tribe that is trying to gain power over the others. Perhaps they are using our people to achieve their own personal goals.”

The girls all looked at the minister then at each other. Nothing was said for perhaps fifteen or twenty seconds until Dazzle broke the silence. “Sisters,” said the Queen, “your first destination on Zynn-Zaz’zia will be an island that is centrally located to the population centers but seems uninhabited. It will give you the opportunity to establish a base camp and to perform your own reconnaissance.”

“But before you go . . .,” added the Minister, “our scientists have developed a few interesting gizmos and gadgets that might help you. So, please . . . if I could have your attention once again?”

*****

After the presentation, Dazzle held a farewell dinner for the Sisterhood. At M’egg-Alynnia’s suggestion, only earth food was served. The dragons and serpents had the same reaction to the odd-looking fare.

“What is that?”

“And that?”

“And that?”

“Yuk.”

The Princess cleared her throat to get her sisters’ attention. When they looked at her, she used her eyes to indicate that her mother was right there.

Aeri’elle was first to apologize, “Oops, sorry, Your Majesty.”

Dazzle laughed at their reaction. “You are one of the bravest women I know. Yet the sight of such food causes you to quake with fear.”

“But . . . but . . . it looks awful,” said Bl’azzz pointing at one of the dishes. “It looks like an infected wound on the back of a featherless Flit’grable (that was a type of flying creature found in the highest mountains).

“Oh . . . that’s gross,” said Egg.

“It is actually quite delicious,” said the Princess taking a slice of the pizza. “It is very much like Eye-Pye (dragon’s version of pizza). See these round red objects . . . that is called pepperoni. And these red flakes are called red pepper. They make the taste very, very zesty. Try it Bl’azzz. I promise you will enjoy it.”

The F’yre Dragon loved her food hot and spicy . . . so she reluctantly took a bite. Everyone watched her closely to see how she would react.

“WELL . . .,” said Soo’ impatiently.

“Is she going to die?” asked K’ssss.

“Maybe.”

Bl’azzz ate the entire slice before passing judgment. “Not bad. Could be a little hotter . . . but otherwise it’s pretty tasty.”

“Liar,” teased Aeri’elle. But since the other dragon had been brave enough to try something, she figured she might as well too. “What is that thing?”

“It’s called a hot dog,” answered Sylvia.

“Didn’t you say dogs were pets? Are you people barbarians?”

And so it went for the next hour . . . the dragons and serpents making fun of every dish; but in the end, they found something to like.

Soo’ loved the fish sticks.

Aeri’elle couldn’t get enough of the french fries.

Bl’azzz ate the whole pizza.

And K’ssss . . . well, she ended up mixing the sauerkraut with pickles and mustard and ate the whole goopy mess. When they asked her why, she said the sauerkraut looked like kelp, the pickles like sea cucumbers and the mustard like pureed eel. She had three helpings.

*****

After dinner all the girls headed for their own rooms; only Egg and Sylvia would be bunking together.

“I will show you to your room,” the Queen told the girls.

“Mother, I can do that.”

“Thank you, Daughter, but I wish to speak to Egg. Have a good night,” and she kissed the Princess. They stood there waiting for M’egg to disappear down the hall before Dazzle asked, “Have you formulated a plan?”

“No, not really. Obviously, we’ll go check out the island first as you suggested. Then I guess we’ll just play it by ear.”

“I do not need to tell you that it would be wise if you were to dream about this.” Dazzle had taught her friend to open her mind when she dreamt because it allowed the universe to talk to her. And those dreams had been the key to the Sisterhood’s success in their Quest against Mobius.

“I’ve been trying. But I usually get my best dreams when I’m here . . . on Aerianna.”

“Then, I will wish you both a very good night.” With that, the Queen opened the door to their bedroom, hugged each girl then walked away.

*****

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“About the mission, silly.”

They were sitting on the bed getting ready to turn in for the night. Egg looked at her friend and said “You first.”

“Well, we’re older and more mature. We have already faced monsters and evil villains and won. This time we’ve got some cool gizmos from the scientists. So, I guess I’d say I’m feeling pretty good about our chances.”

“Dazzle said just because we beat Mobius, we shouldn’t be over-confident.”

“Really?” answered Sylvia somewhat disappointed in the Queen’s words. “What else did she say?”

“That if we can’t save them, we shouldn’t risk our lives for no reason. It’s better to be alive and free . . . then we can always go back and try again.”

That advice was like the proverbial wet blanket . . . Sylvia’s upbeat mood turned very sour, very quickly. “Geez . . . now I’m worried.”

“Yeah, me too.”

They sat there, each lost in her own thoughts. Finally, Egg said, “Let’s get some sleep.”

“Sure. Sweet dreams.”

“I hope so.”

*****

“Syl . . . wake up.”

The other girl yawned deeply, rubbed her eyes and sat up. “Morning”.

“Syl . . . I had a dream about the Myst Tree!”

“Really? What did it tell you?”

Egg described her dream then they both got dressed and went to find the others. It took an agonizingly long thirty minutes to get everyone assembled. Dazzle was the last to enter.

“What is the trouble, my sisters?”

“I had a dream . . . about the Tree.”

As they all knew, the Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl was actually a representative of the Old Ones, the alien race that created Aerianna. The Tree could communicate by means of telepathy. It also controlled enormous power.

Then the Princess stunned everyone when she said, “I did also.”

“What?” squawked Bl’azzz?

“Oh my gosh.”

“Is this significant?” asked the Princess who only knew of the Tree through history books and Egg’s diary.

“Up until this morning, the only person to ever be visited by the Tree in their dreams was Egg. And now my daughter, you have also been so honored.”

The girls were more than a little impressed . . . and just a teensy bit jealous.

“Well . . . what did it say?” demanded Aeri’elle impatiently.

“Egg . . . you go first,” said Sylvia.

“The message sounded like one of his riddles. He said ‘the problem is in the here and now, the terrible consequences are in the future and the solution is in the past.”

“That sounds like the Tree,” observed Soo’.

“Any idea what it means?”

“Sorry, Bl’azzz, I don’t.”

“Why does he talk in riddles?” asked the Princess.

“What can you expect from a talking tree?” answered Sylvia.

“The fact that it is willing to give us any advice, regardless of how it is phrased, is a tribute to all of us,” interjected the Queen. She then turned to M’egg-Alynnia. “My daughter . . . tell us of your dream.”

All eyes turned to the Princess who didn’t look happy. “As you have mentioned before, his words are truly strange — ‘For the Sisterhood, this will be about time. One of you will not return; two more will realize, reluctantly, that the time for change has come. Accept what must be without regret’.”

This was greeted with shocked silence.

“I sure as heck don’t like the sound of that,” said Soo’.

“Nor do I,” said the Queen who had the double worry of not only losing a Sister . . . but a sister who might also be her daughter.

They all nodded in agreement except the silly serpent. “Was that a sad message?” she asked not understanding any of it.

“Yes, K’ssss. It is very sad,” answered M’egg-Alynnia.

“But why did the Tree talk to both of you? It wasn’t like it was a very long message that Egg might not remember,” asked Bl’azzz.

Aeri’elle thought she had an answer. “Ummm . . . maybe the Tree was . . . ummm . . .” she was having a hard time saying what she thought. “Oh, never mind.”

“Please, my sister . . . finish,” encouraged the Queen.

The dragon took a deep breath and said, “Maybe the Tree was trying to tell us that if anything happened to Egg, then the Princess would be our next leader.”

“What are you saying . . . that Egg is the one who won’t return? That she might die?” Soo’ was furious at the suggestion.

Aeri’elle just shrugged in embarrassment.

“Not necessarily.”

Everyone turned to look at the Princess.

“Please explain,” said her mother.

“Perhaps it only means that Egg will be hurt or captured and we will be without her leadership for awhile.”

That was a little better . . . but not much.

“Maybe it has nothing to do with Egg,” said Sylvia.

“Do you have another interpretation, Feminion?”

“Maybe we’re supposed to split the sisterhood into two groups – one to talk to the Nauti and the other to talk to the Wind’dancers. Maybe M’egg is supposed to lead one of them.”

Now that was a much better explanation . . . sort of.

“But why the Princess? She doesn’t have our experience,” asked Aeri’elle, who always believed she should be in charge.

They all started talking at once until Egg yelled, “STOP.”

When she got their attention, she continued, “I told you guys that I had a feeling she should come with us. Now we kind of know why. Besides . . . what’s more important is that one of us doesn’t return.”

That horrible thought just hung there in the silence . . .

Chapter 3 – Getting to Know You

They stood there quietly not sure what to do next. The Queen broke the silence and said to her sisters, “Losing even one of you is a price I am not willing to pay . . . not even to save my husband. This mission is hereby cancelled.”

That announcement was greeted with a chorus of no’s.

“Your Majesty . . .,” said Aeri’elle, looking proud and tall, “I will not sit idly by while my father is being held prisoner. As one of the heroes of Aerianna (a term the Queen had coined to honor the sisterhood after the Quest), I insist that I be allowed to go.”

“My dad needs me, so I have to go to. Pretty please,” said K’ssss sounding like a little girl asking her mother for ice cream.

It was obvious they all felt the same way. So Egg spoke for the group and said, “Dazzle, like Aeri’elle said before, this is personal. Even if it were only Sassi needing our help, we’d still want to do this. But three of our dads are also in trouble. We all claim the right to go.”

Before the Queen could respond, Sylvia addressed her royal friend. “Dazzle, it’s unfair to you to have to send your daughter. Then you’re risking two people plus the sisterhood and that’s too much. So  M’egg should stay home.”

“Absolutely not,” said an indignant Princess looking and sounding a lot like her old self.

“Sisters . . .,” Everyone turned back to the Queen. When she had their attention, she continued, “Sylvia, you are truly an excellent Feminion. You expressed my thoughts as if you had read my mind.” She looked from face to face with great love before she continued, “This is the most difficult decision I have had to make since becoming Queen. My heart tells me to send you to Zynn-Zaz’zia while my mind counsels me to do the opposite.”

K’ssss wasn’t following the conversation all that closely. She was actually thinking about something that was said earlier. “Ummm . . . excuse me.”

“Yes, my sweet sister?” Dazzle was glad for the interruption.

“Maybe the person who doesn’t come back doesn’t want to.”

At first, no one had any idea what the girl was talking about. Naturally, Soo’ had to ask, “What the heck are you talking about, you babbling bundle of blubber?”

“Oh my gosh . . . maybe she’s right.”

“About what?”

“The Myst Tree didn’t say someone was going to die. It said that one of us wouldn’t return. K’ssss could be right . . . maybe one of us chooses to stay on Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

Everyone looked relieved at this possibility, even if it wasn’t necessarily true.

“K’ssss, I thank you. Your suggestion is as reasonable as any. More importantly, it shows us that we cannot know what the Tree truly meant.”

“H’sssss.”

“Nice going, you clever crustaceous creature.”

“I have reconsidered my decision. The mission will continue . . . and my daughter will accompany you.” The girls cheered. Their mood had brightened noticeably since K’ssss had spoken.

“M’egg-Alynnia, I will insist on one condition.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“You must carry my sword. Besides, your outfit is incomplete without it.” She was referring to the sword she had dubbed “Dazzle.” It had been a symbol of hope to the people of Aerianna for a thousand years.

*****

They said their goodbyes, gathered their equipment and supplies and stepped through the space portal and onto Zynn-Zaz’zia. And the sight that greeted them was stunning . . .

“Wow.”

“Interesting.”

“How exciting.”

After a moment, Bl’azzz said, “Shhhh….listen.”

They all went quiet and listened as they were instructed.

“I don’t hear anything,” Egg finally said.

“Exactly. No sound of insects, or animals or birds or wind. No signs of life. Nothing.”

“What were you expecting . . . the welcome wagon or a parade?” kidded Soo.

Ignoring her sister’s sarcastic comment, Bl’azzz said “It kind of looks like we stepped into a picture . . . doesn’t it?”

M’egg-Alynnia smiled in appreciation at that description. “What a wonderful way to describe it.”

“That’s something I would have expected Aeri’elle to say.” Sylvia was referring to the fact that the proud dragon had the most education of any of them.

“Hey, no need to be insulting,” teased Bl’azzz.

“Ha. That’s the best compliment you’ll ever receive,” chided the other dragon.

“I’ve never been in a picture before,” observed the silly serpent. “Do you think it’s okay with the person who painted it?”

“It’s not really a painting, K’ssss,” explained Egg. “It just looks like it.”

“Oh. Can we visit a painting with an ocean next?”

Everyone giggled. “You are one nutty numbing nincompoop.” Soo’ just couldn’t help herself.

“Are you people always like this?” asked M’egg-Alynnia who was very impressed (and maybe just a tad envious) with the easy camaraderie of the girls.

“When we first started the quest, we hardly knew each other. But since then, we’ve been through so much. Everyone was willing to sacrifice her life for the others. That tends to make you very close,” said Egg,

“And joking around was the easiest way to relieve the tension,” added Sylvia. “The Seven Lands were nasty.”

“On the other hand, Bl’azzz and Soo’ are natural comediennes”.

“Hey, thanks . . . I think.”

“I think the smart one was being a smart-alec,” added Soo’ mischievously.

“Aeri’elle . . . am I funny?”

“Dearest K’ssss . . . you are without a doubt the funniest girl I have ever met.”

“H’sssss.”

All this jibber jabbering reminded Sylvia of something. “By the way, M’egg, the other thing we did was to tell a story about ourselves. One of these nights, it’ll be your turn.”

“Oh . . . how very disappointing.”

“It’s not so bad,” said Bl’azzz. “I’m sure you can think of something interesting that’s happened to you.”

Soo rolled her eyes. “Gimme a break . . . she’s a princess after all.”

“You misunderstand. I am not sorry about telling a story. I am only disappointed that I can tell just one.”

They all looked at her to see if she was serious. “Just joking,” she said with a coy grin.

Never having heard the Princess crack a joke, the four girls from Aerianna were speechless. Then Egg gave M’egg a high five while Sylvia explained the strange Earth custom.

“It’ll never catch on back home,” said Aeri’elle who picked up her foot to show its four sharp talons. That got all the girls to giggling.

*****

But the time for silliness was over.

“Okay, first things first,” said Egg. “Let’s find a good spot to set up our camp. Then we’ll take a look at the map the minister gave us and scout around.”

“Since there are no trees, why don’t we head for that mountain?” suggested Sylvia. “We might get lucky and find a cave or at least a place that will hide our tents.”

“Who are we hiding from?” asked K’ssss.

“Mobius,” teased Soo’.

“WHAT? Nooooo.”

“She’s just kidding you. Big bad Mo is still sailing leisurely between the stars.” (After Mobius was defeated by Egg and the Sisterhood, he and his nasty cohort Bl’udd were exiled in a space ship that would take a hundred years to reach its destination).

“K’ssss, we don’t want whoever kidnapped your dad and the others to find us,” Sylvia explained.

“Oh,” said the serpent. Then she added, “I knew that . . . I just forgot.”

“Aeri’elle,” said Egg, “can you fly M’egg over to the mountain so she can look for a cave or at least a good place to set up camp?” She purposely addressed the question to the dragon and not the princess.

M’egg-Alynnia wasn’t sure how to react. On one hand, she was being told what to do without being asked. On the other hand, Egg was entrusting her with this task. She decided the positive outweighed the negative.

“Sure. Did you want me to stay and help her?”

“No. Come back and help with the supplies. K’ssss and Soo’ will take me and Syl across this lake, while you and Bl’azzz fly alongside. M’egg, we’ll meet you on the other side.”

“But how will I find you? It is a rather large expanse of area.”

Soo answered first. “We all have communications crystals.”

“Oh,” said a slightly embarrassed Princess. “Of course.”

So Aeri’elle flew the Princess and returned about ten minutes later.

“Did she say anything?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Surprisingly, she was very excited about being entrusted with finding a campsite. I would have bet anything that she would have been frosted at Egg.”

“At me?” Egg replied feigning ignorance. “What did I do?”

Soo shook her head. “You are priceless. No wonder Mobius didn’t stand a chance against you.”

“Aw shucks, weren’t nothing,” and they all giggled, eeked and h’ssssed.

After loading everything and everybody, they made their way across the reddish-orange colored lake. When they got to the other side, they unloaded everything and Egg called the Princess. “Hey, did you find a place?”

“I believe I did. If you look up and to your right, you will see me waving. Come take a look.”

The girls looked where they were supposed to and off in the distance about fifty feet up the mountain they saw the Princess. “Syl, you come with me. The rest of you stay with the supplies.”

“Why don’t we all go?” asked Aeri’elle.

“Because the Princess got it wrong and I don’t want to embarrass her in front of everyone.”

Bl’azzz didn’t understand. Actually, none of them did. “What did she get wrong?”

Strangely enough, it was K’ssss that understood. “I can’t climb a mountain. Sorry, Egg.”

“Oh. You seemingly senseless sea worm, you figured it out. Nice going.”

“H’sssss.”

“So what did you have in mind if not the cave she found?” Sylvia asked Egg.

“Think back . . . you know the answer. You saw it too.”

It took her Feminion a few seconds then the light came on. “Ohhhhh, the current. You wouldn’t expect that in a lake . . . unless there was a stream or river feeding it. And that’s probably coming from the mountain.”

“Yeah. Hopefully, it’s an underground stream that we can use. Soo, take that genius friend of yours and scout around. See if you can find it.”

“Let’s go K’ssss. We’ve got work to do.”

“I can’t go.”

“Why not?”

“Egg said to take genius”. Then after a second, she asked, “I don’t even know who that is? Is she nice?”

“Good grief. Just come with me, you wonky wonderful worm”. And with that, they both dove into the lake and disappeared.

“Egg, you knew she was going to mess up, didn’t you?” asked Aeri’elle.

“Well, to be fair, she’s new at this. She went looking for a safe place to camp . . . but she wasn’t thinking about who was going to use it. Let’s give her a break. She’s trying really hard.”

The dragon’s response was totally unexpected. She went up to Egg and hugged her with giant wings. “To think that I once thought I should have been in charge of the Quest. What a mistake that would have been.”

“You would have done great.”

“Liar.”

“Come on Egg,” said Sylvia “before our Princess has a cow.”

They climbed up to the other girl with great difficulty. When they came into sight, M’egg yelled, “Over here.”

The girls hurried to see what she had discovered. “Good job,” said Egg eyeing the mouth of the cave. The Princess beamed with satisfaction until the other girl said, “But it won’t work.”

“Why not? It is large enough for all of us.” To her credit, M’egg was only confused and not angry.

“It is . . . but how would K’ssss and Soo get up here?”

“Oh. I had not thought of that.”

“It’s okay. You’ll get the hang of this sisterhood thing.”

“My mother would never have made that mistake,” she said dejectedly.

Sylvia put her hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “M’egg . . . don’t try to be your mom. Just be yourself.”

M’egg’s eyes were a teensy bit moist. “You two . . . you seven . . . are just so amazing. If I cannot be like my mother, then I will most certainly try to be like you.”

Egg gave her newest sister a hug. “Come on. K’ssss and Soo are looking for a sea cave that we may be able to use.”

“Sea cave?”

Sylvia explained about the current on the lake.

“I do not wish to be tedious, so this will be the very last time I say this . . . the Hameggattic Sisters are truly remarkable.”

“Don’t be silly,” teased Egg, “you’re not being tedious. Feel free to compliment us all you want. And if you can, try to use words like incredibly pretty, cute as a button or . . .”

“Or obnoxious as J’azzz-min,” added Sylvia with a smirk.

“Hey . . . I resemble that remark.”

M’egg-Alynnia shook her head and giggled in a very un-royal way.

*****

They found what they were hoping to find. But the water coming from the cave was a much darker red than the lake. However, other than the unusual color, it didn’t seem to be dangerous.

They tested the depth and it wasn’t very deep. So Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz would walk alongside while the two serpents carried the three human girls. M’egg got on Soo while Egg and Sylvia jumped on K’ssss.

As they were about to enter the mouth of the cave, the Princess said, “I will go first.”

“Why you?” asked Aeri’elle.

But it was Sylvia who answered, “She doesn’t want to put Egg in danger in case there’s something nasty in there.”

“Oh” said the other girls in unison. And their opinion of M’egg-Alynnia went up a few notches.

“Thanks, M’egg . . . but we’ll go together.”

“Egg, let’s take out a few of those light sticks (they were kind of like flashlights). If that cave goes way back into the rocks, it’ll be darker than dark in there.”

“Good thinking, Syl.”

“Okay . . . let’s do this and Egg led her merry band of rescuers into the cave. They drifted (or walked) slowly holding their lights out in front of them. Unfortunately, the streambed was strewn with rocks, which made progress very difficult for the serpents whose bellies were exposed to the sharp objects.

“Ouch.”

“You okay?” asked Bl’azzz. She and Soo’ had become very close during the Quest.

“Just a big bad belly bruise . . . I’ll be fine.”

“Would it not be wise for you and K’ssss to remain here while the rest of us explore the cave?” M’egg-Alynnia was trying to do what she thought Egg would do to protect her sisters . . . but the results were not what she had expected.

“Forget that, Meggy,” hissed Soo’.

“Why should they stay behind?” demanded Aeri’elle.

“That’s Egg’s call . . . not yours,” squawked Bl’azzz.

Truth was that all the girls (at least the ones from Aerianna) were expecting the Princess to show her true colors sooner or later. And they had no intention of letting her get away with it.

M’egg was taken aback by the anger she had caused. “I . . . I . . . well, I was just trying . . . I am sorry, really. I was just trying to show Soo’ the same kindness that . . . that . . .” but she didn’t finish. Instead, she said, “Please forgive me.”

The three girls fell into an embarrassed silence. Sylvia was about to say something but Egg grabbed her arm to stop her. When Syl looked at her friend, Egg just shook her head no.

The silence ticked on for a few more seconds until Aeri’elle spoke up. “I misunderstood your intent, your Majesty (some habits are hard to break). Please forgive my rudeness.”

“Yeah . . . me too. Sorry,” added Soo’.

“My bad,” said Bl’azzz.

“Sisters . . .,” answered M’egg-Alynnia, “I know you still have reservations about me and that is perfectly understandable. But I assure you I am not the same person you had grown to hate. I have taken the Hameggattic oath, and I intend to be as good a Sister as is possible. If I make mistakes, they will be unintentional; and I would hope you will correct me. How else will I learn?”

“M’egg . . . if I treat you rudely again, feel free to haul off and whack me.”

“That goes for all of us. And, Meggy . . . thanks for looking out for me and my stupidly sensitive stomach.”

The princess felt her eyes moisten yet again (something that she hardly ever experienced in days gone by). She hadn’t expected to be so devastated by her sisters’ rejection nor so elated by their acceptance. ‘How very odd’ she thought to herself. But she filed away her feelings so that she might examine them later when she had more time. Instead, she said, “You are quite welcome.”

“Then if you’re okay, Soo’, we should keep going.”

“I’m good to go, Egg.”

So they continued deeper and deeper into the cave. And the deeper they went the colder it got. Neither the dragons nor serpents noticed the change . . . but all three humans did.

“Brrrrr . . .”

“Isn’t that the sound a cat makes?” teased Bl’azzz.

“No, you ninny,” replied Sylvia, “they purrrrr”.

“Oh.”

“That is the sound we humans make when we are cold,” explained the Princess unnecessarily. She hadn’t realized the dragon was just fooling around.

Pretending as if she didn’t know that, Bl’azzz replied, “No wonder you people have to wear clothes . . . you’ve got thin skin.”

“I’d kill for skin like that,” moaned the green-scaly Soo’.

Aeri’elle who was now in front stopped suddenly and said, “Shhhh.”

“What’s wrong”?

“Listen . . . do you hear that. It sounds like hissing and gurgling.”

They all fell silent and sure enough, they heard what Sylvia described as “a pot of boiling stew that bubbled over onto the stove.”

“Probably isn’t stew,” said Soo’ somewhat wistfully. Like all serpents, she always had an appetite.

“What do you think, Egg?” asked Aeri’elle. “Should we go on?”

“We’re going to need this cave at least for a day or two. I think we ought to find out what else is in here.”

So they continued along, listening intently for any change in the strange noise that was echoing up from somewhere down in the blackness. As they made their way slowly, the tension was beginning to build. At one point Soo’ scraped her belly hard on a jagged rock and groaned so loudly that Bl’azzz burped and the gas ignited into a whoosh of flame. That caused everyone else to scream.

After a moment they realized there wasn’t any imminent danger and quieted down. Soo’ said to her friend, “Don’t do that again, you frazzled fiery freakazoid.”

“Sorry.” And all the girls giggled except the Princess who was staring intently into the dark gloom.

“Turn off your light sticks.”

“Why, M’egg?”

“I believe the walls are beginning to glow red.”

So they did as they were asked . . . and the Princess was right.

“I've got a bad feeling about this,” said a disembodied voice.

But the educated Aeri’elle was able to figure out what was going on.  “I think I know what that sound is . . .”

“Yeah? What?” asked Egg?

“Lava.”

“That can’t be good . . .”

“At least it is not so cold,” observed the Princess.

“Actually, it’s kind of warm,” said Sylvia who never noticed the change in temperature.

“More than warm . . . it’s hot,” answered her friend.

“So let’s turn back. Now we know what’s here, and it’s not alive.”

“I, for one, would like to at least take a quick peek. I have never seen lava.”

“That’s probably a bad idea.”

“I’d like to see it, too,” said Egg. “If anyone wants to stay here . . . that’s okay.”

“Like that’s going to happen,” intoned Soo.

“One for all and all for one,” said Sylvia quoting from the Three Musketeers.

So they took a collective deep breath to steady their nerves and made their way a few more yards to where the cave took a hard right turn and . . .

“Wow . . .,” said the M’egg employing a word a Princess seldom uses.

“Too cool, added Sylvia with a weird earth expression that seemed totally inappropriate to her sisters

“Awesome.” To a F’yre dragon, the sight was beautiful.

“Oh my gosh.”

“A lava pool . . . just like in the text books,” observed you know who.

They fell silent and just gazed at the sight. It was breathtaking.

“Are you near death?”

The girls screamed and jumped in unison like seven ballet dancers (albeit two of them had no legs). They turned towards the sound of the unexpected voice, screamed, and jumped again . . .

“Are you near death?” the creature repeated. It looked very much like a sea serpent, except for the fact it was swimming in steaming lava.

They stared at the thing . . . frozen where they stood.

The creature looked back, eyeing each of the seven girls in turn. “I do not know of your kind, indicating the dragons. It turned to the humans and added, “And you three are neither Nauti nor Wind’dancers.” Then it turned its gaze to the sea serpents and stared intently. Most unexpectedly, it said, “You should return to your homes. You are not allowed at the Caldera.”

For as fearsome as it looked, it didn’t sound threatening. That gave Egg the courage to step forward. “My name is Egg. I am from the planet Earth as is she (pointing to Sylvia). These others are from the planet Aerianna. Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz are dragons, Soo’ and K’ssss are sea serpents . . . kind of like you. And M’egg is human like me.”

The creature listened attentively and politely which gave Egg the nerve to continue. “We came to find our friends. Have you seen others like us?”

But its answer wasn’t what Egg was hoping to hear. “Are you near death?” it asked again.

“NO. Stop asking us that.”

“That is good. And what is your name?” it asked looking at the serpents.

“Like she said, my name is . . . “

But the creature cut Soo off. “Not you. The other . . . “

“H’sssss.”

Misunderstanding, the creature said, “Ah, your name is the sound of laughter.”

“No, no. Her name is K’ssss. It’s just that she’s always h’sssssing at something.

“Are you sentient?”

K’ssss’ eyes went wide. She leaned over to Egg and asked, “I forgot what that means?”

“Just say yes.”

“Yes.”

“I would talk with you if it pleases?”

“H’sssss.”

“Why are you laughing, you ditsy dumb denizen?”

“He’s cute.”

“Oh, good grief.”

But before this bizarre conversation could continue, things got a little stranger.

A ball of blue twisty light appeared, and said, “Follow,” as it drifted off into the black bowels of the mountain.

“Oh my gosh”.

“Ya think?” said someone.

Chapter 4 – Zynnia

“We better follow. Bl’azzz . . . take Soo’. Aeri’elle, grab K’ssss. You two (meaning Syl and M’egg) grab my hand. Come on before it loses us.” And then Egg leaped into the air . . . and became Flying Girl one more time.

The others, of course, had seen Egg fly many times. But for the Princess, this was a first. “Oh, oh . . .,” she sighed, “how wonderful.”

She really wasn’t talking to anyone, but Sylvia understood the awe that her friend was feeling. “Pretty neat, isn’t it?”

“Marvelous . . . truly marvelous.” She couldn’t help but smile at the extraordinary feeling.

It took a moment, but they were able to catch up with the twisty light thing. They followed it higher and higher until the pool of lava grew so dim that it finally disappeared into the darkness.

“Where are we going?” Egg asked her guide. She wasn’t sure if the light was alive or not, or if it could even understand her.

“To the Chamber of Dreams.”

That sounded pretty cool.

“Is it far?”

“No . . . it is there,” and she flew around an outcropping of rock and into another enormous cavern.

“OH MY GOSH!”

All seven girls gawked in disbelief at the incredible beauty that lay before them.

“Welcome.” With that, the ball of twisty light blinked out of existence.

The girls set down near a stream and continued to stare at their surroundings. They were so enthralled by the spectacle – an explosion of colors deep inside the mountain – that they were left speechless.

“Does it please you?”

Thinking it was the ball of light, the girls didn’t even look up. But something caught K’ssss’ attention and she turned to look. “EGG.”

“Yes, K’ssss?”

“EGG.”

“K’ssss, I said . . . ,” but as she turned, she finished with, “OH MY GOSH.”

The girls all looked back to see what was going on . . .

. . . and their eyes went wide at the sight.

The apparition was apparently female though she was so blurry that details were impossible to make out.

“Will you not answer my question?”

M’egg was the first to find her voice. “It is magnificent.”

“I am pleased.”

Egg finally recovered enough to ask, “Um . . . who are you?”

“More like – what are you?” blurted Soo who then cringed at her own kind-of-rude question. Little did she know, hers was the right question.

“I am but an echo of my former self.”

Hmmmm . . . not a real helpful answer. Instead of asking her to explain, Egg tried a different approach. “My name is Egg and these are my sisters. We call ourselves the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

“I do not wish to seem inhospitable, but I command you to leave my world.”

Now, that raised a few questions. “Egg, if I may?” asked the Princess.

“Go for it.”

“My name is M’egg-Alynnia, Princess of Aerianna. To whom do I have the honor of addressing?”

The response was totally unexpected. “How is my dear cousin?”

The girls all looked at each other. M’egg finally asked the obvious, “Who might that be?”

“Kwir’kus”.

“I am sorry, but I have never heard of one so named.”

“Then your presence here is not sanctioned.”

Well there you have it . . . weird was moving swiftly to weirder. Undaunted (well, maybe slightly daunted), M’egg responded, “I apologize, but I do not understand.”

“If my cousin does not recognize your authority, then your delegation is an intrusion. More troubling is that your kind has brought a disturbance to this world . . . and to my people. I created a paradise – my final contribution to this galaxy – but the tapestry of my dream has begun to unravel. Leave before you do more harm.”

Strange how one statement was received differently by the sisters. . .

To the Princess, it was a confirmation of why they were on this planet. “You have met our kind? That is the reason we are here . . .  to find our people and return them safely to our world.”

For Egg, it was insulting and she felt the need to defend the people she came to rescue. “Hey, they’re really nice . . . they would never disturb your dream or . . . or . . . mess up your tapestry.”

Aeri’elle, ever the student of history, was struck by the phrase “my final contribution to the galaxy.” She immediately jumped to a not-so-obvious conclusion and asked, “Are you an Old One?” Needless to say, that got everyone’s attention (The Old Ones were the alien race that created Aerianna).

With that question still hanging in mid-air so to speak, Sylvia made one last connection between what they were seeing and hearing. “Her cousin Kwir’kus is the Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl.”

“Oh my gosh.”

Unfortunately, Bl’azzz was so shocked by this turn of events that she burped and burned. The fireball passed right through the swirling image. “Oops. Sorry.”

Unharmed, but with great emotion, the apparition heatedly pronounced, “Such treachery. Your kind is evil. I would rid this world of such wickedness if I could.”

Six mouths dropped open at the anger-filled threat. The seventh said “H’sssss.”

“What do find so amusing?” If the blurry specter was upset at the unexpected laugh, it was impossible to tell. Best guess, she wasn’t all that pleased.

“They’re not evil. They’re nice . . . especially Sassi and my dad.” Then she asked something that only K’ssss, in her childlike innocence, would ask at a time like this.  “Can I go for a swim?” And for the umpteenth time, the silly serpent saved the day. Soo’ just couldn’t help herself and started to giggle, and within seconds, they were all joining in. Truth be told, it was more of a nervous chuckle . . . but it did the trick.

The apparition stared at K’ssss then at the other girls for what seemed like forever. “Your laugh is pure and sweet . . .  as are you, little one.”

“H’sssss.”

“Have I amused you?”

“I’m too big to be a little one.”

Then the girls received yet another shock. The ghostly image laughed . . . a sound that was hauntingly beautiful yet full of sadness for what once was but could never be again. “What is your name?”

“K’ssss.”

“A sentient sea serpent . . . I had yet to accomplish what my cousin did on Aerianna. But I was so very close.”

Egg used this moment to start again. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot (Soo rolled her eyes; in her opinion some earth expressions were less than useless). My name is Egg and this is Sylvia. We’re both from Earth. You already met M’egg and K’ssss. This is Soo, and the two dragons are Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz.”

“Oh, and both M’egg and Egg have talked to your cousin,” added Sylvia.

“That is good to know.”

“Sorry about the fireball thing,” apologized the dragon again. “I don’t like to eat meat, and all the fruits and vegetables I eat give me gas.”

“Your kind was meant to eat the flesh of other animals, are they not?”

“Yeah, but I think that’s kind of barbaric. Just my opinion. I don’t expect anyone else to think like me.”

M’egg was about to say something but Egg shook her head. So they waited in silence.

After a few moments, the ghostly image said, “My name is Zynnia. I no longer exist in your reality . . . so, regrettably, I have but little influence over the course of events on this world.”

Well, that’s all well and good, but it meant nothing to the seven sisters. So, when all else fails, leave everything to K’ssss.

“Pretty ghost lady, I’m really, really itchy. So can I please go swimming?”

“You are going to make my head explode, you gargantuan giant goofball.”

“H’sssss.”

“You may swim, dear one. I will tell my story to the others.”

“You’re nice.”

“As are you. Go, enjoy yourself.” And without further coaxing, K’ssss slipped down to water and dove under. When she was gone, Zynnia said, “She is very special.”

“Yeah, we think so too.”

“You misunderstand.” The girls waited but Zynnia didn’t finish.

“Zynnia, do you know what happened to our people?” asked the Princess bringing the conversation back where it belonged.

“Yes . . . and no.” Oh well, nothing is ever easy when you are a Hameggattic Sister. “Come, sit and I will tell you of Zynn-Zaz’zia and what I can of your people.”

“Before you start, we would like to understand what you meant when you said that you no longer exist in our reality.”

“You are the Princess M’egg-Alynnia.” It was a statement not a question.

“Yes.”

“You come from a noble family, Princess.”

“Thank you.”

“As to your question . . . I died hundreds of years ago.”

“What?”

“Your name is Egg?”

“Yes. No. It’s actually Eloise but my friends call me Egg.”

“May I call you Egg?”

“That would be great.”

“Egg, I lived for untold thousands of your years. Before I passed, I built this dream chamber. In essence, while you are here, you are in a dream state. I use the Sphere of Influence (that was the squiggly light thing) to achieve a number of things. I can observe, I can communicate and, as with you, bring people so that I may converse with them in person. My kind cannot appear in your dreams after we pass. Even if I could, I find this experience is more impactful on those I wish to influence.

“How come you look all fuzzy?”

“The mechanism in this chamber has begun to fail. Unfortunately, it will happen very soon. When it does, the computer program will shut down and this image will cease.”

Aeri’elle asked, “Is there anything we could do to repair it for you? Our scientists are very accomplished.”

“You are Aeri’elle?”

“Yes.”

“And why would you do that?”

“For very selfish reasons. I am a student of history. I could gladly spend a lifetime here learning about the Old Ones.”

Sylvia leaned over and whispered to her friend, “Maybe she’s the one who won’t return. Maybe she gets her wish.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“I do not think your science is sufficiently advanced. But you may try. In consideration of your offer, and while there is time, let me share some knowledge about us Old Ones . . .” All six girls, even the ones from Earth, felt a chill of anticipation.  “First, we are called the Krell and as a race there are very few of us left. Our sole purpose in life was to create new planets and seed them with life. But after many millennia, even this noble cause grew tiresome. And without purpose, our life became meaningless. My cousin is one of the last. He assumed the guise of the Myst Tree to extend his time. He is the caretaker of Aerianna as I was the caretaker of this world.”

“After so much time, there must be hundreds of planets with intelligent life?”

“No, Aeri’elle . . . there are not hundreds but thousands. Be warned, however, though many species have evolved to be good and noble many others have gone to the dark side and serve evil.”

“I don’t get it. Why do some become good while others become evil?”

“You are Soo?”

“Actually my name is Soo’nami but I like my friends to call me Soo.”

“With your permission . . .,” and the serpent nodded, “Soo, we are all born with free will. Unfortunately, we are also born with the capacity for good and evil. Why some choose one over the other is not possible to know. There are as many reasons as there are individuals.”

This was all very fascinating – but more for Aeri’elle then the others. So Egg once again brought the conversation back to the beginning. “So, can you tell us what happened to our people?”

“First, I must tell you about Zynn-Zaz’zia and . . .” But the sentence was cut-off as the blurry image of Zynnia began to fade away. In a moment, it was gone.

“Fiddlesticks.”

“Oh my gosh, If we didn’t have bad luck, we’d have no luck at all.”

They waited in silence hoping the image would reappear. As the seconds ticked by, they were rewarded – kind of. Zynnia’s image came back, but it was very, very faint. . .

The ghost of Zynnia’s ghost said, “Follow the Circle of Life . . .,” then winked out of existence.

They waited again, but this time to no avail.

“Any ideas of what the Circle of Life might be?” asked Sylvia. But before anyone could venture a guess, K’ssss started to yell.

“EGG . . . EGG . . . EGG . . .” Her eyes were wide as she hurriedly slithered up from the stream.

“K’ssss, what’s wrong?”

“There’s a pretty monster chasing me.”

Chapter 5 – Gone with the Wind

About a month ago on Zynn-Zaz’zia

It was so humiliating. She was sixteen and her wings were still gray. And, until she completed the Rite of Ascension, they would stay that way.

Created by Zynnia as a means to weed out the weakest members of a clan, all Wind’dancers had to participate in the Rite. There was no hard and fast rule, but by tradition, most kids completed the ritual by the time they turned fourteen. A few of the most timid waited another year. However, it was virtually unheard of to wait as long as BreeZee had.

It wasn’t that the girl was afraid of diving off a Sun-Seeker Tree to sail into the teeth of a Swirling Tempest (a hurricane-force windstorm) . . . she was flat-out terrified. Just the thought of it made her stomach churn and heart race with panic. But there was no way to avoid it. Her gray wings would wilt by the time she turned seventeen and then her father would have to escort her to the Caldera of Zaz’zia. Since it was a certainty that she wouldn’t return from there and only a ninety-nine percent chance she wouldn’t survive the Rite, the choice was simple . . .  better a long shot than none at all.

Just to make this whole messy mess even . . . well, messier . . . her father was the newly elected clan leader. She knew how hard this was on him and that made her feel even worse – if that was possible. Her parents were her world; they were her best friends, biggest fans and without their love and unwavering support, she didn’t know what she’d do.

“You can wait one more cycle if you want,” her mother had told her. Ascension storms came every three months like clockwork. The next one was due in a few days.

“Azure, you’re not doing our daughter any favors by giving her more time.” Zephyr was talking as clan leader as well as BreeZee’s father. He knew that the longer the girl waited, the more difficult the Rite would be . . . not necessarily physically but mentally. The more time you took to face your worst fear, the faster it would become an all-consuming monster that would devour your very soul.

But moms were moms and she pleaded, “Just one more cycle. I know she’ll be ready then. I can feel it.”

Zephyr walked over to his wife and encircled her with his arms. “No, sweetheart. We let this go on far longer than we should have. If her wings begin to wilt, we’ll lose her for sure.”

Azure began to cry. “But . . . “

It was BreeZee that interrupted her mother’s plea. “Daddy’s right, Mom. I’ll go this time.”

“Are you sure, my love?”

“Mom . . . I don’t want to think about this anymore. Every day and every night . . . it’s like a huge thunderstorm hanging over my head.” The girl took a deep breath to calm herself. “Besides, I’ve been practicing with Windy and Skye over at Whirligig Peak. I think  . . . I mean I know I’m ready.”

She was lying for her parents’ sake. She was mostly certainly not ready.

*****

The Previous Day at Whirligig Peak

“So if you get caught in a downdraft, what will you do?”

“Umm . . . I . . . umm . . . umm . . . Oh yeah, I scream as loud as I can, hit the ground going a hundred miles an hour, then explode into a billion bits of icky red goo.”

“BreeZee . . . get serious, will you?” That was Skye, and he and Windy had been working with their friend for days trying to get her ready for the Rite.

“Which part of that was wrong?”

“Girlfriend, if I could do this, you sure as heck can.”

“Windy, it’s not that I don’t know what to do. It’s just that my mind goes completely blank when there’s trouble. You know that, and so do you Skye.”

Unfortunately, they did know that about their friend. But neither of them were about to give up.

“Come on. Let’s practice that maneuver . . . again.”

“No. Like I said, I know what to do . . . I just freeze when there’s danger. I just can’t help it.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m taking the next Tempest when it hits.”

“But . . .,” Windy couldn’t finish that thought. So, she turned to Skye and said, “Tell her she can’t.”

That the boy looked uncomfortable was an understatement. “I’m sorry . . .” Both girls misunderstood his intent until he finished with, “. . . Bree needs to do this now.”

“How can you say that?” shrieked Windy.

“Like she said, she knows what to do. The longer she waits, the harder it’s going to be for all of us.” It came out sounding selfish, but it wasn’t meant that way. Realizing he phrased it poorly, he stammered “What I mean is . . . umm . . . we all love you BreeZee and . . . and . . . “

Thankfully, the girl said, “Stop. I know I’m making it hard on everybody . . . you two, my mom and dad . . .  that’s why I have to go. One way or another this needs to end.”

They were sailing above the Peak while having this conversation.

For a Wind’dancer, it was the equivalent of walking . . . completely second nature. “Skye, promise me you’ll take care of Windy if I . . . if I don’t come back.” She wanted to sound so brave but her eyes were raining tears. “Promise me.”

The three had been inseparable friends for most of forever. But, if truth be told, now that they had come of age, it was a little awkward with two girls and only one boy, especially since each girl assumed the other wanted Skye for herself. Such feelings were never discussed . . ., which was a mistake.

On the other hand, with or without wings – boys were boys, and Skye was no different. He was oblivious to the true feelings that the girls had for him. And whatever serious intentions he might have for either girl was completely lost inside his adolescence-addled brain.

As for what his friend just said, it was way too emotional for him to process. “Come on Bree, don’t say things like that.”

“Promise me, please.”

Skye couldn’t make eye contact when he reluctantly said, “Yeah, okay.”

Momentarily forgetting why this conversation was being held in the first place, Windy whined “Hey, don’t do me any favors, you big jerk.” Then she realized it was she who was being the jerk. “Oh, good grief, what am I saying. Sorry, guys.”

“No, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault; it’s mine. I’m driving everyone crazy.” After an awkward silence, she said, “I’ll be spending tomorrow with my parents, so we have the rest of the day to Remember. Let’s not waste any more time.” As part of the Rite, the individual would spend time with friends and family reminiscing about all the wonderful things they experienced with each other. It was a way to say goodbye . . . just in case.

*****

BreeZee was standing with her parents on the veranda high in the tree they called home. The wind was howling, branches were swaying to and fro in a frenzy of motion, and the sky had turned an unnatural purple streaked with dark, dirty grey. Even the monstrously large Sun-Seeker trees were swaying back and forth like earth kids when they get off the Tea Cups at Disneyland.

The storm was one of the most violent in recent memory.

“You have to wait for the next one.” Azure had to yell at her daughter to be heard above the sound of the furious wind. “You can’t go out in this.” When the girl didn’t answer, Azure screamed at her husband, “TELL HER.”

Zephyr leaned over to his daughter and said, “It’s your choice, sweetheart.”

Bree was as white as a cloud, her knees were shaking and she felt nauseated. “What would you do, Daddy?”

“The bigger the storm, the greater your success. If you do this (and survive, but he didn’t say that), it will change you forever. But . . . you’ve waited this long. One more cycle won’t change anything.”

“But the next storm could be even worse. Thanks, Daddy. I love you,” and she hugged him almost as fiercely as he hugged her. She then did the same to her mother.

She turned back to her father and nodded. He opened the gate and BreeZee walked through and, without looking back for fear she would change her mind, she leapt into the heart of darkness coming face to face with her greatest fear.

*****

It wasn’t as bad as she had expected . . . it was a million times worse. Even though there was a little sunlight creeping in amongst the clouds, she was blinded by the wind-driven rain slamming into her face. In a way, that was a good thing. Since she had no control over where she was being blown, it was best not to see what danger she was about to crash into.

The wind was so strong she couldn’t get command of her wings. And without her wings, she might as well have been a leaf – tossed hither and yon at the whim of the storm. She squeezed her eyes shut, wrapped her arms around herself, said a silent prayer to Zynnia and stopped fighting the inevitable.

She had failed . . . giving up without a fight.

The failure, however, was mental, not physical. A Wind’dancer was made to sail the sky and there were many things she could do to regain control. But, as she knew all along, her fear had gotten the better of her and that made her infinitely sad. The only good in all of this was that her dad . . . and her mom . . . weren’t here to witness her humiliation and defeat.

“Why do you give up, child?”

At first, BreeZee thought it was some inner voice trying to give her courage. But when she heard it again . . . “Why do you give up, child?” . . . she opened her eyes and looked around.

And to her astonishment, she saw a ball of twisty blue light hovering next to her.

“Tell me what frightens you?”

BreeZee just stared at the weird thingy. If she was hallucinating, there was nothing to be gained by talking like a crazy person to a ball of light.

The light, however, wasn’t about to give up. “Look into your mind’s eye, child, and picture your father. What would he tell you to do?”

Oh well, if she was crazy, there wasn’t anything to lose at this point. So the girl asked the obvious question “Who are you?”

“I am the love that created this world. I would be sad to lose one of my children.”

BreeZee gasped. “Zynnia?”

Ignoring the implied question, the light said, “What would your father say to you if he were here?”

The girl gave that some thought. “He would tell me to concentrate on doing just one thing.”

“Such as?”

