The Chanul Chills

by Chazno-02

Co-authored with EnigmaticMind2016, based on the Fairly Odd Parents episode "The Fairy Flu". Just when Elena thought the kingdom is safe and nothing more could go wrong, her spirit guide Zuzo comes down with an illness only his own kind could get... and on Isabel's twelfth birthday too! Forced into the body of a normal fox until he is cured, could Zuzo still manage to do his job?

3. Chapter 3 Disorientation

The Chanul Chills- Chapter 3

There is a difference between a crossover and a fanfic with guest appearances from another show… with a limit of four characters to star this thing I had to make it mostly Elena of Avalor, even though the characters from Sofia the First are in it. Just thought I should clear that up… anyway, I'm not sure how much help I'd get from my co-author at this point, but I have to try to finish this.

As the jaquin triplets were dressed up as chonopos to keep Armando and Private Higgins busy, Isabel was standing close by Zuzo while Esteban had been leading them to the palace library, where Mateo's workshop was hidden.

"I am more then capable of walking there myself." The fox protested.

"Zuzo, you had been through a lot today even though you are sick," said Isabel, "I want to make sure you pace yourself the rest of the day. Besides, it's almost lunchtime… I have to make sure you are fed something other than that grass salad you were given this morning."

"Oh, you mean he barely touched it?" pondered Esteban, "I'll have you know that little treat was my idea… once I heard rumors that there is an ailing fox in the palace, I decided that checking for ghosts will have to wait, and immediately done some research on how to feed our friend in need. From what I read, the berries are supposed to be suited for the vitamin intake of several different species, and dogs and foxes tend to eat grass as the fiber is supposed to aid the digestion. I do not know what you had caught, Zuzo, but I felt it would be a necessary precaution."

"Uh, I think you better double check that chapter in that veterinary journal, Esteban." Zuzo said, making a face, "My condition calls for protein. Besides, even if I actually needed fiber in my condition, there must be taster ways for me to take it then eating that!" It was at this point he started to stumble a bit… the sandlewood smoke he inhaled was still thick in his already cloudy head. "How much farther do we have to go, Isa? I think I need to lie down."

"Hey, I told you," said Isabel, "We are stopping at the kitchen for lunch on the way there."

"Well, the dining room, at least," said Esteban, well aware of what the rest of his family is up to, "there are too many cooks in the kitchen today, and as royal grand chancellor it is my duty to make sure everyone else is organized." He leads the little princess and her fox to the dining room table and helped them get comfortable. "I will be right back with your lunch… rest assured, I will get it right for both of you this time." He almost went into the kitchen, but stopped in his tracks, "Oh, I almost forgot, Isa… Que tipo de pastel quieres? Fresas? Chocolatay?"

"A tres leche cake will do fine for my party," said Isabel, "though, I am worried the other guests wouldn't like it, so you can also make strawberry and chocolate for them."

"It is your party, cousin," said Esteban, "and the only ones I know that don't like tres leches had never tried it in their lives… but, if you insist." He smiled at her on the way out, but as he entered the kitchen and looked at the Enchancian royals helping with the cake, he wiped his brow, "Thank goodness she doesn't suspect a thing. At any rate, it is settled… we are baking a tres leche cake which, as I had told you in the first place, is every bit her favorite as it is my own."

"Aw! I wanted to bake a chocolate cake!" said Prince James, as he got himself covered in flour already, "A three crème cake sounds even more boring than vanilla!"

"I'm sure you can help with some chocolate treat later, James," said Princess Sofia, keeping her brother and Esteban distracted while her bunny Clover scavenged for something he and this fox he heard about could eat, "but I'm sure that whatever cake Isabel wants is going to be delicious… and with Esteban filling in for Armando as castle baker today, I'm sure we'd do a much better job than we did with the last cake we baked."

"Si, this is true." Esteban stated, "First thing's first… you two better wash up. I do not want our birthday girl getting sick."

"But I already washed…" said James, looking at his dirty hands, "…yesterday."

