Magic Hearts (4 page)

The Fairy Code Book had used the words “might happen” to describe the effects of the candy. But something was
definitely
happening to Dash!

Dash's skin was bright yellow!

O
h, Dash!” Berry cried out. She couldn't bear to see her friend a bright yellow color!

It was not often that fairies changed colors. Berry could think of one other time that had happened. A few years ago many of the fairies got the sugar flu. The virus was awful. Fairies couldn't fly or make any candy, and several fairies
turned scarlet from the high fever. Princess Lolli set up stations in the castle for the sick fairies. Luckily, Berry, Melli, and Cocoa hadn't gotten the flu. But Dash and Raina had. Berry sighed. At least they were able to take medicine and get better. There were no viruses or germs to blame here.

This was all Berry's fault.

No one said anything. Dash fluttered her wings.

“Why is everyone staring at me?” she snapped.

“Well, she's certainly acting like the same old Dash,” Cocoa said, watching the Mint Fairy.

“She doesn't look affected at all,” Melli added. She shook her head in disbelief. “Except for the fact that she is now yellow.”

“Yellow?” Dash screeched. “I'm yellow? As in
lemon frosting and lemon drops?” She looked down at her body and screamed.

Berry reached into her bag and gave Dash a small compact mirror. “Lemon yellow,” Berry said sadly. “Take a look in the mirror. You'll see the color is all over your face.”

Dash opened the candy-jeweled case and peered into the mirror. “A yellow Mint Fairy?” she cried. She snapped the mirror shut. Panicked, Dash grabbed Raina's hand. “Please tell me this will go away.” When there was no reply from Raina, Dash took a deep breath. “Well, is there any medicine I can take? There must be something to make this go away, right?” She examined her yellow arms and hands.

Raina flipped through some more pages of the Fairy Code Book. “I can't find anything more here in the book,” she said. “It's odd. The book only mentions a slight change of coloring. I wonder why the bright yellow?”

“If Raina doesn't know the answer, this must be bad,” Cocoa whispered to Melli.

“There is no medicine for magic spells,” Melli said. “Oh, Dash . . .”

“Melli is right,” Raina added. “We'll need to figure out the magic before you can get better.”

“Why yellow?” Dash balked. “Blech!”

“There's only one way to fix this,” Berry said. She stood up. “I have to go ask Lemona about her candy. If she's the fairy who made the candy, she'll know the answer to this riddle.”

“What?” Dash said. “You, Berry the sweet and beautiful Fruit Fairy, want to venture into Sour Orchard?”

Dash might have been mocking Berry, but there was truth to what she was saying. Berry enjoyed fine fashions and sparkly accessories and was not one for flying out of her comfortable sweet spots.

“What if Lemona is as sour as her candy?” Melli asked.

“Oh, how awful,” Cocoa said. “Do you think she could be like Mogu?”

“Mogu is a salty old troll who lives in Black Licorice Swamp,” Raina said, shaking her head. “Lemona is one of us, a Candy Fairy.”

“A Candy Fairy who lives in Sour Orchard,” Melli mumbled.

Dash flew around in circles. “This color can't last, can it?” she asked. When no one answered, Dash landed and hung her head.
“Holy pepper mint,” she whispered. “I'll be the joke of Sugar Valley.”

Berry took Dash's hand. “Don't get upset, Dash,” she said. “I am going to find a way to help you. I promise.”

“You'd really go to Sour Orchard for me?” Dash asked. She peered up at Berry.

“I should never have neglected my candy duties,” Berry admitted. She folded her knees up to her chest. “If I hadn't been so concerned about making a new dress, then I would have made time to grow my own candy hearts for Heart Day.” She gazed at Dash. “And I should have told the truth about those heart candies. Will you forgive me?”

“I'm not mad,” Dash said. “I understand.” She stuck her hand in her backpack. “Here, take
these peppermint candies. It's getting dark and you might need light in Sour Orchard.”

“Thank you,” Berry told her. Dash might have been small, but she had the biggest heart of all. “I am truly sorry.”

Suddenly Raina shot up from her spot on the blanket. “Oh, I found something more here,” she said. She pointed to a section in the Fairy Code Book.

“I don't think I've ever been so grateful for that book,” Dash said. She moved closer to Raina.

“When visiting Sour Orchard,” Raina began to read, “you should bring a gift to a Sour Orchard Fairy. Sour Orchard Fairies are fond of fresh fruit blossoms.”

Berry smiled. “I know where to get some
fresh and delicious orange blossoms!”

