Once his friends left, Tracey sat in the sand of the trashed beach and pulled his hand away from his nose. He gasped when he saw blood on it. "My nose is bleeding!" he shouted at the sprites, Makenna, and Ash, but they merely continued to fly.
Tracey couldn't believe what just happened! His own friends ditched him! It was like the year before all over again!
Tracey struggled to his feet and gripped his nose again. He tried to hold back tears and marched down the beach after Makenna, Ash, and the sprites. Not to mention that he also had a searing headache from the Octopus Man's curse. Every time a wave of cursed pain collided with his head, he lifted his hand, closed his eyes, and reached for it.
Finally, Tracey gave up. The second he passed the wrecked raft, he collapsed onto the sand and started to sob again. His entire world had been crushed—between his wings, the Curse of Poseidon, and his friends' betrayal. Salty tears dropped onto the sand, and mixed in with them was blood from his nose. Tracey didn't want to be there anymore. He wanted to find Merlin and hang around someone he knew would never betray or hurt him. He didn't know where he was on Coutarine Island, though.
While Tracey sobbed, he shouted, "It's not fair!" over and over. "Why am I the one who has to be cursed? It's not fair! Sensei, where are you?" He remained on the ground, unaware that, out on the reef, the ocean glowed a bright green. It was not the work of the Octopus Man, though.
Tracey didn't see the mysterious, magical phenomenon. He instead yelled and clutched his head. He felt like it was splitting in two.
The ocean glowed for a little longer, and then seaweed lifted out of it, taking on the form of Ethelinda. She was gorgeous, and her eyes rotated to Tracey. When the time was right, she lifted her whole body out of the sea and soared toward him and the beach.
Once she reached it, she floated down before Tracey and landed on the sand. "Tracey," she spoke in a goddess-like voice.
Merlin's apprentice jumped and slowly lifted his head. He gasped at the sight of Ethelinda—"Ethelinda!"—and quickly rubbed tears from his red face. He lowered his head, hoping she wouldn't notice he had been crying, but Ethelinda already did and raised her seaweed arm.
With her finger, she gripped Tracey's chin and lifted his head. "Young Tracey," she said, "why do you sit here crying?"
Tracey didn't answer at first—he was too shy. After a bit, though, he told himself that he was speaking with the Guardian of Coutarine Island. He took a deep breath and finally decided to confess. "My friends. They left me. They left me, Ethelinda. I feel like I have been betrayed all over again. Now the Magic World has become just as much of an enemy as the Human World. I don't know why everything is happening to me. I just want to see Merlin again. Merlin is the only person I know who would never betray or hurt me."
"My child," Ethelinda spoke, "don't look at things the wrong way. Your friends have not betrayed you. Ash is only testing Makenna to see if she, too, can pass his trial; he's not trying to throw you out of the adventure. While it looks like he may be, he's not. Truthfully, he wants you to relax a bit while he works with Makenna. You've been through too much already, Tracey. Ash is really only trying to take care of you and Makenna.
Thanks to your patience and confidence, young master, you passed his trial easily, but Makenna lacks both. He also didn't mean to call Merlin 'dorky'; he only said it because he thought Makenna would jump in and defend his name in your honor. That is why they left you, too. Ash just needs Makenna a little bit, so she can work on passing her trial."
"But what trial?" Tracey asked, shaking his head. "I don't understand, Ethelinda. Why is Ash testing us like this?"
"I can't answer that question," Ethelinda admitted, "but Merlin can. Since you are ready, it is time for you to aim for the second phase of your adventure. It is time for you to seek out Merlin the Great, your Sensei."
"It is?" Tracey asked. He heard a flapping sound beside him and turned his head. Gina had appeared next to him and landed on his shoulder. "I still don't understand," continued Tracey. "What do you mean by 'it's time,' Ethelinda?" He lifted his hand and rubbed tears from his eyes.
"All of it will come together soon," answered Ethelinda. "You and Makenna are here at Coutarine Island for a reason, Tracey. Only Merlin has all the answers."
"So, he knew about this?" Tracey asked. "Is this what his urgent mission was? I'd love to seek him out, ma'am, but I have no idea where he's hiding."
Ethelinda was the next one to shake her head. "You're wrong, Tracey. You do know. You're just scared, and I don't blame you. I am no Merlin or Selene, but I know what fairies are feeling. Follow your fairy instincts, young Tracey. They will lead you to your Sensei. To get to him, though, you must fight one of your greatest fears. It's the fastest way to reach him. You must, my child"—she turned to the ocean—"sail on the ocean to the other side of Coutarine Island."
