While Makenna started her search for the Crusha Fruit, Merlin continued with his journey to Hula Village. He reached it fairly quickly because he took a shortcut through the jungle.
Like Aluna's living section, Hula Village was nestled beside another tropical waterfall, and a sprite-sized stage rested in its heart. On the stage was another engraving of Ethelinda. Hula Village wasn't split up into two parts like Aluna. There was a living and village section, but they stayed mashed together beside the waterfall.
Sprites, young and old, danced the Hula in groups.
Merlin, who had changed his outfit back into his wizard attire, admired the dancers as he passed them. Aside from them, tropical music played in the village, too.
Some of the Hula dancers noticed Merlin, and they gasped.
"Merlin the Great!" yelled an eight-year-old sprite, who continued dancing.
At her voice, the other dancers stopped, and all pairs of eyes landed on Merlin. Even the music cut off.
"Oh boy," Merlin said. He lifted his hand and waved. "Good morning, Hula Village sprites. How are you guys doing? Do you by any chance know where I can find your doctor?"
"Doctor?" asked the eight-year-old. She danced to Merlin and circled him. "Why do you need a doctor? Are you sick?"
"Oh no," Merlin answered. "It's not me. It-It's Ash."
Immediately after he said that, the sprite stopped dancing and asked, "Ash? What's wrong with Ash?"
Merlin didn't want to worry her, so he got down on his knees and took her shoulders. "Don't worry, my dear. Ash will be fine. He's just a bit out of sorts right now."
"But what happened to him?" worriedly asked the sprite.
Merlin tried his best not to show his anxiety. "He's got a bit of a bump on his head. I just need a doctor to look at him. Do you know where I can find yours?"
"I think I can be of assistance!" a sudden voice shouted from out of nowhere.
"Hm?" asked Merlin, looking up from the child. "That voice. I know that voice."
From within the crowd of Hula dancers appeared a bright, purple light, and an old fairy emerged. Merlin's eyes widened when he saw her. "Selene!" He couldn't believe it. The fairy in the crowd was Selene, the wisest, oldest fairy in the world. Aside from her emerald dress, cloak, and purple shoes, she had added a Hula skirt to her attire.
"Hula! Hula! Hula!" she announced, approaching Merlin. Selene bumped him with her hip. "How ya doing?"
"I am well," Merlin explained. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you on your sailboat?"
"Hula! Hula! Hula!" Selene repeated, bumping him again. "I was on my sailboat, Merlin dear, but then I heard about Ash's little accident. I had to come to make sure he's okay. Was Makenna the one who hurt him?"
"It was an accident!" Merlin quickly answered. "She had no control of her new powers! She didn't mean to hurt your apprentice!"
"I'm sure she didn't, but she still did," Selene explained. "Just like your Tracey, my apprentice is like my own son. Alas, Merlin, now I know how you felt last year. You must take me to see Ash."
Merlin sighed and scratched the back of his head.
The crowd of Hula dancers soon moved aside, and Merlin and Selene heard another voice. "Excuse me, are you the one who requested a doctor?" A male sprite wearing a white coat and spectacles approached them and waved. "Sorry to bother you, Merlin the Great and Selene. I am the notorious Dr. Snugglekins. Perhaps y'all have heard of me? No? I am a well-known sprite here in Hula Village."
Merlin sarcastically chuckled and crossed his arms. "That's because you're the doctor here."
A Hula Village sprite snorted and brought his hand to his nose. "Ooh, burned."
Dr. Snugglekins heard him and peered over his shoulder.
Noticing his look, the sprite shook his head and nervously smiled.
Dr. Snugglekins sighed and turned back to Merlin and Selene. "So, where's the patient?"
"He's at the beach," Merlin answered. "He's this nice woman's apprentice, so I'm sure she'll take you to him."
"Oh, absolutely," Selene muttered through clenched teeth. "Come on, doc. My apprentice needs you." She and Dr. Snugglekins flapped their wings and lifted into the air. They waved goodbye to the sprites as they left, but Merlin stayed behind. The tropical music slowly came back, and a few of the sprite Hula dancers started to dance again. Watching them caused Merlin to blush, and he propped up his chin.
***
Makenna swam toward the bottom of the cyan pool during her search for the Crusha Fruit. It actually was much deeper than she thought. Many plants grew in the pool, and, like the plants at the surface, most had fruits and berries.
