Gina searched the kitchen for something Tracey could eat. She also tried to figure out where on earth Makenna and her family members were.
Her eyes soon caught a calendar on the kitchen's bar-like counter, and the tern asked herself, "Is that a calendar?" She flew toward the calendar and landed on it. "It is!" Gina hovered over the April calendar. "Let's see if this will tell us where everybody is." Gina looked at the week they were currently in. She rested her claw on the beginning of the week and moved it across, reading the writing on the dates. "Let's see, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, pep rally, and Spirit Week Dance. Whoa, wait!" Gina jumped. "Pep rally and Spirit Week Dance? That's today! Tracey!" Gina quickly lifted off the countertop. "Makenna's at school! She's at the pep rally! The dance is tonight!" She hurried toward the living room. "Attention, Tracey, I have discovered the whereabouts of Makenna Delling. She is at school at the pep rally. We've got to hurry before Peter Nelson pulls her into his trap!"
Tracey didn't answer, as he was still sleeping.
Gina entered the living room and landed on the couch, folding her wings. "Tracey!" She peered down at his face. "Wake up! Our mission is almost complete! All we have to do is fly to Makenna's school and rescue her from Peter Nelson. Afterward, I'll take you back to Merlin's Island. I promise. Tracey?"
Tracey still didn't answer.
Gina soon soared down to her friend and pecked his cheek. "Wake up, Tracey!" she begged. "I know you're tired—I don't blame you—but we're almost finished. Makenna's counting on us to save her, even if she is a jerk. Perform the Shrinking Spell."
Her pecks had finally woken Tracey up, but not by much. With his eyes still closed, he turned his head the other way and complained, "Gina, I feel like my wings are about to fall off."
"I know you're hurting," said Gina, "but you can do it. You're Tracey, Merlin's apprentice. You're one of the most famous fairies in the entire world, and I know you want to help Makenna. Please perform the Shrinking Spell. You can take a nap on the way to Makenna's school."
"Okay, okay," groaned Tracey. "Whatever you say, Gina." He still didn't open his eyes, but he soon shrank back down, and Gina caught him.
Tracey landed on his front and hugged her feathers.
"Let's get the Barbie dolls talking," chuckled Gina, "because here we go!" She lifted into the air and flew toward the kitchen.
On her back, Tracey begged, "No, Gina, don't take me back to Makenna's school. Please. That school has nothing but bullies in it."
"But we've got to!" Gina sternly announced. "It's a matter of duty, mate!"
Tony, resting in the living room, leaped to his feet. He watched as Gina soared toward an open window in the kitchen and barked, chasing after her.
Gina soared through the window, Tracey hugging her back, and shot into the sky. "Hang on for a little longer!" she yelled at her friend. "We're going to save Makenna right now, and then we can live our lives again. Cannonball!"
Gina shot above the treetops and flew straight forward, gaining speed until she finally reached Johns Island. She and Tracey would drop in at the pep rally before Makenna, the teachers, and students knew it.
***
The dance battle at Makenna's school was getting underway.
Mrs. Hector picked up the basket of apples that Raeven had hidden in and moved into the center of the circle of students. Soon, with students surrounding her, she announced, "Students! The first round of the dance battle will be a partner dance battle. Three partnerships will step up, and I'll give you an apple." She moved her hand into the basket of apples.
Raeven quickly got out of the way of her hand, breathing heavily.
Mrs. Hector picked out an apple and held it up for the students to see. "With their special apple, each partnership will develop a dance that involves it."
Makenna had trouble seeing Mrs. Hector because other freshmen blocked her. She pushed her way through them and took deep breaths.
Mrs. Hector continued the explanation. "Whichever partnership has the best dance will be rewarded with a prize. So"—she lowered the apple—"who will be the three, brave partnerships for this first round?"
Students exchanged glances, but none stepped forward to take the stage.
"Come on," said Mrs. Hector, "don't be shy."
Peter and Makenna met eyes and nodded. They stepped before their grade levels and together announced, "We'll be the first partnership!"
"Fantastic!" announced Mrs. Hector. She gestured for the two teens to come up. "Come on."
Makenna and Peter approached each other, linked hands, and headed toward Mrs. Hector.
Behind them, in the freshmen crowd, Jimmy blushed. He quickly grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her into the heart of the crowd of students. "We're the second partnership!" he yelled.
Makenna and Peter peered back at them.
"Jessica and Jimmy?" Makenna asked. She and Peter stopped before Mrs. Hector, and Jessica and Jimmy approached them from behind.
She offered them the apple and said, "Here's your apple."
"Thank you," spoke Makenna. She lifted her hand and reached for the apple.
Peter performed his regular evil smile, and Jimmy glared. He tried to get to Makenna, but Jessica pulled him back.
Makenna continued to reach for the apple.
However, just before she grabbed it, "Stop!" was heard from the sky, and a sudden shuriken sliced the apple in half before it reached Makenna's hand. She gasped, as did Mrs. Hector, and the apple fell to the ground.
