Gentle hands picked him up, and reflected upon his blade was Fyora's smiling face. She ran a soft cloth over his metal surface, then placed him back on display. She did it every evening, just before closing up the tower at nightfall. The Faerie Queen was just getting the key to lock up the tower when the door opened...

"Ah, hello there!" Fyora said, smiling. "We were just about to close up, actually. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Sorry, but duty doesn't run on a schedule. I'm a knight hailing from Brightvale. I need a powerful blade, one capable of banishing even the most wicked of creatures."

The Sword of Skardsen instantly brightened. This was his chance -- he could be wielded by a capable warrior and reclaim the recognition he deserved.

"If that's the case, then I think I have just the thing for you," Fyora said.

She walked back to the display cases, where each artifact was carefully encased. Her hands wandered, finally dabbling right before the Sword of Skardsen.

Yes, he thought. This was it! His big moment, his time to shine, his--

"No, not that one," the Gelert interrupted. "With that meddling Hanso running around for the quick Neopoint, his charms are floating around everywhere. The Sword of Skardsen will be useless to me. I'll take the Reif instead. I hear great things about that one."

"Oh, is that so?" Fyora asked. Her hands quickly shifted to the left to grab the fiery blade. "Well, here you are then, one Sword of Reif... and may this sword protect you in battles to come."

The Gelert thanked her and left in a hurry, seeming to be in a rush to get somewhere.

"Hmm, that's the last of them," Fyora said. "So, I'll be off."

With that, the Faerie Queen departed and the tower was quiet and encompassed in darkness once again.

The Sword of Skardsen sighed. He would never again be anyone's sword of choice, the weapon everyone vied for from the Hidden Tower. He supposed he would have to resign himself to a life of display decor.

"Aren't you tired of all those other artifacts? Always more powerful... always more sought after?"

The Sword of Skardsen was surprised to suddenly hear a voice. "Who said that? Who's there?"

He looked around, but the tower was empty. The customers had come and gone, and Fyora had locked up and left.

"No, look up here... above you."

The Sword of Skardsen tilted its hilt to see the Sunshine Shield staring back at him, a devious smile inscribed into the wood.

"Say, why don't we turn the tide around here..."

"What do you mean?" Sword of Skardsen asked.

"I mean," Sunshine Shield replied, his devious grin still bright and sunny, "what if there were no other swords here in the tower? Then they'd all be forced to buy you!"

Sword of Skardsen sighed. "Sunshine Shield," he said, "that wouldn't help at all! If I was the only sword here, then everyone would still use those charms from Hanso, and I'd be even worse off than I am now!"

"What if there was a way to be rid of all those charms?" Sunshine Shield said. "Trust me on this. Ghostkershield is willing to help us as well. Those charms are keeping anyone from wanting to buy him, too."

"He's right," another voice said, and Ghostkershield looked down onto Sword of Skardsen as well. "We've been rivals for years, but then those charms came about and things haven't been the same since!"

Sword of Skardsen shook his blade. "Alright, I'll humor you. So you have some big plan to get rid of all the other swords, and all those charms? How?"

"Sunshine Shield found where Fyora hid Eraser of the Dark Faerie."

Sword of Skardsen nearly fell off of his display.

"Eraser of the Dark Faerie!" Sword of Skardsen exclaimed. "Do you know how dangerous he is? Fyora banished him for a reason!"

"Well..." Sunshine Shield replied, "the choice is yours. Either sit there and get passed over every time, or join us in freeing Eraser of the Dark Faerie."

Sword of Skardsen was silent for a moment. He wanted to be used again, to be in the hands of the bravest warriors. To free Eraser of the Dark Faerie, though? To unleash him back into the world?

"I..." Sword of Skardsen started to say, before he was suddenly interrupted.

"Don't do it!" a pair of voices rang out, belonging to...

The Twin Faerie Blades were a relatively new addition to the Hidden Tower, at least compared to longtime veterans such as the Sunshine Shield and Sword of Skardsen himself. Dual-wielded blades were somewhat hard to come by these days, and the twins had never said a word to anyone since their arrival. Not much was known about them.

"Don't listen to him," they repeated in unison.

"The eraser was taken out of stock for a reason," the first blade said. "Its power is devastating, and it corrupts any who have it in their possession. It is a product of evil, and it serves no purpose other than chaos and destruction."

