Rosie the Twilight Dragon Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Sneak Peek

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  Rosie rolled out her sleeping bag. The best night of the week had arrived—Friday night was Sleepover Club for Rosie and her best friends, Phoebe and Stella. Rosie woke up every Friday with a quivery feeling bubbling away in her stomach. And the happy bubbles just grew and grew throughout the day. On Sleepover Club nights, anything felt possible.

  Today that feeling had been even stronger than usual. Rosie wasn’t sure why. She just felt certain that something special was going to happen tonight. It was like the time her friends had thrown a surprise midnight feast for her birthday.

  But it wasn’t anyone’s birthday now. So why was she feeling so excited?

  Rosie often found it hard to concentrate at school, but today had been extra hard. She kept thinking about how fun it was going to be tonight. The girls usually baked cookies, and often Rosie would make up a silly bedtime story.

  Tonight’s sleepover was at Phoebe’s house. They stayed at Phoebe’s house more often than at Rosie’s or Stella’s. Phoebe sometimes got homesick, even at friends’ houses. So she preferred to be the host. That was fine with Rosie. She loved sleeping at Phoebe’s!

  Phoebe’s family room had a big window with a seat, facing west. The three friends often sat in the window seat, loaded up with bowls of snacks, and watched the sun set. They called it “twilight TV.”

  Rosie loved watching the sky turn pink, purple, and orange before fading into the rich blues of evening. Her favorite sunsets were when puffy clouds sat low on the horizon. She often daydreamed about chasing beams of sunlight, or bouncing from cloud to cloud.

  “Rosie!” called Phoebe from the family room. “It’s almost twilight TV time! Are you coming?”

  “Oops, I got distracted!” Rosie called back. “I’ll be there in a minute!”

  This happened a lot. Rosie would be doing one thing, but then her mind would wander off and she would forget all about what she was supposed to be doing. She hadn’t planned to set up her sleeping bag right now. She had been heading to the bathroom to wash her hands!

  Rosie glanced outside. There was just the faintest trace of pink in the sky. She jumped up. Twilight was always gone so quickly. She would have to hurry! The bathroom was near Phoebe’s bedroom. Rosie liked the bathroom at Phoebe’s. It had a soft white mat on the floor and it was filled with plants, including a fern in a macramé pot hanger Phoebe had made herself.

  Rosie turned on the taps and picked up the fancy bar of soap resting on the side of the sink. At her house they only had boring, unscented liquid soap. She much preferred the fancy, sweet smelling soap at Phoebe’s. It smelled like roses and floated on the water like bubbly clouds.

  Rosie looked at the soapy clouds dreamily. Imagine if clouds really did smell like roses! She trailed her finger through the water. And imagine if you could fly around them, like a bird!

  As she was daydreaming, Rosie heard a strange sound. It was some sort of song. She had never heard anything so beautiful.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  The voice was very soft and sweet.

  “Phoebe? Stella? Is that you?” she called.

  No one replied. Maybe it was Phoebe’s mom? But Rosie knew it wasn’t her, either. The voice was somehow familiar and completely new at the same time.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  The singing was getting louder. It seemed to be coming from the bubbles in the sink. But that was impossible, right? Rosie looked carefully at the water and noticed something very strange. The pink, foamy soap clouds were getting bigger and puffier.

  Then they began to rise up out of the sink!

  Rosie glanced around the bathroom. The potted plants were growing bigger, too. Soon they looked more like trees. Rosie’s heart began to beat double time. The fizzy feeling in her stomach had been right! Something very special WAS happening.

  As the soapy clouds floated into the air, they grew and stretched. The air filled with that delicious rose smell. And even though it was impossible, Rosie was sure she could feel a gentle breeze. She could hear a new line to the song, too.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, hear my roar!

  Rosie did feel like roaring. With excitement! The bathroom was filled with swirling pink clouds. They were so thick that she could not see the bathroom walls. The breeze grew stronger, and the smell of raspberries mixed with the rose scent.

