Author's Note: I think I forgot to say that one of the reasons I decided to post this now is because I found out that Will Ladislaw looks like a hobbit. Turns out he isn't one, but God in Heaven, does he ever look like one!
Warnings: I have not read the books, but I have access to Wikipedia – so I have names such as Ginger but only a quick explanation of her character and talent. I saw the first movie – that's what has happened and it's AU after that. Adventure-talent is an actually an established talent-kin and will be used as such. I take liberties with the fairies pasts and incorporate my own version of Pixie Hollow within the rules of Never Land. A little bit of violence. Made-up fairy swears. Reused plot devices that work their way in there before I realized I had done it. Questionable morals. An abundance of Vidia, and me writing the wrong story. Expansions on talents that don't exist. Vidia has actually been a hero in the past. My ever present and 'famous' use of my own original characters.
Summary: Vidia uses the shadow in the library to her advantage, but once Tinkerbell finds it she lets it believe that it has hopes, and starts the cogs going for an ending that might mean the end of everything she has known.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Belongs to Disney and – well, I'm actually not entirely sure who wrote the actual series it's based off.
Chapter Two
Recording History
Tinkerbell happily rearranged, screwed, twisted, pushed, and created as she worked on one of her many inventions for bringing about summer. Everyone was interested in Mainland things now. It was the biggest hit since the first tinker fairy. Tinkerbell smiled at the thought. Things had been going well. She had spent all spring in the Mainland, just going from house to house and fixing this and that up in the human's homes. Now she back and busy as ever, leaving her friends to finish up the preparation needed to hail in the summer fairies as she helped with the last emergencies that had come up.
She had to say, life was treating her alright at the moment. She had a lot of friends and fairies who she was close with. She hadn't seen Vidia all spring, apparently having trouble finding the last of the sprinting thistle, a thought that made Tinkerbell smirk approvingly. It served that self-centered fairy right.
The tinker fairy quickly finished up the final screws and bolts and beamed happily at her invention. Now to check it…
"Ow!" said Tinkerbell rubbing her head. She looked up to see Fairy Mary in a similar state. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I was in such a rush to get to this to the summer fairies I didn't see you coming."
"Ah, Tinkerbell, just the fairy I was hoping to see," said Fairy Mary and then looked a little hesitant. She brightened when she apparently saw her victims over Tinkerbell's shoulder. "Ah yes, Bobble, Clank take this to the summer fairies, Tink told you how to use it?"
"Um, yeah sure," said Bobble taking the contraption.
"But-" Tinkerbell watched helplessly as they flew away. "Am I in trouble?"
"What?" Fairy Mary looked outrageously shocked. "No, no you've been great; you haven't had enough time back to get into trouble yet." Fairy Mary laughed without humor and Tinkerbell found her curiosity peeking and her skin crawling. "I need to ask a favor of you."
"Anything Fairy Mary," said Tinkerbell and worried a little when the teaching fairy winced.
"I need you tell your version of what happened this spring to the book fairy," said Fairy Mary solemnly.
"Book fairy?" asked Tinkerbell. Fairy Mary nodded, clasped her hand, and started flying Tinkerbell in the direction of the Home Tree.
"Yes, she keeps track of all the important information and scrolls in Pixie Hollow. She's compiling the facts of what happened when spring almost didn't happen. She's already got the Queen's and several other fairies account of what happened, but also raised some valid points about interviewing you about the incident," said Fairy Mary.
"Well, that would make sense, it was my blundering that started the whole mess, and if it really helps I wouldn't mind doing an interview with her," said Tinkerbell, stopping abruptly as Fairy Mary turned to her and started fussing over Tinkerbell's clothes and hair. The tinker found herself a little shocked when she realized that they were at the base of the Home Tree.
"Thank you dear, this means a lot." Fairy Mary turned toward a dark door and shook her head in resignation. Tinkerbell wondered what was so wrong about it. "There are just a few things about Teardrop you need to know. She's a little on the strict side and can say things she doesn't really mean. She only knows what other fairies have told her and not a lot of fairies go into her… library. If you ever feel threatened just yell and someone will get you out immediately. Don't worry about the threats; she hasn't followed through on one yet."
