Tinkerbell was fuming. She was flying as fast as her wings could go, seething with anger. How could he turn his back on me? Like I'm nothing but a rock. They started it first anyway! Why did he blame me? Tink felt lonely and betrayed. At this point, she had no idea where she was going, only that she had to get away. For what seemed like miles, Tink flew and flew. Her face was red with anger, jealousy, betrayal. I need someone to talk to. For some reason, the pixie's first thought was of Ariel. She's a mermaid, isn't she? I'll ask her. Before she knew it, Tink was in front of Eric's castle. And walking along the shore was a woman with red hair, almost the same shade of red as Tinkerbell's face. Tink couldn't hold her anger any longer. She flew onto the shoulder of the princess and began to bawl. In between sobs, Tink spoke, "A-A-Ariel?"
"Oh!" Ariel stopped walking with a jolt as a little fairy flew past her. She moved her head around, trying to focus on the tiny flyer. When the fairy stopped zipping around, Ariel finally was able to focus her light blue eyes on the blonde fairy, and at the sight of the little green dress, Ariel smiled in recognition.
"Tinkerbell!" Ariel said cheerfully, her smiling fading once she saw the fuming expression on the pixie's face. Her face distorted as she said slowly, "Are.. you.. okay?"
Tinkerbell continued to sob, her tears burning, "N-no. Not at- at all. Peter and I got into a-a fight. IT WAS ALL THE MERMAIDS' FAULT!" She suddenly yelled. She continued to sob. Finally, the pixie calmed down and continued to tell her story while wiping away her tears. Tink was almost embarrassed at the tears she shed. The fairy breathed deeply, finally calm. "The Neverland mermaids," she continued, tears still in her eyes, "started splashing me and calling me names again. I couldn't take it anymore and threw a shell at them." Her eyes met Ariel's. "Right as I threw it, Peter was passing by. He asked why I threw the sea shell, and I said that the mermaids started it." Tink's cheeks turned crimson, "But the mermaids acted allfrightened and innocent and said that I started to throw shells at them randomly! Peter believed THEM instead of ME!" A couple of tears escaped the fairy's eyes and began to slide down Tink's cheek again, "He believed THEM and not ME, his best friend." Her voice became shaky as she continued to speak, "And-and he turned his back on me as he began to talk to the mermaids. He said he doesn't like a liar and he turned his back on me! He started playing music for the mermaids and told me to go away. ME! So…I did. Maybe a few days. Maybe For-forever. I don't know." The fairy started crying again.
At the mention of mermaids, Ariel's curiosity grew. And she frowned, feeling sorry for the poor little fairy.
"Aw, Tinkerbell," the redhead soothed, gently placing her hand under the fairy, allowing her to collapse on her hand, "Boys can be weird like that." She made a sour face to prove her point. "But I'm sure he'll forgive you. He's a very nice boy, so I'm sure he couldn't stay mad for long!"
The princess lowered herself into the sand, holding Tink. "Mermaids you said? Now, why would they be so mean to you?"
Tinkerbell used Ariel's sleeve to wipe some of her tears away. She made a small smile, "Ya think so? You think he'll forget about all of it? I hope so…" Tink shook her head in frustration, "I don't know why the mermaids are always so mean to me! I think it's because I'm friends with Peter!" Tink's eyes looked down,"Or…was…" The fairy sighed angrily, "They always make fun of my dress and my wings! And if you get my wings wet, then I can't fly! Maybe it's because I have pretty wings. I mean, they are impressive, aren't they?" Tink laughed as she flew an inch off of Ariel's hand before sitting back down.
Ariel nodded eagerly, hoping it would cheer up Tink. "Oh, definitely!" she exclaimed, rotating her hand, and in turn, Tinkerbell, so she could get a better look. "The pattern on them is absolutely beautiful!" she complimented, giggling with the fairy.
"Wanna know what I think? I think they're just jealous," she said, raising her eyebrows with a nod. "You're beautiful, and Peter adores you! What's there not to be jealous of?" Ariel smiled.
Tinkerbell nodded in agreement, her hands on her hips, "I think they're jealous too! I mean, how can you not when a fairy like me is flying around?" The fairy slightly blushed at Ariel's compliment, "You think Peter adores me?" Tink put her hands on her hips as she sat upright in Ariel's palm, "Well, he better, especially after the things I go through for him! I was his first friend when he came here to Neverland, ya know." Tink smiled. "He can't be mad at me. He needs me. Right? But the way he treated me…" Tink layed her head on her knees, conflicted.
"Well, all best friends get into fights. That's what makes you best friends! Being able to argue with each other, but always end up making up," Ariel explained. "I'm sure you two will do the same," she smiled.
Ariel looked out at the sea, thinking of a way to help Tink relax for a bit, to cool off. "Hey, how about you help me find some seashells for a bit? Maybe we'll even come across one that you could use for a boat!" she giggled.
