Strawberry Shortcake, Princess of Oz?

Written for Retro-Mania

Chapter one: Mail for Strawberry Shortcake.

Strawberry Shortcake had thought: "Killjoys will have to watch out!" And it was true. It was incredible to see how her problems had been solved. The more Strawberry was pursuing her friends, the more they rejected her. But since she followed Purée of Hazelnuts' advices, a girl she had met a short time ago, things had changed. Hazelnuts said: "You know they are wrong and you are right, so don't pay attention of what they think of you", and Strawberry had carried on her quiet little life as if anything had happened. Then, oddly, the other girls had come back. First, it was Raspberry Torte who greeted her. After, it was Angel Cake, who just asked for news. After, it was Apricot, who brought her some cookies.

-Purée of Hazelnuts was right, she explained to Custard and Apple Dumplin'. "They didn't want to stay on an endless fight with me. I made them believe I had given up y story of Oz, so they gave up, too. They thought I was putting on an act and I was making fun of them. I can understand they were upset-everyone would have been."

But Strawberry's "real" friends weren't the only ones to give news. She daily received letters from Oz, wrote by the ones she used to call "her secrets friends": The Cowardly Lion, The Tin Man, The Scarecrow, The Wizard, Princess Glinda and the tiny Berrykins, as big (and mature) as babies. They made a point of honor to keep her aware of everything what happened in Oz. Especially this day: Strawberry Shortcake had received a pile of mails.

-Let's see… The wizard tells me the naughty Witch hadn't been seeing for a couple of day… I hope she's not plotting a dirty trick. The Berrykins had built a water mill to supply their village in electricity. Great! Water's less dangerous than Uranium… (Isn't it, Custard?) And Glinda had found a new hobby: the dance. Well… What's this last letter?

The letter wasn't wearing Oz's stamp.

-This one comes from Strawberryland… It's an invitation from Coco Calypso! She wants us to go to the Seaberry Shore to spend the next holydays with her and Seaberry Delight!

Apple Dumplin' started to applause. Strawberry Shortcake smiled.

-Of course we'll go, she said.

Pupcake barked joyfully.

-I hate water, Custard grouched.

The next day, Strawberry Shortcake packed her luggage, closed her shutters, watered one last time her plants, turned off the gas, locked her door, hid her keys, and then she was ready to go with Pupcake and Custard, her faithful pet, and, of course, Apple Dumplin'. Raspberry Torte, Angel Cake and Apricot were in for it, too. In Strawberryland's port, all the girls chatted and laughed together, even if the weather wasn't as happy as her. The sun was partially hid by big dark clouds.

-Oh no! Raspberry Torte cried. "It's going to rain. Our holydays are spoiled!"

-They're not, Angel Cake cut. "The sun will be back soon."

-Well, are you sure you really want to travel by boat today? Custard asked sarcastically. "We don't want the ship to sink, do we?"

-The ship won't sink, I'm sure of it, Strawberry Shortcake said.

Despite everything, she had a foreboding of the trip.

-That's stupid, she thought. "There are just little dark clouds. And all we want is to enjoy our holydays in the Seaberry Shore, so we won't start them with a quarrel, right?"

Strawberry Shortcake forgot her fear during the first half-hour. The sun wasn't really shining, but Coco Calypso was a good captain and she didn't seem to be afraid, or worried, by the big waves or the strong wind. The other girls weren't paying any attention to the weather. They were splashing around, giggling, sharing the spyglass and trying to catch sight of the fishes in the water.

-You see? Strawberry asked proudly to Custard. "There was anything to be afraid of."

At this very moment, a dazzling lightning tore the sky.

Angel Cake jumped. Raspberry Torte cried out of surprise. Apple Dumplin' started to cry. Coco Calypso shrugged. Strawberry noticed the clouds had multiplied: it was the afternoon, and yet it was as gloomy as if the sun had gone down. Then the drops of rain started to fell.

-I think we'll have to cross a storm, Coco Calypso said calmly.

To be continued…