As the visiting prince and princess were sent off to the sink to wash up, Esteban's eyes had just managed to catch sight of Clover in the act as he was about to hop out of the kitchen with a full sack. The chancellor wasted no time grabbing the rabbit with one hand and putting the other one into the sack, pulling out a raw egg. "Well, well," he stated shaking his head, "I have heard of rabbits stealing fruits and vegetables from gardens, but this is ridiculous!"

"I'll tell you what's ridiculous," said Clover, despite knowing that his words would go unheard to this man, "a guy like you being related to the local royal family! Now that is ridiculous!"

"You'll have to forgive Clover, Chancellor Esteban," said Sofia, as she dried her hands, "on top of having a large appetite of his own, I can't shake the feeling that he might be a little nervous about Isabel's new pet, especially when I thought the two of them could play together… only… is it true that foxes eat rabbits?"

"It's true… that happens a lot in the wild," Esteban sighed, shaking his head, "but only if a fox could catch a rabbit, and there is no other food available to eat. Don't worry, Sofia, I know how to keep the peace between species… most of the time. I am sure that as long as they are both well fed and are kept a distance from each other in upsetting moments, I am sure they will get along." A thought crossed the chancellor's mind as he put Clover down, "Oh! That reminds me! I better get started on making Isabel's lunch… Zuzo is with her right now, and they both must've gotten quite an appetite after the morning that they had."

Sofia bit her lip in thought upon learning the fox's name… okay, so he and the chanul she met the last time she came here are both named "Zuzo", and they both have the same stripes in different colors, but doesn't mean that they are the same fox, does it?

"We're going to find out for sure soon enough, Sofia." Clover said, knowing what his princess was thinking, "I just hope that whatever the chancellor has in mind will keep rabbit off the menu long enough for us to talk."

Without realizing he's interrupting, James had walked up to Sofia with dirt on his pants… it was clear he wasn't really washing his hands. "Don't worry, Sofia," said James, "Prince Zandar once told me that foxes are wild cousins to dogs… and he should know, he encounters desert foxes all the time in Tengu… so I have an idea for a peace offering Clover can use if whatever that guy is making for lunch isn't filling enough for this fox Isa is taking care of." He pulls a dog biscuit out of his pocket and puts it in Clover's paws. "It has Rex's Royal Canine Seal of Approval," James explained, "and if a treat that is good enough for my dog isn't good enough for a fox, that's Zuzo's problem… and the gagging might give Clover a decent head start to get out of there."

Esteban rolled his eyes, "A well-meaning input, young man," he said, "but if we work together on salad and tamales, I am sure everyone will have their lunch quickly served and we'd still have enough time to bake the cake… now, I am telling you again: wash your hands!"

"Aw man!"

Sofia giggled at her brother's antics, but soon enough he was cleaned up properly and they got to cooking. Back in the dining room, Isabel and Zuzo were too preoccupied in a conversation to even bother wondering what is going on in the kitchen.

"So, you're a chess player too?" Zuzo asked, as his head, still stuffy from his illness, began to clear up a bit from the incense smoke, "Maybe, after Mateo gives me a check-up… if I am still awake for it… we could squeeze in a game before dinner."

"Well, I suppose that would be a quiet activity for you after this morning's excitement," said Isabel, "and on top of that, it would sure beat playing it alone again… if I have to be the winner AND the loser one more time, I might end up driving myself loco!"

Zuzo tilted his head hearing that, "Doesn't your sister ever play with you?"

"Well, she hadn't played chess in a while if that's what you mean," Isabel sighed, "she taught me how to play it in the first place, but I picked up on it quickly and she dropped out when she got sick of losing… between you and me, games of wit aren't really her cup of tea anyway. She's more into games of action… such as fencing and olaball. I wasn't interested in olaball until after reading a book about it, and I think there just isn't enough strategy in swordplay, especially since the practice runs seem to mostly involve two people hitting each other with sticks! I mean, really, how primitive can you get?"

