Author Notes: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed; it really kept my spirits up. Luiz4200, Frightful, Chubby Cheese Goo, and Musicstar21. This is the last chapter so I hope you enjoy.
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. New: Queen Clarion and Queen Ree are the same person, another fact I stole off Wikipedia, sorry for any confusion it caused.
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.
Epilogue
It's a Talent to be a Librarian
Teardrop was pretty sure she'd never been happier. Of course she now had been given healer-talent potion that relieved her of stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, and had a strict diet that Ginger followed to the letter, all of which had been prescribed by the healing-talents because she apparently was low on some nutrients, or something like that. Still, she'd never felt so liked, there was something intoxicating about people coming up to her and acting like old friends and just having fun.
Of course any friends that Vidia might have gotten were quickly scared away by the fast flying fairy's bark and bite. There had been a week Vidia had refused to talk to the librarian since Vidia felt Teary was being too indulgent to the annoying fairies. Teardrop had babied her than, making sure to take over all the most embarrassing jobs until the fast flying fairy caved. It had been fun.
Then there was the fact that Vidia did now have friends, sort of. Tinkerbell's group had made it their mission to take care of Vidia. Teardrop helped of course, mostly trying to stop any blood from spilling under the fast flying fairy's temper. The odd teaching-fairy had shown up. Scrawl said that jaded fairies like them should stick together and form a group with Teardrop as the ambassador as she could 'speak their language.' Vidia had attempted to bite the teaching fairy and Teardrop hadn't been the one who had stopped the girl.
"Hello and how is my favorite fast flying fairy?" asked Teardrop as she caught said fairy before she could fly out her own window. Teardrop still refused to use the front door.
"Let me go, I can walk, my wings are fine, I'm going insane," said Vidia struggling to get out of the dark fairies hold as Teardrop gracefully ducked into the room.
"I caught her," said Teardrop loudly, holding Vidia up for all to see.
"You know what the healer said Vidia, no fast flying until next week, now come on, Tinkerbell made you a soup," said Rosetta with a particularly cruel smile.
"She can't cook worth nothing," said Vidia in fear.
"Sh, don't hurt her feelings," said Rosetta, not losing her evil smile. Teary decided she'd come to Vidia's rescue this one time.
"Well, that's too bad because Ginger made her famous chowder for everyone," said Teary with a false sigh.
"Forget my soup!" said Tinkerbell excitedly and grabbed the basket out of Teardrop's hand. From there it was immediately put in a pan on the stove to warm.
"I hate you," said Vidia glaring at Teardrop as the helpful fairies made sure she was sitting in a way that didn't jar any of her injuries.
"You should be grateful," said Teardrop sitting gracefully at her table and smirking at Vidia. "If you had been human if would have taken months before you were moving around like this again, and you never would have ever flown either."
"Shut up Teary," snapped Vidia and Teary rolled her eyes. Apparently this was a bad day.
"Well, someone's in a good mood," said Scrawl letting herself in Vidia's home.
"Get the pirates cove out of my house!" shouted Vidia.
"Someone's grumpy," Scrawl amended getting her own seat and sliding up to the table.
"I thought you couldn't make it," said Silvermist starting to set the table.
"I couldn't," said Scrawl with a shawl, not even trying to help as Teary got up and grabbed some silverware from the drawer. "And then I heard that you were having Ginger's chowder and zipped on over."
"Dear, what you are, is a mooch," said Vidia, and glared at Tinkerbell's giggle.
"And you're a Prima Dona," said Scrawl. "Now buck up and let the annoying cheerleading squad baby you."
"I'd rather they leave," snapped Vidia.
"Even us?" asked Teardrop.
"Especially you two, and take your soup with you," said Vidia viscously and glared as she was ignored.
"Hey," said Scrawl as the girls all went and sat down and she had no soup.
"Go away Scrawl and go do whatever you were going to do yesterday, it's not like you actually care if Vidia gets better or not," said Rosetta primly. Taking away Teardrop's wine and replacing it with her fruit water. Teary was wishing at that moment that they weren't so attentive. While the help with Vidia did mean she could learn the talents and run the library without having to constantly worry about the silly fast flying fairy. It also meant that that there was constantly someone around to make sure that Teardrop struck to her diet. It become almost impossible to sneak any sweets, nectar, or wine since her release.
"Give it back…" muttered Teardrop sipping at the water.
"That sort thing is bad for you," said Tinkerbell, confiscating it from Rosetta and making as if to dump it down the drain.
