by T.A. Barron
“G-grandfather …” began Kate.
The old man gently stroked her long braid. “At least you’re safe, dear child. I still can’t believe you’re really—”
He stopped himself. Grim concern filled his face and he studied her hands anxiously.
“Your ring! It’s gone!”
Kate’s sad eyes met his. “I know. We were attacked by The Darkness and Morpheus tried to save me, but I got caught in an avalanche and lost it!”
Grandfather stepped back, visibly shaken. “All that you’ve been through! I had no idea … Kaitlyn, it’s truly a miracle that you survived. Not only must this planet have an oxygen-based atmosphere, but you could easily have frozen to death under a mountain of snow.”
“I nearly did,” she replied. “I don’t know how I ever dug myself out. I just kept wondering if you were in trouble, and—oh, Grandfather! I’m so glad to see you.”
The old man held his granddaughter for a long moment, as the winds whirled across the snowy ridge.
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t freeze to death,” said the old astronomer, wiping the tears from her cheek.
“I would have,” she replied, “if it hadn’t been for Ariella. She saved my life.”
Grandfather then noticed the small crystalline figure lying on the rocks a few paces away.
“Heavens,” he said in wonder. “Is that her?”
“No! That’s Spike, and he’s not anything like her! She’s …” Her voice faded into silence.
“She’s what, Kaitlyn?”
“She’s dead. Melted. She went over the waterfall into that horrible desert. And it’s all my fault! So I lost her and the ring—and Morpheus, too.”
“My brother,” moaned Orpheus, shaking his antennae violently. His enormous green eyes gave Kate a look of unbearable pain.
“I’m sorry,” said Kate sadly.
The butterfly waved his antennae dejectedly.
Grandfather frowned. “Until the ring is touched again by a living being, Morpheus will remain trapped inside it.”
“And he was injured, wasn’t he?” asked Orpheus. “I was sure that I felt him in pain.”
“Yes,” answered Kate, unable to look directly at Orpheus. “I think he was … hurt. It all happened so fast. The Darkness hit him with its tail and I don’t know what happened after that.”
Orpheus’ body trembled. Grandfather laid his hand gently on the butterfly’s neck, which seemed to calm him a little.
“A creature such as you describe must be a very powerful source of anti-light—very powerful, indeed—to separate you from your butterfly,” said Grandfather grimly. “I might have missed some random elements in making the PCL, but that still wouldn’t account for what happened. No, there’s something strange abroad in Trethoniel.”
“Yes,” exclaimed Kate. “And that’s not all that’s strange. Right here on—”
“Orpheus!” Grandfather’s cry interrupted her. “Orpheus, calm down!”
The great butterfly suddenly reared back, swaying his antennae furiously. “I must fly!” he cried.
Grandfather tried to restrain him, but without success.
The Darkness is near, thought Kate. Once again she felt the touch of utter coldness, and for the first time since she had donned Ariella’s cloak of crystalline light, her whole body felt chilled.
“Stop, Orpheus!”
At that instant, the butterfly broke free of Grandfather’s grip and lifted off toward one of the high peaks along the ridge.
“Come back,” called Grandfather. “Come back!”
But Orpheus ignored his command.
“Orpheus! Come back!” Grandfather kicked angrily at the snow. “Damn that random element. I should never have—what in heaven’s name—”
Just as Orpheus was about to disappear behind a cornice of snow, the great butterfly did something very strange.
“Somersaults!” cried Kate. “He’s turning somersaults in the air.”
As they stared in amazement, another pair of flashing wings appeared over the edge of the wall.
“Morpheus!”
“But how?”
Together, the two brothers celebrated their reunion in the finest tradition of aerial gymnastics. Somersaults, spins, loop-de-loops, and rolling turns decorated the sky. At last, they sailed down to the ridge next to Grandfather and Kate, landing with only a whisper of wind.
“Morpheus!” cried Kate, as she rushed to the great butterfly’s side. “You’re back!” She gently touched his left wing, which was badly frayed along its edge. “And you’re hurt.”
