"Clank? Bobble?" Tink called as she fluttered back into the Nook. Anxiously, she glanced around the workshop, trying to pick her friends out of the crowd as Terence landed behind her, huffing and heaving the basked of dust further into the air. "Guys? You here?"

"Tink..." Terence wheezed. "Wait...up..."

She ignored him, darting forward to great a number of tinkers just returning from Sunflower Meadow, arms full of tools and debris left over from the mice stampede. Several leaped back in surprise at her sudden arrival but she took no notice of this. As she inquired the whereabouts of the two sparrowmen, Terence sighed and sat the basked down, only for it to be instantly snapped up by a number of surrounded fairies and automatically divided amongst them.

"Sorry, Tinkerbell," one of the fairies said, shaking her head much to the blond's disappointment. "I haven't seen them since this morning. Clank mentioned something about working on some 'new improved' version of the firework launcher from last year's display. Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't burned half of the Hollow to the ground yet."

"They're probably out in Autumn," Lucinda put in, leaning around a large bag resembling something that humans tended to carry around during the winter holidays, "since Fairy Mary isn't around to hound them about productivity again."

Tink frowned and Terence moved to intercept if she decided to go off on another tangent. "She's not?" she repeated. "Where is she?"

Lucinda shrugged. "I think she went to talk to the Queen about something."

"Queen Clarion?"

"Easy, Tink," Terence warned.

"Uh..." Lucinda frowned. "Yes? Unless you know any other Queens that she might have gone to see?"

"Er, no," Tink answered quickly, taking an anxious step back to scan the workshop once more. "And you're sure that you haven't seen the boys around...?"

Lucinda sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Okay, Tink, if you really want to find them, I would suggest you start by looking for the biggest and most haphazard lights display in the entire hollow and follow the sounds of complete and total disaster. But, then again, you're very in tune to finding disasters, aren't you?"

"Okay, first off, hurtful and uncalled for," Tink commented. "And second; I think that tells me exactly where they went! Thank you, Lucinda!"

"Uh...wait...it does?" Lucinda frowned at her. "How does that tell you anyth-"

But Tink was already spinning back toward Terence who was still passing out baskets, struggling to keep up with the line. One of the other fairies had come over to assist him. The two of them would be able to finish on their own, Tink decided as she left Lucinda and fluttered over to join the commotion. "I'm going to take your advice!" she called over the ruckus.

"Which part?" Terence yelled back.

"They're at the cove! I'm going down to the beach and I'm going to talk to him and set this all straight!"

"Good!" her boyfriend responded as he tossed another bundle to Angus who obediently passed it on down the line. "And when you do, don't forget to mention how sorry you are for ever doubting him! Because whatever happened between the two of you, it needs to be resolved right here and now. You've both let this drag on for much too long already."

"I hear you!" Tink agreed, nodding determinedly. "But, I'm going to be gone for a little bit. Are you okay here to keep passing out all of these baskets if I go?"

"I think we can handle it," Terence decided, glancing back at the line and receiving a thumbs-up from Angus. "Go on, Tink. Go make things right. That's what you're good at after all, isn't it?"

He's right, Tink decided, giving him a warm and grateful smile before turning and zipping off from the clearing. I need to apologize to Bobble and get everything back to the way it was before. It's too risky for anyone to know what really happened when we fought Shade and if Terence can see that something is wrong between us, how much have others begun to notice the same? I don't want that leading back to the conclusion that Bobble was at all involved in what happened-even if it is the truth.

So maybe I should start with something along the lines of "hey, I know you didn't lie to me-to us-because you didn't trust us. I know you were trying to do what was best to keep everyone safe. That's what you've always done and there is no way for me to hate you for that decision and I want to continue being your friend if you'll let me try."

No, that sounded too desperate. What she needed was a way to convince him that she wasn't going to hold one tiny mistake over him for the rest of eternity. A good apology would make everything better, but she didn't even know where to begin.

I'm sorry about everything. I've been an extremely lousy guildmate and an even worse friend and I would understand if you never wanted to speak to me again but I thought I should at least tell you that I know what I did was wrong and that I am so sorry for the way I treated you.