Even though it was winter in Sugar Valley, the orange trees were blossoming. The magic orange trees produced tangy and sweet candy fruit all year. Fruit Fairies took the oranges and dipped the slices into chocolate or made sweet fruit nectar for candies throughout the valley. Just that morning Berry had flown by the orange trees along the edge of Fruit Chew Meadow. Their sweet citrus smell always made her smile. It seemed even Sour Orchard Fairies enjoyed the fresh scents and tastes of the blossoms.

“Going to Sour Orchard with something to make Lemona happy will make the journey easier,” Berry said.

“I'll go with you,” Raina told her.

“You will?” Berry asked. “I thought you were angry at me.”

Raina closed her book and slipped it back into her backpack. “I can see you are very sorry,” she said. “And I don't want you to go by yourself. It's always better to fly with a friend.”

Feeling overwhelmed, Berry reached out to hug her friend. “You are a good friend, Raina. Thank you.”

“Melli and I will stay with Dash,” Cocoa said. “I have some chocolate dots here that should keep her happy for a while.”

“Thanks,” Dash said. “But I don't really feel like eating right now.”

Hearing Dash refuse candy made Berry move a little faster. Dash never declined a piece of candy!

“We'll go now,” Berry told her. “We'll be back before bedtime. I promise you won't go to sleep a yellow Mint Fairy.” She gave Dash a big hug and then waved to Melli and Cocoa. She was glad they'd be with Dash to look after her.

Together, Berry and Raina flew off toward Fruit Chew Meadow to gather orange blossoms for Lemona. Berry hoped with all her heart that the meeting would go well—and that Lemona could help get Dash back to normal. Otherwise, Heart Day was not going to be a happy day.

W
hen Berry and Raina arrived at Fruit Chew Meadow, the sun had just slid to the other side of the Frosted Mountains. Berry flew over to the row of orange trees along the side of the meadow. The sweet citrus scent smelled delicious. Being in the meadow made Berry feel safe and relaxed. But she didn't have time to
rest! If they wanted to talk to Lemona before the evening stars came out, she and Raina would have to hurry.

“How can anyone be mean
and
like orange blossoms?” Berry asked Raina. She put her nose close to the beautiful orange flower.

“Mmmm,” Raina said. She flew over to Berry and smelled the flower candy. “I know what you mean. Sure as sugar, these do smell sweet.” She thought for a moment and then looked up at Berry. “Maybe Sour Orchard Fairies aren't as sour as their candy. You know in the Fairy Code Book there is no mention of what the Sour Orchard Fairies are like—just the kind of candy they grow.”

Berry raised her eyebrows. “Have you ever met a Sour Orchard Fairy?” she asked Raina.

“No,” Raina said slowly. “I've only seen one once, at Candy Castle last year at Candy Fair. She had green wings and a light green dress. I think she brought sour apple suckers to the castle.”

Berry nodded. She remembered the fair last year, when all the fairies in the valley came to the summer celebration in the Royal Gardens. There were a few Sour Orchard Fairies there, but Berry hadn't talked to them. “They always look so . . .” She searched for the right word.

“Sour?” Raina asked, giggling. “I guess we don't really know, if we've never spoken to them.” She helped Berry pick a few more blossoms from the tree. “Maybe we'll find out that Lemona is really a sweet fairy.”

Berry put a bunch of the fragrant blossoms
in her basket. “Or maybe the Fairy Code Book suggests taking the blossoms to make sure the fairies don't get sour when a visitor comes.” Her wings shook as she imagined having to face a sour fairy.

“Oh, Berry, your dress!” Raina cried.

Looking down, Berry saw orange stains on her new dress. “Oh, it's just as well,” she said. “This dress wasn't really working for me anyway.”

“Wait, did you just hear something rustling over there?” Raina asked, pointing to the ground. She squinted in the dark. “I don't like being here after Sun Dip.”

“That must have been the wind,” Berry told her. She flew down to the ground and looked around the trunk of the tree. “No one's here.”

“Then where is that light coming from?” Raina asked, quivering. There was an eerie green glow getting closer and closer to the orange tree.

Berry turned around. Out of the darkness a fairy appeared.

“Aaaaah!” Berry and Raina screamed. “Sorry,” Fruli answered. “I didn't mean to scare you.” She pointed her glowing peppermint candy at the ground. “I didn't think anyone would be here now,” she said very softly.

Raina gasped. “Oh, Fruli!” she exclaimed. “You scared the sugar out of me!” Her hand flew to her chest. Her heart was beating so fast she could hardly breathe. “What are you doing here?”

Fruli's wings began to beat even faster. “I . . . I . . . I like to come here when the day is over and smell the orange blossoms. The sweet smell helps me to sleep. There are orange trees like this on Meringue Island, and the smell reminds me of home.”