And with that ominous advice Tinkerbell was pushed into Teardrop's library.
Tinkerbell looked cautiously around, it didn't seem that bad. It was a little dark, and shelves lined with some sort of dark rectangles that that jostled against each other. But the sun did come in and flooded enough light in to see by and only played odd dark shadows here and there. Plus, whatever it was that lined the shelves seemed to be alive if not squished altogether. Watching them she saw that their outsides were hard lined, usually a thick brown and they could fly by opening themselves up and fluttering forward showing their white-layered insides.
"Teardrop?" called out Tinkerbell softly, looking around for any sign of the mysterious fairy.
"Teary," snapped a sharp voice. Tinkerbell jumped and looked up abruptly. Where had that voice come from? She knew it was somewhere above her. Tinkerbell walked backward, eyes scanning everywhere and was about to call out again when she noticed the leaf. It was folded oddly, and there appeared to be some sort of rope keeping it in a quickly formed bundle… and on top of it was a big puff of chestnut brown that maybe could be hair. The figure turned, and Tinkerbell saw a flash of light catching the whites of what could be eyes, before Teardrop (or was this Teary?) turned back to whatever she was doing. Tinkerbell frowned and looked closely to see black come from the leaf; no, not black, a very dark brown; and that same brown was resting against a… well, the thing was two sticks heading up with little sticks holding it together at even intervals.
"Oh, this is ridiculous, I don't care what you think is relevant all of you go back to your proper places now!" and the fairy beat her small fist against the shelves and immediately some of the rectangles flew their way in various directions to squeeze in neatly on other shelves. "Good for nuthin' books."
Quick as light the fairy skimmed down the sticks and landed in front of Tinkerbell. The tinker fairy caught a look at tattered blue wings before the dark thing had turned and was looking down her nose at Tinkerbell.
"Um, right, I'm looking for Teardrop, I was told she was here," said Tinkerbell her voice steadily getting softer as the other fairy looked disdainfully down at her.
"What do you need her for?" snapped the fairy crossing her arms and sniffing. "And what is your talent, leaf? If this is about using leaves to take notes like the old days I would like to point out that none of you can read and leaves deteriorate a lot faster than paper."
"Um, no, I'm a tinker," said Tinkerbell shifting a little as the fairy frowned harder at her.
"Your dress is a bit short…" the other's eyes grew wide and her head snapped to look Tinkerbell in the eyes. "You wouldn't be Tinkerbell would you?"
"Yes, um, I'm here to see Teardrop," said Tinkerbell with a quick smile.
"Fairy Mary actually got you to come," the book fairy looked completely enchanted by the thought. But the expression was wiped away quickly to be replaced with a sort of cold professionalism. "I've been hoping you'd come, follow me, we'll do the interview at the table already swamped with papers."
"I thought I was supposed to see Teardrop," said Tinkerbell in confusion. The fairy cast a searching gaze back at the tinker still keeping up her brisk pace.
"I am Teardrop," said the fairy and walked around a large hard wood table and sat down in the middle of two very large stacks of folders; which she immediately started riffling through and tossing in random directions as if she had some sort of system.
"I thought your name was Teary," said Tinkerbell sitting opposite of the other and casting a worried look around the rest of the building.
"No, that's the nickname my sister gave me," said Teardrop shuffling now blank pieces of paper in front of her.
"Sister, what's a sister?" asked Tinkerbell, hoping to start some sort of normal conversation.
"Don't you have any close female friends in your own talent-kin?" asked Teardrop without missing a beat and sounding slightly condescending. Tinkerbell actually had to think on that.
"No, I guess I'm not really best friends with any girl in my talent, I mean, I'm friends with Bobble and Clank, but all my close girl friends are of other talents," said Tinkerbell with a giggle.
"Typical," deadpanned Teardrop with a rather snootily bored sigh as she returned to moving things around, presumably to start the interview.
