Bigger Than You Think
"...Gingeralia found a strange fountain, with wings on either side. It was
beautiful, truly!" Evangeline interrupted.
"Ev!" Uber exclaimed. "Shhh, let your mother speak!"
"Sorry," Evangeline murmured.
"It's okay, Uber... Ev, you probably know the story better than me-you tell
it to the Missus," Rina told her.
"Okay... well, like you said, we were out picking tigersquash. Gingeralia
found a strange fountain with wings, on both sides. While she was gone
telling Mum about it, I found some green pieces of paper, like the tickets you
get for the ferry rides. I set it on the fountain, and then I jumped in and
swam.
"It seemed to tell me what to do next-I thought of what I wanted to look like
most, to have wings. When I got out, it was magical! I had wings! Mum-Fearina,
that is-also used the fountain for the Desert-like look," Evangeline explained.
The Missus looked not to believe their story. "Yes, well, I'll let you know
if Miss Riechlyde thinks it's important enough. Goodbye, and nice to meet you
all," she said dryly. She began to scribble down things again.
"But-why, don't you think this is more important? I mean, you didn't take
our address or anything," Uber reminded her.
"All matters deserve equal attention. I'll be able to find you if need be,"
the Missus murmured. She didn't look up from the papers.
Scowling, Uber turned to leave.
"Oh," the Missus said suddenly, "and remember to give the guard a tip on the
way out; he's been complaining about his pay."
Uber scowled harder and we followed her out the door.
At the corner, we certainly made a scene. "Have a nice day!" said the guard.
"A nice day?! A nice day my foot. I'll give you a Fyora-darned tip when I
get the service I need!" shouted Rina. She stomped as loud as she could out
the door, mumbling about 'this stupid village'.
Evangeline had to admit, she agreed. They had all gotten so very dressed up
to meet with the King's servant, Miss Riechlyde, and instead had gotten discarded
by a nasty person with a very long name!
Uber apologised quickly to the guard, and dropped a couple Neopoints in his
hand, hurrying Evangeline and herself away.
A Letter From Miss Riechlyde?
A few days and a couple of restless hours later, Evangeline went to check
their mailbox. In there was a beautiful scroll, pearl white and tied with a
velvet ribbon. Excitedly, of course, Evangeline ran immediately into Rina's
bedroom to tell her.
"A letter! A LETTER! We've gotten a letter, Mum!" she cried, shoving the scroll
into Rina's arms.
"Is it? Are you sure?" Uber called, rushing into Rina's room.
"It's a letter-oh dear-how long it has been-who could write us a letter now?-I
wonder what's inside--" Rina stuttered frantically. She juggled the scroll like
it was a hot piece of coal until it finally fluttered uselessly to the ground.
"It's only a letter," Evangeline said finally.
"Only a letter! Only a letter, my foot!" Uber scolded as she bent down to
get the scroll.
She untied the ribbon hastily and unrolled the letter:
With all due respect from Miss Delicato Riechlyde:
I send this letter to assure you I have gotten your message from Missus Crysanthemum,
that you have urgent news. I will inform you most certainly when I am finished
looking over this news, of my opinion, that what I will do about this opinion
and this news, in a letter similar to this own. Now thee shall prosper, for
as I like to say, natura facit saltam, nature makes no leaps.
Much mercy to you and your family,
Miss Delicato Riechlyde King's Humble Servant
Uber's face took on a very disappointed expression.
"It's nothing," she said sadly.
"What?! What do you mean it's nothing?" Evangeline asked anxiously.
"Only an automatic letter, hon'," uber_stars_sky explained. "She--Missus Crysanthemum--sends
them out whenever someone talks to her about something. Miss Riechlyde would
never write directly to us, that I'm sure."
"Although, now we know that the Missus actually regarded us," Rina said helpfully.
"I guess," Uber sulked. She moped out the room.
"What to do about the fountain until we really hear from Her King's servant?"
Evangeline wondered aloud.
"Ev...." Rina bit her lip, "I truly hate to say this, but-like Riechlyde said,
nature makes no leaps. That'll be the day when a magic fountain sprouts out
of no where," she gave Evangeline a sympathetic look before hurrying out the
room.
Evangeline stared after her, thinking about what she said. But it was a magic
fountain, she thought to herself, it must have been. She turned and looked into
the mirror. I have wings... don't I?
A few days later they received another letter, just like the last: pearl white,
the ribbon soft and velvety. But this time, the ribbon had little diamonds embedded
into the cloth.
"Oh! A letter! A LETTER! We've gotten another letter, Mum!" shouted Evangeline
as she ran into her mother's room.
Her mother lay on her bed bored as a bat. "Oh. Another letter," she said dryly.
Hearing the noise, Uber walked into the room, dragging her feet along.
"Already?" she yawned.
"What do you mean, already? Just another letter?!!" Evangeline cried.
She snatched off the ribbon and unrolled the scroll...
