The power of Friendship!
The day was cloudy, though most of the Neopets didn't mind. The Unis were frolicking freely in the meadows while Kaus grazed peacefully. Eyries and Pteris perched on nearby branches to scout the activities from a high vantage point. Peophins played happily in the calm, cool waters of the numerous ponds. Well, most Peophins enjoyed themselves anyway. One Peophin never seemed to be too happy even though she wasn't cruel about it. Her name was Orphin, and no one really paid much attention to her. The name she was given didn't exactly win her much popularity and only reminded her of what she was, an orphan. Orphin was your typical blue Peophin. She had a radiant orange mane and beautiful emerald eyes.
The commotion stirred up by some young Unis drew her attention to their antics. One Uni was admiring its reflection in one of the crystal- like pools when another one knocked it in with a big splash. The whole ordeal did bring a grin to a face that didn't see much happiness. Orphin sighed to herself as she looked around at the multitude of Neopets that had at least one close friend, while some had more than one. Tiny tears filled her emerald eyes, leaving little ripples on the surface of the still water.
After awhile, she dove into the water and headed home. Her home was at the far end of an underwater city. It was inhabited mainly by Peophins, Flotsams, Jetsams, and Kikos. The fact that most of the other residents ignored her served only to make her feel worse. It always lifted her spirits to be back home and in a place of solitude. While it was solitude she wanted, it seemed that it was companionship she needed. She lay down on the bed and cuddled with her only possession, a blue Peophin plushie. This particular toy had been given to her by her former owner. The house had simple furnishings but they didn't mean as much to her as the sole gift from her previous owner. Sleep came quickly and she slept through the night.
Apollius walked confidently through the crowd of Neopets until he tripped. He looked around nervously to see if anyone had noticed. "I must be invisible," he grumbled to himself. Apollius was a red Uni, and a rather clumsy one at that. He had become quite used to stumbling around and tripping over things. This tendency didn't really win him any popularity.
He made his way to the nearest pool of clear water. The little red Uni was about to get a drink when the surface of the water boiled angrily and a huge wave nearly knocked him off of his feet. The dazed Uni looked up to see a blue Peophin emerging from the pond. Apollius was quite annoyed by this situation and his fur was now soaked. "Hey, watch what you're doing!" he shouted angrily.
"I'm sorry," the blue Peophin sobbed, "I didn't mean to."
Apollius softened a bit and replied , "It's okay. I didn't mean to yell at you." He gave a shake to remove the moisture from his fur. "My name's Apollius, What's yours?" he asked to break the awkward silence.
"My name's Orphin," she said thoughtfully. "Sorry about earlier."
Apollius grinned a little and said, "It's okay, I needed a bath anyway."
Orphin gave a little chuckle and turned away. It felt good to laugh again. She started to move away when she heard a familiar voice say, "Where are you going?" The voice was that of Apollius. She turned around and addressed the question put before her by saying, "I thought you had other friends you'd rather spend your time with."
He shook his head and said, "You're the first one to talk to me." The conversation went on and before they knew it, night had fallen. The two friends said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. They knew they would see one another again soon.
Orphin returned to her underwater home a little happier, while Apollius returned to his home in the meadows a little happier as well. He still tripped a lot but he didn't care. Orphin cuddled her plushie and went to sleep.
That night, strange visions filled her mind. She saw places that looked familiar and yet seemed distant and foreign. A necklace of great beauty stood out in her mind, forged of gold and adorned with gems. The dream, though cloudy, could mean only one thing. She knew she had to go on a quest even though the concept was quite frightening. Orphin awoke from the dream in a sweat and went back to sleep. She would need her rest.
When morning arrived she packed her things and put them in a convenient bag, and returned to the surface. Apollius was waiting near the pool and she told him about the dream. The mingling of fear and courage filled his mind. One thing was certain though; he could not let his only friend go alone. The red Uni gathered all of his courage, put up a brave front to mask his fear, and agreed to go with her.
Orphin nodded in acknowledgment and headed in the appropriate direction. Apollius followed, since after all it was his friend who seemed to know the way. The ground became harder and less green as they traveled deeper into the foreboding woods. The echo of hooves caused them both to be nervous. The canopy of trees kept out nearly all light and the desolate landscape caused eerie shadows to pop up everywhere. The wind whipped over the rocks and through trees causing spooky noises to fill the stale and lifeless air. It had become quite a bit cooler since they entered this scary place. The lack of sunlight didn't seem to help matters much either. The two Neopets shivered but whether from cold or fear was unknown except by them. They followed the path until it split into two separate directions. One path went right while the other went left. Apollius looked to Orphin for guidance but got none. She just sighed softly and tried to decide on a direction.