Tink looked at Ariel, "Well, if that's the meaning of best friends, he and I must be very best friends." Tink mumbled. Tinkerbell sighed deeply, "Sure. Maybe I could bring a seashell back to Pixie Hollow and use it as a wagon!" Tink smiled softly. The fairy flew over to the shore, occasionally looking towards the ocean, making sure no large waves approached her. Tink caught sight of a bright blue sea shell and eagerly flew towards it. "Oooh!" Tink leveled her feet on the sand and tried to lift the shell. It seemed to be stuck, "Ariel…Are sea shells this…heavy?" Tink pulled with all her might. Suddenly, two sharp claws emerged from the sand, along with two eyes. It wasn't a shell; it was a crab. "Ahhh!" Tink flew into Ariel's hair for protection, "Ariel, Ariel! What is that?" She cried, clearly frightened.
Ariel followed Tinkerbell to inspect what she had found, and she bit her lip when Tink flew away, trying to hold back a giggle. "It's alright, Tinkerbell," Ariel laughed, feeling the fairy move through her hair.
Ariel crouched next to the little blue crab and smiled. "Hi there! Sorry about my friend, she isn't used to creatures like you." The crab lifted a claw and waved before burying itself back in the sand.
Standing up again, Ariel explained. "That's a crab. Mistakenly known as being vicious, but they're really just sweethearts!" The princess chuckled, thinking of Sebastian. "And, well, they all know me. At least the ones around here do. Because of my Daddy. All the sea creatures around here are part of his kingdom."
Tink cautiously flew out of the princess's hair, "So, your dad is a king? That means that you were a princess before you met Eric, huh?" Tinkerbell managed a small smile, "That's pretty cool." Tink smiled apologetically at the crab. She nervously giggled, "S-sorry! Sea creatures?" Tink looked at Ariel, "The only animals that I've seen at Pixie Hollow that live in water are fish, frogs… are those 'sea creatures?' Wait, so you're friends with water animals? That means you're a water talent!" Tink smiled, "You're like my friend Silvermist. Except she has black hair…and she a fairy!" Tink laughed at the obvious differences between the mermaid and her friend.
The redhead nodded. "Yup. My Daddy, King Triton of Atlantica." She brushed a piece of long, red hair behind her ear. "I don't suppose you've ever been there, have you?"
Bending to pick up a teal seashell, Ariel continued, "Fish are sea creatures! But I don't think frogs are.. There's no frogs under the sea." She skipped the seashell across the water. After making four skips, it plunged into the water, leaving some ripples behind it.
Ariel giggled, then pointed at the ripples, "If you call that a talent, then maybe I am! But I'm not a fairy, and I haven't heard of anyone called a 'talent' something." She bit her lip.
Tink giggled, "No, I haven't been under water at all." The fairy's eyes looked at her wings. She smiled encouragingly, "I call that a talent. You can make ripples in the water! That's one things water fairy talents do! Ya see, every fairy is born with a special talent. So tinker fairies, like me," Tink spun in a small circle, "are called tinker talents. There are other talents too, like my friend Rosetta, who's a garden talent, Fawn, she's an animal talent, and Terence. He's a dust keeper talent! Oh! And my sister, Periwinkle! She's a frost talent." Tink counted off her friends' talents with her fingers. "Everyone has a talent," the fairy shrugged. Tink's eyes looked down and found a sparkling seafoam green seashell near Ariel's foot. "Ariel!" Tink suddenly whispered, "Don't…move…" The fairy murmured as she delicately flew down towards the shell. She gingerly picked it up, "isn't it beautful?" The fairy smiled to herself as she admired the beautiful seashell. "And look! It's green like my shoes!" The fairy tapped her two shoes together, creating a bell-like sound.
Ariel listened to Tinkerbell explain fairy "talents," puzzled and awed by them. "Wow.. That sounds like something fun to have," she mused, then nodded, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, if I were a fairy, I would definitely be a water talent, that's for sure," she giggled.
The princess gasped when the pixie's expression changed, and she listened to her, standing very still and being very quiet. Is this just another crab or sea creature she's never seen before?
Ariel stood patiently when Tinkerbell swooped down, finally looking down at her when she heard a more relaxed voice. Seeing the shell, Ariel smiled, then crouched down. "That one is beautiful," she said gently, folding her arms on her lap. "Is it big enough for you to use for something?"
Tink thought about the uses a seashell could give her, "Hmm… it could be used as a wagon! OH!" Tink exclaimed, "I can bring it to Periwinkle to use for ice sledding! I bet this would look beautiful frosted! And it's sturdy enough for a couple of fairies to race with!" Tink knocked on the shell with her hand, testing the strongness of the object. Suddeny a thought came to Tinkerbell. "Hey," She looked up at Ariel,"Where's Eric? Are you at the castle alone?"