“Um . . . pull my wings close to my body so the wind won’t catch them.”

“Have you done so?”

“No.”

“Perhaps you should.”

BreeZee nodded to the light, then focused as hard as she could on her wings. They slowly retracted closer to her body. And the buffeting she had been experience diminished dramatically. “Oh.”

“Where is the wind less strong in a storm?”

“Close to ground.”

“Then why are you flying so high?”

“Oh”. The girl nosed over and dove towards the ground. As the wind subsided a little, she instinctively spread her wings to their fullest. She pulled up into level flight and was now in complete control.

For the first time in weeks, BreeZee smiled. She looked over her shoulder to see if the ball of light was still with her. It was.

“When fear strikes, my child, do not worry about all that can go wrong. Such thoughts are overwhelming. As your father suggested, concentrate on just one thing – that which you can control. After that, think about the next . . . then the next.”

“Why couldn’t I do it without you telling me what I already knew?”

“The mind sometimes dwells on the enormity of the challenge and not the first step in its resolution. For many, the first time to use reason to overcome such panic is always the hardest. Now that you have experienced it for yourself, it will be easier in the future.”

“Zynnia . . . thank you so much.”

But the ball of blue light was gone.

*****

The storm had died . . . but BreeZee had not. She found a gentle thermal (an air current) and used it to circle back towards her village. She was feeling so light and wonderful that if she didn’t have wings, she could still fly.

As she made it back home, everyone was out waiting for her return. She circled once over the crowd, waved to her parents then flew to the tallest of the Sun-Seeker trees. On top was an arrangement of giant crystals that, from a distance, could easily be mistaken for an exotic flower. It was the village’s Ascension Wing Stone (every village had one) and it served only one, very vital, purpose.

As the clan watched, the girl settled down very gently in the center of the glass-like structure. There was a brilliant flash of light triggered by the static electricity in her wings (kind of, like when you pull a sock out of the dryer and it crackles) and for a few seconds she appeared to melt away.

When the light cleared, there was BreeZee . . .  with the most gorgeous colored wings.

Chapter 6 – Now and Then

Much like a butterfly on Earth alighting on a flower, BreeZee made a graceful landing in front of her home. The throngs of well-wishers all stepped aside so the girl could do what was foremost on her mind. She ran up to her parents and hugged each in turn.

Azure was sobbing uncontrollably . . . her tears were mostly from relief. Her daughter had returned, and with her newly transformed wings, was radiant and beautiful. Zephyr had to give her a hand to steady his very emotional wife.

As for Dad, BreeZee was his little girl. His emotions were as least as strong as Azure’s. Pride, joy, happiness, relief swirled around his head and his heart. The tears in his eyes, he later claimed, were from a speck of dust. Everyone had the good grace to accept his silly explanation.

Skye and Windy finally got their chance to hug and congratulate their friend.

“Knew you could do it,” said the boy with a big grin.

“You’re cute when you lie,” BreeZee responded affectionately as she gave him a hug.

“How did you do it?” was the more honest question from Windy.

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”

Anyway, now wasn’t the time. She had to greet and thank all the folks who had gathered to see her return. There were a lot of them – mostly because her father was Clan leader.

When it was finally over, Zephyr led his wife, daughter and her friends up to their lodgings in the Sun-Seeker Tree. They all gathered in the family room while Azure went to make some refreshments. When her daughter’s excitement finally died down, she would be starving. The Rite took an awful lot of effort and, for those who returned, rest and a good meal were the order of the day.

“So tell us everything,” said her father. “That was an incredibly large and violent storm. I doubt many kids your age would have survived.” He was beaming with pride until he caught a look from his wife. Realizing he had inadvertently insulted his guests, he said “Oh . . . sorry, you two. No offense. I’m sure you would have done as well.”

“Not likely,” answered Windy.

“No way. I wouldn’t even have tried. Brea you’re unbelievable. You wait almost two years to take the Rite then you jump into the teeth of that monster. Since your parents are here, I’ll just say that was incredibly brave of you.”

“And after they leave?” the girl asked with a smile.

“Um . . . I might mention the fact that you are one airborne air-head for tempting fate.” He blushed at his own brazenness then turned to Zephyr and said, “Um . . . no offense, sir.”

Bree and Windy both giggled so the clan leader said, “I might agree she was perhaps . . . mind you, just perhaps . . . a bit imprudent. But, nonetheless, I am so darn proud I want to scream BREEZEE’S MY DAUGHTER from the top of this Tree.” He actually did shout it.

“Z . . . shsssssh,” scolded his wife. Only his wife would dare call him Z.

“Sorry,” he said contritely.

“So, tell us how you did it. We want to hear every last detail,” said Windy.

Did you ever feel so hyped up – so excited – over some achievement that it’s hard to sit still, hard to concentrate, hard not to talk a mile a minute? Well, that’s how Bree was feeling. So she took a moment to organize her thoughts.

“Do you guys know the old fable about Zynnia helping out some poor ‘dancer (she meant Wind’dancer) who totally messed up his Rite and was about to become a Wind-Jammer (the nickname given to a Wind’dancer who doesn’t survive the Rite)?”

“Yeah.”

“Well . . . it’s not a fable.”

“WHAT?” That was Skye . . .  but he was responding for all four.

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?” asked Azure with more than a little concern.

“Almost from the start, things were going really, really badly. I knew what to do but I couldn’t make myself do them. So . . . “ She stopped, embarrassed. She really didn’t want to tell her parents and friends that she had given up. “So, that’s when I heard a voice . . .”

“That’s just your inner voice, your subconscious, talking to you, Bree.”

“No, Daddy. At first, I thought it was. Then I heard it again and looked around and there was a ball of blue light.”

“Well, it’s no wonder. In a storm as violent as the one you were in, there’s bound to be all sorts of static electricity and lightning.”

“Daddy, it was a ball of blue light and it was speaking to me. It said . . .,” and the girl went on to repeat her conversation with the sphere. When she was done, she was smiling at the memory. But everyone else was grim faced and staring at her.

Her mother finally said, “Sweetheart, it was just your imagination.”

“NO. It was Zynnia.”

Again, there was silence.

“You don’t believe me.” It was a statement not a question.

“We believe that you went through a life changing experience,” said Zephyr in a very quiet, very commanding voice. “We believe that you looked into your heart and found the courage to do what was necessary. We believe that your mind created the sphere and the voice to talk you through a super-human challenge. And we believe that no matter what you call it, it was you – not the spirit of Zynnia – that brought you home to us. And we, all of us, are very proud of you.”

BreeZee’s eyes were wide as she heard her father’s words. But if they were meant to be comforting, they had the opposite effect. She stood and ran from the room.

After a moment, Zephyr also stood and told his guests, “She’s been through a lot. Let her rest. By tomorrow she’ll be her old self.” Then he added, “Please don’t talk of this to anyone else.”

Zephyr was wrong. BreeZee would never be her old self again.

*****

About a Year and a Half Ago

There had been seven friends. Besides BreeZee, Skye and Windy, the group of pre-Ascension kids included two other boys, Styxx and Looper, and two girls, Twirl and Nyxxie. However, when the next Tempest came in about a week, both these boys were going to take it. They were older and more than ready to Ascend.

Kids who Ascended were no longer considered . . . well, kids. And as such, they would seldom hang out with their former friends. When everyone considers you an adult, you naturally want to spend time with others such as yourself. So the group was going through some very mixed emotions. Happiness for the two who would be moving on and a deep sadness for exactly the same reason.

“This might be out last chance to hang together,” said Twirl. “Let’s do something totally memorable.”

“Like?” asked Skye.

“Why are you asking me? How the heck would I know?”

“Because it was your idea, you harebrained airhead.”

“Hey, I did the hard part . . . you know, to do something amazing. Now you figure out what it should be. I can’t do all the thinking for this group. I’m good with the grand ideas; I prefer to leave the silly details to the rest of you.” Twirl was the group’s resident joker and, while the other girls giggled, Styxx and Looper glided behind her, grabbed the girl by her wings and dove straight down.

As the ground raced up to crash into the three Wind’dancers, Twirl screamed “NOOOOOO.”

“Afraid?” asked Looper with an evil grin.

“Of course I’m afraid. I’ve seen you fly since you were three. And you still look like a Tumbler in a Tempest.” A Tumbler was kind of like a dandelion on Earth.

Since they had accomplished their mission of scaring a girl half their size, the boys pulled out of their dive (at the last possible second just to be really obnoxious) and released Twirl. Their momentum allowed them to climb back up with relative ease. The girl, on the other hand, had to sail close to the ground till she could catch a thermal to take her back up. It took a long five minutes.

In case you missed it, a Wind’dancer wasn’t a birdman. They couldn’t flap their wings. What they could do was to glide . . . they called it sailing . . . using air currents and thermals to take them where they wanted to go.

“Nice of you to join us,” kidded Styxx.

“You’re such a creep,” she answered as she stuck out her tongue.

They were sailing above the Sun-Seeker Trees of their village . . .

. . . enjoying the afternoon thermals. It was Skye who suggested, “Let’s head for the Endless Sea (we would call it an ocean) and check out the Tea Kettle.” That was an active underwater volcano that had reached the surface of the water. The hot lava mixed with cold seawater caused it to spew bilious steam clouds into the air.

For the bravest of the Wind’dancers, the air currents at the Tea Kettle were akin to riding the best, scariest rollercoasters at Disney World or Six Flags.

But just like some kids on Earth, for BreeZee, rollercoasters weren’t her cup of tea . . . especially so from this particular teakettle. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Don’t be such a Wind-Miller (the nickname given to very young Wind’dancers that were first learning to sail. They had a tendency to wave their arms – completely forgetting they had wings). If we’re lucky we might spot some of those sea serpents.” The not-quite-yet intelligent serpents enjoyed the heat given off by the lava.

BreeZee liked that idea even less. Those leviathans were so strange, so large and so terrifying. She couldn’t even imagine what might happened if she were to fly too low and be grabbed by one. It made her shiver in fright.

“I’m in,” said Styxx. As the de facto leader of the group, it meant that everyone else would also ‘be in’. “Let’s get going, we don’t have that much sunlight left.”

BreeZee was now in full panic mode. To fly to the Tea Kettle, ride its thermals above the sea serpents, way out in the Endless Sea, as it was growing dark was way too much for her to handle. “No, I can’t.”

“Why not?” asked Twirl.

“Um . . . I promised my dad that I’d do some chores,” she said unconvincingly.

That was greeted with a chorus of “Liar.”

“You are such a Timid Tissel’twix (a bird-like creature that was literally afraid of its own shadow). How are you ever going to Ascend?” Nyxxie was BreeZee’s least favorite friend. The older the girl got, the more self-assured and superior she became.

“Leave Bree alone,” said Skye coming to her defense.

“Ohhhhh. Silly me. I should have known you two are a couple.”

Skye blushed a bright red . . . but not quite as red as BreeZee. This time Windy came to the rescue. “They are not a couple.” What she didn’t say was that she wished she and Skye were. But that was her secret.

“Enough of this jibber-jabber,” said Looper. “Let’s just go. Bree will catch up to you later.” The boy didn’t have a mean feather on his wings (being occasionally obnoxious like any young man didn’t count. Regardless of the planet, that was just hard wired into their DNA).

But peer pressure was the same throughout the galaxy and the girl was now too embarrassed to leave. “Um . . . I guess I can go with you.” Her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid the others would hear it.

“Great. Let’s do this thing,” and Styxx caught an updraft, spiraled skyward past a layer of clouds, and was soon out of sight. Everyone followed one by one. BreeZee and Windy were the last two.

“Are you sure?” Windy asked her friend.

The other girl hesitated then answered as bravely as she could, “Of course. It’ll be fun.”

And once again, the response was “Liar.”

BreeZee managed a short, sad laugh. “I never was very good at fibbing.”

“Keep practicing. You’ll get the hang of it.”

*****

The thing about riding the thermals inside the Tea Kettle was that they were very violent. On Earth, you might call it a Tempest in a Tea Pot. It really was a dumb thing to do. But if you were young and foolish enough to want to experience the thrill, the best place to enter them was about a hundred feet above the surface of the water. Any lower and the temperature was too hot and the force of the steam could break your wings. If you entered any higher . . . well, it just wasn’t as risky – so what was the point.

With Styxx leading the way, he dove almost straight down just outside the steaming mass of air, his wings tucked close to his body. At the last second, he unfurled the wings, and changed direction from down to up – but at an angle so that he would enter the wind stream. With an air-splitting yell, he was yanked skyward, spiraling around and around the grey vortex.

The others followed close behind.

Well, not everyone. BreeZee did dive down but just couldn’t bring herself to enter the fast rising column of air. Instead, with all of her friends lost in the mist, she climbed higher then entered the Kettle at about five hundred feet. It was much less violent at this altitude but still outside her comfort zone. If she hadn’t been so embarrassed, she would have just gone home.

Like Styxx, she screamed as she entered the thermal. Unlike Styxx, she did it from fright and not delight. It was all she could do to keep herself from tossing up her lunch.

When she finally reached the top, her friends were all waiting for her. “Way to go, Bree,” yelled Looper. “This time, let’s do it in formation. Everyone hold on to the ankles of the one in front of you. Ready?”

Embarrassed or not, BreeZee just couldn’t do it. “Sorry, I’m out.” Sometimes, if you are really smart, you take the good advice of your brain over the emotional call of your heart . . . and do what you know is right for you. Better a little short-term embarrassment then suffering the long-term effects from a dumb decision.

“Come on, girl,” said Nyxxie with a malicious grin. “You can hang on to your boyfriend’s feet. Oops, I mean Skye.”

“Leave her alone,” said Looper.

“She’s such a bore. Why do we even hang with her?”

“She did it once. Give her a break.”

“No she didn’t. I saw her enter the Kettle like half way up.”

Everyone turned to look at the girl who just hung her head to avoid eye contact.

“At least she had the guts to try,” said Skye.

“And don’t call him her boyfriend,” added Windy.

“Whatever. Come on, it’s getting dark. Let’s do it again,” and she dove down like Styxx had done.

“Bree,” said Skye, “just wait for us by the cliffs. Will be finished in a few.”

“Okay. Thanks.” And the girl sailed away – embarrassed by her own actions and inactions. As she made her way to the safety of the cliff, all she could think about was how in the world she could ever sail into a Tempest. How would she ever Ascend?”

By the time the others got back to the cliff overlooking the Sea, the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. The sky was lit with brilliant hues of orange and red while the water took on a lovely purplish glow. The others were so exhausted by their sailing that they couldn’t be bothered when BreeZee tried to get them to admire the beauty of the sunset.

“Come on Bree,” yelled Skye. “If we hurry we’ll just make it back before dark.”

Like so many other things, sailing at night was not one of the girl’s favorite activities. She sighed deeply. Whether it was from having to leave the beautiful sight or because of her timidity in the face of anything that might be the slightest bit dangerous was unclear.

*****

Styxx and Looper took the Tempest and Ascended. And despite their promise to the contrary, they left the group. “It’s just time to move on,” said Looper when the others asked.

*****

Nyxxie Ascended the following Tempest as did Twirl, three months later. They, too, left the group. This time BreeZee wasn’t as sad as when the boys had left.

Chapter 7 – The Nauti Get Naughty

About a Month Ago

Skye and Windy had both Ascended on the same Tempest . . . six months before BreeZee had taken the Rite. But they had both promised that afterwards, they wouldn’t abandon their friend as the others had.

In truth, Windy only said it because Skye had. Even though she was very close to Bree, her feelings for the young man were just getting more and more intense and confusing. Normally she would have discussed such things with her girlfriend, but she obviously couldn’t in this case. Windy was pretty sure that BreeZee was also feeling a not-so-childish attraction to Skye.

Having both Ascended, it would have been simple and almost expected that the two would go off on their own – presumably to be with other newly minted grown-ups. In reality, she would have used the time alone to explore her feelings and see if Skye felt the same way.

When he made the promise to stick with Bree until she Ascended, it kind of blew those plans. But now there was another opportunity.

BreeZee had totally and spectacularly lost her mind.

The Wind’dancers called such a condition a ‘brain-squall’ and a person with this condition, a Winged’Nut. It usually occurred to someone who crashed while sailing and hit their head really hard – like a Wind ‘jammer. Maybe that’s what happened to the girl, but if it did, she didn’t remember it.

More than likely, it was probably the stress from the terror she experienced in that terribly violent storm. And Windy could sympathize – she knew that her friend was afraid of just about everything. Whatever the reason, however, the silly girl now believed she had talked to Zynnia.

Yikes!!!

To be fair, she and Skye had tried to discuss the subject with their friend. It would be really embarrassing for everyone – especially Zephyr – if this delusion became common knowledge.

“Bree, you know how crazy it sounds, don’t you?”

“Why? It was always assumed that the old stories were just that – a children’s fable. But obviously, they were true. Why is that so hard to believe?”

Skye tried a different approach. “Why would she come to you? Why not every ‘Dancer or ‘Nauti who was in trouble? What makes you so special?” Realizing that sounded a little harsh, he quickly added, “Well, you are special to us . . . but you know what I mean.”

The girl put her face in her hands and mumbled, “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

“Why can’t you just accept the fact that you found your own courage and did what you had to do to survive? Why give credit to anyone else?”

“Because I had given up.” She never meant to admit that, but it seemed like now was a good time to come clean.

“What do you mean – given up?” asked her girlfriend.

“Just what it sounds like. I was terrified . . . being tossed around like a leaf, and the wind was so loud, so deafening, it made it impossible to think. I couldn’t get myself to do any of things I was supposed to do. So, I stopped trying.”

The other girl was kind of horrified by that revelation. But Skye, always the good friend, saw it differently. “That proves you’re wrong, Bree.”

Both girls looked at him . . . waiting impatiently for an explanation.

“Don’t you see, if you really and truly gave up, Zynnia wouldn’t have raised a finger, or whatever, to help you. Why would she? If she only helps a few people, don’t you think she would only help someone who was trying really hard? And if you were trying really hard to do what you already knew what to do, you wouldn’t need Zynnia’s help.” He smiled triumphantly at this bit of mental gymnastics.

It took both girls a minute to digest that garble of wisdom. But it was Bree who answered for both of them. “WHAT?”

“Look, there was no Zynnia. It was you, and only you and we are all really proud. Can’t you just accept that?”

“That’s sweet. But no. She was there and saved me. I’m sorry if you can’t believe me.”

There was nothing left to say. Windy and Skye left on some pretext and over the next few weeks found reasons not to spend time with their former friend. They did, however, spend a lot more time together.

And, to no one’s surprise, they happily announced to the village that they were getting married.

Skye asked Looper to be his best man.

Windy asked Nyxxie to be her maid of honor.

BreeZee waited for her invitation.

But as days stretched into weeks, she had to accept the fact that she wasn’t getting one.

*****

She had changed.

It wasn’t just the beautiful wings . . . though she couldn’t help but admire them in the mirror every night before she went to bed. Vanity wasn’t the reason. It was just that she never, ever expected to Ascend. Like the Timid Tissel’twix, she was afraid of everything. And getting the courage to face a Tempest didn’t seem very likely.

It also wasn’t because she now had no friends to hang with. Oh, everyone was very polite. And, she would occasionally get invitations to join in some activity since her father was still clan leader. But when she declined, she could tell the others were greatly relieved.

Who wanted a Winged’Nut as a friend?

The answer was pretty obvious. No one.

The real change was her newfound confidence. She now believed in her ability to face any challenge and to succeed. To prove it to herself she had flown to the Tea Kettle, on her own, and spent a half day riding the violent thermals.

She spent another day searching the Endless Sea for serpents. She found them in a shallow bay. There were large ones (well, enormous ones) and smaller versions that must have been their offspring. They were feeding on small fish and kelp. And, much to her surprise, she was pretty sure that they were playing like any Wind’dancer family at a picnic.

She even got up the courage to land on a crescent shaped reef . . .

. . . and wade out to where some of the very small serpents were swimming around. When they came to investigate, her first instinct was to get the heck out of there. Then she thought of the blue light and her fears seemed to evaporate like a bad dream upon wakening.

The tiny serpents came up to her and nudged the girl with their snouts. Tentatively at first, then with enthusiasm, she started to pet each one in turn. When one of them brought her a leafless, water-soaked branch, she took it and threw it as far as she could. Three of the kids (strange, that’s how she thought of them) made a mad dash and splash to retrieve it. The one who returned it to her she named K’oral because the serpent’s coloring reminded her of seashells and sand.

This went on for almost an hour and she was beginning to tire. When one of the leviathans came over to investigate (maybe it was K’oral’s mom), BreeZee decide that discretion was the better part of valor and retreated back to the reef. She caught the sea breeze with her wings and slowly spiraled skyward.

So distracted by the serpents, she hadn’t realized how late it was. If she hurried, she could still be home before dark.

Instead, she flew to the cliff to watch another beautiful sunset. Then, with only the moon to guide her, BreeZee sailed home at a leisurely pace.

There was no hurry.

Some twenty or so minutes later . . . about half way home . . . something caught BreeZee’s attention and she looked skyward. It was a ball of flame and it was streaking towards the sea at an incredible rate.

She watched it with fascination never having seen anything like it before. A moment later, it hit the water and in the moonlight, she could just make out a plume of steam as the object disappeared from sight.

After a minute of watching to see if anything else was going to happen, Bree turned around and resumed her flight home. She wondered if she should tell anyone what had happened. It might be important.

No . . . they probably wouldn’t believe her. They’d think she was just hallucinating about yet another visit by Zynnia.

*****

Current Day on Zynn-Zaz’zia

The tallest Sun-Seeker Tree, the one with the Ascension WingStone, housed many of the community activities of BreeZee’s village. There was a medical clinic, the Institute of Knowledge (we’d call it a school or university), a bunch of governmental departments, some businesses . . . and the Hall of Consent.

Once a month Zephyr, as clan leader, would call a meeting of the Village Elders (they weren’t necessarily elderly . . . the term Elder meant an elected official) to discuss whatever business concerned the welfare of the people who had elected them.

Besides Zephyr, there were four others seated at the round table. On his left were Bluster and Fl’air (the only female member). On his right were Puffer and Gusty.

Normally these meetings were opened to the public . . . but not today’s. The doors were shut and locked, and a Guardian (think policeman) was standing just outside to further ensure their privacy.

When everyone had settled in, Zephyr began the meeting. “There have been so many incidents that I can’t keep it secret any longer. We need to formulate a plan then present the facts to the people.”

“There’s going to be a panic,” observed Fl’air.

“Can you blame them? This is unprecedented. Whoever heard of one clan showing aggression against the others?”

“There’s a report that two young adults are apparently missing.” The others nodded since they had already seen it. But the two in question were engaged to be married and they may have just gone off to be alone and plan their future. There was some concern but it was too early to be alarmed.

“We need to impose a curfew. And, no one should be allowed to venture forth except in pairs,” suggested Bluster.

“Good idea. And let’s have the Guardians keep an all-day, everyday watch over the village,” suggested Puffer. He meant that they should fly patrols over – as opposed to walking through – the village.

They continued to discuss the situation for another two hours. Finally, Zephyr called for a vote. There was no dissent. The Council would call for a full town meeting to tell the people what they knew and what steps they were taking to ensure everyone’s safety. Following the meeting, Zephyr and Bluster would go to the Nauti village and meet with Howl – Zephyr’s counterpart.

*****

The assembly was to be held that afternoon. By the time the announcement was made, however, BreeZee had already left for the day.

Windy and Skye were missing. And even though they no longer consider her their friend, she still felt as she always has. She loved them both. Their estrangement was her fault. She had come to realize how crazy the Zynnia story must sound to others. From now on she would stop talking about it . . . maybe even pretend it was her imagination.

BreeZee had also known how Windy felt about Skye. She had waited for her girlfriend to talk about it but that never happened. So Bree didn’t mention it either. In retrospect, she should have said something . . . her silence was probably mistaken for an interest in Skye that she didn’t feel. He was like a brother to her . . . nothing more.

So, if they were in trouble, she was going to save them. That’s what friends did.

Then she laughed to herself. Who would of ‘thunk’ it . . . timid BreeZee was going to try and rescue someone — make that two some ones — who were in trouble. This was the same girl that, not too long ago, was afraid to be out sailing at night. Wow, how things had changed.

More to the point, how she had changed.

Chapter 8 – Zazzi, the Caretaker

Present Day on Zynn-Zaz’zia

They followed this new ball of blue and red light back the way they came . . . towards the lava pool. As they got closer, the light shot ahead towards the serpent who was still swimming in the steamy stuff. The two seemed to converse then they both made their way back to the girls.

“Follow Me,” said the serpent.

“Egg?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Might as well.” She and Sylvia were still on K’ssss, M’egg on Soo, and the dragons walking along side as they followed the serpent down a different tunnel than the one that they had originally taken.

As the distance between them and the lava pool increased, the walls turned from the red glow to a pretty pink and grey while the water changed from red to a luminescent green.

It became bright enough that the girls no longer needed their light sticks.

“I wonder where this glow is coming from?” M’egg asked no one in particular.

“I’d guess it’s from some kind of phosphorescent algae in the water,” replied the way-to-smart Aeri’elle.

“Well deduced,” said an ethereal voice from the darkness ahead of them. It was the serpent.

“He’s got good ears,” teased Soo.

“More importantly, he’s obviously highly intelligent,” replied the dragon since she was the one it had complimented.

“Don’t let it go to your head. He’s just being polite; that’s how we serpents are.” Aeri’elle rolled her eyes.

But K’ssss had a different observation . . . one that she had made before. “H’sssss, he’s very cute.”

“Why you love-sick, loveable leviathan,” said Soo. She shook her head, pretending to be a sad but happy parent. “How soon these kids grow up.”

M’egg, as she was prone to do, just listened to the banter. Not a moment had gone by since this rescue mission had started that she wasn’t in awe of these girls. Then she mentally corrected herself changing girls to sisters. Just the thought that she was now a member of this heroic group made her swell with pride. They were so much more than the history books had made them out to be. They weren’t just brave and resourceful, but also smart, clever, warm, funny, supportive . . . and a million other wonderful things. Then unbidden, the thought of the person she had been for way too long crept into her mind and she actually blushed. Luckily, the glow in the tunnel hid her coloring.

She did experience one other powerful emotion . . . she continued to feel totally unworthy to be called a Hameggattic Sister. But she was determined to change that by the time this mission had ended. Right now, that meant more to her than being Queen of Aerianna.

A few minutes later they enter a large cavern where the rock outcroppings were covered in a green moss, the water churned in purplish swirls and the walls glowed in a pageant of reds, greens and pinks illuminating the whole magnificent scene.

It was breath taking.

Egg, as you would expect, said it best . . . “OH MY GOSH.”

“Indeed,” said the Princess marveling at the beauty surrounding her. “Indeed.”

Before the others could chime in with their assessment, the serpent turned and said, “Welcome to my home.”

Then, as usually happens to the Sisterhood, things got a little weird. The serpent said, “K’ssss, it would please me to show you more of my humble dwelling.”

“H’sssss. Okay.”

“Not so fast, you wide-eyed wiggle worm. You ain’t going nowhere with no one until we at least know his name.”

“Good thinking, Soo,” said Egg who didn’t know if she should be grinning at the serpent for inviting K’ssss on a date, or K’ssss for being moonstruck and giggly or Soo for acting like your typical earth Mom. “So, Mr. Serpent, what is your name and where are we? Oh, and what’s with you and Zynnia and that ball of light?”

“And you might want to explain about the lava pool,” added Sylvia.

“And what do you know of our friends?” added M’egg.

“And what’s with this beautiful cavern?” added Bl’azzz. “Makes me wish I was a serpent.” The other six sisters turned their attention from their mysterious host to the F’yre Dragon and stared. “No, no, no . . . I don’t really want to be a water worm; I was just trying to make a point.”

“Water Worm?” asked Soo sweetly. “Did you say Water Worm?” Turning to the others, she asked again “Did she say Water Worm?”

“Oh, she did,” responded Aeri’elle with a twinkle in her eye. “She most certainly said Water Worm. Is . . . is that an accurate description, I wonder?”

“Come on Soo, you know I was just kidding.”

“Water Worm? You giant ball of gas, I should bite your tail off.” She was kidding, of course, but she made it sound like she was mortally offended and steaming mad. Then, without warning, she dove at her friend . . . her mouth wide open.

Bl’azzz was so shocked by her friend’s response that she burped and burned. M’egg yelped as the fireball passed over her head, while the others burst into laughter.

“Oops.”

Before the tomfoolery could continue, the serpent said, “Please . . . I don’t understand?”

“Don’t understand what?” asked Egg.

“What you are doing?”

“Oh, sorry. We’re just teasing one another.”

“Why?”

“Um . . . because that’s what friends do.”

“Oh.” The serpent seemed confused by the concept.

“So, can you tell us what’s going on? Why did Zynnia send us to find you?”

“And how about answering those other questions,” added Sylvia.

At this point, the Circle of Life descended and hovered at eye level to the serpent. Again, they appeared to be communicating. When the conversation was over, the serpent said, “I will answer all of your questions . . . but you must answer mine as well.”

“Yours or Zynnia’s?” asked Aeri’elle.

“Mine.”

That was interesting.

“What do you want to know?”

“Tell me of yourselves. And, I would know more of K’ssss.”

“H’sssss.”

The girls all exchanged grins.

“Okay, let me start,” and Egg introduced everyone again. “So, together, we’re the Hameggattic Sisters. The reason we formed the Sisterhood was to help . . .” and Egg recounted the Quest as quickly as she could. However, she spent a little more time talking of all the contributions K’ssss had made. She finished with, “And the Queen asked us to come to your world to find our friends and bring them home.”

“Thank you. That is a wondrous story and this is a noble cause you now perform. You must be very glad that K’ssss is also with you.”

It took a superhuman effort not to giggle but the girls managed to pull it off. M’egg, ever the diplomat, responded with “we all take great inspiration from K’ssss. She is a remarkable individual.”

“H’sssss”.

Soo was about to say something rude to her friend but decided this wasn’t the time.

“Now I will tell you of myself. First, my name is . . . is . . . um,” then the serpent did the weirdest thing; it started to laugh uncontrollably. “H’sssss, h’sssss, h’sssss, h’sssss, h’sssss, h’sssss, h’sssss, h’sssss . . .,” and it just kept on laughing.

Like laughter on earth, it was contagious and K’ssss and Soo joined in.

“STOP,” yelled Egg holding her ears at the annoying sound.

The serpent and K’ssss continued laughing but Soo was able to get herself under control. “Sorry about that. We call it a H’ssssie Fit . . . you know, when you can’t stop laughing.”

That made Egg and Sylvia burst out laughing.

“Oh, good grief. Not you two,” complained Aeri’elle.

M’egg who was smiling explained to the others. “On earth a hissy fit is a slang term for when someone throws a tantrum. It is the exact opposite of what these three are doing.”

“Oh,” said the dragon not seeing the humor in the situation.

A minute or so later everyone got themselves under control. The serpent said, “I apologize but you must understand that I have been here a very long time with no one to talk to.”

“What about the other serpents?”

“They have limited intelligence. The conversations are usually one sided.”

“So how old are you?” asked K’ssss a little crestfallen.

“I don’t age as long as I live in here. So, I am still quite young. Does that please you?”

“H’sssss.”

“That’s a yes,” said Soo.

“But why did you start to laugh?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Because . . . “

“Because he forgot his name,” interrupted the Princess.

“Really?”

“It is true. But long ago, I gave myself another name in honor of the Caldera of Zaz’zia . . .  what you call the lava pool. So, if it pleases, you may call me Zazzi.”

“Zazzi,” said K’ssss. “That’s a pretty name.”

Zazzi smiled then bowed his head in acknowledgement. It was very obvious to the other six girls that there was a little chemistry between these two.

“She could do worse,” whispered Soo to Bl’azzz.

“Got that right.”

M’egg asked, “Zazzi, what is the purpose of the Caldera? What is it that you do there? And, how do you survive the heat?”

“I survive at the pleasure of Zynnia. The how of it she would need to tell you. As to its purpose and my responsibility . . . the Caldera assimilates the knowledge and experience of all those that have passed or are about to pass.”

That explained the question he had asked when they first met – ‘are you near death’.

“Are you saying that you somehow harvest peoples’ memories? To what end? asked Aeri’elle.

“It is Zynnia’s wish not to waste the life experience of her people. Using the Caldera I can save — then pass along — the collective knowledge and life experience of those that came before. It is also hoped that with this ability, we can bring the other serpents to sentience.”

“That is truly amazing,” replied the dragon who was so excited by the concept that her wing feathers were standing on end. “In essence, you’ve created a living history book of this planet. Not only do you have the ‘what’ of it, you also have the emotions of the people that lived it.”

“I am glad that it pleases you.”

“Can this technology be used by others?” asked M’egg. She understood her sister’s excitement

“That I cannot say.”

Egg was getting a little impatient. She didn’t see how any of this conversation was helping with their rescue mission. So before either sister could ask more questions, she interrupted. “Zazzi, can you tell us what happened to our friends?”

Before he could speak, the Circle came down again and spoke to him. “Zynnia commands me to tell you about this planet and its people first. Then I will tell you what little I know of those you seek.”

“Zynnia?” asked Syl. “How can that be? Her image blinked out when her computer failed. So why did you say Zynnia commands you? She’s de… um . . . she’s gone.”

“As long as Zynn-Zaz’zia exists, so does Zynnia.”

“And the Circle . . . what is that exactly?”

“The Circle of Life is . . .,” Zazzi hesitated as he tried to think of the right words. “Well, it speaks for Zynnia. However, it is also part of the Caldera. It is my way of controlling the process of harvesting memories. Once harvested, those memories are then stored in the Circle.”

It was kind of confusing but Egg understood and said, “Got it, I think.”

“Zazzi, please, we are most anxious to resume our rescue mission,” said M’egg. That was her way of telling the serpent to speed things up.

“Of course. Let me quickly tell you of Zynn-Zaz’zia . . .”

Chapter 9 – OH NO MO

Zephyr

Zephyr and Bluster set out for the Nauti village, which was on the other side of a mountain range. Well, to be perfectly honest, these mountains weren’t very tall – more like overly large hills. However, they were spectacular, if not in height then in color. They were called Zynnia’s Passion and they sported swaths of bright orange and red rock contrasting brilliantly against mud-brown outcroppings.

As they crested the last peak, Bluster asked his companion for the hundredth time, “What do you think is going on?”

Zephyr smiled. “I think that’s what you and I are about to find out.”

“But what’s your guess?”

“I think they’re all Moon-Struck,” kidded the clan leader. Being moon-struck meant that you had seen the face of Zynnia and the sight made you lose your mind. It was just an old wives tale used to scare the children.

“Do you really think so?” replied Bluster with a look of horror on his face.

“No, you Tissel’twix. I’m joking.”

The embarrassed Bluster sputtered, “I knew that. Really, I knew that. I was just playing along.”

“Good to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

They continued in silence for another twenty minutes. Then Zephyr said, “What was that?”

“What was what?”

Instead of answering, the clan leader spiraled higher to get a better look. His companion followed.

“What are you looking for?”

There was a layer of broken clouds between them and the ground so it was hard to see. But Zephyr had seen something . . . and whatever it was had been large and red.

He continued to scan the scene below waiting for it to reappear. Finally it did.

“Look. Over there,” and he pointed.

“What . . .,” but Bluster couldn’t finish. He was shocked into silence.

He finally managed to find his voice. “What is it?”

“Whatever it is, it’s big.”

“You don’t think the Nauti made it, do you?” The Nauti were engineers and builders. But they worked with metal and wood, not flesh and bone.

“No. And before you ask, I have no idea where it came from. Let’s get out of here before it sees us.”

“What about Howl?”

“Whatever that thing is, it’s headed for the Nauti village. If it’s in league with them, then we’re in worst trouble than we thought. Let’s get back home. We need to redouble our security.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, if you want to volunteer, you could sail down there and distract it while I continue on to see Howl.”

Bluster turned white. “I think you’re right. We should go back.”

*****

BreeZee

She had searched everywhere she could think of . . . all the places the three of them had visited over the years or had wanted to see. There was the Tea Kettle, of course, and the Valley of the Mysterious Mist . . .

. . . with its strange ring of rock pillars. Most kids were too afraid to get near the place and, needless to say, the old BreeZee would never have gone. But in this case, neither did her two friends . . . though they always talked about going.

The next place she went was called the Purple Pillar of Passion . . .

On earth, you might call it a lover’s leap. On Zynn-Zaz’zia, it worked a little differently. The idea was for a boy and a girl to sail from bottom to the top, spiraling slowly around the monolith until they reached the plateau at the summit. There, they would exchange private vows of love and fidelity. It was a way to seal your devotion and confirm your commitment to one another.

The last place she could think of was Tranquility Bay that separated the Wind’dancer island from the off-limits, don’t-you-even-think-about-exploring Isle of the Zaz’zia Caldera.

It was beautiful. The hills were an emerald green and the water a deep blue. But as idyllic as it looked, it could be dangerous. As long as you stayed on the Wind’dancer side there was no problem. But once you passed half way across the water, the winds picked up. And as you approached the other side - the one you weren’t supposed to be on – the winds became so fierce and dangerous that it discouraged anyone from doing what they weren’t supposed to do in the first place.

Bree sailed up and down the waterway looking for the two missing lovers but to no avail. With no other ideas, she decided to do what she knew she wasn’t supposed to do. Maybe her friends did the unthinkable and decided to visit the forbidden Isle. So, she sailed up to a couple of thousand feet, then she executed the same maneuver that the kids used at the Tea Kettle. She tucked in her wings and dove down at great speed all the while smiling. Her mind said to herself, “Who are you and what have you done with BreeZee?” Here she was going a million miles an hour and headed into the unknown without a care in the world. Wow.

As she approached the ground, she extended her wings and pulled up, then into the wind protecting the Isle.

It was so violent, so painful that she screamed.

Luckily for her, a moment later she blacked out.

*****

Zazzi

“There are two clans on Zynn-Zaz’zia though originally there were three. One group called themselves the Wind-Talkers. They were the thinkers, the philosophers. They had their heads in the clouds in more ways than one.”  Zazzi h’ssssed at his own little joke. Since no one joined in, he continued.

“The second clan was the Sky-Dancers. These were the artists, the poets, writers . . . individuals of that ilk.”

“The last group was the Air-Nautics. These were the engineers and builders. Over time, they shortened their name to Nautics then, eventually, to Nauti.”

“It was Zynnia’s plan that the three clans would someday inter-marry and become one. The new, combined clan would then have the unique qualities of the three individual groups.”

“The Wind-Talkers did eventually inter-marry with the Sky-Dancers. This new clan was named Wind’dancers. However, the Nauti have shown no inclination to give up their individuality and, to this day, remain aloof.”

“So would either group want to invite our friends here?” asked Egg.

“I do not know for certain. However, it seems highly unlikely.”

“But you do know what happened to them?” asked M’egg.

“I will come to that . . . but please be patient. I must finish my tale.” He waited to see if anyone would object. Since no one did, he continued.

“Wind’dancers and Nauti live in the Sun-Seeker Trees. These were created by Zynnia specifically for her people. Besides providing shelter, they also serve one other critical function. In each village, one of the trees will have a WingStone. This looks like a flower but is actually a crystal with unique properties.”

He stopped to see if everyone was following. Each girl looked engaged except K’ssss, who looked perplexed. He didn’t want to embarrass her so he resumed his story.

“Each person must take the Rite of Ascension . . . a flight into a storm of great power. If they survive, they may go to the WingStone. The static electricity in their wings will activate the crystals and their wings will turn from grey to some beautiful color. If they fail the Rite, or don’t take it, their wings will eventually wilt and they will be taken to me. That rarely happens but when it does, it is incredibly sad.”

“That sounds cruel,” said Aeri’elle who was offended by the whole concept.

“It is Zynnia’s belief that each individual must make a contribution to society. She feels very strongly that to do that, the first thing you must do is to face and conquer your own fears. If you pass the Rite, it changes you forever.”

“Still seems cruel.”

“If you’re finished, can we get back to our friends?” said Egg.

“Of course. They arrived then they disappeared.”

“WHAT?”

“We knew that they arrived via some portal. Then almost immediately they were gone.”

“Gone where?”

“I do not know.”

“Well, fiddlesticks, that’s not very helpful,” complained Sylvia.

“There is something you are not telling us,” interjected the Princess. All eyes turned toward M’egg.

“Only because I have not finished.”

“Oh my gosh . . . finish, already,” whined Egg.

“About a month ago, an object fell from the sky. That is when things began to go wrong. Whoever arrived has brought evil to this world.”

“Who is it?”

“See for yourself," and, as if on command, the Circle of Life descended and hovered in front of the girls. Slowly the blue red color began to swirl.

As it slowed down an image began to form. It was fuzzy at first then it came into shocking focus.

“Oh my gosh…Oh my gosh.”

“It just can’t be.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“It’s just not possible.”

“What a nasty nauseating nightmare.”
“He’s mean.”

“What is wrong? Who is that person?” asked the Princess alarmed by the reaction of the others.

“It’s him,” answered Egg.

“Him who?”

“It’s Mobius.”

Book 3

Spirit

Book 3 of Zynn-Zaz’zia

An Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel

© Copyright, 2014, by Robert Iannone,

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Ship of Fools

Chapter 2 – Evil Genius

Chapter 3 – BreeZee

Chapter 4 – Plan B from Outer Space

Chapter 5 – Loony Tunes

Chapter 6 – Girl Stuff

Chapter 7 – Bedtime Stories

Chapter 8 – Into the Fire

Chapter 9 – Fire Storm

Chapter 10 – Thought Weaver

Chapter 1 - Ship of Fools

One Month Ago –

A few miles from the Nauti village

Howl and his wife, Gale, were enjoying a beautiful evening. As head of the village, it was always difficult to find any time to be alone. But once in a long while, life would go quiet and the couple would sneak off to their favorite ‘happy place’ – an isolated little elbow of land that stuck out into the Endless Sea. There they would sit, hand in hand, and watch the gentle motion of the waves as they made their lazy journey to shore. If the moon wasn’t out and the sea hid itself under a blanket of impenetrable black, the couple would turn their gaze to the heavens and watch the stars.

Occasionally, if they were lucky, they might see a meteor or two as the intergalactic rocks burned up in the atmosphere. Tonight, they were very lucky. It was an all-out meteor shower – a very rare sight.

As they admired the cosmic show, they tried to count the streaks of light.

“There are too many; I lost count,” giggled Gale.

“Here, use my fingers and toes,” teased her husband.

“You are such a Winged Nut.”

“I was just trying to be helpful.”

“If you really want to be helpful . . . you can tell me how much you love me.”

“Well, darn it all. Now I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you asked. I was just about to give you my top ten reasons for being madly in love . . . but now you ruined the moment. I may never forgive you.” He tried not to smile, but failed.

“Oh no you don’t. You’re not going to get out of it that easy. I . . .,” but she didn’t finish. Above her husband’s head was a sight she had never seen. “Howl, look” and she pointed skyward.

The Nauti turned and did as he was told . . . and his mouth dropped open.

They stared in silence as the ball of fire fell from the sky. It seemed to be coming directly at them and, as it grew larger and drew closer, Howl grabbed his wife’s arm and they both caught the gentle sea breeze and sailed above the height of the trees.

*****

THUMP, THUMP, BANG, SMACK, CLANG, WHOMP, BOING . . .

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“SILENCE, you sniveling coward. It is only a meteor storm.”

The spaceship reverberated like a gong being struck with a sledgehammer. Worse, it was being knocked off course.

“But . . . but . . . that can’t be good? Can it?”

“Of course it is not good . . . you fool.”

“What should we do?” asked the panic-stricken dragon.

“I think you should go outside and play,” mocked the evil ex-king. “I, on the other hand, will strap myself into the command chair and brace for impact.”

Bl’udd didn’t have to be told twice. He made a mad dash for his chair . . . one especially designed for a dragon . . . and did as his companion was doing.

They had some control of the ship . . . but not much. The good people of Aerianna didn’t want their former tyrant to deviate from the course they had set for him . . . a hundred-year journey to his home world of Kallous.

The meteor storm had knocked them into the deadly clutches of the gravity of the planet they happened to be passing. That planet was Zynn-Zaz’zia.

“I will try to set us down in that body of water, which will give us a better chance of survival than that mountain-covered land mass.”

The spaceship entered the planet’s atmosphere and started to glow white hot from friction. To anyone on the ground, it looked like a streaking snowball of fire.

As the ship gained speed, Mobius started to lose control. “We are not going to make it,” he told his companion in a voice that was irritatingly calm.

Bl’udd was never brave; he was more the bully type. When faced with true danger, he did the only thing he could. He fainted.

Mobius looked over at the passed-out form of the big red dragon and rolled his eyes in disgust. In the background, the words from an Earth song could be heard ever so faintly over the roar of the ship screaming through the sky . . . ” We can, we can, do it, do it, do it.” But the evil man no longer heard the obnoxious singing voices.

As a parting gift to the soon-to-be exiled tyrant, the Hameggattic Sisters recorded all the songs of Egg’s favorite earth band, Fandango Sally. However, unlike the girls in the band, the sisters all had really, really awful voices. If you ever heard a serpent or dragon sing, you would know what I mean.

K’ssss’ dad installed the recording in the spaceship. He fixed it so it would play continuously . . . over and over and over and over . . . for the entire one-hundred-year journey. It was totally against the girls’ nature to do something that was so spiteful, mean and downright cruel. But for their favorite villain, they were willing to make an exception.

Mobius turned his attention back to the matter at hand. With the sea speeding up to meet the ship, he was able to lift the nose of the craft just enough to slow it down so that he and Bl’udd wouldn’t be splattered all over the waves they were about to smash into.

And with a thunderous roar, they hit the water and skipped like a stone until the spaceship came to a jolting stop. Except for the hissing of steam where the water met the very hot skin of the ship and the whimpering of Bl’udd as he regained consciousness, there was dead silence.

As the craft came to its abrupt and jarring stop, Mobius and his companion just sat there, trying to regain their senses. Both were afraid to move . . . neither sure if they were dead or alive. Mobius wiggled his fingers to make certain they were still working. Satisfied that he had indeed survived the crash, he unbuckled his seat belt, stood up and started to laugh.

It was an ugly sound.

Unfortunately, it was also the sound of triumph. He was free of this prison. And, with the help of his imbecilic cohort, he now had a new world to conquer.

Ah, life was once again worth living.

Bl’udd was the first to actually speak. “Listen,” he said.

“To what?” growled the never pleasant evil one.

“The music . . . that hideous, obnoxious music. It’s stopped. It’s stopped.” Bl’udd was beside himself . . . happier than he had been in years. As far as he was concerned, it was worth crashing the spacecraft to finally be rid of that incessant noise.

As his mind finally registered the blissful silence, even the cranky Mobius cracked a brief smile. It vanished almost immediately as he thought of the people who had done this to him . . . that cursed Sisterhood. “If I ever get my hands on those seven nasty girls, I will make them pay dearly for their little prank.”

