Fledge Star

by Titania Woods

  A dozen or so older fairies were already on the field, practising their moves. Twink’s resolve wavered as she watched a fourth-year girl jet through a post hole so fast that her blue hair whistled behind her. They were all fantastic fliers!

  ‘What are you doing here?’ sneered a voice. ‘It’s for good fliers only, or didn’t you read the notice!’

  Twink glanced around and groaned to herself. Hanging in the air beside her was the last fairy she wanted to see.

  ‘None of your business, Mariella,’ she said.

  ‘You’re not actually thinking of trying out!’ Mariella burst out laughing.

  Twink’s wings stiffened as she glared at her. ‘What’s so funny?’

  Mariella’s eyes shone smugly. She flicked her silvery-green hair back. ‘Well, I’m sure Madge won’t want novice fliers like you on the team! What if you had trouble flying again and ruined a game for everyone?’

  A chill clutched Twink’s wings as she remembered the problems with flying she’d had her very first term. Could Mariella be right? Don’t be daft, she reassured herself. That was ages ago!

  ‘Well, I’m trying out anyway,’ she said shortly.

  ‘I really wouldn’t bother if I were you –’ started Mariella. Then she looked upwards, and a sudden smile burst across her face. ‘Oh, I’m so excited! Aren’t you? I can hardly wait to play!’

  Twink stared at her in confusion. Before she could reply, a voice boomed, ‘Here to try out, are you?’

  .

  .

  Hovering just above them was a tall, solid fairy with dark green hair and wings. Twink’s eyes widened as she recognised Madge Woodwing, the Games Fairy. The fifth-year girl was larger than any fairy Twink had ever seen, and looked as powerful as a small hawk.

  Mariella nodded eagerly. ‘Oh, yes! We were just talking about it, weren’t we, Twink?’

  No wonder Mariella had suddenly become so nice! ‘Um – yes, that’s right,’ mumbled Twink.

  ‘Good!’ Madge clapped her large hands together. ‘We’ve just finished the warm-up, but we’re about to start a practice game if you want to join in.’

  Twink gulped. The Games Fairy was obviously trying to be kind, but there was something a bit fierce about her. ‘I – I think I want to try out, but I’ve never played Fledge before,’ she admitted in a rush.

  ‘Even better!’ said Madge with a sudden grin. ‘If you’re a good flier I can train you up myself, and not have to break you of any bad habits. Do you know the rules?’

  ‘Sort of,’ said Twink. Her cheeks reddened. Oh, why did Mariella have to be there?

  ‘Well, I’ll just go over them for you. First, there’s the Flea – that’s him over there, sitting on the centre post. He won’t sit still for long, though, once the game starts! He jumps about like a wild thing.’ Madge gave the Flea an affectionate look.

  Twink glanced apprehensively at the crouching insect. He was combing his whiskers with his front legs, looking completely unconcerned.

  Madge went on, ‘The Flea’s the whole object of the game – depending on what team you’re on, you’re either guarding him or stealing him. When you’re playing with the Guards, there’s only three of you, but when you’re a Stealer, you’ve got six players. Right?’

  ‘Um – right!’ said Twink quickly. She could see Mariella smirking out of the corner of her eye.

  ‘Now, if the Stealers gain possession of the Flea three times during a game, then the Guards lose. And at the same time, the Guards are trying to tag the Stealers. If they tag all six before they lose the Flea, they win. And that’s all there is to it!’ finished Madge with a grin. ‘Got it?’

  ‘I – I think so,’ said Twink, hoping that the Games Fairy wasn’t going to ask her to repeat any of that! She looked at the Flea again, and tried to hold back a shudder as she imagined tackling the spiky, hairy insect. ‘But, um . . . catching the Flea . . . I mean . . .’

  ‘Doesn’t hurt him at all!’ boomed Madge. ‘He loves it! Right, off you go, then. You can both be Stealers. Mind you don’t let the Guards tag you!’

  That’s not quite what I meant! thought Twink. Feeling hot and self-conscious, she flew towards the playing field.

  Mariella skimmed quickly ahead of her. As they joined the other Stealers, she kept well away from Twink, hovering with her nose in the air. ‘Good!’ muttered Twink. Worrying about Mariella was the last thing she needed right now.

