Tracey flew Makenna to his room and dropped her off on the loft floor.
"Tracey, why are we back here?" Makenna saw the young apprentice heading toward the curtains on his walls, where she felt the draft from before. "What are you doing?"
"We're going to exit Merlin's Cave from my secret exit," Tracey responded, resting his palm on the wall.
"Secret exit?" asked Makenna. "What are you talking about, Ninja Boy?"
Tracey's cheeks flushed, but he remained calm. He focused on his curtains and lifted his left hand, grabbing them. Once he had a firm grip, he turned his neck and head and said, "Behold, Makenna—my secret exit." With that phrase, he pulled the curtains aside, and Makenna gasped.
Behind Tracey's curtains, a secret tunnel was carved into the wall. It was cylinder-shaped and had no floor—only a few lit torches. Makenna could see the other side of the tunnel. She also saw clouds, blue skies, and a bit of Merlin's Island.
Amazed, she pushed by Tracey and peered into the tunnel. "Holy smokes, Tracey, it's incredible."
"Yeah," Tracey agreed, nodding. "I call this tunnel my 'Magic Clubhouse'. Usually, when Sensei assigns me a mission, I exit through here, so I don't have to go down the dark corridors."
"Oh, right," Makenna said. "You hate the dark, Tracey. Wow, what a clever idea."
"This tunnel also feeds out to a ledge that hovers over the canopy," Tracey explained. "Sometimes, when I'm feeling down or lost in thought, I sit on it during sunset with Gina and meditate."
"Wow," Makenna whispered, eyes landing on the tunnel's pitch-black pit. She gulped and shivered. "That's a long drop."
"Don't worry, Makenna," Tracey said. He gave her a thumbs-up. "That's why you have wings. The gift of flight is like the gift of invincibility. You can do anything with it. You can fly over the tunnel's pit. I do it all the time."
"That's so cool," Makenna said. She slumped to the ground and hung her head. "If only I could fly."
"You can, Makenna," Tracey said. "You're a fairy." He took her chin. "You just have to believe you can do it. Sensei once told me, when I was much younger, that 'Flight isn't earned by a strong heart but by a belief in yourself instead.' Since then, I've kept these words in mind and always repeat them when training."
"Okay, Tracey," Makenna said. "I understand." She stood and closed her eyes. "I can fly. I believe I can find my brother."
"That's more like it," Tracey said. "I like that you're starting to change your attitude, Makenna. This is Crystal Metamorphic Fairy behavior I'm seeing, and don't worry, I forgive you for shoving me into the corridor last night. Now come!" He took her by the hand. "If you want to return home this evening, we must go ahead and start the quest for Caleb. During our quest, I will teach you how to fly."
"Oh," Makenna unexcitingly said. "Super."
Smiling, Tracey pointed at the other end of the secret tunnel. "Brace yourself, Makenna, because we're going to start the second we're on that ledge."
Makenna gulped. "We are?"
"Uh-huh," Tracey answered. "I call it full fairy power, Makenna."
"Full fairy power," Makenna repeated. "I like that." She sighed. "Very well then, Tracey, I'm ready whenever you are." She was not confident that she could fly, but she could see that Tracey was.
He flapped his wings, tugged her hand, and pulled her into the secret tunnel.
***
Gina flew as fast as she could through the corridor to Tracey's room. She started to hover, and as she hovered, she searched for Tracey. Where was he?
Gina was getting ready to leave to look elsewhere when she heard chuckling from the apprentice's loft. Makenna and Tracey. That's where they were.
Gina seemed to smile. She zoomed up to the loft and froze in her tracks when she saw the curtains of his secret exit pulled aside. Nervously, she pressed her back against the wall and peered into the tunnel.
There they were.
Makenna and Tracey flew slowly through the tunnel. Gina heard Tracey say, "Whatever you do, don't look down."
Gina's feathers pricked. She prepared to call the young apprentice when Merlin's line revisited her head: "Gina, can you watch Tracey for me?" Merlin only wanted her to watch him. He didn't want her to be right beside him. He just wanted Gina to be within flying range and not be seen.
Gina nodded. She had to be sneaky and as quiet as possible. She flapped her wings as quietly as she could and entered the tunnel. Once inside, she chased the two fairies.
