by Kiki Thorpe
It’s amazing how something so small can make you look so different, she thought. The Mia who smiled back at her from the mirror seemed much more sophisticated than the old Mia.
“Everyone at home is going to be so surprised!” Angelica said.
Everyone? Mia suddenly thought of Kate and Lainey. She’d forgotten to tell them about her day with Angelica. Were they with the fairies now? Mia wondered.
Mia realized she still hadn’t talked to her cousin about Pixie Hollow. The day had been so busy, there had never been the right moment. I’ll do it soon, she promised herself.
They stopped at a diner and ordered fancy French dip sandwiches and Cokes with lemon slices. Angelica told funny stories about her friends at school. Mia laughed so hard that everyone at nearby tables turned to look—which made them both laugh harder.
Mia sipped her soda, feeling cool and grown-up, in a nice way. Everything about the day had been new and exciting—her earrings, the slice of lemon in her Coke, their adventure in the city. To Mia it felt as if she’d stepped through another portal. Only instead of Pixie Hollow, this portal led to a world of grown-up things.
Queen Clarion was wrong, Mia decided. Just look at me. You can be grown-up and still believe in magic. She was sure Angelica would think so, too.
“I need your help with something,” Mia said.
“Sure. What is it?” her cousin said.
“Remember the fairies we told you about?”
“You mean, Gabby’s fairies?” Angelica asked, nibbling a French fry.
“Yeah…well, not just Gabby’s. They’re our fairies, too—Kate’s and Lainey’s and mine. I mean, they’re not ours. But we’re the ones who found the hole.…”
Mia stumbled over her words. She took a breath and started over. “The fairies are our friends. They live in a place called Pixie Hollow. We can go there whenever we want, through a magical passage. But the fairies are in trouble—”
“I know,” Angelica said, cutting her off.
“You do?” Mia asked, startled.
Angelica nodded. “Gabby already told me about it. The fairies are losing their magic, because not enough kids believe. Don’t worry, I get it.”
“You do?”
“Yeah,” Angelica said. “You want me to play along. I think you’re a sweet big sister for playing make-believe with Gabby.”
Mia’s heart sank. “But it’s not make-believe. That’s what I’m trying to say!” Why was she having so much trouble making Angelica understand?
Angelica studied her for a moment. “Mia, I’m not saying this to be mean, okay? But you have to grow up sometime.” She dipped another fry in her ketchup. “All this stuff about fairies and magic. I know we used to play games when we were little. But it’s different now.”
“What do you mean?” Mia asked.
Angelica sighed. “I mean, nobody believes in fairies anymore.”
The rainbow was gone. Kate could have kicked herself for losing it.
She called her mother, only to find out that all the toy-drive presents were gone. “The volunteers delivered the last ones today,” Mrs. McCrady explained. “Is something the matter?”
“Lainey’s dad accidentally gave away the wrong box,” Kate told her.
“Oh no. Was there something valuable in it?” her mother asked.
“Yes. Very,” Kate said.
Her mother sighed. “Well, let me find the list of addresses. We’ll probably have to check with a few different families. Hold on.”
She heard her mom set down the phone. As she waited, Kate pictured herself knocking on strangers’ doors. “Excuse me,” she imagined herself saying. “I think you got something that belongs to me by mistake.” She pictured a little boy or girl handing back the box—maybe the only present he or she would have that Christmas.
“Here it is,” her mom said, when she picked up the phone again. “Can you tell me what the box looked like? I’ll start calling the families—”
“Never mind,” Kate said. “I was wrong. I guess we don’t need it back after all.”
She hung up and went back to the kitchen table where her friends were waiting.
“Well?” Lainey looked up expectantly. “Did you find out where the rainbow went?”
Kate shook her head. She made a silent wish that whoever found it would share its magic.
Lainey sighed. “It’s my fault. We should never have stopped to eat lunch.”
“No, it’s my fault,” Kate said, feeling furious with herself all over again. “I shouldn’t have left it sitting there.”