There, now that sounded better. Short, but more to the point. She'd never been very good at apologies anyway. Perhaps this way she could at least manage to blurt it all out before she lost her nerve and retreated to hide in her house for the rest of her life. Perhaps that was the only way she would be able to bear the embarrassment. Ever since her arrival, he had been nothing but kind to her and she had never once suspected that he'd been trying to hide the truth, not only because he was trying to protect her, but because he had been afraid. Afraid of being an outcast, of never fitting in, of being feared. He'd told her all about Shade and how everyone had discovered his powers early on and then had gone on to do everything in their power to steer clear of him no matter what the cost. Bobble had been terrified that revealing his multitude of talents would have produced the same results and would have driven his friends away. Tink understood that now.

And perhaps there had been a better way to communicate about this from both sides. Yes, Tink had been hurt (and blatantly shocked) that he hadn't confided such a big secret in her, but at the same time, she knew he felt just as terrible about keeping it a secret for all this time. Neither of them should have come to the point of no longer communicating-or worse yet, forcing Clank to intervene between them.

It just seemed as though everything had simply fallen apart around them and there were so many pieces that still needed to be picked up and put back together that she feared one or two had been lost along the way.

Well, his friendship was not going to be one of them. Not if she had anything to say about it.

And if there was one thing that Tinkerbell was good about, it was having something to say.

He wouldn't stand a chance. She would just break down his defenses with an apology so sincere and perfect that he couldn't possibly find it in him to reject it and then things would go back to exactly how they had been before. They could forget the insanity with Shade and Spurn and all of that madness about Protectors and secrets and dark magic because it was all over and done with now. Bobble had decided that the Hollow was safe now and he had renounced the title of Protector. He was exactly who he wanted to be now.

For the first time, Tink understood how good it felt to be ordinary. After what she had seen, she was okay with an ordinary life any day and she hadn't even been the one with the insane number of talents to begin with. It was hard for her to imagine how he must have been handling it.

Well, she was about to find out soon enough.

She kept her eyes low to the ground as she zipped over Summer and rounded the island toward the shore, scanning the thinning trees and feeling the salty wind collide against her eyes, causing them to water slightly. In the distance, thick clouds knotted themselves over Skull Rock and she winced, catching a glimpse of long ribbon lightning streaking toward the ocean. The storm was a good ways off yet and by the current breeze, she suspected it would blow off course just enough to miss the Hollow but it still made her extremely nervous to see the squall building so rapidly.

At least it wasn't one of her clumsy guildmates causing a stream of havoc this time. She could rest easy in that knowledge.

And speaking of her clumsy guildmates, she spotted a flash of golden light below her on the shore near a big collection of rocks, not far from where she liked to scavenge for lost things. She quickly altered her direction and came swooping down to land on a boulder behind him, earning a startled yell of surprise and for the sparrowman to drop an entire armload of random objects.

"Hey, Clank!" Tink called, putting on a fake cheery tone as she fluttered around to help him pick up his things, snagging a large button as it rolled across the sand and tossing it back to him so he could catch it on top of his already teetering pile.

"Hiya, Miss Bell!" Clank responded loudly over the sound of the waves bashing the shoreline. "What brings you down 'ere this time o' the day?"

"Mmm, nothing much," she answered, unsure how much she should say before she found the other tinker-talent. She peered over Clank's shoulder to further down the beach and he turned to follow her gaze, smiling gently as he realized who she was searching for.

"'e's further down the beach," the sparrow-man informed her as he moved panickedly to keep his armload from tipping over. "Searching for something to add to some super secret project 'e's been working on lately."

"Super secret project?" Tink echoed, blinking back at him in surprise. "When did he have time to do that? Fairy Mary has been working everybody to the bone!"

Clank only shrugged, his eyes already diverted to avoid another mess. "Been staying up late to finish it, I s'ppose," he answered. "'e's been very secretive about the whole thing. I don't know what it is, but it must be something spectacular to keep it hidden for so long."

