Song: "King of the Woodlands" - Peter Gundry

        Once his friends left, Tracey sat up in the sand of the trashed beach and pulled his hand away from his nose. He gasped when he saw blood on it. "My nose is bleeding!" he shouted at the sprites and Makenna and Ash, but they didn't hear him. They merely continued to fly. Tracey couldn't believe what just happened! His friends ditched him! His own friends! They betrayed him! This was like the year before all over again! Tracey struggled to his feet and put his hand to his nose again. He tried to hold back tears and marched down the beach after Makenna, Ash, and the sprites. Not to mention, he also had a searing headache from the Octopus Man's curse. Every time a wave of cursed pain collided into his brain, he lifted his hand, closed his eyes, and reached for it. Finally, Tracey gave up. The second he passed the wrecked raft, he collapsed onto the sand and started to sob again. The pain was too great! Tracey also couldn't accept the fact that he thought he had no more friends. His entire world had been crushed – between his wings, the Curse of Poseidon, and his friends' betrayal. He definitely was starting to lose the battle. Salty tears fell onto the sand, and mixed in with them was blood from his nose. Tracey didn't want to be there anymore. He wanted to find Merlin and hang around someone he knew would never betray or hurt him. He didn't know where he was on Coutarine Island though.

While Tracey sobbed, he shouted, "It's not fair!" over and over again, "Why am I the only one who has to be cursed? It's not fair! Sensei, where are you?!" He remained on the ground but was totally unaware that out in the reef, the ocean started to glow a bright green color! This was not the work of the Octopus Man though. It was of something else. Tracey didn't see the mysterious, magical phenomenon though. He instead yelled and reached for his head with both hands. He felt like it was splitting in two!

        The ocean glowed for a little bit longer, and then, very slowly from it, lifted out a bunch of seaweed! It took on the form of Ethelinda, the Seaweed Guardian of Coutarine Island who saved Makenna and Tracey before. She was absolutely gorgeous, and her eyes rotated over to young Tracey. When she felt the time was right, she lifted her whole body out of the sea, and she soared towards the beach and him.

Once she reached it, she slowly floated down in front of Tracey and landed on the sand. "Tracey," she spoke in a wonderful, goddess-like voice. Her voice startled him. At the sound of it, Merlin's apprentice jumped and slowly lifted his head.

He gasped at the sight of Ethelinda, "Ethelinda!" and quickly rubbed tears from his red face. He lowered his head with hope she wouldn't notice he had been crying, but Ethelinda already did, and she lifted her seaweed arm.

With her finger, she took Tracey's chin and lifted his head so she could see his face. "Young Tracey," she spoke, "why do you sit here crying?" Tracey at first didn't answer. He was too shy to. After a bit though, he told himself that he was speaking with the Guardian of Coutarine Island. He took a deep breath and finally decided to confess. "My friends," chokingly answered the eighteen-year-old apprentice, "they left me. They left me, Ethelinda. I feel like I have been betrayed all over again. Now the fairy world has become just as much as an enemy as the human world. I don't know why everything is happening to me. I just want to see Merlin again. Merlin is the only person I know who would never betray or hurt me. The thing is, I don't know where he is."

"My child," Ethelinda spoke, "don't look at things the wrong way. Your friends have not betrayed you. Ash is only testing Makenna to see if she too can pass his trial; he's not trying to throw you out of the adventure. While it looks like he may be, he's not. Truthfully, he wants you to relax a bit while he works with Makenna. You've been through too much already, Tracey. Ash is really only trying to take care of you and Makenna. Thanks to your patience and confidence, young master, you passed his trial just like that, but Makenna lacks those two qualities. He also didn't mean to call Merlin 'dorky'; he only said that because he thought Makenna would jump in and protect his name in your honor, not you. That is why they left you too. Ash just needs Makenna a little bit, so she can work on passing her trial."

"But what trial?" Tracey asked. He shook his head, "I don't understand, Ethelinda. Why is Ash testing us like this?"

"I can't answer that question," Ethelinda admitted, "but, my child, Merlin can. Since you are ready, it is time for you to aim for the second phase of your adventure. It is time for you to seek out Merlin the Great, your Sensei."

