One of Our Fairies is Missing

Ch. 3 Perseverance


~O~

The summer season had come to an end and fairy camp was packed up and returned to Pixie Hollow for another year. Ambrosia spent several weeks assisting Dr. Griffiths improve his cooking and baking skills. Tinker Bell spent a good deal of time with Lizzy before she was to go off to university. She promised to come back for Christmas and summer, but Tinker Bell would no longer be able to visit Lizzy at the Griffiths home in London during the spring and autumn seasons like she had before. Instead Tink promised to come by every season to receive and write letters to her human friend.

Tinker Bell got the idea in her head that she might be able to visit Lizzy at the university she was to attend. The little tinker fairy spent some time reviewing a map Dr. Griffiths had on the wall of his office. She found where Cambridge was located and plotted out ways to go there. Lizzy's father pointed out that the school would be crammed with students who might see here, capture her and put the fairy under a microscope or dissect her for research. This put an end to all thoughts of travel.

Ambrosia, however, was very pleased with how the summer turned out. She had been dreading the season before Tinker Bell offered to help. Now the baking talent fairy felt completely rejuvenated and believed she could take on the whole mainland. Ambrosia asked for, and got permission, to read through and study the good doctor's cookbook. She was absolutely fascinated by what the humans had devised when it came to baking and cooking. The little fairy wanted to read more, but this book was all Dr. Griffiths had to offer. So she found another solution.

Every evening after dark when the camp was asleep, except for the scout sentries who were on hawk and human patrol, she would sneak out under the cover of darkness and fly across the countryside into London. During one session with Dr. Griffiths she heard him mention something about culinary schools in London. This was her answer. She found a school that specialized in French cuisine and slipped in through a crack in one of the windows. Ambrosia found numerous books with exciting recipes and texts with instruction for the students. She hurriedly copied down everything she could on sheets of leaf paper each visit. On the trip back her dove was laden with all of her kitchen utensils, pans and hundreds of handwritten pages for her to examine once she got back to Pixie Hollow.

It was just like Tink said. Look for opportunity and take action. Ambrosia found her opportunity and took the necessary steps to raise her skills and prove she wasn't just a line cook. She could be an innovator, as well. But Ambrosia couldn't just duplicate a human recipe and present it as her own. That would be cheating and if found out it would destroy any credibility she would have earned. Besides, how would that be any different from duplicating a fairy recipe? No, the little baker fairy was determined to make something of her own imagination.

Ambrosia had to work very hard, harder than her contemporaries in fact, to elevate her skills and prove her worthiness as a creator of unique taste treats. The notes, instruction and recipes she brought back were just the start. Once she studied the information to the point of profound understanding, she would then have to put what she learned to good use. This meant extensive experimenting, applying techniques in the most pioneering ways she could and being impossibly harsh in her own criticism. Only then could she unveil a wholly new dessert worthy of the queen's approval.

Now she had to apply the third rule: patience and determination.


~O~

"I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time together over the summer, Terence," Tinker Bell apologized.

"It's okay," Terence said with an understanding smile. "I know how special Lizzy is to you. She's growing up and growing away from us. Take all the time you need."

Tink was so grateful that she kissed Terence right on the lips in front of everyone at the Pixie Dust Depot. This elicited lots of whooping and cheering from Bolt and Stone and a rather impatient glare from Fairy Gary. Both he and Tink were beet red with embarrassment once they realized that everyone had seen them kissing. The boy apologized for the display to his superior.

"I better go. Fairy Mary will have a fit if I'm late for work," Tink told her beau. "See you tonight? My place for dinner?"

"I'll be there," he said with pleasant grin. He wanted to give her a goodbye peck on the cheek, but that might bring the house down. Terence did it anyway. Tink gave him a peck in return and then she was off to work. Bolt and Stone kept giving him the business with more hollering and catcalls.

"Alright! That'll be enough out of you two. Back to work everyone," Fairy Gary told them with that same impatient stare. "You, too, Terence. There's lots of Pixie Dust to deliver."

"Right on it, Fairy Gary." Terence took several bags, a checklist for his first run and was out the door.


