Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are not mine.
The Little Fairy
Chapter 3
Starting the Journey
Vidia turned her face away as the hawk snapped at her.
Bang!
Vidia jumped, startled. Her mouth dropped open slightly, and she felt that she could breathe properly again.
Bang! - Jacquie thwacked the drainpipe with the fork again, distracting the hawk. She yanked the pencil from her belt and hurled it at the hawk. It bounced harmlessly off his feathers to land on the shingles. The hawk beat his feathers, trying to scare away his new enemy.
The pencil rolled back down the roof to Jacquie, who snatched up and used it and the fork to keep her balance as she walked back up to the roof's ridge.
Jacquie stepped between her unwilling companion and the hawk. She smiled, then bent her knees and held both weapons at the ready. She breathed deeply, waiting for her enemy to make the first move. The hawk hesitated, surprised by the new turn of events. He stuck his neck forward to bite at her with his sharp beak. Jacquie swung her weapons to the side then used them to strike the hawk's beak simultaneously from either side.
With a cry of pain and anger, the bird drew back. Jacquie hurled the pencil as a spear toward his eye but he ducked, the pencil skimming his feathers. Jacquie took a running start and jumped onto his back, still holding the two-pronged fork in her hands.
Vidia stared in awe as Jacquie twirled the fork to get speed, then stabbed the bird with it. Jacquie twisted the fork and pulled out several feathers, then used the bird's back as a slide and landed firmly behind him.
Screee! The bird screamed, then took off, flying straight away over the rooftops.
Jacquie turned to Vidia. "That went pretty well."
Vidia stared at her. "That went well – went well?" she demanded, breathing hard. "That bird scared the pixie dust off of me!"
"I thought you said the pixie dust was washed off." Jacquie said, suspiciously.
"It's a figure of speech, darling." Vidia stared at the hawk still flying away. "That certainly didn't 'go well', but as it would ruin my reputation to say you impressed me, I'll just say – are you out of your mind?"
"I'll take that as a compliment." Jacquie grinned. "Now we need to get back on track. We need to get a long way before we stop for the night. How did you get the vine off, anyway?"
"I used the fork."
"I guess I could just take you word that you won't run off, then." Jacquie said, hopefully.
"It would be pretty dumb of me to run away now. I don't even know which way I would go to get to fairy camp." Vidia lied, glancing down at the alleyway and knowing she could find her way back.
"Well, we're going this direction." Jacquie pointed. Vidia followed her silently off the roof. At the end, there was a rope and plank footbridge spanning the distance between two roofs. Straining her eyes, she could see a few planks missing.
"Jacquie, that bridge doesn't look very safe." she pointed out.
"I use it all the time." Jacquie laughed. "Don't worry – it's perfectly stable."
Vidia glanced suspiciously at Jacquie and followed her tentatively onto the bridge. She walked slowly, and each plank seemed to bend and creak under her light feet. They reached the next building without a fall.
The Little Fairy
Vidia sighed, stretching her tired muscles. "We must be close." she said, pulling her borrowed jacket closer around her and watching the very last rays of sun vanish over the tall buildings of London.
"Yep. We are." Jacquie finished off the small cake she'd been eating. "Okay, time to get going again." She stood.
Vidia pulled herself wearily to her feet. "I don't do much walking at home." she said, complaining. "I really hate walking."
Jacquie laughed. "I'm ready to go miles more before bed – but we're almost there, so you'll be able to rest soon." A bag slid from her pack as she straightened, and bounced quietly onto the flat roof.
"You something fell out of the pack." Vidia told her, getting up.
"Oh, thanks." Jacquie chased it down.
Vidia glanced around. The rooftops were clear, and the sun was high in the sky. There were no clouds in sight, and no shadows to speak of. A beautiful day.
How hateful.
Vidia could only wish for clouds and evening dimness. The brightness seemed to reflect off of everything, and she felt as if she'd been walking forever.
Then she spotted them.
"Tink!" she screamed. "Tinkerbell! Down here! Tink!" she raced across the rooftop.
Jacquie jerked and saw her running away. "No, no, no no!" she took off after her escaping prisoner.
Vidia reached the edge of the roof. "Fawn! Tinkerbell!" she shrieked at the two fairies – but they weren't close enough.
