Chapter thirteen : The final rescue

It was hard to know how, but Princess Langwidere had managed to find Strawberry Shortcake in the mze of the underground palace. She was holding the three eggs laid by Billina. Strawberry Shortcake, Billina and Glinda, and even the Berrykin and the Nome king, looked at her with great surprise.

-When I came inside your palace; she said calmly, I asked a gnome to lead me to princess Evy, and he didn't dare to disobey to Ev's ruler. So, he took me to your dungeon, but you had already left. I picked up the eggs, and we searched you in the whole palace.

She gave the eggs to Strawberry.

-There are yours now.

-But it's too late for you! The Nome King cried with delight. "Now, I've got the whole Royal Family of Ev in my prison!"

-Really? Princess Langwidere retorted. "I'm not your prisoner yet."

-Yes, you will be! The Nome King replied. "Guards, catch them!"

-Strawberry! Billina shouted. "My eggs! Throw them in the Nome King!"

And, even if it was a weird idea, but Strawberry threw the eggs in the Nome King. The two first ones hit him on the stomach, and the last one reached his head. At the beginning, nothing happened. Then, the Nome King started to give off fumes. He started to whimper, while he was shrinking and shriveling up. His stone skin crumbled, and his voice vanished. He achieved to transform himself in a pile of dust.

-The Nome King is allergic to eggs, Tik-Tok explained.

-Is he… dead? Strawberry Shortcake asked slowly. Even if the Nome King was particularly mean, it was hard to assist on someone's agony.

-Certainly, The Berrykin answered tercely.

After that, free the Royal Family seemed to be a piece of cake. Tik-Tok forced the door thanks to his superhuman strength, and after Strawberry assisted on the longest scene of hugging and kissing, but after all, it was normal: they had been separated for a so long time! When the Ev Queen noticed Strawberry Shortcake, she asked Langwidere to explain who this little girl was. Strawberry Shortcake, who was no longer amnesic, told them the story of his "adoption".

-Well, you had nowhere to go, Ev Queen concluded, "So, Princess Langwidere did you a favor, didn't she?"

Strawberry Shortcake politely agreed.

The gnomes were so worn out by the death of their king that they didn't attack the Royal Family when they left the underground palace. Then Ginda and the Berrykin had to come back to Ev, while Strawberry and the rulers came back to Ev, where they had a little conversation about their future.

-I suppose Princess Langwidere will no longer be the ruler? Strawberry Shortcake asked to the ex Queen of Ev.

-It's up to her. I've been locked in this horrible jail for so long that I want to fully enjoy life now. Maybe my age of retirement is come… But let's speak about you. Do you want to stay with us?

-Me?

-Yes, you. Princess Langwidere had already adopted you as her daughter, right? So, you are officially a descendant of our family. You'll live here forever, with all your cousins-my children-, and you'll never have to worry about anything anymore. Everything will be alright.

-It's very generous but… I can't agree.

-Why? Are your biological parents waiting for you?

-In fact, I don't have "parents"… But I have friends, who are waiting for me in my country, Strawberry Land. They are like a family for me. And… (Strawberry giggled) "I don't think Princess Langwidere wants not more longer to be a mother."

-Maybe. But we'll help her.

-I'm sorry, but… I don't feel in the right place here. I want to go back in Strawberry Land.

-Alright, Evy… or Strawberry Shortcake, if it's your real name. I'll tell my niece you made your mind.

The next morning, Glinda visited Strawberry Shortcake. The Berrykin wasn't with her. Maybe he wanted to compensate his lingered stay with Strawberry Shortcake by an absolute loneliness.

-Hello, my friend. How are you? I heard you want to leave us.

-I'll never forget you, Glinda, and you know it, Strawberry Shortcake said, embarrassed. "It's just that this world is too dangerous and absurd for me.

-Yes, but you especially want to come together again with your friends instead of enjoying the great opportunity the marvelous Princess Langwidere lies before you. Good Lord! You can be a princess and you turn this luck off! Do you realize what you are doing?