"It is?" Tracey asked. He heard a flapping sound next to him and turned his head. Gina had appeared next to him, and she landed on his shoulder. "I still don't understand," continued young Tracey, "What do you mean 'it's time,' Ethelinda?" He lifted his hand and rubbed tears from his eyes.

"All of it will come together soon," answered Ethelinda, "You and Makenna are here at Coutarine Island for a reason, Tracey. Only Merlin has all the answers. You must seek him out."

"So he knew about this?" Tracey asked, "Is this what his urgent mission was? I'd love to seek him out, ma'am, but I have no idea where he's hiding on this island."

Ethelinda was the next one to shake her head, "You're wrong, Tracey. You do know. You're just scared, and I don't blame you. I am no Merlin or Selene, but I do know what fairies are feeling. Follow your fairy instincts, young Tracey. They will lead you to your Sensei. To get to him though, you must fight one of your greatest fears. It's the fastest way to reach him. You must, my child," She turned towards the ocean, "sail on the ocean to the other side of Coutarine Island."

"The ocean?!" Tracey yelped, and he quickly turned towards the water, "No, Ethelinda! I can't! You know what happens every time I try to run into the sea!"

"Which that is something you must fight." Ethelinda explained, "If you can succeed in this mission to find your Sensei, Tracey, then you will prove yourself to the Atlantic Ocean, and you'll be a step closer to regaining your wings."

"My wings?!" Tracey immediately perked up when Ethelinda mentioned them, "What do you mean 'regain my wings?!'"

"Sail to Merlin." Ethelinda spoke, "When you do, you will understand. Go, Merlin's apprentice. Gina there will be by your side the whole way." Gina rubbed up against Tracey's cheek and seemed to purr.

        There were a few moments of silence, and then Tracey turned his head in the direction of the ocean and tried to make up his mind. Would he really be able to regain his wings if he did this? He wasn't a Metamorphic Fairy though. Well, he guessed there was only one way to find out. His headache started to leave as he slowly rose to his feet and approached the edge of the water. Ethelinda lifted into the air after him and started to hover. Tracey let the ocean breeze pass through his scalp, and closing his eyes, he turned his head, and hair blew in his face. He calmed himself down since he knew he usually was a calm person, and he tried to pull his mind away from Poseidon's spell but his goal instead. While he did this, Ethelinda lifted one of her seaweed hands, and she pointed it at the wrecked raft which still rested in the sand. Blowing on her hand, green sparkles left it and fluttered over to the raft. The magic circled it, and within thirty seconds, beyond one's imagination, it was put back together! The sail attached itself to the repaired wood, and Ethelinda lifted the revived raft into the air. Just like Luke's spaceship in Star Wars, she used the Force to turn it back over to Tracey. It was official. Ethelinda was Yoda. The raft landed behind Tracey, and Gina peered back to it, gasping. Tracey didn't notice it yet though.

He continued to stare out to the ocean, and after a bit, he spoke, "But, Ethelinda, I can't sail unless I have a raft, and last time I checked, the raft I found was broken! So what do you make of that? Ethelinda?" Here, he turned his head, and finally his golden brown eyes landed on the raft. Tracey gasped too, and yelled, "Whoa!" jumping a few feet back. Ethelinda chuckled and brought her hand to her seaweed mouth. Tracey was speechless. How on earth did that raft – what on earth happened here? He circled it a few times and examined it up and down, checking the ropes and sail. The raft looked exactly like it did when Tracey found it! Gina hopped off his shoulder and landed on it. She was ready to go sailing. Tracey did it a lot back at Merlin's Island in his free time, especially since he now no longer had his wings. While he couldn't enjoy the ocean from the sky, he could enjoy it from sailing. Finally, he approached Ethelinda and tried his best to thank her, "I-I don't know how you did it. Tha-Thank you, Ethelinda."

"No problem," she answered, "and don't worry. I'll explain to Ronda why it's gone. For now though, it is time for you to fly! Follow your fairy instincts. After all, my child, you are Tracey, Merlin's apprentice who survived broken wings last year due to your self-esteem! If you can fight broken wings, then you can fight this spell!"

