Thunderclouds loom over the top of the mountain, rain coming down like hammers and nails. Locked in her iron cage, she
shivers while the shadows whisper their teasing taunts. The thunder rolls, and she looks up at the sky.
Just then, the shadows peel away, and a darker shadow appears. Her eyes mocking and triumphant, she stands over
the cage. "No one is coming to rescue you," the shadow tells her. "You are trapped here forever, because I know the secret:
a Faerie without wings is completely helpless!"
The Grey Faerie said nothing. She kept her eyes low and to the ground, so she would not have to look at her captor. The
shadow laughed again and walked away. "A Faerie with clipped wings!" it said to its fellow shadows. "Lost all her powers,
lost all her beauty..." the shadow paused for a moment, looking back at the cage. "Lost all hope."
The shadows disappeared, leaving her alone with the cold sunrise, but at sunset, they would be back, to taunt her further.
She would cry, but her eyes had no more tears. There were no birds on this mountaintop, no friendly animals to hear her call
for help.
The day crawled by, scorching sun burning down on her, without even a blanket to shade herself from the heat. The little
water she got from the rain was already dried up. She tried to sleep, tried to escape to the realm of dreams, but the magical
lock on her cage kept her from even that small comfort.
At around noon, she felt something move across her shoulder. She looked up. A shadow? She turned. Someone standing with
the halo of the sun over their shoulder. "Who?" she whispered, her parched throat hurting from even a single word.
The figure stepped forward. A little Kyrii with walking shoes, a cap, and a travelling pack. "My name is Tavi," she said.
"Who are you?"
"I -- I --" the Grey Faerie paused, her eyes gazing down at the lock on the door of her cage. "Please!" the Grey Faerie
whispered. "Please! Help me!"
"How?"
The Grey Faerie pointed at the lock, afraid to touch the iron bars. "The lock. It has a name. If you whisper the name,
it will open."
"The lock has a name?" Tavi said, putting down her pouch. "Do you know what the name is?"
The Grey Faerie nodded. "I do, but I cannot say it."
"Hm." Tavi looked at the lock. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
The lock chuckled. "You will never guess my name, little Kyrii, and I will never tell it, for I serve Jennumara, and her
powers are greater than any in the world!"
"A Darkness Faerie!" Tavi whispered. She took a step back, but then saw the Grey Faerie's eyes widen, the hope there being
devoured by fear. Right then and there, she knew she had to help the Faerie, no matter what the cost.
"I will play a game with you, little lock," she said, putting down her pack. "A game of guesses."
"What kind of game?" the lock asked, it's voice ringing with suspicion.
"We each get three questions, and after each question, I'll guess at your name, and you guess at what's in my pack. I cannot
ask you your name, and you cannot ask what's in my pack." She gestured back at the pack. "I have three things in there. If
you guess even one of them before I guess your name, I will join the Faerie in the cage; but, if I guess your name
before that, you let the Faerie go free."
The lock laughed. "That's too easy!" it said. "You are obviously a mountain climber. I know what's in your pack."
"If it is so easy, why don't you agree to the terms of the game?"
The lock laughed again. "All right, foolish little Kyrii. I agree. Why, I'll even let you go first!"
"Very well," Kyrii said. "Here's my first question." She pointed at the Grey Faerie in the cage. "What's her name?"
The lock screamed out loud. "No! That's cheating!"
"Go on," Tavi smiled. She knew she had the lock beat, right there and then. "You have to tell me her name."
The lock grumbled. "Her name is Baelia," it said.
"Then, your name is Baelia, isn't it?" Tavi asked.
Again, the lock grumbled, then made a loud click. The door swung open and the Grey Faerie stumbled out of the cage.
"Thank you!" she said, hugging Tavi tightly. "But, how did you know?"
"When I asked your name, you did not answer, but looked at the lock. When you said the lock had a name, I knew the spell
must have used your own name to keep you inside."
"You are wise," the lock said. "But not wise enough! My lady of shadow will find you, Faerie, and when she does, she'll
trap you as she did before."
Tavi looked at the Grey Faerie. "Is it right?"
The Grey Faerie nodded. "Yes. I am powerless without wings. In order to get new wings, I must get a new name."
Tavi put her pack back on her shoulder. "All right, then, we have to get you a new name!" She started to walk away, then
stopped, turned and looked at the Grey Faerie. "Exactly how do we do that?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johnman9000:
We need to go to the Great Turmaculus for some help, said Tavi while pointing south. How would he help? said the Grey
Faerie in confusion. No time for explanation, we need to hurry! Tavi said while running. While the odd couple was running,
they bumped into a giant white rock. Ouch! they said in unison. All of a sudden the rock moved. Uh, TaviThis isnt a rock.its
the Snowager, run! the grey faerie said in a hurry. No dont, he might be able to help us.he is sleeping, so thats a good sign.