"Yet there are so many human beings that get a thrill out of it anyway," Zuzo shook his head, recalling how many false-alarms he got in his spirit guide work all because of some playful swordplay between youngsters had been getting rowdier then it should've been, "especially the boys. I mean, really, you'd think they'd tone it down a bit, the way they make some silly game look and sound like a full-blown war before one of the two ends up getting hurt! The idea of it is just so… so-!" He stuck out his tongue and pointed a front paw to his mouth, mockingly gagging at the concept and earning a giggle from his new friend just before Esteban finally shown up with their food… and a small bunny hopped cautiously behind the chancellor with a dog treat in his paws.

"Lunch is served," said Esteban, smiling gently to Isabel as he served up tamales for his cousin and a mixture of what was in the tamales for her fox… Zuzo was delighted at first, until he noticed that yet another salad bowl had been brought to the floor—better looking and more appetizing then the one giving to him this morning, sure, but a salad none the less—and he was about to tip that bowl over when the chancellor stopped him in his tracks. "It is not for you this time," Exteban explained, "it is for a guest of yours. I trust you to keep to your own bowl, Zuzo, and to not get the meal and your visitor mixed up."

Zuzo shook his head and rolled his eyes. Such a comment to make about him, for—while hunger is rare if not unheard of back in the Spirit World, and he used to eat out of leisure rather than necessity—he would never hunt an animal for a meal, especially one he'd take the time to know personally, no matter what form he takes. None the less, being mindful that he is a "normal" fox right now, he knew that such unneeded scolding was a necessary precaution, and a reminder of the fact that he's only staying like this until he recovers from his illness… if he overstays his welcome after he heals, there would be half a chance he would lose himself to primal instincts that would make him a disgrace to other chanuls; he had to be careful not to be lead into temptation! None the less, seeing the rabbit hopping up to the salad, even the part of Zuzo that thought of the rabbit as food remembered that it is indeed a guest… with the better offer of cooked chicken, corn, and eggs in his dish, it wouldn't be right to hunt this bunny—even out of the sport of doing so—unless he deserves it, and this rabbit… Clover, if he remembered the name Sofia used on him correctly… seems pretty innocent of any wrongs so far. With that in mind, Zuzo wasted no time stuffing his face with what he had in his own bowl, suppressing his inner hunter enough so that they could talk like civilized animals… of course, he couldn't help but question his own manners as he tried to chew his food, but looking up at the rabbit, he could see that the long eared guest was eating his salad with the same gusto, so it was clear that the ordeal, while filled with an awkward silence at first, was pretty normal.

"Mmm! That was nice!" Clover said at last, "Great ingredients, excellent preparation… I believe the right local word for the local flavor is 'deliciouso'!" his smile only lasted a moment, however, as he scratched the back of his head with his front paw, "You know, since I was a bunny I heard stories of foxes that capture rabbits and make stew out of them, but I was so worried about that I forgotten about why else you would be here."

Zuzo grimaced and his ears twitched when he heard that. "Oh?"

"I mean, we both know how it is," Clover continued, "we woodland creatures got to eat, the princesses have the food… just a few chores around the castle in the hopes that, one day, a member of the royal family would take a hint and offer us a well-earned meal or two. Who needs all that hunter and hunted nonsense, right? Um, just in case old habits die hard, though, I brought you a little peace offering for dessert," without much hesitation, the rabbit placed the dog biscuit right in the middle of the fox's dish before what was already in it was even half gone, "and you better not chase after me anyway if you don't like it!"

Seeing the dog treat, Zuzo made a face as he picked it up with his paws, "Uh, thanks…" he said, placing the bone-shaped, pumpkin-and-beef scented biscuit to the side, "…but for the record, I help a lot of human beings, not just royalty, and I don't expect to be rewarded for it, ever! My teachers had raised me to do volunteer work from the get go because it is the right thing to do."

"I'd ask what the catch is, but us talking over a meal dulled my suspicions," said Clover, "especially since it turns out I am not on the menu after all… seriously, it's amazing how much your appetite perks up when you find out you are going to have lunch instead of be lunch for someone else."