“That’s not very likely . . . is it?”

Mobius looked at his companion . . . with equal parts of contempt and amusement. “Never say never. Now, get off that seat, go outside, and survey the surrounding area. We are close to land so try not to be seen by any of the inhabitants . . . if there are any.”

“Not to worry”.

“There is nothing that you do that does not cause me worry. Now go.”

So the very large dragon opened the hatch and clawed his way up and out to stand on the top of the ship. It was more difficult than normal because the waves were causing it to bob like a cork.

Nevertheless, he stood up and, feeling fresh air on his face for the first time in many years, he roared with pleasure.

Then, with a shock, he realized he wasn’t alone. Not a hundred feet away was a small strip of land and hovering in the trees were two bird-like people who were screaming in utter fear at the sight of a dragon from outer space.

“Uh-oh” he said to himself . . . Mobius wasn’t going to be happy about this.

*****

“Well?” demanded the evil one when the dragon returned.

“This place is definitely inhabited.”

“Did they see you?”

The word ‘yes’ had hardly left his lips when Mobius began to snarl his displeasure. “Before you lose your temper . . . we’re lucky they did.”

“What in the galactic void does that mean?”

“It means that when they saw me, they screamed with fear. I guess they never saw a dragon before.”

“Really. How very interesting.” The possibilities were already swirling in his evil mind. “What did they look like?”

“There were only two – one male, one female. They were human but with wings.”

“Interesting. Did they fly away?”

“Don’t think so. They were just hovering above the trees.”

“Well, let’s not keep the good folks waiting. It’s time they met their new king.”

The dragon rolled his eyes. “And what happens if they already have one?”

“Then you, my large fearsome friend, will pay him a visit and convince the dear fellow, that for the sake of his health, he should retire. But all in good time. For now, we shall make a grand entrance.”

“And how exactly do we do that?”

“You are a F’yre Dragon (all red dragons on Aerianna were F’yre Dragons). With me on your back and you breathing impressively large tongues of flame, I’m sure that these folks will be sufficiently impressed.”

“Whatever.”

“And I will tell you only once . . . Do Not Talk unless I ask you to.”

“You really are a nasty, nasty man.” Sometimes even the not-so-bright Bl’udd was sorry he hitched his fortunes to Mobius.

“Thank you. I do try.”

*****

Present day on Zynn-Zaz’zia

“But how can Mobius be here?” asked a confused M’egg-Alynnia of her companions. She had never seen them so upset.

Egg looked up from the Circle of Life with its display of the wicked face of her archenemy. “I have no idea,” she mumbled.

“You obviously know this man,” said Zazzi.

“Oh yeah. We know him.”

“Is he the one you fought on Aerianna?”

“Yup.”

“But he’s supposed to be stuck in a spaceship for a hundred years,” added a shocked and shaken Sylvia.

“There’s only two possible ways this could have happened . . .” Everyone turned to look at Aeri’elle. “Either he was able to get control of the ship or there was a malfunction and he crashed landed here.”

“My dad told me that I would never, ever see that mean man ever again. He said the spaceship had no . . . ummm . . . steery thingy so it had to go where my dad pointed it.” K’ssss’ dad, Tink’rrr, was a scientist and inventor who helped design the spaceship. He, of course, was also part of the delegation captured by Mobius.

“Steery thingy?” asked Bl’azzz.

Zazzi was very protective of K’ssss and immediately came to her rescue. “I believe she means it had no controls that Mobius could use to alter the ship’s course.” He looked at K’ssss who smiled and nodded yes.

“Then he must have crashed,” concluded Aeri’elle.

“Just our luck. I don’t know anything about spaceships, but you would think that if you smashed it into something as big as Zynn-Zaz’zia it would turn you into a blob of red jelly.”

“Nice going, you daffy, ding-headed dragon. Now I’ll never eat jellyfish soup again,” kidded Soo’.

“Zazzi . . . what do you think?” asked Sylvia.

“As you surmised, his ship was probably pushed off course by a recent meteor shower. Some of my people (he meant the sea serpents) saw a large ball of flame crash into the Endless Sea not far from the Nauti village.”

At that moment, the Circle descended again and hovered by the Caretaker. He nodded then addressed the girls. “There was a second occupant of the craft. A particularly large, very red creature that I now know is a dragon.”

“Bl’udd,” gasped Bl’azzz. The thought was so unsettling that she burped and the gas ignited with the now all-to-familiar ‘whoosh’ sound. “Sorry.”

“Bl’udd,” repeated the Princess in wonder. It was all so extraordinary. The two most notorious characters in Aerianna’s history had improbably reappeared to cause more trouble. The thought that she would be involved in battling these two villains alongside the infamous Hameggattic Sisterhood gave her a tingling sensation. She knew she shouldn’t be so excited by the thought . . . but she couldn’t help herself. Her mother had done this and now so would her daughter. She turned towards Egg. “Is this not good news? You now know the enemy is the same individual that you have already defeated.”

“Meggy, you don’t know him like we do. There is no way he’s going to let seven girls beat him again. In fact, when he finds out it’s us, he’ll probably be downright ecstatic. It’s his chance for revenge.”

“Oh, fiddlesticks.”

Everyone turned to look at Sylvia. “What’s wrong?” asked her friend.

“If he makes the connection between his hostages and us, things are going to get really, really ugly.”

“Why is that?” asked Zazzi.

“He’s got K’ssss’ dad, Megg’s dad, Aeri’elle’s dad and Sassi, who is one of our sisters who helped defeat him the first time.”

“That is not good,” said the serpent stating the obvious.

“No, not good at all.”

“So what do you want to do?” Aeri’elle asked Egg.

The girl shook her head. “Well, for one thing – this sure isn’t like the Quest. Back then, we knew we had to get through the seven lands. We even had that obnoxious cat to help lead the way.”

Six of the girls involuntarily looked around to see if a head with a hat would appear. They were half hoping it would.

But no luck and no J’azzz-min.

“May I offer a suggestion or two?” asked M’egg. She wasn’t quite sure how to proceed since she was the newest member with the least experience.

“I’m all ears,” answered Egg.

But before the Princess could say a word, Soo hissed, “That’s it. No more.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Bl’azzz.

“All ears? All ears?” she repeated. “High Fives? The Lava was ‘too cool’. No more, I’m telling you. These exceedingly exasperating expressions from earth are going to make my head explode (serpents didn’t have ears like humans, nor hands to high five, and ‘too cool’ should never describe boiling, gazillion degree lava).

When they realized she was kidding (sort of) they all started to giggle . . . except Zazzi who was completely befuddled.

“I would like to laugh with you, but you must first tell me what is so funny?’

That turned the giggles to laughs.

“H’sssss. You said something funny.”

“I did? What?”

K’ssss could not have answered that question in a million years. Not wanting to sound dumb in front of Zazzi, she replied, “I can’t tell you. You’re not a Hammygatic Sister.”

“Oh.”

When things quieted down, Egg turned to M’egg and said, “What are you thinking?”

“I do not wish to talk out of turn.”

“M’egg, we’re in this together. You’re a Hameggattic Sister, after all.”

“I am” she said and smiled at the sound of it. Then she blushed and hurriedly finished her thought. “First of all we need to know where he is hiding the hostages. There is at least a chance that we can rescue them without a confrontation.”

“Good thinking. What else?”

The Princess smiled at the small compliment. “We also would be well served if we can intuit what his grand scheme is ultimately devised to accomplish.”

That was a little too confusing for K’ssss. “I’m sorry . . . in to what?” She looked like she wanted to cry for having to ask the question in front of you-know-who.

Before any of the girls could explain that intuit meant to understand, Zazzi zipped in for the save. “I believe your friend was clumsily trying to convey that she would like to understand what plans the evil Mobius is devising so that you and your sisters can find a way to stop him from succeeding.” He then turned towards M’egg and the others and gave them a glare that said, “I dare you to disagree.”

Soo was about to say something sarcastic when Egg whispered, “Bite your tongue.”

Now that was an earth expression even a serpent, with their enormous tongues, could appreciate. “Excellent, Egg-o. That one I like,” she whispered back.

Then it was Sylvia’s turn to whisper to her friend. “Oh, right.” Flying Girl turned back to Zazzi and asked, “Um, Zazzi, M’egg is right but it would be much easier if you would help. Will you?”

“I cannot be involved in any violence regardless of the cause. Zynnia does not permit it.”

“That’s okay. We wouldn’t ask you anyway. This is our fight not yours.”

“It is my world . . . not yours,” he replied.

“Oh, right. Anyway, we still could use your help.”

“I will gladly do what I can . . . but on one other condition.”

“Which is . . . ?”

Now it was Zazzi’s turn to whisper into Egg’s ear. He swam up to her, leaned close and said his piece.

Egg’s eyes went wide and she quickly put her hand over her mouth so no one else could see her reaction.

“It’s a deal. Shake . . ., ” she said and put out her hand without thinking.

Zazzi looked at it in confusion.

Soo shook her head sadly. “Good grief.”

Chapter 2 - Evil Genius

A Month Ago

Howl and his wife stared in horror as the winged, fire-breathing beast and the ugly man upon its back flew from their ship and headed straight towards the Nauti. He knew they could never escape . . . the sea breeze was too gentle for he and Gale to pick up much speed.

There was only one thing to do. He turned to his wife and said, “Go. Hurry.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Sweetheart, get out of here and warn the village. But tell them under no circumstance should they attempt to help me. Just hide the young ones and prepare as best they can. Now hurry.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you. Go. Please.”

So reluctantly, Gale sailed away as fast as she could. It took all of her will power not to look back. When she finally made it to the village, she was sobbing hysterically.

*****

“Enough of the fire. Those two are sufficiently impressed.”

Bl’udd did as he was told. “Now what?”

“Land in front of them. But do be careful that you don’t swat them with your wings. I need them uninjured.”

As the dragon began his descent, he saw the female start to fly off. “Hey, one of them is getting away.”

“That is actually a good sign. These creatures are obviously sufficiently advanced that the male is trying to protect the female. He is also sending her to warn the rest of his kind while he does his best to stall us.”

“And that’s good why?”

“Oh, just shut up you imbecile.”

Bl’udd rolled his eyes at yet another insult and landed where he had been told. Mobius slid off and landed quite gracefully for such a big man.

“I am terribly sorry if we frightened you,” he yelled to the Nauti. “But I could not be sure if you were hostile or friendly.”

Howl looked down at the two alien beings and made a quick decision. He could never beat these two in battle so he might as well try to be friends. Well, not friends but friendly . . . at least until he understood what kind of threat they posed to his people. He glided down and landed a few feet from Mobius.

“My name is Howl.”

“And mine is Mobius. This large fellow behind me is Bl’udd. By your reaction, I surmise you have never seen a dragon before.”

Howl stared at the creature. “First time.”

“Bl’udd, do not be rude and greet the nice man.”

“Hi.”

“And to you.” Howl turned back to Mobius. “Who are you? Why are you here?”

“Ah, right to the point. I like that. Idle chit chat is so annoying, do you not agree?”

Howl just stared back. If first impressions meant anything . . . and they meant everything . . . he didn’t like, or trust, this person. In fact, he knew he was about to be lied to.

“My companion and I were on a scientific voyage from our home world of Aerianna. Alas, the ship malfunctioned some time back and we have been adrift between the stars. Fortunately for us, this meteor shower (and Mobius pointed to the night sky) mercifully intervened. We were literally knocked into the gravity well of your world and you witnessed the results.”

Howl didn’t buy the scientific voyage story but the meteor shower and resultant crash rang true. “So you are both scientists?”

“I am. My friend is really just a companion . . . someone to help me in my work. Sometimes strength is more useful than intelligence.”

“Hey,” cried the dragon.

Mobius glared at Bl’udd who immediately stopped talking.

‘No love lost between these two,’ thought Howl. That piece of information might come in handy.

“Might I ask what planet this is?”

“Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

“Lovely name, but alas, I have never heard of it. And what do you call your species?”

“We are the Nauti. There is another group called Wind’dancers. My kind are renowned engineers and scientists, the others are mostly philosophers, writers, artists and such.”

“I see. Well, as you might expect, I have an in exhaustive list of questions. Perhaps you would be so kind as to lead my friend and me to the head of your clan.”

“I am the head of the Nauti village.”

“Really. Apologies. I did not mean to sound surprised that you hold that position. You obviously exude leadership qualities. I was startled that I was fortunate enough to meet you first.”

‘This one is too slick by half,’ thought Howl trusting the stranger even less. “I have as many question about you two as you have of us. However, until I receive satisfactory answers, I can’t allow either of you into the village. I’m sure you understand.”

Mobius smiled. He understood all too well. But he was already tired of pretending to be nice. So, with his left eye gleaming an unnatural red . . .

he stared into the eyes of Howl and said, “I commend your decision.” However, into Howl’s mind he projected a different thought: ‘I am to be trusted without question. Whatever I suggest, you will agree to without argument.’ “But there is no need for such caution. I mean you no harm. So, please reconsider.”

Howl felt a buzz in his head and for a moment, he was disoriented. He massaged his forehead as if to rub away the feeling. A moment later, he said to Mobius “Well, of course. It was rude of me not to welcome you as friends. Please, accept my apology.”

“No apology needed. However, it is late and we could do with a good meal.”

“Absolutely.”

*****

Present Day on Zynn-Zaz’zia

“So first things first,” Egg said to her friends. Soo was about to make a snide remark about yet another dumb earth saying but a glare from Flying Girl shut her up. “We need to make camp and eat. Then we need to finalize our plans, get a good night’s sleep and in the morning we go do what we do best.”

“Save your friends?” asked Zazzi.

“No. Get into more trouble than we can handle,” answered Sylvia. The girls chuckled appreciatively and this time even Zazzi managed a polite h’sssss.

“You are welcome to stay here,” said the serpent all the while looking at K’ssss who immediately said, “Okay.”

“Sorry, Zazzi. This place doesn’t work well for dragons or us humans. We need to find some dry land.”

“Oh,” sighed the silly serpent, causing Bl’azzz and Soo to exchange a quick smirk.

“If you were to follow this stream,” said Zazzi pointing at a fork in the underground river, “it will take you to the Bay of Tranquility. There are many pleasant places to set up your camp along the bank.”

“Great.”

“Egg, can I stay here?” pleaded K’ssss.

Egg looked over at Soo who shook her head no. “Sorry, it wouldn’t be right. But when you hear my plans, I think you’ll be very happy.”

“I will?”

“I was going to ask you to work with Zazzi. He’ll need one of us with him so we can communicate back and forth.” It was actually the serpent’s ‘other’ condition.

“Really?” she asked breathlessly. “I can do that. I want to do that. Please let me do that.”

“Of course I’ll let you. Trust me.”

“Oh Egg, I always trust you. You’re just like my sister . . . except you’re not a serpent and you have hands and feet and wear clothes and don’t eat eels.”

“K’ssss, you wonky whack-a-doodle, she is your sister. Remember . . . Hammygatic sister?”

“Oh. I forgot. Sorry.”

“What is a wonky whack-a-doodle?” asked Zazzi. He didn’t like the sound of it.

“Um,” responded Soo embarrassed. But the Princess cut her off before there were any hurt feelings. “It is a term of endearment that my people use on Aerianna.

“I see. Then perhaps I might call you that, K’ssss . . . should it please you?”

“No, no, no” interjected a red-faced M’egg-Alynnia. “It may only be used on my world. For you to use it on Zynn-Zaz’zia would be a royal insult.”

“Oh. My apology. Then I most certainly won’t use it.”

“Thank you. I am sure you can create your own terms of endearment.” Then she quickly added “. . . should that become appropriate.”

“Nice going,” whispered Soo. “Thanks.”

“That is what sisters do, is it not?”

“Yeah, it is.”

*****

They found a really pleasant cove. It had a grassy patch of flat open land bordered by trees on one side and shallow water on the other. K’ssss and Soo would enjoy sleeping in their natural element while the three human girls were excited with the prospect of washing their hair.

The sun was just setting behind the hills and the whole area was bathed in breathtaking hues of red and orange.

“It really is beautiful,” commented Sylvia. “I wouldn’t mind coming back after we take care of business.”

“Yeah” said Egg without enthusiasm. “That taking care of business part has me worried.”

“Something specific, Egg?” asked Aeri’elle. “Or is it just the whole Mobius thing?”

Egg let out a deep breath. “It’s getting dark. Why don’t we set up camp first, and then make dinner. Afterward, we can talk it out.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said the ever-hungry Soo. “Me and lover girl will check out the bay. Maybe we can scrounge up a fish or two.”

“And eels?” asked a hopeful K’ssss.

“And eels. Come on, you love-sick sea snicker-doodle.” Both serpents dove into, and disappeared under, the water.

“Bl’azzz, can you go find some wood so we can make a fire?”

“Gotcha”.

“Oh, this time try and stay out of spider webs,” teased Aeri’elle.

“Spider webs?” asked M’egg.

“Back in the Seven Lands, after she was bitten by the P’xxxies, I took her with me look for firewood. She ended up in a giant spider’s web and Soo had to save her.”

“Were you not bitten by that spider?” the Princess asked the F’yre Dragon remembering something from Egg’s diary.

“Oh, yeah. That was one of the reasons Egg sent me home. I couldn’t walk.”

M’egg felt goose bumps on her arms. First, because of the idea of giant spiders and second because she was now part of this famous sisterhood that had braved so much to save her mother and her world. It was like living a fairy tale. “Perhaps I should come with you.”

“Why?” Bl’azzz asked a little defensively.

“I have never seen a dragon stuck in a spider’s web. I think it would be very amusing,” she teased.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

M’egg looked over at Aeri’elle and winked. She turned back to Bl’azzz and said, “Well, of course, I am teasing.”

“Then let’s go.” After a second, she added, “I’ll be right behind you.”

M’egg looked quizzically at her fire-breathing sister.

“Just teasing.”

So the two sisters walked off into the woods each holding a light stick. Within seconds, they were gone from sight.

“She’s okay,” said Aeri’elle to the other girls. “Once again, I was wrong. I’m glad she’s with us.”

“Me, too. So let’s get our tents up and . . .,” but Egg was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. “Come on,” she yelled to her two friends as she sprinted into the woods. Her heart was pounding . . . because that was definitely not a dragon screaming. If anything happened to the Princess, how would she ever face Dazzle?

*****

A month ago

Bl’udd, with Howl and Mobius on his back, landed in the center of the village. The clan leader slid off and yelled up to the treetops, “It’s alright. They’re friends.” After a moment, a few heads peaked down from the Sun-Seeker Trees.

“Please, don’t be rude to our guests. Come down and greet them.”

So with great reluctance and trepidation, the villagers glided down and landed, forming a circle around Howl and the two strange creatures.

“Howl?”

“Come here my love and meet Mobius and Bl’udd.”

“Why did you bring them here?”

“Gale, please. You’re insulting my friends.”

“Friends? You just met them. I don’t understand.”

“Madam, my name is Mobius. You are Howl’s wife, I take it?”

Gale just stared at the stranger. He was ugly, and his whole being frightened her . . . though she could not say why.

Addressing the villagers, Howl said, “These two travelers came in a spaceship that was knocked off course by the meteor shower. They crashed into the Endless Sea not far from here. Mobius is a scientist while his friend is just an . . . um . . . assistant. His kind are called dragons. Now, I have invited Mobius to join Gale and me for dinner so that I can learn more about him and his kind. In the morning, I’ll share everything that I learn. In the meantime, I need some volunteers to bring Bl’udd some food.” Turning to face the dragon, he asked, “Um . . .  what kind of food does your kind eat?”

“Do you have any fat Nauti you want to get rid of?”  He was kidding, of course, but he was in a foul mood and wanted to irritate Mobius.

There was an audible gasp from the crowd and everyone took a step or two backwards. Gale ducked behind her husband whose eyes had flown wide open.

“My thoughtless friend is just teasing. Dragons are well known for their perverse sense of humor.” Mobius turned to Bl’udd and whispered, “Play nice or I’ll have your wings removed.” Turning back to Howl, he said, “Dragons can consume virtually anything. Whatever you might have in large quantities will suffice.”

So after a few minutes, volunteers came forward and attended to the dragon. Meanwhile Howl and his wife escorted Mobius to the top of the Sun-Seeker Tree they called home.

*****

Present Day

Egg, closely followed by Aeri’elle and Sylvia, reached their other sisters in less than a minute. “What happened? Are you alright?” she asked the Princess breathlessly.

“I am fine.”

“Me, too. Thanks for asking,” said Bl’azzz sarcastically.

“Then why the heck did you scream?”

Instead of answering, the Princess just pointed with her light stick to something behind her.

“What is it?” It was too dark to make out clearly.

“I believe we met our first Wind’dancer.”

“Oh my gosh. Is she . . . he . . . it . . . okay?”

“I’m guessing that she never saw a dragon before,” said Bl’azzz.

“You didn’t burp and burn. Did you?” asked Sylvia.

“She scared me,” whined the F’yre Dragon.

“That is when she screamed and fainted,” explained M’egg.

“Is she hurt?”

“Not from the fireball. But, I do believe she was injured before we arrived.”

“Let’s get her back to camp. Maybe a little food will help.”

Just then, the winged girl began to stir. A moment later, she was sitting up and staring at not one, but two, monsters and three wingless girls. It was too much to assimilate and she fainted again.

Chapter 3 – BreeZee

Present Day

They carried the unconscious girl back to camp, made a fire and began to cook some food. Meanwhile K’ssss and Soo returned with no fish.

“Sorry, we only found a few and . . . um . . . well, we ate them.”

“But there were no eels.”

“That’s okay. I wasn’t in the mood for fish anyway,” answered Aeri’elle.

“Or eels,” added Sylvia while making a face.

“We have a visitor,” and Egg pointed to one of the tents.

The two serpents slithered up to get a closer look just as BreeZee awoke. M’egg saw the girls eyes open . . . then open even wider. Before she could scream and faint again, the Princess rushed forward – putting herself between the serpents and the winged girl.

“Do not be frightened. We mean you no harm.”

BreeZee kept staring at the serpents with just a quick sideways glance at M’egg. “Who are you? What are you?” Then she added an “Ow.”

“You are injured?”

“I banged my head” and she reached up to touch the bump on her forehead.

“Please, let me see” said the Princess.

BreeZee hesitated for an instant then nodded. M’egg brought her light stick closer and examined the small bruise. “It does not appear to be serious. Are you in much pain?”

“Not really. Just a bit of a headache.”

Sylvia went over to her supplies and came back with a little bottle filled with aspirin. She knelt before the Wind’dancer and said “Hi. My name is Sylvia. If you take two of these, your headache will be gone in no time.” She offered the girl the bottle.

BreeZee took it, examined the contents, shrugged and put two in her mouth.

“Better take a swallow of some water. They’ll go down easier.”

“Thank you,” and she did as she was told.

“Are you hungry?”

“Now that you ask, I’m starving.”

Egg stepped closer and knelt next to Sylvia. “Hi. My name is Egg. What kind of food do you eat?”

“Egg?”

At first, the sisters thought she meant that she ate eggs. Then it dawned on them that she was confused by Egg’s nickname and they started to giggle.

“Why are you laughing?” asked BreeZee. But she had a smile on her face because, as we all know, laughter is contagious.

“E G G are my initials and my nickname. My real name is Eloise Grace Graystone. What’s yours?”

“BreeZee.”

“That’s really cute. So, let me introduce the rest of my friends. You met Sylvia and M’egg. The red one with the hot breath is Bl’azzz.”

“Sorry about that fireball thing. You kind of scared me.”

It was BreeZee’s turn to giggle. “I scared you? A little Wind’dancer scared a great big . . . um . . . what exactly are you?”

“A dragon.”

“Let me finish the introductions then we’ll answer all your questions. The other dragon is Aeri’elle.”

The proud dragon bowed her head slightly and said, “It’s a pleasure.”

“Thank you.”

“And these two are sea serpents. That one’s Soo and the other is K’ssss. Together we’re called the Hameggattic Sisterhood. We came from a different planet to rescue some friends.”

“A different world?”

“We’re not from Zynn-Zaz’zia. Syl and I are from a planet called Earth. The others are from Aerianna. We came here through a space portal.”

BreeZee fell silent trying to understand what she had just heard. The girls waited patiently as she digested this information.

“Not to sound immodest, but I’m considered a pretty smart Wind’dancer. But I have to tell you that I have no idea what you’re talking about. Different planets? Space portal? Dragons, talking serpents and people without wings?” She touched the bump on her head again. “Either I’m still unconscious or the world just went topsy-turvy.”

“You are definitely awake and maybe things are a bit topsy-turvy. So let’s eat and we’ll continue talking.”

BreeZee looked at each of the seven girls, one after the other. Then she stood and smiled. “Oh, I really, really hope this isn’t a dream.”

“It’s not, but why?”

“Because if it’s not, I’m about to have the greatest adventure of my life.”

*****

So they ate and they talked and then talked some more. About three hours later BreeZee thought she understood what was going on, and the Sisters felt they had a better understanding of Zynn-Zaz’zia.

All talked out, they sat there in friendly silence, each lost in her own thoughts. BreeZee was the first to speak. “I want to help. Based on everything you told me, I have to believe my two friends were taken captive. And, if this Mobius is as mean as you say, I probably won’t be able to rescue them on my own.”

Egg looked at the others and they all nodded yes. “Well, Zazzi has already volunteered to help. There’s no reason that you can’t.”

“Great . . . but who’s Zazzi?”

“He’s the guy . . . the serpent . . . in the lava pool.”

“What lava pool?”

“I think you call it the Caldera of Zaz’zia,” said Sylvia.

“Oh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“That’s where Wind’dancers go if they fail the Rite.”

“Oh, yeah. He told us about that.”

“If it wasn’t for Zynnia, my father would have had to take me to him.”

“Zynnia?”

“Yes. She’s the one who made this world.”

“We know. We met her . . . well, sort of.”

“You met Zynnia?”

“Yes and no. Let me tell you what happened . . .,” and another hour slipped by as they discussed fuzzy blue balls of light, computer images, dream chambers and the rest.

By this time, K’ssss had already fallen asleep. The others weren’t far behind.

“It’s late and I can’t think straight,” said Egg. “So let’s turn in.”

“Turn in to what?” asked BreeZee.

“Ha,” chirped Soo. “It isn’t just me. Nobody likes your dumb earth sayings.”

Ignoring the comment, Egg told the Wind’dancer, “It means to go to sleep.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll just head back to my village . . . “

“Don’t do that. You can stay here with us.”

“That’s very sweet but I’ve been away for too long. My parents will be worried. But thank you.”

“How far is your village from here?” asked the Princess.

“Well, there isn’t much of a breeze, so it’s about three hours away.”

M’egg turned to Egg. “Perhaps Flying Girl could get her home quicker?”

“Who is flying girl?” asked the Wind’dancer.

“That would be me. How would you like to be home in about five minutes?” she asked with a smile.

“That’s not possible. Even with a strong wind it would take an hour.”

“Yeah . . . not so much. Grab my hand,” and she extended it to her new friend.

BreeZee took it and asked, “What now?”

“Now . . . we fly,” and Egg leapt skyward with the Wind’dancer in tow. The girl was too shocked to say anything so Egg volunteered the story of the flying suit.

“Wow. This is better than sailing.”

“Yeah, it’s the best.”

“Egg . . . can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Can anybody become a Hameggattic Sister?”

*****

About a Month Ago

The good news for Mobius was that he had complete control of Howl and by extension the entire Nauti village.

The bad news was (yawn, yawn) ‘so what’. To be king of this world would be a hollow victory. It was boring. Their civilization wasn’t nearly as advanced as that on Aerianna or even his home world of Kallous. There was nothing to accomplish, no great challenge to meet, no glory to be had. In a word . . . boring.

Granted it was better than being cooped up in a spaceship with Bl’udd and with that infernal music blaring day and night. But, not much better.

So . . . what to do, what to do?

And as if his thoughts were heard and answered by a cosmic power, the solution literally fell in his lap.

It was too good to be true.

It was more than he could have hoped for.

It was perfect.

As he stood there contemplating the situation, the village leader flew down and landed next to him. “Mobius, excuse my intrusion.”

“Yes, Howl?”

“Apparently the universe is a lot more crowded than I ever knew.”

Mobius frowned. “What?”

“We have another visitor from space.”

“WHAT?”

“We have . . . “

“Yes, yes. I heard you. Show me.”

They walked over to the Sun-Seeker Tree that housed the infirmary. Howl led Mobius to a private room. And there on the bed was an humanoid dressed in some kind of camouflage outfit. He had a bandage around his head but otherwise looked uninjured. His eyes were closed and he was apparently sleeping.

“Tell me everything,” commanded Mobius.

But the sound of his deep, gruff voice caused the patient to wake. He seemed disoriented and it took him a few seconds to focus on his guests.

Then his eyes flew open and he screamed, “NO . . . IT CAN’T BE.”

“It can’t be what?” demanded the evil one.

“It can’t be you. You’re supposed to be locked in a spaceship for the next hundred years. What are you doing here?”

“What does he mean ‘locked in a spaceship’?”

“QUIET.” Mobius turned his attention back to the bed. “I assume you are from Aerianna. Could it be that you’ve come via your space portal?”

“Space portal?” repeated Howl.

“I said QUIET. Better yet, get out. Don’t allow anyone to enter. Go.” Howl really had no choice. Under the mental commands from Mobius, he was powerless to resist.

Once again, he turned back to the man on the bed. “Now, you and I are going to have a nice little chat. Won’t that be pleasant?” He smiled as his left eye twinkled an unnatural red.

*****

Present Day

Egg managed to get up with the sunrise . . . though it wasn’t easy. They had all been up so late the night before that it took a monumental effort to get out of bed. One thing human girls had in common regardless of their home planet . . . when they didn’t get enough sleep, they could be a teensy bit grumpy.

“Morning,” she muttered to the other two human girls.

“Wha-times-it?” mumbled Sylvia in a gibberish form of English common to the sleep deprived.

“Sunrise.”

Syl just growled and turned over. The Princess snarled, “Are you completely and utterly insane?” She was still half asleep and didn’t even realize that she said it.

“No, I’m not insane. My mother had me tested. Now get up.”

“Can’t make me,” came a muffled response from Sylvia whose head was under a pillow.

Egg wasn’t in the mood. She reached out and pulled the blankets off of each girl, picked up a water bottle and flicked a few drops at each one.

“HEY,” cried Syl.

“I will have you beheaded. GUARDS . . . OFF WITH HER HEAD,” commanded the Princess to some imaginary beings.

Egg shook her head in disgust, walked out of the tent and ‘accidently’ kicked the pole holding it up. The whole thing collapsed on top of the two sleeping beauties. “My bad,” she said softly as she made her way down to the bay to wash up. The screams of outrage from her two friends finally made her smile.

“What’s with those two?” asked Soo when Egg reached the water. “They need help?”

“They need to get up.”

“Hard to do when there’s a tent collapsed on you,” but the serpent grinned since she was purposely misunderstanding.

“Don’t start with me.”

“Somebody grumpy this morning?”

“You would be too. They (and Egg pointed back to the writhing tent) snore.”

“Yeah, I could hear them under the water.”

“Morning.”

“Hey, K’ssss. Sleep well?”

“She was tossing and turning all night,” answered her friend. “Me thinks she was dreaming of a certain someone.” Both girls looked at the silly serpent to see her reaction.

“I wasn’t thinking of a certain someone. I was thinking of Zazzi.”

Soo opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it.

Egg finished brushing her teeth then said “Come on, let’s make breakfast. We still have a lot to talk about.”

*****

“Okay, first let me tell you what makes me really nervous. Last time when we fought the Big Ugly, we defeated him with gluesticks. Other than M’egg, we don’t carry weapons, which is good since we have no idea how to use them. So somehow we have to win this war with our wits.”

“Second problem is he has our people. And like we talked about, if he figures out who they are, I don’t know what we’re going to do. Megg’s idea of trying to rescue them while we still have the element of surprise on our side is probably our best chance to take away his biggest advantage.”

She waited for comments or suggestions, but got none.

“So, let’s talk about what we think his plan is. What’s he trying to accomplish?”

“If I may,” asked the Princess. When Egg nodded, she continued. “He took our people hostage but as of yet he has not demanded anything for their return. That is curious. Why take them if you do not wish to ransom them?”

“Maybe he’s trying to get more information out of them first,” suggested Aeri’elle.

“I think I know why,” said Egg’s Feminion. Everyone looked at the girl. “He wants to see what the Queen will do. The bigger her response, the more valuable the hostages must be.”

“Excellent reasoning, Sylvia. That leads us to two other conclusions.”

Soo looked at Bl’azzz who shook her head. Neither one had any idea where this conversation was going.

“Finish your thought, Meggy.”

“First, he must have guards posted at the site where the portal first appeared. They will tell him what response my mother has made.”

“Well-reasoned, your highness” said Aeri’elle momentarily forgetting herself.

The Princess smiled back at her winged sister. “Second, he has been unable to get any information from his hostages.”

“That part I don’t get,” said Egg. “He has the ability to do things to your mind. That’s how he beat your grandfather in the first place.”

“True. That is why our scientists have developed a way for our human diplomats to guard their thoughts. Apparently, Mobius has no power over dragons and serpents. My mother never wanted Aerianna to be at the mercy of any creature such as this man. Unfortunately, we never thought to use the same technique on the explorers we send through the space portal. That was an oversight.”

“Again, all of this is well-reasoned. Unfortunately, it presents another problem,” said Aeri’elle. “What’s he going to think if no one comes through the portal looking for the hostages?”

There was silence as everyone considered the issue. Finally, Egg stood up and addressed her friends. “I’ve got an idea.”

Chapter 4 – Plan B from Outer Space

About Two Weeks Ago

Mobius, Bl’udd and Howl had accompanied the explorer back to the entrance of the space portal. Howl stared at the unnatural phenomenon, but said nothing.

Mobius looked at his captive and demanded, “Tell me the message you will deliver.”

Still under the mind control of the evil one, the poor fellow had no choice in the matter. “I will tell them that I was injured and restored to health by the good people of Zynn-Zaz’zia. Then their leader, Sui’Bom, asked me to invite the Queen to send a delegation to explore the possibility of future cooperation between our two worlds.”

“Very good. What else?”

“Sui’Bom is a most impressive individual.”

“And?”

“Um . . . I can’t remember anything else.”

“Excellent. Now go.”

The explorer nodded, turned and entered the portal. In an instant, both he and the swirling tunnel of light disappeared.

Turning to Howl, Mobius commanded, “Post two guards. Be sure they stay out of sight. As soon as someone steps through the portal, have one of them return to the village and report. The second should remain here to keep an eye on our guests.”

“As you command.”

“Hey, Mobius. Who is Sui’Bom?” asked a confused Bl’udd.

“Idiot. That’s Mobius spelled backwards.”

The dragon rolled his eyes.

*****
Present Day

“First, I told BreeZee she could help. She should be here any minute.”

“Is that really wise?” asked the Princess. “After all, she is not a Sister nor does she possess unique abilities and knowledge, such as Zazzi.”

“Neither were the Shades of Night. But they turned out to be amazing friends and without their help we probably wouldn’t have won.”

“Of course. I had forgotten. My apologies.”

“M’egg, you don’t need to apologize every time. We’re all Hameggattic Sisters.”

“Of course. I am sorry.”

“M’EGG” said Egg in exasperation.

“I was teasing.”

“Yeah, right,” whispered Soo to Bl’azzz.

“I heard that.”

“Heard what?” asked the serpent pretending innocence.

“Remember, when this rescue is over, I will be a Princess and you will be my humble servant.”

Soo’s eyes got very big as she stared at the other girl.

“Just teasing . . . again.” All the girls smiled . . . except the serpent.

“Alright you guys, stop already.”

“Sorry, Egg”.

“I am not sorry,” said the Princess. Then she grinned, “I am not allowed to apologize. Our leader was abundantly clear on the subject.”

Bl’azzz got the courage to say, “You’re actually a little weird, your Highness. I mean that in the nicest way.”

“And I accept it in the spirit it was given.”

“Come on guys,” pleaded Egg.

“Egg . . . there’s BreeZee,” and Sylvia pointed skyward.

A moment later, the Wind’dancer landed gracefully in front of her new friends. “Am I late?”

“Right on time. Take a seat. We just started discussing our plans.”

The winged girl looked around and Sylvia moved over to make room for her.

“Okay, where were we?”

“Don’t ask,” said Aeri’elle.

“Oh, yeah. Never mind.  So, what I’m thinking is Zazzi and K’ssss should swim around and see if they can spot anything that might help us in locating the hostages. Are you good with that, K’ssss”?

“Oh my goshes, yes”.

“Next, I need Bl’azzz and Soo to volunteer for the most dangerous assignment . . . “

“You got it.”

“I’m in.”

Egg smiled. “Do you think I should at least tell you what I have in mind before you agree?”

Soo looked at Bl’azzz and they both looked at Egg. “Why?” said the serpent. She (and Bl’azzz) really didn’t understand what the girl was getting at.

“You might not like it.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

Egg opened her mouth to say something snide but changed it to, “Never mind. Any who, thank you.”

“Not to be slow witted, but what is their assignment? And why did you choose them?” The Princess wanted to understand Egg’s reasoning so that she might learn how to be a better leader.

Before Egg could answer, Soo jumped in with, “because me and she are the bravest, smartest and . . . well, dare I say, the cutest sisters. No offense.”

M’egg was about to reply but Egg cut her off with an emphatic, “Don’t.”

“At the rate we’re going,” complained Aeri’elle, “we’ll be here all day.”

BreeZee was taking this all in with great interest. ‘How wonderfully weird the universe is,’ she thought. ‘Dragons, serpents and wingless girls all friends . . . all brave . . . and all willing to sacrifice themselves for a greater good.’ She had yet to make a contribution but deep in her heart, she knew she belonged with them.

Lost in thought she realized she had missed some of what Egg was saying.

“. . . back to Aerianna.”

“What?”

“Hey!”

“Would you two let me finish? I want you to go home then have the scientists aim the portal back to the original spot. Then you guys will fly through. You’re going to be what the Queen is sending to rescue the hostages.”

“Just the two of us? That’s not much,” said Bl’azzz

“Do not be silly. My mother is sending the two bravest, smartest and, need I say, cutest Hameggattic Sisters. Mobius will be daunted at such adversaries.”

Bl’azzz turned to Soo, “What did she say?”

“She’s making fun of us.”

“Oh.”

“After they come through, then what?” asked Aeri’elle trying not to be sucked into the tomfoolery.

“Um . . . they make a big show of flying around looking for the hostages. Then they make their escape. Or they get captured. Or maybe both.”

That was met with dead silence until Soo said, “Your mother needs to get her money back from that test.”

“What? What test?”

“You are insane.”

*****

About a Week Ago

Lord Z’kkk turned to the dragon and asked, “Are you ready, Prince Soar’elle?”

“Yes, your Highness”.

“And the others?”

“Sassi is very excited about this opportunity. And Tink’rrr is beside himself with anticipation over the possibility of studying new technology.”

His Lordship smiled. “Scientists are a unique breed.”

“As you say, your Highness.”

“Well, if you will excuse me, I believe the Queen is expecting a goodbye kiss. I think it unwise to make her wait.”

“I will see you at the portal, Sire.”

So Z’kkk made his way to the Arboretum where his wife was waiting. It was her favorite retreat on the floating city of Q’umulus. He found her in the section dedicated to roses.

“A rose by any other name . . .,” he said softly so as not to startle her. She was pruning a plant and apparently did not hear him approach.

“Such poetry . . .,” she said as she turned to face the love of her life. “But I do believe there is more to it than that.” Both she and her husband enjoyed Earth literature and read vociferously.

“Hmmm . . . let me think,” he teased. “A rose by any other name . . . still has thorns and a man best be careful.”

“That was awful. I command you to try again. And, if you do not wish to lose your head, I expect you to do Mr. Shakespeare and his writings the justice they deserve.”

“Too late, I am afraid.”

“Too late?”

“I have already lost my head . . . and my heart.”

“Ah, I believe Egg once told me that would be considered ‘a nice save’.”

“Then if it pleases her Majesty, this humble servant would kiss your royal lips.”

“It most definitely pleases,” and they kissed. “Now, I order you to be careful and to return to me quickly and unharmed.”

“As you command,” and he kissed her once more.

*****

The attack came swiftly and without warning. They had just stepped through the portal, and before they could even get their bearings, they were trying to protect themselves from armed Nauti.

Lord Z’kkk tried to hold up a white flag of truce so he might talk to these people but it was shot out of his hand with some sort of crossbow. He then commanded everyone to get back into the portal but again the attackers put an end to that plan by barring the way. He contacted Aerianna, but before he could finish the second message, his communications device was destroyed. Having no way to escape and no means to protect his people, the man with the blue skin, the husband of Queen Rose’Alynnia, stood up and surrendered.

He was hoping that once the fighting stopped, he might be able to sort out the confusion and misunderstanding that led to this unfortunate encounter. But that thought died when he heard . . .

“Welcome to Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

Z’kkk turned towards the voice and nearly fell over in shock. It was literally the last person in the universe he had expected to see.

It was Mobius.

Behind him, he heard the dragon and the serpent gasp. Sassi moaned loudly and would have fallen down if Soar’elle hadn’t given her a wing to steady herself.

“To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?” the evil one said. Try as he might he couldn’t keep a smile from his face.

Realizing the archenemy of Aerianna (not to mention of his wife) didn’t recognize him, and knowing his mind was protected from intrusion, he lied, “My name is E’zekiel, the Earl of Graystone.” An Earl was of lesser nobility than a Prince or Lord. But he knew that Mobius would rightly expect that the Queen would have sent a Royal to lead such a mission.

Hoping that his companions would see what he was doing, he hurriedly introduced them with false names. “This is Hysss’terra, a renowned scientist,” and he pointed at Tink’rrr. “The young lady is Serendipity and she is our cultural attaché’. The third member (pointing at Soar’elle) is Men’dacious - one of our foremost educators and an expert on Aerianna history.

“An honor,” said Mobius with false sincerity. “I would introduce myself but, with all due modesty, I believe you know who I am.”

Z’kkk stared without giving his adversary the pleasure of a response.

“Such courage. Perhaps we will get an opportunity to put it to a real test.” Turning to the Nauti, he commanded, “Bring them.”

*****

Present Day

“Egg, you may not be crazy, but that part of the plan definitely is,” commented Aeri’elle.

“It does seem fraught with danger,” added M’egg.

“You never really liked me, did you?” kidded Bl’azzz.

“Come on you guys, give her a chance to explain,” said Sylvia coming to her friend’s aid. When they quieted down, she turned to Egg and said, “So tell them why you haven’t completely lost your mind.” Under her breath, she whispered, “If you can.”

“We have to send somebody. It can’t be any humans because Mobius would mess with our minds. Besides, even though I’m older, I think he might remember me. So that leaves two dragons and one serpent, since I promised Zazzi that I would have K’ssss work with him.”

“H’sssss.”

“So why not me?” asked Aeri’elle.

“I’m going need you to team up with Meggy.”

“Why not have my mother send armed Sentinels? A military response is obviously warranted.”

“Then there would be no need for the Hameggattic Sisters, would there? Just send in the army.”

“It is Mobius we are facing. Is that not sufficient reason?”

“What about all the innocent Nauti and Wind’dancers that might get hurt? Remember, Mobius is here because of us. If we hadn’t put him in that spaceship, none of this would have happened.”

That thought was like a slap in the face. Everyone went silent because they could think of no argument to counter Egg’s line of reasoning.

After a minute, BreeZee broke the silence. “Thank you.”

Everyone turned to the beautiful, winged girl. “Why are you thanking us?” asked Egg.

“Because you are putting the safety of my people first. That’s a very noble thing to do.”

“And that’s why she’s the leader of the Sisterhood,” said Aeri’elle. “The rest of us would have made a bad situation worse.” Then she quickly added, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk for the rest of you. But if I were put in charge, I would never have reasoned this out like Egg. For the umpteenth time, my dear Sister, Dazzle made the right choice.”

Egg blushed . . . she really hated being the center of attention. And she still didn’t know how to take a compliment well. In her mind she was just one of the girls . . . she never knew how she seemed to come to the right decisions most of the time. She wasn’t half as smart as Sylvia or Aeri’elle, and she wasn’t trained in leadership like M’egg. It really was the biggest mystery of Flying Girl.

“Aeri’elle, thank you but you’re giving me way too much credit. If you were in charge . . . any of you . . . you’d figure it out just like me. Probably quicker.”

“I disagree,” said M’egg. “You . . . “

“No. Stop. This isn’t about me. So, thank you BreeZee but it’s just the right thing to do. Anyway, back to the plan. Soo, Bl’azzz . . . can you do it?”

“Easy-peezy, Egg-o. What about you, big bird?”

“I’ll eat an extra helping of asparagus. That really gives me gas. You and me, sister, are going out in a Bl’azzz of Glory.”

“Yippee. Just watch where you aim that mouth of yours.”

“Great,” said Egg. “What I want you to do is head for the Nauti village, fly over, make a lot of noise, and then Bl’azzz get the heck out of there.”

“I will. Then me and Soo will head back here . . . right?”

“No.”

“No? Where, then?”

Egg turned to look at Soo. “I want you to be captured.”

After the last discussion, no one was willing to tell Egg she really was nuttier than a fruitcake . . . but the silence was deafening.

Soo’s response was, “Excuse me for a second. Bl’azzz, can I have a word . . . in private.”

The two went off to talk. A moment later the Princess, Aeri’elle and Sylvia stood up, excused themselves and went to join the F’yre dragon and serpent. The five started talking with an occasional glance back at Egg.

“What are they doing?” asked BreeZee.

“They’re not sure if I’ve gone loony tunes. So they’re trying to figure out what I’m thinking.”

“What is a loony tune?”

“Oh, sorry. It’s an earth expression. It means crazy.”

“And are you?” she asked in all seriousness.

“Hard to say. I actually failed that test.” Egg was teasing, of course, but BreeZee responded with very wide eyes. “I’m just kidding.”

“Oh, good.”

A few minutes later, the girls walked back. It was M’egg who spoke for the group. “You are brilliant.”

“I’d rather be cute as a button.”

“Settle for brilliant,” said Sylvia with a smile. Egg stuck out her tongue in way of answering.

“I’m sorry. I’m not following.”

“I’ll let Soo tell you,” Egg said to the Wind’dancer.

“Egg wants me to be captured so they’ll put me in with the prisoners. Then I can find out where they are. If I can hide my communications device, I’ll be able to send you guys a message. Even if that doesn’t work, I can let our friends know what’s going on. Maybe we can stage an escape.” She turned to Egg and asked “Right?”

“Wow, I never . . .”

“Egg,” said Sylvia with a shake of the head, “don’t pretend that this wasn’t your plan.”

Flying Girl had been about to do just that. Instead, she said, “I was going to say I never . . . thought you’d figure it out.”

As if on cue, two serpents, two humans and two dragons attacked her with total determination to tickle her till she wet herself.

