Cocoa needed them. And the two Candy Fairies were on their way.
“I don’t understand,” Berry said. She was soaring through the air as fast as she could. “Chocolate eggs don’t disappear.”
“No, they don’t,” Raina said, agreeing. “All of Candy Kingdom is waiting for those eggs—and the Egg Parade! Spring isn’t official until those eggs are delivered!”
“The sugar fly didn’t say anything else?” Berry asked. She knew that Raina often overreacted.
But in this case, she understood. Missing choco-late eggs were something to be very concerned about.
“No, he had no other information,” Raina said. “The fly just delivered the message and then flew off. He was off to Peppermint Grove to find Dash next.”
Raina took a deep breath. This isn’t good news, she said to herself. She thought of her friend, and shook her head. “Poor Cocoa!” she cried.
The two fairies flew up along Chocolate River to Chocolate Woods. Raina glanced down at the roaring river. She put her hand up to her eyes to shield the glare from the sun. Was she imagining things? She shook her head and then looked down below again. She slowed her wings and pointed to the river.
“Berry!” she cried in a hushed whisper. “Look!”
Following Raina’s finger, Berry looked down below. She squinted her blue eyes as she watched the scene.
“Come on! Let’s get closer!” Berry said. She quickly dove down to get a better look at
the river. As she flew closer, she saw what had caught Raina’s eye. Hiding behind a large wild fruit-chew bush, she and Raina watched carefully. Furry little Chuchies were crossing the river. They were carrying a black licorice stretcher filled with Cocoa’s chocolate eggs!
The Chuchies lived in the salty pretzel stalks near Black Licorice Swamp. Although they lived in the swamp, they loved fairy candy. The Chuchies were sneaky creatures who would do anything to get it!
Raina peered over Berry’s shoulder in disbelief. “I’ve never seen the Chuchies in Candy
Kingdom!” she whispered.
“Mogu!” Berry whispered to her. She narrowed her eyes. This bitterness could only come from one Sugar Valley creature. Just thinking of him made her scowl.
Raina gasped. Hearing that name sent a chill down to the tips of her wings. Mogu was a salty old troll who lived under the bridge in Black Licorice Swamp. His sour nature was part of what made the swamp bitter and dark.
“You know that the Chuchies do whatever Mogu asks because he gives them candy,” Berry said.
“Stolen candy,” Raina said.
The old troll usually kept to himself and stayed under his bridge. But he was known to have candy cravings. …
But would he stoop to stealing? Raina wondered.
“Those furry little thieves never act alone,” Berry said. She squinted her eyes as she watched. “They do whatever old Mogu tells them to do. He must be behind this!”
This situation was worse than Raina could have imagined. Nowhere in the Fairy Code Book was there any information about getting chocolate eggs back from Black Licorice Swamp! She watched as the Chuchies waddled across the river. There was nothing the two fairies could do. Candy Fairies had limited power across the river.
This was a very sour situation!
“What are we going to do?” Raina cried. Her wings started to twitch nervously.
“First, you have to calm down,” Berry instructed. She looked Raina in the eye. “We have to tell Cocoa.” Then she turned to watch the Chuchies cross the river. “Those rotten little thieves,” she grumbled. “How dare they steal fairy chocolate!”
“But, Berry,” Raina pleaded, “if you tell Cocoa that we saw the Chuchies with the eggs, she’ll want to go see Mogu herself!” She shook her head, making her long hair fly in the breeze. “She’s crazy enough to make that journey across the river and over the Frosted Mountains. We can’t let her do that!”
Berry nodded her head, agreeing. “It would be just like Cocoa,” she said. “But we have to tell her the truth. Someone needs to save the eggs. Now that the Chuchies took them across the river, we have to do something. Fast.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Raina said.
Bittersweet News
Raina and Berry found Cocoa and Melli sitting at the bottom of the old chocolate oak tree.
“This is the gooiest mess of all time,” Cocoa said. When she saw her friends coming, she looked up at them. Seeing them gave her a little bit of hope. She was glad her friends were there. “What am I going to do?” she cried.
