Authors Note: Raul from Naomi and Mateo's Eggcellent Adventure comes back. You don't have to read it to understand this since it's summed up quickly. Just a heads up :)
"Willow what are you doing up?" asked Gabe as he caught site of the young girl walking around in a borrowed nightgown. He looked around wondering if she had a spirit friend hanging around. After looking, he made sure she didn't have any. He didn't mind them, but he didn't know if the next would be evil or not.
The redhead looked up at him with a toothy smile on her face. "I'm scared, I had a nightmare. Can I stay with you Mr. Gabe?"
The fact that she called him Mr. Gabe made him smile to hold back a laugh. It was hard to picture himself a mister. He'd never been called that as he looked down at her gently. It's been a long time since he had to deal with a young child. Well maybe not that long ago, but since he joined the castle staff, he missed it. Gabe scratched his head before shaking his head. "Well I'm patrolling but I can bring you to Elena."
She nodded as Gabe took her hand and walked to Elena's room. Willow liked Elena as she tried to help her. She liked her new dress that seemed to fit her right. Willow liked that Elena would be nice to her. She had to leave her friends behind when she came to Avalor.
She was quiet and perhaps sleepy despite the nightmare. He found her door as she looked up at him before knocking. "Princess Elena," said Gabe as he knocked and she opened the door. "She had a nightmare."
Elena looked down at her as she smiled at the small girl. Her dark hair messy already from sleeping. "Thanks Gabe." Elena opened her door a little wider as Willow looked up at Gabe. She was about to shut the door when Willow realized that Gabe would have to leave and continue walking around the castle. She frowned realizing that.
"Don't go yet," she insisted as both of them looked at her. She blinked her brown eyes up at Gabe with her bottom lip sticking out. That puppy dog look he thought before realizing that it would work. "Can you tell me a story Mr. Gabe?" Elena thought that sounded adorable coming out of her mouth. Willow smiled at both of them cheekily. Plus hearing Mr. Gabe was kind of funny. Opening the door, she gestured for both of them to come inside. Taken aback himself, Gabe only listened to the silent command.
"Sure, but can I ask you a question first Willow?" asked Gabe as they came in her room. She patted the space next to her sitting on the bed. Pursing his lips, he just sat down next to her. This has been bothering him a bit since she came here.
"I can answer any question people ask me," she said confident as Elena only giggled. Aww, it was cute to see the two getting along. Elena got back in bed, it was late and she just wanted to go back to sleep. However, she couldn't just do that quite yet.
"Why do you like me so much?" asked Gabe as Elena shot him a look. Willow liked him and trusted him. Why test that? He was just a little confused, it wasn't like children didn't love him. Most kids would want to meet and spend time with Princess Elena or Princess Isabel. Not usually the guard as he doubted himself for a moment. Then quickly crushed that thought as he knew that some people liked him.
"You remind me of daddy," said Willow looking down on the blanket after a minute. "And I really miss my daddy. Momma said we had to leave him behind." She looked at Willow a pit forming in her stomach as she remembered her father fondly. Being in an amulet for 41 years made her think so much about her family and how much she truly missed them. Then the way Willow said that made her think for a second. Her mother just picked her up and left her father behind? Maybe there was no good that came from this family.
Gabe looked down thinking of his own father that passed away. Her wording struck him too. Maybe the father was just as bad as the mom? Mentally, Gabe made a note to thank Zuzo next time. "I know what you mean, I miss mine too. What do you remember about your dad?"
Willow light up at the mention of her dad. "He always wore blue and he knows how to fight. He is a blacksmith and made things for me on navidad. He never really talked down to me like mommy did." Willow bounced a little as she thought of her dad. She missed her daddy and wondered why mommy had them leave. Especially in the middle of the night.
Oh so she has a good parent, thought Elena. "Can I hear a story?" Gabe pulled back part of her blankets as he lifted her in. Elena watched wondering if he had any experience with kids. He is rather good with her. She scooted over closer to Elena so Gabe could get in too.
"Oh no, I'm not laying down," he protested looking over at Elena for some help. Tired herself, Elena looked over at him with a yawn.