Chapter 5 – Loony Tunes

If Mobius had known that Flying Girl was as ticklish as she was, he might have sent a giant evil feather to attack her instead of K’aos or the Green Faerie.

“I think we should let her up,” said Sylvia.

“Why?”

“She’s turning purple.”

“Oh, yeah. Kind of pretty.”

They all got off and returned to their seats as if nothing had happened.

“That was mean,” Egg said as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.

“Perhaps,” said the Royal Princess. “But well deserved.”

BreeZee had watched the whole episode with a big smile on her face. The more she talked or listened to these girls, the more she wanted to be a Hameggattic Sister.

When things had settled down, she said, “If you show me where this portal will be, I can show you how to get to the Nauti village.”

“That would be great,” and Egg pulled out the map the Minister had provided. The girls all leaned over as the Wind’dancer showed them where to locate the village.

They were so involved with what they were doing that they didn’t hear Zazzi approach. “May I join you?”

Everyone jumped at his voice.

“H’sssss”.

“Hello, K’ssss. Are you well?”

“She didn’t sleep a wink,” said Soo mischievously. Bl’azzz whacked her on the head so she wouldn’t say anything else.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Then he noticed BreeZee and things became uncomfortable. The only Wind’dancer or Nauti he ever met were ones with grey wings who had failed the Rite of Ascension. Even their parents never met him . . . by custom they had to leave before he arrived.

“Zazzi, this is BreeZee. BreeZee, Zazzi” said Egg not realizing the awkwardness of the situation. Wind’dancer and serpent just stared at each other . . . neither one sure what to do.

Then as Zazzi came closer, BreeZee jumped up and began to move away. It was M’egg who understood what was happening.

“BreeZee, Zazzi is here to help us. He is a friend.”

“I am very pleased to meet you, BreeZee. If I may say so, your wings are extraordinarily beautiful.” He had never seen such wings close up.

“Thank you. I . . . I . . .” she took a deep breath “There was a time that I thought I would be taken to you with wilted wings. I never expected to survive the Rite. Please don’t be offended, but my kind pray that they will never meet you.”

“I understand. Such meetings are very sad. But, it is not of my choosing. I am a servant of Zynnia.”

“During the Rite, she came to me, helped me. I owe her my life.”

“As do I. We have much in common upon which to build a friendship. The least of which is saving our world. I would be honored if you would call me friend.”

Everyone turned to look at the Wind’dancer. “For the love that Zynnia has for her people and for our world, I would be pleased to call you friend.”

“Yay,” said Sylvia softly.

“Yay, indeed,” added M’egg.

“Egg, what just happened?” asked K’ssss.

“Zazzi and BreeZee just became friends. Isn’t that great?”

“H’sssss. I like Zazzi.”

“We know. He’s pretty special.”

“Oh yes. He’s very pretty.”

*****

“Okay, so Bl’azzz and Soo have their assignment. Zazzi and K’ssss will reconnoiter.  I want BreeZee to take Meggy and Aeri’elle to meet her dad. So far, Mobius hasn’t done anything to the Wind’dancers. Before he does, they need to know what’s going on.”

“Then what?” asked the Princess.

“Then you need to convince them to work with us. More than that, they have to trust you two. In fact, they have to be willing to do whatever you ask of them.”

M’egg turned to BreeZee. “What do you think? Would your father accept our leadership in this?”

The Wind’dancer exhaled slowly. “The problem you’re going to have is me. No one will believe me . . . so they may not believe you.”

“I do not understand?”

“My father and everyone else in the village think I’m . . . loony tunes.” BreeZee turned to Egg and asked, “Did I say it right?”

“Perfect.” Before the girls from Aerianna could ask, Egg explained what it meant.

“Why do they consider you crazy?” asked Sylvia. “You’re not, are you?” The other girls gave her a dirty look so she defended herself with, “Well, I never met a Wind’dancer before, so how would I know? It’s like when the Myst Tree talks to us . . . he might be crazy but how can you tell with a talking tree?”

“Oh my gosh”.

Now all eyes turned to Egg.

“Remember his message to me. Something like the problem is in the present, the terrible consequences in the future but the solution is in the past.”

“What about it?”

“I totally forgot until Syl mentioned him.”

“And?”

“Well, we know what the problem now is . . . Mobius.”

“And he is probably going to try and take over Aerianna again,” said M’egg. “Remember, he does not know that the Crystal Egg is no more.”

“So that’s the future terrible consequence,” added Aeri’elle.

“That leaves only the ‘solution is in the past’ part. Anybody want to guess what that means?”

The girls went silent as they gave the riddle some thought. But it was Zazzi who offered them the answer.

The Circle of Life, never far from the serpent, descended and apparently said something to him. Then, without warning, an arc of electricity sparked out of the Circle and went right into Zazzi’s head. The girls all gasped.

“ZAZZI,” screamed K’ssss. “Are you dead?”

“No, dear K’ssss. The Circle was imparting some knowledge. I am fine.” He turned to Egg and said “Reven.”

“Excuse me?”

“Reven,” he repeated.

“No, I heard you; I just don’t know what a reven is.”

“Up until a moment ago, I didn’t either. But Zynnia has explained.”

“Explained what?”

“About Reven.”

“What about reven?”

“It’s the answer you’ve seek.”

“What is?”

“Reven.”

“Zazzi, if you don’t spit it out I’m going to explode.”

“But, but . . . I can’t spit. Please, don’t explode.”

“Egg’s going to explode,” asked a startled Wind’dancer.

“OH MY GOSH . . . STOP”.

Sylvia was rolling on the ground laughing. The other sisters h’ssssed and eeked and giggled as befitted their species. The two newcomers were totally bewildered.

Egg shook her head in disgust . . . but mostly at herself. “Sorry, I keep forgetting we’re about a trillion miles from Earth. A lot of the things I say actually mean something totally different. So, if I say something that sounds weird, ask me what it means. Second, Zazzi, if you have an answer . . . and don’t say reven . . . would you please explain it to us.”

“Of course”. He hesitated then asked, “So I don’t have to spit?”

“No, you don’t.”

“Very well. Zynnia would like you to know about her biggest mistake.”

“That would be reven, right?”

“Yes . . . Reven.”

“Keep going” Egg encouraged.

“When she first became guardian of this world, she had what she thought was a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, it was just the opposite. She created Reven - a construct of time.”

“Yeah . . .  that means absolutely nothing to me. How about you guys?” They all shook their heads no.

“Reven is the mistress of a Time Castle. All time flows into and out of the castle. Because of this, Reven can travel anywhere time exists . . . from the far future to the dim past. Had anything on Zynn-Zaz’zia gone wrong, Zynnia would have used Reven to go back in time and set it to rights. Reven was never needed, never used and all but forgotten.”

“Still not getting it . . . but how does that help us?”

“If you can lure Mobius into visiting the Castle, it would be possible to trap him in the past.”

“Trap him how?”

“The science is far above your understanding. Suffice it to say that you can send Mobius back in time and keep him there forever.”

“So he wouldn’t die, he’d just be stranded?”

“Exactly.”

M’egg asked, “And where exactly is this Time Castle?”

“On top of the mountain range on this island.”

“My people have never seen this castle. How can that be?” asked BreeZee.

“Because it’s never in the here and now, it’s always in the future.”

“Meaning”.

“Meaning that to us . . . all of us . . . it doesn’t exist because it has not been built yet.”

Exasperated by this whole, bizarre conversation, Egg hung her head and buried her face in her hands. She finally got herself under control. “So all we have to do is convince Mobius to visit a castle that hasn’t been built yet. In fact, it will never be built in our time . . . only in some future time that we can never catch up to. Is that it?”

“Yes. Very good”. Zazzi was impressed.

Egg was getting a headache.

The Princess decided to try her hand in this conversation. “Zazzi, did Zynnia have any suggestions as to how we can overcome this paradox . . . luring Mobius into a castle that will never exist.”

“Oh, of course. Didn’t I mention it?’

“Mention what?”

“A Thought Weaver.”

Egg rejoined the conversation. “Nope . . . apparently that slipped your mind. Now, in twenty-five words or less, can you tell us what a thought weaver is?”

“Of course,” then a moment later he added, “actually, no. I have no idea. Zynnia didn’t explain. She did say that Egg needed to talked to her cousin and ask for his help in this. Does that make any sense?”

“Sort of. Her cousin is the Myst Tree . . . the talking tree.”

If Zazzi was surprised, he didn’t show it. But BreeZee was amazed. “Zynnia’s cousin is a talking tree? How weird is that?”

“Not as weird as you think.”

Aeri’elle then stated the obvious. “I guess we do nothing until tomorrow.” She turned to Zazzi and BreeZee and explained, “Egg talks to the Tree in her dreams.”

“Oh.” Poor BreeZee, all of this was so wonderfully weird and getting weirder by the minute. She was so excited.

Soo was relieved by the delay. It meant one more day with her sisters and one less day as a prisoner of Mobius. “Then tonight, I want to hear Megg’s story.”

“What story?” asked Zazzi.

Egg explained. When she finished she could read the expression on BreeZee’s face. “And, I expect you (Zazzi) and you (BreeZee) to tell us a story as well.”

“I would be honored,” said the serpent. As lonely as he was, to be invited into this circle of friends was a thrill.

“I probably should tell my story first,” said BreeZee. “Compared to a Princess and . . . um . . . Zynnia’s companion, my life is pretty boring.”

“It’s not about the most exciting thing that’s happened to you,” explained Sylvia. “It’s about something in your life that had a real impact . . . that changed you.”

“Oh. Then that’s easy. Have any of you taken the Rite of Ascension?”

*****

About a week ago

Mobius was very pleased with himself. Plans were progressing very nicely but there was still much to complete before he could be assured of victory.

And of revenge.

With any luck, the Queen would send the seven silly sisters to do her dirty work. He smiled at the thought. How utterly delicious life would be if he could get even with those horrid little girls.

Especially the one that called herself Egg.

It almost made him giddy with anticipation.

But first, he had to unite the Wind’dancers into his little army. Howl had told him about the Rite of Ascension – something he totally approved of. Test everyone for strength and courage, then dispatch those too weak to meet the challenge – it was, to his mad mind, a very elegant system. It also presented a very easy way to bring the Wind’dancers under his control.

He would destroy their Sun-Seeker Tree with the WingStone then they would be forced to join with the Nauti. Without the Nauti’s WingStone, all of their children who had yet to take the Rite, and those yet to be born, would eventually lose their wings.

The evil one was having such an enjoyable time . . . and the best was yet to come.

*****

Present Day

“So what now?” Aeri’elle asked Egg.

“Well, for one thing, we got up way too early.” Sylvia and M’egg both muttered something rude under their breath.

“With your permission, Egg, I would like to take K’ssss and show her the serpents under my care.”

Egg again glanced to Soo who nodded yes. “Would you like that, K’ssss”?

It was obviously a silly question since the answer was never in doubt.

“No.”

Whoops, that wasn’t expected. All six sisters stared in disbelief while Zazzi looked crestfallen.

Into the stunned silence came the very familiar, “H’sssss. I was joking.” She smiled and asked, “Was that a good joke?”

“Why you jesting, jocular jelly-roll . . . that was very good.”

“How long will you be gone?” Egg asked Zazzi.

“We should be back by mid-day. Is that satisfactory?”

“Perfect. And K’ssss, don’t forget you have your communications crystal. So if you need to talk to us, you can.”

“What would I say?”

“Good grief,” cried Soo. “You make me dizzy, you deeply disturbing ding-bat.”

*****

After they left, Sylvia asked Soo “Do you think she’s going to stay on Zynn-Zaz’zia with Zazzi?”

“You think he’s going to ask her to marry him?”

“He certainly seems to be in love with her.”

Egg asked, “But is she . . . I mean does she . . . um . . . you know?”

“Elegantly phrased,” teased the Princess.

“If you’re asking is she old enough to get married. The answer is yes. If you’re asking does she understand what that means . . . the answer is also yes. I don’t know how it works on earth or with dragons and humans, but for us serpents we just know. When we’re ready, we’re ready.”

“But she doesn’t seem to be . . . um . . . very worldly or anything.”

“Listen, I know you guys all think K’ssss isn’t very bright. But she comes from a family of really, really brilliant serpents. Tink’rrr is a genius. So is her brother. Her younger sister graduated with the highest grades ever from college. And her mom is considered the tops in her field.”

“What’s that got to do with K’ssss? We know how brave and loyal she is. And nobody in this world, or any world, is sweeter or more loveable. But . . .”

“I worked with Tink’rrr for a long time after the Quest and got to know the family really well. He thinks that it’s just not her time yet. When everything in her head lines up just right, she’s going to be as smart as the rest of the family.”

“Really? K’ssss?”

“Really.”

“What could bring about this miraculous transformation?” asked Aeri’elle.

“Who knows? As I said, it could be just a matter of time. Or maybe it will be by falling in love. But one of these days, and it pains me greatly to say this, I won’t be able to make fun of her anymore.”

“You can always make fun of me,” offered Bl’azzz.

“Why you gaseous, gorgeous goofball . . . thank you.”

“Glad to help.”

Chapter 6 – Girl Stuff

A few days ago

“I got two of them.”

“Did they put up a fight?”

“No. I just swooped down and grabbed them out of the air. They never knew what hit them.”

“Where are they?”

“Howl’s got them locked in a room.”

“Did you hurt them?”

“No.”

“If they have even one scratch, I will pluck your feathers. Now show me where they are.”

Bl’udd led his ill-tempered companion to a Sun-Seeker Tree. “In there.”

“Go take a nap.”

“I’m not sleep . . . oh, never mind.”

Mobius went into the tree and found Howl by the door to the room where the two Wind’dancers were being kept.

“How are they?”

“Scared out of their minds, but otherwise unhurt.”

“Good. Do you know them?”

“In passing. The girl is Windy and the boy is Skye. They’re engaged to be married.”

“Excellent. Wait here.”

Mobius opened the door and went in.”

*****

Present Day

The girls spent the rest of the morning preparing (again) for the days ahead. It was a constructive way to waste time. They double checked their supplies, re-inventoried the stuff the Minister had given them and discussed potential strategies.

“In light of this information about Reven, did you still wish for Aeri’elle, BreeZee and I to visit the Wind’dancers?”

“They still need to be warned about what’s going on. And we’re probably going to need their help at some point. So, the answer is yes,” Egg replied to the Princess.

“Egg”.

“Yeah, BreeZee?”

“I really think I shouldn’t go with them. I’m just going to cause my father and the others to doubt what they’ll hear.”

“Don’t you think that if they see a dragon with a wingless girl on her back it might scare the bejeebers out of them?”

“Wind’dancers don’t have any bejeebers . . . so probably not.”

“Rats,” mumbled Flying Girl realizing she had done it again.

“Is that like a bejeeber?” asked a confused BreeZee.

Egg picked up a pebble and turned to Sylvia who was red-faced with laughter. “Don’t make me throw this at you.”

Syl stifled another laugh then said, “You’re just grumpy because you got up too early.”

Egg squinted her eyes and growled at her best friend. Then her eyes flew open and she screamed “OH MY GOSH.”

“WHAT?” Sylvia screamed in return.

“It’s a Tack-toed Tick . . . on your shoulder,” and she pointed.

The other girl jumped up and started swatting at herself all the while screaming, “GET IT OFF. GET IT OFF.”

The two dragons and Soo shook their heads. BreeZee recoiled in horror not knowing exactly why the girl was so terrified. The Princess just smiled at her sisters.

Egg glared at her Feminion with a smug look on her face.

Sylvia finally realized she had just been had. “Eloise Grace Graystone, how could you?” she demanded.

“I was befuddled by a grumpy attack. My bad.”

“Oh, you . . .,” and Syl stormed off without finishing her thought . . . more from embarrassment then from anger.

It finally dawned on BreeZee that the girls were just kidding each other. “Dare I ask?” she said to Egg.

“It’s another long story from our last adventure. I’ll tell you later.”

“So . . . do you still want me to go?”

“What do you think, Meggy?”

“We should trust BreeZee’s judgment in this. She knows her father, and her people, better than we.”

“Thank you, your Highness”. The winged girl got a chill when she said that. It sounded so romantic . . . being a princess.

“Please, you must call me Megg.”

“Megg. Thank you, I will.”

“Can I ask you . . . would it be possible to take me sailing?”

That question surprised everyone. “Where do you want to go?” asked Egg.

“I wish to know more about the Wind’dancers. Experiencing how they sail seems like a logical place to start. After all, if I am to convince them of our worthy intentions, I should be as familiar with them as is possible.”

Everyone was impressed with that logic . . . especially Aeri’elle. “Well, not only will I never be leader of this sisterhood, I’ll never be a Royal Princess.”

“Why do you say that?” asked Bl’azzz. “. . . besides the fact that we already have a leader and you’re not royalty that is?”

“Of all of us here, I’m the college professor. You’d think I would have taken every opportunity to study the people I need to win over. Well . . . it didn’t even occur to me and that’s incredibly embarrassing.”

“Do not be too hard on yourself, my sister,” said the Princess. “I have been trained since birth to this role. It probably helps explain why I assumed I was deserving of everyone’s love . . . all the while being an obnoxious brat.”

BreeZee turned to Egg, “Another long story, I’m guessing.”

“Oh, yeah.”

The Wind’dancer turned back to the Princess. “I would be honored your . . . um . . . Megg. Take my hand.”

The Princess did and the Wind’dancer spread her wings and the pair slowly rose off the ground.

“Be back before dinner,” yelled Egg.

While everyone was looking skyward, Sylvia slipped in behind her friend and dropped a particularly ugly spider on her shoulder. It was the bravest thing she had done it quite a while . . . she just hated spiders.

“Oh, Egg,” she called softly.

“Hey, Syl . . . sorry about that. I think I crossed the line.”

“Oh, fiddlesticks”.

“What?”

“Now I feel terrible.”

“Why?”

“Because I just put a spider on your shoulder.”

“Yeah, right” but Egg looked down anyway. Then she screamed, “GET IT OFF. GET IT OFF.”

“Humans” said Soo sadly.

“They are totally weird, aren’t they” agreed Bl’azzz.

“They would make great pets,” said Aeri’elle “that’s probably why I like them.”

*****

Megg wasn’t sure which she liked better . . . flying with Flying Girl or sailing with BreeZee. She was surprised how different each experience was.

With Egg, they sped along at a very fast clip. Everything flew by quickly, almost in a blur. It was the ultimate flying sensation.

However, with the Wind’dancer, they just glided with the breeze . . . feeling like one with the sky and the clouds and scenery they flew over. It was a very relaxing sensation.

“Tell me of your people,” she finally asked BreeZee. “What are they like? What would they want to hear from me? What would offend them? What . . . “

BreeZee laughed which caused the Princess to stop talking. “I think you have a lot of questions.”

“Sorry. I am just terribly excited.”

“Excited? About meeting my people?”

“Yes and no. I am excited that I am a member of the Sisterhood. I am excited that I have been given this diplomatic challenge. I am excited to face the same villains that my mother and the Sisterhood once faced. I am excited by the danger in this mission. I am excited by the thought that I am helping rescue my father and the others. And I am excited by the prospect of helping you and all the inhabitants of Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

“You and all of them (meaning the sisterhood) are incredibly brave.”

“They have proved their bravery many times over. I have yet to prove worthy to be a Sister.”

“But you’re a Princess.”

“An accident of birth. What my sisters have done was no accident. They deliberately put themselves in harm’s way for a greater good. And they do it yet again. I am yet unworthy to be called a Hameggattic Sister. But, I will give my life if need be to keep them safe and to ensure our success.”

BreeZee was very moved by Megg’s honesty and she squeezed the girl’s hand a little harder. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“There was a time that I would not have thought that way . . . and would never have shared those feelings with someone not of royal blood. Thankfully, that person is gone. Unfortunately, she is not forgotten. This will be my chance to change how history will remember me. I cannot allow myself to fail.”

“You won’t. I just know it.”

“Thank you. I do hope you are right.”

“I have something to prove too.”

Megg looked at the Wind’dancer. “What would that be?”

“I need to prove to Egg, to all of you, that I’m also worthy of being a Hameggattic Sister. In my heart, I just know I’m meant to be one.”

The Princess smiled at BreeZee. “Then you and I have something in common.”

*****

A couple of days ago

Mobius intended to destroy the Wind ‘dancer’s Sun Seeker Tree but he also wanted to inflict as much terror on the villagers as possible. To achieve maximum chaos, he had to remove the one individual that could possibly bring order and calm to the situation . . . Zephyr.

And to do that, he would use Skye and Windy to lure the man into a trap.

*****

Present Day

“Where are we going?”

“The serpents live mostly in a cave complex in an underwater canyon about half way between the Nauti village and BreeZee’s clan. Since they are my prime responsibility, I check on them every day or two. I’m not sure how long I’ll be away helping you and your Sisterhood reconnoiter, so this is my last chance to visit for a while.”

“H’sssss.”

“Why do you laugh?”

“I’ve never reckon . . . um . . . that word you said.”

“Reconnoiter means to look around to see if there is any information we can learn that might be useful.”

“Oh. H’sssss.”

“Why do you laugh now?”

“I don’t know how to reckon . . . um . . . that word you said.”

Zazzi smiled. “Not to worry. I’ll show you what to do.”

They swam in silence, side by side. After a few minutes, Zazzi asked, “K’ssss, may I ask you a personal question?”

“Okay.”

“Do you have a boyfriend back on Aerianna?”

“H’sssss.”

“Why do you laugh?” said the other serpent who just had to grin at his companion.

“I can’t have a boyfriend. Boys scare me.” Then she quickly added, “Not my dad or brother . . . just everyone else.”

“Do I scare you?”

“H’sssss.”

“Why do you laugh?”

“You’re nice.”

“Maybe if you talked to other boys you would find them nice, too.”

“H’sssss.”

“Now what?”

“I can’t talk to other boys. They scare me.”

Zazzi didn’t mean to, but he started to laugh (well, h’sssss). After a minute, K’ssss started to laugh in sympathy. The H’ssssie fit lasted for a good five minutes.

“Oh K’ssss, you are truly unique.”

“Is that good?”

“Absolutely.”

Once again, they swam in silence until Zazzi stopped. “K’ssss, do people make fun of you because you’re not as . . . bright . . . as they are?”

“You mean not as smart?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“They don’t?” That surprised the serpent.

“They’re not allowed to make fun of me. After I became a Hammygatic Sister and a hero six times, the Queen told everybody that if they did, she’d send them to the Seven Lands.”

“Well, that was very nice of her. But before that?”

“Oh, sure. But it’s okay because I’m not very smart.”

“Would you like to be?”

K’ssss scrunched her face. “I can’t. I don’t know how to be smart.”

“But if you could?”

“Would it hurt?”

“Why would it hurt?”

“I don’t know. I’m not smart enough to know.”

Changing the subject abruptly, he asked “K’ssss . . . have you ever been in love?”

“I love to eat eels.”

“No. I mean in love with a boy?”

“No, silly. Boys scare me.”

Zazzi was face to face with the other serpent . . . with about four feet between them. He was looking into her eyes when he asked the most important question “Have you ever been kissed?”

This time K’ssss didn’t say anything silly. For whatever reason, she understood what was going on at that heartbeat in time. And with a feeling born of a millennium of evolution, she got the impulse to do something that until that moment never entered her simple head. She swam forward and kissed Zazzi.

And, more amazingly, she didn’t h’sssss.

“K’ssss, I believe I’m falling in love with you.”

Well now she h’ssssed.

*****

It was mid-afternoon when Megg and BreeZee returned.

“How was your flight?” asked Egg.

“I do envy you, sister. Flying is glorious.”

“Well, maybe your mom can have another flying suit made for you.”

Megg was horrified. “Never.”

“Why?”

“There is only one Flying Girl. I would not permit another suit to be constructed. Never.” She said it with such vehemence that the other girls were a bit taken aback.

“Meggy, I wouldn’t mind. Really. I don’t have the right to be the only one to have a suit like this.”

“You could not be more wrong. You have every right.”

“I agree,” added Sylvia.

“Egg, there is only one Flying Girl in the universe and that’s you,” said Aeri’elle.

“I, for one,” hissed Soo in a very rare moment of seriousness, “would be really upset if the Queen ever made another suit. You are Flying Girl . . . there can’t ever be another one. In fact, Meggy, as a Hameggattic Sister, would you promise that you would never have another suit made. Maybe you can make it a law or something.”

“Absolutely. I swear it as a Hameggattic Sister.”

Egg’s eyes began to mist up. “You guys are too much,” she managed to say in a very soft voice. She gave the Princess a hug then began to walk towards the water. She needed a minute to get her emotions under control. The love and loyalty of her sisters . . . her friends . . . was utterly amazing. The fact that they came from two different planets and three species made it more like a fairy tale than real life.

“Hi, guys.” It was K’ssss coming out of the water followed closely by Zazzi.

“Hey, K’ssss. Did you have fun?” Egg was glad for the distraction.

“Oh yes. Egg can I tell you a secret?”

“Sure.”

The silly serpent slid up to her earth sister and whispered in her ear.

It wasn’t much of a surprise but to protect her feelings, Egg said, “K’ssss, that’s wonderful. He’s such a nice . . . um . . . guy. How about you, do you love him?”

“H’sssss, I’m not sure. It isn’t like when I love to eat eels but whenever I see him I feel funny in my tummy. And when he’s not here, I think about him all the time.”

“I’m no expert, but I do believe that’s love.”

“Really?”

“Really and truly.”

“H’sssss.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you shouldn’t kiss a boy that you don’t love . . . that’s what my mom says.”

Egg smiled. “That’s probably good advice. So, are you going to kiss him now?”

“H’sssss”.

“What?”

“I already did. H’sssss.”

Chapter 7 – Bedtime Stories

Present Day

The sun had finally set on this day of mostly inactivity and waiting. Everyone had some level of anxiety about the coming confrontation with Mobius and the mysterious Reven but they were eager to get going . . . to let this story play out as it was destined to.

The girls were sitting around the campfire eating and talking in small groups about mostly nothing. Zazzi had excused himself to return to his cave for a few minutes.

Naturally, it was K’ssss who got everyone engaged in a silly conversation.

“H’sssss.”

“What are you laughing about?” asked Soo.

“I kissed a boy today.”

“Why you naughty girl,” said Aeri’elle with a smile. “You better not tell Zazzi or he’ll be jealous.” She was kidding of course.

“Oh no,” cried the silly serpent.

“What’s wrong?” asked Bl’azzz.

“I think he knows.”

The girls all laughed, but leave it to Soo to respond appropriately. “You are one ditsy dipsy-doodle. Of course he knows . . . he’s the one you kissed.”

“So he won’t be jealous?”

“Good grief.”

Sylvia was surprised. “I didn’t know that sea serpents kissed.”

“Why wouldn’t we?”

“Well . . . I don’t know. I just didn’t think you guys did.” She was beginning to blush from embarrassment.

“Did you think kissing was invented on Earth?” teased Soo’.

“No, of course not”. Then without thinking, she added, “It’s just that on earth fish don’t kiss.”

“Hey . . . I ain’t no fish,” cried the serpent in mock horror.

“Oh, oh . . . no, no, no . . . I didn’t mean that you were a fish . . . no, I mean, I . . . umm . . . I . . .” but then she gave up when everyone else started to howl with laughter. “Oh, fiddlesticks.” And the laughter grew louder.

“K’ssss has a boyfriend. Bl’azzz said she once had one. Do the rest of you have boyfriends?” asked BreeZee.

“Syl and I are kind of dating brothers back on earth. It’s nothing serious . . . yet.”

“And have you kissed them?”

“Well . . . not on the lips.”

“I have,” said Sylvia with more than a little misplaced pride.

Egg was shocked. “You have not.”

“Have to.”

“Have not.”

“No way.”

“Way.”

Before this nonsensical conversation could continue, Zazzi returned. “Am I interrupting?”

“No,” said Egg. “We’re just about to start telling our stories. Would you like to go first?”

“Truthfully, I have no story to tell. The only life-changing experience that I have had is . . . well . . . the last two days. You seven . . . , ” he stopped and turned to BreeZee, “you eight . . . are the first interruption of a lifetime of routine. I apologize.”

“For what?”

“That I have nothing of interest to tell.”

“Zazzi,” said the Princess, “everything about you is extraordinarily interesting. You harvest memories, you nurture a semi-sentient species trying to bring them to full awareness, you work in a lava pool, you live in a cavern where time stands still, you speak to Zynnia and you speak for Zynnia. To us, your whole life is fascinating.”

Zazzi said nothing for a moment as he considered the Princess’s words. “Sadly, you are wrong.”

“Why do you say that?”

“One’s life experience can only be measured or judged in comparison to his or her family and friends. I have neither.”

“H’sssss”.

“What do you find amusing, my lov . . . um, dear K’ssss?”

“You have eight friends. Me and Egg and Sylvia and Soo and Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz and Meggy and BreeZee.”

That was greeted by a chorus of yesses and yups.

Zazzi looked around the fire, from face to face. “Then I can tell you the first part of my story.” He hesitated then continued. “One day I met my first dragons, my first wingless girls, my first sentient serpents and a Wind’dancer with beautiful wings. For the first time in my life, I had friends. And, for the first time in my life, I fell in love with a beautiful girl.”

That brought mist to seven pairs of female eyes. K’ssss on the other hand leaned over to Soo and whispered, “Do you think he meant me?”

It wasn’t the time to tease, so Soo whispered back “Yes, he meant you. Now you need to say something nice to him.”

“Ok”. She looked at Zazzi and said, “You’re pretty.”

“Oh, good grief.”

*****

When it was BreeZee’s turn, she told them about the person she was – too afraid of everything to enjoy life. Then she took the Rite and with the help of Zynnia, she passed the most difficult test she had ever taken. She had faced her worst nightmare and lived to tell about it.

The girls were in awe of her bravery and had a thousand questions, which the Wind’dancer patiently answered. The Sisters had a newfound appreciation for this exotic winged girl. She obviously wasn’t just another pretty face . . . she had as much courage as any of them.

“Bree,” said Egg, “we could have used you in the Seven Lands.” It was the highest compliment that Flying Girl could offer and the other girl beamed with pride at such words.

“Is it not strange,” said the Princess, “how each of us must face our own unique demon . . . to stare it face to face . . . before we can take the next step in our personal growth.”

That was kind of deep, but most of the girls understood what Megg was trying to say. Everyone has at least one fear that can consume you or, if you’re brave enough to confront it, you can use it to make you a better person.

“So what’s your demon, Meggy?” asked Soo.

“Sadly, I have more than one.”

“Care to share?” asked Sylvia.

“The first demon I had to face was staring at me in the mirror.”

“She’s afraid of mirrors?” asked the silly serpent.

Zazzi leaned over and whispered, “No, dear K’ssss. The demon was her own reflection.” Realizing that was still too esoteric, he added, “That means that there was something inside her that she did not like.”

“Oh. H’sssss, you’re pretty.”

“And so are you.”

“Gee, I hoped we helped you a little with that one,” teased Egg.

“For that I will be eternally grateful.” Since that sounded way too serious, she quickly added, “Perhaps I will be able to find a suitable way to repay you and Sylvia for such utter, and total, humiliation. Something that perhaps you will not be expecting. Something memorable,” and she gave the girl a very evil grin.

“Shucks, your eternal gratefulness is more than enough.”

“Yeah,” added Sylvia. “Don’t give it another thought.”

“What else you got there, Princess” goaded Soo.

“The others I shall keep private for now.”

“In that case,” said the serpent, “let’s hear your story.”

“Since the story has to be about some life-altering experience, I will offer you one. However, this particular incident sent me down the wrong path . . . the one that helped create the infamous Mega-brat. Would that serve?”

“Ha. Kind of like how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. You gotta love it.”

Though Sylvia smiled at the reference, needless to say everyone else just stared. Soo, of course, chose to speak first. “Egg-o, you’ve got one minute to explain what you just said or me and the rest of us are going to tickle you until you turn . . . “ She couldn’t remember what the color was so she looked at Sylvia.

“Purple.”

“Oh, yeah. Until you turn purple.”

“First off, as the leader of this group of alien misfits, I absolutely forbid anyone to tickle me. No tickling. None. Got it?”

“Ain’t your choice and your minute is half up.”

“It’s from a movie back home. There’s a bunch of good guys that protect the universe . . .”

“Kind of like the Hameggattic Sisters,” offered Bl’azzz.

“Kind of. Anyway, one of them goes from being good to being bad . . . that’s the Darth Vader guy.”

“What happens to this individual?” asked a curious Princess.

“Oh, in the end he turns out to be Luke’s . . . “

“Don’t,” warned Sylvia.

“Right. In the end he goes back to being good.”

“Just like our Megg,” added Aeri’elle.

“Perhaps it is too soon to reach that conclusion,” the Princess added mischievously.

“Say what?” asked Bl’azzz.

“I kid.” Everyone kept staring so she repeated, “Truly, I was joking.”

“Just tell the story,” insisted Soo.

“As you wish.” She paused to gather her thoughts then began. “By the time I was nine, I had managed to alienate all my friends. Apparently, even young girls found me rather . . . bothersome. In retrospect, perhaps I was a tad bit smug, arrogant, conceited, haughty and, as you might say on Earth, full of myself. However, I did not care, for a Royal Princess, the next Queen of Aerianna, always had playmates.”

“I knew someone like that once.” The other girls turned to look at Soo’ with none-too-friendly stares. “No, no, no . . . I was talking about my cousin,” said the serpent hastily . . . but totally unconvincingly. “Sorry.”

M’egg just stuck her tongue out and continued her story. “Anyway, one day I was dueling two boys . . .”

“WHAT? With swords?”

“Two at once?”

“Yes, with swords that were made out of wood. And, yes, it was two against one . . . unfair of me, I know. They were a year older and very good . . . but I beat them in less than a minute. As you might imagine, that did not sit well with them. But I was a Princess and all they could do was swallow their pride, praise my superior ability and take their leave.

When they were out of earshot, one said to the other some very unkind words about me. Very, very unkind words.”

“And just how did you know what they said?”

“I did not have friends, but I did have spies. A Princess needs to know what is going on at all times; I am sure you would agree.”

“Well, of course,” replied Egg sarcastically.

“When I found out what they had said, I was furious and was determined to show these two impudent swines my displeasure. Since I could not confront them directly with knowledge of their conversation without giving away my spy, I invited them to duel again . . . to give them a chance to get even. Or so I told them. They accepted and the duel was held in front of the same group of people as the first. This time the boys were able to win . . . both landing their blades to my stomach and chest. They were ecstatic until I clutched my body and fell over screaming in pain. The startled ruffians ran over . . . and to their horror they saw blood streaming from the wounds they had inflicted.”

“Let me guess . . .”

“Shush,” yelled the other girls at Egg.

“Yes, I had faked the wounds. I had hidden pouches of red paint under my protective garment. When I grabbed at them, they spurted their contents in a very realistic fashion. The boys thought they had mortally wounded me. When they saw the ‘blood’ one of them fell to his knees and vomited. The other poor lad actually wet his britches.”

The girls applauded and laughed.

“How deliciously wicked,” said BreeZee. “But how was that life changing?”

“Excellent question, my new friend. You see, up to that point, I was a little girl, a spoiled Princess, who insisted on getting her way. After this mock duel, I knew – in my warped mind, anyway – that I really was superior to all my future subjects. I was the best . . . not only by birth, but by intellect, cunning and physical ability. From that point on, what little humanity that I might have had vanished under the all-consuming veil of conceit. On that day, I crowned myself Mega-brat, though I would not hear that phrase until I went to Earth.”

“Well, I find all of that very hard to believe,” said BreeZee. “Not the duel but the person you became. We had such a wonderful time on our flight. You were sweet, honest, interesting and supportive. I can’t even imagine Mega-brat.”

“She was mean,” said K’ssss. “But now that she has her eyes open, she’s really nice.”

“Eyes open? I don’t understand?”

“Don’t ask,” said Soo.

*****

It was finally time for bed and for Egg to dream. Zazzi said goodnight and left for his cavern while the two serpents dove into the cove. BreeZee had told her parents she would be away for a few days so they made room for her in one of the tents. After a few minutes, the last of the chitchat had faded away and everyone closed their eyes and began to dream of the conflict to come.

M’egg, who was lying next to Egg, leaned over and whispered, “Every time I remembered that incident it would make me laugh. Now it does not seem so funny anymore.”

“That’s because you used to be Mega-brat . . . now you’re a Princess.”

“Thank you, Egg . . . for everything.”

*****

“Egg of Earth”.

“Hi, Myst Tree. Zazzi said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Someone to help you with your problem has been dispatched.”

“Who is it?”

An image formed in her mind . . .

“Oh my gosh. What is she?”

“A Thought Weaver.”

“Yeah, that’s what Zazzi said. I’d ask what exactly a thought weaver is but I’m guessing you won’t tell me.” She paused hoping he might, but nope – not a peep. “So she’s coming to help us with the Reven stuff, right?”

“That and more.”

“What does that mean?”

Ignoring the question, the Tree said, “After you have trapped Mobius in his past, you must destroy the Time Castle. My cousin should never have built such an abomination.”

“How do we do that?”

“Release the sands of time.”

“Huh?”

“Once time has stopped, the Castle, and Reven, will cease to exist.”

“We don’t want to hurt anybody?”

“Reven may look human, but she is simply a manifestation of time.”

“No idea what that means.”

“She is also Loony Tunes and very Darth Vader like.”

“Myst Tree, are you being funny?”

“The thought had never occurred to me . . .  until I met you.”

Egg smiled in her dream. “Glad I could help.”

“Beware. Though Reven lives alone . . . she has herself to keep her company.”

Now that’s a statement that made absolutely no sense. “What exactly does that mean?”

Not surprisingly, the Tree didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Remember the Earth saying - age before beauty - if you are to succeed.”

“Whatever. What should we do with Bl’udd? Trap him too?”

“He is Mobius’s pet . . . treat him like one.”

“Myst Tree, why don’t you just come out and say what you mean. Why all the riddles? It’s really very annoying.”

“What can you expect from a talking tree?” and then he was gone.

Chapter 8 – Into the Fire

Wind’dancer Village, that morning

“Zephyr, come quickly,” called his wife.

“What’s wrong?”

“They’re back. Skye and Windy . . . they just sailed in.”

Zephyr dropped his fork, took one last loving glance at his delicious breakfast, and jumped up. He also jumped off the veranda, which, of course, is what Wind’dancers did.

He followed his wife down to a clearing and to a knot of people that had formed around the newly arrived couple.

“Make way, please. Step aside. Come now, let me through,” growled the clan leader. People reluctantly did as he commanded.

He made his way to the young couple. “Are you alright? Are you injured?”

“We’re fine.”

“Are you sure? No bumps, no scratches . . . maybe a pulled muscle?”

The two young adults smiled and shook their heads no.

“Good. Good.” Then Zephyr took a deep breath and bellowed, “WHERE IN THE NAME OF ZYNNIA HAVE YOU BEEN?”

Everyone took a shocked step backward . . . Skye and Windy took two.

“WELL?”

“We . . . um . . . we wanted some time alone and one thing led to another and before we knew it we were close to the Nauti village. We had been sailing all day and were really tired so we landed and asked for hospitality (it was a common practice between the clans to attend to whatever needs a visitor might have).”

“AND?”

“Z . . . stop yelling.”

“I’M NOT . . . I’m not yelling.” He turned back to the two truant kids and said, “Everyone has been worried sick about you two.”

“Sorry. We didn’t mean to do that.”

“Fine. Just tell me what happened at the village. Did they treat you well?”

“Of course. And we met the most amazing person. That’s why we rushed back. He wants to meet you.”

“What person?”

“He came in a spaceship. I guess a meteor knocked it off course and he crashed into the sea not far from the Nauti village.”

“He’s from outer space?”

“Yes. But he’s not like us. No wings.”

“No wings?”

“No. But he’s really amazing. He’s a scientist and he wants to meet with you to discuss . . . um . . . um?”

Windy finished for him. “He wants to discuss his technology with you and with Howl. He said it could change the way we live. But because it’s so advanced, he wants to make sure the two clan leaders approve before he does anything. So that’s why he wants to meet you.”

“When?”

“As soon as you can. Today would be great.”

“Where?”

“He didn’t exactly say. I just assumed it’s at the Nauti village.”

Zephyr went quiet as he considered the message. “Did you happen to see an unusual creature? Something big and red with wings?”

“Oh, sure. That’s Bl’udd. He’s a friend of Sui’Bom.”

“Sui’Bom?”

“The guy from space.”

“Right . . . the guy from space. And this creature, what is it?”

“A dragon.”

“Is it friendly?”

“Sui’Bom says he’s just like a pet . . . but not as smart.”

Island of Zaz’zia, that morning

“He made a joke. Can you believe it? I asked him why all the riddles and he says, ‘what can you expect from a talking tree’. How weird is that?”

Sylvia responded with, “Egg . . . he’s a talking tree. That’s like the ultimate in weirdness. A funny talking tree isn’t any weirder.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“So tell us exactly what he said.” said Aeri’elle.

“Okay. Well he said . . .,” and Egg relayed the dream in as much detail as she could remember.

“Can you describe the Thought Weaver?” asked the Princess.

“In a way she kind of looks like that picture of the Old Ones your mom once showed me . . .

. . . with really weird eyes. But she was tall and beautiful in a different sort of way.”

“That’s it? That’s your description? How are we going to recognize her?”

“I promise you, Aeri’elle, that once you see her, you’ll know.”

“When will she arrive?” asked Syl.

“He didn’t say.”

“Do we wait for her?”

“Um, I don’t think we should, Bl’azzz. We’ve waited long enough and it’s time to get this show on the road.”

No one could argue with that.

“Okay, first things first” and she glanced at Soo waiting for a snide remark.

“Don’t look at me.” Then she added, “O mi goth”.

Now everyone did look at the serpent. “What did she say?” asked Bl’azzz to no one in particular.

“Why you silver-tongue sea serpent, that was pretty good”. And now everyone looked at Sylvia. “She just said oh my gosh . . . in earth English.”

“Very impressive” said Aeri’elle, ever the professor.

Reverting back to serpent speak, Soo said “thank you, thank you. I know you all think I’m just a pretty face . . .”

. . . but I’m also incredibly talented in so many. .  .”

She couldn’t finish because everyone started whacking her with their pillows. It was a great way to release their nervous energy before facing Mobius.

“Okay, enough,” said Egg. When everyone settled down, she continued.  “I want all of you to put on your green scarves now.”

“Why?” asked Aeri’elle who never really cared for the idea.

“It’s our uniform. I want everyone on this world to recognize it and know that whoever is wearing the scarf is a member of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

When she put it that way, the girls instantly liked the idea . . . even the reluctant dragon.

Sylvia leaned over and whispered to her friend, “What about Bree and Zazzi?”

“Oh, yeah. Hey, everyone, I need a sisterhood vote. I would like to present Zazzi and BreeZee with honorary scarves if that’s okay? All in favor raise your hand.”

“Egg-o.”

“Sorry, sorry. All those in favor say yes,” and it was unanimous. Each girl had a spare scarf so Egg and Syl went and found theirs. “Since you two have volunteered to help the Hameggattic Sisterhood, we would like you to wear one of these. We made them in honor of Sassi – one of the hostages – who gave a scarf just like it to K’ssss when we were in the Seven Lands.”

“H’sssss”. This time it was Zazzi. “I have never worn clothes before nor have I ever been part of a Sisterhood. I am deeply grateful.”

Egg laughed. “Zazzi, you’ll probably be the one and only boy to become an honorary member. Never thought it would happen, but you’re pretty special.”

“H’sssss. He’s pretty.

“We think so too, K’ssss.”

“And I will treasure this for the rest of my life,” added BreeZee who hugged it to her chest.

“Great. So here’s what we’re going to do. K’ssss and Zazzi, now’s the time to start your reconnoiter. If you see anything – any place where the hostages  might be, call me. If you get in trouble, call me. In fact, once every hour, call me and tell me where you are. Understand?”

K’ssss and Zazzi nodded.

“Okay, good luck guys and be careful. Mobius is bad news.”

The sisters all hugged the two serpents and they slithered off, dove into the water, and disappeared beneath the surface.

“Aeri’elle do you know how to find the village?”

“BreeZee gave me great instructions.”

“Then, Meggy, jump on her back and good luck. Remember, the same goes for you two . . . call every hour or whenever you have something to report. Got it?”

“We do,” and they all hugged again.

The remaining girls watched as the dragon and her passenger disappeared out of sight. When they were gone, Egg turned to her four remaining sisters. “Slight change of plans. Syl, I want you to ride on Bl’azzz.”

“Really? Why?”

“I got to thinking that two wasn’t enough. Mobius will be expecting more.”

“And . . .,” Sylvia knew her best friend all too well.

Egg smiled, “And I want him to know the Hameggattic Sisters are back. I think he’ll figure it out when he sees the three of you.”

“Why is that good?”

“Because he’ll worry where the other four are. People who worry make mistakes.”

“Okay.”

“Just one thing . . . don’t let him capture you. That would be really bad.”

“Did you hear that Bl’azzz? Guard me with your life.”

“Not to worry. I’ve eaten so many vegetables I’m about to explode. I dare anyone to get close.”

“Big bird, if you burp and burn my butt I’ll never forgive you.”

“Soo-Soo . . . how could you ever doubt me?”

“Ha.”

“Okay then,” and Egg hugged her three sisters. “Off you go . . . and be careful. Soo, remember; call me with your location if you can. Otherwise, good luck with your escape.”

“Egg-o, piece of cake.”

“I believe that’s one of my stupid earth sayings.”

“Not anymore,” and with that the dragon, the serpent and the earth girl flew off.

“What did you want me to do?” BreeZee was the only one left.

“I want you to go to the place where the portal is going to appear and hide. When our three sisters come through, I want you to follow them. If they get into trouble, try to help - but don’t try to be a hero. Okay?”

“Why didn’t you tell them that’s what I was going to do?”

“I don’t want them to do something stupid figuring you’ll swoop in and save them.”

“Ah. Got it. You’re really good at this, aren’t you?”

“I don’t want to disappoint you, but it’s mostly luck.”

“Sorry, I don’t believe that.”

“You should ‘cause it’s true. Anyway . . .,” Egg hugged her new friend. “Be careful. You don’t have a communications crystal to call me for help, so you’re on your own.”

“I’ll make you proud.”

*****

You might think poorly of Egg since she had sent everyone else into harm’s way while she was staying behind where it was safe. But in truth, it was the sign of a good leader.

She was coordinating all the information and keeping herself ready to fly in and help wherever a problem might arise. If she committed to one group or another, then she would be abandoning the rest of her sisters.

No, she had the hardest job . . . and she hated it.

The only thing that made it a little easier was the knowledge that she would be the one that would lure Mobius into Reven’s time castle. And she knew in her heart that if things went terribly wrong, she would have to sacrifice herself to trap Mobius in the past. She would be stuck for all eternity in a time long forgotten.

It would be like being bitten by the Tack-Toed-Tick . . . only worse. Much worse.

