Chapter 4: The Riddle of Rainbow Canyon…
After several minutes of flying, Cassie and Emmy arrived at Rainbow Canyon. Cassie then took out the map that was given to them from her pouch and gave it to Emmy.
"Ok." Emmy spoke up. "According to the map, we need to find a place called 'Prism Falls.'"
"I've never heard of that place in Rainbow Canyon before." Cassie said. "Maybe that's where the rainbow cross-guard is since it's in a secret hidden area."
"Definitely," Emmy said while examining the map carefully. "And it looks like we need to follow a river that will lead us to the pond where the falls are at."
"Is that the river right over there?" Cassie asked pointing to a river a few feet in front of them.
"Definitely!" Emmy said. "Let's follow it to the falls!"
With that being said, the two began to follow the river to their destination. But little did they suspect that they were secretly being watched by Maligna through her crystal ball.
"Hmmm. I sense these two have a very special bond of friendship," Maligna said before smirking. "That pink dragon, Cassie, does indeed have a kind and caring heart like Emmy, which makes their bond special."
Maligna pulled out her magic wand again, smirking evilly, and then held out her crystal ball in her other hand. "Let us use those feelings, especially her shyness, against them."
With that, Maligna waved her wand over her crystal ball and contacted Cyrus, who had also arrived at Rainbow Canyon. The sorceress instructed him to carry out a scheme to use against Emmy and Cassie. What that scheme is, we will find out shortly…
After a few moments of following the river, Cassie sees something ahead of them. "Emmy! Look!"
Emmy looked up and saw a large waterfall with a rainbow glowing from the middle part and stretching to one of the canyon walls and had a pond at the bottom.
"Prism falls!" Emmy said in excitement. "We made it!"
Emmy and Cassie then made their way to the falls before Emmy spoke up.
"Okay. Now it says here that there is a passageway behind the waterfall that will lead us to the grotto where the cross-guard is sealed." Emmy said. "Let's go."
The two then made their way up a few rocks toward the waterfall then made their way behind it to the passageway as said in the map.
Unknown to Cassie and Emmy, Cyrus was secretly following them carrying a small bottle in his hands.
"Time to finally give you two some payback for ruining my egg meals." Cyrus said with a smirk.
After a few moments of trekking through the passageway, Cassie and Emmy made it to a large door with a face. When they got in front of the door it began to speak.
"Welcome to the chamber of the rainbow cross-guard." The door said. "To enter and claim the relic within, you must answer one riddle."
Emmy and Cassie nodded to show the door they were ready...
"I have no walls, but you can lean on me and trust that you will not fall. I am neither clothing nor armor, but you can wear me, and I will protect you. You can put your faith in me, though I make no promises.
"What am I?"
Cassie and Emmy began to think of the answer to the riddle. They tried to come up with the answer for a few moments, but it's starting to become too difficult for Cassie to handle as she begins to feel hopeless that she may not find the answer.
"Ooh, I don't think we will find the answer." Cassie said as she began to feel a bit sad. "What if we fail? And Dragonland is doomed?"
"Don't say that, Cassie." Emmy tried to encourage her best friend. "We will find the answer."
"Aww. Having trouble, aren't we?" A voice suddenly said.
Emmy and Cassie turned in the direction of the voice and saw a troll that looks very similar to the one that taunted Emmy when she couldn't do a cartwheel at his bridge when they were delivering soup to Quetzal when he was sick.
"Hey." Emmy said with a glare. "Please get out of here, troll. We're trying to solve a riddle."
"Oh. Can you both solve the riddle?" The troll smirked at the two then looked at Cassie who was looking nervous at the troll. "It seems the little pink dragon can't solve the riddle. Just like how she can't do anything."
Cassie felt more scared, hurt and sad at the troll's words thinking he was right.
"Quiet troll!" Emmy shouted. "You don't know anything about us!"
"Oh, but I do." The troll continued. "Ask yourself little dragon. Are you really a hero to Dragonland and your friends and family? Or are you just too scared to do anything right or they will throw you away like yesterday's trash?"
Cassie never felt so hurt by the troll's words, but he continued. "You're scared to fail and have others be hurt because of you."
Emmy glared at the troll harder as she felt hurt herself by the troll hurting her best friend's feelings.
"Deep down, you know you will never truly be special. To everyone here, you, little dragon, are nothing and you always will be. A pity your family and everyone else never truly loved you."
That was the breaking point for Cassie. "He's right. (Sniff) I can't do anything. I'll fail and everyone will be hurt and never love me again." She began to cry then she began to shrink down as she always does whenever she feels sad.
"Oh Cassie!" Emmy shouted feeling worried for her best friend. "Please don't shrink!"
The troll chuckled then he began to grow bigger until he was about half the size of a giant.
When Emmy saw this a memory flashed in her head. Wait a minute. This is just like the fury goblin! When he made Max angry, he grew bigger. This troll is just like the fury goblin!
Emmy continued thinking. I need to help Cassie have faith and confidence in herself!
Emmy picked up tiny Cassie and held her in her open hands. "Cassie, listen to me. You're not a failure. And you're not worthless. You are special deep inside."
"How can you be so sure Emmy?" Cassie said her voice cracking sadly.
"Because if anyone here knows you more than this troll, it's me." Emmy said encouraging her best friend.
"I know you're scared to let everyone down and that's ok." Emmy said. "Because you care for everyone around you."
