“Right you are mate,” Fibs replied. “Duke, Grim, get off your duffs. We got work to do,” the captain spat out, as he hoisted up his shorts.
“Yes, we’ve got work to do,” Flamario added.
“Very well then,” the fox said.
“I’ll fetch me coach and head to the skies for a better view, while the five of you cover the ground,” Mr. Jollysnaps said, as he pulled back and cracked his whip—turning a random branch in a nearby tree to gold.
Everyone let out an evil fit of laughter, while marching off into the woods to find the perfect hiding spot. There, they would wait for the arrival of their unsuspecting victims.
Michael had given in to the cat’s suggestion and changed back to his human, cartoon form, finally admitting the course they were on would be far too warm for a reindeer.
“The frost trail leads deep into the woods,” Midnight proclaimed. He pointed towards the ice-coated trail, which continued to magically wind its way over, under and around a multitude of shrubs, flowers, logs, rocks, tree branches, and even a slow moving stream. As sections of the trail were passed by the three adventurers, it quickly melted away, leaving no trace behind.
Further and deeper into the woods the two boys and cat carried on until the sunny, blue sky above had been completely shut out by the densely covered branches from the overhanging trees.
Midnight marched confidently onward, while Charlie and his brother’s eyes began to wander, wondering if they were indeed headed in the right direction. It was hard for them to believe that a place so dark and eerie as this was fit for the cottage of a snow fairy.
“Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?” Charlie asked.
“It sure doesn’t feel right,” Michael added.
“The frost trail is still very much alive and moving,” young men. “Why, just look at how she sparkles and glows. We need to keep up.”
The two brothers looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. “I guess you’re right?” Charlie said, with doubt blanketing his mind.
“Right as a rainy day, Charlie,” Midnight replied.
On the feline’s last word, the three adventurers came upon a small clearing in the woods. In it’s center was a very young tree—only eighteen inches tall at most. Under it was a small, moss-covered rock, no larger than an egg. And from above, filtered rays of sunlight shined through the overhanging leaves—highlighting the very spot upon which the small tree and stone sat. As Midnight, Charlie and Michael watched in wonderment from just outside the clearing, the magic frost trail began to spin in a tight, funnel-like manner until the frost became nothing more than radiant waves of silvery flakes, which gently floated downward upon the tiny tree and mossy stone. Each was sufficiently covered as if they were part of a miniature winter scene.
The three seekers slowly approached the incredibly small, yet quite astonishing, setting.
Rays of sunshine magically fused with the silvery flakes, setting off a dazzling display of blue and white sparks—and underneath its surface, the tiny little tree and stone began to grow at an enormously rapid rate!
Midnight and the boys quickly retreated back to their original viewpoint, as they witnessed a most amazing thing.
The tiny tree shot up and sprouted out into a full grown willow tree. And right beside it, before their very eyes, a cottage made of snowy, white stones, frozen sticks, leaves and straw grew from the size of a small stone, into a full-scale cottage with warm lights beaming from within.
The front door opened and a majestic, female voice called from within, “Please, come join us.”
Hesitant to accept the invitation, Midnight spoke out, “And who is it that requests our company?”
“It is I, the snow fairy, Neve. Your friend and silent protector of the watchmaker. Please come in and join us, won’t you?”
The boys, trusting what they had heard, immediately began to walk towards the open door, but were called back by the hesitant cat.
“Uh-uh-uh-uh-uhhhh, just a moment gentlemen. We need to make sure she is who she says she is before we go trouncing through that door.”
“But you heard her, Midnight, it’s the snow fairy,” Charlie said. “You know, the one who led us to the watchmaker’s hidden village? Why would she ever want to cause us harm?”
“Good point, young man,” an older male voice called out from within the cottage.
“Is, is that you Raphael?” Midnight questioned.
A mature, well rounded man, short in stature, with rosy cheeks emerged from within the frost-covered cottage with open arms. “Welcome, welcome my friends. It is so good to see that you made it here safely.”
