Dash held up her hand. “Wait a minty minute. How are we going to get the syrup into the barrels? And how are we going to get the barrels from the castle here to Caramel Hills?”
Melli sighed. “I didn’t think of that. Any ideas?”
“Where’s Raina with her Fairy Code Book when you need her?” Cocoa said with a sigh.
Melli thought back to the last Butterscotch Festival. She remembered there were tubes set up from the volcano that led to the caramel barrels. “We need tubes,” she said. “Something to pour the syrup in and move it from one place to another.” She turned to Dash. “What would you make a tube out of?”
Dash thought for a moment. She snapped her fingers. “Toffee,” she called out. “It’s strong and slippery. I think toffee candy will be perfect.”
Melli gave Dash a hug. “Sure as sugar, this is going to work! Dash, you get the toffee, and Cocoa and I will get the barrels.”
“So mint!” Dash said. “I know just the toffee tree to visit for a good strong piece. It might take me a while to carve out a tube, but I’ll try.”
“Dash,” Melli said, “I’m sure you’ll do a sugar-tastic job! We’ll meet you back here before Sun Dip.”
Feeling a burst of energy, Melli and Cocoa flew back to Candy Castle. Melli knew they’d find a large barrel there for them to take back to hold the butterscotch. Now all the syrup would not go to waste. And maybe, just maybe, they could stop the spill from spreading all over Sugar Valley.
At Candy Castle there were fairies flying busily around. With the kingdom in a state of emergency, everyone in Sugar Valley was helping out. So many fairies cared about Caramel Hills.
“There’s Tula,” Melli said. “Cocoa, let’s ask her about finding some empty barrels. I’m sure she can help us.”
The two fairies flew over to Tula, who was surrounded by a large group of fairies. She had a scroll and a long feather pen in her hands.
“Lemona, please take your crew of Sour Orchard Fairies to the animal rescue center set up in Caramel Hills,” Tula said. “You’ll find Cara the Caramel Fairy there, and she will advise you.”
Melli’s heart swelled with pride. She wanted to shout, “That’s my little sister!” She watched as the group of Sour Orchard Fairies flew off. Berry was friends with Lemona. One time Berry had even gone to Sour Orchard, and Lemona had been very nice to her. Once again Melli was touched that so many fairies wanted to help.
“We’re next,” Cocoa said, pulling Melli closer to Tula.
Tula didn’t even look up from her scroll. Melli wasn’t sure if she should speak first. She looked over at Cocoa, who nodded toward Tula.
“Go ahead,” Cocoa urged her friend. “Tell her your plan.”
Melli cleared her throat. She suddenly felt as if her voice would not come out. She took a deep breath. “Tula,” she said, “we have an idea about storing the overflow of butterscotch from the volcano.”
Tula peered over her sugarcoated glasses at the two young fairies in front of her.
Cocoa squeezed Melli’s hand, encouraging her to go on.
“You see, the extra butterscotch is causing so much trouble,” Melli said quickly. “If we can get some of the syrup into barrels like we did at the Butterscotch Festival, we could stop the overflow and save the butterscotch syrup for later.” Melli waited as Tula turned her gaze on her.
“Your name is Melli, right?” Tula said, staring at her.
“Yes,” Melli said quietly. She stood perfectly still. She hoped that Tula thought she had a good idea.
“Melli,” Tula said. She took off her glasses and looked into Melli’s eyes. “Not one other fairy here has come up with such a good suggestion.”
Melli looked down at her feet and fluttered her wings.
“Princess Lolli is not here,” Tula went on. “She is at Butterscotch Volcano. But I think that is a supersweet idea. I like when a fairy is thinking! We’ll have to get some of the palace guards to carry the large barrels over to Caramel Hills. Will you fly with them and direct the project?”
“Sure as sugar!” Melli replied. “I would be happy to show them where to go.”
“Let me speak to the guards, and you can meet them out by the Royal Gardens,” Tula said. “Give me about ten minutes.”
“Thank you!” Melli said, bursting with pride.
Cocoa pulled Melli’s hand. “While we’re waiting, let’s see how Pinkie is doing,” she said.
