Island of Magical Creatures

by Tracey West

  Looking back, she saw the robot bear standing over her, growling. She jumped to her feet. The robot alligator had joined the other two robots, its mechanical jaws snapping. The three creatures had her cornered. She swung in a circle, sword extended, and both creatures stepped back.

  Catra jumped up on a rock and watched the scene, her hands on her hips.

  “Now it’s my turn to ask you some questions, Adora,” Catra said. “Where is it?”

  “Where’s what?” She-Ra asked, not taking her eyes off the robots.

  “Where’s the First Ones tech you came here for?” Catra asked.

  Catra doesn’t know about the animals, She-Ra realized. She thinks we’re here to find tech.

  “What makes you think I’d tell you?” She-Ra asked.

  Catra held up a small remote control. “Because just one push of a button and these robots will blow. And I don’t think even She-Ra is fireproof.”

  She-Ra knew from the gleam in Catra’s eyes that she wasn’t kidding.

  “There’s nothing here,” She-Ra lied. “We were following a lead, and it didn’t turn up anything.”

  “I know when you’re lying, Adora,” Catra shot back. “Now tell me—where’s the tech?”

  She-Ra thought quickly. From the corner of her eyes, she could see her friends still battling Scorpia and the Horde soldiers. They were too busy to know what Catra was up to. If only she could get that remote away from her …

  “Hey!” Catra cried.

  The remote control seemed to magically disappear from Catra’s hands. She-Ra blinked—and then saw the white fox materializing as she ran into the woods with the remote in her mouth.

  She-Ra was grateful—but terrified at the same time. If Catra knew about the animals …

  “What’s happening is that you lose again, Catra,” She-Ra said.

  She spun around, driving her sword into the robot lion. The robot sizzled, and the bear and alligator charged at her. At the same time …

  “Chaaaaaaaarge!”

  Swift Wind emerged from the woods, followed by Mehira, a bunch of ninja porcupines, and a ten-foot-tall hedgehog.

  Catra’s eyes widened. “What the—ow!” she cried, as porcupine needles landed in her arm like darts.

  Twinkles stomped on the robot alligator, crushing it to bits with his giant, cute feet.

  Swift Wind kicked the bear robot, knocking it on its back. She-Ra spun around and thrust her sword through the robot, finishing it.

  Mehira, meanwhile, ran circles around the remaining Horde soldiers, pushing them closer and closer together. Perfuma lassoed them with one of her plant vines.

  “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I know it’s big,” Catra said. “We might not win today, Adora, but we’ll be back! We’ll be back with more soldiers and more robots, and we’ll take this island!”

  “Oh, be quiet!”

  Frosta ran up, glaring at Catra. She hit her with an ice blast, freezing her in place.

  She-Ra gazed around. The animal robots were sparking piles of junk; the skiffs were all disabled, and Scorpia and the Horde soldiers were either tied up in Perfuma’s vines or trapped in one of Bow’s nets.

  “Well, we took care of them,” Glimmer remarked. “What now?”

  She-Ra frowned. “I don’t know. If we send them back, they’ll only return.”

  Twinkles spun in a circle, returning to his normal size. Then he spoke to Swift Wind.

  “Twinkles says to stand back,” Swift Wind translated. “Treeleaf has a power that can help us.”

  The princesses and Bow obeyed. Treeleaf stepped out of the forest. He lowered his head, and streams of light flowed from his antlers.

  The light touched the heads of Catra, Scorpia, and all of the Horde soldiers. Their eyes closed and their heads drooped.

  “What is he doing?” She-Ra asked.

  “Twinkles says they’ll be asleep for a little while,” Swift Wind answered. “And when they wake up, they won’t remember the last twenty-four hours.”

  “Wow … that’s a pretty specific power,” Mermista said.

  “It’s exactly the power we need,” She-Ra said. “Now we just have to get them off the island.”

  “On it,” Mermista replied. She held out her arms, and an enormous wave rose out of the lake. She lowered her arms, and the wave dropped to the shore and picked up Catra, Scorpia, and the Horde. Then it carried them away.

