Staring at the divinely handsome being before them, the fairies could only gape in silence. Their thoughts raced in dizzying circles as they tried to understand what he was. He had actual wings—black, feathered, powerful—nothing like the delicate dragonfly-like wings of their own kind. If anything, he was more a true sparrow-man than any sparrowman they had ever known.
"The important question is— is he even okay?" Fawn asked softly, her worry laced with tenderness as she floated closer to the fallen stranger.
"Oh dear! You're right!" Iridessa gasped, jolting the others from their trance. In a flurry of fluttering wings, they all rushed forward, circling him, scanning for bruises, cuts, or any sign of harm.
They stopped a short distance away, torn between the urge to move closer and the instinct to be cautious. None of them were healing-talent fairies—but they all turned to Fawn, whose gentle touch and animal knowledge made her the closest thing they had to a nurse.
Seeing their expectant faces, Fawn sighed and puffed up her modest chest. "Alright, alright! Don't expect much, though. Lucky for us, I've been around plenty of healing-talent fairies. Mostly 'cause I tend to get hurt a lot," she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, "but I remember how they check on injured or unconscious ones."
She landed lightly near his chest, the faint rise and fall of his breathing almost imperceptible. Her delicate fingers reached for his neck, feeling for a pulse just as she had seen others do.
Silence.
All eyes were on her.
Fawn's brows furrowed in concentration, her fingertips trembling against his skin. For a moment, none of them breathed. Then suddenly, her eyes brightened and she leaned down, pressing her ear against his chest.
There it was.
A deep, slow, powerful heartbeat—steady as thunder rolling beneath the earth. She felt it through her whole body. It was warm, rhythmic… hypnotic.
"Fawn?" Iridessa's voice called out faintly, but Fawn didn't seem to hear.
Each heartbeat soothed her, pulling her deeper into its calm rhythm.
She couldn't help but smile dreamily, her cheek brushing against his chest, breathing in the faint scent that surrounded him. It was unlike anything she'd ever smelled—something ancient, wild, yet comforting. Her gifted animal-sense swam in it like a tide.
"Fawn?" came another voice, more urgent.
Still, she didn't move. Her nose nuzzled softly into his shirt, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.
"FAWN!?"
The sudden shout and a tug on her shoulder snapped her out of her trance. She blinked and turned, face red as a cherry, to find her friends staring at her in a mix of confusion, worry, and maybe a little secondhand embarrassment.
"Fawn? Are you okay?" Iridessa asked carefully.
They had seen her behavior—the dreamy smile, the way she hugged his chest, sniffing him like a sleepy kitten—and it was… well, strange, even for Fawn.
And strange, in Iridessa's book, often meant dangerous.
'This sparrowman is dangerous,' she thought grimly.
Then another voice whispered in the back of her mind: Dangerously attractive…
She blushed fiercely. 'What—what was that!?'
" I-I'm fine!" Fawn stammered, straightening up. "He's alive. Just sleeping or maybe unconscious, that's all." She turned her head away quickly, trying to hide her flushed cheeks—but her hand betrayed her, gently tracing along the edge of his arm as if drawn by instinct.
Her friends exchanged glances.
"We noticed," Tinker Bell said dryly, her tone sharp as she crossed her arms. "But what we want to know is—what exactly were you doing snuggling him like that?"
Fawn opened her mouth, floundering for an answer—
But before she could speak, a familiar voice rang out behind them.
"Oh? Snuggling, you say? Well, isn't that interesting?"
Every fairy froze.
That sly, teasing tone could only belong to one person.
"Well, my dears," the voice continued with mock sweetness, "what have we got here?"
"Vidia!" they all exclaimed in unison, spinning around to see the fast-flying fairy hovering nearby, her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised in trademark amusement.
"What are you doing here?" Tinker Bell demanded, instantly defensive. Instinctively, the girls closed ranks in front of the unconscious sparrowman—even Fawn, who had been kneeling just moments before, shot upright to help shield him.
It wasn't planned. It just… happened. A shared sense of protectiveness none of them could explain.
