Jim Henson's Enchanted Sisters

by Elise Allen

  Summer didn’t know it, but her sisters were already there. Shade had met them at the border between Summer’s and Spring’s Sparkledoms, then had the girls climb on her back so she could get them to Summer as fast as possible. They were still on their way when they heard the CRACK of the tree limb breaking, the thump of Summer’s fall, and electric Weed laughter.

  “Summer!” Spring gasped.

  “We have to help her!” Winter insisted. “Shade, run!”

  Panic coursed through Autumn, but she forced herself to remain calm and firm. “Don’t run, Shade,” she said. “And Winter, Spring, please keep your voices down.”

  “What are you talking about?” Winter whisper-growled. “Summer needs us!”

  “I agree. But didn’t you hear that laugh?” Autumn asked. “That wasn’t Twister. That was Thunderbolt. Something strange is going on here, and we shouldn’t do anything until we know exactly what it is.”

  “No,” Winter said. “This isn’t time for one of your Autumn planning sessions. We have to do something.”

  “Winter, please, listen to me,” Autumn pleaded. “I did things today I’ve never done. I rode a bear, I slid across a sheet of ice, I rafted down a river … I know you’re right—sometimes you need to jump in and do something. But this isn’t one of those times. I’m sure of it. I tried things your way. Can you please try them mine?”

  Winter struggled with herself, but relented. “Fine. We plan. Any ideas?”

  “We go somewhere we can see everything,” said Autumn. “Someplace hidden, but close enough that we can jump in and help Summer when we need to. Shade?”

  Shade thought, then darted through the woods and climbed up a sprawling tree thick with leaves that would give the Sparkles cover. The jaguar crawled to the edge of a lower limb. The Sparkles peered through the leaves and saw Summer on the ground not far away. Her face and dress were spattered with dirt. She glared up at Thunderbolt and Twister, who stood in front of her.

  “Now, Quake,” Twister said.

  The Sparkles clutched one another as the short, pig-nosed Weed stepped forward and shouted his awful spell. Autumn squeezed her sisters’ arms tightly as his earthquake split the ground and swallowed Summer whole. She knew Winter and Spring wanted to scream as much as she did, but silence had never been so important.

  After the quake, the world felt terrifyingly still and silent. Was Summer okay?

  Before they found out, Sleet emerged from the woods and joined his fellow Weeds. Winter shook her head in disbelief. “All four of them,” she whispered to Autumn. “You were right. If we’d run out when I said, we’d be stuck in that hole with Summer.”

  Autumn couldn’t respond. She was holding her breath, and only let it out when she heard Summer taunt the Weeds from inside the hole.

  Summer was okay. That was good. But she still needed their help, and only a perfect plan would do. Autumn was so lost in her own thoughts she didn’t hear what was happening below. She was surprised when Spring gasped and clapped a hand to her own mouth to stop from crying out.

  “What happened?” Autumn asked.

  “Twister told Summer that Sleet and Thunderbolt are going to blast her with their powers until she turns over her scepter,” Winter replied, her mouth a thin angry line.

  “That was the plan all along,” Autumn realized. “Twister only took the blanket from Spring to lure us into a trap.”

  “I’ll give you to the count of five,” Twister warned Summer below. “One …”

  Autumn had to think fast. Information, she needed information.

  She studied the Weeds. As Twister spoke, Sleet stepped to the edge of the hole and cracked his knuckles. They popped like ice, and Autumn noticed Quake wince at the sound and give Sleet a dirty look.

  “Two …,” Twister continued.

  Thunderbolt hummed excitedly. Autumn saw Twister glare at him to stop, but that only made Thunderbolt hum even louder.

  “Three …,” Twister said through gritted teeth.

  Sleet was still cracking his knuckles, but Autumn realized he was now doing it closer to Quake’s head. Quake balled his hands into fists and shuddered at every pop.

  The Weeds might be working together, but they weren’t a real team like the Sparkles. In fact, they seemed to love making one another crazy.

  The gears were churning now in Autumn’s mind, and a moment later she grabbed her sisters’ arms. “I have it!” she declared. “The perfect plan.”