Gabby looked up from her second cup of hot chocolate. “But can’t Iridessa and Silvermist just make another one?” she asked.
Why didn’t I think of that? Kate thought. She looked hopefully at the fairies. “Can you?”
“We could,” said Silvermist. “We’ll just need a crashing waterfall.”
“And several blazing sunbeams,” Iridessa added.
Kate’s face fell. “But we don’t have any of that. Can’t you just do it with magic?”
“We have to start somewhere. Even our magic isn’t strong enough to make a rainbow out of thin air,” Iridessa explained.
“We’ll have to go back to Pixie Hollow,” Silvermist agreed.
“What will you tell Queen Clarion?” Kate asked anxiously as they walked back to the portal. She didn’t want the queen to know she’d wasted the fairies’ magic—she might not let the fairies come back to the mainland again.
“Don’t worry. We’ll think of something,” Silvermist promised.
Kate watched the fairies fly through the door, into the lush green world of Pixie Hollow. She longed to follow them. But it was late in the day. She knew her parents would be expecting her.
“Come on, Gabby,” she said. “I’ll walk you home.”
They said goodbye to Lainey. Outside, late-afternoon light was fading from the sky. As they started down the street, they saw Mia and Angelica returning from the bus stop. Mia had a pink shopping bag looped over one arm and was talking to her cousin.
Kate felt a sudden flare of anger. She stormed over to them. “Have a nice day?” she snapped. “Why didn’t you tell us you were—” She stopped and stared. “What did you do to your ears?”
“Oh!” Mia reached up and touched the small gold earrings. “I got them pierced today.”
“They look cute, don’t they?” Angelica said.
A feeling that had been boiling in Kate all afternoon suddenly spilled over. “Getting your ears pierced!” she exploded. “That’s what was so important?”
“That’s not what I—” Mia started to say.
But Kate was too worked up to listen. “I’m trying to help Pixie Hollow. Lainey’s trying to help. Even Gabby’s trying. You’re the only one who isn’t doing anything. All you care about is shopping and…and your dumb earrings!”
The look in Mia’s eyes went flat. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know anything,” she said. She turned toward her house. “Come on, Gabby. We’re going inside.”
Gabby looked from Kate to Mia. Mia shrugged and started off without her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Gabby whispered to Kate. Then she turned and chased after her sister and cousin.
“What was that all about?” Kate heard Angelica say as they walked away.
“Nothing,” came Mia’s reply.
Kate stood frozen to her spot. She had the sudden, terrible feeling that she’d said everything wrong. But as Mia, Gabby, and Angelica turned up the steps to their house, she couldn’t stop herself from shouting, “I hope you’re happy. If their magic dies, it’ll be your fault!”
Mia didn’t even look back. Without a word, she went inside and closed the door.
The next day, Lainey awoke with a feeling of excitement. She hurried to her window to look out at the toolshed, wondering what new magic it held for them today. The night had brought a fresh layer of snow. Beneath it, the shed looked huddled and secretive, giv
ing nothing away.
After breakfast, Lainey dressed quickly and hurried out to the backyard. She met Gabby coming around the side of the house by herself.
“Gabby, why are you alone?” Lainey asked.
“Papi said I could walk here by myself,” Gabby told her proudly. “I told him it was really important. I wanted to see about the fairies.”
“Where’s Mia?” Lainey said.
“At home with Angelica. They’re making bracelets,” Gabby said.
“Bracelets! What for?”
Gabby shrugged. “For fun, I guess.”
“But what about Pixie Hollow?” Lainey asked.
“She said she isn’t coming,” Gabby told her.
“Who isn’t coming?” Kate asked, walking up. She was pink-cheeked and breathless, as if she’d run the whole way there.
When she heard about Mia, Kate’s face clouded. “Something is wrong,” she said. “Mia isn’t like this. Do you think she could have stopped believing?”
