The Fairy Without a Talent – Chapter Nine
"Teal," I said, holding the precious tome in my shaky hands. Its ice sheen cover sparkled in the light as it bounced all along the icy coated library.
"Hmm?" Teal said, lifting her head away from a new recipe for blueberry raisin cookies. "What is it, Nora?"
"Listen to this for a second," I said, lowering the text for her to see. Reading aloud, Nora recited,
"If there ever is a laugh without a specific skill, then a quest be marked for them to fill.
A marker you must find, and thus your talent shall be thine.
However, be aware, the stone shan't doth give,
but reveals a gift thy inside to live."
"A stone?" Teal asked, perplexed.
"I don't know what it means," Nora said, slowly closing the book. "Maybe Queen Clarion would know?"
"Or Dewey," Teal said with a small chuckle. "He is the Keeper of all Fairy Knowledge."
Laughing a little herself, Nora suddenly stopped as her gaze ventured over to the partly closed door of the Great Hall.
"Listen," she said, hearing Dewey's voice venture out of the door.
"Just put your wings into the light!"
"Come on," Nora said, flittering over to the door, slipping the book under her arm as she did so. A few wing flaps away was nonetheless Teal as they slowly pushed open the door.
Turning their heads, Tink and Peri silently watched them as Nora and Teal came into the door, but turning away, the four friends just stared as a shimmery sacred scene unfolded before their eyes.
Up on the rising pedestal, the sisters raised their wings as a crystal aurora shimmered and glowed to show the mainland.
All was quiet as Snow watched and River listened.
Amidst a quiet river, a baby girl, wrapped in silent cradle stirred as birdsong filled the air.
Amongst the blooms, a butterfly landed on her nose as the babe let out a silent cry,
'Ah … a-ah-haa-hahahaha …'
Floating out, a laugh echoed in the air as it took off atop the water.
Swishing along with waves, the laugh echoed as the waves touched its glow with a silent
'Sh-sh-sh-shhhhh …'
Intermingling with a blue water lily, posed upon the water,
the laugh then split into two as they each caught a lily petal as the swirled into the air.
Following the current to London, the two laughs were swept up into the breeze,
echoing as they floated over and out over the sea.
Smiling, Snow sat a hand on River's shoulder as she fondly watched the two laughs reach Never Land. River, on the other hand, squinted her eyes in thought as the next scene came into play.
With her ears perked up, River shuddered as the sound of a wave came into play over the two laughs.
As the wave whistled past the two vibrating petals, one got ducked into the swells,
as the other got swept into the chilly breeze as it was pushed on ahead, out of sight.
Whistling, the wind scooped out the shimmery laugh petal as it hightailed it all the way towards Never Land.
As Nora and others continued to watch, the breezy petal was whisked into the Winter Woods, unseen by the quiet petal that calmly made it to its way to the Pixie Dust Tree.
Watching the petals touch down at the same time, they all smiled as a pixie dust cup was poured over each one as sure enough, two fairies with a similar look – one black and the other silver.
"They are sisters," River heard Tink say as she felt Snow's gentle touch on her one of her hands. Looking up to meet her sister's gaze, River smiled as the two came floating back down on the pedestal.
"River," Nora said, smiling. "Snow really is your sister."
Hearing that, Snowdust just held her sister's hand tighter as she held her wings high.
River gazed up at where the vision took place with a sigh, "I heard."
Touching her sister's arm, Snow looked up at Nora with a small silent frown.
"I just wish I could've seen it," River said quietly, her wings falling.
"Oh, River," Nora murmured, flying over to give her friend a hug. A second later, she was joined by Snow as she and Nora looked at each other.
"You did River," came Teal's comforting words. Tilting her head up, River listened as Teal continued, "Maybe not with your eyes, but you saw it with your heart."
River just smiled as she joined her friends and sister in a group hug.
Hearing the book drop to the floor, Tink bent down to pick out the book Nora was holding as she flipped open the fresh page of the legend.
"Hey, what this?" Peri said, reading over Tink's shoulder.
"It's a legend of some sort," Nora said, flying over.
"Aye, it sounds like you came upon ..." Dewey started to say as his gaze was directed to the open door as Queen Clarion and Lord Milori appeared from outside the door.
"It sounds like you girls have come across the Talent Stone legend. I know of it well," Queen Clarion as she came flying into the room with Lord Milori walking in beside her.
"What is it?" Teal asked, puzzled.
"Talent stone?" Nora murmured.
