Tang Ri Shan

(Sorry to keep you waiting but after getting good reviews, I had to make sure this chapter was better than the last. Nice to know that someone is reading my work)

Tinkerbell: Curse of the Duskmoth

(I do not own Tinkerbell or any of the Disney Fairies. Enjoy!)

Chapter 2

"Listen well, fairies, for you will now hear the darkest story in our history" Lydia began, her voice taking on a spooky tone. Tinkerbell and her friends shivered as a cold breeze seemed to flow through the arena.

"The story you are about to here is; the curse of the Duskmoth" Lydia announced, before glancing down at her big book. Behind her, the lights on the stage came on.

"As you all know, when Neverland was still young, our great Queen Clarion was one of the first fairies to arrive in Pixie Hollow." Lydia began. As she spoke, Rosetta fluttered onto the stage. She was playing a young Queen Clarion, and was wearing a golden dress and a matching crown on her head.

"But she was not alone" Lydia continued. "The second fairy to arrive in pixie hollow was the noble prince Erikel" At these words a sparrow man floated out from behind the curtain, dressed in flowing robes and wearing a smaller crown on his head. The assembled fairies and sparrow men cheered as the actor waved to them.

Lydia continued. "Together, these two fairies were made responsible to make sure that the seasons came at the right time. To do this, they were given mastery over all the talents." At those words, fairies of various elemental talents fluttered out from behind the curtain, Irridessa being one of them. Holding her hands apart, she created a small ball of light. Around her, the other fairies incorporated their talents as they flew in a circle around Rosetta and Erikel.

From behind the curtain, Vidia sighed and shook her head as she watched Rosetta and the sparrow man bow to each other and dance across the stage, making the leaves on her costume rustle slightly.

"Everything okay, Vidia?" Bobble asked, floating up next to her.

"Yeah" Vidia's voice was slightly muffled through the leaves of the mask. "I'll be fine" she sighed, then tensed as Lydia started speaking again.

"But the fairies were not alone" Lydia's voice became serious and Vidia smiled. Her scene was about to come up.

"For a monster lurked in Pixie Hollow. A monster that to this day, makes all fairies shudder in terror. A monster we call, the Duskmoth!"

"That's your cue" Bobble whispered. Vidia smiled and flew out from behind the curtain, growling and waving her arms.

In the audience, Tinkerbell could hear the gasps of amazement and fear ripple through the crowd as Vidia appeared. She could hardly blame them. She felt a little afraid herself, and she had made the costume.

Thanks to the stilts she was wearing, and the long curtain of leaves that covered her, Vidia towered over all the other fairies. She grasped branches with long claws attached to stimulate the Duskmoth's long arms and four leaf-covered branches stuck out of the back of the costume, symbolizing the creature's enormous moth-like wings. Vidia's face was covered by an over-sized mask with blank, staring eyes and a gaping mouth.

"For many seasons, this creature terrorized Pixie Hollow" Lydia read as Vidia began to chase the other fairies around the stage, swiping at them with her long arms. "It came by night, and snatched fairies." Vidia grabbed Irridessa, who screamed as Vidia shielded her from the view of the audience. "Those who were snatched met a cruel fate."

"Did you have to be so rough?" Iridessa whispered, glaring at Vidia, who chuckled.

"Yes" She answered and Irridessa scowled.

"For any fairy that was snatched by the Duskmoth was infected with an evil spell, and turned into, a sprite!" At Lydia's words, Irridessa shot out from behind Vidia. Her normally neatly-arranged black hair was now wild and frizzy. Her golden dress was torn and some purple dust had been sprinkled on her wings. She growled and flew at one of the sparrow men, knocking him to the ground and they pretended to wrestle.

"Any fairy corrupted in this way would become aggressive and heartless, they're sole mission was to serve the Duskmoth by attacking their friends." Lydia read as Vidia began "corrupting" some of the fairies into 'sprites' one by one. Soon the stage was filled with fairies and 'sprites' playfully wrestling with each other, while Vidia hovered over all of them, cackling.

"Only lord Erikel had the courage to challenge the evil Duskmoth!" The sparrow man playing Erikel zipped forward in front of Vidia, holding a shiny pin that looked from a distance like a sword. Vidia gave a loud cackle and swiped at the sparrow man, who dodged the 'attack'.

"This was a brave, but foolish act, as ultimately, no one ever saw lord Erikel again" Vidia 'swatted' at the sparrow man, who flew backwards through the curtain, his pin-sword fell to the stage and landed point-first in front of Rosetta.

"But his sacrifice was not in vain, for it inspired Clarion to lead the remaining fairies to overcome their fear and rise against the Duskmoth" Rosetta picked up the pin and raised it majestically into the air. The other fairies gathered around her as the 'sprites' gathered around Vidia.

"A great battle ensured between the Clarion and her fairies, and the Duskmoth and its sprite army" The fairies and 'sprites' began wrestling with each other again, while Rosetta and Vidia circled each other above them. Vidia swiped at Rosetta with her long arms and Rosetta dodged them, fighting back with her pin-sword.

"The battle was long, and tiring, but eventually, Clarion prevailed!" Lydia exclaimed. The crowd cheered as Rosetta lunged and 'knocked' Vidia down. Vidia flew backwards off the stage, the long trails of her costume flowing like a liquid. "When the Duskmoth was defeated, his army of sprites were reverted back to normal, and Pixie Hollow was saved." The crowd cheered again as Rosetta raised the sword high, and all the other fairies bowed. "In recognition for her bravery, Clarion was made queen over all of Pixie Hollow, and we have lived in peace ever since."

"But beware" Lydia closed her book and rose from her chair. At the same time the characters froze in place and the lights dimmed, except for a light that shone on Lydia. "For though the Duskmoth was defeated, it was never vanquished. They say that the creature still exists, hiding in the shadows of the night. It is said that, one day, the Duskmoth will return to Pixie Hollow, and when it does, no fairy will be safe!" Lyida shouted the last few words as lightning flashed and thunder rolled, courtesy of some storm fairies.

For a few minutes, there was silence. Then the crowd stood up and started applauding. Vidia and Bobble flew onstage with the other fairies to take a bow. As Queen Clarion stood up and applauded, Vidia glanced at the front row where Tinkerbell and her friends were sitting. Tinkerbell caught Vidia's eye and winked. Vidia rolled her eyes, but stopped midway, staring up at the very edge of the arena. Something was there. It was barely visible, Vidia had to squint to see it, but crouched on the lip of the arena was what looked like a large shape. It was mostly in shadow, except for a pair of large purple eyes that seemed to be narrowed in anger. As Vidia watched, the shape unfurled four moth-like wings and took off, darting away into the darkness.

"Vidia?" Vidia snapped back to reality. Iridessa and Rosetta were smiling at her. "Nice work on the monster" Rosetta complimented.

"Thanks" Vidia replied, canning the whole top of the arena. No sign of the shape.

"Vidia, what's wrong?" Iridessa asked, a confused frown replacing her smile.

"I-It's nothing" Vidia replied, smiling at them. But suddenly she wasn't feeling so proud of herself.

"What was that?" she asked herself.