The Cloud Castle

A Storm Of Stars

As they flew toward Fairywing Village, the sky begam to DARKEN.
   "I wonder what time it is," Nicky said.
   She looked at her watch, but the numbers on the face kept appearing and disappearing. This always happened in fantasy worlds:  the technology of the real world stopped working.
   "It will be NIGHT soon," Ariette confirmed. "And that's good for us, since it will be easier to avoid being seen."
   Then Ariette let out a sign.
   "What is it?" Will asked her. "You seem worried."
   "I am just sad that we have to steal the crystal from the Color Pixies," she said.

"That's true," replied Will. "But we are only dooing it to SAVE the Land of Clouds."
   "When it's all over, I'm sure the pixies will understand," Colette said. "After all, they'll have plenty of clouds to PAINT again!"
   Suddenly, a small SHINING BALL fell from the sky and hit PAulina on the head. As soon as it touched her hair, the sphere dissolved into a spray of stars.
   "Oh!" Paulina cried.
   "What happened?" Will asked.
   But before she could answer, a shining ball hit him, too!
   "It's a STORM OF STARS! We must find shelter!" Ariette cried.
   The fairy dove for a low bank of clouds.
   The unicorns followed her.

"Quickly!" Ariette urged them.
   Meanwhile, the STARS continued to fall, as thick as snowflakes during a blizzard.
   Each time the stars hit something, they dissolved, leaving a shining trail. Luckily my friends reached the low clouds quickly.
   Then Paulina realized something. "These aren't clouds... they're flowers!" she cried.
   "Let's go down farther," said Ariette pointing to some huge trumpet-shaped flowers. "They will give us cover."
   "Are the flowers STRONG ENOUGH to withstand the star shower?" Will asked.
   "Yes, but we must be very careful around them," Ariette said. "Some of these flowers asleep," she explained. "We are in Sleep Flower Woods, home of the SLEEP FAIRIES. Only they know which flowers cause sleep."
   "The Sleep Fairies? What powers do they have?" Will asked.
   "They collect pollen from certain flowers. Then they add the pollen to the evening clouds, and that pollen helps all of the fairies in our world FALL ASLEEP," Ariette explained.
   "That is amazing," said Nicky.
   "But dangerous for us," said Ariette. "This start storm will shake the pollen loose from these flowers. So we can't stay here for long."
   As she spoke, a star hit the flower over their heads. They quickly ran to another nearby flower before the pollen could fall.

"I hope this STAR STORM ends soon,"
   Will said, worridly.

But more stars SREAKED down from the sky, and very quickly another star hit the flower above them. They all ran for cover once more, but there wasn't a flower close by that would protect all of them. Nicky and Collette took cover together. Will and Ariette found a flower, and Paulina ducked under a PALE BLUE flower.
     ZAP! Another star hit immediately,  and before Paulina could run, grains of pollen showered her. Her eyes began to droop right away, and she slid to the ground like a rag doll.
   "OH NO! PAULINA!" Will cried, racing to her side.
   "She's falling asleep!" Colette said.
   Paulina was resting in the big, curled leaf of the flower.

     "WE MUST WAKE HER, quickly!" said Ariette.
   At the moment, a fairy appeared from behind the flower stems. She was tall and slender, and wore a large pink flower hat on her head. She smiled silently.