The Sugar Ball (7 page)

The large orange sun touched the top of the Frosted Mountains. Cocoa was exhausted. Cleaning up after a chocolate mess was not an easy task. Every part of her body ached from the tip of her wings to the bottom of her toes. She looked around at the sugar sand shoreline of Red Licorice Lake. Not a drop of chocolate in
sight. Cocoa sighed. She hoped her friends had had the same luck in their spots.

When Cocoa found her friends, they all looked just as worn out as she felt.

“Chocolate cleanup completed,” Raina announced when she saw Cocoa. “There was no damage to the gummy crops that I saw.”

“Fruit Chew Meadow was fine too,” Berry said.

“I think everything is going to be okay,” Dash agreed.

Cara stood up. “Melli and I took care of Sour Orchard,” she told Cocoa. “Everything looks back to normal.”

Cocoa clapped her hands.
“Choc-o-rific!”
she exclaimed.

“I'm going to talk to Princess Lolli,” Cara said.

Cocoa and her friends surrounded Cara.
Princess Lolli was fair and true, but telling her something like this would be scary for the young fairy.

“We'll go with you,” Cocoa told her. She knew she was speaking for all her friends.

The fairies found Princess Lolli in the royal throne room. She listened to Cara's story about finding Cocoa's wand and how she couldn't stop the chocolate from spreading all over Sugar Valley.

“I am in favor of the fairies experimenting with new candies and techniques,” Princess Lolli said, “but you should always ask permission. Especially if magic is involved.”

Cara nodded her head. “I promise never to try that trick again,” she vowed. “From now on, I'm sticking with caramel.”

“A fine choice for you,” Princess Lolli told her. “You are a good Caramel Fairy, Cara. You are full of sweetness, and I know you didn't mean any harm to the kingdom.”

Melli took Cara's hand. “Please don't ever feel that you can't come to me for help.”

“All of us are here for you,” Cocoa said. “Sure as sugar.”

Cara smiled as she looked at the fairies around her. “Thank you,” she said. “I promise.”

Princess Lolli glanced up at the large candy clock on the wall. “Sun Dip is over, and now it's getting late.” She turned to look at the other fairies. “What do you think about getting on with the Sugar Ball?”

The fairies all cheered.

“Those are some extra-sweet words!” Cocoa
cried. “I can't wait to wear my new dress.” She put her hands on her hips. “But maybe I should leave my chocolate wand at home.”

Everyone laughed, but Princess Lolli shook her head.

“You've worked very hard on that wand, Cocoa,” the fairy princess said. “Please don't leave the wand at home.”

Cocoa's wings fluttered, and she couldn't help but smile. “I would love to bring my chocolate wand tonight. And I won't be letting it out of my sight the whole night!”

T
he grand ballroom at Candy Castle was glorious. The entire room was glowing with tiny sparkling white sugar lights. Each table was covered with a white tablecloth with tall sugar blossom branches in brightly colored gummy vases. The tiny white flowers on the branches were shimmering with colored sugar.
The room had never looked so sweet.

Cocoa twirled around in a circle in front of her friends.

“The dress is delicious,” Berry remarked.

Blushing, Cocoa smoothed out the skirt. “Thank you,” she said. “A comment like that from you is extra-sweet.”

Across the room Cocoa saw Cara. She was wearing a short dark caramel dress with a sparkling tiara in her hair. Cocoa flew over to her and noticed that the sweet tiara was covered in tiny caramel drops.

“Your tiara is extraordinary,” Cocoa told her.

Cara curtsied. “Thank you. I may not be able to handle chocolate, but I am learning how to make caramel candy!”

“Well done,” Cocoa cheered.

Princess Lolli came over to Cocoa and Cara. Her pink-and-white-sugar layered dress looked scrumptious. In her left hand, Cocoa noticed the royal wand. Princess Lolli's wand was made entirely of sugar crystals. The wand was dazzling with the sugar-frosted jewels. Cocoa couldn't take her eyes off it.

“I see you did bring your chocolate wand,” Princess Lolli said to Cocoa. “I'm glad that you did. Your work is excellent. You should be proud.”

“Thank you,” Cocoa said. “And I'm not letting the wand go!” She laughed. “No more crazy chocolate episodes in Sugar Valley.”