What to Do With A Magic Fountain
Evangeline shrieked excitedly. "Just another letter, you'll see!" she yelped,
kicking off her shoes and hurrying to her room.
She read the letter over and over anxiously:
With all due respect REALLY from Miss Delicato Riechlyde, to Fearina and Evangeline
the Usuls and thy owner uber_stars_sky:
I received your urgent message from Missus Crysanthemum. It sounds very interesting
and I am not surprised the Missus did not believe you, for I am in disbelief
myself. That is very well, though, and I urge you to respond to this letter
as soon as possible: perhaps we can work out a date for meeting. My next opening
is in Hunting. Until then, you may as well go about your business as any other
day, for it is unlikely this is will reach His Great King Ayrus.
Much mercy to you and your family,
Miss Delicato Riechlyde King's Humble Servant
When the urgency of the letter finally dawned on Uber and Rina, they ran into
Evangeline's room, shouting: "Oh, what IS it already? You've been yelling ever
since you got it!"
The innocent Usul grinned at her caretakers, "Oh, merely a letter from Miss
Riechlyde herself... nothing, really," she said slyly. She waltzed out of the
room with the scroll in hand, aware of her mother and owner following over her
shoulders, reading every word of the scroll.
She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and snapped the scroll closed. Evangeline
looked happily up at Uber and Rina. "You see? It's just another letter, "
she said smugly.
"You stop that, young lady!" Rina scolded, annoyed. "So we were wrong, but
we had a good reason, didn't we? Now," she said, turning to Uber, "might we
get out a papyrus and write her back, already, before we have to wait until
next Sleeping to talk to her?"
Uber smiled amusingly and ran back upstairs to get a quill and cheap papyrus-only
important people, people who weren't only farmers, got to use scrolls.
Quickly, Evangeline, the only one in the family who could read & write, scribbled
down a response:
From your happy receivers of the previous letter-Fearina and Evangeline the
Usuls and their owner uber_stars_sky,to Miss Delicato Riechlyde, humble Servant
of the King:
We have happily gotten your letter concerning our news. We agree to meet you
in Hunting, in your Castle of Neopia.
Delightfully yours,
Fearina, Evangeline and uber_stars_sky
Letters went back and forth from there concerning where, and when, they would
meet up until the 6th of hunting.
"Get ready, O slow one!" Gingeralia yelled to Evangeline. "What.. Ginger!
What are you doing here?!" Evangeline exclaimed.
Gingeralia laughed, "I was involved, you know."
"Yes, but..." Ev thought for a second. "Oh."
Quickly she buttoned the last button on her blouse, straightened her creamy
white skirt, polished her tippity shoes and was ready.
Uber carried a beautifully baked cake in her hands as they walked along the
path to the castle. "For Miss Riechlyde. I heard she's got a sweet tooth for
frozen berry pie!" she had explained before they left.
What with the nervous talking and laughing on the way there, they reached
Miss Riechlyde's castle in no time. Once they did,they were asked the same questions
as before, except this time, Missus Crysanthemum sent them directly to the top
tower: the tower of Miss Riechlyde. The tower, in fact, of the person who may
as well change the life of Neopians forever.
"You say you have a magic fountain in your garden, Uber_stars_sky?" was the
first thing Miss Riechlyde said when they each settled down in the rather comfy
chairs.
"I do, and so do they," Uber agreed, gesturing to Ginger, Evangeline and Rina.
"And why is this, Uber?" Miss Riechlyde asked. She pushed her glasses up.
"Well, we found it-saw it with our own eyes, ma'am. As you can see, both Rina-er,
Fearina, that is-and Evangeline were changed by this. It wasn't just a coincidence,
ma'am, we know, because you simply cannot develop wings when you just happened
to find a mysterious fountain growing out of your garden, you see?" Uber explained.
"And how, Evangeline, do I know these aren't just... paper wings, or such that
of fakeness?" Miss Riechlyde inquired.
"Of course they are real, ma'am! We wouldn't lie to you!" Rina exclaimed.
Miss Riechlyde gave her a very stern look. "I was asking your daughter, Usul,"
she snapped.
"She is right, Miss Riechlyde, madam," Evangeline said quietly, "We wouldn't
lie, and these wings are real. I can prove it to you, if you like."
Miss Riechlyde nodded. She got up and opened a window, letting in a bright
ray of sunlight. "Fly out through that window, Evangeline. Let me see you fly,
and then I will believe you about this silly fountain," she told her.
So Evangeline got up and opened her wings. At just this, Miss Riechlyde's
eyes widened. Then she jumped out the window and sure enough, began to fly.
She drifted outside the window, smiling tentatively at the king's servant. Then,
seeing her fright, Ev flew back inside and folded her wings.
"Now, do you believe us?" Rina demanded.
"Why, yes, of course I do!" Miss Riechlyde exclaimed. "I will have to think
about this, though-"
"Oh, we already have!" Gingeralia announced proudly. "See, Ma and I's theory
is that, if you can be givin' pets wings, you can be givin' humans wings, too!"
