The Sugar Ball (2 page)

“What a
choc-o-rific
day!” Cocoa sang. She smiled at her friend.

“Only one more week until the Sugar Ball,” Melli burst out. “I can't wait!” She took out a light caramel twist from her bag. “What do you think? I just had to show you right away.” She held up the long caramel rope candy for Cocoa to view.

“It looks delicious,” Cocoa commented.

“Won't this be perfect for the sash on my dress?” Melli asked. “I've been searching for just the right size trim.”

Cocoa laughed. All any of her friends could think about was the Sugar Ball at Candy Castle and the dresses they'd wear to the party. The big ball was the grandest—and sweetest—of the season. The Sugar Ball was a celebration of the sugar harvest. Fairies from all over came to the Royal Gardens for the party. Princess Lolli, the ruling fairy princess, always made the party the most scrumptious of the year.

“I think that will be the perfect addition to your outfit,” Cocoa said. She touched the golden caramel twist. “This is the exact right color for your dress.”

Melli clapped her hands. “I knew you'd say that!” she said, grinning. “Cara wanted me to make her one just like this too.”

Cara was Melli's little sister and always wanted to be just like her big sister.

“Did you help her?” Cocoa asked.

“Sure as sugar,” Melli said. “She's so excited about her first ball.” She stopped and admired her dress. “Now I just need to find the right necklace.”

“You should ask Berry to make you one of her sparkly fruit-chew necklaces,” Cocoa said. She was used to her friend Berry the Fruit Fairy always talking about fashion, but this year all her friends were concerned about their Sugar Ball dresses and jewelry. Everyone wanted to
make her ball gown special and unique. Even Cocoa!

“You're right,” Melli said. “I should ask Berry. I just hope she doesn't say she's too busy. Did you know that she is weaving the material for her dress herself? Her dress is going to be
sweet-tacular
!”

“Hmm,” Cocoa muttered. She was actually growing a little tired of all the talk about dresses. Even though she wanted to look her best, she had another idea of how to make her entrance at the ball special.

“Do you think Char will remember me?” Melli asked, interrupting Cocoa's thoughts. Her light brown eyes had a faraway gaze. Like most fairies in Sugar Valley, she loved the Sugar Pops. They
were brothers who played in a band together and sang the sweetest songs. Char was the lead singer in the band and Melli's supersweet crush.

“How could they forget you?” Cocoa asked. “You were the Candy Fairy who saved Caramel Moon!” In the fall, when the candy corn crop was in danger, Melli was the one who discovered the problem. Together with their fairy friends, they saved the Caramel Moon festival, where the Sugar Pops played. They even got to meet Carob, Chip, and Char! Seeing them again at the Sugar Ball would definitely sugarcoat the night.

“I know it's just a rumor that they'll come,” Melli said, “but I hope the sugar fly buzz is right. I would love to see them again.” Melli clasped her hands together and put them under
her chin. She looked over at Cocoa. “What's in your bag?”

Looking down at her bag, Cocoa smiled. There were a couple of strands of marshmallow threads sticking out of her chocolate weave bag. “I was down at Marshmallow Marsh this morning,” she explained.

“What are you doing with marshmallow?” Melli asked. “You can't use that for your dress. Marshmallow is too sticky to work for an outfit.”

Cocoa laughed. “No, not for my dress,” she said. “Something else for the ball.” She sat down and took out a sheet of paper from her pocket. “Last week when Raina was reading from the Fairy Code Book, there was that story about the princess and her chocolate scepter. Do you remember?”

Raina the Gummy Fairy was their good friend, who loved to read. She had nearly memorized the entire Fairy Code Book!

Nodding, Melli thought back to the story. “It was a magic scepter made of the finest sugar. The picture in the book showed a beautiful chocolate wand.”

“Yes,” Cocoa said, “and I was thinking that I'd like to make a chocolate scepter for the ball. Wouldn't that be so sweet, to walk in holding a royal scepter?” Cocoa sighed. “I'd be like a fairy princess!”

Just thinking about the scepter made Cocoa's wings flutter. Even though she was excited about her new strawberry-and-chocolate dot dress with a purple candy butterfly, she couldn't wait to hold a royal scepter. “It will be like a magic wand!”

“You will look like a fairy princess,” Melli agreed. Then she paused. “Do you know how to make a magic wand?”

Cocoa shook her head. “No, but I plan on learning. I made a sketch of the scepter that I'd like to make.” She held up her drawing. “Did you bring me the caramel ball mold? I wanted
to have a round chocolate sphere at the top.”

Melli pulled the round mold out of her bag and gave it to Cocoa. “I was wondering what you were going to do with this,” she said.

“I'm meeting Raina later,” Cocoa told her. “She's going to lend me a book about magic wands.” Carefully, Cocoa folded her drawing up and put the paper back in her bag. “I thought the marshmallow would add a nice touch.”

“I think you're right.” Melli nodded.

“And I'll need lots of this chocolate,” Cocoa added. She took out a pail and dipped it into the pool of chocolate swirling in front of her. “The waterfall chocolate is the best for making special chocolate candies. I need to hurry home so the chocolate can set. Then I'm going to carve decorations on the ball.”

