Rosa in Sparkle City

by Poppy Collins

  Her friends nodded and smiled. Of course Violet should wear them – her favourite colour was purple, after all!

  “It suits you perfectly,” Buttercup said.

  The fairy princesses began matching the outfits to the models, and soon there was just one outfit left – the final jubilee dress. Rosa held out the dress bag towards her friends.

  “No, YOU have to wear that one,” Bluebell said. “After all your hard work and organization, you deserve it.

  Rosa started to shake her head, but her three friends were grinning.

  “We insist!” Violet announced.

  Now, Rosa’s shivers of excitement had turned to waves. “Thank you,” she said, feeling hot with anticipation. She fingered the dress bag. She knew she needed to sit down with a fairy-stylist but she couldn’t help taking a peek at the beautiful outfit again first.

  She brought out the dress slowly, the different coloured silk layers cool and smooth to the touch. But what was that tinkling sound? As Rosa looked down, her heart sank to her toes. The jewels were dropping from the dress like raindrops to the ground. It was ruined!

  “Oh no!” cried Rosa, staring at the dress in horror.

  “What’s happened!” shouted Violet over the noise of the preparations, rushing across to Rosa. She looked at the dress, and then saw the jewels scattered on the floor. “Oh my fairyness, it’s a disaster!”

  Buttercup and Bluebell flew over to join them. “Maybe it’s not so bad. Look, not all of them have fallen off,” Buttercup said, pointing. But as Rosa looked closer at the jewelled neckline, another smattering of jewel-drops sounded on the floor. There was only one jewel left, Rosa saw, an emerald one at the back of the neck, but just as she noticed it – plop! – the green jewel fell sadly to the ground.

  Rosa felt tears pricking her eyes. “What are we going to do?” she said quietly. “The glue must have stopped working because it’s such a hot day.”

  As Violet and Buttercup hugged Rosa, Bluebell bent down and started picking up the jewels from the floor.

  “Could we use fairy magic to glue them back on?” Bluebell suggested.

  Rosa shook her head. “I don’t think it’d work,” she said, “because the gems are already enchanted.”

  “I could go and explain what’s happened to the king and queen?” Violet offered. “They’ll understand. Maybe we could even postpone the show.”

  “I’m not sure about that,” Buttercup replied slowly. “It’s their jubilee – we can’t disturb them now and spoil their day.”

  Rosa sighed, wiped her eyes with a daisy- petal hanky and tried to sound cheerful. “If we stand here worrying, none of the show will be ready in time. We’ll just have to carry on without the final piece.”

  “If you’re sure?” said Bluebell. The fairy princesses looked around. The room was full of fairy models in dressing gowns, their hair unpinned. There was still a lot to do.

  “Yes,” Rosa said, putting the dress back in its bag and forcing a smile. “We don’t want to keep the king and queen – and the whole of Sparkle City – waiting, do we?”

  Rosa tried to stop herself from shaking with disappointment as she went to check on the fairy-stylists. Ivy, Opal and Topaz were doing an amazing job – one of the fairies had a top-knot bun netted with the finest spider’s web, and another had long flowing red curls that nestled perfectly on her auburn wings.

  Buttercup was organizing the snacks that would be served to the audience during the show – the fairy princesses’ favourites, cupcakes. What’s more, they’d been decorated with icing in the shape of miniature handbags and shoes! As she carried out a cake stand, she sniffed them – toffee and butterscotch with a hint of honey. Yum!

  Meanwhile, Bluebell helped the fairy models into their outfits. One wore the orange-print blouse and cancan skirt, another the rainbow wrap dress lit with Glow-Me-Up string. There was the petal-bottomed maxi-dress with the beaded rock necklace, and the pink-edged dungarees with dragonfly earrings. The models spun round, oohing and aahing at the sight of the gorgeous clothes.

  As she fluttered around the dressing room, pinning a hem here, adding a ribbon there, Rosa could hear the excited chatting of the audience outside. Not long now! She was trying really hard not to think of the jubilee dress and how she wouldn’t be able to take part in the show now that it was ruined. And she had been so looking forward to seeing the king and queen’s faces when she modelled the special outfit for them. She thought back to all the hard work the fairy princesses had done to prepare for the fashion show. Designing the outfits, finding models and stylists, visiting the shops. . .

  Wait! Rosa’s mind had been so full of the show that she hadn’t been able to think straight. But suddenly she had an idea. She might just be able to fix the dress after all!

