Illusen's Assistant

      The cheers from the fans were deafening. Cyan was used to this - he flashed his sparkly white smile as usual and waved to his adoring fans. Goldy, a Yellow Symol, watched her owner from the stands with her friends. Every day she heard how lucky she was to be Cyan’s Petpet. She agreed, but deep down she felt a tinge of sadness and jealousy. Though they were cheering “Cyan” loudly, Goldy imagined what it’d be like if she were the star; if fans asked for her autograph; if King Skarl invited her to the castle for dinner. She wanted to be at the centre of it all, not cheering on the sidelines.

      Which is why she was now searching for cheese pieces under the light of the stars. Every night she snuck out to practice on the Cheeseroller hill with leftover cheese from the day. She was small but quick and agile, so the obstacles were of no trouble for her.

      Though, sadly, her heart really wasn’t in it tonight. She couldn’t shake the feeling that no one would care about a Petpet Cheeseroller event. Or anything a Petpet did for that matter. She wasn't even sure if she liked doing this, or if she was just copying Cyan. She was only ever called cute or adorable or as pretty as a picture, and while she didn’t mind that others noticed her looks, she felt like she was so much more than that. Ever since she was a little Symol she felt a burning fire deep inside her, telling her that she was destined for greatness. Unfortunately, she wasn't sure about what she truly wanted to do with her life. She wished she could fuel her fire, though she also worried it was just delusions of grandeur bound to drive her crazy one day.

      As Goldy sat on the hill, lost in her gloomy musings, she heard a loud crash coming from the direction of Illusen’s Glade.

      She sat up quickly and headed to Illusen’s house, scared that something may have happened to the kind Earth Faerie. She had visited Illusen countless times before for baked goods, so she wasn’t worried about going over by herself at night. As she got closer, she was surprised to see smoke coming out of a broken window.

      “Illusen are you okay? It’s me, Goldy! I heard a loud crash and was worried.”

      There was only silence as dark smoke continued to billow out steadily. Goldy was just about to knock on the door when it suddenly shot open and knocked her flat on her back.

      She slowly got up and looked at the doorway. The smoke began to dissipate, and she saw Illusen standing there, part of her clothes burnt and her hair sticking up in all directions.

      “ILLUSEN! What happened? Should I call someone? What do you need?!?!” Goldy was in a complete panic, and though she wanted to help she had no idea what to do.

      Thankfully, Illusen smiled and began to laugh.

      “Oh, Goldy! Nice to see you! I'm fine! Just a little mix-up with a spell. Perfect timing though! I need some help making some baked goods for the market tomorrow. Do you have some time?”

      Goldy felt her spirit lift high into the sky after hearing this.

      “I would love to help you Illusen! Anything you want! Just name it!!” The little Symbol was eager to prove herself, and if she could impress Illusen, then she could do anything she thought happily.

      She followed Illusen inside her still smoky home and saw there were tons of ingredients scattered all around the kitchen and living room.

      “Sorry, it's a mess. I've been busy preparing for Illusen Day, and left the market goods until the very last minute! I'm planning to make my special Illusen Frosted Cupcakes, Matcha Cheesecake Brownies, my Family Recipe Cake, Cream Cookies, and also Cream Cookie Bombs. The recipes are all written here! Those bombs I'll continue to work on myself though... that's what exploded earlier actually. So, which ones would you like to work on, Goldy?”

      The ecstatic Symol flipped through the beautiful recipe book with care and awe. The letters were written in gorgeous, sparkly green ink, and the penmanship was absolutely perfect. The book even smelled like leaves and sugar. She took a deep breath and savoured the fragrant air before replying.

      “How about I make the Frosted Cupcakes and Cream Cookies? The ingredients are pretty similar for both. Then after you finish the Cream Cookie Bombs, we can make the last two things... together?!”

      Illusen smiled and patted Goldy on the head before setting off to work.

      “Here, use this Petpet apron while you work! And you can keep it when you're done, as a thank-you gift!”

      Goldy's paws shook as she took the green and brown apron from Illusen. She knew she would cherish this item for the rest of her life.

      The smell of flour, butter, sugar, cream, and chocolate wafted through the rooms as the two worked hard well into the night.

      “So, Goldy, I know you're Cyan's Petpet. And I've seen you practicing on the Cheeseroller hill yourself. Are you interested in following Cyan's footsteps?”

      Goldy thought carefully before answering. If she was honest with herself, she didn't really want to be a professional Cheeseroller. Still, she wanted the recognition and admiration that her owner got wherever he went, but did that make her shallow? Was she just a tiny narcissist? There was no denying that it hurt to always be in her owner's shadow.

      Soon she felt tears in her eyes, and before she knew it, she blurted everything she was feeling out to Illusen – all her frustrations, worries, and dreams.

      She was embarrassed when she finished speaking and apologized quickly for talking too much. Afterwards, she tried hard to avoid looking at Illusen; however, soon she felt warm arms wrap around her, which made her start to cry even more.

      “Oh, Goldy! Thank you for confiding in me. Don't ever apologize for speaking your mind. If you keep things like this bottled inside, then it will all explode one day. It takes time to find what you love in this world. There is no shame in that... I have an idea! Why don't you work as my official assistant starting from today? Not only for baking, but for all kinds of things. I work in various fields around Neopia, and you can help me out! The new experiences might help you to find what you love!

      “Are you sure, Illusen? I'm just a little Symol. What could I possibly do for you?”

      Illusen shook her head and pointed at the baked goods around them.

      “Look at everything you made on your own already! You are a kind, talented, and most importantly motivated Neopian. With passion and motivation, you can do anything! I believe in you, and I hope you can believe in yourself soon, too! What do you say? Will you be my assistant?”

      Goldy immediately jumped up and down and shouted, “YES!!!! I'll do my best! I promise!”

      Illusen and Goldy continued to work until the morning, and though they had almost no sleep at all, they were excited to sell their goods at the market.

      The Earth Faerie high-fived her new assistant as they set up their booth and got to work.

      “Let this be the first of many wonderful adventures together!”

     The End.