Scouts on Patrol: Might as Well be Walkin' at the Swamp

TheCuriousSeed

Chapter 3 and what next awaits thee? Let us see...

~Later that morning, the fairies all went to find a way to get some more dust... at least, those that weren't Scouts. The Scouts, however, were busy surveying on foot for anything concerning. Daylily had all the Animal Friends accompanying her since she was the only one there able to speak to every animal clearly.

~"I wonder what we should look for?" asked Violet Beacon.

~"Anything that appears amiss should be reported," said Gingerbright. "Also, the non-Scouts are trying to figure out ways to make new Pixie Dust."

~"Shame they can't fly without or they'd be able to search from the sky," said Blueblitz.

~"I found something!" called Heidi. "It's really huge and looks like it's made of metal!" Heidi took hold of this something and, even without flight, was able to jump high enough off the ground for it to feel almost like flight. She pulled out...

~"What is that?" asked Daylily, eyeing this strange metal thing.

~"I don't know yet, but it looks like a human-sized digging tool."

~"That looks way bigger than a human,"

~"We'd better let the others know."

~"Let us know what?" asked Phoebe.

~"Looks like a bulldozer," said Violet Beacon.

~"What's a bulldozer?" asked Sweetblossom.

~"Humans now use a device called a bulldozer to dig up large amounts of dirt."

~"Maybe it's a ride?" suggested Phoebe.

~"Or a portable stadium that can be carried off?" suggested Heidi.

~"It's a bulldozer," Gingerbright told everyone. "Violet Beacon knew what it was first."

~"Or maybe it's one of those digging things?" suggested Holly.

~"Like a bulldozer?" suggested Daylily.

~"What's a bulldozer?"

~"A huge digging thing where a human has to get inside the vehicle--a device used by humans for transport--and operate it with these special controls. The ones humans use, however, run on a fuel that isn't readily biodegradable."

~"How do you know this?" asked Phoebe.

~"Because the other fireflies that are Animal Friends to other fairies tell Gingerbright and Violet Beacon, who then tell me of their findings."

~"Should we be concerned that this huge thing is here?" asked Holly.

~"Very," said Phoebe. "We need to just leave this be and a precautionary message wouldn't hurt either."

~"Or we can simply let it be," suggested Daylily. "It has no fuel or oil left, anyway."

~So the bulldozer was left where it was since it wasn't working anymore.

~Meanwhile, the non-Scouts were looking to get new Pixie Dust.

~"I heard somewhere that a long time ago, we lost our Pixie Dust and learnt to make Fairy Dust from the feathers of a magical dove," said Onyx.

~"You mean Mother Dove?" asked Hickory.

~"Yeah, and someone took ten feathers to make Fresh Dust."

~"Maybe we can find some fallen feathers and grind them into dust," suggested Foxglove.

~"Perish the thought!" exclaimed Heather. "We have no clean water here and those feathers have to be cleaned first!"

~"What choice do we have?"

~Suddenly a colourful parrot came by.

~"Jackpot," said Foxglove as the parrot began to preen his feathers. "We gather some of his fallen feathers and grind them into dust."

~"Why not just pluck them off?" asked Magnolia.

~"Again, perish the thought!" exclaimed Heather. "And risk hurting him?"

~When the parrot was done preening, twelve feathers fell off. Feathers weren't as potent fallen as still attached, so Magnolia decided to try stealing the fallen feathers first. She managed to get all twelve fallen feathers before the parrot even noticed. A pigeon landed in the swamp as with a few bluejays to preen, then Magnolia went back to steal their fallen feathers. She managed another 36 feathers, then took them to get ground into dust. Unfortunately when she attempted a 49th feather, the pigeon took notice first because Onyx was trying to pluck a feather from a bluejay's head!

~"What are you doing?!" exclaimed Daylily, rushing to stop Onyx, who'd pulled seven feathers from the same bluejay. "It's bad enough you're stealing their feathers after a fresh preen, but to pluck them off too?!"

~"We were just going to take the fallen feathers and make them into Fairy Dust," said Magnolia.