*****

They were back on Aerianna in the underwater city of Nau’tika. It was Serpent scientists that ran the space portal program since they were the ones that invented it in the first place.

Sylvia, Bl’azzz and Soo waited nervously as the technicians adjusted the portal so it would open in the original spot where Lord Z’kkk and his party had first disembarked.

While the adjustments were being made, one of the scientists slithered up to the girls.

“Ladies,” he said, “how goes the war?”

Soo responded with, “Ask us in a few days. As soon as you guys fix that thing, we’ll step through and then we’ll see how the war goes.”

“Well, you’re all ridiculously brave. How’s my sister doing?”

Sylvia scrunched her face. “Sister?” Then she understood, “Oh, you must be K’ssss’ brother. Hi, I’m Sylvia.”

“Sorry about that” apologized Soo. ”I’m so nervous I forgot to make the introductions. Syl, this is Ven’trrr. He’s named after the most famous scientist in Aerianna history – the one who first invented this portal thingy.”

“The Hameggattic Sisters nervous? Please, you’ll destroy my infinite awe of your Sisterhood. So, how’s sis?”

“She’s great. She’s also in love.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a long story that should come from her.”

“That should be interesting. Any word about my dad?”

“No, sorry. But I’ll be talking to him in a little while.”

“Really? You’re going to rescue him and the others that soon?”

The three girls looked at each other and tried unsuccessfully not to giggle. “Um . . . actually, I’m about to get captured.”

“What?”

“Let me explain,” and she did.

“You ladies are truly beyond belief. I really am in awe. And I’m so darn proud of my sister for being a big part of this. Make sure she knows that, will you Soo?”

“She knows . . . but I’ll tell her again.”

“Thanks”. He turned around when someone called his name. “Well, they’re ready for you.”

“Okay then. Here goes nothing.”

“Um, Soo . . . would you mind if I gave you a hug . . . for luck.”

Syl looked at Bl’azzz who winked back.

“I’d like that,” replied the serpent. “I would really like that.”

A few minutes later, they were standing at the entrance to the portal, just about ready to step through.

“What was that all about?” asked Sylvia.

“I told you I spent a lot of time with K’ssss’ family.”

“And maybe a little bit more time with her brother,” teased Bl’azzz.

“What can I say; I’m a catch . . . beautiful, brave, and fluent in Earth English. How could he resist?”

*****

Wind’dancer Village

They decided it would be better to land and walk into the village. The sight of a flying dragon would definitely scare the bejeebers out of everyone.

“Are you ready?”

“Meggy, before we go in . . . I’m really glad you’re here with us.”

The Princess smiled warmly. “And I cannot tell you what an honor this is for me.” She stepped toward her sister and the dragon wrapped her wings around the girl.

A few moments later, they walked into the village, with M’egg holding a replica of the village flag – a suggestion from BreeZee. It bore two Wing Stones representing the two tribes that came together to form the Wind’dancers.

At the bizarre and more than a little frightening sight of a wingless girl and a large winged creature, the villagers began to scatter and yell. However, once they spotted the flag, one Wind’dancer had enough courage to step forward.

“Who are you? What are you? What do you want?”

“My name is M’egg-Alynnia and my companion is Aeri’elle. We come in peace and we ask for hospitality.”

The Wind’dancer was shocked that these two beings even knew about hospitality. But as wife of the clan leader, Azure composed herself and responded with more calm than she felt. “Hospitality is granted.”

“We thank you. May we speak with Zephyr?”

“How do you know my husband?”

Megg smiled. “I do not. However, I do know your daughter BreeZee. It is a pleasure to meet you, Azure.”

*****

Somewhere in the Endless Sea

“Do you know where to recon . . . um that word you said?”

“Reconnoiter,” he repeated slowly. “We will swim around the island upon which the Nauti village is built. If the prisoners are near the water, we may be able to spot them or their guards. Do you think that’s a reasonable plan?”

K’ssss didn’t answer right away. And when she spoke, it was about something entirely different.

“Zazzi . . .”

“Yes, dear K’ssss?”

“Make me smart.”

Zazzi stopped and looked deep into his companion’s eyes. “Are you sure? The new K’ssss will be very dissimilar to the old one.”

“H’sssss”.

“You don’t understand what I just said, do you?”

“No, silly. I understand that if I was smart then I would understand.”

Chapter 9 – Fire Storm

Space Portal

A big red face seemingly popped out of nowhere. . .

“Okay. It seems to be clear.” Bl’azzz stepped through followed closely by Soo and Sylvia. “We need to get away from these trees so I can fly.”

“According to BreeZee’s map, there’s a clearing that leads to a cliff about a quarter mile in that direction,” and Sylvia pointed.

“Let’s go,” said the dragon.

“Hey, wait.” The two girls turned to look at Soo. “Before we do this thing, I need to say something. I know I’m always mouthing off but I want you to know how much you guys mean to me. No matter what happens, I wouldn’t trade a minute of our time together for anything in the world . . . this one, or any one.”

“Don’t you dare make me cry, you wonky wiggle worm,” said the F’yre Dragon. “You’re my best friend and if anything happens to you . . . I’d go crazy. And you wouldn’t need to test me to find out.”

“Sorry, big bird . . . it’s just that I forget to say the things that I really feel, that are important. Your friendship, and the love of the Sisters . . . well, it really is the most amazing thing that ever happened to me . . . that will ever happen to me. I just wanted to make sure you knew that.”

“Of course, we know,” said Sylvia. “It’s how we all feel.” She wiped at her eyes before they could betray her by leaking tears.

“Then one quick group hug,” and they did. “Now, let’s live up to our intergalactic reputation and kick some serious butt.”

Sylvia giggled.

“Hey, I thought that was inspiring.”

“Didn’t know serpents could kick butt, or anything else. You’re beginning to sound like Egg.”

“Oops, my bad. How about . . . um . . . let’s taunt, tease and torment that mega mean Mobius.”

“That’s my girl,” said a smiling Bl’azzz.

*****

Wind’dancer Village

“He left this morning and I don’t expect him back until late.”

“May I ask where he went? Perhaps my friend could fly me to him. It really is urgent that we speak.”

Azure considered that for a moment. “He had clan business to take care of at the Nauti village.”

“Would you excuse us for a moment?”

The girls stepped away and out of earshot of the Wind’dancer. “He is heading into a trap.” The Princess tapped her communications crystal, “Egg, this is Megg.”

A second later “Hi, Megg. What’s up?”

“Zephyr has gone to the Nauti village. It is most certainly a trap.”

“I’m on it. I’ll intercept him and bring him back to the village.”

“Excellent.” Megg looked at Aeri’elle who nodded her approval. “Let us not keep our hostess waiting,” and the girls returned to Azure.

“I do apologize . . . .”

Just then, the wind began to pick up and a few raindrops splattered on the ground. Megg and Aeri’elle looked up to see the sky begin to darken with angry gray clouds.

“It is called a Swirling Tempest.”

Both girls looked at the Wind’dancer. It was the dragon that said, “An Ascension Storm . . . BreeZee explained them to us. Will this one be particularly violent?”

“They are all violent . . . but no, this is an average one.”

The girls looked up again to see the giant Sun-Seeker Trees beginning to sway back and forth. They both had the same thought . . . if this was an average storm, what must it have been like for poor BreeZee in her mega-storm?

With that thought, Megg said to Azure, “Your daughter is obviously very brave to have faced a storm of such intensity as the one she Ascended on.”

Azure smiled. What mother doesn’t want to hear their daughter complimented. “Yes, my husband and I are very proud.” Then the obvious hit her. “Where is BreeZee? How did you meet?”

Megg explained their meeting and that the girl volunteered to help – but she didn’t explain how BreeZee was helping the Sisterhood. That would wait for the clan leader.

“I wonder why she didn’t tell me? That’s very strange.”

“If I may . . . she told us of her encounter with Zynnia during the storm. You and your husband - as well as her friends  - chose not to believe her. She was afraid you would respond the same way if she told you about us.”

Azure wasn’t sure how to react to that. It sounded very much like this wingless girl was lecturing her about parenting. “If you knew anything about this world, you would know that Bree hallucinated the whole encounter. Someday when you have a daughter you’ll understand a mother’s concern for her child.”

Megg just smiled. “I, and my sisters, have met Zynnia.”

“WHAT?”

“Now is not the time to discuss such things. We must find your husband. This village, this world is in grave danger . . .”

Megg was interrupted by another, more powerful gust of wind that almost knocked her over. Azure said, “We must go inside and take shelter.” Then she looked at Aeri’elle and said, “I’m sorry, our homes are not large enough to accommodate one such as yourself.”

“Dragons are not bothered by a bit of wind and a splash of rain, but thank you for thinking of my well-being.”

By the time Aeri’elle had finished that sentence, the sky had gone black, the wind increased and everyone started for their homes.

Then the unimaginable happened.

Wind’dancers began to scream in panic. Mothers searched frantically for their children. People were in total confusion.

Azure, and her two guests, looked around to see what was happening . . . what was causing the panic.

“Oh no.”

Megg and Azure turned to the dragon who was looking skyward. As they followed her gaze, they both turned white.

It was Bl’udd . . . and he was breathing fire.

*****

The Endless Sea

“If you’re sure, dear K’ssss, we will go to the serpents’ home. They may not be sentient, but they will be able to take care of you while you recover.”

“What am I recovering?”

Zazzi smiled. “After the Circle has imparted its reservoir of knowledge, you will be . . .,”  he didn’t want to say unconscious so he said, “asleep. How long is difficult to say. It depends on how fast your brain can assimilate the amount of data it will receive.”

K’ssss just stared at her boyfriend since she had absolutely no idea what he just said.

“It doesn’t matter. You will have a nice rest and when you awake, you will be as intelligent as I am. Will that please you?”

She didn’t say a word; she just swam up to him and gave him another kiss.

*****

Space Portal

BreeZee had hidden herself high in a Sun-Seeker Tree that overlooked the place where the space portal was due to appear. She had not seen anyone but she knew they were there . . . watching for her friends arrival.

Thirty minutes later her eyes were growing heavy and it took all of her will power not to doze off. Then she heard a crackling sound and a soft pop and knew it had to be the portal. She looked down and watched with fascination as a tiny point of black began to expand until it was as wide as four Wind’dancers with their wings spread. A swirly light began to shine inside the circle of black. A moment later, a big red head stuck out. Bree had to put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. It was Bl’azzz, but with no body.

A few seconds later, her head came out of the portal followed by the rest of her . . . and then by Soo and Sylvia. She watched as they looked around then pulled out a map and examined it. Sylvia pointed to the clearing she had told them about. They started to walk away but stopped. The dragon and earth girl turned around to look at the serpent. They exchanged some words, did a group hug then resumed walking away.

Then the unseen enemy struck.

An object fell from the rock face behind the portal. When it hit the ground, it exploded in a flash of brilliant light. Two more objects fell right behind it . . . but they didn’t flash; they made an ear-splitting sound.

If she had been any closer, BreeZee would have fallen to the ground. The light stunned and confused its victims while the noise was so piercing that its victims became unconscious.

Neither device was meant to hurt . . . only to disable.

And they worked. Soo and Bl’azzz fell to the ground and lay motionless. Sylvia, who had just climbed on the dragon’s back, slumped over – she too was out cold. Almost immediately, a dozen Nauti came out of hiding and started to approach. But they made one mistake and BreeZee saw it immediately.

The Nauti were on foot. They could never defend themselves from a flying Wind’dancer. Without thinking, BreeZee dove off her branch, wings tucked in the same maneuver used at the Tea Kettle. She was never going to save the serpent or dragon since they were far too heavy for her to lift. But she could save the earth girl.

She hoped.

There was only going to be one chance and timing would be everything. If she pulled up too soon, she would miss the girl. If she pulled up too late, she’d be a Wind ‘jammer.

Taking a deep breath and focusing her concentration as she had never done before, she executed the maneuver to perfection.

The startled Nauti could only yell in frustration as BreeZee, with her arms full of the unconscious Sylvia, sailed away to safety.

*****

Wind’dancer Village

The dragon dove on the Sun-Seeker Trees and began to exhale tongues of fire. Whipped by the wind, the flames reached out like burning hands and engulfed tree after tree. The idiot was only supposed to burn the one with the Wing Stone. However, since he wasn’t being attacked and in no danger, he decided to have a little fun by burning down the entire village. Mobius would be furious with him . . . but he’d worry about that later.

The Wind’dancers took to the sky to escape the inferno. A few weren’t quick enough and their wings caught fire. They screamed as they plummeted to the ground.

Aeri’elle, with Megg on her back, flew into the mouth of the conflagration trying to save those who were in danger from fire, smoke and falling branches. The dragon maneuvered dangerously close to the flames in order to give the Princess a chance to grab some of the stricken and pull them out of harm’s way.

It had happened so quickly . . . one minute all was well, then in a little more than an instant, the clan was ablaze. With smoke and flames swirling everywhere, the scene was a living nightmare.

The screaming and crying continued even as the dragon flew off. People were running every which way trying to find loved ones or to help those who were injured.

But the Wind’dancers did have a little luck. The Ascension Storm, which had blown the flames like a bellows, decided to give up its water. The splatter of raindrops turned into a torrent and within minutes, the flames were all but out.

The entire village lay ruined amongst the fallen branches, burnt out trees and swirls of steam and ash. The mournful sound of crying children and distraught parents filled the air.

Aeri’elle lay dazed on the ground. Her head hurt where she had been hit by a falling branch and she had burns on one of her wings. Slowly, and painfully, she raised her head to look for Megg . . . but there was still too much smoke to see clearly.

“M’egg . . .,” she squawked. “Megg . . .”

“Lie still.” said a voice that sounded familiar. “You are injured.” The dragon turned to see Azure kneeling behind her.

“I’m alright . . . thanks,” she lied. Have you seen my friend?”

Azure looked at the young dragon and slowly shook her head. “I am terribly sorry . . .”

Not understanding what she was being told, Aeri’elle replied, “It’s not your fault. It’s Mobius’.”

She didn’t know who Mobius was but that wasn’t what she was talking about. “No, dear one. I am sorry about your companion.”

Still too groggy to understand, the dragon asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Your sister was hurt very badly.”

“WHERE IS SHE?” screamed the girl.

“She has been taken with the other injured to be treated. But . . . ”

“BUT? What do you mean BUT?”

“She suffered a blow to the head and severe burns to her face.”

“Oh no . . . oh no . . . oh no . . .,” wailed Aeri’elle.  “I need to see her. Please help me get to her.”

“You need medical attention. I am no expert on dragons, but I am on wings. And yours will require medical attention and time to heal.”

“Forget about me . . .,” she cried not caring how rude it might sound. “Just take me to Megg.”

“I will in a moment. I must make sure the others who are more seriously hurt get attention first.” She hesitated then added, “You and your sister were magnificent. In your efforts to save our people, you both showed a total disregard for your own well-being. The two of you managed to save seven Wind’dancers that might otherwise have died. I am so grateful.”

“Did . . . did you lose anyone?”

“There are a dozen or so with serious burns and three or four with broken legs or wings . . . but nothing that can’t be healed.”

“Thank goodness.”

“I am terribly sorry about your friend,” she repeated. “We will do what we can to make her comfortable, but you must expect the worse.”

The only thing Aeri’elle could think about was the warning they had received from the Myst Tree . . . “One of you will not return.” Then the enormity and gravity of the situation finally hit the dragon and she screamed, “YOU CAN’T LET HER DIE. I WON’T LET HER DIE.”

Azure looked at the injured dragon and tears fell from her eyes. She knew that the other girl was in very grave condition. And even if she lived . . . which was far from certain . . . she would carry the scars of this day with her forever.

Aeri’elle read the expression on the woman’s face and cried “NOOOOO.”

“She will not die.”

They turned to the source of those words . . . words that were not spoken yet words they could still hear.

And standing there, staring down at them with large black eyes and golden skin was an alien-looking female.

“I am Spirit.”

Chapter 10 – Thought Weaver

Again, the words were not spoken, but each person could clearly hear them in their minds.

Poor Azure was really operating beyond her limits. All of this should have been handled by her husband and clan leader. But he asked her to stand in for him while he was gone . . . and she intended to do just that.

So putting aside for a few seconds the fact that her village lay in ruin, that she had a dragon and a wingless girl who were here under hospitality and were injured, she now had to face another alien. With her nerves all but gone, the best she could do was a very undiplomatic . . .

“Sweet Zynnia . . . what are you?”

“I am a Thought Weaver.” That wasn’t an answer that would help a Wind’dancer.

“What do you want?”

“She’s here to help us,” said Aeri’elle, who was so mesmerized by the other girl’s appearance that she momentarily forgot about Megg.

“Kindly take me to the Princess.”

“What Princess?”

Aeri’elle explained, “My friend is a Princess from the planet Aerianna.”

Wow, this was all too much for the clan leader’s wife to absorb. “I still don’t know who or what you are. Or how you got here.”

“I would be pleased to answer all of your questions. Or, if you prefer, I could help heal those that have been hurt.”

Azure stared at the strangely beautiful face of the alien girl. “Please, help the injured. They are over here. ”

Spirit turned to the wounded dragon “You are Aeri’elle. I will help you first.”

“NO,” blurted the girl. “You have to help the Princess first and the others. My injuries aren’t so bad.”

Spirit smiled and nodded her head ever so slightly. “You are very worried about your sister,” she said. It wasn’t a question. “Come with me. You may watch as I mend her injuries.” She extended her long arm and touched Aeri’elle ever so softly. And the strangest thing occurred . . .

Her finger tips seemed to melt right into the dragon’s injured wing. And as that happened, Spirit’s eyes began to glow an eerie red. A heartbeat later, she withdrew her hand.

“Can you stand?”

The girl was about to ask for help because any strain on her wing was painful. But then she realized with a start that there was no pain. She examined her wing and was surprised to see that it was healed. Well, the injury from the fire was healed but there was still an angry scar where she had been burned. She flexed it slowly . . . and sure enough, it felt like new.

“You did that?” exclaimed Aeri’elle in utter amazement. “How?”

“I am here to help.” Nice sentiment but it didn’t really answer the question. “Come, let’s attend to your sister and the others.”

Led by Azure, the three made their way to the other side of the village where the injured had been taken. As they walked, every Wind’dancer stopped and stared at the alien-looking girl. Spirit didn’t seem to mind . . . she just held her head high and stared straight ahead.

“How is it that I can hear you even though you’re not speaking?” asked Aeri’elle.

“I am a telepath. I can project my thoughts directly into your mind.”

“Can you read my mind?”

“Ah, there is the Princess,” and Spirit quickened her pace leaving the dragon wondering about the answer to her question. In fact, she realized that the newcomer really hadn’t answered any questions.

*****

Somewhere between the Wind’dancer and Nauti Village

Egg spotted the Wind’dancer over Zynnia’s Passion – those red and orange colored hills. She swooped down and alongside the man.

“Hi Zephyr”.

The man nearly fainted at the sight of a wingless girl flying next to him. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open.

“You probably should close your mouth otherwise you’ll swallow a bug or two. Take it from me, that’s really gross.”

The clan leader finally found his voice and his wits. “Who in Zynnia’s universe are you? What are you? Where are your wings? How can you fly with no wings? What do you want?”

Egg smiled at the torrent of questions. “My name is Egg and I’m a friend of BreeZee’s. I came with six others to help rescue some friends. I can fly because of this suit . . . it’s the only one ever made. Did I answer all of them?”

Zephyr relaxed knowing that this young girl was no threat. “You missed the ‘what do you want’ question.” He tried not to smile but a teensy grin escaped his lips.

“It’s a long story but the short version is that a really bad guy from my planet crashed landed on Zynn-Zaz’zia. He’s taken over the Nauti and you’re headed into a trap.”

“I was told someone in a spaceship had landed. Supposedly, he’s a brilliant scientist willing to share his technology with us. I’m guessing that’s not true.”

“Bingo.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry. I mean you’re right. Anyway two of my sisters – we’re called the Hameggattic Sisterhood – went to your village to warn you of the danger. When Azure said you were going to visit the Nauti, I came to stop you. Will you come back with me?”

He thought about that for almost a minute. “Well, your story is way too bizarre for you to be lying. Whether it’s true has yet to be proved. But to be on the safe side, we’ll go back.”

“Terrific. Here, take my hand.”

“Why?”

“Cause I’m about to show you the difference between sailing and flying. Hang on.”

*****

Wind’dancer Village

M’egg opened her eyes but they were out of focus making everything look blurry. She put her hands to her face to rub away some dirt but someone said, “Your skin is still sensitive from your injuries. I would avoid rubbing it for at least a couple of days.”

She put her hands back down, then used them to help herself sit up. “What happened?” Her mind was as out of focus as her eyes.

“We both got conked by a falling branch. But you got the worse of it. Luckily, Spirit was able to repair our injuries.”

Megg’s eyes were beginning to clear and, after blinking away some soot, she was able to see three faces staring at her. She smiled at her sister then turned to the newcomer and said without showing surprise at the girl’s appearance, “You must be the Thought Weaver. Thank you for coming to our assistance. ”

“You are most welcome. How do you feel?”

Now the princess stared. She had heard the words but the other girls lips never moved. So, she was either a ventriloquist or a telepath. Megg assumed it was the latter.

“I am fine, thank you. Aeri’elle . . . what about you?”

“Umm . . . had a little problem with my wing, but Spirit fixed that to.”

“Really? Are all Thought Weavers healers?” she asked intrigued.

“If there is nothing further I can do for you, I should attend to the others.” Aeri’elle noted that the girl had avoided answering yet another question.

“I am so sorry. Please, do what you can for them.” The princess turned to Azure and asked, “Were there many injured?”

“Some, but none as seriously as you. Thanks to you and your sister, you saved seven of my clan from certain death. We are all in your debt.”

“Nonsense. You would have done the same thing had the situation been reversed.” Then, for the first time since she had opened her eyes, she took in the destruction around her. “Oh my gosh.” She turned to Azure and said “I am so sorry . . .,” but she didn’t know what else to say. Her words seemed hollow and woefully inadequate to express the depths of what she was feeling.

Then, despite her best efforts, she started to cry . . . not for herself, but for these innocent people who were suffering because of Mobius. And because of that fateful decision made on Aerianna to cast him off into space. It was a measure of personal growth for her to feel, and show, such emotions. Aeri’elle said nothing, but was deeply moved.

*****

After they were gone, the dragon had to break the bad news to her sister.

“Megg . . .”

“Yes?”

“About your injury . . . Spirit was able to heal the wound, but she could do nothing to restore your skin to its natural condition.”

At first, the girl didn’t understand what she was being told. But then it hit her. “I am scarred?”

“Yeah.”

She gingerly put her fingertips to her face and felt the rough ridges where the tissue had been healed. She slowly traced them . . . from her mouth up to her forehead. Apparently the entire left side had been badly burned.

Aeri’elle watched the girl intently . . . afraid that she might become hysterical. The old Megg had been very vain about her looks.

“I was gravely injured, wasn’t I?”

“They weren’t sure you would live. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Spirit, we might have lost you.”

The girl gave that some thought. “She saved my life . . . and for that I am very grateful.” Then she lifted her head and asked, “How bad is it?”

“Truthfully?”

“Of course.”

“It’s not so good.”

“I see.”

“Maybe the doctors back home can do something.”

“Perhaps.”

“I’m sorry, Megg. But . . . and this may sound strange . . . you’re even more beautiful now than before you became a Hameggattic Sister. A few scars can’t change that.” She hesitated but found the courage to say, “Don’t let this change what you’ve become . . . please.”

Megg started to cry again. Never had anyone ever cared so much for her well-being (if you didn’t count her family). “Thank you Aeri’elle.”

“You’re a Hameggattic Sister, always and forever. And you’re my Princess and someday you’ll be my Queen. You can always count on my love and my loyalty. Always.”

Megg leaned over and gave the dragon a hug. Aeri’elle returned the favor, but refused to let go until she was sure that the other girl had regained her composure.

When they finally stepped apart, Megg said, “What do you think of this?” and she took her green scarf and swirled it around half her face and over her head, completely (almost) covering the injured skin.

“I think you look beautiful . . . for a human.”

“High praise, indeed,” and they both tried to laugh.

After a few seconds to enjoy the moment, Aeri’elle asked, “Megg, what do you think of Spirit?”

“I am glad she is a healer as well as a Thought Weaver.”

“Actually, you asked her if she was but she didn’t answer you. In fact, she hasn’t answered anyone’s questions since she’s been here.”

“Really? What other questions did you ask her?”

“When she told me she was a telepath, I asked her if she could read my mind.”

“And?”

“She ignored me and ran off to find you. And Azure asked her some questions and she said she could either answer them or heal the wounded. Naturally she told her to go heal the wounded.”

“Well, maybe once she gets to know us, she will be more forthcoming. In the meantime, I owe her my life. As far as I am concerned, that means she gets the benefit of any doubts we might have about her.”

“Agreed.”

“Perhaps we should go find her and Azure. Maybe they could use our help.”

*****

Egg and Zephyr landed amongst the burned out trees of what was once the Wind’dancer village. The clan leader surveyed the damage and nearly wept. “Sweet Zynnia . . . what happened?”

Azure had seen him land and came running over. She threw her arms around him and told him of the F’yre Dragon attack.

“Why would it attack us?”

“He does what Mobius, that space guy, tells him to do. His name is Bl’udd,” answered Egg. She had never felt more helpless in her life as she took in the carnage around her.

“Who are you? Never mind. You must be with the other two.”

“My name is Egg. You’re BreeZee’s mom.”

“Yes.”

Then Egg realized that her sisters must have been here when Bl’udd attacked. And knowing them, they probably tried to prevent it. “Where are my two sisters? Are they alright?”

“They were both injured . . . the one you call the Princess quite badly.” She turned to her husband. “They were magnificent. They sacrificed themselves to save our people. We owe them seven lives.”

But Egg wasn’t listening . . . she was looking around frantically for her injured friends.

Realizing that she had not told the girl everything, Azure said, “I’m sorry. They were injured but a very alien girl appeared out of nowhere and healed them both. They are in no danger.”

“Oh my gosh. Thank you.”

“Alien girl? More alien then her?” and Zephyr pointed at Egg.

“Yes,” was all his wife said.

Just then, Aeri’elle and Megg appeared out of the heavy haze that still hung over the village. Zephyr was speechless at the sight of a dragon.

Egg ran up to Aeri’elle then to the Princess and gave each a hug. She noticed Megg’s scarf around her face but said nothing. “Zephyr, this is Princess M’egg-Alynnia from the planet Aerianna. And this is Aeri’elle . . . she’s a dragon. They are also Hameggattic Sisters.”

“May I join you?”

“Oh my gosh”. Egg shouldn’t have been surprised at the girl’s appearance since she had seen her in a dream. But here in real life, the girl was even more exotic looking. The fact that she heard the words in her head was less shocking since that was the way the Myst Tree communicated.

“My name is Spirit.”

“Hi, I’m Egg.”

“An honor and a privilege.”

Egg forced herself to turn back to the clan leader. “What can we do to help?”

“Right now, nothing. But thank you.”

“I’m sorry our warning didn’t come in time.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. We have no weapons. We couldn’t have stopped that beast from destroying our trees.” Realizing he had insulted Aeri’elle, he added, “Forgive me.”

“No apology required. Besides, Bl’udd is a beast.”

Zephyr took a deep breath and hugged his wife. When he had his emotions under control, he asked, “How are you going to deal with that lunatic spaceman?”

“We’re going to trap him in time . . . in his past.”

“You’re going to do what?”

“We’ll explain later. Anyway, that’s why Spirit is here . . . to help us trap Mobius. Right, Spirit?”

“Yes. But I am also here to save you from the same fate . . . if I can.”

“What?”

“You are destined to be lost in time. In your heart, you already knew that.”

“What is she talking about?” demanded the Princess.

“I . . . uh . . . just had this feeling.”

“Forget it Egg,” yelled Aeri’elle. “Ain’t going to happen. If anyone’s going to get trapped . . . it’s going to be me. No arguments.”

“And I will be by your side,” said the Princess with fierce determination.

“That path is not open to you, M’egg-Alynnia. Your destiny lies elsewhere.”

“Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do”? For the first time in quite a while, Megg sounded like her old self.

“You misunderstand. It is not up to me to choose your destiny.”

“Then explain what you meant.”

“For most, there are many paths into the future . . . but for some, only a few.”

“You can foretell that which is yet to be.” Megg was stating a fact, not asking a question.

“What are you two talking about?” Egg still wasn’t following.

“She can see into the future.”

“Oh. Oh my gosh.”

Book 4

Reven

Book 4 of Zynn-Zaz’zia

An Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel

© Copyright, 2014, by Robert Iannone,

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Not in Time

Chapter 2 – Time for a Change

Chapter 3 – Time’s A-wasting

Chapter 4 – Time to Go

Chapter 5 – Time Out

Chapter 6 – Time Castle

Chapter 7 – Tea Time

Chapter 8 – It’s Time

Chapter 9 – Show Time

Chapter 10 – The Sands of Time

Chapter 11 – The End of Time

Epilogue

Chapter 1 – Not in Time

Wind’dancer’s Village

“You can see the future? How is that possible?” asked Zephyr.

“I am a Thought Weaver.”

“What does that mean?”

“The explanation would take time.”

“I’m listening.”

“Z . . . she came here to help. She’s not the enemy.”

The clan leader looked at his wife then back at Spirit. “I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“Forgiveness is not required.”

“Zephyr,” a voice yelled. Everyone turned to see a woman approach. It was Fl’air from the Council of Elders.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Considering.” She took a moment to glance at the four strangers.

“They’re friends.”

“If you say so. It’s the WingStone . . . it’s been destroyed. The heat caused it to shatter into thousands of useless shards.” The woman was trying valiantly not to cry. “What are we going to do? My daughters . . .” But that was too much and she broke down. Azure put her arms around the distraught mother and led her away . . .  to give her some privacy so she could regain her composure.

“What about her daughters?” asked Aeri’elle. “Were they injured?”

“I do not think that is what she was alluding to,” answered Megg. “Without the WingStone, the children cannot achieve adulthood. Their wings will wilt.”

“Oh my gosh, we can’t let that happen. We’ve got to do something. Can the Nauti help?”

Zephyr was elected clan leader for a reason. “That was the true purpose of the attack . . .  why Mobius had it destroyed. He wants us to join forces with the Nauti . . .  to become a part of whatever dastardly scheme he’s concocted.”

“May I have a fragment?” asked Spirit.

“Why?”

Her eyes glowed the same eerie red as when she cured Aeri’elle. Then she said, “It is your only hope of survival. The Nauti WingStone, like yours, will not survive.”

“What?”

Spirit chose to remain silent.

“The shards have no value to you, do they?” asked Megg of the Clan leader.

“None. They’re worthless.”

“Then perhaps you should allow . . . our friend . . .  to have one.”

He glanced from one girl to the other. “You’ll find them over there . . . by the largest of the burned out trees. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s much to be done.” With that, he turned and left.

*****

The four girls stood watching as Zephyr walked off. Once he was gone, the three non-telepaths started talking simultaneously.

“What do you want with a piece of the WingStone?” asked Egg.

“How will Egg get trapped in time?” questioned the dragon.

“Please explain why I cannot protect my sister?” requested the Princess.

“To answer your questions you must first understand my kind. With respect, this is not the place for such discussions. I will locate an appropriate shard of WingStone. Then, while the villagers organize themselves, we should return to your camp to talk and plan.”

“Egg,” said Aeri’elle, “what do you think?”

“Why don’t you and Meggy go now? I’ll be right behind you. You two really need to get some rest. Besides, Syl, B’lazzz and BreeZee should be on their way back. It’ll be easier if you’re there to explain what’s going on. And if Bree wants to return home to help her folks, tell her okay. We’ll catch up to her later. In fact, promise her that she’ll be a part of our plans.”

“Are you sure we shouldn’t stay until you’re ready to leave?”

“Yeah. Oh, and nice going you two. Saving seven Wind’dancers . . . that’s pretty impressive.”

“I do not remember doing so. Perhaps I was . . . bonked . . . harder than I realized.”

“Well, I do remember every detail, and we were absolutely Hameggattic-like.”

“Then you may regale me with a grand tale of heroism, valor and pluck as we fly off into the sunset.”

“Meggy, you’ve read too many earth romance novels,” teased Egg.

“They are sinfully entertaining, are they not?”

*****

It took a few minutes to find a piece of the WingStone that Spirit considered useful. While she was looking around, Egg found Zephyr. He was in deep discussions with other members of the Council.

“Excuse me, Zephyr.”

The Clan Leader turned to face Egg. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry to bother you . . . but could we talk for a minute?”

The man looked annoyed at the interruption. “Can’t it wait?”

“I’m about to leave.”

Remembering that Egg and her sisters came to help and that two of them almost sacrificed their own lives to save his people, he felt a stab of guilt. “Please forgive me . . . I’m a little distracted.” To his councilors, he said, “This young lady is Egg. She is the leader of the sisterhood that came to rescue her fellow citizens. It was her two sisters that saved seven of our people.” He turned to Egg and said, “Again, on behalf of the entire clan, we thank you.”

“That’s what friends do, isn’t it?”

Zephyr smiled, “Yes, it is.” He excused himself and led the girl a short distance away so they could talk.

“What can I do for you?”

“Tonight I’ll send BreeZee home. Then tomorrow I would like you to follow her back to our camp. You should hear our plans and . . . you need to know what we expect you and your people to do.” She tensed, waiting for him to get really upset.

There was dead silence for a few heartbeats then, with much effort, the usually gruff Zephyr asked, “Why should I take orders from you? We’re in a life and death struggle . . . something I doubt you ever faced. I would be derelict in my duty to this clan if I simply did as you directed.”

Egg smiled for two reasons. “Thank you for not screaming at me. I kind of expected it.”

Despite the situation, the big man managed a grin. “My wife would be proud. Be sure to tell her when you get a chance.”

“I will. Anyway, as for that ‘never having faced danger’ part (the other reason she smiled), would you do me a favor? Your daughter is going to tell you a little about the Hameggattic Sisterhood. If after hearing her story . . . our story . . . you still don’t want to listen to my suggestions, then okay. But either way you should probably know what my sisters and I are planning to do.”

“Fair enough.”

“Great.”

“Egg . . . how many years do you have?”

“If you’re asking my age, I’m twelve . . . but that’s earth years. I don’t know what that would be on Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

“Am I going to be impressed with the story of you and your Hameggattic Sisterhood?”

“Probably not. It’s just about seven, silly girls.”

*****

On the flight back, Egg purposely flew slowly so that she and Spirit could have a chance to talk.

“Have you ever flown before?”

Spirit smiled. “Not as you mean.”

“So how old are you?”

“Age is not relevant from one world to the next. However, you would consider me a teenager.”

“Oh”. Egg was a little surprised since the girl seemed much older. “What planet are you from?”

“Paradox.”

“Great name but I never heard of it. Is it nice?”

“It is home.” Well, that was neither a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.

“So why did the Myst Tee send you and not someone else?”

“It was foretold.”

“What does that mean?”

“My path to the future is the one upon which I now embark.”

To Egg’s befuddled mind, all she heard was gibberish. But until she had Sylvia, Megg and Aeri’elle to help interpret, she decided to leave that statement alone. “Do you have a family or friends back home?”

“Parents and a brother, however no one I would call friend.”

Getting information out of Spirit was like trying to pull teeth out of a chicken (they don’t have any) . . . so Egg said, “Nice talk” and sped up. They landed within minutes.

*****

When they arrived, they found Sylvia unconscious with her head in BreeZee’s lap. Aeri’elle and Megg were kneeling beside them.

“What happened?”

“They got Bl’azzz. If it wasn’t for Bree, they would have had Syl too,” said Aeri’elle.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Some kind of weapon . .  . but she’s only unconscious.”

“May I?”

BreeZee noticed the Thought Weaver for the first time. “Oh my.”

“Go ahead,” said Egg.

The alien girl bent over Sylvia and touched her head . . . all the while her eyes glowed the same eerie red. “As you suspected, she is uninjured.” And, as if on cue, the girl came to.

“How do you feel?” asked her worried friend.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know; I just got here. But I guess our winged warrior saved your sorry butt.”

“You did?”

“I was in a Sun-Seeker Tree watching. When you guys came out, the Nauti dropped three devices. The first exploded with a big flash, the other two with incredibly loud noise. All of you just fell over unconscious.”

“Why were you there? How did you save me?”

“Egg sent me. And as for saving you . . . well, it wasn’t all that hard. The Nauti were walking and I was sailing. They never had a chance to stop me from swooping down and grabbing you.”

“Yeah, right,” smirked Egg. “It was like a walk in the park.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Sorry. Just teasing . . . you make it sound as if it was easy, but we all know you risked a lot. Just like these two did.” Then it struck her that she had yet to tell the girl about the fire. “Bree . . . your village was attacked.”

“By Mobius?”

“No, Bl’udd. He set fire to the trees. I’m sorry.”

The Wind’dancer turned to the other girls. “How are my parents?”

“They’re fine,” said Aeri’elle.

“I have to go back.”

“I know. But you need to do something for us.”

“What?”

“Tell your dad about the Sisterhood . . . and the Quest.”

“Why?” The girl’s first thought was that now was a totally inappropriate time to be bragging.

“He needs to realize we can be trusted . . .  that we have some experience in this stuff.”

“Oh. Sure.”

“If you can, convince him to come meet with us here tomorrow.”

“I’ll try.”

“Thanks. Bree . . . you should know that most of your trees were destroyed. Including the one with the WingStone. I’m really sorry.”

The girl’s eyes had gone wide . . . then she began to cry. No Stone meant all the children would be lost.

“Do not weep for the loss of the stone.”

BreeZee turned and stared at the alien girl . . . as if she was from another planet (which of course she was). Having the words form in her head and not through her ears was disconcerting, but paled in comparison to Egg’s news. “You must be that thought . . . girl . . . weaver . . . whatever. You can’t understand how tragic this is for my people. You have no idea.”

“My name is Spirit. I know that there is a path that will bring a resolution far more satisfying then you or your people can imagine.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Bree . . . she can see the future.”

“What? Never mind . . . I have to leave.” She was too distracted to concentrate on such weird things.

“I’ll take you,” offered Flying Girl.

*****

“Tell me how you saved Sylvia. I was stupid for asking her to go in the first place.”

“Just the opposite. You were brilliant in having me there to help if something went wrong.”

“Thanks, but that’s not how I see it. Anyway, tell me what happened.”

“I saw everyone lose consciousness so I just dove down and before I hit the ground, pulled up and grabbed Sylvia. The Nauti were in no position to stop me. It really wasn’t all that special.”

“Let me see . . . you positioned yourself perfectly, without being seen by the Nauti, evaluated the enemy, made a split-second decision, performed an amazing aerobatic trick, surprised the bad guys so they couldn’t follow and returned my best friend safe and sound. Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you this . . .” She paused for effect.

“What?”

“The Queen’s going to pin a hero’s medal on you. So you best plan for a visit to Aerianna and to Q’umulus.”

BreeZee’s face lit up . . . until she remembered what had happened to her village. “What do you think Spirit meant about the WingStone?”

“Not a clue, but I have this feeling that everything’s going work out really well.”

*****

Egg returned to find the four girls sitting around the fire.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good as new. How’s BreeZee?”

“Worried before we got there  — horrified when she saw the destruction.”

“Has anyone heard from Soo or Bl’azzz?”

“No.”

“That would have been too easy. Anyway . . . Spirit, what did you mean about the WingStone?”

“Do you find it difficult talking to boys?”

“Huh?” That was out of left field.

Spirit repeated the question while all four sisters stared at her.

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Please . . . humor me.”

Egg made an annoyed face at the girl and at the question . . . but she answered. “Yeah, I’m very shy. For the longest time, I thought they were all jerks. Then I met Zeke, and after about a billion years, I finally became comfortable with him . . . and his brother. But that’s the exception.”

“If I told you that when you return to Aerianna, you will meet a young man that you will fall in love with . . . what would you do?”

All eyes turned to Flying Girl.

“I’d probably not go . . . and just return to Earth. So?”

“Then knowledge of the future — that you might fall in love — would change that future. By not going, the love you could have found would be lost forever.”

Egg thought about that for a few seconds. “Guess so.”

“Did you wish to ask me about the WingStone again?”

She didn’t answer right away. Then a light went on in her head. “Ohhhh . . . I get it.”

“Get what?” asked Sylva.

“If she tells me, whatever good could happen, might not happen.” Egg looked at Spirit who nodded.

“I knew that,” replied Sylvia. “I was just testing you.” She was a bit embarrassed that she hadn’t figured it out herself.

“I’ll give you a free pass, Feminion . . . but only because you got bombed. Next time . . . well, I might just have to replace you.”

“Ha. Who would you get?”

“I hear the Great and Powerful Oz is going to give K’ssss a brain (jokingly referring to the fact that her dad said it was just a matter of time). I think she’d do nicely,” teased her best friend.

Sylvia responded by sticking out her tongue.

Egg then turned to the Thought Weaver. “By the way, that stuff about me falling in love . . . that was just an example, right?”

Spirit smiled. “Perhaps the Wizard will give you a heart. Who’s to say?”

Egg’s mouth dropped open.

Chapter 2 – Time for a Change

Before the conversation could turn to the Thought Weaver and her story, Egg was surprised by a call from the Great Wizard. It just wasn’t the one she had kidded about.

“Egg, it is I . . . Zazzi.”

“Zazzi, what’s going on? Did something happen to K’ssss?”

“Yes.”

“What? What happened? Is she alright? Should I come and help? Where are you?” She had another six questions, but was forced to take a breath, which gave the serpent a chance to explain.

“You must calm yourself. K’ssss is fine . . . in fact, she is more than fine.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know – you love her. But where is she and why do you have her communications crystal?”

“Egg . . . K’ssss asked me to make her smart.”

“What the heck does that mean?”

“She was dissatisfied with her inability to understand and to reason. She wanted to improve herself.”

“Yeah, okay. So let me say it again. What the heck does that mean?”

“Perhaps I should have asked your permission first.”

“My permission for what? Spit it out.”

“I can’t spit . . .  remember?”

“Zazzi, you just got to learn to get to the point a little quicker. Please.”

“I will try.”

Egg waited a second then shouted, “WELL?”

“Oh, sorry. I granted K’ssss her wish. I used the Circle of Life to impart its knowledge into her.”

“Really?”

“I do not lie.”

“I didn’t mean . . . oh never mind. So how is she? Smart?”

“It is too soon to tell what the effect will be. The amount of information the Circle imparts can be voluminous . . . depending on the ability and capacity of the individual receiving it. Then it takes time for that person to process the data. So K’ssss is uncon . . . asleep. When she’ll awake is unknown, but it will be at least one, possibly two or three days.”

Egg had conflicting emotions about what she had just heard. On the plus side, K’ssss was getting her wish and would become the highly intelligent serpent her father knew she could be. This was offset because both Zazzi and K’ssss did it without consulting her. They were on a rescue mission and they might have jeopardized the safety of the hostages.

“Zazzi, I’m really happy for K’ssss but you two were wrong not to talk to me first. You’re members of my team trying to save our fathers and sister. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I am truly sorry . . . that thought had never occurred to me. I was lost in my own happiness, and K’ssss’, over her decision. I have failed you . . . and the sisterhood. I will return the scarf immediately.” He sounded grief stricken over his lack of judgment.

“We all make mistakes. You can keep the scarf; you’re still an honorary sister. But when K’ssss wakes up, call me. If you can’t get a hold of me for whatever reason, come back to camp. Understand?”

“Yes . . . Egg, thank you.”

All the girl could think of was K’ssss. “You better be nice to her.”

Zazzi hesitated then said, “I wish to marry her.”

*****

When the conversation ended, Egg let out a deep breath. “All in all, this has been a yucky day. We lose Bl’azzz, Syl gets knocked out, the Wind’dancer village and their WingStone are destroyed, you two nearly get yourselves killed and K’ssss goes AWOL.”

“AWOL?” asked the Princess.

“Means you leave without permission.”

“Will it not be to our benefit for K’ssss to acquire the intellect that Zazzi has imparted to her?”

“Maybe”. Then Egg shrugged and whined in frustration “I don’t know. What I do know is that I want Spirit to tell us about Thought Weavers and how she’s going to help us.”

The other three girls nodded . . . their curiosity was as piqued as Egg’s.

“As you wish,” said the exotic girl. “I told Egg that my home world is Paradox but I wasn’t completely honest. It was home . . . I was asked to leave.”

“By whom?”

“My parents.”

“What? Why?”

“For my own safety and theirs. Thought Weavers are very rare and on Paradox, there are forces that would use my . . . abilities . . . for their own selfish gain. They are quite ruthless and will stop at nothing to obtain what they seek. So, to protect my family, I took their advice and fled.”

“That is horrible. Is there no one that could insure your wellbeing? No one to oppose these ruffians?”

Spirit smiled sadly. “Our world is called Paradox for a reason. We are a peace-loving, law-abiding people by nature. Unhappily, it has fallen into chaos where peace has been replaced by conflict and laws by the whims of those in power.”

“So you’re all alone? That’s terrible,” said Sylvia.

“Not completely. I did manage to take Jynx with me,” and an image appeared in the minds of the four girls.

“Ah . . . she’s cute. Is it a dog?”

“I am unfamiliar with dog. Jynx is a Shamie.” Seeing the look of bafflement on their faces, she explained, “It’s an almost extinct breed of morphing Quadra-pods . . . a four legged animal that can alter its shape.”

“Really? Change into what?” asked Aeri’elle fascinated by the idea.

“Pretty much whatever it likes . . . or sees. Makes it easier to hunt one’s dinner if you look like your prey. However, it must stay the same size as it is naturally. For instance it could assume the shape of you, Aeri’elle . . . but on a miniature scale.”

“A baby Aeri’elle . . . how sweet. Were you a cute baby?” teased Egg enjoying the distraction from the more serious business at hand.

“Was and still am,” came the reply.

Megg was puzzled. “You say that Jynx has accompanied you. Where is she?”

“In the vessel that brought me here.”

“A spaceship?” For whatever reason, Egg had never considered that possibility.

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Care to explain?”

“Some other time. An explanation would be time consuming and of no importance to our mission.”

“Okay . . . then go on with your story.”

“Yes,” said Sylvia. “Tell us how it is that you see the future.”

“And why Egg is going to get trapped in time,” added Aeri’elle,

“And why the Myst Tree chose you to help us,” asked the Princess.

“Oh, one more thing,” and the girls looked at Egg. “I just love your dress . . . where did you get it?” Then “Ouch.”

Sylvia had hit her with a pebble. “We’re in a war with Mobius and you ask her about her clothes? Look who’s the wonky whack-a-doodle now.”

“Hey . . . if I had worn that to the party, Megg would never have had a chance to get Zeke to make a fool of himself.” She was referring to the time M’egg had visited earth as part of her punishment for being mega-brat.

“True dat.” replied her Feminion.

“True dat?”