“Nothing serious,” declared the butterfly. “I only hope we don’t meet that creature ever again.”
Kate nodded, then suddenly froze, her eyes fixed on the shape clinging to Morpheus’ back.
“Ariella!”
The sparkling snow crystal leaped toward Kate and danced in the air before her face. Then she settled to the ground, and Kate gave her a hug as hearty as anyone with only two arms can deliver.
“Now I know why you wanted to find that ring,” Ariella exclaimed. “I’ve never felt so good in my life.” She then turned to Morpheus. “Those were first-class cartwheels you did up there.”
The antennae quivered. “Thank you.”
“I was afraid you were gone for good,” Kate said.
Ariella’s eyes gleamed. “So was I, especially when I realized I was melting from the heat. It’s so ironic. The first time in my life I get to see our star Trethoniel, it’s boiling me to death. I tried several times to climb the cliff, but it was just too steep, and much too high to jump. And those rocks were so hot! I was getting weaker by the second. So I moved back to see if I could see any kind of path or something, when suddenly I felt very faint. I fell down, and right there on the ground I saw the most beautiful little rainbow. I reached for it and the instant I touched it—this glorious creature appeared out of nowhere.”
Again the antennae quivered.
“You’ve got the ring!” cried Kate. Then she paused. “But, Ariella, what happened to the big ocean—the Bottomless Blue?”
The snow crystal’s eyes swung sadly toward the red desert. “I don’t know. I don’t know.” Then she turned again to Kate and extended a crystalline hand. “Here. You should take this back. Rings belong to creatures who have fingers.”
Kate took the butterfly ring and instantly the familiar green-blue mist filled her eyes. As she slipped it onto her finger, she felt once again the pulse of warm electricity coursing through her. Even as her body vanished, it was replaced with a clearer, lighter version of herself.
Her eyes met Grandfather’s. “I had almost forgotten how wonderful it feels.”
The astronomer stepped toward Ariella and bent down on one knee. “Dear creature, I know you are the one who saved my Kaitlyn’s life. I thank you. I thank you with all my being.”
“I accept your thanks,” replied the snow crystal. “But I couldn’t bear to let her beautiful song go silent.”
Grandfather turned a puzzled face to Kate.
“I think she means the Tallis Canon. I sang it while I was digging myself out, to give me strength.”
The white head nodded. “A good choice.” Suddenly, he remembered something and glanced at his ring. All but half of the right wing had disintegrated. Grandfather’s face grew deeply serious. “I’m afraid it’s time for us to return home.”
“But what about the Sun? What about the cure?”
“It’s time to go, Kaitlyn. We may have a minute or so left on my ring, but with some sort of anti-light creature running loose, I don’t want to take any more chances. I had no idea that there would be anything like—”
“The Darkness,” completed Kate. “I didn’t either. That’s for sure! But are you sure you want to turn back now, when you still have a minute left? If you want to use that minute to check out something important, Grandfather, I’m ready to go with you. As long as we’re careful, really careful, to avoid The Darkness, I’m wi
lling to stay a little while longer. After all, you still might find a cure. And it’s my fault you’ve used up a lot of time down here on Nel Sauria.”
The old man eyed her lovingly. “You are very brave, Kaitlyn. That’s something I didn’t really know about you before this whole business began. However, it’s a risk I just can’t accept. If anything were to happen to you, it would be the worst thing imaginable.”
“Even worse than the Sun dying?”
“Yes. That I can’t control. This I can. We’re going home, Kaitlyn, while we still are able. I’ll have to try to do what I can in the lab to find the Sun’s cure.” He looked sadly toward Trethoniel. “You’ve been no help at all, Great Star. No help at all!”
“You may not have found a cure for the Sun,” said Kate, “but you did find me. I don’t know how, but I’m awfully glad you did.”
Grandfather’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “But it was you who found me! I mean, I heard your voice, calling to me, telling me exactly where you were.”
“Me?” asked Kate, herself confused. “My voice? I was constantly calling your name, but I never really contacted you.”
