“Hmm! Let me try something,” responded Bellasini, raising her hands above her head.

 

“The Dress of Dreams!” she shouted out loud, as she touched the two bracelets together.

 

The Queen covered her eyes, as a flash of blinding light filled the room.

 

Slowly lowering her hands, the Queen's eyes were greeted with the vision of Bellasini, floating like an angel, a few centimeters off the floor, wearing the Dress of Dreams.

 

The millions of brightly twinkling crystals on the dress, bathed Bellasini in an aura of soft warm light, as her flowing hair gently fluttered in the same non-existent breeze, which gave life to the dress.

 

There was no longer any doubt in the Queen’s mind. Her much loved granddaughter, truly was the prophesied Princess, born of both worlds, for whom Virtasia had waited so long.

 

“Gran listen!” cried out Bellasini. “Can you hear them? The symbols on the walls… They’re talking to me.”

 

“Magic has found its Princess,” replied the Queen.

 

"I wish I could see them?" sighed Bellasini.

 

Upon hearing her wish, the Dress of Dreams began to slowly spin Bellasini, like a top.

 

“What’s happening Gran?” squealed Bellasini.

 

“Are you ok Princess?” replied the Queen.

 

The dress started to spin faster, and faster, as it lifted her higher off the floor.

 

At the speed she was now spinning, Bellasini’s eyes could no longer focus on any of the colorful symbols that covered the walls; nor see Queen.

 

“Gran!” shouted Bellasini. The symbols on the walls. They’re not a form of writing. When you spin fast enough, all the different colorful symbols appear to join together to produce images. And each time the various symbols on the dome wall change color, they produce a whole new picture. It is amazing, continued Bellasini. “Now the pictures are changing so quickly, they are producing a huge 3D movie for me to watch.”

 

“Wait!" cried out Bellasini. They want me to follow them into the Enchanted Forest.”

 

“Who wants you to follow them, Princess?” shouted back the Queen from the floor of the dome; watching in awe as the millions of symbols throughout the dome, flashed and flared the colors of the rainbow, at breakneck speed.

 

“The fairies,” replied Bellasini. “There are, there are thousands of them here Gran." stuttered back Bellasini. "Can’t you see them?"

 

”No! No!" shouted back the Queen. "I am not spinning. All I can see is millions of different symbols flashing and flaring different colors on the walls."

 

“Oh my gosh! The fairies, pixies and elves are all so beautiful. Nothing like what I imagined, or what is written in your books."

 

"They are all so colorful. Every fairy has different colored designs and patterns on their wings and clothes. So many beautiful colors. They all look so young, modern and hip."

 

“I think they want me to follow them into the forest."

 

Wow! The forest was so beautiful before,” continued Bellasini. “Wait Gran! I can see something ahead!

 

“What is it Princess?”

 

“A Castle! A Crystal Castle at the very center of the forest. It is unbelievably beautiful. I cannot find the words to describe it to you Gran. It is just beautiful beyond words.”

 

There was a minute or two of silence before Bellasini shrieked. “Wait, wait, please don’t go! I have so many more questions!”

 

“What is the matter Princess?”

 

“The fairies, pixies and elves. They are all leaving. I do not want them to go.”

 

The Dress of Dreams slowly stopped spinning, and gently lowered Bellasini down to the floor alongside the Queen.

 

“I am sorry I was up there so long Gran,” murmured Bellasini, still catching her breath. “But the fairies wanted to show me everything that happened.”

 

“What do you mean?” replied the Queen. “You were only spinning for a minute or two.”

 

“Are you sure?” replied Bellasini, scratching her head. “I was talking with the fairies for hours.” 

 

“I guess that’s magic for you,” chuckled the Queen.

 

“Gran! Gran!” excitedly began Bellasini. “I now know why all the magical fairies, pixies and elves of Virtasia, disappeared. And I know how we can get them back.”

 

“How?” promptly replied the Queen.