All of my friends have told me about him, if hes sleeping, you might be able to steal and item from him! Tavi said. Oh no..Said
the grey faeire. But before she got to end her sentence, the brave little Kyrii was sneaking up to the Snowager. When Tavi
came back, he was holding a pair of Kyrii rocket boots. Oh yeah, you know what this means, right? said Tavi happily. Who cares,
use it quick, the Snowager is waking up!! said the grey faerie. As soon as she said that, she was moving at the speed of light,
and holding her was Tavi wearing the rocket boots. When they were shooting out of his lair, a giant blast of snow from the
Snowager skimmed right past the grey faeries ear. And were off! said the Kyrii. After about ten short minutes, they were already
in Meridell. They easily snuck past the infantry by the gates, because they didnt even notice the couple because they were
moving so fast. They went past the magnificent Castle, Merri Acre Farm, and Illusens Glade. They were finally at the great
Turmaculus. Heres the plan, we figure out some way of waking him up, and if you do, hell give you whatever you want, said
the hopeful Kyrii. Whatever it takes to get my wings back, said the faerie. So they walked up to the Turmaculus until behind
them they heard a laugh. They turned around, there was a hooded figure standing there. Hehehehe.you foolish people, no one
has waken him in years, so dont even try, said the weak voice. Well I guess that is going to end now! said the determined
Kyrii. With a flick of the wrist, Tavi puilled the petpet angelpuss out of her bag. This should do the trick! said Tavi. What??
We cant rely on that!! said the grey faerie. Yes we can, my granddad was the last person to wake the great Turmaculus, in
fact he used this same exact angelpuss to wake him! said Tavi. Im starting to think youre actually making sense now! said
the grey faeire in between laughs. So the Kyrii set the angelpuss down and the petpet starting banging on the big beast with
all her might. The Turmaculus turned over, narrowly avoiding the angelpuss. Ughhhhhhhh., said the lazy beast. Yeah, I knew
it would work! said Tavi. Just then colorful mist glittered everywhere, and the Turmaculus got smaller and smaller. Wha..its
you, the Queen Faerie! said the grey faerie. Now for breaking the cure, you both get a wish said the Queen majestically. I,
uh. Would like to live in Meridell, its my lifes quest, said Tavi. With a flick of her wand, a beautiful little cottage popped
up where the Turmaculus used to lay. And you, Astrid, said the Queen. What.you called me Astrid! said the faerie. Yes, I did,
the council had to get all the votes to grant you the power of air, but now that I am free, I grant you, Astrid, the power
of Air, said the Queen while performing a majestic dance. They newly crowned air faerie rose into the air and turned into
a beautiful faerie.
THE END
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redeyedinosaur:
Tavi and Baelia,ever so quietly edged against boulders,scampered around exposed corners,hid in the shadows of stealth
avoiding sight of the Grey faeries captures.........As the two nervous Tavi and Baelia ran with all possible might to go out
and seek lady Illusen and requeat for much needed help they heard wails of frustration and furry of the faerie known as darkness.Running
and running was all they did,threw un-known fields,mysterious forests and abandoned streets until Illusens gentle Glade was
in sight. "Baelia!Baelia!!," cryed Tavi hystericly."Your wish might as well be answered!Illusen is sure to help!" "I cannot
believe this Tavi,its unreal,lets go see her as soon as possible!!" Tavi was overjoyed to help,she hugged Baelia for all she
was worth.
They approached closer and closer to the beloved Glade of Illusen,they held hands as if they were god childhood friends,
hope was shining ever so brighter every second. "Baelia!Baelia! I think I see Illusen now, your wish is practicly fullfilled
Baelia!!Illusen is sure to help right away!!," said Tavi joyously. "I know,I know! Its all to much! I sure hope she has the
power to help me now!," said the grey faerie excitedly. The entrance to the Glade was just a hop,skip and a jump away!
***** After some tears and goodbyes,Baelia gathered the courage and walked to that entrance of hope.
She almost thought she could just start flying with no wings at all because of her happiness....................."AH-HAH!!!!
