Willa wiped her forehead. “Piece of cake!” she said, trying to catch her breath.
Mariposa giggled. “Thanks,” she said, hugging Willa. “Wish me luck!”
“Good luck. Be careful, okay?” Willa replied.
“I will!”
Mariposa gave her friend one last hug and turned to leave. “Okay, Zee,” she called over her shoulder. “We’re ready to go. Zee?” Mariposa looked around for her favorite pink puffball but didn’t see her anywhere.
Willa motioned toward the bookshelf.
Mariposa spied one loose book suspiciously moving all by itself toward the door. “Zee?” she called in the book’s direction, winking at Willa.
The book froze for a second, and then Zee peeked over the edge.
“Zee, are you hiding?” Mariposa asked.
Zee shrugged and blushed. Maybe?
Mariposa crouched down. “You’re not afraid of the Crystal Fairies, are you?” she asked.
Zee shook her head back and forth. No. Then she shook it up and down. Yes. She didn’t know! Maybe?
Mariposa patted her head reassuringly. “Zee, it’ll be fine. There are no stories about Crystal Fairies eating puffballs. C’mon! Let’s have an adventure!”
Zee nodded in agreement.
Satisfied, Mariposa spun into the air. “Bye, Willa!” She flew toward the door and then looked over her shoulder.
Zee hid behind Willa and waved as if she wasn’t going anywhere. That silly puffball!
“Come on,” Mariposa said, pulling Zee out from behind Willa.
A moment later, they set out on their adventure.
Mariposa and Zee soared high above the hills of Flutterfield, marveling at the beauty of their home. I sure will miss the flowers while I’m gone, Mariposa thought. She wondered if Shimmervale had flowers of its own.
Zee darted in front of Mariposa and giggled. The puffball tapped her playfully on the wing. Tag! You’re it!
Mariposa laughed and raced to catch Zee.
That evening, Mariposa and Zee stopped to rest in a part of Fairytopia called Atlantis. They’d made a tent using a canopy of leaves and flowers and were nestled cozily inside.
As Zee snored softly next to her, Mariposa opened a book and began to study. “Shimmervale: A History says ‘Diplomats to Shimmervale receive a grand welcome, including a parade, marching band, and fireworks,’ ” she read aloud.
Well, that sounds nice, Mariposa thought.
The next day, Mariposa took out her map to check their location. By her calculations, they should have been near the Shimmervale meeting spot Carlos had described. She shielded her eyes against the sun’s glare and scanned their surroundings. Sure enough, she spotted the landmark she had been looking for and headed toward it.
“This is the meeting spot, Zee!” Mariposa cried excitedly. But something wasn’t right. The place was deserted. Where could everybody be? Mariposa checked the sun. “We’re right on time,” she reasoned.
Zee raised an eyebrow. Some welcome committee! What about the parade and the band?
Suddenly, SNAP!—a twig broke nearby, cracking loudly against the quiet.
Zee jumped into Mariposa’s arms with fear.
“Is someone there? Hello?” Mariposa asked timidly. She didn’t see anyone, but she thought she heard a rustling in the bushes. She set Zee on the ground and walked slowly and cautiously toward the sound. Zee bit her nails and hid behind Mariposa’s legs. With one finger, Mariposa carefully pulled back a branch.
“Don’t hurt me!” cried a frightened voice.
“Of course we won’t hurt you,” Mariposa replied, relieved to find a small fairy, about her age, hiding there. “I’m Mariposa, from Flutterfield, and this is Zee.” She pointed to her puffball, who was now bravely poking out her chest.
“You’re not going to hypnotize me with your wicked magic, then lure me back to your dark, dismal cave?”
“Um … no?” Mariposa replied, confused.
The fairy looked relieved and stood up, shaking out her wings. “Oh, goody. I’m Talayla,” she said, offering her hand to shake. Then she gasped. “Your butterfly wings are so beautiful!”
“Thank you,” Mariposa said, noticing Talayla’s smaller, shimmering wings. “I like yours, too.”
Talayla crouched down next to Zee. “Look! How cute!” She reached out to pet her. “Is that your war beast?” she asked, pulling back, evidently thinking twice.
