Toyendale Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When the Crystal Queen showed Summer her new bedroom, Summer immediately forgot that she wanted to leave Toyendale. The room was full of tiny animated figures, toys and they were really happy to see Summer’s arrival. So she started playing with them until she needed to go to bed. But she had no idea what time was it. She remembered her mother telling her to go to bed at 8:00 pm but the sun was still up so it couldn’t be eight. She asked one of her toys what time was it. The answer was bizarre as Toyendale.

“What time do you want it to be?”, asked the nutcracker soldier.

“Please don’t tell me it is eight.” She whined. But then she realised the miniature soldier didn’t answer her question at all. She felt like she was playing with the toys for years, even ages. She wondered whether Daisy already had found out that she discovered her private world or not. But she was so tired to continue so she went to bed and slept.

Two hours after she slept, the Queen entered Summer’s room to check on her. She grabbed one of the toys, squeezing it so hard that the little dinosaur had no choice but to scream.

“How long did she play with you?” she asked.

“Ihhhhhh…” the toy couldn’t breathe properly anymore but of course, it wouldn’t have died out of breath. It was a toy after all. The Queen let the dinosaur go away. He would think that today the Queen is nice to him.

The soldier answered her question.”Only two toy-days,  mam”. If only Summer had known one toy-day would me equal to one day in her time, she wouldn’t have stayed in Castle Sapphire at all.

“Good, let her rest for three more toy-times and send her to me.”

When the soldier saluted her, other toys had no choice but to nod. The Crystal Queen had her own plans about Summer.

At the time, Summer arrived at the Great Hall with the orders of the Queen, she had already made up her mind to tell the Queen that she had to go back to her own world right now. Her mother must already have been so nervous about where she was. Besides, she also thought that Daisy had her lesson.

“I wanted to say thank you. But I have to leave here as soon as possible. My family must be searching everywhere for me” said Summer to the Queen who was sitting on a crystal throne. The Queen stood up and opened her arms to Summer.

“Come here, girl” she ordered. Summer uneasily hugged the Queen.

“I am so glad that you are here. But before you leave, I need to show you something. Will you care to join me for one last ride?”

“Of course. But it shouldn’t take longer. My mum must be crazy right now.”

“Don’t worry about that. The time works faster here than in your world. I am sure she is still preparing your breakfast.”

Summer had no choice but to trust the Queen. She wanted to do this last thing she asked her off and go back to her normal world. So they went outside of the castle. Same ponies they used to come to the castle was waiting for them. While they travelled on the ponies, Summer discovered that her pony looked more upset than before. So she petted it in order to relax.

She whispered, “Are you alright?” to the ears of her green pony. The pony slowed down to make sure that the Queen cannot hear what he was about to say to Summer.

“You need to leave. This place is not for you.”

“You can talk.” Summer cheered up.

“Yes, but I should not speak further. Just do what I say. Go back to where you came from?”

“Why?” she asked.

“If you stay longer, you won’t have any chance to return. Someone is looking for you. This is the last thing I can give it to you.” Then pony closed up the distance before the queen was aware of what he had done. That would simply mean that the end of his life.

“Thank you” whispered Summer. Daisy was coming for her. Her sister was worried about her. But she was too scared to be happy for her sister’s arrival. She needed to find a way to get back. There should be a map of the land, she thought. Then she remembered Daisy had drawn a map, a long time before this bizarre night happened. She tried to recall how the map would look alike. It was an island. And the gate was in the West. She thought because of the icygem and dominance of white look, this castle must be located in the north. If she found a way to escape, she would have to walk. She shouldn’t use ponies. It could be dangerous for them. She also needed to disguise herself as a toy. But how?

You can see that Summer was a special girl, as bright minded as her sister. But she often didn’t show what she could capable of. While Daisy was looking for her sister, Summer already made a plan to ditch the Queen. She only needed to appear to be a naïve girl just as the Queen imagined her to be. This was the only chance, Summer had against the Queen. Playing her role.

In some minutes, they arrived in a place which looked like as it was full of red dust, or sand. Daisy mounted off from her pony.

“This place used to be full of rubies. Now, all we have left is the dust.”

“What happened? Climate change?” she recalled her mum’s words about separating the trash and concerns about the warming of something…earth. It was something like that. She didn’t remember the exact words.

“We don’t have a climate here, Summer. What we have is decaying? Do you know what does it mean… It means this place is dying slowly.”

“I am so sorry” said Summer looking around and trying to imagine how it used to look like. This sand hills must be mountains, she thought.

“We can’t change here but we can protect the rest of Toyendale. Would you help me to protect it and save these toys from dying?” It was a tricky question which made an effect on Summer, exactly the Queen planned.

“Yes, but what can I do?”

“You are stronger than you seem to be with a broad imagination. I only need you to stay here a little bit longer.”

“And what will I do?”

“Just continue to imagine. Your creativity keeps the land fertile just as your sister’s creativity did before.”

“Daisy is more creative than me.”

“She is growing up, that is the problem. Soon she will stop playing with us and thinking about Toyendale. It is time for you to replace her sister and be our new ruler.”

“A ruler?” asked Summer. She thought the Queen was the ruler.

“I was chosen to find you. It is up to you to protect Toyendale. Your sister left us. She hasn’t imagined about Toyendale for a month in your time.”

“But Daisy loves here. She was the one who built it, wasn’t she?”

“Every kingdom needs a new heir when the time comes. And this is your time.” Said the Queen. My time, repeated Summer in her mind.

After their long journey, Summer returned to her room in the Castle Sapphire, having forgotten about her original plan. Looking at her toys, new subjects cheered her up.

“Welcome, my queen” saluted her the nutcracker soldier. Then toys started singing for her.

Our queen is Summer

She came like a breeze.

Will she bring summer?

We say yes.

We say yes.