The Lost Ball

     "Shadow, what are you looking for?" thecatlady, his owner, asked, pausing in his doorway with a load of laundry in her arms.

     "My Big Bouncy Ball is missing!" he said, tossing several plushies into a nearby corner. "I can't find it anywhere."

     "I'm sure it's around here somewhere," the catlady assured him. "I made you some Gingerbread Chias. You can have some after you've cleaned up your room."

     LadsShadow perked up at this. Chias were his favorite treats. While thecatlady went on to finish the laundry, the young green Lupe scampered about cleaning up the scattered toys. Closing the toybox once he was done, he took a peek in his Regal Wood Wardrobe. No ball was to be seen. Disappointed, he left his room and headed for the kitchen.

     Feeling dispirited, LadysShadow entered the kitchen . Sitting on a kitchen stool, his four green legs carefully arranged to keep him balanced, LadysShadow's younger brother, LadysChampion, was happily munching on some Grapes. The Ruki grinned at his sibling and waved.

     The sad Lupe waved back weakly and crawled up onto his own special kitchen stool, flipping his bushy green tail out of the way so he wouldn't sit on it.

     "What's wrong, big brother?" LadysChampion asked, frowning at him.

     "I can't find my Big Bouncy Ball," LadysShadow told him, and he sighed. "I've looked everywhere."

     "I'll help you find it," LadysChampion said.

     "Okay," LadysShadow said, shrugging, and he nibbled on some of the freshly baked Gingerbread Chias sitting on a plate on the kitchen counter before him.

     After the boys had their snack, they headed outside. They started poking around in the garden looking for the ball.

     Stephen_kingjr, a handsome young Eyrie and LadysShadow's best friend, came walking up just as the boys gave up their search.

     "Wha'cha doin'?" he asked LadysShadow who was smoothing down his ruffled fur from crawling around under bushes.

     "I lost my Big Bouncy Ball," LadysShadow said.

     "Yeah, and he's looked everywhere," LadysChampion spoke up as he crawled out from under a Fire Bush.

     "Maybe the Earth Faerie has it?" Stephen-kingjr suggested. "Everyone knows how she likes toys."

     LadysShadow's eyes widened.

     "Do you really think so?" he asked, looking hopeful.

     His friend shrugged his big shoulders, making his wings rattle.

     "It's possible," he said.

     "We should go see her and get your Big Bouncy Ball back, " LadysChampion said. "She has enough toys, she doesn't need it too."

     "Yeah, and I'll go with you," Stephen_kingjr said.

     "Let's go!" LadysShadow said, and the trio headed off down the road.

     ""How are we going to get there?" LadysChampion asked after they'd been walking a bit.

     "There's a balloon service in Meridell that'll take us up to Faerieland," Stephen_king jr said. "We'll just take the little train to Meridell."

     "Ooooh, I love the train!" LadysChampion said, and he started making train noises.

     LadysShadow rolled his eyes at his brother's antics and shook his head.

     The boys walked down to the edge of Neopia Central and entered the little train station there. They bought their tickets from the ticker counter clerk, a pretty blue Usul.

     "You'll be boarding the blue train which will take you to Meridell," she told them.

     "Where do the other trains go?" LadysChampion asked, gazing at the little trains waiting on their tracks.

     "The brown one goes to the Lost Desert. The green one goes to the Haunted Forest and the red one goes to the eastern coast so you can catch a schooner to either Krawk Island or Mystery Island. The black one goes to the northern coast where you can catch a shuttle up to the Space Station.." she said. "You better hurry now or, you'll miss your train."

     The boys hurried over to the little blue train and the train conductor, a burly yellow Skeith.

     "Tickets please," he said to them.

     They handed him their tickets, and he let them board the little open air train.

     "This is going to be fun!" LadysChampion said, beaming and looking about him.

     Several other passengers, older Neopets, smiled at the excited Ruki indulgently.

     "Make sure you keep your seatbelts on for the entire trip,'" the conductor said, standing up in the front set right behind the Mynci train engineer. "Keep your hands and heads inside the train and don't bother the other passengers. Don't throw anything out of the train either as littering isn't very nice. Enjoy your trip."

     With that, he sat down, and the train headed out of the station. The boys talked excitedly about the countryside they passed and about what they might see in Faerieland. This was a big adventure for them all. They went over gentle hills and across emerald green meadows until, finally, they pulled into the station at Meridell.

     When the train stopped, the trio hopped out, stretching their legs and wings respectively.

     "Excuse me, please," LadysShadow said to the green Usul stationmaster. "Where do we find the balloon to Faerieland?"

     "Tis over there, lad," the Usul said. "Right on the other side of the castle. See?"

     Following his pointing paw, the boys saw a rainbow colored balloon rising about the walls of Meridell Castle. More balloons could be seen behind it.

     "They all go to Faerieland," the Usul said before the boys could ask, and he smiled. "Enjoy yourselves."

     The trio headed over to the balloons eagerly.

     "Now, I can get my Big Bouncy Ball," LadysShadow said.

     They were guided over to a balloon ready for take off by a rainbow colored Uni. The balloon was manned by a rainbow colored Aisha who smiled as they climbed inside.

