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What About Rosetta? - Chapter 6 - The Black Rose Plan
The unfortunate and untimely death of a garden fairy before the opening of the Pixie Hollow Games cast a haze of melancholy over many of the garden-talents. Fairies do not hold funeral services or memorial ceremonies, but they do remember their fallen members in informal ways.
For Rosetta, this unfortunate passing sparked an opportunity. She suspected that Fern would be presenting herself with The Basket tomorrow morning. Rosetta stayed up late into the evening, assembling an outfit for the next day.
Rosetta was up early next morning, dressed in her new apparel: A fairly plain dress, full arms, hemline below the knees, all fashioned in the dark violet of black rose petals. It was a custom outfit for mourning the lost garden-fairy. Although it pained her to do so, she left her hair unbrushed, and applied very pale makeup - all part of the look. She stuffed her pockets with hankies, and checked herself in the mirror.
"Now I just need the tears." Rosetta stared at her reflection, stunned. She had no idea how to cry. Like most fairies, she was cheery by nature, and work kept fairies too busy to dwell on things that other creatures might cry about. "It can't be difficult; Ivy cries a lot." Rosetta squinted her eyes to squeeze some tears out, but none came.
"Oh, for the love of orchids." she thought. If she couldn't cry, she'd have to abandon this plan and think up another - fast. "Why does anyone cry? Because they're sad or hurt." The death of Juniper was sad, of course, but Rosetta barely knew her. She needed something else.
She tried to think of the saddest things she could. "What if my wings dropped off?" That would be sad. "What if every fairy's wings dropped off?" Even sadder. "What if the sun never rose again?" That would be really sad. "Oh..." Rosetta's breath caught in her throat. "A pansy, alone in the desert!" That did it. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Part of Rosetta was glad she could cry, but she would need to pace herself; she may need to spend most of the day crying. She didn't bother with pixie dust or breakfast, and instead walked to the stadium. Rosetta dropped onto one of the seats near the stadium floor, and wept in view of the fairies working there.
Ivy was the first to approach Rosetta, and ask "What's wrong?"
"Juniper is gone!" blubbered Rosetta. Ivy burst into tears and sat down beside Rosetta, who handed her a hankie. After a few minutes, Rani the water-fairy sat on the other side of Rosetta and also began crying. Through teary eyes, Rosetta watched Fern fly into the stadium and call the garden-fairies together. Fern gave the 3 crying fairies in the stands a look of concern, then selected 2 names from The Basket.
Shortly after Fern left, Lilac flew over to collect her friend. "Come on, Ivy. Time to get back to work."
Ivy wiped the tears from her face as they fluttered away, saying "I had no idea Rosetta was so close to Juniper."
Lilac glanced back at the still crying Rosetta. "I don't really think she was."
Rani also had tasks to tend. She stopped weeping long enough to ask if there was anything she could do for Rosetta.
"No." croaked Rosetta. "I should go home, but I just need to be around..."
"...other fairies." Rani finished. "I understand." She wandered off, sniffing.
Rosetta walked home after a while, exhausted, and thinking "This is the hardest I've ever worked, to avoid team selection."
That evening was the opening of the Games. Rosetta had stopped crying, but continued to wear the black rose dress as a continued statement of her unsuitability for the garden-team.
"Welcome to the Pixie Hollow Games." announced Queen Clarion to the crowd. "Many of you have been disturbed by the passing of Juniper. I know of one fairy who has been affected most deeply." Everyone turned to look at Rosetta. It took all of her will-power not to slide under her seat. "I'm hoping this unfortunate event will not change the spirit of the Games." continued Clarion. "Good luck to all our competitors, and may the best team win."
Rosetta promised herself she would never do this plan again.
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