"So, um, you must be close to one of the book fairies that work here. Where are they? I don't see any around," Tinkerbell jumped when something snapped. She looked back at Teardrop who was staring at a sharpened and now broken twig in her hand. Teardrop placed it on the table and magically made a feather appear in her hands that she then dipped it in a porcelain well where the tip of the feather came out black.
"There is no such thing as a book fairy," said Teardrop professionally.
"But, I thought that was your talent," said Tinkerbell.
"It's not," said the library fairy crisply. "Now, if we could get on with the interview I have a lot to do before this can be properly filled and stacked. Which does include writing a virtual book on the subject, so if you could start…"
"Um, where do I start?" asked Tinkerbell uncomfortably, realizing that making friends wasn't something on this fairy's mind.
"Anywhere you think is relevant to the beginning of this whole ordeal," said Teardrop and then rolled her eyes when Tinkerbell continued to look lost. "I'd suggest your birth; that seems to be the best place to start taking into account where everyone else started." Teardrop pointed her feather at the closest stack to her right. "It would be best if you left nothing out. I'll be going back later and deciding what to put that's relevant and needed and I would rather get rid of useless information than not have something important."
So after a minute of Tinkerbell staring at Teardrops bent head she just started talking, dragging to mind everything she could from the moment she was born until she gave the music box back to the little girl it belonged to. She included everything she had seen, as much conversation as she could remember, and even her feelings through the whole thing. It was extremely liberating to say this out loud. A little awkward because she was talking to Teardrop's bent head and furious hands, but in a way that just made it easier to say everything and change less than she would normally.
Tinkerbell also got bored during her monologue and started riffling through some folders because she was at heart a tinker fairy and couldn't sit still for that long without having something to fiddle with in her hands. It was actually the dark squiggles on the paper that caught her attention. They seemed so random, didn't appear to make any sort of picture, and Tinkerbell got the impression that these same designs were being made by Teardrop to write down what she was saying.
So, she tried to look for some sort of connecter. It didn't make sense, she thought, dedicating herself to the squiggles as her story ended but Teardrop continued to be buried in her writing. She noticed that a lot of the squiggles looked the same and that there were odd spaces and dots and curves. She started thinking about them as a puzzle, and somehow she found a pattern. Not so that every individual set of squiggles told a story, but a single word and every word from the taller squiggles to the same dot was an idea.
"'Queen Clarion apparently decided that in all her pompous high class glory would truly act like the perfect b-'" Tinkerbell's face was red looking up at Teardrop who looked suitably unimpressed by Tinkerbell's antics and had ripped the book from the tinkers fingers. A second later some sort of strange emotion passed over them that told Tinkerbell the other was a fairy with feelings like her and not just some untouchable icicle.
"You can read this?" Teardrop sounded amazed.
"Um, yeah, it was sort of like a jigsaw puzzle," said Tinkerbell pushing over Teardrops wide eyes.
"Well, you are good with Mainland things," said Teardrop reverently.
"The squiggles are Mainland things?" said Tinkerbell grabbing another sheet of paper, only to have it ripped out of her hands a second later.
"Well, the language of the writing – the shape and such – is Mainland," said Teardrop and then shrugged. "That's why fairies don't know it intrinsically. They might start to, if it became important, but at the moment it's just something for me to keep busy doing."
"I understand it," said Tinkerbell and Teardrop flashed her a quick smile before pulling all the files away from her. "So, do they only help record the past?"
"A good amount of them do," said Teardrop distractedly. "But there are other sorts. Some just tell a story, perhaps something that already happened. Some are collections of information about Never Land, Pixie Hollow, and the Mainland, anything you'd want to know about them and usually rather scatted, though the information that seems relevant I try to keep together. There's things about the talents…"
"There are recordings of talents?" asked Tinkerbell. "Am I in there?"
Teardrop looked rather unimpressed with the question until Tinkerbell turned a bright red. The other fairy was writing an entire history of what happened that spring and that basically revolved around her.
