Some cookies are necessary to make this site and our content available to you. Other Cookies enable us to analyse and measure audience and traffic to the site. Cookies are also used by us, advertisers, ad-tech providers and others to develop and serve ads that are more relevant to your interests. To consent to the use of Cookies and proceed to the site, click Accept below. If you wish to withdraw consent later you will find a link in the footer Cookie Choices. For more information: Privacy Policy.
Storytelling Competition - (click for the map) | (printer friendly version)

If you have any questions about the competition then read our awesome FAQ!


Week 646
You are on Week 647
Week 648

Every week we will be starting a new Story Telling competition - with great prizes! The current prize is 2000 NP, plus a rare item!!! This is how it works...

We start a story and you have to write the next few paragraphs. We will select the best submissions every day and put it on the site, and then you have to write the next one, all the way until the story finishes. Got it? Well, submit your paragraphs below!

Story Six Hundred Forty Seven Ends Friday, March 14

A green balloon swung lazily above the chair to which it was attached, practically whining about its existence with an inaudible creak.

In the chair, halfheartedly pulling at the string to put some life in the otherwise dead balloon, rested a downcast Scorchio, also poking at a limp-looking slice of cake in front of her. She struggled with the forkful of chocolate cake, but even on her birthday, she was just too downhearted to force it to pass her lips. The Scorchio sighed, put the fork down, and pushed the plate away with a gentle scrape, not caring to eat even though it was her birthday.

The trouble was the same as it was every year: no one would come to visit Irena on her birthday. Such were the complications that arose from being born on Illusen Day, where everyone was off celebrating or helping Illusen with something or other. Irena couldn't help it -- it made her green with envy.

Not so green, mind you, that she considered plotting disaster upon Illusen and all she knew and loved, oh no. Irena had much more sense than that. The Scorchio did, however, wish that she had the courage to tell Illusen how she felt about the colliding days... without being overly disrespectful, of course. Illusen had her glory, yes, but Irena did not have hers. It was only fair that she had something of significance on her birthday -- if not, at the very least, the company of one person.

The Scorchio had seen it time and time again: Neopets who got a free biscuit with their coffee because "it was their birthday" or another opportunity to spin the Fruit Machine because "it was their birthday." Irena had principles. She was far too honest for that sort of cheating and would never tell anyone it was her birthday at all. Most years, it passed just like any other day.

And yet, she thought, that may have been the reason none of her friends had visited her at all. Perhaps it had less to do with her friends being occupied by Illusen's quests than she had imagined.

Irena scraped the chair backward, making the balloon dance with a hopeful flutter. She'd go over to Illusen's Glade and make herself known to the earth faerie. If Illusen was as kind and understanding as Irena had heard she was, then what could go wrong?

The Scorchio immediately spread her wings and headed for Meridell. Cool, not chilly, air whistled into her face. The harbinger of spring gently guided her toward the glade, where she landed neatly with a soft rustle as her feet touched grass.

Irena gasped, dismayed at the long line of questers in front of her...

Author: flufflepuff
Date: Mar 10th
...The line of bodies meandered back and forth through the valley, creating a barrier of fur, feathers, and everything in between, preventing her from progressing any further. Irena craned her neck desperately, flapping her wings slightly to elevate her point of view. There was a particularly large, round Tonu in front of her, clasping a small Lupe plushie in between his enormous front hooves. The plushie's head lolled over awkwardly on one side... yikes. If she could just get around this guy, Irena thought, then she could skirt down the line and get Illusen's attention, and everything would be fine...

"Hey, the line is here!" The rough voice that boomed next to her made Irena jump with fright, her whole body whipping backward in surprise. "Sit down and stop flapping your wings, kid. It won't get you there any quicker, and it's making me cold, to boot."

Irena coughed, and then took a few awkward steps backward, ashamed of being caught. "I-I'm sorry, Sir. I--" She paused, her mind working. "Uh, it's my birthday?" she piped hopefully.

"Ha! As if! You just want to get to the front first, eh? Well, I'm already running out of time to get my quest completed, so I'll see Faerieland fall before I let you past." The Tonu grumbled, tiptoeing forward as the line moved on. "Like I said, sit down, birthday girl."

"But Faerieland alrea-- wait, it really is my birthday!" Irena stomped her foot, somewhat offended, but the huge creature ignored her with an over-exaggerated huff. "Fine, I'll just wait, then."

Minutes ticked hesitantly by, seemingly at a Slorg's pace. Everyone seemed to be buzzing excitedly around her, talking about quests and prizes and time limits, but Irena failed to feel even a shred of their joy. What a day. Not to mention the rising tension between her and the grumpy Tonu, especially when the group of friends that stood behind her kept shoving her into his back. He huffed, every single time, and glared at her past his huge nose-horn like it was her fault. She'd had her fair share of bad birthdays, that was true, but this really took the cake. The birthday cake, to be exact.

