Finding Tinker Bell #6

by Kiki Thorpe

  “Like day and night,” Mia whispered.

  “Or shadow and light,” said Kate.

  Everyone held their breath as Gabby fitted the stones together.

  When the two halves of the stone met, there was a blinding flash.

  Tink threw her hands up against the glare. As she did, she felt a powerful SNAP, as if something stretched had just sprung back into place.

  Tink opened her eyes. The fog was gone. A warm sun shone. Looking down, Tink saw her shadow on the sand. It was back where it belonged.

  Just to be sure, Tink fluttered her wings. Her shadow fluttered, too.

  “Well,” Tink said. “How about that?”

  But the girls didn’t notice. They were watching the troll. He was gazing at his own shadow. His eyes were misty with happiness.

  “My goodness,” the troll said to his shadow. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you!”

  “Is that what you lost? Your shadow?” Mia asked.

  The troll nodded. “I’ve been searching for it for so long, I forgot what I was looking for.”

  He’d been chasing his shadow, too, Tink realized. If the girls hadn’t found her, would she have ended up like the troll, unknown even to herself? She shivered at the thought.

  “How rude of me.” The troll lifted his head. His eyes were clear and bright. “I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Beegum. Thank you for returning my shadow to me.” He tipped his paper hat to Gabby.

  Gabby smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  “And now I must say good-bye. It’s time for me to go home,” Beegum said.

  “Do you know where your home is?” Lainey asked.

  “Oh, I think so,” Beegum said, glancing affectionately at his shadow. “At any rate, we’ll find it together.”

  He tipped his paper hat one last time and set off up the beach. His shadow stretched before him as if it was leading the way.

  “Oh!” Kate exclaimed suddenly. “Look at the compass!”

  They hurried to her side. The compass needle was hovering on “N.”

  Mia gasped. “Never Land!”

  “But where is it?” Lainey asked. She squinted out at the sea, in the direction the needle pointed.

  The low sun hovered above the horizon, creating a path of light on the water. At the end of that brilliant trail, an island shimmered into view.

  “It’s there!” Gabby exclaimed. “I see it!”

  “But how…?” Mia began.

  “It must be the stone’s magic,” Tink said. “When the stone returned the shadows to where they belonged, it brought the two worlds together again. Shadow Island is Never Land’s shadow, the dark to its light.”

  “Well,” said Kate with a grin, “what are we waiting for?”

  She rose into the air. The others followed.

  As they flew into the sunlight, away from Shadow Island, Tink had a strange feeling. She suddenly felt sure that if she turned around, Shadow Island would be gone.

  But Tinker Bell didn’t turn. Why look back, when there was so much to look forward to?

  The journey seemed to take no time at all. Moments later, they landed on Never Land’s shore. Gabby was so eager to get there that she misjudged her landing and ended up in the surf.

  The other girls joined her, laughing and splashing and kicking the waves.

  “We made it!”

  “I can see Skull Rock!”

  “And the Mermaid Lagoon!”

  Tink took a deep breath, so glad to be back home. It was all thanks to the girls. How wrong she’d been about them. She had thought she would have to take care of them on Shadow Island. In the end, they’d taken care of her.

  “Come on,” Kate said. “I can’t wait to get to Pixie Hollow.”

  As the girls started up the beach, Tink noticed their shadows stretching long across the sand. But it wasn’t the shadows that had grown, Tink realized. It was the girls who cast them.

  One day they will grow up, Tink thought. Not the next day or the day after that, but someday soon. It would happen in a blink. And when it did, worlds of magic would be lost to them. Their adventures with the fairies would exist only in the shadowlands of their memories.

  Or maybe not. Maybe they would become the kind of grown-ups who kept magic in their hearts. It was possible.

  Yes. Tink thought it was definitely possible. Either way, she knew that she shouldn’t be sorry. After all, what was an adventure if you weren’t changed by it?

  Gabby glanced back. “Are you coming, Tink?”

  Tink smiled. “Yes, I’m coming.”

  * * *

  The celebration of their return was one of the greatest parties Pixie Hollow had ever known.

  The Home Tree sparkled with flower garlands and dewdrop streamers, made by the garden- and water-talent fairies. The baking-talent fairies whipped up heaps of delights—jam-filled cakes, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, and everyone’s favorite, Never Berry pie. The music-talent fairies played victory marches, and fairies danced all night. The air glittered with swirling fairy dust.