Zee looked down at her round tummy and fluffy fur. Do I look like a war beast?
“No,” Mariposa answered.
It sure seemed like Talayla had a lot of misinformation about Butterfly Fairies. It made Mariposa think of Lord Gastrous back home.
“Then, yay!” Talayla squealed, tickling Zee behind the ears. “How cute!”
Mariposa looked at their abandoned surroundings. “So … is this the grand welcome?” she asked hesitantly.
Talayla dug her foot into the dirt and looked embarrassed. “Oh, that. The flying band was too afraid to come meet you.”
“Ah,” Mariposa said. It looked like the fairies of Flutterfield weren’t the only ones who could make up stories. She tried not to take it personally. “It’s okay.”
“Come on,” Talayla said. “I’ll show you both all around Shimmervale! I mean”—she cleared her throat and continued, in a very official-sounding voice—“in the name of his Royal King Regellius, it is my privilege to give you an official tour of our fairy land.” Then she giggled with excitement and shot into the air. “Let’s go!”
Mariposa and Zee exchanged a look. So far, their welcoming committee wasn’t what they had expected! They wondered what other surprises Shimmervale had in store.
Talayla zoomed across the sky, pointing out landmarks left and right. She flew so fast Mariposa and Zee struggled to keep up!
“Welcome to Shimmervale,” Talayla called over her shoulder.
Mariposa tried to take in her surroundings as she flew. Shimmervale was a bustling city with lots of fairies fluttering about. There were many homes, all with rocks glowing warmly on their roofs. Those must be the Crystallites, thought Mariposa.
“I see every roof has a Crystallite,” Mariposa stated matter-of-factly, eager to show off her knowledge of Shimmervale. “The main source of heat and power here in Shimmer—”
Talayla stopped in her tracks and shot Mariposa a look. “Uh, that’s my line?”
“Sorry.”
“As you can see,” Talayla continued, “every roof has a Crystallite, the main source of heat and power here in Shimmervale.” And with that, she darted off to the next location.
Mariposa glanced at Zee and shrugged. They’d better keep up if they didn’t want to be left behind!
The next stop on the tour was a grassy area dotted with purple plants. It looked just like one of the places Mariposa had read about in her books.
“Featherfrond Fields!” Talayla announced, sweeping her arm through the air.
Zee flew to Mariposa’s side, panting and trying to catch her breath. This tour was wearing her out!
Mariposa nodded. “I understand some of the Crystal Fairies use the purple featherfronds to make dye for their clothi—”
“Next stop, Glow Water Falls and the palace!” Talayla interrupted, zipping away again.
Mariposa felt flustered. She only wanted to show Talayla that she had done her homework. But it didn’t look like their tour guide was interested. Oh well, she thought as she once again rose into the air.
Zee let out an exhausted sigh and followed. Being a tourist was hard work!
After some time, the fairies and Zee rounded a corner. Talayla stopped short.
“Here it is: Glow Water Falls!” she announced triumphantly.
Not paying attention, Mariposa flew along, reading one of her Shimmervale guidebooks. “Historians say—”
“Historians say this is where Shimmervale’s first residents discovered Crystallites,” Talayla finished. She wasn’t going to let Mariposa be the guide on t
his tour!
Mariposa shut her book in frustration. But she forgot all about it when she looked up. “Whoa!” she breathed.
Glow Water Falls was stunning! Everywhere Mariposa looked, water flowed over glowing Crystallites. The palace itself stood off in the distance. “I never thought I’d say this, but pictures don’t do it justice,” Mariposa admitted.
“Yup,” Talayla agreed, taking in the scenery and looking as awed as Mariposa. “That’s why we end the tour here.”
Zee flew up next to Mariposa, gasping for breath.
“Zee? Are you okay?” Mariposa asked, reaching out to pet the puffball.
Zee tried to respond but held up one finger instead. Hang on a minute. Let me just catch my breath. She mopped the sweat from her brow with Mariposa’s skirt.
“Awwww,” Talayla cooed. “Am I going too fast for you, little puffer?”
Zee nodded and then collapsed dramatically into Mariposa’s arms.