"So, uh... you're here to finish a quest?" she started lamely as the silence between them became too much for her to bear.

"Look, you don't have to make conversation just so--" he began, but was cut off by a loud bang that sounded like an explosion. "Kid, get down!"

The next thing she knew, Irena's face was being pushed into the dirt by one of those oversized hooves...

Author: cloudwhiskers
Date: Mar 10th
...She vaguely heard someone shout "False alarm!" and the pressure on the back of her head released. Irena lifted her face to breathe and coughed out a mouthful of dirt. If she thought her birthday couldn't get any worse, then she'd definitely spoken too soon. She swirled her tongue around her mouth, feeling clumps of gritty earth, and shouted toward the Tonu between each spit.

"What... did you... do that for?" she cried.

He folded his arms and gave her a defiant huff. She followed his gaze and saw that, a few spots behind them, stood a purple Korbat holding a smoking yellow cannon. He smiled guiltily and shifted it uncomfortably in his hands. "Sorry, I forgot to make sure the safety was on."

"That cannonball went whizzing an inch past your head," someone pointed out to Irena, who turned to see a giant metal ball lodged in a nearby tree. "He practically saved your life!"

Irena shuffled uneasily, swiping the last bits of dirt off her wings. With a resolute sigh, she turned toward the Tonu and said, "Thank you."

If she had expected his expression to soften, then she was wrong. He continued to stare at her stonily and only replied, "I've been telling Illusen for years that she should stop requesting such dangerous items." He trailed off mumbling something about careless Neopets.

A few minutes passed, and the others in line went back to discussing their quests, leaving Irena to return to the awkward silence of being in the Tonu's presence. She rolled her eyes. "I'm Irena, by the way," she offered.

The Tonu grunted. "Bob," he said without turning. "Is it really your birthday?" he asked.

Irena nodded as he squinted over his shoulder. The silence stretched on and then he seemed to emit a low growl before stepping out of line, shoving her in front of him and resting in a spot behind her. He'd actually let her cut! It hadn't made a huge difference, but the fact that someone had made a kind gesture toward her because it was her birthday was quite touching to her.

Before she could thank him, though, they'd reached the base of Illusen's tree and a loud ringing had hit their ears. Illusen appeared as if from thin air and threw her hands apart, tossing confetti into the air.

"Congratulations!" she cried, looking toward the Scorchio. "You're the 1,000th quester today, so you get a very special prize..."

Author: treeword
Date: Mar 11th
..."Me?" Irena asked dazedly, pointing at herself. "I'm the 1,000th quester?"

"Gee, too bad I let you cut..." Bob muttered behind the Scorchio, sighing.

"Yes, you!" Illusen said cheerfully. "Here, it's right in my house..."

Irena gave an awkward wave to Bob, who returned it only half-heartedly. She then followed Illusen into the tree. Inside, everything seemed to be either green, brown, or wooden. Green counters lined the walls in the back, along with a brown stove, where a kettle was whistling loudly. Illusen gave a quick grin over her shoulder to Irena and hurried to it. She poured a cup of tea and handed it to Irena, who hesitated and took it.

"This is my prize?" she asked, not sure if Illusen was kidding.

"Of course not, silly! The gift's much more special." Illusen winked at Irena and put up one finger to tell the Scorchio to wait. She then hovered over quickly into a back room.

Irena awkwardly waited in the doorway. She glanced over her shoulder to see some 'pets sighing and tapping their feet impatiently, while others asked those in front of them what the holdup was. Irena found Bob, who was talking to the Aisha behind him, clutching his Lupe plushie and squeezing it so hard that the head looked ready to pop off. Irena sighed and turned around, only to find Illusen skipping back with a small green wrapped present with a red ribbon tied perfectly on it. Irena took the gift.

"Open it," Illusen said proudly. "I really hope you enjoy it."

Irena nodded toward Illusen silently and tore off the wrapping paper to find...

Author: fairygold
Date: Mar 11th
...A small green object. Irena felt herself frown as she reached out a paw. She'd barely plucked the item from its box before Illusen's hands wrapped around her wrists, guiding her paws to the light. "It's a lucky clover," Illusen enthused.

Irena took a step back. "A lucky clover?" The red Scorchio was mystified and she didn't try to mask the uncertainty in her voice. Her breathing hitched as she glanced from Illusen to the gift. The earth faerie's pale features were aglow with excitement and her eyes sparkled as she smiled. "Count the leaves," she prompted in a stage-whisper. "Go on." Illusen nudged Irena's shoulder with her own, playful.

Irena complied with some bemusement. It was an odd request. "Ten... eleven... twelve." She blinked. The object in her paws was a 12 Leaf Clover. Why, that was four times as many leaves as a normal 3 Leaf Clover and--

"Three times as lucky as a 4 Leaf Clover!" Illusen interjected. The sparkle in the faerie's jade eyes had brightened further and her tone was threaded with the same eagerness. It was as though, Irena thought, her lips twitching, it were she who gave the present and Illusen the one who received it.

