Inside her home at the outskirts of Faerieland, Jhudora stood in the middle of her living room next to a big cauldron of bubbling green liquid. The blinds were drawn to prevent peepers from looking in and there were candles placed around the room to provide some illumination. She stirred the contents of the cauldron sporadically while adding items into it at timed intervals. Orange Negg, Voidberry Potion, Blue Ogrin Morphing Potion, Fish Doughnutfruit, King Altador Stamp. Each item that went in sizzled and melted from the acidic nature of the fluid.

"Come on," Jhudora said impatiently as she monitored the hue and consistency of the solution while flickering her eyes occasionally at the clock on the wall. She continued adding item after item into the cauldron methodically, losing track of time as it passed steadily. Eventually, the solution stopped bubbling and turned into a brilliant shade of jade green.

"No way," Jhudora gasped as her jaw dropped. She sprinted across the room to grab her wand and rushed back to the pot. With her hands slightly quivering from anticipation, she used the ladle to scoop up some of the solution and held it above her wand.

"This has to work," Jhudora muttered to herself. "Please don't let this be like the other 71 attempts." She held her breath as she slowly poured the solution over the head of the wand. In all honesty, Jhudora mentally prepared for her wand to crumble into dust just like all the other attempts, but this time, the solution soaked into her wand and turned the head of it jade coloured.

Jhudora couldn't help but let out a maniacal laugh. All her hard work had finally paid off! She walked over to her cabinet and grabbed her Hubrid's Puzzle Box. About a year ago, Jhudora managed to imprison a powerful magical being in the box and finally, she had the means to drain that person's magical energy and make it hers. She started pressing certain parts of the puzzle box to activate it and...

Then the entire apparition grew and became more solid. Its head struck the shelves and bottles Jhudora had kept out of reach before hitting the ceiling, and she had to hurriedly push away her cauldron before its tail or its foot could knock her precious potion over. When it was all over, Jhudora found herself sharing her home with a huge, four-armed red Draik with a terrible look in his eyes that, well, rivalled the same look Jhudora had for questers who simply didn't meet her standards.

"Jhudora," the Draik hissed. "So, you were the one who disturbed my slumber...and trapped me in your toy?" His words grew progressively louder until they boomed all across the chamber.

At first, the dark faerie seemed taken aback, but she immediately drew herself to full height - never mind that the Draik dwarfed her - and brandished her wand.

"You should be thanking me, King Terask," she said, just barely managing to keep her voice even and emphasizing his self-imposed title. "I freed you from life as one of the queen's favourite stone statues in her palace so you can exact your long-awaited vengeance upon her, and I am here to help you."

Terask stared down at her for a few seconds before taking a swipe at her with his huge, sharp claws. Jhudora hurriedly dove aside in a most undignified manner, her wand still clutched in her hands.

"Liar!" he roared, exhaling a plume of fire that singed the hem of her skirt. "I know what you want from me. You want my power - the power that once surpassed Fyora's!"

Jhudora shook her head vehemently. "That's not true!"

"Then why did you trap me in this...this thing?" He pointed to the Hubrid's Puzzle Box.

"To keep you safe, lest Fyora traps you again!" she snapped, instantly forgetting about showing him any degree of respect. "You can trust me."

"I don't trust you," the Draik said with finality, as he overturned one of her tables, sending a vase and a few glasses tumbling to the floor. "Give me one good reason why I should trust anything you say..."

"You've done it once before, so I knew you could do it again." Jhudora began spinning her lies with a devious smirk and a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"And that isss?" Terask hissed, spewing globs of acidic saliva on Jhudora's cheek and chamber walls.

Jhudora wiped her face, trying her hardest to not complain about the biohazard splattered across her face. "You sealed Fyora into her own castle. Imagine what we could do now that the time is right."

Terask looked at her with hesitation and a hint of curiosity. "Go on..."

"The Council of Faeries just stopped Commander Garoo's plans to take over Neopia and made way for the Festival of Neggs Y23. They are just relishing in the aftermath of an amazing celebration and are suspecting nothing. Especially not the likes of you, who they assume to still be trapped and tucked safely away."

