Absolutely Right

by hylio

"Now all I need is wolfsbane, and a Golden Juppie," Cloude, a Dark Faerie, muttered, tossing her already-gathered items in the cauldron. Among them were a blue Healthshroom, several Sea Lilies, Skeith's blood, and the fangs of a Cobrall.

Cloude put the lid on the cauldron, and picked up her pack, setting it on her back. She pulled her dark violet cape on, stepped outside, and closed the door of her woodland cottage, making sure to lock it. She'd had problems with cheeky Usuls barging into her cottage and stealing some important ingredients, so she always remembered to lock her door when she left home.

She set off in an easterly direction, walking quickly and not allowing anything to distract her. In short moments, she reached a small grove where she knew she would find wolfsbane. She dropped on her knees and began searching the grass for the unique blue shade of wolfsbane, which was the type she needed.

In minutes of searching, she found a clump of blue wolfsbane, and picked it. She took her pack and set the wolfsbane carefully inside, then she put her pack back on.

By now, you may be wondering what a Dark Faerie was doing all alone in the woods, without any of her fellow "evil" Dark Faeries. Let me take this time to explain. Cloude was a renegade Dark Faerie. She never believed in doing evil things, and had never fit in with the other Dark Faeries. But not only was she a renegade Faerie, she was an outcast as well.

For Cloude had no wings at all. Most Faeries sported thin, gossamer wings that appeared fragile but were actually very strong. Cloude had no wings at all, and the other Faeries didn't like her for this. She would bring disgrace to the Dark Faerie colony she had lived with, although they already were disgraced enough, being Dark Faeries.

Cloude was about to be banished from their colony, but she ran away before they had a chance to do so. She ran and ran until she found a little ramshackle cottage in the woodlands, and had lived there since. The NeoPets that resided in the woods all knew that Cloude was a wingless Dark Faerie, and they never dared to say anything to her because she was a Dark Faerie. Although wingless, she was *still* a Dark Faerie. This made Cloude angry, for she would never do anything to hurt them and only wanted to become friends with them.

Finally, she decided to provide a solution to the problem herself instead of waiting for it to fix itself. She decided to create her own NeoPet, to be her companion, to stay with her throughout whatever happened, but most of all, to believe in her and not be afraid of her. She had collected most of the ingredients she thought necessary, but she still needed that dreadfully hard to find Golden Juppie.

Cloude sat down and leaned against a tree, resting for the time being, trying to think of a place where she could find the Golden Juppie. She sighed and looked up at the blue sky. She *was* a bit sleepy, and soon she began to doze off....

"Wake up!" something said, shaking Cloude. Cloude opened her eyes and rubbed them.

"What is it? What is it?" she said drowsily, looking about her.

"I thought you were dead!" a green Uni replied, smiling.

"Who are you? And why aren't you running away from me?" asked Cloude suspiciously.

"My name is MoonMist...and why would I run away from you? All you are is a harmless human...you are harmless, right?" MoonMist replied, her eyes twinkling.

"A NeoPet with humour...I like that! You are right about me...I am quite harmless," Cloude replied, deciding not to reveal to this friendly Uni that she was really a Dark Faerie. If she couldn't tell, why should Cloude reveal the horrible truth?

MoonMist smiled at Cloude and seated herself next to her.

"So what's your name?" MoonMist asked.

"Oh, my name is Cloude! Sorry for not telling you right off!" Cloude replied, smiling back at MoonMist. Silence then reigned, and neither one said a word for a while, until Cloude spoke up.

"Say...MoonMist.....could you answer a question for me?" Cloude inquired.

"Sure!" MoonMist replied.

"Could you tell me where I can find a Golden Juppie?" Cloude asked.

"A Golden Juppie? I believe those grow on Mystery Island," MoonMist replied. This reply made Cloude jump up to her feet.

"Mystery Island! But that's so far away....." Cloude said wistfully.

"There are ferries going to and fro Mystery Island every day," MoonMist replied cheerfully," You can always catch one!"

Cloude sighed.

"Thanks! But I have no Neopoints...." Cloude said, a frown quickly replacing her smile.

"Well...I really don't like this option...but there's always sneaking aboard," MoonMist replied.

"Oh! That I can do easily!" Cloude exclaimed. Grinning to herself, she began to walk again, this time heading to Neopia Central, where she knew she would be able to find the Mystery Island Ferries easily.

"Hey! Where are you going?" asked MoonMist, leaping up and running to catch up with Cloude.

"To sneak aboard a Mystery Island Ferry...where else?" Cloude replied, a grin still plastered across her face.

"Can I come along?" MoonMist asked hopefully.

"Oh....sure! Why not?" Cloude replied.

"OK!" MoonMist grinned, and trotted after Cloude, who began walking in the general direction of Neopia Central again.