The Winged-Owner Experiment
Gingeralia gave Uber a guilty look. "Ma and I--we snuck Harriet, my owner,
into the fountain. She got a pass, and... she wished for wings like you said
you did, Ev.. and she got wings too! But something real strange happened, too.
You'd never believe, she got magical powers, she could make things move!" Ginger
told them. "And who knows what else she could do!"
"What-really?" Evangeline cried. "That means... oh, its a revolution!" she
jumped up with joy.
"Wait a minute, now. We don't know if maybe that mischievous magician, Fyokora
III, was messing with you or what," Miss Riechlyde warned them, "we'd best make
sure this really works." She thought for a second. "Ah! Uber, dear, you don't
mind being the centre of an experiment, do you?" she asked politely, hopefulness
in her eyes.
"If it's to the benefit of Neopia, I'll do it!" Uber said in a patriot-like
voice.
"All right, then. Off to the magic fountain!" Miss Riechlyde announced.
Together they rode on Miss Riechlyde's grand Skeith's back, to Uber's farm.
Evangeline and Gingeralia proudly showed the king's servant the way to the magic
fountain. "Right here. And the passes are buried under the dirt, here," Gingeralia
told her.
Evangeline quickly dug into the ground and got out a couple of passes. She
handed one to Uber and mouthed her a good luck.
Uber stepped up and set the pass on the edge of the fountain. She dived in
and swam, all the while wishing with all her heart that she had wings. When
she felt a sprouting on her back and a spark in her mind, she poked her way
to the surface and jumped off the edge, surprised to see that the pass was not
there anymore.
And yes, she had powers. With a flick of her finger, Miss Riechlyde was a Kau--of
course, Uber quickly and embarrassingly turned her back.
"Why, it is a revolution! We must alert the king immediately!" Miss Riechlyde
exclaimed. She ordered Shoyrus to fly as fast as they could to Bivopia, where
the king lived.
Uber shook her head. "I have powers, remember?" she reminded her. "I can zap
you to Bivopia, I believe," she said. She glanced at Miss Riechlyde, who nodded.
In no time the king's servant disappeared in a puff.
".....So you see, its something new, beyond even us humans. These winged owners,
O Great King, are a new generation. You understand, don't you, what we could
do with these elfen-like creatures? Why, we could rule the universe, my king!
The universe, I tell you!" Miss Riechlyde exclaimed proudly.
"Yes, yes... immediately, Delicato, make many more of these--these creatures.
But do not wear those 'passes' out," the king ordered. He snapped his fingers
and Shoyru slaves carried Miss Riechlyde back to Neopia.
When she returned, Evangeline was washing dishes with Rina. She heard the
thud of abused and angry dragons dropping the servant on the ground. They ran
outside, Ginger and Uber at their backs.
"What the king say, eh? What'd he say?" they shouted anxiously.
"Gather up all the willing owners you can, my friends! We're going to rule
the universe!" Riechlyde announced, rubbing her painful back...
Epilogue
The name "faerie" combined Fearina's name and the word "fairy" or "faery," for
without Rina there would be no Ev, and without Ev no faeries! The uber faeries
were named after uber_stars_sky, who was the first well-known faerie.
Eventually, the faeries freed the king's slaves, sunk Bivopia, and made Neopia
an independent country. The queen faerie, Fyora, then ruled Neopia-and much
better than King Ayrus did!
Where exactly did this fountain come from? Some think the gods sent it. But
most say that the great magician, Fyokora I, who is Kauvara's ancestor, made
the fountain some how, some way. This would have happened many, many years ago,
before Uber's time, because the grounds in which the fountain was buried were
once his home.
This belief that Fyokora I (and II, and III) truly invented faeries (not found
them, like Ev did) has made people come to believe that Fyora, the Faerie Queen,
was named after the magician.
The faeries, before they split themselves up into Earth, Fire etc., saw how
the fountain passes were limited. They could not leave it open all the time
or the passes would run out. That is why they only open it once in awhile...
The faeries also saw how many owners wanted to become faeries. They couldn't
let this happen, otherwise, how would there be any more owners left?! So they
only opened the fountain to pets, and made the system which we all know so well:
one = basic colours, two = any colours, and three = species. But the high demand
of 'painted pets' as they were now so called, and the limited use of the fountain,
made the faeries come to join up with Fyokora's descendant, Kauvara, to make
paint brushes and other works of altering... of course that is a WHOLE other
story :)
While I am telling you this, I might as well say what a sad, sad history faeries
have! As soon as merchants saw the value of faeries, they shrunk them to be
packaged up in those horrid bottles to be sold for high prices! Seeing the horridness
of captivity, the faeries agreed to grant pets abilities if they released them.
When they saw the pets' eagerness to help faeries, they realised the great things
they could get if they granted pets more abilities... and so came faerie
quests!
So now you know the true story of faeries, and while it took many years for
it to be told... something we all know is that time will tell the rest.
The End | 
