I don’t know how long we were waiting. Officer Pudge and I quietly talked
about reasons why Midnight Honor, Sun Sweetness, Canapy Flier, and Dream Link
would rig the Tombola, rob the Hidden Tower, and break into my house. I thought
that the four of them belonged to a guild devoted to helping fellow Neopians,
no matter what it took. They had rigged the Tombola so everyone could win, stole
artifacts from the Hidden Tower to distribute to the poor, and broke into my
house because KiwiBonk had their key. Now they were going to gallop up here,
discover that they lost their key, and Pudge and I could catch them!
Pudge scoffed and said that sounded like Robin Hood. His theory was that they
were just plain evil, and were stealing stuff for the Faerie of Darkness, rigging
the Tombola just for spite, and broke into my house to make people worry.
As we were talking, Spitfire flew in from the tunnel.
“How did you get in?” I said. Spitfire looked around in surprise. I had forgotten
that I was invisible. “It’s me, Alison. I’m invisible. Officer Pudge is in that
vase over there.” I pointed, and when Spitfire didn’t react, I added, “That
big purple and orange one.”
“I see,” he said, and perched on a harmless-looking twig. I wondered what
it was doing in a room full of dangerous battle items. “Officer Pudge isn’t
the only one who knows about the secret tunnel.”
“We’re waiting for the crooks to come, so we can pop out and nab them.” Pudge
said.
“There’s just one problem.” said Spitfire in my general direction, “How can
you nab them if they can’t even get in here? They don’t have the key. You do.”
“I don’t.” Pudge said. “It’s in your pocket, miss.”
“No, it’s not. I would feel it if it was.” I said, starting to panic.
“It’s probably in there. I remember seeing you put it in your pocket after
you caught it.”
I searched through all of my pockets, but in vain. “I don’t have it! I must
have dropped it!”
“Oh wait, I just remembered--”
Just then, heavy footsteps announced the arrival of the thieves. Spitfire
hid behind Pudge’s pot. There was some rustling and whispering, and at last
the door opened. The same four figures that robbed the Tombola walked in, dressed
in black and masked. The smallest shut the door behind them. One of them didn’t
have legs, and appeared to float a few inches above the floor. A Kiko, a Peophin,
or a Koi. Another one was HUGE! I hadn’t noticed before because they had all
looked huge from my view on the ground when I saw them at the Tombola. The huge
one was also the one with feathery wings. Either a Pteri or an Eyrie. Another
had scaly wings. A Shoyru, a Skieth, or a Scorchio. I had to flatten myself
against the wall so they wouldn’t touch me. The last could be an Aisha, a Mynci,
or........
“Which one of you idiots left the key unguarded?” said the huge one.
“It wasn’t me.” said the other winged one.
“Shh, quiet. We don’t want the queen to get suspicious.” I wondered when Officer
Pudge was going to act.
“I had it in my pocket, when this bird came along, and nearly tore my eyes
out. When it finally left, the key wasn’t in my pocket.”
“I was the one who saw that little girl drop it, don’t forget. I wonder why
she had it...”
“Hush up, and let’s take what we need.” The four started to gather things
from the shelves. I noticed the one with the scaly wings always had his hands
on the wall, and groped for the items as if he couldn’t see. The one who hadn’t
spoken yet came so close I thought for sure he or she would hear me breathing,
but somehow they didn’t. They only selected the most valuable items, and put
them in their bookbags. The large winged one took only Water items, the scaly
winged one took only Earth items, the floating one took Light items, and the
small one took Fire items.
I tightened my grip on the Air Faerie’s sword. “Well, let’s go, before the
queen comes and finds her stuff missing.” They were about to leave. What was
Officer Pudge waiting for?
I saw Spitfire’s crouched form behind the purple and orange pot. He looked
confused. Floating grabbed Scaly-Wing’s arm, and Huge reached for the doorknob.
A loud groan came from the pot.
“What was that?” said Scaly-Wing. The four looked scared, but that was nothing
compared to how I felt. We were discovered! They had four bookbags full of dangerous
magical items, and I had a fat Chia with a gun, a short sword the length of
my arm with little wings, and an Airax. I wasn’t sure how vicious Spitfire was,
or what kind of a sword-wielder I was, but it didn’t seem to be a fair fight.
Pudge groaned again. Spitfire closed his eyes. “Hello? Hello?” the Chia’s
faint voice called.
“Are they gone yet? I seem to be...” Another groan. “To be... stuck. Come
and give me and hand. Miss.... miss?”
“It came from that jar.” said Huge. Non-talker shivered. Why were they so
scared?
“Miss?”
“Let’s... go...”
My heart was thumping so loud I thought they would hear. “Be quiet.” I silently
commanded Officer Pudge. “Please be quiet........”
CRASH!!! The purple and yellow pot crashed to the floor. Shards of pottery
flew everywhere. Spitfire must have pushed it. The shelf below that collapsed,
then hit the next lowest shelf, which collapsed, too. Magical artifacts now
lay all over the floor.
