The Negg Faerie groaned as her alarm clock beeped at her for the fourth time
that morning. She knew that as much as she might like to hit the "sleep" button
again, she really had to get up. She savagely beat the alarm clock into silence,
tossed the bedcovers away, and shoved her feet into her slippers, tripping over
Cool Negg-shaped pillows on the way to the bathroom. She paused to look in the
mirror and reflect. "How much longer can I keep this job?" She wondered out
loud.
Ever since she was a faerie-child, (a Water Faerie, she had been, at that
point) she had been fascinated by the brown fruit that Neopians loved so much.
She constantly plagued quest-seekers for rare Neggs to add to her collection.
Finally, the Faerie Queen decided enough was enough. She summoned the young
faerie to her quarters and eagerly awaited the time when she could put a stop
to this nonsense.
"What can I do for you, my Queen?" asked the young Water Faerie.
"I am granting you a favour, dear. You are, ahem, quite obviously not cut
out to be a Water Faerie, I'm afraid. Your quests are ridiculously difficult,
and you don't even enjoy swimming or sunbathing as you used to before that fateful
day when your dear Guardian gave you some purple Negg-flavoured baby food. You
need a new title. From now on, you will be known as the Negg Faerie. You will
be in charge of the discovery, care, and distribution of rare and, I'm sure,
very useful new Neggs"
The new Negg Faerie couldn't have been more delighted. She barely kept an
acceptably serene face as she bowed to the Faerie Queen. "Thank you, my Queen.
I will do my best to please you."
The queen smiled warmly. "Furthermore, I am going to alter your appearance.
Since you no longer have the responsibilities that come with being a Water Faerie,
I am going to release you from their looks as well. From now on you will be
one-of-a-kind. I certainly hope you'll be happy, dear." The queen gestured with
her sceptre and a tinkling music filled the air.
The Negg Faerie looked down. Her clothes seemed to be twisting, and she gasped
as they warped into an outfit the likes of which she had never seen before.
She absently put her hand to her tingling scalp, and a handful of her curly
golden tresses came out in her hand. She was beginning to feel rather queasy
when the tinkling music finally stopped. The Queen gestured again and a full-length
mirror appeared in front of her.
She gasped at her reflection. The tiny wings that graced all water-faeries
were gone, and large green dragonfly wings had sprouted in their place. She
wore a scanty top and skirt with polka dots of every colour Negg you could imagine.
Her tights were pale green and she wore comfortable furry green boots.
Yet most shocking was her hair. Instead of the long brownish-yellow locks she
once had, now her hair was short and springy… and green! She sighed sadly. She
had really loved her hair. On the whole though, she was willing to give it up
for her precious Neggs
The Faerie Queen was not finished. "Go to the Ice Caves, dear. You may set
up your Neggery there. As soon as you can, find an assistant to mind the shop,
and go out to search for new strange and rare Neggs Good luck!"
***
"Well, it had seemed like fun at first, but I don't know if I like it any
more," mused the faerie as she ran a brush through her green hair. "If only
I could do something that really made a difference. After all, all the hype
about Neggs is beginning to die out. I don't even feel important anymore."
The Negg Faerie considered this as she collected Negg tokens and restocked
the shelves with newly picked Sneggs. For the fifth day that week they had less
than a dozen visitors, which only confirmed her fears. Finally she made a decision.
"Cairynn! Come here please!" Her pretty assistant, Cairynn, pranced into the
room almost as soon as she was called, followed by her pet Wocky, Laylenna.
"I need you and Laylenna to watch the Neggery
for a few weeks. I've got some business to attend to."
Cairynn knew better than to question the strange Faerie, knowing she probably
wouldn't get an answer anyway. "I would be happy to, mistress. You don't happen
to know how long you will be gone this time, do you?"
The faerie thought for a moment. "No," she said finally. "I'll be gone as
long as it takes. I'm afraid that's the only answer I can give you."
She started out the next day, after making sure that Cairynn knew what to
do and had everything she needed. She was well trained, of course (the Negg
Faerie trained all her assistants herself) but she hated leaving her produce
in any hands but her own. She shrugged that fear off. "After all," she told
herself, "I have more important things to worry about. I don't know where I'm
going. I don't even know why I left in the first place. Oh, Uber-Faeries! I'm
so confused!"
By dusk she had reached the base of Terror Mountain. She came to a small village,
mostly made up of Grundos, Bruces, and Gelerts. A kind Bruce housewife invited
her in for dinner, although she seemed to have no idea who her strange visitor
was.
"What did you say your name was, my dear?" she asked for the tenth time.
"Tacy," the Negg Faerie repeated the name she had given herself. For some
reason, she felt compelled to remain anonymous.
"Well, Tacy, could you do me a favour an help out with this casserole? There's
a dear," she said absently. The faerie picked up the casserole, then paused
and looked at it with distaste.
"Um, what is in this?" She eyed the purplish concoction with distaste.
"Oh, that's my famous Ummagine Casserole! Imported all the way from Mystery
Island, they are. They're all the rage now. They go wonderful in casseroles,
I can tell you that, mm-hmm." Her kind host babbled on about Ummagines, and
then Peachpas and Tcheas and many other strange fruits that the Negg Faerie
had never heard of. Finally she couldn't restrain herself. "I'm very sorry,
but don't you people eat Neggs?"
Sellyo, the Brucewife, looked at her blankly. "Neggs? Oh yes! I heard they
stopped growing those years ago. We don't have those around here anymore, except
for the occasional wild Ice Negg. I hear there's a dreadful black market for
them, though." She frowned darkly into the salad she was making.
"Black market?" The faerie looked up sharply. This sounded serious. "Tell
me everything you know about this!"
"Well, I certainly don't get involved in that kind of thing," Sellyo said
placidly, "but it sounds to me as someone has bought all the Negg farms in Neopia
and is controlling the market. My, but there must be quite a profit in it too.
He can just drive the prices through the ceiling and there's nothing we plain
folk can do."
"Oh. Well that's a pity, isn't it? Here, let me pour that burdock juice for
you." She quickly changed the subject, still avoiding telling anyone who she
was for some cryptic reason. Even though, she went to bed that night with a
plan…
To be continued... | 
