"Come on, there's someone who wants to meet you." He says with a soft smile.
I give him a confused look. "Who?"
"You'll see." He grins in that adorable, boyish way and darts down toward the ground again. As soon as out feet touch the ground, I can tell something is different. I look around with my eyebrows knitted together, trying to figure it out.
"Where is everyone?" I ask, finally figuring it out. Barely five minutes ago, this place had been bustling with hundreds of fairies. Now, there was not a fairy in sight.
"Waiting for us." His grin grows wider, which I didn't realize was possible.
"Wait." I stop us from walking again and look down at our hands. "What happened? What happened after I dropped my ring- MY RING!" I look down at my opposite hand and find a bare finger. "Peter, where is it?" I ask with wide eyes.
"Shhh." He cups my cheek gently. "She'll explain everything." He was hiding guilt in his eyes, very poorly, but I decided not to point it out. We walk hand in hand back to the tree. "Take a look." He whispers, the grin back, and gently guides my head to look inside one of the many holes.
Somehow, every last fairy was inside the tree, though they were smaller than usual. The humming was louder than every, and the light coming out of the tree was almost blinding.
"Ready to go in?"
I whip around to face him with raised eyebrows. "What? Go in where? THERE?" I ask, pointing to the tree in disbelief. Then again, this was Neverland. Things like this shouldn't surprise me anymore.
He laughs. "Yes, in there." He pulls a small pouch of silver-looking fairy dust and gently blows it in my face. I squeeze my eyes shut to avoid the dust and hold my breath. Though he had just been standing in front of me, Peter's hands were now resting on my shoulders. "Open your eyes, beautiful." He whispers in my ear.
I open them to yet another breath-taking sight. Not only was I as small as a fairy, but the interior of the tree was just as marvelous as the Hollow itself, if not more. There were what seemed to be tiny apartments scattered all over the walls of the tree, and where there wasn't a house, there was a small bench. Thousands of eyes were staring down at me from these benches and tiny windows, and all of the fluttering had suddenly ceased.
A brilliant flash of color blinds me for a second before settling down to the normal golden haze. At the very top of the tree, which I can somehow see perfectly even from down here, there was a castle which I can only assume belongs to the Queen.
Everyone around us, including Peter, Aanadi, Jaz and Zee, deeply bow, and I quickly do the same. "Adelaide Bell." A soft but powerful voice rings out in the silence. I raise my head and see a fairy with long brown hair, bright golden eyes, and fair skin. She was dressed as any other fairy, but the gold eyes were what clearly set her apart as royalty.
My mouth goes dry as I just stare up at her. Say something! "Umm, hi." I wave pathetically and smile softly. "You can call me Addie, if you want."
She laughs, causing my nerves to vanish. Everyone finally stands up again, but the Queen's eyes were on me alone. "Words cannot describe our undying gratutide for your bravery and sacrifice." She says with a proud and motherly expression.
"You don't need to thank-sacrifice?" I look at Peter, and that guilty expression was back. I try to catch someone else's eyes, but they all just look down.
The Queen realizes that I clearly have no idea what she means and sighs softly. "Addie, your ring was destroyed when it healed the Hollow." She frowns apologetically and touches my shoulder.
"No." Is my immediate reaction.
"I'm so sorry, dear."
I bite my lip and feel the blood leave my face. The ring had been the entire reason I came here in the first place. I had died for that thing! SO I CAME HERE FOR NOTHING!
No. No, it wasn't for nothing.
I stare into the Queen's eyes for a minute before glancing over the shoulder at my friends. Peter looked ready to take action and catch me if I faint or hug me if I start to cry. Zee is biting his lip as well, knowing better than anyone, even Grams, what that ring meant to me. Jaz looked defeated. his look said it all. I sacrificed so much for this place, and the only thing I had ever wanted had been taken from me forever. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he would do anything to change that. I give him a tiny smile before looking at Aanadi, whose expression was similar to her husband's.