Officer Pudge remained still with his hands over his head. Spitfire swooped
down and hit Huge on the head. Somebody screamed. Non-Talker seemed dazed, and
Floating was the only one who reacted and took a Light Scepter out of her bookbag.
Lightning started to come out of its tip. She pointed it at Pudge, and...
“Uhhhh...” With all my strength I knocked the Scepter out of her hands with
the sword of the Air Faerie. She looked very surprised, and took her mask off
with her front legs, (Which I noticed were hooves.) to get a better look at
her invisible attacker. She had the head of a horse, and a flowing orange mane.
A Peophin. “Midnight!” she shrieked.
Spitfire swooped again, this time with a twig in his talons. He aimed it at
Huge, who was unzipping his bookbag. It glowed green, and shot blue sparks which
burnt Huge’s tail feathers and made him roar.
I pushed Non-Speaker aside and knelt at Officer Pudge’s side. He was unconscious.
I grabbed a small pink object the size and shape of a marble, and threw it on
the ground. It covered Pudge’s limp body in a pinkish haze. I stepped to the
other side of the room, opposite the collapsed shelves.
Spitfire dived back and forth in front of the four strangers until they were
backed into one side of the round room, and Pudge and I on the other. I picked
up a Crystal Boomerang and hurled it at Huge, since he was the biggest, and
most likely hit. But the boomerang missed them all, and landed beside me with
the straps of their bookbags hung on it’s jagged edge.
The four were now weaponless, unless they dared to grab a weapon on the floor.
I realized we were in control. They were unarmed, and I had the advantage of
having a fully armed flying warrior and being invisible. The four looked terrified.
Even Huge was shaking. I threw the boomerang again, and it brought back a row
of acorns. These I threw, not sure of what affect they would have. They didn’t
seem to do much.
Spitfire came to rest on a high shelf, watching the figures with one golden
eye. It was up to me to arrest them now.
“Who are you?” I said in my meanest, darkest voice.
“Just f-f-f-four pets. Four l-l-little meek pets.” answered Scaly-Wing.
“You four are Midnight Honor, Sun Sweetness, Canapy Flier and Dream Link,
aren’t you?”
The petrified pets eyeballed the room for their hidden interrogator. “Yes...”
said Huge at last.
“Well, introduce yourselves.”
“I’m Midnight... ulp... Honor.” said Huge.
“I’m Sun... Sweetness.” said Floating.
“I’m C-c-canapy Flier.” said Scaly-Wing. “And that’s Dream Link.” She pointed
to Non- Speaker. “How did you know...”
“I know everrrrything.” I said, and paced the room. The pets stared at the
floor where my unseen feet stepped. Spitfire’s eyes twinkled.
“Who are you?” said Midnight Honor hoarsely.
“Heh heh heh.” I giggled in my most evil voice. “My dear children, I am the
Faerie of Darkness.” Spitfire had caught on, and threw a Rainbow Swirly Thing
at me. I caught it in my hand, and in doing so, dropped the Air Faerie Sword.
I was surrounded by a swirling cloud of venomous-looking purple fog. When the
fog cleared, the four pets looked at me in a petrified state. The magical Rainbow
Swirly Thing had changed my skin, clothes, and hair various shades of purple,
so I now looked like the Faerie of Darkness herself.
“So you pets think you can get away with stealing?” I sneered.
“Hey, don’t you steal—ow!” Canapy Flier was silenced by a kick from Midnight
Honor.
“Do you know what the punishment I give for stealing is?” I hissed in a slow
voice dripping with poison. The pets shook their heads. I almost laughed at
how well this charade was working. “I lock them in a tower of my castle, where
they spend the rest of their days and nights watching their bodies slowly waste
away, and their fingers grow longer, and their eyes grow bigger and multiply,
until they have shrunken into the shriveled body of a--”
BANG! The door flew open, and several Chias with weapons filed in. “Put your
hands up!” they shouted. As I was still dressed as the Faerie of Darkness, and
threatening four defenseless pets, I assumed they meant me. But the Chia Policemen’s
weapons were pointed at Midnight Honor, Sun Sweetness, Canapy Flier and Dream
Link.
The four pets huddled together in fright. Then everything began to happen
at once.
The officers thanked me again and again. They seemed to think I really was
the Faerie of Darkness, and offered me a ride to the Healing Springs so I could
"revive." But as the effects of the Rainbow Swirly Thing wore off,
they realized I was not a Faerie, but the girl whose house had been broken into.
Officer Pudge awoke and mumbled, “Are they gone yet, miss...?” before dozing
off again. The four pets were handcuffed, and led to police cars waiting outside
the Faerie Queen’s palace. A large crowd had gathered, including the Uber Faeries.
I was given a ride home by a little apple Chia named Chief Leafhead. I asked
repeatedly what was going on, but all I got for an answer was, “We’re not quite
sure of the details, miss.”
That night, after scoldings from KiwiBonk for leaving her out of "the
best part of the mystery," and retellings of the story so far, I lay in
bed, and remembered I had not seen Spitfire since the Chia police had arrested
the pets.
