Disney Fairies: Vidia Meets Her Match

by Kiki Thorpe

  “Those aren’t from a hawk. They’re chicken feathers,” said Cubby.

  Vidia rolled her eyes. She had no use for the Lost Boys—or any Clumsies, for that matter. “Now you’ve seen them,” she said to Wisp. “Can we go?”

  “Wait! What are those?” Wisp asked, pointing.

  “Arrows, of course,” Vidia said. Sometimes she forgot how little Wisp knew.

  “Arrows,” Wisp murmured, her eyes widening.

  Down on the ground, the boys were still arguing. “It could’ve been my arrow,” said one of the twins. “See, mine have red feathers, too.”

  “Hey, that’s mine!” cried his brother. “You stole that from me!” He tried to grab the arrow out of his twin’s hand.

  Before long, the two were rolling in the dirt.

  “Maybe we should all go again,” Cubby suggested. “Since we don’t know whose arrow it is, I mean.”

  “Good idea! Let’s go again!” the boys cried.

  Wisp turned to Vidia. “Let’s find out if we can fly faster than an arrow!” she said.

  Vidia gave her a wry smile. “You think they won’t notice if we line up alongside their arrows? ‘Oh, don’t mind us,’” she said, pretending to talk to a Lost Boy. “‘We’re just having a race.’”

  Wisp shook her head. “No, we’ll fly from here to that rock.” She pointed a path directly across the target. “We’ll leave at the same time as the arrows.”

  Vidia stopped smiling. “But we could get hit,” she said.

  “Not if we fly faster than the arrows.” Wisp looked at Vidia and added, “You aren’t afraid, are you?” She didn’t say it in a mean way. She said it as if it was the first time such a thing had ever occurred to her.

  “Of course not!” Vidia scoffed. Her? Afraid? She was the fastest, bravest fairy in Pixie Hollow!

  “I didn’t think so,” Wisp said cheerfully. “You and I are just alike. We’re not afraid of anything.”

  “Ready?” shouted Slightly.

  The fairies crouched into starting positions. Vidia’s mouth felt dry. She glanced over at the Lost Boys. They were fitting arrows to their bows.

  “Aim,” said Slightly. The boys raised their bows to their shoulders. Vidia focused on the rock ahead. Pretend it’s just a normal race,she told herself.

  “Fire!”

  The arrows flew from the bows. At the same moment, the fairies shot through the air. Vidia didn’t once look at the arrows. All she thought about was reaching the other side.

  It was over in a split second. Vidia landed on the rock. “Ha! Faster than an arrow!” she cried triumphantly.

  There was no answer.

  “Wisp?” said Vidia. She turned to look behind her. Wisp wasn’t there.

  Vidia whipped around to look at the tree. Her insides went cold. Wisp was pinned to one of the target’s red rings. The shaft of an arrow jutted straight out of her side.

  The Lost Boys spotted Wisp at the same moment. “Look, I shot a fairy!” Slightly cried. “Wait till I tell Peter!”

  “No, I shot it. It’s mine!” said Nibs.

  “Is not!”

  “Is so!”

  Vidia flew closer. She could hardly bear to look at Wisp.

  But then, to her amazement, Wisp wriggled! She tugged at her clothes. The arrow had only pierced Wisp’s dress!

  Vidia glanced over at the Lost Boys. She wanted to help Wisp. But she didn’t want the boys to catch her.

  As Vidia hovered, Wisp gave her dress a fierce yank. The fabric ripped, and Wisp pulled free.

  “Look, the fairy! It’s getting away!”

  The Lost Boys all tried to grab her. But Wisp darted through their hands. She stuck out her tongue, turned a somersault in the air, and flew away laughing.

  “You’re right,” she said as she and Vidia flew off. “Those Lost Boys are the slowest, clumsiest creatures I’ve ever seen.” She fingered the hole in her dress and added, “But they gave us a great race.”

  Wisp flew ahead. Shaking her head, Vidia followed.

  THE NEXT DAY, Vidia didn’t see Wisp. She didn’t show up at Vidia’s house in the morning. Nor did Vidia see her flying anywhere near the Home Tree.

  Vidia wondered if the close call with the arrow had scared Wisp. Maybe she was taking a day off to recover.