"I can." Tracey agreed, and he nodded, "Thank you, Ethelinda. This means a lot to me. I hope Ash succeeds with Makenna." And just like that, he threw himself into Ethelinda's seaweed self and gave her a hug.

Ethelinda returned it and comfortably spoke, "It's all right, son. Everything will be okay. I know you will find your master. Just keep telling yourself that you are Tracey." They hugged for a few minutes. Finally when they let go, Tracey last shook hands with the Guardian, and he turned on his heel, hurrying back to the revived raft. Gina opened her wings and lifted into the air again. She next landed on his head, and she and Tracey glanced at one another. Ethelinda watched as Tracey picked up the wooden paddle and pushed the raft into the reef again. From the beach, she waved good luck to the two, and Tracey and Gina waved back. Merlin's apprentice followed the Guardian's orders. He listened to his fairy instincts, and they told him to turn right.

While Tracey paddled out, he grabbed the sail's rope again and pulled on it. The sail lifted into the air, and he gave it another whirl. Tracey opened it again. Just like before, right when he did, a blast of wind hammered it, but this time, Tracey didn't let it throw him overboard. He simply fought the spell just like Ethelinda said and turned right. On his head, Gina closed her eyes and let the comforting wind blast through her feathers. Ethelinda continued to wave, and then her seaweed body started to fall apart, and it dove into the ocean again. Tracey sailed on the wind, and he kept on fighting. He almost fell, but he managed to catch himself at the last minute. Officially, he was off to find Merlin and hopefully regain his wings!

        Makenna and Ash on the other hand were totally unaware of Tracey's disappearance. They instead followed the sprites to Aluna's village section. While they flew, Makenna excitedly observed her surroundings. She couldn't help herself! She was just too excited! Her impatience was what was causing her to fail Ash's trial. She wasn't like Tracey. Makenna and Tracey had two totally different personalities. Ash's personality was pretty different too. He fumbled around with his slingshot the entire way to the village section and constantly blew on it. This eventually got on Makenna's nerves. "Stop fumbling around with that thing!" she snapped at Ash, "It's making me nervous!"

"You don't understand, Makenn," Ash laughed, "this old baby constantly needs to look good. After all, she's about twenty years old, and she's working great! Like, watch this." He drew a small bag from his pocket that had tiny stones in it, and he started to rapidly shoot them all over the place to show off how well the slingshot still worked. A few stones hit the sprites and knocked them off their flight pattern. Ash chuckled and gestured at them, but Makenna merely glared. One stone hit Ronda, and she peered over her shoulder, growling at Ash. The young Wizard Fairy continued to launch the stones, but this time, he accidentally hit Makenna with a few of them! She yelled and protected her face as they pelted her hands.

A few of them collided into her wand and knocked it from her hand, and by then, Makenna lost her buttons! "All right, that's it!" she yelled, and she held her hand out to Ash, "Hand it over! With your clumsiness, you're going to kill somebody with it!" Ash refused to give up the slingshot. It was here that Makenna learned a bit about his dark past. He pulled the slingshot away from her hand and shook his head. "I mean it, Ash!" Makenna yelled, "Give it up!"

"No," spoke Ash, and for once, he actually wasn't smiling. The sprites heard them and stopped. They together turned and watched the two fairies. Makenna finally was given no other choice. Sometimes Ash really got on her nerves! She flung her hand forward and grabbed hold of his slingshot. With one hard tug, she ripped it out of his hands! Ash gasped when she did this. Makenna prepared to drop his slingshot into a tidal pool under them.

When Ash saw what she was about to do, he gasped and held his hand out to the Metamorphic Fairy, "Makenna, don't do it! Please!" His voice was actually starting to become a bit choked. He reached for the slingshot, but Makenna pushed his face away from it with her hand. It was here that the truth was revealed. Tears appeared in Ash's eyes, and without thinking, he yelled something quite interesting to Makenna, "That slingshot belonged to my sister!" Makenna froze. Whoa, plot twist – Ash's sister? He had a sister? The Wizard Fairy again shook his head, "Please," and a few tears ran down his cheeks, "that's the closest thing I have to her. That's the closest thing I have to my entire family. I'm begging you, Makenna." Makenna still prepared to drop the slingshot. She gripped it so tightly that her hand turned white. The fairy sprites watched intrigued. The look on Ash's face finally stopped Makenna from destroying his most prized possession. She groaned and lowered the slingshot. Makenna sighed and offered Ash his possession back. He grabbed it and quickly hugged it to his cheek. A few of his tears dripped on the slingshot.