"I'll be sure to bring it up," Tink promised, bracing herself as another blast of cold wind dashed the crag behind her. "Now, which way did you say he went?"

"Down there," Clank pointed further down the beach. "I don't know what 'e's looking for, but I can tell you 'e was hunting very intently for whatever it is."

"Hmmm," Tink hummed again, following his gesture thoughtfully. "Okay, well, now I am intrigued. Thanks, Clank. I'll have to ask him about it then." She took off before he had a chance to respond, though she could sense he was still processing what she had said as she landed on the nearest sandbank and began working her way down to the ocean's edge.

The waves calmed the further from the main cove she walked and it was not long before she rounded the end of the island toward the southern, less explored, portion of Neverland. The storm faded to angry rumbles behind her and she leaned up against a cluster of small boulders to catch her breath from the trek.

And that's where she found him.

He was sitting alone on a flatter rock, knees pulled to his chest and wings drooping tiredly as he gazed absentmindedly past the hazy horizon to something away from his approaching guildmate.

Tink paused upon spotting him, tensing and immediately taking a step back, reconsidering. What if he didn't want to speak to her? After the way she had treated him, she couldn't say she would blame him. But that uncertainly couldn't hold her back. She needed to tell him, even if he didn't want to hear what she had to say-or, rather, more likely, he would try to apologize for something he had no reason to be sorry for.

She slowly edged closer, working her way across the ledge until she was standing alongside him. He didn't look up as she approached. In fact, he gave no sign of even realizing she was there other than exhaling a long sigh and continuing his absent-minded stare toward the ocean. A rumble of thunder momentarily drew his attention away from the waves and that was when she made her move.

"So, this is where you go to mope when everyone thinks you're busy in the workshop then?"

"Gah!" He flew around so quickly that it was a miracle he managed to stay upright as his arms flailed and panic lit up his face. "Miss Bell!" he went on, a hand against his chest to quell a racing heart. "What're ye doin' here?"

"Well, that sounds awfully familiar," Tink mused, sliding down to hover at his level. He stated at her, mouth open to utter a half-hearted response and she chuckled awkwardly, making herself comfortable on the boulder beside him and gazing off toward the ocean as well. "You've been awfully quiet lately," she noted, trying to swallow back all of the words and apologies and everything threatening to spill from her lips. "Everything okay?"

He snorted but did not let himself fully relax. "Just a lot on my mind," he answered, slowly sinking down to join her on the rock. "It's been hard to think in the workshop lately. Everythin' bein' so busy and hectic fer the festival and all. I just needed a break. Some time to think for myself without havin' to keep up with everyone bustlin' about for the season's change."

Tink nodded. "I bet you've been coming out here a lot lately, haven't you?"

He didn't answer but his face gave all the reply she needed. "It's nice here," she went on, hoping to prompt some sort of response. "Peaceful. I can tell why you would like it."

"The ocean calms me," he admitted. "Sometimes, when it gets too hard to hear myself, I'll come here. I did that a lot before ye came along, ye and Clank and the others. Gave me a chance to really hear what my heart and head were sayin'. I don't feel that as much in the Nook nowadays. I feel...different."

"You are different, though," Tink reasoned. "You're a tinker now. Before you were only portraying a part of who you were, but now that is your talent for real. Naturally, it's going to feel a little different now, right?"

He shrugged.

Tink sighed. Okay, he needed to hear it. If she wanted her chance, it was now or never. I guess now is as good a time as any. "Hey, Bobble?"

His gaze momentarily flicked back over to her. "Aye?"

"You...know that I am not mad at you...right?" When he gave no reply, she quickly barreled on. "About what happened, I mean. I don't think any of it was your fault. I know you were just trying to protect us and listen to what Queen Clarion asked of you and I shouldn't have made you feel like you needed to keep all of that a secret for so long. You should never have had to feel like you had to pretend to be someone that you weren't just to keep us safe. I didn't understand that before. I was hurt and I...I lost my head. I blamed you for trying to do the right thing when the truth is; I was scared. When you went up against Shade, I just...I never knew a fairy could be so evil. I thought the lust for power and greed was only a human capability and it terrified me to see it reflected in someone who used to be so respected. I just...well, I don't know what. I wanted to apologize though because I know he not only scared me. I know he scared you as well and instead of being there for you when you needed someone to talk to, I locked myself away. I became distant. I made a mistake, one that I would really like to try and remedy now."