  Rosie closed her eyes and stretched out her arms. The breeze wrapped around her, lifting her up into the air and spinning her around. Rosie laughed. It felt a bit like flying! A moment later, the breeze returned her to the ground.

  The clouds were still thick, but one thing was very clear. Rosie was no longer in Phoebe’s bathroom. But where exactly was she?

  Gradually, the clouds began to shrink, but the pinkish light was stronger than ever. The scent of fruits and flowers grew more intense, and shapes emerged from the whirling mist.

  Rosie glanced around. She was surrounded by trees, their leaves swaying in the breeze. The bathtub had been replaced by a small pond. When Rosie looked up, the ceiling had disappeared and she found she was gazing instead at the sky. It was painted with the beautiful tones of twilight.

  Even the squishy rug that Rosie had been standing on a moment ago felt different. That’s because the shaggy white mat had transformed into springy green grass, dotted with little glowing flowers.

  Rosie stood in the most amazing forest she had ever seen!

  The bathroom wasn’t all that had changed. Rosie looked down to see that her legs were covered in shining pink-and-purple scales. Her feet had transformed into powerful-looking claws. Her whole body felt different. Rosie had always been sporty, but right now she felt super strong.

  “Whoa!” Rosie gasped. “Something very strange is going on here!”

  As she spoke, she got yet another surprise. A burst of glowing purplish light billowed around her face!

  “Did I do that?” Rosie wondered aloud.

  “Of course you did!” came a little voice from nearby. “And it was a very fine first roar, too, I might add.”

  Rosie looked around, but no one was there. “Who said that?” she asked.

  “I did,” said the voice.

  This time Rosie spotted a creature hanging upside down from the branch of a tree.

  “Ooh, you’re so cute! What are you, exactly?” Rosie blurted out.

  The animal had the wings of a bat and the face and body of a kitten. “I’m a cat-bat,” explained the creature. “My name is GlidyCat. I am SO excited to meet a Night Dragon!”

  Rosie felt a surge of excitement. “Night Dragon! What is that?” she asked.

  GlidyCat laughed. “YOU are a Night Dragon! Come and look!”

  The cat-bat swung off the branch and flittered over to the nearby pond. Rosie followed close behind. Her stomach had never felt so fizzy before. Sure enough, when she looked down into the glassy water, looking back up at her was a magnificent dragon. Pink-and-purple gleaming scales covered her body. On her back sprouted a long, elegant pair of pink-and-purple wings. Beautiful gold swirls spread across her powerful body. She even had a swishy pink-and-purple tail.

  Could she really have turned into a DRAGON? There was only one way to know for sure. Rosie opened her mouth, took a deep breath, and roared with all her might. The evening air filled with a purple glow, and th
e sound echoed through the forest. The trees nearby shook, and the birds twittered in surprise.

  Rosie was pretty surprised, too. Surprised, but also proud of herself. She turned to GlidyCat. “What’s the difference between a normal dragon and a Night Dragon?” she asked.

  “Night Dragons are very special,” explained GlidyCat. “They’re at their most powerful at night. Plus, they have amazing night vision!”

  Rosie thought about this. She did have great eyesight! And it was true that she loved the evening more than any other time of day.

  It was almost like GlidyCat could read her mind, because next she said in her silky little voice, “You are the Twilight Dragon. You know all about the dreamy magic of early evening. Plus, you have a very powerful twilight roar. But enough talking! How about you try flying?”

  Wow! Rosie hadn’t even thought about that! Flying was one of Rosie’s favorite daydreams. She couldn’t count the number of times she had imagined what it would be like to soar and swoop through the sky. So now, when she gave her wings a flap, it felt completely natural to lift up off the ground. It was like she already knew how to do it!

  She grinned. How many times had she gotten in trouble for daydreaming at school? Perhaps it was actually useful after all!

  With a couple of strong flaps, Rosie rose up into the air and began to circle the small clearing. Being in the air felt so freeing! It was wonderful.