Makenna shook her head and couldn't help but to whisper, "I'm a monster." As if he heard her, Ash glanced at her out the corner of his eye, and then he slipped his slingshot back into his pocket.

The sprites started to flutter away again, and Ash gestured at them with his head. "Come on," he said in a low, stern voice. He gave himself a little more magic and then flew after the sprites again.

        At first, Makenna assumed Tracey was ahead and already waiting at Aluna's village section only because duh, he was a ninja, so she thought she was behind. However, she didn't mind. Makenna wanted to share her guilt with herself, not someone else. She felt terrible that she already almost destroyed one of Ash's most prized possessions. Finally, when she came to her senses, she began to fly after him and the sprites. While she did though, something quite interesting happened to her. Tracey was first with the whole event with Ethelinda, and now it was her turn. Once she was halfway caught up with Ash and the sprites, Makenna suddenly heard a small sound. It sounded like a whimper, like the whimper of a dog. Makenna stopped flying, and she peered over her shoulder behind her. Nothing was there. She was just staring at the trashed beach. After a bit, the Metamorphic Fairy began to fly again, but then, she heard it again! The small whimper. Again she stopped and peered behind her. She stayed dead silent for a minute or two, and then she heard the whimper for a third time. This time, Makenna became curious. What was she hearing? She slowly took herself to the ground and landed on the beach. Makenna dropped her wings behind her back and returned to her normal height. She wasn't ready yet to turn back into a human. Once big again, she peered down the beach and softly called, "Hello?" An ocean breeze passed through her scalp, and she listened for the whimper. Soon, it came again, and Makenna gasped, jumping a few feet. She noticed it was coming from the woods in the most trashed section of the beach from the wave. Behind her, Makenna didn't notice him at all, was Ash! Still small, he rested on a pile of driftwood and watched her the whole time. What was happening was actually part of Makenna's trial. Ash had stepped it up a bit since she was much more difficult to work with than Tracey. Not noticing nor sensing him at all, Makenna tiptoed towards the woods in the direction of the whimper. While she walked, ocean waves slapped against the surface, and salt water tapped her heels.

The young, Metamorphic Fairy headed towards some ferns and again whispered, "Hello?" Ash followed her, but he stayed well out of sight. A few of Aluna's sprites were with him, and one sneezed a tiny sneeze.

Ash faced her and held his finger up to his lips, whispering, "Shh." The sprite nodded and quickly covered her nose and mouth with her hand. Once she was quiet, Ash then turned towards Makenna again and slowly nodded, "That's it, Makenna. You're doing great."

        Makenna Delling soon reached the ferns that had caught her attention. She again heard the whimper. This time, it sounded much clearer, and yep, it definitely was coming from behind the ferns. Young Makenna soon kneeled to them, and sand covered her knees, but she didn't really care. She just wanted to see what the heck the whimper belonged to. The fifteen-year-old fairy soon lifted her hands, and she carefully pulled the ferns apart. She was astounded by what she saw in them! Makenna gasped again, and then she cracked a small smile. She could feel her heart shattering from an overload of cuteness. Within the ferns, resting on its front and shaking, was a mysterious, dog-like creature! Makenna had never seen something like it before! It was not the typical dog she was used to. This one was the size of a Golden, but it looked very different. Starting off with its eyes, they were cyan blue. The creature's body was covered in white fur, and its feet, tail, and long, straight ears were pink. It sported two, long feelers that looked a little bit like wings on its back. Its four legs were fairly short but slender, and its feet were small. Finally, in the creature's mouth, it had short but sharp fangs.

