by Chris Colfer
“Terrific work, everyone,” Madame Weatherberry said, and clapped with the little energy she could muster. “You’ve done a wonderful job defending yourself from one attacker, but let’s see how you manage when you’re outnumbered by the—”
“Madame Weatherberry!” Skylene suddenly shouted. “The witches are back!”
Everyone jerked in the direction Skylene pointed to, and sure enough, they saw four cloaked figures standing at the edge of the property. Just as on their previous visit, the witches instantly made the children uneasy, but no one was more fearful than Brystal. She knew there was only one reason why the witches had traveled to the academy.
As soon as their presence was known, Crowbeth, Newtalia, Feliena, and Squidelle crept toward the fairy and her students. Madame Weatherberry was already so fatigued it was hard to gauge her reaction to the unexpected guests. The fairy slowly got to her feet and stared at the approaching witches with a stoic gaze. Before they exchanged a single word in front of the children, Madame Weatherberry headed for the castle, and the witches followed her.
“I suppose this means the rest of our lesson is postponed,” Brystal told the others. “I think I’ll take a quick nap before lunch.”
Brystal hurried into the castle and ran up the floating staircase to her bedroom. By the time she looked through the hole in her bookshelf and peered into Madame Weatherberry’s office, her teacher was already seated behind her glass desk. The witches hovered over the fairy like looming predators. Madame Weatherberry rested her head on her hand and didn’t even look up at her visitors.
“Well? Get on with it,” the fairy said in a faint voice. “What news have you brought this time?”
“King Nobleton is dead,” Crowbeth screeched.
Madame Weatherberry sat straight up in her chair.
“What?” she gasped. “He didn’t evacuate Tinzel Heights before she attacked?”
“No,” Squidelle grumbled. “General White warned him she was approaching and told him to leave the capital, but the king was stubborn and ignored his advice. He and the royal family were in the middle of dinner at the palace when she struck. No one survived.”
“That foolish, foolish man,” Madame Weatherberry said, and angrily shook her head. “I always knew his pride would be the death of him.”
“Only one city remains in the Northern Kingdom,” Feliena growled. “The entire population has fled to Appleton Village—and it’s only a few miles away from Tinzel Heights. General White is days away from surrendering, and when he does, the kingdom will face extinction!”
“What about the other sovereigns?” Madame Weatherberry asked. “Why haven’t King Champion or Queen Endustria or King Warworth sent reinforcements? Don’t they realize their kingdoms are in just as much danger as the North?”
“The sovereigns are in denial,” Crowbeth screeched. “Nobleton assured them he had the situation under control, so that is what the monarchs choose to believe. General White has sent word of Nobleton’s death, but they’ve still denied his requests for help!”
“The sovereigns believe the conflict can be contained by closing the borders,” Feliena growled. “They’ve shut down the Protected Paths, and now the Northern refugees are trapped. The truth is, Champion, Endustria, and Warworth will not recognize the threat until the destruction crosses into their kingdoms.”
“Those selfish idiots!” Madame Weatherberry yelled, and hit her desk with a clenched fist. “I met with the monarchs and warned them of the danger! All of this could have been avoided if they had granted General White’s first request for help!”
Madame Weatherberry closed her weary eyes and massaged her graying temples while she contemplated what to do next.
“I thought I would have more time to rest…,” she said weakly. “I wanted to be stronger before I faced her again.… I didn’t think it would be so soon.…”
“Celessste, we mussst ssstrike!” Newtalia hissed. “Thisss could be our lassst chance to sssecure the ressspect we dessserve!”
To Brystal’s surprise, Madame Weatherberry looked toward the ceiling at the exact spot where she was watching from. She knew the next thing out of Madame Weatherberry’s mouth was meant for her ears.
“You’re wrong, Newtalia,” the fairy said. “If we don’t succeed, someone else will secure acceptance for our community in the future. And I have absolute confidence in them.”
