Merlin woke that morning to a great disturbance in his heart. His apprentice—something had happened. Merlin reached for his hat and grabbed it, but didn't put it on. He tried rising to his feet, but the disturbance forced him to plop down on a driftwood log. He reached for his heart and closed his eyes.
Raeven soon approached Merlin with Gina and asked, "Are you all right, oh great and powerful Merlin?"
"Are you having a heart attack?" Gina asked next, but then her beak dropped. "Tracey."
Raeven flew before her and landed on Merlin's shoulder. "I took a few therapy courses for bats, so you can talk to me."
Merlin stared at him, and then he finally spoke. "A feeling, Raeven. My heart is telling me something. Something terrible just happened to my apprentice."
"Try communicating with him," Raeven suggested. "Trust the Megabat, Merlin! I know what I'm talking about! Tracey's fine."
Merlin didn't believe that. He didn't feel that Tracey had died; he felt that the Curse of Poseidon had claimed victory over him. However, he followed through with Raeven's suggestion.
Dropping his hat on his lap, Merlin held his hands before him and called, "Tracey, this is Merlin. If you're there, say something." A bright, holographic light appeared over his palms. Merlin begged to see his apprentice's face, but didn't. "Tracey," he called again, "this is Merlin the Great. If you're there, say something."
Tracey's face still didn't appear.
By that time, Gina was gone. She soared over the coral reef and toward the ocean.
At Merlin's camp, he kept trying to contact his apprentice. "Tracey! Tracey, say something! It's Merlin!"
Raeven noticed a few tears glistening in Merlin's eyes.
It was useless. Merlin watched as the holographic light vanished, then turned to Raeven. "Raeven, we have to find him! Tracey is in grave danger!"
"But there's only one way we can," Raeven explained. "Remember?"
Merlin nodded. "I do. There's only one fairy who can tell us—the Wizard Fairy. We've got to hurry to Makenna and Ash. Tracey's death is getting closer every day, as well as the fall of our two worlds. It's time we stop goofing off. Get your sea wings on, Raeven, and follow me. We'll probably run into Selene and Dr. Snugglekins on the way to Celt Tip." He picked up his hat and placed it on his head. Standing, Merlin started forward, and Raeven followed close behind. Behind them, though, they were unaware that they were being watched.
Alice hid behind the trunk of a hanging palm tree and peeped out from it. She had woken a short time ago, so she was still in her blue PJs. She let her family be while they worked on their boat and explored the beach for a bit, just to get dragged into Raeven and Merlin's conversation.
Fear wiped across her face like windshield wipers, and Alice asked, "Wizard Fairy? Celt Tip?" Her voice quivered with her following question. "Death?" As quiet as a mouse, she hopped over the palm and chased after the great wizard and Megabat.
***
Makenna felt the same disturbance as Merlin.
Ash did too, but refused to admit it. "Do ya feel something unsettling right now, Makenn?" he asked.
Makenna removed her hands from the waterfall they had been under and answered, "Oh, Ash, I'm scared." She reached for her head. "I feel nauseous, like something terrible just happened. We have to find that Wizard Fairy right now."
"But he first said to search for that so-called scroll."
"I know, but I can't leave Tracey alone for much longer! He's going to be dead before I know it!"
"Makenna." With Silvey's feelers wrapped around his leg, Ash stepped closer to her. "Breathe. Calm down. Listen to me. Do ya think it's wise to throw yourself into the fray right now, even though you have not seen the Wizard Fairy?"
"No." Makenna shook her head.
"I think so, too," continued Ash. "You need to learn to be patient. Why don't we work together to quickly, but not too quickly, find the scroll and our way to the Wizard Fairy? Ya have me with ya, Makenn. I'll make sure ya don't miss him. After all, he and I are best friends."
"I just don't want to be too late."
"It's not. It's never too late. That's what my friend would say."
For a second, Makenna examined him. Their blue eyes met, and another gust of wind blew Ash's sideburns. Finally, Makenna shook her head and said, "If this is where the scroll is, how do we pinpoint it?"
Ash turned mute again for a bit. Reaching back, he grabbed the hilt of Crusader and pulled it out. Ash lowered its tip and offered it to Makenna.
"A sword?" she asked. "Do you need a sword?" Her fairy instincts told her she and Ash were heading down the right path. That was strange, though. How did Ash know what to do? Sure, he knew his friend pretty well, but still.
Makenna shakily reached forward and took Crusader off his hands. She gestured for Ash to wait, then followed her fairy instincts to the sculpture. Makenna brushed her hand across it and thought for a moment.
Ash couldn't wait for her, and before long, he and Silvey stood beside her again.
