Chapter Text
The air over England was unusually still. It was late and everyone, albeit a select few, was at home, asleep. A few lingering birds glided through the night sky, taking note of the glittering array of stars shimmering overhead. It seemed to be a perfectly ordinary night. But it was far from ordinary. And, as a gentle laugh drifted over the wind, it was clear that something was different, and something phenomenal was about to occur.
The wind rustled a cluster of small oaks and the whisper in the air grew. A single speck of gold spun through the air, caught up in the breeze and tossed into the clouds. There it lingered for a short time before continuing its journey toward the heavens and on through the night.
The sun was just beginning to rise when the laugh drifted into Neverland. It glowed a kind of silver, a reflection of the moon's light, and it caught the attention of one particular fast-flying-talent who just happened to be out dusting the fields at the time.
She cautiously summoned a wind to push the laugh and keep it aloft and guided it toward the center of the fairy kingdom, the Pixie dust Tree, where a large crowd of fairies and sparrowmen had begun to gather.
Loud exclamations trickled to soft whispers as the fast-flying fairy gently set the laugh down and retreated as Terence, the newest of the dust-talents, stepped forward, gripping a sack of Pixie dust tightly.
Everyone held their breaths as Terence poured the sack and stepped back to watch the transformation. A bright glow flooded the hollow, and the form of a sparrowman appeared. He was average height, his hair was auburn like wildfire, and he was skinny with gangly arms and legs. He kept his head down, however, instead of glancing up to greet his fellow fairies, almost as if he were afraid.
"He's so small," came a voice from somewhere amongst the fairies and a breeze of agreements floated through the hollow.
"Look at his wings! Look! He'll be a fast-flyer for sure!"
"He seems shy. The poor dear. All this must be extremely overwhelming for him."
The whispers grew louder until they clashed like thunder. The fairy curled in further on himself, shaking slightly.
Suddenly, a brilliant yellow glow filled the sky, and out of nowhere, a sparkling yellow orb descended to the tree. Several younger fairies yelped and hastily darted out of the way as the ball met the earth and transformed into a beautiful pixie, dressed from head to toe in gold, and sporting a glittering crown upon her head.
"Queen Clarion," whispered many of the onlookers.
He felt a touch on his shoulder, accompanied by a swarm of bright lights, colors, and emotions. Love. Joy. Peace. Fear. Love. Duty. Power. Love. It was almost too much, and he felt the urge to remain curled up in his ball forever where no one could see him, and better yet, he couldn't see them.
"Dear one," came a gentle voice above her. "It's quite all right. You're safe. We're all friends here."
The owner of the voice spoke the truth. He could feel it radiating off of the crowd, roaring louder than even the whispers. They flooded his head like raindrops on a leaf, and he struggled to hold on to them.
I wonder what talent he'll be.
Why is he so nervous? I wasn't that nervous on my arrival day, was I?
Oh! He seems so shy. I wanna fly up there and give him a great big hug! I hope he'll be a water fairy!
That last thought was different, and stood out. Instead of pity or confusion, he felt excitement and caring gushing like an overflowing stream. He glanced up abruptly, scanning the onlookers for the source. There! He spotted her, a slim blue and black blob sitting on what he guessed was a large red...mushy blob?
Silvermist, He gathered from her brain. She seems nice, he decided.
In fact, as he expanded his mind, he realized that many of the fairies were nice. They were friendly, open, warm, and caring. None gave any sign of hostility and anger, and none looked like they were a threat.
But just what was a threat? And why did he feel like there was one, even if he couldn't feel it? Surely it was all in his imagination, right?
"Hello, there," the Queen said with a small laugh.
He turned to face the glow with a tiny frown which he instantly tried to morph into a half-convincing smirk. "H-hello," he tried, surprised to hear the words form so easily on his tongue. He detected an accent of some kind, but he didn't know what it was, or why he sounded different from her, so he decided to continue. "W-where am I?"
"Why, you're in Pixie Hollow," the Queen replied. "Home of the Neverfairies. Love has brought you here to us, young one."
"Oh," he frowned, not understanding. He picked a saying out of the woman's mind, guessing it was the typical ritual for a new arrival. Born of happiness, clothed in cheer, love has brought you here. Welcome to Pixie Hollow.
Clarion chuckled. "Here, let me help you." She extended her hand graciously. The fairy took it and shakily stood up, squeezing the queen's hand tightly. She didn't appear to be bothered by it, and only smiled. "Good," she went on. "And now let's see about those wings." She gestured to a fairy who had been hovering off to the side. He beamed and glided up.