“Mogu has the eggs,” Berry told her before her feet even touched the ground. Berry always told things straight, and this news was too big to sugarcoat.
“Mogu!” Cocoa exclaimed. “That salty old troll! I knew it!”
Melli’s mouth dropped open. “What?!”
“We saw the eggs,” Berry went on. She moved closer to Cocoa. “They are safe,” she said. Then she added, “For now.”
“Holy peppermint!” Dash cried as she swooped into the Chocolate Woods. She was a bundle of excited energy. “Was that sugar fly for real? Are the eggs really gone?”
“Shhh,” Melli scolded. She reached up and grabbed Dash’s tiny hand. “We don’t need every fairy in the kingdom to hear.” She turned back to Berry. “What are you talking about? Where did you see the eggs?”
Berry watched the look on each of her friends’ faces. She was used to fairies gawking at her. Fairies usually stopped her to admire her beautiful wings or clothes, but this was different. This was serious. “Raina and I saw the Chuchies carrying the eggs over Chocolate River. They had a stretcher made out of black licorice.”
Melli, Dash, and Cocoa gasped.
“Are you sure?” Melli asked Raina and Berry.
Raina quickly nodded her head. “They were Chuchies, all right. And they must have been following Mogu’s orders, as usual.” She rushed over to Cocoa. “Oh, Cocoa!” she cried. “I am so sorry!”
“We’ve got to do something!” Dash blurted.
Cocoa twirled her finger around one of her
long curls. “I need to go get those eggs back!” She stood up and looked at her friends. They all looked shocked. “I can do it. I can trick that sour old troll!” she said. She stomped her foot. “He’d better watch out. No one steals
candy from Cocoa the Chocolate Fairy!”
“No!” Raina blurted out. “No fairy has ever been on the other side of the Frosted Mountains! Our magic doesn’t work over there.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Berry pointed out.
“Come on, Raina,” Cocoa said. “We don’t know if all those stories are true.”
Raina’s eyes grew wide with panic. “You don’t believe the Fairy Code Book? Are you nuts?” Raina, unlike her friends, had memorized the Fairy Code Book. She knew the entire history of Candy Kingdom, and she was quick to point out any dangers.
Melli put her hand on Raina’s shoulder. “Raina has a point. Have you ever heard of any fairy going far beyond Chocolate River and over the Frosted Mountains?”
“Why would anyone want to?” Dash cracked. “Everything we need is here—well, except the eggs, I guess.”
Cocoa closed her eyes. “Bittersweet chocolate,” she moaned. “This is awful.” Her wings drooped low on the ground.
“Don’t dip your wings in syrup yet,” Berry said calmly. “We can think of a plan.”
“Yes,” Cocoa agreed. She was starting to perk up a little. “A plan to get me to Mogu’s bridge. I’ve got a few words for him.”
Berry held up her hand. “All right, hold on,” she said. “You can’t just go flying out there by yourself.”
Raina’s face was full of concern. “A fairy can’t take anything from under a troll’s bridge without permission,” she said. She noticed the surprised looks on her friends’ faces. “You really haven’t read the Fairy Code Book?” she asked.
Laughing, Berry shook her head. “We don’t have to,” sh
e said. “We have you!”
“Very funny,” Raina said. “But this is serious sugar.”
“There’s only one person who can help,” Melli said gently. Her friends nodded in agreement. They were all thinking the same thing.
Cocoa knew exactly who Melli was thinking of, but she didn’t want to say. How could she tell the sweet fairy princess such awful news?
“Princess Lolli has a heart of sugar,” Raina reminded her. “She’ll be able to help. She is the wisest fairy in the kingdom.”
“They don’t call her princess for nothing,” Dash added.
Berry moved closer to Cocoa. “She’s your best bet, Cocoa. If anyone can hatch a plan to get the eggs back, it’s Princess Lolli.”
Cocoa knew her friends were right. Princess Lolli always knew what to do. But would the princess let her go to Black Licorice Swamp? Cocoa had to go rescue the eggs—even if it meant she had to cross the Frosted Mountains alone!