"The ocean?" Tracey yelped, looking at it. "No, Ethelinda! I can't! You know what happens every time I try to run into the sea!"
"Which is something you must fight," Ethelinda explained. "If you can succeed in this mission to find your Sensei, Tracey, you will prove yourself to the Atlantic Ocean and will be a step closer to regaining your wings."
"My wings?" Tracey immediately perked up when Ethelinda mentioned them. "What do you mean by 'regain my wings'?"
"Sail to Merlin," Ethelinda answered. "When you do, you will understand. Go, Merlin's apprentice. Gina there will be with you the whole way."
Gina rubbed against Tracey's cheek.
There was a moment of silence, and then Tracey examined the ocean again and tried to make up his mind. Could he really regain his wings if he did this? He wasn't a Metamorphic Fairy, though. Well, he guessed there was only one way to find out.
His headache started to leave as he slowly rose to his feet and approached the edge of the water.
Ethelinda lifted into the air after him and hovered.
Tracey let the ocean breeze pass through his scalp. Closing his eyes, he turned his head, and his hair blew in his face. He calmed himself, since he knew he was usually a calm person, and tried to pull his mind away from Poseidon's spell, but his goal instead.
While he did that, Ethelinda lifted one of her seaweed hands and pointed at the wrecked raft that still rested in the sand. Blowing on her hand, green sparkles left it and fluttered to the raft. The magic circled it, and within thirty seconds, it was put back together. The sail attached itself to the repaired wood, and Ethelinda lifted the revived raft into the air, returning it to Tracey. It was official: Ethelinda was Yoda.
The raft landed behind Tracey, and Gina peered back at it, gasping. Tracey didn't notice it yet, though.
He continued to stare at the ocean and said after a bit, "But, Ethelinda, I can't sail unless I have a raft, and last time I checked, the raft I found was broken. So, what do you make of that? Ethelinda?" He turned his head, and his golden-brown eyes finally landed on the raft. Tracey gasped, too, and yelled, "Whoa!" jumping back a few feet.
Ethelinda chuckled and brought her hand to her seaweed mouth.
Tracey was speechless. How on earth did that raft—? What on earth happened there?
Tracey circled it a few times and examined it from top to bottom, checking the ropes and sail. The raft looked the same as when Tracey found it.
Gina hopped off his shoulder and landed on it. It looked like she was ready to go sailing.
Finally, Tracey approached Ethelinda and tried his best to thank her. "I-I don't know how you did it. Tha-Thank you, Ethelinda."
"No problem," she answered, "and don't worry. I'll explain to Ronda why it's gone. For now, though, it is time for you to fly. Follow your fairy instincts. After all, my child, you are Tracey, Merlin's apprentice, who survived broken wings last year because of your self-esteem. If you can fight broken wings, then you can fight this spell."
"I can," Tracey agreed, nodding. "Thank you, Ethelinda. This means a lot. I hope Ash succeeds with Makenna." And just like that, he threw himself into Ethelinda's seaweed self and hugged her.
Ethelinda returned it and comfortably spoke, "It's all right, son. Everything will be okay. I know you will find your master. Just keep telling yourself that you are Tracey."
They hugged for a few minutes. When they eventually let go, Tracey shook hands with the Guardian and turned on his heel, hurrying back to the revived raft.
Gina opened her wings and lifted into the air again. She next landed on his head, and she and Tracey glanced at one another.
Ethelinda watched as Tracey picked up the wooden paddle and pushed the raft into the reef again. She waved good luck, and Tracey and Gina returned it.
Merlin's apprentice followed the Guardian's orders. He listened to his fairy instincts, and they told him to turn right.
While Tracey paddled out, he grabbed the sail's rope again and pulled on it. The sail lifted into the air, and he gave it another whirl. Tracey opened it. Just like before, a blast of wind hammered it, but Tracey didn't let it throw him overboard that time. He fought the spell, just as Ethelinda said, and steered right.
On his head, Gina closed her eyes and let the comforting wind blast through her feathers.
Ethelinda continued waving, and then her seaweed body began to fall apart, and she dove back into the ocean.
Tracey sailed with the wind and kept on fighting. He almost fell, but managed to catch himself at the last minute. Officially, he was off to find Merlin and hopefully regain his wings!