A/N: Yay! Another update!

Disclaimer: I own nothing in Tinker Bell, I just own the plot.

Chapter 2: Rejected

"A blind fairy can't rule!"

"Turn left," the Queen instructed Clarion while flying behind her.

"When?" Clarion responded confused, stumbling now and then over random roots that popped up and making the Queen reach out and catch her before she fell.

"Now."

Clarion stopped walking and held her arm out to the left of her and tried to find a wall. She felt an intricately wooden one and walked a few steps before feeling a corner. She cautiously rounded it, with her hand still on the wall, and walked a few more steps before the tips of her bare toes hung off of some form of overhang. Clarion didn't dare go forward, sensing a long drop below her, and instead turned her head around and asked, "What now, Your Majesty?"

The feeling of being impatient, masked by false kindness, rolled off of the Queen and Clarion heard her sigh. "Now," she started, "You must fly."

"Fly?"

"Yes fly!"

"How can I fly? I can't see anything and I can barely lift my wings!" Clarion declared. It was true, when the Queen had first led her into the Tree Clarion had tried to fly but found she couldn't. It had unnerved her before the Queen had promised her that flying would come later, of course Clarion hadn't been all that reassured sensing the emotions in the Queen, but decided to trust her. Now, she was told she could fly somehow, but the same feeling of being grounded was still there when she tried again.

"That's because I haven't given you any Pixie Dust yet, Clarion." The Queen replied briskly.

"Oh."

A moment later she felt the same warm feeling that had occurred in the circle seep into her wings instantly making them as light as the air around them. "Try now," the Queen instructed.

When Clarion felt her step back to make room, she lifted her wings and jumped up, fluttering her wings. To her surprise, she stayed aloft effortlessly, but hit her head on the narrow hallway's ceiling. Rubbing her head she muttered, "Ouch." and stopped flying, immediately dropping to the ground. Clarion landed on her backside and winced, then got up again and dusted herself off. A shooting star crossed in front of her eyes again, and Clarion felt her eyes widening and her hand come to her mouth, desperately trying to make the sight last longer. It ended as quickly as it began though and she excitedly turned to where she felt the Queen's presence and asked through the black, "Did you see that?"

Amusement came through and the older fairy chuckled, "Yes. Flying is rather tricky for a blind fairy isn't it?"

"No not that! The shooting star!"

Confusion clouded then, "What shooting star? It's daytime Clarion, not nighttime."

Disappointment filled Clarion and she felt her wings drop. "You didn't see it?"

"No, but I did see you try to fly. And besides, how could you see anything? You're blind."

Clarion looked away, disappointed and ashamed for once by her defect.

Ten disastrous minutes of flying later, the two landed on a platform. Clarion stumbled as she landed but quickly righted herself, while the Queen graciously landed not stumbling at all. "We're here," she announced and Clarion quickly sensed determination and pride come from her.

"Where are we?" Clarion asked. She was still barefoot and so she felt everything her feet touched. From the bits of moisture that lingered on the wood, to the quiver of life under her.

"We are at the Royal Study."

"Royal Study?"

"Yes the Royal Study! Here we will determine whether or not …" Embarrassment followed cutting off the next words.

"Whether or not…?" The blind fairy echoed clueless.

"Whether or not you're fit for your Talent, Clarion."

"My Talent?" What's my Talent got to do with anything? Clarion wondered.

A quick spurt of anger raged as the Queen snapped, "Do you have a tongue, Clarion?"

"Yes, but I –"

"Then use it and stop repeating what I'm saying! Princesses also do not pry, understood?"

Clarion nodded dumbstruck. All I wanted to do was find out why we are here. I meant no harm, she reasoned in her mind. But she kept her mouth shut the rest of the walk to wherever they were headed anyway, just to appease the Queen.

Standing before what Clarion guessed was a door, which she also guessed was made from vines and flowers because of the wonderful smell, her nerves started to flip. She couldn't see anything, but could hear the quiet hum of a few fairies' wings as they passed by, and on the other side of the door she could hear words being spoken softly. Just because she was blind, it didn't mean that her other senses had stopped working too; it only made them sharper and more defined. "Who's that inside?" she asked looking for what she hoped was straight ahead.

Alarm came off of the Queen and for a moment she was quiet. Clarion realized that she shouldn't have spoken, let alone asked, and felt guilty. "I'm sorry, I shou-"

"They are the Ministers and their apprentices." The elder fairy said, cutting off Clarion's apology. "I want you to close your eyes when we go in, blind fairies are very rare and I highly think they would be unsettled if they were to see your eyes."

"A-alright –" Clarion replied quietly. They must really be that bad if the Queen wants me to keep them closed, she figured, dejected at the thought.

A gust of warm air hit her face as someone pushed open the door. The voices were louder now and fell silent when they saw the Queen, who took Clarion's hand and guided her to the circle where the Ministers and their apprentices flew. Murmurs of hellos where spoken and the blind fairy closed her eyes so they wouldn't be unsettled by them.

