True to his word, Phineas never let on to his powers. For a time, he became increasingly reserved whenever the others were around and he did everything in his power to keep from messing up or putting them in mortal danger or anything else that would make him seem anything besides ordinary.

It worked.

For almost a year, he kept up the charade. After a while, he befriended Clank and (to Fairy Mary's blatant relief) allowed the newest tinker to assist him with projects around the workshop. They became inseparable, the best of friends, and it became apparent to everyone in the hollow, where one went, the other was not far behind.

And while Phin enjoyed having a best friend, there were still things that bothered him. The first and least of these was his promise to the queen to practice with his powers. Now it seemed he had even less time to do so than he'd had when everyone had ignored him. Not to mention Clank's serious inability to grasp the concept that his name was Phineas. Phineas, not Bobble.

He gave up on that endeavor, much to Vidia's amusement, after a week.

But all in all, he couldn't say things had been all that terrible. He'd finally found his group of friends and was happy with his work, blending in, only using his other talents when he deemed it absolutely necessary (like giving a baby bird a little extra nudge from a wind burst).

Perhaps everything was going exactly the way it should and maybe he would never have to worry about the others figuring it out. He was content. They were content. Everything was perfect.

Until that fateful night, a week before the Spring Ceremony, when she arrived.

Tinkerbell, the brightest and nosiest tinker the Hollow had ever seen. And unlike him, she actually had an aptitude for the talent.

Which, as he quickly discovered, was great for the Hollow, but bad for him. While he was more than happy to take Tink under his wing and help with her...to put it mildly, crazy endeavors...there were times when he feared she was getting too close to the truth. She noticed things. Things that the others didn't. He could recount almost a dozen times when he feared she'd caught him for sure but each time he'd gotten away unscathed.

But there was no way of knowing how long that luck would last.

And it would not be long after her arrival that he would come closer to discovery than ever before.

And it was all the fault of that dumb snow-making machine.

No, correction, it was mostly his fault and he knew it. He should never have allowed himself to feel what she felt, to let her emotions cloud his judgment. He'd been a mind-reader far too long for such an amateur mistake. But in the moment when she'd knocked on his door, he'd known he do anything for her. And when she'd told him and Clank about her sister, well, he couldn't rightly say no, could he?

But it was her desperation that really got to him. It had been so strong, he'd never seen her so sure of doing something forbidden, and he thought back to when he'd attempted to cross the border. She'd done what he hadn't been able to and she had discovered a whole new side of her, one not bound to be quenched at any point.

So, he'd helped her.

Perhaps it was the way she'd looked at him, a newfound respect and joy that he treasured, or how she seemed to light up as they worked, but in that moment, Phineas knew he'd fallen in love with her all over again. He would help her, not only because she wanted him to, but because, yes, it was the right thing to do.

But what had almost gotten him caught had come later, after they had rushed Periwinkle back to the border and both Queen Clarion and Lord Milori had appeared. He'd done his best to hide behind the machine and avoid the gaze of the Queen, whose mind was repeating the same disappointment over and over, mostly about Tinkerbell's inability to follow the rules and something about an old romance. Well, it didn't take a genius to guess who she was thinking of. After all, this wasn't the first time Phineas had heard Milori's name from her mind.

And she'd known he was there.

There was a brief moment when she glanced back to scold Tink and her eyes had paused on his hiding spot.

Phineas...she sighed. What am I going to do with you?

But then her gaze was drawn back to Milori and the scolding went on.

Soon after that, everyone went home and the snow machine was left behind for Milori to dispose of. Phineas had made himself comfortable in the workshop, half-heartedly hammering at an acorn with no actual intent in mind. Tink had been summoned to the Pixie dust Tree to speak with Queen Clarion and the others had dispersed back to their everyday jobs. He was all alone.

And then he'd felt it.

A change in the atmosphere. Almost like...a shift in the balance.

He didn't know why he could sense it, or even what it was he was feeling, but he knew one thing for sure. Something was wrong.

No one was around, so, taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to hone in on the source of the disturbance. It didn't take long to find, hovering over the Autumn Woods. Something...cold...and out of place.

The snowmaker.

He opened his eyes and sprang to his feet, upsetting the acorn in the process. Something was wrong with the snowmaker and it was upsetting the seasons. He had to get to it and find a way to fix it!

"Bobble?" Clank, walking in at that moment with a stack of pots and pans, noticed his rapid action and frowned. "What's-"

"No time, Clanky," Phin replied, rushing past him. "Follow me! Hurry!"

"Um..." Clank quickly scanned the room to find a place to set his armload. "Er...coming!"

Together they flew across the Hollow. The closer they got to Winter, the stronger the disturbance. It's definitely here.

And then he saw it. Stuck on the river, wedged between several large chunks of ice and tree roots. "Oh no..." he breathed, skidding to a halt. "Clank!" he snapped, taking charge quickly and effortlessly. "Find a big stick to use as leverage, quick!"

He hastily obeyed, disappearing into the trees.

