Free Ozette's Destiny by Judy Pierce Page B

done it before, but she said it might work. She wants you to come over in the morning.”
    Ozette agreed, although reluctantly. She had a lot of faith in Princess Abrianna’s abilities, but it was the “bunch of other stuff” that had her worried. While she didn’t want pink fur, a big unknown didn’t necessarily sound promising either.
    Ozette slept late the next morning. She didn’t know if it was the quincette quiche or the pearly peachettes that Oliver had brought her, but something had given her nightmares all night long.
    She shuddered as she remembered her first dream in which her fur had turned white but then fallen out in large clumps, leaving her bald as a newborn squirrel! In her second dream, her fur started growing, growing, growing, until she looked like a fluffy white mop.
    She shook off her dreams and slipped out of her nest. Scampering down the tree, she found Ariel munching on a bunch of grapes and spitting seeds in a most unladylike manner.
    “All set to head to Princess Abrianna’s to get bleached?” Ariel asked.
    “I don’t know, Ariel,” Ozette said, scrunching up her eyes. “Maybe I’ll just let the color fade naturally. We can postpone the Spring Fling until I’m back to normal,” she said nervously as she started grooming her pink tail with her claws.
    “You can’t do that! We always have the Spring Fling in the spring, not three months from now when your fur has grown out! Besides, then we’d have to call it Summer Fling, and that doesn’t even rhyme! It would have to be the Summer Bummer,” Ariel squawked. She grabbed a handful of Ozette’s fur. “Plus, unless you want a major fur cut, you’re going to look pretty weird as this pink grows out. Have you ever seen a two-toned squirrel?” Ariel shook her head. “I don’t think so!”
    Convinced but reluctant, Ozette headed to Princess Abrianna’s. On the way, she and Ariel ran into several more girlfriends. The beautiful fairy Sydney and the “squirrel-girls” Daphne, Zoe and Baby Fiona gave Ozette an encouraging group hug, and Annika cheered from overhead, her pale green wings shining in the dew-drenched sunlight.
    “We came to give you moral support,” Annika said.
    A few minutes later, they heard Mateo and Oliver call out.
    “News sure travels fast in the Farlandia News Network,” Ozette said, sighing.
    Ozette was touched that friends wanted to join her, but a little wary, too. What if this was a disaster, and she had to hide out for weeks, months even, until her fur grew back to normal?
    As if she could read her mind, the ever-cheerful Annika grabbed Ozette’s paw and said, “Keep a positive attitude, dear friend.”
    The entourage arrived at Princess Abrianna’s garden in record time. Ozette was so nervous she almost hoped the princess wouldn’t be home. But there she was, outside by her gazebo, stirring a large black pot.
    “Hi there! I’m calling this my Super-Duper Pelt-Melt Tincture,” she said as she stirred the mixture vigorously.
    Pelt-melt? Ozette didn’t like the sound of that one bit, and she backed away quickly.
    The princess smiled and said, “It won’t melt away your fur, Ozette, just the pink color.” She gave her a wink, “At least, that’s my hope.”
    Ozette looked into the pot and sniffed. It smelled herby, but not unpleasant.
    The princess tossed a large amethyst and two smaller pink crystals into the pot. Ozette looked at her curiously.
    “Not to worry, Ozette. The vibrations of this mixture should help lift that pink right off your coat.
    “Now, hop into the tub,” she ordered.
    Ozette gingerly entered the tub. The mixture was pleasantly warm and relaxing. She held her breath and ducked under the water, using her paws to scrub her head.
    “Maybe this stuff will even remove the gray splotch on your head and that little gray stripe down your back,” Ariel said.
    Ozette bristled. “Those are an essential part of who I am,” she said crossly.
    Ariel patted Ozette on the head.