Author's Notes: OK, anyone who is looking for sequal's and wondering what in the world I'm doing writing Tinkerbell fanfiction, I'm sorry, this got stuck in my head, and when I got to chapter ten… well, then I just finished it. Right, I don't know where this came from, I thought I'd write ten pages of a Vidia and Tinkerbell femslash, instead I end up with a fic that has basically no pairings and somehow I finished. For anyone who doesn't want to get lost, I haven't read the books, only seen the movie, but I do have access to Wikipedia. Which means I know some extra names and things, without knowing what they look like. Also I tok some liberties on characters that didn't have very well established or flaky personalities. (Goes to sulk in a corner).
Warnings: I have not read the books, but I have access to Wikipedia – so I have names such as Ginger but only a quick explanation of her character and talent. I saw the first movie – that's what has happened and it's AU after that. Adventure-talent is an actually an established talent-kin and will be used as such. I take liberties with the fairies pasts and incorporate my own version of Pixie Hollow within the rules of Never Land. A little bit of violence. Made-up fairy swears. Reused plot devices that work their way in there before I realized I had done it. Questionable morals. An abundance of Vidia, and me writing the wrong story. Expansions on talents that don't exist. Vidia has actually been a hero in the past. My ever present and 'famous' use of my own original characters.
Summary: Vidia uses the shadow in the library to her advantage, but once Tinkerbell finds it she lets it believe that it has hopes, and starts the cogs going for an ending that might mean the end of everything she has known.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Belongs to Disney and – well, I'm actually not entirely sure who wrote the actual series it's based off.
Chapter One
The Hungry Tear
Vidia kicked at her bed as hard as her small feet would allow and recoiled in an instant with an angry howl.
"That was stupid," came a soft muttered. Dark blue hair obscured Vidia's vision as the fast flying fairy spun around and looked into big brown eyes. The fairy in Vidia's house wasn't much to look at. She had a huge leaf clumsily assembled to cover everything, her brown hair a puffy mess, and Vidia was quick to notice that the other's dark arms looked scarily stickish and her face sunken in.
"They aren't feeding you again," Vidia irritably, she limped over to the cupboard and started searching through it and grimaced over the fact that most of her cooking supplies were made by those annoying tinker fairies.
"That's alright," whispered the fairy, Vidia looked back to see her friend with a guilty blush and looking pointedly away from her.
"No one blames you for getting supplies when you can," said Vidia and then turned back to finding the proper cooking tools needed to make a pie. "Well, at least I don't."
"Thank you, Vidia," said the soft voice. "I really didn't mean to steal, but those berries…"
"Scrumptious, weren't they?" said Vidia with a glance over her shoulder, the other fairy gave her a hesitant smile. "Come on over dear and I'll teach you how to make my blue berry pie. That way you'll be able to make it yourself when those morons remember to feed you."
"You make me sound like their pet," said the fairy stepping weightlessly to Vidia's side over and running a hand over the table top.
"You're technically not allowed out of that cracker box," said Vidia, as she lightly brushed her hands off and guided her friends toward the batter. "Which reminds me, why are you here?"
"Can't I just stop by to see a friend?" asked the girl with a smiled, Vidia frowned and then sighed. She dragged the girl over to wash her hands in the sink.
"No, because you take that silly prison seriously," said Vidia with a frown. "The last time you came it was because there was something wrong with the ground…"
"Vidia," complained the girl.
"Teary," said Vidia with a roll of her eyes. "I don't really care what it was, they fixed it and the last five things that you somehow figured out were wrong and came to me with."
She glanced over and saw the fairy pounding at the dough despairingly. Vidia groaned and laced her fingers with her friend's and started digging into the bread to teach the dark fairy how to knead properly.
"Is something wrong Vidia?" asked the fairy looking at her friend in concern. Vidia sighed, being irritated at Teary would only depress the girl. The other fairy really was a good friend, Teary just had a lot that she was trying to make right. Of course Vidia still thought that the other's blind belief in the Queen fairy and allowing herself be tied to one room was stupid, Teary couldn't do much good where she was now.
