Stars

      My gaze, as red at that final patch of scarlet light, swerves to a tiny blue planet called Neopia. Its surface is draped with rolling, curling coils of clouds, and its azure seas sparkle with light from the sun. I see the Lost Desert, yawning with its arid light brown sands. I see Terror Mountain, eternally frosty, with blizzards raging and chill winds mocking the residents. I see sunny, tan Mystery Island, blue-green waters glimmering in the tropical paradise. I see Faerieland, pink tingeing its borders. I see tall, majestic edifices that rise from the billowing white, pastel pink and deep purple. Oh, there is almost no end to the things I can see from space. I see his face again, cheerful and carefree, with mischievousness knotting between thin eyebrows and that funny hairstyle. I see him, naïve and innocent, just a typical student at the Neopian Special Training Academy.

      I wonder if he still knows me before all that happened.

      ***

      My sharp-edged hair bounced in a small bob, just waiting to burst into the air any moment, only to be restricted by stern metal clips. I swung my locker door open and shoved all my books in, leaving only "Combat and Defense Skills." As I closed it, suddenly I heard a muffled explosion behind me. Alarmed, I dashed back, only to get soaked in slimy, soapy water. I knew who did this.

      "Frank!" I yelled at the top of my voice. A familiar bean-shaped head poked itself around the locker door.

      "Ha! Got you this time!" he guffawed. Almost always, I had evaded his tricks successfully. Almost. As I stood there in the hallway, drenched and fuming, my wings buzzing about madly, he laughed again.

      I strode over and prepared to blare at him. "Frank Sloth! This is... " my voice was abruptly drowned by a large wave of heat surging towards me from a gun, drowning my voice but rendering me a lot drier and happier. I quickly shut my mouth and thought about the silliness of the situation. Then I chuckled, and slowly, Frank joined in, turning the hallway into a world of laughter. We almost choked and spluttered when the fit was over.

      I brushed a wayward strand of blue hair out of my eyes and said, "Good one." He just grinned. We walked in silence, our footsteps echoing loudly. As I arrived at my destination, Combat and Defense, or C.D. class, I waved goodbye and watched him disappear down the corridor.

      I knew I was a Faerie. But when Faeries are four years of age, they have to take a test to determine their powers. A baby Faerie who has a Dark Faerie for a mother may not necessarily be a Dark Faerie. There are cases, not quite rare, when a Faerie possesses different powers from her mother. But my mother, Yastana, said that I was a strange one. She tried me out with all the elements, including air, which she was part of. But I couldn't do anything prominent with the elements. The only strong power I seemed to have was the ability to fly a lot without tiring and physical combat, nothing too magical. That was the reason she sent me to the Neopian Special Training Academy, hoping that I might become a Faerie with my own unique brand of magic.

      "Welcome, Miss Xuintan. Take a seat," Mr. Sephal's crisp, clear voice ordered.

      The lesson proceeded with his words.

      ***

      "Aww man," Frank complained. "I've got detention to do after school."

      I couldn't resist a giggle. "For what? Blowing up Niva's hair again?" He was on bad terms with the most popular Faerie at the Academy, for a failed chemistry experiment had crackled, fizzed, popped and Niva, standing nearby, had got a full blast of its sheer radioactive energy. Her normally silken locks had exploded into a comical pompom, and there was still that weird green glow in her eyes when she got angry.

      "But that doesn't mean we're not sneaking out tonight," Frank said nonchalantly.

      My head spun sharply. "What?" I asked.

      "I've found a nice place that we can see... " The sentence trailed off slowly.

      Intrigued, I began walking slower and slower. "Where?" I was monosyllabic, and shook his shoulders in excitement.

      The only answer I got was a mysterious grin.

      ***

      Quiet... so quiet... The dormitory bore pin drop silence, save for the gentle breathing of the students and from a few, snores that harrumphed and gargled. My eyes were still following the silver trail of moonlight that showed pale against the night sky. It was unusually bright and little specks of glitter winked and gracefully waltzed in their beautiful home. Mist billowed, exhaling pale circlets of pure white like halos in the heavens.

      A green face peered over the fence into my window from above. I hastily muffled my mouth as a scream involuntarily came out. Frank was grinning from ear to ear, amused by the paleness of my normally brown face. I hesitantly unfolded my dragonfly wings, and with a soft little whirr I rose up, undid the latch on my window and slowly managed to squeeze myself through.

      There was only a short length of empty air between us and the lush, green grass that carpeted the entire area. We jumped, landing smack dab in some bushes, which thankfully broke our fall. Frank started leading me further down the natural carpet, which sloped gently, undulating into a little patch of flowers. We walked onto level ground, bare feet pressed against the cool, springy grass.