“I can't wait to see that chocolate wand!” Melli cried.

“Thanks,” Cocoa replied. She swept up her bucket and headed back to Chocolate Woods. She had lots of work to do before Sun Dip tonight. A chocolate magic wand was no small task. And Cocoa wanted to make sure it was going to be the talk of the Sugar Ball.

W
hen Cocoa returned to Chocolate Woods, she poured the fresh chocolate into Melli's hard caramel mold. She knew that she wanted a chocolate ball at the top of her wand—just like the one she had seen in Raina's book. Later, when the chocolate was hard, she would carefully carve the ball with her tools. Oh, she
couldn't wait! Her magic scepter was going to be
choc-o-rific
!

While the chocolate was hardening, Cocoa flew to Gummy Forest to find Raina. Her friend had not one, as promised, but two books on magic wands.

“You should know that it's often sticky business to make magic wands,” Raina told her. She pushed her long hair out of her eyes as she spoke. “If wands get into the wrong hands, there can be trouble.”

Cocoa laughed. “Oh, chocolate sticks,” she said. “It's just for my costume. Raina, you worry too much. And I don't think I am going to let go of it. I've been working so hard on the wand. I'll want to hold my perfect accessory all evening!”

Raina handed the two large books to Cocoa.
“Here you go,” she said. “These are two books that have a few different pictures of royal scepters.”

Flipping through the pages, Cocoa's eyes grew wide with excitement. “Oh, this is perfect!” she exclaimed. She noticed the details in the chocolate carvings and the bright colors used for the wands. She had so many ideas, and she wanted to get started right away.

Cocoa felt a gentle nudge and looked down. “Hi, Nokie,” she said. Nokie was a little red gummy bear cub. He was always hungry. Even though he didn't eat chocolate, he was hoping that Cocoa might have a treat for him. “I have some fruit chews, if you want,” she told him. “Berry gave them to me yesterday, and I'm not going to use them for my hair clips.”

Nokie eagerly nodded. Berry had given him fruit chews before and he loved the fruity, sparkly candy.

“Nokie!” Raina scolded. But she couldn't help smiling at the cute cub when she saw his face. Her voice softened. “Just one, okay?”

The gummy cub quickly agreed and took Cocoa's offering.

“Sorry about that,” Raina apologized to Cocoa. “No matter how much I feed Nokie, he's always hungry!”

Cocoa patted the friendly cub on his belly. “It's okay,” she said. “I'm happy to share.”

“Do you want to see my dress?” Raina asked. “The color came out perfectly!” She showed her friend the bright lime-green dress with rainbow gummy accents on the waist and hem. She
held the gown up to show off the details.

“Oh, Raina,” Cocoa gasped. “This is really beautiful. You made this by yourself?”

Raina blushed. “Well, I had some help from Berry. She's so good at designing and sewing. I'm not sure what I would have done without her.”

“You are going to look delicious,” Cocoa told her. “Have you decided how you'll wear your hair?”

Raina shrugged. “I'm not sure yet,” she confided. “Maybe I'll get a fancy updo. What do you think?” She pulled her long, straight hair up and twisted it in a fancy bun. “I could use a rainbow gummy berry for a clip.”

“I can't wait to see what you decide,” Cocoa told her. “Sure as sugar, every fairy in Sugar
Valley is going to look extra-sweet.”

“I know!” Raina exclaimed. “I can't wait!”

Cocoa glanced over at the Frosted Mountains. “I better get going,” she said. “I want to carve the chocolate ball before Sun Dip tonight.” She winked at Raina. “Maybe I'll bring the wand for a special preview.”

“Oh, please do!” Raina pleaded. “I'd love to see what you do.” She took Nokie's paw and gave a wave to her friend. “I've got to take Nokie back to his den. I'll see you later.”

“Thanks for the books,” Cocoa called. She took off and flew swiftly back to Chocolate Woods.

At home Cocoa saw the chocolate in her mold was hard and dry. She selected the smallest pink sugar crystal carving tool for the delicate design
of the chocolate wand. The tiny tool was good for small details. She glanced over at one of the books Raina had given her. She was looking at a couple of different wands and using ideas that she loved about each one. Skillfully she carved a beautiful design on the chocolate ball.

When she finished she stood back and gazed at her sphere. She placed the ball on top of the wand using very hot chocolate and sugar. Then she added a few glittering candy jewels that she had been saving for a special occasion and a bit of white marshmallow as a finishing touch.

She pointed the wand at a cracker on the table, and instantly it was covered in chocolate.

“Hot chocolate!” she exclaimed. “I really did it!”

The lavender light seeping through her window alerted her to the time. Her friends were probably already gathered for Sun Dip. She took her wand, eager for her friends to see her handiwork.

As she had suspected all her friends were together near the shores of Red Licorice Lake for Sun Dip. Even Berry was there! Berry was hardly ever on time, but she must have been very excited to show off her new fruit-chew jewelry and her ball gown.