All The Way....
The Times had grown Dark, Dear Readers, and the Wizard was afraid! He had felt the seismic shift in the World about him as he stood upon the Castle Tower, the very Earth shaking beneath his feet. He had witnessed the Sun itself go Dark in the middle of a sunny day. Times were changing around him and he had no way to know the reasons or the results of this shift. He knew he could not begin to control the Earth or the Heavens themselves, but he believed that he could at least give aide to those in need when the occasion arose, even in the littlest things helping to mend what he could. And he knew that those littlest things were often not so small after all! Thus when the Wizard had noticed that the Castle seemed unnaturally quiet, he sought answers. The Halls were empty, the posts deserted, the children nowhere to be seen. Yes, the Wizard was afraid!
It wasn't very far to the Briar Moors where
Sir Orion hoped to find his friend the pony Thunder.
And before long the ponies came galloping over the horizon.
Thunder came to greet Sir Orion and was only too happy
to take them in search of the Little Dreamers!
Sir Orion and Mr. Plum Bear climb on
and they rode off across the Briar Moors.
All the other ponies came racing along with them!
Before long they found the Little Dreamers sitting on the hillside
indulging their favorite game of "what if?"
Sir Orion explained how Mr. Plum Bear's friends
Tiny Bear and Petunia had been snatched away
by the Dragon Slitherwing.
"I thought you might be able to help us find them..." he added hopefully.
"I think we need to go see the Wizard...." said Little Dreamer Beth.
"He will know what can be done to find them!"
Little Dreamer Beth quickly climbed onto her favorite pony "Whisper"
and Little Dreamer Amy climbed onto "Ginger Snap"
and they headed as fast as they could go toward The Castle,
racing the very wind itself!
And in case you wanted to know, Dear Readers,
Sir Orion and Mr. Plum Bear had barely left The Cloud Palace
when a very special visitor arrived to see Blue, the Blue Fairy Bear.
Oakalina Floreena, The Forest Guardian herself,
had come to let Blue The Blue Fairy Bear know
that the missing Tiny Bear and Petunia had been taken to
the Deep Mysterious Woods.... otherwise know as "The Enchanted Forest"
a place of great unpredictability and not a little danger!
"I just thought you would like to know," she added, "
that I am alerting my friend 'Sylvester Nightwing'
the guardian Dragon of the Forest
so he can be on the lookout for any mischief.
"Your wisdom and help is very welcome" replied Blue the Blue Fairy Bear.
"We will make sure The Wizard knows....!" she added.
"I am on my way to see Old Meg," replied Oakalina.
"We will need a potion brewed..."
And she was off before anybeary could blink an eye!
When she appeared in The Castle Kitchen,
Old Meg was expecting her.
"Ah, my Dear Friend," she declared quietly,
"it is an honor to see you here in this Ancient Hall...
and a tiny bit alarming that it should be necessary...!"
"It is a joy to see you as well.." replied Oakalina Floreena gently.
"But it is a comfort that you are here
and able to help our Tiny Friends!" she added.
"There will need to be a powerful but delicate Forgetting Potion brewed
and given to the Tiny ones to keep them from suffering
the overpowering effects of Enchantment."
"As you know, for some, the loss of enchantment
can bring on despair..."
"And you will need to know of the extra protections required
for The Little Dreamers who will venture into those Magical Woods...."
"It must never be taken lightly..." added Oakalina.
"I will go directly to The Spring of Dreams...." replied Old Meg.
"There is no more powerful antidote to despair....
but it, too, must be taken sparingly..." she added thoughtfully.
"And a touch of moonbeam dust might not be amiss either" she muttered.
And the Wizard, too, had spent long hours at his Scriving Basin..
and at last he had seen the Way open before him.
The Little Dreamers would have a task to perform....
and he hoped it did not try them too deeply...
Meanwhile, Dear Readers, over at The Lovely Old Dollhouse,
the family are getting ready for the All Hallows Eve Party at The Castle!
Helen had decided after all to be A Lady,
and Charles was dressed to be her Lord.
