“Lily, why are there buckets of water in the trees along with string running from the buckets across trees?” I asked the next morning.

“It’s to soak Terror when he tries to grab one of the strings or flies into one of them,” Lily answered.

“Like me with the bucket over the door?”

“Exactly!” Lily replied excitedly. She spun in place and clapped her hands. “It’ll be great!”

“I’m not sure that will work.”

“Why not?” the pixie asked me.

“The mockingbird isn’t a person that just pushes a door open for that prank to work on,” I replied.

“You have a point, but I’m going to try this anyway,” Lily said.

“Are you just wanting to drench me?”

“Maybe…”

“I thought you wanted to get back at the mockingbird?” I asked.

“I do. But I can still prank you too!” Lily replied happily. “Oh, I know!”

“You know what?”

“Consider the water buckets part of your magic training,” Lily answered. “Instead of trying to dodge the water, you’ll have to keep it from falling on you!”

“I’m going to work in the garden this morning, not practice magic,” I replied.

“That’s ok! We’ll do the magic practice after you get done in the garden,” Lily said.

“You could help me in the garden,” I pointed out.

“Nah,” Lily said shaking her head. “I have to look out for Terror. Don’t you hear him singing?”

“I do,” I replied. I pointed to the left. “He’s over there somewhere.”

“Exactly! That’s why I need to be on the lookout,” Lily said.

“Alright. If you get bored, you know where I’ll be and that I need help,” I said.

“Ok. Have fun!” Lily replied flying up into a tree and hiding in some branches.

I shook my head and walked to the garden. I needed to weed it.

*

“What are you doing with the toilet paper we got from the lab?” I asked my familiar.

“I’m going to TP Terror’s nest with it,” Lily answered.

“Why are you going to waste the toilet paper to do that?” I asked. “I thought you didn’t want to mess with any eggs that might be in the nest.”

“For one, you use the bidet with the built-in air dryer. You don’t use TP,” Lily replied counting on her fingers. “For two, I checked, and Terror doesn’t have any eggs in his nest. And for three, this should be fun!”

“The nest can’t be that big,” I replied. I had started to say that not everyone was a created creature that didn’t need to heed the call of nature, but I had changed my mind. That was another thing, I couldn’t recall seeing any other familiar do its business like their wild or domesticated counterparts kin did. “You can’t possibly need the whole roll.”

“Good point. I’ll use a little bit to TP the nest and then use the rest of the roll to TP Ama’s house!” Lily said.

“I don’t think a single roll would cover the whole house,” I replied.

“I know. I’ll use a few of the other rolls too,” Lily said. “I got this!”

*

“Terror took the toilet paper and lined his nest with it!” Lily grumbled at supper.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” I replied.

“Me either, to tell the truth,” Lily said. “Birds like using stuff to line their nests.”

“Why don’t you just catch him in telekinesis and pluck a feather or something to get your revenge?” I asked.

“Jase, that’s cheating!” Lily answered.

“And it takes the fun out of it,” I guessed.

“Yeppers!”

“Ok. Why don’t you get some of the others to help you? They haven’t been around much since Terror moved into the area.”

“That’s actually a good idea,” Lily conceded. “But if you remember, Yam and Willow chickened out and abandoned me.”

“What about April and May?” I asked.

“They might agree to help,” Lily replied after thinking about it. “I’ll ask them in the morning.”

“Alright,” I said putting a small plate and cup in front of her.

“What’s for supper?” Lily asked patting her stomach. “I’m hungry!”

*

“I see your backup came,” I said to Lily as we exited the house.

“Yep!” Lily happily replied before greeting April and May.

“We’re going to get that mockingbird,” May said after greetings were exchanged.

“It’s been a terror for days now,” April said. “We’re going to get him good!”

“That’s why I started calling him Terror,” Lily replied.

“That’s a good name,” the other two pixies said at the same time making all three of them giggle.

“Just don’t permanently hurt him or yourselves,” I said.

“We won’t,” the pixies chorused.

“Good luck then. I’ll be practicing my magic by the garden,” I told them. “And be careful.”

“We will,” May said.

“Have fun with your practice,” April said.

“And be very, very quiet,” Lily said before shushing me. “We’re hunting mockingbirds!”

*

“Get him!” April yelled.

“I got him,” May shouted as Terror flew over my head.

I looked up to see April chasing the mockingbird while May cut him off from making the bird change direction. Lily divebombed the mockingbird hitting him with a drop of water. The bird dived and landed on the ground to my left.

“Haha! Take that!” Lily crowed.

A second later April and May both hit the bird with their own water drops. The pixies shouted in victory. For the next hour, the pixies repeatedly tagged the mockingbird with water or simply tapped it on the head, back, or stomach.

I had stopped practicing to watch the game, for that is what it looked like more than any sort of true revenge. Eventually all four landed on the ground and faced off. Terror chirped and made other sounds at the pixies. They replied making similar sounds.

Terror flew away after a couple of minutes and the pixies cheered. My familiar assured April and May that I would give them a reward for their victory later. They flew to me.

“Need any help?” Lily asked.

“I don’t know. You tell me how I’m doing,” I replied. “So, do we have peace with Terror?”

“Yes!” the pixies chorused.

“You saw us outclass that bird!” May said.

“Can we have ice cream for our reward?” April asked me.

“I suppose,” I replied. The pixies cheered.

Lily flew and landed on my shoulder. She hung off so she could see over my shoulder.

“Um Lily, what are you doing?”

“Getting in position to train you! It’s time to do or do not!”

“No fair! I wanted to be Yoda!” May said.