Chapter 33
If the sudden appearance of Artemis and Alfonse flying on Strider wasn't shocking enough, then the sudden news of the upcoming attack shook the fairies of Pixie Hollow to the core. However, Queen Clarion, Lord Milori, and the Ministers of the Seasons, guided all of the fairies in the right track of defending their home. All day, every single talent worked together, just like they did during the Great Freeze. It was a sight to behold.
Artemis helped her fellow animal fairies lead every animal to safety, then moved on to join Terrence with helping Tinkerbell build catapults the size of the Pixie Dust Tree. Eventually Dash came to join them and with his help, they managed to get their work done in a timely matter. Every once and a while Artemis would catch sight of Rosetta, Iridessa, Silvermist, and a red haired dust keeper, whom Artemis came to know as Zarina, work together to grow the largest venus flytraps anyone had ever seen. As the evening sun shined brightly, everything was in place for the upcoming battle.
"Well I have to admit Artemis, you may have been right all along." Alfonse had said, as the two fairies stood on an old oak tree.
"I'm glad you approve, I just hope everything will go as planned."
She could tell Alfonse was about to say something, but didn't.
"What?" Artemis questioned.
With a small smile he answered, "So now that all of Pixie Hollow knows what you are and you have found your brother. What's next, I guess the next thing on your mind is to court that young Dash fellow?"
"What!? I... uh.. I-!" The young fairy stumbled on her words, feeling herself blush profusely as her teacher laughed.
As Alfonse continued his laughter, a large rumbling sound came from the distance, followed by the sound of something crashing into a tree. The pirates had begun their assault.
"Everyone in positions!" The water fairy yelled, catching the attention of those who waited for this moment.
A canon ball soared through the trees, landing in the mouth of a large venus flytrap. Artemis and Alfonse climbed onto Striders back, taking to the sky as the fairies makeshift catapult began firing rocks at the ship. With a select few of fairies, the two Hawk Riders lead an attack on the Queen Anne's Revenge. However, it seemed the pirates were expecting an attack, as nets were being fired in their direction.
A large rock smashed itself into a canon, which was about ready to fire another net, and Artemis couldn't help but smile at the damage everyone was causing on her prison. With the combined talents of the fairies, which were no one the animal fairy knew, the Hawk Riders went to destroy the canons. It was a sight to see some of the pirates chasing after fairies, only for them to use their talents on the villains, or watch them try to fight the tiny people.
Strider flew behind a pirate and used his claws to grab onto their shirt, using as much strength he could muster to cause the human to lose balance. Only for this action to result in the pirate falling overboard. As Artemis cut a rope securing the ships sail, she began to notice something off. There were only a few pirates on the ship, which made her wonder where the others were. Suddenly a pirate frantically came running out the door leading below decks.
"Everybody abandon ship!" The pirate yelled, and the others did not hesitate.
As all of the pirates abandoned the ship, all of the other fairies flew away. Taking the hint, Artemis and everyone else flew away from the Queen Anne's Revenge as fast as they could. The ship erupted into pieces like a volcano, fire spread everywhere, and the light talent fairies burst into cheers at their own work. Feeling relief overwhelm her as she watched her prison sink into the deep, the animal fairy couldn't help but cheer along with the others.
"That wasn't all of them, we need to find Blackbeard." Alfonse muttered only to her.
"Where could they have gone though?" Artemis questioned, trying to keep a straight face to not panic the others.
"Morwen wasn't on the ship either, which means the two of them have co-opted together for some other plan. We need to get back to Pixie Hollow now!"
Suddenly screams came from far behind them and as the two Hawk Riders turned around, they were shocked to see the forests of Pixie Hollow erupt into flames.
"Fall back!" Alfonse cried, and they all flew back towards home.
Getting on Strider's back, Artemis looked behind her to see her teacher sitting on him as well "I don't understand, I thought the barrier was supposed to keep out those who work for Morpheus!"
"The barrier was created by the magic of the original Hawk Riders, and because I'm the only one left means that it's weaker than it was before. It can only be restored if we had fairies of the same talents as the originals!"
"Look out!" A garden fairy shouted, as a tree began falling in their direction.
No one was hurt by the burning tree, but the heat of the flames separated the Hawk Rider's from the others. Their helpers looked at each other in panic as they couldn't get to Artemis and Alfonse.
"We can't reach you!" A fast flyer shouted.
"Don't worry about us, you all get back to the others and warn everyone that the pirates have made it to shore!" Alfonse yelled back, and with a nod, the fairies flew away.
Now separated from the others, the two fairies watched as Pixie Hollow burned all around them. If she wasn't so driven by their mission, Artemis would have broke down into tears at the sight of her home.
"What do we do now?" Artemis questioned.
"The only thing we can do, get to the center of the Pixie Dust Tree before Morwen." Was Alfonse's answer, and with this, the two fairies flew off towards their next mission.
Author's Note: Finally! I'm done with this chapter! Good lord my mind has not been with this story lately, and I just wanted to get this one done and over with as I'm way past due of my planned writing schedule. I had planned for it to be finished by the end of last year and as you can see, I'm way past that! Well I hope you all liked it and please share your thoughts!