The teleportation process to Seabrook Island was speedy. Makenna and Caleb appeared over a tree in their backyard in twelve seconds. They crashed through the branches and landed in a heap at its base.

Makenna, on Caleb's back, sat and rubbed her head. "Man, I never want to experience something like that again. Are you all right, Caleb?"

Caleb peered up at her, irritated. "I'm fine, Makenna, but please get off my back."

"Oh!" Makenna quickly said. "I'm so sorry, Caleb!" She got off and sat on her heels. Makenna placed her hands on her chest.

Caleb sat and faced her, also resting on his heels. He put his hands on his thighs and searched the area, smiling. "We're home, Makenna! We're really home! We're in our backyard!"

Makenna also searched the area and sighed. "Thank goodness. I thought we'd never leave that torture chamber."

Caleb glanced into her face and smirked.

"Excuse me, Caleb," Makenna said, standing. "I'm just going to fly to my room and lock my door."

Caleb chuckled.

Makenna pointed at the sky. "All right, wings, lift me into the sky!"

Nothing happened.

Again, Caleb chuckled.

Still pointing into the sky, Makenna tried again. "Wings, lift me into the sky!" Once again, nothing happened. "Huh?" Makenna asked. She lowered her hand. "What's going on?"

"Makenna," Caleb said, "are you aware that you no longer have wings on your back?"

"What?" asked Makenna, traumatized. "What are you talking about, Caleb?" She studied her attire and gasped. No longer did she wear her fairy attire. She was back in her blue and white top and denim skirt. Her hair was back in a high ponytail.

Makenna observed her back and gasped again when she saw that she no longer had her wings. But why? Makenna yelled, "My wings! What happened to my wings? No!" She closed her eyes and stomped her foot. "This isn't fair! I want my wings!"

"Well, too bad," said Caleb, standing. "You should've thought about the consequences before you told Merlin that you didn't care if Tracey survived the magic coma. Merlin's punished you, Makenna, and you deserve it. Your wings are not coming back until sunset tomorrow. Merlin's placed the Sunset Delay spell on you."

"My wings!" Makenna sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Merlin's gonna pay for this!"

Caleb shrugged. "Well, look on the bright side. At least you don't have to worry about your wings showing off in front of Jimmy Carter tomorrow."

Makenna's skin prickled.

Suddenly, the back door of their house flung open, and on the doorstep appeared Mr. and Mrs. Delling.

They gasped, seeing their children sitting in the backyard. "Makenna and Caleb!"

Makenna lifted her head, and her mouth dropped.

Caleb beamed. "Mommy and Daddy!" He sprinted toward his mother, and she ran toward him.

When they reached each other, Mrs. Delling picked up Caleb and hugged him as tightly as possible. "Caleb! Oh, my baby boy, you're all right! Where were you and Makenna? You had us worried sick!"

"Mom, we're all right," Caleb said, blushing. "We've only been gone a day and a half."

"We thought something terrible happened to you!" Mrs. Delling sobbed.

Makenna and Mr. Delling approached one another. They peered into each other's eyes, and Makenna smiled. "Daddy." She and Mr. Delling hugged.

Mr. Delling, crying, said, "Makenna. Oh, my Makenna. You're safe. Where were you and Caleb?"

As Makenna continued to hug him, she said, "Oh, Daddy, it was amazing! If only it weren't a dream."

"Group hug!" Mrs. Delling said. She and Caleb approached Mr. Delling and Makenna, and they hugged together.

Tony, their now seven-year-old beagle, strolled out of the house and joined the reunion. His tail wagged so fast that one would worry it'd fall off.

Still hugging her dad, Makenna gloomily glanced over his shoulder and thought about Tracey. She already missed him. Makenna sighed and whispered, "I didn't even get to say goodbye to him."

"Say goodbye to who?" Mr. Delling asked.

"Nobody." Makenna disconnected and slid out of her father's arms.

He, Mrs. Delling, Tony, and Caleb watched as she headed toward the marsh and plopped down on a bench.

"What's with her?" Mrs. Delling asked Caleb.

"It's a long story," said Caleb, "and I'm sure you won't believe half of it."

"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Delling asked, taking Caleb's shoulders. "You can tell us anything, Caleb. Tell us what happened."

Caleb peered into her face and sighed. "Very well, but let's go inside to discuss it." He headed toward the back door.

Behind, Mrs. Delling said, "Uh, okay," and followed him, including Tony.

Mr. Delling started to follow but stopped and turned toward Makenna. "Makenna, are you coming?"

Makenna waved her hand. "In just a couple minutes, I will. But I need to be left alone right now."

"Very well," Mr. Delling said. "Come in when you're ready." He faced the back door and left her alone on the bench.

Makenna wrapped her arms around her and observed the orange, sun-setting sky. She thought about Tracey, Merlin's Island, and the Octopus Man. Had it all been merely a dream, or did it really happen? Did Makenna travel to a weird island and meet a ninja-like fairy and a wizard losing control of his powers?