Noticing them, Makenna let out a frustrated sigh. "I've got this, Ash, okay?" Did she, though? Makenna knew she needed the fountain and a sword, but what the heck was she supposed to do from there? She spent about five minutes trying to think of something.
Ash finally made a wild guess and pointed at the concrete flowers Makenna leaned against. "Did ya try the flowers?"
Makenna gave him a funny look. She glanced at where he pointed, noticing something. The sculpture's fairy was leaning far forward to reach the flowers. Her arms created a hole a sword could fit through.
"Oh! I get it!" Makenna suddenly called out. She dragged Ash's heavy sword to the fountain and glanced back at it. Makenna tried to lift it and slip it through the hole the fairy's arms created, but it was difficult.
"Do ya want me to help?" questioned Ash.
Makenna shook her head no. It was her fault Tracey had run away, so she had to do this herself. The sword was too heavy for her, though.
Eventually, Ash grabbed one side of Crusader's hilt and gently pushed Makenna to the other side.
Silvey took a few steps back and sat before one of the waterfalls.
When Makenna noticed Ash had slipped in, she glared, but he gave her the You can't do this without me expression, leaving her no choice. Together, the two fairies tightened their grips on Crusader and lifted it.
Ash nodded at Makenna, and she nodded back. They then dropped Crusader through the fairy's open arms, stabbing the concrete below. As tough as it was, the sword didn't break. With their hands still gripping the hilt, Ash and Makenna watched it glow a bright blue.
Behind the statue, toward the wall behind the two, the ground gave way, revealing a secret staircase. Makenna, Silvey, and Ash's eyes landed on it.
"Now that is spooky," Ash admitted.
Makenna thought the exact opposite. That wasn't spooky. That was amazing! She curiously approached the staircase and asked, "I wonder where it goes."
Ash shrugged. "Ya can't know unless ya try."
"True." Makenna stepped closer to the first stair, but stopped before she touched it. Now that Ash had said it, it was a bit spooky.
Makenna soon backed up and pushed him forward. "You know what, how about you go first? You're a Wizard Fairy. You're also armed with weapons."
Ash chuckled and patted her shoulder.
Makenna held onto his shoulders while they started down the staircase.
Behind, Silvey lifted her paw and rubbed her face. In her head, she said, "You can do this," and followed the fairies.
Once they were halfway down the stairs, Makenna built up her confidence and slipped before Ash. The stairs led to a large, torch-lit room that resembled a miniature living space. It was decorated with bookshelves, old chests, and furniture, including a couch and an enormous rug.
"What is this place?" Makenna asked as she, Ash, and Silvey reached the last stair. "Is that scroll really here?"
Ash glanced at the chests. "Do you think it's in the chests?"
"Maybe. How about we split up? I'll look in the chests, and you can investigate the bookshelves."
"Sounds good." Ash smiled at the sight of Makenna taking the lead. When they parted ways, Silvey went with her.
Ash looked around the room, a nostalgic look on his face. He approached the couch on his way to the bookshelves and ran his hand across its smooth head. His bright, blue eyes then landed on a chair, and his smile grew. Approaching the chair, he sat and held his hands before him like he was reading a book.
Soon standing from the comfy chair, Ash approached one bookshelf and pulled out a red book. He blew dust off its cover and coughed through it. Just seeing the book, his smile evolved into a grin. It quickly died, though, when he learned he couldn't read it. Just like the words on the scroll, the letters floating in outer space returned, and his head burst into searing pain.
Ash closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. The book fell from his hands and landed open on the stone floor.
Tears appeared in Ash's eyes. He fell to his knees beside the book.
Makenna didn't hear him. She was too focused on finding the scroll so she could seek out the Wizard Fairy and save Tracey. She continued to follow her fairy instincts.
Makenna approached one chest and glanced down at it. "This has to be it," she whispered.
Silvey nodded from below.
Makenna inhaled and gripped either side of the chest's top. Carefully pulling it up, it creaked open, revealing a stack of papers inside. Makenna cracked a small smile. "This is it. I know it is. The scroll's probably at the bottom." She excitedly called Ash. "Dude, check this! I've found the chest the scroll is in! Victory is just around the corner!"
Where Ash was, he was too depressed and angry to congratulate her.
Makenna knew something was up when he didn't answer. Turning, she and Silvey glanced at him. "Is something wrong?" asked Makenna. "Does your head hurt?"
Ash still didn't answer. Instead, he did something Makenna had never seen him do before.
Reaching into his gray tunic, he pulled out Breena's slingshot, which was now tied to a leather necklace cord, and tightly gripped it. Lowering his head, he told Makenna in a cool voice, "The Mincing has begun."