"Yes," said the librarian after a long pause. "There are books of that nature. Every time a new fairy is born her or his name is added to the talent book at the end of the sector. The various talent sections can be found in certain parts of the library. There's water and animal talent fairy's books down that way. Two more talent fairy sections down that was, two more up, and so on. Depending on what talent you are looking for. At the end of the section is a big book kept bright with magic that writes down every new fairy of their talent, magically adding a page as one fills up, and names turn dark when fairies – are gone."
Tinkerbell looked in confusion at Teardrop's solemn face.
"But that's not the only sort of books we have. We have general talent books that give an interdictory about a certain talent. There are books about important talent fairies and their accomplishments…"
"Will my story be put in the Tinker section?" asked Tinkerbell excitedly. Teardrop stared at her with that flat condescending expression that told the tinker she was not alright with being interrupted and made the young fairy look away guiltily under its power.
"That was one of the sections that I've been thinking of putting it in," said Teardrop finally. "The sections on talents also have the ways of doing things. Like painting a leaf, coddling a baby animal, or how to tinker together certain crafts."
"No way, so they have how to make every gadget, ever?" said Tinkerbell flying right in Teardrop's face. The other fairy leaned back, her eyes wide, and Tinkerbell blushed and sat back down letting the fairy catch her breath since the invasion of space seemed to have thrown her off balance and she even looked like she was shaking a little.
"Yes, that is the idea. I'm still compiling stuff on all the new inventions that you came up with. I have all those useful pictures, but an explanation can sometime lead to better ideas more than pictures can. It can also clear up any questions," said Teardrop, shuffling her notes together and not looking at Tinkerbell. "But there are books there I wish some fairies would look at. Progress is good and all, but it can sometimes be helped with the past, especially the forgotten past, and I have a lot of books about gizmo's that just aren't used anymore."
"Really? Oh, I wish I could see them," said Tinkerbell wistfully and sent a hopeful look at Teardrop, who was giving her that deadpan look again that had all of Tinkerbell's hope carefully crushed into a million small pieces.
"This is a library," said Teardrop slowly, as if that would re-spark some of the other's fairies brain cells.
"Right, and that makes this some place that books are kept to make sure there are still copies, and no one but you is allowed to touch them," said Tinkerbell with a depressed huff. She looked up to see Teardrop giving her one of those affronted and slightly insulted looks again.
"Fairies," the older fairy finally muttered. "No, when I say this is a library I mean that it's open to every fairy in Pixie Hollow. There are rules, certainly, but anyone can come read if they possess the capacity and the knowledge. Though I do have a few picture books scattered around."
"So, I can read them?" asked Tinkerbell, she wanted to know everything about tinkering. Somehow she could read, and even if she was good at tinkering and loved doing it, the Mainland would always have a special place in her heart. Plus, with all that information she could tinker even more. Maybe find some ways to make making snowflakes just a little easier.
"Yes, you want to?" asked Teardrop, sounding surprised. Tinkerbell nodded enthusiastically, confusing Teardrop until the fairy caught her second wind. "Very well then but we have to lay some ground rules down first." And she was right back to business. "First, you read here, you don't tinker. You read at one of the tables and don't place the books around you on the floor. Two, you do not rip the book to take out a page you want or write notes on the side. You get paper from me and get a tutorial on this ink if you want to take notes. You do not take the books out of the library, you read them here. You read quietly, if you bring friends here they read silently also, and if you need to collaborate together you find a corner and whisper in it. You do not ask me questions about something you can find easily in a book and you do not try to socialize with me. I am here to help direct you in the right direction if you get lost I am not your teacher. Is that clear?"
"Yes," squeaked Tinkerbell, every nerve in her body tensing. The two fairies stood looking at each other until Teardrop sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes.
"The tinker section is down that way, there should be a table near the wall," said Teardrop pointing to the long row of books behind her and to the light. "The bottom shelf is all the inventions. Second shelf is its history and the third and fourth shelf holds the rest of the genre's. I trust you can find what you want, the titles in each section are categorized by the author's name, though that shouldn't be too confusing since you don't know any of them yet, I'll be up here, working, if you have any questions"
"Right, thank…" but Teardrop had already returned to her work and obviously tuned Tinkerbell out. Not to be put out Tinkerbell flew to the section Teardrop had pointed to and started skimming the titles of the books.
