Tinker Bell and the War of Talents (2015 edition--OLD)

Chapter 8: Well, This Isn't Good

"Queen Clarion! Queen Clarion! My Queen! You have to come immediately! It's an emergency!"

The Minister of Autumn's bellowing and hyperventilating voice quickly earned the Queen's attention. She jerked her gaze from her current past-time of staring out the window absently as the wind sent a hurricane of leaves across the branches of the tree. "Yes, Minister? What is it?" She could guess, but she had to pretend. Where are you, Shade?

"The Pixie dust Tree!" the minister went on with the same cracking tone."Something's wrong with it!" He adjusted his oak leaf. He was trembling. Clarion knew this wasn't a prank of Vidia's or something faulty with Zarina's pixie dust. Something was very, truly wrong.

"All right," she sighed. "Show me."

He nodded and took to the air. Clarion hurried after him. They wove their way through the bending branches and toward the Dust Depot. She glanced at the sky momentarily, noting how dark the clouds had gotten and how the wind had already begun to pick up. Mentally, she wondered how much time they had left. Shade had to be behind all of this. There was no one else powerful...or dangerous...enough. This change was only the beginning. The disease was affecting all of Pixie Hollow. The seasons were dying. Shade was keeping his word, down to the smallest detail.

And Phineas is nowhere near ready.

She thought of how out of control the water at the stream had been and how powerful and dangerous the storms had been. Unmatched and uncontrollable. She understood how much energy it could take out of a fairy. So many talents, so little time to learn to wield them.

"Over here, my Queen." The Minister of Autumn gestured her over and she fluttered to join him. They stood before the spout from where the Pixie dust poured. A faint trickle was all that remained. It reminded the queen of another time, but there was no time for reminiscing the past. Besides, those days were long gone and he was gone. Shade had made sure of that.

"How long has it been like this?" she questioned, meaning the fading dust. She folded her hands and tried to appear as calm as she could.

"Fairy Gary arrived earlier this morning," the minister replied. "It was before dawn when he found it. Claims it was already like this when he arrived."

This is undoubtedly Shade's doing. There's no one else wicked enough to hold our only means of transportation hostage. Almost without thinking, Clarion turned to face the seasons sprawling out towards the mountains. "Minister," she questioned. "Have you received any reports from Winter recently?"

"I have not." The sparrowman looked surprised. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

Yes! Clarion took a deep breath. "Please contact Lord Malori as soon as you can. And Minister?" she added as he turned and took to the air. He paused and glanced back. "Find Tinker Bell and her friends. I have something I want them to do for me." Please hurry, she added silently. We're too late. He's already here.

                                                                                 ***

"Can someone please explain what we are all doing here?" Rosetta questioned as they gathered in a hollow deep within the Spring Forest. They all shrugged and Vidia zipped through the cherry blossoms overhead, sending a shower of pink over the group. Fawn protested loudly, waving the flowers away and picking petals from her braid. Silvermist giggled.

Directly across from them, Iridessa and Clank emerged from the trees. There was a flash of white, and Peri appeared, walking calmly behind them with a small backpack-like device over her shoulders, keeping her wings cool.