Disclaimer: I acknowledge that Disney Fairies & associated content are owned by Walt Disney Company. I am not interested in profiting from this document. It is for the enjoyment of fans only.
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Lizzy's Sunset - Chapter 7 - Lizzy/Beth's Talent
Beth fluttered her aching body after Viola, through hallways and down staircases. From flashes of window-light, it looked to be about mid-morning. If anyone expected her bright & early, they were going to be disappointed. "Fair enough," Beth thought, "After the rough day I'd been through."
"Queen Clarion dispatched a fast-flyer to the mainland, very early this morning," Viola told her, "To call-in a rare talent you'll be meeting."
Beth still wanted more sleep, and she was starving, but there was no time for that. Her worries were pushed away by her excitement; Viola had told her they knew what her missing talent was!
As they entered the Main Hall, Beth saw Queen Clarion speaking with one of the tearoom fairies, who was covering a yawn, and another fairy Beth had never seen before. She was small, with freckles, wavy dark copper hair, and wore pink & light green colors. Viola and Beth landed near the others. Beth's legs nearly buckled under tired muscles.
"Ah, we're all here." declared Clarion. "Everyone, this is Beth, our newest fairy." Beth blushed as they all looked her way. "Beth dear, do you remember going out to the tearoom, late last night?"
The question took Beth off-guard. Her stomach growled as she said "No, Queen Clarion."
"Flan," Clarion turned to the tearoom fairy, "Is this the fairy you saw last night?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Beth was getting nervous. This was looking more like an inquiry, instead of a talent search.
"Describe to us what you saw." said Clarion.
"Well, Your Highness, it was after midnight. I was alone in the dining room, cleaning tables, when I looked up and saw Beth here, eating a muffin. She must have come in very quickly and quietly. I spoke to her, then she vanished right in front of me!"
The copper-haired fairy gasped, and burst into a huge smile, wings vibrating.
"Thank you, Flan." finished Clarion. "I'm sorry to wake you during your off-time. You may go now."
"Thank you, Queen Clarion." Flan said, yawning as she left.
"Are you sure you don't remember that, Beth?" asked Clarion, in soothing tones. Beth was beginning to tremble, but it could have been her hunger.
"I- I think I had a dream like that." Beth said.
"The muffin is upstairs, My Lady, in Beth's waste basket." volunteered Viola. The copper-haired fairy fidgeted with restrained exuberancy, and made little squeaking noises.
"Beth, I think it's time I introduced you to Prilla." Clarion indicated the remaining fairy. "We think you may share Prilla's talent. I'll leave you both to work things out." Clarion and Viola floated out, glancing at each other with smiles.
Prilla leapt forward, grasping Beth's shoulders. "Is it true?" she burst out with enthusiasm, "Did you really pop out for a late night snack?"
"I don't remember... maybe." answered Beth.
"Well, let's try you out!" Prilla stepped back. "Relax. Close your eyes. Imagine your apartment, feel yourself THERE, make yourself BE there." Beth tried, but couldn't focus. She opened her eyes.
"I can't. I'm too tired and hungry."
"You didn't have breakfast?" Prilla asked. Beth shook her head "no".
"Oh. Well then... Dulsie's tearoom! Feel yourself THERE, make yourself BE there."
Beth closed her eyes, and vanished.
Prilla was howling with joy as she Apparated into Dulsie's tearoom beside Beth. They both hugged, jumping, and shrieking with happiness. Fairies came rushing out of the kitchen.
"I think you've earned breakfast!" claimed Prilla.
They settled into brunch. Beth ate like a hungry lumberjack, which seemed to revitalize her, and made some of her aches fade.
"So I've got a talent." Beth glowed. "You wouldn't believe what they put me through. What is it, that you... we... are doing?"
"The wizarding world calls it Apparition, or Disapparition/Apparition." explained Prilla. "We can jump between 2 physical locations through a short tunnel we make in hyperspace. Wizards & witches need a wand, and make loud noises when they Apparate, but I think that's just because they need to move their big, clumsy human bodies."