"You look absolutely Enchanting!" declared Charles.
"But I can't find the parasol!" said Helen.
"I thought I would have a parasol too!"
"A parasol would hide your lovely smile, my Lady," he replied.
"And the sun has already set so it should not be needed" he added reassuringly.
Arthur and Pollyanna have decided to be A Wizard and Witch,
and Joanna and Victor are going as Maid Marion and Robin Hood.
"Robin Hood is my favorite costume..." declared Victor.
"Are we all ready?" asked Joanna.
"We should get going or we will be late!" she added.
Indeed, the guests had been arriving early this evening!
Juliet is already here with Gabrielle her Nanny,
and her mother Fleur who is dressed as a maid.
She will be supervising a party of Little Princesses
at the Great Hall tonight. The other children had not yet arrived.
Juliet is hoping to have her fortune told by The Gypsy Fortuneteller.
Sally May and Chip and Annabelle are already here,
they just might have been the first to arrive!
Sally May is a Witch, Chip is sporting his trademark "Regular Guy" costume
(he claims he doesn't do costumes!)
and Annabelle is the cutest Little Fairy ever!
The Aileens are here... Frank is a Pirate
and his wife, Cherie is his Moll.
Their son Jasper is a little Pirate...
and their daughter Amber is one of the Little Princesses,
probably already at the Fortune Teller's table.
Lady Athena, Lady Cassandra and Great Aunt Agatha
are guarding the Portals.
Our Host, Kendall the Mysterious Count has donned his cloak...
and high above in the Gallery...
"The Deadly Nightshades" are starting up the band...
Oh, look...! The Lovely Old Dollhouse folks are finally here!
Pollyanna and Arthur have stopped to greet Chip and Sally May.
And here are Helen and Charles....
"But, Charles," says Helen... "I think we are late!"
"Not at all, Darling...!" says Charles....
"Everybody else must be early for sure!" he declared.
And Deep below the Castle,
in The Wizard's Dark Cave
The Little Dreamers have arrived.
The Wizard stared at them solemnly for a while.
Then he spoke.
"There is a task afoot
to find Tiny Bear and his friend Petunia." he said.
"They have taken refuge from Slitherwing...
but unbeknown to them they
have found a dangerous place to hide.
They are in 'The Enchanted Forest'
a place where only the Truly Innocent can go
and escape damage to their spirit" he added.
He paused then added "I believe you are Innocent and will escape all harm,
but you must wish to go or I cannot send you."
"I do wish to go...." said Little Dreamer Beth.
"I want to help Tiny Bear and Petunia" she added.
"You will both arrive at the Forest," said the wizard,
"but only one of you may enter it."
"The other Must stand outside the Forest to hold the Path
for your sister to find her way back!" said the Wizard sternly.
"This is very important!" he emphasized.
"Do you both understand?"
They nodded mutely.
"Then you will take this potion from Old Meg..." he said.
"When you and the little ones are back outside the Forest " she said
"Then and only then will you pour a few drops over their heads!"
"Then they will be able to come home with you..." she added,
"And suffer no harm."
Then the Wizard took his staff
and scribed a circle in the dust chanting as he drew.
"You will both stand in this circle back to back
when you are ready to go" he said clearly.
It will take you instantly to The Enchanted Forest
wherever that happens to be at the moment."
"You may enter when ready" he added.
One by one they stepped within the circle,
first Little Dreamer Beth, then Little Dreamer Amy.
They barely had a moment before...
"Poof"
They disappeared into a cloud of dust!
Outside the Wizard's Cave, at the top of the cliffs,
Sir Orion and Mr. Plum Bear had been waiting
to find out what would happen next.
They were trying to find Tiny Bear and Petunia, after all!
"Oh, My!" declared Sir Orion
when he saw The Little Dreamers disappear,
"We better hurry back to The Cloud Palace
and let Blue know!"
"She will want to be on the lookout!" he added.
"I have a feeling there will be somebeary's
wanting to come home after all this!"
