Chapter Twenty-Two – The Princess Returns
The wing trolls never did get visitors often, what with their kingdom being so secluded and boxed in by trees. Any visitor who came in peace would be welcomed, of course, though unexpected visitors were often seen as suspicious until their intentions were made known. However, most of the wing trolls remembered the kind, young Prince Ash who visited with his friends. The large black bird approaching the kingdom didn't raise any alarms when the wing trolls realized it was only Ebony.
Ariana practically sprinted outside when she heard the news, and Zephyr and Ellie couldn't even keep up with her. They arrived outside five minutes after Ariana did, just in time to be there when Ebony landed in the village. Harper and Prowlus slid off Ebony's back.
"Welcome back, friends!" Ariana greeted. "We didn't think we'd see you again so soon!"
"We come with an important message, Queen Ariana." Harper said. "A message for your entire family."
"For all of us?" Cobalt arrived, wheeling himself up to them.
"Hi birdy!" Ellie approached Ebony, and the dark phoenix nuzzled the child.
'It is imperative—actually, it is required that you join us.' Prowlus signed.
"Where are we going?" Zephyr asked.
"We are taking the royal family to the Mountain Troll Kingdom." Harper announced.
There was an immediate spike in anxiety. While there was a form of unspoken neutrality between mountain trolls and wing trolls, it was a tense neutrality to say the least.
"Why would we go there of all places?" Cobalt demanded.
"Grandfather, take it easy." Ariana soothed. "Please tell us why we are going there."
"Wait, we're really going?" Zephyr asked, perplexed.
'By the order of Prince Ash, Prince Prowlus, and the future Crowned Princess Harper, you are needed at a meeting in the Mountain Troll Kingdom to confirm a peace agreement.' Prowlus explained. 'A new development we have discovered could be the key to securing peace between the kingdoms, ensuring no possibility of war.'
Ariana, Zephyr, and Cobalt quietly discussed amongst themselves. After a bit of soft arguing, Cobalt had a resigned look, and Ariana approached Prowlus and Harper.
"We will join you. When will we leave?" Ariana asked.
"As soon as you have packed some warmer clothes." Harper said.
Bergens didn't like the cold. This was widely known, even to the trolls who lived nearby. Mountain trolls probably didn't know that bergens didn't like cold; but they still didn't see bergens very often. So when young Gris marched up to the gates and introduced himself in a friendly manner, the mountain trolls standing guard were puzzled and surprised. Still, they let him in and escorted him to the castle. The mountain trolls certainly took notice of this bergen child tiptoeing around the edge of the village, carrying two grey trolls on his shoulder. Queen Snowstar and King Yuki came outside to greet them.
"You seem familiar, bergen child." Yuki mused.
Gris was glad he packed a hoodie in his backpack. "My name is Prince Gris of Bergen Town. This is Iris and that's Zuli. We are here to announce the impending arrival of Prince Ash of the Troll Tree."
"Prince Ash?" Snowstar said happily. "How wonderful!"
"Yep! He's coming to hold a meeting." Gris explained. "The Wing Troll Kingdom royalty are also coming."
Yuki's and Snowstar's smiles disappeared. "Come again?" Yuki demanded.
"Prince Ash's orders." Iris said. "He's hosting a meeting to introduce your family and the wing troll family to a new piece of information that could lead to peace between your kingdoms."
"What could he possibly have to bring peace?" Yuki asked. "We're already in neutrality, anyway."
"Actually, perhaps it's not a bad idea." Snowstar said. "He's on his way here?"
"Yes." Gris nodded. "Can we set up a meeting space here in the castle? Also, is there somewhere warm I can make camp or something?"
"My guards will take you to a good place in the courtyard to keep warm." Snowstar said. "I will also tell the guards to escort your friends and the wing troll royalty to the castle."
"Thanks." Gris followed a few guards who arrived to guide him.
"Are you sure about this?" Yuki asked.
"Yes." Snowstar nodded. "Branch wrote to me, saying Ash was on a quest and might pass through here. Who knows? Perhaps, while wandering the wild woods, he found my son."
