"Wow! Really? Which one?" he asked, his voice showing obvious enthusiasm.

"The Lucky Coin stamp! It's newly released," the Aisha said, showing her brother the stamp.

"Wow, nice snag. You're as quick as a Cybunny when it comes to restocking in the Stamp Shop!" Troy praised her. His sister beamed, then knelt beside the Lupe. He spun the large stamp book around towards her. "Here, you do the honours!" Leta giggled and licked the stamp, then carefully placed it in the Lost Desert section.

"This is great! We almost have the full collection!" Leta said.

"HEY! Are you two losers STILL collecting those stupid stamps?" a gruff voice said behind them, as a shadow fell over the siblings.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Are you STILL irritating those who are minding their own business?" he said, standing up and turning to glare at the Grarrl. "Get off our lawn." the Lupe growled.

"Make me." the Grarrl said, a nasty twinkle coming to his eye.

"Just watch me!" yelled Troy, leaping at the much larger Grarrl. He fell short, however, as something grabbed his tail.

"Don't fight, Troy! Please don't fight!" his little sister cried.

"Leta! Let go of me so I can teach this bully a lesson!" the Lupe snapped.

"No, no!" the Aisha said, bursting into tears. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Haha, losers! Can't even fight..." he said, waving a dismissing hand at them as he walked off. "I have bigger fish to fry; we'll finish this later." Troy growled furiously.

"Why'd you have to go and do that, Leta?!? I could have beaten him." Leta eyed her rather scrawny brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Well... I could have." Troy said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone.

"Come on, Troy," said Leta. "Let's go inside and see what stamps we need to finish our collection." She opened the screen door, beckoning him to come in and forget about the bully.

"Oh, okay," he agreed, casting a final look over his shoulder at the Grarrl, who was now across harassing more young pets. He sighed. What could a scrawny Lupe like him do about it? Shaking his head sadly, Troy followed his sister inside...

Outside, the sun was beginning to reach the point where it rests halfway to the horizon after midday. Troy loved it just before sunset, when the crickets started to chirp and the mourning doves called their song. The sky would just be at the perfect point when its fire spread across the heavens, setting the farthest reaches red and, closer to the sun, orange, fading smoothly into yellow. His dreams of the closing of day carried him to the edge of town, where he arrived with a start. This was a dingier part of town, where many of the poorest Neopets lived. Troy sadly looked at the green Lenny, who was huddled against the wall of a building. This place couldn't have rare stamp shops... Troy thought, but a dull sign caught his eye. "ULOR'S RARE STAMPS". This was probably the place, so he stepped inside.

It was awfully dim inside, crowded with shelves that displayed stamp books and stamps. Some of the most expensive stamp books came already filled. Troy didn't understand the point of having a collection if they were already there, but that was okay, as it had nothing to do with what he had come for.

A creaky old voice called him. "What do you want?" An old Kyrii came from the back, brandishing a stick.

"Oh... I wanted to buy something, sir," Troy said nervously.

"Eh? What's your name?" the old Kyrii wheezed.

"Troy, um, sir," Troy answered. The Kyrii's eyes gleamed suddenly, eyebrows raising into a ragged tuft of fur.

"Troy, you say? Well, come along then, come along..." he said, hobbling along towards the back of his shop...

..."So, you're here for stamps, are you?" the old Kyrii puffed with a frightening gust of energy. "Well, we have quite a few, obviously. You need to be extremely careful with most of them, though, as they are amazingly expensive."

"Err.... I just want a few, sir. I don't think I have enough for too much right now. I could come back later, though..." Troy said rather shyly, not even once glancing at the old shopkeeper.

The Kyrii looked suspiciously over his shoulder at Troy, then began rummaging around in a cupboard. He pulled out a stamp... it was glowing eerily, and a yellowish mist seemed to come off of it. On the stamp, there was a beautiful Faerie. Her eyes were sky blue, and her hair was flowing down her shoulders in braids of golden sunlit hair.

"Wow!" Troy gasped. Leta would love it! he thought. "I'll take it!"

When Troy walked out of the dusty shop, he carried a treasure in his possession. He thought it was rather strange, and kind of magical, yet didn't put much thought into the subject. He was too eager to get home and show it to his sister...

"What did you get, Troy?" asked his little sister. " I hope you got something really worth buying this time."

"Hey! I can find really good stamps when I want to. Anyway, I found this really cool stamp. I thought you might like it," he said, handing the stamp to his sister, who literally gasped when she saw it.

"Troy, it's beautiful! How long did you have to wait to get it? I hope you got a good deal on it." the ever-practical Aisha said.

"Yeah... as a matter of fact, the shopkeeper was kind of happy to get rid of it. I wonder why..."

"Oh, who cares?!? You got one of the rarest stamps of all... I bet it must have cost you a fortune!"

"Actually, he only asked 20 neopoints for it." Troy replied.