"You still have a purpose to fulfill," the second blade chimed in. "If your time was truly done, you would not be here right now, but you are. Because you are not rusting away in your case, you are waiting for the Neopian who is destined to wield you to walk through that door... and the day will come."

Sword of Skardsen sat quietly in contemplation. Were the twins right? Was there still hope for him?

"Oh, please," Sunshine Shield scoffed. "The eraser was taken out of stock because its power was being abused by weak-minded Neopians. We're smarter than that, though, right?" The shield grinned down on Sword of Skardsen beneath him; however, something about his smile seemed eerie, and it sent a chill through the sword's blade.

The twin blades made no further comments, and the sword thought anxiously about his decision. He was so eager to prove his worth in battle, and if the shields really did know of the eraser's whereabouts this could be the perfect opportunity... but was it too dangerous?

Before he had the chance to say anything, a familiar voice sounded from the doorway. "There is one other option..."

"You? How, though? I'm positive Fyora locked the tower!" the first blade said in shock. The Gelert smiled slowly.

"I'm not exactly who I may appear to be," he said, beginning to glow dimly. "You see, I am a member of L.S.W." Sword of Skardsen tilted its blade slightly in confusion.

"What do you mean, L.S.W., and how can you hear us?" he asked, looking at the Gelert. The light surrounding the Gelert grew noticeably more luminous.

"I don't have much time to explain. L.S.W. stands for the Legion of Scorned Weaponry. Most of you will never be considered a worthy weapon, but the L.S.W. can change that." He paused for a moment, looking at the weapons all turned toward him. "Plus, with your knowledge of the Eraser of the Dark Faerie, we will be able to bring about a new era of weapons!"

The Sword of Reif clutched in his paw clattered to the ground.

"This sword was just a distraction until Fyora left the shop. Now, however, the four of us: Skardsen, Sunshine, Ghostker, and I -- we united can find the Eraser of the Dark Faerie." Twin Faerie Blades frowned the best that swords could.

"So, why should they accept your offer?" the second blade rang out. A smile spread on the Gelert's face.

"Because, I'm their only source of transportation." He thought for a moment before continuing. "Also, I'm the only one who can understand them... hear them."

Skarsden looked up at the two shields.

"Fine, we'll go with you. We have one question to ask, though: why in Neopia are you glowing?" The Gelert looked down at himself.

"Ah. The L.S.W. is requesting my presence at headquarters. Now, we must go..."

Twin Faerie Blades watched him go, each sword muttering to the other.

"L.S.W. Where have I heard that before?"

"It does sound familiar, but I've never heard of the Legion of Scorned Weaponry."

"Not 'scorned.' It was something else, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but what?"

The inside of the building was lit by torches, but it was dim. A few voices rolled into the main hall from side rooms, but the Gelert passed them all and went straight for an abandoned chamber in the back of the building. Mismatched furniture lined the walls -- a Battle Faerie Sofa along the back wall, a Fluffy Cloud Rug over most of the floor, and a few assorted stools and chairs.

The Gelert lay the Hidden Tower weaponry on the table.

"Now that we're out of the Hidden Tower, where did you say the Eraser of the Dark Faerie was hidden?" he asked.

"It's in a chamber in the Faerie Caverns. I can lead you to it."

"How about we make a map, just in case," the Gelert suggested.

"Well, I--"

Before Sunshine Shield could come up with an answer, a Shoyru burst through the door that led into the room...

"The S is for 'stolen.'"

"The Legion of Stolen Weaponry."

"Uh-oh..."

..."I got it!" the Shoyru yelled excitedly, thrusting a Golden Compass into the air. "You don’t even want to know what I had to go through to steal this--"

His face fell as he caught a stern look from the Gelert. He glanced around at the assembled group of weapons, who were all looking at the Shoyru with blank, slightly confused expressions.

"Ahem... I mean, I practically got this for a steal," he finished lamely.

"What's going on here?" Sword of Skardsen asked.

"Yeah," the Sunshine Shield exclaimed, turning toward the Gelert. "What does he mean by steal?"

Before the Gelert could answer, darkness enveloped the weapons and they found themselves being thrown into a sack, along with the Golden Compass.

The Twin Faerie Blade swords were hopping up and down in great agitation when Fyora herself walked through the doors of the Hidden Tower.

"Fyora!" the blades cried in surprise. "How did you know..."

