MUSIC BOX III - A CONCLUSION

In the woods, Thumbelina was met by something she never thought her eyes would lay on. Tiny people; fairies, the same height as her. Among the fairies was a handsome man with gold wings; a prince by the name of Oberon. Captivated by Thumbelia's beauty, he became enchanted and they fell in love. Upon the day they were married, true love's kiss granted Thumbelina silver wings of her own. She had transformed into a fairy!

A new life. A new form. And so little Thumbelina came to be known as Princess Maia.

Years passed, and as she remained youthful as ever, Maia watched as her adoptive bird-daughter grew old, and eventually pass. The princess wept so much and cried so loud that she caught the attention of the tribal native's princess, Tigerlily. In hearing the story of Maia's daughter, she only nodded her head, before taking the bird's body and placing it in a leather sack she carried, filled with stardust. From it, the bird flew, reborn as a young girl with a shimmering radiant glow and a glimmering trail of pixie dust wherever she flew. The sound of bells filled the air whenever she spoke. Tinker Bell became the bird's name, and she became the close companion of a feisty, fearless boy named Peter who defended the island from the band of pirates.

Years passed, becoming decades and even centuries. In her new form, Princess Maia came to understand the harsh reality of what it meant to be a fairy, and what happened when a fairy died. Neverland was their blessing, keeping them alive forever. For whenever a new fairy bloomed from the island's flowers it meant that there was a new child in the world, somewhere who believed in fairies. Peter Pan and Tinker Bell would search the ends of the Earth, bringing back the children connected to their island fairies so that they may never grow old and stop believing. In time, the children forgot about their lives before the island, and everything seemed perfect.

Princess Maia and King Oberon ruled an immortal kingdom where all fairies needed not fear when Death may come. They were happy.

Until one day, Peter brought a girl named Wendy to the island, beautiful, kind, and motherly to all the boys Peter had kidnapped. She had tricked them, stolen the boy's hearts, and then taken them home. Princess Maia watched over the coming months as the people of her kingdom dropped from the skies, dead. Even as the years went on and Peter brought new children to take their place, Wendy's spirit lived on, and so did her message that a mother will always leave the bedroom window open in case her children were to return home at night.

They always returned home.

Neverland had been tainted by Wendy's spirit. It was no longer a paradise of everlasting life for the fairies, but just another cruel part of the world that welcomed Death to its shores. The fae would be forced to accept their fate and fade from existence.

The day came in which Captain Hook finally beat Peter. The pirate's blade had pierced the boy, and Tigerlily was fed to the monstrous crocodile. With them, Maia watched as the light and life dimmed from Tinker Bell and her beloved Oberon. The natives were massacred, and the pirates fled the island, leaving only Princess Maia. Once her paradise, Neverland had become her prison.

Maia left Neverland, making for her first home, only to be met with more pain. She had lost track of the years that had gone by, and only found her old mother's grave. The last person who had ever loved her had departed the world long ago, and died of a broken heart when her sweet Thumbelina had been stolen in the night by a selfish frog prince.

She had nothing, now. No friends, no love, no family. Her first love had betrayed her, and her second had been stolen from her. Her kingdom had died thanks to that accursed girl, Wendy. Captain Hook had killed the children whose lives had been tied to the two most important people in the world to her. Her mother was long departed, now unable to recall her face or hear the sweet croak of her old voice. All she had was her mother's stories, and her most precious words to always love who you were, and never wish to be anything else except yourself.

What good had that served her?

Her entire life, Maia had been the victim of humanity's greed, selfishness, and thoughtlessness, and now had nothing. Kindness had earned her nothing but sadness. Love had granted her nothing but fear. Patience had been rewarded with sorrow. Yet she was still there? Why? Why hadn't she faded like the rest of the fairies? Was it because she had been born human? Or was it something else entirely?

Humanity had proven itself to be rotten and vile. The ugliest of creatures had been granted the right of passage to a second life despite their greed. Meanwhile, Maia had watched as the most innocent creatures were slaughtered against their will, fairies dropped from the sky over the denounced faith within people they couldn't change.

She couldn't answer how she was still alive, or even if she would ever die, but so long as she was still alive, Maia had decided to cast aside these useless teachings. Love was powerless. Kindness was fruitless. The princess was swallowed by her own hatred and grief. She vowed that she would take the one thing from humankind she deemed them unworthy of having: souls. Maia would pierce the veil of life, and take back what the world had stolen from her, on silver wings and with a will strong as titanium.

No more patience. No more forgiveness.

And that is the tale of how little Thumbelina became the feared Queen Titania.