Chapter 9
"Don't just float there, go after her," Fairy Mary cried out.
Terence, Silvermist, Rosetta, Clank and Bobble all flew out of Tinker's Nook trying to chase down Tinker Bell and Vidia. They were surprised at just how angry Tink looked when she launched after the fast flyer. Lockheed, on the other hand, just stood there shaking his head.
"Why aren't you going?" Fairy Mary asked. "You're a fast flyer. You can catch Vidia."
"No, I can't," he said. "She is faster than any fairy in our talent guild. Than any fairy in Pixie Hollow, for that matter. Only Wisp comes closest."
"Well then stop Tinker Bell," she said.
But Lockheed could only sit and put his head in his hands.
"What's wrong with you? Why aren't you even trying to stop this nonsense?"
He shrugged his shoulders and with a resigned look on his face said, "It won't do any good. Vidia has changed for the worse over the decades and nothing I will ever do is going to stop it."
"So you're just giving up on her?"
"I gave up long ago," Lockheed said.
Fairy Mary saw something in his countenance that filled in all the blanks. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"As the wings on your back."
He took in a deep breath and let it out in a mournful sigh. "I had a crush on who Vidia used to be: a bold, brash, highly talented fast flyer with greatness at her wingtips. I have no idea who that fairy is anymore."
"Then why do you still care enough to intervene?"
"I don't. Our guild supervisor, Fairy Kelly, insists I keep her out of trouble." He chortled, "Kelly would need an entire talent guild just to keep that insane ego in check."
"Well this is a fine how-do-you-do, Lockheed. You can help reform her, bring her back, but you've already written her off."
"The queen can do it, but she seems to go far too easy on Vidia. Maybe if Clarion didn't coddle her so much Vidia would-,"
"That's enough out of you," Fairy Mary scolded him. "The queen is very wise and highly knowledgeable. More than you'll ever be and it's hardly your place to question how she manages one of her own."
Lockheed glared at Fairy Mary. He then flitted off, back to wherever he came from.
Fairy Mary shook her head and sighed. "Hard-headedness must run in that guild like a bad case of the fairy pox."
The tinker supervisor turned to face her charges. "Alright everyone listen here. If anyone has damage to their house, pick a helper and start repairs immediately. The rest of you keep cleaning up the area. If any of our wares are still in good order stack them for delivery. I'll be right back."
Fairy Mary then lit off towards the Pixie Dust Tree and Her Majesty the Queen, who would no doubt be highly displeased by this news.
"Tink! Tinker Bell," Terence called out. "Stop! Don't do this, you'll regret it."
The others who flew with him also tried to call her back, but to no avail. Tinker Bell had a huge head start on them and she was flying faster than she ever had before. Her anger drove the beating of her wings as she tried to keep up with Vidia.
Vidia could have easily out flown Tinker Bell, but instead she kept just ahead of the tinker fairy. The purple clad flyer made hard turns, zipped through the foliage and feigned evasive maneuvers. Vidia led Tinker Bell into the Autumn Forest where she used her winds to blow leaves off the trees and into a swirling trail that obscured Tink's view of her. The flyer managed the leaf count so the tinker could follow, but not see where she was being lead.
Tinker Bell became even more furious as the leaves constantly impeded her progress towards Vidia, the destroyer of her home. She growled and cursed, but still plowed full speed through the flurry of red, yellow and brown foliage. Tink could feel the strain in her wing muscles as she beat her wings harder and faster than ever before. They hurt and would start to cramp up if she didn't stop soon, but her outrage towards Vidia wouldn't allow it. She would fall out of the air before willingly give up this chase. Vidia had willfully destroyed her home in an act of malicious vengeance and Tinker Bell was going to teach that fast flyer a lesson she wouldn't soon forget.
"Where did they go?" Terence asked his companions.
"I haven't the foggiest," Bobble answered.
Rosetta flew up a little higher for a better view. She spied leaves in the Autumn Forest fluttering to the ground. "Over there," she cried out to them. "That must be them."
The rest flew in the direction she pointed while Rosetta descended to rejoin them. A few trees into the forest, though, and they lost the trail. Vidia had flown into the boughs and branches to further confuse Tinker Bell and it had done an even better job of confusing the pursuing party.
"Now where did they go?" Terence asked.
Rosetta would occasionally see leaves fluttering to the ground and they would go off in that direction before losing the trail again. It was frustrating for the group as they made progress in fits and spurts.
"Oh, I just hope we get there in time before anything bad happens," Silvermist offered.
"Miss Vidia can out fly anyone," Bobble said.
"Yeah, but it sure didn't look like she was tryin' to last I saw 'em," Rosetta informed everyone. "I think she's gonna do somethin' awful to poor Tinker Bell."
"Or Tinker Bell will do something awful to Vidia if she catches her," Terence replied.
"Oh, no, we lost the trial again," Silvermist advised.
"Well keep looking for fallin' leaves; it's the only way we can find 'em," Rosetta ordered.
Fairy Mary landed at the entrance to the Queen's audience chamber. She strode in and saw a familiar face. "Queen Clarion, your highness."
"Yes, Fairy Mary, what is it?" The queen was enjoying a cup of tea with the ministers. They had been sharing a laugh about something, which made the tinker supervisor's news all the more difficult to deliver.
"Vidia has committed a dreadful act against Tinker Bell and Tinker's Nook."
The queen rolled her eyes with knowing apprehension. "What did she do this time?"
"She commanded two thistles across Pixie Hollow, assaulted several fairies with them and then…, and then purposefully drove them directly into Tinker's Nook where they completely destroyed Tinker Bell's house and damaged several others."
When she heard the news the queen was livid and utterly appalled. "Tell me everything," she demanded.
Vidia had the old tree trunk in sight. Tinker Bell was close behind and clearly angling for a confrontation. So was Vidia, but on her own terms. That's right tinker fairy, stay right on my tail. Just a few more seconds and you'll be all mine.
The fast flyer drew more leaves into her swirl and it made Tinker Bell even angrier than before. It obscured Vidia's target so well that all Vidia had to do was fly right into the half fallen tree. No special maneuvers, no approach from an obscuring angle, just a straight forward approach. Moments later Vidia winged straight into the tree trunk and stopped cold, stepping aside just in time for a blurring whirlwind of leaves and an angry tinker fairy to scream right past her.
Tinker Bell blew right past the fast flyer and into a piece of old tree bark. There was a hole where a knot used to be and Tink unwittingly plunged right through it. Snapping and crackling sounds were heard when she did.
"Ooof!" Tink grunted as she abruptly came to a halt inside the knot hole. "Hey! What?" Tinker Bell was stuck tight. She tried to push forward, but her feet couldn't find purchase as they scratched wildly in the air. Then she swung her legs forward and tried pushing against the bark. Tink couldn't back out, either. She was at Vidia's mercy.
I should have Chapter 10 posted by mid or late Monday. Enjoy everyone.