Now it was Syl’s turn to say, “Hey . . . I’ve got street smarts.” Then “Ouch.”

Egg’s pebble had hit her in the shin. “Oops.”

“Spirit, you have my royal permission to ignore these two buffoons and continue with your fascinating story.”

“Sorry” said Egg.

“If I ever have friends, I would wish them to be like you,” said Spirit with a smile. “Anyway, after I left Paradox I had ample time to reflect on my future. As I examined the paths available, helping the Sisterhood was one of the two most intriguing opportunities. That night as I tried to choose between them, I dreamt of the entity you call the Myst Tree. He convinced me to help you.”

“May I ask, what was the other path?” asked Megg.

“To visit a planet where its scientist could remove my powers. I would give up being a Thought Weaver and return to my world as an ordinary individual with no particular value to the forces of evil.”

“It’s none of our business,” said Egg, “but why wouldn’t you want the chance to go home?”

“It would be a selfish act . . . giving up my unique abilities that can have a positive influence on many people so that I could return to the love of my family. I do admit I was tempted . . . but in the end, the Myst Tree did not have to try very hard to help me choose this path. It is the right thing to do.”

All four girls sat there in silence with misty eyes. Spirit’s courage and sacrifice was as great as any of them had ever shone. They were in awe.

Egg stood up and put out her hand. “On earth and on Aerianna, there’s a custom . . . we call it hugging. It’s our way of showing support for a person. For a friend.”

Spirit smiled. “I do believe it is a universal gesture,” and she accepted Egg’s hug. The other girls stood and joined in.

They wiped their eyes and sat down. They could each feel a warm glow in their minds coming from the Thought Weaver. “It is very nice . . . very, very nice to have friends. Even if it is only for a little while. So, let me tell you what the future looks like to me . . . “

Sylvia interrupted the girl. “Spirit, our friendship is forever. It’s not going to end when this rescue mission ends.” The other three girls nodded their agreement.

“I . . . well, I . . . thank you. I feel the same way.”

Everyone sat quietly for a moment then Spirit said, “I’ll continue my story. Egg and Sylvia, do you remember the Maze of Forever?”

“Ha. We’re not likely to forget that. Why?”

“Perhaps this part of the Maze will look familiar . . . “

The Princess and Aeri’elle gasped . . . for neither had been there. The dragon had flown home after losing her courage in the grips of AyBee. The Princess, of course, was not on the Quest.

“Egg, your diary simply does not do this justice. This is . . . what is that earth phrase . . . oh yes, mind blowing.”

“Glad I missed it. Wow.”

“Glad we had Sassi with us,” said Sylvia. “Otherwise we might still be in there.”

Egg brought the conversation back where it belonged. “So, Spirit, what’s this got to do with you and the future?”

“It is how I perceive it. I weave a person’s thoughts into a tapestry of alternate paths. Then I examine the more important ones to see where they might lead.”

“Yeah . . . that means a little less than nothing to me.”

“Every action that we take leads down a path into the future . . . and that path has many branches. Most are trivial and can be ignored. Others are of greater significance. I can sense the probable outcome of each. Had I been with you and Sylvia in the Maze, I could have navigated through it without effort.”

“So you can look at me and tell me what my future is going to be?”

“Not at all. I can recognize the likely outcome of your next decision . . . and even that is not a certainty. It is simply a higher probability.”

“But you have seen a day or two into Egg’s future and know that she is destined to be trapped in time. Does that not conflict with what you said?”

“No. It was the Myst Tree that gave me a glimpse of that future. I have yet to see it of my own accord. As we approach the point in time when Egg chooses a path, I will be able to sense how it will lead into the trap.”

“Spirit, can you read minds?” Aeri’elle was determined to get an answer to this question. “You seem to know all about what happened on the Quest.”

“Thankfully, no. Again, the Myst Tree provided me with the history of your last heroic adventure. However, I can sense emotions.”

“Why do you say thankfully?” asked the Princess. “Would it not be a powerful gift?”

“It would be a terrible invasion of privacy. And, I would go insane if I had to hear the thoughts of each and every person I came in contact with. No . . . it is a blessing not to have that curse.”

“What about your ability to heal?”

“That is more complicated. A simple answer is that I can direct a person’s body to cure itself. Any other explanation would just serve to confuse.”

“When I was communicating to the Myst Tree, he said you were here to help with the Reven stuff . . . and more. What was he talking about?”

Spirit hesitated . . . uncomfortable with the answer. “As I said, he gave me a glimpse of the future . . . yours and mine.” She paused, uncertain what to say.

“And?”

She took a deep breath. “Apparently my future and that of the Sisterhood are entwined.”

“Which means?”

But Sylvia answered her friend. “It means that Spirit will become a member of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

“Oh. Oh my gosh.”

Then the Princess shocked the girls when she asked the Thought Weaver, “You are to take my place, are you not?”

“Yes”.

“What?”

“As she said before when I volunteered to accompany Aeri’elle into the time trap . . .  that path is not open to me.”

“I do not need to sense the future to have made that statement.”

“No. Of course not.”

“What are you two talking about?”

“I am Princess M’egg-Alynnia, the next Queen of Aerianna. That has been my destiny since I was born. This will be my first, and last, adventure with the Sisterhood.”

“Your mother was very wise to allow you this opportunity.”

“She is the most amazing woman I know. If I can be half the queen that she is, I will exceed my own expectations.”

“Meggy . . . you’re going to do great,” said Egg. “They will love Queen Meg . . .  I just know it.”

“I agree,” added Sylvia.

“And I have already told you how I feel” said Aeri’elle.

Megg stood up. “If you would excuse me for a few moments, I believe I need a good cry.”

“Want some company?” asked Egg.

“Thank you, no. The next Queen of Aerianna will shed her tears in private.”

She walked away but they could still hear her muffled sobs.

Egg reminded the others, “The Myst Tree said to Meg . . . one will stay on Zynn-Zaz’zia and two will . . . retire or something like that.”

“Well we know the Princess will retire and K’ssss will probably be the one that stays,” added Aeri’elle

“And I bet you Sassi will leave. She’s a mom and a wife. She’s going to want to stay home and raise her family,” suggested Sylvia.

“So, it looks like Bree and you, Spirit, will be part of the new Sisterhood. And that means we’ll still have seven.”

“No,” said Aeri’elle. “We’ll have seven active members and three retired ones. They will always be Hameggattic Sisters.”

“Yeah, they will.”

Chapter 3 - Time’s A-wasting

A minute or so later, Megg reappeared. “Did I miss something of interest?”

“Nope . . . we waited for you.”

“Thank you. What is our next course of action?

Instinctively all four Sisters turned to look at the Thought Weaver. Spirit smiled. “I think I’m about to disappoint you.”

“Why’s that?”

“First, I can only sense the future once you decide on a course of action. I cannot tell you in advance what to do. Second, perhaps you’ve seen my eyes glow when I do the things that I do . . . like heal the injured?”

“Kind of hard to miss” said Aeri’elle.

“It is beautiful . . . and maybe a little strange,” added the Princess.

“What of it?” asked Egg.

“It takes a great deal of energy for me to do those things. Usually I have to wait hours before I can perform the next . . . bit of magic.”

“Magic?”

“I’m told that what I do appears to be like performing magic. I was just teasing, sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I’m not very good at being a friend. I’ve had so few that I’m usually at a loss as to what to say when we are not discussing life and death events. I believe you call it idle chit-chat.”

“More like mindless jibber-jabber,” teased Aeri’elle.

“Spirit . . . never apologize and do not ever worry about such matters. You will learn that when you are just yourself, the bonds of friendship form quite naturally. And with friendship, the desire to share experiences, intimate thoughts and emotions will soon follow.”

Egg smiled. “Well put, Meggy.” Turning to Spirit, she added, “If mega-brat could learn to become a great friend, you’re not going to have any trouble.”

“If that was meant as a compliment, it was awful,” said the princess pretending to take offense.

“See?” replied Egg. “In the old days she would have had us beheaded. Now she only pretends to be insulted. Ouch.”

“I have been practicing my pebble throwing. Did I do well?”

“Promise me that if you wake up with a snake in your sleeping bag, you won’t blame me.”

“You would not dare?” Megg, like most people, had a very strong aversion to snakes.

Egg responded sweetly, “Oh, no . . . I’d never be that mean. That spiteful. Trust me.” Then she gave an exaggerated grin with too many teeth showing.

“If you two are finished,” huffed Aeri’elle, “I would really like to save my father.”

That statement was as shocking as a bucket of cold water . . . and the frivolity instantly ended.

“Okay, here’s what I think we need to do. First, we have to convince the Wind’dancers to hide.”

“Hide? Where?”

“And why?”

“Anywhere that Mobius can’t find them and force them into his army. And I’m thinking that Zazzi can hide them down in his cavern.”

“I agree with your reasoning,” said the Princess who was now all business. “But I believe that will take a fair bit of diplomacy.”

“Cause it’s Zazzi and the Wind’dancers really don’t want to meet him . . . is that what you mean?”

“Exactly.”

“Then let’s hope BreeZee does a good job with her dad. Next, I need you, Aeri’elle, to take over K’ssss’ responsibilities and scout around for the hostages. Maybe you can make contact with Soo or Bl’azzz and even help them escape.”

“I’d rather be with you but, okay.”

“If you find a way to free them . . . get everyone back to Aerianna.”

“Then the other two and I can return and help you guys finish up.”

“No . . . I don’t think so. My guess is by that time we’ll be inside the castle. There’ll be no way for you to get in. Just wait here at camp. We’ll try to send you a message if we need help.”

“I really don’t like that idea.”

“Sorry, but it’s the only way. Besides, rescuing the hostages was our mission. If you get them back to Aerianna, then the Hameggattic Sisterhood will have done its job.”

“Still don’t like it . . . but I see your point.”

“So how do we get into Reven’s not-yet-built castle? How do we get her to help us? And how do we lure Mobius into the place?” asked Sylvia.

Before that could be discussed, Zazzi called. “Egg . . .”

“Yeah, Zazzi?”

“She’s awake.”

“Already? I thought you said it would be days?”

“I don’t think the transference was successful. I’m sorry.”

“Is she okay otherwise?”

“A bit confused . . . though it’s hard to tell because . . . well, that may just be her normal self.”

“Can she travel?”

“Yes, but a little more rest would be good for her.”

“Then come back to camp as soon as you can. I have another assignment for you.”

“Give us till the morning.”

Egg turned to the other girls, “That’s really disappointing.”

“I am so very proud of her for trying. She makes Aerianna . . . and the Sisterhood . . . better for the effort.”

“Spoken like a wise queen,” said Aeri’elle in all seriousness.

A flicker of light caught Egg’s attention. It was the briefest gleam of red in Spirit’s eyes. “Did you want to say something?”

“No.”

Egg maintained eye contact for a few more seconds. “Okay, then. Let’s talk about Reven. On second thought, we should hear what Spirit has to tell us about how to get into her castle.” The other three girls turned to stare at the Thought Weaver.

“There is a bridge – The Hour Bridge – from the present into Reven’s future. All that we need to do is cross it.”

“I’m guessing there’s a little more to it than that?”

“Upon the bridge are stepping stones. Take the wrong one and you . . . we . . . end up back where we started. The right ones will eventually lead us across and into Reven’s present.”

“And . . .”

“Though the first wrong step leads back to our present, the second wrong path leads us off the bridge and literally into the River of Time.”

“I don’t like the sound of that . . . whatever it means.”

“Nor should you. If we fall into the River . . . it will wash us into the future. How far is not knowable. But once there, we would be stranded forever.”

“Definitely not liking it.”

“I got goose bumps,” added Sylvia.

“The good news is that the problem is only from the now into Reven’s future. When we cross back into our own time, it’s just a bridge . . . no wrong turns to trap you.”

“Yippee.”

“So we can find our way into the castle. The two other questions posed by Sylvia still require answers. How do we enlist Reven’s help and lure Mobius into it?”

“The second question is simple . . . big bad Mo would love to get his hands on me,” said Egg. “I think he won’t be able to resist following me into the castle.” Now that she said it, it seemed obvious to the other girls so there was no argument.

“Egg,” said Sylvia, “we can’t get Reven to help us since we’re going to destroy the castle and everyone – everything – that’s in it. She probably won’t be too happy about that.”

“Rats.”

Megg said, “Then I suggest we visit the castle before we invite Mobius. We will need to learn how to avoid Reven and by what means ‘release the sands of time’ . . . whatever that might mean.”

Everyone wanted to argue that it was too dangerous, but they couldn’t think of any other plan. Anyway, it was late and they were tired. Maybe a good night’s sleep would clear their minds and present a different strategy.

*****

They were making breakfast when Aeri’elle said, “We have company,” and pointed skyward.  It was BreeZee . . . and her dad. They landed, gracefully as ever, and approached. “Hi”.

“Glad to see you . . . both of you,” said Egg.

Zephyr’s response was a little strange. “Seven silly girls . . . ha.”

“I’m guessing you told him about the Quest.”

“She did. If just half of it is true then I am in the presence of a truly heroic band of . . . young women.”

“I’m sure she exaggerated a teensy bit.”

“No, more likely I left out way too much.”

“May we join you?” asked the clan leader.

“That’d be great. Are you guys hungry?”

Getting right to business, he said, “No, thank you. So tell me your plans. What would you have us do?”

The Princess spoke first. “Before we begin, how are your people coping?”

“Thanks for asking. They are trying to be brave. There are other Sun-Seeker forests we can use to rebuild . . . but none has a WingStone. Unless the Nauti share theirs, we are facing disaster. And to share it, we would have to join forces with Mobius. It is a no-win situation.” BreeZee took her father’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“You will not need the Nauti’s WingStone,” said Spirit.

Zephyr looked at the alien girl. “You said something similar before. I fervently hope you’re right. Can you tell me why?”

“To know the future jeopardizes what might be. I’m sorry.”

The man gave that some thought. “So, if I was to learn how this miracle will happen, my very knowing may cause it not to happen. Is that it?”

“Yes. That outcome is not likely . . . but I’m not willing to risk it. Nor should you.”

“Can you tell me now what a Thought Weaver is?”

The girl explained to the newcomers what she had told the sisters earlier.

“But if you can only see the possibilities in the immediate future, how do you know about the WingStone and what might happen days from now?” That was a great question that the girls had never thought to ask.

“The WingStone is a living organism . . . like a flower. But Zynnia gave it a rudimentary intelligence. Because of that, I can see the next path the Stone will take.”

“And somehow it’s going to work out well?”

“Better than you could have ever expected.”

“I don’t know what that means . . . but I have no reason to doubt you. Thanks . . . you give me hope where none existed.” Turning to Egg, he asked, “What would you have me and my people do?”

“Hide.”

“Excuse me?”

“We can’t have Mobius get you . . . any of you. That would just make him and his army stronger. So I need you to hide someplace he can’t find.”

“Where would that be?”

And right on cue, Zazzi and K’ssss slithered out of the water. “We are back,” he said needlessly.

Zephyr literally jumped out of his seat. BreeZee grabbed his hand again and pulled him down. “Daddy, it’s okay. They’re friends.”

“Sorry. Just surprised to have a sea serpent slither up and greet me.”

“I apologize . . . I did not mean to frighten you.”

Now for the awkward part. “Zephyr, this is Zazzi. He’s the serpent from the lava . . . from the Caldera of Zaz’zia.”

The Wind’dancer again jumped up and pushed his daughter behind him. “I don’t understand? What do you want with us? Our wings haven’t wilted.”

“I am not here to claim you. I am here as a friend and,” he raised his head to show off his green scarf, “as an honorary member of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

Well, this was all too much for poor Zephyr so he sat back down and the girls shared the story of how they met the serpent and why he had volunteered to help them.

“Daddy, he really is our friend.”

Zephyr smiled. “Bree, it wasn’t too long ago you were afraid of everything. You’re now helping these . . . these . . . beings from other worlds and a serpent that has been the dread of every parent on this planet . . . to fight an evil that is as fearsome as anything we have ever encountered. I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

“Daddy, what I am now is because of you. You have always had faith in me, encouraged me, taught me, and loved me unconditionally. I’ve become what you and mom helped make me,” and she gave him a warm hug.

The other girls wiped their eyes.

“H’sssss”.

“Oh my gosh, sorry K’ssss. I forgot all about you. How are you feeling?”

“Dizzy.”

“Well, I want you to do me a very big favor. Okay?”

“What flavor?”

“No, not flavor . . . favor.”

“I like chocolate.”

Egg smiled. “Me too. Anyway, I need you to go back to Aerianna for a while.”

“Please don’t send her away,” begged Zazzi.

Megg answered, “She needs medical attention. She may return when this mission is over.” It was spoken as a Princess with no room to argue.

“Of course. May I go with her?”

“You may not. You have responsibilities here. The serpents still require your supervision.”

“And . . . ,” said Egg, “we would like you to hide the Wind’dancers in your cavern so Mobius can’t find them.”

“You want my people to voluntarily go into the Caldera? Are you crazy?”

“NO . . . my mother had me tested.”

“What?”

Zazzi came to her rescue. “Not the Caldera but the cavern which I call home. It is quite pleasant and can easily accommodate your village. It would be my honor if you would accept the invitation.”

“Zephyr, we don’t have much time. You need to find a way to get your people here . . . the sooner the better.”

“I will try.” Turning to the serpent, he said “Thank you.” As an afterthought, he asked, “Have you heard that our WingStone has been destroyed by Mobius?”

The Serpent was shocked for he understood what that would mean to the young Wind’dancers that had not yet ascended. “I am sorry. Please tell your people they have nothing to fear from me until you can find an alternative. I shall refuse to accept any Wind’dancers until you . . . until we . . . have found a solution.”

Zephyr stared at the creature he had so feared. “I . . . I have no way to express my feelings at this moment. I will say thank you, however that is woefully inadequate to describe the relief in my heart.”

“Words are but a waft of air . . . let our deeds show our true measure.”

“Well said, friend Zazzi.”

“Bree . . . why don’t you go with your dad to help with the villagers,” suggested Egg.

“I’d like that, thank you.”

“And I will go home to prepare for your arrival.”

“Then my daughter and I will hurry. We’ll meet you back here as quickly as we can.”

*****

They all took K’ssss to the portal. Sylvia volunteered to accompany her to explain to the doctors what had happened.

“You take care of yourself, K’ssss.”

“Chocolate.”

Egg smiled, “Yes, chocolate,” and she hugged the silly serpent. She turned to Sylvia. “Get back as quickly as you can.”

“I will. Don’t do anything until then. Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Sylvia,” said Spirit. “Please give this to K’ssss when you get to Aerianna.” She handed the girl the fragment of the WingStone.

“Really? Why?”

Spirit just stared at her.

“Oh, right. Sorry I asked.” Turning to K’ssss, she said, “Let’s go. They have a ton of chocolate waiting for you.”

“H’sssss.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“I like chocolate.”

Chapter 4 – Time to Go

Someplace near the Nauti Village

“That is all? Three?” It was very disappointing. Obviously, the delegation he had captured didn’t contain anyone of great importance. A pity.

“One got away.”

“How?”

“A Wind’dancer was hiding in a Sun-Seeker Tree. After we exploded the devices, we moved in to take them hostage. Then she flew down and grabbed a wingless girl before we knew what was happening.”

That was curious . . . and a little worrying. “Did you not pursue?”

“We tried but she had too great of a head start.”

Mobius sighed loudly. Why must everyone in his employ be so incompetent? “Never mind. Bring the two . . . I will question them.”

A few minutes later at the sight of a dragon and a serpent, the evil one frowned. He would be unable to use his mind to control them. Perhaps if he made them uncomfortable . . . very, very uncomfortable . . . it might loosen their tongues.

That thought caused him to grin.

*****

Aerianna

Syl and K’ssss entered the portal and an instant later were back on Aerianna. The lab that housed the device was empty except for one scientist on the far side of the room. The serpent looked up when he heard the familiar ‘pop’ sound as the two sisters materialized seemingly out of nowhere.

“Sis, what are you doing here?”

“H’sssss”.

Ven’trrr slithered over to the girls. “How are you, Kissy?”

“I love chocolate.”

“What? No you don’t. You hate it.” He turned to Sylvia, “What’s wrong with her?”

“It’s a little complicated. The short version is we met a serpent on Zynn-Zaz’zia whose job is to harvest the memories and knowledge of people who die. Then he can put that information into others. K’ssss asked him to do it to her and . . . well, he did. But it didn’t work. She’s the same as before . . . only dizzy. We thought she should see a doctor.”

“First, good thinking. Second . . . harvest memories? That’s extraordinary. I would love to examine that technology.” A scientist is a scientist for a reason.

“Whatever. Listen, I’m really glad you’re here to take care of her, but I’ve got to get back. Stuff is beginning to happen.”

“Of course. You go; I’ll see that she gets medical attention.”

Syl turned to leave then remembered the shard of the WingStone. “Do me a favor and give this to her when she’s feeling better.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a portion of the crystal that changes a Wind’dancer’s wing from gray to a color. Without the stone, the wings will wilt.”

“Then why am I holding a piece of it?”

“It was destroyed by . . . the bad guys.” She didn’t want to say Mobius for fear that the Queen would recall the sisterhood and send in her troops.

“Well, I hope they have a spare.”

“Kind of.”

“What’s K’ssss going to do with this thing?”

“No idea. I was just told to give it to her. Another long story and I don’t have the time. Sorry.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll see that she gets it. Say your goodbyes and I’ll take her to the Medicus.”

“Thanks.” Sylvia gave the silly serpent a hug. “Take care of yourself, K’ssss. We’ll see you later.”

“Sylvia.” That was actually the first intelligent thing the girl had said since the Circle did its damage.

“Yes, K’ssss.”

“Goodbye.”

“Bye, K’ssss. But it’s only for a little while. We’ll see you soon.”

“No.”

“No? What do you mean?”

“I’m going away now.”

“Going where?”

But K’ssss didn’t answer. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed on to the floor with a sickening splat.

“K’SSSS.”

*****

Sylvia stepped through the portal and on to Zynn-Zaz’zia . . . and she was crying uncontrollably.

The other girls were still there — Sylvia had reappeared so quickly they didn’t have time to return to camp.

Egg walked up to her best friend and hugged her. “Syl, what’s wrong”.

“K . . . K . . . K . . .,” but she couldn’t finish. Her crying got worse if that was possible.

It was pretty obvious she was trying to say their sister’s name. “What happened to K’ssss?”

Sylvia was beginning to hyperventilate and couldn’t answer.

Egg turned to Spirit. “Can you help her?”

“Sylvia, K’ssss is alive and well.”

Everyone, including the sobbing Sylvia, looked at the Thought Weaver.

“But, she . . . she . . . ,” the girl made a super human effort to control herself. “She said she was going away. When I asked her where, her eyes rolled up and she fell down. It was horrible.”

The Princess asked, “Who is attending to her?”

“Her brother.”

Egg turned to Spirit, “What were you talking about?”

“I can now tell you that it will be K’ssss who will create a new WingStone to replace the ones that are destroyed.”

“K’ssss?”

“The transference from the Circle was successful.”

“So she’s smart?”

“Genius would be a better description.”

“K’ssss?” said Sylvia who was now smiling at the wonderful turn of events. “Maybe we should make Egg use that thing”. Yup, definitely back to her old self.

“Hey, I’m smart . . . sort of.”

“Always room for improvement,” teased Aeri’elle.

Megg was curious. “Why can you tell us now and not before?”

“There was a possibility that the Circle could have injured your Sister. Had you known, you might have forbidden her to try. If that had happened, the new WingStone would never be created and the people on this world would eventually die out. The risk was too great for me to take.”

“Well-reasoned,” complimented the Princess. “But how do you know K’ssss was not injured?”

“It would have happened during the transference process. The fact that she was able to travel here means that all went well. That’s not to say that she didn’t suffer some minor ill effects. But they will be temporary.”

Aeri’elle remembered something the alien girl had said. “Spirit, you mentioned that the new WingStone would be more than anyone could have hoped for. What did that mean?”

“I prefer to have K’ssss tell you and the Wind’dancers. After all, it will be her genius that creates it. She deserves the right to break the news.”

“And you said you don’t know how to be a friend,” teased Egg. “Pretty much that’s how you do it.”

*****

Back on Aerianna, the doctors were hovering around the fallen serpent.

“Well?” demanded Ven’trrr. “How is she?”

“As far as we can tell, she’s in perfect health.”

“She collapsed in a heap . . . how healthy can that be?”

Just then, K’ssss began to stir. With the help of the doctors, they were able to get her up. They offered her a water bottle, which she drained in one gulp. She looked around at the faces staring at her.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Sis . . . you had us worried. You fainted.”

“Curious. For the life of me I cannot think why?”

“How do you feel?”

“Excellent. Thank you for asking.”

Ven’trrr made a face. “You don’t sound like you.”

“Whom do I sound like?”

“More like Dad.”

“That’s very kind of you to say.”

“You’re welcome.” Turning to the doctors he said “Sorry for the false alarm but she appears to be fine now. If I need you, I’ll call.”

After they left, Ven’trrr said, “You had me worried, Kissy.”

“I apologize however I can assure you my loss of consciousness was involuntary.”

“Wow!”

“Wow?”

“Sylvia told me about the Circle thing. Apparently it worked.”

Instead of answering, K’ssss slithered over to a white board filled with equations that her brother had been working on . . .

She studied it for a minute then said, “Do you see your mistake?”

“What? What mistake?”

“In your secondary differential equations you didn’t allow for the effects of quantum fluctuations at the sub-atomic level. If you simply replace the quark positive spin to negative, it will eliminate all of those annoying infinite loops.”

Ven’trrr stared at his sister . . . then at his equations . . . then at his sister . . . then at his equations. “Oh. Oh yeah. I see it now. Thanks.”

“No problem. By the way, were you given a shard of crystal to give to me?”

“Yes . . . here it is.”

“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to the Queen.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to get her permission to commandeer the entire scientific community to work on a little project that I’ve been thinking about.” She turned to go, stopped then turned back. “Brother, did I ever tell you how much I love the nickname Kissy?”

“Not really.”

“Well, I do. Almost as much as I love chocolate.”

“You don’t love chocolate . . . you love eel.”

“Yuk . .  . Whoever told you that?”

*****

Somewhere near the Nauti Village

“Ladies, very nice of you to pay me a visit”.

“Geez, I almost forgot how ugly you are?” said Soo who would have been shaking in her boots if she actually had feet to put into them.

“Have we met?” Then a light went on in his evil head. “Oh, how inconsiderate of me not to recognize such lovely faces. You two are part of the Yama-Banana Sisterhood. Never did get your names.”

“That’s Hameggattic Sisterhood like you really forgot.”

“I could care less what you call yourselves. In fact, I could care less what your names are. However, I would very much like to know where your dear leader might be. Her name I do remember. Egg . . . even after all this time it still sounds absurd.”

“Sorry, she couldn’t make it. Too much homework she said.”

“Oh, I think not. My guess is that she and the other four are out there as we speak, plotting and scheming. I also think you two are less than willing to give up that information. So . . . I do believe I will let you contemplate the error of your ways for a while. When you change your minds, please do not hesitate to let me know.”

Mobius turned around and yelled, “Guards, escort our guests out.”

As a dozen hands grabbed at them, Bl’azzz squawked, “Hey, be nice.”

She was talking to the guards but it was Mobius who answered, “Sadly, for you, this is the nice part. You may find the next few hours much less enjoyable.”

*****

Q’umulus

“K’ssss, my sweet sister, I was told you had an urgent need to speak to me. Did Egg send you with a message?”

“No, your Majesty. I am here of my own accord.”

Rose stared at the serpent. “Are you well, dearest one?”

“My heath has never been better . . . thank you for inquiring. As for the matter which I need to discuss, it has to do with this,” and she showed the Queen the shard.

“What is it?”

“A piece of the Wind’dancer WingStone destroyed in a fire. Without it, they will eventually perish. I believe I know how to duplicate it, however I could use the services of as many scientists and engineers as you are willing to assign to me.”

Rose just stared at the serpent. Finally she said, “K’ssss, forgive me for saying this, but you are not you.”

“I can assure Her Majesty that I am.”

“Assuredly, you are most definitely not.”

“With respect, who do you think I am?”

“I have absolutely no idea. Did something . . . unusual . . . happen to you while on Zynn-Zaz’zia?”

“Oh, yes. Sorry, apparently the change is more noticeable to others than to me.”

“Please explain.”

“As you command. It started when I fell in love with Zazzi . . . “

*****

Back at the Sister’s Camp

“Okay, what’s next?” asked Sylvia.

“You, me, Megg and Spirit will wait for BreeZee to return. Aeri’elle, you really need to get going.”

“Going where exactly?”

“Head towards the Nauti village but stay out over the water so they won’t see you. If there are any clouds, keep them between you and the ground.”

“And what is it I’m doing . . . looking for the hostages?”

“That and I’m hoping Soo or Bl’azzz will try and get a message to us. If they do, you’ll be in position to swoop in and help them.”

“Good thinking. And you guys are heading for the time castle?”

“Yup.”

“Try to stay out of trouble.”

“I always try . . . I just never succeed.”

“I’ve noticed. Okay, everyone . . .  good luck.”

“Same to you. And call me if you hear from them.”

*****

The four remaining girls sat around a fire. Egg showed Spirit how to toast marshmallows. “Just stick it on a twig and put it in the flames until it begins to burn. Then after it’s all burnt, you blow it out and eat it. Careful, ‘cause it’ll be hot.”

Spirit gave it a try. But when it came time to eat the blackened, gooey mess, she lost her courage. “Sorry . . . it looks awful.”

“It’s an acquired taste . . . watch,” and Sylvia stuffed the whole ugly glob in her mouth. “Yummy,” she declared.

“Are friends allowed to say no?”

“Sure.”

“Then, no.”

“Your loss”. Sylvia started to cook another one.

“Tell us more about yourself,” said Megg to the alien girl.

“What would you like to know?”

“Do you do anything just for fun?” asked Egg.

“I enjoy music.”

“So do we. Our favorite band is Fandango Sally.”

“I don’t suppose that music from your world sounds anything like music from mine.”

“Probably not.”

“I also play an instrument.”

“Really. What’s it called?”

“A res’sikk . . .” and an image appeared in their heads.

“It kind of looks like a recorder . . . that’s what we call it on earth.”

The Princess said, “As you recall, I am familiar with recorders (from her time on Earth). This, however, is much more like the Angel’s Reed that we use on Aerianna. Do you play well?”

The girl’s modest answer was, “I have been playing for many years.”

“Meggy is really good, too. Maybe you guys could play a duet,” suggested Sylvia while licking the last of the marshmallow goop from the corners of her mouth. “Did you bring it along?”

“Yes, it’s on my ship.”

“Great. When we get back to Aerianna, you two can give us a performance.”

Egg was more interested in something else. “I really, really love your dress. Do you have a lot of nice clothes?”

Spirit looked surprised. “No, of course not. Just this.”

“OH. MY. GOSH!”

“What would I do with more than one outfit?”

“You’re joking, right?” The Princess was horrified. Sylvia and Egg were only stunned.

“Why would I joke about my clothes? Do earth girls have more than one outfit? I assume a Princess might have several.”

“Ha. Maybe like a hundred. What about you, Syl?”

“Hundred and one.”

“Why would you need that many? It makes no sense?” Then she added, “You’re teasing me, right?”

“No. Heck, I’ve got five outfits with me now. Here take a look” and she went over to her supplies and dumped out her clothes.

Spirit walked over and examined each piece as if it were a work of art. After satisfying her curiosity, she said, “When this is over, would it be possible for you to take me shopping? Is that the word?”

“Oh yeah. And now you’re talking my language.”

“What size are you?” asked Sylvia.

“The size that you see me,” responded the confused girl.

“No, no. I mean when you bought that outfit, what size did you get?”

“Buy it? I did not buy it. When I reached maturity, I made it.”

“You make your own clothes?” Egg wasn’t sure if she was impressed or disturbed by the idea.

“One cannot shop for clothes on my world. You may purchase material but then you must make it yourself.”

“Well, we can cross off Paradox.”

“Excuse me?”

“From our list of places to visit. We ain’t never going there. Never.”

Chapter 5 – Time Out

They were getting impatient to start the next phase of the mission but they had to wait for BreeZee and the Wind’dancers. It was only a bit more than two hours, though it seemed like a little longer than forever. “Here they come . . . finally,” said Sylvia.

BreeZee landed next to her friends. “I REFUSE to ever be clan leader,” were the first words out of her mouth.

“Nice to see you too,” replied Egg.

“I gather it was difficult to convince your people to follow you here?” ventured the Princess.

“Grown-ups! I’ll never understand them. I always thought that people are supposed to gain wisdom as they get older. I was so wrong.”

Egg and the others couldn’t help but grin at the Wind’dancer’s obvious frustration. “What happened?”

“Once my father explained the situation, and what he wanted everyone to do, a . . . a . . . veritable verbal Vortexx began.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, sorry. A Vortexx is a whirly wind storm that comes out of nowhere and just irritates everyone.”

“Gotcha.”

“How did your father finally prevail?” asked Meggy.

“He told them what Spirit said about the WingStone.”

“Why would that convince them to come?” the alien girl asked.

Bree flashed a very mischievous smile. “He might have told a little lie . . . saying that you wouldn’t help unless they all agreed to hide in Zazzi’s cavern. One minute later, we were on our way.” She paused at some inner memory then said with obvious pride, “He’s really a very good clan leader.”

“Someone talking about their old man?”

“Dad . . . you shouldn’t eavesdrop. How can I compliment you if you listen?”

“My bad. Anyway, ladies we are here.”

“Father!”

He made a goofy face at his daughter. “Well, we are.”

“I think maybe Aziz’s here too,” said Sylvia. “Every Wind’dancer just jumped like they’ve seen a ghost.”

“What is a ghost?” asked BreeZee.

“Just an earth expression, sorry.”

The serpent politely gave everyone a wide berth as he slithered out of the water and up to the Sisters. “I am ready to receive my guests.”

“Great. How do we get them in there?” It was a question Egg should have asked before she made the original suggestion.

“Look at the mountain behind us and you will see a large rock outcropping about half way up.” Everyone looked, but it was Spirit who saw it first.

“I see it,” and she pointed.

“I do too,” said Zephyr. “Is that an entrance?”

“No. There is a cave off to the right. It is hidden from view by a stand of Sun-Seeker Trees. If you would follow it for perhaps a quarter mile, it ends at a massive stone which blocks the passage.”

“And how do we get past it?”

“All you need do is repeat these words, “For Zynnia’s Love,” and it will swing open.”

The girls were impressed but for the wrong reason. Only Zephyr understood. “Thank you for entrusting such knowledge to me.”

“We are all Zynnia’s children,” responded the serpent.

“What are you two talking about?” asked his daughter.

“He has given me . . . us . . .  the means to enter his home. Think of it as a key to a lock; something you would only share with family and friends.”

“Oh.”

Turning to the girls, Zephyr said, “We will go and wait for you to give us the all clear. However, if you need us, or me, send word. We owe you everything.”

“We haven’t done anything yet,” replied Flying Girl. “But thanks.”

Zephyr turned to the serpent. “I’ll gather my people.”

“I will meet you in the cavern shortly.”

The clan leader hugged his daughter. “Be careful.”

“I’ll try.”

They hugged again then the man walked off.

“Thanks for your help, Zazzi,” Egg told the serpent.

“I am a Hameggattic Sister. I could do no less.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“Egg, is there any word from K’ssss?”

“None . . . but Spirit said she’s going to be fine. If we hear anything, we’ll let you know.”

“Thank you. Then I shall say goodbye and wish good luck to all of you.” With that, the serpent slithered off.

“Nice guy,” said Sylvia.

“Hey, he’s a Hameggattic Sister . . . what do you expect?”

*****

“Okay, let’s go find us a castle. Syl, you and Spirit are with me. Bree, you take Megg. Be sure to bring your backpacks with the supplies that we talked about. Everybody ready?” That was greeted with a chorus of yeses. “Then, we’re off to see the Wicked Witch in the merry old Land of Oz.”

“What is she referring to?” asked the Wind’dancer.

“An earth story . . . it’s really not important. She just being a goofball.” answered Sylvia. “That’s like a Winged’Nut but without bumping your head.”

“Oh. Got it.”

The girls took to the air and headed for the tallest mountain on the island. Egg had to go slowly so BreeZee could keep up . . . which was a little frustrating, but understandable.

Finally, they reached the summit. It was a snow-covered wasteland drenched in blue green hues . . .

“Kind of pretty.”

“Give me a hot, sandy beach anytime,” was Sylvia’s answer to her friend.

“How do we find this Hour Bridge?” asked BreeZee. She was exhausted from the flight . . . it would have been difficult by herself; it was near impossible carrying a passenger.

“There’s a mist shrouded forest of dead trees that leads to the bridge.”

“Geez . . . that sounds inviting.”

“Would you mind if we take a break first?” asked the Wind’dancer.

“Actually that’s a great idea. Everyone can rest while I go scout out the area.” Flying Girl could not pass up an opportunity to be . . . well, to be Flying Girl.

They found a reasonably sheltered spot and landed. “Okay, I’ll be back before you can say, “Betty bought butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought better butter to make the bitter butter better – three times.” Knowing she was about to hear any number of sarcastic remarks, she bounded into the air and quickly disappeared from view.

“Our dear Egg is quite the character, is she not?” asked the Princess.

“Definitely unique,” answered the Wind’dancer. “She always seems to be in a good mood.”

“Not when she is sleep deprived due to the snoring of her Feminion or yours truly.”

“Hey, Meggy. Do you realize that you and she are related?” Sylvia was referring to the fact that Flying Girl was a product of Dazzle’s DNA.

“That thought had occurred to me. But it is so many generations removed as to make the blood bond almost untraceable.”

“Which means that she could marry your younger brother if they were to fall in love,” said Spirit with a sly smile.

“Are you predicting her future?” asked the Princess with great interest.

“No. Just chit-chatting”.

“I’ve never met your brother,” said Sylvia. “In fact, I don’t even know his name.”

“It is Ben’edikk. He is eight years my junior.”

“Four’s a little young to be falling in love, don’t you think?”

“I have found that youth can be cured given sufficient time,” responded Spirit mysteriously.

*****

Egg zipped up and over the terrain looking for the fog covered forest of dead trees. She eventually found a little valley almost completely lost in a blanket of grey. If there were dead trees or a bridge, she couldn’t tell. However, in the center was a glowing hole floating in mid-air. It reminded her a lot of the space portal that brought them to Zynn-Zaz’zia.  Maybe they had to pass through it to get to the bridge.

She landed about twenty feet in front of the thing just to be safe. From this distance, not only did it still look weird, but it gave her goose bumps. That was never a good sign. Picking up a pebble, she tossed it into the black nothingness but it simply disappeared without any fanfare.

“Okay,” she said to herself for courage. “Let’s take a peak.” She tiptoed forward as if that would somehow protect her. When she got within arm’s length, she took out a light stick, took a deep breath and forced herself to step up, and peer into, the black void.

“Ooooooooooo”.

The rest of her famous three-word statement was lost as she was sucked into that rip in the fabric of time. A moment later, the hole simply winked out of existence. In a blink of an eye, Flying Girl was gone. The only thing that remained was her light stick.

*****

“It has been almost a half hour. She is in trouble.”

“Egg . . . in trouble? That’s not much of a stretch,” said a very worried Sylvia to Meggy.

“If I look into her future, I’ll be able to see the path she’s following. But, if I do, it could be many hours before I can lead us across the Hour Bridge.”

Though technically there wasn’t a second-in-command, everyone automatically deferred to the Princess. “Let us delay that decision for the moment. BreeZee, please take me along the route that Egg appeared to follow. Sylvia, you and Spirit must continue on foot as best you can. I will use the communications crystal to describe landmarks that might help guide your travels.”

“If you see the Hour Bridge, absolutely do not try to cross without my aid. We could lose both of you in the River of Time.”

“Sound advice that I have every intention of taking. However, if we do find it, I will stay behind while BreeZee returns to fetch you two. Then once we are together, we will formulate our next steps.”

“And if you can’t find the bridge or Egg?”

“Then, Sylvia, we shall return and allow Spirit to search the future for our Sister. Are we in agreement?”

They were.

“Are you sufficiently rested?” Megg asked the Wind’dancer. That might seem like a small thing, but it was a sign of personal growth in the Princess. In days gone by, she would have cared less for Bree’s well-being. But that Megg was slowly fading from memory.

“I’m fine.” She extended her hand and the other girl took it.

“Good luck,” Sylvia yelled as they took to the air.

“And to you,” came the reply.

As the two disappeared from sight, Spirit asked, “Do most of the plans of the Sisterhood usually go awry?”

“Absolutely. It’s like a rule . . . create plan A, have plan A go horribly wrong, create plan B. Repeat as necessary.”

“You seven don’t even realize how amazing you are. Facing a mortal enemy and dangers beyond knowing, and you never lose your courage or sense of humor. If it goes badly, you simply try something else. I don’t know how I’ll ever live up to the standards you’ve set.”

“Excuse me. But you’re standing right next to me doing what I’m doing. If I’m being a hero, so are you.”

“Thank you. However, the one big difference is that I have yet to come face-to-face with danger. I’m not at all certain how heroic I will be.”

“Me thinks you’ll find out real soon. Honestly, I know you’ll make us proud.”

Spirit squeezed the other girls hand in appreciation of the vote of confidence. “Shall we take a stroll?”

“Let’s.”

*****

Being sucked through the tunnel (or whatever it might be) was definitely disorienting and just a tad nerve-racking . . . but she couldn’t help herself. She giggled. “This is what a bug must feel like when you vacuum it up,” she thought.

A heartbeat later, she was thrown out of the black void, through a gateway of sorts and down a small ramp.

“Ouch and ouch” she groaned as she tumbled to a stop. She sat there stunned by the unexpected thrill-ride and its sudden end . . . but she wasn’t seriously hurt. She had a bump and a scratch. However, it never dawned on her that her flying suit, designed to protect her, didn’t.

She looked around trying to figure out exactly where she might be. It was a large room, dark except for an eerie violet glow. And it was very, very quiet. The walls were made of stone and were completely bare except for a couple of dozen paintings of the same person . . .

She assumed it was Reven. The girl was young, pretty, and a tad exotic with her violet-tinged skin. If she was a construct of time – whatever that meant – she didn’t look it. And she didn’t appear to be loony tunes like the Myst Tree had said.

Of course, the fact that she had so many portraits of herself might indicate that she wasn’t quite normal. But hey, we all have our quirks.

Something caught her eye and she looked up. “Oh my gosh”.

It was a giant spiral clock face that seemed to go on forever. Well, one thing was for certain, she was definitely in the Time Castle. She needed to get out before Reven saw her. But naturally, as that thought formed in her mind, guess who appeared?

“Rats.” It was obviously the same person as in the portraits.

Egg’s first reflex was to fly away . . . maybe back through the black hole that brought her here. But she couldn’t. Try as she might, the suit wouldn’t respond. She even tried jumping up with her arms outstretched like superman. She reached the lofty height of about eighteen inches (that was as high as she could jump) and landed flat-footed with a silly splat sound. She felt embarrassed but that was quickly replaced with panic.

“What manner of creature are you?” asked the ghost in a very soft voice. It was strangely soothing and comforting, and Flying Girl felt herself relax.

“I’m a girl . . . a human girl from the planet earth.”

“That has no meaning. Why are you in my castle? Trespassing.”

“Sorry about that. I accidently fell into a black hole and it spat me out here.”

“That has no meaning. Has Zynnia sent you?”

Careful. This could get a little sticky. “As a matter of fact, she did.”

“Do you wish to travel in time? To the past, I presume.”

“No. Not really. Um, Zynnia asked me to check on you to make sure you were doing okay. And you are. So, I’ll just go back and let her know. She’s going to be thrilled.”

“That has no meaning.”

Egg was beginning to get goose bumps again and that was a vivid reminder of how dangerous this situation was. Flying Girl could be extremely brave; but without her flying powers, little old Eloise was feeling vulnerable.  “Oh, sure it does. You see Zynnia was afraid that . . . well, because you’re a construct . . . forget that. What I mean is that it’s been so long since Zynnia visited you that she was concerned. Worried, really. It’s probably pretty tough being all alone . . . so I was just flying by and I thought ‘what the heck – might as well drop in and see how Zynnia’s favorite . . . um . . . time thing was getting along.” Realizing she was just babbling, she added, “Anyway, I think I’ll stop talking now. So what about you? Read any good books lately?”

“Your thoughts are incoherent. I believe you need a time out to contemplate and to rethink. Zynnia would wish it.”

“No. No, really. I’m definitely sure she said to check on you and then go straight back. No dawdling . . . her exact words. Don’t dawdle. So, if you’d just point me to the nearest exit, I’ll leave you alone.”

“You are illogical. Flawed. You do the unthinkable – you waste time.”

“Yeah, I tend to babble when I get very nervous. Grammy said I should work on that. As to flaws, ha. Take a good look at my skin . . . yuck. I think I’m getting my first pimple.”

Unfortunately she wasn’t about to joke her way out of this. Two ghostly Revens appeared out of thin air.

They each took an arm and flew her straight up into the spiral clock ceiling. “Hey, let me go. Come on you guys.”

They reached their destination – a door marked by an X. It opened of its own accord and the Revens tossed her in. Little did she know that, in this place, time stood still. It was really and truly a time out.

She landed in the middle of a swirly web of something – lit up in shades of (what else) violet.

“OH MY GOSH”.

She looked around trying to spot the door . . . but if it was there, it wasn’t visible. She tried to stand but couldn’t; tried crawling – but no luck. She even tried to fly again – and failed.

As a last resort, she pressed her communications crystal. “Syl . . . Meggy”.

She counted to ten and tried again. And again. And again. And again.

Then just to make a terrible situation turn nightmarishly horrible, the violet glow slowly faded away leaving only dark . . .

…not just your every night ‘go-to-bed-and-turn-out-the-light dark’

…but a blackness that was as thick as tar

…and so heavy that it made it difficult to breathe

…and so dense that it consumed all sound

…and it was so oppressive, so unnatural

…that you wanted to scream.

It was the Chamber of Now.

In here, time stood still.

In here, you would never age.

In here, you were a prisoner of Time, itself.

In here, there were no tomorrows, no yesterdays, no past, and no future

In here, there was nothing…nothing but this moment…a moment that would last for an eternity.

Chapter 6 – Time Castle

Somewhere near the Nauti Village

“Hey, you big jerks, I want to go with her,” demanded Soo. Bl’azzz was being taken in one direction while she was dragged in a different one.

The Nauti didn’t answer. Under Mobius’ control, they were basically oblivious to anything that could distract them from the task he assigned.

“Big bird . . . burp and burn, burp and burn.”

“I can’t,” the dragon yelled as she slowly disappeared over a hill. “I ate so many vegetables, I have a stomach ache.”

“Good grief.”