  It didn’t occur to Vidia to drop by Wisp’s room to see how she was feeling. Vidia never did such things. She spent the day flying around Pixie Hollow at an easy pace (easy, that is, for a fast-flying-talent fairy). It had been a while since she’d flown alone, and she enjoyed it. Still, she found that she missed Wisp.

  But bright and early the following morning, the wild-haired fairy was at Vidia’s front door.

  “I see you’re feeling better,” Vidia said when she saw her.

  “Better?” Wisp looked confused.

  “After the arrow,” Vidia added.

  “Oh, that!” Wisp laughed. “Yes, I’ve never felt better. I flew halfway across Never Land yesterday.”

  “Halfway across Never Land?” Vidia said. “That’s not possible. Never Land is enormous. No fairy can fly across it—not with just a day’s worth of fairy dust.”

  A look of uncertainty flashed across Wisp’s face. “Er, maybe it wasn’t that far after all,” she said quickly. “But the great news is, I found the perfect place for us to race. Come on!” Grabbing Vidia’s wrist, she dragged her into the air.

  “Where are we going?” Vidia asked.

  “You’ll see,” Wisp said.

  They flew over the forest until the trees began to thin. The landscape turned hard and rocky. Soon the only plants they saw were grumble scrub and raindrop cactuses. They had reached Never Land’s desert.

  Ahead of them, the land dropped away in a steep cliff. Vidia and Wisp stopped at the edge of a rocky canyon. Far below, Vidia could see a thin trickle of water winding along the canyon floor. A pair of hawks wheeled in the sky above.

  “The Screaming Cliffs,” Vidia said as one of the hawks let loose a piercing shriek. Its scream echoed off the canyon walls. Vidia shivered. “What are we doing here?” she asked Wisp.

  “We’re going to race, of course!” Wisp said. “From the top of the cliffs down to the bottom.”

  “But the hawks…” Vidia’s words trailed off. She stared at the hawks circling over the canyon.

  “I know! I’ve always wanted to fly with them. Haven’t you?” Wisp said.

  Of course, Vidia had always longed to fly with a hawk. But she knew Wisp’s idea was crazy. If the hawks caught sight of them, they would be lunch. “My child, you’re being stup—”

  “On your mark!” Wisp exclaimed. “Get set.…Go!”

  Wisp dove off the cliff.

  “She’s going to get herself killed,” Vidia said. But she dove after Wisp.

  Vidia felt herself lifted by the air currents. For a second, she forgot about Wisp. In the clear, bright sunlight, all her senses felt sharpened. The wind whipped through her hair. It ruffled the wings on her back.

  At that moment, she knew how it felt to be a hawk. And, oh—it was glorious!

  She glanced over at Wisp to see if she was enjoying it, too. But the young fairy’s face was grim. A second later, Vidia saw why. There was a hawk on her tail!

  Vidia felt the air around her change.

  She saw another hawk come barreling out of the sky. It was headed right for her!

  Vidia looked for a place to hide. But the cliff walls were smooth. Her only choice was straight down.

  Vidia sped toward the canyon floor, fighting the air currents. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw the hawk fold in its wings. It was going into free fall!

  Vidia snatched the pouch of extra-powerful fairy dust from her waist. Her fingers fumbled with the knot. The hawk closed in on her, its talons spread.

  She finally managed to tear the bag open. She emptied it over herself. At once, she felt energy surge through her wings. With a few quick strokes, Vidia shot ahead.

  The hawk’s claws clo
sed on air. It screamed in frustration.

  Vidia was flying so fast, she couldn’t control her landing. The ground rose in front of her. She crashed headlong into the bushes. The last things she heard were leaves tearing and twigs snapping.

  And then everything went dark.

  WHEN VIDIA CAME to, she was lying in a wild rosebush at the edge of the creek. One of her wings was bent awkwardly under her. Her head throbbed where she’d hit it on a branch.

  Vidia listened for the cries of the hawks. All was quiet. She carefully poked her head out of the rosebush. Far away, she could see two dark dots in the sky. The hawks had moved off to hunt in another part of the canyon.

  Vidia climbed out of the bush. She was bruised and scraped all over. But she wasn’t worried about that now. “Wisp!” she called. “Are you here?”

  The only answer was the burbling of the creek.

  She flew to the other side and called, “Wisp! Wisp!” In the massive canyon, she felt smaller than a speck of sand. Even her voice was too tiny to echo.