"Don't waste it, at least let the annoying garden fairy drink it," whined Teardrop.
"Hey," said Rosetta with an irritated glance at the dark fairy.
"The monster is right, no use letting go to waste," said Scrawl stealing the wine and downing it before she even got back to her seat.
"Stop calling her a monster or I'll really throw you out," threatened Vidia with her spoon.
"Yeah, yeah princess, whatever, but you still owe me for not telling the queen that she was getting out of her prison to visit you," said Scrawl with a smirk.
"I owe you nothing," snapped Vidia and took a determined bite of her chowder.
"Good thing that was soup," said Teardrop being delicate with her soup. "The last time you did that with a piece of cucumber you almost choked to death."
"Shut up," said Vidia and then ignored her for another overly dramatic bite of soup, which she swallowed down the wrong pipe and started choking.
"And that's just sort of sad," said Teardrop with a shake of her head and leaned over to give Vidia a few healthy whacks on the back. "Stop trying to grandstand. Scrawl and I think it's funny and the cheerleading squad doesn't really care."
"Stop calling us the cheerleading squad," said Rosetta. Teardrop started to wonder if there was something in the water that made fairies think spoons were weapons.
"Do you even know what a cheerleading squad is?" asked Scrawl.
"I know it's an insult from how you use it," snapped Rosetta with a glare.
"It depends on who you are," said Teardrop finishing up her soup with a sad sigh. "I don't think you'll like what they are Rosetta, but someone like Silvermist or Fawn probably won't mind that much."
"Silvermist doesn't mind much of anything," said Scrawl and Silvermist rolled her eyes in good humor. "And the animal-talent is a bit too much of a tom-boy to want to join a squad."
"Doesn't mean she would mind," said Teardrop.
"What is a cheerleader?" asked Tinkerbell, taking apart her burnt biscuit. She was the only one who had taken one. Probably because she felt some responsibility to the charred trash she had created. Vidia personally felt that the tinker should never be allowed to cook, ever.
"Where is Fawn? I thought that she'd be here by now," said Silvermist with a touch of concern in her eyes.
"Here I am, sorry for being late," said Fawn, banging the door open as she entered Vidia's house. The fast flying fairy glared for all she was worth at the annoyance.
"Wow, she has good timing," said Scrawl sounding impressed. "We were just talking about you sweetheart."
"Really?" asked Fawn going over to the pot and ladled some chowder in a bowl put to the side.
"Yeah, and the two rays of sunshine were helping Vidia learn new curses to use against us," said Rosetta lazily flipping her spoon.
"Oh, like what?" asked Fawn actually sitting in Teardrop's lap. The dark fairy shook her head but allowed it. She draped her arms around the fairies waist and her chin on one shoulder. It was nice to be the object of the animal-talent's strange affections. She was sure that the animal-talent was still closer to Iridesa probably even Rosetta, but she clung to Teardrop like a lifeline, looking to the dark fairy for advice and protection. Teardrop felt like a mother and really didn't mind all that much.
"Calling us cheerleaders," said Iridessa taking a good dip into the soup with a healthy piece of potato on the spoon. "How does Ginger do it?"
"That's old," said Fawn sounding disappointed. Teardrop rolled her eyes behind her eyelids. She really hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before. Ree had wanted to spend some quality sister time together. Something that always was a mix of joy and calm, and constant tension that wasn't going to disappear any time soon. Ree at the moment was still unsure of Teardrop's innocence, and also felt guilty for locking her away when the answer to their problems should have been obvious. Teardrop still was a little bitter about being locked away and was also trying to make sure she did nothing to make her sister lock her away in the ground.
"Yeah, but before you came and put a stop to it the conversation was rapidly moving in that direction," said Rosetta and sighed dramatically.
"I could still come up with a special one just for you," said Vidia and turned to Teardrop, frowning at the scene of her being comfortable with one of the 'enemies.' "You got anything new from your books I can squeeze into the loud-mouth garden-talents new nickname?"
"No, but if Iris doesn't start doing her job and actually leave my library once in a while I'm going to rake her across the coals and then hang her out to dry," said Teardrop glaring at the table. Silvermist started to clear the table.
"That metaphor makes no sense," said Iridessa.
"Don't take it so literally," said Teardrop.
"What made you say it?" asked Fawn turning to try and look the dark fairy. Seeing as their faces were lined up that was next to impossible. Teardrop rolled her eyes. Some people just didn't understand when the subject needed to be changed.