“Raphael, it is you,” Charlie said with excitement. He marched towards the watchmaker to give him a hug.
“Excuse me gentleman, I don’t mean to break up your special moment, but I think it’s best we all gather inside,” a small voice beyond the entryway said.
“Yes, he is right. We should probably get inside before someone sees us,” Raphael replied, stopping in his tracks. “Come-come, follow me inside where we can safely discuss our plans.”
Charlie, Michael and Midnight followed the watchmaker into the cottage—the door gently closed behind them.
SHWOOOOOP! On the click of the door latch, the frosty cottage and willow tree immediately shrunk back down to their original miniature sizes, assuring no unwanted attention would come their way.
“Did you happen to see which way they turned?” A gravely voice asked from behind a small cluster of oak trees.
“Now why would the captain be looking for someone he expects us to keep track of?” Duke asked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Grim replied. “Perhaps I thought three pairs of eyes for look’n would be better than two? Wouldn’t you agree, Captain?”
“Depends how smart the ones doing the look’n are,” Fibs replied, rolling his eyes.
“Really?” The fox said in a sarcastic tone to Fibs’ response. “You mean to tell us your two best spies aren’t even capable of following two little boys and a cat?”
“More capable than you, fluffy,” Grim spat back to the fox.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha! My little friend here is a fox, in case you didn’t realize,” Flamario said. “Why, he could do a better job of tracking than you, or your pathetic friend, with both eyes closed.”
“Is that so, you big overgrown hot head?” Duke said in defense of his friend, positioning a hand over his belt buckle—ready to transform into a toady troll for battle.
Flamario picked up on Duke’s action and prepared to fight as well.
“Now, now gentleman,” the silver fox interjected. “It’s time to rise above these feeble grudges you share amongst one another and focus on the task at hand. Where was the last trace of the boys and cat?” he asked.
“Over there near the creek,” Grim replied.
The silver fox walked over and sniffed the ground near the water’s edge where Grim had pointed. “Their scent grows stronger in this direction,” he said, pointing with his paw towards a pathway that led deeper into the woods.
“Alright, alright,” Fibs replied, shaking his head and flailing his arms in the air. “C’mon-c’mon, let’s get a move on before old fluffy here looses the scent.”
The fox and fire breather smirked at the captain’s frustrated remark and gestures.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jollysnaps continued to circle the woods from the sky above in his golden coach pulled by flying mules, to assure the seekers of the watch did not escape the forest.
As Midnight and the boys walked into the snow fairy’s cottage, they were pleasantly surprised to also see sitting before them, Featherwink, Provo, and Ticky and Tocky. Unbeknownst to the boys, everyone was now the size of a tiny bug in a cottage no larger than an egg. And though everything was extremely small, the details of the snow fairy’s humble abode were quite breathtaking. The walls were made of packed snow and tiny fragments of ice, which sparkled just so. Above was an extraordinarily high ceil
ing from which snow gently fell and bonded with the crystal-like floor to create an intricate snow flake pattern. The furniture was sculpted from ice and snow, yet when touched, was not cold. Upon the dining room table sat a bouquet of crystalized flowers which captured fragments of reflected light from the small, icicle chandelier above.
“Please, sit down,” Neve said. “We have much to tell you, and very little time to do so.”
“Yes-yes-yes, the snow fairy is correct,” Raphael added. “Charlie, I have something special for you.” The watchmaker reached into his vest pocket and pulled out the watch and showed it to the outsider.
“It’s magnificent. Does it work?” Charlie asked.
“Oh yes, it works quite well. Do you remember everything I explained to you last night?”
“Like how to use the green dream dot sensors, and that kind of stuff?”
“Heh, heh, heh. Yes, all that, what do you call it? Stuff.”
“I sure do. It was all I could think about last night.”
“OK then, lets see how you do.” Raphael carefully handed the watch to the boy. “Now, put it on, to see how it fits.”