  Vidia crossed the stream a few more times. There was no sign of Wisp.

  With a sinking feeling, Vidia realized her friend had been caught. After all, Vidia had only been able to escape by using her special fairy dust. Without the extra power, Wisp didn’t stand a chance.

  “That stupid little fairy!” Vidia murmured. She was angry at Wisp for her crazy tricks. But it was terrible to think she’d lost her friend.

  As she hovered, Vidia heard a rustle behind her. She spun around.

  With a wild yell, Wisp came charging out of the bushes. Her white hair was sticking out in every direction like a lion’s mane.

  “Did I scare you?” she cried in delight.

  “Wisp!” Vidia was so relieved to see the little fairy that her wings gave out. She plopped down in the dirt. “I thought you were—”

  “A hawk’s dinner?” Wisp laughed. “Nope. He couldn’t catch me. He tried hard, though.”

  “But how did you…” Vidia didn’t finish her question. She didn’t need to. Wisp had outraced the hawk, plain and simple. And she had done it without the help of extra-powerful fairy dust.

  That meant that Wisp was without a doubt the fastest fairy in Pixie Hollow. And maybe in the world. Vidia’s relief turned to dismay.

  “Is something the matter, Vidia?” Wisp asked.

  “I have to go,” Vidia told her. “I…” Vidia was too upset to even make up an excuse. She quickly flew away.

  “Wait!” Wisp called. “Where are you going?” Vidia didn’t answer.

  Vidia flew back to Pixie Hollow.

  She had never cared that the other fairies didn’t like her. She’d always known she was better than they were. After all, she was the fastest fairy in Pixie Hollow!

  But if she was only the second fastest, then what?

  Vidia knew the answer—she was nothing. “‘Selfish and heartless,’” she said, remembering Leeta’s words. “And friendless, too,” she added to herself.

  Vidia’s head was hung so low that she didn’t see the other fairy until she bumped into her.

  “Whoops! I—Oh, it’s you,” Tinker Bell said when she saw Vidia. Tink’s leaf dress was soaked, and her face was streaked with soot. “We put out the fire, no thanks to—”

  Tink broke off when she saw the look on Vidia’s face. “What’s wrong?” she asked, startled.

  “Leave me alone,” Vidia said. She flew around Tink.

  Tink noticed Vidia’s bruises. “You hurt yourself,” she said. “Should I get a nursing-talent fairy?”

  “I said, leave me alone,” snapped Vidia. She started back toward her sour plum tree.

  “She won, didn’t she?” Tink asked.

  “What?” Vidia turned to look at Tinker Bell.

  Tink nodded. “That’s it. Wisp beat you in a race. You’re pretty upset,” she said. “She must have beaten you by a lot.”

  “Mind your own business,” Vidia told Tink. She felt more miserable than ever. It was bad enough that anyone had seen her like this. But it was worse that it was Tink. She knew Tink would enjoy rubbing it in.

  Sure enough, as Vidia flew home, Tink followed her. Vidia waited for Tink to make fun of her. But instead, Tink looked concerned.

  “Just because Wisp is faster doesn’t mean she’s better, Vidia,” Tink told her. “There’s more to flying than being fast.”

  Vidia stopped and opened her mouth. She wanted to say something mean, something really stinging. But she couldn’t find the words.

  Finally, she just shook her head. “No, there isn’t,” she said sadly.

  They had reached the sour-plum tree. “Go away, Tink,” Vidia said. She turned to open the door.

  Vidia’s eyes widened. The door was already open. Someone was inside!

  VIDIA PUSHED OPEN the door, with Tink on her heels.

  “Wisp!” they both exclaimed.

  Wisp looked up. She quickly hid something behind her back.

  “What are you doing here?” Vidia asked.

  “I just, er, wanted to see if you were all right,” Wisp said. Vidia could tell she was lying. Wisp’s normally bright glow had turned a murky yellow.

  Tink narrowed her eyes. “What’s that behind your back?” she asked.

  “This?” Wisp pulled her hands out. In one she held a long key with a fancy top. “Nothing. Just a key,” she said.

  “A key to what?” asked Tink.

  Wisp didn’t say anything. Her eyes darted toward Vidia’s bed.

  Vidia gasped. She raced over to the bed and pulled out the locked box of fairy dust. “Give me the key!” she demanded.