The trip had been quite fatiguing so the two tired pets decided to catch some rest, though the chill in the air made it quit difficult. The tuckered pets snuggled together for warmth and slept surprisingly sound.
The canopy of trees and tangled vines made it impossible to tell how much time had passed. Both of them felt a little better though fear still gnawed at them. The question still remained, which way should they go? A visual inspection of both paths only told them that they both wound to an unseen end. The red Uni looked once again to the Peophin for guidance. "Let's go right," she said confidently. Apollius agreed, and it was right they went.
The hard stony ground stung their hooves and amplified the sounds they made. It was obvious that there was no way they could sneak up on anyone under these conditions, even if anyone still lived here. The echoing of their own hooves kept them on their toes and kept their nerves on edge. The landscape was turning more gloomy and desolate as they traveled, and there seemed to be an abundance of spooky noises with few creatures around to produce them.
Apollius clumsily stumbled on while tripping over small stones in the path. His feet hurt but he continued courageously. The little red Uni was doing just fine when suddenly he stumbled over some loose rock and fell into a deep pit. Now it wasn't just his feet that hurt; he hurt all over.
Orphin turned around to see what had happened, only to find that her friend had vanished. She moved over towards the pit in response to his muffled calls. Looking into the depths of the pit, the blue Peophin could make out the form of her only friend, and he seemed to be pretty injured. From what she judged, he had a shattered wing and at least one broken leg. She sighed to herself and wondered what to do now. He seemed to be breathing, if only she could find a way to get him out of there. Thoughts and memories clouded her mind, and she knew she had to help him. That was when something interesting happened.
The Dark Faerie was patrolling the area and was really bored when she encountered the situation. A blue Peophin gazing into a pit was not something she was accustomed to. She grinned evilly to herself at the realization that an opportunity to gain something was at hand. The Dark Faerie strode calmly up to the troubled Peophin nearly scaring the poor creature to death. "What's wrong?" She asked dryly.
"My friend is trapped in the pit," Orphin motioned. "Can you help me?"
The Dark Faerie pondered the request carefully before saying, "I suppose I can help you, for a price!" "What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm called Orphin," the blue Peophin replied sadly, "and what is this price you refer to?"
"Well, Orphin," the Dark Faerie stated, "you have an item in your possession that I want." She paused, "That is the price to which I am referring to."
Orphin paused and thought carefully as the Dark Faerie's words sunk in. She had only one item in her possession, but could she part with it? The choice was surprisingly simple for her. "I agree to your terms," she said as she fished the blue Peophin plushie from her belongings.
"What?" the Dark Faerie asked in slight shock at the choice "You would really part with your most valued possession to save him?"
"Yes," Orphin stated boldly. "I don't need it anymore." She paused and continued, "It won't bring my old owner back and I no longer need it because I have a friend now."
The Faerie of Darkness was genuinely touched by this rousing speech and said, "I will do as you wish." With a wave of her hand she surrounded Apollius in a bubble of dark energy and gently lifted him out of the pit. "He's in pretty bad shape," she said, "but I can heal him." The bubble of energy stopped at her feet and slowly dissolved. With another motion of her hand the red Uni was blanketed in dark energy. A few seconds later, she said, "He'll be sore for a few days but with rest he will make a full recovery." She gazed at the two pets once more before saying, "Now away with you!" With a final motion they both vanished.
The landscape was changing and getting brighter. Before long the bright rays of sunlight nearly blinded the two of them. "That's odd," Orphin said to herself saying, "We're back outside of the woods." Upon further inspection she sensed something was different. Looking down she saw a necklace of striking beauty around her neck. It was definitely the same one she saw in her dream. "Are you okay?" she asked Apollius.
"Did anyone get the number of that Tonu that ran me over?" He said groggily
The blue Peophin rolled her eyes and said, "You nut!" as she gave him a playful nudge. Orphin gave a loud sigh and wondered what the future held if the odd artifact, which now hung around her neck, was any indication. More adventures were on the way.
In reflection, Orphin realized that while the goal of quest wasn't anything special, the journey there sure was.