Prowlus, Harper, and Ebony arrived first with the wing troll royalty. Prowlus had switched his poncho for a fur-lined jacket. They were taken to the castle and into the throne room. There was a heavy feeling of apprehension in the air as the wing troll royalty sat in chairs set up by the thrones. Yuki and Cobalt locked eyes for only a moment. Cobalt noticed Yuki's hair looked whiter since they last met. Yuki hid his surprise at seeing Cobalt in a wheelchair.
"How lovely to see you again, Prince Prowlus." Snowstar said.
'Thank you. I am glad we were able to visit during our journey.' Prowlus signed, translated by Harper.
"I take it this was quite the adventure." Snowstar said.
"Yes, quite." Harper agreed. "And Prowlus and I are engaged!"
"Congratulations!" Yuki patted Prowlus on the back, inadvertently sending the shorter troll to the floor. "I'll be expecting a wedding invitation."
"I hope we will be invited as well." Ariana said.
"Of course!" Harper nodded. "If today works out, I see no reason why the wing and mountain troll royalty couldn't both come."
"I am interested in seeing this 'new development' of which you spoke." Cobalt mused. "What on earth could you have found that would secure peace between our kingdoms?"
"Especially after we lost two very important people." Yuki added.
A guard arrived at the double doors and announced, "Your Majesty, Prince Ash and his entourage are approaching."
"I guess we'll get our answer soon enough." Snowstar waved to the guard. "Bring them in."
The guards pulled the doors open fully, and Steve stepped inside. The crocodile carried Ash, Sir Tandeth, and Finny on his back. Finny sat between Ash and Sir Tandeth, hiding behind the grey prince. She wore Prowlus's poncho to cover her wings, which kept close to her body. She stared in awe at the royals sitting at the front of the room, and she gulped.
Ash patted Finny's hand that clung to his shoulder. "It's okay. Everything will be fine."
"What if they don't like me?" Finny whispered.
"Then shame on them." Ash whispered back. "If they don't take you in, I'll take you to my home."
Finny exhaled shakily, fighting to settle the butterflies in her stomach. She continued to hide behind Ash as they and Sir Tandeth slid off Steve and approached the thrones.
"Hi Queen Snowstar! Hi King Yuki!" Ash waved. "And hello Queen Ariana, King Zephyr, Princess Ellie, and King Cobalt! Thanks for coming out here."
"Well, when you said we were 'required' to come, curiosity compelled us." Zephyr chuckled.
"Yes, why did you call us together, young prince?" Cobalt asked.
"To tell you a story." Ash said. He noticed the confounded looks, yet no one protested to let him continue. Ash cleared his throat. "There was once a grey prince who set off to find his colors. He never did, but we'll ignore that for now. On his journey, he met the wondrous wing trolls. The grey prince had heard about the wing trolls thanks to stories from his father. The wing trolls were kind and welcoming, and the prince learned a lot about being a leader from the former king of the wing trolls. While he played and talked with the wing trolls, the prince remembered a story he heard about how the wing trolls always fought with the mighty mountain trolls. The prince was confused. The mountain trolls had been friends to his family for years, and the wing trolls were so nice. Why would the mountain trolls and wing trolls be fighting?
"When the prince heard the story of why the mountain trolls and wing trolls weren't friends, he became very sad. He wanted all trolls to be friends with each other, to stand together as all…..alley….." Ash scrambled to remember the word.
"Allies." An invisible Eclipse whispered in his ear.
"Allies!" Ash silently thanked her. "So while he was on his quest, the prince also started looking for two people the mountain trolls and the wing trolls lost a long time ago."
At this, Cobalt, Ariana, Yuki, and Snowstar perked up. "And did the prince find these two special people?" Snowstar asked hopefully.
"He did. He found them and told them that their families missed them." Ash explained. "At first, these two special people did not believe the prince. Then, a fire struck the forest, and the prince was separated from his new friends. They were lost and still can't be found. But something from both of them managed to stay with the prince, and now comes to you looking only for acceptance for who and what she is." Ash stepped aside, gently coaxing Finny forward. He helped her remove the poncho, and she shyly spread her feathery wings a little. Ash put on a bright smile. "I want you all to meet Phoenix, aka Finny, the daughter of Icestorm and Erika."
