Ronda's raft rested on its side in the sand, unharmed.
Tracey soon sat and reached for his head, shaking it. His dust-like, diamond-shaped wings disappeared from his back, so now he was wingless again.
Gina rested on her front, her wings outstretched, and sprayed water out of her beak.
Merlin soon stood, and he, Raeven, and Harmony started to approach them.
Gina noticed them and seemed to smile. Getting up, she hopped over to Tracey and nudged him.
The closer Merlin, Harmony, and Raeven approached, Merlin recognized the boy and tern sitting on the sand, and his jaw dropped. Merlin started to stutter. "Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh."
Tracey rubbed his head. Afterward, he finally looked up, and his eyes landed on Merlin. His jaw also fell.
Merlin stopped, and he, Harmony, and Raeven stared.
Tracey soon peered back at the raft, and then he looked at his master again. "Sensei?" he asked in a soft voice.
All Merlin could do was nod.
There was a moment of silence between the two magical beings, and then Tracey yelled, "Sensei!" He leaped to his feet and hurried to Merlin. Tracey threw himself into a hug and repeated, "Sensei!" Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he hugged Merlin so tightly that he could hardly breathe.
After a bit, though, he returned his hug. "My apprentice," he spoke. "You're here. You've finally made it."
Raeven landed on the sand and sauntered over to Gina. The two avian creatures met eyes and nodded at one another.
Harmony stood bewildered. She seemed a bit disappointed that Ash wasn't with Merlin's apprentice. Seeming to sigh, she glanced to the left, and her eyes landed on Coutarine Island's jungle.
Merlin and Tracey soon released each other, and Merlin placed his hands on his apprentice's cheeks. "Look at you. You're growing every day, my young apprentice. When was the last time I saw you?"
Tracey lifted his hand and took one of Merlin's, answering, "It's been a month, Sensei—a whole month. I sure hope your mission has gone well. Here." Tracey let go of Merlin's hand and gripped his arms next. Tracey helped sit him down on a driftwood log, and he glanced into his blue eyes.
Merlin nodded. "It has been a wonderful time here on Coutarine Island, Tracey. My mission was a complete success. Thank you so much for giving me a little time for it. Of course, though, silly me, I forgot some of my most important supplies back home." He thumped himself on the head and then reached for his beard, scratching it.
"Makenna and I retrieved your package," explained Tracey, "but Makenna is holding onto it now, so I don't exactly have it with me. Is that okay, Sensei?"
Merlin chuckled. "Of course it is, young Tracey," said he. "It didn't affect me too much, but there were times when the supplies I misplaced would've come in handy."
Nodding understandingly, Tracey couldn't help but ask, "What was your mission, sir? I've been asking myself this question the entire month you've been gone."
Merlin smiled and placed his hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Let's just say I had to help a certain somebody prepare for you and Makenna's arrival."
Tracey nodded again and asked, "Who? Was it the wizard we're supposed to seek out?"
Merlin nodded yes. "Exactly, young one. He's all ready for you. Ash will lead you to him tomorrow morning. Right now, all we can do is wait for him and Makenna."
"I have one more question," spoke Tracey. His eyes landed on Merlin's sunglasses. "Why are you wearing sunglasses?"
"Oh!" Merlin spoke, finally realizing he still had the sunglasses on. "No reason! No reason!" Lifting his hand, he pulled the sunglasses off. They disappeared in a blast of light, and the wizard sighed. He and Tracey met eyes again, and they shared a small laugh.
***
On the other side of Coutarine Island, Makenna and Ash finally reached Aluna's village section. It was nestled in the center of a massive cluster of ferns, in which a river flowed through it due to tidal pools. A tiny windmill overlooked Aluna's village, and there were small wooden and brick houses. The largest house was another mushroom house.
Makenna and Ash, of course, had to shrink down again to easily access the village section.
Ash shrank first, and once shrunk, he waved at Makenna and joyfully announced, "Let's go! You're going to love this place, Makenna!" Lowering his hand, he pulled one fern apart and stepped into a small tunnel in which hanging ferns acted as its walls. On the other side of it was the village.
Makenna felt her excitement bubbling inside her like fresh lava, waiting to erupt from the mouth of an active volcano, and she prepared to step into the tunnel, too. However, before she could, she heard something behind her.