  Winter, Spring, and even Shade leaned in close, and Autumn quickly told them exactly what to do. She’d only just finished when Twister hollered, “FIVE!”

  “Fleggrambaaaa!” Sleet roared. Yet just as he aimed his stick toward Summer, Autumn chanted a quick spell of her own and flicked her scepter toward Quake. A strong gust of wind hit him in the back. It blew him into Sleet, who lost his aim and shot his spell not at Summer, but at Twister.

  Icy sleet pelted Twister. He screamed as he twisted and squirmed to fight off the storm. “HEY! What are you doing?”

  “It was him!” Sleet said, pointing at Quake. “He pushed me!”

  “Did not!” Quake cried. “It was an accident!”

  “Oh, yeah?” Sleet said. “So’s this! Phregnoble-gacker!”

  He flicked his stick at Quake, and a fierce jet of sleet pummeled Quake’s belly. Quake yelled a spell of his own, and the ground under Sleet became an endless personal earthquake. The shaking ground moved with Sleet and rattled his body so violently that the Sparkles could hear his chattering teeth from up in their tree.

  Twister, meanwhile, still struggled under Sleet’s storm. He screamed at his brother to make it stop, but Sleet was in no shape to stop anything, including his own wildly shaking body.

  Only Thunderbolt was untouched. He laughed so hard at his brothers’ misfortune he couldn’t even stand. He fell over and rolled on the ground, gasping for air.

  “Thunderbolt!” Twister roared. “Get up and get the Sparkle!”

  “I will!” Thunderbolt panted through his laughter. “Look, I’ll even get a running start.”

  He raced toward Summer’s hole crying a wild spell, but his shout became a scream thanks to Spring. A little Sparkle Power from her, and a small root in Thunderbolt’s path wrapped itself around the Weed’s ankle. He flew forward, and his thunderbolt zapped off course to hit Twister right in the rear end.

  “OW!” Twister wailed. “Shaggrofligag!”

  He flicked his stick, and a tornado whirled out of the ground and scooped Thunderbolt off his feet. The Weed screamed as he spun around and around.

  While the Weeds sank into chaos, Shade climbed down from the tree, Winter pressed low on her back. At the edge of Summer’s hole, Winter lowered a vine Spring had grown for just this purpose, and Summer used it to pull herself out. The two girls quickly slipped back onto Shade, and the jaguar nimbly returned them to the safety of the tree branch. Once Summer slid off Shade, she wrapped her arms around all three of her sisters. “I knew you’d come save me,” she said. “The Weeds are no match for the three of you.”

  “The one of us,” Spring said. “It was all Autumn’s plan.”

  “But it took all of us to carry it out,” Autumn clarified.

  “Still, it wouldn’t have happened without you,” Winter said. “So if I ever give you a hard time for planning again, you have my permission to smack me with a fish.”

  It was Winter’s way of saying she was sorry. Autumn didn’t need an apology, but it made her feel warm inside all the same.

  “So what’s your next plan?” Summer asked Autumn. “How do we get the blanket from Twister?”

  “We don’t.” Autumn’s voice was gentle but firm. “It’s not worth it. Let’s just go to Mother’s.”

  “But if you don’t have the blanket, Mother will be so disappointed,” Spring said.

  “I know,” Autumn agreed.

  “But won’t that make you feel terrible?” Spring asked.

  “Very terrible,” Autumn acknowledged, “but
that’s okay. I made a mistake, and sometimes when you make a mistake, you have to feel terrible for a little while. But I won’t feel terrible forever. And next time I won’t make the same mistake. Now let’s go. There might not be a blanket, but there’s still a party, and we don’t want to miss it.”

  Together, the four Sparkles raised their scepters and began the chant that would take them to Mother’s realm. They said it softly so the Weeds wouldn’t hear.

  Unfortunately, the Sparkles didn’t realize what the Weeds were up to. Once Summer returned to the group, the girls had stopped paying attention to the boys, and had no idea how drastically the situation below had changed.

  It started with Twister, who was so furious at how badly his brothers had mucked things up that he ignored the sleet that still pelted him. He stared balefully at his brothers, all writhing and howling under one another’s spells.

