The Fairy Without a Talent – Chapter 16
"Was that Queen Clarion?" Teal asked as she turned her head to meet River's puzzled expression.
"What would she be doing outside the Pixie Dust Tree without at least one of her ministers at hand?" she asked, hinting at the tinkling trail of pixie dust that flew over them.
"She doesn't have to always stay in the tree, you know," Torum said with a slight grin.
Following the pixie dust trail, Bluebell suddenly caught sight of a pair of wings as they zipped into the Tree's Canopy.
"Nora?" she exclaimed, chasing after her shadow.
Looking up, Torum followed his sister as Teal and River flew up after them, too.
Meanwhile, Cocoa scampered up to the edge of the tree as he gazed up into the leaves, wishing to be with his friend. Sensing a new feel in the air, Fawn paused as she flew out from the Pixie Dust Well with her daily ration. Looking down, her eyes trailed from Cocoa sliding down the trunk and the dust she held in her hand with a small grin on her face.
Up in the tree, Nora stood near the edge of the Pixie Dust Well as she humbly watched the pixie dust pour over into the shimmering dome as a single platform started to rise from the center of the Well.
Nora pondered at the sight of it. It stood as tall as one of the original arrival toadstools she had seen at her and siblings' arrival, but it sparkled with the dust that covered it as top of it started to shimmer.
"What is it?" Nora heard her sister say as Bluebell flew to a stop to stand beside her.
"Looks like an arrival toadstool to me, isn't it?" Torum said, flying above it.
"It's not just a toadstool, Torum," Queen Clarion said as she came floating down from her balcony, now back in her original, glowing pixie dust gown. Seeing Nora holding her crystal out in her hands, she saw her young hopeful's expression as she stood silent, waiting.
Confused, River asked, "Then what is it?"
Heeding the familiar tug from it, Nora just shut her eyes as she heard the breeze whistle up to meet her. Whipping about her hands, Nora gasped as the crystal suddenly flared up to hover just in front of her between the stand and breeze as it circled her.
"What's happening?" Teal shouted in the midst of them as a familiar call made them look up to see Lord Milori riding in with Lia.
"Nora found it," Lia said quite simply, holding the tome in her hands.
"Found what?" Torum asked.
"Her talent emblem, leaf head," she said, passing the book to Lord Milori as he safely sealed it up in his carrier as he took note of the rising sun.
"Look," she continued, "I know this whole legend story idea probably felt like a wild flake chase, however that clumsy saying goes, but one thing is true. It was meant to help a young hopeful like Nora to find her secret talent, but it was only one way. The truth is, Queen Clarion knows the true legend."
Standing in front of Nora and the gem, Queen Clarion spoke with sincerity. "The true path was to discover yourself, but what this gem stands for is in what you have accomplished. With true friendship and integrity being your guides, if you are ready then it will stand in for what you have learned."
Turning to meet her friends, Nora smiled as she took in River, Teal, and Lia, who stood nearby with smiles. Knowing one of them was missing, though, Nora felt for River as she knew it was hard for Snow to be with them. "Each of you have played a part in this, and for what it means, I am proud to say I couldn't have any better friends than all of you."
With silent tears, Nora felt herself surrounded in a group hug as Teal said, "We all love you, too, Nora."
Missing her sister, River said, "I just wish Snow could see this."
"Um, you never know, maybe she can," Lia said with a keen eye as she turned River around to where Snowdust stood standing next to Peri as they both hovered underneath Tink's snowmaker.
Seeing the contraption in action, Vidia piped up, "You sure you got plenty of ice, Tink?"
"Plenty, in fact, Rosetta and Iridessa went back for more. Just in case, though, we came straight here, where we can fly back pretty quickly if we have, too. Tell me if you start getting hot, Peri," Tink said, as Peri shot her sister a smile of her own.
"I will," Peri said, gently pushing Snow forward. "Go on, Snow."
In a flurry, Snow flew over to meet River as both of their crystals started to glow. With a cry, Snow ran to River as they hugged. River's eyes teared as she saw both hers and Snow's wings shine to present their bond.
