The three friends reappeared in Fairyland. Now, Rachel and Kirsty had shimmery wings on their backs. Something else was different, too. In Fairyland, near the Ice Castle, there was light. Even though the skies were filled with a thick layer of gray clouds, there was a warm glow all around.
“Oh, it’s light out!” Michelle exclaimed. “That must mean my magic candle and lantern are nearby.”
“We’ve got to track them down,” Rachel said. “It shouldn’t be hard. It looks like the light is coming from over there.”
“Yes, it’s brighter on the other side of the Ice Castle,” Kirsty said.
“Let’s go,” Michelle directed. “But be careful. We don’t want them to know we’re here.”
The three fairies flapped their wings and flew toward the light. As they approached the Ice Castle, Michelle brought her finger to her lips. She wanted to remind the girls to be quiet. Jack Frost had goblin spies everywhere.
Rachel and Kirsty had been to the Ice Castle before. The goblins often stayed inside, and you could hear them squabbling … or hear Jack Frost yelling. Today, something special was happening. Even from high above, it was clear that the goblins were not fighting. They were busy. They had set up work stations and were carrying supplies: wood, hammers, nails, and lights. They were building something!
“Look,” Michelle said. “They’re headed into the forest. It looks like they’re taking everything up that hill.”
Michelle and the girls followed the goblins into the woods. When they flew past, the local birds noticed them and chirped hello. “Shhhh,” Michelle whispered, hoping the birds would help keep their secret.
As they neared the top of the hill, there was a clearing. Here, the air was full of the sounds of sawing and hammering. The hilltop was also bright with the most beautiful light.
“My candle and lantern!” Michelle said, pointing to an extra-tall pedestal with the lantern placed at the top. Inside the pretty lantern with snowflake cutouts was a thick candle. Its flame had a brilliant glow.
The pedestal was on a stage that the goblins were building. “How will we get to the candle without the goblins seeing?” Rachel wondered. “They’re everywhere.”
“Yes, but the pedestal is so tall, and we’re so fast, we can probably get it before they even know we’re here,” Michelle said. Her eyes were full of hope, but Kirsty and Rachel exchanged a worried glance. They weren’t so sure it would be that easy!
The three fairies sat on a snowy tree branch. They were about to set off to claim the candle. Their plan was to sweep in and out in secret, so the goblins wouldn’t even know they had taken the candle from the top of the pedestal. “We need to hurry,” Michelle advised. “My magic is almost gone. I need the candle back as soon as possible. So let’s go—”
But before they could take off, a small flock of sweet snowbirds perched next to them. The birds landed with a fierce beating of their wings, and then they chirped, high and fast.
“Shhh,” Michelle scolded. “We don’t want the goblins to know we’re here.” Without a pause she grabbed Rachel and Kirsty by the hands. “Come on, girls!”
The snowbirds chirped even louder when the fairies took off. Kirsty glanced back, and she was almost certain that the birds were shaking their heads with concern.
Still, the fairies flew forward, aiming for the candle at the top of the pedestal. Michelle was in the lead. She sped like a dart toward her missing magic item. When she was almost in reach, she slammed to a stop in midair and bounced backward. Whack. The same happened to Rachel. And Kirsty. Slam! Bam!
“What was that?” Rachel wondered, shaking out her wings. Kirsty rubbed her sore head.
Michelle reached forward and felt something. She placed her hands flat and slid them along an invisible wall. “It’s a spell,” she said. “It’s a no-fairy force field. We can’t get to the pedestal.” Michelle’s shoulders instantly slumped. “What do we do now?” she wondered. Then a giant snowball smacked into her side.
“Fairies!” a goblin screeched from below.
“They’re going to get the candle!” another yelled.
“Snowball fight!” a third bellowed.
At once, snowballs came whizzing at the fairies. All they could do was dodge the sloppy balls of snow. But there were too many goblins and too many snowballs. Soon, the fairies were cold and soggy, their wings too wet to work.
“I can’t keep flying,” Kirsty yelled with concern. “My wings are too cold.” She could feel herself drifting down.
“The fairies are falling!” a goblin called with excitement. “I’m going to catch one.”
All three fairies tried to flap harder, but their wings only moved more slowly.
“This one is mine!” another goblin called, pointing a crooked finger.
“Mine! Mine! I want to give it to Jack Frost!” A long-eared goblin jumped up and swiped at Rachel’s snow boot.
In an instant, the small flock of snowbirds swooped in. Three of the birds carefully flew under the fairies. Rachel, Kirsty, and Michelle gratefully accepted their rides, holding on to the birds’ soft neck feathers.
Three other birds flew up to the top of the pedestal and took hold of the lantern’s handle. They weren’t fairies, so they couldn’t be stopped by the magical force field! They lifted the lantern, the candle still burning bright, high in the sky.
“Hit the candle! Knock out the flame!” one angry goblin demanded. “No one should have the light!” The goblins threw snowball after snowball, but none came close to the candle.