***
Within five minutes, they reached the end of the tunnel, and Tracey dropped Makenna onto a rocky ledge.
For once, she landed on her feet. Peering forward, she gasped at what she saw. "Whoa!"
As Tracey had said, the ledge hovered over the island's canopy. Further away, Makenna saw the beautiful waters surrounding Merlin's Island. The day was magnificent—much more breathtaking than the day before. Makenna didn't even realize how beautiful Merlin's Island was. She said, "Wow," and opened her arms, letting the warm sun caress them. "It's beautiful."
"Yeah." Tracey landed beside her. "It is. Poor non-magical beings can't experience the beauty with us. All right, here we go." Stepping forward, he kneeled, and his fingers gripped the edge of the ledge. He peered down at the canopy and said, "Uh-huh, this is the perfect place to learn flying. All right, Makenna, we're all set." He stood and brushed his hands together.
Makenna gulped. "What do you want me to do?" Her heart raced—she was so nervous. She certainly hoped Tracey wouldn't make her do what she thought he would make her do. She was wrong.
Tracey placed his right hand on his hip and pointed at the canopy with his left. "Drop, Makenna. I want you to drop."
"Huh?" Makenna asked. She stepped back. "Excuse me, Tracey. Could you repeat that, please?"
"Certainly," Tracey said, pointing down at the canopy again. "I want you to drop. This is how Sensei taught me to fly."
"Very well, Ninja Boy," Makenna said. She manned up. "Stand back! Watch how the pros do it!" Closing her eyes, she marched toward the edge of the ledge and pulled Tracey behind her arm.
He chuckled and crossed his arms.
Makenna opened her eyes when she reached the cliff's edge and glanced down. At the sight of the drop, she turned blue. Was Ninja Boy crazy? No way was she doing that!
Screaming, Makenna shouted, "No! No! I refuse!" She leaped into Tracey's arms and climbed onto his shoulders. She hugged his face and upper body and shook with fear.
"Makenna!" Tracey yelled. "Let go! It's not that complicated!" He pulled her off like duct tape and put her back on the ledge. He inched her toward the edge again.
"No!" Makenna turned and pushed Tracey's hands, gasping when she saw the ledge's edge coming closer. "Ahh!" Makenna screamed. She leaped over Tracey's body and shoved him to the ground. Then, hurrying toward the secret tunnel, she jumped onto its rock face and wrapped her arms and legs around a sturdy rock that stuck out. She clung to the rock and started shaking again.
Tracey stood from where he landed. "Makenna, stop being such a chicken! Let go of that rock!"
Sweating, Makenna said, "Oh, I think I'm going to climb instead. Why fly when you can climb? Isn't that the job of your legs?"
Tracey did a facepalm. "Oh, for the love of Pete." He had to think of a way to make Makenna come down so she could overcome her fear. He started to pace, and as he paced, he tapped his chin.
Gina, who had finally reached the end of the tunnel, peered out at him.
For a bit longer, Tracey paced. Then, he thought of it! Stopping, he said, "Hmm," and scratched his chin. Smiling mischievously, he added, "Fear of bats? Fear of heights? Fear of being wrong? Huh, some Metamorphic Fairy you are, Makenna."
Makenna twisted her head and glanced over her shoulder.
Tracey continued: "You're scared of just doing one simple wing motion. Whatever, you're probably unaware that you're hanging right in front of a bat-invested wall. Oh well, I'll leave you to them. I guess I'll have to find your brother myself." He shuffled in the direction of the ledge's edge.
"Wait, Tracey!" Makenna shouted.
Tracey cupped his hands around his mouth. "Oh, look at me! I'm getting closer to the ledge's edge! Check it out, Raeven's family!"
Gina shook her head and squawked, "Oh, Tracey."
"Tracey!" Makenna yelled. "Stop! What do you mean 'Raeven's family'?"
"I'm getting closer!" said Tracey. The backs of his heels hung over the ledge's edge, and he kept his balance by flapping his wings.
"Tracey!" yelled Makenna. "That's not cool, dude!"
"This is how Sensei taught me," Tracey explained. "When I first started flying, I was just as scared as you. Then he, too, started to torment me."
"Shut up!" Makenna shouted. "I don't want to hear any more about your so-called sensei!" She hugged the rock tighter.