  The girls and Tink enjoyed all this between rounds of storytelling. Of course, everyone in Pixie Hollow wanted to know about their adventure on Shadow Island. Silvermist, Iridessa, Rosetta, and Fawn refused to leave Tink’s side, even after they’d heard the tale several times.

  “Tell the part about the Shifting Sands again,” Fawn urged.

  “No, no! The troll on the Lost Coast!” Silvermist exclaimed. “Beegum, his name was? Imagine that!”

  “No, tell how you found your way back to Never Land,” Iridessa chimed in. “That’s the best part!”

  “Ohh.” Rosetta shook a fist in frustration. “I’m so sorry I missed it!”

  Everyone looked at her in surprise. “Rosetta,” Fawn said, “what are you talking about? You couldn’t wait to get back to Never Land.”

  Rosetta smoothed her fresh petal dress. “Well, sure, who wouldn’t?” she said with a sniff. “That doesn’t mean I don’t like a good adventure.”

  The celebration was so much fun, the girls could hardly tear themselves away. The sun was rising by the time they made their way back to the large fig tree that held the passage back to their world.

  Tink caught up with them just as they were about to leave. “I just wondered…. Will you come back?” She was smiling. But for some reason, Gabby thought she looked a little sad.

  “Of course we’ll come back!” Lainey said, surprised. “Why wouldn’t we?”

  “We always come back,” Mia agreed.

  The rising sun stretched its beams toward them. Suddenly, the girls noticed something.

  “Tink! Your shadow!” Kate exclaimed.

  The fairy’s shadow was flitting back and forth through trees, free as a lark.

  Tink shrugged. “I set it loose. It was simple, really. As easy as taking out a seam. I guess even a shadow needs a holiday now and then.”

  “Come on.” Gabby tugged on her sister’s hand. Usually, she was sorry to leave Pixie Hollow and the fairies. But they’d been away for so, so long. And she had something important to do.

  “See you soon, Tink,” Gabby said. Then she ducked into the hollow and the warm darkness that would take her home.

  “Papi?” Gabby said softly.

  Mr. Vasquez turned from the stove, where he was stirring rice for dinner. He smiled when he saw his two daughters standing in the doorway. “There you are. I didn’t hear you come in. Did you have fun with Kate and Lainey?”

  Gabby opened her mouth to answer. But the words wouldn’t come. She ran to Papi and threw her arms around his waist.

  “Mija, what’s wrong?” her father asked, patting her hair. “Did something happen?”

  Gabby only squeezed him tighter. Mr. Vasquez raised his eyebrows at Mia, looking for an explanation.

  Mia could only shake her head. She was choked up, too. “I think sh
e just…missed you,” she managed finally.

  “Oh.” Their father looked confused. Of course, he had no way of knowing they’d been away on a magical adventure. Time slowed to a crawl when they went through the portal to Never Land. The many days and nights they’d passed on Shadow Island had been no more than an hour to him.

  With one last squeeze, Gabby let go. She picked up the Treasure and held it out.

  “I found Great-Grandpa’s boat,” Gabby said. “Just like I told you I would.”

  “Ah! Good girl,” Mr. Vasquez said. “Where was it?”

  Gabby glanced at Mia. What could she say? That a fairy had borrowed it? That she’d sailed it to another world? That Gabby and Mia and their friends had crossed forests and rivers and mountains to find it?

  Would he ever believe her?

  Gabby shrugged. “It was right where I left it.”

  Mr. Vasquez took the boat. He held it up to admire it. Gabby and Mia held their breath.

  As soon as they returned to Pixie Hollow, Tinker Bell had gotten all the tinker- and carpenter-talent fairies to help put the boat back together. They’d made it almost as good as new. The only sign that it had ever been broken was a faint crack in the mast.

  Mr. Vasquez turned the boat around in his hands. He frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” Gabby asked worriedly.

  “Nothing. It’s just…I don’t remember it having a bell.”

  The bell! Oh no! Gabby could have kicked herself. They’d been so concerned with making sure the boat was fixed, they’d forgotten about the brass bell Tinker Bell had attached to it. How was she going to explain it?

  Mr. Vasquez nudged the bell with his finger. It rang out a sweet, golden note.

  He sighed. “Oh yes. Now I remember. I couldn’t forget that sound.”

  Behind his back, the sisters raised their eyebrows at each other. What sound was he talking about? Did the bell have some special magic?

  Or maybe their father was simply recalling some magical sound from his own childhood—something he’d forgotten until now.

  They didn’t have much chance to wonder. Mr. Vasquez set the boat aside, saying, “Go wash up, please. It’s almost dinnertime.”

