"Okay." Mariposa said as she and Zee flew towards the edge of Shimmervale "Trolls. I've never met a troll. You?"

"Nu-huh!" Zee said emphatically "Good thing too!"

Mariposa looked back at the city of Crystalites behind them "You ready?"

"No!"

"Then let's go!" She grabbed the puffball and took off "We've got to cover as much ground as possible before it gets dark."

Zee just groaned "Yadda yadda yadda. Do you even remember how to get there?"

"Mm-hm." Mariposa nodded "We head towards the Cecitanni Mountains." she pointed towards some tall shadowy figures in the distance "That way."

"Maybe you should get Willa." Zee suggested "You know?"

"Willa's in Shimmervale." the fairy replied "And it's far behind us now."

Zee sighed "Oh boy."

"She's going where!?" Willa exclaimed "She's going to face Henna and her army of Skeezites alone!?"

Carlos nodded solemnly "It's not the first time she's faced danger." everyone knew he was just trying to reassure them... and himself.

"But she was never alone!" Will added exasperated "When the lights went out the first time she was with Rayna and Rayla! Don't envy her there, but... Then she had a flutterPixie with her! With Gwillion she had Catania!"

Talayla nodded slowly "Why didn't you go with?"

"She wouldn't let us." Carlos answered "I tried." he looked down at his shoes "I was hoping maybe you could catch up with her."

"With those Mundo Wings?" Willa shook her head "You have to be kiddin'!"

"And besides," Talayla added "Willa nor I know anything about the Bewilderness or anything else." a slow smile crossed her face "We don't read."

Catania and Carlos looked at each other.

"You know." The Crystal Princess said "She didn't say I couldn't come. And suppose I take you with me?"

Carlos nodded, his face instantly lighting up "Let's go!"

Willa and Talayla watched as the Prince and Princess flew away.

"I am so not telling their parents!" Willa said quickly.

"Someone has to." Talayla glanced at the Crystal Palace "I tell Marabella!"

Willa groaned "Aw man!"

"We should be there soon." Mariposa sighed.

Zee looked around then looked at the butterfly fairy "You lonely?"

"A little bit." Mariposa answered "It's just... I've never done something like this without another fairy." her hugged herself "I'm kind of scared. Maybe I should have let Carlos come."

"Um... Mariposa."

"No. Definitely not."

"Mariposa..."

"If anything ever happened to him I'd..."

"MARIPOSA!"
"What?"

Zee turned Mariposa around "AHH!"

Flying right at them were a whole band of skeezites!

Mariposa's gaze flew to the sun to see it almost completely below the horizon.

"Oh no... How could I have not noticed!?"

"You were worrying!" Zee answered "Now it's my turn... AHHH!"

Mariposa grabbed the puffball and sped off. Her large wings giving her an advantage over the skeezites.

"We're gonna die!" Zee screamed "Good bye, Anu!"

Up ahead, she spotted the Bewilderness, and all it's jumbled vines that had gaps big enough for a fairy to enter but not a Skeezite.

She dove through one of the gaps and listened as the skeeztes whammed straight into the thick vines.

"Why does she do that every time?" One of them groaned.

"We'd better tell the little lady." Another one said.

Mariposa looked over at Zee "Henna. We'd better hurry."

"When the sun rises." Zee added "We stop now!"

Mariposa looked up at the darkening sky "You're right. We'd better stop and find somewhere safe to sleep."

As soon as the sun rose the next morning, Mariposa and Zee set off again.

The puffball hummed some parade music and bopped around while Mariposa watched for the stone mermaid with the flower that marked the center of the Bewilderness.

"She said it's not in the exact middle." she said to herself "But it's somewhere close." she looked around "I wish Zinzy was still here. She'd probably know exactly where to go."

Zee turned in several circles "Do trolls live underground?"

Mariposa pulled a book out of her pouch and flipped through it "They... live anywhere. From clouds to underground."

"So there might be trolls beneath us!?"

"Yeah."

"Spooky!"

Mariposa returned her book to it's place and looked around. The only thing that was anywhere near was... trees. Lots and lots of trees. Bit trees. Little trees. A HUGE tree, and a couple the size of a mouse. Dead ones, live ones. She shivered as a cold wind blew by "Looks like rain."

"AHH!" Zee screeched as a bolt of lighting split the sky.

Dark clouds covered the sun, casting a cold dark shadow on the world below.