Silence reigned once more, and the two walked in peaceful quiet until they reached the outskirts of Neopia. There, Cloude decided to speak again.

"MoonMist, you undoubtedly know this place better than me. Lead the way, please," Cloude said, glancing down at her companion.

"Certainly, Cloude," MoonMist replied, trotting ahead of Cloude and whistling merrily.

***

Soon, they were right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Neopia Central. Cloude kept one hand on MoonMist's back so that MoonMist could guide her around this unfamiliar, hectic place.

MoonMist dodged and darted hurried Neopians and finally made her way to the docks. She led Cloude to a tall palm tree near the water.

"We'll wait here for a ferry to come along, and then we'll sneak aboard among the other passengers, OK?" MoonMist outlined her plan.

"OK!" Cloude replied, tingling with excitement.

***

They didn't have to wait too long for a ferry to come. In about an hour, a ferry came, anchoring by the dock. Two green Chias came rushing out and pulled down a staircase like thing for the passengers to board upon. A Techo was stationed at the shore-end of this to look for the passengers pre-bought tickets.

Soon, Lupes and Aishas and all sorts of other NeoPets came, ready to board the ferry. MoonMist signaled to Cloude, and they stood up and quietly walked until they were behind a tall Grarrl who was boarding. The Techo checked for the Grarrl's ticket, and he did have one, but the Techo did not notice the two shapes, one Faerie and one Uni, hiding behind the bulk of the Grarrl. They slipped on unnoticed by anyone, save for one of the green Chias who winked at them. He probably thought they were with the Grarrl, whom they stayed hidden behind until the ferry had left dock and begun its trip to Mystery Island.

Then they rushed to a small, hidden spot MoonMist had found - a place that ropes were all coiled up in, but there was sufficient space - breathing and otherwise - for a Faerie (or human, in MoonMist's thoughts) and NeoPet to hide in. There were really only two or three ropes coiled up there - something was making them look as if they were piled high but really they weren't.

Cloude and MoonMist squeezed themselves into that spot and didn't utter a word during the whole trip. When they began to see many NeoPets' feet moving past them quickly, they eased out and - lo and behold - spotted the Grarrl they had hidden behind. Slipping behind him again, they walked out. And no one saw them again, except for that green Chia - who winked once more at them as they walked out.

Who knew, maybe he did know that they were stowaways but decided not to tell. It was awfully nice of him, if he did know, Cloude thought to herself, all the while being pulled along by MoonMist.

Finally, they were on the shore. Before anyone could ask why they were there, they ran like the wind and stopped behind a tall palm tree, panting.

"We made it!" MoonMist said, grinning up at Cloude.

"Yes we did," Cloude said, grinning back.

Suddenly, Cloude realised something. Something important. As she watched MoonMist stare up at her, eyes aglow, grinning, she realised that MoonMist was her friend. Cloude had never in her entire life had a friend. The faeries disliked her because she had no wings; the pets disliked her because she was a Dark Faerie. True, MoonMist had not known the truth about Cloude, and Cloude felt she should tell MoonMist the truth - and tell it to her now.

"MoonMist...I have something to tell you," Cloude said quietly.

"Yes?" replied MoonMist, eyes shining with curiosity.

"I....I am not really human," Cloude said softly. MoonMist's eyebrows arched.

"What...what are you then?" she asked cautiously.

"I....I am a Dark Faerie...I was born without wings and ran away from my Faerie colony before they had a chance to banish me. No one ever wanted to talk with me after that...the Faeries hated me because I had no wings..the NeoPets hated me because I was a Dark Faerie....the reason I wanted a Golden Juppie so badly was because I was going to create my own NeoPet...one that wouldn't despise me for being born an "evil" creature, but not being evil at all....but after I met you, MoonMist, I decided not to tell the truth to you...to see what you would do, if you would come along with me or not....but now, I realise, you have become a friend to me. Not many people would have gone ahead and went with someone they'd just met on a trip to Mystery Island...and you've helped me so much...now I had to tell you the truth," Cloude said, watching MoonMist's reaction. Tears came to Cloude's eyes as MoonMist came over and hugged her.

"Cloude...it doesn't matter who you are on the outside....it matters who you are on the inside," MoonMist said, her eyes clouding over with tears as well.

"You are absolutely right, MoonMist. Absolutely right," Cloude replied.

Epilogue: Cloude and MoonMist never went back to the forest where Cloude had originally lived. The pair decided to live on Mystery Island, where no one knew them or what Cloude really was. They opened up a shop and eventually paid the people who ran the ferries for their trip to Mystery Island. They also spoke to the green Chia, who was bowled over when they told him everything. He really had thought they were with the Grarrl! After paying back the ferry for their trip, Cloude and MoonMist lived equally long lives, and each remained true to the other, staying friends always.

The End