Chapter 11 : The Pixie Hollow Council of War
The Winx and the Tinx are together at a lookout scouring the skies for any signs of dragonfly activity.
"Nothing so far," had been the word for several days and the quiet made the whole of Pixie Hollow uneasy with the fear that the dragonflies were massing for a huge attack.
"We could really use someone like Icy," says Musa. "She'd freeze those bugs in their tracks."
"She's an Ice Faerie from your realm?" some of the Tinx were inquiring.
"No," Tinker Bell tells them, "She and her two sisters are members of a trio of Witches called the Trix. They are big bowlfuls of no-good and rotten to the core with a huge ladleful of really nasty on top."
"Oh!" says Fawn, cringing.
"Yeah," says Rosetta, "the last thing we want in Pixie Hollow is a trio of ugly and nasty old Witches."
"Well, that's just it," explains Tinker Bell. "The Trix are anything but old and ugly."
"Huh?" chorus the other Tinx.
"They are all young and beautiful," continues Tinker Bell. "If Icy, for instance, would remove that gaudy make-up she wears, grow wings and be sprinkled with Pixie Dust, she could pass herself off as one of us."
Tinker Bell pauses for a moment to let the others absorb that.
"I feel really sorry for her," continues Tinker Bell, shaking her head sadly. "There is something regal about Icy, as if she should have been a queen, or at least a princess – there's that kind of aura about her. It's just a terrible waste of a huge potential that she has turned to evil."
"I agree with Musa that she would be the ideal person to deal with the dragonflies, but… " begins Bloom.
"Exactly!" interjects Stella, shivering. "Making a deal with Icy, even if she agreed to it, would be making a deal with a daemoness."
"That gives me an idea!" says Tecna, brightening. "Ice!"
Everyone looks at her.
"Don't tell me you are actually considering asking Icy for help!" says Stella, alarmed.
"No, no, of course not. But maybe using ice is the answer to ending this war," the technology Faerie explains, pulling out a quickly made, crude map of Pixie Hollow drawn on a pale yellow leaf, "Ah. This is where the land is always winter, right?" She points to the northernmost of the four seasons.
"Right," answers Iridessa, "It's very cold and snowy, and all the water is frozen. It can be a place for fun, though."
"Well, what if, during the next attack, we drive the dragonflies into Winter? They won't survive there for very long!" Tecna looks pleased with herself.
"Periwinkle told me once it is too cold for bugs there, and I have never seen any," says Tinker Bell, "So that would work!"
"Tecna, that is brilliant!" exclaims Bloom, "Let us go see Aish – Queen Aisha right away!" She gives an exasperated sigh. "I'll never get used to that."
"Okay, what have you got?" asks Queen Aisha as she comes into the Audience Room.
"I've got the major map you asked me for," says Vidia, gesturing. On the table is a new, large, detailed map of Pixie Hollow plus some of the surrounding lands.
"Oh, nice job!" praises the queen, "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."
"No, Majesty," is the reply, "I got additional details from some of the other Faeries who have gone exploring."
"You have a good eye and talent for technical drawing," comments Tecna to the fast-flyer as she takes a picture with her palmtop.
Vidia smiles and lets her ego inflate a bit more. She sits down with a pained sigh and puts her crutch aside.
"Tecna has thought of a way to deal with the dragonflies, Majesty," says Bloom.
"I would have expected as much," Aisha says, smiling at her friend. "What's the idea?"
"When they attack, we lure or drive them into Winter, where the cold will kill them," Tecna replies.
"Kill them?" says Fawn in a small voice.
Tecna looks at the Animal Faerie. "You were there when we discussed this."
"Yes, but I think it just now hit me," is the reply. "Why do we have to do that? I probably taught many of them to fly."
Flora steps over and puts an arm around Fawn's shoulders. "I don't like the idea at all, Sweetie, but there is no choice. They have to be stopped or Pixie Hollow will be lost. Besides that, isn't the Mainland depending on you for the change of seasons?"
Fawn hangs her head. "Yes."
Aisha sees the agony on the Faerie's face, and comes over to her. She takes Fawn's hands in her own. "I really wish there was another way. If you can think of one, come to me at any time and we will discuss it. Okay?"
"Thank you, Majesty," smiles Fawn weakly but Aisha does not miss the sadness still glistening in her eyes.
Just then Zephyr comes in holding a folded leaf made into a carrying case. "There is a delivery from the Keeper," she announces.
The Winx had been there when Aisha was briefed on the local hierarchy, and learned of the Keeper, a Winter Faerie who wrote the books.
Opening the container, a number of very old and brittle leaves covered in calligraphic writing were inside. They were carefully removed and placed flat on another table. To the Winx the pages were unreadable at first glance, so they left it to the local Faeries to decode.
"While they are working on that, are there any other ideas for stopping the dragonflies?" asks Aisha.
Nobody says anything for a long moment, looking from one to the other.
"Guess not, then," says Aisha. "Fawn, do you know where the dragonflies live?"
Reluctantly, Fawn answers, "Yes, Majesty. I go there to teach their young."
"Show us," commands the Queen, and she and Fawn go to the map.
After a moment's study, Fawn points to a spot to the southwest of Pixie Hollow where a circle of hills lies. "Here. The entire valley between the hills is their grounds."
"Okay… so to drive them to the Winter Woods, before reaching the Tree, we'll have to deploy our forces along here." says Tecna, touching a spot on the map and moving her finger in an arc.
"They are very tough," says Vidia, "Even using my wind powers to help, not very many were brought down using arrows."
"And that is the main weapon you have?" asks Aisha.
"Yes, Majesty; we have not needed anything else for a long time," says Zephyr.
"Okay, then, see what you can find out from those pages. It's time for a visit to the Winter Woods," says the Queen.