7 Chapter 7

7 A tiny berry caught Naomi's eye. It looked like a droplet of water on a leaf, but Naomi could see

that the berry was full of multicolored juice. It was unlike any berry that existed in her normal world. She felt Unichick fluttering next to her. "You've spotted the Rainberry," she said softly. "That's a very rare fruit. It only grows every second season, and usually hides itself away. I think it wants you to pick it, Naomi." Somehow Naomi thought so, too. Carefully, she reached out a paw. The see-through skin of the berry looked fragile. She was scared she'd destroy this precious final ingredient! This time, no prickle-covered vines lashed out at her. In fact, the surrounding leaves seemed to part, to make it easier for Naomi to reach out.

Just as Naomi was about to take the berry, a gray shape flashed into view. A Shadow Sprite! Before Naomi realized what was happening, the Shadow Sprite whipped the berry away and zoomed off! "Catch that sprite!" cried Naomi, and the three Dragon Girls and Unichick rose into the air and dashed off. The surrounding forest was dense and tangled. The Shadow Sprite was darting around trees and through bushes. The forest suddenly seemed very

dark, making the sprite hard to follow. Naomi heard the rumble of thunder. "Naomi, go on without us!" called Azmina. She sounded out of breath and very far away. "We're only slowing you down!" "Okay!" Naomi called back over her shoulder. She didn't turn for fear of losing sight of the sprite. Her gymnastics training had sharpened her reflexes; she was definitely the most agile at flying. "I'll get that Rainberry back!" she called as lightning lit up the sky. She tried to sound cheerful, but inside, she was wishing she didn't have to do this alone. "I'm here, don't forget," said a chirpy little voice beside her. "And I know you'll get that Rainberry!" Rain had started to fall, but Naomi's heart swelled at Unichick's lovely words. It was true. She wasn't alone. But when the lightning flashed again, Naomi saw that Unichick's beautiful

feathers had started to fade. Her normally bright tail was now gray! There was no time to lose. The Shadow Sprite darted to the right, disappearing into a thick and gloomy patch of forest. Naomi and Unichick followed, weaving expertly between trees, over boulders, and around brambles.

It was impossible to see the Shadow Sprite. But the Rainberry had begun to glow, changing from one hue to the next. "It wants you to save it!" tweeted Unichick. Naomi had the same feeling. She kept her eyes fixed on the changing colors of the berry, using them to guide her through the rain, which was now falling heavily. The Shadow Sprite clutching the berry was fast and nimble. But so was Naomi. When the sprite tried to lose her by diving into a clump of stinging nettles, Naomi simply flew around the nettles and caught up on the other side. When it slipped between two low-hanging branches, Naomi used her tail to swing herself over the top of them. And when the sprite suddenly darted up into the treetops, Naomi used her powerful leg muscles to leap from branch to branch. "You're getting closer!" chirruped Unichick excitedly.