KiwiBonk the desert Aisha, paced her room impatiently. MinxJade, her younger
sister and a white Aisha, was rummaging through her closet, flinging out pieces
of KiwiBonk's clothing.
Rumples_Skin_Skin, the speckled Aisha, entered the room, and received a black
top in the face. "You have to help Chino with his math," he said to KiwiBonk.
The Aisha sighed. "Can't Alison?" Alison, better known as slack_jawd_yokel,
was their owner, and was very cool in KiwiBonk's standards.
MinxJade appeared with a pair of sparkly purple bellbottoms in one hand and
a light blue shirt in the other. "Alison's not here now. And can I borrow these?"
"You're not going to wear them at the same time, are you?" asked KiwiBonk,
horrified.
"Why not?"
"They do not match at all."
"Well, what are you going to wear, oh master of all fashion."
"What are you guys planning for?" Rumples said, eyeing the clothing strewn
about the room. The sisters ignored him.
"I'm gonna wear my top I bought yesterday, and the red baggy pants I borrowed
from you," KiwiBonk said.
"You didn't borrow them," cried MinxJade, "You stole them."
"Well, you never wear them anyway."
MinxJade was about to say something else, but Rumples cut in,"Alison said
that if one of us helps Chino with his math, she'll take us to Pizzaroo for
supper." The two sisters froze suddenly.
"That shut them up," said ChinoGod, the little green Aisha. He was the youngest
of the four, and by far the cutest. He clutched in his paws a ragged pink stuffed
cat that he called 'Link.' "What are you guys talking about?" Rumples asked,
"Now that you're paying attention."
"The first day of school," said MinxJade. "For us anyway." The family
of Aishas, along with Alison, had just moved into a NeoHome on Delta Close,
in the Lost Desert. Before, they were homeless, and now that Alison was financially
better off, she could afford sending them to school in Neopia Central. KiwiBonk
would be in grade 11. MinxJade would be in grade 10. Rumples would be in grade
7, and ChinoGod had already started kindergarten.
"We have to decide what we're gonna wear," said KiwiBonk, "We have to stand
out, and yet look very cool."
"We don't have to go to school for another week," reminded Rumples.
"Yeah, but it'll take a week for us to figure this out."
"That's nice, but whose gonna help me with my math?" Chino whined.
"I'm too busy building something in my lab to help," said Rumples.
"And we're having a major crisis here," said KiwiBonk.
"A major fashion crisis," MinxJade said. Turning to KiwiBonk, she said, "I'm
telling you, this will match. Here, I'll try it on and show you."
Rumples sighed and left Chino standing alone in the doorway. Well, not exactly
alone.
Chino carried the pink cat to his room, a fluffy cloud room, sparsely furnished.
He sat the cat on his blue bean bag chair, and opened his math exercise. The
cat slowly lifted its ragged head.
"Don't even think about asking me," Link said.
"Asking you what?" said Chino.
"To do your math. Cats are really bad at doing math. We're mostly visual,
right-brained creatures."
"Well, I'm an Aisha, and that's sort of a cat. . ."
"Not really. Aisha are better at intellectual reasoning, like math and science.
And studies have shown that boys are better at math. So, hop to it."
"Well, I was only gonna ask you to help me do my math."
"I told you, I can't add for beans." Chino glared at Link, who only shrugged,
and sat cross-legged on the bean bag chair.
"What's 3 + 1?" said Chino.
"Four."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep."
"I thought you said you were bad at math?"
"Well, only at complicated stuff, like dividing fractions and solving equations."
"What's 7 + 2?"
"Nine. I'm much better at Language, and speaking different languages is definitely
one of my preeminent points."
"What languages can you speak?" Chino asked.
"Hey, what's with all the-" Link suddenly stopped, and let her head fall limp
again. Chino looked up, and saw that Alison had appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, Chino. Where's KiwiBonk? She's supposed to be helping you with your
math. And where did you get that toy?" "I found her," Chino answered. "Her name
is Link. I found her in a garbage can."
MinxJade came in, wearing the light blue shirt and sparkly bell bottoms. "Ew,
you were rooting around in a garbage can?" Turning to her owner, she added,
"Hey, Alison, does this match?"
"Yeah, it looks great," Alison replied. MinxJade stuck her tongue out
at her sister, who whopped her on the head with a golden hairbrush. "You mean
you stole it?" Rumples said, who had obviously been eavesdropping.
"I didn't steal her! She was calling out to me! I went to save her, and I
had to give her a bath 'cause she smelt bad."
"Uh huh. That's nice," Alison said. "Hannah's coming over, so I want you all
to clean your rooms."
The four Aishas groaned. Chino's room was practically empty, so he didn't
have much work to do, but KiwiBonk's room was littered with clothes, MinxJade's
room had puddles of water everywhere because her petpet Bluna, Sara Dippity,
liked to splash, and Rumples' room was overrun by bits of plastic and metal
from his numerous inventions.
