Spring Shine Sparkles

by Jennifer Castle

  “Violet, no!” said Addie. “You’re many things, and all of them are special to me.”

  Violet half-smiled, with only one side of her mouth. It was better than nothing.

  “We’re looking for spiderwebs,” said Clara. “Cool-looking ones. Seen any?”

  “We just swept up a bunch from the playhouse,” replied Morgan. “One was really thick! It was crazy!”

  No! thought Addie. You destroyed a magical web!

  This day was really not going the way it should. Her best friend was getting madder and madder at her. She and Clara were no closer to finding out where Spring Shine had gone. And why hadn’t Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf shown up yet?

  Also, there was this super-annoying buzzing around her ear. Addie swatted at what was probably a fly.

  Now it was buzzing around her other ear. She caught sight of a bee and turned her head away.

  Wait a sec, she thought. A BEE!

  She turned back to the bee, just in time to see it land on her shoulder.

  “Addie!” said a familiar voice close to her ear. This was no ordinary bee; this was Kirby. He was their friend, and he was great at lending a hand—or a wing, rather—when they needed it most.

  “Hi, you!” Addie whispered.

  “I thought you should know, I saw a purple spider hanging from a tree over that way, in between Morgan’s yard and your yard. She was complaining that she’d just lost her web because two kids destroyed it.”

  “Will you show me?” asked Addie.

  Kirby answered by flying off toward their yard. Addie followed, glancing over her shoulder to see Violet giving her a confused look. She held up her hand to say I’ll be right back!

  Kirby stopped and pointed. High up in a tree, swinging from a glittering silver strand, a purple spider was muttering to itself.

  Addie stood underneath it and waved.

  “Hi,” she said. “I’m Addie. I heard you lost your web.”

  “Yes!” said the spider, sounding frustrated. “That’s the third time this week!”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that. This is my yard over here. You’re welcome to spin a web anywhere you want. My sister and I will do our best to make sure nobody destroys it.”

  The spider twirled to examine Addie’s yard, then twirled back. “That would be lovely, but why are you being so nice to a spider?”

  “I’m hoping you can help me find a Wishing Wing butterfly named Spring Shine.”

  The spider lowered herself so she was dangling right in front of Addie’s face. Her tiny purple eyes stared into Addie’s.

  “Well,” began the spider, “I did have a visit from an Elder Spider earlier. He said he’d been in the woods spinning webs to slow down some humans. I’m guessing you’re one of them. He also told me to be on the lookout for a New Bloom with rainbows on her wings.”

  “That’s Spring Shine!” exclaimed Addie. “Have you seen her?”

  “No,” said the spider, shaking her head. The motion made her swing back and forth on her web strand. “But I heard some other spiders did, and brought her to the Crystal Web.”

  “What’s the Crystal Web?” Addie asked.

  “That’s where all the Elder Spiders live, in the heart of the woods. Not a place for humans, to be sure.”

  “You’ve been so helpful!” said Addie. “Kirby here can help you find a safe spot in my yard. I highly recommend the space under the back deck. My sister and I are the only ones who can fit in there, and we won’t disturb your home!”

  The spider tilted her head at Addie, probably deciding whether or not to trust her, then nodded and swung to the next tree over. Then to another and another, with Kirby following, until she landed somewhere in the grass and disappeared.

  Clara and Violet came running up.

  “Why did you wander off?” asked Clara. “Did you find something?”

  “I’m going inside!” announced Violet. “If you don’t want to spend time with me, I’m going to tell my parents we should leave now.”

  “Violet, no,” Addie begged.

  Flit-flit.

  Something fluttered past them. Addie saw Clara hold out her hand. Shimmer Leaf!

  Addie held out her own hand and in a blink, Sky Dance was landing on her palm. “Hey, stranger!” said the Wishing Wing.

  “Sorry it took us so long!” added Shimmer Leaf.

  Addie looked at Violet. Violet was staring at the two butterflies, her eyes wide with amazement.

  “Violet,” laughed Addie, relief and happiness rushing through her. “Meet Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf. Sky and Shimmer, this is Violet.”