Wide eyes stared at Finny in shock. She waved with a small smile. "Hello. My parents talked a lot about you, especially my great-grandfathers."
"Oh really?" Yuki looked nervous.
"Yeah!" Finny nodded. "I mean, they explained why they left, but they thought of you all often. My parents would talk about their families and worry about them sometimes."
Ash noticed his friends had a similar reaction to Finny's lie. But there seemed to be a mutual understanding that no one would correct her. "I brought Finny here to prove to her that you would care to know about her." Ash told the royals. "What do you say?"
Snowstar, Ariana, Yuki, and Cobalt approached the children slowly. Ariana bent down a little to analyze Finny's face. "You have my sister's hair."
"But you have my son's eyes." Snowstar sighed, her tone a mix of sorrow and happiness.
"Absolutely beautiful." Cobalt breathed.
"Those wings are gorgeous." Yuki complimented.
Finny tucked her wings in closer out of shyness. "Thank you."
Cobalt wheeled himself closer, analyzing every part of Finny's face and her wings. "You have the prince's face. But I bet you learned to fly quickly, like a fish to water. You got that from my granddaughter."
"It was pretty easy to learn." Finny confirmed. "I just had to watch the birds." She noticed the tears on Cobalt's cheeks, and she stepped back a little. "Do I upset you?"
"No!" Cobalt wiped the tears away. "No, dear child, I'm not upset."
"Oh! These are happy tears!" Finny remembered what Ash explained the other day.
"Yes, we both have them." Yuki didn't cry, though his voice sounded funny.
"All of us." Snowstar confirmed. Ariana had to get a hug from Zephyr to stop crying herself.
"Hi cousin!" Ellie hugged Finny tightly. Finny tensed up a little and fought the urge to jerk away from the younger child.
Finny looked to Ash. "Thanks for convincing me to come up here."
"Yes, thank you, Ash." Snowstar said. "My son left me a letter before he disappeared. I suppose he did not want me to question why he was going. It still broke my heart. Knowing he lived a decent life, and even brought new life into this world, helps to mend the breaks."
"Are my sister and Icestorm…." Ariana didn't want to finish the question.
"They're alive, as far as we know." Ash said.
"After the fire, Erika got separated from us, along with Icestorm's snow phoenix, Frosty." Harper explained. "Icestorm went out to look for them, and asked that we take Finny to the Troll Tree to wait for them."
"But we can tell them to come here instead!" Finny suggested.
'We will indeed send that message along.' Prowlus assured.
"Good." Snowstar said. "Because I am in need of a new heir to the throne. Princess Phoenix, would you like to be that heir?"
"Not so fast, Queen Snowstar." Cobalt spoke up. "I must insist on a condition here. Phoenix has two sides to her family, and is part of two different kingdoms."
"Get to the point, Fairy Boy." Yuki snapped. He cleared his throat at Snowstar's pointed look. "Sorry."
"If I may continue, you hard-headed—" Cobalt shut his mouth when Ariana cleared her throat loudly. Cobalt sighed. "King Branch was right to punish us by allowing our grandchildren to leave us. We drove them away by holding tightly to an age-old feud. My prejudice towards your people was based on how I felt knowing one of my ancestors died in your kingdom."
"To be honest, my attitude towards your people was based on discriminatory stories told by my grandfather and father." Yuki said. "Finny, you tell us. You are part of two worlds, and we don't want to force you to choose between two parts of yourself. Tell us what you want."
"I want to be with both parts of my family, if I can." Finny requested. "I'll be the princess the mountain trolls need, but I don't want to never see the wing trolls again."
Yuki nodded. "Then I think it'll be settled once we have your coronation. King Cobalt, I think we're technically in-laws now."