Alison and Chino's siblings left. Link lifted her head.
"Sheesh."
***
The next day was Saturday. KiwiBonk left early in the morning with Alison
to go shopping, MinxJade went into the front yard, attempting to teach Sara
Dippity new tricks, and Rumples locked himself in his room. Chino was all alone
in his room, and Link, for some reason, was in a very bad mood.
"I'm bored," said Chino.
"So am I," Link moaned, stretching out her front paws.
"Do you wanna play Gormball?" Chino asked.
"No, that is such a boring game."
"Do you wanna play hide and seek?"
"Do I look that desperate?"
"Uh... do you wanna... go swimming?"
"I'm a cat, remember?"
"Oh yeah. Do you want to... go... to Coltzan's shrine?"
"I hate visiting graves. They give me the willies. I know, let's go visit
a Faerie!"
"Faerie with a capital F!?"
"Why not?"
"How?"
"I know the way, come on!" Link leapt out the window, and Chino, seeing no
other alternative, followed.
***
As they walked down the sweltering pavement of Delta Close, Chino asked, "Do
you know the Faeries?"
"Yes, I'm friends with... uh... most of them."
"You're friends with the Uber Faeries! Wow!"
"Yeah, well, which one's your favourite?"
"I like them all!" Chino exclaimed, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "Except
the Darkness Faerie. She did something really mean to my sister."
"Did it have something to do with that bit of gold on the end of her tail?"
Link asked, suddenly interested.
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Woah, your sister's famous! The Aisha with the golden tail! Amazing! I....."
She trailed off.
"You what?" Chino asked.
"I... uh... need to get her autograph........."
Chino giggled. "Let's go see the Earth Faerie. I like her the best. If you
finish one of her quests, you'll give you a feast!"
Link seemed strangely relieved. "Okay, then I'll TELEPORT!"
***
Elijah B. was walking along a street in the Lost Desert with CheKanDolando,
his pet Zafara. She saw a green Aisha carrying a pink stuffed cat. Suddenly,
a voice (He was sure it wasn't the Aisha's) yelled "TELEPORT!" and the Aisha
and his cat disappeared in a shower of purple sparks. CheKanDolando ran over
to where it had happened.
"Look, there's a crater!!" he yelled.
Elijah couldn't believe his eyes. There, in the middle of the sand covered
road, was a shallow hole in the shape of a skull and cross bones!
Elijah shook his head. "I must be going crazy," he murmured, and cried, "Let's
go, CheKanDolando!"
CheKanDolando trembled the whole way home.
***
One minute, Chino was walking down a familiar Neopian road, and the next, he
had somehow traveled to a really odd place. The air was hot, and humid, and
pressed down on his skin like water. There were strange plants and trees all
around, but because of the heat waves that appeared to be coming from the ground,
they seemed to dance and waver as if in a trance. Moisture was falling from
the leaves high above. Even though it was warm, Chino shivered. Link was nowhere
to be seen.
"Link?" he screeched. "Where are you? Come out now. This isn't funny!"
"No," a deep, raspy voice said. "This isn't funny at all." Chino had the impression
of several people talking as one voice, and birds singing, and brooks bubbling
all in one sound. A warm, green light glimmered between the trees, and became
brighter and brighter. Chino had to shield his eyes. When the burning pain was
gone, he dropped his paw, and saw before him the most fantastic sight he had
ever seen. The Uber Earth Faerie stood before him. Her eyes were greener than
anything on the planet, and her brown hair twisted and turned as if it were
alive. Her gossamer wings fluttered gently, and her clothes shone with silver,
green, and brown light. Her beauty was radiant, yet terrible to behold. Beside
her stood the familiar form of a pink cat, who didn't look so ragged anymore.
Link would not meet Chino's gaze.
"Who dares to trespass on my sacred lands?" the Faerie said.
"L-L-Link b-b-b-brought me here," stammered the Aisha.
"Who is Link?" she said slowly.
"Y-Y-Your cat....." Chino wondered what to a call a Faerie. "Uh... ma'am."
"I have a cat?" the Faerie said, and daintily raised an eyebrow. Link shifted
uneasily.
Chino, too terrified to speak again, pointed at Link. The Earth Faerie looked
down without moving her head.
"That is Anchilink, my envoy," the Faerie said, looking at Chino with
her solemn gaze. "Do you know what an envoy is, child?"
Chino shook his head. He took it as a good sign that the Faerie had called
him 'Child', and not something like 'Thief' or 'Rogue'.
"Each Uber Faerie has an entourage that guards them and act as their bodyguards.
I send my envoys to deliver messages and recruit warriors for my army."
Link smiled. "I didn't know you had an army," Chino said, his courage returning.
"I do, in case the need arises. My envoys also patrol my land, keeping away
outsiders, and ridding the region of the Dark Faerie's minions."
"I-I came here by accident," Chino said timidly.