I had learned so much because of that ring and made friends who will forever hold a place in my heart. My heart, which had shattered at this news, was slowly starting to piece together again. I found happiness again because of that ring. I got to talk to my parents one last time, I found love, and I grew up in a way I would've never been able to back home. It wasn't for nothing. It was for everything.
I look up at the Queen again and bow my head slightly. "There's no need to thank me, your Majesty." I say with a confident smile.
"Oh, but there is!" Her eyes go wide. "I don't think you realize what you've done, Addie. You saved the lives of hundreds! Millions, even! I think that's definitely something that calls for thanks."
I really was unsure of what to say. What do you say to a fairy Queen after she publicly praises you?
She doesn't wait for me to say anything, and continues. "Whatever you want, anything in the world, you'll get. Let me give you a token of our gratitude."
My mouth drops open. "Anything?" I whisper in shock.
She nods with a soft smile. "Anything, dear. You just name it. However, I can't bring anyone back from the dead, and I can't give you anything that would cause others pain."
I stare at her dumbfounded as I try to get what's she's said to sink in.
"You may sleep on it, dear." She puts her hands on my shoulders again. "Choose wisely, Addie."
I nod and bow my head slightly. "Thank you, your Majesty."
An hour later, I was walking around the Hollow with Peter, completely normal in size once again. I groan as he fills me in on what's all happened since I healed the Hollow: Two days ago! Once the ring landed on the stump, the explosion of light and pure magic had sent me flying back and I hit my head on a tree.
I absentmindedly run the now small bump on the back of my head as he goes on and on about what a great job I did and how proud he was of me. I smile softly and nod every few minutes so he knew I heard him, but in truth I wasn't really listening. My mind was racing. It was so preoccupied with the loss of my ring and trying to decide what my one wish would be that I simply didn't have room to process anything he was saying.
"Thank you!" Another random fairy flies over to me and kisses my cheek. This has been happening ever since the Queen dismissed everyone.
"You're welcome." I smile warmly at her as I snap out of my own little world.
"You're famous." Peter teasingly nudges my shoulder after she flies away.
"So I've noticed." I laugh and roll my eyes. For a moment, the wish and my ring are pushed to the back of my mind and are replaced by relief that everyone I loved was ok. Sure, I saved countless other fairy lives, but I had thankfully found the specific ones I'd been looking for. Bay, Zinc, Zircon, and Bomby had all gathered for the Queen's thanking me. They had been killed when the Hollow burned, but woke up back in their part of the forest as soon as the Hollow was healed. I was so relived I cried for the first time in a few days.
Now my thoughts drift back to my wish. The Queen told me I could have anything I wanted other than resurrecting dead loved ones or something that would cause others pain. I could wish for my ring back! Then everything would be perfect!
Another small clump of fairies fly over to thank me, and my heart drops when I see a younger fairy who resembles Tinker Bell.
I stare up at the night sky, wondering where she was. It wasn't fair that she had to leave, she's a hero!
I set my jaw and grab Peter's hand. "We need to go see the Queen."
"But Addie, she said you should think about it. This is really important... I don't want you to rush into it."
"Peter. I'm not rushing into it. I know what I want. I want to tell her as soon as possible." I harden my tone a bit to let him know I wasn't taking no for an answer.
He bites his lip but sighs and nods, squeezing my hand. "Alright, let's go."
Everyone was gathered in the Tree again. There was a small alter set up in the center of it. Apparently the Queen didn't grant wishes often -er- ever, so this was a big deal. The ceremony starts up with the Queen slowly ascending from her castle to the alter where I was standing. Peter and everyone else were standing a few feet from the alter, eagerly anticipating my wish just like everybody else.
I bow to the Queen as she lands. "Addie, you didn't take too long to make your decision... I hope you've chosen wise." She says in the same unsure tone Peter had used earlier.
I nod and look her directly in the eyes. "I'm certain this is what I want."
She nods as well and then smiles softly. Everyone around us goes dead silent as they wait to hear my wish.
I look down at my ring finger where my ring had been a few days ago and then ball my hands into fists.
My voice rings out clearly and confidently. "Your Majesty, I wish..."