This particular location was her favourite place to star-gaze. There was something peaceful about Altador's deserted beach at midnight. Waves lapped the shore with a muted roar and there wasn't a passerby for miles. And of course, there was something delightfully satisfying about charting Altador's constellations given the city's notable history.

Auri had always been borderline nocturnal, preferring to spend her nights looking at the night sky as opposed to sleeping. Astronomy was her all-time favourite pastime and she couldn't imagine a better way to spend her evening.

With a happy little sigh, she aligned her telescope and finder scope. The sky was clear and glittering with stars. The perfect night! Maybe she'd luck out and spot the Dancer, Dreamer, or Sleeper. Of the 12 Altador Constellations, those were the three she had never been able to spot.

She eagerly leaned into her telescope only momentarily before stumbling back in surprise. Unexpectedly, she saw...

Many other Neopians did not share the same viewpoint with this specific constellation simply for the fact that it was associated with the Darkest Faerie. After all, she was one of the most feared villains in Neopia’s history. This only made Aurinkos love it even more. She often found beauty in the most bizarre places.

“I know you did terrible things,” the Jubjub began, “but you helped found this amazing place I call home. Part of me thinks you are still up there looking over Altador to ensure nobody else tries to harm the place you helped found. I bet you can imagine nobody really shares this stance huh? Surely even a small part of you has pride in this place or else you wouldn’t have helped found it right?”

“Auri, are you talking to yourself again?” said a voice from behind the Jubjub.

Aurinkos turned around to see one of her best friends, actually perhaps her best friend of all, Stella. Stella was a Starry Kau who had known Auri ever since they could remember. Stella was also an avid fan of the stars.

“You caught me!” Auri exclaimed with a laugh. “I just can’t help it! You aren’t going to believe it but I just found the Sleeper!”

Sure enough, Stella could believe her ears, her mouth wide open.

“Are you serious?!” Stella exclaimed. “We have been trying to find that for ages!”

Auri nodded in agreement. “It just makes me wonder why she would have helped found our amazing home if she was just going to try and destroy it later. It just doesn’t make sense. Anyways, take a look!”

Stella walked forward and placed both of her eyes on the eyepiece. She turned around after silently staring at the stars and scratched her head. “Do stars normally move around in their constellations?”

“What do you mean?” Auri asked in a puzzled tone as she walked forward to look through the telescope herself.

Auri gasped! One of the stars from the Sleeper was moving around from side to side and then all of the stars started following suit until they all vanished.

“They’re gone…” Auri said with a tone of panic. “I have never seen this happen. Never!”

Stella looked back through the eyepiece to confirm the stars were in fact gone. “Let’s take a deep breath,” Stella said reassuringly. “There is only one Neopian that could possibly answer what just happened. I think it’s time to visit…

Auri contemplated about Kreludor, and the abundance of Grundos that live there. She wondered what they were doing now… working or playing? There weren’t many Grundos that passed through Altador, only during the summer games and when an emergency happened. Auri thought they always seemed so cheerful, well-read and energized by their local Neocola flavours. They were great on the field too…she wondered where they practiced and if the gravity was the same there.

Auri sighed, she wanted to travel to space one day, what a delight it would be! Not only to Kreludor but to the Virtupets Space Station too, she’s always been fascinated by their technology… and oh! how she could see the stars so bright from up there! A living, breathing nighttime realm. It seems like such a different world than in Altador. Auri lets her mind wander, thinking about the possibility of other moons… of other worlds in her orbit. If only she had a stronger telescope!

She loves Altador, the nature, culture and history but there are so many beautiful and interesting places in Neopia! She would love to jet off to all of the other lands and see how the sky looks from the highest mountains and the clearest beaches! Maybe the school would sponsor a world tour if she could be the best astronomer in her class.

She leaned back with a sigh, reached up to rub her eyes clear of the daydreams and prepared herself, she clicked the red button on her telescope and a beam pointed upwards towards Kreludor, flashing green and blue. Within the speed of light, she saw the Grundo’s spaceship descending. It landed with a thud, but when the door unlatched….

“Oy saw your beacon from Kreludor. You’re lucky I was on patrol tonight. Not sure what possessed you to expect 24-hour service during the week of the Faerie Festival, but here we are...” Their new guest was a Faerie Grundo, Rigel. An adventurous explorer in her youth, Rigel was now stuck working late-night shifts with her co-worker, Betel. One look at her and you could see she was strictly business-oriented.

Auri hesitated for a second, making Stella jump in for her rescue “We’re sorry! This wasn’t supposed to be an emergency beacon. My friend here,” Stella nudges the JubJub forward, “made some advances in a personal project. The problem is... we need the help of a specialist. Auri has an acquaintance who works at the Cafe, and this is our only means of communication!”