"No doubt about it!" sighed Zuzo, "After all, none in their right mind would want their very existence thrown away and—" he paused, as the memory of Orizaba's moths and the vortex flashed in front of his eyes, and as his breathing got faster and uneven he had almost lost track of where he was when the tickle in his stuffy nose got enough of his attention to ground him back in reality just in time to use his tail to block his sneeze… stopping himself from frosting or breaking anything before it was too late. He hid what just happened in his mind behind an uneasy smile, "Excuse me. I'm okay… it's just a cold."

"Just be glad you didn't hold that one in," chuckled Clover, "a sneeze that big would've blown your brains out of your ears… thank goodness the local royal families tend to have the best medical care in any kingdom… but what was with the face you made before the sneeze? You look like you had seen a ghost!"

"Just a bad memory… I don't want to talk about it, at least not right now."

"Fair enough… Oh! Speaking of ghosts—'Zuzo' right?—my princess, Sofia, somehow got it in her head that she saw you during her last trip to Avalor in some wannabe wizard's basement and that you are really some kind of spirit animal." Clover laughed, "I mean, really, seeing you now; that is ridiculous! After all, spirits don't eat… do they?"

"Oh, not very often," Zuzo shrugged, "you'd be surprised what one is capable of on the flip side, even if there's no need for it, and you're right, my name is Zuzo… and… Sofia is right; we had met before, though what I really am is for me to know and you to find out." He got right to finishing his lunch, "If I'm not mistaken, your princess called you 'Clover'."

"Yeah, that's right." Clover almost reached out a paw in friendship, but the thought of still being eaten for dessert caused him to hesitate.

Seeing this, Zuzo gave an exasperated sigh, picked up the dog biscuit that the rabbit gave him as a peace offering and took a bite out of it. Despite the fragrance of it, it was actually as dry as evaporated milk and unappetizing as a green papaya mixed with a dragon fruit… one can almost compare the flavor to that of bristle-berries… but next to the salad he took a bite out of at breakfast this morning, the fox really had nothing to complain about. After swallowing his bite, Zuzo reached out a paw to Clover. "So… um, want to be friends?"

"Don't shake," the rabbit stated firmly, "unless you mean it." A smile of relief soon crossed Clover's face, however, when he and the fox shook paws in friendship.

Meanwhile, at the port, Elena and Naomi risked the storm to load a pot of caldo de mariscos onto a cart.

"Are you sure that this isn't against the rules, Elena?" asked Naomi.

"Sure I'm sure," said Elena, "this way, even if you don't make it into the top three in the seafood contest, everyone in the palace would still get a taste of your soup."

Naomi had just nodded in agreement when a sound caused the two girls to jump… and it wasn't just the sound of thunder. It sounded more like the cackling of a witch… no! SEVERAL witches! Elena and Naomi couldn't believe their eyes as they looked up towards the stormy sky seeing a whole coven of witches flying overhead on raven-catcher brooms, which was a jaw dropping sight in itself since—excluding Shuriki's invasion—there hadn't been a "bruja" sighting in Avalor since the late Queen Lucia was only a girl, but what made the sight even more unbelievable was that they were flying through the wind, rain, and lightning straight for the palace!

"Naomi…" Elena said, eyes wide in concern, "…we got to hurry! I cannot lose my sister to some magical invasion again! Especially not now! Not with her birthday being tomorrow!"

"Say no more," said Naomi, giving a salute, "I'll hitch up your horse to the wagon, you sit right here and think of an actual plan!"

"Naomi!"

"Elena, you don't have your scepter on you right now… didn't the last few times some enchanter invaded Avalor teach you anything?" moaned Naomi, taking a breath before rephrasing her point, "I mean, you do have a bad habit of rushing in head first into trouble… I don't want to see something bad happen to you before we even get to Isabel! Besides, Sofia has the Amulet of Avalor and she knows how to use it to protect her-self and others without being locked inside it; that detail alone could help stall for time, whether Mateo is still busy with whatever it is he's working on or not."

Elena sighed and sat on the wagon's spring seat, "Fine, but we got to hurry!" She said, silently wishing that Zuzo wasn't sick… she could really need her spirit guide right now! She even began to wonder how Mateo is doing with creating the cure needed for the suffering fox, and how long it would take for the remedy to kick in once it is put together.