Charlie slowly moved the watch over his hand and onto his left wrist, which seemed way too small for the size of the watchband. “I, uh…I think it’s a little big,” the boy said, giving the watchmaker a baffled look.
“Are you sure?” Raphael replied. He nodded towards the watch.
“Even I can see it’s too big,” Michael said.
“Hey! Whats going on,” Charlie blurted out. The watch magically adjusted to fit perfectly around his wrist. Not too tight. Not too loose.
“Looks like a good fit to me,” Featherwink added.
“Yes, I must say, the watch does fit the boy rather well,” Provo said.
“What kind of watch is that?” Michael said, staring intently at the timepiece.
Raphael smiled at the young boy. “Go ahead, Charlie, try it out, I’m anxious to see what you can do with it.
Neve interjected. “Just a little test for now. You must stay in the cottage. We don’t know who may be out there looking for it.”
“Yes, that would be smart,” Raphael added. “Charlie, why don’t you try something simple at first. Like say…”
“How about moving from here to that chair over there,” Michael said, pointing towards a corner of the room, some twenty feet away.
Neve approved. “Yes, try moving to the chair using the watch, Charlie.”
The young boy nodded. He pushed the button on the side, then spoke into the watch. “Take me to the chair in the corner of the snow fairy’s cottage.” Instantly, Mickey’s hands began to spin, faster and faster, while at the same time, a brilliant pattern of purple, orange, blue and red light lit up the face. Suddenly, the hands snapped in place, a blue light expanded outward, from the watch, encompassing Charlie completely. SHWOOOP! Charlie disappeared from the dining area, then reappeared, sitting in the chair by the corner.
“It worked,” Michael proclaimed.
Everyone joined in and celebrated Charlie’s success. Featherwink and Provo danced on the dining room table, Raphael spun arm and arm in circles with the snow fairy, and Ticky, Tocky and Midnight all skipped around the legs of the dining room table.
“It works, it works,” Raphael said in joyous celebration. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, the watchmaker continued. “Now remember, you can also use the watch to locate, and use, the nearest dream dot.”
“Yes sir, I remember what you told us last night about the green dots.”
“Good. Then you are all set. I wish you, your brother, and your kitty friend, good luck.”
“Thank you, sir,” Charlie said, as he started walking over to hug the watchmaker.
But just as he did, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure come walking into view from another room. The shape of the silhouetted figure appeared to be that of a young girl. Moving closer, the soft lit room revealed a beautifully crafted, wooden girl.
“Hello, Charlie. It’s good to see you again,” she said.
Charlie pulled back from the watchmaker, startled by the girl’s words. “How…how do you know my name?” The young boy didn’t know how to respond. All he could do was stand and stare—his mouth agape, as he took in the lovely features of the intricately carved, wooden girl.
Her hair was dark brown and wavy—pulled back and tied with a red bow. Her sparkling blue eyes were surrounded by long, lush lashes. Her cheeks were perfectly pronounced, and her lips, tight and pouty. She had on a sleeveless white shirt with a lace-patterned collar and cute blue shorts that fit just so. Her short laced socks were also white, and her shoes brown, with a subtle flower pattern on the tops.
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
“Uhhhh, nope.”
“It’s me, Sassyfran.”
“Ohhhh. It’s, you? But…but, you look so…”
“Different. Yeah, I know. When Raphael finished fixing the watch, he was nice enough to change me into something a little more presentable. So, what do you think?”
Charlie sat in silence, continuing to stare.
“What? Am I really that hideous to look at?”
“No-no-no, just the opposite. I mean, you look very nice.” Trying to get out of an embarrassing situation, Charlie turned to Raphael to offer his compliments. “You did an incredible job. I mean, uh, you are more talented than I ever thought. Um, what I’m trying to say is—”
The watchmaker giggled, as did the others. “It’s OK, Charlie. I understand. And thank you. Creating this little girl is some of the best work I have done in a long, long time,” he said with a humble smile.