Rigel squinted her eyes. “THIS is your only means of communication?” her gestures were sharp, like the bite of a cold winter’s day. “You do realize this is, amongst other things, dangerous to other spaceships. I swear, young ones these days...” The one-sided conversation kept going, but Auri tuned it all out in favour of entertaining an admittedly ridiculous idea.

“Miss!...um, sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name?” Rigel asked inquisitively. “That’s 'cause I didn’t say it yet...Yes, well. My name is Aurinkos. This is my friend Stella. We met a couple of years ago at this very beach. We’re sort of Astronomy buffs, you see, but there’s a lot we still don’t know. S-so, if you don’t mind, I-I’d like to ask you a few questions related to the Altador Constellations!” The last sentence was spoken in a single breath, almost as if Auri was afraid Rigel would lose interest in it halfway through.

Luckily, Rigel's gaze softened, and for a second she looked impossibly far away. As if this wasn’t the first time she’d heard such a thing. “I used to know an old coot just like you. Guess I’ve got some time to burn, now that y’all made me come all the way out here and such.” The two friends tried their best to contain their excitement, sharing a look before turning back to the Grundo.

“So, what happened was...”

"'So far?" Stella repeated.

"Then perhaps it's going to take all the other Altadorian constellations?" Auri asked, her forehead creasing in worry.

Rigel shook her head and sighed, rubbing her temples. "We don't know for sure if the other constellations will follow suit. I drove my spaceship near the black hole several times, but I was never caught in its gravitational pull. Almost as if...it's choosing what to pull into its depths."

"Where did the black hole come from?" Auri had hoped to learn more about the Altadorian constellations, but now she was concerned that she may no longer be able to learn anything more about them - if they disappeared.

"That's what we're trying to find out." Rigel spread her hands. "There's a theory going on that the Sleeper herself is behind this - did you know that Faerie names have power?"

Both Auri and Stella shook their heads.

"Well, even though the Sleeper was weakened after that incident with the Wraiths, she was never truly gone - and over the years, she has regained power steadily, from Neopians who have expressed interest in her, who search the skies for her constellation..."

At this, Aurinkos shifted uncomfortably.

"Wait...you mean, just looking for her constellation..."

"Is enough to lend her a little strength," the Faerie Grundo finished tersely. "Well, now you know. But normally, that shouldn't have been enough for her to create a black hole in space. The thing is, the Sleeper gained many sympathizers. Enthusiasts. Fans, if you will. All that attention has given her power...and it's possible she now has enough to use the constellation that bears her name."

Auri traded a look with Stella. Both of them gasped audibly.

"T-Then," Stella whispered, "that means..."

Rigel nodded curtly. "That means if the Sleeper really is behind this, she is sure to rise again..."

Auri went back to her telescope, focusing on the same spot where she had seen the Sleeper's constellation vanish. Sure enough, there was nothing, save a patch of dark night where those stars used to be. But a movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she swivelled her telescope over to it.

"Look!" the woodland JubJub exclaimed. "The Protector...!"

Stella and Rigel hurried over to the telescope to peer into it. They spotted The Protector, Jerdana's constellation, instantly. But the stars were moving, twinkling, before being pulled away by an invisible force into nothing...

“Scratch my previous statement,” Rigel huffed, stepping back for a moment.

“The second Altadorian constellation has been taken by the void. The Protector has followed The Sleeper. Copy,” the Faerie Grundo announced through the handheld receiver attached to her lapel.

“Time to proceed with Plan A. You’ve already touched down in Altador, affirmative?” a voice said in response over Rigel's communicator.

“Affirmative. Plan A commences.”

Rigel turned to head back to the spaceship without so much as a goodbye.

“Wait! What is Plan A?!” Ari called after her.

“Plan A is part of a Kreludan operation that civilians are not allowed to be privy to,” Rigel answered, stopping in her tracks to humour the astronomy buffs before her.

“B-but we could help!” Stella offered.

“While I love your enthusiasm, I am unsure if that’s the case,” Rigel said, unconvinced.

“Just tell us a little bit more about Plan A and then we can come up with a way to be useful! “ Auri begged.

Rigel looked between Auri and Stella, crossing her arms in contemplation.

“Fine,” she relented after pausing a moment. “But you’re only allowed to come with us if my partner agrees and if we truly find a way for you to be useful.”

“Deal!” Ari and Stella blurted in unison, bouncing up and down together.

In a hushed tone, Rigel leaned in and began to explain: “Plan A is a mission to investigate the Darkest Faerie theory. We will travel to Faerieland, debrief with Queen Fyora, and check in with the calcified Sleeper herself. Using our energy meters, we should be able to gauge if there has been an increase in her elemental power through her stone encasement.”

“Oooh! I know how we can help. Stella and I can help you blend in during the Faerie Festival so as to not cause alarm. You can change out of your space suit and into civilian clothes like us so we can all look like spectators!” Auri suggested enthusiastically.

“Hmmm, that’s actually not a bad idea…” Rigel admitted. “Let me check in with Betel. If he gives the go-ahead, we can all head to Faerieland together.”