Makenna knew it had to be some kind of dog even though dogs usually didn't have feelers. "Aluna," she spoke in a sweet voice. The dog slowly blinked, and it stared into her eyes. Makenna couldn't even explain how adorable it was. "My name is Makenna Delling," she added with, "I'm a Metamorphic Fairy. What are you? Some sort of dog or something?" The creature continued to shake. For some reason, it appeared to be terrified around fairies. At the sight of Makenna though, it calmed down a bit. Behind, Ash smiled and crossed his arms. Makenna continued to speak with the dog, "Are you hungry? I have some carrots. They're good for your teeth. I feed my dog carrots all the time." She reached behind her back and drew a bag of carrots seemingly from out of nowhere. Makenna opened it and drew one carrot. She offered it to the creature, "Here you go," and the creature sniffed it. After a bit, it stretched its neck and took the carrot out of Makenna's hand. As soon as it swallowed it, it smiled and closed its eyes, nodding. Makenna could not get over how adorable it was. She fed the dog another carrot, and it took it. However, then something quite strange happened. The creature unfolded its feelers, and it wrapped one around Makenna's wrist. Makenna gasped from fear even though the feelers were quite soft. "What are you doing?" she asked the creature.

As soon as she asked that though, suddenly, behind her, she heard Ash, "Ya found her!" Makenna softly yelled, and she whirled around. Sure enough, Ash stood behind her back at his normal height, and the sprites hovered around him.

"What are you doing here?" she frightfully asked.

One of the sprites yelled, "Silvey!" and he hurried to the dog-like creature, starting to hover next to her.

"Silvey?" Makenna asked.

"Congratulations on finding her, Makenn!" Ash spoke, and he started to hop up and down from excitement again, "I knew you could do it!" Silvey moved her feeler from around Makenna's wrist up to her arm, and she started to sweat. "What is she doing?" she frightfully asked Ash.

Ash stopped hopping up and down, and he explained, "Oh, Makenna, ya have it all wrong. When Silvey wraps her feelers around someone, it means she likes them."

"It does?" Makenna asked, and she glanced at Silvey.

Ash nodded, "Yes. That's how dogs her kind show affection."

"Oh," said Makenna, "so she is a type of dog. What type exactly, Ash? I have never seen one like her."

Ash chuckled and held the back of his hand up to his mouth, "Of course not from your world. Silvey, Makenna, is what you call a fairy dug or fairy dog in your case. Fairy dogs are dogs that are born in the fairy world, grow up in it, and currently make it their home. While they may look a bit different, it doesn't mean they're not just like regular dogs. Silvey watches over Aluna. The sprites found her as a puppy wandering and wounded two years ago. She's a bit nervous around other fairies because her previous owners were very abusive towards her, both physically and emotionally." Makenna's heart snapped again, "Oh, poor Silvey." She turned to her again and nervously peered down on her feeler around her arm. After a bit, Silvey removed it, and she frightfully backed away from the fairies and sprites. Makenna sat on her heels and placed her hands in her lap.

Ash soon took her shoulder, and he asked, "Are you ready to go to the village section, Makenna?"

Makenna sighed, "I guess," and she took Ash's hand which he pulled her to his feet. Then, together, they started back down the beach, and Makenna glanced over her shoulder one last time to look at Silvey.

"She'll come." Ash told her, and he urged her forward. Makenna nodded and let his hand go, starting to follow him. The sprites were close on their tail, and Silvey poked her head out of the ferns. Seeming to sigh, she lowered it and closed her eyes again.

        In the meantime, while Makenna and Ash hung with the sprites and Silvey, Tracey continued his sailing trek to Merlin. Except, he had fallen asleep. Well, that was no surprise since it was getting a little late, and he had been very busy that day. His right arm rested on the raft's tiller while his left one held the rope and stood the paddle up straight. His head rested on it, and he quietly snored. Evening sunshine turned the ocean water orange, and it sparkled. It looked very beautiful. Gina kept a lookout for the Octopus Man's minions, and she also made sure the raft was sailing in the right direction, which it was.

Before things could get better though, they got worse. Suddenly, the ocean became rough again, and waves slapped up against the raft's side.