It was strange. Makenna felt lonely on the bench. She felt like she missed somebody.

Makenna sighed. Standing, she crept around the bench and headed toward the backdoor of her house. As she walked, she tried her best to murder the loneliness she felt.

Makenna soon reached the backdoor. She gulped and lifted her hand, turning the knob. She swung the door open, and the first words she heard were, "What? Makenna is a fairy?" from her mother in the living room.

Makenna's skin prickled again. She clenched her fist and whispered, "Shut up, Caleb!" tiptoeing toward the staircase, trying to stay out of sight.

"It's true!" she heard Caleb argue. "Makenna is a Metamorphic Fairy, the rarest type of fairy in the world. For the past day and a half, I was held captive on Merlin's Island, a mysterious island in the Atlantic that only a magical being can see. Makenna and a ninja-like fairy named Tracey, also Merlin the Great's apprentice, came for me."

"Makenna!" Mrs. Delling sternly called from the living room.

Forced to stop at the base of the stairs, Makenna gulped. "Yes, Mom?" She faced the living room.

Michelle and Andy sat on the couch, Caleb before them. All eyes landed on Makenna, and she chuckled nervously.

Michelle lifted her arm and stretched it across the top of the couch. She gestured Makenna over and calmly but sternly said, "Come here."

"Of course, Mom." Makenna released the staircase's railing. Her knees knocked together, but she entered the living room.

Michelle next pointed at a green armchair beside the couch and fireplace. "Sit down. "

Makenna quickly strolled to the armchair and sat, resting her arms on the armrests.

Caleb, Michelle, and Andy turned and glanced at her.

"Makenna," Andy said, putting down his newspaper. He brought his hands together and hooked his fingers. "Tell us. What's all this talk about you being a fairy and you and Caleb going to a mysterious island?"

"Well," Makenna huffed, quickly thinking of a lie, "ya see, Dad, during the storm, Caleb and I were knocked out on the beach, and I had a crazy dream that I must've told him all about when I woke up."

"She lies!" Caleb declared, pointing at Makenna. "That's nowhere near what happened! I was kidnapped by the ninja-like fairy yesterday morning, and he took me to Merlin's Island, hiding me behind a waterfall known as Merlindial Falls! It was not a dream!"

"Caleb!" Makenna angrily said through clenched teeth. "Shush!"

"I'm not finished!" said Caleb, facing Michelle and Andy. "Makenna popped her real wings before the storm and was washed up on the beaches of Merlin's Island. There, she met the ninja-like fairy who took her to Merlin's Cave, where she met Merlin the Great. Then, this morning, they came and found me. After finding me, Makenna had her first real flight, and we were forced to return to Merlin's Cave because the ninja-like fairy was suffering from a magic overload and had to be put into a magic coma."

"Caleb," said Makenna. She groaned, closed her eyes, and did a facepalm.

Her parents mimicked and rubbed their temples.

"Then," Caleb continued, "Merlin the Great told Makenna why she's a fairy. She's a fairy because there was one person in our family tree, only one who was a fairy in the past, and Makenna also has a strong heart. She is destined to become a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy and help Merlin the Great regain control of his powers. After Merlin lectured, he teleported Makenna and me back here, and here we are." He opened his arms. "The only reason Makenna isn't a fairy now is because Merlin has placed the Sunset Delay spell on her. The Sunset Delay spell allows a fairy to hide their fairy self until sunset. Then, they will turn into a fairy again. The whole reason why Makenna is spelled is because she's been punished. At Merlin's Cave, she openly told the great wizard that she didn't care if his apprentice, the ninja-like fairy, survived the magic coma or not."

"That's enough, Caleb!" Makenna snapped. "Just shut up!" She stomped her foot.

At the end of Caleb's story, her parents said, "Woof!"

"And about this so-called ninja-like fairy..." Mr. Delling spoke. He focused on frustrated Makenna. "Who is he?"

"Who is he?" asked Makenna, "Well, he..." She chuckled flirtingly and peered into outer space, grabbing a loose strand of her hair. "His name is Tracey, and ooh la la, he is handsome. He has long, black hair, a wicked, ninja-like hairstyle, and golden-brown eyes. His wings are huge, he loves to fly, and he has an awesome tern friend named Gina. I mean!" She noticed her parents staring at her, but Caleb smiled and nodded. Makenna quickly let go of her strand of hair and returned to reality. "Never mind! There wasn't a ninja-like fairy named Tracey! It was a dream! Caleb doesn't know what he's talking about!"

"I don't think you do either," Mrs. Delling said. "All right, that's it." She reached for a phone on the coffee table. "I'm calling Dr. Worcestershire. Maybe he'll be able to explain to us if you guys just swallowed too much seawater and are suffering from hallucinations."

"Hallucinations?" Caleb grumpily asked. "No, Mom!" He clenched his fists. "It's the truth! Makenna is a fairy, a Metamorphic Fairy, and our two worlds are threatened by some beasty known as the Octopus Man!"

