Welcome back.”
“Thanks.” Ozzie hugged the orange cat. “I missed you. All of you.”
The elf clan grabbed Ozzie and tossed the startled elf high in the air.
“Woo hoot!” came a cheer.
“Ahh!” came Ozzie’s startled response.
“Ozz-ie, Ozz-ie, Ozz-ie!” the crowd chanted.
“So what about your prophecy of doom now, huh?” Kara whirled on the Fairimentals. “If Ozzie’s alive, your theory’s as over as yesterday’s Manolos.”
“There could be a glitch in the prophecy,” Gwigg conceded.
“Glitch?” Ozzie landed on Gwigg with a flattening crunch. “You sent me to die!”
“We did not know it would be you.” The Earth Fairimental rolled away, rearranging his twigs.
“Oh, so it could have been Lyra,” Kara, affronted, accused them.
“Or Dreamer!” Adriane snarled.
Gwigg regarded the hopping elf. “We hoped you would be the ones to break the dark cycle.”
“Truth is, the quest failed because we weren’t working together,” Kara admitted.
“She’s right. Only Ozzie was doing what he was supposed to,” Adriane confirmed. “He was helping Emily.”
“It’s our fault,” Kara stammered. “If we weren’t fighting, we could have saved him.”
“I’m not dead yet,” Ozzie reminded them.
“ We let Emily succumb to the Spider Witch.” Adriane could barely look at Ozzie, ashamed.
“And then Emily killed Ozzie,” Kara finished tearfully.
“But Ozzie is right here!” the elves insisted.
“That’s me!” Ozzie waved his arms.
“Woo hoot!” confirmed the elves.
“So!” Kara held up a finger, silencing the crowd. “In light of this new evidence, let me see if my facts are right. Ozzie’s alive and Emily’s not evil. Therefore, we did break the cycle of the dark mage.”
Ambia fluttered about the mages. “No. The Dark Sorceress is inside Avalon. The prophecy says you are supposed to enter the home of all magic. That was your quest.”
“Riddle me this.” Kara posed her questions carefully to the Fairimentals, building her case like a smart prosecutor. “Was I supposed to wash away the nine power crystals when we used magic to save Aldenmor?”
“That was accidental,” Ambia ruefully acknowledged. “Magical backlash of major proportions washed—”
“ And…” Kara held her finger up to silence the Fairimental. “Was I supposed to destroy one of the power crystals?”
Ambia frowned. “No. Your blazing star powers were greater than we had anticipated.”
“You mages have done many unexpected things,” Gwigg confessed.
“Ah ha!” Kara smiled triumphantly. “So! This prophecy only really means we’ve got magic. It can’t predict what we’re going to do with it.” She paused for dramatic effect, letting the crowd follow her deductive reasoning.
“It doesn’t mean we’re destined to be good or bad.” She glanced meaningfully at Emily. “We chose what to do. We made mistakes, but they were our mistakes.”
“Yes, yes, but this is all speculation,” Gwigg grumbled, clearly not convinced. “There is always latitude for minor variations in the plan. No real proof.”
“I beg to differ, Gomer Woodpile,” Kara countered. “Exhibit A!” She pushed Ozzie forward. “Here’s your proof. Emily did not kill Ozzie. Ergo... she is not a dark mage.”
Ozzie preened and waved to the cheering crowd.
“Nice job, counselor,” Adriane whispered.
“Do you really believe all that, Kara?” Emily asked.
Kara took the healer’s hands in hers. “With all my heart. There is no way you could turn dark. We love you too much.”
The animals closed around Emily protectively.
“Besides, I was the obvious choice,” Kara said with a hint of satisfaction. “You heard the sorceress.”
“I say we choose to continue this quest and save Avalon!” Ozzie pumped his elf fist in the air.
“But you cannot simply decide to continue,” Gwigg contradicted him. “Without a prophecy to guide you, there is no telling what will happen.”
