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Raya gripped her Attack Fork tightly as she faced her opponent.
A burly, fierce Krawk painted a fiery shade of red with blazing black eyes. He
circled the ring cautiously, waiting for the right moment to strike. He seemed
to think it was the moment at last, because he charged at her with his Emerald
Krawk Sword.
Raya laughed out loud, she could see the Krawk's
attack as if it were in slow motion. She easily dodged it and sent a powerful
blast from her trusty Attack Fork. Combined with her acute Battledome skills,
her Faerie magic, and her faithful weapon, she knocked the stunned Krawk off
his feet. Waving her slender arm in circles and muttering a powerful incantation
in an ancient Faerie language, she sent a spiraling tornado of rushing wind
at her enemy. The rest of his strength drained away and he grudgingly admitted
defeat.
Raya smiled proudly to herself. The young Air
Faerie was proceeding to find another worthy fight when a sharp voice rang out
behind her. "Raya, not again!" Raya stopped in her tracks, groaning inwardly.
Slowly turning around, she faced a tall, slender Air Faerie with countless strings
of pearls around her neck and glittering wings that stretched toward the sky.
Her mother.
"BATTLING?! Again! I cannot believe you! What
a disgrace! Such an elegant young Faerie, battling? It's completely and utterly
disgraceful! Why, you should be in etiquette classes right now! This is the
third time, Raya! You're... banned from Faerie Cloud Racers until I say differently!"
"But Mom! No, please, you don't understand!"
Raya flew over to her mother, voice frustrated.
"Oh, but I do understand! You don't know how
embarrassing this is for me! To put the name of Faeries down so low..." But
her mother stopped, she was shaking with rage. "Faeries are such graceful creatures
we don't need to put ourselves through violence... Now, go to your room. You
will come out at dinner time when the banquet is served in the Grand Hall of
the Palace. I want your hair done up." She looked scathingly at Raya's tousled
blonde hair. "And you must definitely change your wardrobe." She also paused
to glare at the frayed blue skirt and tank top Raya was wearing. "And for once,
Raya, be on time. And if you come down here to battle one more time... I don't
even want to think about it..." And with that, the dignified Air Faerie spread
her gleaming graceful wings and flew off toward the clouds of Faerieland, leaving
the sulking Raya behind her.
Raya took one last look at her the arena, then
half-heartedly lifted her gorgeous wings and followed a distance behind her
mother. It just wasn't fair! Everyone thought Faeries were perfect beings who
were dignified and graceful, but Raya couldn't help it... she was just drawn
to the Battledome. Her very nature was that of battling. She was skillful and
her powers were so excellent. Her powers were even the most developed in her
age group! But her high-strung mother, who made a great fuss of showing off
and worrying about her appearance, just couldn't accept the fact that her daughter
could possibly desire anything of the sort.
The other Faeries also knew of Raya's unearthly
desire of fighting, and they all turned up their noses on her as well. She didn't
really have any friends, but she hardly minded. She had made many friends from
the Battledome. She had yet to loose a match, and she secretly had been sneaking
off to fight every night. Her mother had only caught her three times... so far.
As Raya landed on the thick clouds of Faerieland,
she looked wistfully over at the Faerie Cloud Racers. A wave of fury swept through
her. Tonight, she would sneak out again, caught or not. It was worth it, just
the joy of being in the Arena, the tension and excitement swirling around her.
Struggling to push the thoughts of the Battledome
from her mind, she flew drearily up to the Faerie Palace. Her mother and her
lived in the Palace, since her mother was one of the Chief Guardians of the
Hidden Tower. Her and Fyora were very good friends, as her mother was constantly
reminding the other Faeries and showing off about it.
Grumpily opening the door to her luxurious room,
she trudged inside and threw her thin, bedraggled frame down on the huge canopy
bed with velvet, royal purple hangings. Lying her head down on a silk pillow,
soft tears began to stream down her delicate face. Everyone expected her to
be like everyone else... many coveted her royal bedroom, her many belongings,
gorgeous gowns, rich gourmet food, everything seemed picture perfect. Then why
was her heart aching? There was a huge, gaping hole in her where something should
be there... but it was missing.
