Tang Ri Shan
(Stay with me, we're nearing the climax!)
Tinkerbell: Curse of the Duskmoth
(I do not own Tinkerbell or any of the Disney Fairies. Enjoy!)
Chapter 14
"WHAT?!" Kelsier's scream echoed through the chamber, causing heads to turn. Kelsier had risen out of his seat and towered over the fairy who had just brought him the news. The brown-haired fairy cowered in front of him. "Tinkerbell escaped? How is that possible? No fairy could have escaped that cell without help!"
"I d-don't know how s-she did it, but when I came by to b-b-bring her food the c-cell was empty." She squeaked, her voice shaking out of fear. She seemed on the verge of tears.
"It's okay my dear" Clarion soothed, placing a hand on the fairy's shoulder. "It's not your fault" The fairy seemed to calm down. Kelsier frowned and opened his mouth to say more, but the Queen shot him a warning look and he closed it again.
"Has anyone else been down in the cells?" Kelsier turned to Elisa, who was hovering nearby.
"Just you and the guards" Elisa thought, then her eyes lit up. "And the seer"
Kelsier stiffened for a second, then laughed. "The Seer? Please, he would never do that!" Lowering his voice he added "He would never betray me"
"But he has been against this plan from the start" Elisa reminded him an a similar undertone.
Kelsier looked thoughtful for a moment. "True" He finally admitted, "Perhaps we should..."
"LORD KELSIER!" A shrill yell made both fairies look up. A black-garbed fairy with blonde hair had burst through the doors into the audience chamber and was flying towards him. She looked exhausted, like she had flown for hours without stopping. She lurched dangerously as she flew and finally crashed into the Minister of Summer, who along with the Minister of Autumn, supported her by her arms.
"Wh-where's Lord Kelsier?" She gasped in between deep breaths.
"Right here" Kelsier replied flying in front of the fairy, who looked up at him with wide eyes. "What is it?"
The fairy took a deep breath, than another and another, and finally spoke. "Tinkerbell's escaped from her cell!"
Kelsier rolled his eyes. "I already know that" He started to turn away.
"I saw her!" The fairy's next words made him stop.
"Where?" he turned back to her. Around him, the other ambassadors perked up.
"At a plum tree near the edge of the clearing." The fairy replied. "But..."
"A plum tree?" Fairy Mary piped up from the end of the room, looking up from her abacus. "Doesn't her friend Vidia live in one of those?"
"Yes, she..." The fairy started to say.
"Indeed" The Minister of Winter cut her off. "She's one of the few fairies who doesn't live in or near the tree itself.
"Vidia was..." The fairy began, but was cut off again.
"Vidia, as in the fairy who was turned by the Duskmoth?" The Minister of Spring questioned. Kelsier looked serious.
"Elisa, have a squad of guild fairies go to this tree, find Tinkerbell and bring her back before Vidia can infect her again." He started instructing, but he fairy was getting annoyed at being cut off.
"VIDIA WAS THERE!" The fairy yelled. The room went quiet as everyone stared. The fairy blushed and looked embarrassed.
"Vidia was there as well?" Clarion asked, a concerned look on her face. "And does she...?"
The fairy nodded. "I didn't recognize her until Tinkerbell and her friends said her name, but it was definitely her, and she's definitely changed. She came out of nowhere, right after I spotted Tinkerbell with her friends in the tree." There was a collection of gasps. Fairy Mary dropped her abacus.
"Her friends?" She asked, her eyes wide.
The fairy nodded sadly. "I tried to lead Vidia away from them, but she made no effort to chase me. The others made no effort to run. If she infects them..." She broke off, shuddering.
"There there, it's not your fault" Clarion soothed, tilting the fairy's head back to gaze into her eyes. "you have nothing to be ashamed of"
"Queen Clarion is correct" Kelsier added before turning to Elisa. "See that she gets some rest, then gather as many of the fairies as we can. We'll need to isolate them from the coming battle."