  GlidyCat flew beside her. “You’re a natural!” she purred. “The Tree Queen will be so pleased. You’re going to be so helpful on the quest.”

  Rosie swooped back down to the ground. She had a lot of questions, and she didn’t think she could fly and talk at the same time. Not yet, anyway!

  “Who is the Tree Queen?” she asked in a rush. “And what quest?”

  “The Tree Queen is the ruler of the Magic Forest,” GlidyCat explained, grabbing onto a nearby branch with her tail so she was once more hanging upside down.

  “Is this amazing place called the Magic Forest?” Rosie asked. The name was so thrilling.

  “Yes,” GlidyCat purred. “And it’s the most wonderful forest! But we must work hard to keep it that way, so the Tree Queen has called you and the other two Night Dragons here to help.”

  The more GlidyCat said, the more questions Rosie wanted to ask. But GlidyCat let go of the branch and fluttered up into the evening air again.

  “Come on, let’s get flying. You can ask all your questions when you get to the Tree Queen’s glade.”

  Rosie nodded. “Good idea. It looks like night is going to fall soon. I don’t think I’m good enough to fly in the dark yet. I’d probably crash into a tree or something!”

  “Nighttime can’t fall,” said GlidyCat, her whiskers twitching. “That’s the reason why you are here.”

  Before Rosie could ask what on earth these mysterious words meant, GlidyCat flew off, out of the clearing.

  Rosie flapped her powerful wings, rose up into the air, and followed. Weaving between the trees of the forest at high speed was not easy, but it was fun. Rosie’s Night Dragon eyes were perfectly adapted for seeing in the soft evening light.

  The only time she had trouble was when a weird bright flare suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Rosie blinked a few times, dazzled. As her eyes adjusted, she saw tiny floating fires. Maybe they were a type of firefly?

  Rosie shook her head and kept flying. This was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her. She was determined not to lose sight of her new little friend GlidyCat.

  Finally, they came to another clearing. Here GlidyCat slowed to a stop, and then hovered in midair. Below them glowed a mysterious orb of light. It pulsed with swirling colors.

  “What is that?” Rosie whispered in awe.

  “That is the force field that protects the Tree Queen’s glade,” explained GlidyCat. “You must go in there alone. But when you are on your quest, I will never be far away.”

  And with that, the little creature disappeared into the pinky-orange light.

  Rosie landed gently on the grass and turned to face the force field. The air shimmered before her. Carefully, she pressed a paw against the glowing screen. It went right through! Rosie could faintly see her paw on the other side. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Rosie walked into the force field. Her scales tingled as she passed through the shining air. It felt like stepping into a magic sunset.

  When she opened her eyes, Rosie cried out in delight. She was in the most beautiful glade filled with sweet-smelling flowers and colorful butterflies. Everything glowed gold in the rich twilight. Nearby was a deep pond, its water so clear that Rosie could see jewel-like fish swimming just below the surface.

  And there, right in the middle of the glade, grew a magnificent tree. Rosie couldn’t stop looking at its branches, laden with rustling leaves and fresh blossoms.

  In fact, Rosie was so entranced that it took her a moment to notice that she wasn’t alone. Two other dragons were in the glade! One had a crescent moon on her forehead, and the other had a bright, shining star on hers. The dragons were also different colors than Rosie. The moon dragon was the soft, glowing blues and whites of moonlight. The star dragon was deep purple and gleaming yellow. Both dragons glimmered in the twilight. They were looking around in the same amazed way that Rosie was.

  “Hi! Are you Night Dragons?” Rosie called. “I hope that you guys know what is going on, because I’m new here.”

  “Rosie?” the star dragon asked. “It’s me, Stella! And this is Phoebe. We just got here as well. Isn’t this wild? We’re DRAGONS!”

  Rosie felt a surge of happiness. There was only one thing better than coming to this magical place and discovering she was a dragon: discovering that her friends were, too! She rushed over and wrapped a wing over each of them. She figured that was probably how dragons hugged.

  “I’m SO happy to see you!” she roared.