The day was cloudy, though most of the Neopets didn't mind. The Unis were frolicking freely in the meadows while Kaus grazed peacefully. Eyries and Pteris perched on nearby branches to scout the activities from a high vantage point. Peophins played happily in the calm, cool waters of the numerous ponds. Well, most Peophins enjoyed themselves anyway. One Peophin never seemed to be too happy even though she wasn't cruel about it. Her name was Orphin, and no one really paid much attention to her. The name she was given didn't exactly win her much popularity and only reminded her of what she was, an orphan. Orphin was your typical blue Peophin. She had a radiant orange mane and beautiful emerald eyes.
The commotion stirred up by some young Unis drew her attention to their antics. One Uni was admiring its reflection in one of the crystal- like pools when another one knocked it in with a big splash. The whole ordeal did bring a grin to a face that didn't see much happiness. Orphin sighed to herself as she looked around at the multitude of Neopets that had at least one close friend, while some had more than one. Tiny tears filled her emerald eyes, leaving little ripples on the surface of the still water.
After awhile, she dove into the water and headed home. Her home was at the far end of an underwater city. It was inhabited mainly by Peophins, Flotsams, Jetsams, and Kikos. The fact that most of the other residents ignored her served only to make her feel worse. It always lifted her spirits to be back home and in a place of solitude. While it was solitude she wanted, it seemed that it was companionship she needed. She lay down on the bed and cuddled with her only possession, a blue Peophin plushie. This particular toy had been given to her by her former owner. The house had simple furnishings but they didn't mean as much to her as the sole gift from her previous owner. Sleep came quickly and she slept through the night.
Apollius walked confidently through the crowd of Neopets until he tripped. He looked around nervously to see if anyone had noticed. "I must be invisible," he grumbled to himself. Apollius was a red Uni, and a rather clumsy one at that. He had become quite used to stumbling around and tripping over things. This tendency didn't really win him any popularity.
He made his way to the nearest pool of clear water. The little red Uni was about to get a drink when the surface of the water boiled angrily and a huge wave nearly knocked him off of his feet. The dazed Uni looked up to see a blue Peophin emerging from the pond. Apollius was quite annoyed by this situation and his fur was now soaked. "Hey, watch what you're doing!" he shouted angrily.
"I'm sorry," the blue Peophin sobbed, "I didn't mean to."
Apollius softened a bit and replied , "It's okay. I didn't mean to yell at you." He gave a shake to remove the moisture from his fur. "My name's Apollius, What's yours?" he asked to break the awkward silence.
"My name's Orphin," she said thoughtfully. "Sorry about earlier."
Apollius grinned a little and said, "It's okay, I needed a bath anyway."
Orphin gave a little chuckle and turned away. It felt good to laugh again. She started to move away when she heard a familiar voice say, "Where are you going?" The voice was that of Apollius. She turned around and addressed the question put before her by saying, "I thought you had other friends you'd rather spend your time with."
He shook his head and said, "You're the first one to talk to me." The conversation went on and before they knew it, night had fallen. The two friends said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. They knew they would see one another again soon.
Orphin returned to her underwater home a little happier, while Apollius returned to his home in the meadows a little happier as well. He still tripped a lot but he didn't care. Orphin cuddled her plushie and went to sleep.
That night, strange visions filled her mind. She saw places that looked familiar and yet seemed distant and foreign. A necklace of great beauty stood out in her mind, forged of gold and adorned with gems. The dream, though cloudy, could mean only one thing. She knew she had to go on a quest even though the concept was quite frightening. Orphin awoke from the dream in a sweat and went back to sleep. She would need her rest.
When morning arrived she packed her things and put them in a convenient bag, and returned to the surface. Apollius was waiting near the pool and she told him about the dream. The mingling of fear and courage filled his mind. One thing was certain though; he could not let his only friend go alone. The red Uni gathered all of his courage, put up a brave front to mask his fear, and agreed to go with her.
Orphin nodded in acknowledgment and headed in the appropriate direction. Apollius followed, since after all it was his friend who seemed to know the way. The ground became harder and less green as they traveled deeper into the foreboding woods. The echo of hooves caused them both to be nervous. The canopy of trees kept out nearly all light and the desolate landscape caused eerie shadows to pop up everywhere. The wind whipped over the rocks and through trees causing spooky noises to fill the stale and lifeless air. It had become quite a bit cooler since they entered this scary place. The lack of sunlight didn't seem to help matters much either. The two Neopets shivered but whether from cold or fear was unknown except by them. They followed the path until it split into two separate directions. One path went right while the other went left. Apollius looked to Orphin for guidance but got none. She just sighed softly and tried to decide on a direction.