  At the centre of the field, the three Guards clustered about the Flea. The little insect still sat preening himself, stroking his long, whiskery legs over his face. The blue-haired Fourth Year whom Twink had noticed before nudged her arm.

  ‘You have to watch him like a cat!’ she whispered. ‘He’s always leaping off when you least expect it.’

  Twink nodded, grateful for the advice.

  ‘And use the posts,’ urged the girl. ‘You can hide behind them to keep from being tagged, or zoom through one of the holes to shake a Guard off. But be careful – you can crash right into them if you’re not looking.’

  Suddenly she stuck her hand out with a grin. ‘I’m Mia, by the way. Good luck!’

  Madge blew a reed whistle, and the game started. ‘Watch the Flea!’ called someone. Just as Madge had said, the tiny insect was now jumping madly from post to post, soaring almost a foot in the air with each leap.

  Twink darted towards him – and then zipped hastily away again as one of the Guards flew straight at her. Remembering Mia’s advice about the posts, she did a quick midair somersault and dived through a hole.

  ‘Good move!’ called one of the other Stealers.

  Twink grinned, but there was no time to savour her triumph. The game continued at a rocketing pace, each moment more exhilarating than the last. Everyone played hard and fast – and Twink had to admit that Mariella got some glimmery moves in. She really was a very good flyer, even if she was Twink’s least favourite fairy in the world!

  Finally, with three of their teammates tagged, the Stealers had caught the Flea twice. Once more, and they’d win.

  Hovering behind a post, Twink peeked out. The Flea was on the move again! She forgot all about her dread of touching him. She had to catch him! She zoomed out of hiding as he sprang over her head, her fingers straining.

  All at once a Guard spotted her. ‘Oh, no you don’t!’ she called.

  Twink gulped as the larger fairy barrelled towards her, and ducked out of the way just in time.

  ‘Agh!’ cried the Guard. Flying too fast to stop, she only barely missed crashing into a post. Her wings beat frantically as she tumbled through the air.

  Now! Twink turned sharply and dived again, keeping her eyes on the Flea. Mariella was jetting towards him from the other direction, a determined grimace on her face.

  But Twink got there first. Ignoring the Guard’s angry shout, she scooped the Flea into her arms. He wriggled in her grasp, not spiky at all. His hairy legs tickled like little feathers.

  She had done it! They’d won! Excitement burst through Twink like fizzy dew as her teammates crowded around her, shouting congratulations and thumping her on the back.

  .

  .

  .

  .‘I can’t believe it!’ she gasped.

  ‘Well done!’ cried Mia. ‘You’re a natural!’

  ‘Yes, well done, Twink,’ simpered Mariella with a phoney smile. ‘That was so clever of you.’

  Suddenly Madge was there, beaming all across her broad face. ‘Not bad,’ she said, taking the Flea from Twink. Her green wings beat the air with strong, solid strokes. ‘Good game, everyone – thanks for coming. I’ll post the new team list after dinner.’

  .

  Chapter Three

  Dinner that night seemed to last for ever. Twink nibbled at her seed cake, hardly tasting it. Oh,
where was Madge? For the hundredth time, she twisted on her mushroom seat, peering at the upper-year tables.

  Bimi touched her arm. ‘You’ll make the team, don’t worry,’ she whispered. ‘That last move that you did was completely glimmery!’

  Twink gave her best friend a grateful smile. Bimi had watched the try-outs without Twink knowing, and had been there to hug her excitedly as she flew off the field.

  ‘Do you really think so?’ she whispered back. ‘Mariella played well too, Bimi, you know she did.’

  Bimi shook her blue head. ‘Not as well as you. Honestly, Twink – you don’t have anything to worry about!’

  Twink glanced down the table. Mariella was loudly telling a wide-eyed Lola all about the game, making the most of her every wing stroke.

  ‘It was really the best move in the game, even if I do say so myself. Why, one of the older girls said to me that she’s never seen a barrel roll done that way before! I’m sure Madge must have noticed it, too.’ Mariella sat back smugly on her mushroom.