      A short walk ensued, and we finally arrived at the foot of a little hill, which was rather smooth as plant life dominated its sides. There was a strange radiance that sparkled at its flat peak, bluish-white. Not wanting to leave my friend behind, I hovered lightly beside him as he struggled up the slope. Finally, with a little help from me, he was up.

      I cried out in sheer delight and wonder; the flat top was overgrown with beautiful flowers, small, delicate, and intricately curled at the petals, dark blue and silver. From their tiny cores they gave out a beautiful light, the light which I had just seen. It was almost blinding, like a pure white shimmering blanket. It dimmed, however, when I set foot onto the hilltop, as if making a sign of respect. Somehow, I could understand them, for they seemed to be speaking in dreamy, hushed voices.

      I started to see things hidden amongst the brilliance. I started at a beautiful Zafara, her face white, her eyes two limpid pools of green. She had a head of long white-blond hair, and she was kneeling down in sadness. Plink, plink. I could almost hear her tears as they rolled down her face. I saw a wizened old Lupe, his corn-coloured fur streaked with grey. His legs were shaking, and he fought back the urge to weep, I could tell from his contorted features. He was waving at someone in the distance with a trembling paw. They were all so depressing, so disappointing, so devoid of joy. I turned my head away sharply, unable to witness anything more like those.

      Frank asked, "Hey, what happened?" He was looking at me with concern.

      "Nothing," I mumbled, afraid that he would see through my pretense. But he just swiveled my head towards the sky.

      Stars. So many of them, conglomerations of yellow and gold and silver and white, shining ecstatically, giving out luminosity beyond any light that was ever created. Kreludor was a giant white-silver orb, a mother to its illuminating children. They sequined the dark cloth of night sky, flitting and blinking. There were constellations too, many of them, though I recognized only a few. A Kougra, ready to pounce, waiting to strike, leaped out at us, fierce. Ah... the beauty of these glowing balls of flaming gas... they made even pictures so alive. Then I realized that they were alive themselves, like the little flowers all around us. Each star was unique, and it would stay there until it died, just like... just like wisps of memory.

      Frank was silent. He was soaking in the beauty of the stars, a small smile stretched across his face. I smiled too, and whispered, "Thank you!" His face was still as impassive, but I could sense a little jolt of happiness.

      Then I spiraled up into the skies.

      What a lovely feeling, what a beautiful sensation. To zoom upwards on slender wings, to be with the stars, to play with them, to sing with them, to dance with them. I delved into shadowy depths, mysterious and commanding. I could feel them beaming at me, their visitor from down below. I lost myself in their colours, singing and gliding along the skies. With amazing fluidity I performed a series of loops and curls, laughing, cutting quickly through air, so fast that it whipped my bangs back and made my thin nightgown stream out like some bizarre spectre. My wings were Buzzing wildly, so fast until they were merely sound. Tears wet my eyes, for I was so happy to be among these ancient forms. I could comprehend them; I knew how they felt: amused by their uninvited guest. As if they were able to talk themselves.

      I hastily ended my short flight and dashed down to earth. Frank was still sitting, his face wearing a bemused expression. "That was unexpected," he said wryly.

      I chuckled. "Thank you! I love the stars, I love the flowers. I love the night," I gushed. As I was saying this, my fingers, of their own accord, reached down and pulled a blade of blue grass. They started picking two more blades, and before I was fully aware of what was going on, started to weave it into a long, slim rope.

      Faster and faster they spun, the grass magically growing longer all the time. I got right into the system, and closed my eyes, unfazed. I started muttering the Faerie Tongue fluently, jabbering away about the night and the stars, even though I barely knew the language. My voice and fingers were in perfect synchronization, knotting the grass and chanting spells and verses. I finished the magical rope in a complex knot.

      Deftly, I whipped it around, cracking sounds erupting in the still night air. I spun it around until it was only a flurry of blue, and then with a mighty heave, thrust it into the bosom of the sky. These are memories. These are your children, stars. Hold them in and shine with power as you convert it into happiness and interlock it with your soul, I whispered quietly in my heart. Love these and help rid the earth of these sad memories.

      The rope, now a little scar in the sky, exploded into glittering shards, a vibrant arch of colours. Each shard floated around absently for a while, then, as if drawn by some cosmic force, literally, flew into a star and made its residence.

      I turned to face my friend. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, faraway, unbelieving. His jaw hung slack, and he was frozen still. "M-magic," he managed to splutter.

      I gently put a hand on his shoulder. "I have no idea how I did it."

