Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Page 3

  Fawn stepped away. “Here I go! Model citizen, all the way!”

  The girls cheered her on. “Good luck! Be brave! You can do it, sugar!”

  The girls watched Fawn as she entered the queen’s chambers.

  “She’s doomed.” Vidia sighed.

  Fawn started speaking the minute she entered through the queen’s door. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, which is why I’m here to tell you that—”

  Clarion turned and Fawn saw that Nyx was there, too.

  Fawn changed her mind about telling the queen. “I—uh—you know what? It can wait. I’ll come back.”

  “Fawn, I’m glad you’re here,” Queen Clarion said.

  “So am I…” Nyx grinned.

  “Nyx has discovered a dangerous animal in Pixie Hollow. We could really use your expertise.…” the queen began.

  Outside the Pixie Dust Tree, Gruff was trying to get away from the girls and go to Fawn.

  Tink peeked in the queen’s window to see what was going on.

  “Ugh, I am on the verge of perspiring over here. Do you see the signal?” Rosetta asked.

  Fawn subtly gestured at the window, trying to tell Tink to take Gruff and leave.

  But Tink didn’t understand the hand motions.

  Nyx explained, “I had my first direct sighting earlier today. This is no ordinary predator we’re talking about. It’s bigger and faster than anything we’ve ever seen. I combed through every animal text in the library, and came up empty. But it turns out, I was looking in the wrong place.”

  Tink flashed an “I don’t understand” gesture to Fawn.

  The moment Nyx and the queen looked away, Fawn exaggerated her gestures, until it looked like she was playing charades.

  Nyx noticed her wild gesticulations, but Fawn covered them up by pretending to do a dramatic yawn.

  Outside, Tink realized what was going on. “Back to the forest!”

  “What?” Iridessa asked.

  “Mission abort!” Tink said. “Mission abort!” Nyx made Fawn stay and listen as she told her about the ancient parchment and its predictions. “That comet that went by the other night—it was here before…nine hundred seventy-two years ago. And each time it passes, it wakes the creature.” She showed Fawn a paper fragment that had a drawing of the beast on it. “This is the NeverBeast. Once the comet brings it out of hibernation, it starts building.”

  Another fragment showed Gruff’s stone towers.

  “Four rock towers,” Nyx said. “One in each season of Pixie Hollow.” She went on with another picture. “Green clouds fill the sky. Then the creature transforms and brings a lightning storm so powerful, it consumes all of Pixie Hollow.”

  In the final drawing, lightning vibrated from the towers, destroying Pixie Hollow.

  “If we don’t act fast, this storm will destroy us all,” Nyx said.

  She pointed at the fragmented drawings, now pieced together to form a single ancient parchment: The Legend of the NeverBeast.

  Outside, Tink and the girls were doing their best to move Gruff. They pushed and pulled, but the beast was stubborn.

  “Back home, please!” Tink said.

  “C’mon, Gruff,” Iridessa told him.

  “Let’s go,” Rosetta tried.

  “On three! One…two…THREE—” Tink counted.

  As Vidia grabbed his ear, Gruff inhaled sharply, getting a whiff of Tink’s dust, before exploding in a sneeze.

  Nyx and Clarion turned at the sound. Fawn pretended it was her sneeze. “Phew. I should get that checked out.” Then Fawn told the queen, “Look, animals do not control the weather.”

  “Ordinary animals don’t.…” Nyx countered.

  Fawn held up the drawing. “Furthermore, this creature with the horns and the bat wings…An animal that big couldn’t possibly fly under his own power.”

  She glanced out the window to see Gruff darting back and forth, out of control, as her friends chased him around.

  Nyx grabbed the parchment. “Either we capture the NeverBeast or life as we know it is over.”

  “Nyx, let’s not do anything rash until we know more,” the queen said. “See if you can locate the creature first.”

  “I just don’t want innocent animals to get hurt,” Fawn said.

  “And I don’t want innocent fairies to get hurt.” Nyx turned to Fawn. “I’m not the enemy here.”

  The queen stepped between them. “I trust you both to do what’s right for Pixie Hollow.”

