Chapter 1

Soft golds and pinks mottled the morning sky as Tinker Bell flew toward the beach where Lost Things washed up. A joy she hadn't experienced for many days bubbled up within her. The Winter fairies were returning from the Mainland later that day and everyone in Pixie Hollow was preparing for their welcome home celebration.

It feels like it's been forever since I've seen Periwinkle, Tink thought as she alighted upon the sand. Waves softly lapped the shore. The emerging sun dappled the deep blue waters with sparkles that looked like pixie dust. I can't wait to tell her about the danger we were all in and how Gruff saved us. I wish she could have met him!

A familiar sadness pinched her heart. She and her friends would never see him again in their lifetimes but the one who'd taken it the hardest was Fawn. She hadn't left her cottage for days. Tink planned on making something to cheer her up but she wasn't sure what. The only Lost Thing she spotted was a piece of white canvas lying in a crumpled heap on the sand. Tink flew over to it for a better look. The thick fabric was slightly damp but she figured it was still useful.

The only problem was its size. Once she managed to stretch it out, tugging each side, her muscles burning and skin growing slick with sweat, it was at least half the length of Pixie Hollow's amphitheater.

Tink settled on the sand to rest from her effort and yanked at her bangs. Didn't human artists paint pictures on such things? The fairy art talents had their own canvases, usually made from leaves or flower petals. Whatever was painted onto this would be seen for miles for all of Pixie Hollow to admire. But what should it be a portrait of?

Excitement pulsed through Tink as an idea came to her. She had to show this to her friends but couldn't carry it on her own. Before taking off, she made sure the canvas was far enough from the water so it wouldn't get washed away when the tide shifted.

She dashed past impossibly tall palm trees and headed toward Sunflower Meadow. Many fairies and sparrow men were already up, fluttering about and tending to their duties. Garden talents painted flowers, animal talents tussled with rabbits and chipmunks, and water and light fairies worked together to weave rainbows.

But where were Silvermist, Iridessa, Rosetta, and Vidia? She had hoped to find Fawn bathing baby birds or teaching newborn bunnies to hop but didn't see her amongst the animal fairies. After some searching, she found the four of them, minus Fawn, gathered on a large lily pad in the middle of Havendish Stream.

"There you are, Daisy Top," Rosetta said as Tink landed beside them. The pad shifted slightly beneath her feet.

"We went to your house this morning to see if you wanted to come with us to visit Fawn but you were already gone," said Silvermist.

Tink's heart plummeted. She swallowed, struggled to force words to form but they dissolved in her throat. From the looks on her friends' faces, she didn't have to ask.

"We're so worried about her," said Iridessa, twisting her fingers. "This isn't like her at all. She just hasn't been the same since Gruff."

Tink gulped again, finally finding her voice. "Did she say anything to you guys?"

"All she did was grumble about needing more sleep, that briefly dying took so much out of her," Vidia said, crossing her arms. "She still won't get out of bed. Believe me, I tried."

"You should have seen Miss Whirlwind here," Rosetta said with a sound that was part laugh, part sob. "She stirred up a tornado that made this huge mess but that didn't even phase Fawn. She just clutched her blanket tighter and rolled over."

"It's such a shame," said Silvermist, her eyes glossy with tears. "She's going to miss the return of the Winter fairies and the party we all have planned."

"Perhaps we should get a healing talent to look at her," suggested Iridessa. "If she keeps this up, she'll sleep as long as Gruff."

Tink brightened, remembering what she wanted to tell them. "Guys, I have an idea." They all stared at her. "It might cheer up Fawn and also add to the party's decorations. This is probably a longshot but it's worth at least trying."

"What is it, Sugarplum?" Rosetta's eyes sparkled.

Tink grinned. "Just follow me."

She took off at top speed toward the beach, feeling the fragrant air brush against her face and stir her bangs. She glanced back just once to see the others following close behind, forming streaming trails of pixie dust.

The waves continued their constant lapping but luckily were still a ways from the canvas. She landed beside it. The others looked at her curiously.

"It's a giant cloth," said Vidia, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah, and it needs a splash of color." Rosetta flew over it back and forth, studying it as if it were a flower she were about to paint.

"That's the idea," said Tink, so excited that her voice shook. "We could make a portrait of Gruff and, using pixie dust, hang it in the sky for everyone to see."

"Oh, oh, that's a wonderful idea!" Silvermist jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "Fawn will love it."

"Well, if that won't cheer her up I don't know what will," said Rosetta.

"One problem." Vidia scowled. "None of us are art talents."

"She's right," said Iridessa. "This could end up a huge mess."

Tink refused to let this daunt her as she thought back over all the inventions she'd come up with, which started with blueprint designs. "Well, at least it will be from us. We are the ones who really got to know Gruff." Her mind churned, attempting to figure out the best way to approach this. "It won't be just a drawing. We could… I know. Use reeds and dandelion fluff for his fur—"

"And rose thorns for his teeth and claws," said Rosetta.

"That's brilliant!" said Silvermist. "And what about…?" She wrinkled her forehead as if struggling to think of something.

"Sunflower seeds would work for his nose, I think," said Iridessa.

"Those are all great suggestions." The joy Tink experienced every time she came up with an idea for a new invention pumped through her. "We'd better get busy if we want to have this ready for tonight's celebration. But first let's move it away from the water."

She and the others flew above the canvas, spilling pixie dust over it. It floated into the air, undulating like a ship's sail against a faint zephyr. They each grabbed an end and dragged it into Pixie Hollow, onto a wide stretch of ground near Sunflower Meadow.

After Vidia used her wind to blow off the pixie dust so it wouldn't float away, they fluttered about, collecting the items they needed. Several fairies and sparrow men gathered around to watch as, little by little, they created Gruff's likeness onto the canvas.

"He's still missing eyes," Tink said, standing back to admire their work.

"What about dewdrops?" suggested Silvermist.

"No, Sweetpea," said Rosetta, shaking her head. "You're on the right track but the color's all wrong. His eyes were green. Oh, of course! What about dewdrops on top of leaves?"

Tink thought this over. "That's not bad but Gruff's eyes glowed, remember? There's this cave in the Winter Woods that is filled with glowing crystals. Peri showed me them once. They come in different colors, including green. Those would be perfect!"

"Let's go get our coats then," said Rosetta, turning to flutter away. "We'll all meet at the border. It looks like we'll have to frost each other's wings, like you and Fawn did when you went there with Gruff. Do you still have any of Zarina's frost talent dust left over?"

"Wait!" said Tink. "Haven't you heard? She just came up with a dust that will make us immune to the cold. We'll be just like the Winter fairies when we enter, but we'll still have our Warm fairy talents, and it'll protect our wings too."

"Zarina," murmured Vidia. "I haven't seen her in ages, not since she became so obsessed with that idea to make a dust that will mend broken wings."

"That would be a great gift for Lord Milori," said Silvermist, grinning.

"It would be," said Iridessa. "And I'll bet Queen Clarion's dying to see him again."

"And I can't wait to see Sled!" Rosetta's cheeks flushed as bright as her hair. "It's been way too long."

"Okay, let's pay Zarina a visit," said Tink, leading the way as they all took off in the direction of her house.