Molly spungle : The Secret of Red Stone

Happiness prevailed as Molly got to know both of her parents better. However, she did worry at the thought of her parents leaving. After all, her father had told her he could not maintain his present form for too long a period. Molly assumed it would be the same for her mother.

In a week the moon would be full, round and yellow again. Soon the Spungle fairy must return to her home in the village for the red rose dances. That very afternoon, Marlene informed her daughter of her intention to join Molly in the dances.

“For the first time, my daughter, we will dance together.”

“As it should always have been!” declared Jackson, pleased with her plans. “I will come with you, too, my daughter. I would not miss it!”

Thrilled to have her parents with her, Molly knew these days would be cherished forever.

Marlene decided it was time to go to the village with Molly two days before the full moon returned. The three flew together along with Ran-Da until they came to Molly’s home which was bustling with its usual activity. The inhabitants lived happily now that their world had become normal again.

Molly reached her own small house, suddenly realizing just how much she had missed it. Ran-Da settled himself at the front door. Inside, everything remained pristine. She checked the mystic receptacle, stirring the brew. Several new wands had completely formed and she removed them to dry in the sun. Each full moon she carried the new wands to the fairy stone circle where they were tested and magically activated.

On the day when the moon became full, round and yellow, they awoke to the haunting melody of the red rose trees. Molly and Marlene danced together to their hearts content, free from any cares. When Jackson joined them, Molly felt complete as her family whirled about amongst their Spungle fairy friends. This moment fulfilled all she could have asked for.

When the walls of the Invisible Divide vanished, they made their way to the Hills of Halle. Marlene and her daughter immediately flew up the hill to the Mobi tree.

“We are going to make this beautiful old tree, our friend,” Marlene told her only child. Marlene struck the tree three times with her own silver wand. The purple leaves fell to the ground and disappeared. New green ones replaced them.

“No sleep will come from those leaves!” Molly’s mother cried, a smile of immense satisfaction crossing her face.

They flew back to the stone circle, where Jackson had finished testing the new wands. “All stable,” he informed everyone. “No black ones among them.” Time passed very quickly and dipping all wands in each fairy potion was their next task.

“It’s so nice to feel normal again,” Molly commented, feeling happier than she had in a long time. If life continued in this pleasant state, she would never complain again.

Soon, however, the festivities at the stone circle ended and the Spungle fairies took to the air, speedily returning to their own homes. In her own little house once more, the young fairy sat in her sun room with Jackson and Marlene. The lingering concern of her parents fading right out of her existence haunted her.

“I don’t want you to leave,” she finally blurted out. “My life is complete with you in it,” she explained, as they sipped her cherry pit brew.

Both parents were silent for a while before her mother spoke. Her eyes were full of warmth. “Only red stone can bring us out of the Realm of Immortality or allow you in. However, we will visit you and dance together each time the moon is round, full and yellow, my daughter.”

Molly, eyes brimming with grateful tears, hugged them both. “I could never have believed any of this was possible a few weeks ago! It’s incredible and wonderful!”

“Whenever you want us, you need only to go as far as Red Stone Castle. Sit by the riverbank and wait for me. I will come. I am leaving you my dragon as extra protection, as well, my dear,” her mother added, her eyes twinkling.

“Ran-Da can live with me?” she gasped, overjoyed.

“In his imprisonment of the red stone, you revealed your kind and tender heart, which gave him life again. You passed this test of courage and love with flying colors. Besides, he does not belong with me now, being very much full of life. Ran-Da, I have discovered after years of searching, is a descendant of an ancient race of powerful dragons that once lived amongst the Spungle population. He is still young, developing his magical powers with each use and each encounter with evil. However, I give him to you, my daughter. He will continue to watch over you.”

Molly’s heart was full at the news and her eyes shone with tears of joy when she watched her mother and father fly off to Fielders Forest. Suddenly she knew what the unidentifiable force she felt every time she looked into the dragon’s eyes was all about. It was an awesome feeling, a force so strong that it carried her back to their ancient ancestry together.

Life could not get any better than this with friends and family close at hand and the devotion of Ran-Da. Molly sighed with deep contentment as she returned to the mystic receptacle to stir the new batch of wands, already forming in the magical brew.

The might of an icy cold wind blew the surface dirt into a swirling cloud of dust over the pit. Far away from King Simon’s palace, it lay hidden in a lonely field where anything green had withered and died. Unseen by anyone, a tiny, glittering, ice-blue crystal revealed itself in the dust. Slowly, it began to grow larger.