Chapter 3

3 Inside the force field, the glade was even more beautiful. The colors were brighter, the sun more golden. Tiny metallic-winged insects flitted about. Jewel-colored butterflies hovered around honey-scented flowers. A happy glow washed through Mei.

"Can you believe this place?" "It's amazing, right?" Mei jumped at the sound of the voices. There, in the middle of the glade, hovered two Dragon Girls. One was jade green and the other was sapphire blue. Like Mei, they had a heady mix of silver and gold on their wings and tails. They must be Treasure Dragon Girls, too! "You two look incredible," exclaimed Mei. "And fierce. In a good way!" The dragons laughed. "Thanks!" said the one with sapphire-blue jewels embedded in her wings. "Is that you, Mei? It's me, Aisha. And this is Quinn. We just got here. Can you believe it? We're Dragon Girls!" Mei stared at them, openmouthed. Were they really her friends from jewelry class? They looked so different.

Quinn let out a happy little roar. A wisp of green fire curled from her mouth. "I know! It's amazing!" she said. "Have you tried flying yet? It's kind of hard." "So hard!" Aisha said, laughing. "I keep getting caught in my own tail! But I've figured out how to roar." She took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and let out a huge roar. Bright blue flames shot into the air.

Mei grinned. The dragons were definitely her friends Aisha and Quinn. She recognized their laughs. And their gemstones matched their friendship bracelets! Mei looked around. "I was told to meet a Tree Queen here," she said. "Have you seen her yet?" "No, there's no queen here. But there is this very impressive tree," said Aisha. "It's incredible." Quinn nodded. They gazed up at the majestic tree. Its strong branches reached toward the sky; its silvery leaves fluttered in the light. As the three Dragon Girls watched, the tree began swaying. The branches softened into strong, graceful arms. "It's changing!" gasped Mei. The tree's leaves turned into long, wavy hair, framing a beautiful, wise face. The tree's trunk became a flowing gown of mossy green. "Welcome, Treasure Dragon Girls. I am the Tree Queen. I am glad to see you. The Magic

Forest needs your help." Pride surged through Mei. She was a Treasure Dragon in a magic forest! And she was needed! Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She was going to enjoy every last minute of this adventure. "Of course we'll help!" she declared. "Yeah! We're not scared of anything!" Aisha added. Mei noticed Quinn shuffling awkwardly, a nervous look on her face. I bet she's braver than she realizes, thought Mei. The Tree Queen rustled her leaves as she spoke again. "Many years ago, the Shadow Queen was the ruler of the Magic Forest. With the help of her Shadow Sprites, she locked the Magic Forest into an endless gray twilight. Many of the forest's plants and animals struggled to survive without bright days to grow strong in the sunshine or dark nights to rest. The winters were harsh, and sometimes lasted years. When the Shadow Queen

was finally banished, I became queen. I've worked hard ever since to restore balance. But now her Shadow Sprites have returned. I can feel deep in my tree roots that she is gaining strength again." Mei gulped. "But that's terrible!" The Tree Queen nodded gravely. "The Shadow Sprites have stolen three ancient objects from the forest's treasure vault deep underground. These objects are worth more than money. They are the source of the forest's magic! When these objects are removed from the vault, things quickly go