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Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part Three


by downrightdude

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"You know him, Scary?" Sparkles asked, hoping Scary would say no.

     Scary shook her head. "No, but I did see his awful photo spread in the Neopian Times. Can you believe he doesn't use conditioner?"

      Sparkles shook her head. She was surprised with who was behind her: Hanso, the 'hero' who saved Faerieland! Although the other faeries resented him, Sparkles was feeling a little honoured about meeting Hanso face to face. But something was also bothering her. How did Hanso know where Fyora was? Was he responsible for the mysterious shower?

     "If you two want, I can show you where Fyora is," Hanso offered.

     "She's in Faerie City, and she looks like she's having a nice snooze."

     A nice snooze! Sparkles couldn't believe her ears; Fyora was also affected by the sleeping shower! Sparkles guessed that Fyora must have some of her strengths back, which was probably why she would be checking up on the belated Faerie Festival preparations. But where in Faerie City was she?

     "Take us to Fyora," Sparkles ordered. "We need to see her right away!"

     "Why?" Hanso asked. Sparkles assured him that she'd tell him everything along the way. As they headed towards Faerie City, Sparkles told Hanso about the mysterious showers, and how all the faeries were asleep because of the magical dust.

     "Well, that's odd," Hanso said as he rubbed his chin. "It must have been caused by someone who dislikes faeries."

     "Or someone who dislikes the Faerie Festival," Sparkles suggested.

      "Or it could have been just Mother Nature," Scary added. "I'm sure nothing super spooky is going on. Nothing ever happens here."

     "Don't forget that plot," Hanso reminded her. Scary just shrugged her shoulders, since she didn't care about it. Faerie City was as still as stone. All of the faeries were asleep on the ground, so it was certain that the sleeping shower had struck here. Sparkles inspected the faeries, hoping to see any survivors. When she saw Fyora lying on her back, Sparkles gasped.

     "It's the Faerie Queen!" Sparkles exclaimed. She was jumping up and down and shouting, "It's Fyora: Queen of the Faeries!"

     "Stop screaming, Sparkles, you're making a scene," Scary groaned as she approached the sleeping queen. "Besides, I bet she's dead."

     "She's not dead!" Sparkles stopped her jumping to glare at Scary. "She's just taking a little nap because... she's still tired from casting a powerful spell."

     "And it was the best spell she had ever cast," Hanso said as he stretched his arms. "I thought I was going to be a stone statue forever. But Fyora was very kind to free me. Now-"

     "Look at this!" Sparkles called over to Hanso, who was startled by her cry. Hanso knelt down and saw what Sparkles was holding. "This purple dust is our only clue," Sparkles explained. "All we need to do is find out where this came from and we'll find our crook!"

     "But it came from the sky," said Scary. "Therefore, what we just witnessed was just an act of Mother Nature. Case closed."

     Sparkles sighed and placed the purple dust back on the ground. She was amazed that she was not sleepy, unlike before. Could the dust only affect people if it touched their heads and shoulders?

     "Hey look, more faeries!" Hanso quickly pointed to an Earth and an Air faerie running towards them. Sparkles gasped. It was Illene and Saphrine!

     "Oh, thank goodness you're alright," Illene gasped as she hugged Sparkles. "We were so afraid you two would have been asleep as well! We were busy studying in our tower home when we saw those sparkles fall from the clouds."

     "I think I've seen these before," Saphrine said as she inspected the specks of glittery dust on the ground. She squinted at the dust and said, "Hey Illene, do you know what this is?"

     Illene walked towards Saphrine and knelt beside her. "This does seem very familiar," Illene said as she felt the dust with her fingers. "It reminds me something we were taught before Xandra came. I don't remember what, but I feel like I've seen it before. Even the texture is familiar."

     Sparkles nodded. "Yeah, it feels like sand," she pointed out. Illene nodded with agreement.

     "So it's just some faerie sand, right?" Hanso asked, hoping the conversation would end. "Why don't we just go to a faerie beach and pick up some sand there. I can go for a beach day."

     "We don't have any beaches here," Saphrine pointed out. "And besides, what are you doing here anyways? I thought you said you were going to leave."

