Antikia is a purple Shoyru who spends her days singing songs to the beautiful
faeries of the forest, and watching the Health Shrooms grow. Every once in a
while, a Light Faerie arrives to collect some Health Shrooms. When that time
comes, Antikia is always ready to help her select the ripest ones. Usually the
Health Shrooms are to restock the Water Faerie's supply at the Healing Springs.
Sometimes they are needed in other places like the Apothecary, but only if they
have permission from the Faerie Queen herself.
Fyora had created Antikia Lighten to tend to the crop, and she had been raised
in the deep forest, surrounded by trees and playful faeries. The wild Shoyru
often wondered about the outside world, but never longed to be part of it. She
had been there only once, but it was one time too many.
Antikia had tried but could not forget that dreadful day. She had been asked
to travel to the Neopian Marketplace to deliver some Health Shrooms to Kauvara
as a special request. Never again.
She was astonished by all the NeoPets. Most of them were clothed in so many
brightly coloured garments and jewellery; she was amazed that they didn't collapse
under the weight. Antikia felt out of place, for she had nothing but the basket
of Health Shrooms.
She also noticed the other ones. Strange creatures called humans. They were
all rushing around with pockets stuffed full of Neopoints (whatever those were.)
Some had NeoPets tagging along behind them. Some didn't.
They were all in such a hurry to get wherever they were going that Antikia
stepped back to avoid the rush.
She bumped into another human. He was heavy built and towered over her. He
smiled but still made Antikia edgy. She was so used to the delicate little faeries.
This guy was a monster.
"Hello little fellah! What's your name?"
"Uh... Antikia," she replied, nervously. He waited, as if he expected her
to say more. When she didn't, his smile vanished.
"Antikia? That's it?? No numbers, no underscores?? What kind of a registered
name is that?! I find that highly suspicious, young lady!" he said.
Antikia was bewildered and frightened. What was this guy talking about?
"What's your owner's name?"
Owner? she thought. I don't think I have an owner. But she
said the first person that came to mind.
"Fyora," she answered, flatly.
The human laughed. "Right... Your owner is the Faerie Queen," he said, obviously
not believing her. "More than likely you're a runaway. Was your old owner too
hard on you? Feed you too many omelettes? That's too bad..." he almost hissed,
pretending to show sympathy. "It's off to the pound for you, Missy!" The human
reached for her arm.
The pound. Antikia didn't know what it was, but she didn't like the
sound of it. She tried to run but the human caught her and dragged her off,
kicking and screaming with all her might.
***
The pound was crowded full of creatures-human and NeoPet. Antikia looked around.
All she could see were the horrified faces of the other pets who knew what this
place was. Their owners were with them. Some had stern, uncaring faces, and
some who were crying.
Antikia Lighten was handed over to an ugly Techo in a lab coat and stuffed
into a cage that had obviously been occupied many times before. She cringed
as the barred cage door was slammed in her face.
The air in the cage was so stale and stuffy, Antikia almost choked. The smell
of unclean creatures was strong. Never had she breathed air so thick and musty.
The air was fresh in the forest. Antikia huddled in the corner of her tiny cage,
trying to escape the unfriendly stares of her neighbours.
In the time she was there, Antikia saw many pets handed over to the Techo
and slammed into a cage. She saw them scream and cry as their former owners
walked away. Antikia was horrified. How could anyone do something so cruel?
She also saw pets being taken out of their cages, gently lifted up by the
smiling Uni, and placed into a happy new owner's arms. Maybe some humans
aren't so bad after all, she thought.
It wasn't long before the Uni took her out of her cage and passed her too
a smiling human girl. (She was adopted so fast because apparently, purple Shoyrus
are more rare than others or something.) The girl promised to take Antikia to
her NeoHome where she would meet all her new brothers and sisters who were waiting
for her. She said it as if this were a good thing. But Antikia didn't want to
be smothered in clothes and jewellery like the other NeoPets she had seen. She
didn't want to be stuck in a NeoHome It didn't matter how big and grand the
human claimed it to be; it couldn't possibly compare to her forest.
At first chance, the purple Shoyru flew off, leaving her new owner shouting
after her.
After soaring far in the direction she thought she came, Antikia found her
way into a forest, but it was not the forest she knew. Where were the pink flowers
that hung from the vines? Where were her faerie friends? Where was she?
The exhausted Shoyru sank to the ground in despair, wishing she had paid more
attention to the direction she had come. She never imagined that Neopia could
be so enormous. Antikia hung her head and a tear slid down her cheek.
Fyora, help me.
***
The Faerie Queen heard her cry, and came. She found the little Shoyru curled
up on the ground where she had fallen, fast asleep. Fyora carried her home and
when Antikia awakened, she found herself surrounded by the trees she knew and
was greeted by the soft, familiar voices of her faerie friends.
Since then, Antikia Lighten has never left the protection of her secret forest.
She likes it where she is-in her enchanting forest where the air smells of sweet
flower blossoms and the Earth Faeries dance in the trees.
Author's Note: The story makes reference to the Apothecary in the Haunted
Woods, and I realise it is not there anymore. It also mentions the Water Faerie's
supply of Health Shrooms at the Healing Springs, which she no longer sells. But
Antikia's tale begins at a time when the Water Faerie did sell Health Shrooms
and the Apothecary still existed. | 
