Melisandre is questing! Episode 1/25

On a small sidestreet just off Mainstreet in PnF land, a gnome wearing a jolly green Christmas tree hat is sorting through some winter things in the attic. He hears running footsteps. Before he can get downstairs, he hears the door crash open.

Samantha flung open Harvey’s door with a crash.

“This is terrible, just awful, the worst news ever. Harvey Roundtree, are you listening to me?”

Harvey walked into the room, “Samantha, what is going on? Why are you in such a state? Sit down; I will bring tea.”

After Samantha had gained her composure, she explained to Harvey that she heard in town that the Queen Fairy had gone missing.

“I see. You are right; this is terrible news. The Queen Fairy is supposed to be the star of the Christmas Parade, without her, the parade might as well not even take place.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 2/25

“Maybe she went for a visit to the next forest?”

“No, that can’t be it,” said Samantha pulling at her bottom lip. “You know how the Queen Fairy is; she is so exacting. She keeps a daily diary, and everything is written down in it. Maybe we should go looking.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 3/25

Samantha and Harvey asked everyone around town if any pets had any word of the Queen Fairy or had seen her. No one had.

“I don’t like mysteries,” grumbled Samantha, “Oh, sure, I like to curl up in my big chair with a good mystery story on a cold night. A roaring fire and a mug of tea by my side. But this, this is too real.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 4/25

At a loss as to what to do next, Samantha and Harvey sat in one of the restaurants that graced PnF land's main street.

“Say Harvey, do you know anything about that new factory that took over the old warehouse?”

Harvey thought a moment, “I heard it was some type of special automated gift wrapping centre. The word on the street is they got a contract from Santa and are wrapping all the gifts for Christmas Eve. The owner is someone by the name of Mike Maleficent.”

“That name is odd, and why a contract? I thought Santa had elves that did all that work.”

“I guess they are streamlining, like every other place.”

As they were about to leave Melisandre joined them at their table. “I heard about what is happening; I want to help.”

“Of course, said Harvey, We will need all the help we can get.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 5/25

As the three stood outside and considered their next move, a neighbour ran up to them. Out of breath and looking anxious, the neighbour asked,

“Have you heard? More fairies have gone missing.”

“What? More! Are you sure?” Harvey asked.

“I was just over at the edge of town, and all the fairies are in a panic. Christmas is coming, the parade is a few days away, and the town is not decorated yet.”

Melisandre spoke up, “The fairies usually decorate the town, don’t they? I am happy to help decorate, but if we don’t find out what has happened to the faires— it won’t be a magical Christmas. It will be glum and gloomy.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 6/25

“Something else is odd,” said Samantha, “Did you notice all the ornaments scattered about? Look, I have been picking them up and putting them in my bag.” Samantha opened the big bag that she carried everywhere. Inside were an assortment of ornaments. “It is almost as if they were left as a clue.”

Harvey pondered this. “Where did you find them?”

”They are all over town; there does not seem to be a pattern. I wonder if we should start looking further away from town, maybe the park, and head toward the forest and maybe over by the lake.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 7/25

The trio walked to the forest first. It was an enjoyable walk, the day being crisp and clear with a promise of some light snow toward evening. They saw a few snowmen that the younger town’s pets had made.

“I hope we get to the bottom of all this. Why would fairies suddenly go missing, especially at this time of year? The fairies are a big part of what makes this time of year so special here. They add their magic to the whole of PnF land.” Melisandre mused.

Samantha and Harvey agreed.

“Maybe someone does not like magic,” Samantha replied.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 8/25

They spied a few ornaments the closer they got to the Fairy Forest, which Melisandre diligently picked up.

At the entrance to the Fairy Forest they were met by a fairy named Thistledown.

They explained they were looking for clues or information and had come to look around.

Thistledown said, “Over half the fairies have gone missing. We have had scouts out but they found nothing."

Melisandre is questing! Episode 9/25

The three looked around the fairy trees but found nothing.

“Can you tell us where the fairies were, in particular the Queen Fairy, when they went missing?

Thistledown thought, “None that were actually here in the Fairy Village have gone missing; only those fairies that were out in the other parts of the forest. This is the time of year when the fairies will go out and collect things they need for the winter, and most importantly bits of greenery, berries and acorns to make the Fairy float for the parade. The Queen went out first thing in the morning before the sun rose to get some dew.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 10/25

Melisandre, Harvey and Samantha thought it best to start where the Queen had gone to collect the dew. There was a place close to the Fairy Village where wild winter-blooming roses grew. The dew that collected on these plants in the morning was a favourite of the Fairy Queen.

Upon reaching the wild rose patch, the three looked around. They found a decoration but no other clues.

They continued searching in the woods. The only other thing found was a small, broken piece of mirror, hidden in some leaves by a berry bush.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 11/25

“Wait a minute,” said Harvey, “Don’t fairies love shiny things?”

Melisandre piped up, “I have heard that too. Do you think this is a clue?”

Let’s walk to the park and look around there. I don’t know what fairies would want from the park, but we have to search all the areas we can.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 12/25

The park was a lovely spot near town where pets came to enjoy picnics, fly kites and play games during the summer. In winter, pets could build snowmen or have snowball fights. The park was the starting point for the winter parade.