"Yes, young pet, I believe you. I think-" But what the Earth Faerie thought,
Chino never found out, for at that moment, the ground underneath his paws trembled,
and Link let out a roar Chino would never have guessed she was capable of. The
ground opened up, and a horrible sight emerged. The Faerie had a long purple
cloak, and burning red eyes. Her skin was the ugly colour of a bruise, her hair
was short, and she was surrounded by tiny flying imitations of herself.
"Greetings, sister. I have not seen you since-" The Earth Faerie began.
"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm glad to see you too," the Uber Faerie of Darkness
snapped. The Dark Faeries giggled. "I'm here to reclaim something that is mine."
"What do you wish to reclaim?" The Earth Faerie said, and her eyes flashed.
"I would never steal anything from you, and nothing belonging to you would ever
be allowed in my kingdom."
"Liar!" the Faerie of Darkness hissed. "You stole something very important
from me. Give it back!" Chino was momentarily forgotten by the Earth Faerie,
and he crept up beside Link, who mouthed, 'Go away!'
"What are you talking about?"
"You know very well what I'm talking about."
"Actually, I don't. Tell me!"
"That is what you stole from me!" The Faerie of Darkness screamed in rage.
"That is mine!" For a moment, Chino thought she was pointing at him, but then
he realised Link was who she meant!
"That is one of my envoys!"
"No, that is a plushie that I was practising my spells on, and I made it come
alive! You stole her, because you were kidnaping people and forcing them to
become your envoys!"
"I did not steal it! It came to me because you-" The Earth Faerie shouted
"Then why did it run away from you?" The Faerie of Darkness taunted.
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Link cried. The Faeries stopped
their fighting in surprise. "Please stop, and listen to what I have to say,"
she added, a little more quiet.
"I used to be a plushie, until you, the Faerie of Darkness, did an experiment
on me and I came to life. You continued casting your painful spells on me for
quite some time, until I had enough, and ran away. Then, I came here, and I
found you, crying." She looked at the Earth Faerie, who opened her mouth as
if to say something. The Faerie of Darkness sniggered. "I had pity on you, so
I agreed to become your envoy. Your only envoy. However, it got really boring
just walking around here, and I begged to be released, but you said no. So,
I ran away. Away from your magic, I stopped looking like a real cat and started
resembling a ragged stuffed toy. I didn't want anyone reporting me to the Neopian
Police, and then brought to a freak show or something, so I had to go limp and
lifeless anytime someone came near. Someone eventually stuck me in a garbage
can, where this young Aisha came along and brought me to his home." The two
Faeries glanced at Chino, and the Faerie of Darkness seemed surprised to see
him there. "For a time, he was the only one who knew I was alive, until I heard
the Earth Faerie crying and calling for me, then I knew I had to go back."
"Then why did you take me here, too?" Chino asked.
"I was hoping the Earth Faerie would let you... um... become an envoy, too.
The we could be together."
"More like, make you become an envoy," the Faerie of Darkness sneered. "There's
still the problem of who owns Anchilink," said the Earth Faerie.
"Nobody owns me. I just want to be free!"
"Then you must no longer remain a stuffed animal, if you are to go away from
me," the Earth Faerie began her spell. The Uber Faerie of Darkness grumbled
something about getting another plushie, and disappeared along with the Dark
Faeries. Chino had to shield his eyes again as the Faerie's spell was completed.
He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but somehow he knew Link would be
happy.
Chino put down his paw. The area was empty, except for a tiny smudge of pink.
The Earth Faerie picked up the pink thing. It was a cat toy, obviously lifeless.
"She didn't even say goodbye," said the Faerie sadly. "She was my friend."
Chino saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and saw a
pink Aisha, with sleek, shining fur, disappear behind a tree trunk.
"You know, uh... Earth Faerie. You're not so bad. I can be your envoy... if
you want," Chino said shyly.
The Earth Faerie looked up, eyes shining, looking for all the world like a
happy little child.
"Would you? I would love that! You can start today!"
"Under one condition," said Chino. "I can still stay with my family. Agreed?"
The Earth Faerie nodded. "I've learned my lesson about controlling people.
Agreed."
***
Two days later, Chino woke up, back in his own bed. He had spent the rest
of last evening learning the boundaries of the Earth Faerie's territory. Beside
him, tangled up in his sheets, was a pink cat toy.
Chino leapt out of bed. He had school today! He loved school!
KiwiBonk was already up, in a new outfit Alison had bought for her. "School's
in four more days!" she sang.
***
At school, there was a new student in Chino's class. Her name was Anchi, and
she was a pink Aisha. When Mrs. Livingston, their teacher, asked her to do a
math question at the board, she replied, "Cats are better at intellectual reasoning,
like math and science. And studies have shown that boys are better at math."
When Chino asked her what she meant by that, she said, "Hey, what's with all
the questions?"
The End
Author's note: See zzzzzzzzz81, I put you in my story! | 
