"It looks great, Ria," Ellen the Blue Poogle said. "If you don't win the prize for Best Float, I'll eat my hat."

"You don't have a hat," Ria pointed out.

"Just as well. Fabric is terrible for digestion." Ellen winked at her and walked around the side of the float. "Everything works so well together: the colors, the decorations, the themes. But... I don't know. I just can't help feeling like there's something missing."

Ria's stomach sank. "Really?"

She looked up at her creation and tried to employ a more critical eye. What could possibly be missing?

Delicate, blown-glass poogles raced around the central throne, each one lovingly animated with magic dust. The way they zipped to and fro made them look like dancing faeries. Ornate music boxes rimmed the edge of the float, providing a melody for their dance. When the parade started, the boxes would harmonize, and the swell of music would stir the emotions of everyone present.

"I don't know," she said to Ellen. "If you ask me--"

An ear-splitting explosion filled the air, cutting her off. Dust billowed into her eyes. When it cleared, her world turned upside-down. The beautiful glass poogles lay, shattered, on the concrete. Flames sprouted from the float's wooden frame. A fire faerie crawled out of the rubble, grim-faced and seemingly oblivious to the destruction she'd wrought.

"Sorry to barge in like this," the faerie said. "My name is Ember and I'm here because..."

“I spent six months working on that float for the Poogle Parade. It’s tomorrow,” she said pointedly, trying to sound as disapproving as she could even though her voice was trembling. “And now… Now, it’s ruined, and there’s no way I can rebuild it in time. How could you do this?”

“Um…” Ember muttered. She had stood up now, and looked rather uncomfortable at being confronted with this unexpected situation. She avoided Ria’s gaze and awkwardly brushed some soot off her dress.

“How could you do this?” Ria repeated with a growl, staring at Ember, expecting an apology or at least some show of remorse, but Ember merely continued to look anxious and avoid her gaze. Ria’s despair turned to anger and next thing she knew, she was shouting furiously.

"How could you be so inconsiderate? The parade is TOMORROW! I’ll never be able to rebuild this in time! You ruined all my hard work, months and months of it, and you don’t even have the decency to say sorry! What kind of faerie are you?!”

“Well,” said Ember, looking up at last. This time, she spoke with a hint of indignation. “I’m not really like the other faeries, am I? I mean, I play Gormball, for one, and they’re still making fun of me after all these years. Anyway, that’s beside the point. As I said, I'm here because the upcoming Gormball Championships are in five days and—”

But Ria had launched herself at Ember in a fury.

“Ria, stop!” Ellen cried, grabbing Ria around the waist and holding her back. “I know you’re upset about your float but this isn’t going to help. You can’t attack a faerie!”

“I don’t care!” Ria yelped, struggling against Ellen’s grip, angry tears now springing to her eyes. “I don’t care! I don’t care! I don’t care! Let me at her! She didn’t even say sorry!”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry!” Ember said, looking flustered now. “Look, I didn’t mean to destroy your float. Fire faeries always teleport with a burst of flame and I’m not the best at controlling the size of the fire, especially when I’m in a hurry, which I was. I’ll find a way to help you fix your float later, but right now, you’ve got to help me.”

“Why should we help you?” Ria retorted heatedly. She was still upset about her float. “Can’t you just ask the other faeries?”

“Well, the other faeries don’t really care about Gormball, do they? I didn’t think they’d take this seriously enough to help. I’ve just received an anonymous note from someone saying they plan to sabotage the Annual Gormball Championships this year.”

"Of-of course it's not as popular now, but there's a plan to revitalise the sport, make it something everyone will be excited about!"

The two Poogles looked incredulously at the statement for a moment, before Ria broke down in sobs again.

"Listen, I have a friend who owes me a favour. You help me out with this, and I promise to get your float back in its original condition." Ember picked up a piece of debris, "I mean it, this is nothing for them."

Ember knelt down, bring her eyes to Ria's level, "I know it's a lot to ask, but can you trust me?"

Ria looked away. There was no hint of deception in the faeries face, but she still couldn't bear to look at Ember. This wasn't the first time someone lied so effortlessly, but maybe this was a chance to start fresh. Not just with the float, but with trusting people.

No! Rage boiled inside the Poogle's small frame. No, this is not going to happen again! I can't let someone else just dictate what I'm going to do! First it was her mother, then it was-

Ellen interrupted her thoughts with a quick embrace, "Ria, I know it's only been two years, but you have to move on. It wasn't your fault, there was nothing-"

"There was something I could've done! I could've not trusted him from the start! If I just wasn't so stu-"

"No! Ria you stop that right now. You are not allowed to say that word in my presence. The past is the past, and the present is the present. I believe this faerie means to make good on her promise. I give you my word, as your oldest friend, that this is not the same." Ellen had moved around Ria, and was looking in her eyes, "I wholeheartedly believe that we can help Ember, and she can help us."

Ria sighed. Ellen was right, it was time to move on. A life spent looking over one's shoulder is a life spent walking backwards. Or something like that.

"Ember, if you promise to fix my float, I will help you. Where do we start?"

She handed the note over to Ria and Ellen and they read through it together.