Meanwhile, Phineas took a deep breath and flew down to assess the damage. The machine was firmly located where it could eat away at the shoreline, kicking a snowstorm toward the heavens, infecting the trees with ice. If that thing continues to grow, it'll destroy the entire Hollow!

Clank was still off in the trees, so, in desperation, he reached toward the sun, bending a beam of light toward the ice. Melt! he begged silently. Come on!

The ice steamed and crackled but the light wasn't enough. There was no way he would be able to thaw the river enough to let the machine drop.

"I got one!" Clank shouted, emerging from the shadows, heaving a branch four times his size behind him. Immediately, Phin dissipated his light-talent and zipped to help wedge the limb into place.

"Okay, now pull!" he yelled.

Shortly after, the others arrived and together, they managed to dislodge the snowmaker and send it cascading to the depths of the river. With the help of the frost-fairies, Pixie Hollow was saved and everything went back to normal.

Well, as normal as life could ever be while being friends with Tinkerbell.

But one thing still remained. One thing that sent chills dancing his spine whenever he thought about that day. The thoughts of everyone who had arrived to help:

How had he known about the machine?

And although he claimed he'd felt a cold draft (and with the Nook in Spring, that wasn't far of a stretch), he was sure no one really believed that. So far no one had accused him of somehow causing the accident (although the possibility had circled Vidia's mind, along with the right solution, though she continuously shied away from it), but it was on everyone's minds almost twenty-four seven.

He didn't think he could stand it any longer.

So, three days after the border was opened, he made his decision.

"I want ya to take back my talents."

He found the Queen walking through the Winter Woods, admiring the scenery. Milori wasn't with her, he noted, which made the moment perfect.

Surprise flashed through her eyes and her mind. "Do you want to tell me why?" she asked gently, trying to hold back her worried thoughts.

"It's just..." he hesitated, hurrying to keep up with her. "After the incident with the...snowmaker...and...everythin', I...I don't want to hear what everyone is thinkin' all the time."

"They suspect something?"

"No," he replied instantly. "At least...I don't think so. I...actually don't know."

"So, what seems to be the problem?"

"I'm tired, Queen Clarion. Tired of lyin'. Tired of pretendin' to be what I'm not. And...I'm just...ready for it to stop, ya know?"

"Phineas, I-" Clarion began.

"Please, Queen Clarion!" he begged. "I...I want to be normal. I want to be like the others and what they think I am."

He could feel her hesitation grow. Her mind revolved back to Shade and the similarities between him and Phineas. Phin still didn't know who Shade was, but that wasn't important. He wanted this. He needed this. Surely the queen could see that!

"Phineas," the queen began again slowly. "I understand how you feel. You want to feel like you belong. I know. But the fact is, you are a Protector and I cannot simply take that away from you."

"Can't or won't?" he grumbled bitterly. He should have held his tongue. He could see the surprise at his retort and he shamefully looked toward the ground.

"I understand you don't wish to remain the Protector," Queen Clarion went on as though she hadn't been interrupted. "But it is a duty not to be taken lightly. I know it may not seem it now but the fate of the Hollow may one day be in your hands. And in that moment, you will need and be grateful for every ounce of power you hold. "

"But, I-" he started to protest.

The queen sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping his plea. "Please trust me," she said. "Keep your powers. Use them when you need them the most or don't. It's up to you. Just don't throw away your gift."

Because someday, Shade is going to return and we're going to need you to protect us.

"Fine," he said slowly. "But can ya do one thin' for me first?" When she didn't reply, he went on. "Take away the mind-readin'. I'll keep the others but I don't think I can stand bein' able to hear fairy's thoughts any longer."

Clarion hesitated before responding. "Very well," she agreed. "I'll do just that one. But are you sure that's what you really want?"

"I'm sure," he replied without hesitation.

The queen sighed and closed her eyes. A faint glow became visible around her body. It lasted only for a moment before fading completely and Phin felt an unexpected wave of ice pass through his veins-the feeling of a talent leaving him.

"It is done," Clarion spoke, her voice sounding tired. She opened her eyes and stared down sadly at him.

He tried to read her mind, to be sure she was telling the truth. He could hear nothing. It had worked. "Thank ya," he breathed, feeling unusually relieved and empty at the same time. Was that what it felt like to have a talent ripped from within you? He was sure he never wanted to feel that again.

"Bobble!" he heard Gliss call from over the ridge as she came sledding down the slope on her acorn. "Come on! Come join us!"

He glanced back longingly and then caught himself and looked toward Clarion who managed a small smile. "Go," she told him. "Spend time with your friends. They are precious. Never take them for granted."

"I won't," he replied, grinning. "Your Majesty." And with that, he turned and hurried through the snowbank to join the others, laughing as Vidia tried to stand and only ended up with a snowball to the back of the head.

Queen Clarion watched him go with a smile. But there was pain behind her eyes. Behind her, a faint wind blew. A wind of change. For she too had felt something in change in the atmosphere..The time was drawing near. A great evil was stirring.

And somewhere, hidden far away from the rest of Neverland, the spell broke...and a fairy awoke.