by Chris Colfer
The Justices were left speechless by Brystal’s remarks. It was rare for anyone to give the men an ultimatum, but a young woman had never spoken to them like that before. Lucy tried to start a slow clap for her friend, but her classmates didn’t think it was an appropriate time.
“Your Majesty, you can’t seriously be considering these demands?” Mounteclair asked.
“I’ve already agreed to them,” King Champion announced.
“Without consulting us?” Mounteclair asked in shock.
“Yes, Mounteclair, without you,” King Champion sneered. “As the current situation has proven, I tend to make my best decisions when the Justices aren’t around. King Warworth, Queen Endustria, and King White have already signed these demands into the laws of their kingdoms, and starting tomorrow, the Southern Kingdom will do the same.”
“Who’s King White?” Oldragaid asked.
“The newly appointed sovereign of the Northern Kingdom,” the king explained.
“By whose authority?” Oldragaid pressed.
“By our authority!” Lucy declared. “And would it kill you to take a bath and cut your dang nails? I thought you were a sloth until you opened your mouth!”
Oldragaid crossed his arms and fumed in the corner.
“And what are we supposed to call you?” Mounteclair asked the classmates. “Besides ‘the six bossiest children on the planet’?”
Brystal and her friends stared at the men with blank expressions. They hadn’t decided on a name for themselves yet. Before they seemed unprepared, Brystal chose the first name that came to mind.
“You can call us the Fairy Council,” she said. “And if you’ll excuse us, we have a kingdom to rebuild and a world to save.”
Brystal triumphantly led her classmates through the throne room, and they headed for the door. As they went, Justice Evergreen followed his daughter and desperately tried to get her attention.
“Brystal, wait!” Justice Evergreen called to her. “Brystal, slow down!”
She had absolutely nothing to say to her father, so she ignored him and kept walking. Justice Evergreen was embarrassed to be so blatantly disrespected in front of his colleagues. He lost his temper and forcefully grabbed hold of his daughter’s arm.
“Brystal Lynn Evergreen, you stop this instant!” he roared. “I will not be ignored by my own daughter!”
Everyone in the throne room went still and silent—even King Champion grew tense on his throne. Justice Evergreen’s words got under Brystal’s skin. Her father had never claimed her as family before, but now that she had saved the world, he suddenly wanted everyone to know she was his daughter. She yanked her arm out of his grip, whipped around to face him, and raised her wand threateningly toward his throat.
For the first time in his life, Justice Evergreen was afraid of his daughter, and he slowly backed away from her.
“That is the last time you will ever lay hands on me,” Brystal said. “And don’t you dare address me as daughter. You’re no father of mine.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE TALE OF MAGIC
A stampede of unicorns raced through the In-Between with dozens and dozens of young women on their backs. The majestic steeds retrieved all the workers from the Bootstrap Correctional Facility and transported them to the Celeste Weatherberry Memorial Academy of Magic. The exhausted and emaciated girls were completely rejuvenated by the enchanted creatures beneath them. Many of them laughed and cheered for the first time in years—some for the first time in their lives—and they looked at the thick woods around them with wide eyes and excited grins.
Within two hours of their departure, the unicorns were crossing through the hedge barrier and the young women laid eyes on the academy’s picturesque property for the very first time. They were absolutely astonished by all the colorful trees and flowers, the crystal-clear streams and lakes, the sparkling ocean on the horizon, and the soaring gryphons and fluttering pixies in the bright blue sky. The unicorns unloaded their passengers at the castle’s front steps, where Brystal, Lucy, Emerelda, Xanthous, Tangerina, Skylene, and Mrs. Vee were eagerly awaiting their new arrivals.
“Pip!” Brystal exclaimed.
She instantly spotted her small friend among the newcomers and ran down the front steps to give her a big welcoming hug.
“I’m so happy to see you!” Brystal said. “I’ve thought about you every day since I left the facility! I hope you’re all right!”
“I’m doing much better now that I’m here,” Pip said.
“Did those awful Edgars treat you terribly when I left?” Brystal asked.
“Nothing I wasn’t used to,” Pip said with a shrug. “You should have seen Mr. and Mrs. Edgar’s faces when they got the command to release us from the facility! They had just accepted an order from the Eastern Kingdom for five thousand pairs of boots! Now they have to make them all by themselves!”
Brystal laughed. “I normally don’t find pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, but just this once, I think it’s okay to relish it,” she said.
Pip stared up at the castle, mesmerized by its shimmering golden walls.
“I can’t believe you did it,” she said.
“Did what?” Brystal asked.
“You found a house by the ocean!” Pip said. “It’s even better than the one we used to dream about!”
“It’s a wonderful place to live,” Brystal said. “I think you’ll be very happy here.”
“I already am,” Pip said.
Once all the girls had climbed down from the unicorns, Brystal went to the top of the castle’s front steps to greet them.
“Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Celeste Weatherberry Memorial Academy of Magic,” she said. “Allow me to introduce you to my friends, Mrs. Vee, Lucy Goose, Emerelda Stone, Xanthous Hayfield, Tangerina Turkin, and Skylene Lavenders.”
