Mariposa smiled and fastened the beautiful necklace around her neck, grateful to be making a new friend. She thought for a moment and then smiled. “I have something for you, too,” she said, pulling the Flutter Flower from her satchel. It glowed softly in her hands.
“It’s so pretty!” Catania exclaimed.
“It’s a Flutter Flower,” explained Mariposa. “I thought I needed it to remind me of home. Maybe after I leave, it can remind you of me.”
“Thank you!” Catania cried.
The two girls admired their gifts and smiled at one another. Then, as if by magic, the flower and the necklace began to glow strongly.
“Whoa!” the fairies both cried, delighted.
Mariposa couldn’t remember the last time she felt this happy. There was nothing like the glow of true friendship, she thought.
Suddenly, Sylvie began neighing loudly.
Catania looked at her, puzzled, and then slapped her forehead. “The Crystal Ball! We need to get ready!”
The girls tucked their gifts safely beneath their shirts and took off for the palace.
In Flutterfield, the sun shone high in the midday sky. Carlos sealed a box and placed it on top of a heap of identical boxes. He leaned against the stack and wiped his brow.
Willa fluttered in and gave an exhausted sigh. “My wings feel like they’ve been flapping for days,” she said.
Carlos nodded. “It’s been a long week. But I think we did it.”
Willa looked around and nodded proudly. “I think you’re right. Mariposa is gonna be so impressed. This wasn’t so hard.”
Carlos raised an eyebrow at her. Then he asked, “How did reading to the elderly go?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Willa asked. “I thought you were doing it?”
Carlos shook his head.
“Oh, no!” they both cried, and zipped out of the room.
Mariposa looked at herself one last time in the bedroom mirror. Her elegant pink-and-orange gown fit perfectly! Now if only she could keep her wings folded down in skirt position, the evening might be a success. She grabbed her Shimmervale: A History book for some last-minute studying.
“Listen to this, Zee,” she said. “ ‘At the Crystal Ball, Shimmervale fairies dance in unique aerial patterns.’ ” She looked up to make sure Zee was listening. Instead, she found the puffball staring at herself in the mirror.
Zee preened and batted her eyelashes. How do I look?
Mariposa laughed. Covered head to toe in bows, beads, and ribbons, Zee looked like a snowstorm of accessories!
Just then, they heard a knock on the door.
“Come in!” Mariposa called.
Talayla breezed into the room. She took one look at Mariposa and stopped in her tracks. “Oh, no!” she cried, distraught.
“What’s wrong?” Mariposa asked.
Talayla shook her head with worry. “I came to get you for the ball, and you’re not even ready!”
Mariposa looked down at her dress, confused. She twirled for Talayla. “Sure I am!”
“But you’re not beshimmered!” Talayla moaned. She floated to the doorway and whistled loudly down the hall.
A moment later, three tiny shimmer fairies appeared. They moved in a cloud of sparkles and spoke in high-pitched voices. They zoomed over Mariposa’s head and began to shimmy and dance, sending a shower of sparkles over her body and dress.
Mariposa giggled. “We do this in Flutterfield, too, only we call it befluttering!”
Next, the shimmer fairies began working on Zee. They sprinkled her with so many sparkles that she sneezed. Achoo!
Once Zee was beshimmered to their satisfaction, the shimmer fairies waved and zipped out of the room. They were gone as quickly as they had arrived.
Mariposa carefully folded her wings back down into a skirt and gave a final twirl. “What do you think now?” she asked Talayla.
Talayla looked puzzled. She had never seen Mariposa fold her wings before. She moved closer to examine the look. “Wow.… How did you—”
Sproing!
“Ahhh!” Talayla cried, jumping back just as Mariposa’s wings popped open.
Mariposa winced. “It’s not easy,” she admitted. “I’ll work on it on the way to the Crystal Ball.”
A few minutes later, Mariposa took a deep breath as Talayla opened the ballroom door for her and Zee. This was it! She carefully folded her wings down one more time and floated into the ballroom.