And I hope you will recall, Dear Readers,
that Slitherwing had hoped to find Tiny Bear and Petunia
waiting by the Forest when he returned.
He was more than disappointed when he got back
and they were gone.
And instead he was met by another Dragon standing under the Trees!
"What have you done with my Little Friends...?"
said Slitherwing threateningly.
"I am Sylvester Nightwing," said the Dragon.
"I am Guardian of This Enchanted Forest.
Only the Truly Innocent may enter here unscathed.
You are certainly not Innocent and you will not like
what happens if you enter the Forest" he added matter-of-factly.
"We'll see about that...!" hissed Slitherwing angrily...
but he turned and flew away.
Sylvester Nightwing stayed at the edge of The Forest...
he knew more would come.
He did not have long to wait.
Suddenly there were two young girls standing before him!
"I am Sylvester Nightwing" he said calmly.
"I am Guardian of this Enchanted Forest" he added.
"Only the Truly Innocent can enter unscathed."
"We are looking for our friends
Tiny Bear and Petunia" said Little Dreamer Beth.
"I am to enter to bring them out.
Amy is to stand here and guide me back" she added.
"You may enter" said Sylvester.
"I, too, will stand here to guide you back."
They watched as Little Dreamer Beth entered the Deep Dark Forest.
She had traveled a ways into the Dark when suddenly
an Enchanting cottage appeared right ahead of her
where none had been before!
She went a little closer.
There appeared to be a little cup of tea sitting on a toadstool at the door...
and a furry bunny sitting beside it.
"Hello..." said Little Dreamer Beth.
"I'm looking for my friends Tiny Bear and Petunia.
Have you seen them?" she asked politely.
No sooner had she said their names,
than they were suddenly standing in front of her!
"Have you come to find us?" he added carefully.
"I have. " said Little Dreamer Beth dreamily.
"The Wizard says you must follow me back to the edge of the Forest.
It is not safe to stay here" she added.
Little Dreamer Beth turned, as if in a trance
and started walking back the way she came.
Tiny Bear and Petunia followed close behind her.
They had not taken many steps
when the Cottage just disappeared behind them!
They keep walking til they reach the edge of the Forest
where Little Dreamer Amy is waiting.
She reminds Little Dreamer Beth to use the Forgetting Potion
on Tiny Bear and Petunia.
Just then Tiny Bear looks up and sees the Dragon.
"Uh Oh!" says Tiny Bear, and then
"Oh Help!" he adds for good measure!
"I am Sylvester Nightwing,
Guardian of the Enchanted Forest" says the dragon calmly.
"You are free to go now" he added helpfully.
Just then Blue, The Blue Fairy Bear appeared beside the Little Dreamers.
"Did I hear somebeary calling for help?" she asked.
"Oh, Hello!" said Tiny Bear.
"I think it was me who called" he said apologetically.
Just then Mr. Plum Bear jumped down from Sir Orion's shoulders.
"Hello Tiny Bear, " he said, "I am so happy we found you!" he added.
"We can go home now!" he said excitedly.
"But I wanted to go the The Castle...!" said Petunia
"We were going to The Castle!" she reminded him.
"So we were.... " said Tiny Bear.
"We can go to The Castle ..." says Little Dreamer Amy.
"I will carry your Bears... and Beth can carry Petunia..." she added
And just like that two Magic Wishing stars
appeared in their hands!
And before they knew what happened...
The Enchanted Forest Disappeared....
And they found themselves standing in The Castle Great Hall
and all around them a Party was in full swing!
It seemed as though no-one had even noticed
their sudden arrival but Annabelle...
and she was too young to be very surprised!
Well, Dear Readers, I hope you enjoyed
this Tale of Dark and Danger
All the Way to its End!
And I Hope you will stay
for The All Hallows Eve Party...
It is sure to last Deep into the Dark Night
and be filled with Dancing to the Wild music
of The Deadly Nightshades....
And who knows....
perhaps even a few Daring encounters
with Enchantment and Danger still to come,
for on All Hallows Eve
the Dark is Deep....
even in your Dreams!