Becoming confused, Makenna slowly turned, and her eyes widened when she saw Silvey standing before her. She had also shrunk down to enter the village, so apparently, she could use magic, too.
The two met eyes, and Makenna nervously acted out the Coutarine Island wave. "Aluna, Silvey. Ash was right. You did follow us. Do you want to go first?" She stepped aside and gestured for Silvey to wander into the tunnel before her.
She didn't, though. Silvey refused to move from her spot.
Makenna tried again. "Go on, Silvey. Don't worry, I'm sure nobody will hurt you in there."
Silvey and Makenna soon heard Ash from the other side of the tunnel. "Are ya coming, Makenna?"
Makenna turned and yelled back, "Just give me a minute, Ash! I'll be right there! I promise!" She faced Silvey again. "Come on, Silvey. I know you're nervous around other fairies, but I promise everything will be okay."
Silvey, though, still refused to move. She and Makenna stared into each other's eyes for a little longer, but then the fairy dog built up her confidence. With the sound of crashing waves in the background, Silvey skipped over to Makenna and plopped down on her backside. She smiled again, and Makenna blushed.
Silvey soon lifted her feeler and wrapped it around the young fairy's wrist again. Makenna was starting to get used to it.
"Do you want to go in together?" she soon asked the fairy dog. "Is that why you won't move?"
Understanding her, Silvey quickly nodded.
Makenna chuckled. "All right, then. Just to let you know, this is my first time seeing Aluna's village section up close, so you may have to show me around. I'm still a pretty new fairy. The Human World is nothing like the world you're used to."
With Silvey's feeler wrapped around her, Makenna pulled apart the fern Ash pulled, and she and the fairy dog stepped into the tunnel.
Immediately after they entered, Silvey hid behind Makenna's legs and stuck close to her.
Makenna soon peered down and again repeated, "Don't worry, Silvey. It's okay."
Silvey remained hidden, though.
She and Makenna soon came upon Ash, and Makenna waved, calling, "Ash!"
Ash had drawn Crusader again, and he seemed to talk with it. When he heard Makenna, he nodded and put it up.
Ash turned, and his eyes landed on the fairy and the fairy dog. "Hello, Makenna Delling, and ho, ho!" He moved his attention over to Silvey. "Silvey's with you! What do you know, Makenna?" He chuckled and hopped up and down again. "She really does like you! Why don't you show her the village, Silvey?"
Silvey gestured sure with her head and looked at Makenna. She let her wrist go and trotted before her. Silvey stopped halfway down the tunnel, barking for Makenna to catch up.
She nervously glanced at Ash, and he gestured at the dog.
Finally, Makenna flapped her wings and lifted into the sky. She soared to the dog and asked, "Are you ready, Silvey? Do you think you can take me to Evelyn's house?"
Silvey excitedly jumped up and down.
Makenna soon peered over to Ash and said, "Are you coming with us, Ash?"
"Not this time," he explained. "I have a few things I need to take care of first, but I'll see you at Evelyn's house. I promise. Trust Silvey. She'll make sure you don't get lost."
Makenna bobbed her head. "Okay. Thank you, Ash. See you soon."
Ash chuckled, and Makenna watched as he jogged away from her. Momentarily, though, he stopped and turned back around. After staring at the Metamorphic Fairy for about thirty seconds, Ash lifted his hand and waved. He then turned and jogged away.
Makenna was left alone with Silvey. She stopped to hover and asked her, "Will you please lead me to Evelyn's house, Silvey?"
Silvey nodded, and Makenna watched as she trotted toward the fern cave's exit. Following her, she landed beside Silvey at the exit and noticed that she seemed a bit sad. The fairy dog's head was lowered, and she sighed. "Silvey? What's wrong?" Makenna soon asked. She knelt and scratched her behind her ear.
Silvey, though, refused to tell her. She lifted her head and shook it, feebly smiling.
Makenna watched as she scampered into the village and got up from the ground.
Makenna went after her, and as soon as she entered Aluna's village section, she smiled. Makenna immediately knew she was really in the fairy world when she saw it. Everything was much more peaceful there than in the real world.
Makenna followed Silvey and tried to take everything in. "Wow," she whispered. She examined the village's fern wall and then peered up at the sky. Her eyes landed on a giant tree. Something about it intrigued her, and momentarily, Makenna stared at it. However, her thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang. Makenna and Silvey jumped like cats.