The Faerie Queen looked amused. "I have more than just locks protecting my tower."

Taking that as explanation enough, the Twin Faerie Blades hastily explained about the Legion of Stolen Weaponry, how they had remembered tales of its existence and where it could be found, and how the mysterious Gelert had taken the three others.

"Lead the way!" Fyora said.

"Where are we?" Ghostkershield whispered.

From the slight swaying feeling, they could tell the Gelert was walking at a brisk pace, and they all felt quite sure they knew where he was headed.

"We’re going to the Faerie Caves, of course," Sunshine Shield said. "We've been tricked."

Ghostkershield shifty uncomfortably. "The Faerie Caves!" he hissed. "We'll be lost for sure in there!"

"Don't be absurd," Sword of Skardsen said quite calmly. "Sunshine Shield knows where Eraser of the Dark Faerie is."

Sunshine Shield frowned. "Yes, but I can't lead the Gelert straight to it. We need--"

Before he could finish his sentence, the bag was opened and the smell of dank earth hit their surfaces...

"Let's go," the Gelert demanded of Sunshine Shield. "Lead the way."

"What if I refuse?" the wood inquired vengefully.

"Then, when I find the eraser, you'll be the first to go." He stared contemptuously at the protector.

Reluctantly, Sunshine Shield led the way...

The twins stared at each other, and then back at Fyora.

"We can't really do that," the one started.

"We haven't a clue where it is," the other followed.

Fyora smiled. "I suppose that's true," she contemplated aloud, her eyes sparking. "After all, I was the one who hid it." The Faerie Queen paused. "Let's see if we can beat that Gelert to the prize."

The blades grinned as well as blades can.

Reaching up, Fyora took the twins and set each in its own sheath, one on both sides of her body. "Alright," she concluded as she withdrew a fake eraser from her pocket. "Let's be on our way to the caverns..."

"Oops!" Sunshine Shield uttered again as the troop was led astray once more. "Maybe I can't remember the way as well as I thought I could?"

Ghostkershield looked up at the Gelert, his eye smirking.

The L.S.W. member seethed with rage. "I've had enough of this nonsense!" he boomed as he pointed a purple piece of jewelry at the recalcitrant sun. "Show me where the eraser is, or I'll MAKE you show me!"

Sunshine Shield frowned at Jhudora's Bewitched Ring and released an exasperated sigh. "Fine."

After several minutes of traversing through the rock, the group came upon a large wooden door leading to a corridor. "It should be behind here," the shield stated, "but the door is hexed -- only Fyora can open it."

The Gelert laughed, undeterred, as he retrieved a small bottle from one of his pockets. "Glittery Faerie Dust," he mused. "This should be capable of emulating Fyora's magic."

Just before he uncorked it, however, footsteps were heard. Someone was approaching...

"Aha," Fyora began as a wise smile grew on her face. "We've made it!" The Faerie Queen slowly approached the heavy wooden door and placed her gentle hand on its smooth surface. There was a soft click before the door opened inward to reveal a vast cavern.

"Whoa!" the two twin blades said in unison. In the center of the cavern was a pedestal that was softly lit by a warm waterfall of sunlight that leaked in through a hole in the cave ceiling. Sitting on the pedestal was the Eraser of the Dark Faerie.

"That's it!" one of faerie blades exclaimed when it caught sight of the eraser. "We beat that dirty scoundrel to it!"

Fyora smiled at the sword and said, "Yeah it looks like we did, huh?" She then entered the cavern and approached the eraser to quickly examine it. "It doesn't look like anyone has been here," Fyora said to the twin blades with a smile as she tucked her hand into her pocket.

As they talked among themselves, the sneaky Gelert tiptoed unseen into the cavern and watched in silence.

"Maybe our thief isn't as smart as we thought he was," the queen teased, stirring up a laugh from the Twin Faerie Blades. "Let's head back to the tower for now," she finished with a wink and an encouraging chuckle.

When the magic door closed behind Fyora, the Gelert removed his invisihat and tossed it to the side. "Smart enough to fool you," he mocked with a twisted smirk on his face. The thief stepped over to the pedestal, a prideful gleam in his eye, and relished in wrapping his filthy fingers around the eraser. "Yes!" the Gelert shouted. "It is mine! ALL MINE!!!"