I HAVE FOUND YOU STUPID, STUPID GIRL!!," yelled the Faerie of Darkness with frustration and sheer furry. "DID YOY ACTUALLY
THINK ILLUSEN WOULD EVEN LOOK AT YOU TWICE??OR EVEN TO GRANT YOUR PUNY FAERIE POWERS BACK?! YOU COULD NEVER MEASURE UP TO
EVEN HALF OF A FAERIE!!!," shouted the sinister one "But......bu-but how did you find me? Impossible,Tavi and I got away so
quickly,so far! No! This must be a dream,I must still be in the horrid cage.....," choked out The Grey Faerie. "Is this your
little Tavi?," asked the evil one holding up Tavi by the neck
"Yes,Im sure this is her,Ahhh,she looks very sweet...........sweet enough to turn her against all that is good,Id say,"
said the Darkness faerie,amused. "TAVI!! ALL THAT SHE HAS DONE,DO NOT HARM HER ONE BIT!! Please,PLEASE take me instead!
Please,take me,just dont hurt her!!," wailed Baelia. "Very well,shes useless anyways," said the darkness dropping
Tavi and dragging the grey faerie to have her in eternal im-prisonment. "I think Ill keep you UP here,darling BAELIA,"
snarled the kidnapper. Grey faerie said nothing,only sounds of despair. ***** Much time passed as Baelia,only
known as Grey Faerie know as she sat up in a small cloud,all alone, forever contained. "I miss you all," said the grey faerie
dryly.
If only................If only," whispered the faerie with no hope.
She began to weep terribly,to ball like a child.She continued like this for many hours,but,her tears were not of normal
nature......No,not at all of normal tears........Her tears were grey,paint like almost.Very strange,But what more could you
expect of a faerie of my sort?" thought Baelia Her dark tears never were normal.Always grey,and paint like.Just to pass
the time,Baelia fashioned handles out of her broken wings and occasional debree that flew by in the wind,then she let her
tears fall on these unusual "paintbrushes." "What harm could these do?," thought Baelia once again as she dropped the "paintbrushes"
and let them flutter down to Neopia.**** Now,reader,some say this is how the dreaded Grey paintbrush came to be.Or some say
this is how she feels she can contribute, but, most say........That if enough pets share her sorrow by being covered by her
tears,that,possibly..........She may be a Faerie once again.............The end
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raew...
Looking into the twin pools of despair which were the Grey Faerie’s eyes, Tavi immediately understood that due
to the extraordinary nature of the situation, there has never been a prepared solution for a faerie with clipped wings.
After a long pause, the Grey Faerie lit up with hope, “Fyora! I must seek the Faerie Queen and ask her for help,
she will know how to get me a new name.”
Tavi smiled and replied, “Let’s go then, I shall accompany you to Faerie City. But for now, our first priority
is to get down this mountain top. It will be night fall by then, and we will have to find a safe place to spend the night...”
Together, they started the making their way down from the lonely mountain top which held the Grey Faerie prisoner, she
could not be more glad to leave that torturous isolation behind.
While the sun sank down lower and lower, their shadows stretched across the ground like looming figures, a constant reminder
that Jennumara would send her minions to recapture the Grey Faerie once she discovered her prisoner had escaped.
Planning ahead, Tavi made conversation with the Grey Faerie to become better acquainted with her, being a traveler, Tavi
had been to many places all over Neopia and made many friends. She asked, “Do you know Taelia, the Snow Faerie? She
lives on that mountain top over there.” Tavi pointed in the direction of Taelia’s igloo.
The Grey Faerie nodded, “Yes, but we never really got along.”
Tavi, not wanting to seem intrusive, diverted the conversation and said, “We will be spending the night with Mika
and Carassa, they are good friends of mine and will welcome you with open arms. They run a massive garage sale, we could probably
find some items which would come in handy for this long journey.”
The Grey Faerie smiled weakly at Tavi in unspeakable gratitude and followed Tavi's lead.
It wasn’t long before the two reached their destination, and strangely enough, Mika and Carassa were already standing
outside their igloo.
Tavi greeted the Chias, “Hello Mika, hello Carassa, are you expecting someone?”
The Chias looked hesitantly at each other and spoke at the same time, “The mountain tops are angry.” Then
looked in the direction of the mountain top which Tavi and the Grey Faerie had just made their way down from.
Puzzled by that statement, Tavi followed the Chias gaze and was taken aback by a dark group of clouds huddled at the
pinnacle of the mountain, with slivers of lightning cutting through them every now and then. The mere sight of it spelled
impending doom.
Carassa added, “A customer informed us an hour ago.”
The Grey Faerie whispered in fear, “She knows I’ve escaped!”
Taking the Grey Faerie’s hand and turning back to the two Chias, Tavi said, “Mika, Carassa, I urgently need
your help, we have no time to lose, the Grey Faerie’s freedom is at stake here!”
Carassa shrunk behind Mika, muttering, “Mika, this is a bad idea. We might get into a lot of trouble if we help
them...”