  “Enough!” he snapped. “This ends now. We stop all the magic together. Immediately.”

  He raised his own stick. The other Weeds heeded the fury in Twister’s voice and did the same. They shouted their spells in unison, and the sleet, tornado, and earthquake disappeared, leaving the boys to dust themselves off and nurse their wounds and motion sickness.

  “No more shenanigans,” Twister continued. “We call Bluster. By the time he arrives, we’ll have Summer’s scepter, and the greatest victory he’s ever known.”

  Twister raised his stick once more, and again the other Weeds followed suit. They touched their sticks together and hollered in a single voice, “Bluster!”

  With their boss on his way, Twister stalked to the edge of the hole. He was done playing games with Summer. He planned to attack her with the largest tornado he could summon. That would knock her out, and Twister would easily take her scepter. He aimed his gnarled wand into the hole … and gaped.

  “Where is she?” he roared. “Where’s the Sparkle? We’ve already called Bluster!”

  The Weeds searched frantically until Quake spotted them: all four Sparkles and a jaguar, standing together on the same tree branch. The four Sparkles held their scepters high and said something Quake couldn’t hear.

  “Twister!” Quake called. “Guys!”

  The other Weeds turned just in time to see a glittering rainbow burst from the Sparkles’ scepters and stretch high into the sky. The Sparkles’ feet left the branch as they rose into the colorful light.

  “They’re going to ride that thing!” Twister said. “We’ve got to stop them! Everything you’ve got—now!”

  All four Weeds pointed their sticks and shouted their most powerful spells.

  Though the Sparkles had already started ascending the twinkling rainbow, their legs still dangled, not yet inside its magical path. The Weeds used this to their advantage. They pummeled the Sparkles’ legs with burst after burst of powerful energy blasts.

  Autumn was the first to feel the tug on her ankles, and it surprised her. The rainbow ride was always so easy. What was wrong? Had they made a mistake with the chant?

  “It’s the Weeds!” Winter shouted.

  “Keep fighting it!” Summer cried. If they broke their rainbow connection now, they’d end up locked in battle. It was far better to escape to Mother’s realm, yet every time they lifted a little bit higher, the swirl of Weed Power yanked them back down. The Sparkles were the rope in a magical tug-of-war.

  Autumn thought back to that morning’s Sparkle Ceremony, how she’d succeeded after a struggle. “Don’t let them distract you,” she said. “Concentrate on the rainbow, and how much we want to see Mother.”

  The Sparkles closed their eyes. Each one of them pictured Mother, and how happy they’d be to see her. Their love strengthened their magic. The glittery sparkles in the rainbow doubled, then tripled. The pull of their Sparkle Powers began to overwhelm the tug on their legs.

  With a POP, the Sparkles suddenly shot upward into the rainbow, far faster than they’d ever soared before. Gruff shouts and wild screams followed them, which was so strange they all turned to look.

  What they saw was shocking.

  All four Weeds tumbled along behind them.

  They were riding the rainbow too.

  Towing the Weeds up the rainbow was one thing. Towing them back down was quite another. The boys tumbled forward, crashed into the Sparkles, and at the bottom all eight of them spilled onto the ground in a jumbled heap.

  “Ow!” Quake cried. “Sleet, your elbow’s digging into my back!”

  “That’s my foot!” Summer corrected him.

  “I think I have glitter in my eye,” Sleet whined.

  “Someone’s scepter is tangled in my hair!” Twister complained.

  “Sorry!” Spring said. “And … ew.”

  Eventually the Sparkles and Weeds detangled from one another, but they kept their sticks and scepters poised for attack.

  “Why’d you have to drag us like that?” Thunderbolt asked.

  “Drag you?” Winter cried. “You tried to pull us out of the rainbow! It’s not our fault you got tangled in it!”

  “Why, boys!” a silky voice rang out. “How lovely of you to come for Serenity’s party!”

  It was Mother Nature, and the Sparkles had never been happier to hear her voice. She moved from one Weed to the next, patting their hair affectionately. “Twister, Sleet, Quake, Thunderbolt … I’m honored to have you in my home.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Thunderbolt said quietly.

