Chapter 3

3 Aisha landed gently in the snow beside the force field. PlushyPup hovered by her face, pushing his fuzzy snout against her cheek. "I can't go in the glade," he explained, "but I'll see you again soon."

With his fluffy tail wagging at full speed, the puppy flew off. Aisha was sad to see him go, but she was thrilled to be going into the glade. It looked so lovely and warm in there, for one thing! She pushed one paw through the force field. Instantly, warmth covered it like a glove. She pulled her paw out again and it was wrapped in

cold once more. The glade formed an unchanging bubble of perfect spring weather. Aisha poked her head through the dancing air of the force field. It was strange to have her face so warm while the rest of her was so cold. Two dragons already hovered in the glade, just above the lush grass, watching Aisha closely. One dragon was the bright color of rubies, and the other was a rich jade green. Mei, the ruby dragon, and Quinn, the jade dragon, were Aisha's friends from jewelry class. You could tell they were Treasure Dragons because they had silver and gold on their wings, like Aisha. "Is the rest of you coming in, too?" Mei asked, looking like she was trying very hard not to laugh. "We have a quest to go on, you know." "Oops! Sorry," said Aisha, stepping completely into the glade and warming up her whole body. As she did, the majestic tree in the center began to sway. The wooden branches softened into long

arms, the leaves of the tree turned into flowing hair, and a kind, ageless face appeared. Within moments, the tall tree had transformed into the Tree Queen! Her warm brown eyes greeted each of them in turn. "Welcome back, Treasure Dragons! I'm relieved you're here. As I am sure you've noticed, the Magic Forest is not as it should be. A strange winter has arrived. The snow is spreading far and wide." "I've heard that the Shadow Sprites are stronger in winter," said Aisha. "It's true," agreed the Tree Queen. "But that's not all. The snow makes it easier for the sprites to hide the objects they have stolen from the forest's vault. As you know, the longer the treasure is out of the vault, the more problems it causes for the forest. You three have already found the Forest Book, thank goodness. But now you must find the Magic Mirror. If it isn't returned to the vault soon, the Magic Forest may be wintry forever."

The Treasure Dragons looked at one another in dismay. Snow could be fun, but the Magic Forest was supposed to be warm and springlike! Aisha shivered even though the air in the glade was warm. "We'll find that Magic Mirror," she vowed. "Come on, let's head off right now!" "I love your enthusiasm, Aisha." The Tree Queen smiled. "But first there are some things you need to know." The queen's wavy hair billowed in the glade's gentle breeze. "As the name suggests, this is no normal mirror. You will know when you've found it. It feels… different."

"Like the Forest Book was no normal book," said Mei. The Tree Queen nodded. In their last quest, the Treasure Dragons had recovered the Forest Book, an ancient and magical text that held all the secrets of the forest. "You must be on your guard at all times," continued the Tree Queen, "for the Magic Mirror is very powerful." "What does it actually do?" Quinn asked softly. She was the shy one of the group. "Good question. If you look into the mirror, you will see yourself. But you won't see how you really look. Instead, you will see all the things you worry about. If you sometimes think you have a funny nose, you will have a VERY funny nose. If you worry about not feeling brave, fear will show on your face," explained the Tree Queen. "This is why the Magic Mirror belongs in the vault. There it is safe, and useful. It reflects all the things that are starting to go wrong in the forest and shows us