"I'd even take a clothesline about now." she muttered. She looked around and suddenly noticed a small bride spanning the gap between the buildings. Must be another lost fairy bridge. She decided, and made for it.
Vidia raced across it – she hardly paid attention to the rickety condition. She reached the other side in a dangerously short time, then noticed that the bridge was tied to a small hook.
"Jacquie – don't follow me!" Vidia shouted, warningly, and Jacquie stepped back off the other end of the bridge.
Vidia quickly untied both knots and let the bridge fall, cutting Jacquie off from her. Jacquie face was impassive, but Vidia knew she had a plan. She turned and ran to where she'd seen Tink and Fawn, not looking back.
She pulled herself up onto the stone edging of the roof and looked down. She scanned the road. She spotted them farther up the road. "Tink! Fawn!" she screamed. "Help! HELP!"
Fawn stopped flying forward. She just hovered in the air, listening.
"Fawn! Fawn!" Vidia yelled. "TINKERBELL!"
They both started looking around.
"Look up!" Vidia shouted. "I'm up here!" She jumped off the edging and sprinted to the corner of the building where she'd be closer to her friends.
She was tackled to the ground. Jacquie had caught up. "Shut up!" Jacquie hissed. "Stop it!"
"They heard me." Vidia told her. "They know I'm here. They'll see you."
"They know you haven't got pixie dust anymore. They'll assume you're on the ground. And they'll be wrong." Jacquie shrugged. "Sorry."
She shoved a sliver of aspirin into Vidia's mouth, then put a hand over her lips, sealing them.
Like she's practiced. Vidia noticed, trying not to swallow. Then she had to.
The Little Fairy
"Would you like a drink?" The voice was high-pitched and sweet.
Vidia blinked. She was lying on a padded bench, in some sort of house.
"I'm Araminta." Araminta smiled, cheerfully. "Jacquie comes to me for information on other lost fairies, and I've sorted a way for the two of you to -"
"Jacquie kidnapped me." Vidia interrupted her. "I'm a normal fairy – from Pixie Hollow, and I have to get back. Can you help me?"
"It really isn't my business." Araminta pointed out. "It's between the two of you, and I know Jacquie's a fair and sensible fairy. You'll sort it out."
"Doesn't it matter to you?" Vidia asked, incredulously. "She kidnapped me. Don't you even care?"
Araminta blinked, startled. "Don't be cross. I trust my friends. Jacquie's my friend. Therefore she must have a good reason for having kidnapped you. I don't need an explanation from her."
"You horrid creature." Vidia sat up.
Araminta drew back, offended. Then she seemed to recover. "If I interfered in all my friends affairs, being the judge of all the lost fairies I know – I would very dead. After you learn a little more about lost fairies, you'll be able to understand that." she paused. "You can call me Minta." she gave another smile and stood up. "When you feel recovered from the aspirin you can join Jacquie and me in the other room through this door." she left.
Vidia stood unsteadily and tested the strength of the wall. It seemed to be made of thick cardboard or thin wood, but she couldn't get through.
Eventually she decided that she'd go after Araminta. She stepped through the doorway. Jacquie was speaking to Araminta in a serious tone.
"You're sure there isn't anyone else? We aren't the greatest allies, you know. I don't know how well I'd be received."
"She's the only one. It's a fair specialty. Of course, you might be able to go to Scorpia, but I doubt she'd help you."
"No fear, I'm not going anywhere near her." Jacquie laughed, nervously.
"Who's Scorpia?" Vidia asked,
Jacquie looked up at Vidia, noticing her for the first time. She sighed, turning back to Araminta. "We'll go to Cassie, then." Jacquie decided, ignoring Vidia. "Thank you so much for all your help, Minta."
"My pleasure. It's good to see you. How are your humans?"
"They're all doing well." Jacquie nodded. "How's yours?"
"You know I don't talk about my humans." Araminta reminded her. "Thanks for asking, though."
"You're welcome." Jacquie got up and stretched. "Thanks for the book. I'm going to go and pack up for the next stretch of journey. Can you explain to Vidia what's going on? I don't think she feels like talking to me right now."
"Sure." Araminta smiled. "Vidia, come sit down."
"No, thanks." Vidia took a few steps toward her and watched Jacquie as she strode from the room, then turned back to Araminta. "What are you going to explain to me?"
