With a groan, Emmy rolled over in bed and slammed a paw onto the top of her alarm clock. Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling in disgust.

“Another day.” She sighed.

Life wasn’t always easy being the only Darigan in Faerieland. All the pretty Pets in their Pastel shades and glittery wings, walked around beaming at each other in chirpy tones. Being a Darigan Aisha, Emmy couldn’t have been less like her neighbours if she’d tried. Her dark purple fur, suspicious eyes and fangs set her apart from everyone.

And her mood definitely followed suit. Life wasn’t all rainbows and sparkly Unis and sometimes people just needed to be reminded of it.

A knock at the door brought her to her senses. Who could be knocking this early? With another deep groan, she stumbled out of bed as the knocking grew louder and more frantic.

“What?” She exclaimed as she threw open the door. Her jaw dropped as she saw who was standing on her doorstep. It was...

"Good morning, Emmy!" Queen Fyora said in a musical voice. "I'm going around to all the residents of Faerieland to invite them to my sunrise celebration today. As you know, it's a very special day in Faerieland - the first sunrise after the winter solstice. I hope you'll join us to welcome back the longer days."

Emmy was stunned. The Queen was inviting her, a Darigan, to take part in an important Faerieland celebration? She never felt included in the sparkly Faerie culture that surrounded her.

"Oh, I don't know," Emmy replied uncertainly. "I figured events like that weren't meant for those of us who...you know...don't quite fit in around here."

"Nonsense!" Queen Fyora laughed. "In Faerieland, we celebrate beauty and light in all their forms. Your unique perspective makes our community better. Please say you'll come."

Emmy hesitated, then smiled slightly. "Well, if you really want a grumpy Darigan Aisha at your sunrise party, who am I to say no to the Queen? I'll be there."

"Wonderful!" said Queen Fyora. "It's this afternoon at the hilltop in Faerie City, don't be late! Oh and by the way, don't forget to bring your..."

Emmy figured if she was going to suffer through the sparkle jolly celebration she might as well make her Hippalop interact with those fluttering fools too. Emmy smiled up at Queen Fyora and dropped into a shallow curtsy “Yes, we will both be there. Thank you so much for the personal invitation”.

“Until this afternoon.” Queen Fyora’s voice cooed smoothly, then she disappeared into the morning mist.

Emmy chortled as she closed the door and grabbed her Hippalop off of the couch, he squawked with annoyance. “Hubert, it is time for a bath – you need to look your best. You are going to be making friends today!” Hubert narrowed his eyes and grumbled. Emmy quickly dashed him into a bubble bath and then left him with a bone to chew while she got ready.

Emmy wanted to look her best too, even if she was not particularly excited about the event… when the Queen invites you personally, you show up. Plus, maybe she could see Jhudora from a distance. Emmy skittered to her room where she powdered her cheeks and put a black ribbon into her hair. It was time to go.

With Hubert in tow, who looked spirited and mightily displeased, Emmy left the sanctuary of her home. As they walked along the pink and purple bricks, they looked into the cotton candy sky and heard Water Faeries singing in the distance. Finally, they crossed through the bustling Faerie City and were almost to the hilltop when…

"Hubert, hey! Stop that! Calm down!"

As she fought to get Hubert settled, Emmy looked around for what had caused the strange weather phenomenon. Her gaze settled on a singed Neopet and a Light Faerie standing by a colourful wheel; The Wheel of Excitement!

Emmy didn't often come up this hill, and had never spun the silly wheel, but come to think of it, one of the prizes was being hit by lightning, wasn't it? That was surprisingly intense for all of these sparkly Faeries and Faerie Pets.

She wondered if the Neopet who had gotten zapped was okay? She squinted to look, and gasped at what she saw.

He didn't look okay. In fact, he looked awful. He was a Zombie Blumaroo!

"O...Oh my! T...That really w...was exciting!" he declared, groaning a little over some of the words in a zombie-like manner.

"You win some you lose some." The Light Faerie said apologetically. "Are you okay?"