  “I’ve got to go,” she told her fairy princess friends as she rushed to the door.

  Bluebell, Buttercup and Violet swung round.

  “But the show’s about to begin!” Violet cried.

  “I know – but I’ll be as quick as I can,” Rosa replied. “You might just have to start without me!”

  Flapping her wings furiously, Rosa took off in the direction of Twinkle Meadow. With a tiny bit of fairy magic, her idea might just work!

  Rosa returned to Paradise Square just as the fairy-bunny trumpeters were announcing the arrival of the king and queen. Phew!

  From the sky, Rosa could see that the square around the crystal catwalk was full of fairies – not just from Sparkle City, but from other fairylands too. Rosa beamed when she spotted Fern, one of the fairy princesses’ best friends from Star Valley. Fern was jumping up and down and waving. She looked gorgeous in a long, delicate orange maxi-skirt with chains of matching orange beads around her neck. And there was Honey – Rosa’s cousin. She’d come all the way from Shimmer Island!

  Rosa zoomed towards the floating rainbow curtain to join her fairy princess friends. Behind it the first models stood ready. Everyone fell silent as the fairy king and queen appeared on two crystal thrones at the head of the catwalk. You could hear fairy dust drop, it was so quiet, thought Rosa. Her wings tingled with excitement, knowing the show was just about to begin. This was it!

  “Welcome, fairies,” announced the king. “The fairy queen and I thank you for attending this fashion show to celebrate our jubilee.”

  “We’re so looking forward to seeing the outfits, put together by our very own fashion fairy princesses, Rosa, Bluebell, Buttercup and Violet,” the queen added.

  The four fairy princesses stood nervously behind the rainbow curtain with the other models, waiting for the show to start. Rosa sneaked a peek through the curtain at the crowds of fairies and felt her tummy bubble with nerves. She so hoped everyone would like their designs!

  “And now, let the show commence!” The king stomped his walking stick on the ground, and the fairy-bunnies began playing a fast, fun melody.

  “Buttercup, go!” Rosa said, and the fairy princess fluttered through the rainbow curtain and up on to the catwalk. She wore the halo hairpiece and the yellow daffodil summer dress – perfect for a day like this, Rosa realized.

  She held her breath as the king and queen and the hundreds of fairies in Paradise Square watched on. Rosa reached out and grasped Violet’s hand tightly – her heart felt like it would leap out of her chest at any moment.

  And then applause began to ripple around the square. Louder and louder it came, as more of the fairy models took to the glittering catwalk. They like it! thought Rosa.

  Holly was up on the catwalk now, fluttering slowly along in the petal-bottomed strapless dress. The sunlight shining on the crystal walkway made everything glow and look extra magical. There was Violet in the purple suit with the strawberry bracelet and then Bluebell in the blue organza dress and shell earrings.

  Rosa glanced at the fairy king and queen. They were clapping furiously to
o, with big smiles on their faces. She was so glad they were getting the jubilee show they had wanted – well, so far, anyway. But what about the final outfit? With moments to go before she had to appear in the jubilee dress, Rosa dashed into the dressing room.

  “Rosa, you’re next!” a fairy-helper called through the curtain.

  Rosa took a deep breath, and flew out before she could change her mind. She fluttered up to the catwalk and took her first few steps along it. The fifty-layered dress was amazing to walk in. The silk train floated on the gentle breeze as if it were flying, and the layers rose and fell like little fabric wings. On the catwalk, Rosa felt like she had a hundred spotlights on her, such was the glow from the crystal walkway catching the sun. Her face ached from smiling – she couldn’t stop grinning as the audience clapped harder than ever. And there were her three best friends watching from their places at the end of the catwalk – their eyes wide in surprise, beams across their faces. Rosa knew they’d be wondering how she’d fixed the fifty enchanted jewels to her dress – because there they were, sparkling around the neckline. Light bounced off them, splashing bright colours around Rosa as she gave a delicate twirl.

  Then Rosa walked a few more steps to join all the other models at the end of the stage.

  “How did you do it?” Bluebell whispered to Rosa.

  “I remembered seeing the loops of shimmer shoots in Jewels and Gems, and how their silvery stands held everything in place – and I suddenly realized that we could do the same with the jewels on the dress.” Rosa glanced down. The shimmer-shoot threads wound around the jewels and caught the light like silk whiskers, making the dress look even more magical.