Now Terask was enticed, but still distrusting of Jhudora herself. "While the timing does seem particularly alluring, I still don't know why you would be a trustworthy ally." His eyes followed Jhudora's every move.

"No matter what I tell you, you won't trust me, Terask. I know it," Jhudora said, still thinking of how to get the large monstrosity on her side. "But would you trust a prophecy?" she inquired, raising a single eyebrow.

She walked over to a floating bookshelf and traced her fingers delicately along the spines of her collection. "Ah, here it is." Jhudora grabbed a book that was gilded - gold, old, and very thick.

The dark faerie flipped through its pages to find an illustration. The picture showed...

The bearded Moehog’s lips tightened into a thin line.  “That’s just it, my boy, I’ve been having trouble deciphering it, but I feel as though I’m getting close.  The Vision, while reliable in some ways, is most fickle in others.”

The younger Moehog gazed up at him.  “Sir Octavio, you really think I have The Vision?”

  The bearded Moehog paused and gave the younger one a hard stare. Indeed, the latter’s eyes were full of stars, holding no awareness of the foul visions within The Vision, the clarity of which was sometimes not meant for mortal eyes.

  “I don’t know, Braxton.  Cleverest in your Astrology and Potions classes though you may be, The Vision chooses to bestow itself on certain Neopians.  Caylis of Maraqua obviously had it, as did her sister.” As if in emphasis, the Moehog nudged the book closer to him.

  “Here’s what I think: that circle looks a lot like Neopia, and I’m sure you’d agree.” Sir Octavio looked to the younger Moehog, who nodded.

  “Following you so far.  My Geography’s pretty great, too!” the Moehog puffed out his chest, almost obnoxiously unaware of the dire implications of the drawing.

  Sir Octavio shook his head and pointed at the ancient book.  “Now this—I’ve only seen that red mouth in one other place, in that game you kids like to play—”

  Braxton snorted.  “Wait a minute, Sir Octavio, are you saying that’s…”King” Terask about to eat up Neopia? The character from NeoQuest II?”

  Sir Octavio bristled. “It is what The Vision is telling me,” he defended.

  “Uh…Sir Octavio?” Braxton leaned in to whisper, as if he’d held a prophecy of his own. “Terask is actually a computer virus.”

“Oh aye,” the elder Moehog nodded vigorously.  “That’s not to say the virus was so evil, it could manifest itself into reality through channels of powerful, twisted magic!”

  Braxton sighed.  There was just no getting through to the deluded, old man.  “Thank you for the after-school classes, but I’m not sure I’m learning much anymore.”

  Sir Octavio needed no Vision to see that there was a wall between the two Moehogs.  “Very well.  You are dismissed.”

  When the quietest of Braxton's hoofbeats disappeared into the night, Sir Octavio squinted at the book once more, struggling to shake off his disappointment.  Such a promising child, but completely scorned by The Vision.  No one in Meridell, it seemed, had it at all, except Octavio himself.

  Perhaps I truly am mad... he thought, before wrinkling his snout. He had to focus.

The mouth around Neopia was easily the scariest part, especially when combined with the toxic-looking wings that somewhat resembled…Jhudora’s?

  But how on earth would they come together?  That hadn’t been shown to him yet, just that one picture in the book, every night, in his dreams, for several days, growing closer and closer with each passing dream…

  The yellow star, chaotic in its twisted form, seemed to signify a great battle, but the shape to the left, the twin cream-coloured triangles, that remained a mystery.

  Sir Octavio sighed and rubbed his eyes. Sleep had been clawing at them for hours, and it was perhaps time to succumb.

Blowing out the last of his candles, the bearded Moehog curled up in the complete darkness, and, as anticipated, began to dream...

Sir Octavio moved through the burning streets with the sure, steady stride of a dreamer. He had to go somewhere. He didn't know where, but he had to go. His hooves drew him urgently forward.

And then he saw the cream-coloured peaks. A mountain? A rising star? What was it?