"F...Fine, thank you. Ever since I d...drank the p...potion I won from your wheel and turned into a Z...Zombie Blumaroo, I haven't really noticed p...pain as m...much. I should still p...probably go visit M...Marina at the H...Healing Springs, though."

He waved goodbye to the Light Faerie, and shuffled off down the hill, past Emmy and away.

She gaped a little as he passed. They let a Zombie Pet live in their pretty sparkle city? Emmy could hardly believe it!

Well... He had probably been a Faerie Scorchio, or something else ridiculously pastel pink and glittery before drinking that morphing potion he'd mentioned. It wasn't the same as her circumstances at all. No Pet but her REALLY knew what it was like to be the only one that didn't fit in among these Faeries!

Further up the hill, Emmy passed the Poogle Races. The crowd cheered and hollered, and Hubert did his best to tug his way free again, probably hoping to go for a run.

"Ugh! Hubert, you can run around in the Petpet Park later. Come on!"

Yellow streaks flashed past. It was the Poogle racers, going around the track. Come to think of it, they were Yellow and not Faerie, weren't they?

...Then again, they were Poogles. They were (ugh) cute. It wasn't really the same thing as being a Darigan in this city.

Well, forget them. Emmy was almost at the hilltop now. She was about to turn and head the rest of the way towards it, when she was interrupted by a cheerful voice.

"Excuse me! I'm new to the city, could you help me out?"

Emmy turned, glowering a little out of habit, and saw...

Her hearing must have sharpened during her years in Faerieland, Emmy decided. She scowled and turned back towards the hilltop. Sharp hearing was essential so that one could steer clear of the saccharine characters in this place.

“Excuse me!” the cheery voice said again. “Oh don’t worry! You’re not hearing things, I’m right in front of you. I’m an Invisible Elephante!”

A small yellow flower plucked itself from the grass beside Emmy, floated up towards her, and pressed itself into her hand. “Here is a little gift to brighten your day!” the voice continued. “I would be so very grateful if you could help me out. My name is Jubilee Joyphant, what’s your name?”

“Emmy,” Emmy frowned. “You know what? Why don’t you hold onto this, so I can tell who I’m speaking to.” Emmy lifted her hand to give back the flower, when she felt her hand come into contact with something solid.

“Oh wow!” Jubilee exclaimed. “A flower for my head? You didn’t have to do that, friend!”

Emmy sighed and tried to concentrate on the air just below where the flower was now hovering. “ So you’re new here? Being Invisible might not be so bad in Faerieland. If they can’t see you, they can’t tease you. So what brings you here?”

“Why, I’m here for the sunrise celebration today!” Jubilee said cheerfully. “The Light Faeries have invited me to do a special performance. It was ever so lovely of them to seek me out in Neopia Central. Leonardo and I have never visited Faerieland before, you see, so we’re a little lost right now. Would you be able to show us the way?”

“Leonardo?” Emmy asked.

Hubert snorted and suddenly jumped. Emmy looked down to find him prodding at the air beside Jubilee, where a soft humming noise emanated.

“He’s my Scarabug! Invisible, of course,” Jubilee explained. “Oh look, our Petpets are becoming fast friends!”

All Emmy could see was Hubert pawing at the air beside him. She sighed. This was going to be a long day. “I’m heading towards the celebration right now,” Emmy said. “It’s just over at the hilltop. Why don’t you follow me? What kind of performance are you doing anyway?”