Tinkerbell quickly lost track of the time. She had taken three books out at random at first, now she was surrounded by close to a dozen. Her fingers itched to try some of the designs set in front of her and her mind quickly would reorganize and start making them more efficient with lost things. Her fingers often itched for something to write her ideas down, but then she'd catch something interesting in the next book propped open and left with itching hands and an interesting idea.
But now she really needed that paper. This little tidbit, well, it was what she was looking for she just needed a leaf and a stick to start making the design.
"Going already?" Tinkerbell flinched in the air and looked back to see Teardrop on a… ladder, if she remembered right from the books.
"No, just getting a leaf to take down some notes," said Tinkerbell and Teardrop frowned at her.
"I don't want any leaves in my library," said Teardrop crossly. "And I suppose I didn't mean leaving already, seeing how late it is already."
"What?" asked Tinkerbell and followed Teardrop's finger out the window to see that there were stars in the sky. "But the sun was still shining where I was sitting."
"No, there are things by the window built to capture the light," said Teardrop. "They don't turn off until I signal."
"Signal?" asked Tinkerbell and Teardrop lifted a single eyebrow lifted her hands and clapped once, every light turned off except for a few candles.
"If you want I can tell the books to stay put for you to read tomorrow," it took a second for Tinkerbell to realize that Teardrop was asking if she was coming back.
"Won't that throw off your system?" asked Tinkerbell, she'd gotten the impression that the fairy was rather picky about where all the books being in their place.
"No, not if it's only one pile, and it's not like it will stay like that every time you come. You are the only other one interested in coming back to the library," said Teardrop strictly, a flash of something crossed her eyes. "Do you want me to keep the books where they are?"
"Yes," it was only the tiniest of tension leaving Teardrop's shoulders that belied how grateful she was for that fact.
"Good, I'll show in the morning how to use ink, since you want to take notes," said Teardrop, easily all business again. "I will not have leaves in my library except as a fast reference. Now you should go before you start to worry your…"
"Tinkerbell!" Fairy Mary's voice was far but frantic.
"Supervisor," finished Teardrop.
"I guess I should go, I'll see you to-" but when Tinkerbell turned around Teardrop was gone. She waited a minute in surprise, wondering where the other could have run away so quickly. They were in the middle of the huge, well, next to a huge shelf of books, but that would take a long time to run around and she thought she would have heard that. Plus, it wasn't like Teardrop could run with those wings.
"Tinkerbell!" the fairy in question jumped a little at how close the book was and flew quickly out the library doors, two sparrow men closing them behind her. She never thought to look or she would have seen two big brown eyes watching her departure from a loft close to the front doors and a foot off the ground.
"Over here Fairy Mary," called Tinkerbell and blinked at the frightened fairies terrified and worried face as the teacher fairy flew full speed her way.
"I only just found out you never returned," said Fairy Mary, looking Tinkerbell all over as if she expected the tinker to be missing a limb.
"I'm sorry," said Tinkerbell trying to cope with but also stop the fussing. "I lost track of time."
"Did Teardrop try to make you do anything you didn't want to?" asked the teacher fairy worriedly.
"What -- no!" exclaimed Tinkerbell with a shake of her head. "I just got caught up reading."
"Reading?" asked Fairy Mary flying back a little.
"Yeah, Teardrop has books on old tinker tools," said Tinkerbell, practically humming with delight.
"You don't need to know about out of date tools," said Fairy Mary flippantly.
"No, they were really helpful, I actually started thinking up something new for the autumn fairies, and I think it'll work I just need to get the design down and then go down to the shore and actually try to put it together," said Tinkerbell happily. "I'm going back to the library tomorrow…"
"You're going back!" demanded fairy Mary throwing Tinkerbell off her happy spiel again.
"Of course, she had tons of books and she said it's open to the public," said Tinkerbell enthusiastically.
