by Tracey West
Frosta began to waddle like a penguin, still walking backward. Suddenly, Mermista reached out and grabbed her.
“Careful!” she warned.
They had come to a gorge—a narrow valley between the two hills. Frosta had almost tumbled backward into it.
“This isn’t on the map,” Bow said, frowning as he studied his tracker pad. “Sorry. I would have warned everyone.”
“No big deal,” Frosta said. She faced the gorge and held out her arms.
Whoosh! A stream of ice shot from her hands, stretching from one side to the other. It formed a bridge of ice about four feet wide.
“Instant ice bridge!” Frosta said proudly.
“Looks slippery,” Glimmer said, and she transported across it in a shower of sparkles.
“Good idea,” Swift Wind said, and he flew to the other side.
Frosta stepped onto the bridge and jumped in place. “Nice and sturdy. Come on!”
She made her way across the bridge, followed by Adora, Mermista, and Bow. They were about halfway across when an eerie sound filled the air.
Aaaaiiiiieeeeeeeee!
An enormous blue worm emerged from the bottom of the gorge. Its huge mouth was open, and four blue eyes glowed at the top of its head.
“An Elemental!” Glimmer cried.
The creature thrashed, whacking into the ice bridge. A crack zigzagged across it with lightning speed.
“Adora, we could use She-Ra right now,” Bow said.
“On it!” Adora replied. She reached for her sword and held it up.
“For the honor—”
Whap! A rock struck the sword, sending it flying out of Adora’s hand. Startled, Adora looked back at the other side of the gorge … to see Catra and Scorpia standing there!
“Hey, Adora,” Catra said with a wicked grin.
“Catra!” Adora cried. Then she realized—her sword!
Poof! Glimmer transported, caught the sword in midair, and landed on the ice bridge next to Adora.
Aaaaiiiiiieeeeeeee! The Elemental lunged at them, its mouth open wide. Adora and Glimmer jumped to the side. Catra charged across the bridge with a determined gleam in her eye.
Adora held her sword over her head.
“For the honor of Grayskull!” she cried.
The sword began to shine with white light that surrounded Adora and lifted her up into the air. Pink-and-purple light swirled around her, and a flame-like glow began to spread from her feet up to the ends of her hair.
She became taller and stronger. A white battle costume replaced her usual clothing, and a gold, winged helmet appeared on top of her mane of long, flowing golden hair. The glow faded as she floated gently back down on the bridge, transformed.
The Elemental immediately calmed down. It stopped attacking them, and then slowly sank down into the depths of the gorge. She-Ra’s presence always turned off whatever internal switch made those monsters attack. But she still had another problem.
“One move, and Scorpia snaps your friend in half,” Catra threatened.
Adora spun around. Scorpia had Bow in a headlock, wrapped in her giant pincers.
“Sorry,” Bow said.
Poof! Glimmer transported quickly and appeared behind Scorpia. She hit her with a sharp kick behind the knees. Startled, Scorpia let go of Bow. He quickly regrouped and aimed one of his arrows at Scorpia.
“Not this time,” he said, and Scorpia raised both arms.
Whoosh! He shot an arrow at Scorpia. A net popped out of the base of the arrow, entangling her.
“Aaaargh!” Catra charged across the bridge toward She-Ra.
“Don’t do it, Catra,” She-Ra warned. “It’s a long drop to the bottom of that gorge.”
“I’m not gonna fall,” Catra growled. “I couldn’t finish things in Bright Moon, Adora. But I’m going to finish it now!”
She leapt at She-Ra, her claws extended. She-Ra lunged forward, sword extended. But the ice cracked under her feet, and she stumbled.
Catra was on her, and suddenly she wasn’t. She-Ra sat up to see Catra sprawled on the bridge, surrounded by chunks of ice.
“Ice to see you, Catra!” Frosta taunted.
The young princess was flying overhead on Swift Wind’s back. “I call that one the Ice Blast,” Frosta said with a proud grin.
She-Ra jumped to her feet. The ice bridge began to crack and groan.