Back at the palace, Zuzo had slipped into Mateo's workshop right under Isabel's nose just to receive some bad news.

"What do you mean the progress on my medicine might be delayed another day or two?!" Zuzo yelled, throwing himself into a coughing fit, "Really, I know that the Chanul Chills only lasts a day or two normally, but need I remind you that, if left untreated, my condition would last even longer and get even worse?"

"Look, I'm sorry, Zuzo," said Mateo, "but having a sloth for a spirit guide has its setbacks... Cacahuate insisted on slow and careful measurements if I am to handle this compound without blowing myself up! Besides, as it turns out, I am still shy a few ingredients, such as moon kelp and propeller plums, and I can't leave Avalor to get any of that, not while I am caught between stirring in everything else and working on a decent routine for Isabel's party!" The royal wizard took another look at the recipe and shook his head, grabbing his tamborita, "Ugh, I should be adding husks of a mazico here by now! Illuminara Mateo Wayhojel!" he hit his magical musical instrument, causing a flash of light to appear followed by a puff of smoke, but not much more happened much to Mateo's annoyance, "Illuminara—!"

"Hold your spirit horses," Cacahuate's voice said from the lingering smoke, as another light appeared inside it flashing in sync with every word, "I'm coming!" In that moment, the sloth himself appeared carrying an ear of magic spirit corn in his claws, "Good grief, Mateo! How many times do I have to tell you: sloths like me are not known for their speed, can't you be a little more patient?"

"Hey, don't have a go at me, Cacahuate," said Mateo, pointing to Zuzo while Cacahuate put the ghostly corn husk into the mixture, "I'm not the only one who has issues with the slow progress."

Cacahuate gently glided down almost to his fox friend's current level. "Zuzo… is that really you?" he said, placing a hand on Zuzo's forehead, "Oh brother, even in your living animal form you look rather pale. How you feeling? You didn't lose your appetite, have you?"

"No, Cacahuate, I'm eating well," sighed Zuzo, "though, after hearing Mateo hasn't finished that remedy yet, I'm wondering if I should regret that."

"You're just getting yourself worked up, Zuzo," sighed Cacahuate, "it's like we tell our humans: sometimes we just need to take it easy. Besides, you should consider yourself lucky that you got that collar on during the early phases of your illness, when it was just high fever, ice-cold shivers, hacking cough, and shattering sneezes. There are other symptoms to watch out for… aches and pains—especially headaches— ringing ears, irritability, and worst of all: secondary illnesses and/or social disorientation!"

"Oh come on!" yelled Zuzo, "Do I look like the kind of fox who would lose track of who he is easily?! Ugh! Honestly, Cacahuate, if I wasn't stuck in mortal bonds, I'd grab that thick neck of yours and—!" realizing what kind of thoughts had just crossed his own mind, he forced himself to take some slow deep breaths and correct himself, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean what I just said, my friend, I… I don't know what came over me, I just—a-a-ACHOO!" Right in the middle of explaining himself, Zuzo ended up sneezing right in the face of his fellow chanul. The foxes eyes widen, as he recalled the real reason he came to Mateo's workshop, for although there was no shattering glass or frost covered walls in that sneeze, something bad did happen, whether his sloth friend realized it or not!

"Oh! Yuck! Cover your muzzle Zuzo!" Cacahuate yelled, summoning a washrag to wipe his face, "I know that collar of yours keeps your illness from spreading to other spirit guides by binding you to a mortal body, but that doesn't make it any less disgusting!"

"Um, actually," said Zuzo, his ears lowering in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head with his front paw, "I've been meaning to talk to Mateo about that—"

"Zuzo, I can't afford any more distractions right now if I am to cure you," Mateo interrupted, picking up and opening one of Alakazar's old journals, "take a long siesta, eat some watermelon before bed, and stop by again in the morning… that's what my grandfather suggested you should do the last time you caught the Chanul Chills, right?" He pointed to one specific entry in the book.

