The Delling family Suburban headed down the road toward Seabrook Island.
Makenna sat in the front seat, talking to her mom about Tracey. The top of her window was rolled down, and Raeven hovered, his head sticking out of it.
Tracey sat behind Makenna, buckled up, propping his head against the window frame. Gina rested on his lap with her eyes closed, but she wasn't asleep. Tracey was asleep, though, and while he slept, he dreamed.
He found himself resting on a rock in the middle of the ocean and lifted his head, asking, "Where am I? Where am I?" It was dark. It was almost as if there wasn't a sun anymore.
Tracey searched the area. Suddenly, he heard a splash behind him and yelled, "Whoa!" Quickly, Tracey stood and whirled around. Before him, covered in shadows, with glowing blue eyes, was the Octopus Man. He pointed his massive trident at Tracey, and he quickly retreated on his rock. "Who are you? Why can't you leave me alone?"
In his booming voice, the Octopus Man said, "Just wait, boy! You will eventually belong to me, and I'm not going to let that Metamorphic Fairy save you!"
Tracey narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "That doesn't answer my question about your identity."
"I am the ruler of the Seven Seas!" boomed the Octopus Man. "I am a figure of mythology, like you: the Sun, Moon, and rain!"
Tracey blinked. "Poseidon?" he asked. "Are you… Poseidon?"
Right after he asked that, the Octopus Man lifted all eight Kraken-like arms out of the water and shouted, "You fool! How could you not have already figured that out?"
"I didn't know," Tracey calmly spoke. "You're Poseidon? What do you want with me?"
"Ask my pet!" boomed the Octopus Man. He pointed his trident behind Tracey, and there was another splash.
Tracey turned toward it, and his face whitened.
Hovering before him was the shadow of an enormous, humanoid, Kraken, alien-like creature, which roared in Tracey's face. It then spoke in a loud, hissing voice, "Masster once told me, fairiesss tassste jusst like cake!" The creature crept toward Tracey and stretched its claws out toward him.
He screamed at the sight of them.
Outside the dream world, Tracey flinched and shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. Sweat fountained down his face and soaked him. "What are you supposed to be?" he yelled in his sleep. The mark of the Octopus Man flashed again on his arm, but only temporarily. Before long, it vanished, and he squirmed.
Gina fell from his knees and landed on the car's floor.
Makenna turned to him and asked, "Tracey, are you all right?"
From the floor, Gina said, "He's dreaming," in tern squawks, hopping back up onto Tracey's knees.
"Mom, we need to let him take it easy," Makenna said to Michelle. "He's not as healthy as you think."
"I know," Michelle said. "Don't worry, we're almost home."
Finally, the Suburban reached the Delling household on Jenkins Point and pulled into the garage.
Tony barked from the inside, so Michelle said, "Oh, Tony." She turned off her car and unbuckled her seatbelt.
Makenna did, too.
Raeven popped down from the window and landed on the car's dashboard.
Gina, still on Tracey's knees, peered at Makenna and told her, "He's conked out, Makenna, and he's conked out good. I think he's having a nightmare."
Tracey shuffled again, and his foot shook.
Makenna and Michelle glanced at him.
Michelle soon said, "Let's just get him inside and get him something to eat."
Makenna nodded. "Right." She reached forward and took Tracey's shoulder. Shaking it, she said, "Tracey, wake up," in a low voice. "We're here at my house, and we're going to get you inside."
Tracey didn't wake. He clenched his teeth and shuffled again.
Gina soon glanced at Makenna. "I think the pain medicines are wearing off. Ask your mom if she has any pain medicines here."
Makenna bobbed her head and turned to her mom. "Mom?"
Mrs. Delling met her eyes. "Yes, Makenna?"
"Do we have any pain medicines here, such as Tylenol?" Makenna continued. "Tracey's wings are hurting him. The pain medicines he was given before he came are wearing off."
