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Neopia's Fill in the Blank News Source | 28th day of Running, Yr 26
The Neopian Times Week 80 > Short Stories > A Faerie Assignment

A Faerie Assignment

by sablebrock

Untitled Document It was common knowledge to all young faeries that, be they of Air, Water, Earth, Fire; Light or Darkness, each one of them had to perform a specific task if they wanted to become full-fledged faeries. This task differed from individual to individual, as each Faerie was special and unique. Thus it was that a certain female Air Faerie by the name of Amara found herself facing an assignment - an assignment to perform a good deed.

     Now, normally this oughtn't to be a difficult deed to carry out, but lately needy Neopians were far and few. Many Newbies that Amara found were in no dire need of aid - after all, it was getting easier and easier to earn money as of late. Besides, what helpful gifts could a Faerie bestow? This task would have better suited an Earth Faerie, he or she could conjure up a filling feast for a starving Neopet; Amara thought grimly to herself as she hovered in the sky above the Haunted Forest before finally settling down on a tree branch to brood it over.

     The Haunted Forest had always been the dainty female Faerie's favourite hangout; she and a few of her friends would flutter in the air or race each other. It was also a good place brood for a while. Oh yes, the forest's air of mystique never failed to attract inhabitants of Neopia…including some rather unwelcome ones.

     The infamous Faerie-poaching Lupe known as Balthazar also liked to roam in the Haunted Forest, albeit for a more sinister reason - capturing faeries. He knew of the faeries who frequented 'his' domain and how they often perched on trees. If he could get close enough to them, all would be over in a swing of a net - his net. Then he could bottle them and sell them for a hefty sum of money, which would reap good profits. With all this in mind, Balthazar began sneaking up on his latest target, a pretty Air Faerie brooding on a branch not far from the ground. It was Amara.

     Amara never noticed the sound of a twig breaking as some beast stepped closer and closer, she was way too absorbed in her thoughts. A rustle sounded in the undergrowth below her and it was then that she whipped around; but it was already too late. As a net appeared from nowhere and engulfed her, she instinctively tried to fly away but she was trapped. Trapped! The word rang hollow in her own ears as she sensed a certain amount of evil emanating from a creature very close to her. Turning around, Amara let out a yelp as Balthazar lifted the net, scooped her into a glass bottle and capped it firmly in quick, deft moves of his paw.

     All at once she knew what had happened, and what was going to happen. Using her fists to pound on the glass with all her might, Amara starting shouting, "Let me out! Let me go, you great oaf!" However as to be expected, her pleas fell on deaf ears as Balthazar stared balefully at her and chuckled.

     "My dear Faerie, I wouldn't dream of setting you free. Why, I can just imagine how much money you alone can fetch me!" And, turning away from the now sobbing Faerie, he proceeded to capture more of her kind, impervious to her incessant pleas. Balthazar had heard much of these before.

     Amara must have dropped off to sleep somehow; the next thing she knew she was awakened by a huge commotion. Peering through her transparent confinement, she was more or less resigned to the sight of many more bottled faeries sitting on a shelf aside her as starry Kau she recognized as Kauvara bustled beside a counter. Just her luck to end up being sold at the Magic Shop, Amara thought unhappily even as Kauvara warily opened the shop doors and was nearly bowled over by a big throng of Neopets rushing in as one great tidal wave.

     Her bottle was soon grabbed by a set of red paws, brought over to the counter and taken out of the chaotic shop. Once away from the crowded, bustling Marketplace, the creature set the glass container down on the grass and Amara saw it was a red male Zafara, scruffy-looking and not very well-fed.

     The Zafara put his face close to the jar and whispered softly, "Hi…I'm Jem. Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you! But, but can you bless me?"

     Amara's heart immediately went out to him as she saw that he couldn't be very rich. She braced herself as Jem's paw nimbly unscrewed the bottle cap and set her free! The sweet rush of air that hit her face as she fluttered aloft, the joy of having a whole world to roam about in all added up to one precious thing - liberty!

     The Faerie smiled gently at the nervous Neopet and spoke in her usual, melodious voice. "Thank you very much for granting me my freedom." She blew gently at Jem, granting him the ability to turn invisible at will. No doubt that skill would come in handy in the Battledome, if he fought at the Battledome. However, this wouldn't be counted as a good deed, would it? It was merely Faerie protocol.

     Jem marveled at the delicate creature floating before him even as he spoke. "Um, thank you. But don't faeries disappear after blessing?"

     "Well yes, normally we do. Nevertheless, don't you have an owner to return to?" Amara returned a question of her own.

     The red Zafara was silent for a while before replying. "No. My previous owner vanished one day and I never saw him again. Since then I've been roaming the streets homeless. Oh, I do wish I had an owner again!"

     Amara smiled to herself. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

     Leaving Jem slightly bewildered, she fluttered off to the home of one of her human friends. Michelle was a female teenager who lived alone with no pets whatsoever and Amara was uncertain if she would want to adopt Jem but well, there was no harm in trying. Alighting at the door of Michelle's NeoHome, the Faerie quickly pressed the doorbell and the teenager answered almost at once.

     To Amara's great pleasure and relief, Michelle agreed to adopt Jem, the red Zafara. The duo returned to Neopia Central where Jem was waiting and Amara explained to Jem that if he wanted an owner; Michelle was willing to take him in. The Zafara was so overcome with gratitude that he had difficulty speaking and in a voice choked with emotion Jem fervently agreed to have Michelle as an owner.

     However when human and Neopet turned to thank the Faerie who had brought them together, Amara was gone.

     Watching the poignant scene from a nearby tree, the female Air Faerie smiled happily. It had almost been worth being captured by Balthazar to be participant and witness just so she could make two Neopians happy… Then Amara realised what she had done was a good deed.

     All at once her entire body and wings were visibly stronger and the magic within her was strengthened drastically. It was happening; upon the completion of her task Amara was becoming a full-fledged Faerie!

     As the newly 'promoted' Faerie Amara fluttered around joyfully in the air, the corners of her mouth twitched upward, ever upward and rapidly developed into a complete grin.

     Now this was definitely worth getting captured for!

The End

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