Adriane
“Thanks.” Ozzie hugged the orange cat. “I missed you. All of you.”
The elf clan grabbed Ozzie and tossed the startled elf high in the air.
“Woo hoot!” came a cheer.
“Ahh!” came Ozzie’s startled response.
“Ozz-ie, Ozz-ie, Ozz-ie!” the crowd chanted.
“So what about your prophecy of doom now, huh?” Kara whirled on the Fairimentals. “If Ozzie’s alive, your theory’s as over as yesterday’s Manolos.”
“There could be a glitch in the prophecy,” Gwigg conceded.
“Glitch?” Ozzie landed on Gwigg with a flattening crunch. “You sent me to die!”
“We did not know it would be you.” The Earth Fairimental rolled away, rearranging his twigs.
“Oh, so it could have been Lyra,” Kara, affronted, accused them.
“Or Dreamer!” Adriane snarled.
Gwigg regarded the hopping elf. “We hoped you would be the ones to break the dark cycle.”
“Truth is, the quest failed because we weren’t working together,” Kara admitted.
“She’s right. Only Ozzie was doing what he was supposed to,” Adriane confirmed. “He was helping Emily.”
“It’s our fault,” Kara stammered. “If we weren’t fighting, we could have saved him.”
“I’m not dead yet,” Ozzie reminded them.
“ We let Emily succumb to the Spider Witch.” Adriane could barely look at Ozzie, ashamed.
“And then Emily killed Ozzie,” Kara finished tearfully.
“But Ozzie is right here!” the elves insisted.
“That’s me!” Ozzie waved his arms.
“Woo hoot!” confirmed the elves.
“So!” Kara held up a finger, silencing the crowd. “In light of this new evidence, let me see if my facts are right. Ozzie’s alive and Emily’s not evil. Therefore, we did break the cycle of the dark mage.”
Ambia fluttered about the mages. “No. The Dark Sorceress is inside Avalon. The prophecy says you are supposed to enter the home of all magic. That was your quest.”
“Riddle me this.” Kara posed her questions carefully to the Fairimentals, building her case like a smart prosecutor. “Was I supposed to wash away the nine power crystals when we used magic to save Aldenmor?”
“That was accidental,” Ambia ruefully acknowledged. “Magical backlash of major proportions washed—”
“ And…” Kara held her finger up to silence the Fairimental. “Was I supposed to destroy one of the power crystals?”
Ambia frowned. “No. Your blazing star powers were greater than we had anticipated.”
“You mages have done many unexpected things,” Gwigg confessed.
“Ah ha!” Kara smiled triumphantly. “So! This prophecy only really means we’ve got magic. It can’t predict what we’re going to do with it.” She paused for dramatic effect, letting the crowd follow her deductive reasoning.
“It doesn’t mean we’re destined to be good or bad.” She glanced meaningfully at Emily. “We chose what to do. We made mistakes, but they were our mistakes.”
“Yes, yes, but this is all speculation,” Gwigg grumbled, clearly not convinced. “There is always latitude for minor variations in the plan. No real proof.”
“I beg to differ, Gomer Woodpile,” Kara countered. “Exhibit A!” She pushed Ozzie forward. “Here’s your proof. Emily did not kill Ozzie. Ergo... she is not a dark mage.”
Ozzie preened and waved to the cheering crowd.
“Nice job, counselor,” Adriane whispered.
“Do you really believe all that, Kara?” Emily asked.
Kara took the healer’s hands in hers. “With all my heart. There is no way you could turn dark. We love you too much.”
The animals closed around Emily protectively.
“Besides, I was the obvious choice,” Kara said with a hint of satisfaction. “You heard the sorceress.”
“I say we choose to continue this quest and save Avalon!” Ozzie pumped his elf fist in the air.
“But you cannot simply decide to continue,” Gwigg contradicted him. “Without a prophecy to guide you, there is no telling what will happen.”
Adriane
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