"Eep!" shrieked a tiny voice between labored breaths. Her bright chestnut eyes now shimmered with fear. The tiny petpet oscillated her wings as fast as she could manage. Tearing through the forest, the Faellie searched for a clearing, where she could fly up, above the treetops, out of harms way.

The frightened petpet stumbled into a small opening in the middle of the dense woods. She glanced all around hastily, trying to avoid the hunters who were chasing her. Her wings trembled from the excessive exertion that had been put under.

Sensing no danger, she glided over to a slight rock outcropping in the clearing. Her dimmed eyes seemed glazed over in dread and fatigue. Her golden fur glistened in the vague steam of light filtering through the dark trees surrounding her. She had been running for two days. The inordinate stress that had been placed upon her caused the young petpet's heart to beat rapidly.

Instantly, the tiny petpet darted into the air, ears perked. Her incredible sense of hearing detected the trappers before they were even in earshot. Her tiny white wings fluttered painfully once more as she tried her best to head for the tiny opening of light between the tall oaks. She closed her eyes to the light, as the rays slowly became more intense. She was going to make it!

Suddenly, a red pteri emerged into the clearing, glancing around menacingly. The young petpet mistakenly stopped to see what or who had found her. The old neopet whistled a high note and darted towards the curious petpet. The faellie screeched once more and quickened the pace towards the opening. She pressed her damp face against the warming light as she shot through the opening, into the welcoming, morning air, but a sharp pain caused her to fall downwards back into the shadow. She glanced backwards with apprehension written across her face. The pteri now had her beak wrapped around the faellie's bushy tail.

The young petpet wriggled, squirmed, and kicked with all her might, but not a single thing helped her case. The pteri seemed unwilling to release her tail from its tan beak. The faellie inhaled sharply as the pteri dragged her in a downward spiral towards the ground. Both creatures came crashing down to the moist earth, with the pteri still growling slightly. The faellie winced slightly as a jolt of immense pain flooded her entire body. She no longer had any strength to wriggle free. Drained of all hope of escaping, the petpet collapsed on the ground as the pteri continued to whistle its ear-pounding note.

Some minutes later, four neopian trappers, followed by a few neopets and rigged with the best equipment, trampled into the clearing. The pteri glanced towards the humans and slowly released the faellie from its grasp. It audaciously strutted towards the trapper, beaming immensely. One of the humans patted the proud neopet slightly and grabbed the dirt-ridden petpet by her tail. Once more, pain shot through her entire body as the petpet closed her eyes in mock death, hoping they would leave her. The trappers muttered some words to themselves as they decided what to do. A green lupe padded over towards the trapper holding its prize. The lupe sniffed it carefully and growled slightly.

"Thanks Jeduzibeth," acknowledged the trapper holding the faellie. "Now we know it's not dead. When we give it to the trainers, they'll deal with its condition."

With that last remark, the group began to slowly exit the clearing, through the trees from whence they came. The captured petpet screeched feebly as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate. The petpet's weary body soon began to take over as she drifted off into an undisturbed slumber.

When the young petpet awoke, she was on a caravan, carrying many goods. She glanced around nervously, noticing her cleaned saffron fur, food and water bowl, and thick metal bars. It was over; she was captured. You see, her parents, her siblings, almost everyone in her community was captured and sold by human trappers. She finally settled the tossing in her mind, and knew she was going to being sold. She sadly lowered her brow and sobbed as tiny wells of tears began to collect in her eyes. She had tried so hard, and failed. Once again, she lay down her head and slept, knowing that when she awoke, she may have to serve as a house pet.

An excited squeal awoke the petpet, causing her sensitive ears to cringe. Her dulled eyes fluttered open as she glanced up at an excited neopian girl. Her bright eyes were unusually welcoming as the faellie drifted towards her. She girl squealed once more as she embraced the faellie in her warm arms. The confused petpet struggled to wriggle free, but the lass only clutched her tighter.

"It's everything I've ever dreamed of, but I'll probably just give her away. It's what I do!" giggled the girl ecstatically. Her dark hair and dark complexion contrasted the distraught petpet's light fur. "Anything for anyone who's willing to pay…" responded the owner of the caravan. "120,000 neopoints is a hefty sum. I had to pay the trappers almost three-hundred thousand!" he joked.

"Whatever! Thanks!" screamed the girl as she skipped away, with the faellie tightly in her arms.

As the young citizen skipped down a dirt road, she glanced at the saddened petpet and attempted to cheer it up.

"I think you need a name…" she laughed, poking the faellie's side. "I'll call you, Elle!" she smiled. "But when I give you away, the new owner will call you…whatever!"

Amused at the clever name she created, the human continued to happily skip towards their neohome in downtown Neopia. "My name's Hollie, and I hate it when people call me Holly, with a "y", but why am I telling you this? You probably don't understand a word I'm saying!" laughed the young resident.

Elle the faellie quietly closed her eyes and heaved a great sigh at the thought of having to bend to someone else's rules. Her eyes, once more, began to well up with tear, but she bit hard on her lip to resist the urge. After all, she now had an owner to impress.

Upon entering the congested street, the owner noticed one of her friends walking his yellow gelert, Gelertiatica. "Hey, Scott!" she screeched, causing Elle's ears to ache. "I got you a present!" she hailed, running up towards him. The tall neopian glanced up excitedly as his light hazel eyes glittered with hope. His neopet padded over towards where its owner had ungraciously stopped.

"You shouldn't have, Hollie," Scott uttered as he glanced around for the present.

Noticing this, Hollie moved her new prized faellie behind her back, causing the suspense of the moment to grow tremendously. "Uh-uh!" she taunted. She smirked as the male neopet owner grew impatient. "Well, um, you know how you said you wanted a faellie?" she asked, grinning excitedly.

"Hollie! You didn't!" gasped the equally excited boy. "You…didn't. You…couldn't!" he exclaimed.

"I did! Thanks for being my friend, Scott!" she giggled as she presented the thrilled male with the faellie. "Her name is Elle, I hope you like it!"

"Thank you so much, Hollie!" smiled Scott happily. "I promise to take care of it as long as I live!" he added. The happy girl grinned once more from ear to ear as she waved a goodbye and ran back down the street. Scott looked down at the tiny petpet and smiled contently. He walked inside and grabbed a collar his parents bought him a few years back, and bequeathed it to the nervous petpet.

"From henceforth, you will be Elle, the Faellie. It even has a nice ring to it," he smiled. He beckoned Gelertiatica to come over towards him and handed Elle to the excited neopet.

"For you, boy. Thanks for always sticking with me." The surprised neopet sniffed the petpet cautiously and warmly smiled towards Elle. Seemingly content with her new life, and tired of the confusion and turmoil she had been through, she glided over to her new owner Gelertiatica and decided that being a pet wasn't so bad.