"I found her around three still in the library working with a patch of light she'd gotten from one of her friends," Teardrop glared at Iridessa who had the decently to look ashamed.
"I didn't think she'd stay that late," said Iridessa meekly.
"When I turn off the lights it means everyone should already be gone," said Teardrop, wondering how intimidated she looked with Fawn as her fairy sized teddy bear.
"But she said she was reading something important about her garden," said Iridessa, folding her hands and smiling anxiously.
"She's been reading something important about her garden since Tinkerbell told everyone there were books of all talents in my library. The only thing that'll do good for her now is to actually tend to her garden," said Teardrop with an annoyed frown.
"You don't think she's bad or something, for Pixie Hollow?" asked Fawn haltingly.
"What? No, she's just a nuisance," said Teardrop looking at the other in confusion. Everyone let an almost collective sigh. Teardrop closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep on Fawn's shoulder.
"That reminds me," said Fawn, bouncing a little and gaining an annoyed scowl at her neck from Teardrop. "They're expecting another fairy soon, so keep your eyes open Vidia."
"I'm not allowed out of my house," sneered Vidia.
"We'll take you out for a fly later and let you stretch your wings," said Teardrop not opening eyes. She could feel the glare that Vidia was sending her and would rather not burn her eyes because of its intensity.
"Hey, how about next time we meet at my house," said Rosetta. "There's enough room there to invite everyone to dinner, we might even get Dulcie to cook for us."
"Great, now I'll get some peace and quiet," said Vidia, Teardrop thought that was a rather naïve of her.
"We'll be dragging you along," said Rossetta.
"You'll be doing nothing of the sort," growled Vidia.
"I won't help you," said Teardrop when Fawn turned toward her slightly.
"Fine, then we'll just have to have it here," rationalized Tinkerbell. "We'll invite Bobble, Clank, and Terrance."
"Rani," and the list started getting longer and longer and Teardrop waited patiently for Vidi ato blowup at the scheming fairies.
"No, how in the world would you even get all those people in here?" demanded Vidia until her voice squeaked oddly. Teardrop opened one eye her way and was given a firm pout for her troubles.
"Well, we could do it right outside," said Silvermist.
"I'm not coming out," said Vidia stubbornly. This time Teardrop opened both eyes and look bemusedly at the fast flying fairy. It was almost as if the contrary fairy wanted proof that the cheerleading squad would make sure to include her. Teardrop mouthed 'fishing' at the fast flying fairy. A fork picked up a piece of pie which soared through the air to hit the librarian right between the eyes. Teardrop blinked in surprise and saw a small sliver of pie next to Fawn's half eaten one. Fawn bit into it with Teardrop's fork and offered it to the dark fairy whose lap she was sitting on.
"Fine, put we should at least invite some of the sparrow men," said Rosetta and then smirked at Vidia. "You have to agree, Terrance is a fine bit of eye candy."
"I have all the eye candy I need right here," said Vidia with a smirk of her own. Teardrop tried to bite at the fork held just out of her reach.
"What's eye candy?" asked Tinkerbell interrupting the silence. "And why would Vidia want to eat Terrance?"
"Stop talking," said Scrawl hitting her head against her palms, and then looked at Tinkerbell with an odd sort of pain in her eyes. "You know, sometimes your naiveté can be plan annoying."
"But how can someone be candy?" asked Tinkerbell. "Why would a fairy want to eat a sparrow man?"
"Not eat fairies you stupid twit," scolded Vidia with an extravagant roll of her eyes. "It means that you enjoy looking at a certain gender of fairies. You like the way their face looks, or their curves. It's an attraction formed merely on the surface level."
"But, wouldn't you want that fairy to have a good personality?" asked Tinkerbell, everyone at the table flinched at that.
"I'm not going to marry eye candy," said Vidia in exasperation. "That would be moronic."
"Then what's it good for?" asked Tinkerbell, apparently forgetting that eye candy was indeed another fairy and not just a good-looking fairy.
"Admiring. Eye candy is the perfect specimens of fairy physique," said Scrawl.
"What makes a person eye candy?" asked Tinkerbell. Teardrop glared at Vidia. Who apparently took that as an invitation to fill the tinker in on what eye candy meant. Teardrop sighed. This was a really annoying conversation.
