The not so wonderful life of the Soup Faerie.

By Mellawson999

The Soup Faerie sighed as she saw the mess that coated her kitchen from top to bottom. Cracked jars lay scattered across the floor, their contents spilling over the chipped tiles. The soup pot lying on its side, layers of thick, hot soup escaping and dripping through the tiles frail cracks. The room was a mess. Picking a broom up from the corner, she set about fixing the mess that brewed up over night.

The winter sun peeped up from behind her netted curtains, signalling 6am. Putting the broom away, she tied her white apron around her and began to haul ingredients into the huge stirring pot. Stirring the many frothing bubbles creeping up into the mixture, she brought the spoon to her mouth. Her eyes tightened and her ears pricked when she heard the sound of pattering feet in the distance. Wiping the spoon on her blue jeans, she quickly hid the broken jars behind a large oak desk.

"Hello Soup Faerie!" a passing Blumaroo shouted to her "Got any good soup today, I just gave away 20 neopoints so I could come here."

A real smile should have come to her face at that comment, but it didn't. Instead she plastered a fake one as she ladled out some steaming, nutritious soup.

"Thanks," he cried before bouncing away into the distance.

Sighing, she sat on her front step, biting her lip, making blood seep from the cut.

A long line of neopia's finest neopets were stationed in front of the small, soup pot shaped house. Painted pets alike stood with their owners or on their own, lab ray pets bouncing over the place, and newly created pets standing obediently next to their owners. Ignoring the happy comments of the rich pets, she smiled at the innocent pets gushing out stories and thanks. Hour after hour, she stirred up new kinds of soup and watched her energetic customers hop away into the horizon. The queue died down for a while as the clock passed 3pm. Possibly waiting for their owners and playing with them, she thought sadly. Glancing out of the window to where the Money tree stood, she saw many neopets hanging money bags on its many branches before trailing over to her house. 'Was that all she was here for?' She thought and sighed 'to give people to lazy to buy their own, food to eat?'

Pulling out a closed sign, she attached it to her door and grabbed a thick winter coat before rushing out of her hut.

The snow blew around her as icy tears leaked from her eyes. She passed many neopets that asked her where she was going and complained about the wait they would have to endure. A starry Uni, who was padding across the snowy path, frowned at her as she ran. Her footsteps echoing, she plucked 500 neopoints of the Money Tree's spiny thorns. Hugging her coat closer to her, she sped up the path which led to Brightdale. Taking a left turn when she got their, she headed up to the neighbouring kingdom that over looked Brightdale's terraced houses. The Soup Faerie paid no attention to the shining, diamond houses, instead running up the steps which led to the wheel of knowledge.

"Never thought I'd be here," she whispered clenching the bag. The Soup Faerie never saw what neopians did in the wheels. Happy go lucky chances of riches, but a 50 chance of poorness. Gambling she called it.

Placing the bag on the greedy merchant's chequered table, she gave the wheel an almighty spin. Placing a cold hand on her icy cheek, she waited patiently for it to stop. When it finally slowed down, she peered at the icon before hurrying down to the merchant and handing him the picture. She saw him frown as he pulled out a green ticket.

"What's this for?" she asked clueless.

He tutted and replied "So you can visit the King for as long as you like! Gee for a faerie you sure are dumb!"

Holding back insults by biting her tongue, she calmly walked away.

"Oh dear wise King," she sobbed "I need to know, why am I here?"

"You are here to help new neopians from starving dear Soup Faerie," was his reply.

"I know of this, but every day I see rich pets hang money from the Great Money tree's branches before trailing to my hut."

"There is nothing wrong with this."

"I know Sire, but when I have finished ladling them soup, they will go along to the tree and take back their money."

Hearing a pause, she waited.

"There is nothing I can say to this Faerie," he told her.

Suddenly the anger piled inside her exploded.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE KING OF KNOWLEDGE!" she screeched "WHAT USE ARE YOU IF YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL OF A WAY TO STOP THE GREED OF NEOPIANS!"

"I…….." he was stopped.

"NO! YOU HAVE ALL THESE RICHS, YET YOU BUY YOUR OWN FOOD AND YOU DO NOT COME TO ME BEGGING LIKE SO MANY!" she panted before carrying on "EVERY DAY IT'S THE SAME, INNOCENT PETS PLAY IN THE GROUNDS WITH THEIR OWNERS BEFORE HEADING TO THE SHOPS, AND YET PAINTED PETS WITH RICH OWNERS HEAD TO ME!"

"This is understandable," he stammered flustered at the usually gentle Faerie's out burst.

"THEN WHY ALL THE GREEDINESS?"

She stormed out, leaving a heavy atmosphere behind her. Court Jesters shivering in fear, and the King in a fit of hysteria.

Hot angry tears fell from her delicate eyes, her throat horse from the yelling. Never stopping once, she ran. Ignoring the line of abuse yelling customers, she rushed into her house and slammed the door shut. Kicking the soup pot over, she thrust the jars that filled her shelves onto the floor, and sat sobbing in the mess.

Hearing the commotion out side, concerned and just plain hungry neopets and owners crowded around her door.

"She must be ill," one whispered.

"Or off her rocker," said another.

A pink cybunny seethed at this and shot the two pets an evil look. (Just imagine the dark Faerie's, but 1,000 times worse.)

The door creaked open, and the mass of people jumped back. The soup faerie stepped out.

"How can I help you?" she smiled, oblivious to the stares she was getting and the mess that littered the kitchen.

The crowds slowly backed away and ran off to the other shops that were scattered around.

"Well that was strange ey Kaman," she told the kadotie nudging at her leg.

She picked up a broom and began sweeping her welcome matt, humming a tune.

Mellawson999, a frequent visitor, placed a jar of flowers beside the bubbling pot. She sighed as she heard she Soup Faerie sing a strange tune. Biting her lip as she opened the door and stepped out, she wondered what had ever gone wrong with the Soup Faerie. Some said she was always crazy. Some said she finally cracked from the stress. Others scolded the rumour spreading Neopians and insisted she needed a little time off.

"Well," Mel whispered "I guess we'll never know.