"As a matter of fact, we do," answered Mrs. Delling. She opened her car door. "How about you get Tracey inside and get him comfortable, and I'll bring him some?"
"Sounds good." Makenna opened her own door.
Raeven flew to her shoulder and landed on it. "Ooh, what's next in this exciting fairytale?"
"We're just getting Tracey inside," Makenna answered. She glanced at Raeven. "Hush, please. Don't talk until I say you can." Hopping out of the car, she approached Tracey's door and opened it. Makenna unbuckled him and gently pulled him out of the car and into the garage. "I've got you, Tracey," she said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
Tracey was back in a loopy-like state. His head flopped back and forth, and he did not open his eyes.
Gina soon appeared beside him and explained, "Yep, the pain medicines are definitely wearing off. Argh, if only I had brought extras! Stupid, stupid me!" She smacked herself on the head.
"It's okay, Gina," Makenna comfortably spoke. "We have some pain medicines here." She reached out to pet Gina, but she pulled away.
"Get those filthy human fingers away from me!" she snapped at her.
Makenna opened her mouth to speak, but just before she could, she, Gina, and Raeven heard the sound of screeching tires. Mrs. Delling had already disappeared inside the house.
Makenna and the two avians turned in the direction of the tires and saw that Mr. Delling had pulled into the driveway. He screeched to a stop before Makenna's surfboard and turned off his car.
Soon, he appeared from the driver's side and pointed at the surfboard, yelling, "Who on earth left this dawg gone surfboard lying in the path? Was it you, Makenna?"
"Surfboard?" Makenna questioned. She, Gina, and Raeven exited the garage and stepped onto the driveway. Makenna's eyes landed on her surfboard. "What in the name of—?" Makenna loosened her grip on Tracey. "My surfboard! It's my surfboard! How, though? I thought I lost it forever!"
Caleb soon hopped out from the passenger seat of Mr. Delling's car, his book bag over his shoulder, and his own eyes landed on Makenna's surfboard. "Inconceivable!" he announced, rubbing his chin. "The surfboard wasn't here this morning. It's as if it appeared by magic, just like how your necklace did, Makenna! Whoa, wait!"
Caleb and Mr. Delling's eyes landed on Tracey, who had woken up due to the noise. They immediately grinned.
"Tracey!" Mr. Delling soon shouted. He slammed the driver's door shut, and the tail of his shirt got caught in it. Mr. Delling grabbed it and pulled it out; however, the shirt ripped in the process. He didn't care. He instead focused on Tracey and yelled, "If it isn't our friend Tracey! He's back! Oh, ho, ho! I was getting worried! But you're back, Tracey!" He hurried to Tracey and jerked him away from Makenna.
"Dad, stop!" she begged, holding out her hand. "He's hurt! Bring it down!"
Mr. Delling didn't listen. He hugged Tracey as tightly as he could and announced, "I knew you would return! A fairy story isn't complete unless both fairies are involved! For a second, I was afraid I would never see you again!"
"Ow!" Tracey tried breaking free, but Mr. Delling refused. "Ow!" he repeated.
Caleb soon saw that he had broken wings and gasped. He and Makenna hurried to Tracey and dragged him away from Mr. Delling.
"Stop!" Makenna yelled again. "He's hurt!" She and Caleb helped Tracey onto the driveway, and Makenna took his hand. "Sorry, Tracey," she apologized.
Mr. Delling tried to approach him again, but Gina and Raeven blocked his path and backed him up to his car.
"Humans aren't stealthy, unlike bats," Raeven told Makenna's dad. "So, unfortunately, Mr. Delling, you aren't able to slip under one and sneak by us, like Harry Potter in his Invisibility Cloak. You're cornered, man! Look me in the eyes! What do you see? You see a bat, right? Well beware! I don't want to have to use the Claw on you! Leave Tracey alone!"
