Chapter 7

7 "Our parents and grandbears made us practice," explained the biggest bear. "We've been making them since we were cubs." "We've always feared that one day something would happen to the original Thunder Drum," continued the middle-sized bear.

"Which is why we hate making them so much. We've made soooooooo many," finished the smallest. With a flap of her wings, Hana was in front of the cupboard. There were enough drums in there to repair a thousand Thunder Makers. "So, can we take one?" Hana expected the bears to complain about this, but they were surprisingly upbeat. "Please do! We have so many." "The one right at the very top is the best, in my opinion." "It's good that they're finally useful." Hana looked at the bears. "Why are you suddenly so cheerful?" "Oh, we're always grumpy when we wake up from a nap," one replied. "Once we've had a good grizzle, we feel fine again." "I wish we'd known that before!" murmured Mina.

Hana was relieved that the bears were now being helpful. But something was bothering her. "How come these drums don't fall apart? I thought they didn't last long out of the Thunder Maker." "That's only after they've been thunderized," the middle-sized bear explained. The Storm Dragons looked at each other. Thunderized? "Can you… thunderize one for us?" Hana asked hopefully. The bears shook their blue heads. "We know how to make the drums, but we cannot thunderize them." The Storm Dragons sighed. Just when they thought their problems were solved! "Do you know who can?" Zora asked. "I'd try the Beat Badgers," said the middle-sized bear. "They have the best drumming skills in the entire Magic Forest." Hana felt a surge of hope.

"They also have the worst voices," the smallest bear added. "Whatever you do, don't let them sing!" "Where do we find these badgers?" Mina asked. "They live near here, in a clearing," said the biggest bear. "But they're often underground at this time of year. You might have trouble finding them." "We'll figure something out," Mina said confidently. Hana smiled at her sister. When Mina set her mind to something, she always found a solution. Zora turned to Hana. "Maybe the find-o-meter can help us." Mina nodded. "We should hurry." As if to prove her point, there was a crash of thunder, making everyone jump. Pebbles and earth crumbled from the sides of the cave. The Thunder Maker gave a loud rattle. "Quickly!" urged the bears. "There's a hidden tunnel behind our drum cupboard. That will get

you back into the forest in no time." It was amazing how different the bears were now. They slid the cupboard wall to one side, revealing a passageway. Hana could smell the plants and flowers of the forest wafting down. "Just remember," the middle-sized bear said to Hana. "When the tunnel divides in four, you must take the second right. Then at the next fork, take the third left, then the next left, followed by the fourth right. It's very straightforward." It did not sound at all straightforward to Hana, but they were in a hurry, so she didn't ask him to repeat it. "Thanks so much!" she and the other Dragon Girls called. "No problem!" the bears replied. Hana pressed the button to close the Thunder Maker and picked it up in one paw. In the other, she held the new Thunder Drum. "You need to check the find-o-meter, so how about I carry the Thunder Maker?" suggested

Mina. "And I can carry the drum," Zora said. Hana hesitated. The Tree Queen had put her in charge of this mission. Was it okay to let the others carry these important objects? We're a team, she reminded herself. And teams help each other out. "Thanks, that will make things much easier." Hana handed the Thunder Maker to her sister and the drum to her cousin. Then, with a flap of her wings, she led the way into the tunnel. "Come again for a visit," called the bears. "Just make sure it's well after our nap!" This tunnel was just wide enough for the dragons to fly through. As Hana sped along, she checked the find-o-meter. The silver line was steadily rising. But then something strange happened. A red light on the find-o-meter began to flash. "Hey, guys," she called to Mina and Zora. "What do you think this—"