“Glimmer, do you have one more in you?” She-Ra called out.
“Got it!” Glimmer cried. She ran to Bow and hugged him. Then she transported them both to the other side of the gorge.
Scorpia, meanwhile, had torn through her net and was making a beeline back to land. Catra threw off the ice chunks pinning her to the bridge.
The ice under She-Ra’s feet shook violently, and she knew the bridge wasn’t going to last. She reached down and grabbed Catra.
“Looks like you’re not finishing anything today,” She-Ra said. She tossed Catra to safety at the start of the bridge. Then she ran toward the other side. As the ice crumbled beneath her feet, she launched into a massive leap, landing on the other side of the gorge in a somersault. Then she transformed back into Adora.
Swift Wind landed nearby, and Frosta climbed off his back.
“Nice job, Swift Wind!” Frosta told him.
“You too, Ice Princess!” Swift Wind replied.
Wait, did he just give her a nickname? Are they bonding? Seriously? Adora wondered. But so much was happening that she didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Across the gorge, Catra and Scorpia were already out of sight.
“What was that about?” Bow asked.
“They must have been following us this whole time,” Adora said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it. I guess she thought I’d be vulnerable if she attacked me away from the kingdom.”
“Catra is, like, obsessed with you,” Mermista said.
“Well, we sent her packing—again,” Glimmer said. “Although I used up a lot of my powers just now.”
“You did great, Glimmer!” Perfuma said. “I would have jumped in, but you all seemed like you had it under control.”
Mermista nodded. “Yeah. There were only, like, two of them, anyway.”
“Did you see me pummel Catra with that ice blast?” Frosta asked, punching the air. “Bam! Me and Swifty were right there!”
“Yeah, thanks,” Adora said, but she felt a pang of jealousy at the sound of another nickname.
Bow peered down into the gorge. “Looks like you calmed down that Elemental. I wonder what kind of First Ones site is down there.”
Adora followed his gaze. “Maybe some kind of research outpost?”
“By the way, why didn’t you let the Elemental keep Catra busy?” Glimmer asked. “We could have escaped while she was fighting it.”
Adora knew the answer to that question was complicated. Until recently, Catra had been her best friend. And Adora still had hope—even if it was a small hope—that Catra could be saved someday. She wasn’t ready to leave Catra in the clutches of a monstrous creature.
“She won’t bother us again,” Adora replied.
“We should be close to the lake now, shouldn’t we?” Perfuma asked.
Bow looked at the map on his tracker pad. “We’re not too far,” he said. “I’ll lead the way.”
Adora felt shaken as she headed down the path. She had told Glimmer that Catra wouldn’t bother them again, but she knew that wasn’t true. The question was, when would it happen next? And how many Horde troops would Catra have with her next time?
“I see water!” Mermista called out.
It had been nearly an hour since they’d left the gorge and followed the path down the mountainside. They had reached another forest, and over the last mile, the trees had begun to thin out. Now they could see a blue lake sparkling ahead of them.
“Did we ever come up with a plan for how we’re going to get to the island in the middle of the lake?” Bow asked.
“Swift
Wind can give everybody a ride!” Frosta suggested.
“Hold on there, now. I am not some kind of mass-transportation vehicle. I am a magnificent winged horse!” Swift Wind said.
“Well, if you took two of us at a time, that might be the best way to get to the island,” Adora said. “And you could still do that, you know, magnificently.”
Mermista interrupted. “Um, I can totally swim there.”
Swift Wind challenged Adora. “I thought you said that walking was better than flying.”
“Well, sure, but we can’t walk on water,” Adora replied. “We need a boat.”
“You mean like that one?” Perfuma asked, pointing.
A white, flat-bottomed boat sat on the sandy shore of the peaceful lake. When they reached it, they found oars tucked inside.
“It’s big enough for all of us!” Frosta said. “We’re in luck!”
“It’s like it was put here just for us,” Perfuma added.
Adora frowned. “It’s too convenient. Is it a trap?”
