Just One Wish

      Naomi was a very happy Bori. Neopia was new to her and she was still exploring all the new parts and pieces that she had never seen before. Naomi's owner, a rich Neopian, spoiled her with gifts beyond our wildest dreams. At first, the gifts were exciting and pleasurable, but later became tiresome and boring. They had no sentimental value to Naomi. The gifts that she wanted had to be more than something just bought and handed to. She wanted things like a flower picked while spending a relaxing day in the park with her owner or a card given to her while she was sick. But no. Her owner did nothing with her that would result in those kinds of gifts.

      One day while walking alone down the busy streets in Neopia Central, Naomi spotted some of her fellow Neopets and their owners. They were all laughing and joking while sipping on a can of Neocola. Naomi's heart suddenly felt saddened and tears filled her eyes. Why couldn't her owner be like that to her? Why couldn't she have a different owner? Just the thoughts of these things made her heart hurt worse. She longed for loving care and laughs like the others were enjoying.

      Unable to look at the happiness, Naomi turned and ran away. She ran as far as she could. She passed through Uni Meadows, Kiko Lake, and stopped at Lupe Plains. There, she sat down on a lonely hill and sobbed. Nobody was around to hear her aching cries for some attention. Except one person….

      "Why are you crying so?" a soothing voice asked.

      "Wh-wh-who's there?" Naomi said while looking up.

      When her head rose up from her knees she saw a beautiful faerie. Flames were erupting from the wings on her back. The faerie had an expression of concern on her face as she came closer to Naomi. The faerie put a hand on her back and calmed her. The warmth made Naomi feel better almost instantly, though late tears still hung in her eyes.

      "My name is Eithne. You shouldn't be so heartbroken on such a lovely day. Do you want to explain what's wrong?"

      Naomi sniffled a bit and nodded. As she explained all that she had been through, the faerie began to look deeply touched. Naomi told how her owner may have spoiled her with presents, but there was no caring or love. By the time Naomi finished her tale, the faerie had a few isolated tears on her rosy cheeks.

      "You poor dear," Eithne said. "No pet should be treated so negligently."

      "But there's nothing I can do," Naomi said hopelessly. "My owner would never send me to the pound or disown me. I don't want her anymore. I want a new owner."

      Eithne was concerned with these remarks. Naomi could at least work things out with her owner first rather than jumping straight to escape. Yet the Bori had to learn more and this situation would be an excellent time to do so. The way of teaching this, though, would be very hurtful to both the Bori and to her owner. Hopefully things won't get out of control.

      "I want to be someone else," Naomi sobbed. "Anyone."

      "As you wish, my friend," Eithne replied with her head down. "Good luck."

      Eithne waved her hands in the air and a magical plushie lay on the ground in front of Naomi. The plushie had no form to it and looked hideous.

      "What am I…," Naomi asked Eithne. But it was too late. The faerie had vanished into thin air.

      Naomi pondered over the doll for a few minutes. She was confused on what she was supposed to do and how this would even help solve her problems. She took a wild guess and picked up the plushie. Instantly, she felt a horrifying pain in her entire body. She screamed in agony and suddenly everything was over. Naomi walked towards the nearby pond, looked into the water, and screamed.

      She was no longer the beautiful Bori that she had been. Now, she was ugly and larger than she normally was. Now, she was a Skeith. She backed away from the pond, not wanting to believe that this was her new form. How would this help?! Naomi sobbed uncontrollably for the longest time. Hours later, she lifted her large body and began to walk home.

      The trip there was unpleasant. Neopians pointed and laughed at the blob that waddled down the middle of the sidewalk taking up most of the space. Naomi felt terrible. She would have rather stayed as a beautiful Bori. She was beginning to have second thoughts of ever leaving her mistress.

      After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the doorstep to her Neohome. She rang the doorbell with her pudgy paws and sat and waited on the chair on the front porch. When the door opened, her owner looked surprised but confused as to who this was.

      "May I help you?" her owner asked.

      "Mistress, please! It's me! Naomi!" she cried.

      "I'm sorry, but I have a beautiful Bori as a pet. Not some… some Skeith! I'm quite afraid that you are mistaken."

      "No!" Naomi cried. "Please! Please! It's me!"

      "Ma'am, please leave my home! You are scaring me! If you need some help I would be happy to try and find your owner. But you are not my Naomi."

      Naomi walked away. She forgot that her mistress would not recognize her. She had nowhere to go. Nobody to turn to. She was alone in a cold, dark world that she had never fully explored before. This was her fate and she had to deal with it. Yet Naomi still could not get over this new way of life. She had to get back to normal. She had to!

      All of this drama that occurred had made Naomi forget who did this to her. Eithne! Surely if that fire faerie could turn her into this hideous creature then she should be able to turn her back into a Bori again! The question was: where could Eithne be? Faerieland would be the first place to start.

      Naomi headed out of Neopia Central and across the small ocean that lie before her. She got into a boat (half sinking it of course) and traveled to the center of the ocean to find a large, mysterious cloud lurking overhead. The man at the bottom of the cloud cast a temporary spell on her to lift Naomi up to the land. Actually, the spell had to be very powerful due to Naomi's new body weight.

