Chapter 10

10 Zoe looked up at the Fire Queen. Her muscles were tense and ready. Was the queen about to come down and continue the battle? But with one last angry howl, the furious queen flew off in a flash of fire. Her Fire Sparks followed in a bright, buzzing stream behind her. "You did it!" Splashi cried, doing loops in the air. Zoe's aches and tiredness vanished as she flew up to her friends, whooping with delight. "Sea Dragons win again!" she cheered. "Tail slap!"

Laughing, the three Sea Dragons flipped up their tails, slapping them together in a type of high five. "Is it safe to come out now?" asked a muffled voice. Down on the ground, the turtle's head peeked out from its beautiful polished shell. "Totally safe," Sofia assured the turtle. The turtle's head and flippers popped out from the shell. She looked around. "Would you like us to give you a ride back into the sea?" Grace asked. "No need for that," the turtle said. "You've already done enough by rescuing me!" Then she headed straight for the water. "Wow, that's the fastest turtle I've ever seen!" Sofia said. "Well, we'd probably be the same if anyone tried to keep us out of the water for long!" Grace laughed. When the turtle reached the shoreline, she splashed joyfully into the waves.

Zoe cocked her head. "Can you hear that? It sounds kind of flappy. And… squeaky?" The Sea Dragons looked at one another, puzzled. Then Sofia burst out laughing. "I bet I know what that noise is." She scanned the water. "Look!" Heading to shore on the crest of a wave were the hatchling turtles! They had spotted their leader and were swimming toward her as fast as they could. Their little fins flapped furiously and they squeaked with happiness. "You're okay!" they squealed, climbing onto the huge turtle's back to catch their breath. "And look how far we came! We swam all this way by ourselves! Are you hurt?" "I am fine, thanks to these dragons," the Sea Keeper said, pointing her flipper up at the Sea Dragons hovering in the sky above. "They were very brave to fight the Fire Queen and her sparks." "But we were brave, too, weren't we?" the hatchlings asked. "We had to swim a very long way to get here."

"So brave," the big turtle said tenderly. "And now, it's time to head home." She looked up at the Sea Dragons. "Would you like to come to Turtle Town?" she asked. "You would be most welcome. We will throw a feast for you in our town hall. Our turtle chefs make a delicious seagrass-and-algae curry." Zoe gulped. She did not like the sound of that at all! Then she noticed something. The shell on her bracelet was glowing. Looking over at her friends, she saw that Grace's and Sofia's shells were also glowing. "I'm so sorry," she said politely to the Sea Keeper. "We must return home ourselves." The turtle nodded her wise old head understandingly. "Going on adventures is wonderful. But going home is the best part. Goodbye, brave Sea Dragons. And thanks again!" With that, the big turtle dove down under the waves.

"Wait for us!" cried the hatchlings who weren't already riding on the big turtle's back. A moment later, all the turtles had disappeared below the surface. Zoe's bracelet glowed brighter than ever. She could feel it tugging her, ever so gently, toward Grace's and Sofia's shells. "The shells want to join up," Zoe said, slipping the bracelet off and holding it in her paws. "Like last time."

Sure enough, when Grace and Sofia held their shells next to Zoe's, the three shells clicked together. There was a bright flash of light. When it faded, the three shells had become one. Zoe leaned over it eagerly. The surface of the large shell flickered and the Tree Queen's face appeared, smiling broadly. "Congratulations, Sea Dragons!" she said, her warm, rich voice vibrating out of the shell. "Once again, you have succeeded in your quest. Thanks to you, two of the three Sea Keepers are now free!" Zoe felt a warmth spread through her. It had definitely been a challenging quest. Surfing on a wave crested with fire was no easy feat. Fighting the foggy feelings from the Fire Sparks had made it even more difficult. But Zoe had also loved it. Being in the water with her friends was just about the best thing in the world, after all. "You'll need us back, won't you?" Zoe asked. "Yes," said the Tree Queen. "There is still one missing Sea Keeper. The Fire Queen has not given up. I suspect she is going to make things even