"I must agree." Cobalt chuckled. "Let us host a coronation here for your new princess. Then she can come to the Wing Troll Kingdom to celebrate with another party."
"A wonderful idea." Yuki agreed. "Finny, your home will be here. When Icestorm and Erika return, they will also be welcome to live here. But you are free to visit the wing trolls whenever you'd like."
"As often as I can." Finny hugged the wing troll royals.
"Well what are we waiting for?" Snowstar asked. "We'll have a princess coronation tomorrow! We can save a huge party for your queen coronation and your birthdays. Let's get started!"
With Ash and his friends lending a hand, the party was planned in a matter of hours. The next day, everything was put together and word spread as fast as an avalanche cascading down a steep hill. A new princess? The daughter of the lost prince who ran away with the wing troll princess? And her wings are that of an angel's? Trolls were itching to meet the new little royal. The older members of the kingdom weren't totally sure about befriending wing trolls, but most of the villagers were happy to think that the threat of a possible war would finally be gone.
Villagers gathered in the square, stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of the new princess. A temporary platform was made for the occasion. Gris, Steve, and Ebony sat at the back of the crowd, with the rest of the traveling party on Gris's shoulders and head to watch. Ash, Prowlus, and Harper were with the other royals behind the platform.
"Milady?" A guard approached Snowstar. "Just a warning: the ice rats are very active today."
"Then tell the guards to keep their eyes peeled." Snowstar instructed. "Keep your bows on hand and your quivers full of arrows."
The guard saluted and walked off. 'What are ice rats?' Prowlus asked.
"The pest of the mountains." Yuki sighed. "They're mean and are always trying to get into the kingdom to steal food."
"They're also twice the size of a troll." Snowstar said. "And not exactly scared of a lot of things."
"Well that's scary." Ash admitted. "Should we reschedule the coronation?"
"Nah, they can't get in." Snowstar assured. "It would take an epic screw-up from a total idiot for them to get into the village."
Prowlus and Harper exchanged looks. 'Foreshadowing, much?' Harper signed.
'Hopefully not.' Prowlus signed back.
Snowstar and Yuki climbed to the top of the platform. Snowstar stepped forward to address her subjects. "Please welcome our esteemed guests! The royals of the wing trolls: King Cobalt, Queen Ariana, King Zephyr, and Princess Ellisa!" The wing trolls joined Snowstar and Yuki. There was an applause, even if some of the mountain trolls looked uneasy. "Please also welcome the royals of the Troll Tree Kingdom: Prince Ash, Prince Prowlus, and Prince Prowlus's fiancée Harper!" There was a louder applause as the mountain trolls recognized the two princes. Prowlus carried a tiara on a pillow. Snowstar waited patiently for quiet. "We gather this day for a momentous occasion! You all know of the disappearance of my son, Prince Icestorm. For years, we wondered if he was alive or dead, and where he might be. We feared he would be lost forever. Thanks to Prince Ash, we now have hope. While there is still some doubt of Icestorm's return, we have a part of him with us. Icestorm and Princess Erika had a child, who is with us today."
"Come on, Finny!" Ash whispered.
Finny stepped up onto the platform, trying to hide in her wings. Ash took her hand and guided her forward. Finny took a deep breath, and she spread her bird-like wings. There were gasps of awe and surprise from the crowd. No longer did Finny wear her ratty clothes from the forest. Now, she dressed in a floor-length wool gown with a fur-lined cape, and her hair was braided elegantly.
"This is Phoenix, daughter to Prince Icestorm and Princess Erika. Granddaughter to me, and great-granddaughter to my father and King Cobalt." Snowstar introduced. "Her parents' location is unknown, and she is in need of a home. I am in need of an heir. This child, my granddaughter, is hereby crowned Princess Phoenix, heir to the Mountain Troll Kingdom throne! With this coronation, we will create a secure peace between the mountain trolls and the wing trolls!" Snowstar took the tiara from Prowlus and placed it on Finny's head. The silver tiara was adorned with snowflake designs, and sparkled in her hair. Snowstar hugged the child before announcing to the kingdom, "All hail Princess Phoenix!"