“That’s impossible,” said Grandfather, shaking his head. “I heard you, loud and clear. You directed me here.”
In a flash, Kate understood. She looked knowingly toward a large, snow-crusted rock not far from where they stood, and a slight smile touched her face. “It wasn’t me who contacted you, Grandfather. It was the Sage of Sauria.”
Ariella spun to her side. “Are you serious? You actually met the Sage?”
Indicating the rock, Kate answered: “Yes, we met, and she told me some riddles about the Pattern. Not that I could follow any of them! Just try to climb on that rock over there, and she might do the same for you.”
Ariella’s eyes glowed warmly. Then, for the first time, they fell upon the broken body of Spike lying among the rocks. “Oh, Spike!” she cried, spinning over to the fallen crystal.
“I don’t know if he’s still alive,” said Kate, “but I did my best to get him out of that oven down there.”
“He’s still alive,” pronounced Ariella, “although just barely. You surely saved his life—poor, wretched life that it is.” She gazed at the crystal sadly. “Maybe the Nurse Crystals can put him back together—physically, at least. But I don’t think anyone can ever heal the bitterness that infected him when he lost his family. I’m afraid the Spike I once knew is gone forever.”
Kate reached for one of Ariella’s cupped hands and held it in her own. “You may not be able to change Spike’s life, but you’ve definitely changed mine. I don’t know how to thank you.”
The snow crystal brightened. “By staying awhile longer.”
Kate looked hopefully at Grandfather, who shook his head resolutely. She faced Ariella again and whispered, “I guess this means goodbye. I really wish I could give you something special, after all you’ve given me.”
Ariella’s eyes sparkled. “Someday, perhaps, you will come back to Nel Sauria and teach me the words to that song.”
“And I’ll make you some hot chocolate, too,” added Kate with a sad smile.
“But not now,” declared Grandfather. “Now we must fly. I’m worried that The Darkness, as you call it, is still nearby.”
Reluctantly, Kate gave the snow crystal a parting hug. “I will miss you.”
“And I will miss you.”
“Kaitlyn!” called Grandfather, who was already astride Orpheus. “Let’s go!”
She walked slowly over to Morpheus, who had straightened his antennae in readiness for their long voyage. He bent lower so that she could climb aboard easily.
“To Earth, then,” commanded Grandfather.
“Goodbye, Ariella!”
With a blur of iridescent blue, the great butterflies lifted off together, beating their wings furiously. Before Ariella could utter the word goodbye, they had disappeared into the clouds.
XI
Earthbound
As they sailed through the atmosphere of Nel Sauria, the vividly colored nebula of Trethoniel wove its way across the starscape. The great red giant itself, glowing as incandescent as ever, seemed to stretch out long arms of light to them, beckoning them to stay.
“We’ll be home in no time,” said Grandfather, his white hair glistening in the starlight. “Perhaps that cup of tea I asked you to make will still be warm.”
To her own surprise, Kate felt more sad than relieved to hear his words. She cast a glance behind them toward the planet Nel Sauria, perfectly white from this angle, receding rapidly in the distance.
“I know it’s difficult to leave,” said Grandfather, hearing her thoughts. “We’ve been treated to an experience that no one else on Earth has ever known.”
“Or will ever know, unless you can cure the Sun’s problems,” replied Kate. She continued to gaze at the small white planet, then added wistfully: “I’m really going to miss Ariella.”
“You two actually came to know each other a little bit, didn’t you?”
Kate made no answer, but deep inside of herself she knew that she had just made—and lost—her first true friend, other than Grandfather.
Suddenly, both butterflies lurched forward, nearly dislodging their passengers.
“Orpheus! Morpheus!” commanded Grandfather. “What do you think you’re doing? This is no time for games. Take us to Earth!”
“I—I’m trying,” said Orpheus, his antennae quivering with stress.
“I feel so—so weak all of a sudden,” moaned Morpheus. “I—just—can’t push myself—any—faster.”