“How could she?” Lainey said, shocked. “We’ve been to Pixie Hollow so many times!”
“But yesterday she was acting really strange. Like she doesn’t care about the fairies or Pixie Hollow,” Kate said. “And Prilla said the Disbelief was contagious.”
“Where could she have caught it?” Lainey asked.
“From Angelica,” Kate said. “I’ve been thinking about it. Remember when we first told Angelica about Pixie Hollow? She called it make-believe.”
“And then the portal closed,” Lainey realized.
“Exactly,” said Kate. “Never Land wouldn’t let Angelica in because she doesn’t believe.”
“Does that mean Mia won’t ever see fairies again?” Gabby asked.
As the girls stared at each other, considering this, they heard a tap-tap-tap. It was coming from inside the shed.
“The fairies! They must be back with more magic,” Kate said, reaching for the door.
“Careful,” Lainey warned her.
Kate flipped the latch and slowly eased the door open. But there were no butterflies and no rainbow, only a single fairy hovering in the doorway. It was Spring—a messenger-talent fairy.
“Queen Clarion asks you to come at once,” Spring said. “It’s urgent. We need your help. Please.”
The word “please” gave Lainey a jolt. Fairies almost never said please. The situation must have been desperate.
“What about Mia? Shouldn’t we get her?” Lainey asked. If anything could cure their friend of the Disbelief, it would be seeing Pixie Hollow again.
“There’s no time to wait,” Spring said. With Spring flying in the lead, the girls hurried through the door in the wall and into Pixie Hollow.
Even as they stepped into the sunlight of Never Land, Lainey knew something was wrong. It was too quiet, and she suddenly realized why. The silvery sound of fairy laughter was missing.
Gabby ran ahead, then stopped with a wail. As Lainey and Kate came up behind her, they froze, too. Together the girls stared at the awful sight before them.
The Home Tree was bare. Its leafless branches looked stark and skeletal against the blue sky. The fairy windows that lined the branches were dark and empty.
Queen Clarion was waiting for them in the pebble courtyard. She looked sad, and her wings were lowered in a defeated way. She clutched a petal handkerchief tightly in her hands. A small group of fairies were standing with her. Lainey saw Tinker Bell, Fawn, and Vidia among them.
“What happened?” Kate asked.
“The Home Tree is sick,” Queen Clarion told her. “Our magic isn’t strong enough to keep it alive.”
The Home Tree was the heart of Pixie Hollow. If it died, where would the fairies live? Lainey wondered.
“But that’s not all,” Queen Clarion continued. “Prilla is hurt.”
The girls gasped. “Was it on a blink?” asked Lainey.
The queen shook her head. “No. It happened here, in Pixie Hollow. A hawk caught her. It tore her wing—she was lucky to get away. She was exhausted from her blinks to the mainland. That’s how the hawk managed to get so close.”
“Will she be okay?” Gabby asked.
“I hope so,” Queen Clarion replied. “She’s with the healing-talent fairies now. But their magic is weak, too. Without Prilla to help us, I’m afraid the Disbelief will only get worse.”
Lainey understood now why Queen Clarion had sent for them. The portal was the fairies’ last chance.
“We have a plan,” the queen said. She held out her hands, and Lainey saw that what she’d mistaken for a handkerchief was actually a note. On a white rose petal, the word “Believe” had been written in sparkling fairy dust.
“Right now we have fairies writing notes. I’m willing to send every fairy who can still fly to bring them to Clumsies in your world,” the queen said. “Maybe if people see the notes, they’ll believe again.”
It was a good plan, Lainey thought. Even people who couldn’t see fairies would be able to see the petals and their magical message. “What do you want us to do?” she asked.
“We’ll need you to tell us where to go to reach the most Clumsies,” Tinker Bell said.
“What about the Night Lights? Lots of people will be out then,” Kate suggested.