 

“Well you see long ago, the fairies, pixies and elves, were just ordinary people from Reality,” began Bellasini, slowly pacing around the room, studying the symbols on the walls.  “In those days, apparently everybody believed in magic. And at night, after they had fallen asleep, they had the power to transport themselves to Virtasia, as a fairy, pixie, or elf, in their dreams. 

 

“How was that possible?” interrupted the Queen, shaking her head in disbelief. “I thought only you could do that with your bracelets.”

 

“Well apparently in those days, the grand-mothers and fathers of the world, spent much of their time teaching their grandchildren all about the magic of their dreams and wishes,” continued Bellasini. “Every night they would read enchanted stories to them as they were falling asleep. Just like you used to do with me Gran,” excitedly squealed Bellasini. "And it was these stories, and strong belief in magic, which allowed them all to develop a very special, magical crystal heart, within their own human heart."

 

“So what happened?” interrupted the Queen. “Why did they all leave?”

 

“Apparently the young children of Reality, no longer wanted to listen to the bedtime stories of their grandparents. There were too many other new, more exciting things to do. Like read comic books and watch TV.”

 

“Eventually the only fairies left in Virtasia, were the grandparents. So rather than let their magic be lost forever, the last of the fairies, pixies and elves all got together and decided to create this dress,” continued Bellasini, lightly running her hands down the side of the dress.

 

“That is why it is called the ‘Dress of Dreams' Gran." Not necessarily because it is the most beautiful dress in the world, but rather because it has the hearts of millions of fairies, pixies and elves sewn into its fabric. And each little crystal heart, contains enough magic within it, to transport its owner, from Reality to Virtasia, in their dreams.”

 

“Ah ha!” sighed the Queen. “Now it all makes sense.”

 

“What Gran? What makes sense? excitedly shrilled Bellasini.” 

 

The Queen once again moved toward the large elaborately decorated stone in the middle of the room, from which the Dress of Dreams had earlier emerged, and reached inside.

 

“What’s that?” excitedly asked Bellasini, as Gran pulled out what appeared to be another old book, from the seemingly now empty hole, in the middle of the elaborate stone chamber. 

 

 “This Princess is what the fairies, pixies and elves left for the people of Virtasia to give them hope. This is the ‘Prophesies of Virtasia’, written by the fairies in our language, before they disappeared.”
 
“Wow!” sighed Bellasini. “The King told me a little bit about this book, when I found him by the lake.” 

 

“Let me see now,” continued the Queen flicking through the pages. “Here it is!” 
 
The Queen began to read out loud from the opened book. “Once the Princess born of both worlds, has freed the people of Virtasia, and Reality, from a tyrannical ruler, she will reawaken the magic of Virtasia, with her stories and tales. After which she will return all the enchanted hearts of the Dress of Dreams, to those in Reality, who have regained their belief in magic of their dreams and wishes, and now wish to return to Virtasia.”

 

“So what do you think it means Gran?” asked a confused Bellasini.

 

“I think it means you have to return each, and everyone of the magical crystal hearts on the Dress of Dreams, to the great, great grandchildren, of the fairies, pixies and elves, that placed them there,” replied the Queen.

 

“Oh my gosh Gran. There must be more than a million crystal hearts on this dress,” gasped a bewildered Bellasini, throwing her hands in the air. “How could I possibly find out, which heart belongs to which person?”

 

“I am sorry Princess, the Book of Prophesies does not tell me that,” replied the Queen, flicking through the pages.

 

“The Wiz! He will know,” quickly squealed Bellasini, spinning on the floor. “He has the Lifelog of every person in Reality. He surely must know who I need to give each crystal to.”

 

Bellasini turned toward the Queen and uttered, “I really need to know Gran. Can I go quickly to visit the Wiz? I am sure I can get back here in time for the ball.”

 

“Of course you can Princess. I will wait for you here,” smiled the Queen. “I will study the Book of Prophesies a little harder while you are gone, to see if I can find any answers for you in it.” 

 

“Thanks Gran,” shrieked a very happy Bellasini. “I will be back in no time.”

 

“To the Wiz’s” shouted Bellasini, as she clashed the bracelets together.”