“You may call me Madame Lavenders,” Skylene told the girls.
“For those of you who don’t remember me from the Bootstrap Correctional Facility, my name is Brystal Evergreen,” she said.
“Oh, we remember you!” said a girl.
“How could we forget?” said another.
“Well, I’m happy we’re all reunited,” Brystal said. “This academy was founded by our dearly departed mentor, Madame Weatherberry, and it’s thanks to her that we have a place to learn and grow. We’re going to honor Madame Weatherberry’s legacy by helping you improve and expand your magical abilities. And once you’ve mastered your skills, we’ll venture beyond the academy and use our magic to help and heal the people who need us.”
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll be teaching you about the five categories of magic—Improvement, Manifestation, Rehabilitation, Imagination, and Protection,” Emerelda said. “But before we give you a tour of the castle or the grounds, we wanted to share a couple of rules we’ll expect you to follow while staying at the academy.”
“Rule number one,” Xanthous said. “Never leave the academy grounds without an instructor.”
“Rule number two,” Tangerina said. “Always treat everyone with respect.”
“Rule number three,” Skylene said. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes—that is what learning is all about.”
“And rule number four,” Lucy said. “Don’t do anything I would do.”
After the rules were announced, a loud rumbling came from above and everyone gazed up at the castle. A large tower suddenly grew out of the third-floor corridor with enough bedrooms to accommodate all the young women joining the academy.
“Looks like your rooms are ready,” Mrs. Vee said. “Before you get settled, you’re all going to follow me straight to the dining room for a much-needed meal. But let me warn you from personal experience, if anyone in the castle but me offers you food, run as fast as you can! HA-HA!”
The bubbly housekeeper led the young women up the front steps and into their new home. Brystal, Lucy, Emerelda, Xanthous, Tangerina, and Skylene beamed with pride as they watched their new pupils
enter the academy.
“I can’t believe we have students!” Skylene said.
“Me neither,” Lucy said. “Do you think we’re responsible enough for this? Maybe we should have started with a plant or a goldfish first.”
“I think we’ll be fine,” Tangerina said. “I love telling people what to do.”
“Wait a second,” Xanthous asked. “If we’re the teachers now, then I suppose we’re not classmates anymore? Are we?”
“Nope, I believe this means we’ve officially graduated to being fairies,” Emerelda said.
“We’re not just fairies,” Skylene teased. “We’re the Fairy Council, remember?”
“It’s a shame Brystal didn’t come up with a better name,” Lucy said. “I have a feeling that one is going to stick around for a while.”
The fairies shared a laugh with one another, but Brystal wasn’t paying attention. She was gazing across the property, watching the hedge barrier with disappointment.
“Uh-oh,” Lucy said. “Brystal’s doing it again.”
“Doing what?” she said.
“Sadly looking off into the distance,” Xanthous said. “You do it all the time.”
“I do?” Brystal asked.
“Oh yeah,” Tangerina said. “And now we’re going to have to spend a minimum of five minutes convincing you to tell us what’s on your mind.”
“Well, I just don’t want to—”
“Trouble us with your concerns?” Emerelda asked. “We know. But the funny thing is, you trouble us more by keeping us in suspense.”
“So just spit it out already,” Skylene said.
Brystal blushed at the others’ playful comments and grinned against her will.
“You know, having such close friends can be a real nuisance sometimes,” she said. “I was hoping more people would be here by now—that’s why I looked sad. Magic has been legalized for the first time in centuries—I thought people would be rushing to join the academy! But I suppose the magical community isn’t ready to come out of the shadows just yet.”
“Everyone comes out in their own time,” Xanthous said. “We’ve just got to stay patient and positive, and keep letting them know we’ll be here when they’re ready.”
Brystal nodded. “You’re right, Xanthous,” she said. “You’re absolutely right.”
After the new students enjoyed a hearty meal in the dining room, the fairies helped the girls get situated in their bedrooms. Once everyone was settled, Brystal headed downstairs to continue watching the hedge barrier for any other guests who might be on their way. As she descended the floating staircase, the doors of Madame Weatherberry’s office caught the corner of her eye.
Brystal had been avoiding the office since they returned to the academy. She wanted to believe Madame Weatherberry was still inside and she convinced herself a part of the fairy would always be there if they kept the doors shut. Brystal pictured the fairy sitting behind her desk, eagerly waiting for a troubled pupil to knock on her door and solicit her comforting words of wisdom. However, now that Madame Weatherberry was gone, the new students would be coming to Brystal for advice, and an empty office wasn’t going to do anyone any good. So she forced herself to push open the wooden doors and stepped inside.
Everything in the office—the clouds drifting along the high ceiling, the bubbles floating out from the fireplace, the shelves of spell books, the cabinets of potions, the glass furniture—was exactly as Madame Weatherberry had left it. The only difference was the missing piece of the Map of Magic that Brystal had cut out. She waved her wand, and the missing chunk of the Northern Kingdom reappeared. Just as they planned, Madame Weatherberry had found someplace so secluded in the Northern Mountains that not a trace of her appeared on the map.
