Disclaimer: I acknowledge that Disney Fairies & associated content are owned by Walt Disney Company. I am not interested in profiting from this document. It is for the enjoyment of fans only.
Author's Note: This is a sort of prequel/prologue to Pixie Hollow Games. Spoiler Alert! If you haven't seen PHG yet, I'm afraid there are a few small give-aways here. Hope you like my TBell story number 8!
.
What About Rosetta? - Chapter 1 - The Broken Stem Plan
No one knew the origin of the Pixie Hollow Games, but some of the wiser fairies suspected it had less to do with physical fitness, and more with keeping hands busy and spirits focused during the lazy summer months. So once again, most fairies not working on the mainland were busily preparing for their Games.
Rosetta was in the middle of it; conditioning turf on the stadium floor, growing & harvesting flower petals for the final victory shower, and advising young fairies on the finer points of vine wrapping to hold small structures in place.
But Rosetta had a secret. In all her years, she had never actually competed in the Games on her garden-fairy team. She wasn't exactly proud of the fact, it's just that some of the Games' events required... ehm... getting dirty. Rosetta shuddered to herself. She prided herself on immaculate grooming, and dirt did not suit a "proper" garden-fairy.
Rosetta became good at avoiding being selected for the garden-fairy team. At first it was a matter of self-preservation, then later it was about dignity. Lately, it had become her private game. It took considerable effort to create & execute a good dodge. She needed to stay closely tuned to Fern's activities during the days before the Games.
Fern, always the busy administrator, had predictably put off the dreaded selection process until hours before the Games' opening ceremonies. Rosetta smiled quietly to herself as she worked. It had been a while since she had used the "sick card".
"Rosetta, what happened?" cried Marigold, as her talent-sister fluttered into the stadium through the cool dawn light. Rosetta landed gently, so as not to disturb her right arm in a sling. Several other fairies glided over to pick up the gossip.
"Well, it's the craziest thing." Rosetta told them. "I was tending to a sick Venus fly-trap, when it grabbed my arm." The fairies nodded in mild amusement. They'd all heard stories of that. "I was about to tickle it into opening up, when a cuddle-vine reached over and grabbed me." A few fairies giggled. "They played tug-of-war with me for a minute, before the fly-trap let go." More garden-talents flitted over as the group chuckled. "When I finally convinced the cuddle-vine to let me go, I couldn't lift my arm." Rosetta patted the slung right arm, as the group made noises of sympathy. "The healing-talents tell me I need to rest it for a few days."
"Maybe you should take some time off." suggested Trillium.
"Oh, pshaw. I can still work." Rosetta stated with confidence.
No one had noticed another garden-talent who had quietly glided up behind them. "Now that you're all here," the group turned to see Fern hovering with The Basket, "It is time to choose who is going to represent us in the Games this year." The garden-fairies cringed with dread.
At any other event, Rosetta would sit with her closest friends, but for the Pixie Hollow Games, each talent group was expected to support their own. Rosetta took her seat with the other garden-talents. Bobble and Clank began announcements from their balloon in the night sky over the stadium.
"Rosetta!" Rosetta turned to see Lilac sitting a few rows back with Ivy. "I thought it was your right arm that was hurt." called Lilac.
Rosetta looked down at her left arm in the sling, and blushed slightly. "Nope, it's the left!" she called back, quickly turning to the front as the opening ceremony fanfare began.
.