"Nothing you have to worry about," said Vidia, she cut into the berry in a way that made Teary's eyes go wide and the girl take a deliberate step away from the fast flying fairy. "I'm just having a gosh hard time finding that last sprinting thistle."
"Ah, yes," now Teary sounded amused. "The punishment that was assigned to you by Queen Ree."
"You've heard of it?" asked Vidia.
"One of my jobs is to keep track of all important events… don't look at me like that Vidia you know what happened was a ground breaking in Pixie Hollow," said Teary pushing the dough at her friend as Vidia placed the berry concoction near Teary and signaled the dark fairy to start stirring as she formed the crust. "So the Queen sent a few people my way to interview and I've got a pretty good idea of what happened. At the moment I'm trying to convince them to send Tinkerbell my way."
Vidia hissed at the other fairy. Teary turned to her in slight confusion and then giggled.
"She was in the middle of it all," the fairy reminded with a flourish of her finger. "But you could always give me your version of what happened. Make sure that I get all the facts."
"Tinkerbell is a twit," said Vidia firmly pouring the mixture into the crust and placing the top carefully over the berries and beginning to pinch the sides.
"Yes, that sounds like a logically conclusion," Vidia sneered at the amused fairy who rolled her eyes and walked back to the table. Vidia popped the pie in the oven and headed to her table with bread, some cheese, and a knife. "It is interesting though, I never knew you could be so vindictive. It's not like she was trying to beat your speed or anything."
"Yes she was, that brat came up to me, me, and asked me to teach my talent to her so she could be flying as fast as me in a few days, the little scamp," seethed Vidia. Teary rolled her eyes and dragged the cutting board toward her and cut herself a generous amount of bread and cheese and started to inhale it. "Slow down dear, your stomach's probably shrunk and at that pace you're going to end up throwing up."
Teary blushed to her root and then slowly chewed and swallowed.
"You know she never would have been able to do it, she's a tinker, no changing that. She's a special tinker for sure, but not one that's suddenly going to be able to zip around all of Pixie Hollow in a flash," Teary took a bite and put a hand against her cheek. "This obsession you have about being the fastest fairy ever is a little over redundant."
"I'm not supposed to proud of my ability?" asked Vidia with a flick of her hair. She pulled back the bread and cheese and took a much smaller slice of each for herself.
"You're allowed to, but this obsession with pushing yourself past exhaustion trying to become the fastest is pushing it a little," said Teary, and glanced around Vidia's home. "This place has horrible lighting."
"Probably better than your book collection… what are you doing?" Teary drew back into the window and with a few flicks of her fingers had light bending unnaturally into the room. Vidia rolled her eyes but let it stand, she had a feeling that these visits were the only time Teary dared practice her talents.
"Much better," Teary took another chunk of cheese. "And it's called a library."
"Huh?"
"Where I work it's called a library," said Teary nibbling at her food.
"You changed the name of it into… library, the book collection made more sense," said Vidia dryly. Teary shrugged and continued to nibble at the cheese her gaze never leaving it.
"I read it in a book," said Teary and put the cheese down with a sad sigh. "They've been doing more exploration near the shore since lost stuff became such a huge success among the tinkers. They found this really big human book. They talked about a big building filled with books and called it a library. So I'm guessing that's its proper name. Feels nice to be working at something that has that kind of distinction."
Teary looked happy at the thought and Vidia couldn't wrap her mind around it. What fairy would happily live inside some stuffy room with only leaves covered in silly designs that made some sort of odd language far away from where she could practice her talents?
"Teary, no offense, but I'd rather my home didn't become overgrown with plants," said Vidia noticing the grass had started to navigate from outside the window along the inside walls. Teary cocked her head in confusion and looked at the window behind her and blushed.