  ‘Ooh, a barrel roll!’ Sooze’s violet eyes were wide and innocent. ‘That’s much better than winning the game – you’d better look out, Twink!’

  Mariella scowled at her as the table burst into laughter.

  ‘Twink, look! She’s putting the team lists up!’ squealed Sili.

  Twink whipped about on her seat. Yes, there was Madge down at the end of the Great Branch, tacking a rose petal to the wall!

  ‘Come on, Bimi!’ she cried. Leaving their seats, she and Bimi flew hurriedly down the length of the Branch. Mariella and Lola followed close behind.

  A small crowd of fairies was already clustered about the notice. ‘Well done, Pip!’ said an older fairy to her friend. ‘I knew you’d make it.’

  Twink lifted up in the air, straining to see. There was the list! She scanned it quickly, holding her breath. Where was her name? Surely it had to be there!

  .

  .

  But it wasn’t.

  Twink’s cheeks blazed with embarrassment as she sank back down to the ground. ‘I – I suppose I wasn’t good enough after all,’ she muttered to Bimi. And she had been so certain! At least Mariella wasn’t on the list, either. That really would have been too much to bear.

  But Bimi was still looking at the list. ‘Wait – there you are, down at the bottom!’ she said, clutching Twink’s arm. Twink shot up in the air again, her pulse pounding. And there it was:

  .

  Team reserves: Twink Flutterby, Second Year

  Team reserves: Mariella Gossamer, Second Year

  Team reserve? With Mariella? Twink stared at their names, battling mixed feelings. On the one wing, it was great to be on the team at all . . . but on the other wing, being a reserve with Mariella wasn’t exactly what she had hoped for!

  ‘Reserve?’ shrieked a voice. Hovering a few fairies away, Mariella looked like she had just swallowed a gnat.

  ‘But that’s not fair!’ squeaked Lola. ‘You’re a much better player than that.’

  An older girl in a bluebell dress frowned. ‘You’re lucky to be on the team at all,’ she pointed out. ‘There’s plenty who’d be happy to be a reserve if you aren’t!’

  Mariella seemed to choke on her reply. ‘No, I’m happy to be a reserve,’ she muttered, glaring across at Twink as if it were her fault. ‘I was just . . . surprised, that’s all.’

  Madge appeared, her large green wings stirring the air. ‘Glad to hear it!’ she boomed. ‘You’re both good players, but you’re still very young. I need you to prove to me that you’ve got what it takes, and if you do, I’ll make you both full Fledge players next year.’

  Next year! Twink tried to smile. ‘Yes, OK,’ she said.

  ‘Glimmery!’ said Mariella, looking as if she really meant it. But the moment Madge flew off, her smile faded. The two fairies looked at each other as the crowd around the notice drifted away.

  ‘Um . . . well, congratulations,’ said Twink awkwardly. ‘To us both, I mean. I suppose we did well to get on the team at all.’

  ‘Speak for yourself!’ snapped Mariella. She skimmed off without another word, with Lola flapping along after her.

  .

  .

  Bimi grimaced. ‘Poor you, having to play with her! But Twink, at least you’re on the team. That’s the main thing.’

  Twink nodded. ‘I know. I’ll just have to keep telling myself that!’

  But in the weeks that followed, Madge kept them so busy practising that Mariella didn’t have time to be unpleasant. The team flew almost every day, working out glimmery new moves and zooming through the wooden posts like comets. Twink loved every moment of it – even the way her muscles ached at the end of a hard game.

  ‘All right, listen up!’ called Madge at the start of practice one day. ‘Our first match is this Saturday. We’re playing against Sparklelight Academy, and you know what that means!’

  Twink glanced at the fairies hovering around her. They were all nodding seriously, even Mariella. Twink raised her hand.

  ‘Yes?’ barked Madge.

  ‘Er – what does it mean?’ asked Twink shyly.

  Madge’s mouth dropped open. ‘What does it mean? Why, Sparklelight is practically the best team in the whole league! We have to beat them at least twice this season, or we won’t get into the finals.’

  Twink swallowed. ‘Oh.’

  ‘And we’ve only got three matches with them altogether – so this one is very important,’ said Madge sternly. ‘Now out on the field, everyone! Let’s make this our best practice yet.’