Makenna kicked her legs and swam to a few of the plants. She examined their berries and fruit with a magnifying glass, but didn't see anything that looked like a cluster of small, green bananas.
Makenna grew frustrated. Why was the Crusha Fruit so hard to find? Raeven said it grew in a safe location, and it looked extremely safe down there.
The area turned darker the further Makenna dove, but strangely, the water pressure didn't bother her. Since it was so dark, she accidentally bumped her shoulder into a rock wall.
To herself, Makenna thought, Whoa. This pool is surrounded by a rock wall? Incredible. She pressed her hand against the wall and slid it across. The rocks felt good on it.
Suddenly, Makenna's hand hit a latch. A latch? she asked in her head. What's a latch doing down here? I wonder. Makenna hooked the latch with her fingers and pulled it. Immediately after she did, she heard a rumble beside her. A section of the rock wall split in two, and a secret passageway opened. Makenna's eyes landed on it. Whoa! She quickly swam to the dark passageway and peered inside. Her fairy instincts told her the tunnel was where she needed to go.
Makenna nodded and swam into the passageway. As soon as she had both legs inside, the rumbling came again, and the rocks moved back together. Makenna gasped, and bubbles escaped her lips. She hurried back to the entrance but was too late. The rocks slammed back together, and she was forced to move out of the way.
Everything turned pitch black. Makenna reached for her head and yelled. She couldn't believe she let herself fall for her so-called fairy instincts' spell. Now she would be trapped down there forever.
Makenna knew she would drown, but before she did, she decided that she should enjoy her last thirty minutes. She slipped her magnifying glass into her pocket and created a ball of bright, blue light. Makenna used it to navigate the underwater passageway. Who knew? Maybe there was an exit somewhere. She highly doubted that.
Even though she was trapped, Makenna found the passageway interesting. Carved into its walls were drawings, and she stopped every once in a while to study them. Who knew a magical island in the Magic World would be full of culture and history? Makenna sure didn't.
One of the wall carvings portrayed Ethelinda. She sat on her knees with her hands at her chest, and a group of sprites surrounded her. Each sprite held their hands out to her. Another carving showed an island and a second group of sprites flying toward it.
Makenna curiously rubbed her free palm across the drawing and asked herself what it meant. She switched her light over to her other hand and moved over to the other side of the passageway. There was one carving that really grabbed her attention. It showed Ethelinda, and beside her was another figure holding a sword and shield. Multiple carvings of islands surrounded the two characters. Makenna put her palm on the figure with the sword and shield and said to herself, This looks like Ash. Wait a minute.
Makenna lowered her hand, and it touched another carving. It portrayed a male figure lying down, with a carving of fruit hovering over him. The fruit looked like a cluster of small bananas.
Makenna's eyes widened. The Crusha Fruit! Did she find it? Was it hidden behind the wall? Her blue eyes landed on an outline on the wall in the shape of a hand. That had to mean something, but what?
Makenna picked up her own hand and examined it. Something clicked in her brain. Taking a deep breath, she shook out her hand and placed it against the outline.
Makenna closed her eyes and begged, Please, Crusha Fruit. She pressed her forehead against the figure lying down. If you're back there, I need you. Please show yourself. Ash needs you to get better. This is all my fault. I hurt him, so it only makes sense that I should be the one to heal him.
As soon as Makenna confessed to the carving and fruit, the outline her hand rested on glowed, and her mouth fell open. Lines of bright magic appeared in the wall's cracks, and they all met at the carving of the Crusha Fruit. The wall moved aside, and Makenna swam to the phenomenon for a closer look. Finally, after a minute or two, she found it. The section of the wall finished splitting, revealing a rocky shelf. Sitting on the shelf, with its roots buried in the rock, was a small tree, and on its branches hung clusters of small, green, banana-like berries.
Makenna couldn't help but grin. "I-I can't believe it," she bubbled underwater. "I found it! The Crusha Fruit! Now Ash can get better!" Wow, it really was hidden in a safe location. Makenna's fairy instincts did not let her down.
She wasted no time. With her free hand, she reached forward and grabbed one of the glowing berries. Makenna plucked it off, and when she did, to her amazement, a new Crusha Fruit magically grew on the same branch. Yes, she had what she needed! All Makenna had to do now was find a way out of the passageway before her time ran out.