  Nyx stood straighter. Fawn tightened her jaw. They both were determined to do things their own way.

  Outside the queen’s chamber, Nyx’s scouts waited.

  “What’s the word?” Fury asked her.

  “We go after it at dawn,” she said without hesitation.

  That night, Gruff floated through the sky, pixie dust trailing behind him as he slowly descended.

  Fawn caught up. “What happened?” she asked her friends. “You were supposed to get him out of there.”

  “We tried, sug,” Rosetta told her. “Giant thing wouldn’t budge.”

  “I think he didn’t want to leave you,” Tink said.

  Fawn stroked the beast. “I missed you, too, Gruff.”

  Vidia interrupted. “Sorry to break—whatever this is—up. But what happened to doing the right thing?”

  “Nyx got there first,” Fawn reported.

  “And…?” Iridessa asked.

  Fawn flew up and sat on Gruff’s nose. “Nyx found this harebrained legend about a creature called the NeverBeast who builds rock towers and shoots lightning to destroy Pixie Hollow, so now she thinks he’s some kind of monster.”

  The girls’ eyes widened.

  “I know! Crazy, right?” Fawn said, but it was clear the girls believed Nyx.

  Gruff landed, and Vidia began to back away. “Well, early day tomorrow.”

  “Oooh, am I tired!” Iridessa was leaving, too.

  “Really? I’m wide-awake!” Silvermist missed the point.

  Rosetta grabbed her, saying, “Bye-bye now.”

  Fawn shook her head at them. “C’mon, guys! You don’t really think any of that stuff is true?”

  But they did.

  “It’s just, I know he’s not what they say he is,” Fawn said.

  “Even if you’re right, it’s not safe for him here,” Tink said.

  Fawn thought about Tink’s words.

  Nearby, Gruff was finishing building the tower in the Summer Forest. He put the last rock on and walked to his cave.

  Fawn went along. She sat with the beast, staring up at the starry sky.

  “Hey, big guy. Done for the day?”

  He grunted.

  She said, “Rest up, because first thing tomorrow, we’re gonna find someplace great for you. Just until things settle down.” Fawn leaned back, looking up at the sky. “Gruff, you see those stars over there? If you connect them, they make a monkey. See his tail?”

  Gruff grunted.

  “But if you turn it upside down, it’s a swan. See?”

  The beast watched as she traced patterns in the sky.

  “That one’s a squirrel. Oh, and over there, with the spikes? Hedgehog.” She looked at him. “See it?”

  Gruff grunted again.

  “I knew you’d get it. You just have to know how to look.” She flew up and sat down on his nose. “Imagine—you a monster. Of all the ridiculous ideas. I know they’re wrong about you.”

  The NeverBeast snorted softly.

  “They don’t see what I see.” Fawn closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  A shooting star streaked across the sky. It was very peaceful. But, a moment later, green clouds began to gather in the distance.

  Gruff opened his eyes and watched the sky.

  At dawn, Fawn woke up, sensing that something was wrong. She was lying on her back in the dirt.

  “Gruff? Gruff?” She looked around.

  The beast was gone.

  At scout headquarters, the team was getting
ready. They put on armor, gloves, and wrist guards. They gathered bows and arrows, nightshade packs, and porcupine quills. They were ready for action.

  Nyx flew to the balcony and the scouts followed. She paused and looked out at the green sky and declared, “It’s starting.”

  All through Pixie Hollow, fairies were waking up to the strange glowing sky.

  “What is that?” one said.

  “It’s so green,” another replied.

  “I’ve never seen anything like that,” a third fairy remarked.

  Tink noticed the crowd gathering to watch the sky. She looked up and discovered Nyx and the scouts crossing the green sky, carrying a large net with them.

  She gasped. She had to warn Fawn.

  “Gruff? Gruff? C’mon, Gruff. It’s Chase the Fairy, not Run Away from Her.” Fawn was busy searching for the NeverBeast.

  “Fawn?” Tink shouted her name with urgency.

  Fawn came out, and Tink quickly reported. “The scouts—they were geared up and moving fast. Please tell me you took him away already.”

  Fawn paused. “About that…I sort of…temporarily…misplaced him.”