“Oh I prepared it just for this occasion!” Jubilee clapped her hands. At least, that’s what it sounded like. “It’s going to be…”

“Well, let’s get going. Try to keep up.” She hefted Hubert into her arms and began stalking up the hilltop again, the sounds of grass rustling and the huffs of Jubilee’s breath the only indication that the hitchhiker was still there. “Thanks again for helping me,” Jubilee panted. “I only got turned around because I’d been looking for…well. It’s silly. Just something I overheard in the Bazaar a few weeks ago. Rumours, I’m sure. You know how travellers like to tell tall tales!” “What was it?” Emmy asked, less for the sake of her curiosity than to keep Jubilee occupied with the smallest effort possible. Her mind was already busy with the celebration, how she would manage to smile just so, eat prettily off their sparkling plates. “Oh, this Wocky heard from a Kougra who heard from this other Ixi’s cousin who heard from—well, anyway, she was certain the Hidden Tower had appeared in Faerieland again. And I just thought, if only I could find—ouch!” Emmy barely felt it as Jubilee ran smack into her and bounced off her back. Her mind had stopped cold. “The Hidden Tower?” Emmy said, eyeing the place where the yellow flower was now rising as if Jubilee was lifting to her feet. “But it’s been gone for decades. Everyone knows that.”

“Well, the cousin who told the Ixi who told the Kougra who told her said it was back. Said now it can be found. And you know what treasures the tower supposedly keeps…” Emmy knew. She’d only been dreaming of them for years, the image of their gleaming wooden handles and luscious bristles subconsciously running behind every thought since she’d come to this pink, creampuff place. Paintbrushes. With one of those and a trip to the Rainbow Pool, she could finally fit in. “Did the Wocky say where it might be?” “Something about a waterfall,” Jubilee said in a pondering tone. “Something something Jhudora’s lair…but of course, it would be crazy to go near there.”

Emmy didn’t realize she was holding her breath, resisting believing and not being able to help it all the same. A glimmer of hope. Was it a coincidence that she should have heard about the Tower on the same day the Queen herself showed up on her doorstep? She made a quick decision. “Hey, you go on without me.” She pointed up over the hilltop. “Just keep walking. As soon as you reach the top, you can’t miss them. I’ll catch up later.” Before Jubilee could protest, Emmy turned around and started jogging. This was her chance and she wouldn’t miss it. Before long…

“Wait! Where are you g-“ the Darigan Aisha could hear Jubilee call out behind her, but the wind took the final words of her question and Emmy trudged on.

“I just might have to miss your performance, my new friend,” Emmy said under her breath. “Let’s go, Hubert!”

The pair pushed past many Pastel and pretty Faerie Neopets and their Petpets who were making their way to the sunrise celebration.

“Excuse me! Pardon me!” Emmy shouted, dodging the members of the crowd.

She was on a mission. To where? Emmy wasn’t quite sure, but, from what Jubilee heard, it was somewhere between Jhudora’s Bluff and the Rainbow Fountain… Which left Faerie City and its towering turrets.

After a few minutes of running, Emmy saw the big, shiny purple gates of the city. She dropped Hubert to walk at her feet and took a second to catch her breath.

“If I were the Hidden Tower, where would I be?” Emmy asked aloud, scanning the city skyline. She figured it would be in close enough proximity to Queen Fyora’s castle… Maybe even a part of it. It was said to be stocked and overseen by the Faerie Queen herself, after all.

The Aisha and her Hippalop sauntered around the edge of the castle, scanning entryways and windows at ground level and keeps and towers stories up.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” a gruff voice shouted from behind…

The Kougra who had spoken was twitching his wings, irritably. His fur was sleek and sheeny, not a hair out of place. The look in his pale eyes was pure disdain, as if Emmy was a rat that had crawled up from Jhudora's sewer.

"This area is strictly forbidden to visitors," the guard snapped.

The other Kougra behind him just stood, glaring, paws tensed on the grip of his spear.

"I'm not a visitor," Emmy tried to explain. "I live here."

"A Darigan in Faerieland," the first guard said, turning to laugh with his companion. "Indeed. And I'm secretly a swamp witch."

That made the two of them cackle, as Emmy stood glaring (which, admittedly, was not too much different from her usual face, except that her red eyes had a hot glow to them now). She clutched her Hippalop to her chest as her mind raged, resenting herself for daring to believe she might belong here. Perhaps even the Queen Herself was sitting inside, watching and laughing at her naivety. How could a Darigan ever believe she belonged?

