Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (6 page)

“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!

A
s 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.

The lightning snapped off the tower and slammed into Gruff. Then, as with the first tower, it collapsed to the ground.

“Two down, two to go!” Fawn shouted.

Gruff went straight to the Summer Forest to take down the third tower.

When he was finished there, three streams of light, one from each of the towers he destroyed, were now flowing into him.

Fawn cheered him on. “One more, Gruff!” She led the way to the Spring Valley and the last tower.

Fawn and Gruff were about to finish the job, when, suddenly—

A giant pixie dust–coated boulder hit the tower at full force. The tower exploded, sending rocks hurtling through the air like missiles.

Beyond the collapsed tower, Nyx stood proudly.

“NO!” Fawn screamed.

WHAMMM!! Gruff crashed to the ground, skidded to a stop, and lost control of all the energy concentrated in his body.

Fawn rushed to the scout fairy and shouted, “Nyx! What are you doing?!”

“Saving Pixie Hollow,” Nyx replied.

Fawn pointed at Gruff, who was struggling to get up. He was so weak. “No,
he
was saving Pixie Hollow.”

The air crackled and Nyx’s hair stood straight up on end.

“Nyx!” Fawn shrieked as one of the bolts headed directly toward her.

Nyx prepared for the impact, when suddenly Gruff appeared over her. He absorbed the lightning instead and saved her life.

Nyx was speechless.

“Nyx, we don’t have much time.” Nyx was staring at Gruff with new understanding. “Listen to me. Get out of here. Get everyone to safety.”

Nyx took off, leaving Fawn to help Gruff with the lightning and the last tower.

Gruff hurried to start rebuilding the tower. He was rolling boulders into place, his vision still foggy. Lightning was everywhere.

“Gruff, it’s too late.” Fawn tilted her head. “How can we catch it all?”

Fawn looked at Gruff, who was looking up to the center of the storm.

They locked eyes, understanding what needed to be done.

“Follow me,” Fawn said.

Gruff started to run, gaining speed. His wings flapped hard, beating the air—and then he was airborne. Fawn flew close to his ear so he could follow her glow.

Gruff took the lightning hits one after another. As they neared the storm’s vortex, he grabbed Fawn with his tail and moved her behind him, then flapped hard, up and away from her to
protect her. The fury of the storm emptied into Gruff’s body.

Gruff blasted the lightning energy off with his wings, sending a shock wave of heat and light safely out to sea, into the void, far from Never Land.

In Pixie Hollow the fairies shielded their eyes from this explosion. No one spoke for a long time, until Iridessa asked Silvermist, “Can you see them?”

“There!” Silvermist pointed.

Two bodies tumbled from the sky.

“Fawn!” Tinker Bell shrieked.

The girls bolted into the air, racing to their friend. Nyx zoomed to their aid, too, calling to her scouts, “Help them!”

Silvermist and Iridessa carried Fawn gently to the ground.

Nyx and the scouts landed with Gruff.

As the beast hit the ground, he staggered to his feet, scorched and dazed. Gruff shook his back, and his wings crumbled into ash and blew away. The nightshade had worn off. He could now see
clearly. He saw the fairies. And then he saw Fawn. She was hurt.

G
ruff rushed over and circled Fawn. Tears welled up in his big eyes. He nuzzled Fawn’s cheek and one last tiny current of static electricity
squeezed out through his fur. It flowed from him into Fawn, wrapping around her body.

An instant later, Fawn’s eyelids fluttered open.

“Hhhhuh…Gruff?” she asked on a whisper. Gruff grunted. “Hey. That’s my big furry monster.”

Gruff roared happily.

Fawn giggled and the crowd cheered.

“Gruff.” Fawn hugged her friend.

Fawn gathered everyone together. It was time for a fresh reading of the NeverBeast parchment. Fawn had rewritten the story. “Every fairy should know the true story about
the NeverBeast,” she said. “He is the brave guardian of Pixie Hollow.”

She held up a drawing of the NeverBeast. “He is our hero. And his name is…Gruff.”

A few days later, Gruff was helping the fairies rebuild the animal nursery. It was just one of the many things he had done to help fix Pixie Hollow. Everyone loved having him
around. After helping with a roof, Gruff yawned, which worried Fawn.

She lowered her ear to his chest to listen to his heart.

“Looks like he needs a nap,” Iridessa said.

“A little rest’ll perk him right up,” Rosetta added, then asked, “Won’t it, Fawn?”

Gruff sat down in the dirt, too tired to keep working.

“His work is done,” Fawn explained to the others. “It’s time for him to go back into hibernation.”

Rosetta asked, “How long are we talking about? A month? A season?”

Vidia saw Fawn shake her head. “A year?”

Fawn tried not to cry when she told them, “More like a thousand years.”

“But that means—” Silvermist started.

“We’ll never see him again,” Tink finished.

Fawn didn’t say anything more to them. She flew up onto Gruff’s nose, looking him in the eyes. “It’s time.…”

The fairies led Gruff through the woods, heading for home.

It was a beautiful, magical procession; the path was lit by orbs of moonlight captured by light fairies and hung from branches like lanterns.

When they reached the inner chamber of the cave, the girls gave Gruff gifts. Tink made him a comfy bed. Rosetta gave him a pillow. Silvermist added a freshwater spring. Iridessa gave him a
nightlight. Vidia provided a gentle breeze.