"They have to look good," said Vidia slowly and then rolled her eyes as Tinkerbell continued to look confused. "Listen, people who like sparrow men would consider someone like Terrance a ten on the good-lookin' factor while Clank would at most be a two. On the other hand people who like fairies would think you as a ten and Fair Mary closer to a two."
"You know, some people might like the way Fairy Mary looks," said Iridessa and then ducked under Vidia's haughty glare.
"Those people need their eyes checked," said Vidia and Teardrop mouthed shallow at her. Vidia ignored her, apparently deciding that the other fairy wasn't worth it.
"So, I'm eye candy?" Vidia blushed and everyone looked at the fast flying fairy in shook. Rosetta coughed, not really trying to cover the fact she was really laughing.
"Actually," said Vidia actually taking time to analyze what she'd said. Iridessa choked on her food a little… which was hard seeing as she didn't have any pie left. "You have the makings of one down to a letter. Not only are you cute as a button, you're also just as shallow, air-headed, and stupid as their supposed to be."
"Watch who you call shallow," laughed Scrawl underneath the cries of outrage from everyone else. Teardrop shared a smile with the teaching fairy.
"In any event," said Teardrop, and miraculously enough everyone just stopped talking. "How would we even get Rani here? Isn't she finned or something?"
"Finned? What does that even mean?" demanded Rosetta.
"No, no, she doesn't have wings anymore, but she still has legs," said Silvermist and smiled lazily.
"What use is she then?" asked Teardrop making Silvermist quickly lose that smile.
"She's a water-talent, and gave up her wings in order to save Mother Dove," growled Rosetta. "She's the only fairy in Pixie Hollow who can swim."
"Oh, well in that case I think all water fairies should give up their wings," said Teardrop with a nod of her head.
"Teary!" they all shouted at the dark fairy. Who just closed her eyes and rested her chin on Fawn's shoulder. The conversation easily slipped into nonsense. The afternoon spent in easy friendship, Scrawl disappearing around the same time Rosetta said her goodbyes. Teardrop hung onto fawn the whole time. The other was scared, and though the other didn't know why she kept her hold.
And when they took Vidia out to fly she made sure to make it as hard on the fast flying fairy as she could… without harming the silly flitter at any rate.
--
Teardrop stood at the edge of the circle looking out on the gathered groups of fairy talents, all their attention focused on one small fairy clothed in a green leaf. The little girl looked jittery, ringing her hands and looking at everyone around her with fast but blurry eyes. She'd need glasses that one.
Whispers of her sister's name broke out and Teardrop let her wings carry her to the Winter Minister's side. Knowing that she was expected to float among the 'big' fairies and not stand like a human on the ground. Ree made a flashy entrance and the dark fairy immediately had to clutch hard to the book she'd confiscated from Iris so as not to burst out in giggles.
"Born of laughter, clothed in cheer, happiness has brought you here. Welcome to Pixie Hollow. I trust you found your way alright (1)," said Ree serenely, only to shake with suppressed laughter that probably only Teardrop could actually see.
"She still uses that?" asked Teardrop.
"Of course, she never forgot you," said the helper and smiled kindly.
"That would be kinda hard," said Teardrop in confusion. A hand found its way to her heart.
"Then she never really stopped loving you," said the minister and then returned to watch the proceedings. Teardrop looked on without seeing. It wasn't that she had disliked her job welcoming in new fairies. It was just that she had never appreciated gaining even that much attachment to some that wasn't her sister. Let Ree do the whole bonding thing. Teardrop was happy with her small group of friends no matter how much they fought and often didn't get along.
Ree was perfect though. She was someone with morals of a Goddess, and a good head to run Pixie Hollow. The only thing was she was stubborn, and from experience Teardrop knew that attribute could be both a blessing and a curse, depending on what the crisis was. Still, she had Teardrop, and over time Ree would trust her sister enough to listen when Teardrop told her she was being stubborn.
It hadn't been exactly fun last month. She zipped from talent to talent learning as much as she could of the basics in a week or less before going to the next talent and learning from them. The fast pace was to make sure that the talents wouldn't overtake her on principal, somehow manifest itself overnight and then work through her body to take over Pixie Hollow. Her sister was being paranoid. Teardrop would have pointed out that she hadn't gone berserk in her library until Ree threatened her, but Ree got that look in her eyes and Teardrop knew it'd be pointless.