     "I'm the Ballooner, and I'll be taking you up to Faerieland," he said.

     "Wow!" the boys chorused, excited.

     They watched, wide eyed, as the mooring lines holding the balloon down were released. The Ballooner made the balloon rise, and the ground slowly fell away. Swaying gently, the balloon rose into the air heading for Faerieland, which drifted above and to the right of them. They started to drift over the water.

     "Look there!" LadysChampion exclaimed, pointing.

     The boys leaned over and watched some sailboats racing on the water below them.

     "Don't lean too far over, you might fall out," the Ballooner cautioned.

     Laughing, the boys obeyed, moving back a little. Soon, they came up to Faerieland. The Ballooner angled the balloon over the cloud bank it rested on and landed the balloon with the help of several Myncis with poles. The boys clambered out and looked around in wonder.

     "Welcome to Faerieland," a lovely little faerie said, flitting up on rainbow hued wings. "I'm Myora, your guide."

     "I want to see the Earth Faerie," LadysShadow told her. "She might have my Big Bouncy Ball."

     "I'm sorry to hear that," Myora said. "Follow me, and I'll take you to see her. She has an office in Faerie City."

     Happily, the boys followed the little faerie through the cloudy landscape of Faerieland to the gorgeous Faerie City. The boys oohed and aahed over what they saw along the way. They passed through the gates of Faerie City, and Myora led them down the crystal streets.

     "This place is great!" LadysShadow said, starting up at the awesome Faerie Castle.

     "Yes, it's a lovely place to visit," Myora agreed." Here we are."

     She'd stopped in front of a small marble building with a door shaped like faerie wings. The sign over the door read:

     Faerie Quests.

     "The Earth Faerie has her office in here," Myora told the boys. "Remember to be polite to everyone you meet inside."

     Stephen_kingjr opened the door and led the way inside. A big faerie, much bigger than little Myora, sat at a desk two feet from the door. She looked up when they came inside.

     "My name is Lyora," she said. "Is there something I can help you with?"

     "We're here to see the Earth Faerie," Myora announced when LadysShadow blushed and couldn't speak. "Is she in?"

     "What is the purpose of the visit?" Lyora asked, picking up a Tatty Pencil.

     "We think she has LadysShadow's Big Bouncy Ball," Stephen_kingjr said.

     "He's looked everywhere for it," LadysChampion said.

     Lyora wrote this all down, her eyes on her paper. She read something on it and nodded. She looked up at the boys and smiled as she got to her feet.

     "The Earth Faerie will see you now," she said, going to a green door with Earth Faerie written on it.

     She opened the door, and the boys went inside, LadysShadow leading the way. Lyora closed the door behind them while the trio stared around them in surprise. There were toys everywhere they looked. Toys on shelves, on tables, overflowing toyboxes and even,arranged on the floor.

     The Earth Faerie got up from arranging some dolls around a tea table, and she smiled at them.

     "Welcome," she said. "What can I do for you?"

     "I've lost my Big Bouncy Ball," LadysShadow said, stroking the end of his bushy tail nervously.

     "He's looked everywhere for it," LadysChampion spoke up.

     "Yes, I have," LadysShadow said.

     "We were wondering if you had it," Stephen_kingjr put in, and he blushed. "Everyone knows how you like toys."

     "I'm sorry," the Earth Faerie said, sitting down at her desk. "I don't have your Big Bouncy Ball."

     Disappointed, LadysShadow's ears drooped.

     "Thank you, " he said and turned away.

     His companions followed his back out to the front area.

     "She didn't have it," Myora said, seeing LadysShadow's face. "I'm sorry."

     She led the boys back to the balloons.

     "You can catch a ride back down here," she said, and she patted LadysShadow on a shoulder. "It'll be okay."

     The boys took a balloon down with another Mynci ballooner, and they caught the blue train back to Neopia Central. Climbing out, LadysChampion and Stephen_kingjr talked happily about their travels. They didn't notice LadysShadow's silence as they headed for home, they were so caught up in their own conversation.

     "Mom! Mom!" LadysChampion called, seeing thecatlady out tending her Fire Bush in the front yard. "We rode the train to Meridell!"

     "We took a balloon to Faerieland!" Stephen_kingjr said as they all hurried over to her.

     "We got to see the Earth Faerie too!" LadysChampion went on, eyes alight. "LadysShadow asked her if she had his Big Bouncy Ball."

     "And did she?" the catlady asked.

     "No, she didn't," LadysShadow said, walking up, tail dragging on the ground, and he looked ready to cry.

     "Why don't you go inside, Sweetie?" thecatlady suggested. "There might be something on the Kauvara Table that will cheer you up."

     Depressed, LadysShadow went inside.

     "My ball!!" the group outside heard him yell a moment later, and he appeared again, a ball in his arms. "You found my ball!!"

     Thecatlady smiled at him.

     "Yes, I did. You'd left it in the Green Shed in smedley12's backyard when you were over playing last," she said,."Smedley12 brought it to me a little bit ago."

     LadysShadow gave her an enthusiastic one armed hug.

     "Let's go play!" he said to the others.

     "Yay!!" the other two cried, and the boys all ran off to play.

The End