A faint glimmer of silvery moonlight illuminated the silhouette of DuskWinged_Darigan the blue Korbat, flying toward his Faerieland home. This magnificent creature was no ordinary Korbat, there seemed to be more of him in every aspect: more rapture in his smile, more depth in his golden-eyed gaze, more purpose in his flight. With his violet-tinged wings fanned out like a sail, DuskWinged_Darigan landed with ease on an isolated cloud, checking the potions secured in his claws.

His owner, Lilicah, was waiting for him at the door, hands clasped around a weathered copy of Lost Spells of Neopia. As a powerful Neopian mage, Kauvara's apprentice and ambassador to the faeries, Lilicah was always working on some spell or another. She had such a knack for doing the supernatural and was rumored to have faerie blood in her. And if her deep, silvery gaze and delicate build were any indication, the rumors were true.

"What are you making today? Something for Kauvara?" DuskWinged_Darigan asked as he and his owner hauled numerous potion ingredients into the Neohome.

Lilicah grinned at her pet's curiosity. "No, Dar. It's just something I'm working on- a sort of theory, a little dangerous. I might need your help. You don't mind, do you?" the mage paused, watching her Korbat shake his head in an eager, bemused manner. "I making an orb," she explained, "It's a spell I found in an old book, dealing with darkness' opposition to light and that sort of thing. You know, boring magical theory. It's supposed to bring prosperity to whatever land that possesses it. I thought it might be interesting."

Taking the last bundle with her, Lilicah sat down at her Kauvara's table and began opening all the parcels she and her Neopet had brought in. Dar watched, fascinated, as she combined a Light Faerie's Wand, Dark Faerie's Amulet, Golden Leaves, Soul Stone, sprinkling Starlight Potion and Kauvara's Potion over everything. She struck the compound with a Fire and Ice Blade, freezing liquid and melting solid until the whole thing was a cauldron of golden ooze. He watched as the mass solidified into a perfectly round orb. Lilicah pointed a Wand of Nova at the sphere, murmuring a mysterious incantation under her breath. Suddenly, a mass of mystical, beautifully cut runes imbedded themselves into the orb's surface.

Lilicah stroked her handiwork, cheeks flushed, eyes bright. "Wow, that took a lot out of me!" she murmured, flicking beads of sweat off her golden curls. Dar wasn't listening- he was busy staring at the wilted Bluesticks that adorned the nearby Glass Coffee Table. The stalks were lengthening, the dying petals becoming glossy and returning to their bright azure hue. His eyes widened in awe.

"Lilicah! The Bluesticks are healing themselves!"

The mage attempted a weak smile. "Then I guess the experiment is a success," she replied. "Goodness, I didn't know it would take so much out of me! Maybe I shouldn't have tried it." Lilicah sighed. "I'm going to take a nap, Dar. You go play Faerie Crossword or something." Dar watched as his beloved owner slumped onto the Kauvara sofa, barely able to drag the sheets over her body. For the first time in his life, he was worried.

* * *

Instead of doing Faerie Crossword, Dar stopped by Healing Springs to ask Marina the water faerie about healing spells. He knew that something was seriously wrong with Lilicah and hoped that whatever the kindly water faerie concocted would tend to the faerie part of her. I hope it's not anything too serious, he thought with foreboding, Maybe it's just the beginning of a Neopox epidemic, or maybe she's just drained of her power. That's not so bad. She could still live a normal, happy life. So could I.

Dar found Marina in the herb garden by the glade, harvesting clusters of ripe violet berries. He let out a sigh of relief. For some reason, being in the presence of a faerie always made him feel better. Marina, with her probing eyes and shy smile, was the nicest

.

The water faerie glanced up, glossy flaxen curls tumbling in front of her lovely face. "Hello, Dar," she smiled benignly and greeted him in her soft, melodious voice, "How are you today?" The smiled faded when she noticed the solemn, anxious expression on Dar's usually exuberant face.

He opened his mouth, voice a thin croak. "Marina- I need help."

* * *

Dar knelt by the water's edge, nodding glumly as Marina handed him a cup of Strawberry Butter Tea. The water faerie had invited him to an afternoon tea, to discuss Lilicah's strange condition. He had already described to her everything he knew, but she was still trying to engage him in meaningless conversation. Come on, Marina, please get to the point! He pleaded silently as the faerie tried to interest him in the development of the faraway Happy Valley. Don't try to be gentle! I need-

Marina interrupted his thoughts with a quick, piercing glance. Dar sighed. Why did those cerulean eyes always make him feel ready to spill his deepest secrets? Faerie magic

Marina looked uneasy as she sipped her own tea, her hands rattling the delicate pink china. A few drops of the concoction dripped into the spring, creating ripples of amber and gold. The faerie brushed them away absently, focusing on her visitor's glum face.

A sigh escaped her lips, softening the unbearable silence that had veiled them both. "Dar, I know you want me to tell you exactly what's wrong with your mistress," she said rather cautiously, her eyes sorrowful. "Lilicah- always so daring! You are right- she shouldn't have tried that spell. Ancient magic is always so risky!" She closed her eyes, letting the crystalline waters wash over her silvery scales.

Dar's heart sank. "So it is fatal?"

The faerie looked thoughtful. "Not necessarily. There is a way" she seemed to be having a hard time forcing the words out of her throat. "It's so risky, possibly even more dangerous than the condition itself. I'll have to ask Fyora." Dar opened his mouth to speak, but Marina interrupted him. "But you're right. If we leave her as she is, her life could be in great peril." She sunk beneath the waves once more, as if she didn't want to say what this solution was.

"Marina?" Dar ventured, "What are you talking about?"

The water faerie looked up, resigned. She sighed, forever banishing her uncertainty. "Lilicah must become a faerie."