The grand room glittered and glowed with the hustle and bustle of a party. Everywhere Mariposa looked, she saw beshimmered Crystal Fairies in gorgeous twinkling ball gowns. Waiters in bow ties flew around offering refreshments, and a band played upbeat music. It was the most beautiful party Mariposa had ever attended! She glided into the room, Talayla and Zee following behind, and looked around for Catania.
Suddenly, the princess swooped down next to them, riding in a sparkling sky-blue chariot pulled by Sylvie.
“Your wings!” Mariposa cried, noticing Catania’s wings tucked tight around her waist like a peplum for her dress.
“If you have to fold down your wings, I will, too.” She twirled to show off her wing skirt. “What do you think?”
“Beautiful,” Mariposa replied. She was touched that Catania would go to such lengths to make sure she felt comfortable at such a big, important event. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Your Ambassadress,” the princess replied. She bent to curtsy, but as soon as she did, her wings sprang up. “Oops. I’m still working on that.”
Mariposa laughed, and the two friends moved through the ballroom.
“Just an intimate gathering with a couple of close friends?” Mariposa observed jokingly.
“I told you,” Catania said. “Everyone comes to the Crystal Ball. I’d be surprised if anyone isn’t here.” The princess looked around at all the dancers flying and floating in the air and suddenly seemed sad.
“What is it?” Mariposa asked, noticing the frown on Catania’s face.
Catania tried to laugh it off. “Nothing. It’s just, I always loved dancing, until …” She trailed off.
But Mariposa knew what she meant. “Want to dance?” she asked, eyeing the floor below them.
“But I don’t—”
“Sure you do,” Mariposa insisted. “Sylvie, would you mind taking us down?”
Sylvie steered the chariot to the ground and came to a stop in front of the band.
Mariposa jumped out and immediately started twirling to the sound of the music, her feet firmly planted on the floor. A fairy didn’t need to fly to shake and move!
Catania looked around, self-conscious. “But we’re the only ones down here. What if everyone stares?”
“What if they do? Come on—it’s fun!” Mariposa urged.
Just then, Mariposa’s wings shot up. Sproing! Catania laughed so hard that hers sprang open, too. Sproing! The girls kept laughing and started to dance.
“You’re right—this is fun!” Catania called over the thump of the drums.
“Told you!” Mariposa grinned.
The girls continued spinning and shimmying, and soon the fairies flying above them began to notice.
Zee and Anu flew down and started dancing the tango around them. Zee even had a flower in her mouth to really look the part. Then Talayla joined in, nudging her group of friends to come with her. Pretty soon the dance floor was swirling with Crystal Fairies of all kinds swaying and moving to the beat.
Catania and Mariposa were dancing in the middle of the crowd, arms linked and laughing, when King Regellius soared down to the dance floor.
“Having a good time?” he asked, startling the girls.
“Your Majesty!” exclaimed Mariposa.
“Father!” said Catania. She curtsyed and her wings sprang into Mariposa’s, knocking her down. “Oh, no!”
But Mariposa laughed good-naturedly. “It’s fine—now I know how it feels!”
As Catania helped Mariposa to her feet, neither girl noticed that Mariposa’s Cr
ystallite necklace had fallen out of her dress.
One of the Crystal Fairies nearby saw it and pointed a finger. “That Butterfly Fairy has a Crystallite!” A buzz traveled through the crowd as everyone found out about Mariposa’s Crystallite.
“She must have stolen it!” accused another Crystal Fairy.
“I knew we couldn’t trust them!” shouted a third.
“Look out for her laser vision!” The crowd started to panic, running in every direction.
King Regellius raised his hands. “Enough!” he thundered, silencing the crowd.
Everyone froze in their places. Anu even froze while dipping Zee.
The king turned to Mariposa. “Mariposa,” he said seriously. “You stole a Crystallite, after we welcomed you. And trusted you.”
Mariposa shook her head. “No, Your Majesty.”
Catania stepped forward. “I gave it to her!” Catania explained. “We were at Glow Water Falls earlier, and—”
King Regellius held up a hand to silence her. “You went to Glow Water Falls unprotected?” he roared.