~O~

The next summer Tinker Bell came to visit a little early to see her friend off to university. Lizzy wanted to leave with enough time to register for classes, meet instructors, arrange for tutoring, locate housing, acquire books and, if necessary, work to fund her daily expenses. Lizzy's father was more than willing and able to pay for her education, but Lizzy also wanted to be responsible and earn her own money. Tinker Bell could see the swell of pride in Dr. Griffiths as his "little girl" was now a young woman preparing to out into the world on her own. It also brought visible pangs of heartache. His life had revolved around Lizzy once Tinker Bell helped the father and daughter reconnect that summer nearly a decade ago. Now he would have to live alone with no one to care for. No one to talk to except his colleagues. He was facing an "empty nest."

Tinker Bell brought with her a small gift for Lizzy before she departed. It was a lost thing that had washed ashore on Never Land a few months earlier: a locket. Tinker Bell had the artist talents render a beautiful portrait of Lizzy with her father that she included on one side. The other held a painting of Tinker Bell and her friends. A pleasant reminder of old times. Lizzy loved it and swore she would never take it off.

When the carriage arrived to take the Griffiths to Cambridge, Tinker Bell and Terence watched from a hidden perch within the cherry tree that grew next to the house. She saw them load a steamer trunk and luggage. It reminded Tink of the day the Griffiths arrived and she saw their horseless carriage for the first time. Then, a nine year old Lizzy and her father unloaded the contraption of luggage for their annual vacation to the summer house Dr. Griffiths owned. Now it was the reverse, an unpleasant reminder of the frequent beginnings and endings in the lives of humans.

Tinker Bell felt the same bittersweet emotions that Lizzy's father had been feeling. Happy that the girl was growing up and moving on in the world, sadness that she would be losing someone so dear. On the return trip to Never Land Tink rode with Terence on the back of a dove. She spent a good part of the ride staring off into the distance, remembering all the good times she had on the mainland with Lizzy over the years. Tinker Bell didn't even concentrate on the bird she was riding and nearly slipped off at one point. Terence put his arm around her tiny waist and held her tight. When she finally noticed, Tinker Bell smiled at him, put her cheek against his and nuzzled him for his love and kindness.


~O~

If a fairy could be called a mad scientist that was how Ambrosia could best be described. She spent night after night experimenting with different types of wheat (summer, winter and mixtures of both), yeast, salts (different grinds had different purposes), sugars (white, light brown, dark brown, powdered), fruit juices, oils from different plants and nuts, milk and cream, eggs (whole, whites only and just yolks), chocolates, toffees, purees, nut butters and on and and on. Nothing was safe from her wild imagination which had been fired with the combined knowledge she had so studiously absorbed. But there was progress.

Bland desserts morphed into delightful dishes that would make her salivate for more. They were excellent, she declared. It wasn't enough. Ambrosia couldn't serve just plain, old "excellent" to her talent guild overseer and Queen Clarion. Oh no, this had to be monumental. The highest praise the queen could give a new dish at a tasting was to ask for a second bite. This was an exceedingly rare occurrence and Ambrosia was determined to receive this pinnacle of achievement no matter what. Months passed, seasons came and went yet nothing pleased her enough to declare it worthy. Until one day...


~O~

Tinker Bell had returned from the mainland with the other nature talent fairies after bringing in spring. She had sought out Dr. Griffiths home in the city and was pleased to have received word that Lizzy was performing quite well at Cambridge University. The class schedule was very difficult, but she put aside social concerns and studied hard every night. Her grades were outstanding and test results proved it every time. Lizzy was on her way to becoming an excellent nurse. Tink sent a message back to her friend conveying how excited she was with Lizzy's progress at school through Dr. Griffiths. She also expressed her thanks to him for allowing her to continue to visit and be a part of his family. He confided in her that while Tinker Bell and Lizzy were like sisters, Tinker Bell had, at times, been a surrogate mother. It explained the same "empty nest" feeling Tink experienced when the young woman left for university last year.

Terence teased his favorite girl by calling her "Mom" all the way back to Pixie Hollow. She nearly tossed him off the bird they were riding. Word got around pretty quick and it was only a couple of days before Vidia showed up at Tinker Bell's doorstep and called her "Momma Tink."

"What do you want, Vidia?" Tinker Bell asked with a sigh.

"Mother, may I have a raise in my allowance?"

"I'm going to kill Terence," Tink muttered.

"Don't hurt Daddy!" She cried. Vidia then sped off, doubled over in laughter.

"Momma spank!" Tink yelled back.

Of course, it didn't stop there. Dozens of fairies would use some variation whenever she happened to flit by. There was "Mom," "Mother," "Mommy," "Mum," "Mumsie," "and her least favorite, "Mommy Dearest." Tinker Bell tried to take it all in stride, but sometimes it got to her and she would threaten anyone nearby with a hammer. It would silence them for the moment, but once she turned her back they would start to snicker again.

