The next day the girls returned with their totes in hand. Nicole brought her basket to collect the ripe raspberries from the bushes to mix in with their tea. Brooke brought the slippers and her sketchpad. As Nicole steeped the raspberries with the tea leaves, Brooke studied the magic shoes as closely as she could and created a blueprint of them from every angle imaginable. The girls were quite content, and the woods were quiet that day, so a strange noise echoing startled them both.
A chiming sound, like those the slippers made, filled the air. The girls both jumped up from the grass, eyes peeled, to see what or who it was.
"Magic," Nicole whispered, almost as a question.
"The only magic we know came from the hollow tree. Let's investigate there." Brooke took her sister's hand and they set off toward the hackberry tree. Coming upon it they saw a woman, her gown sparkling like snow, standing in the entrance. Her hair were strands of gold. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain. Her gown looked like something a princess would wear in a fairytale. She held a long scepter in her hand, tipped with a diamond. Her expression was calm, her violet eyes were twinkling at the girls. Brooke and Nicole were speechless. They had never seen such a beautiful woman before.
"I am Aislyn, Queen of Dreams and Wishes. I come to you from a faraway land where magic dwells. The people there lived in harmony for thousands of years, until our freedom was threatened by a terrible witch. She is deceiving my people, by using a spell to take their memories, and using it to draw her more power. I know you have the powerful slippers. I sent them to you. I know you believe in my land, you have faith in our magic. You are the only ones who can help me defeat the witch and restore the lives of my people."
Her voice was elegant, as you would expect any queen's to be, as she voiced her plea. The girls listened intently to every word. Turning to one another, they shared a look of both confusion and disbelief, but only for a moment.
"Kind Queen, may my sister and I have a moment to process this task, please?" Nicole spoke bravely, but Brooke could feel her hand trembling as she held it.
"Of course, Nicole," the Queen Aislyn replied.
Turning to her Brooke, Nicole started nervously, "What will Mother and Father think? What if we never return home after going to this land? A witch, Brooke, she wants us to defeat a witch!"
Brooke bit her lip, still mesmerized by the presence of Queen Aislyn. "Do you believe, Nicole? Do you believe in magic?" She waited for her sister's answer.
"Yes," she spoke quietly. "And I believe in you," she added.
Brooke hugged Nicole. Taking a deep breath she announced to Queen Aislyn that they would accompany her to her land, but first they returned to their spot to grab their totes and left their Mother and Father a note. Brooke wrote:
Mother and Father,
Nicole and I are off to join Queen Aislyn in her battle against the evil witch. We will return home soon. We love you very much.
Love, Brooke.
Returning to the hollow tree, Queen Aislyn stood waiting for them. "Before we go, one of you must wear the slippers. You've heard of their magic, I'm sure," she glanced to Brooke, "so you know that whoever is wearing them will not be able to take them off, nor will anyone else by any means magical or not. Who shall wear the slippers?"
"Brooke will," Nicole answered, nearly shouting. "You're the one who read me the stories. You should wear the slippers," she said more calmly, nodding toward her sister. Brooke pulled out the slippers from her tote, sat her brown shoes next to the hackberry tree, and placed the magic shoes on her feet.
"Now we are ready to go," Queen Aislyn directed them to follow her into the hollow tree. "Do not be afraid," she called out to them as they stepped into the darkness of the tree. "The next step you take you shall be in my world, Elandra."
Just as she spoke, the girls stepped into glorious light. They felt as if they had only gone a few steps, yet their surrounding were beyond anything they could ever imagine. They stood in the midst of a beautiful garden, with cobblestone pathways and an array of blossoming flowers. Before them was a castle made of white marble. It reminded Brooke of the ones she saw in her storybooks. Stone lions stood at the steps to the castle door. They followed Aislyn inside.
Surrounded by breathtaking artwork and the kind of furniture they knew they should never really use; the girls were in awe of it all. The Queen took them into a large room, also made from marble, in which a throne sat in the center on a round pedestal. The throne was made of gold, encrusted with sapphires and diamonds. The Queen sat down and several attendants and ladies in waiting entered the room.
"Welcome to Elandra, brave girls, warriors of dreams. It is you who will help defeat the witch. At last, our hope has come."
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