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Water and Earth
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, we were outside the Faerie Queen's
castle.
"Where to now?" Rosy asked.
"We have to get the Necklace of the Water Faerie," I replied. "I hope we've
all got Water Breathing?"
"Yep," the others replied.
"Good," I said. "Once I heard that there was an underwater city of the Water Faeries -"
"Would that be Maraqua?" Emala asked.
"No, actually," I replied. "It's a place called Aquala. It's where all the
Water Faeries live in a ruined underwater castle."
"Well, how do we get to it?" Emala asked.
"Um... I think we'd have to fly 6 miles south of Faerieland and then go straight
down," I replied.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lily asked. "Let's go!" With that, we took
off southward.
***
In a couple hours, we had flown 6 miles directly south. I had used my psychic
abilities to measure it.
"Well, now what?" Rosy asked.
"Everyone fold your wings and drop," I replied, tucking my wings against my
body and turning off Fly. "And use Water Breathing - quick!" I added just before
I hit the water with a loud splash. I quickly activated Water Breathing and
looked downwards into the endless depths. Fathoms down, I thought I saw a blue
glimmer, like a Water Faerie's tail, but in an instant it was gone. My friends
splashed down beside me. Emala tried to talk, but all that came out of her mouth
was bubbles. I used a quick charm that would allow us to extend Water Breathing
to being able to talk underwater.
"Thanks," Emala said. "So, what now?"
"Well, isn't it obvious?" Lily asked. She straightened her body into an arrow
shape and dove down. I was about to copy her when I thought of something better.
I stopped and morphed into a Flotsam. With more power than I could possibly
manage in my Lupe state, I streaked after Lily. Before Lily had gone far, I
came whizzing past her.
"Who're you?" Lily asked, reaching for her Sword of Domar.
"It's me, Lupina," I replied. For proof I morphed into my normal form and back
again. Lily nodded and we continued.
Before long, I saw a dark shape in the depths, almost like a tower. I had left
the others far behind. After five minutes, I settled on the sea floor and looked
around me in amazement. Water Faeries swam busily around in the ruined underwater
palace-city. In the center stood the largest tower of all, almost complete.
It was the first one I had seen. I morphed back into a Fire Lupe and walked
along the ocean floor toward it. I somehow knew that this was where I would
find the Uber-Water Faerie.
Before I had gone far, I got caught in a small whirlpool. With a burst of energy,
I shot out of it. As I continued toward the tower, I experienced more and more
whirlpools, each one increasing in difficulty to get out of. I was almost to
the door of the tower when the strongest whirlpool of all caught me. I spun
around and around. I was so dizzy I couldn't gather enough energy as I needed
to get out. I closed my eyes and, using the Lupe Moon Charm to generate the
energy, gathered enough together. Then, with a sudden surge, I burst out of
the whirlpool. I was free to enter the tower. And I did.
I walked in the door and began to climb the spiral staircase. I climbed and
climbed and climbed. My legs were growing weary. Finally, I reached the top.
There stood the Uber-Water Faerie, ready for battle. Behind her, on a hook on
the wall, hung the necklace.
I tensed myself and prepared to make my first move, but the Water Faerie was
quicker. She used Quench to send a tidal wave of water at me. I used my Lupe
Moon Charm to stop it and used the ability Boil. The Water Faerie stood rigid
as the hot water seared her skin. Finally, it stopped. I could see that the
edges of her scales were singed. I produced a Supernova and threw it at her.
The burning light seared her even more than the scalding water. She was getting
pretty weak. She used Steam Shield. That barred out the idea of another Supernova.
I used the same blast I had used to defeat the Air Faerie the previous day.
It worked. My attack sent her flying. She crashed into the wall and slumped
on the floor, defeated. I took the necklace from the hook and left her, knowing
that she would heal herself readily enough. A whirlpool surrounded me. For a
moment I was afraid, but then I realized the whirlpool was just giving me all
the water abilities.
Morphing back into a Flotsam, I swam quickly down the long staircase to where
my three friends were waiting beyond the reach of the whirlpools. I waved to
them and swam back through the whirlpool area without any trouble. Before long
we were striking out towards land where we could sleep the night before continuing
the next day to find the Staff of the Earth Faerie.