Tinker Bell's friends even got in on the act. Rosetta quickly put together a baby shower to be held in Tinker's Nook just before Tink's shift ended. Clank made a crib while Bobble gave her a stroller. Silvermist brought diapers made from leaves and Iridessa presented Tink with bottles of mouse milk complete with nipples on top. Fawn gave her baby booties and Vidia showed up with a blanket knitted from soft dandelion fluff. It had the name "Lizzy" embroidered on it.

At first Tinker Bell was frustrated to no end and wanted nothing to do with this. But as the "gifts" were presented to her, items which were of absolutely no use to a fairy, EVER, she gave in to the absurdity of it all and enjoyed herself.

I'm surrounded by crazy people, she laughed. I wonder what they'll do when she graduates?


~O~

At the beginning of the month the queen received word that the baking talents were ready to present new creations for her approval. This was entirely a formality. A custom that went back ages in Pixie Hollow when it was an absolute necessity to win the queen's approval before debuting a new dish. Today, any baking fairy could offer something new at any time so long as the guild overseer approved it. Except no one wanted to upset tradition or deny the queen her symbolic gesture. Besides, a positive remark from Queen Clarion would mean gaining stature within the guild and it would make the dish a heavily requested one at every meal for months.

The morning before the big debut Tinker Bell stood in line to collect her food. She saw Ambrosia in the kitchen and waved to her like always. This time Ambrosia didn't just wave back. She came out into the dining area and whispered something to Tinker Bell. In the evening the little baker sought out the little tinker.

"What is it?" Tinker Bell asked when Ambrosia came to her tea kettle home.

"I wanted you to try this first," Ambrosia said, revealing a piece of cake. "It's what I am going to present to the queen in the morning. Remember, you said you would be first in line."

"But not before the queen!" Tinker Bell remarked, feeling guilty for taking away this special moment from Queen Clarion.

"Please?" Ambrosia pleaded. "You were the one who pushed me to never give up and try my hardest. Your approval means a lot to me."

Tinker Bell gave in and gave the cake a try. She took one bite of it..., Tink's eyes rolled back into her head. She felt weak in the knees and nearly fell to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Ambrosia asked, looking frightened she was about to present a dud to her royal majesty's taste buds.

"It's..., it's..., it's just so... ethereal," Tinker Bell finally said. "I have never tasted anything so fantastic in my life. Not even Dulcie or Ginger have come close to this."

Tinker Bell took another bite and the after effect was the same. She ate it slowly to savor the incredible and complex flavors that were in such perfect balance that it was like an orchestra in flawless harmony. The little tinker fairy felt all her worries just flow right out of her. Her mouth was awash in joy, her mind felt at ease, the body was utterly relaxed and her soul..., her soul rang out with songs that would make a church choir jealous. Ambrosia just knew she was going to earn Queen Clarion's highest approval the next day. The baker talent thanked her benefactor and went home.

Ambrosia could barely sleep she was so excited. Tinker Bell never slept better.


~O~

One the day of the tasting several baking talents lined up with their freshly prepared treats in the great hall of the Pixie Dust Tree. Each appeared both excited to make their presentation and worried that the queen may dislike what they had to offer. Only Ambrosia had an aura of serenity around her. She was supremely confident that this day would be hers.

Dill arrived to watch the tasting and was stunned to see Ambrosia in the line up.

"What does she think she's doing?" Dill screeched under her breath. "She's just going to embarrass herself."

Dill had arrived in Pixie Hollow decades before Ambrosia and was experienced enough to know that if the queen disliked a dish it could ruin a baker's good reputation. So she ran down to convince her friend and guild-mate to pull out of the review before it was too late.

"Are you still at this?" she asked Ambrosia. "Are you determined to make a complete fool of yourself?"

"I'm not listening to you," Ambrosia answered. "What I have made is more than presentable and the queen will love it."

"She'll hate it," Dill hissed. "She is going to turn her thumb down at your little mess and you'll be laughed out of here."

Ambrosia said nothing. Instead the determined baker just stood there, head high and chest out as if bursting with pride.

"I thought I sent you to the mainland to drum this nonsense out of your head?" Dill continued undaunted in her desire to save Ambrosia from herself.

