"Are you sure you heard it?" Terence asked.
"I'm positive; I know I heard it."
"Could it have been a dream?" Bobble asked.
She planted her hands on her hips. "Start looking!" she commanded, and the two sparrowmen scattered, flying quickly away from her wrath. Fawn turned and began jogging through Pixie Hollow, squeezing through the slim gap between the thorns. In the open air of unprotected land, she began running as quickly as she could, hopping over the debris. When she reached the hill, she had to kneel and sink her fingers into the dirt to claw her way up. There she stopped, peering surreptitiously over the edge to make sure the coast was clear.
Then she heaved herself over the incline and kept walking, her eyes pointed loyally to the ground as she looked for tracks.
The silence of the night was suddenly broken by the unmistakable sound of a fast-flying fairy whipping by at neck-breaking speed. Fawn spun to see the pixie dust fading. As she pressed herself against the nearest tree and hunkered in the shadows, she saw five winged figures rising from the heart of Pixie Hollow. Each of them carried a porcupine quill harpoon on their backs. Moving as one they flew away in a group.
Fawn grimaced in fear, then turned around and saw four complete strangers looking back at her. Their wings were still and their faces were unreadable. Fawn knew they were from Pixie Hollow; she recognized them, but she never knew them.
So when they began to advance on her she was a little nervous. She turned around and came face-to-face with Zarina. Fawn took a startled step back. And suddenly from behind there was a hand on her shoulder.
Fawn's scared eyes searched Zarina's for reassurance; but she couldn't tell who Zarina was anymore.
"We can't just let you leave like that," Zarina said simply, and the hand tightened on her shoulder. Her eyes traveled past Fawn's head and she nodded.
Fawn tried not to panic as they escorted her away. "I don't have time for this!"
"Will you relax?"
Fawn's efforts to escape were temporarily hindered when they rounded a corner and she saw the magnificent glowing flower. When her shock faded and her anger mounted she continued trying to push her way free.
Suddenly she was being tied to the stem of the flower. "This is for your own good, Fawn," Zarina said coldly. "If you had just trusted me..."
"Trust you!"
"You wouldn't be tied up." Zarina shrugged. "We're just going to help you."
"Yeah, right, I had a feeling you shouldn't have - " Fawn's attention was diverted by the glowing pollen that was falling onto her, and the way it made her feel. The beautiful voice that was singing an enchantment fell silent.
And, as they untied her, Fawn felt two hands running along her injured wing. Except there was no pain.
"There you go, good as new," Lyria told her.
Fawn lowered her gaze so the pixie dust that fell on her wouldn't get into her eyes, and she saw her shadow on the ground, cast by the light of the glowing flower. She could see two perfect wings.
"And take care of them this time; I don't know how many times this will work," Zarina announced. "I mean, you were kind of the first one to use it."
Fawn looked up at her as the rope fell away. "What? But, that's so dangerous."
"You're welcome," Zarina answered coolly. "No hard feelings."
Fawn's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe it works as long as it's glowing," Lyria suggested.
"Well, no, maybe not. I mean, flowers have a lifespan too, right?" one of the strangers asked.
"Lyria," Zarina said. "Come to Pixie Hollow with me and look for injured fairies. We'll bring them here."
Fawn was glaring at Zarina as she flew away.
-x-
Tinker Bell, Silvermist and Bobble had returned to Pixie Hollow and were looking hopeless when, all of a sudden, Fawn flew over the thorns and landed before them. Naturally the conversation halted.
"Fawn?" Tinker Bell asked. "How did you...Why are you..."
"Why is everyone crying?" Fawn asked, and she repressed the strange urge to wipe Bobble's cheek.
"Oh. Um," Tinker Bell answered eloquently.
"Uh, I found the queen - "
"That's fantastic!"
"But she died."
Fawn flinched at the harsh words and looked up as Zarina and her new friends flew into Pixie Hollow. She sighed at her indecision. "Tell them," she urged, nodding subtly in their direction.
Everyone looked at once in a very unsubtle way.
"They might be able to...bring her back." Fawn shrugged.
Tinker Bell had suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and was shaking her. "Can they bring back Peri and Ro? A-and Fairy Gary!"
"Ask them," Fawn said, clearly surprised.
Tinker Bell turned and ran towards Zarina and her group. As she hurriedly spoke to them, Zarina looked right at Fawn and seemed to smile before nodding to Tinker Bell.
"Do you thick this could work?" Clank asked.
"I don't know, maybe. You guys better go with them," Fawn added hastily.
Clank sighed and sniffled as he and Bobble joined Tinker Bell.
Silvermist smiled and looked at Fawn. "Things might be okay after all."
Fawn looked at her. "I hope so."