Sprites stared at the Metamorphic Fairy.
She growled, "Stupid phone," and reached into the pocket of her tunic. Makenna drew her cell phone and checked the collar ID. Her mother was calling her. Slightly smiling, she pressed Answer and brought the phone to her ear. "Hey, Mom." Makenna pulled it away, though, when she learned she was on speaker.
"Oooh," whispered the sprites, beginning to approach Makenna, but she didn't notice them.
She listened to her mother, who asked, "Where are you?" on the other end of the line. "Are you all right? You've been gone for twenty-four hours, nineteen minutes, and thirty-three seconds!"
Makenna waved her hand and answered, "I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry." She finally noticed the sprites and Silvey creeping up on her, but carried on with the conversation. "I'm sorry I've been gone so long, but things have been crazy here. I'm on Coutarine Island with Tracey."
"Coutarine Island?" Mrs. Delling asked. "I thought you were just going to Merlin's Island."
"I did," explained Makenna, "but Tracey and I were given a package to deliver to Merlin here on Coutarine Island yesterday. I just stopped at Merlin's Island to pick him up."
"Oh, Makenna," her mother groaned. "Where exactly are you? How far are you from Seabrook? Don't tell me you're all the way in the Cook Islands!"
"To be honest," Makenna admitted, "I'm surprised I'm not. This island is absolutely gorgeous. It's like a combination of all the tropical islands in the world. Fret not, Mom. I'm not far from Seabrook Island. I promise I'll be home soon."
"You better be!" Makenna's mother actually sounded serious. "Makenna Angelia Delling, you also better make sure that Tracey is always with you! Take some pictures of Coutarine Island, and make sure you're changing your underwear every day!"
"Mom!" Makenna's entire face turned red.
The sprites and Silvey heard what Mrs. Delling said, and all of them burst out laughing.
Silvey got down on the ground and started to roll.
Makenna puffed out her cheeks and glared at them.
Mrs. Delling continued to babble over the phone. "Do you have your toothbrush, clean underwear, and bras?"
"Mom! Okay! I'm hanging up!"
Mrs. Delling heard the laughing on Makenna's line and added, "Oh, what's all that laughing? Are those your friends? Should I send them some baby pictures? Oh, I can share the one when you thought the toilet was a coral reef, and you snorkeled in it!"
"Ugh!" Makenna shouted. "That's it! I'm out!"
The sprites and Silvey laughed even harder.
Makenna hung up and stuffed her phone back into her pocket. She stormed forward to escape the laughter and accidentally ran into Ash. He and Makenna had both gone in the same direction, so it only made sense that they would run into each other again.
As soon as they did, Ash said, "Oh, hey, Makenna."
Makenna placed her hands on her hips and sighed, saying, "Ash, hi."
There was a moment of silence between the two, and then Ash asked, "So, um, why did ya think the toilet was a coral reef?"
Makenna blushed again. Ugh, he heard, too?
"That's none of your beeswax!" Makenna shouted. She shoved Ash's chest and knocked him to the ground. "Forget it! Let's just find Evelyn. Mom has to learn to stop treating me like a baby, Ash. She must understand that I'm a lady now!" Makenna marched forward toward the heart of Aluna.
Silvey and Ash followed her, and Ash chortled. "Lady," he said in a low voice.
Ash, Makenna, and Silvey soon reached Aluna's heart, and they headed for the mushroom house.
Ash soon explained, "Hear me out, Makenna, because I'm only going to mention this once. Evelyn is bad-tempered, so ya should let me do the talking."
"Sure," Makenna spoke.
At her heel, Silvey peered up at her.
"Also," Ash continued, "she's a perfectionist, so don't be knocking things over when you get in there. Got it?"
"Sure," Makenna repeated. "Come on, let's go see Evelyn." She pushed Ash aside with her hip, stumbling a bit while she walked, but she also had a sudden goofy smile on her face.
***
While Makenna, Ash, and Silvey continued their search for Evelyn, Tracey settled in at Merlin's Beach. He sat on the trunk of a hanging palm tree with Gina, admiring the sunset, and had changed into a green, ninja-style, tunic-like shirt that was green on the outside but purple on the inside, a brown belt, brown long pants, wristbands, and black boots.