There was a loud applause, and Finny's nervousness melted like snow in the summer. She smiled warmly and waved to the villagers. She looked to Ash with a thankful grin.
"Told you they'd like you." Ash said.
"Yeah." Finny sighed blissfully.
Soon, the party moved on to food vendors and a band playing in the square. Finny stuck close to her family, a little overwhelmed by the bombardment of questions from approaching villagers. Yuki and Cobalt, for the first time in their lives, worked together and fended off the curious trolls. Cobalt even held Finny on his lap so she could look out at everything in the kingdom.
Ash broke away from the party to be with his friends, who sat with Gristle around a small bonfire.
"This was a great idea, Ash." Harper said.
"Well done, my liege." Sir Tandeth complimented.
"I'm just glad they accepted Finny, like I hoped they would." Ash said. "Plus, it was nice to see the mountain trolls."
"You certainly have quite a lot of friends, kid." Iris chuckled. "You're a friendly guy."
"Thanks." Ash said with a grin. "Hey, why don't you guys go enjoy the party? Have a bit of fun before we head home tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Gris said hopefully.
"Yeah. I'm ready to go home." Ash nodded. "So let's enjoy our time here!" His friends agreed, and they left the bonfire to join the mountain trolls.
Iris stayed behind. "Um, kid? Remember when I said I didn't want to be seen by the Moonlight Kingdom trolls?"
"I know." Ash assured. "Trust me. Everything will be okay. Go enjoy yourself. I have to get in touch with my parents." Iris smiled a little, and she left Ash alone. Ash pulled out the compact mirror and spoke the spell.
With Branch and Peppy taking care of royal duties and Poppy babysitting Sparkler, Rosiepuff was the only one at home who could pick up the call.
"Well hello, Ash!" Rosiepuff greeted. "We recently got a letter from Snowstar, saying you had arrived to spend the night. I hope this means you'll be coming home soon."
"Yep!" Ash confirmed. "We're at the Mountain Troll Kingdom now, and we're coming down the mountain tomorrow!"
"I'm glad. I know you really needed this little adventure, but we've missed you." Rosiepuff said.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. We're having quite the party up here!"
"Oh? What for?"
"It's a long story, but guess what? The mountain trolls and wing trolls aren't going to fight anymore! I'll tell you all about it when I get home!"
"Okay, travel safe! Listen to Yuki and Snowstar if they say it's too dangerous to go down the mountain."
"I will. Tell Mom and Dad and Grandpa we'll be back soon!"
"I will. Love you!"
"Love you!" Ash hung up. Rosiepuff set the mirror down and sighed in relief. It would be so nice to have Ash back home. Already, she could tell he had grown much during his time away. She hummed happily as she picked up her teacup and headed back into the living room.
"Hello."
Rosiepuff jumped, managing to catch her cup but spilling the tea. She looked up and saw someone she recognized even after ten years. "Princess Erika?"
"He's in the mountains?" Erika asked.
"Who?"
"Ash."
"Um, yes. He and his friends went to the Mountain Troll Kingdom and—" Rosiepuff didn't get to finish before Erika darted out the door. Rosiepuff ran after her. But when she got to the door, Erika had already taken off into the sky. "Well that was odd…" Rosiepuff murmured.
The party started winding down as the skies grew darker. Trolls wandered off towards home, and Finny was falling asleep even while standing up.
"All of you are welcome to stay in the castle." Snowstar told Ash and his friends. "As for Prince Gris and your animals, we can help them set up camp in the courtyard behind the castle."
"Thanks, Queen Snowstar, for everything." Ash said.
"We're hoping to be able to go home tomorrow." Harper said.
"I think you'll be okay to do that." Snowstar assured. "For now, it's time for bed."
"No way." Finny yawned, swaying on her feet. "I'm ready for more excitement."
"I don't think so." Yuki scooped up Finny into his arms. "Time for all of us to go to bed, I think."
"I must agree." Ariana said, holding her daughter who was already asleep.
Ash yawned a little, rubbing his eyes. Prowlus chuckled and tousled his hair. 'You ready to go home?'