~"Mother Dove's feathers are best suited for grinding into Fairy Dust once moulten. Plucking anyone is painful and I wouldn't recommend it." Daylily then apoligised to the birds in their respective tongues for her friends' actions. The birds forgave and let the fairies keep the shed feathers since once fallen or removed, they were off for good.

~The 57 feathers were made into Fairy Dust thanks to Heidi crushing each in her tiny yet powerful hands. Soon the dust was ready once grouped by bird. Magnolia tried bits of each one and...

~"Use the pigeon dust!" said Magnolia. "It's the same potency as dove dust!"

~"But we only have ten days' worth of pigeon dust each," said Heather.

~Each fairy sprinkled some pigeon dust on herrself and at once began flying again. A few barrels were made to hold the dusts and soon the girls could fly about again. The other bird dusts proved less potent, even the plucked bluejay feathers, than the pigeon feathers, so those were on reserve.

~"In case we have to come back, let's leave the dusts here," said Heidi. "Meantime, we're checking to make sure anything else dangerous is reported."

~But that night Labyrinth and Quarry came to visit the swamp and took all the pigeon dust away. There was a Pixie Dust shortage again in the Hollow because not only had the Pixie Dust Tree been caught in another freeze, so had Mother Dove, and so close to the annual Moult! The Winter Talents did a great job coating everything in frost again, even the Tree, keeping Mother Dove and her egg warm. Both Silver Winterjewels returned with Labyrinth and Quarry with twelve days' worth of Mother Dove's Fairy Dust.

~I knew I made the right choice inviting our Animal Friends, thought Daylily.

~"We have to go," said the smaller Silver Winterjewel. "The Freeze has returned and it looks like it'll last at least a week this time. We can't even grind new dust anymore since the Pixie Dust Mill is frozen."

~"I can grind new dust, but it'll take much longer," said Heidi, taking one feather at a time to grind in her bare hands. Once all twelve feathers were ground, Heidi kept that dusp separate. "This looks like enough for a month, tops."

~"Oh, thank you," said the taller Silver. "We have to get this ack to the Hollow, stat!"

~"Okey-doke!"

~The twins and the Silvers left with all the ground dust.

~"What're we going to do?" asked Foxglove. "We can't keep this up much longer."

~"We'll have to stay here," said Daylily. "If we leave now, we'll get caught in the Freeze and our wings will break."

~"At least we've plenty of dust left, but none of it's pigeon," said Heather.

~Speaking of pigeons, A fledgeling flew to Daylily and asked, "Did you know there's a Freeze back home?"

~"Yes, Pigeon Paige," answered Daylily. "The Freeze is much bigger than any Freeze before, likely to last a week, maybe longer. Alert Mother Dove, the Ministers, Queen and lead Tinker and Dust Keeper. They need to know our whereabouts first, especially the Matriarchs."

~"Affirmative." Pigeon Paige flew off, leaving two feathers behind.

~Heidi crushed the last two feathers into dust and added them to an empty barrel. "That'll give us thirteen days each, tops," she said.

~Thirteen days wouldn't be enough to ride out the Freeze in case it grew far worse, but the other dusts would help a little just in case.

~When Pigeon Paige returned, she came back with grave news: except the Scouts of all seasons, Weather and Winter Fairies, Matriarchs, Ministers and other Leaders, there was now a no-rations rule in place because the new rations were all that remained, although the Animal Talents were reduced to quarter rations, enough to allow them to converse with the animals, but too little to fly too, plus the Dust Keepers were only allowed one cup of dust a week to fetch new dust. All talents minus Ministry, Leadership, Animal, Dust, Winter, Weather and Scout were now dust-free, plus all remaining Animal Talents were responsible for keeping the animals safe.

~"The Freeze sounds like it's turning into the Mega Freeze," said Daylily.

~"Precisely," said Pigeon Paige. "We were only able to spare ten Dust Keepers to fetch rations from here a week with full rations, so I'll see if I can bring you some new fallen feathers."

~"Thank you."

~"Are we seriously stuck here?" asked Foxglove.

~"Until the end of the Freeze, so far we're safer here," answered Daylily. "So get comfortable."

What will happen next? Stay tuned!