him,” Adriane added.
All the time the girls had known him, Ozzie had been a ferret, a brown-masked, foot-high, tough-talking guy with an appetite as big as a moose’s—they had never seen him in his true elf form.
“I don’t know who you really are,” Kara stated as her unicorn jewel flared dangerously. “But if this is your idea of a joke, it’s not working!”
“Joke?!” the elf yelled, scrambling to his feet. “I’ve been traveling for days to get here, eating nuts and berries.”
Adriane arched an eyebrow.
“What say you, elves?” Lorren spoke up, deferring to the delegation.
All the elves started chattering at once.
“One at a time!” the prince demanded. “Tell us what happened.”
A portly elf in a green vest stepped forward. “This guy just showed up a week ago, wandering around without a stitch of clothing—”
“Gah! That part’s not important!” The curly haired elf blushed.
“He ran through Dumbledowns screaming about Avalon and the Dark Sorceress and demanded to see the Fairimentals immediately,” the elf in the green vest continued.
A slightly taller and thinner elf scratched his brown hair. “If anyone would know Ozzie, it’s me, his Cousin Schmoot.”
“So, is it him or not?” Kara asked.
“Well, it’s been a couple of years.” Cousin Schmoot tilted his head and appraised the indignant elf. “He looks older. Needs a haircut. And he’s gained a few pounds.”
“I did not. I’m as trim as I ever was.” The defiant elf sucked in his belly, then exhaled, bursting a button from his trousers.
“You’re nothing like Ozzie,” a spriggan scoffed. “He was a great hero.”
“Exactly,” the elf agreed.
“If you’re Ozzie, where’s your ferret stone?” Emily asked suspiciously.
“It was destroyed,” he told her.
“Fine, then do a little magic for us,” Kara demanded.
The elf glanced at Emily with big brown eyes. “I don’t have any. I gave it all to Emily. But she didn’t kill me.”
“Are you sure?” Cousin Schmoot queried.
“I’m standing right here!” the exasperated elf exclaimed.
“But how?” Adriane studied the unfamiliar pointy-eared creature. “Why would Ozzie become an elf again?”
“It is possible that when the healer took his magic, she broke the transformation spell,” Gwigg mused. “Without that, Ozymandias would revert to his natural form.”
“Emily.” The elf gazed at the healer. “Remember when I made you peanut butter and salami sandwiches?”
“On my birthday,” Emily answered cautiously, hardly daring to believe that her best friend was really standing in front of her.
“Who else would know that? And who ordered all those extra Pet Palace supplies?” He crossed his arms.
“Four thousand liver and bacon snaps,” Emily recalled, as her eyes started to water.
“By the way, did the hamburger niblets come in?”
Emily nodded slowly, tears slipping down her cheek.
The elf took Emily’s hand, drawing her down to face him eye to eye. “You take care of me, I take care of you.”
Emily stared into his warm brown eyes. Deep inside, the tenderness and caring could not be hidden. Physically, the tubby elf bore little resemblance to the furry ferret. But there was no doubt. It was… magic.
“Ozzie.” She threw her arms around the elf’s neck. Waves of relief flooded through her, gratitude that he was safe… that she hadn’t harmed him after all.
“Don’t cry, it’s all right,” Ozzie said softly, hugging her back.
“If that’s really you, ferret, here’s a question: what did I tell you never to tell anyone, ever?” Kara asked.
The elf smiled and winked at Kara. “The first time Phel rescued us, you kissed me and swore me to secrecy.”
“You kissed the ferret?” Adriane asked.
“It was an emotional moment,” Kara replied. “Okay. It’s him.”
Adriane hugged the mop-topped elf. “I can’t believe it!”
Dreamer licked his cheek while Lyra nuzzled her way into the hug. “
All the time the girls had known him, Ozzie had been a ferret, a brown-masked, foot-high, tough-talking guy with an appetite as big as a moose’s—they had never seen him in his true elf form.
“I don’t know who you really are,” Kara stated as her unicorn jewel flared dangerously. “But if this is your idea of a joke, it’s not working!”
“Joke?!” the elf yelled, scrambling to his feet. “I’ve been traveling for days to get here, eating nuts and berries.”
Adriane arched an eyebrow.
“What say you, elves?” Lorren spoke up, deferring to the delegation.
All the elves started chattering at once.
“One at a time!” the prince demanded. “Tell us what happened.”
A portly elf in a green vest stepped forward. “This guy just showed up a week ago, wandering around without a stitch of clothing—”
“Gah! That part’s not important!” The curly haired elf blushed.
“He ran through Dumbledowns screaming about Avalon and the Dark Sorceress and demanded to see the Fairimentals immediately,” the elf in the green vest continued.
A slightly taller and thinner elf scratched his brown hair. “If anyone would know Ozzie, it’s me, his Cousin Schmoot.”
“So, is it him or not?” Kara asked.
“Well, it’s been a couple of years.” Cousin Schmoot tilted his head and appraised the indignant elf. “He looks older. Needs a haircut. And he’s gained a few pounds.”
“I did not. I’m as trim as I ever was.” The defiant elf sucked in his belly, then exhaled, bursting a button from his trousers.
“You’re nothing like Ozzie,” a spriggan scoffed. “He was a great hero.”
“Exactly,” the elf agreed.
“If you’re Ozzie, where’s your ferret stone?” Emily asked suspiciously.
“It was destroyed,” he told her.
“Fine, then do a little magic for us,” Kara demanded.
The elf glanced at Emily with big brown eyes. “I don’t have any. I gave it all to Emily. But she didn’t kill me.”
“Are you sure?” Cousin Schmoot queried.
“I’m standing right here!” the exasperated elf exclaimed.
“But how?” Adriane studied the unfamiliar pointy-eared creature. “Why would Ozzie become an elf again?”
“It is possible that when the healer took his magic, she broke the transformation spell,” Gwigg mused. “Without that, Ozymandias would revert to his natural form.”
“Emily.” The elf gazed at the healer. “Remember when I made you peanut butter and salami sandwiches?”
“On my birthday,” Emily answered cautiously, hardly daring to believe that her best friend was really standing in front of her.
“Who else would know that? And who ordered all those extra Pet Palace supplies?” He crossed his arms.
“Four thousand liver and bacon snaps,” Emily recalled, as her eyes started to water.
“By the way, did the hamburger niblets come in?”
Emily nodded slowly, tears slipping down her cheek.
The elf took Emily’s hand, drawing her down to face him eye to eye. “You take care of me, I take care of you.”
Emily stared into his warm brown eyes. Deep inside, the tenderness and caring could not be hidden. Physically, the tubby elf bore little resemblance to the furry ferret. But there was no doubt. It was… magic.
“Ozzie.” She threw her arms around the elf’s neck. Waves of relief flooded through her, gratitude that he was safe… that she hadn’t harmed him after all.
“Don’t cry, it’s all right,” Ozzie said softly, hugging her back.
“If that’s really you, ferret, here’s a question: what did I tell you never to tell anyone, ever?” Kara asked.
The elf smiled and winked at Kara. “The first time Phel rescued us, you kissed me and swore me to secrecy.”
“You kissed the ferret?” Adriane asked.
“It was an emotional moment,” Kara replied. “Okay. It’s him.”
Adriane hugged the mop-topped elf. “I can’t believe it!”
Dreamer licked his cheek while Lyra nuzzled her way into the hug. “
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