That got his attention and finally, he ripped his focus away from sulking at the storm-tossed waves to hesitantly glance up at her. "Miss Bell," he began cautiously. "Tink, there's nothin' to apologize fer. Ye didn't do anythin' wrong in doubtin' me. I lied to ye all fer so long that I...I deserved for ye to be angry with me. I should have told ye the truth a long time ago."

"No," Tink argued, "you couldn't have done that. Not when the Queen had specifically told you not to. And she was right. It was better that we didn't know. But now that we do, you don't have to keep running off to the undiscovered parts of the island to get away from us." She grinned and nudged him in the side, earning the smallest of laughs in return. "You can just come and talk to us. That's what friends are for."

"I...I was afraid ye wouldn't want to...to be friends with me if I told ye the truth from the start," Bobble admitted, sinking further into his dismal mood. "I knew ye would be afraid, so I hid my talents from ye. But I was wrong. I don't know what I would have done without ye against Shade. And perhaps all of that could have been avoided if I had only-" Suddenly, he paused, frowning as he glanced skyward as a faint rain of dust blew across the shore and fell over them. "Uh...who ordered the pixie dust squall?"

At this, Tink looked up as well, confused. "I don't think Pixie dust comes in a storm," she muttered, stating the obvious though she knew that neither of them believed otherwise.

It was another fairy and it only took her a moment to see who. "Spurn?" she guessed, recognizing him even before he'd circled back to land near the waves, already dropping into his regal stance, hands clasped behind his back and expression grim. Tink swallowed hard. This wasn't the first time she had seen Clarion's brother since his return to the good side, but she definitely never remembered him ever coming directly to them before.

Something was wrong.

"Tinkerbell, Bobble," the prince spoke as they hastily scrambled from the rocks to zip over into earshot. "Pardon my intrusion, but your friends said I might be able to find you both here."

"Aye," Bobble answered first, stepping forward slightly, sharing a confused look with his guildmate. "But, why were ye tryin' to find us, Yer Highness?"

"A matter has come to my attention concerning the two of you and the events of one particular struggle six months ago," Spurn said, never once losing his composure as he spoke, never once looking guilty for having been part of that struggle. "And I think it would be best if you both came back to the Home Tree with me immediately."

A rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance, timed almost perfectly with the prince's request and a flash of lightning lit up the clouds behind them.

"Hold on," Tink requested, butting her way into the conversation now and placing herself defensively between her friend and the older sparrowman, though exactly why she felt so protective, she wasn't sure. "What's this all about anyway?"

"It would be better if we were to discuss it somewhere more privately," Spurn urged, already turning to fly away. He was extremely antsy, and Tink could sense it even as Bobble gave in and made ready to follow the prince. Perhaps it was the way he nervously dodged their questions, replacing them with small, demanding sentences, that threw her. Or maybe it was just the way he'd asked. Whatever the reason, she suddenly got the feeling that this was much more than just a routine check-in.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" she blurted. "That's why you came to find us so quickly. What's wrong and why do you need us?"

Spurn shot her a panicked glance as he took off and signaled for them both to follow. "I can't tell you everything. Not here. Not in the open. It's not safe here where anyone could be watching. We need to meet with my sister as soon as possible. Scribble and Nyx are already there and we are going to brief them on the situation. We won't know much more until we get there, but let me just say this; there is something out there. Something big. And those powers you thought you gave up with the alchemist's dust?" He glared firmly at Bobble who averted his gaze automatically. "They may not be as gone as you were lead to believe."

Another rumble of thunder, this one definitely closer, Tink noticed, and she shivered as Spurn went on unflinchingly.

"And if what is coming is what I think is coming; you will be glad that they aren't."