Thoughts abuzz, a memory surfaced in Irena's mind as she fiddled with the sprig of clover. She was almost positive that she'd heard something peculiar about clovers with twelve leaves. The Scorchio started when she looked up. Interest plain on her face, the earth faerie had been watching her. "You've heard of lucky clovers, haven't you? Not the four-leaf but twelve-leaf kind?" Illusen asked. "Rumour has it," she went on, "that, if you wish upon a 12 Leaf Clover, the wish you make will come true." Irena's pulse quickened with each fervent word the faerie spoke.

"Is that true?"

The faerie clapped her hands at the expression on Irena's face. The gesture was repeated by several Neopets by the door as they leaned in to watch, their stares wide-eyed. "There's only one way to find out for sure."

"Oh boy, a 12 Leaf Clover!" one Skeith said loudly to his friend, jealous. Behind him two Kougras traded an envious look as Irena's cheeks warmed with a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment.

The Scorchio re-focused on the tiny green object. Admittedly, the giver hadn't known that it was her birthday. Despite that, however, the clover was every inch the birthday gift she'd long wanted but never had. Receiving the present had, somehow, made Irena feel rather... special. "It's like a birthday cake," she half-laughed to herself.

"A birthday cake?" It was now Illusen's turn to be confused and she arched an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why a birthday cake?"

Irena recalled her own birthday cake at the question. She hadn't bothered to adorn it with candles that morning -- there was no point in blowing them out if no one was there to see her make the traditional birthday wish. The red Neopet gave a snort without meaning to. The clover was a far cry from the chocolate confection she'd eaten earlier. Where her cake had appeared to droop, the green sprig stood proudly upright in her paw in all its vibrant glory. It was as if it demanded that it be wished on. "It's actually my birthday," Irena told Illusen by way of explanation.

"Ah." The jade eyes widened in seeming understanding. "Your birthday?" Illusen dashed a look through her doorway. Cheers had erupted among those closest by. "It's too loud," the faerie continued quietly, her enthusiasm ebbing, "sometimes. It's nice to sit back and enjoy a quiet treat every once in a while." The faerie stirred sugar into her tea before her glance flicked toward Irena. "What will yours be?"

Caught off-guard, Irena opened her mouth...

Author: fairyxhearts
Date: Mar 12th
..."A treat? Um... cake?" she offered, for it was the first thing to come to mind.

"Certainly. I'm quite partial to it, myself." She glanced at the Neopets crowding outside the door. "Could you give us a few minutes, dears?" she called. "I'll be back very soon, and don't worry about any time limits on your quests."

The crowd grumbled, but pulled back a few feet, which was probably as good as they were going to get.

"Is this okay?" Irena asked nervously. "I mean, there are so many 'pets waiting..."

"Everyone needs a little quiet now and then," Illusen assured her, "and everyone deserves something special on their birthday."

Yes. Yes, they did. Wasn't that exactly what she'd hoped for?

Cake honestly didn't sound very appetizing, as it brought to mind the sad, nibbled-at mound that still sat in her kitchen at home. What Illusen brought out of her kitchen, however, was bright and looked delicious. Two small pieces of vanilla cake that glistened with glittery green icing, each topped with a beautifully crafted sugar flower. The faerie set one plate down in front of Irena and one down for herself.

"Happy birthday... ah." The faerie grinned bashfully. "I'm afraid I never got your name."

"Irena... and happy birthday to you too, miss Illusen."

"What a lovely name that is. Happy birthday, Irena."

"Thank you." Irena smiled; right now, she felt very warm inside. So rarely had she ever been acknowledged, especially today. She'd always been overshadowed by Illusen, but here she was, sharing tea and cake with the wonderful faerie and she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so special.

"So, what brings you to my glade today?"

"Mmm, this is delicious." The cake was every bit as delectable as it looked -- Irena suspected that faerie dust was somewhere on the list of ingredients. "Oh? Um, well." She looked down. "It's kind of a silly reason..."

Illusen's smile turned soft. "I promise, dear, I won't think anything of it. If it drove you to come here, especially on a day like today, then it must have been a good one."

"A-all right." The Scorchio swallowed. Admitting this to Illusen herself felt awkward, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad? "It's... well. I want you to know, I never thought anything less of you because of it. However, I always... I'm always alone on my birthday, because everyone's always doing your quests today, even my friends. I thought that, if I could come to talk to you about it, then maybe you would understand."

She cautiously searched Illusen's face for any trace of anger or disapproval, but the only thing she could find was compassion.

"That's not a silly reason at all." The faerie set her fork down. "I'm so sorry, Irena, if it felt like my day was overshadowing yours. I never intended for anything like that to happen to any of you." She smiled gently. "Everyone is special. Nobody should ever get left out."

Irena didn't mean to sound so bitter, especially after everything Illusen had done for her, but the comment slipped out before she could stop herself. "Some more special than others."