“Not everything is a trap, Adora,” Glimmer said. “And even if it is, we have to find out. How else are we going to get to the island?”
Adora nodded. “You’re right,” she said. “Let’s go!”
They dragged the boat to the edge of the water and boarded it—even Swift Wind. Then the princesses and Bow picked up oars, and they glided out onto the lake.
“The water is such a beautiful shade of blue!” Perfuma remarked.
Mermista dipped a hand in the lake. “This water feels … I don’t know, charged or something. Magical.”
“I can feel it, too,” Frosta said in a loud whisper.
“Then we must be in the right place,” Bow said.
They rowed in silence for a while, until the forest disappeared on the horizon. Adora spotted something shimmering up ahead.
“What is that?” she wondered out loud.
“It looks like … some kind of a shield, maybe,” Bow guessed.
“I think you’re right,” Adora agreed.
A tall, shimmering wall rose up out of the water in the middle of the lake. It towered above them and seemed to be in the shape of an enclosed pen.
“I bet it protects the island!” Frosta said.
As they got closer, Adora realized something.
“It’s a hologram,” she said. “And it’s covered with First Ones writing. Let me translate.”
Slowly, she read the words on the wall out loud.
“ ‘Arcana Island is a sanctuary for rare, magical creatures,’ ” she began. “ ‘They once roamed free on Etheria, but we moved them here to protect them from evil forces.’ ”
“What kind of evil forces?” Glimmer asked.
Adora shook her head. “It doesn’t say.”
“ ‘To enter, speak the password,’ ” Adora continued reading. “ ‘And treat all creatures on this island with respect.’ ”
“What’s the password?” Frosta asked.
Adora scanned the gate. “Truculenter,” she said.
The holographic gate sizzled, and an archway opened up in the wall in front of them. They rowed through it, and an island spread out before them. It was covered with green trees and colorful flowers. Birds flew among the trees, and a mix of furry, scaly, and prickly creatures scampered on its shores.
“Wow!” Frosta exclaimed. “It’s the Island of Magical Creatures!”
They brought the boat to shore and stepped onto the island.
Perfuma clapped her hands together. “It’s so beautiful here!” she exclaimed.
“Look at all the magical creatures!” Frosta said.
“They don’t look magical to me,” Swift Wind remarked. “They look like regular creatures.”
“I don’t think the First Ones would have protected the island like they did if they weren’t special,” Adora said.
“We should talk to them,” Glimmer suggested.
“Do you think they talk?” Bow asked.
“They might, if they’re magical,” she replied.
“There’s one way to find out,” Adora said. She turned to the nearest animal—a little black-and-white creature digging in the dirt. “Hey there. Can you talk?”
The animal stopped digging and turned around. She lifted up her tail.
“Watch out!” Glimmer warned, pulling Adora away. “That’s a skunk! They’re cute but they have this really stinky spray …”
She was too late. A mist shot out from under the skunk’s tail.
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!” everyone screamed.
Then Perfuma sniffed the air. “Wait,” she said. “That smells like … flowers!”
The skunk turned around and beamed at Perfuma. Then she trotted over to Perfuma and nuzzled her head against her ankles. Perfuma picked her up.
“What a cutie you are,” she said. “And you smell so nice!”
“Wait a second,” Glimmer said. “Is that the skunk’s magic power? Its spray smells like flowers?”
“I think that’s a lovely power,” Perfuma said.
“Maybe, but, like, how would that help us fight the Horde exactly?” Mermista asked. “Unless, I guess, they smell bad.”
“The Fright Zone does smell like burning garbage, mostly,” Adora admitted. “But I see your point. These animals might not have the skills we need.”
“There’s got to be some that talk,” Frosta insisted. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Can any of you magical creatures talk?” she yelled.
The animals stopped flying and scampering. One of them, a hedgehog, scurried toward Frosta and made chattering noises.
Frosta sighed. “That’s not very helpful.”
Swift Wind stepped forward. “I speak hedgehog,” he said.
Adora raised an eyebrow. “You do?”