  “They’ll wake up on the other side of the lake,” Mermista said.

  “That should be good enough,” Glimmer guessed.

  She-Ra turned to the animals. “Thank you,” she said, and Twinkles began to chatter.

  “We did what we could to protect our island,” Swift Wind translated for him. “And now, we are ready to give you our decision. We will leave this island and help you defeat the Horde!”

  She-Ra transformed back into Adora. She looked at Glimmer.

  “You don’t look happy about this news,” Glimmer said.

  Adora frowned. “It’s just—”

  “I know what Adora is thinking,” Swift Wind said. He turned to Twinkles. “You should stay here on the island.”

  Adora nodded. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  “But why? Isn’t that why we came here?” Frosta asked.

  “It is,” Adora admitted. “And these animals are amazing. They would be a great addition to the Rebellion.”

  “They would,” Swift Wind agreed. “I know you sent me back there to protect them, Adora, but they were like an organized team of skilled warriors. They jumped into action to save the island—and to help you.”

  “That’s exactly why they need to stay here,” Adora said. She turned to the princesses and Bow. “Treeleaf took me into the woods. There are so many creatures in there! They’re all magical, but not all of them can fight. They need protection. The animals should stay here and protect this place.”

  “And if you ever need help, you can call on us,” Swift Wind added.

  Twinkles nodded and answered him.

  “Twinkles says you are right—they will stay,” Swift Wind said. “But if you need their help, you can always come back.”

  “Before we go, there’s something I’d like to do,” Adora said. She turned to Bow. “Do you think you can help me change an ancient First Ones password?”

  Bow grinned. “I’m not sure, but I’d like to try.”

  “We’ll be back,” Adora said. “Swift Wind, can you give us a lift?”

  “Sure thing,” Swift Wind said, and Adora and Bow climbed on his back. They flew back to the holographic barrier protecting the island.

  “Just fly back and forth, if you don’t mind,” Adora instructed. “I’ll try to see if I can find a password reset.”

  “Do you see the word ‘settings’ anywhere?” Bow asked.

  “No,” Adora replied. She scanned the symbols lighting up the wall. “But there is the word for shield. Maybe that’s a security thing?”

  “Try tapping it,” Bow suggested.

  “Swift Wind, get us closer, please,” Adora said.

  “I will, but only because you said please,” Swift Wind replied.

  They flew closer, and Adora reached out and tapped the word shield. Nothing happened.

  “Hmm,” Bow said. “Try using your sword.”

  Adora touched the wall with her sword. Again, nothing happened.

  “Okay, now try touching it with your sword and saying the current password,” Bow suggested.

  Adora frowned. “What was it again? It was a weird word.”

  “Truculenter,” Swift Wind reminded her.

  “Right,” Adora said. “Thanks, Swift Wind.”

  She tapped the wall again with her sword. “Truculenter!”

  The word for shield disappeared, and an empty box appeared.

  “You did it!” Bow said. “Now enter the new password.”

  “I can read First Ones language, but I’m still learning how to write it,” Adora replied uncertain
ly.

  “You can do it,” Bow said. “Keep it simple.”

  Adora nodded and took a deep breath. With a sword, she drew a line from right to left across the box. Then she drew four symbols attached to the bottom of the line, from right to left.

  When she was done, she tapped the box. It disappeared, and the word shield appeared.

  “What did you change it to?” Bow asked.

  “Treeleaf,” Adora replied. “That’s one I’m sure I’ll never forget.”

  “Treeleaf—of course,” Swift Wind muttered.

  “Okay, thanks, Swift Wind!” Adora said. “Let’s return to the island.”

  When they got back, they found the animals on the shore with the princesses, by the flat-bottomed boat.

  “We changed the password on the wall,” Adora told Twinkles. “You should be safe again.”

  Twinkles made some squeaky noises.

  “He said thank you,” Swift Wind reported. “And he wishes us a safe journey home.”

  “One thing before we go,” Adora said, and she looked at Swift Wind. “If you want to stay here, with the animals, I understand.”

  “What are you saying?” Swift Wind asked Adora. “That you don’t need me anymore?”