A cloud of bats from the secret tunnel's exit soared out, zooming past Makenna.
Screaming, she let go of the rock and shouted, "I can't take it anymore! I'm coming home, Mom and Dad!" Hurrying to the ledge's edge, she cried, "Talleyho!" and held her arms out to her sides. She leaped over the ledge and started to fall.
The soaring bats from the tunnel circled Tracey's head several times.
"Thank you, Raeven's family," he said, winking. "You did the same for me when I started flying."
They nodded and zoomed back into the tunnel, passing Gina.
She gasped and dove behind another rock sticking out from the wall.
Tracey was the next one to leap over the ledge. He yelled, "Yehaw!" and jumped like a kangaroo. Like Makenna, he held his arms out to his sides. He purposely didn't flap his wings to catch up with her.
She dropped headfirst toward the canopy. Only when she opened her eyes did she realize she had jumped. "Oh no!" Makenna reached for her head. "Help! Help! I'm too young to die!" She heard chuckling and asked, "What? Is that you, Tracey?"
"It is!" said the familiar voice. He had reached Makenna. Before long, he fell upside down beside her. As they fell, he announced, "Fly! Flap your wings!"
"I can't, Tracey!" Makenna chokingly said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Yes, you can!" said Tracey, falling faster. He began to leave Makenna. "Just flap them as hard as you can!"
Makenna tried, but the wings refused to flap. They were once again on their coffee break.
"Help!" shouted the young fairy. She started to flap her arms.
As Tracey fell, he tilted back his head and asked, "Hm?" when he saw the canopy getting closer. "All right!" Excitingly, he turned his body, so now he was right-side up. With fire burning in his eyes, he jumped to his feet in midair and stretched out his right leg, flapping his wings slightly. When he reached the canopy, his foot broke through the leaves and tree branches of the tallest tree, and he landed on the canopy's bed on his feet. The second he landed, branches and leaves scattered around him. "Yes!" Tracey said, clenching his fists. "I did it!"
From up above, he heard Makenna and tilted his head.
She bounced through the tree branches, yelled as she escaped them, and fell toward Tracey. "Help!"
"I've got you; I've got you!" said Tracey. He opened his arms and planted his feet.
Makenna landed in his arms.
Tracey stumbled but didn't fall.
"Oh," Makenna said. She peered into his face. "Why thank you..."Tracey smiled. "... you doofus!" Makenna added. She slapped him, jumped from his arms, and landed on the canopy's floor. "Are you mad? Are you trying to kill me?"
"No!" Tracey said, massaging his cheek. "I'm just trying to teach you how to fly. Believe it or not, dropping the baby bird is how a bird learns to fly. Fairies are like birds, Makenna. Merlin taught me to fly by forcing me to drop."
"You're crazy, Ninja Boy!" Makenna shouted. "I hate you! I hate you!"
Tracey groaned. "Come on, Makenna. If you want to return home, we must find your brother."
"Nah-hah," Makenna said with a shake of her head. "I'm not exploring this island after what you did to me, Ninja Boy, and dropped me into Bat Territory!"
Crossing his arms, Tracey asked, "Are all girls like this?"
"No, they're not, Ninja Boy, but I am! I despise bats! I refuse to move from this spot! I'll patiently wait here until a ship comes and picks me up from this torture chamber!"
"It's not a torture chamber, Makenna," said Tracey. "It's Merlin's Island. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world, and your brother is counting on you to find him. Please, Makenna, trust me. I'm sorry I scared you. I'll think of another way to teach you flying. Deal?" He offered his hand to the petrified newborn fairy, and she examined it.
Gina, who had also reached the bottom of the canopy, peeked out from a leaf at them.
Makenna continued to study Tracey's hand. She peered into his face. Oh, how did he do it? He was so trustworthy and innocent. Sighing, Makenna reached out and took his hand. She gave it a slight shake, and Tracey returned it.
Lifting into the sky again, he hovered before her and smiled. "Makenna, I promise that when you control those wings, you'll love flying as much as I do. Come on, let's find 'Where the water meets your wings.'" Flying forward, he gestured for Makenna to follow.
Sighing, she did.
ns216.73.216.139da2
and then Add to home screen.