Mariposa smiled and rolled her eyes. “No, she’s fine,” she said to Talayla.
Zee lifted her head and gave Mariposa a sideways glance. Can’t you see I’m dying here? She groaned and fell backward again.
Talayla clapped her hands. “And now on to the palace, where you’ll be staying.” With that, she zipped off, leaving them behind.
Mariposa and Zee exchanged a look, then hurried after Talayla. As they neared the castle, they heard a voice overhead.
“Hey,” the voice whispered.
Mariposa looked around. Was the voice talking to her?
“Hey!” the voice said again, louder this time.
Mariposa looked up. A few stories above, she saw a fairy about her age. She had shimmering wings and wore flowing silky robes. She waved to Mariposa.
Mariposa pointed to herself. Me?
The fairy nodded, and Mariposa flew up to the window, Zee trailing behind her.
“Hi,” the fairy said in a friendly voice.
Just then, a furry blue-green puffball lunged out the window. It hovered in the air between the two girls, growling.
Mariposa jumped.
Zee squealed with fright.
“Anu!” the fairy scolded, pushing the puffball to the side. “You’re scaring them!” Then she looked around suspiciously, as if checking to make sure they were alone. Satisfied, she continued. “You’re Mariposa, aren’t you? The Butterfly Fairy?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“Yes,” Mariposa replied cautiously. She wasn’t sure how this girl knew her, but she seemed nice enough.
“I’m Catania,” the fairy announced. “It must be so terrifying, flying across Fairytopia to get here. Were you scared?”
“Scared? I don’t know, it was more—”
“Catania!” a voice thundered from inside the castle. “Away from the window!”
Catania looked nervously over her shoulder. “I’ve got to go. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the kingdom.” And with that, she vanished inside.
Anu followed Catania through the window—but not before pelting Zee in the head with a piece of fruit. Splat!
Zee frowned and wiped her head. Hey!
Mariposa watched Catania disappear and bit her lip in thought. It felt nice to finally be welcomed by someone in Shimmervale. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that this place was turning out to be stranger than she’d expected.
“There you are!” cried Talayla, returning from the front of the castle to find them. “I thought I’d lost another visitor on the tour. I’ll never live that down. Anyhoo … let’s show you to your room.”
Talayla hurried Mariposa and Zee down a long hallway. Mariposa tried to take everything in and keep up at the same time. The palace was gorgeous. Everything was large, crystalline, glowing, and colorful. She hardly knew where to look first!
“… and then, you’ll never guess what happened next, so good!” Talayla was babbling on. “That’s when the king suggested, ‘You, Talayla, would make an excellent Fairy-in-waiting.’ ”
Zee nodded every now and then, pretending to listen. But really, she kept ducking behind large Crystallites, marveling at how their glow changed her fur different colors.
“And now,” Talayla said, pausing in front of a closed door, “ta-dah!” She flung the door open and stepped aside, sweeping her arm to showcase the room.
Mariposa and Zee peeked in and winced. The entire room was decorated like some sort of evil version of Flutterfield. All the parts were there: the Flutter Flowers, the rich colors, the trees and leaves. But it was so dark and overdone that it looked more like a haunted forest than any place that actually existed in Flutterfield.
“Wow!” Mariposa exclaimed, unsure what else to say.
Zee stuck out her tongue and turned her back on the space. Yuck!
“It’s …” Mariposa struggled to find a compliment. It was obvious that someone had gone to a lot of trouble to put everything together—even if that someone thought fairies from Flutterfield were, well, evil.
“I decorated it myself!” Talayla announced proudly.
“Really? Mariposa replied, trying to find something polite to say about the crowded space. There was so much furniture it was difficult for Mariposa to move her large wings in the space. She worried she’d knock something over. She bent down to fit her wings under a tree branch sticking out from a wall.
“I based it on everything we Crystal Fairies know about Butterfly Fairies,” Talayla explained.
“That was … thoughtful?” Mariposa replied, moving a spiky branch out of the way. Good thing I’m here, she thought. Someone needs to set this story straight!
Talayla skipped around the room, fluffing pillows and pointing out her favorite items. “Do the trees in Flutterfield really come alive, snatch fairies in midair, and devour them?” she asked.