"See, it is a sight worth seeing," Snow laughed as River wiped a leaferchief across her eyes.
Seeing the two sisters, Lia just commented, "Snow didn't want to miss this, and it just made her double happy to know that she would get to see River."
"Thank you, Lia," Nora said, watching Tink arch the snowmaker to pour over Lia, too, as she stood in the spray.
"Well, it was Tink's contraption that allowed her to cross, but I guess like Tink, I could get creative to see if I could come with something that could help us stay over longer," Lia said, thinking.
Nora giggled as she said, "You never know, anything is possible."
Seeing Lord Milori hint towards the Well, Lia turned Nora around to say, "I think Queen Clarion's ready if you are."
Hearing her friends encouraging her, Nora fluttered her healed wings as she took her place in front of the crystal.
Raising a hand, Queen Clarion summoned several arrival toadstools, but rising from the pixie dust, they shimmered each with an enchanted golden talent symbol of several kinds. Rising from where it hovered steadfastly in front of Nora, the crystal dissolved to reveal a hidden object as a golden light reflected from it among the many emblems.
"Nora, to claim your talent stone, use what you have learned and it shall reveal," Lord Milori said as Nora flew up to where the series of emblems fluttered about her head.
Hearing the sounds of the different talents around her, Nora took the glimmer in her hand as several emblems move to and away from the sparkle as Nora's hands enclosed it.
Thinking back to when the dewdrop hovered in her hands, Nora saw the water emblem merge with the sparkle as she heard the dewdrop pop past her memory. The light and garden lights did the same as they eradicated to seemly join the sparkle, but they were soon lost as a part of them each touched it. Hearing a familiar chitter, Nora looked down to see Cocoa as he stood just below her.
"Cocoa," she cried with glee, as the interpreting skills of the animal talent merged with her also.
However, it didn't stop there. As the breeze blew around her, the pixie dust emblems faded to become a small cocoon as Nora felt herself change. Her brown hair blew about her as her wings stretched to create a unique shape and a shade that was intricate as the breeze. Her clothes became subdued with pixie dust as she found herself landing in front of them all.
Helping her to stand, Lord Milori waited with her to one side as Queen Clarion parted the mist to reveal Nora in a new soft silver petal top, with a soft blue petal belt and leggings. With a smile, Nora looked down to see her periwinkle slippers as she felt a periwinkle pinned into her hair.
"Nora," Bluebell said, flying over to her sister.
"So what is it?" Torum joined his sisters. "What's Nora's talent?"
"Nora," Queen Clarion gestured to her as Nora opened her hands to reveal a transparent heart.
"A heart?" Torum wondered aloud.
"A listening heart," Queen Clarion said, kneeling to her knees to enclose Nora's hands over it. "Annora is the Hollow's very first listening-heeding talent."
"Really?" Nora sighed, smiling down at it.
"It's like I said, Nora, it's all yours," Teal said with a smile.
"Congratulations, Annora," Lord Milori said, calling Nora by her new name, before he turned to face his frost fairies. "Now, let's get you back home."
"Lord Milori …" Lia started to plead.
"Now, before …" he started to say before he felt a peck on his cheek.
"Oh, Milori," Queen Clarion started to say before she too turned to see the snow maker was working.
Teal and River stood with Nora as Bluebell and Torum flew over to help Tink with the snow maker.
"So, what now?" River said with a playful smile.
"We could go ice-skating," Snow offered before Queen Clarion and Lord Milori paused in turn and looked at each other with a smile.
"Sounds like fun," Teal said with a smile. "What do you think, Nora?"
Smiling, Nora heard a laugh echo across the mainland as she thought the laugh split into two as she slipped her stone in her pocket. "That would be great."
Well, that caps up Nora's tale until next time. I hoped you liked the story, and I promise I will be clear on any more riddles or rhymes I do in the future.
Nora's sequel has finally been posted, called The Butterfly Trainer.
With new stories and characters, it takes place right after these events. So, keep an eye out for it. :)
Fly with all of you later. :)