      ***

      Graduation Day. The day which I dreaded. It was farewell, farewell to this school that had nursed me for twelve long years, helping me to become what I was today: a Space Faerie. I was the first, I had heard. And farewell to Frank, the person which had helped me discover the power of the stars, their radiance, their vitality. Farewell to the supporting beams of my life, which were gradually crumbling away.

      I crossed my legs, reading through the school magazine, trying to suppress the rush of emotions inside me. The school hall was decked with balloons and streamers of various colours; however, I failed to accept this façade. This was goodbye, plain and simple. There was only the sad ballad of the specks of dust as the sun gave them a dying kiss. The hall was empty and everyone had gone home. Or rather, left forever. I still wanted to hang onto the precious memories, and so I stayed for a longer time. I would miss the cacophony that was created by the various students rushing off to class, and even the droning teachers. I would miss the view that I had from the dormitory of the skies and the slopes, and the laughter that I shared with my classmates and friends. I was only a blue figure in the midst of a hundred chairs. Well, not for long.

      Someone crept up behind me. I sensed it, and threw down the magazine, poised for attack, and flew up quickly. To my shame, it was only Frank. He was amused by my suddenness and almost laughed. "Just came to say goodbye to the fair damsel," he said sarcastically.

      "Fair" is not a good word to describe me with. My skin is a brown that could rival Jhuidah's. I sank back onto the tiles, smiling rather sadly. "Goodbye," I said quietly. His face also had taken on a rather despondent expression. "See you," he said, equally cautiously. We gave tired smiles as we stood under the hotly glowing evening sun that drenched everything red. Going our separate ways. Departure.

      ***

      Queen Fyora, after hearing that I was the first Space Faerie, had assigned me to a job. I was to patrol space, looking down on Neopia. Every time I saw something suspicious I would report it to her if I couldn't prevent the problem from escalating. If I saw riots in Tyrannia, for example, I would go down and try to stop it. A little like the Defenders of Neopia actually. I liked it very much; I could foxtrot around the planets and tend to the stars. I could make them hold memories and wash them pure and even bless any pet, human or faerie I found worthy. And the area for movement was simply boundless. There was plenty of room to fly and cartwheel, to do anything I wanted. It was a glorious position to be in.

      ***

      It was three months later, on a seemingly innocent day, that I received a telepathic message from Queen Fyora, informing me to urgently go and investigate the origins of a strange new craft that had been seen. I swiftly flew up to the source-space.

      The usually empty stretch of sky had an object, presumably metallic, as it glinted with the light from the sun. It looked like a round disc, but elegant tapered wings and a smooth tail confirmed that it was a space craft of some sort. Tentatively, I hovered warily near it, unsure of what to do. I zipped around, trying to detect an entrance. As I neared its left side, a shiny piece of metal suddenly slid open with a slight pneumatic hiss. Arming myself with my wits and courage, I flew in, the door abruptly shutting with a dull thud.

      Slowly, I managed to gingerly sink onto the smooth, polished floor. The interior was lit by a dim, yellowish light that cast feeble glow onto the various instruments lined up obediently against the wall, cold and unfeeling, only caring about their shiny sheen. They were cruel instruments, forbidding steel, with implements that would like to crush a beautiful thing into mush and burn it into ashes. Warily, I plodded further into the empty, silent regions of the spacecraft, my footsteps sounding ominous as they clanged against the metallic floor.

      It was also unnaturally cold, the air flying straight into my eyes, caressing my skin, and delightedly being sadistic with its icy fingers. It blew at me mockingly from all directions, laughing. I just continued my stony walk and went deeper into the heart of the transport vehicle. Various old cardboard boxes stacked in a corner were vomiting out clumps of paper wrapping and tassels of it as well.

      The destination-a steel door that was off limits; clearly, there was a sign stating so. But I was determined. Slowly letting two pulsing fireballs build up in the palms of my hands, I narrowed them at the middle of the door, and they did the job, burning and devouring the metal until it was reduced to a sorry, blackened heap. I went through, and the sharp tang of chemicals collided with my nose. Acrid wisps of lavender and turquoise drifted lazily in the air, uniting and separating, a tangled mess of gas.

      I caught a dull humming sound that came from the background, machines slaving away, generators probably. There were flashes of dangerous white electricity that came from the heart of the room. I sidled over, moving as smoothly as grease.

      "Hello."

      That voice. I remembered that voice. Only that it was softer, and had a villainous tinge. "Frank!" I yelled.

      "Sloth, Dr. Sloth," the dark figure replied. In his hands there were two clips that were throbbing with the electricity that I had just seen. "So you have received my message. Come here." He gestured towards a table.

