The hedgehog was in trouble.

He knew because he could see the pixies shadow moving on the grass in the hot sun.

“Note to self,” he muttered as he dashed across the dirt path, “Never steal from pixies.”

“Stop right there, Nigel.”

He curled into a spiky ball, simpering. He knew that terrible voice. Tinkerbell.

Nigel saw her puffy boots land gently in front of him.

“Give us the sugar, or you get hurt.” She said, wings fluttering with impatience.

Nigel looked her up and down with a hidden eye.

“You look awful, Tinks. Did Peter cut you off?”

The bedraggled pixie bought out her trusty machine gun. “I think you know the answer to that. Give me the loot.”

“I-I can’t.”

“Why the heck not?”

“It’s for... a baby!”

“A baby hedgehog wants grade A sugar?”

“It helps him with his-“

“I DON’T CARE! GIVE ME IT!” She screamed.

“Give me a minute...”

“Is this a joke to you Nigel? I could pull this trigger right now!”

A tiny click.

“What the fairy dust?” Tinkerbell swears, fiddling with the thing. “Never buy from weasels!”

A gentle yet harsh laugh starts up from somewhere in the woods.

Another pixie shows up, laughing so hard she somersaults.

“Zarnia.” Tinkerbell hisses. “Just the pixie I want to kill.”

“Stinkerbell. Just the pixie no-one needs.” Zarnia laughs, clapping her heartily on the back.

Nigel unravels from his spiky ball.

“H-how did I do?”

“You did brilliantly, in fact, everyone did! Thanks for the help!”

“Everyone? There’s no-one else here!” Splutters Tinkerbell.

“That’s where you’re wrong, stink. I had to have information leaked to you by the moles, then a secret about a new shipment from a little birdie. Then Nigel here beat you to the chase... or did he? Maybe it was just to distract you long enough so that we could set up a little game... ‘catch the tink.’”

“What?”

“Hit it, Nigel.” Zarnia said.

Nigel pulled a secret wire.

A cage fell on top of Tinkerbell, trapping the pixie with a clang. She screamed, rattling the tiny bars.

“I will get you for this!” She cried, glaring.

“You can try and beat me, stink. But... you can’t beat the power of friendship!”

Nigel stood next to Zarnia. “High paw?”

“High paw.”

They gave each other a tiny clap, and all they knew was that without the help of their friends, it would have been a very difficult day.