"Go back outside," she whispered with a wave of her hand and the tendrils pulled back almost dejectedly. Teary sighed and shook her head.
"I don't understand -- you have such talent. Why do you listen to her anyway? I mean, you're sorry, she could at least give you a chance to redeem yourself," said Vidia bitterly. Teary smiled back at the fast flying fairy with a smile that said at least at one point in time she had also believed that, but in the hopes of staying in Pixie Hallow had remained.
"If I did anything that brought suspicion on me I'd be thrown out of Pixie Hallow for good or locked deep in the ground, and I don't think I could stand that. I mean, in the first scenario I'd be cut off from fairies and have to spend my days around the Lost Boys or Pirates," said Teary with a shudder.
"It wouldn't be that bad, at least you'd be out and about; you could even slip out during the night. You're dark enough to blend into the shadows if you fix up some proper clothes," said Vidia, she scowled for a second before standing to put the kettle on. Her nerves could stand some relaxation and between that infuriating wretch of a tinker-fairy Tinkerbell and Teary's own self-degrading beliefs of right and wrong, Vidia felt that she at least deserved some chamomile. A lot of it. So much that she would sleep until next spring. "And you could always go and hang out with the mermaids."
Teary looked up from her food dryly.
"Do you know what mermaids are like? I know there's some silly rumor going around that they're just as shallow as air talents," Vidia glared at her and Teary just smiled back. "But they're one of the creepiest things you'll find in Never Land. If I went to them they'd more likely to eat me then talk to me."
Teary cringed at the idea as Vidia returned to the table with a huff.
"Plus, once they found me I'd be brought back here," said Teary and then shivered. "You can't kill a fairy, not without – refusing its existence, and that's away to kill a fairy, not necessarily the one you want gone. No, but you can hurt one badly enough, amazing what you can live through, amazing how deep a sleep one can fall into." Teary laughed nervously. "And then they'd drag me into the dark and seal my room with rocks, and I'd no longer see the light of the sun or stars. I couldn't hear the chirping of the birds or the rustle of wind across the grass. Not even the flutter of fairy wings outside."
"But you're powerful, couldn't you fend them off?" asked Vidia. Teary's hands clenched.
"Even someone weaker can overpower the strong with support," said Teary softly and picked up her cheese and started ripping it into shreds.
"I guess. So um, why are you here?" asked Vidia shifting in her seat with uncomfortable grace.
"Right, well, I've been getting reports of all the lost things, you know trying to keep stock of everything found and keep records of how it was used and maybe even find out what the thing is called from the few mainland jargone they've picked up and books brought here," said Teary seriously. "Some of the stuff that's been washing ashore has been… troubling. We may be encountering something that we haven't in the last decades."
"And that would be…?" prompted Vidia and then glared when Teary bit her lip and looked hesitant to go on. "Teary!"
"It's showing that we might be visited by pirates soon," she whispered looking away.
"Not possible, the Lost Boys and the Indians keep them away, plus, we're no interest to them, nothing worth plundering," insisted Vidia, though she looked a little tense.
"Not our pirates. Ones from the Mainland that could wash up here after getting lost. It's been a long time, but some of the older documents indicate it's happened before, and that it wasn't pretty when it did happen," said Teary and Vidia bit her lip as the other fairy looked down at her lap.
"You need to go to someone else about this," said Vidia firmly and Teary looked up at her in hurt shock, ready to argue, but Vidia held up a hand. "Listen, I know in the past I've been the best person to go to, but I'm out of favor now with this whole Tinkerbell thing."
"But you're always listened to about this sort of thing in the past," pressed Teary. "This shouldn't be any different."
"But it is, they might not take me as seriously, they might think I'm just trying to steal back the spotlight or something," pressed Vidia and sighed at her friends very wide eyes. "Can't you go to your sis-"
"No!" shouted Teary standing; the air picked up around her and Vidia jumped a little at the sound of a sharp caw from somewhere near. "Of all people I can't speak to her, you-"
"Teary please," said Vidia with a straggled voice and flinched as the light in the window seemed to intensify.