There was another shadow in the middle of the star. He squinted. Running faster now, he saw...

"Braxton! BRAXTON!"

***

"Braxton," Terask repeated, breathing deeply.

Jhudora read the verse on the page again. It was printed in cursive, curled around the strange diagram. "When fire turns purple and green," she read, "and light spins past the capstan, watch for a crystal-pale ravine. Listen for the name of Braxton."

"Enough!" The dragon snarled. "I've had enough of prophecies." But there was uncertainty in his eyes, and Jhudora could see it.

"Well, clearly you and I were meant to work together," the dark faerie said. "You have the fire, and I..." She fluttered her purple-green wings. "As for this Braxton... what do you know?"

"It is one of the most ordinary names in Meridell." Terask's brows furrowed. "The name of a commoner. I may have heard it before, but I... don't remember where."

"It could also be a place-name," Jhudora mused. "A Meridellian town. Located between two cream-coloured peaks, in a crystal-pale ravine... But either way, this prophecy predicts only our alliance, and not the outcome." She locked eyes with Terask. "Does it not seem fated? Will you work with me?"

Terask turned away, and then back with sudden impatience. "Where did you find this prophecy? What compelled you to wake me from my slumber?"

"It was tucked at the back of Fyora's Hidden Tower." Jhudora gestured out the window. "Locked in a box, like she didn't want anyone to find it, you know?" She chuckled. "Of course, if I knew of a prophecy predicting my possible doom, I'd seal it away too. But Fyora made a mistake. When she left it in the care of that good-for-nothing Baelia, I snuck in and out quite easily." She wrapped her long fingernails on the book's gilded spine. "As for why I want to work with you, well, the answer should be obvious. I dislike her Majesty as much as you do. I'd like you to be in power, King Terask."

Terask drew himself upright, spreading his wings. "Then we will find this Braxton..."

"Will this really work?" Terask cast a disbelieving eye over the dark faerie and whatever magic she was working.

"Hmph. Of course it will," she said smugly. "Powers of darkness, reveal to me, the prophesized Braxton's identity!"

The clouds within the crystal swirled even faster until they melded into a landscape of green hills and mountains - though not a single peak looked like the ones from the prophecy. Jhudora and Terask were given a Pteri's eye view of a small village, presumably in Meridell, which zoomed into a small cottage, outside of which a young Moehog sat reading a book.

* * *

Braxton, up until now, was blissfully unaware of the role he would play in the prophecy he had disparaged just yesterday.

The young Moehog had no classes that morning, and was pondering whether he would visit Sir Octavio again and listen to more rambling about a prophecy somehow tied to a character from a game. He sat outside his house, perusing a book of old faerie tales. There were old legends about King Terask, his rebellion, and the power he gained in order to unseat Fyora for a time, but Braxton had always dismissed them as legends upon which a roleplaying game had been built.

Then a familiar voice made him look up and snap his book shut.

"Braxton! BRAXTON!"

"S-Sir Octavio?!"

Setting his book aside, Braxton hurried to help the older Moehog, who was leaning heavily on a gnarled wooden staff. So much for visiting Sir Octavio; the old one had apparently decided to visit him instead.

"What are you doing here?" Braxton ushered him toward the little cottage after retrieving the book of faerie tales.

"Listen, boy," said Octavio, "I know you may think me mad...yes, I do not need The Vision to know that. Your silence is quite deafening."

At the very least, Braxton had the grace to look mildly embarrassed.

"Besides, wasn't that Topsi fellow built like the Bionic Cybunnies said to have served Terask?"

"T-Then, the stories about Terask..." The young Moehog stared at his tome.

Octavio dismissed any other words Braxton would have said with a wave, his shaggy brows furrowing as he stepped over the threshold. "More importantly, I dreamed about the image in that book, which I showed you."

"You did?" Something about the look on the oldster's face made Braxton hold his tongue before he could make any more NeoQuest II jokes. "Er...what did you see?"