Illusen looked out the window. Her smile was still there, but it was tinged with sadness. "If you could call it that. I'm very grateful for all of them, but..." She sighed. "Sometimes popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Huh?" Irena blinked. She couldn't imagine being doted upon as a bad thing. For a long time, it had been the only thing she'd wanted. "What do you mean?"

"Can I tell you a secret, Irena?" Illusen clasped her hands together. "Truly, you mustn't tell."

"Um, okay? If you're sure? I won't tell anyone, but... why me?"

"You've confided in me today. Surely I can do the same for you." The faerie glanced around, then dropped her voice. "Sometimes I wish I didn't have to be here."

"What?" Irena just... couldn't comprehend it. "Why not? It's your special day!"

"Yes, and..." Illusen looked down at her hands. "It used to be a quiet thing. I'd take the day off, enjoy a nice smoothie and a slice of cake, listen to the leaves and the breeze and the Petpets. Sometimes Neopets would show up, too, and give me gifts, or offer to do favors for me. I loved that. I was so grateful. I felt so appreciated.

"However, with every passing year... more and more of them came, and when they wanted to do favors, well... I can't simply refuse a quest. Soon I had more questers than quests, though, and it got to the point where I can't even leave my glade today, there’s so many." Illusen sighed. "It's Illusen Day, but sometimes I feel like it's not really my day, if that makes any sense."

"I... think I understand?" Irena glanced outside. Several Neopets were leaning into Illusen's doorway again, watching her and the faerie with poorly-veiled envy. Others were starting to peek into the windows. A few of them were giving her distinctly angry looks. If she listened closely, she could hear bits of their conversations -- "attention hog," "who does she think she is," "holding up the line." Even the Tonu was glaring at her.

"Anyway," Illusen said. There was a note of forced cheerfulness to her voice, and Irena guessed she'd noticed the Neopets, too. "Why don't you make a wish?"

"Oh, with the clover?" Irena looked down. The bright, perky stalk was vibrant green and ramrod straight. It seemed to glow with life. Could it really be magical? Certainly it wouldn't hurt to try?

She looked back to the crowd of Neopets -- impatient and eager to shower Illusen with their attention -- and then to Illusen, who handled it all with good grace but quietly longed for some time to herself.

"I wish..."

Author: dianacat777
Date: Mar 12th
...Irena paused as she closed her eyes. All of Neopia seemed to pause with her as she no longer heard the mumbling of impatient Neopets or felt their eyes upon her. All she heard was her own sad heartbeat as she struggled to put her wish into the proper words. "I wish," she repeated, "that for just one day, my birthday, I could be special and that Ilusen could have this day all to herself."

A soft wind, perfumed by a thousand wildflowers, danced through the glade and surrounded Irena. She could feel the silky petals whirling about her as the clover began to glow. Even through her closed eyelids, she could see the emerald glow as she felt a comforting warmth wash over her as if being bathed in the rays of summer sunshine. She smiled as she could feel her wish becoming reality.

The wind died down as the glow faded, and Irena couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Now that the warm feeling was gone, she felt no different than before, and she feared that she had made a wish that the clover could not grant. "I guess that was a silly wish," she said as she opened her eyes, but she was not prepared for what she would see.

It was like looking into a mirror as she gazed down at the red Scorchio that stood in Illusen's place, except that this reflection was not moving in sync with her. There was a surprised expression that plastered the Scorchio's face as she looked down at her own limbs. "I can't believe this," she gasped with Illusen's voice.

Irena turned and looked into an oval mirror that was framed by twisting vines that hung nearby. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement as she pushed aside the auburn braid from her now-freckled face. Her wish had come true.

She turned to Illusen, who was still examining her new Scorchio form. "It's only for today," she assured. "That's what I wished for. You can be me and relax at my house. It's quiet and peaceful there. I'll stay here and take care of your duties. I can pretend that this is all a part of the biggest birthday celebration ever. Won't this be great? We'll both get our wish today!"

Illusen smiled gently, but there was uncertainty shimmering in her luminescent eyes. "This was a kind gesture," she replied, "but are you sure you can fulfill my duties? It can be overwhelming, and as me you will now have enemies. It might be dangerous."

"I'm sure I can handle this for one day," Irena answered. "Let me explain how to get to my house so you can go there and relax. I'll take care of things here."

As she gave Illusen directions, she forgot all about the clover that she still grasped tightly in her hand. The stalk was no longer straight as the entire plant had begun to wilt and crumple...

Author: tj_wagner
Date: Mar 13th
...With a wave and smile, the Irena counterfeit exited the foliaged cottage; the newly-formed faerie trailed behind.

"Irena!" Bob yelled, greeting the Scorchio with a touch of melancholy in his voice. "I'm so sorry the clover didn't do anything for you." There were nods and general murmurs of agreement from the others in the crowd.