* * *
The next day I got a letter from Chief Leafhead. It read, in tiny Chia-sized
print:
“Dear miss, for your brave deed--”
“What brave deed?” asked KiwiBonk.
“Be quiet, and let her read.” MinxJade said.
“. . .for your brave deed in the Hidden Tower, the Chia Police Squadron for
Neopia Central, the Chia Police Legion of Faerieland, and the Armed Chia Forces
of Mystery Island wish for you to know the truth of the matter. So, on behalf
of the Chia Police Squadron for Neopia Central, the Chia Police Legion of Faerieland,
and the Armed Chia Forces of Mystery Island, I will tell you the truth of the
matter.
The pets in question, named Midnight Honor, Eyrie, Blue, Male, 8"5, 374 pounds;
Sun Sweetness (44), Peophin, Yellow, Female, 5"2, 98 pounds; Canapy Flier, Shoyru,
Green, Female, 3"9, 41 pounds; Dream Link, Zafara, Red, Male, 3"8, 68 pounds
belong to a 15 year old individual who calls herself Ancient Alias. Her real
name has not been released.
Ancient Alias has been doing quests for Jhudora, the Queen of Darkness. As
you may or may not already know, Jhudora asks for some very uncommon items in
her exhorts. It seems that Jhudora has been asking this dependable personality
to get her some very rare and expensive artifacts from Queen Fyora’s Hidden
Tower. Jhudora gave this young girl a key to get in. Each Uber Faerie had one.
Ancient Alias was swayed by the evil Faerie’s promises of power and greatness,
and wishing to help two of her pets that are blind and deaf/mute, so she sent
her pets to steal these artifacts.Among the items stolen, there were..."
There followed a list of over a hundred different items, and the amount stolen
of each.
“Ancient Alias was also pressed for money, so she rigged the Tiki Tack Tombola
Machine in Mystery Island, so her pets could win easier, and therefore get more
money. But in doing so, she dropped the key to the Hidden Tower (Evidence Exhibit
#66-A) and a piece of paper with the names of her pets on it. (Evidence Exhibit
#68-A) You (Location #928) picked them up. When Ancient Alias discovered that
the key was lost, she commanded her pets to get it back. Jhudora told them exactly
where it was, and who had it.
Midnight Honor, Canapy Flier, Dream Link, and Sun Sweetness broke into your
NeoHome at 2900 Delta Close and retrieved it, but your Airax (Location #442)
stole it again. Then, you and Officer Toby Pudge of the Neopia Central Chia
Police Squadron went to the Hidden Tower, and waited for the robbers. But they,
using Jhudora’s evil, summoned it from your pocket and the key went back in
their hands.
There begins the fight in the Hidden Tower, where one of our Officers, Officer
Pudge, was injured, and is now in room 5-13 of the Neopia Central Memorial Hospital.
I, on behalf of the Chia Police Squadron for Neopia Central, the Chia Police
Legion of Faerieland, and the Armed Chia Forces of Mystery Island, wish to commend
you on your fearless act of pretending to be the Faerie of Darkness, using the
ancient powers of the mysterious Rainbow Swirly Thing.
That distracted the would-be robbers until the Chia Police Legion of Faerieland
showed up. Midnight Honor, Dream Link, Sun Sweetness, and Canapy Flier are now
in jail, along with Ancient Alias, on charges of theft and breaking and entering.
Jhudora is being punished by Queen Fyora, but we can’t expect much correction
there. We hope that this account of the details will satisfy you, and look forward
to helping you in the future, if anyone ever breaks into your house again.
Respectfully Yours,
Chief Apple Leafhead,
3rd order of the Chia Police Legion of Faerie Land"
KiwiBonk seemed annoyed that the letter didn’t mention her. Rumples shrugged
and went back to playing his NeoBoy. I found it weird that he wasn’t concerned
as to where his Petpet was.
* * *
I found Spitfire perched on the fence surrounding the Faerie Queen’s palace.
“How’s Officer Pudge?” he asked me.
“The letter didn’t say. I suppose being stuck in a pot and pushed off a shelf
can’t be that painful.”
“Hmm, you’re quite a fighter, you know.”
“No I’m not. All I did was throw some acorns and a boomerang around.”
“Well, you’re an even better actress.”
“Thanks, but it was really just the rainbow swirly thing that made my act
so convincing.”
“No, it wasn’t. You acted just like the Faerie of Darkness does. I was amazed.
I thought you were possessed.”
“Yeah, well... um, Spitfire, I have something to ask you.”
“Yes?”
“How did you know about that secret tunnel to get to the Hidden Tower?”
“The one behind the painting?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I just thought I’d go the same way you went. You were with Pudge, and
Pudge knows every nook and cranny of Neopia.”
“But how’d you know it was the way I went?”
“Because the key. It was where you dropped the key.”
“So, you mean... Jhudora didn’t help them after all?”
“Well, she did tell them that KiwiBonk had the key, but that’s all she did.
She’s an evil Faerie, and hates everything pure and good, but she’s smart enough
to know not to mess with the Faerie Queen.”
Spitfire swooped down and dug his claws into my shoulder. But, for the first
time, I didn’t mind.
The End | 
