Chapter 25
"Look
who I found!" Dabble exclaimed, running excitedly into Mother Ona's
temple. All those present, including Ian and Lokey, looked up irritably, but
immediately changed their reaction when they saw who was behind him.
"CRYSTAL!!!"
they exclaimed. She staggered in inside with a wide grin, carrying Pandora in
her arms and the two men rushed her. Ian took Pandora from her arms, and Lokey
quickly dispelled the magic on Pandora, then turned before she'd even awakened
and lifted Crystal off the ground in a fierce bear hug.
"You
act like you all were worried," Crystal said, almost afraid of Lokey's
exuberance.
"Crystal,
it's been three days!" Lokey said firmly. "Magbert and Dabble have
been out looking for you every day. What happened to you?"
"I
got lost," she said lamely.
Lokey
and Ian looked at her in disbelief. "You got lost?" they echoed.
"That's
what I said," Dabble agreed, looking up at them all.
"Yeah,
but I got help from..." she began, but Pandora sat up.
"Did
we win?" she asked groggily.
"You
came back!" Ian exclaimed, hugging her gently.
"So
I did," she agreed. "I guess Crystal's plan worked?"
"It
did," Crystal replied, "but not nearly as simply as I had
hoped."
"Start
explaining," Lokey said, sitting her down in a chair.
Crystal
was explaining how Vixen had helped her by shrinking Gerald and leading her
back to Pandora's tree when Magbert came in, a haggard look on his face. She
stopped speaking to look at him.
"Crystal,"
he said, almost sighing.
"Magbert!"
she smiled, too tired to go to him. Realizing that the two would end up
collapsing from exhaustion before they ever got to touch each other, Lokey
gently propelled Magbert to her chair, then lifted her out of it, sat Magbert
down and placed Crystal in his lap. Gratefully, they embraced each other in
silence for a few moments.
"You
can't know how worried I was about you," Magbert said at last.
"Yes,
I can," she replied. "It's the same feeling I had about you when I
heard all the noise from Gerald's camp. I was so afraid..."
"I
love you..." he murmured to her.
"And
I love you..." she replied. Ian, Lokey and Pandora sat watching the two of
them, then Pandora laughed gently.
"I
think they're asleep," she smiled.
"I
think they're gross," sighed Dabble.
"I
think you've all had enough for three days and you all need sleep," said
Mother Ona, speaking at last. "A deep, healing, restful sleep." She
began chanting and the temple filled with a light green-smelling fragrance that
had them all alseep where the were within minutes.