"Just get in Gabe," she said as she could hear him hesitantly lay next to Willow. His shoes on the floor as she could see fuzzy gray socks. The bed sloping a little under all three of their weights. Tired Elena could hear him talking about some story about a boy named Jack meeting a young giantess. Some princess named Angelina. She just listened as she fell asleep.
The first thing she saw was Zuzo as she began dreaming. She found herself standing in the middle of a grassy field with a mountain high in the background. A million of dandelions around her as this looked vaguely familiar. More creatures whizzed past her as she could make out the ones from earlier. Naomi's marposa taking the lead. Her dream reminded her of the time she had spent in the amulet. Except everything seemed to be glowing blue at one end and the spirits were having a good time. In the distance she could make out the sky start to grow darker. Not too far in the other direction she could make out her friends and family. Elena didn't recognize the twin girls hanging out though. Where it was lighter as she was aware that she was balancing between two places.
"Zuzo, did you find anything out?" she asked as she saw Gabe and Esteban's spirit guides gathering with him.
"We did and that's why we're here in your dreams and not out in the open. Especially with Willow around," said Sia as she looked at the jaquin. Willow wasn't supposed to know about this? She looked at the three of them, wondering exactly where Pepa was. She liked her little owl friend as she looked at Zuzo.
"Bad news about the girl," said Zuzo as he flew around her head. "And some good news."
This was too good to be true. Something had to be wrong with her or at least her family judging from the way Willow acted. "Good news?" she asked hoping that it would make her feel better about the bad news that was to come.
"Good news," started Zuzo as he flew around her. "Is that she's harmless. She learns to control her connection, no bad spirits." Zuzo kept flying around as he talked making her feel a bit dizzy. That seemed like a good thing though. She could have Mateo help her learn to control that. Elena probably couldn't since she could barely control the scepter. "Bad news, if she doesn't get a grip on them, they can possess a human. Like Pepa taking control of you."
Oh great, so if a bad spirit came she could be possessed and used like a puppet.
"It gets worse," said Smita as she looked at Esteban's spirit animal. "If, say, Pepa stayed inside of you too long you could start turning into her. Then when she leaves you'll start to die." That explained her first dream. She probably had a bad spirit in her and she was slowly dying from the inside. Elena looked disgusted at the snake as she shuddered. That sounded really bad as she turned and looked at her friends at the other end of the field. Naomi had a little girl pulled from somewhere.
"If it helps, we can take the gift away from her," said Zuzo. "Not completely though. The girl was born with magic. She has a wizard's blood in her."
Wizards blood, she thought for a moment, she's like Mateo. Maybe she was too young to be displaying magic right away. Either way, the thought gave her the chills. She didn't need another dark wizard such as Fieryo running around. Plus, Willow was too sweet and innocent to be swayed into doing something bad. Her mother seemed to be a bad influence.
"Well, where is she from? Why did you bring her to us?" asked Elena trying to prioritize her questions. Maybe she could find Willow's father. Before she could find out the answers she looked around to find everyone that was with her gone. Instead, she was sitting with her family and friends at the other end of the field. There were no mountains in the distance and the nothing was glowing blue. In fact, she had a toddler in her lap. She blinked as she thought she heard something outside of the talk of naming a baby.
"Oh that's so cute," said Luisa as she peeked into Elena's room. On the bed lay Elena, Willow, and Gabe all three of them still asleep. Gabe still in his guard uniform from patrols late last night. She would remember the way Lucia and Adelina would wind up in their bed the next morning. That brought back so many good memories. A smile on her face as she cocked her head to the side. She hated the idea to break this up but she just wanted to watch for a moment.
Esteban, being cautious looked in before becoming appalled. "Did Gabe sleep in Elena's bed?"
"With a little girl Esteban. It's sweet," cooed Luisa as she walked into the room waking up the three for a breakfast. Elena had a grand council meeting, Gabe had patrols, and Willow had, well, they weren't sure what she was going to do.
Elena looked over at Willow and Gabe in her bed and becoming keenly aware that she was being watched. From her door she could see her abuela smiling and Esteban looked annoyed. That annoyed look seemed to be permanently etched on his face by now. She looked down at Willow and Gabe next to her as she felt Gabe's hand on her stomach noticing how all of them seemed to have gotten closer in the middle of the night. Blushing she pulled away as she looked at her abuela.