  The practice game started, with Twink on the Guards team. The Flea was in a mischievous mood, bounding gleefully from post to post. In no time at all, it was a wild, frenzied game, with the Guards racing about after the Flea and the Stealers darting in from all directions, trying to grab him.

  ‘Oh, stay still,’ panted Twink. The Flea landed nimbly on one of the posts, jumped up and down a few times, and then bounded off again. Argh! Twink dived through the air after him, with a pair of Stealers twisting quickly out of her way.

  Crack! The sound echoed across the field. Whirling about midair, Twink saw that a fourth-year fairy called Vera had crashed into a post. She fell to the ground in what seemed like slow motion.

  Her heart pounding, Twink swooped down after her. The team landed about Vera in a cluster. ‘Are you all right?’ asked Mia, gripping her shoulder.

  Vera’s face was flushed and damp. ‘Oh, it’s my stupid wing! I wasn’t looking where I was going, and now I think I’ve broken it!’

  Madge appeared and crouched down beside the injured fairy, feeling her wing. ‘You’ve broken it, all right,’ she said grimly. ‘Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary. Mia, give me a hand.’ Lifting Vera up between them, they slowly flew her off the field.

  .

  .

  Twink hugged herself as she watched them head towards the tree. Fledge was such an exhilarating game, but it was awful when something like this happened!

  The team broke into smaller groups, murmuring worriedly about Vera. Mariella flitted over beside Twink. ‘Well, you know what this means,’ she said.

  Twink shook her head. ‘No, what?’

  The pointy-faced fairy let out an impatient breath. ‘Honestly, Twink! Vera’s not going to be playing in the Sparklelight match, is she? So one of us will be.’

  A thrill darted across Twink’s wings as she realised Mariella was right. She would never have wanted Vera to get injured, but – but oh, it would be wonderful to actually play in the match, instead of just hanging about on the sidelines!

  ‘But I wouldn’t get your hopes up, if I were you,’ smirked Mariella. ‘Madge is sure to choose the best player.’ She jetted off across the field.

  Twink grimaced after her. She knew
she had a chance, no matter what Mariella said!

  Finally Madge and Mia reappeared, flying down the hill to the field.

  ‘Is Vera all right?’ asked a fifth-year student anxiously.

  The Games Fairy sighed. ‘Fine, but she won’t be playing for a few weeks – her wing’s got a nasty break.’ She narrowed her eyes at Twink and Mariella, and then gave a decisive nod. ‘Twink, I want you to play in the Sparklelight match in her place.’

  Twink caught her breath as the rest of the team grinned at her. ‘Oh, thank you!’ she burst out, excitement pounding through her wings. ‘I’ll play really well, Madge, I promise.’

  ‘I know,’ said Madge with a sudden chuckle. ‘Because you’ll have me to answer to otherwise.’

  Twink smiled happily – though somehow she didn’t think Madge was really joking!

  Madge swooped to the ground and picked up a pile of bright yellow petal pads. She handed them out, slapping one into each girl’s hand. ‘These are your strategy books! I’ve worked out some glimmery set pieces for the Sparklelight match, and I want you all to memorise them. Sparklelight won’t even know what’s hit them!’

  ‘What about me?’ asked Mariella, just managing to keep the sour note out of her voice.

  ‘You too, Mariella – just in case!’ Madge handed Mariella a yellow petal pad as well.

  Flipping through her strategy book, Twink’s excitement started to feel more like apprehension. The set pieces all had titles like: Guarding the Flea – a Double Bluff, and Super Triple Fake-Out Using the Centre Post. Pages and pages of instructions for each of them! How would she ever remember all of this by Saturday?

  Twink saw Mariella watching her with narrowed eyes. She quickly closed the petal pad, trying to look unconcerned. I’ll just have to study extra hard, that’s all, she decided. I’ve got to do well in the match – I’ve just got to!

  .

  Chapter Four

  ‘Weather magic is the most dramatic of all fairy magic,’ intoned Mrs Starbright. Her blue sleeves billowed as she raised her arms. ‘We are responsible for making snowflakes! Rainbows! Thunderstorms!’