Melli and Cocoa flew over to the bubble gum garden, just outside the Royal Gardens gate. In the middle of the garden Melli saw Berry, Raina, and Pinkie standing over a wide barrel.
“How is everything going?” Melli asked as she landed next to Pinkie. She looked into the bowl and saw a mound of pink gum.
Pinkie pulled the long paddle out of the barrel. Stretching her arm up high, she showed off the fresh batch of bubble gum. “Berry and Raina have helped me so much,” she said. “With their encouragement and their sweet ways, I think we’ve made the largest wad of bubble gum ever!”
The pink sticky candy looked good enough to eat—and sticky enough to plug up a crack. “I think you’re right!” Melli exclaimed. She clapped her hands together.
Cocoa filled them in on the plan with the barrels and Dash’s project of building a tube for the butterscotch syrup.
“Good thinking,” Raina said.
Melli blushed. “I remembered a chapter in the Fairy Code Book about the Butterscotch Festival,” she said.
Raina’s eyes sparkled. “Ah, you did!” she said. “Lickin’ lollipops!”
“We need to make some more bubble gum,” Pinkie told her cousin. “That volcano crack was very wide and deep. We should probably make another batch this size.”
Melli agreed. “We still have a little more time before Sun Dip,” she said. “Cocoa and I are going to fly back to Caramel Hills with the barrels. Will you meet us there?”
“Yes,” Pinkie said. “Before Sun Dip for sure—just as we planned.”
“You’ll need some guards to fly this gum over to Caramel Hills,” Melli told her friends. “There’s no way you’ll be able to pick up this barrel!”
Raina laughed. “We already spoke to Tula about getting guards to help us,” she said. “Don’t worry. We’ll see you later.”
Melli and Cocoa and four palace guards flew back to the volcano with four large barrels. The barrels might not hold all the overflowing butterscotch, but it was a start. And that was the best she could hope for right now.
Back at Caramel Hills there was a swarm of fairies flying near the volcano. Melli’s heart started to pound.
“Maybe something awful has happened while we were at Candy Castle,” she said to Cocoa. She tried to see the volcano, but there were too many fairies in the way. “I can’t see a thing!” she cried. “Do you think the volcano erupted? Oh, that would be awful! Then there’d be even more butterscotch flowing over Caramel Hills.”
Cocoa shook her head. “Just calm down,” she said. “If Berry were here, she’d tell you not to dip your wings in syrup yet.” Flapping her wings, Cocoa leaped higher in the air and squinted her eyes.
“Do you see anything?” Melli called up to her. She couldn’t bear the thought of more syrup rushing over the hills.
“Nothing happened, I think!” Cocoa shouted. “Come up here. I see Princess Lolli.” She pointed to the center of the crowd. “There are a bunch of castle guards surrounding her. She must be here to see the volcano firsthand.”
Melli flew up next to Cocoa. It was easy to spot Princess Lolli’s strawberry-blond hair and her sugarcoated sparkly tiara. She was examining the crack and the damage done by the hot, sticky syrup.
“I want to tell her about our plan with the barrels,” Melli said. “I’m sure she’ll be pleased.” She darted quickly in and out of the crowd to where Princess Lolli was talking to one of her advisers.
“Princess Lolli,” Melli called. She waved and flew close to her.
“Hello, Melli,” Princess Lolli said. “How
is Pinkie coming along with the bubble gum? We will need a very big wad of gum to plug this crack.”
“She’s working on it,” Melli informed her. “Berry and Raina are helping out.” She took a deep breath. She was so anxious to tell Princess Lolli her idea about saving some of the overflowing butterscotch that she was having trouble breathing!
Princess Lolli put a hand on her back. “What is it, Melli?” she said kindly. “Is there something more?”
“Yes,” Melli said. “Cocoa and I have another idea that might save the butterscotch and stop some of the overflow. We spoke to Tula about the plan. Would you like to hear it?”
Princess Lolli’s eyes widened. “I’d love to hear some good news, or at least a good idea right about now,” she said.
Melli explained the plan while Cocoa showed the castle guards where to put the barrels.
“We thought if we could capture some of the butterscotch, the spill wouldn’t get wider,” Melli told the princess.