"We'd better find some shelter." Mariposa said "Skeezites come out during storms because it's dark."

Zee looked around frantically then spotted a small cave "There!" without waiting a second, she dove for it.

Mariposa followed, and pretty soon was watching as large drops of water began to pound the earth.

About five minutes later, they could hear Skeezites shouting to each other over the rain and thunder.

"I don't think there's any butterfly fairies out in this weather!" One shouted.
"It never hurts to look!" Another answered.

There was several minutes of silence before a very loud, excited skeezite shouted "Look! Fairies!"

Mariposa gasped and looked out the opening to the small cave. She could see the skeezites chasing someone, but she couldn't see who.

Catania and Carlos had just reached the center of the Bewilderness when it had started pouring rain.

"Cold cold cold cold cold!" Catania squealed "COLD!"

Carlos chuckled slightly "Come on. There's got to be somewhere to get out of the rain."

"I hope so. This rain is cold!"

"Look! Fairies!" something shouted behind them.

"Skeezites!" Carlos groaned "Come on!" he immediately picked up speed, Catania right behind him.

"Yummy!" one of the five that were following laughed "Fairy fairy fairy!"

Because of the rain, the two fairies couldn't fly as fast as usual... unlike the skeezites.

"We're never going to make it!" Catania cried.

Just then, something pink shot towards them from the ground, and the next thing they knew, someone grabbed their wrists and they were being pulled through the rain at lightning speed.

"What are you two doing here!?" Mariposa asked, weaving through the trees.

"We came to help you!" Catania answered, flapping her wings as fast as possible "We couldn't let you do it on your own!"

"Down!" Mariposa dove under a partially fallen tree, then listened as a couple of skeezites ran into it "It's too dangerous!"

"And it's too dangerous for you to be alone!" Carlos responded "And it's too late to go back now!"

Mariposa glanced over her shoulder "We've still got two right behind us! Hang on!" her wings began to beat even faster.

"Whoa!" Catania gasped "Fast!"

Just then, a HUGE tree came into view, bigger than any of them had ever seen before.

A large hole close to the bottom opened and a short creature began to wave at them "Come on! Hurry! Down here!"

"Do you think it's safe?" Catania asked.

Mariposa shrugged "I don't think we have a choice!" then she dove straight down towards the tree.

As soon as they flew through, the hole was slammed back shut and a loud *THUD* from the skeezites followed.

"Thank you." Mariposa said around gasps of air.

"I... have never... flown that fast." Carlos huffed "My wings couldn't keep up!"

"Mine either!" Catania said "Mariposa! You can fly!"

Mariposa laughed "Sorry." then she turned to their rescuer. Her eyebrows raised "You're... a troll!"

The short creature nodded "Yep."

Catania smiled brightly "Just who we're looking for!"

The troll smiled "Hi! I'm Hervey, the lead troll!" Hervey was about three feet tall, his skin a greenish color. He had whisps of orange hair on top of his head and an orange mustache. His hands, feet and ears were quite large.

"I'm Mariposa." Mariposa smiled then motioned to the other two "This is Prince Carlos and Princess Catania."

"Ah! From Flutterfield and Shimmervale!" Hervey nodded "Well, since you found our hideout the easy way, your four riddles are going to be extra hard!"

"Okay."

Hervey cleared his throat "You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?" he crossed his arms and waited.

Marposa smiled "An ear of corn. You throw away the husks and cook the corn. Then you eat the corn then throw away the cob."

"Hm. You are smart." the troll scratched his head "Okay. Here's the next one. What goes up and down stairs without moving?"

"A rug." Carlos answered "There are several of those in the castle."

Hervey frowned "I'll have to think up a harder one. Let's see... Aha! I can run but not walk. Wherever I Go, thought follows close behind."

Catania giggled "It's your nose!"

Mariposa smiled "One more?"

"You are a trio of the some of the smartest fairies I've ever met!" Hervey said "How did you know those so fast?"

"We like to read." Mariposa answered.

"Oh." The troll nodded "Okay. Last question. It's only inside but can be seen from the out. And though only two can share it, millions can find it. What is it?"

Mariposa's eyebrows lowered "Umm..." she looked over at Catania.

"Sounds like a milkshake." Catania said "But that isn't right."

Hervey's eyebrows lurched "You don't know the answer?" he pointed to Mariposa and Carlos "I thought you two would have caught it!"

Mariposa and Carlos looked at each other confused. What was the answer?