Chapter 2 : Fire From Above
No one needs any urging to get out. The Winx fly straight up to where the air is clean enough to breathe even if it still smelled of smoke. For a long while they hover too shocked to speak as they view the scene of fire and destruction below.
"Oh, the plants!" moans Flora, putting her hands to her head. "They're hurting so badly. I can feel how badly they're suffering!"
"They must not be the only ones," says Aisha, pointing out the mangled bodies of hornets littering the ground – some torn to pieces and some looking as if they were charred in mid-flight.
"At least there are no Faerie bodies," notes Tecna. "The logical thing to do is to land and see if there are survivors."
"There must have been one heck of a battle here," says Musa, showing all the arrow she recovered that was lodged in a nearby tree bough.
The Winx land and start calling for anyone to come out but hear only silence in reply. Then Tecna stands on some higher ground, cups her hands about her mouth and calls but still there is only silence.
"Here, try this," says Musa, creating what looks to be a cone-shaped device made of blue vapor. "Just hold it in front of your mouth." Then she tosses it to the other girl.
"Tinker Bell!" calls Tecna through the device and her voice booms throughout the Hollow. "Tinker Bell! It's Tecna. Come out if you are here."
A green something floats from the giant tree and becomes a Faerie as Tinker Bell approaches, lands, then throws her arms about Tecna's neck. "Tecna, it was horrible. They just came out of the sky and attacked us!" she sobs, then abruptly stops to look into Tecna's face. "You're my size!" she gasps.
"Yes," says Tecna. "We are now Enchantix Faeries with some new powers and becoming your size is one of them."
Tecna was about to continue when, "Tink! Tink! Who are those people? Get away from them! They could be the ones who brought the dragonflies," calls an anxious tinkling voice and all look up to see another figure hovering above them.
"They're friends, Silvermist," calls back Tinker Bell. "Tell the others to come down."
Within a blink of an eye, four Faeries flitter down from the tree and surround Tinker Bell all chiming at once with their bell-like voices.
"They look to be more than just friends," whispers Stella to Musa.
"Yes," agrees Musa, "there's a lot more among them than the usual camaraderie."
"Maybe we should call them the Tinx Club," jokes Stella then yelps when Musa, frowning, ribs her hard with her elbow.
"Now, who are you folks?" asks Rosetta, taking a step forward.
"We're from the Alfea School for Faeries," answers Bloom.
"Oh, that place Tink went to fix a clock?" asks Iridessa.
"Correct," says Tecna, "But logically we have more important things to discuss. Let us leave formal introductions for later, when there is time."
"That's a bit rude, Tec," Stella stage-whispers to her.
"But reasonable," says Aisha, "Ladies, let's get on the same page here. You say dragonflies attacked you? You had better tell us what they are because they are obviously not what we call dragonflies in our world."
"Explain to them, Fawn," says Tinker Bell, nodding towards a Faerie whose hair color matched her name.
From Fawn's description the Winx learn that a dragonfly in their world is a huge insect – big enough to ride four Pixie Hollow Faeries on its back and a wingspan at least the same length. It is armor clad from head to tail and, yes, it breathes fire.
"I teach their young to fly," says Fawn bitterly. "We saw a larger than normal formation of them approach but we just thought they were coming only to announce that the latest brood of young were ready to be trained. Then they suddenly started attacking."
"Sounds like an insect version of a dragonet," says Bloom.
"Our guard hornets tried to defend us but they were hopelessly outmatched by the dragonflies which tore them to bits or blasted them out of the skies with their fire," continues Fawn, bursting into tears.
"It's okay, Fawn," says Rosetta, taking the Animal Faerie into her arms. "We all will work things out."
"Thank you, Rosetta," sobs Fawn but continues to cry on her shoulder.
Bloom turns her head away from the group when she hears the thrum of fast-beating wings as another Faerie lands. Bloom has only time to note that the newcomer has midnight black hair done in a Grecian style, wears a dark violet outfit with light violet trim and has wings that are definitely designed for speed. But that is all she got to notice before an argument breaks out between the newcomer and Tinker Bell's circle.
"So nice of you to run out on us, Vidia," snarls Iridessa accusingly.
"Yeah, you flew off and left us in the lurch while the dragonflies attacked us," puts in Fawn.
"But…" begins Vidia.
"But what?" growls Rosetta, red-faced. "We all saw you fly off as soon as the battle began. All you were interested in was saving your own skin."
"Enough," shouts Tinker Bell, regaining her voice of authority. "Let her speak! But, yes Vidia, I want to know what you were doing all this time."
"Don't you know that this was not the usual way dragonflies attack?" begins Vidia. "Fawn, you of all of us should have realized at least that much! You know that when dragonflies go on the attack they just indiscriminately blanket everything with fire. But… these are precise blast points designed to flush and drive us out but leave most things intact. Look! Why wasn't the Pixie Dust Tree or Tinker's Nook attacked and burned to the ground?"
"She's right," says Tecna. "There is a destruction-free zone averaging twenty point five three six meters about the Pixie Dust Tree," she adds in her usual precise manner and Vidia turns on her.
"Who are you, miss-know-it-all, and who asked for your opinion?" rages Vidia.
"Vidia!" shouts Tinker Bell.
Vidia turns as if to reply but then staggers and falls hard to the ground.