  Autumn hid a smile. Faced with Mother, the boys tucked away their sticks, put their hands in their pockets, and stared down at the ground. It was like they were ashamed to be their wicked selves around Mother’s incredible goodness.

  “Um … we don’t need to, um … stay,” Twister said. “We can go back to the Barrens.”

  “Nonsense!” Mother Nature said. “The more the merrier! Serenity will be thrilled you want to celebrate with her. Come.”

  The boys dragged their feet, but none of them would dare talk back to Mother Nature. Autumn looked forward to watching them on their best behavior for the rest of the night.

  Mother led them to a giant canopy of flower petals and twinkle-lights. Here the party was in full swing. Music rang out from a choir of birds and insects. They were backed by the percussive beat of trees tapping their branches together. Lions danced with antelope. Jack-o’-lanterns chatted with flamingos. Autumn even saw the vine that had startled her earlier in the day. It was curled around a monkey, and the two were dancing together. Serenity, the guest of honor, floated in the middle of everything, curled on a pillow of the whitest, fluffiest, glitteriest cloud.

  “Are you ready?” Mother asked Autumn. “It’s time to give Serenity her present.”

  Autumn’s heart sank. She hated to disappoint Mother, but she’d made a mistake and it was time to be honest about it. If Mother was upset … well, Autumn had earned that. And she’d earn it when Mother trusted her again too.

  “Mother,” she began, “there’s something I have to tell you.”

  “Yes!” Summer jumped in. “Autumn had the best idea!”

  “It’s wonderful,” Spring gushed.

  “Autumn thought it would be really special if one of the Weeds gave Serenity her present,” Winter said. “Right, Twister?”

  Winter squeezed Twister’s arm. He gave her a dirty look. Mother didn’t seem to notice. “You know what?” she said. “That would be special! Thank you, Twister!”

  Twister froze. “Um … sure. You’re welcome.”

  Mother waited patiently. Twister looked confused.

  “Serenity’s present?” Mother asked.

  “Yes, Twister,” Winter said. “The present. The thing you’ve been holding for us.”

  “Ohhhhh!” Twister understood now, but he didn’t look happy about it. He grimaced, then pulled Serenity’s blanket from his pocket. Even after everything the blanket had been through, it looked just as sparkling and beautiful as the moment Autumn first saw it.

  “Here.” Twister shoved the bla
nket toward Serenity. “Happy birthday.”

  “It’s from me, Serenity!” Mother said. “Surprise!”

  She draped the blanket over her advisor, and everyone gasped. The dove and blanket complemented each other perfectly. Both were more stunning when they were together. Serenity cuddled into its coziness, then peered over her shoulders to admire it on herself. Finally she let out a series of joyful coos.

  “She loves it!” Mother cried. “And she was completely surprised! Thank you, Autumn. Thank you for keeping the blanket safe.”

  Behind Mother, Autumn saw her sisters jump up and down and hug one another. Their plan had worked. Mother would never know Autumn made a mistake.

  So why did Autumn feel so horrible?

  “I lost the blanket,” Autumn blurted. “It was an accident, but I used my Sparkle Powers and blew it away. If it weren’t for my sisters, Serenity wouldn’t have it at all. I’m not … I’m not as responsible as you think I am.”

  The last part was the hardest to say, but it was true. Autumn knew she deserved whatever she’d see in Mother’s eyes, but she couldn’t face it yet. She stared at the ground and waited, but Mother didn’t say a word. When Autumn looked up, Mother was smiling.

  “I’m proud of you, Autumn,” she said.

  Autumn didn’t understand. “What?”

  “You told me the truth,” Mother said, “even though you could have gotten away with a lie. What you just did proved you are responsible. I love you, Autumn.”

  Mother wrapped Autumn in a huge hug and held her tight. When they let go, Autumn thought the whole party glistened brighter and sounded happier.

  “Ready to celebrate?” Mother asked.

  Autumn was, but suddenly a giant storm cloud appeared in the middle of the party. Everyone stared as it grew larger and larger, then exploded to reveal …

  … Bluster Tempest!

  He was tall and wore clothes so black they seemed to suck in every bit of light. His eyes were just as dark, and they flashed as he roared, “Weeds! Why did you call …”