Teary's eyes suddenly widened in recognition and then softened in fear as she collapsed back into her chair and put her head in her hands.
"Teary?" asked Vidia, standing and walking over to the trembling fairy.
"I'm sorry," the pathetic thing whispered, and Vidia was reminded of what had drawn her to the girl she had found passed out in her room, hungry, and muttering about a dam being built and water becoming scarce. Teary was an unfettered power. Something raw and untrained and troubled. The dark fairy wasn't supposed to be out of her library, she was dangerous and if the stories about her were at least half true she was something that could cause destruction and wield power that rivaled their fair Queen's.
"It's alright," soothed Vidia. She also knew that Teary was just a lonely fairy who was more scared of herself and her own power than all the fairies in Pixie Hollow combined. It was something that broke her heart and made her continue to fret at the long intervals it took for the other to creep out of her prison and into her small house.
"You'll try then?" asked Teary looking up at her with wet eyes. Vidia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, very well, then, I'll try to seem interested in lost things and then point out that a lot of it looks like pirate junk to the Queen," said Vidia with a huff, but it was worth Teary's smile.
"Thank you Vidia," said Teary and then looked outside. "Oh dear, the sun's setting. I should be heading back; they might try to check on me."
"Yeah, and often much does that happen exactly? You think that they would notice? You're too skinny," said Vidia lifting a skinny dark wrist. "My pie."
Vidia zipped and opened the oven and sighed at the sight of a nicely browned crust.
"Perfect."
"I really have to go," said Teary looking at the window and bouncing on her toes. Vidia huffed and glared at the girl until she sat back down.
"You will be a gracious guest and at least wait until I put the pie in basket before you go," said Vidia turning back and taking out pie and then looking around for a basket.
"But it's your pie," said Teary softly.
"You helped me make and need it more than I do," said Vidia smartly and placed the pie in her basket and covered it with a cloth to help keep the warmth in. She fluttered to the ice box and started looking though it all.
"Thank you Vidia, it would be nice to know I have something stored up," said Teary with a slight smile.
"Then it's decided, and don't forget this. You have a place to keep this chilled right?" asked Vidia putting a tall bottle next to the basket.
"What is it?" asked Teary lifting the bottle. "And I have an icebox and the place nearest the dust is hot enough to warm up the pie. Thank you Vidia, you don't know what this means to me."
"I can guess," said Vidia and bit her lip. "Listen, this is ridiculous, you always come to me looking like you haven't eaten in a month. I'll come back next Friday with something else, and a recipe, you're good at cooking, right? You just get the basics confused at times."
"That's not necessary Vidia," said Teary taking the basket and bottle. "So, what is it?"
"Dandelion milk," said Vidia. "Great with pie when chilled."
"Sounds great," said Teary starting toward the window. She never left by the door. It had become a tradition. "This is more than I need Vidia, I'm really fine, and they must be under stress, Queen Clarion is checking-in in a week, and they usually make it a point to feed me than. She can get pretty angry if she thinks I'm not being taken care of."
"No, I'm your friend; I should be coming to see you anyway. It's not like your prison isn't open for anyone to visit, I have no excuse for never visiting," said Vidia with a shake of her head and a drum of her nails.
"I don't want you to tarnish your reputation," said Teary heading leaning on the window. Vidia went forward to say a proper goodbye this time.
"I've already done a good job of doing that, and I'll try to be discrete," because, if push came to shove, Vidia really didn't want to end up like Teary. To be locked away in a room full of books about the outside world while only a trickle of it made its way through the windows and cracks. She loved flying too much to give that up and she still wanted to be the fastest. But she did have some sort of bound and obligation to Teary that she actually found herself looking forward to instead of dreading. Usual she spent all day everyday perfecting her talent and pushing herself to fly faster. The only other fairies she talked to was the ones that she picked on and they didn't make good company.