"Definitely." Ash nodded. "I can't wait." He and Prowlus paused when they heard something crash in the distance, and they turned to see the maypole from the party had fallen. "Must be taking down the decorations." Ash guessed. Then, a flagpole fell, and another flagpole fell, and then something else crashed, and then the trumpet player played a cacophonous note while the other musicians shouted in surprise. The noise finally caught the others' attentions.
"What's that?" Zuli asked.
"Please tell me that's not what I think it is." Yuki groaned.
"Your Majesty!" a guard ran up to Snowstar and Yuki. "Um, remember those ice rats I mentioned earlier?"
"Just tell me who let them get in." Snowstar droned.
"Kevin."
"Of course it was. Remind me to give him stable-mucking duty when this is over."
"What's so bad about ice rats?" Zephyr asked.
"Do you ever get pests?" Snowstar asked.
"Every now and then." Cobalt answered. "Nasty little weasel creatures called slinky critters. Doesn't take much to get rid of the little buggers."
"I'm guessing these 'little buggers' are small." Yuki said.
"Yes, and?" Cobalt followed Yuki's point, as did everyone else, and eyes widened and jaws dropped.
Ice rats were indeed twice as big as trolls. More specifically, they were twice as big as mountain trolls, who were already bigger and burlier than rainbow and wing trolls. They had rough, spiky blue fur and oversized buck teeth. The ice rats went for the food set up for the coronation, and the mountain trolls were quick to get out of the way. Some of the ice rats started sniffing into the mountain trolls' homes and hissing at anyone trying to get in the way.
"Vicious little beasts, aren't they?" Zuli mused.
"Get back into the castle!" Yuki urged. "We can handle this!"
"I'll help!" Ash offered.
"It's too dangerous." Snowstar said.
"No, really! I have magic!" Ash insisted. "Please, let me help!"
"I as well, Queen Snowstar." Sir Tandeth drew his sword.
"Okay, fine. Just be careful!" Snowstar ordered. "Dad, take the others back to the castle."
"Here, hold her!" Yuki dropped Finny into Cobalt's lap. Then he grabbed the handles of Cobalt's wheelchair and pushed him towards the castle.
"Unhand my chair at once!" Cobalt complained.
"Not now, Grandfather!" Ariana handed Ellie to Zephyr. "Go! Get to safety!" Ariana went straight into the fight with Snowstar, Ash, Prowlus, and Sir Tandeth. Everyone else ran for the castle and sanctuary. Prowlus utilized all his hair-jitsu knowledge to dodge ice rat attacks. Sir Tandeth and Snowstar each had their own sword to beat the rodents away. Ash launched magical blasts. Unfortunately, the ice rats would not be deterred so easily. When the pack realized they had strong adversaries attempting to stop them, the ice rats began to fight back.
"Whoa!" Ash yelped as he avoided a snap from a rat. "These things really bite!"
"Do they invade very often?" Ariana asked.
"No, of course not." Snowstar stabbed her sword into one of the ice rats. "But when they do, they're nasty! They've been trying to get in for days to avoid the storms."
"We got this!" Ash assured.
"Stand firm, my friends!" Sir Tandeth beat down every ice rat that attacked, but another would take its place a second later.
Ash thought quickly. What could he do to get these ice rats out of here? There had to be something. Then, Ash saw something that horrified him: his friends had returned. Gris, Harper, Iris, Zuli, and Finny had come back to help fight the ice rats. Even Ebony and Steve had joined the battle.
No. No, no, they might get hurt! Ash started running for his friends. He grunted in pain when a rat tail smacked him in the stomach and sent him tumbling. "Nonna, where are you?"
"Always close by." Eclipse appeared, visible only to Ash.
"I need a spell. Something to get all these ice rats out of here." Ash pleaded.
"The first one that comes to mind is the easiest, but will take a lot of energy." Eclipse warned.
"If it will help my friends, then I'll do it!" Ash persisted. "Please, Nonna!"
