Concept art by Barry Atkinson
Tinker Bell stood outside the Engineer's Hall, the building was decorated with different sizes of gears and...were those giant telescopes flanking the doorway?
“So Tinker fairies are called 'engineers' here?” She stepped inside, which was a cluttered mess of whirling gadgets and broken inventions.
“Hello! I'm Locket! You?” a bouncy fairy with brown curls flew over to Tinker Bell and extended her arm for her to shake.
“Uh...” Never Fairies didn't shake hands. “Fly with you, Locket. I'm Tinker Bell, but my friends call me Tink. Are you a student here?”
“Sure am! Come, sit by me, class will be starting soon.”
Tink tilted her head. “It will? But it's just you and myself.”
“Meh, fairies don't care much for this sort of thing: making inventions from metal. Although, most Mainland Fairies are highly allergic to iron, so I guess it makes sense.”
“Allergic?” Tinker Bell couldn't believe it. “Are you a Mainland Fairy? And...I thought all fairies and sparrowmen come from Neverland.”
Locket shook her head. “Most of us are drawn to Neverland, but just as many are born on the Mainland, such as myself. We come here to learn a trade, then join a guild of that trade in order to help humans.”
“Really? Like, how exactly? Never Fairies in Pixie Hollow bring about the seasons, while other talents – er, trades – help in other ways to keep the seasons in check; like weaving baskets to carry seeds for spring.”
“Mainland Fairies work more in secret. Like if a human is having a difficult time growing crops, we come along to give a little aid.” Locket got a notebook out and opened it to a blank page. Tinker Bell thought she saw a few fantastic inventions filling the other pages. “Tailoring fairies used to be the highest demanding fairy trade in the human world, making shoes while the people slept.”
Tinker Bell leaned back in her chair. “Amazing, I never knew anything like that existed.”
A tall sparrowman entered the stage, he looked like the professor type: graying hair, a handlebar mustache, and a monocle. “Good day, Locket. And I see I have a new student. Tinker Bell, is it?”
“Um, yes. But how do you know my name?”
“Not important. I am your Engineer's teacher, Professor Boltz. Let class start.”
To Be Continued...
Thanks, Daisy, I hope I don't disappoint; I'm planning an awesome story with lots of little twists.
(To note, Tinker Bell lost her Arrival Day hammer in the story "Tink in a Fairy Fix" when she suddenly loses her ability to fix things until she gets it back.)