The Scorchio smiled. "I received cake," the actual Illusen said with a shrug, "and it's been a fairly excellent birthday, as far as birthdays go." She turned around and winked at the earth faerie behind her.

The authentic Irena winked back.

"Out of curiosity," Bob started slowly, "in the event that I want to... visit you today -- on account it being your birthday -- where might I find you?"

The Neopet spun her head and glanced at the real Irena.

The earth faerie nodded her approval of her false self revealing such information, and the Scorchio did so.

She then walked away from the Tonu and down the cobblestone path leading away from the glade. "Bye, everyone," the now somewhat famous Neopian finished, giving one last glance to the crowd. "Have fun, and good luck!"

Irena released a breath she did not realize she had been holding. The "good luck" was probably intended toward her more than anything. Taking a moment to steady herself, she grinned and clapped her hands in much the same way as the faerie she now resembled. "Who's next?"

Bob stepped forward. "Here's the Lupe plushie you asked for, Illusen," he stated with a slight bow as he bestowed the stuffed toy unto her.

Smiling, Irena accepted it. "Marvellous!" She looked down upon it -- what would Illusen have needed this for? "Let me just put this, er... with the other things."

The faerie glided back to the cottage and found a nice place for the plushie on a leafy-green couch. "This should do," she said to herself as she scanned the general area for something to give the Tonu. "Hopefully something to make him less disgruntled," she whispered, thinking back to his earlier irritation at her. Irena discovered a seemingly infinite collection of cream cookies in a container on a shelf in what appeared to be the kitchen and, carefully, she removed two.

Returning outside, the Illusen look-alike shoved the two cookies at the Tonu's face -- she hadn't meant to be so rough to him, but having longer arms and more slender fingers was an adjustment.

The Tonu grimaced. "You gave me cream cookies 24 quests ago!"

Illusen frowned as a wave of anxiety panged her; clearly she had failed in her intent, and was now caught in a difficult situation. Then, remembering one of the most fundamental rules to the quests, she grinned. Clapping her hands together, the counterfeit declared in a manner that was entirely too peppy, "You were late giving this item to me and as such you've been reset to level one! I hope you've had fun, and better luck next time!" Thinking ahead, she shouted to the whole crowd, "You've all been reset to level one! Cream cookies for everyone!"

Bob's eyes widened and he began to breathe more heavily; his nostrils flared. "Oh, that Irena," he started slowly, his temper rising with every release of angry air. "She'll pay for this." He paused. "WON'T SHE?" he yelled to the crowd.

An explosion of chatter regarding the cream cookies and failed missions circulated 'round the the questers, who were now forming themselves into a mob.

False Illusen gaped. "Er, that's not what I--"

"I know where Irena lives," Bob announced, interrupting the faerie and riling the group. "Let's go storm her house!"

Off went the frenzied mob, leaving the real Irena speechless and uncertain of her next move...

Author: rielcz
Date: Mar 13th
..."Now wait a second!" she cried, flapping her wings frantically to catch up with them.

Bonk! Her faerie head crashed into a tree branch. Dazed, she sat up and gingerly moved her wings. How in Neopia did Illusen navigate with these?

After a few more tries she got it and then flew valiantly forward again. "Wait!" she shouted to the Neopets, who were gathering bunches of twigs and lighting them to make torches. "Don't g--"

The word "go" was barely out of her mouth when one of Illusen's cream cookies slammed into her face. Coughing and gasping, she wiped the cream from her mouth and eyes to find herself staring at the purple Korbat who had earlier fired the cannon in his haste to get it to Illusen.

"You lied, Illusen!" the Korbat snarled. "You lied about extending the time limits! This is what happens to frilly, scummy liars who LIE!" He hurled another cookie, which landed on Irena's front.

"Now look here," the Scorchio-in-faerie-form spluttered indignantly, "it's my day! This is not how you are supposed to treat a birthday faerie on her day!"

"Oh yeah?" the Korbat said. "What about my avatar, huh? I waited an eternity in line to get your quest and almost blew someone's head off in order to get your stupid cannon to you, and then you tell me that I'm too late?" He grabbed his torch and rose up in a huff.

"I'm sorry!" Irena wailed to the crowd, but nobody was listening to her. Wings, talons, paws, and tails slapped all around her as the mob surged in the direction of Irena's house. She couldn't comprehend it. She was a faerie now, for goodness' sake! A faerie, and nobody was paying any respect to her!

Was this the kind of thing Illusen had to put up with on her special day? Did the questers not care about her? All those gifts that they'd brought -- were they only after their rewards and avatars?

A most unfaerielike sob bubbled up in Irena's throat. Her flimsy body was pushed this way and that as the mob charged forward. She could dimly see Bob at the front -- Bob the Tonu, who had been so nice, who'd saved her from the cannon and allowed her to cut -- even Bob was only after a quest reward, after all.

How did Illusen handle it all?

Irena knew then that she didn't have Illusen's grace. She didn't deserve to be a faerie. She would never be as cool as Illusen.