Brystal pointed her wand to the corner of the office, and a large globe appeared. However, unlike a regular globe, Brystal’s globe showed her what the planet looked like from space. She spun the globe to inspect the Northern Kingdom and was pleased to see a small patch of northern lights glimmering through the Northern Mountains.
“Hello, Madame Weatherberry,” Brystal whispered to the globe. “I hope you’re well.”
Brystal crossed to the window and checked the hedge barrier in the distance, but there still wasn’t any sign of anyone from the magical community. She let out a long sigh and sat down behind Madame Weatherberry’s glass desk. It was a subconscious decision to sit in her teacher’s former seat, but once she realized where she had placed herself, Brystal quickly leaped to her feet—she wasn’t ready for the significance of that just yet.
“I guess this is your office now, huh?”
The unexpected voice startled Brystal. She looked across the office and saw Lucy standing in the doorway.
“I guess it is,” Brystal said. “The castle still feels so weird without her, doesn’t it? I wonder if it’ll always feel like something is missing.”
“Probably,” Lucy said. “Luckily for us, Madame Weatherberry cast herself a wonderful understudy before she left.”
“Thanks,” Brystal said. “I hope I can live up to the task.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got enough faith in you for the both of us,” Lucy said.
She and Brystal exchanged a sweet smile, and for a split second, Lucy made Brystal feel like she belonged behind Madame Weatherberry’s desk. Lucy, on the other hand, had no problem sitting in their teacher’s seat. She made herself comfortable in the glass chair and kicked her feet up onto the desk.
“Everything is going to be different for you now,” Lucy said. “Personally, I think I’m going to enjoy being best friends with the most powerful person in the world. Every world leader needs at least one controversial friend—I can keep the public distracted if you’re ever facing a scandal.”
“Oh, please,” Brystal said. “I’m not the most powerful person in the world.”
“Of course you are,” Lucy said. “Did you hear yourself bossing those Justices around? You’ve got them and the sovereigns in the palm of your hand! They’re so afraid of the Snow Queen, they’re going to do anything you tell them to.”
“Oh my gosh—you’re right,” Brystal said in disbelief. “In just a couple of months, I’ve gone from a schoolgirl to leader of the free world! How did that happen?”
“It’s one heck of a political climb,” Lucy said. “What are we going to call you now that you’re so powerful? If you ask me, there’s no point in having power unless it comes with a fancy title. How about Commander of Magic? No, that sounds like a romance novel. Chancellor of Fairies? No, that’s the name of a terrible one-man show I saw once. The Fairy Empress? No, that sounds like a perfume. Fairy Overlord? No, too pompous. Oh, I know! What about the Fairy Godmother? To me it says Yes, I’m a nice person, but I also mean business.”
“I am not ready for a title,” Brystal said. “I still can’t believe I’m in charge of the academy. I’m going to need a few days before I can accept that I’m also the—”
Brystal went quiet before she finished her sentence. She suddenly realized she was much more prepared for the unexpected position than she had thought.
“Actually, maybe I did know this day was coming,” she thought out loud. “Despite all those years when I was told I didn’t matter, and despite all the people who told me I’d never amount to anything, I always knew I was destined for a great purpose. It makes no sense why a girl living in the Southern Kingdom would believe such things—at the time, we were only allowed to be wives and mothers—but if it hadn’t been for those encouraging little voices inside me, I may never have made it this far. In a way, I feel like everything in my life has been preparing me for this moment. Perhaps that’s been my specialty all along—the faith I had in myself?”
“Nah, that just sounds like narcissism,” Lucy said. “I figured out your specialty a long time ago—I’m surprised you still haven’t.”
“Well?” she asked. “What is it?”
“Think about all those times you put others before yoursel
f,” Lucy said. “You helped your brother study for an examination you weren’t even allowed to take. You took the fall for Pip when she got caught borrowing blankets in the facility. You spent your first night in the academy reading The Tales of Tidbit Twitch to the others so they wouldn’t be frightened of a thunderstorm. You baked me a whole cake from scratch just so I’d feel welcome here. And then when I ran away, you went into a dangerous forest to find me! Even now, instead of letting your newfound power corrupt you, you’re focusing all your efforts on making the world a better place. Obviously, you have a specialty for compassion.”
Brystal was touched by Lucy’s words.
“Do you really think I have a specialty for compassion?” she asked. “You’re not just sucking up to me because I’m the Fairy Godsomething-or-other now, are you?”
“Nope, I mean it,” Lucy said with a confident nod. “Otherwise, it would just be weird how much you care about helping other people.”
Just then, the wooden doors swung open and Emerelda, Xanthous, Tangerina, and Skylene charged into the office. The young fairies’ cheeks were bright red and they were all panting as if they had been running.
“Oh, there you are!” Emerelda said. “We’ve been looking all over the castle for you!”
“Brystal, you should come outside!” Xanthous said. “Like, now!”
“Why? What’s wrong?” she asked. “Are the students okay?”
“The students are fine,” Tangerina said. “People from the magical community have started showing up!”
“That’s wonderful!” Brystal exclaimed. “How many have joined us so far? A dozen? Ten? At least five?”