*****

High up above the scattered clouds, Aeri’elle surveyed the ground below. With the help of specially designed, dragon-friendly binoculars (courtesy of the Minister of Science), she was able to spot her two sisters. She watched for a minute to see what was happening. The Nauti were taking them in opposite directions which was actually good news. Egg didn’t want Soo rescued; she wanted the serpent to be imprisoned with the other captives.

But Bl’azzz was a different story. Two dragons attempting to free the hostages were at least twice as good as having only one. So Aeri’elle would watch, hidden from view, and wait for an opportune moment to swoop in.

*****

On Top of the Tallest Mountain

“There,” and Meggy pointed to a patch of grey. BreeZee flew over and landed.

What they saw was a little disturbing . . .

. . . and soon became very disturbing. The Princess walked over to a glowing object and picked it up . . .

“It is Egg’s light stick.” She examined it for damage — something that might indicate that her sister was attacked. Apparently it had just been dropped.

They both looked around but there was nothing except dead trees and gray fog. “Walk a short distance in that direction,” instructed Megg, “and I will do the same this way. Stay in visual contact at all times.”

“Okay.” BreeZee started to turn then stopped. “Shouldn’t we be yelling her name?”

“That may invite whatever force that captured our sister to take us. It is best we just explore quietly and look for signs that might indicate the direction she took.”

“Got it.”

After a minute or two, it was obvious there was nothing to see other than what they originally had hoped to find in the first place . . .

“Megg . . .,”said the Wind’dancer in a soft voice. “Megg . . . and she waved her arms.

The other girl finally noticed and hurried over. “Is it Egg?”

“No . . . look,” and she pointed past a group of leafless, lifeless trees.

“The Hour Bridge I presume.”

“What is that swirly red liquid? That can’t be the River of Time, can it?”

“I do not know.” Out of curiosity, she found a pebble at her feet and tossed it into the stuff. It disappeared without causing a ripple. “How disappointing. I was hoping . . .,” but she didn’t finish. “I believe a heartfelt Oh My Gosh is in order.” She extended her hand to her companion.

“Is that the pebble?”

“Apparently the River washed it a few seconds into the future. How utterly fascinating.”

“How utterly horrifying.”

Megg smiled. “That, too.”

“Do you think Egg tried to cross?”

“Not even our dear sister would do something that impulsive. No, either someone guarding this bridge took her prisoner or somehow she found another means to gain entrance into the castle. In either case, we need to hurry. She most certainly is in danger. Can you find your way back to the others?”

“Yes.”

“Then, please do so. If you cannot take both at once, bring Spirit first.”

As BreeZee flew off, Megg called Sylvia to explain what they had found.

“We’ll keep a look-out for Bree.” She paused then asked, “Egg’s in deep doo-doo isn’t she?”

“Sorry, deep what?”

“Um . . . that’s earth slang for trouble.”

“Then the answer is yes, she is in very deep doo-doo.”

Syl couldn’t help smiling. “Megg, I wouldn’t recommend using that expression in front of your mom. It’s most definitely not Princess-like.”

“I see. But it does describe Egg’s probable predicament, does it not?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Then I shall use the term . . . but only amongst my Sisters.”

*****

The four girls stood quietly at the foot of the Hour Bridge. Spirit, eyes glowing red, was deep in a trance-like state as she examined the threads of the future. Without expending a superhuman effort, the Thought Weaver could only follow the path of one individual. In this case, by unanimous consent, it was Megg.

The seconds ticked by, then the minutes. Finally, Spirit’s eyes returned to their normal black color. “Interesting.”

“What is?” asked Sylvia.

“The path across will be no problem. The pattern was clear – left, two rights, two lefts, one right . . . then it repeats.”

“Why is that interesting?”

“It is not. After we cross, the Princess – and the rest of us – will meet Reven.”

“That is not interesting; that is problematical,” stated Megg.

“Not at all. This Reven will be a friend.”

“This Reven?”

“Yes. I could sense many Revens, each identical to the others except in age.”

Sylvia came quickly to the right conclusion. “So that’s what the Tree meant when he said ‘she has herself to keep her company’.”

“Well deduced,” complimented the Princess. “But why will this one be amenable to our friendship?” She was looking at the Thought Weaver as she asked the question.

“Sorry, I can’t answer that. However, I can tell you that this Reven is old. Very old.”

“Well, then. If we have a potential ally on the other end, we should not keep her waiting. Ladies, shall we?”

“Right behind you, Meggy.”

*****

Zazzi’s Cavern

“That’s the last of us.”

“I never quite realized how many you were.”

“On behalf of the entire village, I thank you again for extending us such hospitality and the use of your home. It’s beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you. You may stay as long as it is necessary.”

“That’s very kind.” The man looked uncomfortable and the serpent soon understood why. “Um . . . Zazzi, we have a situation.”

“A situation?”

“The day the WingStone was destroyed we had an Ascension storm. Two of our children took it.” He stopped and the expression on his face was all too obvious to read.

“They failed?”

Zephyr forced himself not to tear up. “It was a boy and a girl. The boy was having trouble so the young lady tried to help him. He panicked and caused both of them to crash. She risked her life for her friend . . . and now she has to pay with her own.” He wiped at his eyes. “Excuse me, I shouldn’t . . .,” but he couldn’t even finish the apology.

Thankfully, it had been many, many years since a Wind’dancer was unsuccessful in completing the Rite. Now, as if to make up for it, two children had failed. Zazzi was as horrified as his new friend.

“Where are the children?”

“Their parents have been hiding them . . . trying to protect them from – I’m sorry, from you.”

“May I share a secret with you?”

Startled by the question, the clan leader nodded yes.

“Up until recently, I simply followed Zynnia’s wishes and . . . re-assimilated anyone who failed to Ascend. I found it difficult, and profoundly sad, but I am but a servant following orders. However, since the Sisterhood arrived on Zynn-Zaz’zia, I have fallen in love. Her name is K’ssss and I wish to marry her.”

Zephyr smiled warmly. “I congratulate you. But what does this have to do with the two kids?”

“I no longer have the . . . the desire to carry out Zynnia’s wishes. It now seems unnecessarily cruel.”

“That is commendable and understandable. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t help these youngsters. Even if we had a WingStone, they could not activate it. Their wings are going to wilt.”

“I have no answer for you, my friend. However, I intend to do nothing with the children until the unspeakable happens. That could be years away, could it not?”

“A year, perhaps two.”

“Then you and I must hope for a miracle.”

Zephyr had a flashback to his conversation with Spirit. “Perhaps we both might get that wish.”

*****

Somewhere near the Nauti Village

As Aeri’elle watched, the Nauti guards dragged Bl’azzz to the Endless Sea. Whatever they had in mind for her sister, it obviously included water. As creatures of the sky, dragons disliked the ocean (even if it was called something else). For a F’yre Dragon such as Bl’azzz, it was much worse. To be immersed in water was like a human covered from head to toe with buckets and buckets of wiggly, writhing worms.

Yuck.

Make that a double yuck.

Aeri’elle decided to act . . . other that the six Nauti, there was no one else around.

She dove straight down, shrieking as loudly as she could. For a prim and proper college professor, she could eek as noisily as any dragon.

To say the Nauti were taken by surprise would be an understatement. Their first impulse was self-preservation . . . meaning that they wanted to save themselves from this terrifying screeching creature. It was such a strong feeling that even Mobius’ mind control could not stop them. They flew off as fast as possible, with only an occasional look back to see if they were being followed.

Aeri’elle landed next to her friend. “Are you alright?”

“Uh . . .,” the rest was lost as Bl’azzz burped and burned.

*****

The Hour Bridge

The girls crossed the Hour Bridge apparently without incident. As they stood on the far side, they felt the same way - a bit disappointed. The trip from the ‘here-and-now’ into Reven’s future was unexceptional. They had thought there would be some kind of weird feeling or spinning lights or the unnatural howling of time sprites. But nope.

“Did anyone feel anything?” asked BreeZee who was the last to cross.

“Like what?” answered Sylvia over her shoulder.

“We just traveled through time. Shouldn’t something have happened?”

Meggy turned around to respond, but stopped. Her eyes grew very wide. She cleared her throat then said in a calm voice, “BreeZee, when Wind’dancers age, how does it affect them physically?”  That caused the other two girls to turn . . . and BreeZee to look back at her wings.

“OH!” she gasped in shock and horror. “OH”.

Those beautiful yellow and red wings had turned gray. That was not the color a Wind’dancer wanted to see. Not ever.

“Do you feel alright?” asked the Princess with genuine concern. “Do you wish to go back?”

The girl moved her wings – testing them. “They seem to be fine. I’ll be okay.” She was trying to be brave but her heart was thumping pretty hard from this unexpected transformation.

“I guess when a Wind’dancer gets old, their wings turn gray. On earth, when a person gets old, their hair can turn gray or white,” explained Sylvia unhelpfully.

“How old do you think you are now?”

“Well, with wings this gray, I’d guess at least fifty years older than when I started.”

“Why didn’t the rest of us age?” asked Sylvia to no one in particular.

“The only explanation is that we are not of this world,” suggested Megg. No one chose to argue.

“I think we should continue as quickly as we can,” offered Spirit. “This place creeps me out.” Her phrasing was so unlike her – and a lot more like the sisters – that Sylvia and the Princess were both forced to smile.

“I agree. And I believe we should head in that direction . . .,” and Megg pointed. Sure enough, off in the distance the mist had thinned allowing them to see the top of the Time Castle . . .

But before they could continue, the gray fog in front of them swirled like a mini-tornado and out floated Reven . . . um, one of the Revens.

If she was the very old Reven that Spirit had described, she didn’t look it. Her face was young and attractive. And as you might expect from the mistress of a time castle, she had an hourglass shaped figure. The only trait that gave away her age was the gray hair . . . with face coloring to match.

“Did Zynnia send you?” she cackled. Her dry, raspy voice was definitely that of someone who had been around a seriously long time.

“She did,” answered the Princess who stepped forward. “She sends you her warmest regards and hopes you are well.” Meggy really was a trained diplomat even at her young age. With Egg in trouble, there could be no doubt that she deserved to be the acting leader of the Sisterhood. Yet another prediction of the Myst Tree had come to pass.

“Are you being cruel?” asked the apparition in a hurt voice. “Look at my hair.”

“It is gray and in no way detracts from your beauty. I envy you.”

“Now you are making fun at my expense. I’m just a withered old crone. You’re the one that is beautiful.” She turned to look at the others then added, “All of you.”

“Fundamental beauty can never be destroyed by something as ordinary as the passage of time. Besides, on my world, the attractiveness of an individual is not judged by their appearance, but by the person within.”

The construct said nothing as she absorbed the girl’s words. “Very interesting concept, but one that only I . . . the Reven before you . . . could find comfort in.”

“And may I ask why?”

Reven’s laugh was more of a bark. “It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?”

The Princess understood. “Because the rest of you are young and only require a mirror to confirm your beauty.”

“Yup.”

Acting on an impulse, Megg unwrapped the scarf from her face revealing the ugly pink scar. Spirit had, of course, seen it but Sylvia and BreeZee gasped. The thought Weaver told the girls, “She received it during the fire storm.” From the lack of response by Reven, she apparently couldn’t ‘hear’ the telepath.

Reven floated up to the girl for a closer inspection. “You are damaged.”

“On the contrary. It is a badge of honor.”

“One that you hide. I think not.”

“On my world, we do not flaunt our achievements. Nevertheless, am I not the same person that a moment ago you complemented for her beauty?”

“You’re trying to befuddle an old woman.”

“Not at all. I am trying to prove to you that exterior beauty is of no consequence. It is the person inside that is important.”

Reven went quiet again, presumably thinking about what she had just heard. A few moments later, she said, “You’ve come to rescue your friend and you need my help.”

Meggy smiled warmly. “Beautifully reasoned,” she replied — purposely emphasizing the first word.

Reven grinned, “Not bad for an old biddy.”

“Is she alright? Will you help us?”

“My younger self has captured your friend to whom she has given a time-out.” (Now wasn’t the time to ask Reven to explain). “As to helping you, sorry can’t do it. That version of me isn’t very nice. In fact, she’s downright nasty and maybe a little crazy. Lucky for me, I outgrew it. I’ve seem to mellow with age.” She paused then added, “Besides, she banished me from the castle.”

“Why?”

“Because I am what she desperately wishes not to become. Old.”

Chapter 7 – Tea Time

Somewhere near the Nauti Village

“What the heck is it?”

The Nauti didn’t answer Soo . . . they just started to strap her to the evil looking device.

“Wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . wait,” wailed the serpent. This contraption terrified her.

The guards stopped. One of them said, “We can either continue what we are doing or you may provide Mobius with the information that he seeks.”

“What does this thing do exactly?”

“Do you wish to find out?”

“No, no, no, no, no. Just asking. You know, friendly chit chat.”

The Nauti turned back to the others and said, “Continue.”

“NO. I said wait.”

“We can either continue what we are doing or you may provide Mobius with the information that he seeks.”

“Yeah, I heard you the first time.”

The Nauti stood silently.

“Oh, alright. Take me to your leader.”

*****

High Above the Nauti Village

“She’s moving.”

“Which way?”

“Looks like they’re headed back to the village.” Aeri’elle had another device provided by the Science Minister. This one could track the signal from the communications crystal.

“Now what?” asked the F’yre Dragon.

“Now we stay out of sight and wait.”

Bl’azzz responded by burping and burning.

“Stop that.”

“Sorry. I ate so many vegetables that I’m about to explode from the gas.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Hey, you try eating a ton of asparagus and spinach and see what happens.”

“Do me a favor . . . and move over there.”

“It’s just gas.”

Aeri’elle glared at her friend. “Over there . . . now.”

*****

Aerianna

“Kissy, slow down.”

“Why?”

“You’re going a mile a minute. What’s the hurry?”

“This is so fascinating. A crystal with high energy capacitance that is triggered by static electricity to cause a neural pathway to form between the left and right hemispheres of a Wind’dancer’s brain in order to establish the synaptic connections that allow the wings to receive an adequate blood supply . . . it is both elegant and simple. Just extraordinary.”

“You’re partly right. It is elegant but it is certainly not simple. And the only thing that’s extraordinary is you.”

“Brother, how sweet.”

“I can’t wait to see Dad’s face when he gets to talk to you. He’s going to flip out.”

“And that is why I need to hurry. I have to finish this so I can go back and help my sisters. Dad is depending on me.”

“Well, he’s in good hands.”

K’ssss stared at her brother. “What did you say?”

“Oh, sorry. It was something Soo was complaining about – goofy earth sayings. I thought it was amusing.”

“It’s actually hilarious.” The serpent hesitated then asked, “You like her, don’t you?”

“She is pretty unique,” he replied with a smile.

“More like an amazing amalgamation of awesome.”

“H’sssss.”

*****

The Hour Bridge

“Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to confer with my sisters.”

“Take as long as you like. I’ve got all the time in the world,” and the old woman chortled at her own joke.

Megg walked a little distance away and signaled for the other girls to join her. “Spirit, when you said she would be a friend, may I infer that I can tell her the whole truth about our mission?”

“Meggy . . .,” interrupted Sylvia. “You want to tell her that we’re here to destroy her time castle and . . . well . . . and her? Don’t you think that might be an itsy bit upsetting?”

“Remember, sister, she is not human. She is not even alive as you and I reckon such things. Her reaction may surprise you.”

“Are we really willing to take that chance?”

This time Spirit interrupted. “Princess, telling her the truth is something that you feel is right and proper, isn’t it?”

“Asking for her help – but deceiving her of our ultimate purpose – seems very wrong to me. She should have all the facts, especially as they concern her future, before she makes a decision. I will not lie to her.”

“I didn’t say lie,” replied Sylvia defensively. “Just don’t tell her everything.”

“That is . . .,” but Sylvia cut her off.

“I’m sorry. Not telling her is the same thing as lying. I’m just worried about Egg.”

Megg took Sylvia’s hand and squeezed it. “I am very glad that you feel as I do.”

BreeZee brought the conversation back to where it had started. “Spirit, why did you ask the Princess that question?”

“Because by telling the truth, she will be doing what comes naturally for her. The future that I saw was based on . . . (she smiled) . . . Meggy being Meggy. So, Princess . . . my advice is to be you.”

It was the sign of a good leader when she asked, “Then it is agreed?” and she looked at the other girls in turn. They all nodded yes.

*****

The Nauti Village

“Would you care for some tea?”

“Nice doesn’t suit you. On the other hand, you do a mean nasty.”

Mobius laughed at the serpent. “I will admit that you and your meddlesome gang are feisty.”

“Hey, that reminds me. Know any good earth songs?”

The smile on the evil one’s face instantly vanished as he remembered the years of listening to the wretched singing of the sisterhood. “As a matter of fact, there was one refrain that I did like. It seems very appropriate now.”

“Really? Which one?”

“Let me see. Oh, yes. “Left turn, right turn, U turn, MY TURN.”

“I prefer ‘we can, we can, do it, do it, do it’. But your choice is nice.”

“Very kind of you to say . . . but now my patience is at an end. Tell me what I want to know.”

“Which is?”

“Where is Egg?”

Soo was ready to ‘spill the beans’ as it were but it wasn’t because she was afraid for her own safety. Egg had instructed her to tell Mobius about the Time Castle so he would (hopefully) go looking for it. However, she had to make the big ugly believe that he had forced her to reveal that information, otherwise he would be suspicious that it was a trap.

“Out and about.”

“I will ask you one more time. If I’m not satisfied with your answer, I will personally take you back to the Wheel of Misfortune and strap you in. Are we clear on that point?”

“Wheel of Misfortune – nice name.”

“Are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

“So where is Egg?”

Soo sighed in fake resignation. “She went to Reven’s Time Castle.”

Mobius stared at his prisoner to see if she was lying. “What is that?”

“Something Zynnia made but never used.”

“To what end?”

“To travel in time, of course.”

“Really?” and Mobius immediately started to evaluate the possibilities.

*****

The Hour Bridge

The Princess and her sisters returned to Reven. “My apologies”.

“Aren’t you the polite one? No apology required.”

“By the way, are we keeping you from other tasks?”

“Ha. I float outside the castle all day, every day. You and your friends are a welcome distraction.”

“I do not envy such a life. Reven, are you happy?”

“Happy? I never thought about it.”

“Is there somewhere else you would rather be? Something else you'd rather be doing?”

“Like what?”

Megg didn’t really have an answer . . . but Spirit did. No one had noticed that her eyes had been glowing that eerie red. When they returned to their natural black color, she told Megg, “Ask her if she would like to see the beginning of time?”

Megg took a quick glance at the Thought Weaver then posed the question to Reven.

“What?”

“Remind her that she herself said that she had all the time in the world. Why not spend it watching how the universe evolves . . . from the first day of creation.”

Intrigued by Spirit’s line of questions, Megg did as she was asked.

“Well, I could use a Time-Tripper and travel as far back as I want. But the problem is I can travel in time but I’ll always be right here . . . standing in front of the Castle. That sounds like more of the same so why would I?”

Megg again repeated what Spirit said. “There is a way to free you from this place.”

“Well, of course but that would mean destroying the Forever Glass.”

BreeZee asked the obvious question. “What is the Forever Glass?”

“It’s the thing that holds the sands of time - a much bigger version of this,” and she raised her hand that was holding the hourglass.

And now the message from the Myst Tree made sense when it said to ‘release the sands of time’.

Megg made a mental note to congratulate Spirit. The girl was brilliant and would make a wonderful Sister. “And if it is destroyed, so will the Time Castle?”

“Yes. And all the other Reven’s along with it.”

Megg’s reply was none too subtle. “You are referring to the ones that are nasty and mean?”

Reven smiled. “I guess I am.”

“And in the end, there would only be one Reven – you. Is that not true?”

“You’re right. Just little old me.”

“But you would not be old if you travelled back in time.”

Reven’s cackle was so loud and unexpected that the four girls jumped at the sound. “I’d be young . . . and I could kiss this grey hair goodbye.”

“Then, if it pleases you, we would like to help.”

“Now, now. I’m old not stupid. You’ll help me if I help you free your friend . . . right?”

“Yes. And assist us in trapping another individual in his past.”

“Is he mean and nasty like the other ME’s?”

“Most assuredly.”

*****

Somewhere near the Nauti Village

After Mobius discovered that Soo had a communications crystal, he tried to confiscate it. But she was too quick and, using her long tongue, grabbed it out of his hands, flipped it in the air and swallowed it.

“You foolish little girl,” he growled. “You just can’t help being a hero, can you?”

“Don’t be silly. I was just hungry.  Hey, I could use that tea now. One sugar, hold the cream.”

“I grow tired of your childish antics. If you weren’t such a valuable hostage, I would give you to Bl’udd . . . for dinner. However, you are one of the Queen’s favorites and she might wish to bargain for your release. Too bad. GUARDS,” he yelled and four Nauti came into the room. “Put her with the others.”

“Great seeing you again,” said the serpent as they dragged her out. “It was such a treat. Really.”

As the door closed Mobius muttered to himself, “I hate them. I truly hate the Hameggattic Sisters.

***

They took Soo to the top of a particularly humongous Sun-Seeker Tree. Opening a door that led to the veranda, they shoved her through. She didn’t know what she expected to see . . . but the object hanging from a branch wasn’t it.

“Looks like a giant bird cage,” she said to no one in particular. The guards forced her to slither along a wooden bridge that led to the thing. “I’m not getting in there.”

They pushed her in.

“Hey. That’s no way to treat a lady,” she yelled as she landed with a thump.

“Soo?”

The serpent had momentarily forgotten why she was here. “Sassi?”

The green-skinned girl came over and hugged her sister then asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’ve got a stomach ache.”

“What?”

“I ate the communications crystal. It may look like a fried egg, but it tastes like a wooden chicken.”

“What?”

“Not important.”

“Soo.” It was Lord Z’kkk.

“Your Highness,” and she bowed.

“If you would be so kind, please tell us what is going on. Did the Queen send the Sisterhood to rescue us?”

“She had no choice.”

Z’kkk arched an eyebrow. “Truly?”

“Sorry, that came out wrong. My sisters and I volunteered. No way we weren’t going to help save Sassi and three of our dads.”

Soar’elle exchanged a quick glance with Tink’rrr. “Three dads?”

“Did I mention that Meggy is with us?’

Four sets of eyes opened wide in horror at the use of that name. Sassi had to cover her mouth so she wouldn’t scream.

“Meggy?” asked his Lordship. “You are not referring to my daughter are you?”

“Did I mention that she’s a Hameggattic Sister now?”

Same reaction.

“Perhaps you should start from the beginning,” suggested Z’kkk. “I would very much like to hear about . . . (he almost choked on the name) . . . Meggy.”

*****

Aerianna

“I will say it again . . . truly remarkable.”

“I wouldn’t say remarkable. More like modestly impressive.”

“Not this . . . and he pointed at the newly formed crystal.

“Then what?”

“You, Kissy . . . you. Dad and I are going to feel as dumb as insects compared to the giant of your intellect.”

“Oh, hush,” but she swelled with pride at her dear brother’s approval.

“So, tell me one more time how this crystal differs from the one found on Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

“To activate the one on the planet, a Wind’dancer had to sail into a ferociously intense Ascension storm. This caused a huge charge of static electricity to build up in their wings (like a sock coming out of a dryer that crackles). When they touched their wing to the WingStone, it discharged that electricity, causing the crystal to trigger and, thereby altering their wings. Our crystal requires a tiny fraction of that charge. Basically, a child sailing down from the top of a Sun Seeker Tree, where they live, to the ground below will have enough static charge to trigger the stone. They no longer have to risk their lives in those deadly storms.”

“A monumental change to their culture don’t you think?”

“I am offering them a choice. Perish without a WingStone or accept the one we created.”

“Not much of a choice.”

“Perhaps not. But it is the right thing to do.”

“I can’t argue. Anyway, when are you going to take it back? It’s been a week and Zazzi is probably anxious to see you.”

“It’s only been a day on Zynn-Zaz’zia. You know brother, it is getting tedious that Aerianna ages seven or eight days to only one for every other world. I think when I get back I should fix that.”

The serpent laughed. “And how exactly will you do that?”

“I’ve been thinking that we could use the Crystal Mountain.”

“What?”

“Never mind. It’s not important. We can discuss it when I return.”

“I thought you were marrying Zazzi?”

“Oh. Oh my. I completely forgot.”

“Since he’s responsible for the serpents on his world, he’s not going to want to move to Aerianna.”

“No, of course not. Fiddlesticks.”

“What are fiddlesticks?”

“They are the building blocks of disappointment and frustration.”

“Ah.”

Chapter 8 – It’s Time

The Nauti Village

“And she allows you to call her that?”

“Absolutely.”

“I do not wish to be tedious, but I must ask you one more time. The Princess M’egg-Alynnia, my daughter and heir to the Throne of Aerianna, allows the Sisterhood to address her as Meggy?”

Soo smiled her big goofy smile. “Your Lordship, she’s a different person than when you last saw her. She’s nice, supportive, friendly, caring and a darn good Sister.”

Z’kkk stared at the serpent. He finally asked, “Did this great change come about because of her visit to Earth. Did Eloise – young and old – really wrought this miracle?”

“Actually it was Sylvia’s plan that put the mean mega-brat in her place. Oops. No offense.”

“Has she ever heard you call her that? Mega-brat?”

“Oh, sure. She uses it all the time to describe the awful person she was.”

“Remarkable. Rose must be overjoyed. However, though I do not doubt what you have told me, I will need to see this transformation for myself. The enormity of her change is simply too difficult to grasp.”

“True dat.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, sorry. Just a dumb earth saying. They really have a lot of them.”

Soar’elle cleared his throat. “Your Lordship, should we not be discussing our rescue? Or at least our escape?”

“Yes, of course.” He turned to Soo and asked, “What are the plans of the Sisterhood?”

“That’s kind of complicated,” and she proceeded to tell them about Reven, Zazzi, the Wind’dancers, the WingStone, Spirit and BreeZee. She finished with, “So Egg wanted me to be captured hoping that Mobius would throw me in here with you. Then we could have used my communications crystal to let the others know where we are. Since I ate it, that’s not going to happen.”

“Is there any contingency plan?”

“Not really. Not for us. At the very least Egg wanted you to be aware of what was happening.  And now you do.”

“Tell me of your meeting with Mobius.”

“I told him about Reven and the Time Castle. Egg wants him to go looking for it. I’m guessing he and Bl’udd are already gone.”

Soar’elle stated the obvious. “Then I must insist that now is the perfect time to try to escape.”

“So it would seem,” answered his Lordship. “But we have yet to find a way out of this enclosure.”

“What is it exactly?” asked Soo.

Tink’rrr, the scientist, had the answer. “The Nauti built it as part of an experiment to generate energy. Luckily for us it does not function until there is an Ascension Storm — I believe they call it.”

“Then what happens?”

“I’m afraid their design has a serious flaw. When this thing powers up, it will explode.”

“Explode?”

“Yes. A very, very big bang will occur. I wouldn’t want to be within ten miles of this village.”

“So how do we get out?”

“I’m afraid that . . .,” but he didn’t finish. The whole weird bird cage thing started to bob up and down knocking everyone to the floor.”

“Tink’rrr,” called Z’kkk.

“I have no idea what caused it, your Highness. It felt as if something just jumped on the device.”

Then they all heard the strangest whoosh sound. However, it was very familiar to Sassi and Soo. They smiled at each other and as if on cue, they both said, “Bl’azzz.”

“Explain,” requested Z’kkk.

“Our dear sister, the F’yre Dragon, has a habit of burping and burning.

“Oh, yes. She is a vegetarian.”

“That was the sound you just heard.”

Again, as if on cue, the door above opened up and two dragons peered down. “Hi, Dad”.

“Aeri’elle, I am pleased to see you, my daughter. Keeping out of trouble, I hope? ”

“Pretty much. Lord Z’kkk, are you alright?”

“Perfectly fine.”

“Sassi, Tink’rrr?”

“We’re all well, sister. Bl’azzz, did I hear you burp and burn?”

“Sassi, I ate so many darn vegetables . . . “

“Would you be quiet?” demanded Aeri’elle. “No one wants to hear about your gas problem. Certainly not his Highness.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“If you would be so kind as to fly us out of here, I will forgive you.”

“Cool.”

“Excuse me . . . what is cool?”

“Sorry, your Highness. Just a stupid earth saying. They have a lot of them.”

“True dat,” said Z’kkk with a big grin on his handsome blue face.

*****

The Hour Bridge

Megg sent Sylvia and Spirit back across the Hour Bridge. If any of the others tried to contact her, they would be unable since she was now in the future. If a message came in, Spirit would let her know. They had the foresight to mark the path so in their haste they wouldn’t step where they weren’t supposed to.

“You mentioned that the other you has given Egg a time out. Could you explain what that means?”

“She’s been put in the Chamber of Now.”

Megg waited a second or two to see if Reven would continue but to no avail. “Forgive me. None of us is familiar with the workings of a Time Castle. What exactly is the Chamber of Now?”

“It’s a room where time stands still. Once you’re put in there, it is always that moment in time . . . meaning it’s always right now.”

“To what purpose?”

“If you did something wrong and your mother wanted you to think about it until you figured out why it was wrong, there would be no better time to do it than right now. At the moment you goofed up.”

Weird . . . but it made a strange kind of sense.

“What did Egg do wrong?”

“She babbled.”

“Interesting. And that required punishment?”

“Of course. She was using time to no good end. Never waste time . . . that’s unforgiveable.”

“Ah. I can see your point of view.”

“I can’t,” said BreeZee who thought this whole conversation was bordering on silly.

Megg said, “Our perspective of time is not the issue. Reven’s is.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.”

Just then, Spirit reappeared. “Aeri’elle is calling.”

“Reven, again I ask your forgiveness. But I need to talk to my sisters and I can only do that on the other side of the bridge.”

“Go. I’ll wait.”

“I’ll stay,” said BreeZee. “I have a bunch of questions to ask . . . if that’s okay?”

“I’d be glad for the company,” said Reven.

“I will return quickly,” and Megg and Spirit ran back across the bridge.

As she got to the other side, Megg’s communications crystal came alive. “Aeri’elle, are you alright?”

Z’kkk who was riding on the dragon smiled. His daughter’s first words were of concern for her sister. Unbelievable.

“We got them. Everyone’s okay.”

“Is my father nearby?”

“I am here, daughter.”

“Oh, Papa. It is wonderful to hear your voice.”

“And yours. We are tracking the signal from your communications device. We will be there shortly.”

“Absolutely not. Aeri’elle . . . “

“Yes, Megg?”

“Take them to the portal and see them back to Aerianna.”

“Daughter, I do not wish to argue in front of your friends . . .”

“They are my sisters and this is a mission of the Hameggattic Sisterhood authorized by the Queen. You will be returned to Aerianna and you, and the others, will leave Mobius to us. Do you understand?” she took a breath and added in a soft voice “Daddy.”

Z’kkk was shocked and incredibly proud. “Are you sure? If anything were to happen to you, I would never forgive myself.”

“Too late on that score.”

“What do you mean? You are injured?”

“A scratch, nothing more.”

“May I speak with Egg?” He wanted the other girl’s reassurance.

“She is temporarily unavailable.”

Aeri’elle broke in. “What happened?” There would only be one reason for the Princess to be in charge.

“She is being held prisoner in the Time Castle. We have negotiated a compact with a very old version of Reven. She will help us free Egg and trap Mobius.”

Z’kkk again smiled. Knowing his daughter, it had to be she who negotiated the pact. Yet, she did not take the credit, instead sharing it with her sisters. The blue man was almost giddy with happiness.

“Okay, don’t do anything until we get there. Oh, and Sassi will be joining us.”

This time Sylvia broke into the conversation. “Then all we need is K’ssss and we’ll have every Hameggattic Sister . . . present and future ones.”

“Aeri’elle. When you get to Aerianna, go find our sister. If she is well enough to travel, we owe it to her to have her here. After all, she is the bravest amongst us, is she not?”

Aeri’elle smiled. “She’s got six medals to prove it. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you. And father . . . “

“Yes . . .,” he just couldn’t help himself, “Meggy?”

The girl laughed, “You may call me Her Royal Highness. Meggy is reserved for the Hameggattic Sisters.”

“A thousand apologies.”

“Would you give my mother a message for me?”

“Of course.”

“Tell her she is the greatest role model a girl could have.”

Z’kkk wiped at his eyes. “I will, sweetheart. I most assuredly will.”

*****

Somewhere between here and there

“Which way?” asked Bl’udd.

“The tallest peak on the tallest mountain”.

“I don’t understand. Why in the world would you believe her?”

Mobius laughed. “It is obviously a trap. I believe a Time Castle exists since one of the Nauti legends also mentions it. But, she only told me about it because her little leader wants me there. They think they can outsmart me and trap me in time. Well, we’ll just see who gets the last laugh.”

“What about the prisoners?”

“Compared to the power I will control with this Time Castle, they have little value. Besides, that device they are in is poorly designed. The next big wind storm and it’s going to blow sky high. They, and the entire village, will be gone.”

“Hey, that’s cruel even for you. I don’t like it.” Bl’udd was mean, stupid, and even cruel, but there were limits to the evil he would do.

“After we’re finished, you can go back and keep them company if you’re so concerned about their well-being.”

Bl’udd didn’t respond. For the first time since joining Mobius, he wanted to put as much distance between himself and this wicked man. But he didn’t know how.

*****

Aerianna

They arrived on Aerianna in the lab that housed the portal. Since they weren’t expected so soon, no one was there to greet them except Ven’trrr. And he was busy working on some scientific thingamajig.  When he heard the familiar pop, he looked up.

“Your Highness,” and he bowed. “I’m glad you’ve returned. Please don’t take this wrong, but you’re early.”

“So sorry, I did not realize there was an official schedule for our return. Where is the Queen?”

“She and K’ssss are in the Throne Room I believe.”

“Then that is where we are going . . . all of us,” and he walked away.

Aeri’elle and Soar’elle hurried to keep up, as did Bl’azzz and Sassi.

Ven’trrr went up to his father and Soo. “How are you, Dad?”

“Perfectly fine, thanks.”

“And Soo, you’re looking good.”

“I ate a communications crystal.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not important. Anyway, your good luck hug worked well. I owe you.”

“Good luck hug?” asked Tink’rrr with a wry smile.

“None of your business, old man,” teased his son.

“So why is K’ssss with the Queen?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something. She’s . . . um . . . changed.”

“What does that mean?”

“Why don’t we go to the throne room so you can see for yourself?”

****

A trumpet blew unexpectedly and the Queen looked up.

“Hope I am not interrupting some important affairs of state, my dear?”

Rose’s face lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree and, in a very undignified and un-queen-like gesture, she ran to her husband and literally threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

“Are you quite well,” she managed to ask.

“Never better,” and he kissed her again.

Rose gathered herself and turned to face the rest of the guests. She had expected to see her daughter, Egg and the entire sisterhood. But before she asked about them, her duty was to inquire about the well-being of the others in the delegation.

“Soar’elle, how do you fare?”

“I am well, your Majesty.”

“Tink’rrr . . . and you?”

“Uninjured and glad to be home, your Majesty.”

“And dearest Sassi, you look as radiant as ever. You are well?”

“I’m fine, Dazzle, and so thankful to my sisters for rescuing me and the others.”

“Aeri’elle, Bl’azzz and Soo . . . thank you from the bottom of my heart. Yet again, the Hameggattic Sisterhood shows its resourcefulness and courage. I hope you are uninjured?”

“Bl’azzz ate too many vegetables and Soo swallowed her communications crystal . . . other than that we’re great.”

Rose smiled warmly at that statement. “Perhaps later you could elaborate. However, I must ask where is Egg, Sylvia . . . and my daughter? Are they well?”

“My dear, I spoke with M’egg-Alynnia and she sounded well enough. However she mentioned a slight injury but would not elaborate.”

Alarmed, the Queen asked, “What injury?”

Only Aeri’elle knew about Megg’s burns but was sworn to secrecy. “Bl’udd burned down one of the villages while Megg and I were there. We did all we could to help, but were caught in the firestorm. She and I . . . were slightly injured.” She extended her wing to show where it had been burned.

Everyone started to talk at once. Rose finally demanded silence. “By the look of it, that wing was severely injured. There hasn’t been enough time for it to heal. How is that possible?”

“Spirit”.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry. The Myst Tree sent us some help in the form of a very alien looking girl named Spirit. She’s a Thought Weaver and please don’t ask what that is. Anyway, she was able to fix my wing and to heal Megg’s . . . um . . . injury.”

“Where was she hurt?”

“With respect, your Majesty, I promised her I wouldn’t talk about it.”

Rose exhaled slowly as she considered the statement. “Very well. But, she was cured by this Spirit, was she not?”

“Yes.”

“Where are she and Egg and Sylvia?”

“They went to find the Time Castle.”

“A time castle?”

“I’m not sure I can really explain it.”

“Perhaps I might offer an explanation.”

Everyone turned to K’ssss. Soo whispered to Bl’azzz, “What did she say?” The dragon just shook her head.

Rose turned to the serpent. “Of course, sister.”

“First, hello Father. It’s wonderful to see you. As to my other sisters, I would venture to guess that they devised a plan to use Reven’s Time Castle to lure Mobius into a trap. Reven is a time construct created by Zynnia, an Old One who was the guardian of the planet much like our beloved Myst Tree.”

“I do not understand?”

“Zynnia created Reven as a means to go back in time to correct any problems in the development of her planet. It was never needed and never used. The Myst Tree suggested we could trap Mobius in his past then destroy the Time Castle. If Egg and the others are not here, they most assuredly have found the castle and are laying their trap.”

“Is this true, Aeri’elle?”

“Yes”.

“And where is this Time Castle?”

K’ssss h’ssssed. “It’s in the future.”

Chapter 9 – Show Time

The Throne Room

“I still do not fully understand. Be that as it may, I was disappointed that the Sisterhood failed to inform me who the enemy was. Mobius is far too dangerous and I will send armed Sentinels to bring him to justice . . . again.”

“Your Majesty . . ., “Z’kkk only used that title in front of others when he was about to disagree with his royal wife. “I urge you to reconsider.”

“You would have our daughter face this monster alone?”

“Of course not. She has the Sisterhood.”

“Seven girls . . . young women . . .  are not enough.”

Aeri’elle had to speak. “With all due respect . . . Dazzle (she used the familiar name on purpose). The Sisterhood defeated Mobius once before. And this time, we have ten sisters not seven.”

“I assume Sassi wishes to go back,” and she looked at the green-skinned girl who nodded yes. “Counting my daughter, there will be eight sisters. Have I missed someone?”

“Spirit and BreeZee who is a Wind’dancer. They have asked to join and we have agreed . . . assuming Sassi has no objection.”

“I haven’t met them but I trust your judgment. They have my blessing and my thanks.”

“Your thanks?” asked the Queen.

“This will be my last mission, your Majesty. I have served you and Aerianna as well as I could. It’s time I stayed home with my daughter and husband. Besides, I’m getting a little too old for such excitement.”

“And I, too, will be retiring from the Sisterhood, your Majesty” intoned K’ssss. “With my father’s permission, I will be married and my place will be on Zynn-Zaz’zia with my husband.”

“Getting married?” bellowed a twice-shocked Tink’rrr. “K’ssss, who is this fellow?”

“H’sssss. His name is Zazzi and you will love him as much as I do. Trust me Father.”

“I’m sorry but I've got to ask . . .," said Soo looking at the other serpent, “who are you and what did you do with K’ssss?”

“Why you loveable, loopy leviathan, it’s just me.”

“No it’s not. My K’ssss was a slithering sack of silly. You’re an irritatingly intelligent imposter.”

“H’sssss.”

“Okay, now that’s more like it.”

“Sisters, if we might continue?” asked the Queen wavering between being amused and annoyed.

“Sorry, Dazzle.”

“My apologies your Highness. If I may, sending in armed soldiers may cause more damage than you could imagine. Reven would react badly and no one can guess what destruction she would bring on Zynn-Zaz’zia and its people. Hold them in reserve, but allow Egg and your daughter to lead the Sisterhood through to the end. I truly believe we, the Hameggattic Sisterhood, will once more prevail. I also believe that we have earned the right to be trusted.”

Before Rose could reply, Z’kkk spoke. “Well said, K’ssss. I, for one, would grant the Sisterhood this opportunity.”

“And what of our daughter?”

“She asked me to give you a message. I think now would be a good time to deliver it.”

“Please continue.”

“She said that her mother was the greatest role model any child could have.”

Rose’s eyes widened then went misty.

“I believe she was referring to Dazzle (the person who fought Mobius and for the freedom of her enslaved people), not to Queen Rose’Alynnia.”

Rose took a deep breath. “Aeri’elle, please lead your sisters back to the space portal.”

“Thank you, your Majesty.”

“I have two requests. First, return my daughter to me without further injury. And, second, I do not wish to be bothered by Mobius ever again. This needs to end.”

“As you command.”

*****

The Hour Bridge

“Meggy, Syl, anybody?”

“Aeri’elle, its Megg.”

“Hey, Meggy. We’re back and on our way. Should be there in ten minutes.”

“Wonderful. Was K’ssss able to return?”

“M’egg-Alynnia, I am here.”

“K’ssss?”

“Yes?”

“Are you well?”

“Perfectly fine. However, I can’t join you. I must find Zazzi.”

“I am sure your young man can wait a little longer.”

“Not what you think. I have a new WingStone and I need to give it to Zephyr who I assume is in Zazzi’s cavern.”

“K’ssss, correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe the transference from the Circle of Life was successful.”

It was Soo who answered. “It’s humiliating.”

“What is?”

“This quivering quaking quack-a-doodle is smarter than her father and brother combined. Talk about topsy-turvy. The shoe’s on the other foot now.”

“Lovely phrase.”

“Stupid earth sayings.”

“If I might interrupt,” said K’ssss. “I can’t allow anything to happen to the crystal. It would mean the end of the Wind’dancers. Besides, ten Hameggattic Sisters seems like a lopsided advantage on our part and patently unfair to poor Mobius.”

“I cannot wait to have a more in depth conversation with you, my sister. But for now, I agree with that assessment. Aeri’elle, drop K’ssss off at our base camp. She can swim to Zazzi’s cavern.”

“Understood. Bl’azzz will fly straight to your location with Sassi and Soo.”

“Excellent. Call me before you head up here.”

“Will do.”

“And, K’ssss . . .”

“Yes, Princess?”

“Do give Zazzi a kiss for me.”

“Sorry, Meggy. Any kiss I give him is for me.”

*****

Zazzi’s Cavern

As she swam into the cavern, the hundreds and hundreds of Wind’dancers stopped what they were doing and stared. The sight of a serpent was always a novelty.

Zazzi had been talking to Zephyr and noticed the commotion. He turned to see the heartwarming, but still goofy looking, love of his life. “K’ssss”.

“Just the two men I needed to see. Zazzi, as your wife-to-be I would appreciate a welcome home kiss.”

“I can do that,” and he swam up to the girl and did as he was told. When they stopped for a breath, he asked, “Are you well?”

“Do I seem ill to you?” she teased.

He smiled in return. “I assume that the transference was a success?”

“Indeed, it was. Which reminds me, Zephyr I have a gift for you.” The WingStone had been carefully wrapped and packaged in a container that K’ssss had pulled along behind her. She nudged it over to the Clan Leader.

“I thank you. May I ask what it is?”

“You may not. You may, however, invite your wife over as you open it.”

Not to be rude, the man did as he was told. While he worked to lift the lid, Zazzi introduced his fiancé to Azure. Then they all jumped when Zephyr screamed.

“NO”.

“Z, what is it?”

“Look”.

“Oh my. Oh my. Oh my.”

Turning to K’ssss, the Wind’dancer asked, “Does it work?”

“Not quite like the old one.”

“How so?”

“Your children no longer need to brave an Ascension Storm to activate it. The act of sailing from their home to the ground is more than sufficient.”

By this time, all of the Council of Elders had arrived – most with their spouses and children. Zephyr explained what he had received.

“But no more Ascension Storms?” was the oft-repeated question. It was hard to tell if that made them happy or sad.

Just then, the Circle of Life came down and communicated with Zazzi. Everyone watched in fascination. When it was finished, the Circle rose back up. All eyes were now intently focused on the serpent.

“Zephyr, I have been informed by Zynnia that she approves of the new WingStone. Furthermore, the last Ascension Storm will happen this evening.”

It was Fl’air, the mother of two children who had yet to Ascend, who broke the stunned silence. “K’ssss, this is a gift beyond anything I could have ever imagined. And, with Zynnia’s approval, no more children need be put in harm’s way. I can never thank you properly. We can never thank you properly.” And she began to cry from the great relief of knowing her children would be safe.

“There is one way you could show your gratitude,” said Zazzi.

“Anything, my friend. Anything,” offered Zephyr.

“You can all attend our wedding ceremony. It will be the first between serpents on this world. Hopefully, it won’t be the last.” Then he hastily added, “If it’s alright with my wife-to-be.”

Azure poked her husband. “That’s how a gentleman treats a lady and how a husband treats his wife.”

It started with K’ssss. “H’sssss”. But before you could say ‘sally sells sea shells by the sea shore,’ everyone was laughing. A great sadness had been lifted from their hearts and replaced with immeasurable joy.

Unfortunately, back at the Nauti village, no one knew the danger they were in. They had no way to know that later that night there would be a great and terrible explosion. And where once had been a Nauti village filled with hundreds and hundreds of fathers, mothers and children, only a large hole would remain.

*****

The Hour Bridge

“Megg.”

“Yes, Aeri’elle?”

“I’m about two minutes away but I have company.”

“Mobius, I presume.”

“Sitting on the back of Bl’udd. Shall I try to lose them?”

“Not at all. Stay ahead of them . . . but let them follow. When you get here, be prepared to cross the Hour Bridge with all due haste. It would not serve our cause if Mobius caught us outside the Time Castle.”

“How do I cross?”

“Sylvia will wait for you. Follow her steps exactly lest you be tossed into the River of Time.”

“Is that what we’re hoping Mobius will do?”

“No. He would reappear somewhere in the future only to cause more grief. We want him to enter the castle.”

“How can he do that?”

“The path is marked. He is intelligent enough to figure it out.”

“Okay. I’m coming in.”

*****

Mobius had Bl’udd land then slid off. He looked around to gain his bearings in the gray mist. “This way,” and he walked in the direction that Aeri’elle had taken. It only took a minute or so to find the Hour Bridge. He stopped to examine it and the strange substance it spanned.

Bl’udd asked the obvious. “What is that stuff?”

“Intriguing isn’t it”.

The dragon had no scientific curiosity. “Just weird. Aren’t we going to cross over?”

“It seems we must. But it also seems way too easy.” He walked up to the bridge and for the first time noticed the stone path. Some stones had the letter H scratched on with white chalk. “Children” he said. “Do they really think I’m going to step on the ones they marked?”

“So what now?”

“Cross over. However, avoid the ones with the H.”

“Me?”

“Do it.”

With great reluctance and fear, the big dumb dragon did as he was commanded. And a second later, he found himself back where he had started.