"Well, yes, that's technically true," muttered Fairy Mary. "But usually fairies don't bother to learn how to read."
"Teardrop said it was the language the Mainlanders used," said Tinkerbell, her elation over the fact having not dissipated yet.
"Yes, you always had a knack for Mainland things," said Fairy Mary ruefully.
"Fairy Mary?" asked Tinkerbell and skipped back a step at the woman's fierce glare.
"Now listen here Tinkerbell. You shouldn't be going back within five feet of that place." Which was a little ridiculous since the library was so close to the Home Tree. "Teardrop's nothing but trouble, when I sent you there I was banking on one of the fairies around her to be able to help you if you got in trouble, and I warned them. Oh, they should have told me right away," said Fairy Mary and Tinkerbell could feel her confusion growing.
"What's wrong with Teardrop? Sure she can be a little strict and reserved, but I think that's just because she holes herself in that library," said Tinkerbell looking back at the little knoll.
"Pease Tinkerbell, just trust me on this, she's bad business, she was given that job because they wanted her away from everyone else, even the few fairies that do learn to read keep away from her for the most part," said Fairy Mary and Tinkerbell found herself getting defensive, no one should be discounted like that. Teardrop was just really into her job and lonely.
"Just because she's a little – odd and spends her time with books and not fairies doesn't mean that she doesn't feel like us or make her some sort of monster. She's lonely, I could see it, she was excited to hear I was coming back and I'm not going to break her heart because you won't look past her faults," snapped Tinkerbell.
"Tinkerbell, you don't understand, I've known her all my—" started Fairy Mary.
"No, you don't understand, I found some really great information on tinkering and she's… she's odd but I'm sure that she just needs a little push in the right direction and I'd have her meeting my friends and…"
"No, Tinkerbell, you don't understand…"
"No, you don't, you weren't there and maybe before you judge her you should really get to know her," snapped Tinkerbell.
"Tinkerbell-" but Tinkerbell had already taken off in a huff. She'd definitely go back now. Of course she'd get her half of the work done, but right after that she'd go back to look at books and attempt to find an excuse to start dragging Teardrop out of the box she'd caged herself in.
"Tink, where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Silvermist forcing Tinkerbell to stop as her hand was captured by the water talent. A second later Rosetta came flying behind them, panting under the strain of first looking for an hour for Tinkerbell and then chasing her almost all the way to Tinker Knock.
"Back home," said Tinkerbell harshly and tried to fly away, but Silvermist kept a firm grip.
"What's wrong Dew Drop?" asked Silvermist imploringly. "First Fairy Mary set up alarm over you being gone but wouldn't tell us why she was so worried. And now we find you flying as fast as you can back to Tinker's Knock all flustered. What's going on, do you need any help?"
"No, it's just, I did an interview for Pixie Hollow today, in fact Fairy Mary wanted me to do it, then I go and do it and find these great books and this lonely fairy and then Fairy Mary tells me I can't go back because Teardrop…"
"Teardrop?" suddenly Rosetta was all ears. "Oh, you poor thing, what did that horrible fairy do to you? You know, you should tell Queen Ree, she's been looking for…"
"What's wrong with you people?" demanded Tinkerbell. Silvermist looked between her friends in confusion and Rosetta looked affronted and confused. "Teardrop's just a little awkward and strict is all."
"No, Sunflower, you don't understand," said Rosetta, trying to smooth things over. Tinkerbell just became more defensive.
"No, you don't," she said shortly and took off once more with the assurance they wouldn't follow her.
She angrily snapped the door behind her, dislodging some dust and inspiring a sneezing fit. She would show them. Telling her that she didn't understand. They didn't understand, they couldn't see past what Teardrop showed them. A little voice told her that it was odd they thought that, what seemed like a reserved strict librarian was dangerous. Tinkerbell ignored that voice. She needed to see those books again, if just to solidify her idea for the invention, and to put her plan into effect, because there was no way that a fairy could have done anything that she couldn't be forgiven, given the chance.