"I'm not Illusen," she whispered tearfully as her house came into sight. Then, with resignation, she forced her way into the air and shouted in a broken voice, just before the torches came into contact with the garden fence, "Stop! Stop! I'm not Illusen, do you hear me? I'm not Illusen..."

Author: swordlilly
Date: Mar 14th
...At first, only one head turned upward toward Irena.

"I'm not... I'm not..." She breathed, nearly in tears. As more of the crowd silenced and gazed in her direction, the louder her voice seemed.

"You're not Illusen?" a voice from below shouted, sending a ripple up Irena's spine. There was an air of suspended disbelief floating around the crowd and she could feel it. Their prodding eyes and open mouths... they didn't believe her.

"Yes," she began, scanning the face of everyone who had bothered to look up at her. "I know it sounds ridiculous... impossible, even, but it isn't." A murmur washed over the crowd and, after a moment, another voice rang out.

"How are we supposed to believe you? You could just be lying so that you can cheat us out of our avatars and prizes!" The murmur rose to a hum in seconds.

"I'm not doing that!" Irena sputtered, not sure what else to say. She felt like flying away and leaving Illusen to deal with the mob at this point.

Don't think that way, she scolded herself. She had already come this far; she could solve this herself, for Illusen's sake.

"Why would I do that to you? I care about every one of you more than to hurt you intentionally. Just think beyond the avatar or reward for a moment. Think about how I feel -- no, how Illusen feels. It's her birthday today, and you're mobbing her with requests and expecting her to be able to bend over backward to supply your rewards." Irena's voice cracked and she paused for a moment. There were expressions ranging from angry to shocked to understanding plastered on the Neopet's faces. "Yet not one of you even considers paying her back, showing her a little respect. Even just a 'happy birthday' or a slice of cake. I... I know how that feels myself, and I wouldn't wish that feeling upon anyone, so I volunteered to shift bodies with Illusen for the rest of the day. So, if you're mad with anyone, then it should be me, not her." Finally done with her speech, Irena hovered, waiting for a response.

For a minute, there was none. Finally, though, Bob stepped forward, a pained expression on his face.

"I... I didn't ever think of it that way. Now that you've expressed it from your perspective, I feel ashamed of what I've done today." The hum of chatter among the questers lowered to a murmur again, there were three phrases that stood out the most in the conversation: "I'm ashamed," "I'd hate to be overcrowded on my birthday," and "We should do something." These simple lines made Irena smile.

"We can do something. We can do something amazing," she said, her voice gaining back its bounciness with every word.

"How?" the crowd echoed, each one of them looking at each other in shame.

"Follow me!" the Scorchio in a faerie's body exclaimed, landing and beginning to fly in the direction of Meridell.

***

"Ahh... this is nice, being able to relax." The faerie in Irena's body sighed contentedly as she sipped a glass of ice-cold lemonade. The Meridell sun felt unbelievably warm against her scaled skin. It was neither too hot or too cold, but instead the perfect temperature. She closed her eyes behind the sunglasses that rested over them, for once in her life enjoying her special day.

"Illusen?" a familiar voice asked. Illusen recognized the voice as that of Irena and she smiled warmly. After all, it was because of her that she was able to enjoy the day. Opening her eyes and moving the sunglasses to rest on her forehead, she was only mildly startled to see her own body staring down at her.

"Three... two..." Irena counted down, ignoring the questioning look in Illusen's eyes until she reached the final number.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The mass of questers that had, just an hour before, been lined up impatiently at her home shouted. Illusen stood, glancing at them, then toward Irena in wonder.

"We just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Illusen. You deserve more than just a nice day after how we've treated you every year," the Korbat who'd had the cannon apologized. Everyone else nodded, hanging their heads in noticeable shame. The faerie smiled and clapped her hands.

"Oh, you didn't have to do this! Thank you, though, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you all for coming!" Staring directly at Irena, she then spoke only to her, although everyone could hear.

"Thank you." Then, breaking her gaze off from the Scorchio in her body, she exclaimed, "Everyone is welcome to stay for the rest of the day and celebrate both my birthday and Irena's!" Irena couldn't help but smile at the look of joy on Illusen's face. Everyone cheered, and music floated out of a music box someone must've gotten as a quest item.

Even though she was in a different body, Irena felt as though this was the best birthday she could've wished for.