Hearing that, Zuzo hesitated… he couldn't be the bearer of bad news in a moment like this. His eyes lowered for a moment, before he willed himself to make eye contact with the young wizard. "That is exactly what he said, Mateo," he said, "and with the exact same tone, too… in fact, in times like this, you almost sound like Alakazar."

Mateo was wide eyed hearing that, "Really?"

"Yeah, but I'll tell you more about that later," Zuzo stated, with an awkward smile, "for now, all I can say is that you have no idea how proud he is of you." he twitched his ears, pretending to have just heard something as he slowly backed to the exit, "Oh, good grief! Did the clock chime already? I promised Isabel a chess game. Better get going, don't mind me… I'll… show myself out." As soon as the temporarily mortal fox had backed himself into the library and closed the secret door to the wizard's workshop, however, and just as he was pondering on what to do now, Zuzo practically jumped when he felt a paw tap him on the shoulder. Turning around fast, he ended up making eye contact with a certain rabbit.

"Spirit guide, huh?" asked Clover.

"How did you know—?!" gasped Zuzo.

"I'm a rabbit, remember?" Clover answered, "My sensitive ears overheard quite a lot in there… and you're lucky that Sofia is the only princess that understands me and other animals from THIS world, or I would've told Isabel everything by now... that's why you didn't tell the truth straight on at lunch, did you? The humans can hear you, and you don't want to say the wrong thing around them."

Looking over Clover's shoulders, and seeing that Isabel was still setting up the chess board, Zuzo sighed, "Clover, you don't realize the kind of mess I got myself into," he whispered, "humans could always hear me, but few hear me with their ears or see me with their eyes. Isabel is a bright kid, but if she found out what I really am she might freak out, and I am probably in enough trouble with upper management as it is… especially after what I put her sister through with Orizaba."

"Who's Orizaba?" Clover asked.

"Never mind that now," said Zuzo, "right now, all you need to know is that I have to keep a low profile right now… and I am not just saying that because I'd need to take it easy on account of my illness. Sofia was right saying that I am a spirit guide, but I don't think it would be smart to let her know she is right. What if she blabs around Isa?"

Clover sighed, "Don't worry, I'll keep my princess from telling your princess about this," he said, "at least so long as you don't give into any urges to hurt or eat me while you are flesh and blood, but after your chess game, we should have a private discussion about your progress on this 'low profile' thing." He looked at the painting that concealed the doorway to Mateo's workshop, "Does this castle have any other secret rooms where we could meet in private?"

Zuzo pulled his beard as he thought long and hard, as he had been a spirit guide for those in the palace for two generations despite the forty one year gap during Shuriki's reign… after following Alakazar, you'd think a fox would know a building inside and out by now, but his time with Elena had revealed a few surprises… things he should've known by now after his time in Chanul School but had forgotten about because it had been, up until that point, a non-importance… things that could be used as an advantage in times such as this.

"The Palace of Avalor had been built on top of an ancient Maruvian Ruin," Zuzo said at last, "it's not the nicest looking place, but it's an interesting basement, and at least we could be alone down there. The secret doorway is behind the clock next to the main hall stairway… oh! And bring extra snacks. If I am to keep rabbit OFF the menu, I am going to need plenty of alternatives." The fox knew better then to eat an animal that he knew personally, but after what Cacahuate said about his illness causing disorientation if it gets worse, Zuzo figured it was a necessary precaution in case the sense of confusion is cause for… temptation.

Clover nodded in understanding, "Let's meet there AFTER dinner," he said, "just in case." With that said, he hopped away, leaving Zuzo alone… well, not entirely alone. Isabel was there, and she had just finished setting up the chess board, and Esteban… who was still busy in the kitchen… had claimed he'd stop by in the library to check on things shortly.

"Is everything alright, Zuzo?" Isabel asked, placing an extra pillow on the seat across from her, both to comfort the fox AND give him an extra lift to reach the chess pieces, "You look a bit upset."