        Water splashed into Tracey's face, and he snapped awake, "Ah! I'm awake! I'm awake!" Gina called to him, and she pointed at the waves. Tracey finally noticed them, and he quickly got to work. He leaped to his feet and pulled on the sail's rope. He and Gina started to sail over some waves, but this time, Tracey didn't let the rope slip from his grasp. "I can do this," he told himself, "I can do this. I can fight this spell." With every wave, they kept on getting bigger and stronger. A strong one caused him to almost lose his grasp on the rope, but he managed to barely hold on. Tracey kept Coutarine Island in sight, and he kept telling himself, "I can do this." Of course, the rough ocean was all work from the Octopus Man, but Tracey followed Ethelinda's orders. He kept on fighting the spell. The ocean called his name, but he refused to dive into it. Salt water flew into his face, and Tracey rubbed it away with his hand. He was almost at his destination. He could feel it. His fairy instincts told him so.

        Coutarine Island came closer and closer every passing second. More waves were picked up behind Tracey and Gina, and Tracey carefully went over each one. However, one of the largest ones slammed the raft again, and this one was the wave that was so powerful that it ripped the rope out of Tracey's hand again. He yelled as he flew forward and crashed onto his front on the raft. He almost fell on Gina, but she moved out of the way at the last second. Now the sail flapped wildly and freely in the wind. It did a 360° turn, and Gina screeched at Tracey to warn him. Hearing her, he quickly protected his head with his hands while staying down. Since no one was steering the raft now, it began to roam. It crept away from Coutarine Island and out towards sea.

        Tracey soon dropped his hands, and he turned his head. Hair blew in his face and through the curved tuft on top of his head. His eyes landed on the paddle, and he gasped when he saw it was hanging off the edge of the raft! One more jerk threw it off, and the paddle fell into the ocean! Tracey gasped again. Oh no! This was bad! This was so bad! He glanced at Gina and yelled, "Stay here!" Gina nodded and wrapped her wings around the raft's mast. The paddle's wood sucked in water and started to make it heavy. It wasn't long until it began to sink. Before Tracey could jump in after the paddle though, another wave caused the raft to jerk, and he fell down again. Wind blasted Gina, and she yelled as her wings unhooked from the mast, and she went flying into the water next! "Gina!" Tracey yelled. His eyes left the sinking paddle and rolled over to Gina instead. She kicked her webbed feet and tried to swim, but this wasn't possible because waves continuously crashed into her. "Gina!" Tracey again yelled. He drew one of his ninja stars and stuck it in his mouth. Gina started to cough from where she floated, and she ferociously flapped her wings, but she wasn't able to lift herself because there was too much water in them.

        Tracey thought fast. He decided to go after Gina first because unlike her, the paddle wasn't a living creature. Besides, he could sail fine without a paddle. With his left hand, Tracey grabbed the main sail's rope, and with his other one, he grabbed hold of the tiller. He turned it to the left, and the raft turned right, in the direction of Gina. Once Tracey was close enough, he made his move. He tied the rope around the tiller and hurried to the edge of the raft. Nodding, Merlin's apprentice took a deep breath, and he lifted his hands over his head. Then just like that, he dove off the raft and landed in the water with a splash. Coming to surface, he started to freestyle in the direction of Gina, "Gina! Don't worry! I'm coming!" Gina screeched for help. The wind hit the raft's main sail and luckily started to steer it back in the direction of Coutarine Island. Another wave crashed on Gina, and this one threw her underwater. Like the paddle, she too began to sink. Tracey followed his fairy instincts and fought Poseidon's spell the whole time. He dove underwater and swam in the direction of his friend, kicking his legs like a dolphin. While Tracey swam though, something amazing happened! Just like Ethelinda mentioned, he had proved himself to the Atlantic Ocean, so it was time for him to get rewarded.

        Green and purple, waterproof fairy dust exploded around Merlin's apprentice, and they started to dance in the ocean. They swam over to Tracey's bare back and began to circle it. Then, just like that, from the fairy dust appeared faded, green and purple, diamond-shaped wings! Wings! They weren't real wings though. This was just magic at work. This was the ocean's way of saying that Tracey was very close to regaining his wings. He didn't even notice the simulated ones on his back – he was so focused on saving Gina. Suddenly, the dust-like wings began to flap, and he shot through the ocean as fast as a bullet! Confusion exploded across Tracey's face. What on earth was happening? He decided to ask that later though because he had more pressing priorities. He had to save his best friend!