      There was a very weak Miamouse on it, taking in shallow breaths, suspended on the brink between life and death. Its movements had ceased and it had only allowed its soft pink nose to absorb the air, no mattered how caustic it smelled. Its eyes were half-closed, watery hazel pupils visible beneath heavy lids. I felt my heart burst.

      "Vile monster! What have you done to this innocent creature?" I demanded, preparing to strike Frank-no, Sloth with a fist that would send him reeling back to Neopia.

      He was quick, and gave me a burst of that weird energy he wielded. I doubled over, feeling force leak out as the energy weakened my body, sending sparks coursing all over it. I depended on resilience, willing the energy to go away, to flow out...

      It went, some of it, sizzling in the air and weakly running over machines, sending puce, magenta, cyan and dark green flashing all around and shooting blindness into my eyes. Nothing stirred though, just continued the fireworks display.

      What was Sloth doing? Out of the corner of my star-clouded eyes, I could see him dipping the clips into a dark red liquid, which cast toxic-looking fumes all over the place. His face was protected by a gas mask though.

      Slowly, carefully, he bent down and pegged the clips to the Miamouse's large, fan-like ears. It let out a wail of pain and anguish, for the metal teeth had nipped its sensitive veins. Still, the static had pinned me to the ground and I was unable to save the poor thing.

      Wait... a transformation occurred. The soft fur of the petpet extended forcefully into long jagged coarse threads, spawning over its body quickly. The ears grew bigger and bigger, spikes protruding from their sides. Devilish teeth sprouted from raw, pink gums, gleaming dangerously under the electricity. The feet grew large and bloated, and the cute front paws inflated to become hunks of muscle. Its old fur colour was dissipating fast, and a sickly olive green was dyeing its body. But it was the eyes that scared me most. They were no longer gentle chocolate buttons, but harsh, bloody eyes, bright red and menacing.

      "Beautiful! It's working properly! What genius!" Sloth cackled loudly over the creature's snarls and growls. He walked over calmly. "Well, Xuintan, playing hero doesn't pay... " His voice trailed off into a supercilious smirk. He lifted my chin up with one cold finger. The only thing I could do was to glower feebly.

      How could he do this to a Miamouse? He had mutated it, turned it into a witless swine for him to manipulate, just like a marionette. What had happened? It had been only three months. What had happened to the jovial imp I had known and liked as a friend? Now there was only this megalomaniac standing on top of the old skin that he had shed.

      I had to break out of my bonds, and quick. I tried again, sweeping up all of my energy into a concentrated orb within. But it wasn't enough. Then I saw something... someone.

      A White Zafara with white-blond hair.

      "By Fyora, it cannot be!" I cried hoarsely. Not that Zafara which I had seen so many years ago as a child! She was there, plain as day, normal as can be.

      I am Celestra, she said in her mind. I understood. Remember when you sent me to a star? My earthly body is down on Neopia, but she is much happier. I have you to thank. Even though I am only a shadow, I will help you.

      Speedily, she rushed into the cocoon of energy around me, and I felt infinitely stronger. Summoning my energy again, I burst through the prison, flexible and supple once more.

      I blasted into top gear. I aimed for Sloth first; with a bright stream of purple light, he sank down onto the floor, unconscious. I wove invisible ropes around him, and left him there. I headed towards the mutant Miamouse. Rearing my head, I let loose two beams of light again.

      Stop! Celestra cried urgently. You can't do this. Don't destroy it; you'll be as bad as Sloth.

      Then what do I do? I said, irritated.

      Heal.

      That word did it. I wanted to heal the petpet, to make it forget everything traumatic that had transpired here; to heal myself of the wounds that had opened when I discovered that Sloth was a malicious, brutal, insane scientist. I wanted to restore everything.

      I shot binds that enveloped the giant body. It thrashed around violently, but I didn't heed it. Instead, I put two palms on its forehead, and whispered, "Heal. Let all your suffering be gone. Forget everything."

      I felt pure light pulsing inside me, combining with my magic. I let it flow out onto the wrinkled head, and to my immense relief and elation, the eyes shrank back into chocolate. The ears diminished. The hideous paws became small again. The body returned to that of a chubby petpet's. The fur, in a flurry of yellow, returned to its neon green colour.

      Thank you, I whispered to Celestra. Cradling the slumbering petpet, I made my way out of the heartless space craft, preparing to fly back to Faerieland and alert the queen. I gazed at the stars again, and saw one that gave off a slightly purplish glow. The star of Celestra. It gave off a slightly brighter glow when I sailed out, as if smiling at me.

      ***

      That star still shines as brightly as I saw it that day. I owe her something, but I have this feeling that Celestra says that when I released her into the skies, I was liberating her.

      It doesn't matter. I shall always love the stars.

The End