“What?” Mariposa cried. “No!” She yanked her hand away from a tree branch. “These don’t do that, do they?” she asked, giving the tree a sideways glance.
Zee moved a little closer to Mariposa just to be safe.
Talayla shook her head. “Nah,” she said, sounding disappointed. “I couldn’t figure out how to make it work.”
Zee gave a sigh of relief and sank into a chair that resembled a bush. She immediately let out a squeak and leaped into the air.
“I did put in hidden thorns, though!” Talayla announced, grinning proudly.
Zee grumbled and rubbed her rear where a sharp thorn had pricked her. Some welcome party this was turning out to be!
“And now it’s my extreme pleasure to invite you to meet His Royal Highness King Regellius and the Royal Princess Catania,” Talayla said formally. “Unless you want to stay here and freshen up, you know, where it’s familiar?”
Mariposa ducked to avoid an angry-faced tree creature looming over her. “No, uh, we will be honored to meet the king and princess.” Plus it will get us out of this room! she added to herself.
Zee nodded in agreement. Get me out of here!
Talayla led Mariposa and Zee down another beautiful hallway toward the throne room. Mariposa tried to keep her palms from sweating. Meeting the king of Shimmervale was a big deal! She wanted to make Flutterfield proud by being a good ambassador.
Talayla paused in front of another heavy door and suddenly looked nervous herself. “Now,” she said, hand on the doorknob. “Please don’t unleash your fire breath or anything, okay?”
“But I don’t—” Mariposa began. Then she sighed. “Okay, I won’t,” she finished, resigned. It was going to take more time than she thought to change opinions around here.
Talayla looked relieved. “Cool,” she remarked, and swung open the door. “Please welcome Mariposa, Royal Ambassador from Flutterfield,” she called loudly, then announced, “Introducing King Regellius and Princess Catania!” Mariposa flew across the room toward them.
The royals were sitting side by side in some of the most beautiful, sparkling thrones Mariposa had ever seen. In fact, the entire room seemed to be gleaming, perhaps from the many Crystallites on
display. Behind the princess stood a pink-and-white Pegasus. Even the horse’s wings glowed from the light of the Crystallites. It neighed softly and munched on feather fronds.
As Mariposa got closer, she realized that the princess looked familiar. She was the same girl they had met at the palace window just a short while ago. Mariposa grinned, thankful for a familiar face. “Hey!” she cried, delighted.
King Regellius frowned. “Hey?” he repeated, displeased. “Is that how you address the princess of Shimmervale?”
Mariposa blushed. “No! I … uh…,” she stammered. She hadn’t meant to be disrespectful. She was just excited to see Catania, who had been so kind to her earlier.
“I believe in Flutterfield ‘hey’ is actually a term of deep respect,” Catania said, jumping to the rescue. “Isn’t that right?”
Mariposa nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Yes, it is.” She threw Catania a grateful look. “Hey, Your Majesties,” she continued, curtsying dramatically.
“Hey,” Catania replied, nodding royally.
“Hey,” the king said, still looking suspicious.
Zee zoomed up next to Mariposa and growled at Anu, who was sitting on Catania’s lap. The puffball rolled his eyes.
The king pointed a knobby finger at Zee. “Is that thing growling at me?” he asked.
“A beastly ‘how are you?’ in Flutterfield,” Catania explained, flashing a smile at Mariposa.
“I see,” the king said, scratching his chin. Then he leaned down and growled in Zee’s face. Grr!
Zee raised her eyebrows. Impressive!
“Clearly I have much to learn about Butterfly Fairy customs. Shall we move to the ballroom for tea?” King Regellius asked. He offered his arm to escort Mariposa. “Madame Ambassador?”
Mariposa took his arm and shared a secret smile with Catania. The introductions hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but at least she’d made a new friend.
While Mariposa sat down to tea, Carlos was trying his best to fill her shoes at the royal library. He had promised Mariposa he would take his work seriously. He only wished he could say the same for Willa. She was late!
Mariposa and the Fairy Princess Junior Novelization (Barbie) Page 2