The message was so intimate and direct Brystal had to remind herself she wasn’t actually in the room with Madame Weatherberry. The witches weren’t sure who the fairy was talking to and looked around the office in confusion. Madame Weatherberry stood with difficulty and collected her suitcase.
“If it must be done, it must be done,” she told the witches. “We can leave as soon as I say good-bye to my students.”
Madame Weatherberry hobbled out of her office and the witches followed. Brystal couldn’t believe the fairy’s courage—she could barely stand, and yet she was willing to stand up to the Snow Queen in spite of her failing condition. Brystal’s stomach was in knots as she worried about losing her teacher and fulfilling the promises she had made her.
By the time she and the others regrouped, everyone was standing outside the castle and Madame Weatherberry had already broken the news of her departure.
“You’re leaving again?” Tangerina said. “Already?”
“Unfortunately so,” Madame Weatherberry said. “My friend has become very ill and doesn’t have much time left. I need to say good-bye while I still have the chance.”
“When will you be back?” Skylene asked.
“I don’t know,” Madame Weatherberry said. “I may be gone for a long time, so I want you to continue your training while I’m away. Brystal will be in charge until I return, so please listen to her and show her the respect you’d normally give me.”
Madame Weatherberry became teary-eyed as she said farewell.
“I’m going to miss you all very, very much,” the fairy said. “Being your teacher has been the greatest privilege of my life, and watching you all blossom into fairies has been my greatest joy. Be good to one another, children.”
They were puzzled by their teacher’s touching remarks. Madame Weatherberry hugged each of her students, her apprentices, and Mrs. Vee good-bye. When it was Brystal’s turn, Brystal pulled her teacher into a tight embrace so she could whisper into Madame Weatherberry’s ear without the others hearing it.
“Please don’t go,” Brystal whispered. “We aren’t ready to lose you.”
“I wish I could stay,” Madame Weatherberry whispered back. “But the universe has other plans for me.”
“Then take me with you,” Brystal pleaded. “Let’s face the Snow Queen together. You don’t have to do this on your own.”
“The others need you more than I do,” the fairy said. “Take care of them, Brystal. And please, remember what you promised me.”
Madame Weatherberry tossed her brooch on the ground, and the golden carriage grew to its full size. Four unicorns emerged from a nearby field, and the carriage’s reins magically fastened around them. The witches helped Madame Weatherberry into the carriage and took their seats beside her. As they traveled through the property, Madame Weatherberry looked out the window at the grounds, the castle, and the students of her beloved academy, and with one final bittersweet smile, the fairy said a thousand good-byes.
“That was odd,” Emerelda said. “She’s coming back? Right?”
Mrs. Vee and the children turned to Brystal for an answer. Even after Madame Weatherberry’s carriage disappeared into the hedge barrier, Brystal continued staring into the distance so the others didn’t detect the dishonesty in her eyes.
“Of course she’s coming back,” Brystal said. “Madame Weatherberry would never abandon us. Never.”
Two whole weeks passed without any word whatsoever from Madame Weatherberry. Brystal didn’t think it was humanly possible to worry more than she already was, but her concerns multiplied the longer she waited.
She practically lived on the castle’s front steps while the fairy was gone, and she spent the majority of each day eyeing the edge of the property, hoping her teacher’s golden carriage would reappear in the distance.
Every few hours, Brystal snuck into Madame Weatherberry’s office to check the fairy’s whereabouts on the Map of Magic. Thankfully, her teacher and the witches’ stars were still shining in the Northern Kingdom, so Brystal knew Madame Weatherberry was alive.
By the end of Madame Weatherberry’s second week away from the academy, Brystal was so distraught she couldn’t hide her anguish anymore. She kept to herself and avoided her classmates whenever possible. She barely spoke, but when she did, it was only to bark out orders or make passive-aggressive comments while she supervised the self-defense lessons. The students became so good at the exercises, they could each battle a dozen scarecrows on their own, but Brystal still forced them to practice harder and longer each day.