"Really?" his sister said, amazed. "Okay, you do the honours. You found it, so you get to place it in the book with the rest of our stamps."

"Okay," her brother agreed.

Troy took the stamp in his paw and stuck out his tongue, making a slightly funny face as his tongue ran over the glue...

...He felt a sort of tingle when he licked the stamp, but Troy just shrugged it off. He carefully placed the stamp in the book, then looked on it with pride.

"Wow, Troy! I still can't believe you found her. It's amazing!"

"Troy! Leta! I said 'dinner'! Now come on!" a voice shouted from the kitchen.

That night, while everyone else was asleep, Leta snuck into the living room to see the new stamp one more time. It had been on her mind all night, and she just had to see it again.

When Leta opened the book, a strange green-yellow mist scattered around, like dust. She quickly turned to the page where the stamp was kept. Leta let a breath of relief escape as she gazed at the glowing stamp.

Leta gently caressed the page while whispering, "You truly are beautiful."

"Thank you," a small but powerful voice said.

Leta dropped the book as she quickly backed away. "Oh my gosh! D-d-did you s-say that?" she stuttered. Then Leta then watched as the Faerie from the stamp seemed to come to life.

"What is it that you most desire?" the Faerie asked.

Leta slowly bent down and picked up the book. She needed a closer look, just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

"I... I don't understand." Leta replied.

"I can give you anything you desire... anything at all. Just say the word, and it is yours." the Faerie said.

"Well, I've always wanted a Petpet! A Floud, maybe? They're so cute." Just then, a huge puff of green-yellow smoke filled the room. When the smoke dissipated, a pink Floud sat before her, just as cute as Leta had imagined. "Wow!" Leta exclaimed. However, when Leta looked down at the stamp, she noticed that the Faerie had grown stronger somehow. She was more vibrant, and more beautiful, than before...

Leta gazed, amazed by the Floud before her feet.

"Uh... yeah. Thanks so much!" Leta said, startled.

"That is truly all that you yearn for?" the Faerie asked. "Just a Floud? Surely there is something else I can give you!" Her voice had turned sharp and bitter for a second, then returned to the kind, gentle voice that had granted Leta the Floud.

Leta was taken aback by the Faerie's sudden change of tone. She wiggled her second set of long ears and thought.

"Erm, I... I just hate being the colour green. It's so ugly. A paint brush would be nice..." Leta said uncertainly.

"What kind?" the Faerie said eagerly, beaming.

"Oh, um... how about... disco?" Leta said excitedly.

"So it shall be!" the smiling Faerie said, and once again the room was filled with mist. As the last tendrils of fog receded, Leta realized that there was a disco paint brush, with a bow neatly tied around it, sitting in her lap.

Leta grabbed the brush and inspected it, then turned to the Faerie stamp. "Thank--" Leta began, but then her voice faltered. The stamp was bright with an ethereal glow, and the Faerie looked so real that you could almost touch her. With sparkling eyes and hair that shone with a brilliant luster, the Faerie was so perfect that it hurt to look at her.

"Anything else?" the Faerie said lazily, like a well-fed cat. Her fingers twirled around a stray strand of hair.

"I... I want to be as pretty as you!" Leta blurted.

The Faerie laughed, and again vapor veiled the room. This time, it was heavy and choking. Leta collapsed, overcome by a coughing fit. The smoke continued to billow, and out of it, stepped the Faerie...

..."Ohmigosh!" Leta gasped, her heart skipping a couple of beats. The Faerie was right in front of her!

"You want to be like ME?" the Faerie said in a booming, eerie sort of voice. "Well, why don't you just BECOME me?!?"

The Faerie grabbed Leta by the wrist, and there was a sudden blinding light. That's when everything went black...

Leta opened her eyes slowly. Wherever she was, it was was so bright that her eyes were sore. She leapt up, finding herself in what looked like a golden room. However, there was nothing else; not even one door.

Leta turned around, and there, in front of her, was something like a huge glass window. She could see the inside of her NeoHome through it. She then saw herself peering through the other side...

Hold on a minute... herself?

Leta reached up to her head and, instead of finding her usual Aisha ears, she felt long, silky hair, just like that which belonged to the Faerie.

Suddenly it struck her. She and the Faerie had switched places! Now the Faerie looked just like Leta, and was living in her house! Leta was stuck inside the stamp, looking like a replica of the Faerie!

"Get me out of here!" Leta shouted, pounding on the window. The Faerie who had stolen her form had an evil smile playing on her lips. She tapped, with great force, on the window.

"Awww, you poor, sweet little Aisha," she said, in a mocking voice. "For so many years I have been stuck in that stamp... lonely, and so desperate to get out... at long last, I finally have! After such a long wait, I was starting to lose hope that I'd ever find a fool like you to switch places with me. I think I'm really going to enjoy this." the Faerie said, laughing like a maniac.

