Chapter 2

2 Gradually, the clouds began to shrink, but the pinkish light was stronger than ever. The scent of fruits and flowers grew more intense, and shapes emerged from the whirling mist. Rosie glanced around. She was surrounded by trees, their leaves swaying in the breeze. The bathtub had been replaced by a small pond. When Rosie looked up, the ceiling had disappeared and

she found she was gazing instead at the sky. It was painted with the beautiful tones of twilight. Even the squishy rug that Rosie had been standing on a moment ago felt different. That's because the shaggy white mat had transformed into springy green grass, dotted with little glowing flowers. Rosie stood in the most amazing forest she had ever seen! The bathroom wasn't all that had changed. Rosie looked down to see that her legs were covered in shining pink-and-purple scales. Her feet had transformed into powerful-looking claws. Her whole body felt different. Rosie had always been sporty, but right now she felt super strong. "Whoa!" Rosie gasped. "Something very strange is going on here!" As she spoke, she got yet another surprise. A burst of glowing purplish light billowed around her face! "Did I do that?" Rosie wondered aloud.

"Of course you did!" came a little voice from nearby. "And it was a very fine first roar, too, I might add." Rosie looked around, but no one was there. "Who said that?" she asked. "I did," said the voice. This time Rosie spotted a creature hanging upside down from the branch of a tree. "Ooh, you're so cute! What are you, exactly?" Rosie blurted out. The animal had the wings of a bat and the face and body of a kitten. "I'm a cat-bat," explained the creature. "My name is GlidyCat. I am SO excited to meet a Night Dragon!" Rosie felt a surge of excitement. "Night Dragon! What is that?" she asked. GlidyCat laughed. "YOU are a Night Dragon! Come and look!" The cat-bat swung off the branch and flittered over to the nearby pond. Rosie followed close behind. Her stomach had never felt so fizzy

before. Sure enough, when she looked down into the glassy water, looking back up at her was a magnificent dragon. Pink-and-purple gleaming scales covered her body. On her back sprouted a long, elegant pair of pink-and-purple wings. Beautiful gold swirls spread across her powerful body. She even had a swishy pink-and-purple tail. Could she really have turned into a DRAGON? There was only one way to know for sure. Rosie opened her mouth, took a deep breath, and roared with all her might. The evening air filled with a purple glow, and the sound echoed through the forest. The trees nearby shook, and the birds twittered in surprise. Rosie was pretty surprised, too. Surprised, but also proud of herself. She turned to GlidyCat. "What's the difference between a normal dragon and a Night Dragon?" she asked. "Night Dragons are very special," explained GlidyCat. "They're at their most powerful at night. Plus, they have amazing night vision!"

Rosie thought about this. She did have great eyesight! And it was true that she loved the evening more than any other time of day. It was almost like GlidyCat could read her mind, because next she said in her silky little voice, "You are the Twilight Dragon. You know all about the dreamy magic of early evening. Plus, you have a very powerful twilight roar. But enough talking! How about you try flying?" Wow! Rosie hadn't even thought about that! Flying was one of Rosie's favorite daydreams. She couldn't count the number of times she had imagined what it would be like to soar and swoop through the sky. So now, when she gave her wings a flap, it felt completely natural to lift up off the ground. It was like she already knew how to do it! She grinned. How many times had she gotten in trouble for daydreaming at school? Perhaps it was actually useful after all! With a couple of strong flaps, Rosie rose up into the air and began to circle the small clearing.

Being in the air felt so freeing! It was wonderful. GlidyCat flew beside her. "You're a natural!" she purred. "The Tree Queen will be so pleased. You're going to be so helpful on the quest." Rosie swooped back down to the ground. She had a lot of questions, and she didn't think she could fly and talk at the same time. Not yet, anyway!