Princess Lolli’s wings fluttered. “This is a fine idea,” she said, “but how will we get the butterscotch into the barrels?”
Dash flew up behind the princess and Melli with a long, narrow toffee tube in her arms. “With this!” she cried. “We can stick it in the crack and seal the gum around the tube. Then all the butterscotch will flow through it and into the barrel.”
Princess Lolli examined the tube. A smile spread across her face. “Sure as sugar, it’s worth a try!” she declared.
“The bubble gum should be ready before Sun Dip,” Melli said. She looked up to the sky. It would be a little longer before the sun touched the tips of the Frosted Mountains.
“We’ll have to be patient,” Princess Lolli said, seeing disappointment in Melli’s face. “I’m going to check in with the rescue center. Keep an eye out for Pinkie and the others. Send for me when they arrive so we can all be a part of Bubble Gum Rescue.”
Melli watched Princess Lolli as she flew away from the volcano and back down to the animal rescue center. Normally, the princess had a lovely smile on her face. But today, Melli noticed, there was a deep crease in her forehead and she looked very troubled. She knew that seeing all the animals in danger broke the princess’s heart.
“We need the bubble gum now,” Melli said.
“Don’t worry,” Cocoa said. She was back from helping the guards with the barrels. “Pinkie will come. For now we should go help at the animal rescue center, don’t you think?”
Melli followed Cocoa down to the base of the volcano and joined the other fairies. Working together made the task go faster, and time moved quickly.
After Melli finished washing her fifth caramella bird, she glanced up at the sky. The sun was nearing the tip of the Frosted Mountains.
Where is Pinkie? She has to get here! Melli thought.
Cocoa could see that her friend was worrying more and more. “Let’s go back up to the volcano,” Cocoa said to Melli. “They should be back soon.”
Together, the two fairies hovered in the sky, and just then Melli saw Berry, Raina, Dash, and Pinkie flying toward the volcano. Behind them were four palace guards holding the two large barrels of pink bubble gum.
“We’ve got bubble gum!” Berry announced as she drew closer. “Bubble Gum Rescue is ready to begin!”
“That is sweet news to hear on this dreadfully gooey day,” Melli called. She flew up to Pinkie and gave her a hug. “I knew you could do this!” she cried.
“Pinkie whipped up the biggest and the stickiest bubble gum batch ever,” Raina added.
“And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Berry and Raina’s help,” Pinkie told her cousin.
“Cocoa, go get Princess Lolli,” Melli said. “Tell her we’re ready to start the rescue!”
“I’ll be back in a flash,” Cocoa said, speeding down to the bottom of the volcano.
“Pinkie, all this bubble gum is fantastic!” Melli said. She peered into the barrel. “This just has to work!” she cried.
“I hope so,” Pinkie said. She couldn’t take her eyes off the large crack in the side of the mountain.
“Bubble Gum Rescue will work,” Melli said. “You’ll see.”
She crossed her fingers and hoped that her prediction would come true.
Melli and her friends hovered near the crack on the side of Butterscotch Volcano, waiting for Cocoa to return with Princess Lolli. Oh, please hurry, Melli thought as she kept watch for Cocoa and the fairy princess.
“What happens if there isn’t enough bubble gum?” Pinkie asked as she hovered beside Melli. “That crack is so deep. I’m not sure we’ve made enough to patch it up.” Pinkie’s pale pink wings were beating quickly, and her forehead was wrinkled with worry.
Melli was concerned too. She looked over at Berry and Raina, who were bobbing up and down in the wind. If only she could be as calm as her friends!
“Don’t worry, Pinkie,” Melli managed to say. “Whatever you made will help. Let’s try to think positive.”
Pinkie nodded. “I’ll try,” she said. “Pink and positive,” she muttered over and over.
When Melli spotted Cocoa and Princess Lolli, she waved both her arms in the air and called out to them. “Over here! Oh, sweet sugar, they’re finally here.”
Cocoa waved back, and the two fairies flew toward them.
“Hello,” Princess Lolli said, greeting the fairies. “Cocoa said that the bubble gum is ready. This is certainly sweet news.”
“Yes,” Pinkie said. “But we need help. The barrels of bubble gum are too heavy. We can’t lift them.”