"Tinker Bell helped me," Ambrosia replied. "She taught me how to improve my skills, not get discouraged by failure and to have patience and perseverance. It worked and now I'm here."

Dill grabbed the plate and tried to pull it from Ambrosia's hands. "Your going to end up crying in your mixing bowls!"

"Is there a problem?" Dill turned around saw Viola standing next to her. The finely dressed summoner stared at both baking talents with a keen eye.

"No problem," Dill answered. She released Ambrosia's plate. When Viola fluttered off Dill's eyes narrowed. She told Ambrosia outright that if her entry was a flop she would get Ambrosia assigned to the mainland for a whole year serving scouts pancakes and biscuits. The young baking fairy could not be dissuaded.

"I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt," Dill acknowledged in a caring voice.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine."

Dill wasn't a mean fairy by any means, though her long, dark tresses were cut in such a way that it gave a face a rather severe look. She was truly concerned about her younger counterpart. Ambrosia was not an especially gifted talent and Dill took it upon herself to be a friend and protect her. But she could be so darn stubborn and refuse to listen to reason sometimes. Just like that confounding Tinker Bell. This, of course, was all that tinker fairy's fault. She put ideas in Ambrosia's head that would only lead to disaster and heartbreak. When this was over she was going to have words with Tinker Bell and her guild supervisor. This had to stop, for Ambrosia's sake.


~O~

The review began and Queen Clarion appeared from her private office. She made a short speech, the same one she delivered at every tasting. Then she descended the stairs and took the first entry. She took a small bite of it, moved it around her tongue and mouth to get the full flavor, swallowed and then moved on to the next entrant. A small bob of her head acknowledging that she approved of it to some degree. The fairy smiled, it was a big win for her. The entire baking guild had gathered to watch and the first entrant's closest friends gave a smattering of applause to the positive reaction.

Clarion approached the next entrant and took a bite of his dish. She moved it around her tongue and mouth just as before. After swallowing she gave a bob of her head and moved on. Again, a few baker's clapped.

The third entrant got a different reaction. "Very good," the queen said. There were a couple of squeals from the gallery. This was better than just a nod of the head. Queen Clarion had been impressed.

The fourth and fifth entrants got nods of the head. The sixth received an "Excellent" which nearly sent the entire assembled audience into a tizzy. The seventh and eighth entrants both earned a "Very good."

When Queen Clarion turned to Ambrosia she received the dish, took a smile bite of the confection and returned it. As before, the queen moved it around her tongue and mouth to appreciate the full flavor. Clarion's face, which had been unchanged through each tasting, began to twist and furrow. There were gasps throughout the chamber. She didn't move on nor did she offer any approval. The queen just stood there. Finally she swallowed, nodded and proceeded to the next baker talent.

Dill, who was in the audience buried her face in her hands. She could barely watch as the queen tasted Ambrosia's entry. She was so nervous her arms shivered, goosebumps appeared on her skin and her breathing became quick and shallow. When the nod came there was a huge sigh of relief from Dill. It wasn't the disaster she had predicted, but Ambrosia seemed overly confident earlier. Her spirits must have been crushed.

Then the queen looked back at Ambrosia for a moment before taking the next dish to taste it. This caught everyone by surprise. It never happened. The queen was always the picture of poise and grace. It was as if she had been jarred. Suddenly, everyone held their breaths, Dill included.

The next two entrants received "Excellent" and "Very Good." The last earned a "Decadent," which was two steps up over "Excellent" and one above "Outstanding." The gallery applauded the last baker. The fairies in the assembly assumed it was over and began chatting amongst themselves about the outcome. But they were all stunned when the queen moved back down the line, stopping in front of Ambrosia. The hall fell silent, all eyes were transfixed on the events unfolding on the floor of the great hall.

The queen studied the young fairy for several seconds. The she held out her hand and said, "May I have another bite?"

Every baker talent in the hall erupted in cheers. The others in line surrounded Ambrosia and congratulated her. The gallery descended to the floor with thunderous applause. They all wanted to get close to the fairy who had somehow managed to wrest a "second bite" request from the queen.

Dill was completely flabbergasted. How could someone with such a weak talent win the queen's highest praise? It wasn't possible! It couldn't be possible! There had to be something funny going on!

Or maybe she had one good recipe in her after all? Dill told herself. Let her enjoy this moment. She'll never have another one.


Thank you to Torik and Larki13 for your kind reviews. And my thanks to everyone who has been reading.