Ariel nodded, wondering what Tinkerbell was thinking. "He went to a meeting today with the other princes, so he won't be home until later." The princess bit her lip in thought. "Why do you ask?"
Tink redirected her attention towards the seashell, sizing it up with her thumb, "I wanted to ask him for some rope from his ship. That would be perfect for ice sledding for Peri! Or for pulling a you ever met Periwinkle? Or other fairies?" Tink wondered.
Ariel nodded with a small smile. "Periwinkle sounds familiar! A little while ago, it snowed here, which is very uncommon since we live so close to the beach. But I did meet her when exploring the snow, and she explained to me all about frosting and how she and other winter fairies make winter!" The princess giggled. "It was really interesting, actually."
Tink giggled, "It snowed here? I guess winter fairies decided to have a little fun that season. Oh! So you have met my sister!" Tinkerbell clapped her hands together. "You should see the Winter Woods! It's so cold there." Tink rubbed her hands together, getting chills just thinking about the cold. "There are no fish or water animals there though. I guess since the water is actually ice. Peri calls water 'melted ice.'"
Tink smiled. "One time I crossed the border into the Winter Woods and it was so wonderful! But I had to go to a Healing Talent fairy because my wings could've been damaged from the cold." Tink bit her lip. "But now, if any of the fairies want to cross the border, our wings get frosted. Ya see, frost is like a little blanket that tucks in the warmth, so my wings can keep warm and safe when I cross the border!" Tink looked back at her shell. "How am I supposed to carry this?" The fairy laughed.
Ariel nodded. "It did! It was beautiful. The snow gently covered the sand and rocks, and everything looked so magnificent." She smiled at remembering the scene, then giggled. "Well, she's right in a way!" Sounds like something I would've said about human stuff.
The redhead's thin eyebrows furrowed in concern. "I didn't know you couldn't go to places that have a certain weather," she said slowly. "But that's wonderful that you figured out a way to do so!" She smiled, clasping her hands together happily.
At her question, the princess looked down at the shell. It certainly was light, and not even a problem for her. But considering Tinkerbell's size, she could see how it may be difficult for her. "Hmm.." she said, thinking as she looked at the tiny shell. "Maybe I can carry it for you! Do you have to go far?"
Tink nodded, "Yeah, for a long time Warm Fairies couldn't cross the border to the Winter Woods. The same for the Winter Fairies. But now, that rule is gone! I don't like rules much." Tink stuck out her tongue in disgust.
Tink looked at Ariel, "Well…it is Neverland, so it is kinda far. But maybe if I can find or make a bag, it would be easier for me to carry it to Pixie Hollow." Tink suggested.
Ariel nodded. "Okay!" She looked around at the sand for anything that could be used. But then, she realized she didn't really know how fairies made things, or what they used for the fairy equivalent of human stuff. "Well, what kinds of things would you need?"
Tink thought about the supplies she would need to make a bag. Usually she just finds lost things and figures it out from there. "Well, maybe a net. Leaves work too! And something sharp so I could use that for cutting things." Tink walked around the beach, looking for random things she could use to make a bag.
At Tinkerbell's words, Ariel turned and began searching as well. Suddenly, something silver and shiny stuck out to her. She bent down and removed the object from the sand. Seeing what it was, the redhead gasped and straightened quickly, holding out the object to examine. "Look! A ding- I mean, a fork! Can this help at all?" she awkwardly giggled, her naive excitement at simple human objects still very much present.
Tinkerbell titled her head to the side, wondering what she could use a fork for. "Hmm… put it down there." Tink pointed towards the sand near her. "You can just find random stuff and I can figure it out from there. Tinker at work!" Tinkerbell cautiously walked towards the ocean and saw some rope close to shore. "Ariel!" Tink shouted. "Can you get that rope thingy?" Tink felt excited tinkering up a bag. She had to be even more creative since the beach isn't the usual Cove where lost things wash up.
Ariel followed Tinkerbell's instruction, placing the dinglehopper where she indicated and continuing to search around the sand. When she heard the fairy speak up again, Ariel looked up and walked over to the distressed rope, effortlessly picking it up and shaking the sand off it before placing it next to the dinglehopper.
"What kind of things would you need?"
Tinkerbell studied the sharp fork and the rope. She bit her lip in thought, "Well…I usually make my bags from leaves. But I don't know if the same kind of leaves are here. Maybe a net? Or-" Tink flew over to Ariel's dress, "Some fabric or cloth like human clothes are made of." Tink felt the fabric of Ariel's dress between her fingers. Her attention suddenly focused on the fork and rope. "I already have a sharp thingy to cut stuff with and a rope so I could put my bag over my shoulder. Let's keep searching!" Tink wandered around the beach, looking for nothing in particular. She was just looking for anything that she could make use of.