The End

Author: tttxyv
Date: Mar 14th



Quick Jump

Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Week 5Week 6
Week 7Week 8Week 9Week 10Week 11Week 12
Week 13Week 14Week 15Week 16Week 17Week 18
Week 19Week 20Week 21Week 22Week 23Week 24
Week 25Week 26Week 27Week 28Week 29Week 30
Week 31Week 32Week 33Week 34Week 35Week 36
Week 37Week 38Week 39Week 40Week 41Week 42
Week 43Week 44Week 45Week 46Week 47Week 48
Week 49Week 50Week 51Week 52Week 53Week 54
Week 55Week 56Week 57Week 58Week 59Week 60
Week 61Week 62Week 63Week 64Week 65Week 66
Week 67Week 68Week 69Week 70Week 71Week 72
Week 73Week 74Week 75Week 76Week 77Week 78
Week 79Week 80Week 81Week 82Week 83Week 84
Week 85Week 86Week 87Week 88Week 89Week 90
Week 91Week 92Week 93Week 94Week 95Week 96
Week 97Week 98Week 99Week 100Week 101Week 102
Week 103Week 104Week 105Week 106Week 107Week 108
Week 109Week 110Week 111Week 112Week 113Week 114
Week 115Week 116Week 117Week 118Week 119Week 120
Week 121Week 122Week 123Week 124Week 125Week 126
Week 127Week 128Week 129Week 130Week 131Week 132
Week 133Week 134Week 135Week 136Week 137Week 138
Week 139Week 140Week 141Week 142Week 143Week 144
Week 145Week 146Week 147Week 148Week 149Week 150
Week 151Week 152Week 153Week 154Week 155Week 156
Week 157Week 158Week 159Week 160Week 161Week 162
Week 163Week 164Week 165Week 166Week 167Week 168
Week 169Week 170Week 171Week 172Week 173Week 174
Week 175Week 176Week 177Week 178Week 179Week 180
Week 181Week 182Week 183Week 184Week 185Week 186
Week 187Week 188Week 189Week 190Week 191Week 192
Week 193Week 194Week 195Week 196Week 197Week 198
Week 199Week 200Week 201Week 202Week 203Week 204
Week 205Week 206Week 207Week 208Week 209Week 210
Week 211Week 212Week 213Week 214Week 215Week 216
Week 217Week 218Week 219Week 220Week 221Week 222
Week 223Week 224Week 225Week 226Week 227Week 228
Week 229Week 230Week 231Week 232Week 233Week 234
Week 235Week 236Week 237Week 238Week 239Week 240
Week 241Week 242Week 243Week 244Week 245Week 246
Week 247Week 248Week 249Week 250Week 251Week 252
Week 253Week 254Week 255Week 256Week 257Week 258
Week 259Week 260Week 261Week 262Week 263Week 264
Week 265Week 266Week 267Week 268Week 269Week 270
Week 271Week 272Week 273Week 274Week 275Week 276
Week 277Week 278Week 279Week 280Week 281Week 282
Week 283Week 284Week 285Week 286Week 287Week 288
Week 289Week 290Week 291Week 292Week 293Week 294
Week 295Week 296Week 297Week 298Week 299Week 300
Week 301Week 302Week 303Week 304Week 305Week 306
Week 307Week 308Week 309Week 310Week 311Week 312
Week 313Week 314Week 315Week 316Week 317Week 318
Week 319Week 320Week 321Week 322Week 323Week 324
Week 325Week 326Week 327Week 328Week 329Week 330
Week 331Week 332Week 333Week 334Week 335Week 336
Week 337Week 338Week 339Week 340Week 341Week 342
Week 343Week 344Week 345Week 346Week 347Week 348
Week 349Week 350Week 351Week 352Week 353Week 354
Week 355Week 356Week 357Week 358Week 359Week 360
Week 361Week 362Week 363Week 364Week 365Week 366
Week 367Week 368Week 369Week 370Week 371Week 372
Week 373Week 374Week 375Week 376Week 377Week 378
Week 379Week 380Week 381Week 382Week 383Week 384
Week 385Week 386Week 387Week 388Week 389Week 390
Week 391Week 392Week 393Week 394Week 395Week 396
Week 397Week 398Week 399Week 400Week 401Week 402
Week 403Week 404Week 405Week 406Week 407Week 408
Week 409Week 410Week 411Week 412Week 413Week 414
Week 415Week 416Week 417Week 418Week 419Week 420
Week 421Week 422Week 423Week 424Week 425Week 426
Week 427Week 428Week 429Week 430Week 431Week 432
Week 433Week 434Week 435Week 436Week 437Week 438
Week 439Week 440Week 441Week 442Week 443Week 444
Week 445Week 446Week 447Week 448Week 449Week 450
Week 451Week 452Week 453Week 454Week 455Week 456
Week 457Week 458Week 459Week 460Week 461Week 462
Week 463Week 464Week 465Week 466Week 467Week 468
Week 469Week 470Week 471Week 472Week 473Week 474
Week 475Week 476Week 477Week 478Week 479Week 480
Week 481Week 482Week 483Week 484Week 485Week 486
Week 487Week 488Week 489Week 490Week 491Week 492
Week 493Week 494Week 495Week 496Week 497Week 498
Week 499Week 500Week 501Week 502Week 503Week 504
Week 505Week 506Week 507Week 508Week 509Week 510