"Hello," he said kindly. "I'm Terence."
He already knew that. He'd pulled it from his head, but he didn't know how to explain that, so he simply squinted and nodded at the blurry blob standing before him. "Hello, I'm--" he stopped and frowned, realizing for the first time that he didn't know his name.
Terence didn't seem bothered by this hesitation at all as he quickly slipped behind him and poured the contents of the bag onto his wings. A speck of dust landed on the new sparrowman's nose and he sneezed, gaining several chuckles from the onlookers. "What was that?"
"It's Pixie dust," Terence explained. "It's what allows a fairy to fly. Try it."
He hesitated. He didn't know how to fly. Was he supposed to ask? Did most fairies already know how to fly? "Um...I...don't...I don't..." He gestured to his wings helplessly.
Queen Clarion smiled knowingly. "That's quite all right. Here." She held out her hand once more and he shyly took it. "Spread your wings. There you are. Well done. Now, think happy thoughts."
Happy thoughts? What were happy thoughts? To a fairy who had only been existing for a few moments, he didn't know. But the gold, the gold from the queen's dress, though he couldn't see it, that made his heart lift. And the feelings of warmth and acceptance from the watching fairies, and the possibility of a hug from Silvermist. Were those happy thoughts?
They must have been, because, before he realized it, his feet had left the ground and he was hovering next to the queen. Fairies clapped and cheered as he slowly glided back to the tree, landing a bit unsteadily.
"A little timid, but you'll be just fine," the queen said gently, smiling.
There was a rumbling noise, and, suddenly, dark objects rose from the ground before him, and he jumped back nervously, unable to see them. Several glows of Pixie dust surrounded him as fairies darted to his left and right. "What...what is happenin'?" he asked.
"These are a fairy's talents," Clarion explained. "Every Neverfairy has one. Step forward and find yours."
He did as he was told, and reached cautiously for the first item. He stopped, right before he touched it. "But, how will I--"
"You'll know," she answered automatically, as though that was a question she was asked a lot. "Trust me."
He nodded, blinking in the attempt to clear his vision (which did absolutely nothing whatsoever), and reached for the first item.
Fast-flying talent, came from the quiet stirrings of a small group of eager fairies, along with a humph from a fifth pixie, and he found his mind quickly latching on to hers.
He's no fast-flyer! Just look at him. Awkward, clumsy, bet he can't even comprehend what is happening right now. His wings are shaking so hard. He looks so afraid. It's a wonder he could fly at all.
Vidia was her name, and he immediately vowed never to cross paths with her, because she would throw him under the wagon in seconds without hesitation.
So, imagine his surprise when his fingers brushed against the gold tornado and it immediately broke apart and exploded into fireworks around him. He cringed back anxiously as the lights burst before his eyes, and then looked toward the Queen's glow for an explanation.
"Well, it seems we have a new fast-flyer among us," the queen said gently. "Fairies of your guild, come forward and meet your newest member--"
Whatever she was saying came to an abrupt halt as several gasps echoed through the tree. At first, he was confused. Wasn't he a fast-flyer? What was going on? Had he done something wrong? He spun to see what everyone was so shocked about, and he realized that the objects that had been resting on the mushrooms had all risen into the air and were shining brightly.
The talents, someone thought loudly. The talents are all glowing.
What is happening? another asked.
How can a fairy have all the talents?
That was that. He must have done something wrong. That was the only explanation. He cringed back as the voices grew from a whisper to a thunderous roar, and he wanted nothing more than to run and hide. Could he fly? Yes, he'd already proven he could. How far? He didn't know, but, even as he began to look around for a possible escape route, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and he jumped, twisting to find the queen at his side. He frowned, wishing he could read her expression. Was she angry? Surprised?
Or, came a little voice from the back of his mind, did she already know?
He tried to pick up thoughts from her head, but the only thing he could hear was a faint buzzing.
Her glow moved away from him quickly, and he just kept himself from running after her, the only thing he could see.
"What is happening?" someone cried from the audience. "Why isn't the talent ceremony working?"
The queen held up a hand to halt the storm of questions. Immediately, the tree fell so still, that a lonely cricket could be heard chirping nearby.
"Thank you," Clarion said gently. "Do not be alarmed everyone. Everything is perfectly all right. This has happened before, and we will get it all sorted out. But for now, I am going to ask you all to return to your homes, and await further instructions."
