Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon A Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 3, Chapter 2
PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND (The Interregnum Period on the Mainland)
Vidia was given a brief tour of Pixie Hollow. Her two guides, fast flyers Swift and Festus, were eager for her to become familiar with the different seasons. In the Spring Valley they showed her the cherry blossom trees, babbling brook and where the other talents spent their days prepping the animals for transport to the mainland for the spring season. In the Summer Glade, they showed her the colorful flowerbeds the garden fairies tended.
"This is where you'll be spending most of your time, Vidia," Festus told her. "We gather pollen into pots. Some of it goes to the mainland and some of it stays here so the garden fairies can keep growing new flowers."
"Watch this," Swift said. He descended to the flower bed where the red haired garden talent named Rosetta was working. Swift starting talking to her. Soon, she was blushing and then giggling. Finally, Swift reached over and kissed her on the cheek. Rosetta nearly swooned and looked totally love struck as he flew back to his companions.
"What was that about?" Vidia asked him. "You like her?"
Swift replied that he was stringing her along. "As long as she thinks I've got eyes for her, she'll make all the pollen we need for the spring." Flyers competed with garden fairies for pollen, the more flowers they grew the easier it was for the flyers to meet their annual quota.
"Isn't that kind of mean?" Vidia asked him.
"Now you're catching on," Swift replied. "Remember, we're the elite talent class. The fast flyers are what every other guild wants to be, but can't."
"Exactly," Festus said in agreement. "Be proud of what you are, Vidia. Don't let anyone tell you flyers are the same as any other talent. They are just trying to tear us down so they don't have to feel so bad about being inferior to us."
Vidia smiled. She liked feeling superior. "I'll remember that."
Festus and Swift took her into the Autumn Woods. She was delighted at the riot of colors found here. Her companions told her this was where she would learn how to blow leaves from the trees during the Fall season on the mainland. "Adult humans hate that because they have to clean up the mess, but their kids can't get enough," Swift informed her. "So we knock down as much as we can."
The two guides then brought Vidia to the border between the Autumn Forest and the Winter Woods. Vidia was amazed by what she saw. Like a sheer curtain, the cool, crisp environment of Autumn transformed into a glistening white carpet just the other side of the river. She plowed on ahead, excited to experience this wonderland. Festus flew out ahead of the eager, young flyer.
"STOP!" he cried. "Do not ever cross this border!"
"Why not?" she asked him.
"Here." Vidia was allowed to stick her arm into the winter side. She felt a terrific shiver go up her arm and into her spine. She recoiled, grasping her hand and arm and rubbing them to warm them up they were so cold.
"See? Now imagine what would happen to your wings if you crossed?" Swift explained. "They would freeze solid and break."
"Yup. For that reason alone it is against the law for fairies on either side to cross the border," Festus added.
"Not only that, but we don't tolerate carelessness or stupidity in our guild," Swift informed her. "If you lose your wings for doing something careless, stupid or reckless…"
"…or just plain against fairy common law…"
"…you'll be expelled from the guild forever."
"That sounds awfully harsh," Vidia said.
"Hey, you don't get to be the elite talent guild by coddling idiots," Swift told her. "So, don't be an idiot."
"Are you an idiot?" Festus asked her, his face right up into hers.
She backed away. "No. No, of course not. I'm a fast flyer, we're not idiots. Never."
"Good. Just what we wanted to hear," Swift replied.
"Yeah, cause you don't want to be cursed to live at ground level for the rest of your life."
"Ground level? Vidia asked.
The two smiled at each other. "Time for you to see your new home in The Nest."
STORYBROOKE, MAINE
Claire drove up to The Rabbit Hole and saw Valerie's motorcycle in the parking lot again. The sheriff's Ford Crown Victoria was parked right next to it.
Oh no, she's getting arrested. I can't afford the bail money right now, Claire thought. Inside, Sheriff Graham was seated at the bar. Men were gathering around the dart board where Valerie was shooting a game against an opponent. She was winning handily.
Claire walked to Graham and asked, "Are you going to arrest her?"
"I thought I would give you a chance to handle this before I got involved," he said. That was how this town worked. Unlike the impersonal big city, in Storybrooke, the sheriff was willing to allow families to resolve internal spats if he thought it was a better alternative than simply making an arrest. In this place, everyone knew everyone else's business and arrests always made their way into the newspaper. Something like that could scandalize and embarrass a family to their neighbors and friends.
"I asked the bartender to give you a call when he told me to arrest her," Graham told Mrs. Kensington. "She's been hustling the men at the dart boards ever since she arrived. Valerie has added a new wrinkle that I thought you should know about."