     "I was going to," Hanso admitted, "but because I'm broke, I'm afraid I have to stay here for a while and-"

     "Steal?" Saphrine asked. "We all know why you're still here, Hanso." Feeling frustrated, Saphrine turned her attention back to the dust. "Like Illene was saying, this dust is very familiar."

     "And I think I know what it is," Illene gasped. Sparkles, Scary and Hanso listened intently as Illene explained what she was thinking. "This dust bears a resemblance to a bottle of sand Fyora brought down from the Hidden Tower. I forgot the name of it, but what I do remember is that the dust was supposed to be very powerful."

     "Do you think the dust could still be in the Hidden Tower?" Saphrine wondered. "I heard the tower was shaken up because of the sudden move." Illene shrugged her shoulders.

     "We can go to the Hidden Tower!" Sparkles suggested eagerly. "Scary and I tried visiting it yesterday, but unfortunately our brochure couldn't locate it. But I'm sure you guys can help us."

     "But the Hidden Tower is not hard to find," Illene pointed out. She and Saphrine told Sparkles and Scary where to go. "Now, first you must go to Faerie City. Then, walk towards the Faerie Bubbles arena until you hit something invisible, and there's the Hidden Tower!"

     "You're not really good at giving directions, are you?" asked Scary.

     "Well, you two are the tourists I have ever given any direction to," Ilene pointed out. "Any who, we have to go now. We have so much studying to catch up on if we want to be experienced faeries."

     "Good luck." Saphrine smiled as the two faeries walked away.

     "Bye!" said Sparkles. "Now let's go, Scary. We have a mission to accomplish! Only we can save new Faerieland from this new disaster."

     "Hey, can I tag along too?" Hanso asked. The Bruces were startled by Hanso's request.

     "Why would you want to come to the Hidden Tower?" Scary wondered.

     "I heard it's a really nice place," Hanso insisted, but Scary didn't buy his act for a second.

     "So it has nothing to do with the many valuables, right?" she asked. Hanso shivered a little, but nodded.

     "Come on, Scary. We don't have any time," Sparkles said, and together the two Bruces, and Hanso, ran to Faerie City. But once they got to Faerie City, Sparkles decided to stop at the local book store.

     "Sparkles," Scary groaned, but Sparkles just walked in anyways, and came back with a copy of Faerie Tales: Cloud Nine.

     "Did you know this book was written by an Air Faerie?" asked Sparkles. She was thrilled about her book so much, that she just couldn't help but talk about it! "This book not only accounts the true story of a poor Air Faerie, but it also talks about Air Faeries and their contributions to Faerieland!"

     "Big whoop," Scary sighed, not caring at all about Sparkles' book. "Look, we're trying to find the Hidden Tower right now and... Ouch!" Scary knelt down to pick up her elegant hat.

     "What happened?" Sparkles gasped. Scary rubbed the sore spot on her head.

     "I think I ran into something," she said. "I don't know what, or who, but they will pay for this!" Curious, Sparkles held out her hands in front of her and was surprised when she felt an invisible stone wall in front of her. The more she felt it, the happier she was about her discovery.

     "It's the Hidden Tower!" Sparkles exclaimed. But her excitement was soon cut short when she realised where she was standing. The Hidden Tower was not at its location by the Faerie Bubbles arena. What was it doing in the middle of Faerie City? And why wasn't it here when Sparkles and Scary first came here?

     "Well, I guess we can get in now," Hanso suggested eagerly, but Scary was still very suspicious.

     "Have you ever entered the Hidden Tower?" Scary wondered. "Or is this really your first time?"

     "I don't think that is any of your business," Hanso pointed out. "So, do you guys have any ideas?"

     "Ideas for what?" Sparkles asked, now feeling Scary's suspicions.

     "Well, you know we can't just walk in this thing through a front door," Hanso pointed out. "The only way regular Neopians can get in is through one way: the window."

     "And how do you know this?" Scary asked sternly. But as usual Hanso refused to answer.

     "Do you have any ideas about breaking in?" Sparkles asked.

     Hanso nodded. "Yep, and I have some ideas from the masters themselves."

To be continued...

 
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Other Episodes


» Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part One
» Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part Two
» Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part Four
» Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part Five
» Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part Six
» Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part Seven
» Clues in the Hidden Tower: Sparkles's Mystery - Part Eight



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