  “No, of course not!” Adora replied. “I just want you to be happy. I know it’s hard for you to be the only magical creature in Bright Moon. If you stayed here, you’d be with your own kind. And you’d make a great addition to their community.”

  “Is that what you really think?” Swift Wind asked. “Or do you want to leave me here and take Treeleaf with you?”

  “No, of course not,” Adora said. “You’ve got no reason to be jealous of Treeleaf, you know.”

  Swift Wind looked away from her. “Jealous? Pffffftht!”

  “Okay, then you’ve got to believe me that I was only asking because I wanted you to be happy,” Adora said. “The animals on this island are amazing, but none of them could take your place. You are as much a part of the Rebellion as any of us.”

  “Hmm,” Swift Wind said, as though he still needed convincing.

  Adora looked at him. “And you’re the only magical creature I need,” she said. “You were special to begin with, and She-Ra’s sword only made you even more special. We’re linked by the sword, Swift Wind. I can’t be She-Ra without you.”

  “And I wouldn’t be Swift Wind without you,” he replied.

  Adora looked into his blue eyes and smiled.

  “Good,” she said. “Now, try to stay not jealous for the next two minutes.”

  She walked over to Treeleaf and patted his neck. “I’m really glad that I met you,” she said. “And when we defeat the Horde, and Etheria is safe again, we’ll come back and visit. You won’t be alone forever.”

  In response, Treeleaf changed his color to a deep, warm pink.

  The others said goodbye to their new animal friends. Mermista hugged Felix the sloth. Glimmer stroked Mehira’s fur. Frosta cuddled Tajana the white fox one last time. And Bow patted the porcupine very, very carefully.

  Swift Wind nodded to Twinkles. “Goodbye, my mighty little friend,” he said. “I wish you were coming with us. You’d make a great leader of the revolution!”

  Then they boarded the boat and rowed away from the island.

  “Well, that was some adventure,” Glimmer remarked to Adora. “Even though it didn’t turn out exactly the way we planned.”

  “I know,” Adora replied, and then she lowered her voice to a whisper. “But I really think I may have bonded with Swift Wind on this trip. Finally!”

  When they reached the shore, they climbed off the boat.

  “Guess it’s time to start our long, long walk,” Frosta said.

  “Adora, you and Swift Wind should fly back to Bright Moon,” Perfuma suggested. “We won’t mind.”

  “That’s okay,” Adora said. “Princesses need to stick together, right?”

  “You princesses can stick together,” Swift Wind said, flapping his wings. “But this horse is flying home. See ya later!”

  Then he took off into the sky.

  Glimmer looked at Adora. “So you bonded, huh?”

  Adora laughed. “Maybe not this time,” she said. “But I have a feeling it will happen soon!”

  Tracey West has written more than 300 books for children and young adults, including the following series: Pixie Tricks, Hiro’s Quest, and Dragon Masters. She has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list as the author of the Pokémon chapter book adaptations. Tracey currently lives with her family in New York State’s Catskill Mountains. She can be found on Twitter at @TraceyWestBooks.

  Turn the page for a sneak peek at the next She-Ra adventure, Song of the Sea Witch!

  “The Rebellion is unstoppable!” Glimmer was saying. “Taking that fortress from the Horde was an impressive exercise in teamwork!”

  In a shower of purple sparkles, she teleported from her nest-like bed near the ceiling of her bedroom, and materialized next to Adora. Her mouth in a determined line, Adora practiced fencing moves with her sword while Glimmer talked.

  “Perfuma created that giant plant golem that swatted away the Horde soldiers on foot,” Glimmer went on. “Frosta pummeled those Horde bots with her ice fists! Mermista combined her waves with Bow’s electric arrows to fry the Horde’s laser cannons. It was amazing!”

  “Definitely,” Adora agreed, thrusting at an invisible enemy.

  “And after Bow stopped that Kyle kid with one of his net arrows, I saved Bow from being blasted by that lizard guy,” Glimmer said.

  Bow was sitting cross-legged on the floor at a low table in a corner of the room.