At least she'd learned allot about how the various talents saw her. It actually was divided oddly by season. Winter season seemed to be the most cautious of her, spring the most accepting, and fall the most hostile. Teardrop obviously had no way of knowing what summer thought of her… yet. Also the amount of people who had passed on was extraordinary, especially because Ree and two of her helpers were some of the only fairies alive she'd ever been semi close to. Not that there weren't people like Rosetta who remembered the time, just none she had known, maybe had talked to only in passing.
"Oh my," said one of the fairies catching Teardrop's attention. She looked down on the scene. The new fairy looked like she was about to fall into tears and Teardrop saw a second later why. All the talents had fallen, and none had been hers. There were no talents at the moment without a means to identify themselves. Teardrop had heard of that happening from time to time, some of the more famous ones being metal and adventure-talents, where instead of being proclaimed had to be sought out in some fashion by the first fairy of its kind. That must mean she was someone new to her talent.
The poor thing, she didn't look up to going on the trek alone to find out what her new talent was. She didn't look like the sort strong enough to figure out on her own what having that talent meant.
"Oh dear, what if she doesn't have a talent?" said the minister, mostly to herself and then looked in horror at Teardrop. The dark fairy just shrugged.
"Not possible," said Teardrop.
"But…"
"It isn't possible," asserted Teardrop. Why would they try to convince her otherwise? It would be better to just laugh it off and lie. Though, Teardrop wasn't worried, there wasn't such thing as a fairy without a talent.
"Teary!" said Ree, Teardrop looked up quickly and noticed green eyes staring intensely at her. Wondering what was wrong she flew down to her sister's side.
"She seems taken with you," said Ree and Teardrop nodded. Until she noticed that the fairy wasn't really looking at her.
"No, it's not me," said Teardrop and ignored her sister's confused gaze. She walked close to the young fairy and held out the gardening book to the small thing. Small cream hands reached up and took it, and the book glowed brightly in the small fairies hands.
"Well, it seems that we have found your talent," said Ree sending Teary a proud smile. Teary smiled proudly back, unable to contain her joy at the smile she had been gifted with. "From this day forth you will be known Bookwish."
And with that Ree turned into a ball of light and flew away. Teardrop snorted at the theatrics. She still remembered the day that her sister had been stuck as a ball of light. That had been entertaining.
Something shifted to her side and Teary smiled. She had a subordinate!
"Bookwish huh?" said Teardrop and turned on the fairy with a critical eye. Bookwish shrunk a little.
"Well then fairy, do you think you have what it takes to be a librarian?" said Teardrop in her most commanding tone, and to Teardrop's great surprise the little thing started crying.
"What did I do?" she asked and then grabbed the fairies chin and made the new librarian look at her. "Sh, it's alright, I'm sure you'll make a great librarian. Why are you still crying? I said I'm sorry, you're my first worker, you can't – cry."
And Teardrop took that as a cue to start crying herself.
She 'came to' a little while later with Vidia awkwardly patting her back and not looking at her embarrassing friend. Teardrop looked up to see the cheerleading squad comforting her new charge and Bookwish looking at Teary with still a little fear but also wonder.
"See, she's just as nervous as you are, she's just learned to be mean when nervous instead of immediately falling to tears, that's just something that closely follows her losing control," said Rosetta with a straight face.
"Rosetta," growled Teardrop, but looked back at Bookwish who had immediately recoiled back into Tinkerbell's grasp at Teardrop's harsh voice.
She forced a smile.
"I'm sorry, really, you seem like a bright fairy and I'm sure you'll take to the library like a fish to water," encouraged Teardrop and the young fairy almost cracked a smile. Vidia sighed in exasperation.
"Whatever, I'll take Teardrop back to the library, you guys show the new girl around," said Vidia making shooing motions at the group. Bookwish eyed the fast flying fairy, and hid deeper in the group.
"Well, that proves she's got a good head on her shoulder," said Teardrop giving Bookwhish an encouraging smile. To be fair to the poor thing she didn't have a clue what was going on.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Vidia.
"She was instantly suspicious of you," said Teardrop proudly and smiled at Bookwish. "Shows she's a good judge of character."
Vidia looked more disappointed than usual at that. But rolled her eyes, hitched a hand under Teardrop's armpit and started dragging her away.
"Come on you dead weight, you're breaking your promise to your sister acting like this," said Vidia dragging hard on her friend. "You guys bring the thing around when you think she'll be safe."
"Don't let Vidia overdo it!" shouted Iridessa. "Not after we put so much work into her!"
"Will do," said Teardrop, this time flying by herself.