Makenna met Caleb's eyes and said, "Help me get him inside, Caleb. We have to make sure Dad doesn't try to hug him again. I personally think he's taken this whole fairy thing to an unhealthy level."
"I agree," Caleb said. "All right. You get his left arm, and I'll get his right. What about your surfboard?"
"Currently, Tracey's more important than my surfboard," said Makenna. "I can always buy a new one if I lose that one. However, I can't buy another Tracey. There is only one of him, and I don't want to lose him to broken wings."
"How did it happen?" Caleb wondered. He and Makenna grasped Tracey's arms and lugged him to his feet.
While they dragged him toward their house, Makenna explained to Caleb the story about how Tracey broke his wings due to the Octopus Man.
Once inside, they didn't take him up to the guest room, fearing he would fall, and instead escorted him to the living room, where they lay him down on the couch. Caleb then went into the kitchen and helped his mom prepare something for Tracey to eat. Makenna stayed in the living room with him, as well as Gina, Raeven, and Tony.
Tracey was not able to sleep, though.
Mr. Delling was in the kitchen with Caleb and Mrs. Delling, cooking dinner, and had turned on the radio. He danced to the music. While Mr. Delling enjoyed listening to the radio while he made dinner, it did not help Tracey.
He groaned and placed his hands on his ears.
Makenna glared at her father and yelled, "Dad, turn off the music! He's trying to sleep!"
Mr. Delling didn't hear her.
Caleb finally just stumbled to the radio and shut it off.
Immediately after he did, Mr. Delling stopped dancing. "What happened to the music?" he asked in a slightly annoyed voice.
Mrs. Delling scowled and snapped, "Show Tracey some respect! If you're going to be nothing but annoying, Andy, then would you mind stepping outside?"
"You're kicking me out?" Mr. Delling inquired, and Mrs. Delling nodded.
"We are, unless you shut up and show that poor fairy a little respect! He's hurt, Andy, and he's hurt pretty badly, too!"
Raeven soared into the kitchen and threatened Mr. Delling with his claws. He forced Makenna's father outside and said, "Take a walk to the end of the street, sir, and don't come back until you learn your lesson!"
Caleb soon joined him. He slammed the front door shut on his father's face and said, "Goodbye!" Caleb sighed and pressed his back against the door. "That's better."
"Thank you, Raeven and Caleb," said Mrs. Delling. "Thank you."
It was finally quiet in the Delling household. Mrs. Delling, Makenna, Caleb, and their avian friends could finally care for Tracey without anyone annoying them.
Michelle fixed him a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and she, Makenna, and Caleb tried to give it to him, but he, of course, refused. He refused everything. The only thing he didn't refuse was water.
Freaking out, Makenna placed her hand on his forehead and chokingly spoke, "We've got to get him to the hospital."
"You should've taken him immediately after the accident happened," admitted Caleb. "Since you didn't, his wings are only getting worse. Why on earth did he come back again? What's his reasoning? Why can't he sit still?"
"I came back because I wanted to help your sister, Caleb," Tracey weakly spoke. He half opened his eyes and peered into Caleb's face. "I came back because my fairy instincts told me to. Besides, I had to return her surfboard."
"Surfboard?" Makenna gasped. "Hold on, Tracey, you were the one who returned it?"
"Yes. It washed up on Merlin's Island. Gina and I found it, and we decided to return it to you."
"Thank you, Tracey," Makenna said. "Thank you. I thought I lost my surfboard forever. On the other hand, though, I did lose my necklace." She sighed as an image of the horse-head-shaped necklace flashed in her brain.
"Don't say that, Makenna," Caleb comfortably told his sister. "You'll find it. It's not gone forever."
Makenna again sighed.
There was silence.
Finally, Mrs. Delling cleared her throat and said, "Well, Makenna..." She checked her wristwatch. "You should probably get ready for the dance. Peter's going to pick you up in forty-five minutes. Don't worry, Caleb and I will look over Tracey."