“We’re slowing down!”
Even as Kate cried out, the wings of their interstellar steeds began to beat less and less vigorously. Soon they were no longer a blur of motion, but were clearly visible, flapping strenuously in the void of space.
“What’s wrong?” cried Grandfather. “Is something pulling you back?”
“No,” panted Orpheus. “My—strength is being—being sapped.”
Kate clutched Morpheus’ neck more tightly. She looked toward Grandfather, whose eyes were filled with fear.
“That’s impossible!” he protested. “We should have plenty of time left.”
“But we don’t!” groaned Morpheus. “Something—is blocking—the PCL I need! It’s—draining—me!”
Grandfather shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t understand. Something must be interfering with the conductive property of the rings!”
Kate looked at her butterfly ring. A good portion of the right wing remained; Morpheus should still have plenty of fuel. Then she noticed something else, something that made her gasp: The ring was steadily losing its luster. Before her eyes, its iridescent gleam faded and hardened into a dense, dull gray, as if it had turned into stone.
Even as the butterflies strained to move ahead, their wings grew steadily thinner, lighter, until they looked like faded reflections of themselves. Patches of the wings became invisible, so Kate could see only empty blackness where once she saw iridescent blues and greens.
“There,” called Morpheus, his antennae indicating a flat, rectangular crystal, barely big enough to hold the two butterflies, floating to the left of them. “We—must—land—there.”
“I can go—no further,” moaned Orpheus, his entire body shivering with exhaustion. “I can’t—can’t make it.”
“It’s not far,” cried Morpheus. “You—can—do it.”
Ghosts of their former selves, Morpheus and Orpheus struggled to bring themselves and their passengers closer to the rectangular crystal. With a wrenching effort of their nearly transparent wings, they finally pulled near to the edge. Then, giving one last push, they toppled over onto the crystal, sending Kate and Grandfather skidding across its smooth, glassy surface.
Exhausted, the great butterflies lay prone on the crystal, legs splayed, breathing heavily. Slowly, to Kate’s horror, their wings grew more and more transparent until, finally, they could no longer be seen.
; “Morpheus! Your wings!”
The antennae quivered weakly. “I am—fading, Kate. I can’t—”
“Morpheus!” she cried. “Come back!”
Grandfather stepped over to her side. Like the butterflies, his eyes also seemed drained of light. He watched helplessly as the two black bodies slowly faded away entirely. The last thing to disappear was one of Morpheus’ antennae, which quivered valiantly before it vanished.
“What happened, Grandfather? Can’t you fix it? The rings had plenty of PCL left: You said so. You said so. Now we’re dead for sure!”
Kate stepped to the edge of the flat crystal and peered dismally over the edge. “Stranded … just waiting for The Darkness to come and get us. We should have stayed down there with Ariella.” She turned again to Grandfather, and in a fearful whisper, she asked: “What’s going to happen now?”
Grandfather heaved a painful sigh. “I don’t know, Kaitlyn. I don’t know.” He studied the dull half-wing on the turquoise band around his finger. “I don’t even know what’s happened to our rings. Something’s blocking their conductivity. We’re still made of heartlight, or else we’d be dead already, frozen, suffocated and irradiated to boot. Somehow the rings still have enough power to keep our heartlights intact, but not enough to bring the butterflies to life. It doesn’t make any sense!”
He brushed a clump of hair off his forehead and focused his regretful eyes on Kate. “Never—not even in my worst dreams—did I think that I would end up putting your life at risk. I should never have made a second ring. My own life is one thing … but yours.”
He spun around to face the shining red mass of Trethoniel. Raising his fist, he shouted: “I came here for an answer! I came here for help! And what have you given me? The worst disaster I could ever imagine!”
Dejectedly, he looked at his own reflection in the mirrorlike crystal. “It’s my own fault, not Trethoniel’s. I’m such a stupid old fool. I never expected that Trethoniel’s gift would be death instead of life … And I must have botched the formula for making PCL. What a worthless excuse for a scientist I am.”