Week 511Week 512Week 513Week 514Week 515Week 516
Week 517Week 518Week 519Week 520Week 521Week 522
Week 523Week 524Week 525Week 526Week 527Week 528
Week 529Week 530Week 531Week 532Week 533Week 534
Week 535Week 536Week 537Week 538Week 539Week 540
Week 541Week 542Week 543Week 544Week 545Week 546
Week 547Week 548Week 549Week 550Week 551Week 552
Week 553Week 554Week 555Week 556Week 557Week 558
Week 559Week 560Week 561Week 562Week 563Week 564
Week 565Week 566Week 567Week 568Week 569Week 570
Week 571Week 572Week 573Week 574Week 575Week 576
Week 577Week 578Week 579Week 580Week 581Week 582
Week 583Week 584Week 585Week 586Week 587Week 588
Week 589Week 590Week 591Week 592Week 593Week 594
Week 595Week 596Week 597Week 598Week 599Week 600
Week 601Week 602Week 603Week 604Week 605Week 606
Week 607Week 608Week 609Week 610Week 611Week 612
Week 613Week 614Week 615Week 616Week 617Week 618
Week 619Week 620Week 621Week 622Week 623Week 624
Week 625Week 626Week 627Week 628Week 629Week 630
Week 631Week 632Week 633Week 634Week 635Week 636
Week 637Week 638Week 639Week 640Week 641Week 642
Week 643Week 644Week 645Week 646Week 647Week 648
Week 649Week 650Week 651Week 652Week 653Week 654
Week 655Week 656Week 657Week 658Week 659Week 660
Week 661Week 662Week 663Week 664Week 665Week 666
Week 667Week 668Week 669Week 670Week 671Week 672
Week 673Week 674Week 675Week 676Week 677Week 678
Week 679Week 680Week 681Week 682Week 683Week 684
Week 685Week 686Week 687Week 688Week 689Week 690
Week 691Week 692Week 693Week 694Week 695Week 696
Week 697Week 698Week 699Week 700Week 701Week 702
Week 703Week 704Week 705Week 706Week 707Week 708
Week 709Week 710Week 711Week 712Week 713Week 714
Week 715Week 716Week 717Week 718Week 719Week 720
Week 721Week 722Week 723Week 724Week 725Week 726
Week 727Week 728Week 729Week 730Week 731Week 732
Week 733Week 734Week 735Week 736Week 737Week 738
Week 739Week 740Week 741Week 742Week 743Week 744
Week 745Week 746Week 747Week 748Week 749Week 750
Week 751Week 752Week 753Week 754Week 755Week 756
Week 757Week 758Week 759Week 760Week 761Week 762
Week 763Week 764Week 765Week 766Week 767Week 768
Week 769Week 770Week 771Week 772Week 773Week 774
Week 775Week 776Week 777Week 778Week 779Week 780
Week 781Week 782Week 783Week 784Week 785Week 786
Week 787Week 788Week 789Week 790Week 791Week 792
Week 793Week 794Week 795Week 796Week 797Week 798
Week 799Week 800Week 801Week 802Week 803Week 804
Week 805Week 806Week 807Week 808Week 809Week 810
Week 811Week 812Week 813Week 814Week 815Week 816
Week 817Week 818Week 819Week 820Week 821Week 822
Week 823Week 824Week 825Week 826Week 827Week 828
Week 829Week 830Week 831Week 832Week 833Week 834
Week 835Week 836Week 837Week 838Week 839Week 840
Week 841Week 842Week 843Week 844Week 845Week 846
Week 847Week 848Week 849Week 850Week 851Week 852
Week 853Week 854Week 855Week 856Week 857Week 858
Week 859Week 860Week 861Week 862Week 863Week 864
Week 865Week 866Week 867Week 868Week 869Week 870
Week 871Week 872Week 873Week 874Week 875Week 876
Week 877Week 878Week 879Week 880Week 881Week 882
Week 883Week 884Week 885Week 886Week 887Week 888
Week 889Week 890Week 891Week 892Week 893Week 894
Week 895Week 896Week 897Week 898Week 899Week 900
Week 901Week 902Week 903Week 904Week 905Week 906
Week 907Week 908Week 909Week 910Week 911Week 912
Week 913Week 914Week 915Week 916Week 917Week 918
Week 919Week 920Week 921Week 922Week 923Week 924
Week 925Week 926Week 927Week 928Week 929Week 930
Week 931Week 932Week 933Week 934Week 935Week 936
Week 937Week 938Week 939Week 940Week 941Week 942
Week 943Week 944Week 945Week 946Week 947Week 948
Week 949Week 950Week 951Week 952Week 953Week 954
Week 955Week 956Week 957Week 958Week 959Week 960
Week 961     


IMPORTANT - SUBMISSION POLICY! By uploading or otherwise submitting any materials to Neopets, you (and your parents) are automatically granting us permission to use those materials for free in any manner we can think of forever throughout the universe. These materials must be created ONLY by the person submitting them - you cannot submit someone else's work. Also, if you're under age 18, ALWAYS check with your parents before you submit anything to us!