  At the door, Gabby paused and turned. Her father was back at the stove again, but he wasn’t stirring the rice. He was watching them with a strange expression.

  “What?” Gabby asked. She suddenly felt certain that he was going to ask her where she’d been.

  In that moment, she decided she would tell him. She would tell him about Never Land and Shadow Island. She would tell him about the fairies, the mist horses, the Great Ones, the sprites, and the troll. She would tell him everything. And maybe—just maybe—he would be able to believe her.

  But her father only smiled. “Nothing. I was just thinking about how big you’re getting. That’s all.”

  “Oh, Papi,” Gabby said. It was just as well. Smiling to herself, she skipped to the bathroom to wash up.

  * * *

  That evening at dinner, Gabby and Mia devoured their food. “Third helpings?” their mother exclaimed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you hadn’t had a hot meal in weeks!”

  After a long bath, Gabby lay under the covers, sleepy and warm. How good it felt to be in her own bed! Shadow Island seemed like a dream. The memory of it was already going fuzzy around the edges.

  The door to her room opened, and Mia came in. She was wearing her pajamas.

  “It feels weird being all by myself,” Mia said. “Can I sleep in here tonight?”

  Gabby scooted over. Mia slipped in next to her, under the covers.

  “What do you think the fairies are doing now?” Gabby asked.

  Mia thought about it. “Just what they always do,” she said.

  Gabby nodded. That was how she liked to think of the fairies, too. Flying among the sunbeams and flowers of Pixie Hollow.

  The door opened again. This time it was Papi, coming to say good night. He looked surprised when he saw the sisters snuggled together. “You two are having a slumber party?”

  “Please, can we?” Gabby asked.

  “Just for tonight?” Mia added.

  “All right.” Their father smiled. Gabby saw that he was holding something behind his back.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  He brought out the Treasure and placed it in Gabby’s hands. “This is for you, Gabby. I want you to have it.”

  “Me?” Gabby’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  Her father nodded. “It shouldn’t be sitting in a box in the basement, or even on a shelf. Your great-grandpa would have wanted you to have it. He’d want someone to play with it.”

  Gabby ran her fingers over the boat. “I promise I’ll take good care of it.”

  “I know you will.” Their father tilted his head to the side. “You know, you two girls remind me of him.”

  “Who? Great-Grandpa?” Mia asked with interest. “What was he like?”

  “He had an amazing imagination,” their father said. “He was always telling great stories. He told me once he saw a fairy. Isn’t that funny? He swore it was true, even when he was a very old man.”

  Mia and Gabby glanced at one another. “Actually,” said Mia, “that doesn’t surprise me at all.”

  “I’ll tell you more about him sometime,” their father said. “But now it’s time to get some sleep.” He took the Treasure from Gabby and placed it on her bedside table. Then he kissed the girls’ foreheads.

  “Don’t stay up all night talking,” he said, shutting off the overhead light.

  There wasn’t much chance of that. The bed was so soft and warm. The bedside lamp cast a cozy glow. Gabby was drifting off to sleep when Mia suddenly gave her a sharp poke.

  “Gabby! Look!”

  Gabby opened her eyes. On the wall was a strange shadow. Part of Gabby knew it was only the shadow of her robe hanging on its hook. But it looked just like—

  “Shadow Island!” Gabby whispered.

  The lamplight cast the Treasure’s shadow on the wall, too. It seemed to be sailing right toward the island.

  The girls gazed at it in silence. Gabby knew that she and her sister were thinking the same thing: Was it possible they’d only imagined it? Had Shadow Island been nothing but a shadow on her bedroom wall?

  “Was it ever real?” Gabby whispered.

  Mia didn’t hesitate. “It was,” she said firmly. “It’s all real. You just have to know how to find it.”

  Gabby nodded. She leaned her head against her older sister’s shoulder, too tired to fight sleep anymore.

  The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was the shadow of the Treasure, on the wall. And maybe it was her imagination this time. But she was almost positively sure she saw the shadow of a fairy at the wheel.

  Mercedes McAndrew

  KIKI THORPE spent much of her childhood reading, daydreaming, and searching for fairies in the forests of Idaho—pastimes that were good training for writing children’s books. She is the author of several books for young readers, including the New York Times bestselling Never Girls series. She lives with her husband and their two children in Denver.

  What’s next on

  your reading list?

  Discover your next

  great read!

  Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.

  Sign up now.

 

 

 
inline-share-buttons">share