scoffed, “And how is that any different than usual?”
“We were pretty much on our own from the beginning,” Kara reminded the Fairimentals. “Henry Gardener disappeared before he could mentor us. All we had was a mini mentor, and we still turned out okay.”
“You turned out great!” Ozzie proclaimed proudly. “Just because we didn’t succeed the first time doesn’t mean we failed. If there’s one thing I taught you, it’s to never give up!”
“I am sorry. But the quest is over,” Gwigg protested.
“Over?” Kara rounded on the perplexed Fairimental. “It’s not over until we say it’s over!”
“I agree with my judicious associate.” Adriane stepped to Kara’s side. “We’ve had it up to here with your prophecy!”
“But what of your destiny?” Ambia fluttered.
“Destiny, schmestiny,” Kara argued. “It’s time we made our own destiny!”
“We need to deal with the Dark Sorceress’s shadow creature army first,” Adriane said. “With them on the web, it doesn’t matter what kind of magic we have, they’ll keep eating it until there’s nothing left.”
“I second that motion,” Kara said. “And I know exactly where to start.”
“Who, what, where?” the crowd chorused, their faith in the mages returning.
“We’ve only been able to kill one shadow creature,” the blazing star said.
Zach nodded. “The shadow dragon.”
Lorren frowned, not liking where this was going. “And you used a dagger made by Logan, the dark fairy.”
“Blingo,” Kara agreed. “The sorceress was trying to turn me into the dark mage and she had an accomplice. I think we have a little score to settle.”
“Let’s go!” Ozzie eagerly charged forward, then skidded to a stop. “Wait. I need another ferret stone, or an elf stone, or some kind of stone.”
A pixie plunked a rock in his hand.
“There is nothing we can do, Sir Ozzie,” Gwigg told him. “You have been returned to Aldenmor as you once were. You cannot go back.”
Ozzie kicked the earthy ’mental. “I have as much magic as a bungpod. How am I supposed to help?”
Emily knelt before the elf. “You’re really home now, Ozzie, just as you always wanted. You can have your life back.”
Ozzie looked from the other elves to the mages, undecided.
A pretty elf with blond hair, beaming at Ozzie, said to Emily, “Ozzie told me all about you. He’s so brave.”
“Oh, this is Esmerelda.” Ozzie grinned, then straightened his vest.
Esmerelda waved at the mages and watched Ozzie shyly.
“Ozzie, you can’t come with us. It’s too dangerous without magic,” Adriane said.
“Besides, I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do.” Kara raised her eyebrows at the pretty elf girl. “We’ll go, but only if Emily decides to not give up her magic and continue the quest with us.”
Adriane nodded, in full agreement.
“You were going to quit because of me?” Ozzie, astonished, asked Emily.
“I… just couldn’t go on without you.”
Ozzie sighed. “You listen to me,” he said seriously, eyes moist. “The worst thing you could do is give up magic because of me. Look, I’m fine. Better than fine. You helped me get home. We took care of each other. That’s what best friends do. If you want me to stay here, you have to go on and save Avalon.”
Emily stared at the valiant elf. He was the bravest friend she had ever known. Knowing he was safe made the whole world seem right again. And keeping him safe filled her with sudden determination to resume the quest.
“Ozzie, it’s decided.” Schmoot stepped up proudly, puffing out his chest. “The elf council has voted you the Grand Wazoo.”
“The Grand Wazoo!” Ozzie’s eyes lit up. “Do I get to wear the hat?”
“Of course.”
“Wow!”
Emily stepped away and joined Kara and Adriane. It was hard to say goodbye to Ozzie after just getting him back, but watching him with his friends, his real family, relief washed over her. Everything was going to be
“We were pretty much on our own from the beginning,” Kara reminded the Fairimentals. “Henry Gardener disappeared before he could mentor us. All we had was a mini mentor, and we still turned out okay.”
“You turned out great!” Ozzie proclaimed proudly. “Just because we didn’t succeed the first time doesn’t mean we failed. If there’s one thing I taught you, it’s to never give up!”
“I am sorry. But the quest is over,” Gwigg protested.
“Over?” Kara rounded on the perplexed Fairimental. “It’s not over until we say it’s over!”
“I agree with my judicious associate.” Adriane stepped to Kara’s side. “We’ve had it up to here with your prophecy!”
“But what of your destiny?” Ambia fluttered.
“Destiny, schmestiny,” Kara argued. “It’s time we made our own destiny!”
“We need to deal with the Dark Sorceress’s shadow creature army first,” Adriane said. “With them on the web, it doesn’t matter what kind of magic we have, they’ll keep eating it until there’s nothing left.”
“I second that motion,” Kara said. “And I know exactly where to start.”
“Who, what, where?” the crowd chorused, their faith in the mages returning.
“We’ve only been able to kill one shadow creature,” the blazing star said.
Zach nodded. “The shadow dragon.”
Lorren frowned, not liking where this was going. “And you used a dagger made by Logan, the dark fairy.”
“Blingo,” Kara agreed. “The sorceress was trying to turn me into the dark mage and she had an accomplice. I think we have a little score to settle.”
“Let’s go!” Ozzie eagerly charged forward, then skidded to a stop. “Wait. I need another ferret stone, or an elf stone, or some kind of stone.”
A pixie plunked a rock in his hand.
“There is nothing we can do, Sir Ozzie,” Gwigg told him. “You have been returned to Aldenmor as you once were. You cannot go back.”
Ozzie kicked the earthy ’mental. “I have as much magic as a bungpod. How am I supposed to help?”
Emily knelt before the elf. “You’re really home now, Ozzie, just as you always wanted. You can have your life back.”
Ozzie looked from the other elves to the mages, undecided.
A pretty elf with blond hair, beaming at Ozzie, said to Emily, “Ozzie told me all about you. He’s so brave.”
“Oh, this is Esmerelda.” Ozzie grinned, then straightened his vest.
Esmerelda waved at the mages and watched Ozzie shyly.
“Ozzie, you can’t come with us. It’s too dangerous without magic,” Adriane said.
“Besides, I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do.” Kara raised her eyebrows at the pretty elf girl. “We’ll go, but only if Emily decides to not give up her magic and continue the quest with us.”
Adriane nodded, in full agreement.
“You were going to quit because of me?” Ozzie, astonished, asked Emily.
“I… just couldn’t go on without you.”
Ozzie sighed. “You listen to me,” he said seriously, eyes moist. “The worst thing you could do is give up magic because of me. Look, I’m fine. Better than fine. You helped me get home. We took care of each other. That’s what best friends do. If you want me to stay here, you have to go on and save Avalon.”
Emily stared at the valiant elf. He was the bravest friend she had ever known. Knowing he was safe made the whole world seem right again. And keeping him safe filled her with sudden determination to resume the quest.
“Ozzie, it’s decided.” Schmoot stepped up proudly, puffing out his chest. “The elf council has voted you the Grand Wazoo.”
“The Grand Wazoo!” Ozzie’s eyes lit up. “Do I get to wear the hat?”
“Of course.”
“Wow!”
Emily stepped away and joined Kara and Adriane. It was hard to say goodbye to Ozzie after just getting him back, but watching him with his friends, his real family, relief washed over her. Everything was going to be
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