"You won't get away with this," the Sword of Skarsden interrupted. "Queen Fyora hid that evil weapon here for a reason. What makes you think a cowardly thief like you can handle its power?"

"Quiet, you!" the Gelert thief demanded. "Another word and I'll erase you permanently!" he threatened as he held the eraser just inches from the silver sword. The Gelert then looked at Sunshine Shield and Ghostkershield and asked, "Anyone else dare to speak?" After a moment of silence, he let out a maniacal laugh and made his way to the exit saying, "That's what I thought."

As he approached the door, he uncorked his bottle of Glittery Faerie Dust and used it to blast his way through. The power of the faerie dust caused a huge explosion that shook the entire cave, causing rocks and debris to fall from the ceiling. When the dust settled, the Gelert was surprised to see...

..."We should go back," the left Twin Faerie Blade said.

"Sunshine Shield knew where that room was. He's going to find it!" the right Twin Faerie Blade said.

Fyora shook her head gently and laughed again, just as she had done in the cavern. "They found the fake."

"What about Sword of Skardsen, Sunshine Shield, and Ghostkershield?"

"Don't worry. I have a plan for them, too."

Just as Fyora finished speaking, she heard an explosion behind her in the caves.

"Oh no..."

...There was an identical pedestal, with an identical torrent of sunlight shinning down through an identical oculus, on an identical Eraser of the Dark Faerie.

The Gelert placed the first eraser on the pedestal next to the second one. The new Eraser was darker in color, the image of the dark faerie crisper, and it was a shade bigger.

He looked back and forth between the two, perplexed, then drew Sunshine Shield up to look.

"Tell me. Which one is real?"

Sunshine Shield looked at the two Erasers. "The second one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I remember."

The Gelert picked up the second eraser, shifting the first one to take its place in the center of the circle of sunlight, then stuffed Sunshine Shield back in the bag.

"What are you doing?!?" Sword of Skardsen whispered. The bag shook suddenly as the Gelert lifted it from the ground and headed back into the main corridor, triumph playing on his face...

"What now?" Twin Faerie Blades asked.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." The Faerie Queen tapped her wand twice on the floor of the cavern and vanished, the Twin Faerie Blades vanishing with her. "There's only one way out of here..."

The L.S.W. Gelert's smile grew when he saw the sky -- more than just a circle through the ceiling -- over Faerieland at the entrance of the Faerie Caves.

"We did it," he said to himself.

Sword of Skardsen kept trying to shift enough to cut a hole in the bag that he could slip out of. The slit grew bit by bit, and sneak peeks of the surroundings flashed into sight: purple bricks. A door. Another door, closing. A Battle Faerie Sofa. They were back at the Gelert's headquarters.

The bag was upturned roughly, and the three weapons tumbled unceremoniously onto the table, where the Eraser of the Dark Faerie was placed next to them.

Sword of Skardsen was disgusted by how pleased the Gelert looked with himself. How could he have gotten himself into this spot? The thief reached for him.

Before the sword felt himself lifted off the table, the door to the room opened, then closed again. No one was there, though.

"Wind... they really should get that fixed already," the Gelert mumbled, and then reached for the sword again.

"I'd stop," the voice said, coming from all sides of the room at once. The smile was wiped clean from the Gelert's face.

"Who's there?"

"I am." Fyora stayed hidden, throwing her voice to the four corners of the room.

"Who are you, though?"

"The boss, of course," she said. "It's good of you to bring these to me, but you can leave them here now."

"L-leave them? But--"

"I'll take them to my lair. They will remain in the hands of the legion. Did you really think I could let you erase a Sword of Skardsen? Madness. With that kind of thinking, you're barely fit to be a member of my legion. Go now... no one can know my true face. You will be rewarded, you have my word. Very well."

The Gelert stared longingly at the four weapons on the table in front of him and then, moments later, reluctantly, slunk out of the room. Fyora tapped her wand twice on the floor as soon as the door closed behind him.

"See what you three almost did?!?" the Twin Faerie Blades blurted out.

"You know, you could have just told me if you felt that way," Fyora said, scolding the three weapons. "I have plenty of faeries who need good weapons. If you thought you were going to be stuck in the tower forever, I could have loaned you out. In fact... in fact, I have a special mission for you. We need to defeat the Legion of Stolen Weapons for good. Would you like to help?"

Sword of Skardsen, Sunshine Shield, and Ghostkershield all nodded enthusiastically.

The End