"I'M NOT AFRAID," the real Flip McKnight said to the tall hedge of brier roses that had hidden a castle for one hundred years. He was in Nevertoon's Sleeping Beauty planet.

     As the darkness and gloom of the changing world claimed the Moon Dragon's days on Earth, the boy in the dragon was having countless adventures in the planets of Nevertoon. He discovered the secret of the fairy tale planets. The most magical thing of all: he could become any story character by wishing for it. And he could experience the unfolding tale firsthand as his chosen character just like being in a school play. He had been Peter Pan, Aladdin, and even Pinocchio.

     Today, he was the brave prince who dared to force his way through giant thorny roses and into the castle. The brier hedge had grabbed at him, would not let him through.

     "I must find the princess called Sleeping Beauty," the prince said.

     The herbs let him pass unharmed.

     True to the legend, everything was on a standstill at the sleeping castle, not even a leaf stirred. The prince saw dogs asleep in the courtyard, horses in the stable. On the roof, birds sleep with their heads tucked under their wings.

     The prince entered the quiet castle and found all the guards and servants snoozing in the halls. Even the flies were sleeping on the walls.

     He walked into the throne room and found the King and the Queen in deep slumber beside each other. The nobles and guests were all lying on the floor fast asleep.

     The prince explored the castle until he came to the tower. He opened the door there she lay—the sleeping princess. Her beauty mesmerized the prince, and he bent down to kiss her. At once, Sleeping Beauty opened her eyes and smiled at him.

     Throughout the castle, everyone and everything came alive from one hundred years of sleep.

     A flash of light ended the story and separated Flip McKnight from the prince. It drew him out of the planet across a dimensional boundary back on the moon of Nevertoon. The Sleeping Beauty planet now looked like a glass ball with a scene portraying the prince and the princess living happily ever after in their fairy tale world.

     "And I always thought Andrea would be my first kiss," Quento said.

     A dark shadow inched over the Sleeping Beauty planet, expunging the parts it fell on like black ink blotting out a painting. Pandemonium broke out. Characters screamed and scampered to escape the darkness.

     "Hey, what's going on?" Quento said.

     The darkness obliterated the planet.

     And it was annihilating the other fairy tale planets, erasing their inhabitants in terrifying agony.

     "It's happening," Miluna said, her voice filled with dread. "Like poison seeping in my inmost being, the Dark consumes my life." The Moon of Nevertoon was the resplendent source of life-giving light to the world. But she was waning. A throbbing patch of living darkness was forming opposite her face. It cast a dark shadow into space and devoured what fell into it. "It is destroying Nevertoon."

     Quento turned to the dark shadow. "So what will happen to the fairy tale planets?"

     "Once a planet disappears, Earth will lose its story like no one has told it at all. Even its creator will forget it."

     The boy in the dragon put his hand on his chest; he felt the anguish of the dragon's heart. "I wish I can stop it."

     "Not even my life-giving light nor the Moon Dragon's magic can stop it," Miluna said in the bitterness of her soul. "That's the reason he crossed over to Earth—to learn the human magic of light so he can light me up and save our world."

     "Human magic of light?" Quento said. "Oh, you mean electricity? Um, sorry to disappoint you, Miluna, but it's not magic at all."

     "I know now."

     Miluna's pulsating dark spot continued to grow, extirpating more planets as its shadow expanded.

     "Quento and I go through all things together," Miluna said. "Out of six troubles we can prevail, and at the seventh no evil remains. When he returns, this too we shall overcome together."

     "I'm sure you guys can beat the tar out of this bully," Quento said. "Wait, when is the next eclipse?"

     "In thirteen Earth months."

     "Long time—we're in deep trouble, aren't we?

     "Nevertoon needs the real dragon to survive this scourge. He must come home. His presence is also ruining your home world."

     "My Mom...Dad...Andrea...they'll be in trouble, too."

     "All of us, the universe, will be in deep peril."

     "I miss them so much." Quento's lips prickled with longing. "Dad is away and Mom needs me to be with her. She's sick."

     "I understand. I feel what the heart in Quento's body feels."