  “Hi!” said Sky Dance to Violet. “I’ve heard so much about you!”

  Violet closed her eyes tight, shook her head hard, and opened them again.

  “This isn’t happening,” she said.

  Then she turned away.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Violet!” Addie called, stepping toward her friend. She put her hand on Violet’s shoulder and Violet spun back around. She had tears in her eyes.

  “This is crazy,” said Violet. “You and I always talked about what real magic would be like—and now you’ve actually found it!”

  She believed!

  Addie wrapped her friend into a super-tight hug. Now it felt like old times.

  “Remember the friendship bracelets we made each other before I left?” Addie asked Violet.

  Violet broke free of the hug and rolled up her sleeve to show Addie her wrist. There it was: the blue, red, green, and yellow bracelet Addie had made. She’d wanted it to look like a rainbow.

  Addie held up her own wrist and said, “Sky Dance turned mine into this, and put some magic in there to keep our connection strong.”

  Sky Dance flitted off of Addie’s shoulder and landed on Violet’s.

  “Would you like one of your own?” she asked Violet. “Then you two can match!”

  “Yes, please!” said Violet.

  “Then hold out your arm and watch!”

  Sky Dance shot into the air and then swooped down toward Violet’s wrist, flying her first circle. She left behind a trail of pink and turquoise as she curled into a second circle, and then a third. The spiral of colors reminded Addie of a fancy lollipop she once saw at a candy store. The look of total wonder on Violet’s face made Addie crack up. It took a lot to wow Violet, but this was a no-brainer!

  When the colors faded into sparkling bursts of light, then finally disappeared, Addie and Clara moved closer to see the result. Violet’s bracelet was now a gold chain, just like Addie’s, with a matching heart locket. Violet opened it. Inside was the same photo of Addie and Violet.

  “Oh. My. Gosh,” said Violet. She stared at the bracelet for a few more seconds, then looked up with a big grin. “So! We have some purple spiders to find! Let’s go, slowpokes!”

  Violet marched into the woods. Addie and Clara exchanged a look and started laughing, then ran to catch up with their friend. Sky Dance flitted alongside Addie, and Addie filled her in on what the purple spider had said about the Crystal Web.

  “The heart of the woods?” asked Sky Dance.

  “That’s what she said. I’m guessing it means the center of the woods? We should find a map.”

  Sky Dance stopped flying and hovered in the air for a moment, pondering something.

  “It could mean the center,” she said. “But it could also mean the Heart. With a capital H.”

  “There’s a difference?” asked Addie.

  “I’ve never been there, but I once overheard Mama talk about a special cave. The entrance is shaped just like a heart, so it’s sometimes called . . .”

  “The Heart of the Woods!” Addie exclaimed. “That makes sense. Do you know where to find it?”

  “I know it’s on the other side of Breezy Pond. I can get us that far, but then we’ll have to search from there.”

  Addie gathered the others and filled them in on their destination.

  “A cave.” Violet sighed. “This is turning out
to be the best day ever.”

  Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf led the way toward Breezy Pond, further into the woods than Addie or Clara had been yet. Addie knew the butterflies would never let her get lost, but it still made Addie nervous to be in such unfamiliar territory. There were no friendly baby-elephant rocks here.

  Eventually the trees gave way to a clearing, and beyond the clearing’s tall grass, Addie could see something blue and rippling. It was a pond, reflecting the clear sky above. The water moved this way and that in the slight wind. Breezy Pond was definitely a good name for it!

  The butterfly sisters led the three girls around the edge of the pond. When they got to the other side, Addie saw Sky Dance land on a tree branch and stretch out her antennae. Everyone was quiet as Sky Dance listened.

  “It’s this way,” she finally said, taking off in a certain direction.

  “How do you know?” asked Shimmer Leaf.

  “I don’t. Not for sure. But Mama keeps telling me to trust my antennae, so that’s what I’m doing.”

  That must be the butterfly version of ‘trust your gut,’ thought Addie, and smiled.