The three friends split up to search different areas. Harvey was rummaging around some small berry bushes when he saw something glinting. Pulling out a tiny bit of tin, he yelled to the others, “I found something.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 13/25

“One last place to check, the lake,” said Harvey.

“What would the fairies be gathering from the lake area? Samantha queried, “And I believe that makes two more places, not one, to check.”

“Two?”

“Sure, we are going to check out that automated gift-wrapping place, right?”

“Let’s talk about that tomorrow. We can leave the lake till tomorrow too.” Harvey stated.

Samantha was disappointed, but it was getting late. However, she wondered if she could sneak up to the old warehouse, now home to an automated wrapping plant.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 14/25

Having said goodnight to Melisandre and Harvey, Samantha went into her house, but not to sleep. She gathered up a flashlight, which went into her bag. The ornaments she had been collecting she put on her kitchen table. She was ready to find out what happened to the fairies.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 15/25

It did not take long for Samantha to reach the path to the warehouse. She did not see anyone along the way, but as she got closer to the structure she heard voices.

Voice one, “I don’t like this. Someone is sure to figure out what is going on.”

Voice two, “All we have to do is hang in there for a few more days. The packages will all be ready to be shipped out as soon as the rest of the fairies are caught.”

Samantha’s ears perked up. So, it was happening here, whatever it was. Samantha wanted to look around some more, but she did not feel safe if workers were leaving and maybe a new shift was starting.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 16/25

The next morning, Samantha hurried to Harvey’s house and told him what she had heard the night before. “Call Melisandre and let’s go warn the fairies. We don’t need to go to the lake now, but we should head to the warehouse.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 17/25

The three arrived at the Fairy Forest and related to Thistledown what Samantha had heard.

“I don’t know what they plan on doing with the fairies, but one of them mentioned packages. From what we have previously discovered, it seems they know where fairies like to go collecting; they place a bit of shiny something on the ground, the fairy is distracted, and then the fairy is caught. I think they are being kept at the old warehouse, so we are going there now to find out more. Don't let any fairies leave this forest."

Melisandre is questing! Episode 18/25

Melisandre, Samantha and Harvey walked quickly to the old warehouse, now home of an automated wrapping business. To ensure they were not seen the three took a longer path that wound behind the warehouse.

“Right, here we are. Who should go in and who should try to hide out front and listen to any chatter, from the morning workers?” Harvey asked.

Samantha volunteered to go inside and look around. “As soon as I find out where the fairies are being kept I will come back out.” With that, she entered the back door.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 19/25

Melisandre and Harvey went back around front and hid in some tall grass. Workers were starting to arrive. The two strained to catch any chatter that would give them information about the fairies' predicament.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 20/25

As she looked around the large entrance two workers passed her. One of them said, “The Queen goes out today.”

She made it down a long corridor at the end was a door. It led to stairs.

I bet the basement is the heart of the operation.

Samantha ran down the stairs and stopped. In front of her was a huge room with rows of tables and there sat people wrapping boxes. The wrapped boxes were put into a rolling basket and then taken out the back door. “This is not automated," fumed Samantha.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 21/25

Samantha raced out to follow the trolly. It went down a ramp and ended up in a stone cellar.

“This must be where the packages are picked up for delivery. But delivery where?” Samantha grabbed a box and looked at the mailing address. This is to a different land entirely. The box in Samantha’s hand gave a wiggle. Samantha opened the lid and out popped none other than the Queen Fairy.

Harvey and Melisandre appeared at the window and went to work opening boxes, releasing fairies who, in turn, released more faries.

“Ahem, what do you think you are doing?”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 22/25

Samantha yelled at the fairies to get out and get back to the Fairy Forest.

Melisandre and Harvey stood right behind Samantha as she faced, “Mike Maleficent, what were you hoping to accomplish by this cruel stunt?”

Mike sneered at Samantha, “Cruel, I will tell you what is cruel, having to listen to those cheerful, make everything sparkle, fairies.

“You don’t like what, joy, sparkles, festivities, oh wait, you don’t like Christmas.”

Mike nodded, “No, I hate Christmas and always will, so I decided to capture the fairies, put them in boxes, and mail them all over the world that would put an end to their making everything joyful.”

“You’re wrong, Mike. Christmas would not disappear even if the fairies were all gone.”

Melisandre is questing! Episode 23/25

Samantha spent the morning decorating her tree with the decorations she had found. She was no closer to knowing why they showed up where they did. She had a few ideas but nothing concrete.

Look at the time, I must be running along.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 24/25

Harvey had gone to Samantha’s house to pick her up, and on their way to meet the Queen Fairy, they picked up Melisandre. They chatted about the adventure and how glad they were that things had turned out fine. They were unsure what would happen to Mike, but the proper authorities had been brought in to deal with him.

The business was shut down, and as Samantha had thought, the contract with Santa was big-time bogus. Santa’s elves were all done with this year's gift wrapping and thinking about next year.

The Queen Fairy greeted Melisandre, Harvey and Samantha most graciously. She thanked them for freeing the fairies and told them to go enjoy the special party she was giving in their honour.

Melisandre is questing! Episode 25/25

The three friends ate the food, laughed at the jokes, sang some songs with the fairies and declared this a fine party.

Harvey turned to Melisandre and offered a special egg, to remember this day by.

“All that is left now is for the fairies to decorate their float and the parade can go on.” Harvey smiled at everyone.
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