Raeven poked his head out of the basket of apples again and asked in his head, "What's going on now?" He peered into the sky.
A green blur appeared, and Tracey landed beside Peter. He was back to his regular height, and Gina hovered over him, higher in the sky.
All the students and faculty members gasped, and a few yelled, "It's him!"
Tracey caught his shuriken, which had spun back to him, and held it up to Peter Nelson's neck, yelling, "She goes free!"
"Tracey!" Makenna stuttered. "What are you—? How did you—? What are you doing here?"
"She goes free," Tracey repeated. The tip of his shuriken touched Peter's neck, much like a sword.
Gina soon soared down and landed on his head.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Mrs. Hector.
Tracey pointed at Peter and explained, "This boy is a criminal!"
"Criminal?" Makenna yelled.
"Criminal?" Mrs. Hector asked right after her. "Define 'criminal', sir."
That was when Raeven spoke up and said, "Delicious and nutritious. Served with the blue-plate special."
Everybody peered down on the basket, and at the sight of the bat, Mrs. Hector screamed and shouted, "BAT!" at the top of her lungs. She dropped the basket and took off running.
It crashed into the ground, and Raeven and the apples fell onto it. He shook his head. He then waved at the people studying him.
"BAT!" screamed Jessica. She lifted her foot and tried to stomp on Raeven, but he quickly moved out of the way.
"Raeven!" Makenna yelled. "Argh!" She reached for Raeven, but Peter snatched her arm and forced her into his chest. "Let go!" Makenna said. "He's my friend!" She fought Peter's arms, but he held her tightly. She felt a little uncomfortable for once, but at least Tracey was there.
He hurried toward Makenna and reached behind him. From it, he drew two more shurikens and tossed them toward Peter. They caught him by his shirt sleeves and threw him back. Makenna was released and crashed into the ground, flinching.
Tracey stumbled toward her and gave Gina orders. "Gina, you get Raeven. I will get Makenna out of here and away from Peter."
"Be careful, Tracey." Gina flapped her wings and lifted off his head, soaring toward Raeven.
Tracey passed Makenna, still lying on the ground, and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet.
Where Peter was, he released himself from Tracey's stars and yelled, "I hate him! I hate that fairy! He is not going to get in my way! He's interfered for the last time! I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill that slimy, overgrown chicken!"
Members of the school board and students chased Raeven.
People dove for him, but Raeven dodged and said, "Up, you missed. You missed again. And again. And again."
Dr. Medford stood in the heart of the chaos, blowing a whistle, and Mr. Gheesling was beside him, trying to calm things down.
Gina soon caught up with Raeven, and now flying beside him, asked, "Mate, what are you doing?"
"I'm putting on a show," Raeven answered. "And it's going fantastic!"
Gina nudged him. "We've got to calm this down before somebody gets hurt."
Tracey and Makenna hurried through the crowd of panicking students and faculty members. Just when they thought they would escape the chaos, Peter appeared in front of them and punched Tracey across the face.
Tracey toppled to the ground and slammed down on his back. He yelled and closed his eyes. His teeth were clenched together, and his head was tilted back. Bits and pieces of his shattered wings and bones fell from them.
Makenna gasped and yelled, "Tracey!" She narrowed her eyes. "Aw, man!"
Peter snatched her arm and yelled, "She's my girl!" at Tracey. "You worthless fairy scum! You're going to wish you were never born!" He started to drag Makenna away.
"Tracey!" she called. She held her hand out to him, but Peter continued to drag her.
Tracey shakily sat. He couldn't even explain how much pain he was in. His head spun, and he reached for it. Through telepathy, he called out to Gina. "Gina! Gina, please!" He lifted his other hand and covered his nose and mouth. The fall had knocked the breath clean out of him, and he had trouble retrieving it. Sweat trickled down his temples. Tracey tried to stand, but fell again. "Gina!"
Gina heard him and hollered, "Tracey! Come on, Raeven!" She pushed Raeven forward, and she and he hurried toward Tracey.
Where Makenna was, Peter still dragged her, and she asked, "Peter, where are you taking me? Tracey's that way!" She pointed in Tracey's direction.
"I'm trying to get you to safety," he told her in his normal, fake nice voice. "Ah, we're almost there. Trust me." He and Makenna were nearing Makenna's school, and Peter seemed to be in a rush to get inside.
However, the bell saved the Metamorphic Fairy. It rang, and students piled into the school. No way were they going to hang out in the courtyard anymore!
Peter was pulled away from Makenna, and she fell to the ground again. Within thirty seconds, the courtyard cleared, and only she, Tracey, Gina, Raeven, Dr. Medford, and Mr. Gheesling were left behind.
Dr. Medford and Mr. Gheesling stared at the two fairies and their avian friends, and Dr. Medford shook his head. "That was a wonderful pep rally," he sarcastically told Mr. Gheesling.