The sewing talents were extremely reluctant as Zenith and Rosetta prepared to leave.
"Are you certain you don't want to try just one more outfit?" The pine-green haired fairy said, hovering anxiously by the doorway.
"Yeah, yeah." Another fairy chimed from the side.
"Please, just one more, we promise!"
"Haha, maybe some other time." Zenith gave a polite wave as Rosetta tugged him toward the exit.
Her grip was surprisingly firm for someone so delicate.
"Don't worry guys, I'll bring him back for more fittings next time!" Rosetta called over her shoulder as they slipped through the willow curtain.
The sewing talents' disappointed sighs followed them quietly into the sunlight.
...
Outside, Rosetta exhaled sharply, her grip loosening on Zenith's wrist.
"Dear me, I thought we'd never escape," she laughed, brushing a stray curl from her forehead.
"Those sewing-talents get downright obsessive when they find a good model."
"Yeah, they were pretty excited," Zenith chuckled, flexing his arms a bit in the silken sleeves.
The fabric felt strangely comforting against his skin, having an unexpected coolness despite the warmth of the morning air.
'It reminds me of ice-silk fabrics from my previous life,' Zenith thought, running his fingers along the silver-threaded vines embroidered into his sleeve.
"So, do you like it, sugar?" Rosetta asked, her wings fluttering as she circled Zenith with barely contained admiration.
"I love it... and also, thank you, Rosetta." Zenith said sincerely.
Rosetta blushed feverishly as Zenith offered his genuine thanks.
She absently twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "Oh, hush now, there's no need to thank me or anythin'." she murmured shyly.
...
But at that moment, Rosetta's wings began to glimmer strangely all of a sudden.
She gasped mid-flight, her body jerking as if tugged by an invisible string.
"Rosetta... what's wrong?" Zenith's voice sharpened as her wings flickered erratically, their usual golden sheen dimming slightly.
He quickly caught her elbow just as she dipped again midair; the cerulean glow around him flared instinctively to stabilize them both.
"Oh dear! I almost forgot about the daily pixie-dust ration!"
Rosetta gasped, her wings fluttered anxiously as she grabbed Zenith's hand with sudden urgency.
"Come on, sugar, let's hurry before my dust runs out completely!"
The overly anxious Zenith, breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
'So, it was only her pixie-dust running low,' Zenith thought, his tense nerves finally relaxing a bit.
The agitated glow around him pulsed once more before settling into its usual soft shimmer.
Rosetta glanced at his handsome profile, her heart racing as she stared into that mesmerizing blue glow.
"Oh, I keep forgetting you don't seem to need pixie-dust at all," she murmured, eyeing Zenith thoughtfully as her own wings gave another weak flutter.
The realization hit her anew, this was something entirely unprecedented in Pixie Hollow.
After all, every Never Fairy needed pixie-dust to sustain their flight... but now there was the unique exception of Zenith.
"Yeah, it does seem that way," Zenith responded with a light chuckle.
'Not needing to depend on pixie-dust is definitely a plus in my book,' he thought happily.
Rosetta didn't bother wracking her brain any more over Zenith's obvious anomaly.
Her grip had tightened on his wrist once more as she pulled him along, toward the Pixie Dust Well.
...
The Pixie Dust Well was humming with activity.
Fairies of all talents had gathered around the large basin of golden dust, awaiting their turn to receive their pixie-dust ration.
Above the well, a trio of dust-keeper fairies hovered like attendants serving at a grand feast.
Their acorn cups dipped rhythmically into the golden reservoir of pixie-dust, before sprinkling the golden motes over the fairies in line.
...
'It seems that the Pixie Dust Mill, where the dust-keepers were seen working in the later movies, hasn't been built yet.' Zenith mused silently as they approached the bustling well.
...
A beautiful fall of golden dust cascaded from high above.
It poured directly from the heart of the Pixie Dust Tree, filling the basin endlessly.
Zenith stared blankly, mesmerized by the shimmering flow, even though this was his second time seeing the captivating sight.
...
But just then, Zenith's gaze was instantly drawn by an incredible *mass* among the gathered fairies.
It was as if his eyes were being drawn by an extremely strong 'gravitational pull'.
His eyes brightened even more fiercely at that moment.
'Now that... is a woman.' He thought, his breath catching as his gaze locked onto a certain fairy standing in a group beside the well.