"Destruction. Fire." Octavio's brows furrowed even more deeply and he seemed to age several more years. "And you, Braxton."

Those last words were like a knell echoing all around the cottage. Braxton stared at Sir Octavio in sheer disbelief, his book dropping to the floor.

* * *

"Then...this is Braxton?" asked the giant Draik, leaning down to get a better look at the young Moehog depicted within Jhudora's crystal ball.

"Or it might be the place where this Moehog lives."

"Some help your toy turned out to be."

Jhudora bit back a caustic remark, which vanished from her mind entirely when she saw the image within her crystal ball flicker from thick clouds back to the scene with the Moehog and back again. She scowled.

"What is this?" She grabbed her wand and flicked it over her ball.

"Another power is interfering with your magic," snarled Terask. "It's blocking you. It's..."

"The Vision," Jhudora finished as the image disappeared entirely. "There is someone with The Vision nearby...and if we can find them, we can find Braxton..."

"Now, we need disguises. I'm sure that anyone would recognize you instantly. You're huge! Stand still, I'm going to disguise you." Jhudora commanded.

"Hold on a moment, I am the almighty Terask! You cannot so simply ask me to conceal my majesty!" The giant Draik was taken aback.

"You got a better plan? They will instantly recognize you. Lucky for you I happen to have some magical make up." Jhudora didn't even ask before she started climbing up Terask's scales, and repeatedly puffing him with a makeup puff. Terask tried resisting instantly, but slowly stopped struggling as he realized that she was right, and he didn’t have a better plan. Before he even realized it she had popped off the lid to a shimmery lipstick, and smearing it over him.

“There. Done.” She proudly proclaimed after recapping the glowing makeup kit. “How does it feel?”

“Like there's something on my scales. What did you just do?” Terask had never worn a disguise before, and was only mildly discomforted.

Jhudora suppressed a slight giggle as she held up a mirror to him. “Take a look for yourself.”

Terask recoiled in horror as he saw his whole face caked in very fancy magical makeup. It was expertly applied, but no amount of makeup could tame his rough and rugged appearance. “I look ridiculous! What have you done!” he shouted in anger.

“Give it a moment! You have to let the magic kick in.” She assured him. Sure enough, moments after the embarrassing visage was revealed, his reflection started to morph. He didn’t feel a thing, but in the mirror he was starting to look like a handsome, and princely young Blumaroo. “It’s working…” He admitted with a grumble. “But why a Blumaroo… I hate Blumaroos.”

Without answering his question, Jhudora simply tapped her wand upon her head and instantly changed into the appearance of a typical Earth Faerie. “Now, we start searching…”

* * *

Braxton struggled with Sir Octavio’s visions of the future. Was he really that wrong that a computer virus really could wreak so much havoc? Could he put his trust in Sir Octavio? He knew him well, but he was starting to get old, and it was such a ridiculous vision. But Braxton took another look into his old mentor’s eyes and knew. Sir Octavio’s grave expression meant that it was serious and real.

"So you see doom? How do I stop a viru- I mean, a draconic menace?" Braxton worried.

"I know you are desperate for answers, but The Vision doesn't work like that." Sir Octavio. "It is at this point that you must rely on your wits and presence." He tried to assure the younger Moehog.

Wits… Braxton looked around his cottage. Board games, a wooden sword. Cup, bowls, and plates, an unopened letter, and a cosy fire in the fireplace. Not much to be witty with, let alone prevent a disaster. His deep thoughts were soon interrupted by an incredibly powerful knock at the door...

With a deep breath, he yanked open the door expecting to see a large, red monster, but instead, he saw a squat Usul.

“Finally,” she said, brushing past him into the cottage. “I was standing out there longer than the Obelisk War. I hope you don’t mind me tagging along to the Moehog Day festivities. Oh hi, Sir Octavio. When are we leaving? There are so many already heading down to the ravine. Some fancy-schmancy Blumaroo bumped into me and didn’t even apologize.”

“Joanne, this isn’t really a good time-“ Braxton started, but he stopped when his friend had turned to face him, her perky Usul ears standing tall… like two quirky triangles.