  After a few minutes, they climbed up a hill. As the ground became flat again, there it was: a huge rock cave built into another hill. Its entrance was shaped exactly like a giant heart.

  All three girls paused to admire it. “Whoa,” said Violet, and Addie felt that summed it up perfectly.

  Addie and Violet stepped into the entrance, running their fingers over the rock. It felt smooth and cold and a little wet. Addie had expected it to be dark in the cave, but it wasn’t. The space was filled with a soft, warm glow.

  Then Addie realized why. Not far from the entrance, an enormous, glassy spiderweb stretched from the roof of the cave to the ground, radiating light. The Crystal Web, which also lived up to its name.

  “Addie!” called a tiny, shaky voice.

  Addie looked up. Nothing there. She glanced left, then right. Where was the voice coming from?

  “Down here!” it squeaked.

  Addie followed the noise to a small hole in the cave wall. The opening of the hole was criss-crossed with spiderweb strands. Behind the strands, trapped in the hole, Addie could see a rainbow of colors.

  “Spring Shine!” shouted Addie.

  The others rushed to see. Sure enough, there was the New Bloom, trapped in a little dungeon.

  “We’ll take care of these bars,” said Clara, reaching out to pull the strands away.

  Then a deep voice echoed through the cave.

  “INTRUDERS! BE GONE!”

  Addie looked up to see three enormous purple spiders hanging on three long, silvery strands from the roof of the cave.

  “You tricked Spring Shine!” Addie called to them. “Why are you keeping her prisoner?”

  The biggest spider, in the middle, replied, “Only for a short while. We have orders to hold her here until sunset. When her wings turn white, we’ll let her go.”

  “But you know she needs to be caught and released to earn her magic!” Addie put her arm around Violet’s shoulder. “We have a human who needs a wish. It’ll just take a second!”

  “We have our orders!” said the spider on the right.

  “Orders?” repeated Addie. “Orders from who? Who’s bossing you around?”

  The spiders swung on their strands so they were close to each other, and started whispering amongst themselves. One of them—the one on the left—seemed rather upset, growing more and more angry. The other two got angry back. Then they swung apart.

  “We can’t say,” said the spider in the middle.

  “So go away,” said the spider on the right.

  Both spiders looked at the spider on the left, waiting for it to add something. There were several long moments of very thick silence.

  The spider on the left took in a deep breath, then paused. “Mind your own—” She paused. “No! I can’t! I won’t! I refuse to go along with her anymore!”

  She started lowering herself to the ground, and the other spiders did the same in order to chase her. Addie watched as she scurried toward the cave wall where Spring Shine’s dungeon had been spun. She was almost there. Addie’s heart leaped! Once Spring Shine could fly free, the spiders wouldn’t be able to catch her.

  “STOP!” called a voice.

  Addie looked up. Another purple spider was swinging into the cave, but it wasn’t alone. Its legs were wrapped around something. Something bright green, and long, with touches of red in it.

  “Madame Furia!” shouted Clara.

  The spider and Madame Furia landed on a rock in front of the girls. The spider’s legs were still locked tightly onto the caterpillar. Poor Madame Furia! thought Addie. She’ll be lunch!

  “Don’t you dare eat her!” warned Addie. “She’s our friend!”

  The spider froze. Madame Furia’s big red eyes fixed on Addie. Addie couldn’t read the expression, but figured it must be something along the lines of Thank you for rescuing me!

  Then Furia turned her head toward the spider. “Thanks for the ride,” she said. “Now, be gone.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” squeaked the spider, who released Furia and scurried away.

  Wait, thought Addie. What exactly is happening?

  Madame Furia faced Addie, Clara, Violet, Sky Dance, and Shimmer Leaf. She looked annoyed, but also amused.

  “All right, then,” said Furia slowly, “time to deal with all of you!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Madame Furia, who had always been sweet and helpful to them, was now smiling a downright evil smile. The red spikes on her back suddenly looked extra-sharp.

  “Madame Furia?” asked Addie. “What are you doing here?”

