A Uni’s Wish

     That is, until a remarkable point in Uni history occurred. A pink Uni came along. She didn't fit in with the other Unis. They liked to graze the land, she liked to watch the clouds. They liked to dance in the fields, she dreamed of dancing with the stars. They liked to have races along the shores, she wanted to make splashes from stepping on rain clouds. She was often made fun of by the other Unis because she hated dirty hooves. She didn't trot like the other Unis, instead she hopped awkwardly about, examining the ground before her hoof touched any spot. They would all laugh and tease her. They would constantly tell her, "You can keep your clean hooves if you want to sit around dreaming all day! If you preened yourself as you did keeping your feet clean, you could really be beautiful! Why are you so concerned with clean feet? It's not like you can fly!"

     It's not like you can fly…The words echoed in her head. Maybe that was the answer! If she could fly, she could dance with the stars, play amongst the clouds, and splash rain on the other Unis if she so decided.

     But she couldn't fly. The skies were not the place the Unis could travel. The skies were a place for butterflies, Pteris, Faeries…

     Faeries? Her ears perked up. Maybe they could help her. If there was a time when Faeries didn't have wings, maybe the days Unis didn't have wings would be over as well.

     She gathered her things hastily, which for a Uni meant it only took her 2 hours. She took a long, relaxing bath in Superstar Bubble Bath. She then brushed her mane and tail 500 times until it was nice and shiny. She lightly sprayed herself with perfume and opened her makeup bag to finish the look. Then it was time to figure out what to wear. It was sunny in Neopia, so she grabbed a Straw Hat. That wasn't nearly enough accessorizing for a Uni, so she grabbed some yellow flowers from her garden and wove them in her mane and tail. She chose a shinny, sheer yellow shawl and ribbons that matched the flowers, and wove the ribbons with the flowers and casually tied the shawl around her neck. She took four more glances in the mirror before deciding she was ready.

     She trotted in her awkward hops to the wishing well. The Faeries could come down from Faerieland if they wanted to, but the Neopets in Neopia had not figured out a way to get up there so easily.

     She had a handful of Neopoints, not nearly enough to get assistance from the other winged Neopets, but undoubtedly enough for a wish. She leaned along the edge of the wishing well, looking down into the darkness and thinking of the best way to word her wish. She was a Uni after all, and as much as she wanted wings, she was worried whether she'd be able to accessorize with them.

     That could be why we don't already have wings, she sighed. How ever would wing coverings look? Or would our wings be so ugly it would force us to wear capes? Would we have special combs or other grooming items to take care of our wings? This could need a little more thought…

     "Excuse me?" a petpet Cirrus nudged the Uni.

     The pink Uni lazily lifted her head to look at the cloud. "Did you want to make a wish?"

     The Cirrus nodded and smiled wide, "I'm searching for my brothers Cumulo and Nimbu. I'm hoping the wishing well will help me find them."

     The Uni smiled. "Very well," she said and sat down so the Cirrus could climb up to lean over the edge of the wishing well.

     "What are you wishing for? Are you searching for someone too?" the Cirrus asked after it dropped some Neopoints into the well.

     "No, I was going to wish for wings," she replied.

     "For wings? But Unis don't have wings!" The Cirrus pouted.

     "I know," she sighed. "But I so dearly want them. I was going to make a wish to speak with the Faeries to find out how they got wings. Maybe then I'd be able to have a pair of my very own too."

     "Maybe I can help!" The Cirrus said.

     The Uni looked at the small size of the Cirrus. In a while, maybe he would be able to help lift her up into Faerieland, but for now he was far too small. "How would you be able to help?"

     "I know where a Faerie is sleeping! Maybe if we hurry we can catch her when she wakes up! Then you won't have to travel to Faerieland to get your answer," The Cirrus replied.

     "Really?" The Uni exclaimed. The Cirrus floated ahead of her, and for once she decided to let go of her odd habit and raced behind him. She followed through a patch of mud, kicking some up so her whole bottom side was a muddy mess. She followed through a garden, with thistles and dried grass clung in her mane and tail. She even followed through a thick patch of bushes, where her shawl was torn. She was a mess, and very un-Uni like, but she didn't care.

     They finally came to a peaceful patch of flowers, and just as the Cirrus said, a light Faerie was just waking up.

     "We made it in time!" the Cirrus said.