“Hedgehog, squirrel, and cow,” Swift Wind replied. “Oh, and pig and dog. But that’s about it.”
“Very impressive,” Bow said.
“Just don’t ask me to speak raccoon,” Swift Wind said. “Their language makes no sense at all. It’s mostly just laughing and burping.”
“So what is the hedgehog saying?” Frosta asked.
The hedgehog seemed to understand Frosta and began chattering again. Swift Wind nodded his head, listening.
“He says that he is Twinkles the Mighty, the leader of this island, and he demands to know why we are intruding,” Swift Wind translated.
“Twinkles the Mighty?” Glimmer repeated, looking down at the fuzzy little creature.
“Well, he is mighty cute,” Perfuma said.
The little hedgehog started to spin around in a circle. He spun and spun … and with each spin, he got bigger.
“What is happening here?” Bow asked.
Twinkles kept spinning … and spinning … and spinning … until soon a hedgehog the size of an elephant stood in front of them.
“Yes!” Frosta cheered.
Adora stepped forward and gave an awkward bow. “Greetings, um, mighty leader of this island. Are all of the creatures here like you?”
The hedgehog spun in circles again, returning to his normal size. Then he started chattering again.
“He says that before he answers your questions, you need to answer his,” Swift Wind said. “Who are you and why are you here?”
“We are princesses of Etheria, except for Bow and Swift Wind here,” Adora replied. “We’re all members of the Rebellion against an evil force called the Horde. And we’ve come to ask for your help.”
Twinkles fell on his back and started laughing in a high, squeaky voice. He kicked his tiny legs.
“What’s so funny?” Adora asked.
Twinkles jumped up and spoke to Swift Wind.
“He says that the island was created to protect these animals from evil,” Swift Wind translated. “They are peaceful creatures. How can they help you?”
Frosta spoke up. “Because you’re magic, and that’s one thing the Horde doesn’t have,” she said. “You can use your powers to help us sa
ve Etheria.”
The other animals behind Twinkles began to speak up in a chorus of chirps, squeaks, and roars. Twinkles let out a high-pitched squeak and they all quieted down. Then he addressed Swift Wind.
“He says that the animals are all excited to meet the princesses,” Swift Wind reported. “And some of them want to help. They need to hold a council to decide. But first, he’ll let some of them show off their powers.”
Frosta nudged Glimmer. “This is going to be awesome.”
A golden mountain lion with green eyes padded up to the group of animals. Twinkles said something.
“This is Mehira,” Swift Wind translated.
Mehira nodded to Twinkles, and then she took off running. She ran in circles around the princesses and Bow, speeding so fast that she was just a blur. Then she stopped instantly in front of Twinkles.
“Wow! That was fast!” Glimmer exclaimed.
Adora nodded, wide-eyed. She had never seen a mountain lion before—or many of the animals gathered behind Twinkles. The villages around Bright Moon had mostly squirrels, horses, cows, pigs, and pets like cats and dogs.
They all look magical to me, she realized. With or without special powers!
Next, a porcupine waddled up.
“This is Winda,” Swift Wind explained, translating for Twinkles.
Winda jumped up and performed what looked like a martial-arts kick with her short back legs. As she landed, sharp quills flew out of her back. They landed in a tree about fifteen feet behind her, forming a perfect circle.
“Now that is accurate!” Bow said. “I wish I could shoot arrows that fast.”
After Winda came Tajana, a white fox. She blinked her green eyes—and turned completely invisible. Then she moved toward Frosta and nuzzled against her leg.
“It’s so cool! I can feel her, but I can’t see her!” Frosta exclaimed. “She would make an excellent spy.”
“Sure,” Swift Wind said. “But can she fly, or talk? Can any of these guys? The answer is one big naaaaaaaaay.”
Then a young deer stepped up. His antlers were just beginning to sprout. Twinkles introduced him.
“This is Treeleaf,” Swift Wind translated.
Adora stared at Treeleaf. Next to Swift Wind, the deer was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, with his golden-brown fur and deep, dark eyes.
