Chapter 3

3 Stella and LuckyStar did not meet any more Fire Sparks on their way to the glade. They soon reached the force field. It glowed with a honeyed light in the dark forest. Stella felt a surge of excitement. She couldn't wait to find out about their next quest. She turned to LuckyStar. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said. "I hope we get to

meet again." LuckyStar did three quick cartwheels, sending out a trail of light. "I'm sure we will! I'll always be there when you need me," he trilled. After one more cartwheel, he shot up into the sky, did a spin, then dove down into a nearby stream. Eagerly, Stella pushed through the force field. On the other side, she couldn't see anything at all. It was so bright after the darkness of the forest! Stella blinked and her vision cleared. She sighed happily as she gazed around. The glade was always so perfect! Everywhere she looked were tiny glowing fruits and flowers. They twinkled as they moved in the breeze. "Stella! You're here!" Stella looked up when she heard familiar voices. Rosie and Phoebe, in Night Dragon form, hovered nearby. Her friends landed on the plush

grass and Stella was wrapped up in a three-dragon hug. "How amazing is this?" Rosie exclaimed. "One minute we're getting ready for our midnight feast, the next we're in the Magic Forest! Do you think there's anyone else whose lives are as exciting as ours?" Phoebe shook her head. "Not possible," she said. "Hey, do either of you know what the quest is going to be? I guess it'll be something to do with the missing stars?" "That's what I thought," Rosie said. "It's sad to look up and not see a single star in the sky." The girls fell quiet as something moved in the center of the glade. The huge, elegant tree swayed from side to side. "The Tree Queen is coming!" Stella exclaimed as the trunk of the tree transformed into a beautiful moss-green gown. The fluttering leaves turned into flowing hair framing a wise and noble face.

Two branches reshaped into long arms, which the Tree Queen now held out in welcome. "It is so good to see you, Night Dragons," the Tree Queen said in her strong, warm voice. "The Magic Forest needs your help." "To get the stars back?" Stella asked. "I'm sure we can do it!"

The Tree Queen smiled. "It is good to be confident, Stella. It will be a challenging quest, though. Things have become more dangerous since your last visit." "What's happened?" asked Phoebe. Stella could tell that her friend was worried. "The Fire Queen herself has been spotted in the Magic Forest," explained the Tree Queen. "Up until now, she has stayed out of sight. The fact that she has let herself be seen means that she is growing bolder." "I guess that means she's getting more powerful, too?" Stella asked. The Tree Queen nodded. "We don't know why she has stolen the stars. But until we have them back, none of the forest creatures can make wishes." "And that means they have nothing to look forward to, right?" said Stella, remembering what LuckyStar had said.

"That's a big part of the problem," agreed the queen. Her voice dropped. "But it is even more serious than that. Wishes in the Magic Forest can actually change the future. Without wishes, we simply don't know what will happen." Stella, Rosie, and Phoebe exchanged a look. This sounded bad. Stella flapped her wings and rose into the air. "We'll fix this," she said. "I'm ready!" The Tree Queen smiled again, although not quite as broadly as usual. "It's important to be so enthusiastic," she said. "Let me tell you a few things first." Stella landed on the ground with a bump, feeling silly. Sometimes she was just a little too keen to get things started. But a smile from her friends helped her embarrassment fade. She, Rosie, and Phoebe had quite different personalities, but they worked beautifully as a team.