The trip had been quite fatiguing so the two tired pets decided to catch some rest, though the chill in the air made it quit difficult. The tuckered pets snuggled together for warmth and slept surprisingly sound.
The canopy of trees and tangled vines made it impossible to tell how much time had passed. Both of them felt a little better though fear still gnawed at them. The question still remained, which way should they go? A visual inspection of both paths only told them that they both wound to an unseen end. The red Uni looked once again to the Peophin for guidance. "Let's go right," she said confidently. Apollius agreed, and it was right they went.
The hard stony ground stung their hooves and amplified the sounds they made. It was obvious that there was no way they could sneak up on anyone under these conditions, even if anyone still lived here. The echoing of their own hooves kept them on their toes and kept their nerves on edge. The landscape was turning more gloomy and desolate as they traveled, and there seemed to be an abundance of spooky noises with few creatures around to produce them.
Apollius clumsily stumbled on while tripping over small stones in the path. His feet hurt but he continued courageously. The little red Uni was doing just fine when suddenly he stumbled over some loose rock and fell into a deep pit. Now it wasn't just his feet that hurt; he hurt all over.
Orphin turned around to see what had happened, only to find that her friend had vanished. She moved over towards the pit in response to his muffled calls. Looking into the depths of the pit, the blue Peophin could make out the form of her only friend, and he seemed to be pretty injured. From what she judged, he had a shattered wing and at least one broken leg. She sighed to herself and wondered what to do now. He seemed to be breathing, if only she could find a way to get him out of there. Thoughts and memories clouded her mind, and she knew she had to help him. That was when something interesting happened.
The Dark Faerie was patrolling the area and was really bored when she encountered the situation. A blue Peophin gazing into a pit was not something she was accustomed to. She grinned evilly to herself at the realization that an opportunity to gain something was at hand. The Dark Faerie strode calmly up to the troubled Peophin nearly scaring the poor creature to death. "What's wrong?" She asked dryly.
"My friend is trapped in the pit," Orphin motioned. "Can you help me?"
The Dark Faerie pondered the request carefully before saying, "I suppose I can help you, for a price!" "What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm called Orphin," the blue Peophin replied sadly, "and what is this price you refer to?"
"Well, Orphin," the Dark Faerie stated, "you have an item in your possession that I want." She paused, "That is the price to which I am referring to."
Orphin paused and thought carefully as the Dark Faerie's words sunk in. She had only one item in her possession, but could she part with it? The choice was surprisingly simple for her. "I agree to your terms," she said as she fished the blue Peophin plushie from her belongings.
"What?" the Dark Faerie asked in slight shock at the choice "You would really part with your most valued possession to save him?"
"Yes," Orphin stated boldly. "I don't need it anymore." She paused and continued, "It won't bring my old owner back and I no longer need it because I have a friend now."
The Faerie of Darkness was genuinely touched by this rousing speech and said, "I will do as you wish." With a wave of her hand she surrounded Apollius in a bubble of dark energy and gently lifted him out of the pit. "He's in pretty bad shape," she said, "but I can heal him." The bubble of energy stopped at her feet and slowly dissolved. With another motion of her hand the red Uni was blanketed in dark energy. A few seconds later, she said, "He'll be sore for a few days but with rest he will make a full recovery." She gazed at the two pets once more before saying, "Now away with you!" With a final motion they both vanished.
The landscape was changing and getting brighter. Before long the bright rays of sunlight nearly blinded the two of them. "That's odd," Orphin said to herself saying, "We're back outside of the woods." Upon further inspection she sensed something was different. Looking down she saw a necklace of striking beauty around her neck. It was definitely the same one she saw in her dream. "Are you okay?" she asked Apollius.
"Did anyone get the number of that Tonu that ran me over?" He said groggily
The blue Peophin rolled her eyes and said, "You nut!" as she gave him a playful nudge. Orphin gave a loud sigh and wondered what the future held if the odd artifact, which now hung around her neck, was any indication. More adventures were on the way.
In reflection, Orphin realized that while the goal of quest wasn't anything special, the journey there sure was.