The red-beaked bird carrying Michelle knew just what to do. It flitted up toward the lantern. “Oh, thank you!” Michelle cried. The fairy reached out. As soon as she touched the lantern, there was a brilliant burst of golden light and the dark winter clouds cleared.
Safe on the backs of the snowbirds, Kirsty and Rachel had an amazing view of Fairyland from above. The winter sun shimmered off the snow. Even Jack Frost’s Ice Castle glistened. King Oberon and Queen Titania’s palace shone like a crystal jewel.
“Thank you so much, sweet snowbirds!” Michelle cheered. “I should have known you were trying to tell us something. You knew there was an awful spell around the pedestal, didn’t you?” The birds all chirped in reply. “Well, Rachel, Kirsty, and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The snowbirds found a sturdy nest and set down the young fairies. Michelle was anxious to return the candle to a safe place. “Thank you again, dear friends!” she called as the flock flew off. “And thank you, Kirsty and Rachel. It’s time for me to get you back to Snowbound Island and all the fun you can share there.” With a flash of her wand, the girls were far from Fairyland.
When Kirsty and Rachel arrived back on Snowbound Island, it was bright out. As usual, no time had passed while they were gone. It was near noon by the time they walked back to the lodge, and everyone was outside getting ready for the Solstice Celebration that night.
“I can’t believe we slept in so late,” one worker said to another. “There’s so much to do.”
“Can we help?” Rachel offered.
“No, but thank you,” Devi replied. “You should enjoy this day. It may be the shortest of the year, but it looks like it might also be the prettiest.”
Kirsty took a deep breath of the crisp air and felt the warmth of the golden sun of her face. The snow sparkled.
“This really is a winter wonderland,” Rachel said, her eyes squinting with cheer.
“Let’s go find my parents. I don’t want them to miss another second!” Kirsty said. She grabbed her friend’s hand, and they began to run through the deep snow. They hadn’t gone far when they heard their names.
“Kirsty! Rachel!”
They turned to see the Tates waving at them. They were standing near the lodge’s gear rental shed. “We picked out snowshoes!” Mr. Tate called.
The girls rushed over. They were greeted with big hugs and a long list of plans for the afternoon.
“I can’t imagine leaving
without going ice-skating,” Mrs. Tate said.
“And I’d love to go snow tubing, too,” Mr. Tate added.
“Then, it sounds like there’s something special tonight,” Mrs. Tate said, squeezing her daughter’s hand.
“Mom, thanks for bringing Rachel and me along on this trip,” Kirsty said. “It’s been amazing.”
“Well, it’s not over yet!” Mr. Tate insisted, closing the latch on his snowshoe. “Let’s get out there.”
* * *
Rachel and Kirsty enjoyed a long afternoon of wintery fun and adventure! By the time evening came, they were more than ready to sit down and relax in front of the lodge’s outdoor fire.
The big log the girls had seen earlier in the day blazed in rich shades of yellow, red, and orange. The Tates and Rachel huddled together on benches around the fire. Rachel smiled and looked at her best friend. When something flickered in the corner of her eye, just past a cluster of pine trees, she had to ask, “Did you see that?”
“I did,” Kirsty said. “Do you think it was a sign—for us?”
The girls left the fire and followed the flickering glow.
“Pssst, over here!”
They weren’t surprised to find that the voice belonged to Michelle, who held her wand above her head like a searchlight. “Hello, friends,” she said. “I wanted to thank you for all of your help. Now, humans and fairies can really enjoy the wonders of winter. Just look at everyone!”
Kirsty and Rachel glanced back toward the fire. Kirsty saw her parents joyfully sipping hot chocolate. Some of the other guests were singing songs together. Everyone looked happy and cozy.
“We should thank you,” Rachel said. “You’ve given us all kinds of fabulous winter memories.”
“That’s what I’m here for!” Michelle said. “Also, I wanted to give you these.” She twirled her wand, and two rings magically appeared, floating in a milky cloud in midair. The rings both had tiny snow globes on them, with tiny silvery snowflakes inside.
“Oh, they’re lovely,” Kirsty said. The girls each took a ring and put it on.
“They are good for one special snowfall, as a gift from me,” Michelle said.
“Do you mean we can make it snow with these rings?” Rachel asked.
“Yes, just twist off the top, shake it, and then you’ll have snow,” Michelle explained.
“But it’s so beautiful. I don’t ever want to empty the snow,” Kirsty said. “After this weekend, I think I want to trust nature with all the weather and the seasons.”
“I agree,” Rachel said. “And I’ll also trust our fairy friends.”
Michelle looked very serious all of a sudden. “Your trust means a lot,” the fairy said. “Thank you for being such amazing friends to the fairies. I’ll look forward to seeing you again.” She blew glittery kisses toward the girls and disappeared in a flurry of snowflakes.