"Huh? Oh! No, I'm fine," Zuzo stated, climbing into his chair, "Mateo said it'll take a while for him to finish making the medicine I need… might not be ready until tomorrow evening, so he doesn't have time to practice his magic act for your birthday party tomorrow." He let out a deep sigh, "At least one cannot say that he forgot." Being the player with the white pieces, and knowing his front paws can still act as hands if he balances himself well enough for it, Zuzo reached out to move the first pawn… only to end up knocking almost half of his other pieces over in the process! "Oops! Sorry!" he was burning from both fever and humiliation, cursing himself for his clumsy move. Of course that was bound to happen you nitwit, he silently told himself, you're bond by gravity now and you're too used to hovering over the board while playing this game! "That doesn't usually happen, honest."

Isa just smiled and shook her head as she cleaned up all the pieces, putting them back on their correct places on the board. If Zuzo's ears weren't deceiving him, he could've sworn she was laughing… just a light giggle, sure, as if not to hurt his feelings, but it was clear what he just did was something that struck her as funny! "Don't worry about it, Zuzo," she reassured him, gently scratching him between the ears, "I guess I hadn't measured everything properly enough for you to reach all the pieces, and I never seen a quadruped carry anything without using his mouth before, so seeing you manage that one little chess piece is quite the accomplishment! On top of that, you moved that pawn to E-4, which is the correct way to make an opening move with that particular piece… honestly, I played against pigeons that know less about the game then you do, and they mess up the board a lot more then you did."

This time, Zuzo was the one who was laughing, "First rule of chess in any world," he stated, "never try to play the game with a pigeon!"

"Maybe… if you want…" Isabel suggested, as she moved one of her own pawns in the right place, "…you could tell me your strategies and I can move the pieces for you. I am used to working both sides of the board anyway."

"Thanks, but I think I can manage it on my-!" he started to say, before he ended up knocking the pieces over again with a coughing fit. Miserable, he sunk into his pillow, "Then again, if it would help me save my strength… I… I suppose I could put your offer into consideration, but let's not make a habit out of this, Isa. Queen's Knight to F-3."

In that moment, the witches that Elena and Naomi saw earlier had just arrived at the stables at the back gate of the palace, which almost gave cause to raise the alarm when the royal guards saw them on a daily patrol over the horses.

"Hey! What are you witches doing back here?" Captain Gabe shouted, drawing out his sword, "We don't want any trouble this close to Princess Isabel's birthday, so if you know what is good for you'd leave at once."

"And if you know what is good for you," said a red-headed young witch, who happened to be named Indigo, as she got off her vulture raven-catcher broomstick, "you'd stay out of the way before I turn you and your army of soldiers into an army of frogs! Actually, I am in the mood for turning you into frogs anyway."

"Now, Indigo, don't be such a big meanie," a blond little witch, Lily, stated as she got off her swan raven-catcher, "I know you are the one wicked witch, but you are the first of your type to actually be invited to a royal party… you might be expected to behave yourself."

"Or liven things up," Indigo's mother whispered to her daughter, "I say it's about time royalty came to accept wickedness as a part of life instead of thinking that inviting none with our kind of magic will keep us at bay. All the same, Indigo dearie, I don't blame your goody-two-shoes friend for worrying: you're the representative for black magic, which adds responsibility to the fun, so no transformation charms unless all other pranks fail, and no killing curses unless your own life depends on it… other than that, feel free to be as wicked as you want."

"Thanks mom." Indigo smiled, "Don't worry… I'll be the best bad witch anyone in this or any other land had ever seen."

Lucinda, the black haired little witch, got off her crooked raven-catcher broom with an owl headpiece shaking her head, "Good witches, bad witches, it doesn't matter!" she told her friends, "We were invited to this party by another guest, rather than the hostess herself…" she noticed that Gabe meant business with his sword, and thus she pulled out her wand, "…looks like it's up to me to keep the peace. Dormire prius iussit regia!"

With a wave of Lucinda's wand, the royal guards froze where they stood as if they were suddenly in a trance.

"Lucy-wucy!" said Lily, stunned by what she just saw, "I thought you are a good witch now!"