"Well, it won't kill you; so if you're willing, let's do it." Eclipse nodded.
Prowlus grabbed an ice rat's muzzle in his hair to stop it from biting Snowstar. "Thanks, Prowlus!" Snowstar called. "Where's your brother?"
Prowlus looked around, and he spotted Ash running through the fight. What is he doing?
Ash stopped in the middle of the pack, and he whistled loudly. "Hey you stupid rats!" He caught most of the ice rats' attention, and Ash exhaled softly. He focused his magic, and he spoke the incantation with a strong voice. "Fear, I command you to consume my enemies/ Show me their nightmarish dreams/ Bring forth an image to make them run/ If they don't flee, let them be done."
The snow and ice around Ash swirled up into the air as though blown by wind. Everyone stopped and stared, even the ice rats, amazed by the magic. Ash's hands were engulfed in a blue glow. The ice and snow came together, creating a clowder of cats that were bigger than even the ice rats. At Ash's command, the snow-and-ice cats attacked the ice rats. The ice rats tried to fight back, at first. It soon became clear that this wasn't the best idea. The cats batted and clawed at the ice rats, even swallowing a couple of them whole. The mountain trolls cheered when they recovered from their shock, realizing that Ash was beating back the ice rats on his own.
But Ash was getting tired. A spell like this—creating animated figures from inanimate objects—required a lot of energy. Even Branch and Rosiepuff, who each had intensely strong magic themselves, would tire easily from such a spell, depending on how long they kept the enchantment going. Ash fought to stay awake, pushing out more magic to keep the snow-and-ice cats alive. While some had the sense to make a run for it, the ice rats were still putting up a fight.
I won't stop. Ash groaned a little, putting as much energy out as he could. I have to protect my friends. I am not a weak little kid. Well, I guess I am a kid, but I'm strong. I'm the prince of the Troll Tree. I'm a magician from a long line of sorcerers. More importantly, I'm a protector of my friends. They were always there for me, so I'll always be there for them! Even when I was a jerk to them, they didn't give up on me, never abandoned me. I'm going to be the best friend to them that I can be, and that includes keeping them safe from anything!
His determination fueled his magic, and Ash's eyes even started glowing a little. The snow-and-ice cats fought back ferociously, and the ice rats finally retreated to avoid being eaten or killed. One the last ice rat was gone, Ash let the magic fade. The snow-and-ice cats slowed to a stop, freezing in place like snow sculptures.
Ash panted a little. He smiled goofily. "Well…that was fun…"
"Ash!" Zuli called.
"That was amazing!" Snowstar joined Ash's friends as they rushed to the grey child.
"Absolutely incredible!" Harper agreed.
"Thanks." Ash sighed. "You all okay?"
"We're fine, kid." Iris assured.
"I had to make sure." Ash swayed noticeably. "You guys are my friends, and I love you goofs."
Gris laughed. "We're goofs? If we are, you are too."
"I can accept that." Ash tilted forward, and Prowlus caught him.
"Rest up, Ash." Finny encouraged. "Thank you."
"My pleasure. Love you, guys." Ash's eyes fluttered shut.
"We love you, too." Harper joined Prowlus to give Ash a hug. Zuli and Finny piled on, followed by Sir Tandeth, Iris, and even Gris. All of Ash's friends encircled the sleeping prince in a gentle hug.
Zuli noticed something. "What's happening?"
The friends backed away, with Prowlus cradling Ash. Everyone watched, awestruck, as a light passed over Ash's body. His wild hair turned dark pink like his grandfather and mother. Ash's grey skin brightened to a blue just like his father's.
"His colors." Harper breathed.
"So these are his true colors?" Finny asked. "This isn't just some weird magic thing?"
"Nope." Harper blinked her tears away. "These are his true colors, finally shining through."
"But how?" Iris asked. "How did this happen?"
"We can ask him when we wakes." Snowstar assured. "For now, we should get him to bed."
Prowlus lifted Ash in his arms and held him close as the weary travelers returned to the castle. Prowlus hugged his little brother. You did it, Ash. You've found your happiness at last.