Disclaimer: I acknowledge that Disney Fairies & associated content are owned by Walt Disney Company. I am not interested in profiting from this document. It is for the enjoyment of fans only.
Author's Note: Here's my 5th TBell story! It's Vidia & Prilla's first "secret mission" - mentioned in my "Lizzy's Sunset" story. I have ideas for 3 or 4 more, if you like this one.
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Clarion's Hobby - Chapter 1 - Crystal Mine Find
"Oh Mary, you must try the baked cranberry." insisted Queen Clarion. "The baking talents have been working their creative magic."
Fairy Mary had been eyeing the baked cranberry since she sat down. Lunch with her queen was a rare treat, so Mary preferred to let the occasion unroll naturally as she sampled each meal item. But now she felt called-upon to step out of sequence, and taste the dessert. She couldn't resist; baked cranberry was her favorite.
"Mm-m." smiled Mary, closing her eyes. "A bit of lemon juice. And a touch of nutmeg." She caught Clarion's approving gaze. "Delightful."
"How are things in the Nook?" asked Clarion. "Everyone behaving themselves?"
"So far, this month." Mary returned Clarion's sly twinkle. "Although tinkers can be exceptionally good at concealing faults." She turned more serious, "What of yourself, Highness? There's been talk of your reclusiveness... you haven't been ill, I hope?"
"I'm fine, Mary." Clarion assured her. "I've found a new hobby... well, I suppose it could lately be called an obsession. I don't want to say much about it yet. I'll see how it works out." Clarion perked up, "Which reminds me, I'm wondering if you could find me a means of sending fast messages between Pixie Hollow and the mainland."
"Faster than a fast-flyer courier?"
"Yes. No rush. Whatever you can think of."
"I'm sure our tinkers can handle that." Mary smiled.
Next morning, Tinker Bell and Chipper were loading a rebuilt mine pump onto a wagon, using the tinker shop crane, when Fairy Mary flew up.
"How's that pump doing?" asked Mary.
"Just on its way out." replied Tink.
"Good. That'll keep the mining-talents happy. Girls, Queen Clarion is looking for a way to send fast messages between here and the mainland."
"Faster than a fast-flyer?" they asked together.
"YES!" barked Mary. This was the third time she had gotten that same response from tinkers. Chipper jumped in alarm. "I'm sorry." Mary spoke normally. "Yes. I thought perhaps teams of light-talents reflecting coded flashes off a large silver balloon between Neverland and the mainland."
"That's not bad," answered Chipper, "But what would hold the balloon in place? And humans are sure to see it and investigate."
"Mmm. That did occur to me." posed Mary.
"Hey!" cried Tink, "The humans have been experimenting with wireless communications lately. I read about it in one of their journals. Something about sending invisible sparks through the air"
"Is it something we could use?" Mary looked hopeful.
"Maybe. I can check it when we finish this job."
"No rush, sweetie. Just keep it in the back of your head." Mary flew off, humming.
With the help of the mining-talents, Tinker Bell and Chipper got the large pump down into the mine and fastened to the pipes & drive shaft. It was late afternoon when they released the drive clutch, and the big pump began draining water from the flooded chambers below.
The mining-talents all cheered, anticipating a treasure-trove of finds over the months to come. Tink & Chipper grinned as they stepped under a ceiling light panel to wipe the worst of the dirt off themselves before heading up to the surface.
For the first time, Tink was aware of birds chirping, and the natural color of the light. She looked up at the crystal light panel and was surprised to see trees & sky a short distance above.
"Amber..." called Tink to one of the mining-talents, "How far underground are we?"
"About 100 feet."
"It looks like we're just below the grass."
"I see you've noticed our light panels." smiled Amber. She slid the panel out of its fixture and handed it to Tink, who looked down at the sky-view in the crystal panel she held. Chipper stepped closer for a look.
"This is amazing." Tink gasped. "How does it work?"
"There's a twin panel to this one on the surface. They work in pairs. We came across a huge vein of these crystals about a year ago. We've been using them to light the mine ever since."
"Can we see the crystal vein?" asked Tink, handing the panel back.
"Sure!" smiled Amber, sliding the panel back into its fixture.
"This is where it begins." stated Amber. "The vein goes down that tunnel, but we haven't found the end yet. What you see here, is our ready stock."
Tink & Chipper looked around at the crystal plates against the walls and stacked on the floor.
"The crystals look like this when we dig them out." Amber picked up a thicker plate. "We cleave them in half along the edge, and get twin thinner plates that pass light between themselves."
"And also sound." observed Tinker Bell. Amber picked up a pair of plates, and handed one to Tink and one to Chipper. Each could see the clear image of the other in their plate.
"But sometimes it doesn't work." Amber pulled out a pair of "dud" plates. Tink and Chipper studied the plates, and the ones in their hands for a moment.
"The outer edge." said Tink.
"Yes." agreed Chipper.
"Huh?"
"See how the working ones have identical edges, while the not-working ones have different edges?" Tink pointed out.
"Oh-h, yeah." noticed Amber.
"I'll bet if you cut or ground the edge before you split it," suggested Chipper, "Even a badly-shaped plate could work."
"Can we borrow these?" Tink held up her plate. "For testing?"
"You can have them." smiled Amber. "Plenty more where they came from."
"Thanks."
On the way back to the workshop, Tinker Bell talked Chipper into playing a little joke on Fairy Mary. Upon arrival, Chipper took one of the crystal plates straight to Fairy Mary and set it on the desk in front of her.
"Oh, Chipper." declared Mary, "I'd expect Tinker Bell to be mucking with "lost things" rubbish, but not you."
"I heard that!" called Tink, from the plate on the desk.
"Toppling teapots!" cried a startled Mary, "Where did that voice come from?"
Chipper grinned and tipped the plate up so Tink's image was visible. "We think we found your fast message device." Chipper explained, "Or rather, the mining-talents found it but didn't know."
"You trickster tinkers!" Mary scowled, then realized what was in front of her. "So where is Tinker Bell?"
"Over by the wagon." replied Tink, from the plate. Mary looked up and saw her waving from across the shop. Tinker Bell quickly flew to join them, where they gave Fairy Mary the details. Mary studied the crystal plates in amazement.
"You know," Mary suggested, "The image might be clearer if one side of each plate was painted black." They tried it out, and saw the improvement.
"Let's test the range." Tinker Bell grabbed a crystal plate and flew out of the shop before Fairy Mary could say much. But Tink was right there, in the plate. She swung the plate around, so Mary and Chipper could see where she was flying. They chatted with Tink as she flew past Pixie Hollow's border and continued on.
Fairy Mary decided to cut the test short when Tink flew half-way up Torth Mountain. There seemed to be no range limits to the crystal plates. When Tinker Bell returned, Mary handed a plate to a fast-flyer for delivery to Fairy Camp on the mainland.
A short while later, Mary, Chipper, and Tink told the story to Queen Clarion.
"Of course," considered Clarion, "Communication crystals. Why couldn't I think of that?"
"So here it is." Fairy Mary presented the crystal plate to Clarion.
"Good evening, Your Highness." called the Minister of Summer from the plate.
"Sunflower!" answered Clarion, "You're speaking from the mainland Fairy Camp?"
"Certainly."
"This is remarkable." Clarion addressed the tinkers. "Better than I'd hoped for, and you say there are more?"
"A lot more." said Tinker Bell.
"These crystals will solve many future problems. Thank you, tinkers."
And those were the simple beginnings of the Pixie Hollow Communications Department.
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Next: Vidia and Prilla learn about Queen Clarion's hobby.