  “You lost him?” Tink was stunned.

  Fawn was still confident. “I got this. I just have to find him before the scouts do.” She thought about it and realized where he’d gone. “Ah! He’s gonna build two more towers. One in autumn, one in winter.”

  “I thought you said the legend wasn’t real.” Tink lowered her eyes.

  “Technically, I said he’s not what they think,” Fawn clarified.

  “But everything Nyx warned us about—it’s happening. Just look at the green clouds, Fawn.” Tink pointed up.

  “Ehhhh…seafoam at best,” Fawn replied with a laugh. Then she became serious. “Look, it doesn’t matter what Nyx’s legend says. All I know is, Gruff would never hurt us. Please, Tink, trust me.”

  Tink gave in. “I’ll take winter.” She started off.

  Fawn stopped her. “Hey, Tink!” Tinker Bell turned. “Thanks.”

  Fawn raced through the Autumn Forest, bursting into a clearing—and screeched to a halt.

  The tower there was done, but Gruff was gone.

  The scouts arrived at the tower to find no one there.

  Nyx studied the structure. “Just like the other two. Just like the drawing.”

  Fury kneeled at the edge of the woods and discovered a broken branch. Fresh sap remained on the raw break. She pointed to a trail of more snapped twigs.

  “It’s headed toward summer,” Chase told the others.

  The scouts took off, following the beast’s trail.

  The scouts continued to fly through the forest. From behind a tree, Fawn watched them fly toward the Summer Forest, then she took off in the opposite direction.

  Nyx didn’t go with the others. She stood by the rock tower, looking at a map of Pixie Hollow. She’d already drawn Xs for towers one and two in spring and summer. She made an X for tower three in autumn. She knew the next one had to be in winter.

  On the other side of Pixie Hollow, Tink flew low over the Winter Woods snow.

  “Gruff?” she called.

  The green sky was all around her. Lightning sparks bounced off the rocks of a new tower.

  “Gruff! There you are! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Tink said.

  The NeverBeast rose from behind a snowbank, but there was something different about him now. He was more intense. His nostrils flared.

  He took a step toward Tink. She took a step back, saying, “Gruff, it’s me, Tink. Fawn’s friend. The scouts are coming for you! You have to hide.”

  It didn’t seem like he recognized her.

  Another strike of lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed by a huge crash of thunder. Tink was afraid.

  She saw a bolt of lightning reflected in Gruff’s eyes. Suddenly, he lunged at Tink, swatting her hard with his tail. Tinker Bell tumbled through the air. She hit the ground hard and crumpled into a heap.

  Fawn arrived in the Winter Woods to find Tinker Bell unmoving on the ground. She rushed quickly to her. “Tink! Tink?” She turned to Gruff. “What did you do?”

  Gruff growled.

  A lightning bolt crackled in the sky. Right before Fawn’s eyes, Gruff transformed. Horns grew out of his head. A hump formed on his back. He was now exactly like the image from Nyx’s parchment.

  Fawn was horrified. “No!” Gruff was a monster.

  She threw herself protectively over Tink until the thunder died down. When she glanced back up, Gruff was gone again.

  At the Fairy Urgent Care Medical Center, Iridessa, Vidia, Silvermist, and Rosetta huddled around Tink’s bed.

  Fawn stood in the doorway, feeling guilty, like this was all her fault.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Iridessa asked.

  “She needs to rest,” a healing fairy answered. “Stay off her wings for a few days. She’ll be all right.”

  Rosetta said, “Oh, thank goodness.”

  Silvermist exclaimed, “That’s a relief.”

  “Great news.” Vidia was glad.

  When Rosetta turned to say, “See, Fawn, she’s gonna be…”

  Fawn wasn’t there.

  Fawn found the beast and moved in cautiously. “Gruff?”

  He turned around at the sound of her voice.

  Fawn said, “Come down. I need to see you.” She reached out. “Gruff…”

  Suddenly, a cuddlevine net launched through the air and landed on Gruff.

  Fawn looked terrified, but without warning, the scouts leapt out from the bushes. It was an ambush. Fawn moved out of the way and let the scout fairies do their work.