  Wisp handed it over. With unsteady hands, Vidia slid the key into one of the padlocks. There was a click, and the lock popped open. She tried it again on another lock. It worked on that one, too. One by one, Vidia opened all six padlocks.

  “Where did you get a key that opens every lock?” Tink asked.

  “The keyhole-design talents gave it to me,” said Wisp.

  Tink frowned. “Why would they give you a key like that?”

  “I won a dare,” Wisp said. “They bet I wouldn’t jump from a branch with one wing tied behind my back. I sure showed them!”

  Vidia was barely listening. Slowly, she opened the top of the box. Inside lay the gleaming pile of fairy dust. She could see the mark where Wisp had scooped out a handful.

  “You stole from me!” she shouted.

  “So?” said Wisp. “You stole feathers from Mother Dove.”

  Then Vidia thought of something else. “You cheated in our race today!”

  “You cheated, too,” Wisp pointed out.

  Vidia was so mad she was shaking. But she couldn’t argue. Wisp might be a thief and a cheat, but after all, so was Vidia.

  Vidia was more than just angry, though. She was also hurt and disappointed. She had thought Wisp was her friend. But it turned out that Wisp had only wanted her fairy dust. All Wisp cared about was flying faster.

  Just like Vidia.

  “Don’t be upset, Vidia,” Wisp said. “Now that we’re both so fast, our races will be better than ever!”

  Vidia drew herself up proudly. “You’re right,” she said. “We need to find out who’s the best, once and for all.”

  “You’re racing again?” Tink asked in disbelief. She turned to Vidia. “You don’t have to prove that you’re faster than she is.”

  “You don’t get it, Tink,” Vidia replied. “You’re not a fast flier.” The only way to get back at someone like Wisp was to beat her. No one understood that as well as Vidia.

  “We’ll fly once around Pixie Hollow,” she said to Wisp. “First one back to the sour-plum tree is the fastest fairy in Pixie Hollow.”

  Wisp grinned. “You’re on,” she said.

  Outside, it was dark. Between the leaves of the sour-plum tree, Vidia saw stars twinkling in the night sky.

  “On your mark,” said Wisp. The two fairies crouched down. “Get set…Go!”

  Vidia tore i
nto the air. She imagined herself slicing through it like a knife slicing honey bread. I’m an arrow, she thought. I’m a hawk. I’m the fastest thing in Never Land.

  She would beat Wisp this time. She had to.

  With the special fairy dust, Vidia and Wisp flew twice as fast as usual. Trees, rocks, and flowers were just blurs in the darkness. Something stung Vidia’s arm, and she realized she’d grazed a leaf. At this speed, even the smallest objects were dangerous.

  She was glad when they made it through the orchard. The open meadows were safer at night. There weren’t any trees to hit.

  Vidia and Wisp zoomed toward Spring Meadow. Even in the dark, Vidia could see the area that had burned. The air smelled of wet ashes.

  Wisp reached the meadow first. As she tore over a blackened patch, Vidia heard a whoosh, then a crackle. An orange flame spurted up from the ground.

  Vidia screeched to a halt. She hovered and looked closer. Now she could see what the darkness had concealed at first—the fire was still smoldering. Threads of smoke rose from the burnt ground.

  If we fly over it, we’ll start the fire again! Vidia thought.

  “Stop!” she yelled to Wisp. “Get out of the meadow! Your wings are fanning the fire!”

  But Wisp didn’t stop. She zoomed over the meadow, and more flames sprang up behind her.

  “Wisp!” Vidia screamed again, thinking she hadn’t heard. “Stop!”

  This time Wisp glanced back over her shoulder. When she saw the line of fire rushing toward her, she grinned. “Come on, Vidia!” she called. “Race the flames!”

  She thinks it’s a game,Vidia thought. Just like the waves. And the arrows. And the hawk. Everything is a game to her.

  But this was one game Vidia wasn’t going to play. She didn’t care if Wisp won the race, or if she was the fastest fairy in Pixie Hollow.

  Wisp wasn’t really fearless. She was just foolish.

  As Wisp tore across the meadow, the fire chased her. The faster she flew, the higher the flames climbed. They sent sparks shooting into dry meadow grass. Where they landed, new ground began to burn.

  She’ll burn the whole meadow, Vidia thought. She’ll burn down all of Pixie Hollow!