-Trust me, Glinda, I don't want to be a princess. I don't need to be rich or powerful to be happy.

-You scarify yourself for stupid little girls who don't worth it, Glinda said curtly. "Look at them in my crystal ball."

Glinda got a crystal ball out of her bag. Strawberry Shortcake, intrigued, came nearer. She was as surprise by Glinda's behavior as by what she would see in the crystal ball. Her friend didn't use to be so scornful!

-Are you ready, Strawberry Shortcake? She asked;

Strawberry nodded. The ball started to flickered and shined… and then Strawberry could see the scenery of seashore, as distinctly as if she was watching TV. She could distinguish her friends, playing in the water and laughing.

-We're having so much fun! Coco Calypso cried.

-Unfortunately, Strawberry Shortcake isn't with us, Seaberry Delight answered.

-Please, Seaberry, Raspberry Torte cut, "Don't pretend you liked her. I always thought she was a stuck-up madam."

-Me too! Angel Cake added. "I couldn't stand her Miss Know-It-All air. She drowned; good riddance!"

Even Apple Dumplin' seemed to have forgotten her. Then, the ball became muddled, as Strawberry's eyes were filling with tears. She has seen her best friends enjoying her death! She had played with them, helped them, comfort them, laugh with them… but she had been living with a bevy of hypocrites.

-So? Glinda asked with a triumphant air.

-I don't understand, Strawberry sobbed. "I thought they were my friends…"

-Now, you understand why you must stay in Ev. Princess Langwidere is really a great person, you know. She'll never betray you, unlike those little pests.

At that moment, Strawberry Shortcake noticed a change in Glinda's outfit. She was wearing a odd bracelet with a tiny ruby key on the left wrist.

-Princess Langwidere! Strawberry shouted. "Where is the real Princess Glinda?"

Luckily, Glinda was found safe and sound in Langwidere's cabinet, but unconscious and "wearing" another head. The ex-queen of Ev forced Langwidere to give her back her first appearance. She had used the head to set a trap for Strawberry Shortcake and to convince her to stay in Ev forever… only for her public image.

After Glinda's recovery, Strawberry Shortcake decided it was time for her to go back in Strawberry Land. All her newest and older friends said her goodbye, and promised her they would never forget her. The ex-Queen of Oz said she would use "As brave as Strawberry Shortcake" as a proverb, Billina promised she would dedicate her all her eggs, Tik-Tok decided he would tell her story to everyone, Glinda gave her a root of the magic tree covered with lunch boxes, and a repentant Princess Langwidere gave her sumptuous dresses.

-My dear friends… Straberry said; "I love you so much but… I feel I need to be alone to make the trip back.

In reality, she couldn't bear anymore the tears of her friends. She joined again the beach where she had washed up, week before, but she found any clue about the way to join Strawberry Land. She was sadly wandering on the beach when she heard someone call her name. She turned back: it was the Berrykin.

-Are you lost?

-Are you tender?

-You don't understand yet who I am? You are slow to the uptake. I am…

The Berrykin widened and slimed down in a sandstorm. He turned into...

-The police officer! Strawbery cried, horrified. "Does it means you where with me… during all this time?"

-Yes, my dear.

But he had lost some of his assertiveness and his presence. Maybe it was out of tiredness of chasing after Strawberry Shortcake.

-Alright, said the latter, resigned. "What are you going to make me suffer? Will you send me on a horror novel?"

-Oh, my dear, this time I'll won't punish you.

-Why?

-Do you remember the last time, when this girl with purple hair and glasses explained me I had made a mistake? As the members of the Literary Squad never make mistakes, I've been fired.

-So, you're… you are not a policeman anymore?

-No, my dear.

-I suppose it's my own fault. What are you going to do know?

-Even if you had spoiled my life, I think I'll use my powers to transport you in Strawberry Land.

-Does it mean we could be friends?

-It's a bit hasty.

But, as Strawberry Shortcake was flying over the Ocean, on the officer's back, she remembered Glinda's last words:

-Whatever you'll try to do, believe in yourself. You are a trusty-of-the-name Princess…

The end (definitively).