Mika thought about it and said, “But, she IS a faerie, and not a dark one by the looks of it. Plus we are moving
soon anyway.” He grinned. “Come on in you two!”
“You must be freezing your toes off, walking in all that snow barefooted,” he said to the Grey Faerie. Patting
Mika on the shoulder, he told her, “Set the table for four, we have guests for dinner tonight.”
After a hearty dinner, Tavi told the Chias her tale of what happened earlier on the mountain top, while the Grey Faerie
dozed off beside the fireplace from sheer exhaustion, which was forgivable considering how she had been deprived of basic
comforts for so long.
Quietly, Tavi continued, “Mika, I am about to ask you a huge favour, it may be the only way we can help the Grey
Faerie escape from Jennumara’s evil clutches. Do you have a H400 Helmet?”
Mika raised an eyebrow, “Tavi, I hate to break it to you, but that is a Battledome item and it only works in the
Battledome. I don’t think there is any way we could help the poor faerie now.” Carassa agreed anxiously. “I
half expect Jennumara to storm right in here demanding we hand over the Grey Faerie any moment,” she exclaimed with
a shudder.
Tavi sighed, “We still have to try at least. It will take WEEKS of traveling if I accompany her by foot, not to
mention the oceans we will have to cross... although it would probably be a good idea to take shelter in Illusen’s Glade,
since Jhudora absolutely detests her.”
“Hmm...” Mika went into deep thought, “So what we really need now is the quickest method to get the
Grey Faerie to Faerie City, to claim sanctuary in Fyora’s court...” The Chia sat there for a full five minutes,
rubbing his chin.
Suddenly, Mika leapt up from his seat and said, “I’ve got it!” Without explaining what he had thought
of, he climbed up into the attic with Carassa rushing after him to find out what the fuss was about, leaving Tavi to wonder
by herself.
Another five minutes ticked by and finally, after much strange rustle and bustle from up in the attic, the pair of Chias
emerged with bits of cobweb and dust clinging to their fur coats. More importantly, was the foreign object they were carrying
so carefully down the ladder. It looked like a cream coloured magician’s hat, except on either side were a pair of fluttery
wings.
“What on Neopia is that?!?” Tavi asked, unable to contain her curiousity.
Blowing off the dust which had accumulated on the item, Mika answered with pride, “It is the one and only Heretothere
Hat in Neopia. I bought it off a Grundo for next to nothing, it’s supposed to be a failed experiment of Sloth’s
but he doesn’t know it actually works! ”
Again Tavi repeated, “What on Neopia is that?!?”
Clearing his throat, Mika explained, “Have you ever read the Wocky of Oz? Well, instead of Dorothy, we have the
Grey Faerie, and instead of clicking her heels wishing to be home, all the Grey faerie has to do is wear the Heretothere Hat
and wish to be in Faerie City!”
Tavi’s jaw almost dropped to the floor in disbelief. “Oh my gooseberries! That’s awesome! I never knew
such a thing existed!”
Mika smiled from ear to ear (if Chias have ears) and gave Tavi a wink. “There are a lot of things in our little
Igloo noone knows exists.” Carassa added with a nervous laugh, “Some things are better left unknown, don’t
you agree?”
Their excitement had caused so much noise that the Grey Faerie had awoken from her slumber, and joined them. When they
told her about the Heretothere Hat, she cried tears of joy and embraced them all in a group hug.
“How can I ever thank you all enough?” she sobbed.
Mika placed the hat on the Grey Faerie’s head and took a step back. “It suits her don’t you think?
Now you’re a faerie with wings, but they’re on your head instead of your back!” All of them burst out laughing
at Mika’s little joke.
“You must not waste any time now, wish yourself straight to Faerie City and get a new name!” said Carassa.
Tavi took the Grey Faerie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Yes, you must go now, before the dark faerie finds
you.”
“All I ask is that you come back to visit us when you are a brand new faerie,” said Mika.
“Oh, and if you could, I would love one of those brand new Faerie ovens,” Carassa hinted. “Only if
you could of course. Hopefully we haven’t moved by then...” Mika nudged Carassa in the ribs and muttered something
under his breath.
Tavi smiled at the typical behaviour of his Chia friends.
“I hope everything goes well in Faerie City. Maybe we will see each other again in the future,” Tavi told
the Grey Faerie.
The Grey Faerie hugged Tavi one last time. In bittersweet emotion, she said, “I wish you could go with me. I could
never have come this far without you. I’ll never forget your kindness.”
With those last words to Tavi, she thanked Mika and Carassa again, closed her eyes and made the wish in her heart.
the end....