The only time she was truly happy was battling.
For a brief period of time, the gap was closed. Everything was forgotten except
her opponent. Oh, why did she have to be a Faerie? They were supposed to always
be happy and cheerful!
The crystal clock on her light pink walls chimed
with a musical tone six times. It was time for the banquet in the Grand Hall!
She had completely lost track of the time while wallowing in her self-pity.
Hurriedly, she hacked at her tangled hair with a brush, slipped into a silk
blue gown with diamonds sparkling on it, washed her face, ran a pink lipstick
over her lips, and rushed out the door. Flying as fast as she could, she reached
the Grand Hall just as dinner was being served. All the other Faeries were already
seated, including some her own age, who looked reproachfully upon her tardiness
and rushed wardrobe.
Her mother glared at her from the far end of
the table, an empty chair beside her. Raya blushed and flew hastily over to
the chair.
"What were you thinking? I told you to be on
time and dress nicely! You look like you've just gotten back from battling..."
her mother hissed in her ear. But just then Fyora walked in, purple dress billowing
behind her, soft hair falling gracefully down her back. Her deep purple eyes
surveyed the gathering of Faeries, a smile playing on her beautiful face. She
sat down at the head of the table and the Faeries gave her cries of welcome
and respect. Raya's mother sent a sugary smile at Fyora. Kiss up, Raya
thought bitterly.
Soon Raya had eaten her way through a delicious
appetizer and started on the main course. Her mother was absorbed in conversation
with a glitzy looking Earth Faerie with tons of bangles on her wrists. Fyora
was sitting two seats away, and when the Faerie sitting next to her got up to
go get something, Fyora looked over at Raya. "Why, hello there! You're Raya,
are you not?" She smiled benignly upon her.
Raya gave a start and nodded meekly, trying
to smile. "I've barely seen you around these days... where ever have you been?
I told your mother it would be wonderful for you to come one day and view the
Hidden Tower, so maybe you could be a Chief Guardian of it someday."
Suddenly, Raya was grabbed by a fierce ambition.
She would make her mother pay for keeping her from the one thing she loved doing.
"Oh, I haven't been around lately because I've been locked in my room. My mom
made me stay there."
Fyora looked quite taken aback by this answer.
"Why is that?" she inquired, shooting a look at Raya's mother, who was now discussing
her latest purchase of an expensive gown -- showing off as usual, Raya
thought.
"Because I go to the Battledome and fight the
other pets. I like doing it. But she doesn't, and she gets mad." Raya couldn't
believe she was actually saying all this to the Faerie Queen herself. "So instead
of guarding the tower, Queen Fyora, I would much rather battle, not to be disrespectful
or anything," Raya added boldly.
Suddenly, her mother seized Raya and turned
her around. She was shaking slightly and her pale face had turned a papery white.
"That's it," she whispered hoarsely, "go to your room. I cannot believe you
just did that!"
"Oh no, Airella, it's quite all right," said
Fyora quickly.
"Quite alright?!" Raya's mother shouted. "You
think it's quite all right? My daughter is a disgrace! I am so sorry she troubled
you, dear Faerie Queen, terribly sorry."
Raya was near tears. The entire table had grown
quiet, staring transfixed at them. "I hate you," Raya whispered, sobbing. "I
HATE YOU!" With that, she flew off, never looking back.
***
High above the Palace, Raya sat on a small cloud, sobbing bitterly, face in
her hands. She was never going back there, never... they couldn't make her.
Raya felt something shift in her pocket. She reached in and pulled it out. It
was her Attack Fork, simple yet practical, it had always served her well.
Pushing her soft blonde hair out of her watery
sky blue eyes, she stood up shakily. Wiping the tears from her face, she realized
something. I'm free, she thought, amazed. I'm actually FREE!
A genuine smile split across her face. Taking
hold of her attack fork, she prepared to go to the Battledome to fulfill her
longing.