A Chocolate Promise
The fairies took off in the air and headed to Candy Castle. They flew side by side. They were on a mission to help their friend Cocoa.
Cocoa felt so lucky to have such good, true friends. She hoped with all her heart that no one else noticed the empty chocolate nest. Facing the other Chocolate Fairies would be terrible. She had to get those eggs back from Mogu before the parade!
When they could see the tallest lollipops in Lollipop Landing, Cocoa slowed her wings.
“Wait, what should I say to the princess?” Cocoa asked her friends. She floated in the air, waiting for the fairies to reply. “She has to let me go save the eggs!”
Her friends gathered around her.
Melli took her hand. “You should tell Princess Lolli the truth,” she told her. “That’s the easiest thing to do.”
“And the hardest,” Berry added.
“We’ll all be with you,” Raina said, reaching out to hold her friend’s hand.
Dash bobbed her head up and down. “We won’t leave your side,” she vowed. “Plus, not only is Princess Lolli the kindest fairy, she’s the smartest. She’ll know what to do.”
“Come on,” Melli said. She squeezed Cocoa’s hand, and together they flew off.
Cocoa was thankful for Melli’s warm grip. While she wasn’t afraid to find Mogu, she couldn’t help being nervous about telling Princess Lolli what had happened. How would the princess react? She had put her trust in Cocoa. And Cocoa had made a solid chocolate promise to care for the eggs. Now that promise was broken.
“Everything will be okay,” Melli said, looking over at Cocoa. “Princess Lolli won’t be mad. She’ll know this isn’t your fault. Don’t worry.”
“We’re almost there,” Raina called out.
The bright pink castle came into view. With
her friends by her side, Cocoa felt she could handle anything. She would simply tell the princess that she had to save the eggs!
In front of the castle the Royal Gardens were in full bloom. All the brightly colored candy looked gorgeous—and delicious!
The garden was the pride of Sugar Valley. There was a sampling of all the candy grown in the kingdom, from the smallest fruit chews to the largest peppermint sticks. It was a rainbow of colors and a sensational sight.
The Castle Fairies who took care of the Royal Garden candy were all busy at work. They didn’t even look up to wonder why the five Candy Fairies were flying in through the sugarcoated gates.
“Good afternoon,” a fairy guard said, greeting them. He wore the official white-and-pink castle uniform. He tipped his cap and smiled. “What brings you lovely fairies here today?”
“Hello,” Cocoa responded bravely. “We’re here to see Princess Lolli.”
“Is she expecting you?” the guard asked. He eyed the five fairies carefully.
Cocoa was about to answer, but the words wouldn’t come out. She was too embarrassed to admit that the precious eggs were gone! She didn’t know what to say to the guard.
Berry stepped forward. She fluttered her long pink wings. “Cocoa is the Chocolate Fairy watching over the spring eggs,” she said. “She needs to speak to the princess at once.”
While Cocoa didn’t like people speaking for her, she was very relieved that Berry had stepped in. She turned to her friend and smiled. She was thankful that her friend understood how hard this was for her.
The guard nodded his head, and two Royal Fairies blew their shiny caramel trumpets to announce their arrival. Then the guard lifted the heavy white chocolate gate, and the fairies flew inside.
Cocoa took a deep breath as her feet touched down on the red licorice bridge. As she and her friends crossed the chocolate moat, Cocoa grew even more concerned. She looked around at all the candy in the Royal Gardens. If Mogu was able to send the Chuchies over to get the chocolate eggs, what would stop him from taking more candy? The whole kingdom was in danger! She hoped with all her heart that this egg situation would be fixed. And that she could put a stop to Mogu’s candy stealing.
A Dangerous Plan
The five fairies found Princess Lolli in the throne room watering a multiflavored jelly bean plant. She looked up and smiled at her guests.
“Hello,” Princess Lolli called. “What a nice surprise to see you all here today.” She lifted the heavy leaves of the plant. Gently, she plucked a few ripe beans. “Would you care for some fresh jelly beans? The green apple and grape are especially tasty.”
Cocoa stepped forward. “No, thank you, Princess Lolli,” she said. “We’re here with some very bitter news.”
