Winter Solstice...

The Full Moon had been waning as the Winter Solstice drew nearer which meant that the Dowager was running out of time.  The Nytemares were busy trying to find everyone she had written a message to and then rush them back to the Shadows' King castle.

The first to arrive was Awena which the Dowager was very glad to see.  Griselda had quickly grabbed her and took her down into the depths of the library where the Shadows' King had been holed up for the past several days.

As they entered the library, Awena said, "I know there is a prophecy about the Wish Dragon.  Now you are telling me that the King and his daughter are Nyte Shades?  And that they are also going to be affected because they are?"

"Yes to both," answered the Dowager, "and in a way that I am afraid that will put others at risk according to what Ffion has shared with me."

As they approached their destination, a green glow was emanating from under the door to room 101.  When they knocked they had already decided not to wait for an answer and rushed in before the King could refuse seeing them.  What they saw was a surprise!  Both spied the King sitting on a low stool with his head in his hands.  His clothes, normally clean and spotless, were rumpled and dirty.  His hair stuck out in all directions, no longer combed and braided, but the part that shocked them the most was the defeated look in his eyes.

As they rushed to his side to find out what ailed him, the Dowager was first to speak.  "What is it King Hunter?" she asked as Awena placed her hands on his slumped shoulders.  Awena could feel the tension and frustration that was floating around the King but also something she thought she would never see in him.  She could feel his despair!  Slowly the King looked up at them and in a weary voice asked, "What do you know about the Dragon tablet?"

"Very little," the Dowager replied.  "Other than what the flutterby just shared with me a little while ago.  It has been located and coming here by way of a Borrower as well as with your faithful Scribe, Dulbbe."  ​

"Then there is hope!" murmured the King.  Slowly he stood up with a little wobble since he truly hadn't eaten much in days.  He placed the silk cover over the green glowing crystal ball that had been beside him.  While he was doing this, the Dowager was sharing that she had felt the need to assemble everyone in the King's garden, while she was apologizing that she had used his personal messengers the Nytemares.  The King nodded to her as he picked up the crystal ball and proceeded to leave the library room.  "I agree," answered the King.  Appearing to gain strength from all that he was hearing from the Griselda, he continued, "We will all assemble in the garden as soon as everyone is here, especially Hungry.  He is the key element and now it seems is his time.  I had hoped to give him more time by sending him to his teachers when he first arrived in the Shadows' Realm.  When the tablet had been taken, it started the process and whether or not he is ready, it seems that Hungry will now be coming into his power."​

By the next night, the night of the Winter Solstice, all were there. From Hungry, the little Wish Dragon, to his teachers like Hewy, Dewin, and even Efem, the Tree Mother.  Also attending was the Troll King, Druzzy, and the Gooblin King, Hir'aeth.  Most were there to help support the lil' Dragon through whatever would happen next, but not all had pure motives.

King Hunter, the Shadows' King, lead everyone out into his garden and then down a trail and through a veil of hanging vines that parted as the participants approached.  Hidden inside was a secluded garden of Moonflowers which surrounded a small stone bench in the center.  The night was black with the new moon and only a handful of dimly shining stars were in the sky but everyone could see the white trail of stones that lead through the Moonflowers and surrounded it.

"Hungry, would you please sit yourself on the stone bench in the center of the garden?"  asked King Hunter while directing the others to stand in a circle around the bench and the now seated Dragon.  "Arnie, as I understand it, you have my tablet?" asked Hunter to the Borrower who was trying to hide behind some of the others in the circle.

With a bowed head, Arnie approached the King while offering the tablet in her hands.  "It is the one time I am sorry that I 'borrowed' something Sire Sir," Arnie meekly replied.  Hunter gently took the tablet from her hands.  "You are forgiven, for it was all part of the prophecy and you were just the element that sparked the beginning of it," the King told her.

He then turned to Awena of the Sleeping Sisters and asked, "Did you bring the Blue Rose with the Tear that your Order has been watching over for eons?"

"Yes," Awena answered.  "We too felt it would be needed.  Would you like for me to give it to Ffion?" Awena asked as she turned to look at the young princess.  For Awena knew that if one took the Moonflower and combined it with a Nyte Shade (for she just learned from the Dowager that Ffion was that Nyte Shade) that it would make the effects of the Moonflower be 100 fold (As in Sleeping Beauty just took a short nap in comparison).

​​"No, Awena, Please hand it to me," the king replied.

With the Dragon tablet and now the rose in his hand, King Hunter approached Hungry.  "Do you trust me?" asked the King to the lil' Dragon.  As Hungry looked up into his eyes he could see a great sadness in them but he could also feel an over whelming sense of peace and love.  "I don't know you well Sir, but I do trust you," Hungry replied. 

"Then eat the rose," the King commanded as he handed it to the Wish Dragon. Hungry replied, "That should not be a problem for I am forever hungry and sure could use a little snack right now.  Is it sweet?  I do love sweet things, especially from the Sugar Plum factory."  The King nodded his head and told Hungry that he wouldn't be hungry afterwards.

Hungry ate the rose.  As he started chewing, he closed his eyes savoring the sweet taste and the lovely smell of the magic ambrosia.  Then he burped.  It had come from his tummy where a little spark had arisen while he chewed the flower.  It had floated up his throat and out his mouth as he burped.  The spark continued to rise and was quickly hovering over his head where it grew bigger and brighter. Larger and brighter it grew like a shining star in the sky.  The light was almost turning this dark night into day with it's glow and then all of a sudden it burst! Sparks flew everywhere causing those standing around the Wish Dragon to shield their eyes and turn their heads away.

When they turned back to look at Hungry, the Dragon tablet laid on the ground, the Shadows' King was gone, and a huge crystal orb was in the middle of the garden where the Wish Dragon had been sitting.  As everyone was examining the crystal orb, the others did not notice as the Troll King quickly picked up the tablet and slide it under his crown.