Chapter 7

7 Phoebe felt something tug at her neck. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the bundle of magic thread had begun to unravel and was pointing up toward the roof of the cave. DasherGirl began to fly in excited circles. "Of course! That thread is partly made from moonlight. It will always find the quickest way back to moonlight." "There must be a gap in the rocks!" Phoebe cried.

They scanned the rocks above them. Thanks to their powerful eyesight, the Night Dragons could see the roof of the cave quite clearly. Sure enough, there was a large crack up there. Phoebe had an idea. She grabbed hold of a section of magic thread, and with all her dragon strength, she flung it up high like a lasso. It soared through the air and disappeared through the gap. "Great throw," Rosie said as a deep, groaning sound came from the roof. Small rocks and dirt began to tumble down. "Protect the Dreamlets!" Phoebe cried. The Night Dragons spread their wings across the little creatures. "It's like an umbrella made of dragon wings!" Stella chuckled. Soon the rocks stopped falling. The Night Dragons lowered their wings and looked up. The crack in the rocks above was wider than before. Weirdly, the thread was also thicker and sturdier than it had been originally. It now looked more like rope.

Even better, it had begun to glow like pure silver. "It's found a pathway to the moonlight!" DasherGirl said, waving her tail. Phoebe thought she could probably squeeze though the gap in the rocks now, but it wasn't wide enough for flying. DasherGirl seemed to know what she was thinking. "You will have to climb up," she explained. "As the Moonlight Dragon, you'll be fine." "And Rosie and Stella will be, too, right?" Phoebe said. DasherGirl shook her head. "Moonbeam ropes are difficult to climb. You are the only Night Dragon with moonlight flowing through your veins." Phoebe hated the idea of leaving her friends down here. Plus, she didn't want to take the Dreamlets up a rope all by herself. "Why don't you try at least?" she urged Stella and Rosie.

First Rosie and then Stella took turns tugging on the moonbeam rope. But both were able to climb only a short way before they slipped back down to the ground. "It's impossible to hold on to!" Stella groaned. Rosie agreed. "It's so slippery! And I'm still pooped from that swim." This was not what Phoebe wanted to hear. A few Fire Sparks appeared and buzzed around Phoebe. They seemed to know when she was getting frustrated almost before she did. Phoebe took a deep, calming breath. Then she nodded and smiled. She felt her angry feelings flitter away until she felt like her normal, calm self again. "Okay, you rest here. I'll take the Dreamlets up. Then we'll figure out a way to get you out." She turned to the Dreamlets. "You guys, climb onto my back," she instructed them. "And don't let go." In a flash, the Dreamlets wriggled up onto Phoebe's back, tail, and head. They were very warm and a little ticklish.

"You kind of look like cotton candy," chuckled Stella. "Cotton candy with a dragon tail." "Nah," Rosie said, tilting her head to get a better look. "You look more like a fancy feather duster." Despite the situation, Phoebe couldn't help laughing. Her friends knew how to make her feel good, no matter how serious things were. Laughing also cleared away the remains of her negative feelings, and Phoebe grabbed hold of the magic rope, ready to climb. As soon as she touched the moonbeam rope, it was clear DasherGirl had been right. Phoebe could feel the power of the moon surging through her. "You're glowing like a full moon!" Rosie marveled. Phoebe expected the climbing to be difficult, especially after seeing her friends struggle. But for Phoebe, the climb was easy. In fact, it almost felt like the moon-charged rope was pulling her up.

Phoebe climbed quickly and smoothly. Up and up she went. Soon she reached the gap in the rocks. As she climbed through, her way was lit up by the glow of the rope and her own scales. At this point, the Dreamlets began to hum a happy little tune. Nearly there! thought Phoebe. Right near the top, the gap in the rocks narrowed. Phoebe wasn't sure if she was going to fit through. "Hold tight!" she warned the Dreamlets. "This is going to be squishy."