Looking concerned, the princess placed the golden watering can down. She waved the fairies into her chamber. There was a pink throne bejeweled with little pieces of dazzling sugar candies, and there were pink velvet couches for visitors. “Come inside,” she told them. “Tell me what has happened. You all have such sour faces!”
The fairies followed the princess into the
room. Before they even sat down on the princess’s
regal couches, Cocoa blurted out, “The chocolate eggs have been stolen from the nest in Choco-late Woods!”
“Stolen?” Princess Lolli asked. She sat in her throne. Her face no longer showed a smile, but a frown.
“Yes, princess,” Berry said. She moved closer to her. “Raina and I saw a bunch of Chuchies taking the eggs across the river.”
The princess touched her wavy strawberry-colored hair. “Mogu,” she whispered.
“That’s what we think,” Dash piped up.
“Oh, princess!” Raina cried out. “Cocoa wants to cross the Frosted Mountains! I told her that it wasn’t safe, but she still wants to go!”
Cocoa smiled at Raina. She knew her friend was just nervous for her. “The eggs were my responsibility,” Cocoa said bravely. “I made a promise to protect the eggs. I want to go get them back.” She stood up and walked closer to the candy throne. “The chocolate eggs mean so much to all of Candy Kingdom,” she pleaded. “The Egg Parade is in two days!”
Princess Lolli looked thoughtfully at Cocoa. “Traveling across the Frosted Mountains is a dangerous journey,” she warned.
“I know,” Cocoa replied. She lowered her head. “But I need to go. The eggs were my responsibility. And now the kingdom is in great danger!”
“Your magic may not be as strong on the other side of the mountains,” Princess Lolli went on. She looked into Cocoa’s sad brown eyes. “As we head over the Frosted Mountains, our magic gets weaker.”
“I understand,” Cocoa told her. “But I want to get those eggs back. We need to put a stop to Mogu’s stealing.”
The five fairies waited for the princess to respond. They gathered around Cocoa, holding hands. They stood in silence as they watched the princess decide.
The beautiful fairy princess looked out the large window of her chambers. She was deep in thought. When she finally turned back to look at them, she chose her words carefully.
“Mogu can’t get away with stealing our candy,” Princess Lolli said, full of determi
nation. “We have to put a stop to this.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Cocoa said. She smiled at the princess.
“We will go together,” Princess Lolli told her. “Just the two of us. The trip is too dangerous to take you all.”
Cocoa’s friends looked worried. They wanted to help too. But Princess Lolli’s decision was final.
Cocoa clapped her hands. “Choc-o-rific!” she cheered. “Wait till I get my hands on Mogu. …”
Princess Lolli held up her hand. “Wait,” she said. “You will need to follow my every word. The only way to get what we want is to trick Mogu. Tricking an old troll like Mogu is sticky business. We will have to be clever and wise.”
Cocoa nodded her head. “I understand,” she told the princess.
“Mogu has tried to steal candy before,” Princess Lolli said. “But he has never stolen chocolate eggs.”
“I guess now he’s got the Chuchies to do his dirty work for him,” Berry said.
“All the more reason to teach him a lesson before the Chuchies become a bigger problem,” Princess Lolli told them.
Raina took a map from her bag. “Here,” she said. She gave the old scroll to the princess. “It’s a map
I drew of the Frosted Mountains. I memorized the locations from the Fairy Code Book. I hope it helps you reach Black Licorice Swamp safely.”
Princess Lolli touched Raina’s head gently. “Thank you,” she said. “That map will be very useful.” She looked each fairy in the eye. “I don’t want all the fairies in the kingdom to panic,” she explained. “This needs to remain a secret for now. Can I count on all of you to keep this quiet?”
The fairies all nodded their heads solemnly.
“We will be back before Sun Dip,” the princess said. “And, hopefully, we will return with the chocolate eggs.”
Cocoa wanted to believe the princess. She hoped that by going on this journey, they would get the eggs back. And stop Mogu from stealing more from the fairies. It was a dangerous plan. Now more than ever she knew she had to be brave.
Black Licorice
Chocolate Dreams Page 2