"Right, enough of the jokes." The first guard rubbed his paw pads together, irritably, in a snapping gesture. "Let's see some papers."

"Papers?" Emmy repeated. "No one in Faerieland carries papers."

"No FAERIE in Faerieland has to. But one of you, skulking around here? You really expect me to think you're up to anything but trouble?"

The second Kougra behind him tensed, wings spreading, as if readying for Emmy to try to flee.

Emmy looked between the two of them and the vicious ends of their spears. She sputtered, "I'm here to see my friend."

"Darigans don't have friends," the second guard muttered, which got the first one laughing again.

Furious tears sprang in the corners of Emmy's eyes. She lowered her antennae over her eyes, trying to summon anger instead of sadness. At least if she was angry, she could hide how deeply they had wounded her.

And that was the exact moment that a very chipper, very invisible voice piped up, "You have it all wrong. That's Emmy. She IS my friend."

Emmy looked up, a rare glimmer of hope rising in her stomach, just as...

"What are you doing here, Jubilee?" Emmy hissed under her breath. Her only "fitness routine" involved briskly walking away from curious passersby pondering her Darigan markings and chasing after the ever-wandering Hubert. But this was not the time or place to explain that to her bubbly, exuberant new friend of sorts.

It was bad enough that Emmy had been cornered by rude, obtuse Palace Guards, but now Jubilee was involved too and that made things all the more complicated! Yet somehow, it was comforting to not be in this situation alone. Did opening up to others always bring this kind of solace?

The Kougras held up their spears in the direction of Jubilee's voice. "Halt," the taller guard instructed menacingly. "Do not step any closer, invisible one. It is not often your kind is found around Faerieland either. What good is your word?"

Jubilee stomped her foot and the ground rumbled a bit in response to her frustration. "I am Jubilee Joyphant the Invisible Elephant Magician, traveling to Faerieland to perform a magic show for the Sunrise Celebration. And I am telling you - Emmy the Darigan Aisha is not only my friend but one of Faerieland's most lovely residents! My word is good enough!"

The Palace Guards stepped back in awe, looking impressed. They bent their heads and began deliberating in hushed whispers. Emmy blinked in surprise at both the reaction of the guards and Jubilee's unwavering loyalty. She lived under a rock so to speak and was not familiar with well-known entertainers. Could it be possible Jubilee was somewhat famous and the guards had recognized her? Would that be enough to set them free? Again, hope flared in her stomach. If she could only continue her search and find the Hidden Tower...

"Our apologies, Jubilee Joyphant," the shorter Kougra guard finally muttered, bowing his head contritely. "We regret our...aggressive approach. Of course, all Faerieland citizens are welcome to explore the grounds, regardless of appearance. Carry on." And with that, they were gone as quickly as they had arrived, marching in the opposite direction to continue their patrol.

"Thank you, Jubilee!" Emmy said gratefully, using the yellow flower accessory as a guide to locate Jubilee and give her a hug. "But you shouldn't have followed me. That was dangerous! Also, I didn't know you were a magician. I don't want you to be late for your performance!"

Jubilee giggled as she returned the hug. "Don't worry about that. The Sunrise Celebration will go on all afternoon! There is plenty of time to pull Snowbunnies out of hats. First, I must help my new friend. We have a Hidden Tower to find!"

With that, the unlikely duo continued Emmy's original search, looking for trap doors underneath boulders and rapping their knuckles against fuchsia-coloured bricks. There had to be some kind of entryway somewhere!

Just then, a loud splash interrupted Emmy's musings and she glanced up, startled. "Hubert, no!" She chided. The moment she left him to his own devices, he was constantly causing trouble! Her restless Hippalop had wiggled out of his leash and bound free, diving into the other side of a flowing sparkly blue waterfall headfirst. Even worse, Leonardo had followed his lead.