“I’ll say,” Charlie added.
Everyone broke into laughter. They could clearly tell the young boy thought quite highly of Raphael’s latest achievement in woodworking.
The snow fairy stepped forward and spoke, sensing it was time for the boys and Midnight to depart. “I have something for you, Charlie.” She handed a small, clear object to the boy.
“What is it?” Michael asked. “It looks like an icicle.”
“Yes. But it is much more than that, Michael, the snow fairy said as she looked at Charlie. “Keep it with you at all times. If you ever need my help, just hold it in your hand and call my name—I’ll hear you.”
“But it’s made of ice. Won’t it melt if he carries it around?” Michael asked.
“It will only melt if taken by someone not deserving of its power.”
“Like a Thorn or a shadow villain?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, Charlie. Now put it into your pocket and make sure to carry it with you at all times.”
The outsider carefully placed the magic icicle into his pocket.
“Very well then, it’s time you head back to your parents.”
“Neve is right. It would be best if you go back before it gets too late. Besides, you don’t want to miss out on all the fun your parents are having in Disney Springs,” Raphael added.
“Yes, it would be nice to spend time with our parents,” Charlie replied. “OK, lets go” he said, while motioning to his brother and Midnight to come closer.
Michael responded, but the cat did not move.
“What about you, Midnight?”
“I uh, have to stay a little while longer. You two go on ahead, and I’ll see you in the morning,” the cat said, in a suspiciously strange manner.
“Yes, go enjoy a little Disney magic with your parents,” Featherwink added.
“Well. OK. We’ll see you tomorrow morning then. Right Midnight?”
“Without question,” the cat replied.
“Good,” he answered back. “Ready Michael?”
“Ready.”
Charlie pushed the watch button, then said,: “Take us to our parents.” Mickey’s hands spun faster and faster, the watch face glowed brilliantly in multiple colors. SNAP! The hands locked into place, a bright, purple mass of light engulfed the boys. SHWOOP! They were gone.
“They should be safe now,” the snow fairy said in relief.
“And not a minute too soon,” Raphael added.
“Darkness is upon us. Tomorrow you will tell the boys about Ben and what needs to be done?” Neve asked.
“Indeed, I will,” Midnight replied.
Chapter Fourteen
Heavy storm clouds had snuck in overnight. Not only into the morning sky, but into the outsider’s mind as well. Who, at the moment, was staring out a rain-drizzled window from within the Beach Club Resort. His parents, contemplating whether to hike through the thunderstorm to Epcot or to wait it out in the lobby. Either way, it made no difference to Charlie. His thoughts were consumed with one single thing. Why was Ben not at Neve’s cottage yesterday?
The doorman in the resort lobby approached the family. “I see we’re having a little bit of weather out there,” he said, peering out towards the unpleasant sky.
“Is it supposed to be like this all day?” Mrs. Z asked.
“Ohhhh, it should only last for another twenty or thirty minutes. After that, you should be good until around three this afternoon.” It’s Florida, and it’s summertime. Which means, a chance of rain and thunderstorms are likely almost every day. Good news is, the rain usually doesn’t last long. And with the Florida sun, things dry off in a hurry. Speaking of a hurry, your boys look like they’re anxious to get somewhere.”
“Awww. Yes, it’s only their second visit to Walt Disney World and there are a lot of things they want to see and do,” Mrs. Z replied.
“Say, that’s a nice Mickey watch you got there, young man, where did you get it?”
Put on the spot by the doorman’s question, Charlie was speechless. He struggled to come up with an answer.
“Yes, that is a good question. Where did you get the watch?” his dad asked.
“I uh…uh…I got it in the Magic Kingdom on our first day here, remember?” Charlie was sure his parents would never go for the lame answer he just dished out.
“From Uptown Jewelers on Main Street?” his father replied. “I don’t remember you buying a watch that day. Are you sure you got it from there?”
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