Dear Tink,

Who are you? Where am I? I don't know how I got here. Please help me.

Love, Peter.

Tinkerbell stared at the note, slightly shocked. She wondered why Peter Pan would call her Tink of all things. Tinker was her job title, after all, not her name. Although calling her just Bell would have been inappropriate, it would have at least made sense. To call her Tink was strange as well as rude. The only thing odder was the way he signed the note. Why would he call himself Peter? According to Neverland logic, Peter is his job and Pan is his name. What kind of boy calls himself by his job title only, Tinkerbell wondered. Perhaps, she thought, it was a common practice in the Kingdom for humans to call each other by job titles alone. The most disturbing thing of all was one small word, Love. No one had ever told Tinkerbell that they loved her, not even Tinkerelias. How could this child love her when he didn't even know her, wondered Tinkerbell. Even though Tinkerbell felt that the love was odd and unjustified, it warmed her heart to read the word.

A stiff gust of wind came through, taking the note with it and leaving Tinkerbell with multiple questions. From behind her, she heard a soft moan. She turned to see that the icy wind had taken Peter Pan's blanket along with the note. In response to the sudden cold, Peter pan curled into the fetal position. In his current state he truly looked like the helpless boy that Tinkerbell rescued. She wanted to warm him up and keep him safe. The boy didn't even know how he had gotten to Neverland, let alone how to leave. Tinkerbell knew there was a way for humans to leave Neverland but she wasn't sure what it was. She needed to ask an older fairy. Perhaps there was someone who had been around the last time humans invaded.

Aside from the pirates, only the elder fairies remembered the last human invasion. Tinkerbell knew of the elder fairies but she did not know any of them personally. Elders are the wisest of fairies. Those such as the queen, who can sense the essence of other fairies; and Parch'u, who is so wise that he can guess what you will ask before you say it, are chosen to be elders. Much like the history of the pirates and the lifestyles of the solvers, the ritual by which fairies become elders is shrouded in mystery.

There are multiple contradicting beliefs about how a normal fairy becomes an elder. Some say that after a fairy is proven to have extraordinary abilities, they are taken to the Tree of life where ancient magic is used to turn them into elders. There was another rumor that stated elder fairies were born with gray hair in order to mark them as special and that they are respected as elders even from a young age. Tinkerbell didn't believe this rumor.

Another tall tale, the one Tinkerbell found most plausible, stated that elder fairies are the most ambitious of the normal fairies. Unlike most fairies, who are content to spend their lives doing their assigned jobs, future elder fairies dream of more and constantly try to achieve it. According to this story, there is a price to pay for being such an ambitious fairy. Those who are unhappy with everyday fairy life suffer from increased aging due to their constant worrying and unhappiness. It is said that they only become elders in an effort to extend their lives by trying to reach the goals that they yearn for. Tinkerbell liked this rumor because she felt it was equally comforting and tragic. She felt comforted by the fact that she may not be alone in feeling discontent with her lot in life. Although the story stated that fairies like her were doomed to a short life, it allowed her to feel less alone in the world. The one thing Tinkerbell did know about the elders is that they all served as the Queen's Counsel, often giving her advice.

The only person she could think of who could get in touch with an elder was the wise fairy, Watcherlyn. Tinkerbell knew she would need to see Watcherlyn if she wanted to find a way for Peter Pan to leave Neverland. The problem with finding Watcherlyn was that Tinkerbell had no idea where she was. Watchers move around constantly. Tinkerbell knew where Watcherlyn lived, but there was a slim chance that the fairy would be at home. It was much more likely that Watcherlyn was floating around somewhere studying the actions of other fairies. Tinkerbell decided to fly back towards the home fairy village in hopes of bumping into Watcherlyn. As Tinkerbell rose up past the top of the Tree of Life, she heard a voice.

"Stop!" said a stern voice from between the braches. Tinkerbell floated closer to the tree and saw that it was Watcherlyn.

"Watcherlyn!" started Tinkerbell "I've been looking everywhere for you! I need to ask..." Tinkerbell's sentence trailed off as she looked at the older fairies face. Watcherlyn's caring brown eyes, which had always reminded Tinkerbell of a protective mother's, were gone. In their place were two icy cold brown stones. This stare chilled Tinkerbell's previously warm heart.

"What are you doing?" Asked Watcherlyn as she gently grabbed Tinkerbell's hand. Her hand was warm, noted Tinkerbell. Everything about this fairy; her skin tone, warmth, and personality; reminded Tinkerbell of a strong cup of black coffee.

"I'm trying to ask you for a favor." answered Tinkerbell in a slightly aggravated tone.

"No, Tinkerbell! What have you been doing? Humans are banned from Neverland, yet you have been hiding one here of all places! This is the Tree of Life, Tinkerbell! Here is where the law originated that banished humans in the first place. You are spitting in the face of history by keeping a human here. What are you thinking by hiding him from the pirates?" Watcherlyn's words sprayed out like acid, burning Tinkerbell's pride.

"The pirates would have fed him to the crocodiles. I couldn't let that happen to him. He is just a child!"

"So are you Tinkerbell! It has not been long since you bloomed in a sporadic array of sparks and vibrations. Now, by saving this human boy from the pirates, you have sealed your own fate with the solvers."

"Are you going to tell them about this?" Watcherlyn showed a hurt expression as Tinkerbell asked this question.

"I should have already informed Solverfin of this egregious assault against the law when I first saw you heading toward the Great lake. I knew nothing good could come from it."

"You have been watching me since then?"

"I have been watching you since birth! Queen Esmintu asked me personally to watch over you. Unlike the other watchers who divide up their time among different fairies, I only watch you. The queen has taken a unique interest in the fairy that took nine months to bloom. I've seen everything you have done since day one. And sadly, with the way you have been behaving lately, I fear that I will also be watching at your funeral." Tinkerbell was shocked at this admission by Watcherlyn. In the back of her mind, Tinkerbell was reminded of the rumors about becoming an elder. She wondered if Watcherlyn's comment about the funeral was meant as a warning. If it was true that elders were just fairies that aged quickly due to discontentment in life, then Tinkerbell was on the fast track to gray hair.

"I know that it is wrong for the boy to be here but I also believe it is wrong to allow the pirates to dispose of him. I want to help him return to the Time Keeper's Kingdom safely. That is the favor I wanted to ask. I need to talk to someone who knows a different way to leave Neverland, a way that avoids the pirates"

"The queen will know about that. I might be able to get you an audience with her."

"Really? That would be amazing!"

"Come by the palace after sunset to meet with the queen. I will be waiting for you out front." said Watcherlyn as she rose into the sky. Tinkerbell continued to scream her thanks even after Watcherlyn disappeared over the horizon.