“Let's hope not,” Princess Lolli said, grinning.

Cara held her hand up to her chest. “Certainly not from me,” she vowed.

Princess Lolli winked at her. “Enjoy the party,”
she said as she flew to greet more guests.

“Look,” Melli cried as she raced over to Cara and Cocoa. “It's the Sugar Pops! They really are here!” She pointed to the far corner of the room, where a stage was set up.

“Where are the Sugar Pops?” Dash and Berry exclaimed from behind Melli. She looked all around.

Raina landed next to Dash. “The Sugar Pops are here already?” she asked.

Melli laughed. “They are right there,” she said. She put her hands on their shoulders and faced them in the right direction.

Once everyone saw the brothers, they let out a sigh.

“Now the party can really begin,” Coca said, smiling.

“Char is just so yummy,” Melli said with a sigh. “Look at that hat. He is just the sweetest.”

Dash flew up above her friends to get a better view. “I don't know,” she said. “I think Chip is just delish.”

Cocoa laughed. “Well, together those three have the best sound in Sugar Valley. Let's go say hi to them.”

Melli pulled at Cocoa's hand. “Do you think they will remember us?” she asked.

“Hot chocolate!” Cocoa exclaimed. “Of course they will remember! How could they forget the fairies who saved Caramel Moon?”

The four friends laughed and followed Cocoa over to the front of the stage.

Just as Char, Carob, and Chip took center stage, Cocoa caught Char's eye. He grinned down
at her and then whispered in his brothers' ears.

A hush fell over the crowd. Everyone wondered what the Sugar Pops were up to. Char grabbed the microphone and greeted the crowd.

“Hello, Candy Kingdom!” he sang out. “Happy Sugar Ball! We're so happy to be here today now that the chocolate mess has ended.” A roar of cheers and applause echoed in the room. “And we'd like to call up five of our fairy friends to help us with our first song, ‘Chocolate Dip.'”

“‘Chocolate Dip' is my favorite song!” Cocoa exclaimed. She grabbed her friends, and they all flew to the stage. They were so excited to be close to the famous singers again. Cocoa reached out and took Cara's hand. “Come with us!” she shouted.

Char nodded and the music started. The
friends huddled together and swayed to the music. Looking out at the crowd, Cocoa saw that everyone was having a great time. She waved her wand at the end of the song, and tiny chocolates fell around the Sugar Pops. The boys laughed and threw the candies out in the crowd.

“Nice touch, Cocoa,” Char whispered. “That is some wand!”

Cocoa thought her heart would melt!

“Oh, you have no idea,” Melli mumbled. Laughing, Melli gave Cocoa a tight hug.

The Sugar Pops went on to play all their hits. All the fairies in the kingdom were rocking out to their sweet sounds. The Sugar Ball was a great success, and everyone was having a supersweet time.

Cocoa went over to Cara and put a chocolate
drop in her hand. “If you ever need any chocolate, please never hesitate to ask me,” she said.

“Don't worry,” Cara told her. “I know where to find my chocolate. You have my word that I will be more responsible.”

“Sure as sugar,” Cocoa said. “This is the best Sugar Ball ever!”

She twirled Cara out on the dance floor. “Maybe we can work on some caramel and chocolate candies together.”

“I would love that,” Cara said, smiling.

“Me too,” Melli said, coming between them. “Count me in.”

“Count us all in!” Dash exclaimed.

“The more fairy friends, the sweeter!” Cocoa announced. And then she fluttered her wings and spun around to the music.

R
aina the Gummy Fairy sprinkled handfuls of colorful flavor flakes into Gummy Lake. She smiled as the gummy fish swam over and gobbled up the food. Watching the fish eat made Raina's tummy rumble. She had gotten up very early and had been working in Gummy Forest all morning. When she settled on a perch high up
on a gummy tree, Raina opened her backpack. All the animals in the forest were fed, and now she could relax and eat her own lunch.

Raina had an important job in Sugar Valley. She took care of the gummy animals that lived in Gummy Forest. There were many types of gummy animals, from friendly bear cubs to playful bunnies. Raina was fair and kind to each of the animals—and they all loved her.

“Hi, Raina!” a voice called out.

Raina looked up to see Dash, a Mint Fairy, flying in circles above her head. The small, sweet fairy glided down to see her.