Catania cowered. “Mari-Mariposa and I—” she stammered.
The king did not wait for her to finish. “Mariposa took you to Glow Water Falls? She’s a Butterfly Fairy and in no position to know what’s best for a Crystal Fairy princess!”
Mariposa stepped forward to explain. “We weren’t doing anything wrong. I know why you’re so protective, but—”
King Regellius turned red with rage. “You know nothing! You don’t know what it’s like to be responsible for a kingdom. You don’t know how to protect us, so we have to protect ourselves.” He pointed toward the door. “Leave! Immediately!”
“Leave … the ballroom?” Mariposa asked, stunned. Only moments ago they’d been dancing happily. How had things gone so wrong?
“Leave Shimmervale!” the king commanded. “And never come back!”
“Father—” Catania pleaded.
“Not now, Catania,” the king snapped, still glaring at Mariposa.
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Mariposa replied, handing the Crystallite necklace back to Catania. She fluttered toward the door, her wings wilted. Zee gave Anu a sad wave and rushed after Mariposa.
As they closed the door gently behind them, they could hear Catania still trying to explain.
“But, Father, I gave it to her!” Catania cried.
“Even more reason to separate you from an obviously bad influence,” King Regellius announced.
Catania stomped her foot, then whistled for Sylvie, leaped on her back, and took off, Anu racing after her.
Mariposa burst through the palace doors into the fresh air. She flew as fast as her wings could take her away from the king, Catania, and anything having to do with Crystallites. Zee struggled to keep up.
Once she was far enough away, Mariposa stopped to catch her breath. She looked back at the palace in the distance. It was beautiful, even if it did not welcome her anymore. She struggled to fight the tears welling in her eyes.
Zee rubbed Mariposa’s back to comfort her.
“I don’t know what’s worse,” Mariposa began, “that I failed, or that I have to go home and admit it to people who believed in me.” She shook her head miserably.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Mariposa saw something dark moving through the clouds. It didn’t look like any kind of fairy she’d ever seen. Something resembling a large bird or bat glided in the sky above it.
“What is that?” Mariposa wondered aloud to Zee.
She flew a little closer, careful to stay hidden behind plants and trees. She peeked over a bush and realized that the dark figure was an old woman stooped over some sort of walking stick. A large bat landed on her shoulder.
“I thought everyone was already at the ball,” Mariposa said to Zee.
Zee nodded and started to fly away, but Mariposa pulled her back.
“We can’t just go,” Mariposa declared. “What if it’s someone dangerous? What if—” Suddenly, she knew. “What if it’s Gwyllion?”
Zee shrugged and tried to look concerned.
“Zee!” Mariposa cried, frustrated. “I know the king told us to leave, but we have to warn them!”
Zee looked unconvinced.
“We have to help the Crystal Fairies,” said Mariposa. “They’re our friends.”
The puffball shook her head.
“Catania’s our friend,” Mariposa pressed. “And Sylvie. Are you going to tell me Anu isn’t your friend?”
Zee blushed.
“And if the king and the other Crystal Fairies aren’t our friends now—well, I’m going to be a friend to them when they need one most,” she declared. She spun around and started back toward the palace.
Zee hesitated and then hurried after Mariposa.
As the sun sank behind Glow Water Falls, Mariposa and Zee peeked from behind a large rock. They eyed Gwyllion suspiciously.
She had landed on top of one of Shimmervale’s tallest city buildings and was scanning the horizon. She watched the late-afternoon sun glint off the many different-colored Crystallites and smiled sinisterly. Then the old crone banged her staff on the rooftop twice. Boom! Boom!
Pea-green tendrils of magic swirled around Gwyllion and then snaked out over the city like lava. They slithered over each building, extinguishing Crystallites. One by one, the glowing stones turned dull and lifeless, like lumps of coal.
“I’ll turn all the Crystallites to stone!” Gwyllion cackled.
“You’re so wicked,” said her sidekick, Boris, with an evil laugh.