      When she finally reached the top, Naomi walked straight ahead into the kingdom of the faeries. The land was beautiful. Fountains of colored water spray from all sides, children giggled and ran around on top of the fluffy terrain, and a large and majestic castle stood in front of her. She walked in, unknowing what would happen.

      "Welcome!" a powerful voice boomed, "to Faerieland! What is it you wish to see us about?"

      "I have come to speak to Eithne," Naomi said, frightened. "Is she here?"

      "She is resting, but I will be happy to fetch her for you. Please wait here."

      Naomi sat and waited for the mysterious faerie to return. The voice frightened her but she was determined to get back to her normal form. After a while, an orange glow filled the room. Eithne had arrived.

      "Ah, the Bori," Eithne stated.

      "Eithne, please! The plushie you gave me turned me into a horrible Skeith. I didn't want this. I wanted my owner to love me."

      "Even though this may seem strange," Eithne replied. "But this will bring you closer together. Come, my dear. Look into the cauldron."

      Eithne brought Naomi into a back room where a large pot lay in the center. The pot was full of bubbling, purple liquid that had steam rising slowly from it. Eithne waved her hands and the water rippled and formed into a picture. In the center of the cauldron was a girl, Naomi's owner. She looked deeply saddened. She was running desperately to random Neopians asking them the same question, "Have you seen my Bori?! Oh please help me!" But nobody seemed to know where Naomi was.

      "Do you see now the hazards of careless wishes?" Eithne said after a while.

      "Yes… I do," Naomi replied. "Is there any way that you can change me back into a Bori?"

      "I'm afraid not. I only posses enough power to grant one wish per Neopet. I'm sorry, my dear."

      Naomi burst into tears and ran out of the kingdom. Never would she be her normal self again. Never. All because she wished that she had a different owner. She continued running until she reached the edge of the cloud. At this point, she dropped down to her knees and sobbed. And yet again she was not alone.

      "Can you help me?" a voice behind Naomi asked.

      When Naomi turned around there was a mermaid... or was it a faerie? Maybe both. Either way, they had flowing blonde hair with blue in it. She also had a fin. Naomi knew who this was right off the bat: the Fountain Faerie!

      "Yes?" Naomi managed the stutter. "I can help."

      "Oh good! I need you to get me a magical plushie! I am unsure of the name but it's quite ugly. I need it for my collection. Can you find it for me? In return I will give you a special gift at my cloud." The faerie pointed to an extravagant-looking cloud to the right of the city.

      Then Naomi remembered: she still had that plushie that Eithne gave her! No, no! She left it in Lupe Plains!

      "I know what you're talking about!" Naomi shouted excitedly. "I left it in Lupe Plains! Can you wait here?"

      "Sure!" the faerie answered.

      Naomi ran for it. The man at the top of the cloud cast a spell on her and sent her back down to the boat. The boat then transported her back to Neopia Central where Naomi took off running. When she made it to Lupe Plains, she found the plushie lying in the same spot where she had left it. She grabbed it and ran back towards the boat. When at last she returned to Faerieland, the faerie was still waiting for her. Naomi handed the plushie to the Fountain Faerie.

      "Here you go!"

      "Oh thank you so much! See me at the cloud when you find the time," the faerie replied with a wink.

      Taking no time to hesitate, Naomi headed straight for the cloud. As she approached it, she noticed the water that was running out of the fountains was rainbow colored. It was beautiful. Sitting in the waters was the faerie, still smiling.

      "I knew you wouldn't be long."

      "What's this surprise you're talking about?" Naomi questioned.

      "Well, I heard from a source that you needed to be transformed back into the species from which you originated from. Is this correct?"

      Naomi's heart beat rapidly. She began to shake with excitement. "Yes! Oh yes! I need to be a Bori once again! Can you help me?"

      The faerie giggled, "Yes, you can be a Bori once again. Any specific color you wish to be?"

      Thinking back on all that she went through, Naomi answered no. She didn't want to regret changing to something else again. Nor would she ever wish for the same thing. It was too painful.

      "When you're ready, step into the waterfall and you will be back to normal."

      Naomi took one last look at her Skeith-self in the puddle to the side of the main pool. She took a deep breath and stepped forward underneath the rainbow waters. She felt a wonderful sensation from within the core of her body. Her legs became thinner and a shell formed on her back. She changed from yellow to blue and after a few minutes, she was a Bori once again.

      "Oh how can I ever thank you?" Naomi screamed.

      "By thinking more wisely when you choose your wishes. You never know what could happen or what the consequences could be."

      Naomi nodded, hugged the faerie with a bear-like grip, and left Faerieland to head for home. The entire way back, Naomi felt more enlightened. She smiled at every passing stranger and skipper merrily until she reached the cozy Neohome that she called her own. She knocked on the door and waited.

      The door opened a few moments later by a sickly-looking girl with puffy, red eyes and a pink nose. Naomi smiled at her mistress and walked in.

      Naomi's mistress immediately screamed and threw her arms around Naomi. "Where have you been?! I've been lost without you!" The owner began to cry as she hugged Naomi tighter.

      "I've been around. I've missed you so much. I promise I will never leave you ever again. I promise."

      "Oh thank goodness you're all right. I've been thinking, we haven't been as close as we should be," the owner said. "Do you want to go shopping tomorrow and grab a Neocola afterwards? My treat."

      "That sounds lovely," Naomi said. "That sounds lovely."

The End