“Curious” said Mobius. “Try it again, but this time step on the marked ones.”

“Why don’t you do it?” Mobius just glared at him. “Okay, here goes . . .,” and Bl’udd did as he was told. Step by step, he worked his way across.

“What do you see?” yelled Mobius.

Bl’udd turned around to say ‘nothing but fog’. However, when he did, he accidently stepped on an unmarked stone . . . and disappeared into the future.

“BL’UDD,” screamed Mobius. He tried several more times but to no avail. “Very well. I should never have sent an idiot to do a man’s job.” He stepped on the first marked stone, then the next. A minute later, he was across. There was no sight of the dragon . . . but he could make out the top of the Time Castle.

He flashed his evil smirk. “Excellent.”

*****

Bl’udd reappeared at the foot of the Bridge . . . five minutes in the future. He called for his companion but didn’t get an answer. He hesitated, not sure what to do. He could try to cross again or maybe just wait. He wasn’t very good at making his own decisions.

Then a breeze began to blow. As the seconds ticked by, the breeze turned to wind. And in that moment, the big cowardly dragon had an epiphany (a sudden answer to a nagging problem). He was, at least momentarily, free of Mobius. More importantly, with the wind beginning to blow, the Nauti Village was about to be destroyed. Instead of following orders of that evil and vile man, he – Bl’udd – could do something of his own accord. Something meaningful. Something good.

Without giving it any more thought from fear he would talk himself out of it, he bounded into the air and flew as fast as he could to the Nauti Village.

Flying at breakneck speed, he got there in record time. His first thought was to order everyone to leave, to get as far away from that contraption as they could. But with so many people including children and old ones, it might take them all day. And they didn’t have that long.

If they couldn’t leave, the only thing to do was to grab that doohickey, fly it to the Sea, and drop it in. Other than some fish, no one would get hurt. In his defense, Bl’udd didn’t know that the serpents lived in that area.

He landed on the birdcage-like device and opened the door. He had to free the hostages first. But when he looked inside, it was empty. So he grabbed the device in his giant talons and started to fly off. Unfortunately, it was still tethered to the trees. So he pulled and strained with all his great might until the restraints finally broke.

But the sudden release sent him and his cargo sailing off into another tree. It was the one holding the WingStone. He hit it with such force that the crystal broke loose and fell to the ground. And like the one at the Wind’dancer village, it shattered into so many useless shards.

Bl’udd couldn’t do anything about that . . . he had a ticking bomb in his feet and was running out of time. He might be a newly minted hero, but he had every intention of being a living one.

Flapping his giant wings, he made it to the Sea and with a sigh of relief, released the contraption.

As it touched the top of the waves, a strong gust of wind hit it . . . and the poorly designed device exploded. Bl’udd was knocked unconscious and fell into the water.

The shockwave from the explosion reached the serpents a few seconds later.

*****

Zazzi’s Cavern

The Circle of Life descended and a spark shot out. Zazzi shrieked . . . not from the shock but from the news. “K’SSSS,” he screamed.

His fiancé had been talking to Zephyr and looked up. “What’s wrong?”

“My serpents. There was an explosion. We must hurry.”

“Can we help?” offered the clan leader.

“No,” said the stunned Zazzi.

“Yes,” said K’ssss. “We may need all the assistance we can get. Take a few dozen of your strongest men and most adept nurses. Meet us just west of the Nauti village. And hurry.”

“K’ssss, please.”

“Let’s go, my love.” As they swam off, she called her sisters. She was able to reach Sylvia and tell her what happened.

Chapter 10 – The Sands of Time

The Time Castle

The eight girls followed gray-hair Reven towards the Time Castle. They weren’t quite ready to go in but they needed to get away from the Hour Bridge so Mobius wouldn’t see them. As importantly, there was a decision to be made that required a serious discussion.

“Let us stop here,” suggested Megg.

Just before Aeri’elle had reached the Bridge, Sylvia had received K’ssss’ message. When she and the dragon crossed over, the girl had hurriedly told the others what had happened.

“Good grief,” moaned Soo.

“What is it?” asked Bl’azzz.

“I just remembered. That contraption that Mobius stuck us in . . . Tink’rrr said it was supposed to generate power but it wasn’t designed right. When the wind kicks up, it’s going to explode.”

“Didn’t you warn the Nauti?” asked a horrified BreeZee.

“We were so busy trying to escape, we never thought about it.”

The Princess turned to Sylvia. “Did K’ssss say the Nauti Village had been destroyed?” Without thinking, she crossed her fingers behind her back . . . something she had seen her volleyball teammates do on Earth.

“No. The explosion occurred in the Endless Sea.”

“Then no one was injured. I’m so relieved,” exclaimed the Wind’dancer.

“Megg . . . it occurred in close proximity to the serpents nesting place. That’s where Zazzi and K’ssss are headed. They even have some Wind’dancers helping.”

“Do you think I should go?” asked Bree.

“No. I’ll go,” volunteered Soo. “It’s my fault.”

“It most certainly is not. Remember, the Nauti were – are – under the control of Mobius. It is doubtful they would have listened,” said the Princess. “But, I am sure K’ssss will welcome your assistance.”

“I’ll take her, if that’s alright,” asked Bl’azzz.

“Yes, of course. Just avoid our ugly friend.”

“Megg, I should probably go also. If there are a lot of injured serpents, they’ll need me and Bl’azzz to carry them to safety.”

“Do what needs to be done.” Turning to the other two, she said, “Please give your communications crystals to Spirit and BreeZee.” The girls did as they were asked. “Very well. Go help K’ssss and be safe.”

“Megg, we'll come back just as soon as we can. Until then, you guys watch yourselves.”

“Do not worry about us.” However, there were now only six sisters and one of them was a captive. Worrying was probably a good thing to do.

*****

“So what’s the plan?” Sylvia asked Megg.

“Well, we know that Spirit needs to be with Egg to save her from being trapped in time,” and she looked at the Thought Weaver who nodded. “That leaves four of us. One team must get into position to destroy the Forever Glass. Reven, where exactly is this device?”

“Times Square.”

Sylvia giggled since that was the name of the very famous place in New York where the ball came down on New Year’s Eve. “Sorry,” she apologized when everyone looked at her.

“And the location of the Square?”

“In the tallest tower. The very top room is . . . well, it’s square. Sitting in the middle is the Forever Glass. But, it’s protected by time traps.”

“Such as?”

“Can’t tell you. There are about a hundred different traps and you never know which one you’ll bump into at any given time. Sorry.”

“Not your fault. Anyway, a second team needs to rescue Egg.” Again turning to Reven, she asked, “And where is the Chamber of Now?”

“On the third level, in the Spire of the Clockwork Continuum. It’s the tenth door you come to.”

“Thank you. Is there an easy way to get our friend out?”

“Sure. Give her a minute.”

“Excuse me?”

“Give her a minute.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like,” and she gave the girl an expression that was easily translated into ‘duh’.

Not wanting to upset their host, Megg continued. “That leaves two more issues. First, we need a distraction. Reven, I believe you are the best . . . person . . . to do that.”

“Not a problem. But one of you will have to come with me.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what the distraction’s going to be.”

Made sense. No one liked the idea, but it made sense.

“Finally, where is the best place to trap Mobius?”

“That’s the nasty guy, I’m guessing.”

“Correct.”

“How far back in time do you want to trap him?”

Megg hadn’t given that any thought. Turning to Spirit, she asked, “Any suggestions?”

“Forty-seven years, eight months, six days, three hours and twenty-seven minutes.”

“What, no seconds?” teased BreeZee.

“Fifty-two seconds would be ideal but not critical.”

“May I ask how you came up with such an exact date?”

“It’s the day he fell in love.”

“MOBIUS?” Sylvia covered her mouth when she realized she had just screamed the man’s name.

“We must be quiet,” admonished the Princess. She looked at Spirit and asked, “Why would we wish to reward this evil man with an endless repeat of such a wonderful event?”

“It was also the day that his love told him she didn’t share his feelings. He was devastated.”

“Ah. How poetic.” Turning to Reven, she asked, “How do we trap this man in such an endless time loop?”

“Easy-peasy. Stick him in the Time Twister, turn a few dials then press the big red button.”

“Where may we find this Twister?”

“The Hall of Twists and Turns . . . it’s in the basement.”

“Spirit and Sylvia, you will rescue Egg.” The girls nodded. “Sassi, you and Bree will find the Forever Glass. When either Egg or I tell you, destroy it. Understood?” Again, the girls nodded.

“Reven, I shall be your distraction.”

“That’ll work.”

“Unless there is anything else to discuss . . .” she looked at each girl in turn, “then let us finish this task. Reven, please take us into the castle.”

“Can’t use the front door so will head for the one in back. Oh, and no talking.”

*****

Mobius had heard his name but could not find the source. It was a female voice . . . so the annoying little sisters were definitely here. That pleased him to no end.

He continued to the Time Castle and stopped a few hundred feet in front of the massive doors. His objective was to somehow take control of the creature . . . Reven . . . and all the power that she possessed. Finding an appropriate way to have his revenge on the Sisterhood was his other goal. However, he had no real plan other than to ‘wing-it’.

But Mobius never lacked for confidence.

As he contemplated how he would enter the castle, a swirl of sparkly lights appeared . . . slowly coalescing into the figure of a young woman.

“Who are you?” it asked in a very quiet voice.

The big ugly man took a moment to stare at the apparition. He probed her with his mind and was pleased, and surprised, to find that he could exert some control over this thing. To be honest, it would only be a modest amount of gentle nudging . . . but it should serve him well enough.

“My name is Mobius. And you must be Reven.”

“Did Zynnia send you?”

Oops. He wasn’t prepared for that question. Oh well, time for his first lie. “Of course.”

“Do you wish to travel in time?”

Very, very interesting. The legends and the silly serpent were right. “I do. But before that occurs, Zynnia would like you to explain the workings of your Time Castle to me.”

“Why?”

“She was too busy to do it herself. Zynnia felt you would be an excellent teacher. Was she wrong?”

“Zynnia is never wrong.”

“Of course not. Please be so kind as to invite me in so we can get started.”

*****

They slipped inside through an old wooden door that obviously hadn’t been used in untold number of years. The hinges were rust encrusted and it took a mighty effort by Megg and Spirit to push it open. It groaned, screeched and squealed so noisily that they were sure the awful sounds could be heard all the way back on Aerianna.

Once inside, they tiptoed to a small balcony that overlooked a great hall. “Over yonder is the staircase that leads to Time Square,” whispered Reven. The girls looked where she pointed.

“Sassi, BreeZee . . . good luck,” said the Princess.

“And to you,” answered Sassi. They slipped away as quietly as mice.

“And up there is the Chamber of Now,” and she pointed toward the ceiling.

“How do we get up?” asked Sylvia.

“That staircase.” and the Time Construct pointed again.

Sylvia looked at Spirit who nodded. “Okay, here we go. Good luck, Meggy.”

The Princess grinned and said, “Smell you later.”

“What?”

“I heard a teammate on Earth use that expression. Since Egg is in deep doo-doo, I thought it was appropriate.”

“Wow, you are too much,” but Sylvia gave her a quick hug anyway.

“I didn’t understand any of that,” said Spirit as they moved off.

“Remind me to explain it to you when this is over.”

Megg waited ten minutes to give the others a chance to reach their objectives. “Well then, Reven, I believe it is show time.”

“What time?”

“Show . . .,” but she didn’t finish. Down below, in the great hall came Reven of the Here and Now. Just behind her was Mobius. Egg’s plan had worked so far. “That is the gentleman we need to trap.”

Old Reven stared at him with interest. “Kind of ugly, isn’t he?”

“Inside and out. Be that as it may, it is time to bring a bit of chaos and confusion to these hallowed halls.”

“Anybody ever tell you that you talk gibberish?”

“On occasion. Let us go.” and they stood up. Per their agreed upon plan, the Princess yelled, “You will unhand me this instant.”

Both Mobius and his Reven looked up startled.

“Why is there another of you?” he asked.

“Don’t be insulting.” To Old Reven, she called “What are you doing here. It is forbidden.”

“Look what I found,” and Meggy stepped forward.

“Bring her down.”

*****

“Oh my.”

“You okay?” asked BreeZee.

“I am now, but I won’t be for long. Look,” and she pointed up . . .

“Wow . . . that’s a lot of stairs.”

“Yeah, it is. Okay, let’s go.”

“Um . . . Sassi?”

“Yes?”

“There’s more than enough breeze in here for me to sail up there.”

“Really? Then, go. I’ll catch up as soon as I can.”

“No, silly. I can take you with me. I only meant – should we? Reven, one of them anyway, might see us.”

Just then, they heard Megg scream ‘unhand me’. “That’s not going to be a problem. I think our Princess will keep them all nicely occupied. So, how do we do this?”

“Take my hand,” and she did. “Okay, relax. Here we go,” and with her wings fully extended, the very slight breeze started to lift them gently skyward.

“Next to flying with Egg, this certainly is enjoyable.”

“I guess. To me it’s the same thing as walking . . . just something that comes naturally.”

“Well, I think it is wonderful.” A few seconds of silence passed then the green-skinned girl asked, “I’m late to this little adventure. How are we going to destroy the Forever Glass?”

“With sound.”

“What?”

“Don’t ask me to explain. All I know is that we have a . . . um . . . what’s it called . . . oh, a tuning fork. When you twang it, it vibrates.”

“And?”

“Sassi, supposedly when it vibrates, it sends out a sound that will make the Forever Glass vibrate. After a minute or two, it will shatter.”

“Why?”

Bree smiled. “Because.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one I’ve got. So . . . tell me about your daughter.”

*****

Spirit and Sylvia had an easier time of it. The Spire of the Clockwork Continuum was almost as tall as the tower leading to Times Square . . . but they only had to climb three floors.

They reached their destination quickly and found the tenth door. It was marked with a big X. Sylvia tried to open it with no luck. “Okay, now what?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Cause you’re the one that can see the future.”

“Only a few times in any given day. I must wait until Egg makes her faithful decision so that I can try and save her. If I use my ability now, then she will most certainly be lost in time.”

“Sorry, I knew that.”

“What were Reven’s exact words, do you remember?”

“Sure. She said ‘give her a minute’.”

“Egg is stuck in her ‘now’ – the instant she was put in this room. So . . . “

Sylvia finished the thought. “So if we give her a minute, then she’ll no longer be in her ‘now’. I’m guessing her time out would be over.”

“That’s very good reasoning. I actually had no idea how to finish my sentence.”

“Really?”

“Truly.”

“Okay then,” said Egg’s Feminion, feeling more Feminion-like. “How do we give her that minute?”

Spirit stared at Sylvia then did a very un-Thought-Weaver like thing – she stuck out her tongue which caused the other girl to giggle.

“Let’s look around. There’s got to be something here we could use.”

*****

Old Reven escorted the Princess to the room below and to where the Here and Now Reven waited . . .

As she always did, she asked the newcomer “Did Zynnia send you?”

“Yes, she did.”

“Let me handle this,” interrupted Mobius as he used his mental influence of the Time Construct. “Zynnia did not send her. She is one of a band of seven troublemakers from my world.”

He tried to enter the Princess’s mind but of course, he couldn’t. “What is your name? I don’t remember you.”

“I am called M’egg-Alynnia.” The girl stared at her mother’s archenemy with fascination . . . and a touch of fear. The history books, and Egg’s diary, did not do this man justice. His evil nature simply oozed out of him, causing her skin to crawl with revulsion. This moment in time would be forever etched in her mind.

“You must be a new member of Egg’s little social club.  Eliminating you won’t be as satisfying since you’re not one of the original seven. But, I will get over my disappointment. Reven, would you be so kind as to send this child back in time . . . a million years would do nicely.” He wanted to see how it was done so he wouldn’t need Reven’s help when he wished to do it to others.

At a nod from the Here and Now Reven, the same two ghostly versions of herself materialized out of nowhere and grabbed the girl. “Do as he asks,” she commanded.

Chapter 11 – The End of Time

“WAIT,” cried Old Reven.

“What is it? Why are you still here?” asked her nasty younger self.

“I’m going. But, could I ask a favor?”

“No.”

“Please.”

“Oh, alright. What is it?”

“Let me send the girl back in time. I have nothing to do all day, every day. It would make me feel useful once more.”

“Only if you promise to leave right after. I never want to see your horrid face again. Do I have your word?”

“Absolutely. I promise you’ll never have to gaze on this gray head again.”

“Fine. Release her,” and the Princess was let go.

Mobius, being the ridiculously smart guy that he was, had figured out why there were multiple Revens. “I will accompany her. I don’ trust that she can do this without supervision.”

“Agreed. Take care of this,” and she floated away at the evil one’s mental suggestion.

With a big smile on his very ugly face, Mobius turned to the Princess and said, “My dear, your time is up.”

“The history books of Aerianna tell us that Mobius had one fatal flaw – he was overly arrogant. Apparently a few years on a spaceship did not cause you to rethink such a foolish attitude.”

“Your little sister was lucky. It won’t happen again. Now move.”

“As you wish.”

They walked to the far corner of the great room. Almost hidden from sight, inside a dark alcove, was a door that led to the basement stairs. Realizing that Egg and the others probably could not find their way without help, Megg took off her scarf and, in a pretend fit of anger, balled it up and threw it on the floor.

Mobius was about to pick it up until the girl yelled, “LOOK AT THIS,” and she turned her face to reveal the ugly scar. “This is your doing.”

Distracted from the scarf, Mobius peered at the girl’s face. “That rather ugly wound on your face seems a bit red as if it happened recently. Perhaps you were at the Wind’dancer clan when we set fire to it?”

“Yes, I was,” she replied softly and without emotion.

“So sorry,” he quipped insincerely. “However, you should be pleased that where you are going – or should I say when you are going (and he laughed at his sick little joke) – there will be no young men to gaze upon that once pretty face.”

“You, sir, are a pig.” That was one earth insult that she quite liked.

“Since I have no idea what a pig is, your insult – I presume it was an insult – falls on deaf ears. Now, down the steps and be quick about it.”

She turned away from Mobius and began to descend. Another earth saying crept into her mind – he who laughs last, laughs best – and she smiled.

*****

Times Square

They opened the door, which was well oiled and moved easily. And there in the center of the room was . . .

“Well, I’m no expert, but I’d say that was the Forever Glass,” said Sassi.

“I’m pretty sure you’re right. Should we go in?”

“NO. Don’t forget there’s time traps . . . whatever they might be. Let’s just get the tuning fork out so we’re ready. Maybe we can break it from here.”

“I don’t think so,” said the Wind’dancer.

“Why?”

“That would be too easy. Egg told me that nothing is ever easy when you’re a Hameggattic Sister.”

“Unfortunately, dear Egg speaks from experience. Anyway, where’s the tuning fork?”

“Backpack. I’ll get it.” She fished around and pulled out the implement. “Here it is.” The thing was only about eight inches long and two inches wide.

Sassi scrunched her face. “Seems kind of puny. That’s a mighty big hour glass.”

“Do you have a better idea?’

“Not a one.”

*****

Chamber of Now

“I can’t find anything,” complained a frustrated Spirit.

The other girl wasn’t listening. She was staring intently at the X on the door.

“What are you looking at?”

Sylvia was Feminion for a reason – she was smart. “I’m not sure. This X isn’t painted on . . . it’s actually one piece of wood crossed over the other one.”

“And?”

“And if I was to squeeze them together at the bottom, they would line up.”

“Ah, like the number one.”

“Should I try?”

“You should.”

And she did. The piece on the bottom moved left, the one on top moved right and bippity, boppity, boo . . . they lined up to form the number one. And the door hissed opened.

“You are very impressive.”

“Shucks, it ain’t nothing.”

They both peered into the dark, lightless room and . . . couldn’t see a thing. “Egg,” whispered Sylvia. “Egg it’s me.”

Nothing.

“Let me try,” said the Thought Weaver. “Egg, it is I – Spirit. I am with Sylvia.”

They tried again and again and then, duh, a minute later the lights came on. There in the middle of a web of purple strands was Flying Girl. Apparently, she had been napping. When the lights came on, she awoke.

“EGG,” yelled Syl.

The other girl looked up and smiled. “Hey Syl. Hey Spirit.”

“What are you doing?”

“I fell asleep. Sorry.”

“Would you get out of there? We have a bad guy to trap – remember.”

“Of course I remember. Well, maybe I did forget. Anyway, here I come.” And with no trouble at all, she went airborne and flew over to the door. “Hello, again.”

“You seem to be in particularly good humor,” teased Spirit.

“She gets that way after she naps. It’s really irritating,” complained her best friend. “It takes me twenty minutes minimum to get rid of my grumpy.”

“What’s going on?”

“Long story. The short version is that we came to rescue you so you can trap Mobius without trapping yourself. Sassi and Bree went to Times Square . . .” Sylvia glared at her friend when she laughed. “Stop it. Anyway, they went to destroy the Forever Glass whenever you or Meggy tell them to. Megg’s with Old Reven . . . “.

“Who?”

“Not important. She’s a friend. The two of them went to cause a distraction so the rest of us can do what we need to do.”

“And Mobius?”

“He’s probably here but we haven’t seen him yet.”

“What about the others?”

“Another long story. Bottom line they went to help K’ssss. There was an explosion and the serpents may have been injured.”

“Oh no.”

“We can’t worry about that now. Come on, we need to get to the basement and the Hall of Twists and Turns.”

“The what?”

“It’s where we trap the big ugly. Let’s hurry.”

And they did.

*****

Hall of Twists and Turns

“Okay, this is the control panel . . .,” said gray-haired Reven when they reached the far end of the Hall of Twists and Turns. It felt like they had walked a mile as the path meandered left, right, then left, then looping back, then right. Well, you get the picture . . . the hall was appropriately named.

Mobius stopped to admire the electro-mechanical beauty. Since he held the Princess by the arm above the elbow, she had no choice but to stop also.

“Very impressive. How does it work?”

Reven glided over to the panel then in a blur of motion pressed buttons, pulled levers, turned dials and twisted knobs. She was so fast that the human eye could not keep up. “There, like that,” she said. Unbeknownst to Mobius, she had set it for forty-seven years, eight months, six days, three hours and twenty-seven minutes in the past.

“You foolish woman, that was too quick. Do it again but slower.”

*****

“Sassi”.

“Egg?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Are you guys in position?”

“We’re standing at the entrance to the room and can see the Glass. Since there are time traps, we didn’t want to enter until you gave us the go ahead.”

“Good thinking. It’ll be a few more minutes. Stay tuned.”

“Tuned to what?”

“Rats. Just be ready.”

She turned to her two companions and asked, “Where’re we headed?”

“To the basement” said Syl.

“Grab my hand” and she offered one to each girl. “Let’s go,” and she flew down the three floors to the Great Hall. “Okay, now which way?”

“We don’t know,” answered Spirit. “And we can’t call Megg.”

“Stay here. I’m going to fly around the room and see what I can see,” and she did. If you didn’t know, Flying Girl can move around the air really, really quickly. She was back in less than a minute holding Megg’s scarf. “Let’s go. Meggy dropped this for us.”

They ran to the alcove, opened the door and took the steps two at a time. “It’ll be quicker if I fly so grab my hands again.” They did and she zipped through the hall doing her best not to smash into anything. With all the twists and turns, it wasn’t easy.

They landed when they heard Mobius say “You foolish woman . . . “. They tip toed around the last bend in the hall and there was Reven, Megg and Mobius. The trio was so engrossed in their own conversation that they hadn’t heard the others approach.

“Yoo-hoo,” called Egg sweetly.

At the sound of that hated voice, Mobius whirled around . . . shock turning to glee. “Oh, my dearest, dearest Egg. How very good to see you again after all this time. If memory serves, you seem a bit older.”

“Hey, Mo. You seem even uglier than I remember.”

While they continued this mutually insulting exchange, Spirit’s eyes began to glow red. A minute later, they returned to their normal black. As she became aware of her surroundings again, she heard the last part of what Mobius was saying.

“. . . those awful songs.”

“Yeah, that was mean. But you’ve got to admit you deserved it.”

Megg wasn’t sure if she should be amazed, shocked or impressed with her sister. Standing there in front of the very large, very evil Mobius, Egg looked tiny  — probably half his size. She showed no sign of anything but confidence. Truly amazing.

“Egg”. It was Spirit.

“Mind if I have a word with my new sister?” she asked Mobius.

Noticing the Thought Weaver for the first time, his eyes grew a little larger. “Feel free to chat. I believe we have all the time in the world.”

“Thanks,” and she, Spirit and Sylvia backed off a few steps.

“You must remind him of  . . .,” and she gave Egg her instructions. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep the girl from being trapped in time.

“Really?” she said when Spirit had finished.

“It will be your best chance.”

“Okay. Thanks. Um . . . Syl, if it doesn’t work out, you have to tell Grammy. And then she has to tell my parents.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

“We knew it was a possibility.”

“Eloise Grace Graystone, you are Flying Girl, the leader of the Hameggattic Sisterhood and my best friend. Don’t you dare get trapped or I’ll never speak to you again.” Her eyes were beginning to tear.

“That’s probably true. Okeydokey then.” She squeezed her friends hand, turned and faced Mobius and the gray haired Time Construct. “Reven, my name is Egg. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“How sweet. Thank you.”

“Where is the time thingy that this control thingy controls”? Yikes. That wasn’t Egg’s best-worded question.

Reven turned to Megg and asked, “What’d she say?”

“This is the control panel for the Time Twister, is it not?”

“Yup.”

“Where is the Twister itself located?”

“Oh, is that what she meant?” Reven turned back to the control panel and pressed a button and four girls and a big ugly guy all jumped in surprise. A tunnel of alternating colored rings that seemed to go on forever popped into existence.

Egg moved over to the opening and peered in.  “That’s pretty cool.”

“It’s the same temperature as here,” answered Reven. Egg just rolled her eyes.

“So to travel back in time, one need only to walk into that funnel,” asked a very curious Mobius.

“That’s about it.”

He turned his gaze to Egg. “Please step in.”

“Ah, that’s sweet. But I don’t think so.”

“Then we shall make your friend here go first,” and bending Megg’s arm he forced her over to where Egg was standing.

“Let her go.”

“Will you take her place?”

“I would do anything for her . . . for any of my sisters.”

“Fool,” he barked but released the Princess who quickly moved next to Spirit and Sylvia.

“Reven,” asked Egg “how far into this thing do I have to walk?”

“About a hundred paces.”

Mobius put his hand on Egg’s back. “Have a safe journey,” he said sarcastically.

“Uh, before I go, can I ask you something?”

Feeling that he had already won this battle, Mobius chose to be gracious. “Certainly. But, do be brief.”

“Who is Roc’san?”

“WHAT?” he bellowed.

“Who is Roc’san?” she repeated.

“How could you know her name?”

“Did she love you?”

“STOP.”

“You loved her, didn’t you?”

“ENOUGH.” Mobius had become completely unnerved.

“She was a princess and you were just a nobody . . . that’s why she couldn’t love you, isn’t it?”

“Tell me how you know this.”

“Then she met Seer’ino who was a prince and she fell in love with him.”

Mobius had gone quiet and deathly still. His eyes were wide and unblinking. He was obviously lost in some hidden memory that he had buried away long ago. An old anger was beginning to boil up and he was about to lose control. He took deep breaths, but it wasn’t enough to regain his composure.

It was her cue. Egg bounded into the air and headed straight into the Time Twister . . . pulling Mobius along by the scruff of his neck. He was so shaken by the re-emergence of the memory of his lost love, he hardly put up a struggle.

A hundred paces into the mechanism, Egg let go. She flew back to the opening as fast as she could . . .

As she cleared the mouth of the Twister, Megg ran to the control panel and tried to push the giant red button. “I cannot do it,” she cried.

“Here, let me,” and Old Reven did.

A moment later, the Time Twister winked out of existence. And just like that, the archenemy of Queen Rose’Alynnia and of Aerianna was gone . . . trapped in his own past.

The sisters felt no joy in what they had just accomplished . . . only a great sense of relief that one source of evil had finally been removed from their lives.

“We did it,” cried Sylvia. “I can’t believe we did it.”

“Hey, I think you just insulted me,” teased her friend as they hugged. Egg then hugged Spirit and Meggy. “You guys were great. You, too, Reven. Thanks.”

The old Time Construct smiled and nodded.

“I also wish to add my thanks. Without your help we could not have succeeded,” said the Princess.

“Felt good to be useful again. I should be thanking you.”

“We have one more thing we must do,” Megg reminded the others. “Reven now would be a good time to take your leave.”

“All set,” and she pulled out an odd-looking device.

“Is that the Time Tripper?”

“You bet. Well, I guess this is goodbye.”

“Before you go, I wish to say something. It is the nature of all things to grow old. I know that it is my fate to lose my youth and my beauty such as it is. I do not look forward to that fate . . . but I do look forward to my future. For the rest of the universe, such an end comes upon us slowly . . . day by day, month by month, year by year. We do not have your powers to travel back and forth through time in an instant. Our journey is in one direction . . . and the pace of that journey is both heartbreakingly fast and excruciatingly slow.”

“Noble words from one who is nobly born. But not everyone has your ability to accept such an ignoble end.”

“I only ask that you try.”

“I will think on it,” and she touched the weird device and disappeared.

“And now the Forever Glass,” Megg said to Egg.

The girl nodded. “Sassi, this is Egg. Time to break the glass”.

“Okay. We’re on it.”

*****

They stepped into Time’s Square and for once Egg was wrong . . . well, mostly wrong. The two girls set off a Time Trap . . . this one made them jump a few seconds into the future then a few seconds into the past. It was an endless loop meaning they were destined to go back and forth in time . . . well, forever. After the first few loops, both girls were getting dizzy. By the fifth and sixth loops, it was getting dangerous. On the tenth loop, they both blacked out . . . and the tuning fork that the Wind’dancer was holding fell to the floor.

It struck with enough force to set it vibrating . . . faster and faster. When the sound hit the Forever Glass, it too began vibrating.

A minute later, there was the unmistakable noise of cracking glass. It soon became the sound of glass breaking . . .

With a loud explosion, the glass shattered and the sands of time drained out.

…and time stopped flowing through the castle.

…and all the Revens ceased to exist.

*****

“Sassi, Bree . . . nice job.”

“Egg, what happened?” came the reply. She had just regained consciousness, but was still dizzy.

“What do you mean what happened? You did it. You destroyed the Forever Glass.”

“Oh. Oh that. Yeah we did.” Sassi turned to Bree and gave her a conspiratorial wink.

“Come on, we’ll meet in that big room.”

“We’re on our way.”

BreeZee offered Sassi her hand so they could sail down from the tall tower. “Do you have any idea what really happened?” she asked her new friend.

“Not a clue . . . but that’s our little secret”.

*****

“So Spirit, what would have happen to me if you weren’t here?”

“Egg, there was a very great chance that you would have sacrificed yourself to save the Princess. By distracting Mobius with the story of his lost love, it gave you the opportunity to take him off guard.”

Megg’s eyes grew wide and she became very solemn. “Words are inadequate, but thank you sister.”

“Hey, don’t thank me, I didn’t do it.”

“Your first instinct was to insure my well-being. I cannot say what I admire more about you, Eloise (that got everyone’s attention. Megg had never used her real name) . . . your selflessness when it comes to protecting your sisters, your bravery in the face of evil such as Mobius or your resourcefulness in finding a way to assure victory. You are only twelve years old. What great achievements you will accomplish in your life is . . . “

Egg cut her off. “Meggy, you got to stop with the compliments. I don’t do anything out the ordinary. I just do what needs to be done. Most times I get lucky.” The girl was really uncomfortable when others talked about how great she was. She was Egg and that was all. End of story.

“Speaking about resourcefulness,” said Sylvia with a grin, “how did you get captured by Reven?”

“Oh. I . . . I kind of fell in a hole,” she answered sheepishly.

“What?”

“There was this hole floating in the air so I peeked inside . . . and whoosh, the stupid thing sucked me in and spit me out inside the castle. I felt like a bug that gets vacuumed up. It was kind of humiliating.”

The thought of the intrepid Flying Girl being vacuumed up like a bug was a bit too much. The girls needed an emotional outlet for what they had just been through and this was silly enough to provide it. Sylvia started to laugh until tears began to stream down her face.

A moment later, they were all laughing hysterically.

Epilogue

Sea Serpents

“Oh, no. Oh my gosh, no.” Soo, Bl’azzz and Aeri’elle had reached the Endless Sea. And in the water were hundreds and hundreds of serpents. There were large adults and small children . . . and they just floated on the surface, bobbing up and down with the gentle waves. “There’s K’ssss. Drop me over there. Hurry.”

Bl’azzz did as she was told and Soo splashed into the water. “Oh, K’ssss, I’m so sorry, it’s my fault (she wasn’t buying Megg’s idea that they couldn’t have done anything even if they wanted to). Please, please try to forgive me. Oh, oh . . .,” and she began to hyperventilate.

“Dearest Soo, calm yourself. First, it is not your fault. And second, they are not seriously injured. The shock of the explosion knocked them unconscious. Help me push them to shallow water so that the Wind’dancers can examine them.”

Aeri’elle flew low and slow and asked, “What can Bl’azzz and I do?”

“Over there is Bl’udd. He, too, is unconscious. Put the obedience collar (like you might put on a disobedient dog) on him then drag him to shore so he won’t drown.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but he saved the Nauti village and villagers from annihilation.”

“What?”

“He grabbed the power device and dropped it in the Sea. There is no way he could have known that the serpents nested nearby. The Queen will be devastated when she finds out that the dastardly dragon is a hero.”

“Love to see the expression on her face when she finds out. Anyway, how’s Zazzi?”

“Shaken but relieved.”

“And how are you doing?”

“Shaken, relieved and excited. These serpents are now my children . . . and I will be the mother of my race. Now, go before our unlikely hero drowns.”

Nauti & Wind’dancers

Howl and his entire clan were standing around looking at the remains of the WingStone when they heard the explosion.  They were so shocked by the destruction of their crystal that they hardly reacted to the thundering sound.

“What was that?” asked Windy.

“The end of the world,” answered the clan leader. He, however, was answering a different question – what would the clan do without a WingStone.

His wife looked up at him then noticed the Wind’dancers sailing overhead. That was highly unusual. Courtesy demanded that a neighboring clan ask permission before they did such a thing. “Howl . . . Howl.” She had to shake her husband to get his attention.

“What?”

“Zephyr and a couple dozen of his people just sailed over. They seem to be headed toward the sound of the explosion.”

Still stunned by the sight of the crystal shards strewn about the ground, the man didn’t respond.

“HOWL. Find out what’s going on. There’s nothing you can do here. GO,” and she gave him a shove.

Reluctantly he did as he was told. A few minutes later, he arrived at the Endless Sea to the sight of serpents floating on the surface. He looked for his counterpart and found him knee deep in water. “Zephyr, what’s going on?”

Zephyr explained about Zazzi and his serpents. Seeing the look on his friend’s face, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Our WingStone . . . it’s been destroyed by that dragon.”

“He also destroyed ours.”

Howl’s shock turned to despair. His only hope was to come to an understanding with Zephyr on the use of the Wind’dancer WingStone. Now . . . all was really and truly lost. He told as much to the other man.

“Howl, we’re very busy here helping these creatures . . . these sea serpents. So, I don’t have the time to tell you everything. However, K’ssss . . .,” and he pointed to the serpent, “brought us a new WingStone. One she made. You and your clan are welcome to use it. In fact, we should create a pact that specifies it belongs to both our people from this time forth. Do you agree?”

“I don’t understand. She made one? A sea serpent? How is that possible?”

“Not only did she make it, she redesigned it. Sailing an Ascension Storm is a thing of the past . . . but you’re in no condition to hear about that now. So . . .  do you agree?”

“Zephyr, my friend, please forgive me.”

“Forgive you. For what?”

“I’m about to give you an embarrassingly big hug.”

Meggy, the Royal Princess

When the Queen and her husband arrived on Zynn-Zaz’zia, they were greeted by Zephyr, Howl, Zazzi and the Hameggattic Sisterhood. After the appropriate time meeting and greeting, Rose and Z’kkk excused themselves to talk to their daughter.

Megg, still wearing the scarf around her face, gave each of her parents a hug.

“I was told you were injured. A scratch I believe is the way you described it to your father. Is that what you are hiding under your scarf?”

“It is nothing, mother.”

“Please let me be the judge of that. Remove the scarf.”

“Before I do, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to go with the Sisterhood on this mission. The experience will, I believe or at least I hope, make me a better person and certainly a better Queen.”

“M’egg-Alynnia, please remove the scarf.”

As she slowly unwrapped it, she said, “I consider this a badge of honor. I am sure you both will agree.” The scarf fell away to reveal half a face of discolored and scared skin.

Z’kkk, who had been holding his wife’s hand, began to squeeze it. The pressure became so great that Rose had to swat it to make him stop. Neither mother nor father could speak.

“I hope you both will thank Spirit for healing me. I am told that the injury was perhaps a tad more serious than I mentioned.”

Rose finally found her voice. “You received this saving the Wind’dancers from the fire. You and Aeri’elle put your lives at risk?”

“Perhaps nothing quite so dramatic.”

“Are you in pain?”

“Not at all.”

“I am so very proud of you, my daughter.”

“We are very proud,” corrected Z’kkk.

“As much as you prefer to wear this symbol of honor, I believe you would be better served if you had earth physicians remove it. They are skilled in such things.”

Megg replied, “I could only agree to that, your Majesty, if they were to leave at least a small reminder of this injury. As you are well aware, your daughter will no longer be an active member of the Hameggattic Sisterhood. This was my first, and my last, mission. I wish to remember it always.”

“As you request. I was also informed that when my sister . . . our sister, Egg was held captive, you were the acting leader of the Sisterhood. It was under your guidance that Mobius was finally removed from our lives. Is this true?”

“I played some small part.”

“From this day forward, I will have the history books changed to include BreeZee, Spirit and M’egg-Alynnia as heroines of Aerianna. You, my sweet daughter, were able to accomplish what even the great Dazzle could not. You defeated Mobius. I stand in awe.”

Wedding of K’ssss and Zazzi

The citizens of Zynn-Zaz’zia, Wind’dancer and Nauti alike, were dazzled by all the pomp and circumstance. Never had there been a wedding ceremony as stunning as this in the entire history of the planet.

They were in Zazzi’s cavern that had been decorated by a team from Aerianna. Glow globes illuminated everything. Flowers had been brought in by the thousands. A variety of food and drink from both worlds were in abundance.

Some of the winged people sailed slowly overhead to get a better view. Serpents, fully recovered from their ordeal, swam in the water. Perhaps sensing the solemnity of the occasion, the young ones stayed close to their parents.

Sentinels from Aerianna had built an ornate, floating platform for the Queen and her throne. There was also seating for Lord Z’kkk, Zephyr and his wife, Howl and Windy, Tink’rrr, his wife and youngest daughter. And, it goes without saying, all of the Hameggattic Sisters were there as well.

Megg and Spirit weren’t seated with the others. They stood to one side, each holding their flute-like instrument. The Princess had her Angel’s reed while the Thought Weaver her Res’sikk. They were playing a hauntingly beautiful wedding song traditional on Aerianna.

Soo and Ven’trrr – as Maid of Honor and best man, swam up to the floating platform together . . . then one went to the right and the other to the left.  Zazzi and K’ssss followed.

When they reached the Queen, each bowed. Rose’Alynnia stood and quietly asked the couple if they were truly and freely ready to marry. Satisfied, she looked up at the huge assembly and read the ceremonial words that bound the two together for life.

Upon finishing, BreeZee took to the air and sailed over the newly married serpents. She placed the Hameggattic scarf around each. Then, she reached down, took one end in either hand . . ., and tied a knot to symbolize their joining (a suggestion by Egg). She hugged her sister and Zazzi then sailed back to her place with the others.

Sylvia leaned over to her friend and whispered, “You are such a goof.”

“Me?”

“You know darn well that’s not what they mean when they say married people tie the knot.”

“Well, they’re serpents. They couldn’t exactly exchange rings, could they?”

Bl’udd

He was taken before the Queen surrounded by armed Sentinels. As he reached the appropriate place, he went to his knees and bowed his head.

Rose’Alynnia stared at the dragon trying to get her emotions under control. She could never forget or forgive his betrayal of her father and the people of Aerianna. However, she forced herself to think of the present.

“You may rise,” and the dragon slowly did so. “You will answer me honestly. Why did you do it?”

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t do anything.” He had no idea what she was referring to so the best course of action was to deny whatever she was accusing him of doing.

Rose wanted to laugh at this pathetic creature. But, his actions deserved a more dignified response. “I refer to your . . . heroic . . . effort on behalf of the Nauti. You risked your life, and Mobius’ wrath, to save them. I ask you again . . . why?”

“Oh, that.” He tried to think what answer she wanted to hear, but couldn’t. “I don’t know. Sorry.”

She persisted. “Your actions saved thousands of lives. Your effort could have cost you your own. I would know why.”

“Your Majesty, I’m not very smart. What I am is very big. I found out early on that I could get whatever I wanted by being mean. By scaring people. But I never, ever, hurt anyone physically. I just bullied them into doing what I wanted. When Mobius came, he liked that about me. Nobody ever liked that about me. So I helped him. But when he was going to let those people die, I . . . I couldn’t let that happen. That would have been wrong.”

“And you were willing to sacrifice yourself to help those you did not know?” Maybe there really is some good in everyone.

The dragon shrugged. “I didn’t think about any of that. Well, not much anyway. I just knew what I had to do and I did it.” Then he added “but I hurt those serpents, didn’t I?”

“Your ignorance of their existence exonerates you from guilt.”

Bl’udd just stared at the Queen since he had no idea what she just said.

“Do you have anything to say on your own behalf before I pass sentence?”

He just shook his head. The last time she put him in that spaceship. He was afraid what she might do this time.

“Very well. I have consulted with the authorities on Zynn-Zaz’zia and they are willing to allow you to stay on their world. You will do whatever tasks they assign. Your obedience collar shall remain. However, over the coming years, if you continue to comport yourself with honor, the bronze torc will be replaced with silver. Eventually, based on your behavior, it may be replaced with gold. Once that happens, you will be allowed to visit Aerianna once a year. Until that time, you are banished – again – from the planet you once called home. Do you understand?”

He had expected much, much worse. “Thank you.”

“Sentinels, remove him from my sight.”

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

It was just the girls . . . Egg, Sylvia, Meggy, Aeri’elle, Bl’azzz, Soo, Spirit, BreeZee, Sassi and K’ssss. They had some important business to attend to.

Egg faced the new recruits. “Bree and Spirit, do you still wish to become Hameggattic Sisters?”

“Absolutely”.

“Yes.”

“Then repeat after me, “We are the Sisters of Mystery and will protect each other from danger and keep each other’s secrets for as long as the sun shines and the stars twinkle.”

The girls spoke the words.

“By the powers vested in me as leader of this motley amalgamation of interplanetary misfits, I declare you both Sisters of the Hood.”

Surprise, surprise . . . everyone hugged everyone else.

The conversation then turned to random subjects.

“Meggy,” asked Bl’azzz, “when are you going to Earth for the operation?’

“My mother insists that I go immediately. However, I have a reputation to repair first. Perhaps the sight of a horribly disfigured former mega-brat will evoke sympathy.”

“They’ll be eating out of your hand in no time,” said Soo.

“I thought you found our earth sayings dumb,” teased Sylvia.

“True dat.”

“Spirit, what are your plans?” asked Aeri’elle. “Are you going back home?”

“That still is not an option. I guess Jynx and I will take a little tour of the galaxy. I suspect there are some sights worth seeing.”

“Is your spaceship big enough to hold passengers?”

“It is quite large. Why BreeZee?”

“I thought maybe I could go with you . . . if you wouldn’t mind?”

“I would love the company. Anyone else seeking a little excitement?”

“Excitement no, but Syl and I would love to go if we could. Maybe next time.”

“Actually, I’d like to go” said Bl’azzz.

“Really? Why you amazing astronautical adventurer . . . if you go, so will I. That okay with you, Spirit?”

“One can never have too many friends. Soo, you and Bl’azzz are most welcome to join us.” The Thought Weaver hesitated then added, “I so did make the right choice to help the Sisterhood. I appreciate the Queen’s medal of valor . . . but my true reward is your friendship. Thank you . . . all of you.”

That too deserved and received the appropriate hugs.

“Sassi, I expect you to bring Kiss’immee to visit her namesake here on Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

“Well, of course, K’ssss. She will absolutely love seeing Wind’dancers and Nauti. And your new home is so spectacular. Does that mean you aren’t going to age . . . like Zazzi?”

“Actually my husband . . . H’sssss . . . sorry, that word still gives me shivers . . . was informed by the Circle of Life that the technology that kept him from aging has been deactivated. In fact, it has been destroyed.”

“Why?” asked Egg.

“The explosion actually had an unexpected side effect on our serpents. The jolt to their nervous system has pushed them one step closer to sentience. Now, it is only a matter of time and nurturing by Zazzi and I and the first intelligent serpents will emerge. Therefore, the great experiment nears its end. Zazzi will be able to complete his task during the remainder of his natural life.”

“But why was the thing destroyed?”

“So no one could use it to prolong life for selfish reasons. However, the good news is that the harvesting technology will not be destroyed. Perhaps one day we can figure out how it works and use it on Aerianna or Earth.”

“They would be wonderful,” said the Princess. “Please ask for any help you might need, my dear sister.”

“Thanks . . . Meggy. H’sssss”.

“Why are you laughing, you . . . you . . . you . . . rats, I got nothing.”

“Then say it.”

“Say what?”

“I give you permission . . . to say it one more time,” and K’ssss smiled.

“Why you slithering sack of silly, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Feel better?”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

They grew quiet for it was about time for each to go her own way. Worse, the next time the Sisterhood was called upon to help, some of the faces wouldn’t be there.

“Maybe we need to come up with a retirement ceremony. Three of you guys are . . . I mean won’t be . . . um . . . “. The rest of Sylvia’s sentence was lost in soft sobs.

“As the next Queen of Aerianna, I expressly forbid the shedding of tears. This is a joyous occasion. The induction of two new, talented and beautiful sisters is something to celebrate. The Sisterhood is still at seven. And, think of it, we now have representatives from four worlds. We will be the stuff of legends.”

“We already are,” said Spirit.

“What does that mean?” asked Egg.

“I should have said that the Sisterhood will soon be legendary.”

“Is my newest sister peering into the future again?” asked K’ssss.

“Perhaps a quick peak.”

“And?” asked Aeri’elle.

“And . . . um . . . our fame is going to get us into trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“I can’t tell. All I can say is that there is a mysterious girl who thinks she can get the better of us. And when she does, she will laugh a lot.”

“Let her laugh,” said Egg dismissing the idea. “No one gets the better of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

“Actually . . .,” Spirit hesitated. She took a deep breath then continued “actually, and I’m sorry to say this, she will get the better of you, Egg.”

“Oh. Oh my gosh.”

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Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

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