"You all look sweet laying there together," said Luisa after a minute.
"We need to figure out what to do with that little girl," said Esteban as she watched her sleep. Elena thought of her dream and came up with a few plans for her. Zuzo or Mateo could take away her powers or have her learn to control them. First thing she had to do was asking Mateo and see what he thought. Mateo himself is really good with magic and controlling his powers by now. There were more options now that she knew this information from the spirit world.
"Well I have a plan in mind," said Elena as her thoughts were reeling. Take them away or control them? she hated to be the person to tell Willow that she couldn't be magical much anymore. Actually, thinking about it, did she know that she was magical? She wasn't frightening by the spirit guides but didn't know much outside of that. Elena had to find Mateo and quickly.
On the other side of the bed, Gabe jerked away. "And Urma said to Jack I'll always be your friend!" He became aware that he wasn't in his own bed and that people were looking at him. Luisa and Elena laughed as Esteban just turned away rolling his eyes. "Did I fall asleep in the middle of the story?"
"Yes," said Elena as Luisa left the door leaving the three of them together as Gabe rolled out of bed. She got up and found her normal dress in her closet and made a grab for a new dress for the younger girl. A pretty maroon one that she never usually wore much as a child. Best just give it to her permanently as she hated the color. She's have Willow play with Isabel while she talked to Mateo and figure out what to do.
All three of them headed down to breakfast. Willow insisting that Gabe would eat with her. That came down to either Willow going to the staff room to eat or Gabe joining the rest of the family. Elena wanted to keep an eye on the girl so now Isabel sat on her right. Willow on her left and Gabe on the other side of her. Willow talking to Francisco about how she would go hiking near the mon fuego. Elena turned to look at her sister seeing as she was distracted enough.
"Isabel, would you mind and watching Willow? I really need to talk to Mateo today about something I learned last night," she said looking at Isabel with a hopeful look.
Isabel looked at the younger girl for a minute. She could probably help with her new invention she was making. "Sure. She would be able to help me finish what I started last night." Yesterday, nobody really saw Isabel at all because of said invention. Which is why this is now the morning that Isabel meet her. Elena smiled at her sister as they continued to eat their breakfast. Elena had a place in mind of where to start looking after meeting with Mateo. She could find Naomi as she went over to Mateo's place.
When everyone dismissed from the table, Elena made a beeline for Skylar as she saw him circling around.
"Princess Elena, I should go with you," said Gabe as he found her outside already.
"No, I want you to watch Willow in case her mother comes looking for her. Isabel would need someone around, please?" she said smiling up at him. That usually worked on him as he didn't look happy about that.
"They'll be fine in the castle. What if you run into her looking for clues or some kind of explanation?" he said crossing his arms. Now that they were comfortable enough with each other this argument came up every so often. Who was really in more danger? Elena thought about that it would be her between the two.
Elena still shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere besides Mateo's house. I'll be fine." She put her hand on his shoulder before taking off on Skylar, telling him exactly where to go. It takes less than 20 minutes to get to his house from the castle. Gabe watched her a bit annoyed before going to find the younger girls.
Skylar landed with apparent ease as he said he would wait for her as she knocked. The family friend, Marlena, opened the door and promptly send her down. Mateo was already practicing magic this early as she smiled at her friend. Elena watched as Mateo used his tamborita to light the fire as nothing happened.
"Any luck with that?" she asked as he turned and looked at her.
"Elena, what are you doing here?" asked Mateo as he straightened his shirt out. He had soot all over him as he had been trying that spell for the last two hours. He spat out a piece of charcoal that had got into his mouth.
She giggled before starting to repeat what she learned in her dream. About possibly getting taken over by an evil spirit. Then slowly dying from the inside. Then the fact that they could take it away from her. "Can you help train her? Is there anything in your book that could help her learn to control the spirits?"
Going over to his shelf of magic books, Mateo started to look through a book. Then looked over at Elena as she looked really concerned for the young girl and the people that it could happen to. Hmm, astral projection looked like a good thing that could help.
"Well there is this astral projection. She could make a spirit version of herself and go into the spirit world. From there all she really has to do is make peace with the dark spirits or at least separate which ones she wanted to bring," he said looking at it. The spell didn't look too hard and even though she is six, he could help her. Maybe they could do it together as he went out with Elena to hop on Skylar to go back to the palace that would be a piece of cake. That is until the sight and smell of smoke started to rise from somewhere in the woods.