"Kelsier! You don't mean..." The minister of Summer sputtered as Elisa helped the fairy away.
"Why not?" Kelsier spun to face her, towering over the short, squat fairy. "You heard her! She saw Vidia attack Tinkerbell and her friends together with her own eyes. Are you doubting the words of a member of my guild?!" The minister of summer seemed to deflate under Kelsier's words and she shook her head.
"I have an idea!" The Minister of Winter suddenly said, her face lighting up. "Listen"
At the Same Time:
"What?" Rosetta's outburst made Vidia wince. Thanks to her heightened hearing, Rosetta seemed louder than usual. "You want us to do that?!" Tinkerbell nodded, looking very excited.
"You've got to be kidding!" Iridessa shook her head and Vidia halfheartedly agreed. Even though she had heard Tinkerbell's plan before, it still sounded crazy.
"No, I'm not. If we become sprites like Vidia, then we'll be able to get past the guardian guild and get the Blue Pixie Dust for the Duskmoth."
"And why would we need to get past them in the first place?" Iridessa snapped, sounding angry, but her face was fearful.
"She has a point. Why can't we just ask for it?" Silvermist pondered.
Terence shook his head. "It doesn't work that way" He argued. "If we ask for blue pixie dust, Fairy Gary will ask us what we need it for. He doesn't just give it away."
"But becoming sprites?" Bobble shook his head while Rosetta cringed.
"I really don't look in grey. No offense" she nodded to Vidia, who sighed.
"Look" She said, stepping forward. "I'm usually the first one to disapprove of Tinkerbell's ideas, because they usually get us into trouble." Vidia heard Tinkerbell snort in anger and saw her frown, but she ignored it. "But, I think she's right this time. The Duskmoth needs the dust now. I'd get it myself but, thanks to me, all of Pixie Hollow is on high alert. We need a distraction to get the Pixie Dust and the best way to do that is to provide them with an army of sprites to chase."
"Plus, we need to stop Kelsier from taking over Pixie Hollow. The Seer from the guild told me that he's using the sprite legend to keep control of the guild, but that most of the senior guild members don't believe it, and the newer members follow them our of fear. If we give them real sprites..."
"They'll be so scared that they'll drop everything and fly away!" Fawn finished. "Let's do it!" She clapped her hands together eagerly.
"Wait" Klank hesitated. "If we become sprites, won't the guild fairies...you know...attack us?"
"Not if we act convincing." Tinkerbell answered. "You saw how that guild fairy reacted when she saw Vidia. Most of them will be so scared they won't even fight us."
"And for those that are brave enough to fight us?" Clank pressed.
Tinkerbell turned to Vidia. "Didn't you say that sprites were faster and more agile than regular fairies?"
"They should be. The formula is supposed to enhance our talents" Vidia replied, thinking back to how fast she had flown and to what Erikel had told her. Tinkerbell turned back to the others, a satisfied look on her face.
"I'm in! I'm in!" Fawn was practically bouncing up and down.
"This should be fun" Terence agreed, a smile on his face.
"I guess I am too, if there's no other way" Silvermist nodded.
"Aye! It'll definitely be interesting" Bobble commented. Tinkerbell smiled at them in gratitude.
Rosetta, Klank, and Iridessa still looked uncertain.
"Please?" Tinkerbell pleaded. "Queen Clarion needs you, the Duskmoth needs you"
"We need you" Vidia added. For a few moments there was silence. Then Iridessa finally sighed.
"Oh alright" She groaned, but then she smiled. Rosetta snorted in either fear or annoyance, but she nodded as well.
"How about you, Klanky?" Bobble turned to Klank. The large sparrow-man hesitated, but smiled.
"Okay, I'm in" He said, then his eyes widened and he gasped.
"What is it Klank?" But he didn't answer, he just pointed up into the branches. Everyone looked up and a collective gasp rang out through the group. A pair of glowing eyes were staring down at them.