“Tangerina, that honey needs to be deeper! Xanthous, those flames need to be higher! Skylene, that water won’t be enough to stop a man in armor! Emerelda, that cage needs to be stronger! And, Lucy, self-defense is about more than just dropping heavy instruments on your enemies—think of something else! Everyone do it again!”
Her classmates were getting tired of Brystal’s attitude, but no one was more irritated than Lucy. Brystal’s constant commanding and criticizing flustered Lucy to no end and she eventually lost her patience.
“That’s it!” Lucy shouted. “We’re not practicing anymore!”
Before Brystal could enchant a new batch of scarecrows for the lesson, Lucy snatched Brystal’s wand out of her hand and held it above her head.
“Lucy, give me back my wand!” Brystal ordered.
“No!” Lucy said. “I’m sick of you squawking at us!”
“Stop being so immature!” Brystal said. “Madame Weatherberry told you to respect me!”
“I’ll respect you when the real you shows up!” Lucy said. “What’s gotten into you, Brystal? You’ve been acting mean and moody ever since Madame Weatherberry left. I know something is wrong and I’m not giving back your wand until you tell us what’s going on!”
“Nothing is going on!” Brystal lied. “Madame Weatherberry left me in charge! I’m trying to train you!”
“And what are you training us for?” Lucy asked. “You’ve been drilling us like we’re going to war!”
“WELL, MAYBE WE ARE!” Brystal yelled.
As soon as the words escaped her mouth, Brystal knew there was no going back. Her outburst proved Lucy’s suspicions correct, and the rest of her classmates became just as concerned. Brystal desperately wanted to explain herself, but Madame Weatherberry had specifically asked her not to share the truth with her classmates. Brystal didn’t know what to do and was suddenly overwhelmed. She sat on the castle’s front steps, and tears spilled down her face.
“Brystal, what’s the matter?” Emerelda asked. “Why are you crying?”
“I wish I could tell you,” Brystal said.
“Of course you can tell us,” Tangerina said.
“We might be able to help you,” Skylene said.
“No, it’s between me and Madame Weatherberry,” Brystal said. “I don’t want you to worry about it.”
“It’s a little too late for that,” Lucy said. “Come on, whatever’s troubling you can’t be as bad as you think it is. I mean, it’s not like it’s the end of the world.”
Lucy’s comment only made Brystal cry even harder. Xanthous sat on the steps beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Please tell us what’s wrong,” he said sweetly. “Secrets are like parasites, remember?”
Her friends’ curiosity made the situation even more suffocating, and Brystal buckled under the pressure. She knew admitting the truth wouldn’t solve anything, but if it released just an ounce of the agony inside her, it would be worth breaking her teacher’s trust.
“Madame Weatherberry hasn’t been leaving the academy to visit a sick friend—at least, not in the way you think,” she said. “She’s been traveling to the Northern Kingdom to fight the Snow Queen.”
“Whaaat?” Lucy blurted.
“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth!” Brystal said.
“How do you know this?” Emerelda asked.
“Madame Weatherberry told me herself,” Brystal said. “That’s the Northern Conflict that she’s been discussing with the sovereigns and the witches in secret! The Snow Queen has become so powerful Madame Weatherberry is the only person who can stop her. So far, she’s prevented the Snow Queen’s destruction from spreading beyond the Northern Kingdom, but each encounter leaves Madame Weatherberry weaker than before. I begged her to let me go with her, but she was adamant about going alone.”
“Are you saying Madame Weatherberry is in danger?” Tangerina asked.
“As much danger as someone can be in,” Brystal said. “Madame Weatherberry said she’s optimistic, but she’s already made plans in case she doesn’t survive. If she perishes while defeating the Snow Queen, Madame Weatherberry wants me to take over the academy—and if she perishes before defeating the Snow Queen, she says I’m the one who has to kill her!”