"Skylar can you take us down?" asked Elena as she saw where it was coming from.
"Sure thing princessa," said Skylar as he landed not too far from the fire pit. Nobody was supposed to be leaving fires uncontrolled. What if it was a forest fire? Elena got off with Mateo following in suit creeping into the forest near where the fire was started. Instead of finding a wildfire, the flames were being tamed as they saw two people standing around it.
Getting a good look at the people, Elena gasped as she stepped back. Mateo looked at them before looking just as shocked as Elena. Firero. Looking at each other Elena stepped foreward again. She strained to hear them talking. At first there was nothing as she heard the rustles of them tending their hearth.
"Valeria, you think that plan will work?" asked Fiero as he looked at the woman. She looked pretty with long silver blond hair and a simply decorated dress. Her dark eyes looked at him twinkling. The woman, Valeria, bit into her food as she looked at him thoughtfully.
"We help each other. I have the perfect spell that can control princess Elena or princess Isabel," said Valeria as Elena gulped. She couldn't just jump up and try to deal with them right now. "Assuming Willow's friends get in the way." The spirit animals? Elena looked at the woman closely. Well as close as she could from the distant. She seemed to have the same eyes as Willow. Oh gosh that is the mother.
Mateo nudged her to see that they had a spell book of some kind. It wasn't the codex maru but it looked thick and complicated from where she was sitting.
"I'm still a little weak from being in stone for so long," warned Fiero. "I think I can keep those good spirits at bay. That way Riza can take over the princess." Take over her? Oh gosh the woman wanted her possessed. She wanted her throne and controlling her like a puppet. Elena shivered at her plan. "Wait until after Mateo is out of the way. I want my revenge on him first."
Mateo. She gripped his arm making sure that he was still there.
"We will get him out of the way daddy," she said giving him a warm sandwich. At hearing this, Elena nearly fell over. Daddy? Oh gosh, Valeria is Fiero's daughter. That meant that Willow is Fiero's granddaughter. A wizard's blood in her. "We have our backup plan as well." Mateo gulped next to her as they made their way silently back to Skylar. That's why so many spirits were helping Willow. The good ones were trying to keep them from succeeding.
At the castle, Gabe was busy watching and helping Isabel with her invention. She had gathered enough to make herself something that was supposed to help make washing clothes a lot faster. He only chuckled as he went over to check on some of the guards and make sure they were on their normal rounds. The rest of the family doing something else that he could only guess what it was.
"That's so neat!" said the red haired girl to her friend as Isabel showed her how to wring out the shirt. The only problem with her invention was that it only worked with the boy's clothes. Not so much on dresses just yet. She hoped to make it work as she continue to impress the younger girl. Willow bounced and watched as Isabel continued to work.
From the window, a peck came as both girls looked up from the device as Isabel went over to the window. She opened it when a small bird hopped onto the window sill as Isabel squealed in happiness. The bird hooted at her as Willow looked over at it.
"That's a bujito," said Willow looking over at the owl like creature. "They're native to where I live."
Isabel thought for a moment. So her family is from Cordoba and near the meadow where the bujitos made their homes. Isabel made a note as they continued toward Raul. Raul came back to them. It was kind of strange to see the little bujito that popped out of an egg come back to them a full-fledged bigger bujito. The little bird made no attempt to move as Isabel stroked its feathers. It was really cute as Willow watched with her eyes wide and mouth dropped open.
"How are you doing that?" asked Willow. She's never been able to get close to one of them in the wild and yet Isabel was touching one with no problems. The last time she tried that, she got pecked by the mother bird to her baby.
Never the less Isabel squealed over it as she worked on her invention. "Gabe he's back!" she cried as she petted the little bujito's feathers. Raul pecked her fingers as she only giggled at the small creature. Isabel had Raul on her arm when Gabe came rushing in hearing Isabel yell his name. His sword out as he stopped short seeing the two girls together. Then the small bird hoot at him.
"Raul?" said Gabe excited to see the bujito as he flew from Isabel to Gabe. Willow only watched just as surprised. None would let her touch them.