  Madame Furia threw her head back and laughed hard. The laugh traveled down the length of her body, jiggling it segment by segment.

  “What am I doing here?” Furia echoed. “Why, my dear! I’m finishing what I began!”

  “YOU!” shouted Clara, stepping close and stomping her foot, her hands on her hips. It was what Addie wished she could do, if she weren’t frozen in surprise. “You cast the curse on the New Blooms!”

  “I certainly did,” said Furia, puffing up with pride.

  A million questions filled Addie’s head. The first ones to pop out of her mouth were: “Why? How?”

  Madame Furia slowly lifted herself, bit by bit, so she was standing up straight on her hindmost legs. She definitely looked tall, and very creepy, like this. Addie noticed that strapped to one of Furia’s legs was a tiny bag made of woven grass.

  “Why?” said Furia. “Why do you think? Since I was forbidden to become a Wishing Wing, it was up to me to create my own magic! I designed the enchantment so that every time a New Bloom lost her magic, it would go to me!”

  “I don’t get it,” said Clara. “How did you cast an enchantment if you don’t have your own magic?”

  Furia looked at Clara with one red eye. Her other eye swiveled toward Addie, then Violet, then toward Spring Shine in her little cell.

  “Oh, fine,” sighed Furia. “I might as well tell you. It’s too late for you to do anything about it. Do you remember my tale about wandering the woods after my punishment in Wishing Wing Grove?”

  Addie nodded. She did, for sure. The image of a sad, lonely Madame Furia had stuck in her head ever since the caterpillar had shared her story.

  “In my travels,” continued Furia, “I came upon an enormous old tree, larger than I’d ever seen. The trunk had tiny holes in it. I crawled through, hoping the trunk was hollow so I could make a little home for myself in there. I was right: it was hollow, but it wasn’t empty! Inside that tree trunk was a plant I’d never seen before, made completely of gold. I knew it was special, but I was also very hungry. So I ate a leaf, then went to sleep. The next morning, it was raining, and I found myself reciting a little poem we learned in the caterpillar nursery: Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day. The second I finished saying that, the rain stopped!”

  “The p
lant gave you magic?” asked Addie.

  “Temporary magic, yes. I found out later that it is the Tree of Togetherness, planted ages ago as a gesture of peace by the rulers of the four enchanted realms in these woods: the butterflies, wasps, bees, and spiders. If I eat one leaf, it gives me the ability to cast one spell.”

  “So you cast a spell on the New Blooms!” said Clara.

  “It was a brilliant one, too. Planned so that it worked differently with each butterfly. My only mistake was not guessing that Queen Rose Glow would send for human help. You girls have kept me from stealing the magic of the first three New Blooms, but this last one is mine!”

  One of the Elder Spiders—the one in the middle—swung low toward Madame Furia.

  “You used Tree of Togetherness magic to make us follow your orders?” he asked.

  “Yes, yes,” sighed Furia. “The spiders, the bees, and the wasps. One spell each. It was so easy!”

  “My fellow elders!” cried the spider. “Let’s grab her!”

  The other two spiders swung toward Furia. As they did, Furia raised herself up even higher on her back legs and shouted a spell.

  “Purple spiders, now you dangle, but not for long; let’s watch you tangle!”

  Furia knocked her two front legs together, and a golden lightning bolt shot out of them. The spiders’ web strands bumped against one another and twisted together, and the three spiders began to spin toward the Crystal Web. The web caught them and wrapped them all up in a little ball.

  Furia laughed. “Good thing I ate a golden leaf right before I came here. Let’s see how long it takes them to get out of that one!”

  Addie turned to Clara and Violet, and pointed toward Furia. They knew what she was trying to say. Let’s catch her!

  Violet was the one who stepped toward Furia first. She reached out both hands and started to scoop up the caterpillar.

  “Ow!” shrieked Violet, dropping Furia to the ground. Violet started rubbing her hands together, fighting back tears.

  Furia laughed. “That was the spell I came up with this morning! It made my spikes so sharp that anyone or anything that touches me would get jabbed.”