She turned and began to explore Leta's house. "No! What are you doing? Turn me back! Turn me back!" Leta shrieked, but it was no use. She was going to be stuck in here forever...

Leta woke up to her brother's voice. Troy was talking to the Faerie imposter. He was laughing as she told a joke that Leta would never have told in polite company! She started screaming again, but the Faerie in her body talked over her, finishing the gross joke. Troy laughed. "Wow Leta, I can't believe you said that!"

"I didn't!" Leta screamed. Troy walked over to the stamp book and picked it up. Leta jumped up and down.

"Troy, help... it's me, Leta! I'm trapped--"

"Say Leta, is this Faerie in a different position than before?" Troy asked, cutting her off. Leta's heart sank. He hadn't heard her!

"I dunno. I didn't really look too hard," the Faerie in disguise replied carelessly. Leta saw the hurt look in Troy's face. He thought the gift hadn't mattered to her... how wrong he had been!

Troy's eyes went to one side. Leta followed them and saw the disco paint brush, still lying where it had first appeared. "Say, what's this?" asked Troy.

The Faerie looked blank for a moment, then said, "Oh, we're learning about paint brushes in class, and I got to take this home! I have to study how it works and stuff. I don't get to keep it, of course." The Faerie managed to look wistful.

"That stinks," Troy said. He looked around the room again. "Hey, haven't you gotten the newspaper yet? You always get it first thing in the morning."

"Oh... um, of course," the evil Faerie said, walking out to get the paper. Leta felt confused. Troy always got the paper! As soon as the Faerie was out the door, Troy rushed over to Leta.

"Are you all right, Leta?" he asked.

"You DID hear me," Leta shouted.

"Shh," said Troy. "Of course I can hear you, but the evil Faerie from the stamp doesn't know that. She does a lousy impersonation, by the way." Leta laughed despite herself. Her brother always knew what to say.

But, what are we going to do?" she asked.

"It's obvious," Troy said. "We just have to...

..."make her want to go back into the stamp!"

"Brilliant theory," Leta said. "But just how are we going to make her want THAT?"

Troy bit his lip, as if in deep thought. Suddenly, the door swung open.

"I'm back!" the Faerie imposter said cheerfully. "And I have the paper! Now, let's get some breakfast!"

Troy turned to leave, but then turned and winked. He had an idea.

The Lupe sauntered into the kitchen to see the Faerie imposter, who was just about to eat some fried eggs, when he grabbed them from under her nose.

"LETA! You know your condition!" he cried, then helped himself to the eggs.

"C-condition?"

"Yeah! You know, the one where you can't eat anything that looks or smells remotely appetizing! Here, have a lemon fish pop!" Troy said, just as he finished off the eggs and began helping himself to a chocolate bar.

"Oh yeah, that condition... of course," the Faerie said, accepting the fish pop unwillingly. The smell made her face turn green, but she took a bite anyway, to keep her disguise going.

"Okay, that's enough for this week!" Troy muttered, grabbing the fish pop and tossing it in the trash.

"What?!? I only get to eat once a week?" the Faerie screamed in protest.

"Yeah! You know that, Leta... you've done it for years, and you'll continue to do it for years to come!" exclaimed Troy, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

The Faerie looked like she was about to confess, but then restrained herself.

"Of course..." she said in a moping voice. Just as she started to walk off, Troy called her back.

The Lupe quickly dipped his feet in the trash can, so they would look and smell bad.

"What is it now, my loving brother?" the Faerie in disguise snarled. Her Aisha Ears were against her head, and the hairs on her back were raised.

"Oh nothing unusual, just my morning foot massage," Troy said, propping his awful feet on the table. "You know you have to do it three times a day. Right, Leta?"

The Faerie shuddered in revulsion. Just the thought of massaging the Lupe's smelly feet made her feel sick. What choice did she have, though? It was either this, or go back in the stamp...

Troy came rushing into the room. "Leta!" he cried, embracing her. However, she recoiled at the smell of his foul feet.

"Eww... what did you do to her?" she asked, covering her nose.

The Lupe chuckled. "You don't want to know," he replied. "Our first priority now is to get that stamp out of here... and I know just how to do it."

Leta and Troy were soon hanging around outside, examining their stamp collection. "Oh wow, I can't believe we got this Faerie stamp..." Troy declared, yelling on purpose, "It must be worth MILLIONS of NP." He knew that this was the exact time when the bully usually came by their house to pick on them.

Sure enough, the Grarrl returned, grinning with delight. "I'll take that, thank you!" he said, snagging the stamp. Leta pretended to sob, and Troy growled in disgust. However, they burst into a fit of laughter as soon as he left.

"Ha, I'm sure he's in for quite a surprise," laughed Troy.

"Yeah, and so is she," Leta giggled, "when she finds out that she's got four months of weekend detention to serve!"

The End