"You and Jacquie are going to meet another lost fairy. Her name is Cassie. She collects magical . . . objects. Rings, stones, that sort of thing." Araminta explained. "If there is a way to turn Jacquie into a human, Cassie'll know."
"Why doesn't Jacquie want to go to Cassie?" Vidia queried.
"They aren't friends anymore." Araminta smirked, wistfully. "But ask Jacquie about that – It really isn't my story to tell."
"Can you give me a hint?"
"Don't worry, Vidia. You'll be perfectly safe. The only fairy to have beaten Jacquie – ever – was Nisassi, and she's not business right now. She's not even in the country."
"Nis – who?" Vidia asked.
"We need to leave." Jacquie appeared in the doorway. "Come on, Vidia."
Vidia stood, seething that she had to obey. But she could still protest.
"I bet Tink and Fawn saw me." she said. "They'll come looking – and they'll find you, too, Minta."
Minta frowned, but Vidia raised an eyebrow. "Is that something you want?"
"Let's go, Vidia." Jacquie pushed Vidia ahead of her out the door. She turned back to Araminta. "Don't worry. She's trying to make you nervous." she offered a cocky grin. "The next time you see me I'll be human. Drop by sometime."
Jacquie followed Vidia out of the door.
The Little Fairy
"How far are we from Cassie's home?" Vidia asked, shifting closer to the fire. They'd walked over almost a hundred buildings. The sky was getting dark, but over the edge of the roof Vidia could see the lampposts being lit.
"Not too far." Jacquie assured her. "Not as far as we've gone today."
"Oh, good." Vidia relished in relaxing for a few minutes. Then she couldn't stop herself from asking. "Why aren't you and Cassie friends?"
"She's a power hoarder." Jacquie replied.
"She hoards power." Vidia's sarcastic tone made it a question.
"No – she . . . hm. She collects things that give her power over other people. Magical objects, things that people want. Then everyone either has to give her something in return, or else owe her a favor."
"That's why you don't like her." Vidia nodded. "That makes sense. But why doesn't she like you?"
"There was an – incident. I think every lost fairy owes something to Araminta, (she doesn't want anything in return, of course) but that's why Cassie and I came when she asked us to help. A human she knows had gotten into trouble. He was studying fairies, you see, and he managed to – you can't know the details – it's sort of secret, but he got captured by a fairy scientist. We had the choice to either save Araminta's human, or else get a very large amount of pixie dust. In the end, the choice was mine, and I saved the human. Cassie had wanted to get the pixie dust. She said it was because she wanted to get home to pixie hollow, but I never believed her."
"Pixie hollow." Vidia sighed. "You're actually a really nice person, Jacquie."
"Thanks!" Jacquie smiled.
"I'm starting to dread when my friends catch up with us. There is no way they'd let you get away with kidnapping me." Vidia offered a sad smile. "I sure wonder what they're doing now."
The Little Fairy
"My wings are getting really tired, Fawn." Tinkerbell dropped onto a rooftop. "Can we rest for a few minutes?"
"Sure." Fawn sat down next to her. "I hope she's all right. I think my heart stopped when the lid came off that jar and she wasn't there."
"Terrifying." Tink agreed.
"How long has it been now?"
"It's the end of the second day."
"So much could happen in two days." Fawn slammed her hand to the ground in frustration. "OW!" she cried.
"Are you okay?" Tinkerbell leaned over to look.
"My hand landed on – the handle of a trap door." Fawn used her wings to rise into the air and settle down again on the other side of the door. "It's a fairy-size trap door."
"Come on!" Tinkerbell pulled it open and flew in. Fawn followed. They flew down the ladder, then down a tunnel, and reached a door painted to look like flowers. They landed, looking at it.
"Do we knock?" Fawn asked.
Tinkerbell shrugged and proceeded to knock incredibly loudly.
The door opened slowly. Large purple eyes looked at them curiously. Suddenly a fairy yanked the door wide open.
"You're glowing!" she exclaimed. "You have pixie dust!"
Fawn blinked. "Yeah." she replied.
"Then you aren't lost fairies. You're Vidia's friends!"
"Lost fairies?" Tinkerbell frowned.
"Uh . ." Fawn held up a hand. "I don't know if you could say we're friends . . . "
"Who are you and where is she?" Tinkerbell pushed her way into the house and confronted the fairy.
"I'm Araminta." she answered. "I'm really glad you're here, 'cause I don't think she's safe."