        The second Tracey passed Gina, he grabbed her and hurried her to surface. Tracey burst his head out of the water, and Gina started to cough. Tracey frightfully watched her. Luckily, Gina was okay. After coughing, she glanced into her friend's eyes, and he cracked a small smile, "Gina! You're okay!" Tracey pulled her into a hug and Gina returned it by wrapping her long wings around him. She happily chirped. As they hugged, young Tracey's eyes landed on his raft. The wind had changed its course again. The rope flew off the tiller, so now the raft was heading out towards sea again. Tracey called to it, "Wait! Come back! Gina, hurry to it and grab the rope!" Gina nodded and let him throw her into the sky. She flapped her heavy wings and started to fly in the direction of the raft. Tracey had to think! How could he get to the raft without getting hammered by waves and pulled out to sea? His temporary wings soon answered that question. Suddenly, they flapped and lifted him out of the water! The wings dragged Tracey quickly through the ocean and in the direction of the raft and Gina. It looked like he was water skiing without the skies. The entire phenomenon was amazing and magical, but he was beyond confused. He had no idea what was going on, but he went ahead and let the phenomenon commence. Tracey put some magic in his shuriken, so every time a wave came towards him and tried to knock him into the ocean, he threw it, and the star would slice through each wave, causing them to break. This made his coast clear.

        Tracey didn't know this, but he had finally made it to the reef where Merlin's beach was located! His Sensei sat on it with Raeven and Harmony, and all of them were admiring the sunset and how it made the water look orange.

Merlin wore a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, and he dug his hands into the fluffy, white sand. "This is such a perfect day," he spoke in a dreamy voice, and Harmony and Raeven nodded with agreement. Soon though, out in the reef, they saw Ronda's raft roaming all over the place, and Merlin laughed, "Oh hey, look at that!" He pointed at the raft, "It looks like somebody is enjoying some crazy evening sailing!" Raeven and Harmony blinked and curiously watched the chaos.

        Tracey's temporary wings soon had him skiing next to the raft, and he yelled at Gina, who had made it first and grabbed the rope with her beak, to toss the rope. At his request, she nodded and did. Gina tossed the rope to Tracey, and he grabbed it. Her eyes then landed on his dust-like wings, and they widened. Holy smokes, did Tracey have wings again?! Already?! The temporary, dust-like wings soon dropped Merlin's apprentice on the raft, and he landed on his front. He quickly got up and grabbed the tiller again while he tightened his grip on the rope.

This time, he turned a sharp right to head in the direction of Merlin's beach. "Bon voyage!" he yelled at Gina, "We're coming in hot!" Letting the tiller go, he grabbed Gina again and pulled her close. He continued to steer in towards the beach while another huge wave crept up on them from behind, "Almost there! Almost there!"

        Where Merlin sat, he lowered his sunglasses and watched the raft come in, "Who is this I wonder?" Raeven and Harmony shrugged and watched too.

        Out in the reef, suddenly, the raft's rudder hit the sand, and Tracey immediately jumped off, but he was too late. The wave crashed into him and Gina and shoved both them and the raft onto the beach! Merlin soon noticed the wave too, and his eyes widened. His mouth gaped open and started to twitch. He quickly lowered his sunglasses back over his eyes and held up his hands like he was reading a newspaper. The wave slammed into him, Harmony, and Raeven, and he and Raeven flew back. Harmony on the other hand planted her feet and didn't let the wave throw her. While Tracey, Gina, and the raft crashed into the sand, Merlin and Raeven landed on their butts on it. Soon, the wave slid back out to sea, and everybody who had been slammed by it were soaked, even Merlin the Great. Harmony shook seawater off her and peered over her shoulder to Merlin and Raeven. They together sat in the sand, and Merlin wasn't smiling. That wave was such a perfect way to admire the sunset. Raeven shook water out of his fur, and he said to Merlin, "Well, Merlin, that was quite..."

Merlin interrupted him though, "Raeven?"

"An interesting way to..." Raeven started, but Merlin interrupted again,

"Raeven?!"

        Raeven shut up.