Cassie gasped in surprise. She never thought about that before. "Your kindness is what makes you strong and you want to do everything you can to help everyone around you. Remember when we volunteered with the dragon scouts and helped everyone in the garden."
"Yes." Cassie said.
"You wanted all of us to help because you know it's the right thing to do and you feel special helping everyone." Emmy said smiling.
"Oh, please little girl." The troll spoke up. "You think you can help your friend? Maybe you feel the same fears because you don't wanna let your baby brother and mommy and daddy down."
Emmy felt a bit hurt and scared by the troll and Cassie started to notice but Emmy knew the troll was trying to prey on her own fears too. But she couldn't let it budge. She had to stand up for her best friend.
"It's ok to feel scared to fail and it also ok to fail too." Emmy said making Cassie gasp in surprise. "But you know deep inside yourself you've always been special and your kindness and will to do what's right makes you strong."
"All you have to do…" Emmy said. "…is have faith and confidence in yourself."
Cassie felt inspired by Emmy's words as she never thought those things before. Deep inside her heart she already knows she's special and her kindness and will do what's right for everyone makes her strong.
Cassie put those words together in her head and heart and she began to believe in herself.
"You're right Emmy!" Cassie said as she began to grow back in size and the troll began to shrink making him feel nervous.
"You listen here troll!" Cassie said. "I am sacred to let everyone down. But my kindness is what helps me do everything!"
The troll continued to shrink. "No! No! No! Stop it! You know you can't do it! You just can't!" The troll begged but Cassie continued.
"You can't tell me I can't do anything! Because I can! I know I can, because I do believe in myself!" Cassie continued when Emmy realized something.
"Wait Cassie!" Emmy said. "I know the answer to the riddle!"
"You do?!" Cassie asked.
"Confidence!" Emmy shouted. "That's the answer!"
The two thoughts of the riddle again then Cassie gasped in joy, "You're right Emmy! My faith in myself and my kindness! That's the answer!"
The two made their way to the door again while the troll continued to try to insult them but ignored him until he shrunk to the size of a rat and was scurrying around making intangible squeaks.
Cassie and Emmy saw this and giggled at the tiny troll. Emmy then picked it up as it made more intangible squeaks before gently flicking it away.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The troll screamed as it flew away, making the two laugh out loud.
They arrived at the door again when the door spoke up again. "Have you two found out the answer?"
The two nodded yes.
"I shall ask one last time." The door began to repeat the riddle…
"I have no walls, but you can lean on me and trust that you will not fall. I am neither clothing nor armor, but you can wear me, and I will protect you. You can put your faith in me, though I make no promises.
"What am I?"
Cassie said with full confidence in herself. "You are confidence!"
The door smiled. "Congratulations! You have answered the riddle correctly! You may now enter and claim the rainbow cross guard."
The door opened to reveal the rainbow cross-guard sitting on a pedestal.
"The rainbow cross-guard!" The two said excitedly.
"We did it Cassie!" Emmy shouted happily.
"We did Emmy." Cassie said as she and Emmy hugged. "Thank you for helping me believe in myself. I couldn't have done this without you."
"You're welcome, Cassie." Emmy said.
Suddenly, Cassie's dragon badge began to glow making Cassie gasp in delight. "My dragon badge is glowing!"
Emmy smiled when she sees this happen like it always does when their dragon friends achieved something for themselves. "You earned this, Cassie."
"Now come on." Emmy said again. "Let's get the cross guard and get out of here."
The two grabbed the cross guard and made their way out of the grotto when the door spoke up again. "Good luck in your quest to defeat Maligna, you two."
The two nodded and made their way out of the cave.
Meanwhile, Cyrus who was outside of the cave waited till the moment to grab the rainbow cross-guard by order of Maligna.
Suddenly he heard a tiny chipmunk like scream then the tiny troll hit him in the nose.
"Ow!" He shouted before the troll scurried back inside a labeled bottle. "Stupid troll."
The label said, "Troll in a bottle: Guaranteed go ruin someone's day." It was in fact Maligna's creation before she gave it to Cyrus to ruin Emmy and Cassie's chances of getting the cross-guard.
Cyrus then saw Emmy and Cassie leave with the cross-guard. "Ooh, there they are! Now is my chance to swipe the cross-guard!"
He was about to charge at Emmy and Cassie when he got distracted by a nest full of dragon-bird eggs. "Oooohhh! Lunch! How about a little snack before I steal the cross-guard!"
He was about to eat an egg when the mother bird flew in and angrily poked Cyrus with its beak making him yell in pain!
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Cyrus yelled.
Cassie and Emmy heard faint yelling and were confused. "Emmy? Do you hear something?"
Emmy shrugged. "It's probably one of Dragonland's animals making calling noises."
Cassie nodded when she changed the subject. "Emmy, when the troll tried to hurt your feelings, what did he mean and why did it hurt you?"
Emmy was a bit nervous about that question. "It's nothing Cassie. Let's just say I have similar fears like you."
"Oh." Cassie said then smiled. "Then this riddle should be helpful for both of us."
Emmy smiled a bit. "Thanks Cassie."
The two made their way out of rainbow canyon.
Meanwhile Cyrus was still being poked by the bird when he scurried away from the next leaving the bird to care for her eggs.
"Ugh. Stupid bird! I just wanted an egg for lunch." Cyrus said when he saw Cassie and Emmy were gone. "They got away!"
He groaned. "Ooh, Maligna's not gonna be happy about this." Cyrus scurried out of the canyon to tell Maligna his failure and the harsh punishment she will inflict on him.