Rachel and Kirsty pulled their mittens back on over their special snow globe rings. They linked arms and headed back to the fire where everyone was having a merry time. “It’s the longest night of the year,” Kirsty whispered.
“Yes,” Rachel replied, “and I’m glad I get to spend every bit of it with you.”
Now that they had helped Michelle find her magic candle and snowflake lantern, things would return to normal. The days would slowly get longer and the nights shorter. After a while, with more sunlight, the season would turn to spring. Then flowers would start to bud, and the snow would finally melt. But that was months away. Rachel and Kirsty still had lots of wonderful winter days and cozy winter nights to share together before then.
“It’s so amazing to be back on Rainspell Island again—together!” said Kirsty Tate, leaning out her window and taking a deep breath of sea air.
Her best friend, Rachel Walker, clapped her hands and bounced up and down on her tiptoes.
“Today is the start of the most amazing summer vacation ever,” she said. “I’m sure of it!”
They were sharing a room at the Sunny Days Bed & Breakfast on the island where they had first met and become best friends. They were so happy to be there again on vacation together. The girls shared a quick hug before rushing down the narrow stairs to the cozy breakfast room. Their parents were already there, poring over leaflets about activities on the island.
“I’m sure we can find some new things to do,” said Mr. Walker, “even though we have visited this island so many times before.”
“How about a nice long hike?” suggested Mr. Tate as the girls slipped into their seats and poured some cereal. “It’d be interesting to explore more of the island—we all love seeing its beautiful plants and trees.”
Rachel and Kirsty shared a smile. They had an extra-special secret reason why they loved Rainspell Island so much. It was here that they had first become friends with the fairies!
“Hiking would be a great start to the trip,” said Mr. Walker. “Let’s head out after breakfast, shall we?”
“Here’s something interesting,” said Mrs. Walker, holding out a bright yellow flyer. “It’s called the Summer Friends Camp.”
Rachel took the flyer and read out loud. “ ‘A day camp for children staying on the island. Make new friends and join in lots of fun activities.’ It sounds awesome!”
As Kirsty and Rachel were looking at the flyer and chattering about the activities, the breakfast-room door opened and Mr. Holliday came in. He ran the bed and breakfast, and he glanced at the flyer as he put some toast down on the table.
“My daughter Ginny’s helping run that camp with her best friend, Jen,” he said.
Kirsty and Rachel exchanged a special smile, wondering if Ginny and Jen’s friendship was as strong as theirs. They knew that they were lucky to have each other.
“Is it OK if we go to the Summer Friends Camp instead of going on the hike?” Kirsty asked. “It sounds like lots of fun.”
“Of course,” said Mr. Tate. “We’ll see you later. You can tell us all about it!”
“The Summer Friends Camp is held at Rainspell Park,” said Mr. Holliday. “I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.”
When they had finished breakfast, the Tates and the Walkers put on their backpacks and hiking boots and set out on their hike. Rachel and Kirsty waved good-bye and then headed off toward Rainspell Park. The bed and breakfast was on a tree-lined road that overlooked the ocean, and as they walked along they saw the ferry heading toward the island.
“Remember when we met on the ferry that first day?” Rachel asked, smiling at her best friend. “That was one of the best days of my life.”
“Mine, too,” said Kirsty. “Everything I do is more fun now that I have you to share it with—including our fairy adventures!”
The girls held hands and smiled when they saw that they were both wearing the friendship bracelets that Florence the Friendship Fairy had given them. Rainspell Island was the place where the girls had first made friends with the fairies, so it had a very special place in their hearts.
“I hope we’ll meet some more fairies while we’re here,” said Rachel. “I love making new fairy friends.”
“Fingers crossed we’ll make some new human friends, too,” Kirsty added. “The Summer Friends Camp sounds like such a fun idea.”
They reached the entrance to Rainspell Park and walked through the open gates, gazing around at colorful flowerbeds and huge old trees. The wide gravel paths were dotted with benches, and a large fountain was bubbling and splashing beside the bandstand.
“Look,” said Rachel, “there’s a sign for the camp.”
A bright yellow sign pointed them past the fountain and around a bend. They saw a large tepee-style tent in the middle of the grass. It was surrounded by colorful balloons, and the sign next to the tent said, Welcome to the Summer Friends Camp!
Still holding hands, Rachel and Kirsty walked into the tent. It was cool inside, and decorated with rainbow-colored silk. A smiling teenage girl hurried to greet them. She was wearing a mint-green name tag that said, Jen,
decorated with delicate, dark-gray birds.
“Welcome to our camp,” she said. “Come and join us!”
Copyright © 2017 by Rainbow Magic Limited.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc. RAINBOW MAGIC is a trademark of Rainbow Magic Limited. Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and other countries. HIT and the HIT logo are trademarks of HIT Entertainment Limited.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN 978-1-338-15772-7
First printing October 2017
Cover design by Angela Jun
e-ISBN 978-1-338-15773-4
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Michelle the Winter Wonderland Fairy Page 4