Emmy and Jubilee did not hesitate before following their mischievous Petpets, walking directly through the gentle hum of the falls until they were on the other side. Emmy snatched up Hubert and held him tight in her arms once more as she gazed up at...an impressive, stony purple tower. It had been hiding behind the waterfall all this time!

"You were right, Jubilee. Here it is," she said softly with wonder.

The pair wasted no time before stepping through the tower's front door and eagerly climbing several flights of stairs. Once they were at the top, Emmy was once again face to face with...

How will this story end?

"Ah, Emmy." The Faerie Queen greeted her as if her arrival in the secret Hidden Tower was only the mildest of surprises. "Shouldn't you be heading to the sunrise celebration?"

Emmy panted, still recovering from the run, then spoke.

"Your majesty, I..." Emmy hesitated a moment, then corrected herself. "WE came looking for the Hidden Tower. There were rumours that it had reappeared.

Fyora smiled warmly at the word 'we'. "Oh. Hello, Jubilee Joyphant." She said smoothly. "You'll have to forgive me for not greeting you sooner. I didn't see you there."

Jubilee giggled at that. "Oh, it's perfectly alright your majesty!" She replied. "My new friend Emmy has made me feel very welcome in Faerieland!"

Emmy felt a bit guilty about that. She hadn't tried to make Jubilee feel welcome at all. The Elephante was just so naturally cheerful.

She remembered the guards saying that Darigans didn't have friends. But she did have a friend now, didn't she? She quietly vowed to herself to try harder to be as good a friend as Jubilee deserved.

"Well, I'm so glad to hear that my invitation reached you and that one of my beloved citizens has made you feel welcome, Ms. Joyphant. What were you two hoping to find, here at the Hidden Tower?"

"The famous Rainbow Swirly Thing! Jubilee said without hesitation. "I think it could add some pizzazz to my magic act!"

The Faerie Queen nodded. "And you, Emmy?"

Emmy hesitated. "I hadn't known I'd be coming here until recently." She admitted.

"For a long time now, though, I think I've been secretly dreaming of one day getting a Paint Brush, so I could belong."

She shook her head, dismissing the idea.

"Now I have a friend, though, and she accepted me as I am, red eyes and everything." Emmy smiled thankfully towards Jubilee, and could practically feel the warmth of the beaming smile the Invisible Elephante gave her in return.

"I think... that I don't want to change myself just to fit in with someone who won't accept me because I look different. I want to be friends with Jubilee, who accepts me as I am! So, after all, I guess I'm not here to buy anything for myself."

Fyora nodded, and for some reason, Emmy thought the Faerie Queen looked proud. She pondered why that was, while Fyora showed Emmy the Rainbow Swirly Thing. The Faerie Queen had been polite, even friendly, and Emmy wondered if it would be wrong to think of royalty like Fyora as her friend too.

She was distracted from that thought as she watched Jubilee pull an exorbitant amount of Neopoints out of thin air to pay for the Rainbow Swirly Thing (she really was a magician, and to have so many Neopoints, she must be a famous and successful one indeed!)

Then Queen Fyora bade them farewell, and the two friends picked up their Petpets, left the tower, and headed back towards the celebration on the hill.

Fyora waited for a while at the window. Her formal arrival wasn't scheduled until later, so for now, she listened. Distantly, she heard the applause of an audience on the hilltop, and Emmy's voice, the loudest among them, cheering for her friend's magic act.

She turned and left the window, and put a few of the tower's artefacts safely away to await the next visitors. She smiled as she picked up the Darigan Paint Brush from among the plethora of rare items.

It had been right under Emmy's nose, carefully placed so that the Aisha could come to understand that, just as Fyora welcomed all the types of Faeries, even Dark Faeries, all colours of Pet were welcome in her realm as well.

Emmy hadn't even noticed the Paint Brush, though. She'd learned a great lesson all on her own!

As the new friendship grew, Emmy's confidence would grow too, and hopefully, she and other Pets like her would come to feel truly comfortable with who they were.

And Fyora looked forward to seeing that.

The End.