"Oh, calm down, sparkle squad," Vidia said with a smirk. Her long black-purple ponytail swayed as she tilted her head, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I was just flying around when I saw the bright light and heard the boom. And now I find you all acting guilty, whispering, and hiding something that smells like trouble. So…" She folded her arms and leaned in. "What is it?"
Iridessa forced a strained smile. "Whaaat? There's nothing here! Absolutely nothing suspicious, nope!"
Vidia blinked slowly. "…You expect me to buy that?"
She gestured broadly to the crater and the scorched trees. "You girls really thought no one would notice the giant fiery thing that fell from the sky?"
Her tone left no room for evasion. Vidia was stubborn, and when she wanted answers, nothing in Pixie Hollow could stop her. Not even Tinker Bell.
Tink sighed in defeat. "Alright, Vidia. You win. But what happened here is… strange. Really strange."
Vidia's smirk faltered slightly, curiosity taking over. "Strange how?"
The girls took turns explaining—how they'd followed the fallen star, how they found the massive black wing, and what lay beneath it.
When they finished, Vidia blinked. "Wait—hold on. This 'he' you're talking about—the one Fawn was snuggling?" Her grin widened wickedly.
Fawn's face turned crimson. She turned away, muttering something inaudible.
"Yes," Rosetta said before Fawn could protest. "And we were wondering about that too…" She bit her lip lightly, eyes flicking to the sleeping figure. "Though I can't exactly blame her."
Vidia chuckled. "Alright then. Let's see this mysterious heartthrob for myself. Can't be that impressive."
The girls stepped aside hesitantly.
Vidia floated forward—and froze.
Her confident smirk dissolved into open-mouthed silence. Her gray eyes widened as the light from Iridessa's lamp brushed across the sleeping sparrowman's face. For a long, uncharacteristic moment, Vidia didn't move.
Behind her, a chorus of giggles broke out.
"Well, I'll be!" Rosetta teased, hands on her hips. "To think I'd live to see Vidia blush over a handsome sparrowman."
" I-I am not blushing!" Vidia snapped, though the pink creeping up her cheeks said otherwise.
"Don't worry," Silvermist said serenely, smiling in that calm, knowing way of hers. "We all reacted the same way when we saw him."
And without another word, the water fairy glided forward, as if pulled by an invisible current. She landed beside his head and gently gathered his scattered hair, smoothing the silky black strands before lifting his head into her lap. Her hands ran softly through his hair, her expression peaceful—almost blissful.
The others stared, stunned.
Fawn blinked. "Umu," she murmured absently—whatever that meant.
Then, as if in a trance, she drifted down to his right side, her fingers tracing the strong line of his arm. She poked his bicep once, eyes wide. Then again. Then again.
"What in the pixie dust is happening?" Vidia whispered, both disturbed and fascinated. "Silvermist, I get—she's always been weird. But Fawn, too? Is this some kinda… snuggle effect?"
Rosetta tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, it doesn't seem to hurt anyone… and honestly, it looks kinda nice."
And before anyone could stop her, she joined them, kneeling gracefully near his shoulder, eyes shimmering with curiosity and something softer.
Tinker Bell sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You've all gone mad."
Yet… she found herself walking forward anyway.
There weren't many sparrowmen in Pixie Hollow, and none like this one. Her tinkering instincts hummed, whispering that there was something different about him—something powerful, mechanical yet alive. She needed to understand it.
Iridessa stood back, conflicted. Part of her screamed to stay away—another part… wanted to reach out. His presence was magnetic, drawing her closer in spite of every alarm in her head.
'This is ridiculous,' she thought, blushing furiously. 'He's unconscious and I'm—wait, when did I—?'
Her hands were already resting on his leg.
Warm. Solid. Comforting.
Instead of fear, a strange calm washed over her. Her heart fluttered—not in panic, but something far worse.
'Just what are you… and why do you make me feel this way?'
The forest was silent around them, save for the soft beat of his heart—steady and strong, echoing like distant thunder beneath the stars.