"You're a good friend Vidia, thank you," Teary flew out the window into the starry night and looked back at Vidia. "You're my best friend, take care and don't feel obligated to come next Friday."
"I won't," promised Vidia leaning out of the window. "But I'll come anyway. You're my best friend too."
"I hope you're lying," said Teary with a sad smile and pecked Vidia on the cheek before melting into the night's shade. Vidia touched her cheek and sighed. She supposed she knew what Teary meant. Over the last few years she really hadn't seen the other fairy much, so little that in most cases they would probably be considered acquaintances, especially since Vidia made no effort to see the other girl. But Vidia knew she hadn't been lying and had only left out one detail of why Teary was her best friend – Teary was her only friend.
--
A dark shadow carefully scanned the area before easing up a creaking latch and slipping into the ground with hardly a whisper of the air. Teary brushed herself off as she unfurled from her landing among the dim shelving of books long past their prime and old documents kept as a reminder but hadn't been opened in decades. She walked with practice ease among them humming under her breath and not perturbed that she couldn't see an inch in front of her nose.
She jumped up the steps and easily flitted through into the main part of the library, somehow three large tombs had found themselves in her arms. She glanced around but there was no one insight. Teary found herself a little annoyed at the lack of discipline her guards seemed to have. It was true that she was old news and supposedly out of commission, but that shouldn't let them drop their guard. A few of them were fairies that had been there to see her at her glory, one would think with a reminder with that they actually treat her like the threat she was.
Sighing, Teary dropped her books on the second largest table, since the first already had paper scattered across it. She huffed, she really did want Tinkerbell's account of what had happened, if only to get someone in here who didn't know her past, who wouldn't tiptoe around her and watch her suspiciously as she wrote in feather everything from their perspective down. She's give anything to get the sight of Fairy Mary's account out permanently. Her shifty eyes and nervous twitching had been the worse blow to the old fairy.
Teary fluttered up to her loft and took out the dandelion milk and put it in her ice box and then placed her pie on a little outcrop. She was too tired to get anything done that night. In the morning she'd start going through the old tombs and try to translate them before the afternoon when she'd try and start writing up the account of that precious time between winter and spring and a young special fairy who seemed more connected with human's than any fairy she'd heard of.
The dark fairy wished she could have been there to see Tinkerbell grow, to help her take her first flight when she was born. Instead Teary was imprisoned in the library where she only got to hear whispers of the outside world and immerse herself in the past. Yet she also couldn't help but be glad of where she had ultimately ended up.
She could still feel it. That thread of power that twined itself in her soul and connected her to the whole of Pixie Hollow, to every living breathing thing and beyond. Vidia didn't understand how intoxicating that power was, how she wanted to use it even now that she was 'reformed.' She was glad it was back. A fairy stripped of her talent was less than empty, but the temptation to act as she once had, to make Ree see sense, it was something that hovered like honey just in front of her and all she had to do was reach out…
That is why she had to stay in there, surrounded by books and at least under a weak pretence of being imprisoned because it reined in her power and let her keep a steady grip on its need and temptation. With a start she quickly flew to the side table, lifted the leaf and retrieved her ruby necklace. She couldn't forget that, it's what kept her above ground, kept Ree happy believing she was still harmless. Let Teardrop at least get a taste of the outside and see the stars and the little of Pixie Hollow she could throw her small windows.
Teary stripped off her leaf and curled into her hammock and looked up at the stars. She might as well enjoy it while she could, and perhaps she could even look forward to someone coming and talking to her once a week. It had been so long since she had proper company, and Vidia was good at keeping her word no matter how selfish she acted.
The fairy closed her eyes and wished for dreams about before. When fairies still talked to her and Ree would play with her in the light and open air. Before she was locked away in this place and before Ree became the queen and blamed her for the others death, though technically that had not been her fault. She just continued to look out her small window toward the two stars and wish and fell asleep to past and the rustling of her books flapping from one spot in the room to the other.