The Faerie Grundo excused herself into the main cabin of the spaceship where her partner was waiting.

The doors of the aircraft seemed to whir open just as soon as they shut. A White Grundo waddled put first in front of Rigel.

“I’m Betel. I heard you ladies were going to Faerieland. Mind if I tag along?” he said with a charming toothy grin…

Betel smiled, giving her an amused look. "Easy there, Aurinkos. We're here on a mission, remember? We need to do what we came here for!"

Rigel, in a stern voice, added, "Let's not forget the gravity of the situation. We're dealing with powerful forces, and we need answers. We need to remember to be careful as a lot of this is still new to us"

As they entered the castle, Auri and Stella looked at the beauty of the surroundings. Stella says to Auri, "Do you think we'll see any Faeries? I've always wanted to meet a Fire Faerie."

Auri grinned. "We might! But let's stay focused. We need to find out what's happening with the constellations."

Their group entered the chamber where the Sleeper's stone figure loomed. Queen Fyora, as graceful as ever, appeared before them. "What brings you here?" she asked.

Rigel stepped forward. "Queen Fyora, we're investigating the disappearance of the Altadorian constellations. There's a theory that the Darkest Faerie might be involved."

The Queen's eyes narrowed slightly. "The Darkest Faerie? That is a grave concern. The balance of magic is delicate, and the constellations hold significant power. We must get to the bottom of this at once and ensure she isn't involved or things could be very dangerous."

Betel added, "We believe there might be a connection between the Darkest Faerie gaining strength and the disappearance of the constellations. We need your help to understand and deal with this threat."

Queen Fyora regarded them thoughtfully. "Very well. I will help you. The safety of Neopia is at stake."

Auri and Stella exchanged relieved glances. Stella whispered, "I can't believe we're working with Queen Fyora. This is like a dream!"

Auri nodded, then turned to the Queen. "Thank you Queen Fyora. We'll do everything we can to help - just let us know what to do and consider it done!"

Queen Fyora pointed for them to follow. "First, we shall consult the archives. There might be ancient records that hold clues about the Darkest Faerie's past actions. They are even more knowledgeable than I am!"

As they walked through the castle, Betel couldn't help but ask, "Queen Fyora, have you noticed any unusual magical activities recently?"

The Queen's smile faded. "Indeed, there has been some odd things going on. It is important that we discover the source and put an end to it before things get even worse."

Rigel chimed in, "Our goal is to prevent further constellations from vanishing and to understand the Darkest Faerie's motives."

The Queen nodded with a reassuring smile. "Let us proceed with caution, for the fate of Neopia may rest in our hands." And so, the unlikely team, comprised of a Woodland Jubjub, a Starry Kau, a Faerie Grundo, and a White Grundo, ventured deeper into the heart of Faerieland and they saw...

How will this story end?

Fyora leapt into action at once and did her best to isolate and contain the magical energy emanating from the calcified Darkest Faerie. "Using some techniques learned from Balthazar, I believe I can... contain her magic!" she roared through the magical struggle. "It can't be allowed to mix with the magic here at the Faerie Festival and grow stronger!"

Betel turned to face the Faerie Queen. "What can we do to help?" He flashed his charismatic grin.

"Unless you can wield magic... nothing, not really!" she replied as she continued her bottling spell.

But then Aurinkos had an idea. "Magic, you say?"

***

The four Neopets ran throughout the Faerie Festival and convinced numerous Faeries to temporarily cease using their magic. "That should help limit the direct magic the Sleeper could have access to," Stella said. (And she even met that Fire Faerie she was hoping to see!)

And then the party split up: Rigel and Betel went back to Kreludor, and Stella and Auri back to Altador. While the former pair talked to the star-knowledgeable Grundos, the latter preached to the Astronomy Club. Together, they convinced thousands of citizens to look into the skies -- look for the Protector.

Jerdana was given enough of a magical boost that she was able to free her constellation from the inky blackness that had swallowed it.

Their work (hopefully) done, Aurinkos sat in her Neohome in Altador, preparing for her evening, but then her ZibbliFone rang, and she picked it up.

It was a call from Betel. "So," he started, "Rigel just spoke with Fyora... and we did it! The Darkest Faerie has been successfully contained!"

"Oh that's a relief!" the JubJub exclaimed. "Hopefully everyone's learned a lesson about looking for her constellation... at least more so than others."

"The Starry power imbalance, indeed..." the Grundo trailed. "Also, Auri, what are you doing later? I thought maybe Rigel & I could swing down to Neopia. We could go for a nice meal somewhere in Altador." Auri could tell he was flashing his toothy grin on the other side of the phone. "You know, to celebrate defeating the Darkest Faerie."

"I appreciate the offer but no thanks," she replied with a smile. "I'm busy tonight with my own celebration plans... I'm going stargazing."

The End.