Taking the tome into her hands, Queen Clarion said, "This legend tells of a mythical stone that is found only in the mysterious places of Pixie Hollow, but it can only be found by fairies as such as you, Nora."
Taken aback, Nora stared up into Queen Clarion's eyes as she said, "Me?"
"The stone is special, it is a treasure only seeked out by those who are ready to find it."
"I still don't understand, Queen Clarion," Nora said, looking down as she rubbed a hand along one of her sweater sleeves. "What does this all have to do with me?"
"Nora, I believe you may have a hidden talent, one that is unknown and quite special to the very origins of Never Land. But, only you can find and identify it, no one can name it for you, not even me," Queen Clarion said, placing a hand on her young fairy's shoulder. "Are you ready to find it?"
Looking up, Nora just nodded her head as she smiled. "Yeah, I think I am."
"Alright, as I've said, the book gives clues on where to find the stone, but it can only really be found by …"
"No, it's too dangerous," Milori said, suddenly at Queen Clarion's side.
"Milori," Queen Clarion started to say as he gently lifted the book from her hands.
"Clarion, you know as well as I that this quest can lead to many dangers …"
"What sort of dangers?" River demanded. "Why shouldn't she be allowed to do this?"
"Well …" Milori started to say before a giant crash made everyone look towards the door.
Rushing towards the door, Milori and Dewey hurried towards the commotion when a tall shiver head peeked up from behind a fallen stack of books.
Chuckling, the fairy said, "Oops, sorry about that Dewey. I'll get these picked up for you."
Sighing, Lord Milori just chuckled as he helped his young pupil up. "It's ok, Lia. Here, let me help you."
"Lia?" River asked, walking up next to Periwinkle.
"Yeah, that's her nickname. Her real name is Frostlia. She's a friend of mine and Sled's. She's real shy, but she's real thoughtful and open when you get to know her," Peri replied with a smile.
Flying into the room, Frostlia heard us as Teal and I landed. Looking up to face us, she flicked back her silvery ponytail as she lifted an ice leaf adorned hand to pin aside her bangs as she stood to her full height. Her dress was sewn together with icy silver leafs as two of same silvery blue stems hung down along the side of her blue belt and along her skirt. Up to her knees, she wore blue leaf leggings, but on her feet she wore no shoes.
"Hi," she said, flapping her translucent wings.
"Hello," Teal and I said as River and Snow came to stand on either side of us.
Looking at me, she said, "I couldn't help but overhear that you may be going to the Icicle Caves."
"The Icicle Caves?" Teal asked.
"Well, that's what I call them, although they have another name. Hmm," she said, lifting a hand to her chin. "Let me think for a moment, it'll come to me."
"No one is going to the Ice Caves, there are known to be frequent avalanches there," Milori said, staring straight at Lia, who just sat a hand against her side.
"It's not dangerous unless you make a lot of noise," she said, with a clever smile. "And we won't."
"We?" River asked.
"Yeah, I've been wanting to see the Icicle Caves, but somebody is always stopping me," she said, crossing her arms.
"Lia, please don't start this," Milori started to say.
Playfully slipping the book from his hands, she flipped through it as she said, "How am I ever to learn about the Icicle Caves if you never let me go see them? I am your apprentice, aren't I?"
"Lia …"
"Milori? You didn't tell me that you had a pupil," Queen Clarion said to him with a small grin.
"Well, I could see if you did the same with your warm fairies," Milori said with a chuckle.
"All of my fairies are my students, as they are to you, too," Clarion smiled.
Thinking for a moment, Lord Milori angled his head as he through about the quest.
"Lord Milori, is it ok?" Nora said softly.
Nodding his head, he finally said, "If you promise you'll be careful. I've just heard that the quest holds many dangers."
"We'll be quite careful, that I can assure you."
"And, I'll be with them, too. I know as much of the Winter Woods as most winter fairies," Lia said, flapping her wings eagerly.
"With as much as you like to explore, that I have no doubt," he said, watching as Lia smiled.
"So, where are we going?" River asked, just to be sure.
"The Icicle Caverns," Lia answered, letting out a shrill whistle. In short, a spotted peregrine falcon came flying through the door as it raised its wings with a Cree-eeeeek. Touching his beak fondly, Lia said, "Good boy, Casper."
Again, sorry for the wait, hopefully this chapter will make up for lost time.
Oh, and new character alert! Frostlia is a new character I am introducing into the story, and just note she is a winter fairy. Reflecting the atmosphere of Tink's origin, I just wrote up my own version of what could've been River and Snow's origin as laughs; other than that, I own nothing from the movie.
So, here you go. :)