"I am a good witch, Lily," Lucinda explained, using her wand to move the guards into the stables to keep them out of the rain, "that spell wasn't even dangerous… I just put them to sleep until we could inform the local royal family about the truth of our arrival. Putting them on our side will keep those brutes from attacking us once the spell is broken."

"Well, I can live with that, Lucinda," said Indigo, "especially since this will give us plenty of time to practice a really wicked routine for tomorrow's party."

"Well, you are all midnight witches now," said Lily's mother, "which means you are old enough to take care of yourselves here in Avalor while the rest of us are at the Midsummer Festival in Southshire. All we ask is that you do your very best—"

"…Or do your very worst…" said Lucinda's mother, who still hoped that her daughter's decision to be good witch was only a phase.

"—to make some wonderfully wicked EverRealm history as the newest generation of Brujas de Medianoche," concluded Indigo's mother, "the Midnight Witches of Avalor… this is the first time in forty one years that anyone of our kind had even come close enough to the palace of this land since Shuriki temporarily took over, making our kind look powerless and pathetic in the process! So, to that end, have fun… and don't mess this up!"

With that said, the mothers and other more experienced Midnight Witches flew off, leaving their three newest members alone.

"So, now what?" asked Lily.

"So, we do what witches of any type are supposed to do," answered Indigo; "whip up some magic."

"Hold it right there, Indigo!" said Lucinda, "We better get ourselves a place to stay for a while first, and until we tell the local rulers who and what we are, I don't want anyone other than Sofia to recognize us as witches, so here's the game-plan: we conjure up some disguises, and then we sweet talk a member of the palace staff into letting us in and telling us where to meet with the royal sorcerer… that way, if we end up getting caught using our magic before the party, they'd assume we are under a magical apprenticeship or something."

"Well, I suppose we could pull it off so long as our disguises don't involve wearing rags," said Lily, "I prefer cute, soft dresses."

"You like anything cute," said Indigo, rolling her eyes, "I am sure we'd look pretty bad in whatever we conjure up… and not the 'bad' kind of bad; I mean the 'good' kind of bad. At any rate, we better get inside and change clothes quickly… as much as I love thunderstorms, we'd only catch a cold in these soggy witch uniforms."

"Alright… alright," Lucinda sighed, looking around and smiled in relief upon seeing that the royal guards left the back door of the palace open before waving her fellow witches to follow her through it, "quickly!" and once they were all inside, she shut the door behind them, "Okay, now we get ourselves dried off; cross your wands, girls!"

The three young witches crossed wands, and did one of the few Avalorian spells that they managed to practice for this particular trip together: "Moda para chicas!" In that moment, a spark was shared among the three wand tips, and the magical light trailed down the three wands, down the witches' arms, and around their bodies, transforming their clothes from heeled leather shoes, soggy dresses, and pointy yet soaked witch hats to Maruvian style huarache sandals, pollera style dresses, and sombreros. Each dress was accented differently: Indigo's red dress with black bat-like embroidery on the edges came with an aguayo— or shoulder cloth— that was, well, indigo. Lucinda wore a light magenta dress with green owl embroidery, accented with a green poncho. Lily wore a cream dress with pink kitten embroidery, and had a yellow cloak on her shoulders.

"Wow!" said Lily as they passed by a mirror, "These outfits are so pretty!"

"Pretty wicked, you mean," stated Indigo, "You were right, Lu, no way anyone but Sofia would recognize us as witches in these disguises… I can hardly wait to start causing trouble."

"You better wait," said Lucinda, "we don't know what kind of hexes would be most useful around here yet. We best keep a low profile, find a place to spend the night, and keep our eyes open for anything useful."

I think that this is as far as I can go for this chapter… things are beginning to sound a bit random otherwise. None the less, I am open to ideas for the next chapter if I am to see to it that Zuzo gets through the party—and his illness—without causing much harm, but since he sneezed on Chacuate and there are witches in the castle, anything could go wrong. Also, I am sorry I took so long with this chapter… it took me a while to figure out if I should add more too it or not. It happens.