As she arrived at the arena, the familiar sounds
met her ears. The clashing of blade upon blade, yelling and scuffling, blasts
of Rainbow Guns and twangs of bow and arrows. The rushing excitement pulsed
through Raya's veins. She was here, and that was all that mattered now. With
a confident air about her, she marched up to the front desk.
Filling out a sheet of paper so as to find a
fair opponent, she handed it to the vicious looking Darigan Kougra sitting behind
the desk.
Within minutes a Fire Lupe came up to Raya.
His strength was amazing, and he had weapons form the Hidden Tower that had
mother had always boasted about guarding! He gave off an aura that made Raya
uneasy. Her heart racing with the action, the two stepped into the middle of
the arena.
The Lupe took out a Fire and Ice Blade and ran
at Raya. She dodged him, but when she was turning around to face him, he threw
the blade at her.
It was all in slow motion. The blade was heading
strait for her, she was frozen to the spot, she couldn't move. But quickly her
wits came rushing back to her and she shouted a spell.
A huge, light blue shield came between Raya
and the blade. The force field it was giving off forced the blade in the opposite
direction, heading for its owner. The Lupe dodged it, and the blade hit the
opposite wall and shattered into millions of tiny pieces.
"Nooooo!" the Lupe cried, rushing over to the
shards of his Fire and Ice Blade. He sent a nasty look at Raya. "You'll pay
for this," he growled. Raya gave him a wan smile.
"Bring it on," she said smoothly.
The Lupe pulled out an odd weapon that Raya
had never seen before. This surprised her, since she had studied all the weapons
of Neopia... or at least she thought she had. It was a strange sort of ray gun.
The Lupe leered at Raya and pointed it directly at her. Without warning, he
pulled the trigger, and a blast so powerful that the whole room shook shot straight
toward Raya.
It collided with her. The Lupe let out a triumphant
howl. There was a blinding flash of brilliant blue light, but Raya was... still
hovering in the air? Slowly, ever so slowly, she began to open her eyes. She
radiated with blue light, and she raised her hands, and sent the most powerful
spell she had ever used at the Lupe.
He did a twist in midair, and fell backward.
The spell seemed to travel in waves, shattering the windows as it passed them.
"Well done, Raya." Raya started and looked wildly
behind her. Standing there, to her amazement, was no other then Fyora, the Faerie
Queen. Raya gasped. Fyora only smiled. "Shortly after you departed, I sent Firenze
after you to battle you. He is undefeated, but that title shall belong to him
no longer. I watched the entire fight. Raya, I realize that you have a special
gift. Your element, it seems, is a mistake."
It took a moment for Raya to drink in these
words. As she slowly absorbed there meaning, she gave Fyora a quizzical look.
"I'm the wrong element?" she asked, puzzled. How could this be?
Fyora nodded. "You are an Air Faerie, but in
your heart is quite a different sort of element. You are a loyal Faerie, even
if your interests are different from those of our sisters. I therefore have
come to the decision to change your element."
Raya blinked incredulously. "Change my element?
To what?"
"Raya, you must promise me this one thing."
Raya nodded. "Will you only use this change for the good of Neopian kind? To
present a fair fight for pets in the Battledome, and if we ever go to war, will
you help lead and protect us all? It is a great task, and before I can grant
you this, you must fully except the challenge."
"Yes, I promise, Queen Fyora. On the name of
my ancestors who created these spells I use today," Raya pledged solemnly, still
wondering what Fyora was planning on.
"Kneel down, Raya," Fyora said gently. Raya
obeyed immediately. Fyora stretched her hand over the Air Faerie's kneeling
form. "I here by declare Raya of the Element Air, to become the first ever known
Battle Faerie Her assignment is to battle and protect for the common good of
all Neopian everywhere."
A purple cloud engulfed Raya. Her blonde hair
became a violent shade of purple, her blue silk dress transformed into a pair
of green capris and a green tank top. A majestic sword appeared in her hands,
as did a shield.
Raya stood up. She was no longer the misunderstood
young Air Faerie with a gap in her heart, she was the Battle Faerie of Neopia.
At last, her dream had come true!
The End
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