“Good idea!” Lainey said. Every year on Christmas Eve, their neighborhood closed off some of the streets so people could stroll around looking at the holiday lights. Lots of families came. Lainey imagined hundreds of fairies flying over their heads, dropping their petal messages. It would be a glorious sight.
“It’s really going to work!” Kate said, growing excited. “Let’s get all the other fairies together.”
The fairies were silent for a moment. Then Tink spoke up. “It will just be us. We’re the only ones who can still fly.”
“Just you?” Lainey looked at the small group. There couldn’t have been more than a dozen fairies.
But that would have to be enough. Pixie Hollow was depending on them.
The last bit of sunlight was fading from the sky. All up and down the street, colored lights on the houses and trees shone brightly in the gathering darkness. Kate stood with Lainey under a tall tree in front of Lainey’s house. Groups of people passed them, filling the street with voices and laughter.
No one seemed to notice the fairies standing on the branches above the girls’ heads. The fairies’ soft yellow glows decorated the tree like Christmas lights.
“Is it time yet?” Lainey asked.
Kate glanced up at the fairies. They stood alert on their branches, sacks of flower-petal messages at their sides. She knew she should give them the signal to start. At this point, every minute counted in Pixie Hollow.
Still, Kate found herself saying, “Let’s wait just a little longer. Maybe more people will come.”
She looked up and down the street, hoping to spot Mia. Mia had stayed away all day, and Kate was worried that it was because of their fight. She didn’t want Mia to miss the magic—Kate hoped the fairies could cure Mia’s Disbelief, too.
A cold wind started to blow. Kate tightened her scarf and shivered.
“Kate,” Lainey said, after a few more minutes had gone by, “I don’t think we should wait any longer.”
Just then, Kate saw Gabby running toward them. Her heart sank when she saw that Mia wasn’t with her.
“Where’s Mia?” she asked in dismay.
“She wanted to stay with Angelica,” Gabby told her.
Kate saw Mia coming down the sidewalk, arm in arm with her cousin. Relief flooded through her. It wasn’t too late for her friend to see the magic. “Mia! Over here!” Kate yelled, waving at her.
Mia stared at her for a moment. Then, to Kate’s astonishment, she spun around and began to hurry in the opposite direction, pulling Angelica with her.
What was going on? Kate wondered. She was about to run after her when there was a strong gust of wind.
Kate heard a cry above her. She looked up in time to see the fairies’ petals g
o sailing into the air. For a moment, they swirled like snowflakes against the dark sky.
“Oh no!” Lainey wailed. “The messages!”
“What’s happening to the fairies?” Gabby cried.
In the branches of the tree, the fairies’ glows were starting to fade. They flickered like flames guttering in the wind.
“Their magic is dying!” Lainey said.
“Someone do something!” Gabby cried.
But there was nothing anyone could do. The girls watched helplessly as, one by one, the fairies’ lights went out.
Gabby clung to the tree trunk, staring up at the branches. But in the darkness she could no longer see the fairies. Were they even still there?
“Tink?” she called in a wobbly voice. “Fawn? Rosetta?” There was no reply.
Gabby did the only thing she could think of. She clapped her hands. “I believe,” Gabby whispered. “I believe, I believe, I believe…”
People on the street turned to look at the little girl clapping up at an empty tree. Gabby didn’t care. She took off her mittens and clapped harder. She clapped until her palms stung and her eyes were blurry with tears. But the tree remained dark.
At last, Lainey put a hand on her arm and told her to stop. An icy wind was blowing. Gabby shivered and put her freezing hands in her pockets. Could the fairies really be gone?
Then, suddenly, she heard a tiny jingle.
Gabby’s heart leapt with hope. She searched the tree but didn’t see even a faint glimmer. And yet…she could still hear fairies laughing.
Other people heard it, too. All along the sidewalks, grown-ups and kids stopped to listen.
Mia came running over, with Angelica right behind her. “Do you hear that?” Mia asked her friends.
All of a sudden, Gabby knew what it was. “My bells!”
