Outside, Tink and the girls were doing their best to move Gruff. They pushed and pulled, but the beast was stubborn.

“Back home, please!” Tink said.

“C’mon, Gruff,” Iridessa told him.

“Let’s go,” Rosetta tried.

“On three! One…two…THREE—” Tink counted.

As Vidia grabbed his ear, Gruff inhaled sharply, getting a whiff of Tink’s dust, before exploding in a sneeze.

Nyx and Clarion turned at the sound. Fawn pretended it was her sneeze. “Phew. I should get that checked out.” Then Fawn told the queen, “Look, animals do not control the weather.”

“Ordinary animals don’t.…” Nyx countered.

Fawn held up the drawing. “Furthermore, this creature with the horns and the bat wings…An animal that big couldn’t possibly fly under his own power.”

She glanced out the window to see Gruff darting back and forth, out of control, as her friends chased him around.

Nyx grabbed the parchment. “Either we capture the NeverBeast or life as we know it is over.”

“Nyx, let’s not do anything rash until we know more,” the queen said. “See if you can locate the creature first.”

“I just don’t want innocent animals to get hurt,” Fawn said.

“And I don’t want innocent fairies to get hurt.” Nyx turned to Fawn. “I’m not the enemy here.”

The queen stepped between them. “I trust you both to do what’s right for Pixie Hollow.”

Nyx stood straighter. Fawn tightened her jaw. They both were determined to do things their own way.

Outside the queen’s chamber, Nyx’s scouts waited.

“What’s the word?” Fury asked her.

“We go after it at dawn,” she said without hesitation.

That night, Gruff floated through the sky, pixie dust trailing behind him as he slowly descended.

Fawn caught up. “What happened?” she asked her friends. “You were supposed to get him out of there.”

“We tried, sug,” Rosetta told her. “Giant thing wouldn’t budge.”

“I think he didn’t want to leave you,” Tink said.

Fawn stroked the beast. “I missed you, too, Gruff.”

Vidia interrupted. “Sorry to break—whatever this is—up. But what happened to doing the right thing?”

“Nyx got there first,” Fawn reported.

“And…?” Iridessa asked.

Fawn flew up and sat on Gruff’s nose. “Nyx found this harebrained legend about a creature called the NeverBeast who builds rock towers and shoots lightning to destroy Pixie Hollow, so now she thinks he’s some kind of monster.”

The girls’ eyes widened.

“I know! Crazy, right?” Fawn said, but it was clear the girls believed Nyx.

Gruff landed, and Vidia began to back away. “Well, early day tomorrow.”

“Oooh, am I tired!” Iridessa was leaving, too.

“Really? I’m wide-awake!” Silvermist missed the point.

Rosetta grabbed her, saying, “Bye-bye now.”

Fawn shook her head at them. “C’mon, guys! You don’t really think any of that stuff is true?”

But they did.

“It’s just, I know he’s not what they say he is,” Fawn said.

“Even if you’re right, it’s not safe for him here,” Tink said.

Fawn thought about Tink’s words.

Nearby, Gruff was finishing building the tower in the Summer Forest. He put the last rock on and walked to his cave.

Fawn went along. She sat with the beast, staring up at the starry sky.

“Hey, big guy. Done for the day?”

He grunted.

She said, “Rest up, because first thing tomorrow, we’re gonna find someplace great for you. Just until things settle down.” Fawn leaned back, looking up at the sky. “Gruff, you see those stars over there? If you connect them, they make a monkey. See his tail?”

Gruff grunted.

“But if you turn it upside down, it’s a swan. See?”

The beast watched as she traced patterns in the sky.

“That one’s a squirrel. Oh, and over there, with the spikes? Hedgehog.” She looked at him. “See it?”

Gruff grunted again.

“I knew you’d get it. You just have to know how to look.” She flew up and sat down on his nose. “Imagine—you a monster. Of all the ridiculous ideas. I know they’re wrong about you.”

The NeverBeast snorted softly.

“They don’t see what I see.” Fawn closed her eyes and fell asleep.

A shooting star streaked across the sky. It was very peaceful. But, a moment later, green clouds began to gather in the distance.

Gruff opened his eyes and watched the sky.

At dawn, Fawn woke up, sensing that something was wrong. She was lying on her back in the dirt.

“Gruff? Gruff?” She looked around.

The beast was gone.

At scout headquarters, the team was getting ready. They put on armor, gloves, and wrist guards. They gathered bows and arrows, nightshade packs, and porcupine quills. They were ready for action.

Nyx flew to the balcony and the scouts followed. She paused and looked out at the green sky and declared, “It’s starting.”

All through Pixie Hollow, fairies were waking up to the strange glowing sky.

“What is that?” one said.

“It’s so green,” another replied.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” a third fairy remarked.

Tink noticed the crowd gathering to watch the sky. She looked up and discovered Nyx and the scouts crossing the green sky, carrying a large net with them.

She gasped. She had to warn Fawn.

“Gruff? Gruff? C’mon, Gruff. It’s Chase the Fairy, not Run Away from Her.” Fawn was busy searching for the NeverBeast.

“Fawn?” Tink shouted her name with urgency.

Fawn came out, and Tink quickly reported. “The scouts—they were geared up and moving fast. Please tell me you took him away already.”

Fawn paused. “About that…I sort of…temporarily…misplaced him.”

“You lost him?” Tink was stunned.

Fawn was still confident. “I got this. I just have to find him before the scouts do.” She thought about it and realized where he’d gone. “Ah! He’s gonna build two more towers. One in autumn, one in winter.”

“I thought you said the legend wasn’t real.” Tink lowered her eyes.

“Technically, I said he’s not what they think,” Fawn clarified.

“But everything Nyx warned us about—it’s happening. Just look at the green clouds, Fawn.” Tink pointed up.

“Ehhhh…seafoam at best,” Fawn replied with a laugh. Then she became serious. “Look, it doesn’t matter what Nyx’s legend says. All I know is, Gruff would never hurt us. Please, Tink, trust me.”

Tink gave in. “I’ll take winter.” She started off.

Fawn stopped her. “Hey, Tink!” Tinker Bell turned. “Thanks.”