"Hello Ministers, hello apprentices. The reason I have gathered you here is because of the new arrival Clarion. She is blind and –" Her Majesty was cut off by a high pitched female voice.

"Blind? Did I hear you correctly? She's blind?"

"Yes Summer, she's blind. Her Talent concerns me, however, because she has been chosen to rule Pixie Hollow after me." Clarion hated how the Queen talked about her as if she wasn't there. There was also something in her voice – her tone – that made Clarion feel as if she were a burden or not wanted.

By now gasps were heard all around and a young sparrow-man with a worried voice asked, "Is that her? With the light brown hair? The one with her eyes closed?"

A hand touched Clarion's shoulder briefly followed by, "Yes, this is Clarion."

"Hello." She greeted with her eyes still closed.

"Can she open her eyes?" Summer wondered, staring at her.

Before the ruler could answer, Clarion said, "Yes, I can."

"Then by all means open them!"

Clarion did what she was told and looked, at what she hoped for, was straight ahead. Another chorus of gasps ricocheted throughout the room and a fairy exclaimed, "Her eyes are so strange!"

Cringing, she closed them again while the Queen started to speak, "You can see my predicament, surely. A blind fairy can't rule! She can't see where she's going flying or walking, her eyes are unattractive, and she claims to see stars in the daylight."

"Surely there's a way. She is a newcomer after all; it's hardly fair to judge her now!" A sparrow-man with a deep Irish accent suggested. Frustration came from the Queen, but she didn't say anything while Clarion caught agreement form in the Ministers. "I mean, the lass is barely a day old. Sure, she might have been clumsy while she was flying or walking, but aren't all fairies like that on their first day?"

"I see what you are saying, Odhran, but she was even clumsier than normal. I'm telling you, this won't be good for Pixie Hollow! How will she know if the preparations for spring or autumn are ready when she can't see?" The Queen argued.

"I can sense, hear, feel, smell, and taste things. I don't need sight," Clarion spoke up quietly.

Anger came from the Queen and satisfaction came from Odhran. At first, Clarion thought that Odhran was satisfied because he had made his point for giving her a chance, and she smiled and thought he would be a friend. But as she dug deeper into his feelings, she found it was only because he was right and had outsmarted the Queen, and Clarion suddenly felt alone in the dark. "And how will you know where to fly?" the Queen demanded.

"I'll learn. I'll memorize the way for each season."

"There is no way for you to memorize each route leading to a season. What if a land marker you relied on to use is gone? How will you find your way?"

Clarion remained silent.

"Let's talk about your eyes then; what will you do about those?"

"I could keep them closed."

"At all times?"

"At all times."

"Highly unlikely. You'll open them without thinking, and face the facts: Not a single fairy or sparrow-man in Pixie Hollow will ever get used to your eyes."

Clarion's heart sank.

"And what about the shooting star you claimed to see? How do we know you're not going mad?"

"I'm not going mad. How can I?" Clarion spoke, finally being able to argue against something.

"You're forever trapped in darkness, who wouldn't go mad?" The Queen fought back.

"I was born into this darkness, may I remind you, Your Majesty. I don't know what it is to see the daylight or anything else since I've been here. I don't expect to for the rest of my lifetime, either. I can't go mad from being blind."

"One day you will, Clarion. Mark my words; you'll be itching to see something new and different. So for the good of Pixie Hollow, I declare that you must renounce your Talent."

"You can't do that!" Odhran declared loudly. "Isn't that a wee bit harsh? She's not even a day old!"

"She's blind Odhran!" The Queen shouted back, her rage taking control.

"That makes no difference!"

"It makes all the difference! She can't see! Eventually she'll go mad! And when she does and she's the Queen, all of Pixie Hollow will be in chaos!"

"Have faith in her, give her a chance."

A silence followed and Clarion could feel conflicting emotions settle in every fairy or sparrow-man present. "Let's take a vote," the Queen said breaking through the silence, now calmer. "All in favor of Clarion to be given a chance please say 'aye'."

A two fairies including Odhran said 'aye'.

"All not in favor of giving Clarion a chance, say 'nay'."

A more audible 'nay' followed and Clarion suddenly couldn't breathe and felt tears on her eyes. No one wants me here, she thought. Not even Odhran, he just wanted to upstage the Queen. And it's all because I'm blind.

Satisfaction wafted through the Queen. A cruel, hard satisfaction as she said, "You must renounce your Talent, Clarion. It's for the good of Pixie Hollow, after all. You must renounce it or else dramatic measures will be taken to ensure that you do. This meeting and discussion is now closed."

"This is bull –" Clarion did hear the rest of whatever Odhran was going to say because she turned around and flew blindly out the door and away from the Royal Study, with eyes wide open, seeing nothing, and tears rolling down her cheeks.

Why does the Queen hate me so much? What did I do to them? Why did I have to be born blind?