At first it was difficult for her classmates to believe everything Brystal said, but the more they thought about it, the more it explained Madame Weatherberry’s mysterious behavior. Brystal didn’t blame her friends for being skeptical—she had known the truth for weeks and it was still hard for her to believe it.
“Well, the chicken thickens,” Lucy said, and placed her hands on her hips.
“Brystal, why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Skylene asked.
Brystal sighed. “Madame Weatherberry didn’t want you to know,” she said. “That’s why I’ve been acting like such a lunatic—it’s been torture keeping all of this to myself! I’m not ready to lose Madame Weatherberry—and I’m certainly not ready to kill the Snow Queen! I’ve never felt so helpless in my entire life! And now I’ve only made it worse by burdening you guys with my problems!”
“Your problems?” Emerelda said. “Brystal, I appreciate your loyalty, but you’re crazy if you think these are only your problems! If Madame Weatherberry is in danger, then it concerns all of us! You shouldn’t have to go through all this by yourself!”
“Emerelda’s right,” Lucy said. “And I don’t care what she asked of you, if Madame Weatherberry doesn’t survive, we would never let you face the Snow Queen on your own!”
“Yeah!” Xanthous said. “We made a pact to help and protect each other! You’ll always have us as backup!”
Brystal was touched by her friends’ support. Their willingness to help her lifted some of the weight Madame Weatherberry had placed on her shoulders.
“Thank you,” she said. “I just wish there was something I could do besides wait! I’ve been hoping and praying Madame Weatherberry defeats the Snow Queen and lives to tell the tale, but that doesn’t—”
Suddenly, Brystal went quiet when she was distracted by something strange in the distance. The academy grounds were cloaked in a dark shadow that gradually consumed the entire property. The students and apprentices looked up and saw that the darkness was being caused by a thick layer of gray clouds that had rolled in from the north and covered the sun. Brystal figured it was just another rainstorm until she noticed something white and fluffy descending from the sky. She reached out her hand and watched in amazement as a single snowflake landed in her palm.
“Is that snow?” Skylene asked.
“It can’t be,” Tangerina said. “It’s never snowed here before.”
“It’s not even cold out,” Emerelda said.
A quiet hush fell over the classmates and they exchanged fearful expressions. The students and apprentices knew they were all thinking the same exact thing—there was only one explanation.
“It’s the Snow Queen!” Lucy declared. “Her powers must be growing if her storms are reaching us!”
�
��And Madame Weatherberry must be in trouble!” Xanthous exclaimed.
The others began to panic, but as Brystal watched the snowflake melt in her hand, she had a significant change of heart: She wasn’t going to waste any more time living in fear. She wasn’t going to spend another ounce of energy worrying. She was done with waiting and hoping for Madame Weatherberry’s safe return. And after weeks of feeling helpless, Brystal knew exactly what she needed to do.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I refuse to sit back and let a frosty old witch take Madame Weatherberry away from us,” she said.
“What should we do?” Xanthous asked.
Brystal turned to her classmates and beamed with determination.
“Everyone, get your coats,” she said. “We’re going to save her.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE IN-BETWEEN
Shortly before cooking dinner, Mrs. Vee entered the dining room to set the table and was surprised to find the students and apprentices gathered there. The children had already set the table with bowls and silverware, and a steaming pot of stew had already been prepared.
“Surprise!” the children told the housekeeper in unison.
“What’s all this?” Mrs. Vee asked. “It can’t be my birthday because I stopped having those after fifty. HA-HA!”
“We wanted to do something special for you, Mrs. Vee,” Brystal said. “You work so hard cooking and cleaning for us every day, so as a token of our appreciation, we thought it’d be nice to make you dinner for once.”
Mrs. Vee placed a hand over her heart.
“Well, that is just so thoughtful of you!” the housekeeper said. “You know, I don’t care what my generation says about young people—you are not a bunch of lazy, selfish, and entitled attention-seekers. Some of you are just downright pleasant! HA-HA!”