When the dart game ended, Val's opponent dropped his money on the table and walked off, unhappy, but not particularly angry. Then Valerie made an announcement that stunned Claire.
"All right, for all of you newcomers here are the rules," she said in a loud voice. She held up a large wad of money. "The name of the game is Cricket. If you can beat me, five will get you ten; fifty gets you one hundred and five hundred will get you a thousand."
She was playing for big money today, Claire realized.
A tall, trashy looking man walked up and asked the raven haired girl, "What if I put down one thousand? What does that get me?"
Valerie put her hands to her breasts and slowly ran them down her body. "You can have all of this for one…whole…night."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Claire yelled.
"HMMPH, what do you want?" Valeria said gruffly to her mother.
"You will not do this! Now get in the truck this instant, young lady," Claire said angrily.
"NO!" Valerie shot back.
"Do you want to get arrested?"
"I don't care. You made something abundantly clear last night, mother dear. The only way I'm going to live my life the way I want to is get out of that hellhole you call a house."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know providing a roof over your head, putting food in your stomach and clothes on your back was considered a hellhole in this country," Claire roared.
"You treat me like I don't matter, so I'm leaving. It's not like you'll ever miss me," Valerie answered. "Okay, who wants in?"
"I do!" Claire said. She put down a wad of money. One thousand dollars. "Here are the rules, if you win this money is yours and you can go live where ever you want and do as you please. But if I win, you come with me and do as I say."
"Hello! Mother on daughter, I'd pay to see that," the trashy man said with a gleeful smile.
"SHUT UP! You're a pervert!" Claire yelled at the man.
"You come home with me and you stop acting like a spoiled brat," Claire demanded of Valerie. "You show up to work on time, you do your job like everyone else and you sell that death machine you have parked outside."
"Fine, but I won't lose."
Claire was taking a huge risk doing this. That money was owed to the pawnbroker Mr. Gold on a loan he made to her so she could keep the business afloat. Her savings were running low and she needed money to pay day laborers, buy equipment and pay her income tax bill. The collateral she put up for the loan was the house. If she lost the money and couldn't find a way to pay the man, she would lose the house and everything in it.
THE ENCHANTED FOREST
The female bandit was gathering her few personal belongings, which included a necklace. The pendant attached was a clear, decorative vial which contained some kind of glittering dust. After donning a cloak to hide her identity she exited her hiding place, the entrance of which was giant, hollow log. She had to keep moving. When you steal from a peasant no one cares, but steal from a royal and they will come searching for you. A fact that was brought home when a huge net captured her and pulled the woman high into the air.
A man emerged from behind one of the giant pine trees with a look of satisfaction on his face. She recognized him, that prince she stole the bag of jewels from in the woods the other day. The one who said he would find her.
"Is this the only way you can get a date?" she asked in a snippy, defiant tone.
"It's how I catch thieving scum like you," he answered her.
"Charming."
"My name is James," he said.
"Don't care. Charming suits you," she answered, completely unafraid of him.
Prince James demanded his bag of jewels. He explained that these were special, particularly a ring which once belonged to his mother. James was to present it to his new fiancée.
"The nag with the bad attitude?" she said, sounding rather amused. "Good luck with that."
James continued to demand the return of his jewels, but she had sold them. He demanded to be taken to whomever bought them. The bandit steadfastly refused. At least until he revealed his ace in the hole. James pulled a wanted poster from his tunic. It identified her as Snow White, wanted by Queen Regina for numerous crimes against the crown. If she didn't take him to the jewels, he would turn her over to the queen.
"She won't be as 'charming' as I am," he said, turning her own words against her.
With no other recourse, Snow White agreed.
~O~
During their journey Snow White and Prince James began to talk. He noticed the pendant hanging from her neck. She refused to discuss it. James snatched it from her and Snow White pleaded for its return. The vial contained a special kind of fairy dust that could turn an enemy into something easily defeated. She was saving it for someone in particular.
"The Queen," James immediately surmised. Snow White told him that the accusations on the wanted posters were phony. Regina wanted her because Snow had ruined Regina's life.
At a river, Snow stopped for a drink and to wash her face. It was only a ruse as the woman knocked Prince James into the river. She made her escape only to be surrounded by Regina's black clad knights. By the queen's order, they were going to cut out her heart. They were stopped by James who had climbed out of the river and assailed one of the nights from afar with a dagger. Then he attacked, engaging the men in a swordfight and defeating them handily
During the fracas, Snow made for a horse but was taken up by one of the knights on horseback. James took a bow and arrow and cut down the rider, freeing the bandit. Feeling obligated, Snow White guided Prince James to their destination.