"How do you do that?" she asked as the bujito affectionately rubbed its head against Gabe's ear. Both girls aww'd at the sight as Gabe flushed.
Isabel turned to her as she smiled. "Elena and Gabe were tricked into taking care of this egg that Naomi had found. Gabe named it Raul after our dad. She thought it was a normal egg until it hatched. The first thing he saw was Gabe and Elena and he thought it was his parents." Willow aww'd again at the story. Gabe was talking to it a little. He did that when Raul was still an egg too.
Willow and Isabel watched for a minute. Then Willow looked at Isabel smiling, "he'd be a good dad. He and your sister would be good parents."
At this Isabel thought she was going to choke on her own spit. What? No, Elena and Gabe wouldn't be parents together would they? She had never thought of Gabe that much but he seemed like an okay person. To marry her sister and have kids seemed… different, she supposed.
"Gabe!" cried out Elena as she ran into the castle. He stood up as Mateo came in after. "Willow!" She went over to the younger girl. Gabe looked behind her to make sure no one had followed. Elena's mind whirling as she had found the girl's mother. Isabel watched as Elena pulled Gabe over to her and Mateo before turning back to her machine.
Mateo looked at both of them trying to figure out what to do. "We found Willow's mother and we found Fiero with her. They want revenge on Elena and I. I don't know what he wants to do with me but she wants to control Elena and the kingdom." Mateo stopped and thought about what else they learned. "Oh and Willow is his granddaughter."
"What?!" shouted Gabe nearly. He took a deep breath taking this in. Willow is Fiero's granddaughter. He wants revenge on his friends. He remembered being a stone as he took a breath. Gabe turned and looked at Mateo with a steady gaze. "What exactly do you have in mind to get rid of him this time?"
Mateo only shrugged as he didn't think about it this far yet.
Elena watched as Willow and Isabel both seemed safe. Nobody was turned into stone this time. Not if she could help it. "Mateo is going to teach her how to control. We found a way that he could do it. If anyone could figure out how to do it, Mateo can. Is that Raul?"
The little bujito hooted as it flew from Gabe to Elena landing on her shoulder.
Mateo blushed as he went over to look at the girl. She was another wizard like him, except way younger and he only hoped that she would listen to him. Mateo, Elena, Gabe, and Willow all left Isabel's work space as they went over to a place for Mateo and Willow to do magic. This entire thing was making her head hurt as she saw Mateo helping her sit right. At least she was comfortable with him now.
Watching them himself Gabe was nervous about what would happen to her. Gabe wasn't afraid to admit that he liked the young girl. He didn't want to see her hurt. He trusted Mateo but not her mother if she comes back.
Elena and Gabe only watched as they seemed to be going to a far off place. Both of them had their heads loll forward so that they're chins rested on their chests. Elena bit her bottom lip worried about what would happen next. All they had to do was wait.
"I can get guards to go after them," said Gabe after a minute.
"No," she said after a minute looking up at him. "I don't know what to do with them but if they can't control her. Their plan isn't going to work. I have no idea what the backup plan is going to be though. Nobody is going to get turned to stone. They just want revenge on me and Mateo."
"If there was a way to take away their powers," said Gabe after a minute. Elena thought for a moment as it was possible for Willow. What were they going to do about them? She didn't know what kind of backup plan they had in mind for her and Mateo. Elena was determined to not die as she put her hand on Gabe's subconsciously. He looked down at it before a silly smile crossed his face. He liked it when she touched him. Taking advantage of his opportunity he held her hand back.
Elena felt it as she looked over at him grinning a little. Without thinking much of it, she leaned in as their eyes meet. Simultaneously, their lips meet as she felt his lips press against hers. He stayed like this for a moment before both Mateo and Willow got out of their trance.
"Are you okay?" asked Elena as she hated to break apart that. She waltzed right over to the younger girl who only nodded happily. Whatever seemed to go on with Mateo, she hoped it worked. Before either of them could say anymore Naomi strolled into the room.
"What did I miss?" she asked as she looked at everyone, perplexed.
"Actually, the better question should be what to do with you?" asked a new voice. Elena felt her stomach drop as she recognized that voice. "I was hoping those spirit animals would bring my daughter here."