The fairies slowly began to obey, filing out of the tree quietly. Some shot the sparrowman nervous looks, while others ignored him entirely. It was not long before the tree was deserted, leaving only the fairy and the queen.
"Q-queen Clarion," he stammered. "It's my fault, isn't it? I messed somethin' up, didn't I?" He waited for her to agree, to tell him that it was his fault, and that there had been some kind of mistake, and that he shouldn't have been there at all, but to his surprise, she only shook her head and beckoned him over.
"Not at all, dear one," Clarion said kindly. "In fact, it's just the opposite. You, young sparrowman, have a very rare talent. You have no one single talent. You are a Protector. You have them all, Phineas."
Phineas. He paused. Was that him? It sounded right, but yet, he never recalled telling her that.
Cautiously, he reached out once more, this time pulling a full name from her head.
Phineas Timothy Kettletree Esquire.
Wow. Talk about a mouthful. A large name for such a small fairy. Yes, it was definitely his. He felt the tug of a smile as he thought about it, and the more times he tried to say it in his mind, the wider the grin grew.
"Protector?" he echoed. "What does that mean? What am I protectin'?"
"Everything," Clarion replied. "It is a Protector's job to watch over the Hollow and defend its inhabitants. Though there has not been a Protector born to us in three hundred years, I'm sure you'll fit in just fine."
If only that were true. He could sense the sparks of worry emitting from the Queen, and that prompted his next question. "But, everyone seemed so scared of me," he said quietly. "Why?"
The queen sighed. "The world of Protectors has been kept secret for hundreds of years," she replied grimly. "Other fairies don't know about it, and that is the way it has been for centuries."
"But, why not?" he demanded. "It's not like I'm any different than them! Not really! At least...I don't think I am..." he trailed off there, biting his tongue and staring at the ground when he realized he'd been arguing against the queen.
She could have him thrown out for saying such things before her.
"Oh, Phineas," Clarion sighed. "I can see how this might be confusing to you, but, trust me, it will all make sense when the time comes."
"And when will that be?" he asked bitterly before he could catch himself.
"You'll know," was her only response. "But until then, you will need a cover. You certainly cannot go around with no talent whatsoever. Here. Take this." She handed something to him and he took it cautiously, grasping the firm handle of some kind of tool.
A hammer, he realized, and he stared at the queen in confusion. What am I supposed to do with this?
"Until it becomes clear why you have become a Protector, this will be your talent. You'll be a tinker. You'll live in the Nook with the other tinkers, and as far as they are concerned, what happened here today never did." The most unnoticed of all the talents, her mind added. No one would suspect a Protector to hide amongst the dirt and rubble.
Phineas frowned at her. Why was he hiding? He hadn't done anything wrong! If he was a Protector, he wanted to shout it from the mountaintops, not hide away in some dusty old...whatever the Nook was. He opened his mouth to protest, but the Queen was faster, placing a firm hand on his shoulders once more and steering him away, both from the talent pedestals, and whatever half-bit argument he had been about to make.
"Don't argue," she said. "Just listen to me. Fly south. Toward Spring. The pink trees," she added, when he squinted in confusion. "Tinkers Nook is there, between Spring and Summer. You'll know it when you see it."
I can't see it, he wanted to protest, but, once again, he got the feeling that she knew that.
"Once there, ask for Fairy Mary," Clarion went on. "She's the head of the tinker guild and she will get you settled. If you should find yourself in need of directions, just ask any fairy you meet. They can help you."
Phineas sighed, holding the hammer close. "All right," he said. "I understand. Go toward the pink trees, ask for Fairy Mary. Pretend to be a tinker."
"Correct," the queen nodded as the two of them walked to the edge of the tree and all of the Hollow was visible in the pale dawn's light. "And, under no circumstances, do you reveal your true talent. This is not because the other fairies would fear you, so much as protection for yourself."
"Protection from what?"
"When it's time, you will know," Clarion repeated. "Now, hurry along," she added, shooing him toward the stairs. "Dawn is breaking, and if I know Mary, she'll want to put you to work right away."
Phineas slowly took a step away from her, and then another. Every movement was unsteady as the world disoriented itself around him, making it difficult to judge how far away everything was. He reached out to grab a limb to steady himself, only to find no limb.
This is going to be a long trip.
"Oh, and Phineas?" The queen called after him. He paused, but did not turn around, afraid that he would fall.
"Good luck."
And then, in a puff of gold light, the queen was gone.