     This caught the attention of the Faerie who turned towards them, snarling her lip slightly at the sight of the Uni. "Can I help you?" she mumbled, wondering why this Uni had left the house in such untidiness. She wasn't sure if it was an emergency or it some pet had just gotten a hold of a Uni Morphing Potion and wanted to be changed back.

     "Oh please!" the Uni begged and bowed to the Faerie. "I have some questions to ask."

     "I will answer as best as I can," the Faerie with a smile.

     "Thank you," the Uni let out a sigh. "Did Faeries always have wings?"

     "Yes, dear Uni, we have always had wings. Why do you ask?" she said as she saw the Uni's disappointment show very clearly on her face.

     "It's just…it's just that…" The Uni began to sob. "I just want to fly so dearly. I almost feel like I am drawn to the sky, but this body traps me here."

     The Faerie and Cirrus exchanged sad looks. The Faerie then whispered into the Uni's ear, "Tonight, before you go to bed, wish upon a star with you wish. Hold your wish close to your heart and experience it in your dreams. Let your heart decide if this wish is right for you."

     The Uni nodded, and the Faerie flew off. The Uni sobbed until the sun began to fall, and the Cirrus stayed by her side.

     "We should get back now," he told her.

     She nodded again, looking at herself and laughing at how ridiculous she must look. "I need another bath," she said with a small laugh.

     "I'll take you back to the wishing well," the Cirrus replied.

     "Where will you stay?" She felt guilty for sobbing so much in the field now. "We haven't had a chance to look for your brothers."

     "I haven't seen my brothers in a few days," the Cirrus said. "I'll be fine. I'm going to do what the Faerie said to do tonight as well. Maybe my wish will come true also."

     "Why don't you stay with me tonight?" the Uni suggested.

     "You really mean it?" The Cirrus' smile returned.

     "Of course," the Uni replied with a small smile.

     With that they headed back to the Uni's home. While she was taking a bath, the Cirrus made his wish. Once the Uni had finished her bath, she looked out the window. "I wish I had wings and could fly," she replied. Even if they were the most horrible, ugly wings, she wanted them.

     She curled up in her bed and imagined she was sleeping on a cloud. She imagined the breeze coming in from the window to be the wind surrounding her in the skies. Every sensation she imagined as though she was high up in the skies, and it made her heart ache more. "I wish I had wings and could fly," she whispered again as she drifted into sleep.

     In her dream, she woke up in her room, just as she always did, but the urge to fly was so great. She stretched and stretched and stretched, until she could feel the wings spread out from her back. Beautiful, spotted wings. She stretched once more, this time stretching out her wings, and without even glancing in the mirror, she race out of her home and took flight. She soared the skies, soaring higher and higher and almost ran right into Faerieland. There, the faeries were waving, and the light Faerie she had seen earlier that day smiled at her. Then there was a noise of a lamp tipping over.

     A lamp tipping over? The thought entered her consciousness and she bolted awake. Her first sight was the Cirrus next to the lamp that woke her from her dreams.

     She wanted to be angry, for it was a wonderful dream, but instead she was calm. She smiled and began to walk towards the Cirrus and to fix the overturned lamp.

     She felt different, but assumed it was because of her wonderful dream.

     "Good morning," she said as she fixed the Fuzzy Pink Bouncy Lamp. "I had the best dream last night. I stretched and yearned for the skies so much that wings outstretched from my back. Beautiful wings. Thank you for taking me to the light Faerie so she could give me such a great gift."

     "It was even better than you think it was," the Cirrus said. "Take a look in the mirror."

     The Uni turned her head and felt warm tears race down her face. In her refection, the beautiful, spotted wings in her dreams were her wings. She had wings!

     She raced outside and tested her new wings. Flying was even better than she had ever imagined! She soared and twirled, laughing the entire time!

     "Isn't this wonderful?" she said to the Cirrus. "I have wings!"

     "It is wonderful!" the Cirrus replied. "I'm happy for you," he said and began to travel to the city.

     "Where are you going?" the Uni asked.

     "To find a new home," the Cirrus replied. "I think my brothers abandoned me."

     "What?" the Uni exclaimed. "Well, don't you worry! You can stay with me if you like!"

     "Really?" the Cirrus asked.

     "Of course!" she replied. "You don't expect me to fly solo, do you?"

     The pink Uni and her Cirrus traveled many great places, and when the others Unis saw her, they too wished for wings to fly through the skies. And that is why Unis have wings, because one Uni's heart held a wish so deep in her heart, the Faeries granted it.

The End