Fairy Dust (7 page)

The friends looked at each other, and suddenly burst into laughter. ‘That's you told, Sooze,' giggled Bimi.

‘Oh, flap off!' Sooze's cheeks were red as she grinned. ‘Anyway, I suppose I can't blame it.'

Twink laughed with the others, but her smile became wistful as she glanced across at Queen Mab and her retinue, preparing to leave. Athough the Queen had mingled with the students after the ceremony, Twink had been far too shy to approach her.

She sighed, and sipped her fizzy dew glumly. She'd probably never have another chance, now. Why should an ordinary fairy like her meet the Queen?

‘Hello, girls,' said a voice.

The fairies jumped to their feet as Miss Shimmery landed beside them. ‘Well done, Sooze,' said the HeadFairy. ‘I knew you could do it!'

‘Thank you, Miss Shimmery,' said Sooze in a small voice. ‘Er – am I going to be punished?'

Miss Shimmery laughed. ‘Well, I think you know now that playing pranks near the ice pole wasn't the wisest idea in the world! I daresay you've been punished enough already – you must have gone through quite a worrying time.'

‘Oh, yes, Miss Shimmery,' nodded Sooze fervently. ‘I really have. It's been awful!'

Miss Shimmery's rainbow wings gleamed in the sunshine. ‘And just to make sure you don't forget the lesson, I think I'll put you in charge of tending the green pole once the new term begins. You'll need to transplant all the ivy and flowers somewhere else, where they can really thrive.'

Twink knew that Sooze would once have moaned at the prospect of so much hard work. Now she fluttered her wings eagerly, eyes shining. ‘Yes, Miss Shimmery. I'd really like to!'

‘Good,' smiled Miss Shimmery. ‘Now then, Twink – Queen Mab would like a word with you before she flies off.'

Twink started, and dropped her acorn cup. Her friends gaped at her. ‘
Me
?' she gasped.

‘Yes, you.' Miss Shimmery lifted off the ground and hovered, motioning to Twink. ‘Come along, my dear – she has to leave soon.'

In a daze, Twink flew along beside Miss Shimmery. As they approached Queen Mab and her retinue, she saw Mariella and Lola sidle up next to the Queen. They tiptoed respectfully, and Mariella said something.

As Twink landed, she heard Queen Mab reply, ‘Why, of course I remember your grandmother!'

Mariella tossed her hair and smirked at Lola. ‘See, I told you,' she mouthed. Lola looked on, wide-eyed with awe.

‘She was one of the best cleaning fairies I've ever had,' continued the Queen.

Mariella looked like she had swallowed a hot chilli seed. ‘A – a
cleaning
fairy?' she spluttered.

Queen Mab nodded. ‘Yes, that's right. A charming fairy; we were great friends. There is nothing wrong with being a cleaning fairy, my girl. You had better not be so snobbish, or you won't find many friends.'

A smile lit her lovely face as she caught sight of Twink. ‘Ah! Twink Flutterby. I've heard so much about you.' The Queen clasped Twink's hand as Twink gave a hasty tiptoe.

‘Me?' whispered Twink. ‘But all I did was to have a word with Sooze. She's the one who got the secret.' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mariella flounce off with a scowl.

The Queen's eyes were bright blue, and seemed to look right into Twink's very soul. Twink trembled, wondering what she was going to say.

Queen Mab smiled. ‘I must go now, Twink, but we'll meet again, I'm sure of it. And I shall look forward to it very much. You're a very special young fairy, my dear.' Stooping, she kissed Twink lightly on both cheeks.

‘Thank you, Your Majesty,' murmured Twink in a dream.

She stood in silent wonder as the Queen bid farewell to Miss Shimmery, and then lifted off into the air with her counsellors. The seed pearls on the Queen's lily dress sparkled in the sunlight as they flew away, the silver butterflies following close behind.

Miss Shimmery rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘Well done, my dear.'

‘But – but I don't understand,' said Twink in bewilderment. ‘Why did she want to meet
me
?'

The HeadFairy smiled gently at her. ‘You haven't worked it out, then? The reason why Queen Mab decided that Glitterwings should host the Spring Ceremony?'

Twink shook her head mutely.

‘It was because of you, Twink,' said Miss Shimmery. ‘Because of how you helped Stripe last term. The Queen wanted to meet the fairy who made friends with a wasp – and it inspired her to mend the bridges between the fairies and the water sprites, as well.' She laughed suddenly. ‘Of course,
that
almost didn't go as planned because of Sooze's prank . . . but we got there in the end!'

Twink's thoughts spun as she watched the Queen and her retinue disappear from view. Queen Mab had wanted to meet
her
. Her – Twink Flutterby! It was too incredible to be true.

Yet it had happened. It really had.

‘My father was right,' said Twink. ‘This is one term I'll never, ever forget!'

‘Me neither,' said Bimi. The two friends smiled at each other.

The Daffodil Branch fairies were busy packing their things, getting ready to go home for the spring holiday. Sooze grinned as she tied her oak-leaf bag shut. ‘And the best thing is we'll be Second Years next term! We'll be able to use fairy dust all we like! Oh – just
think
of the pranks we can play –'

.

.

‘
Sooze!
' cried the rest of the Branch.

‘You're not thinking of playing more pranks!' gasped Twink, half-laughing.

Sooze tossed her hair back. ‘Well, why not?' she said with a cheeky smile. ‘You can't be good
all
the time. I'll just take care that there aren't any ice poles around!'

Twink laughed. Sooze would never change, not really – and deep down, Twink was glad of it.

‘Well, I don't think it's fair at all,' snapped Mariella. ‘And you even got to dance in the ceremony, when
I
didn't! Why, you should have been expelled! When I tell my mother what happened, I bet –'

‘Oh,
please
do!' broke in Sooze. ‘Maybe she'll finally send you somewhere else. If we all wrote to her and begged, d'you think she might?' She clasped her hands under her chin pleadingly.

Mariella glared and flounced away as the branch erupted into laughter. Twink grinned to herself. Mariella would never change either, that was clear!

Finally the packing was done. After a flurry of goodbye hugs and cries of ‘See you next term!' Twink picked up her bag and flitted to the doorway. Her parents were probably waiting outside by now, eager to hear all about the ceremony. She could hardly wait to tell them everything – but even so, she paused and looked back at comfortable, cosy Daffodil Branch, where she had spent so many hours and had grown so much.

They'd be in a new branch next term. Second-year fairies – not the babies of the school any more.

‘Goodbye, Daffodil Branch,' whispered Twink softly. ‘And – thanks a lot!'

.

The End

.

Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Berlin, New York and Sydney

First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

36 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QY

Text copyright © Lee Weatherly 2008

Illustrations copyright © Smiljana Coh 2008

The moral right of the author has been asserted

This electronic edition published in August 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 4088 1346 1

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