Gwyllion pounded her staff again, and the green magic swept down and around Glow Water Falls, running over its Crystallites.
Mariposa and Zee watched in horror as, one by one, all of Shimmervale’s Crystallites turned to stone.
Back at the palace, Catania sat in her favorite reading spot on the roof. But it was no use trying to concentrate. She could still hear the music from the Crystal Ball softly in the background. “I don’t understand?” she said to Anu for the tenth time. “He’s the one who doesn’t understand!”
Anu looked at her sympathetically. He didn’t know what to say. He’d never seen the king and the princess fight before.
Suddenly, Catania and Anu felt the ground rumble beneath them. They exchanged a worried look. What could that be?
The princess peered over the side of the turret and then dove for cover. Gwyllion was down below! Gathering her courage, Catania peeked once again over the palace wall. She watched as the old woman banged her staff on the ground twice, sending a dismal green magic toward the palace. It crept closer and closer and then began to climb up the palace walls.
“Oh, no!” Catania cried in horror. She whistled for Sylvie and together they raced toward the ballroom to warn everyone, but when she reached the ballroom windows, Anu tugged on her sleeve. He pointed to the magic that was already swirling under the door. He was trying to tell her that it wasn’t safe to go inside.
Catania could hear frightened voices coming from the ballroom. She pressed her face to the glass to see what was happening.
Everyone was completely frozen. Gwyllion must have used the same horrible spell that she had cast on the king eight years before. Catania wasn’t sure what to do. Then she heard someone calling for her.
“Catania!”
“Mariposa!” the princess cried in relief, recognizing her friend’s voice.
“I think it’s Gwyllion,” Mariposa said. “She’s putting out all the Crystallites!”
Catania nodded. “If she turns all the Crystallites to rock, Shimmervale will freeze!” she explained.
They heard panicked voices coming from the ballroom.
“I can’t move!”
“Help!”
The girls watched as the magic climbed higher and higher, threatening to engulf the entire palace.
“Father!” Catania shouted. She jumped on Sylvie and rode to another window to get a better look.
Mariposa followed,
with Zee and Anu trailing behind.
The friends ducked behind a wall as Gwyllion came nearer. They watched as she and Boris flew into the ballroom. Catania led the way back to the window and held up her hand.
“Whatever we do, we can’t touch that,” she said, pointing to the green magic swirling inside the ballroom.
They pressed their faces to the glass once again and saw Gwyllion approaching the king. They could just make out the conversation.
“Gwyllion,” the king growled.
“One Crystallite. That’s all it would have taken,” the old crone said.
“Stop, Gwyllion. Have mercy on us,” the king pleaded, watching the smoking magic grow thicker and heavier.
“Yes,” Gwyllion hissed. “I will show you the same mercy you showed me. Now watch as I destroy your most precious stone of all.”
Mariposa saw Catania’s face turn white.
“The Heartstone!” the princess cried. “The Heartstone is like a candle: if we keep it lit, we can relight all the other Crystallites.”
Inside, Gwyllion laughed cruelly and, with one sweep of her staff, extinguished every Crystallite in the room. Then she flew out an open window.
“She’s flying toward the Heartstone!” cried Catania.
Mariposa sprang into action. “We have to do what your father did,” she said. “We find a way to break her magic staff.”
Together, they set out for the rooftop where the Heartstone was kept.
On the roof, Mariposa, Catania, Sylvie, Zee, and Anu were in view of the Heartstone. Zee gave Mariposa a questioning look. Now what?
“Now we stay very quiet … and wait,” Mariposa commanded.
“And when we see Gwyllion?” Catania prodded, her voice shaking with fear.
Mariposa bit her lip. Gwyllion would arrive any minute, and then—well, she wasn’t exactly sure what would happen then. She just knew that they couldn’t let the Heartstone go dark without a fight.
The friends huddled together to stay warm against the frigid magic swirling around them.
Suddenly, Zee jumped and let out a squeal. She looked around frantically, as though she had heard something. What was that?
Mariposa and the Fairy Princess Junior Novelization (Barbie) Page 5