Tracey held a spyglass to his eye, hoping to see a pod of dolphins. A gentle, tropical breeze massaged his scalp, and he rubbed Gina with his free hand. While he didn't see dolphins, he did see something else—a boat!
On the horizon appeared the figure of a Cruiser yacht.
"What's that?" asked the wounded ninja.
Gina looked up, and her eyes also landed on the yacht. "Is that a boat?" Tracey continued.
Gina shrugged and hopped onto his shoulder.
Tracey jumped off the palm tree and landed on the fluffy, white sand. Gina almost fell, but he caught her. Tracey jogged closer to the water and leaped onto a few rocks that led out to the reef.
When he reached the last rock, he waved his arms to keep his balance and brought the spyglass to his eye again.
The yacht appeared to be creeping closer.
Tracey didn't understand. Like Merlin's Island, Coutarine Island was supposed to be protected by a magic barrier that didn't let any humans see or touch its warm, clear waters. Something was wrong.
"I don't understand," the fairy calmly said, lowering the spyglass. "No humans or non-magical beings should be able to get close to Coutarine Island, unless something's wrong with the barrier." Tracey scratched Gina under the chin, and she cuddled up to him.
Tracey soon attached the spyglass to his belt, and Gina leaped off his shoulder, beginning to hover.
Tracey turned and hopped across the rocks again. As soon as his boots hit the sand, he hurried around the point to the section of the beach Merlin claimed and stumbled upon Ronda's raft.
Merlin had fallen asleep on the sand, as well as Raeven and Harmony. The raft's paddle rested beside the great wizard.
As quiet as a mouse, Tracey crept over to him and reached for it.
Merlin shuffled in his sleep.
Tracey's eyes widened, and he froze.
"Oh, Mamma, Mamma!" Merlin spoke. "Come here! Somebody's stolen my raft!" He turned onto his side and started to snore.
Tracey sighed with relief. He picked up the paddle and whispered, "Are you ready, Gina?"
She nodded.
Tracey led her to the raft and pulled her out of the sky, setting her down on its wood.
She stepped back a few feet and gave him space.
Tracey gently pushed the raft into the bay and climbed aboard. With the paddle in hand, he paddled into the reef and out to sea.
Gina hung out at the bow, taking in a whiff of tropical air.
Tracey soon set the paddle down and grabbed the main sail's rope. Lifting it, he tugged it, and the sail flapped open. With his free hand, he clutched the throttle and sailed to a point. Once there, Tracey lowered the main sail and tied its rope to the branch of another hanging palm tree.
Gina stayed on the raft to serve as a lookout, while her friend used the branch to drag himself onto the point.
Tracey dove behind a cluster of ferns and peered out at the approaching yacht again. It was still far away, but at least he could see it better now.
The yacht was painted all white, with black windows, and two stories tall. Tracey had never seen a boat as big as it before. He'd never even seen a cruise ship.
He unhooked his spyglass from his belt and opened it. Tracey brought it to his eye and rechecked the yacht. He moved the lens back and forth from each of its decks. There were people aboard it—a family.
A few family members pointed at Coutarine Island, while another drove closer to the point where Tracey hid. They could see it! But how? Something was definitely wrong with the barrier.
A pinch of fear invaded Tracey's insides.
The yacht soon stopped fairly close to his hiding place, but still far enough away for the family not to notice Ronda's raft, and the engine was turned off. Somebody dropped an anchor into the ocean, so they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.
Tracey dropped the spyglass and pulled half his body out from the ferns. "Why isn't the barrier working? Makenna, where are you?" He heard something beside him and ducked back into the ferns.
Turning his head, Tracey's eyes landed on Gina, curiously peering up at him. "Gina," he whispered. "Gina, why aren't you staying with the raft?"
Gina didn't answer. She instead hopped over to Tracey and leaped back onto his shoulder.
He feebly smiled. "I understand. You want to make sure I'm okay."
Gina bobbed her head and rubbed against his cheek.
Tracey soon built up his confidence and decided to check out the yacht again. He pulled half his body out of the ferns for the second time and examined the family more thoroughly. There were nine people, and only one was another teenager.