"Someone filled the Gormballs with different Transmogrification Potions?! Who on Earth would do that?" Ria gasped, looking at the note in disbelief. "No one could do something that cruel."

"Well, as it turns out, allegedly some researchers in the Virtupets Space Station have been studying Gormball juice the past two years and discovered some... VERY interesting properties," Ember replied, looking around suspiciously before proceeding with a whisper. "Word on the street is that it might be the biggest breakthrough since the Healing Springs!"

"I heard about that!" Ellen said, her eyes lighting up. "Ria here always said my obsession with the Neopedia would never come in handy. But why would someone replace it with transmogrification potions?"

"I have a hunch that the research isn't quite done yet... and they need a new cohort of test subjects to monitor the effects," Ember replied, excited that the two Poogles were onboard. "And since the transmogrification potions were Dr. Sloth's original creation, I'm thinking they're planning to convert the League of Gormball Champions to mutants so that they can sneak us on board to continue their research."

"That's ridiculous!" Ria retorted, crossing her arms indignantly. "Dr. Sloth hasn't been up to anything nefarious in years. Besides, why focus on the Gormball champions? No one even pays attention to that anymore!"

"Exactly! All eyes are on the Altador Cup these days, so if we all suddenly went missing, no one would bat an eye," Ember said. "But I was thinking about it, and I realized that after every Gormball tournament, my athletic skills would increase exponentially for a few days! Like, not just regular post-game adrenaline, but almost superhuman."

"So you're saying..." Ellen paused to think for a moment, "the researchers are likely siphoning the Gormball juice to capitalize on its strength building properties?"

"You got it!" Ember smirked.

"So what do you need us for? Can't you just use your faerie network to expose the whole scheme?" Ria said, still suspicious.

"Well, the problem is... No one knows what happens to a faerie who comes into contact with a transmogrification potion!" Ember said, sighing. "I'd hate to give up my chance at the championship, as I've been training hard with water balloons all year. But I was hoping... that you'd take my place in the competition, Ria!"

Ellen and Ria share a glance, then Ria storms off in tears.

"Oh no," Ellen cried softly, "I don't think that's a good idea. Ria hasn't played Gormball in two years. Ever since... the accident..."

"What accident?" Ember inquired, genuinely concerned.

"She'll tell you if she wants you to know," Ellen replied, "But let me go get her. Maybe I can convince her!"

Ellen and Ember chase after Ria. Unbeknownst to them, however, a mischievous Grundo was hiding in the bushes, bouncing a Gormball in its hand. "I've got eyes on Ember," the Grundo speaks into a headset. "Should I proceed ahead of schedule?" His headset beeps and chirps.

"Alrighty, here goes nothing!" The Grundo reels his arm back and tosses the Gormball directly at Ember!

Ellen notices the ball speeding towards them.

"EMBER LOOK OUT!" Ellen cries as she JUMPS in the way of the speeding Gormball.

Ria turns back just in time to see the commotion. "ELLEN NO! I can't lose you too!"

How will this story end?

“Got ya!” yelled Ember as she grabbed the Grundo’s left arm.

“Unhand me you insolent faerie!” the Grundo exclaimed.

“Not until you explain to everyone what you are doing here and who sent you!”

Ember pulled the Grundo over to where the two Poogles were. Tears were rolling down from Ria’s face onto Ellen.

“Why did you have to do that Ellen?!” Reya barely mages to get the words out. “Strange, nothing is happening to Ellen, Ember. Maybe the potion wasn’t mixed right?”

As Ellen looked at Ember, she noticed the Faerie had a small grin across the face which greatly confused Reya.

“Reya, I would do absolutely anything for you and to protect you. No matter what.” It was Ellen.

“ELLEN!! You are alright!!!” Reya exclaimed.

“Of course I am. I wasn’t ever in any real danger Reya.”

Reya remembered the grin on Ember’s face and was now even more confused. “What do you mean Ellen?”

“You see Reya, you have let your past dictate the present and the future. Sure you haven’t had the best of luck but there are people out there that will always have your back and aren’t as bad as they seem. I reached out to Ember to help with this little charade and she agreed and even brought a friend.”

Reya looked over to Ember and the Grundo who put on his glasses. To Reya’s surprise, it was none other than Zargrold!

“Are you all absolutely mad?!??” Reya yelled at the top of her lungs. “You purposefully destroyed the float that we have worked so hard on just to prove a point?!??”

“Let me explain,” Ember began. “In addition to teleporting with a burst of flame, I have also developed a sort of talent of covering certain objects with a mirage. Perhaps a visual representation would help.”

Ember waved her hands over the float rubble, and to Reya’s surprise, the float was back to its glorious self down to the last glass Poogle.

“I-I-I don’t know what to say,” Reya said.

“Perhaps we should all finish up this beautiful float and head to what is bound to be an amazing parade?” Zargold said. “Afterwards, Ember and I would love to treat you all to VIP seats to this year’s Gormball Championship!”

Ria who was once very upset and hesitant towards anything Gormball related nodded with excitement and the four new friends finished the float and headed towards the parade to show off all the hard work.

The End,