Faerie Fables – Mira the Space Faerie

     Mira giggled as she grabbed the apple and banana out of the fruit bowl and placed them into her backpack, it was a pleasant accompaniment to the two cheese sandwiches, she had already packed. She would stop by the NeoCola machine on her way to meet her friend. Checking her pockets for the two tokens and being satisfied upon finding them, she tugged the backpack onto her back and headed for the door. “Mira, where are you going dear?” Mira began to frown, her mother Nepula had interrupted her as she was about to exit the family home. “Oh, you know, nowhere really mother” Mira replied with her cheesiest smile. Nepula gave a smile back, her age was beginning to show but she was growing old with grace. “Well, you be careful my sweet, the kingdom awaits your return”. Mira nodded “I will be safe mother, I promise” she answered, crossing her fingers behind her back as to not show the lie she was telling. She quickly closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief, if her mother knew she was hanging out with Francis she would never see anything but the 4 walls of her bedroom until it was her time to take the throne!

     Mira tested her wings to prepare her for flight, this was something she found very hard to do with a full backpack but she had had lots of practice. Steadying herself she began to lift up from her castle, hidden by the asteroid belt she began to slowly and carefully pick her way around the stars until she landed safely in Kreludor. Now Mira knew that this was not a place for faeries, she quickly studied her surroundings before sneaking off to the NeoCola machine to insert her two tokens. Placing her backpack on the floor, she hovered slightly to the coin opening, preparing to deposit her first token in. As she was about to drop the token into the slot, she heard a loud voice behind her “AND JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING YOUNG LADY”. Mira began to tremble. She turned around and saw her best friend rolling about on the floor in a fit of giggles. Mira growled at him unimpressed “Francis, I cannot believe you would do that to me – AGAIN!” she exclaimed pouting at him. Francis smiled back at her “Aw c’mon Mira, you know I don’t like being called that, when I am in power my name is gonna be Frank Sloth!” he replied with a toothy grin. “Well, Frank Sloth, that’s a very long time away so until then you are going to be FRANCIS” she responded, sticking her tongue out and putting the drinks in her backpack.

     The two flew up to their secret dwarf planet, no one knew this place existed but them. It was hidden behind a large asteroid belt that would one day give home to the Virtupets Space Station, but not yet. Mira pulled the flowery picnic blanket out of her bag and laid it down carefully, making sure the ground was as flat as could be for her and her friend. Francis placed the food carefully in the middle as always and patted the ground next to him for his friend to sit. “You know..” he began “I do enjoy these picnics, I hope when we are big and you are the space queen and I.. well I am bad just like my dad we can still go on picnics together!” Mira grinned at her friend “Of course Francis, we will always be best friends, don’t worry! Getting bigger is not gonna get in the way of our friendship!” Francis nodded, satisfied at this response and began to tuck into his cheese sandwich, Mira followed and looked up at the stars, making a wish on a shooting one that this would never change – glancing over at Francis, she was sure he had done the same.

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          Now unfortunately, this is the part of the story that I have reluctantly written, those days were not to continue as much as the two friends had hoped. It had been 5 years of a blissful friendship but the time had come for Mira’s mother to resign from the throne, passing on the title of protector of space to young Mira. Mira was thrilled at this and went to tell her best friend Francis the news, she slowly approached the young sloths lair, excited to share her news. Now – what she saw inside was something she has repressed in her memory; it was also Francis’ turn to come to power and follow in his father Dr Franklin Sloth’s footsteps. As she heard his pledge to deliver evil to Neopia by entrapping Grundo’s, she knew she had to be the one to stop him. She felt the tears fall, as she knew, that this was the end of their friendship.

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     10 years later

          Mira sat down at the table looking at the pile of presents, “happy birthday to me” she said with a small sigh. The table was full with gifts of beautifully wrapped presents that she knew were from all the faeries of Neopia. She felt her heart drop upon realizing the only gift she wanted was not there, it never was. She began to open the gifts slowly, she smiled at the vase from Fyora and wondered where she would place it in the castle. Breaking her train of thought, a small asteroid hit into the side of her home. Frowning, she opened the door and went over to see what it was. Upon approaching it she knew; a wide smile broke out on her face and she picked the slightly damaged envelope up and took it inside. She settled herself down in her chair and began to open it, as she did two small tokens dropped out. She felt a small tear escape her and began to read the card. “To my oldest and dearest friend, I will be waiting for you in our secret place. Don’t forget the drinks, they’re on me as always, with love, Francis.” Mira felt her heart leap as she went to the familiar fruit bowl and picked out an apple and banana. Quickly making two cheese sandwiches, she packed them in her old backpack and headed for the door, grabbing the two NeoCola tokens on her way out.

     As cautiously as ever, she made her way to Kreludor and picked her way over to the NeoCola machine, as she went to place her first token in she heard an unfamiliar sound behind her, not that of her friend trying to surprise her but.. lots of tiny footsteps. She turned around and saw an army of clockwork grundo’s in party hats, they began to sing Happy Birthday to her. Mira’s smile grew wide as she noticed Francis following suit, with a large bunch of flowers and an even bigger present clutched in his arms. She smiled at him and he smiled back, it was as if time had stood still and they were those young children again, getting ready to sneak off and enjoy each other's company with a picnic shared between friends.

     “Mira” he began, and she held up a hand to stop him. “Francis, save your words, I know” she replied placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. “People need plots, the world has to have some balance of good and evil and I know it is in your bloodline to create chaos”. Dr Frank Sloth grinned at this, slowly releasing a singular tear of his own. “What is past, is just that” Mira continued “and what is now, is that too, c'mon, how fast is your spaceship these days? I bet I can still beat you!” Francis grinned and grabbed the two NeoCola cans, stuffing them into his pockets and following his best friend as she exited Kreludor and began her flight into space. Jumping into his ship he placed the flowers and gift carefully into his passenger seat and began the chase after her, following her up past the Virtupets Space Station to the dwarf planet that was theirs. Mira began to place the picnic blanket down, just like old times and he placed the gift in front of her. “Well go on – open it!” he said, barely containing his excitement.

     Mira rolled her eyes at her old friend and began to open it, for an evil leader he had wrapped it beautifully, it must have taken him a long time to get the courage to find wrapping so enchanting, she knew he wouldn’t have gotten one of his minions to fetch him this. Inside was a book, she opened it and gasped – it contained photographs of them only younger, enjoying each picnic together. “Where did you get these?” she replied with a shocked expression. “I set a camera up, just there, disguised as a rock” he said triumphantly, pointing at a rock pile. He turned to her “Mira, my friend, I have missed you tremendously. I hope this can become a regular occurrence again”. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and she began to nod “Of course Francis, but, no more spooking me at the NeoCola machine!”. They both met eyes and the pair began to chuckle wholeheartedly. “You have my word, my dear Mira” he replied. The pair gazed out at the flurry of shooting stars enjoying their picnic, just like old times and eager to make more memories together – once again, in secret.

           The End.