"Ah, so, done crying?" asked Vidia as they flew into the library. Teardrop smiled and flew to land in her hammock.
"I was over the minute I stopped," she said and then squirmed while she tried to find a comfortable position.
"Of course you cried with a new born fairy, which puts you down to level of pathetic," sneered Vidia, Teardrop turned to her in confusion.
"I thought I reached that three or so years ago," said Teardrop. Vidia threw up her hands at the impossible fairy and went to sulk in the cupboards. Teardrop liked annoying the fairy; it wasn't like it was hard, most of the time she only had to act like herself. But, at other times she wished that the fast flying fairy was just a smidge kinder. Not that Teardrop blamed Vidia for the way she turned. She was sure that Vidia had learned half of her bitterness from being such a powerful fast flying fairy. That was one thing that hadn't changed much in one hundred years. Each generation was taught by the one before it to be harsh and snobbish.
So Vidia's talent-kin tended to fly around like they owned the place and were the only talent-kin known to turn out the 'bad' fairies. It meant that when one showed up with more power she was thought to be the worse. Someone who would have had to be born with an energetic and forward personality to be seen as anything different. And since Vidia had definitely been born with just a touch of snobbery and destined to be at least slightly anti-social, well, the outcome was a self-obsessed, fast flying obsessed, hard to get along with, pessimistic fairy.
Though, that didn't mean she wasn't a good friend. Vidia had risked her life and reputation for after all. Well, Teardrop was pretty sure that was the fairies reason for doing it.
"Hey, you're not going out with that annoying animal talent are you?" asked Vidia, an actual hint of – something unsure in her question. Teary snorted at the thought.
"No, why?"
"Well, she's just way too young for you," said Vidia, the last part of her sentence a little rushed.
"Careful there, someone might think you're jealous," said Teary lifting off her shoulders to see Vidia shove the wine back in its hiding place, well, at least it would be easy to find now. "Ah that's right; you only have eyes for the interfering tinker."
"Shut up or I'll tell Ginger you know where the wine is," threatened Vidia and Teardrop pretended to take her seriously and pouted.
"This is ridiculous, I mean, I've known you," said Vidia and hit her hand against the wall. Teardrop flung herself off the hammock and came to stand next to her friend.
"What do you mean?" she asked the fast flying fairy softly.
"Now that you're learning the talents," said Vidia and turned around, giving her friend a once over. "It just means that next a fairy who is a danger to Pixie Hollow you'll get rid in a way that can't be traced back to you."
Teardrop smirked; trust Vidia not to beat about the bush.
"You think Ree doesn't know that?" asked Teary.
Vidia snorted and shook her head.
The library doors choose that moment to bang open.
"Hail the conquering heroes!" shouted Rosetta.
"Whispers please," said Teardrop floating down. "That was fast, has Bookwish seen everything?"
"Well, nearly," said Iridessa nervously. "We kinda came back here when she freaked out after being chased by a hawk."
"I think I would have freaked out if that happened on my first day too," said Teary and then smiled at Bookwish. "Still, more time to get her settled in. Get her own hammock and everything."
Bookwish ran forward and shakily hugged Teary. The dark fairy looked down in confusion at the dark head. Who had told the little one this was a good idea? Looking up she noticed that Tinkerbell was looking very self-satisfied and with a sigh returned the hug.
"Well, I'll take that as my cue to leave," said Vidia with a strained smile. "See you later Teary."
Teardrop thought that speed the fast flying fairy left with was very impressive for someone confined to her house for such a long time.
"Oh no," said Rosetta, wings already buzzing. "She is not ruining all our hard work."
"Wait for me!" called Iridessa. With that they were gone, except Silvermist who took her time to calm herself and start leaving at a slow pace.
"Taking your time?" asked Teardrop teasingly.
"She doesn't have that much stamina yet," shrugged Silvermist. "At the pace she was going she'd be lucky to get to a safe outcrop on the Home Tree."
Teardrop smirked and nodded in agreement. Silvermist smiled kindly and left.
"Well then," said Teary pushing Bookwish back to look her in the eyes. "What should we do first? You're too shy to start yelling at books, and to skittish to go down in the archives. So then, how about I just show you where everything is, and then we'll have Ginger cook us some breakfast?"
Bookwish smiled shyly and Teardrop repeated the action. She guided the fairy toward the first shelf and started telling her new charge facts. Perhaps the dark fairy really could find happiness. Perhaps she'd never have to worry about 'taking care of someone' ever again. But only time would tell.