  “But where did you find them?” asked Violet.

  Rosa grinned. “In Twinkle Meadow of course! That’s where all the shimmer-shoots grow.” Rosa stopped talking, her voice drowned out by the roar of the crowd. The other models left the catwalk while the four fashion fairy princesses curtseyed to the king and queen. The king held his hand up for silence.

  “Congratulations!” the king and queen boomed together.

  “That was the most amazing fashion show Sparkle City has ever seen!” said the king.

  “The outfits you designed were both spectacular and practical,” the queen added. “I know we’ll be seeing your designs on the Sparkle City streets very soon! And the final piece was stunning – a dress fit for a jubilee!”

  “We haven’t forgotten about your reward,” said the king.

  Rosa put her hand to her mouth – the Paradise Square stone! The king and queen may not have forgotten, but with everything that had happened, she had!

  At the edge of the square, a dozen tiny fairy-helpers surrounded one of the pavement stones, covering it with a golden velvet veil.

  “Don’t be shy,” said the queen. “Go and see it being revealed!”

  The fairy princesses zoomed down to the pavement. They watched, speechless, as the helpers pulled the velvet cover away. Rosa caught her breath when she saw the words engraved into the stone in sparkling silver.

  The crowd applauded yet again as the four friends joined in a group hug, circling their Paradise Square stone. “We did it!” cried Rosa. She looked down at the sparkling words and a warm glow of happiness flooded through her that had nothing to do with the hot sun. What a magical day it had been!

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  “Please could you pass me the petal pancakes, Buttercup?” asked Violet, eyeing the tall stack of fluffy pink cakes hungrily. “They look delicious.”

  “They are,” said Bluebell, pouring rose-coloured syrup on to her second helping. “I think they might be the nicest I’ve ever tasted.”

  Buttercup passed the silver plate of pancakes to her friend. It was a sunny Saturday morning and the fashion fairy princesses – Violet, Rosa, Buttercup and Bluebell – were having breakfast on the jewelled patio of Glimmershine Palace. All around them the glittering pink and purple flowers of the palace’s gardens fluttered in the gentle breeze.

  “It’s such a beautiful day,” said Buttercup, taking a sip of nectar from the flower-shaped glass in front of her. “I can’t wait to get down to the palace stables.”

  “Oh look,” said Violet, “here’s Ferdinand with the fairy-mail. I wonder if he has anything exciting for me.”

  Ferdinand was a beautiful metallic blue firefly and a fairy-flyer. The fairy-flyers picked up and delivered the fashion fairy princesses’ fairy-mail from all over Sparkle City.

  Violet looked a little disappointed as Ferdinand buzzed quickly past her chair. He also passed Rosa and Bluebell but landed gently next to a surprised Buttercup.

  “I wasn’t expecting anything,” said Buttercup excitedly as she thanked Ferdinand and reached into his saddlebag. When she pulled out her hand, she was holding a large gold glittering shell.

  “What a beautiful shell,” said Bluebell.

  “It looks like it came from Glitter Ocean,” said Rosa, peering closer. “Do you know someone from Glitter Ocean, Buttercup?”

  “Only my Great-aunt Melinda. She’s a mermaid and lives near Coral Castle with the other merpeople,” answered Buttercup, examining the shell carefully, “but I haven’t heard from her since last year’s Annual Fairy Festival.”

  “Aren’t you going to open it?” said Violet, desperate to know what was inside. “Perhaps it’s a present.”

  Buttercup looked at the large, flat shell in her hand and tried to open it with her delicate fingers, but nothing happened.

  “Let me have a go,” said Violet, reaching for the shell.

  “Violet, it’s Buttercup’s invitation. Let her open it,” said Rosa gently. “Buttercup, why don’t you try using a little fairy-dust? Perhaps it was closed with fairy magic.”

  “Good idea, Rosa,” said Violet. “Sorry, Buttercup, I was only trying to help.”

  Buttercup took out a small pouch of fairy-dust from the skirt of her dress and sprinkled a little over the shell. With a puff of golden glitter, the shell opened to reveal a shining yellow invitation. . .

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  First published in the UK by Scholastic Ltd, 2014

  This electronic edition published by Scholastic Ltd 2014

  Text copyright © Scholastic Ltd, 2014

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  Inside illustration copyright © David Shephard, The Bright Agency, 2014

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