"When are we leaving?" sleepily asked Merlin's apprentice. He met Mrs. Delling's eyes. "When are we leaving for the dance?"
"In forty-five minutes," explained Mrs. Delling, "but I don't think I'm going to let you go, Tracey."
"What?" Tracey asked, shocked. "Why, Mrs. Delling? I have to go."
Gina landed on his pillow and hopped down, closing her eyes.
Mrs. Delling faced Tracey and asked him, "Why? Why do you have to go?"
"Peter Nelson," Tracey mumbled. "Peter Nelson."
"Don't worry about me, Tracey," said Makenna. "I'll be all right." She grasped his hand. "I promise that after tonight, I won't hang out with Peter Nelson anymore. I'm going to break up with him tonight."
"That's right," Mrs. Delling explained to Tracey. "Tomorrow morning, when all this Spirit Week stuff is over, I'm going to let her take you back to Merlin's Island, and if she wants to spend Saturday and Sunday with you, she can." Mrs. Delling smiled at Makenna.
She smiled back. "Really, Mom?"
Mrs. Delling nodded.
"Thank you, Mom," Makenna added. "All right, Tracey." She rubbed his hand. "I think I'm going to spend the weekend with you, just like last weekend. Wow, I can't believe it's already been almost a week since I first met you. Don't worry, I swear I'll take you back. I need to get the dance out of the way. I believe it may be best if you stay here and rest."
"But, Makenna."
"No buts," said Makenna. "Shh. Rest, Tracey. You need to rest. Okay, Mom." She focused on her mother. "I'm going to go ahead and change." She stood and let Tracey's hand go. Then, turning on her heel, she headed toward the staircase, Raeven following her, and disappeared upstairs.
Mrs. Delling faced Tracey and tried giving him some painkillers, but he again refused.
"Can I go home now and fight a dragon?" he questioned.
Up in her bedroom, Makenna kicked off her shoes and flopped down on her bed, hugging her backpack to her chest. She was exhausted. It had been a hectic day.
Raeven landed beside her and said, "Whew! It's been quite a day today! The pep rally went ballistic. I saw an amazing spell brawl between you and Tracey, and now we have a dance to go to! Ah." He crawled onto Makenna's tummy. "This just gets better and better. So, what should we do when we get to the dance?"
"We?" Makenna tiredly asked. "What do you mean by 'we,' Raeven? Who said you're going? Who said I was going? I personally don't want to go to the dance, not when Tracey's in such terrible shape."
"But you've got to!" Raeven told her. "It may be the only way you're going to become a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy! Please let me come, Makenna. I can help you. Remember, I promised I would help you earn this third transformation?"
Makenna sighed. "You did, Raeven, and we also made a deal."
"Which I refuse to break. You've got to let me come along, Makenna. You yourself have to go. I know you're worried about Tracey, but as soon as you become a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy, you'll take him back to Merlin's Island and get him to the hospital."
Makenna moaned. "I don't know, Raeven," she mumbled. She closed her eyes and tilted back her head. "The thing is, Peter is starting to make me a little uncomfortable. What if Tracey is right? What if he is planning on hurting me tonight?"
"I'll make sure he doesn't!" Raeven promised her. "I swear to it, Makenna! I'm not going to let some smart aleck seventeen-year-old hurt a fourteen-year-old fairy! I'll protect you. Trust me. However, we do have to go to that dance, no exceptions."
Makenna sighed. "Very well, Raeven," she said softly. "I'll go, but you better watch my back!"
"I will. I promise. It's the duty of the Megabat! That's why we're called Megabats! We're mega, mega awesome, and we don't let anybody hurt our mega, mega awesome friends! Now, get up!" Raeven hopped off Makenna's tummy and hovered before her. "Get changed! Brush your teeth! Lift weights! We are on our way to the Spirit Week Dance!"
"Whoopee," Makenna unexcitedly said, and Raeven twirled in midair.