  “Yeah, thanks for that,” Bow said, keeping his eyes on the tiny, wooden figure he was painting.

  Glimmer turned back to Adora. “And Adora, you—”

  “—let Scorpia knock my sword out of my hands after I transformed into She-Ra,” Adora replied. “If you hadn’t distracted her, I might be—”

  “But that’s exactly what teamwork is all about!” Glimmer pointed out. “When one of us is in trouble, another one of us is right there to back them up.”

  Adora nodded. “I know. But a team is only as strong as its weakest member. And I’ve got to work on my sword skills.” She spun in a circle, holding her sword out in front of her.

  Bow looked up. “You’re not saying you’re a weak link, are you?” Bow asked. “Because you’re the only one of us who can transform into an eight-foot-tall super-strong warrior with amazing powers.”

  “Powers that are no good without the skill to back them up,” Adora said.

  Her life before she had become She-Ra seemed like an eternity ago, but it was really only a few months. It had all began when she had discovered the sword in the Whispering Woods. The sword was linked to her, somehow, and when she held it over her head and said, “For the Honor of Grayskull!” she transformed into She-Ra, Princess of Power.

  She’d had to quickly decide if she wanted to stay with the Horde, the fighting force from the Fright Zone dedicated to defeating the princesses of Etheria—or use her new powers to join the princesses and stop the Horde.

  She’d chosen the princesses, turning her back on her best friend, Catra, a force captain in the Horde. That had begun a chain reaction that had resulted in a huge fight, the battle of Bright Moon. The princesses had won that battle, but Catra wasn’t giving up. Every day there was a new battle to fight.

  I have to be stronger, better, faster, Adora told herself. We have to defeat the Horde and save Etheria once and for all!

  Glimmer touched the end of Adora’s sword and gently lowered it.

  “You’re being too hard on yourself, Adora,” she said. “The Princess Rebellion is going to win this fight. After our last battle, I’m more confident than ever. I can’t wait for our next strategy session.”

  “I wish the other princesses hadn’t gone back to their kingdoms,” Bow said. “I just can’t seem to get the details right on their battle figures.”
>
  “Let me see,” Glimmer said, and she teleported over to him.

  Bow had created what he called a “war table” so that they could plot out battle strategies using pieces that represented the members of the rebellion and their opponents. He’d started out by carving and painting figures of himself, Glimmer, and She-Ra, but now the other princesses wanted their own.

  The original figures stood in the center of the board: She-Ra with her flowing mane of golden hair; Glimmer with her pink-and-purple hair and blue cape; and Bow grasping a tiny bow and arrow.

  Circling them were the other finished figures. Perfuma, with her long, pale hair and pink-and-green gown. Frosta, shorter than all of the rest, with her fur-trimmed jacket and blue hair. Spinnerella’s purple leotard and tights matched her long, purple hair, and Netossa’s figure had a sweep of white hair over one side of her face.

  In his hand, Bow held a battle figure wearing a gold-and-turquoise outfit.

  “I can’t get the shade of Mermista’s hair just right,” Bow complained.

  “It should be a little more blue, less green,” Glimmer offered.

  Bow nodded. “You’re right!” He dipped his paint brush into a little jar of blue paint.

  “Actually, can you finish that later?” Glimmer asked him. “Mom is expecting us to give her a report on the battle at the fortress.”

  Bow stuck out his tongue, concentrating as he added blue paint strokes to Mermista’s hair. “Almost got it . . . perfect!” he announced.

  “Yeah, that’s good,” Glimmer agreed. “You’ve managed to capture that ‘I don’t care’ look on her face just right.”

  Adora tucked her sword into her belt. “Mermista does care,” she remarked. “She just doesn’t want anyone to know that she does.”

  It had taken a little while for Adora to understand the princess from Salineas. Mermista was brutally honest and acted like nothing or nobody impressed her. But she had quickly proven that she cared about a lot of things, including saving Etheria, and protecting her friends. The Rebellion wouldn’t be the same without her.

  “Well, I’m sure she’s going to have a problem with her battle figure,” Bow said. “But I tried my best.” He put the figure down on the war table.