"Caleb!" Makenna fought. She jumped to her feet and glared, stomping toward him.

Caleb retreated.

Makenna stopped before him and yelled, "Shut up! That was a dream! I am not a fairy!"

"You are, too, Makenna!" Caleb shouted back. "Just wait. Tomorrow, you'll start missing Tracey, your wings, and Merlin's Island like crazy!"

Mr. Delling stared at them but didn't bother to break up the argument. He glanced at his wife from the corners of his eyes, and she picked up the telephone.

"Hello, Dr. Worcestershire?" Michelle ran her fingers through her messy hair. "Can you come over right away? I'm afraid my two children are suffering from hallucinations. Caleb's saying that Makenna is a fairy, and Makenna is—"

The other line on the telephone cut off.

"Hello?" Mrs. Delling asked. "Hello? Dr. Worcestershire?"

Makenna and Caleb continued to argue, Mrs. Delling continued to yell into the telephone, and Mr. Delling continued to sit. Finally, he shivered and picked up his newspaper, as well as his coffee mug. Sitting back on the couch, he sipped his coffee and read the Sunday comics. There was no way he would get involved in all this nonsense.

***

Pitch blackness engulfed the Atlantic Ocean as dusk became night. Like a pirate ship wandering the seas, the shadow of the Octopus Man skimmed the dark water and headed toward Merlin's Island as if he were the pirate ship and Merlin's Island was the ship he would sink.

Merlin's Island was quiet. All animals had gone to sleep except the cicadas. They chirped into the tropical atmosphere and spoke to their mates and the night sky.

Floating in the Atlantic Ocean surrounding Merlin's Island was Makenna's surfboard. After more than a twenty-four-hour journey, the surfboard hit the soft ocean bed of the island, and a great wave threw it onto the beach. The surfboard slid and continued to slide until it hit a rock and stopped. More waves crashed onto the beach, but the surfboard was safe and sound.

Merlin's Cave was as quiet as the island, but that didn't mean Merlin the Great wasn't awake. In fact, he was. He and Gina watched over Tracey in his room. Gina stood at the foot of the young fairy's bed, and Merlin sat in a chair beside him, peering into his face.

Tracey slept on his side, his wings on one another, and a cold towel rested on his forehead. He breathed so softly that Merlin had trouble hearing him.

He was getting worried. Did he do the spell wrong? Was Merlin killing his apprentice?

He sat in complete silence, examining his apprentice. Merlin shook his head and said, "Pull yourself together, Merlin. Tracey is going to wake up. You are not killing him." He wasn't sure, though. Tracey was so still. Even when fairies were in magic comas, Merlin knew there were times when they moved slightly, but Tracey wasn't.

Merlin gulped and reached for Tracey's shoulder. He lightly shook it, but Tracey didn't stir. Merlin soon brought his hand to his care, and sweat trickled down his temples.

Gina saw that he was worried and opened her wings. She lifted off the bed and flew to Merlin, landing on his shoulder. She poked his cheek, and Merlin glanced at her.

"Sorry, Gina, I'm just a little worried."

Gina rubbed against his cheek. "Don't worry, Merlin sir. I've known Tracey for a long time and know how strong he is. I know he'll get better. We just need to be patient."

Twisting his head, Merlin said to the tern, "Thank you, Gina, but the thing is, I'm not only worried that Tracey may never wake up, but I'm also worried that if and when he does, the Octopus Man will find and hurt him for him to be an easy catch. I don't want him to hurt my young apprentice."

"Don't worry, Merlin." Gina patted his cheek with her right wing. "Until Makenna is strong enough to help Tracey against his fight with the Octopus Man, I'll try all I can to protect him and ensure he doesn't get him."

"Thank you, Gina," said Merlin. He hugged the tern close. "You're a true friend. One of these days, Makenna will be strong enough; that's as if she passes Selene's test and is chosen to go through the other stages of evolution a Metamorphic Fairy can go through."

"Hopefully," Gina said. "For now, though, she needs to change her arrogant attitude. If it doesn't change, she will never pass the test."

Merlin nodded. "That is correct, Gina." He and the tern studied Tracey again. "Oh please, Makenna," Merlin begged. "I know you can do it. I know you can become a Soon to Be a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy and a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy. You just have to believe that you can." He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

Gina's face dropped. "Merlin." She again rubbed his cheek.

If there was one thing Gina was good at, it was comforting stressed souls. With her there, Merlin felt there was at least some hope.

After a bit, he lifted his head and reached for the towel on Tracey's forehead. Taking it off, he felt his forehead. "Hm. His fever may be breaking slightly, so perhaps there is hope."

"There is always hope, sir," Gina said. "Tracey's going to be fine. I promise." She tucked her head under her left wing and fell asleep.

Merlin patted her back and put the towel back over Tracey's forehead. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and fell asleep, too.