The princess nodded and followed Tinkerbell, continuing to examine the pale sandy beach. Suddenly, Ariel thought of something. She began to walk back to the castle, saying to Tinkerbell, "Hold on.. I'll be right back!"
She hurried up the steps, lifting her dress so she wouldn't trip. She slipped through the heavy wooden door and walked quietly to the dining room. The long, ornate table had a healthy vase of lilies in the middle, Ariel's favorite flower. She approached it and felt the soft petals of the lilies. Maybe this could work.
The redhead took the wet lily and headed back to the beach. Walking over to the little fairy, Ariel extended the flower. "Could this work?"
While Tink was searching for anything she could use, she heard Ariel walk away as she yelled I'll be right back. Tink immediately turned around, "Huh? O-ok. I'll be…here." Tinkerbell kept searching for any Lost Things, wondering what Ariel was doing. Her ears perked up as she heard human footsteps walk down the beach. When Ariel presented the flowers to her, Tink became ecstatic. "These are perfect, Ariel!" Tink flew up to Ariel's face to give her a hug. Immediately Tink gathered her rope, fork, and lilies and began to tinker up a bag. She used her thumb to measure how big the bag would need to be in comparison to the seashell.
The fairy began to pull the petals of the flower off of the stem. The stems were interlaced with the rope, which was tied onto the petals. Tink used the fork to cut the stems and petals to the accurate size. Right now, Tinkerbell was in her own world. Her mind was focused on tinkering up a bag as her delicate fingers were at work. "Ok, and if I tie it up here…and I cut up this stem…then I should get…" Tink placed the seashell in the bag and placed the bag on her shoulder, "this bag!" TInk smiled proudly. She always felt accomplished after she tinkered up an item. "What do ya think, Ariel?" Tink twirled around.
Ariel giggled when Tinkerbell flew up to her, feeling tickled by the fairy's tiny touch. "I'm glad!" she grinned, proud to have found something useful to a fairy.
When Tinkerbell began to apparently work on making the bag, Ariel quietly knelt down next to her, careful not to disturb her as she observed how the pixie worked. Wow.. She definitely knows what she's doing.
In a matter of minutes, the redhead heard Tink exclaim proudly. Her eyes widened in awe as she admired the fairy's creation. "Wow, Tinkerbell, this is amazing!" she exclaimed with a bright smile, gently placing a finger on the soft bag. It was almost hard to believe that a few minutes ago, it had just been sitting in Ariel & Eric's dining room with the other regular petals.
Tink beamed, "Really? Ya like it? Well now I can bring this seashell with me to Neverland and I won't lose it!" She giggled. "Oh, I can't wait to show this to…Peter." Her smile faltered as she remembered why she came flying over to Ariel in the first place. She slowly raised her head and her eyes met Ariel's. "Do you think he'll forgive me? That he'll forget about our…fight?" She asked sorrowfully.
Remembering why Tinkerbell had come in the first place, Ariel's smile relaxed as she replied reassuringly, "I'm sure he will. Boys get over fights pretty quickly. It's usually the girls who keep grudges longer." She nodded, thinking of the few times when she and Eric would argue, and he was usually the first one to apologize. Which, of course, made Ariel feel sorry as well.
"I'm sure he'll think that bag - and the shell - are pretty cool!"
Tinkerbell chuckled, "I kindado keep grudges a lot… you're right! He'll forget all about it!" She smiled. "I really do hope he likes the bag. And all the Tinkers will love the shell. It'll make a great wagon, ya know." Tink looked up at the sky, "I should probably go soon. Peter will be missing me too long." She laughed.
She nodded enthusiatically. "Definitely! I'm sure it will be useful for you and the other fairies." She glanced at the shell, imagining all the simple things that it could help the fairies with. "And I'm sure Peter's already over your argument, and that he misses you," she smiled.
Ariel straightened up again, taking a moment to brush the sand off her dress and pull her hair back behind her shoulders, looking at the little fairy. "Will you be able to fly back all right, then?"
Tinkerbell looked at the sky, "Hmm…yeah, I think so. It's not too windy for my wings, and I think this bag'll make it." Tink lifted the bag up and down to estimate the weight of it. "Thank you, Ariel. For everything." The fairy smiled gratefully at the princess. One more time Tinkerbell hugged her. This time, a small kiss was given onto Ariel's nose. "I'll see ya later, m'kay?" Her wings were already flittering and lifting the fairy from the ground.
"Great," Ariel sighed happily, glad to have helped the fairy. She grinned as she gently embraced Tinkerbell, giggling when she felt the little peck on her nose.
As the pixie began to fly higher into the sky, Ariel lifted a petite hand and waved to her. "Goodbye! And good luck with Peter!" After a few moments, Tinkerbell was nothing but a speck of green, fluttering through the air in the direction of Neverland.