As 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.