She looked to be around Makenna's age. She had long, curly brown hair and deep brown eyes. Her skin was tan, and she wore surfing shorts and a bikini top. She hung out at the bow of the boat, writing in a journal. Her family members, dressed in bathing suits and hats, drank beer and wine, laughing about stupid things.
Tracey shook his head and told Gina, "Look at them, Gina. They make me sick. We've got to find a way to chase them away from Coutarine Island. But how?"
He pushed his spyglass's tube in and prepared to attach it to his belt again, but suddenly, it slipped from his hand and fell.
Tracey gasped.
The spyglass rolled off the rocky point and bounced onto a rock with a thud.
Tracey quickly hid in the ferns and split them.
On the yacht, the girl sitting at the bow heard the thud and peered up from her journal. She placed her pen down and crawled to the edge of the bow. Her hands gripped the railing, and she glanced in the direction of the point.
Tracey immediately pulled the ferns before his face so she wouldn't see him. His heart beat like the thumping of a rabbit's foot in his chest, and sweat fountained down his face. He waited for the coast to clear so he could grab his spyglass. The next time he peeped out the ferns, he noticed the girl had picked up her pen and was writing in her journal again. Tracey's coast was finally clear.
He nervously whispered, "O-kay," and gently and quietly pulled his entire body out from his hiding place, crawling to the edge of the rocky point. Tracey gripped it, and his eyes landed on his spyglass still resting on the rock. He could do this.
After a bit, Tracey let go with one hand and stretched it toward his spyglass. Though he couldn't reach it from there, he could still use his magic to have it come to him. Ugh, it was times like those that Tracey really wished he still had his wings.
"Almost got it," he soon said. Unfortunately, just before he cast a spell, the rocks under his other hand broke, and he and Gina tumbled down the rocky front of the point.
Tracey slightly yelled, and Gina quietly screeched. They crashed into the ocean, and the sound caught the girl's attention again.
She glanced at the point again, and her eyes caught rocks tumbling down its walls.
Tracey soon came to the surface, inhaling. Gina popped out of the water next, and Tracey glimpsed at her. "Gina! Are you okay?" He pulled Gina out of the ocean and set her down on the rock his spyglass rested on.
She shook out her head and held her wings out to let them dry.
"Let's um," Tracey added, "not try to spy from this point again, all right?"
Just before the Octopus Man could pull him away, he grabbed the rock with his right hand, and his eyes rolled down to his left arm. His upper arm was bleeding. He had gotten a pretty nasty gash from the fall. Tracey really wished he still had his wings now. He just wasn't used to walking.
He groaned while he examined his cut. "Why is it always me?" Tracey rubbed his eye. He waited until he recovered from his fall before grabbing his spyglass. When he did, his eyes landed on the yacht, and he froze when he saw the teenage girl looking at him. Oh no, he was spotted!
The girl gasped and rubbed her eyes to ensure she wasn't seeing anything. She wasn't.
Tracey wasted no time. He gestured for Gina to return to the raft and dove underwater, his spyglass attached to his belt. The entire time he swam, he clutched his arm and tried his best not to pollute the sea with his own blood. Blood meant sharks, and Tracey most certainly did not want to get eaten by a shark!
Back on the yacht, the young girl yelled, "Mom! Mom! Come quickly!" and frantically searched the area where Tracey had been. "I think I just saw a merman!"
Her mother dropped her wine glass and asked, "A what?"
"A merman!" announced the girl.
"Oh, Alice, honestly," her father spoke next, chewing on a Twix bar. "You should know that there are no such things as mermaids and mermen, just like there are no such things as fairies."
"But, Daddy!" Alice argued. "I know what I saw! I saw a boy floating in the water!"
Tracey soon returned to Ronda's raft and dragged himself onto it.
Gina waited for him beside the main sail.
Plopping down onto his backside, Merlin's apprentice said, "Hey, Gina. Let's wait until it gets dark before we sail back in." He peered down at his wounded arm again and gulped. He couldn't let anybody see what had happened to him. If Merlin found out he went to the ocean without permission, he would be in so much trouble, and Tracey hated being in trouble.
Gina watched as he used his magic to create a rag he could tie around his arm. She helped him with it.
As soon as Tracey finished treating his wound, he pulled his sleeve down and tried his best to hide it. When he was sure he was okay, he grabbed Gina and pulled her into a hug, again asking, "Oh, Makenna, where are you? I need you."