  “Roaring is fun, isn’t it?” Stella laughed.

  “It really is,” agreed Phoebe. “Almost as good as flying!”

  The three friends roared as loudly as they could, until the air was filled with swirling pinks and purples and blues.

  Rosie suddenly stopped. “Oops! I just remembered. I was told to come here to meet the Tree Queen. We probably shouldn’t be messing around. She might catch us being silly.”

  Just then, something extraordinary happened. The majestic tree in the center of the glade began to sway back and forth. Its leaves rustled and shook. To Rosie’s amazement, the tree began to change. The trunk became a flowing dress, and two of the strong branches transformed into elegant arms.

  Moments later, a regal-looking figure appeared before them. Half woman and half tree. Her kind, wise eyes twinkled. “Welcome, Night Dragons,” she said in a warm, woody sort of voice. “I am the Tree Queen of the Magic Forest. I am so pleased you are here. And I am delighted to hear that you are so good at roaring. That will be useful on your quest.”

  Rosie and her friends looked at one another and laughed. The Tree Queen had heard them! She didn’t seem upset, though. Rosie felt questions burning inside her. Maybe it wasn’t polite to ask questions of a Tree Queen. But Rosie found it impossible to hold them in!

  “What IS this quest, exactly?” she asked.

  The Tree Queen’s face became serious. “You have probably noticed that it is twilight here,” she said, her leaves swaying gently.

  “Yes! I love this time of day,” said Rosie. “It’s just always too short.”

  “Usually it is,” agreed the Tree Queen. “But right now, we have the opposite problem. We are stuck in twilight and cannot move on to night.”

  “That’s weird,” said Stella. “Why?”

  “It’s the work of the Fire Queen and her Fire Sparks,” the Tree Queen said.

  Rosie shivered. She didn’t know who the Fire Queen was, but even her name sounded dangerous. She glanced at her friends. It was clear that they felt the same.

  “Who is the Fire Queen?” Phoebe asked nervously. br />
  The Tree Queen looked very serious now. “She is the queen of the hot, dry heat of the day. She hates the cool darkness of the night. But night is important. It’s when many plants and creatures of the forest rest and rejuvenate. And it’s also when other wonderful creatures are active. Unfortunately, the Fire Queen has become too powerful. She wants to eliminate the night altogether. To do this, she and her helpers, the Fire Sparks, have been destroying the daydreams that filter down from the clouds during the twilight.”

  This was a lot to take in. But Rosie loved finding out that daydreams were formed at twilight, her very favorite time of day!

  The Tree Queen continued. “Unless the Dream Collectors gather enough daydreams for the following day, the Magic Forest cannot move on to night.”

  Rosie tried to think about how terrible it would be to have no night. No quiet time to rest for the next day. And worse, no time to dream!

  Once again, she found herself brimming with questions. “What are Dream Collectors?” she asked.

  “You will find that out very soon, I hope,” said the Tree Queen, smiling. “Night Dragons, the first part of your quest is to find the Dream Collectors, and help them.”

  Rosie and her friends grinned at one another. Rosie couldn’t wait to start this adventure, and she knew that Phoebe and Stella felt the same.

  “Where do we find them?” asked Phoebe.

  “I cannot tell you that, unfortunately,” said the Tree Queen. “The Dream Collectors move to wherever the daydreams are falling.”

  “That’s going to make things tricky,” said Stella. “I get the feeling the Magic Forest is pretty big.”

  “It’s bigger than you’ll ever know,” agreed the Tree Queen. “But I can offer you some advice. Head to where the twilight colors are brightest. And remember to let your own daydreams guide you.”

  Phoebe and Stella looked puzzled. But Rosie nodded. She loved the idea of being guided by her daydreams!

  “Finally, I have something for you,” said the Tree Queen.

  She began to sway her branches back and forth. Something fell to the ground. Rosie scooped it up. A ball of very fine thread dangled on a delicate silver chain. It was so light and shiny and magical, Rosie wondered if it was made from pure moonlight.