  Gruff bucked and kicked as the net dropped over him. The cuddlevine cinched tight, dragging him down to the ground.

  “Stand firm!” Nyx told her troops.

  The fairies tossed nightshade powder over the beast.

  Gruff made eye contact with Fawn and tried to pull toward her. He stared at her with a look of heartbreak and betrayal.

  “Let’s move out!” called Nyx. They poured pixie dust over Gruff so they could fly him out of the woods.

  “You did the right thing,” Nyx whispered to Fawn.

  Fawn didn’t think so. She walked away, sat down on a rock, and cried.

  The fairies took Gruff to scout headquarters and tied him up.

  “Whatever this is, it should have stopped by now,” Fury said.

  “Just stick to the plan,” Nyx told her. “Immobilize the NeverBeast, and the storm disappears.”

  But that wasn’t true. Outside, the sky continued to darken.

  “Get everyone to cover until this blows over,” Nyx ordered. “Get to the shelter—move! And secure the doors!” She went to stand in front of the NeverBeast. “Stop this! I order you—stop this now!” The towers crackled with electricity.

  He didn’t respond and a moment later, she took off, leaving a trail of pixie dust.

  At the Urgent Care Center, Tink saw one of the megabolts through the window. “I have to find Fawn!” Tink announced in a panic.

  But Fawn was already there. “Tink…”

  “Fawn!” Tink was so happy to see her.

  “It’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore,” Fawn said.

  Tinker Bell was confused. “Gruff?”

  Fawn nodded slowly. “He’s a monster.”

  “No, Fawn. He’s my hero.” Tink told Fawn what happened. “When I found him in winter, he was acting really strange.” She explained how a lightning bolt zoomed across the sky, hitting a tree near Tink. The tree split and Gruff roared, then leapt, swatting the tree away with his mighty tail.

  “He was protecting you.” Fawn put her head in her hands. “And I betrayed him.” She started toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” Tink asked.

  Fawn gave a small smile. “To do the right thing.”

  Silvermist and Tink went with Fawn to the scout headquarters.

  They tried to let Gruff go, but the net
wouldn’t budge. Just then, Rosetta, Iridessa, and Vidia arrived. They shook pixie dust over the net.

  “Thank you,” Fawn said as the net rose.

  “Go—take cover! C’mon, Gruff,” Fawn said.

  Gruff didn’t seem to see her.

  “Gruff?” Fawn was worried when lightning struck hard nearby. “Listen to me. You’re having a reaction to the nightshade.”

  Gruff picked up her scent, but his eyes were clouded. He could, however, see the glow of her pixie dust.

  “You can see my glow! Don’t worry, Gruff. I’m gonna get you out of here.” She reached out and rubbed his nose.

  Lightning exploded through the sky.

  Gruff roared and knocked Fawn away as a bolt of lightning struck him dead-on!

  As the electricity hit Gruff, raw patches on his back began to expand and his jointed ribs unfolded. A spidery membrane stretched over the beast’s back, between his shoulders, then unfurled into giant wings!

  “Well, I did not see that coming,” Rosetta said.

  Taking a moment to think about what she was seeing, Fawn realized that Nyx had it backward. Gruff wasn’t there to destroy them. He was there to save them!

  “The towers—they draw in the lightning so he can collect it,” Fawn exclaimed. “It’s what he’s been preparing for the whole time!”

  Gruff grunted toward Fawn.

  She told her friends, “We’re going to the towers.” Fawn knew she was right this time. “For once, my head and heart—they’re actually telling me to do the same thing.” Fawn went before Gruff to lead the way. “All right, big guy. Just follow my glow.”

  Gruff followed her blurry form. Just past the trees, Fawn saw the rock tower in the Autumn Forest. It was lit by lightning strikes.

  Fawn was a little scared, but Gruff reassured her by bowing his head and going straight in toward the tower.

  Suddenly, the lightning bounced off the tower and struck Gruff’s horns. The light engulfed him until, with a great and mighty crack, the rock tower exploded.

  After taking down this tower, the storm cleared from that area.

  Gruff moved on to the next season area and the next tower. This time to the Winter Woods.