STORYBROOKE, MAINE
Claire had started the game of Cricket rather shakily and fell behind quickly. Valerie was certain she was going to win and get her independence. Her mother, though, soon found her groove. Claire used to play darts in college and had gotten very good at it. She hadn't played since getting married, but it was all coming back to her now. Claire began to close out numbers that Valerie had opened to prevent her from scoring additional points. Meanwhile, she also hit numerous times in numbers she had opened to catch up in the score.
Valerie, who had to the most to lose, was beginning to feel the pressure. Her aim began to drift. She failed to close out the twenty and Claire nailed it for a double and two triples, pulling close. Next, Valerie shot for the Bullseye and hit around it. Claire managed to close it by hitting the center ring once and the outer ring once. The third shot went back to the twenty pulling her ahead of Valerie for the first time all game.
A huge crowd had gathered and were amazed by how close the game had become. With each strike, the electronic board tallied up the score and kept track of which numbers were open and which were closed. All that was left was one strike on the twenty and two for the seventeen. The twenty was Valerie's to close out. The seventeen, whether by accident or design had never been opened by either woman and it became the focus for both players. Claire, having opened or closed all the other numbers from 15 – 20 except this one only needed two hits to finish the game.
Valerie needed all three to open it and score more points. She couldn't score in the twenty since Claire had opened that number. She could only close the number with a strike and take it out of play. But she couldn't do that just yet. If she closed the twenty and then successfully opened the seventeen in that order the game would end with Val short of points. Claire would win. She had to keep the twenty open, even though it exposed her. Claire could keep scoring points in that number, but it was now the only way to win. However, it all hinged on her mother not making the needed shots to close out seventeen. If she did, then the rest was academic.
It was Claire's turn. She hit the seventeen with her first shot, one more to win. Valerie's heart sunk like a rock. Claire's second shot missed right and hit the two in the treble ring. No points were added since numbers below fifteen are not part of Cricket. It all came down to this. If her mother ended the game on this shot, Valerie would have to give up everything she wanted. If she missed, Val could hit the seventeen with a double and a single or a triple to open it and take the lead then hit the twenty to win the game.
Claire drew in a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She took the last dart and lined up her shot. The onlookers went deathly silent. Claire drew back and let her dart fly.
It struck seventeen. Game over. Claire had successfully filled her game board and had the higher score.
Mrs. Kensington reclaimed her thousand dollars and took her daughter by the arm and dragged her out of the bar. Valerie, defiant in any way she could, wasn't going to ride in that truck. She wriggled free and jumped on her bike.
"Valerie! Valerie that was not in our agreement. You get back here this instant, young lady," Claire shouted. The noise of the twin cam engine drowned out Claire's voice. Unable to reason with her, she climbed into the old work truck and tried to follow the disobedient girl. Valerie turned into a residential neighborhood with Claire right behind, trying not to break the speed limit. It soon dawned on Claire that Valerie was going to the renovation site. When she pulled up to the house, there was Valerie, putting on gloves and donning a hard hat. She was clearly pissed. The girl ducked into the house and started working, cursing her mother under her breath for the rest of the day.
~O~
The bell for lunch sounded at the high school. Tina got in line for today's special, mystery meat. It looked like chopped steak, but no one really knew what was in it. While waiting to be served the awful stuff her phone jingled. She answered.
"Hi, Tina!" It was Clarence.
Tina was visibly excited. "Hi! I mean, hi."
He chuckled. "I'm calling because I wanted to tell you something. I bought a car."
"You did? That's awesome!"
"Yeah, you want to come by this weekend and take a drive in it?"
"Would I? Of course I wou-. Oh wait, my mother has some family thing planned. I hate those."
"Oh, well, maybe another time," he said, sounding very disappointed.
"No, wait. I'll think of something. I'll be there this weekend."
"I don't want to keep you away from family time."
"Please, you'll be doing me a favor. All Mom and Valerie do these days is argue and glare at each other."
"Okay, if I'm not getting you in any trouble."
"Nope, no trouble at all."
Tina said goodbye and put her phone back into its holster. I'll just tell Mom I'm studying. She'll let me out of anything if she thinks I'm studying.
Yay, new chapter. I hope I got the rules correct for Cricket. If I'm wrong, please don't tell me. Well, okay, tell me.
Thanks to everyone who has posted a review and to everyone who has been reading. Thank you all, very much.