"It's fun." Beth smiled. "Can you... we... Apparate anywhere?"
"Anywhere we've actually been to, or can see nearby, but we can't jump to a picture of someplace. You have to remember being there."
"What talent are we called?"
"We're mainland-visiting talents." Beth looked confused. "You may not have been told, but fairies' existence depends on human children believing that fairies are real. If a child stops believing, a fairy can fade away and never return."
"That's horrible!" Beth turned pale.
"I know." Prilla replied, grimly. "Visiting the mainland is a big part of what I do. I approach and interact with human children."
"You let them see you? What if they grab or hurt you?"
"We can Apparate, remember?" Beth thumped her head lightly, and smiled sheepishly. "Besides, most children are good-natured and would never think of harming a fairy."
After brunch, and pixie dust, Prilla and Beth played a "tag" game all over Pixie Hollow. They would take turns calling out the name of a location, then Apparate to it. Beth was a bit handicapped, as she was still new to Pixie Hollow and hadn't seen every place yet. But they managed to annoy a lot of fairies, with their popping in and out. Beth didn't even need to close her eyes to Apparate now.
"You've GOT to meet my friends!" Prilla said, with glee. "Now, who's top-of-the-list?" she asked herself. "I know! I'll be right back." She vanished for half a minute, then re-appeared.
"She's out in a newly cleared crop field. I've never been there either, so we'll have to fly." Prilla and Beth took to the air.
It had taken about 20 minutes for the garden fairies to move the load of rocks onto the new wagon that Tinker Bell had delivered. After the garden fairies pulled away, Tink had a chance to look over the wagon they had broken.
"No wonder," Tink said to herself, "The broken axle's worn in half, the bearings are worn out, and the front axle's not much better." It was badly in need of an overhaul. "I'll be lucky to get it back to the shop in one piece! How could this happen?" She made a mental note to speak to the tinkers about getting out to inspect neglected wagons more often.
She set to work, using her favorite work-mouse, Cheese, to help lift the wagon. "Give a pull, Cheese." she called. Cheese leaned away from the side of the wagon, pulling on a twine looped over a boom-twig, which lifted the opposite side of the wagon. Tink shoved a jack-stand under that side, then set Cheese up to do the other side.
Once the wagon was securely up on the stands, Tink worked at prying and beating the remains of the ruined axle & bearings from the wagon's back end. She then rolled a utility axle under the wagon, and began fastening it in place.
As she worked, she thought for the 100th time, about what she was going to say when she finally met Lizzy. The new fairy had been named "Beth" by Queen Clarion, but Tink had an impossible time getting herself to accept that.
She imagined Lizzy standing before her, and said quietly "Hello, Lizzy... No! Not Lizzy; Beth!" She tried again. "Hello, Lizz... Beth. Argh. I did it again!" She gave an extra-hard crank on her wrench. "Why did Queen Clarion have to name her... uh... Beth, anyway?" she thought, scornfully.
Tink sighed. "I'm not ready to meet her." she thought. While under the wagon, she heard Cheese give some "recognition" chirps from nearby. Tink crouched to look at Cheese, and asked "What is it, boy?". She heard nothing more, so reached for her mallet on the ground. It was gone.
"I put it right here just a moment ago." thought Tink, looking around. She jumped as she heard a thud on the wagon above her. Crawling out, she discovered the missing mallet on the wagon. "How did it get up here?" She grabbed the runaway mallet, and crawled back under the wagon, using it to knock a bearing into place. She then reached for her wrench, which was gone.
"What in Neverland...?" she muttered. Cheese chirped again, as she heard a thud on the wagon above her. Tink's skin began to crawl as she quickly clambered out from under the wagon. She looked around the newly plowed crop-field. She was alone with Cheese. When Tink looked at the back of the wagon, she found her wrench, and also a fresh cupcake on one of Dulsie's tea plates.
Tink smiled, and turned to face the treeline. With her hands on her hips, she yelled "Come on out Prilla! I know it's you!"
Beth appeared before Tink, with a big smile and arms out, exclaiming "It's me!"