***
The next morning, I was woken bright and early by the bird song. I shook my
three friends awake. "Where do we go now?" I asked. "We're getting the Staff
of the Earth Faerie."
Rosy snorted. "You should know Lupina the Fourth. After all, do you recall
your great-grandmother's full title?"
"Lupina of Verdancia the First," I recited. "But I don't see how that'll help
us."
"Silly," Rosy cuffed me lightly. "You just said the place and you don't even
know it."
It hit me like a thunderbolt. "Of course! It would make great sense for the
Earth Faerie to live in Verdancia!" With that, I took off.
As I flew along, I decided I wanted to go a little faster, so I turned into
a Pteri. Soon I was zipping along through the air, dodging each obstacle just
in time.
Around 10:00 I arrived at the borders of Verdancia. Assuming my original form,
I dropped to the ground and began to walk among the trees. The cool, luscious
forest of Verdancia was like a jewel of peace and tranquility. I could hear
a brook chuckling as it tumbled over stones on its way to the mighty River of
the Moon, and sweet bird song filled the air.
Before long, I came upon a trail through the ferns. I walked along it. The
ferns grew larger as I continued. Soon, the giant ferns were taller than me.
They made a shady canopy over the winding path.
Finally, I came to the end of the path. Before me stood a bower made of saplings
that had been bent over and twined together with vines. Birds perched happily
in the leafy bower, singing their little hearts out. Inside the bower lay the
Uber-Earth Faerie. A common Earth Faerie crouched at her side, fanning her with
a giant fern. When the Uber-Earth Faerie saw me, she held out a hand for her
attendant to stop. She stood and walked forward to meet me. "Come along, Lupina,"
she said to me. "I've been expecting you." Her voice was soft and rustled like
leaves in the breeze. She led me past the bower and to another path beneath
the giant ferns. They were so tall that even she didn't have to duck, and she
was much taller than me. I followed her. This time we emerged in a clearing.
The great spreading boughs of the oak trees around it made it a peasant, shady
place to be.
I didn't have much time to admire my surroundings, though. Before I knew it,
the Earth Faerie was standing on the opposite side of the clearing arena, ready
to fight. I made the first move, spitting lava at her and rendering one wing
useless. She used an earth spell. Vines surrounded me and rooted me to the ground.
I used my Lupe Moon Charm to produce a flame that burnt the vines to cinders.
Then I drew a used a Flamestrike Bottle. The Earth Faerie gasped and fell backward.
Then she threw a Poison Snowball at me. It hit me in the eye. Half-blinded,
I used a Dark ability: Demon Breath. The Earth Faerie drew away from the stench.
I drew a Fire Sword. It sent fireballs whizzing towards the Earth Faerie. She
fell backward, down to her last few HP. I uncorked a Fire Jug, but she held
up Thyora's
Tear. My fire attack was deflected. She threw a Frost Bite Egg at me.
I dodged the direct attack, but it hit me in the shoulder, sending a bolt of
freezing, jarring pain down my shoulder. I used Restore and sent spurts of flame
out of my Lupe Moon Charm. Finally, the Earth Faerie fell heavily, defeated.
Behind her, lying in the ferns, was the Staff of the Earth Faerie. I picked
it up. Vines grew rapidly out of it, surrounding me, and I obtained all the
Earth abilities.
I used my recently obtained Water of Life ability and poured the water gently
between the Earth Faerie's lips. Her eyes fluttered open. She used the ability
Regeneration and stood up. "Lupina," she said. "Tomorrow you will face the Darkness
Faerie. If you defeat her, which I don't doubt you will, you will have all the
items necessary. Then you must return to Verdancia and go to Lupe Moon Falls.
Everything will be ready there, ready for you to perform the ceremony." Before
I could ask what the ceremony was, she was leading me back down the path to
the bower.
When we arrived at the bower, I found that my friends were there, being served
lunch by the Uber-Earth Faerie's attendant. She served lunch for me, too, and
then the Uber-Earth Faerie invited us to spend the night. We gladly accepted
and spent the reset of the afternoon playing hide and seek among the ferns.
That night, I fell asleep, happy and contented.
To be continued... | 