“The guards are here to assist you,” Princess Lolli said. She flew over and peered into one of the containers. “This is very fine work,” she called. “Thank you.” She smiled at Pinkie, Berry, and Raina.
“Let Bubble Gum Rescue begin!” Princess Lolli declared.
Then she turned to one of the castle guards. “Let’s spread the gum around and see if we can seal the crack.”
In a flash the guards moved the barrels closer to the volcano.
Dash took the long toffee tube she had cradled in her arms up to the crack. “I hope this works,” she said. “We’ll all need to hold the tube in place while the guards pour the bubble gum.”
Melli saw Pinkie’s confused expression, so she explained Dash’s plan.
“We have some yummy ideas for all that butterscotch,” Dash whispered to Pinkie.
Princess Lolli regarded the toffee tube. “This is so mint, Dash,” she said with a smile.
Melli glanced over at Dash. She saw her minty friend blushing to the shade of red in a candy cane. “Thank you,” she said.
“Oh, peppermint sticks!” Dash exclaimed. “It was the least I could do. I couldn’t stand to see all that butterscotch wasted.” She leaned in closer to Melli. “Promise me a special butterscotch candy later?”
Laughing, Melli hugged Dash. “Bubbling butterscotch, you’ve got yourself a deal!” she cried.
The Candy Castle guards poured the bubble gum from the barrels. With long, heavy paddles, they spread the sticky mixture into the crack.
Melli and her friends grabbed one end of the tube, holding it in the crack as the guards filled bubble gum in around it.
“All right,” one of the guards called. “You can let go. The tube is secure.”
The five fairies held their breath and flew up in the air.
“I don’t know if I can look,” said Cocoa.
“Yes, you can! Open your eyes, Cocoa. It’s a sweet surprise!” said Melli.
No more butterscotch was leaking out of the volcano’s side! Instead, a steady stream of the golden syrup was pouring out of the tube—and into a large barrel off to the side.
“Hot butterscotch!” Melli cheered.
“We did it!” Cocoa shouted.
A roar of applause rose up in Caramel Hills. All the fairies rejoiced and sang out. Bubble Gum Rescue was a huge success!
Melli rushed over to Pinkie. “Thank you,” she said. “I knew you cou
ld do this.”
Pinkie squeezed her cousin tight. “I never would have thought of this idea. Thank you for dreaming it up.” She turned to face Berry and Raina. “And thank you, too!”
“We were happy to lend some sugar,” Raina said, grinning.
“Sweet strawberries,” Berry said, coming up to Pinkie. “You did all the work, Pinkie. You should be extra-proud.”
This was a time to celebrate, but Melli couldn’t stop thinking of the caramella birds at the base of the volcano. There were still many suffering because of the butterscotch spill.
“What’s wrong, Melli?” Cocoa asked. “You don’t look happy. You should be! We just stopped the gushing butterscotch—and even managed to save the syrup.”
Melli looked down at her feet. “I know,” she said softly. She couldn’t even speak about the awful thought that had popped into her head. “But . . .” She couldn’t get the words out.
Raina flew up next to her. “Are you worried about the caramella birds?” she asked. “Why don’t we check in on the rescue center now?”
Melli hoped the animals in the center would be all right—especially if all the Candy Fairies continued to help. But that was not the only thing bothering her.
“Tell us,” Cocoa said. “Please.”
Melli bit her nails. “It’s just . . .” She knew she had to say the words quickly, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to tell her friends. Melli took a deep breath. She started to explain. “Now the crack is sealed and the gushing butterscotch syrup stopped.” She paused and looked at the concerned faces surrounding her. “But what if this happens again?” Melli asked, her voice trembling. She watched her friends’ expressions. Each Candy Fairy had the same sad look. They were thinking the same sour thought.
None of them could have predicted what had happened in Caramel Hills. And they wouldn’t be able to prevent the volcano from cracking or erupting.
Melli looked to each of her friends. But she knew that none of them had a magic answer for her.
Melli’s question hung in the air. None of the fairies knew how to respond. Luckily, Princess Lolli was close enough to hear the question, and she immediately flew to the fairies.
Bubble Gum Rescue Page 3