Prilla appeared beside Beth, shouting "Surprise!"
Beth's smile and arms dropped as she looked into Tink's face. "T- Tinker Bell?" she asked timidly.
In that instant, Tink knew she couldn't pretend. "Hello, Lizzy." she said.
"Tinker Bell!" cried Lizzy/Beth, as she hugged Tink. She stepped back after a moment, and asked "Who's Lizzy?"
"You will always be Lizzy to me." replied Tink.
"I think I like that name." pondered Lizzy/Beth. "It feels... right."
"You two know each other?" asked Prilla, who had been watching the drama with puzzlement.
Tink: "Yes."
Lizzy: "No."
"Well, this is the first time I've met her," explained Lizzy "But I somehow know her."
"I'll tell you a story," said Tink, with an enticing smile "If you ride back to Pixie Hollow with me."
"Okay!" Prilla & Lizzy answered with enthusiasm.
Tink finished patching the wagon, they loaded her tools and parts, hitched up Cheese, and were off to the tinker shop.
Tink let Cheese pad along at his own pace. "Queen Clarion made me promise not to tell anyone about Lizzy, but now it's time for Fairy Tale Theater." Lizzy and Prilla giggled.
"Once upon a time, there was a human girl named Lizzy..."
"What a crazy name." laughed Lizzy.
"... who met a fairy named Tinker Bell."
"A fairy? I don't believe it." grinned Prilla. Tink and Lizzy stared at her. "Alright, bad joke." Tink and Lizzy laughed, as Prilla recovered her smile.
Over the next 15 or 20 minutes, Tink sketched out what she knew about Lizzy. Tink's two friends gazed down the path in silence.
Prilla cleared her throat. "I didn't realize you were a storyteller-talent, Tink."
"I don't remember any of that." said Lizzy. "Except, I know my way around Pixie Hollow, and I know you Tinker Bell," smiling warmly at Tink, "And that fairy journal..."
"I thought you were entitled to some history." justified Tink. "Remember, not a word to anyone."
"Who could believe THAT story." mused Prilla. "Does this mean all of us were once..."
"Maybe." Tink cut her off. "I've thought about that, too." They rode in silence for a moment.
"So, Lizzy," perked up Tink "You found your talent."
"Yes." beamed Lizzy.
"You must be so happy, Prilla."
"I sure am." Prilla grinned.
"I can tell you two are going to be best friends." Tink smiled.
They chatted about Pixie Hollow gossip, until the wagon pulled up before the tinker workshops. Since it was late afternoon, Tinker Bell decided she would finish early. She unhitched Cheese and put him out with the other work-mice. She also scribbled a note on a Service leaf, stuck it to the wagon, then left for supper with her two friends.
At Dulsie's tearoom, Lizzy told Prilla and Tinker Bell about most of her talent-searching adventures over the last 3 days. Tink and Prilla almost choked on their food, laughing at her day with Pauline the woodcutter.
"Yeah, Pauline's quite an imposing fairy." Tink added. "Clank used to hide whenever she was around."
"So now that you have a talent," said Prilla with a new topic, "They'll soon be pushing you out of your royal apartment." Beth looked worried.
"You'll be contacted by carpenter-talents and decorating-talents." Tink assured her. "And maybe tinkers." she winked.
"Oh, I wish I could live in that dollhouse you said I used to have." Lizzy said wistfully.
"I kno-o-ow!" Tink sagged momentarily in lust at the thought of the dollhouse. "Not as grand as Queen Clarion's quarters, but definitely classy."
"They'll find you something cozy." said Prilla. "You could live next to me!"
"I'd like that." smiled Lizzy. She had her talent, and her friends. What more could a fairy ask for?
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Author's Post Note: A lot of what Prilla & Lizzy are doing is inspired by Harry Potter (of course), and by the movie "Jumper".
Within a week, almost every fairy in Pixie Hollow is calling Beth, "Lizzy".
Got to find an end to this story soon, I'm running low on ideas for it, and there are other stories which need telling. More Lizzy adventures in chapter 8!