Chapter 10

10 The magic thread on Stella's necklace was quick to react. It unraveled and lashed out. "Whoa," Stella cried as the magic thread grabbed the tiny Fire Spark and wrapped itself around it to form a little cage. "I didn't know it could do things like that!" Rosie gasped.

They watched as the thread retracted, pulling the trapped spark back to Stella. Stella peered at it. Up close, she could see that it wasn't a Fire Spark at all. It was the Fire Queen herself! She had been shrunken. She was shaking her tiny fist at Stella, a furious look on her tiny face. The mini Fire Queen looked almost cute, like a little angry ant. Stella turned to the others, her eyes sparkling. "I don't think the Fire Queen is going to cause any

more problems!" At this news, the sky exploded with noise and movement. Stars zoomed through the sky, spinning and twirling and looping around one another. Some of them flashed different colors. "It's like the most incredible fireworks display ever." Phoebe sighed. "Exactly what I was thinking," Rosie agreed. Stella felt a warmth spreading through her. At first she thought it was because she was so happy that they had succeeded in returning the stars to the sky. But the feeling kept growing. And now Stella could hear a sound, too. It was a faint whispering that seemed to be floating up from the forest below. "That's all the wishes," LuckyStar explained as he spun gently closer. "The forest animals have started wishing again now that the stars are shining."

The stars swooped and danced through the whispering wishes. It was like they were collecting them up, growing steadily stronger and brighter as they did so. Stella felt like she might explode from happiness. They had helped the creatures of the Magic Forest start to wish again. It was like a wish come true, all in itself! LuckyStar did a cartwheel and landed on Stella's shoulder. "It's time to head back to the glade," he said. "The Tree Queen will want to see you." Stella nodded. She loved watching the stars, but she was eager to see the queen again. "Ready?" she called to her friends. "Sure," Rosie said, "but how will we get back down?" Three stars promptly flew over. "We'll take you down. Grab on!" "You can't leave without saying goodbye to us!" cried some tinkling little voices.

Stella, Phoebe, and Rosie were suddenly surrounded by junior stars. "Have you guys grown?" Stella asked. They looked much bigger. "Yes!" chattered the stars. "It's all the fresh air and big wishes. And guess what! We're allowed to stay up here to finish our training!" "Well, make sure you keep twinkling," Stella said. In response, the little stars twinkled furiously. They had definitely improved! With their goodbyes said, the Night Dragons each grabbed the point of a star. "Get ready to whoosh!" announced Stella's star and, seconds later, they were hurtling through the star-studded sky and toward the treetops of the Magic Forest. It was like diving into a deep pool of twinkling water. They were traveling so fast that Rosie and Phoebe were just blurs beside her, but Stella could hear them laughing and whooping.

As they got lower, Stella could saw countless animals gazing up at the sky. She knew just how they felt. Gazing up at the starry sky, wishing on the first star you saw… and on the second, third, and fourth stars, too. It was the best thing ever! I'm so glad we could return the stars to them, she thought as the shooting stars slowed to a hover above the treetops. "You can fly from here," said the star Stella was holding. "We sure can," said Stella, giving her star a quick thank-you hug. "Hey!" Phoebe called, slowing to a stop beside her. "The glade is just down there." The force field glowed brightly. Starlight fell across it, making it twinkle. LuckyStar left Stella's shoulder. "Goodbye," he said, bowing one of his points. "Thanks for granting my wish." "Your wish?" Stella repeated.