“You’re looking very… cream coloured today,” Braxton said, motioning for the older Moehog to get a better view.

“Oh no,” Joanne huffed, staring at her reflection in a nearby teapot. “Do I seem pale? Ever since I got a job in the castle, I don’t get outdoors as much anymore. Well, are we heading down to the Moehog festival or not?” She pranced towards the door, pausing to peer back at the pair.

“I hardly think now is the time for fun and frolicking,” Sir Octavio hissed. “We must work on a plan!”

But Braxton felt an inexplicable urge to follow his friend. As soon as he’d made the decision in his mind, a warming feeling began to grow in his chest, affirming to him this was the right choice. Or it could have been heartburn from the pizza he ate earlier… No. No, this felt right.

“Lead the way to the ravine,” he declared.

After a frustrated growl to the empty cottage, Sir Octavio hobbled after them.

***

“How are we to find someone with The Vision amongst all these commoners?” Terask breathed.

Jhudora rolled her eyes. Even through the disguise, the dragon couldn’t contain the small wisps of fire emanating from the corner of his mouth. The faerie needed to work fast, lest he ruin the entire plan. They had joined the throng of festival-goers celebrating Moehog Day in a nearby ravine.

“Stop snarling at everyone who passes by,” Jhudora whispered. “We’re supposed to be blending in.”

“You call that a smile?” Terask scoffed. “You’re grimacing.”

Jhudora rounded on him, a retort on the tip of her tongue, but the words were lost as she felt it. The Magic. The crowd of people parted in front of them, and not even the softened Earth Faerie’s features could hide the true and wicked smile…

“Hey, Count Von,” she whispered, elbowing Terask, “look over there.”

Though he narrowed his eyes at the moniker, the Blumaroo looked in the direction Jhudora had gestured without a word. Then he scoffed, a simple “hmph” that dripped with amusement. “What a joke of a prophecy this is,” he laughed. “If that scrawny thing is the Braxton your tome sings the praises of… well, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble at all.”

Jhudora rolled her eyes at the beast’s arrogance. Anyone with eyes could see that the Moehog in front of them was weak… but that didn’t mean he was powerless. Don’t you feel the magic roiling underfoot? she thought. Don’t you feel that he’s the one emitting it?

But Jhudora retained her silence. She didn’t care if Terask flew too close to the sun. It would only benefit her if he underestimated their foe and sustained an injury that allowed her to seize his powers. She pursed her lips to keep a grin from overtaking them. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you…

***

At long last—and after sustaining more bruises than he could count from the jostling crowd—Braxton and crew reached the centre of the Moehog Day festivities.

The location was ideal for a festival, with flat lands suitable for hastily-erected merchants’ tents, market stalls, and other diversions for the excited attendees. It also happened that a river, flowing and pooling into several crystal-clear ponds along its length, cut through the ravine, providing a perfect escape from the day’s heat.

As Braxton continued to look about, the jovial sound of music caught his ears. Curiosity piqued, the Moehog turned his head, and saw a wooden stage set up on the far side of the ravine, complete with a marching band and several accompanying musicians.

He enjoyed the low drone of the brass section, juxtaposed against the frequent crashes in the percussion... but then, with a flutter in the woodwinds, the trumpets began to blare in a seemingly impossible crescendo—heralding the start of something big, no doubt. The reverberations seemed to echo in his bones, and without thinking, he began to walk towards the stage. He felt a strange and deep connection with the ground beneath him… with the sound waves rippling through the air… with the water flowing across the stones in the creek.

Before either Sir Octavio or Joanne could notice, Braxton had vanished into the crowd.

***

By this point, Jhudora and Terask had made their way to the middle of the ravine as well. Jhudora could see the Blumaroo getting more frenzied with each passerby that bumped against him, the flames that he had once kept at bay roaring out of his nostrils with each irritated breath he took.

“Your fur’s getting singed,” Jhudora pointed out, snuffing a tiny flame that had erupted on the Blumaroo’s shoulder with a snap of her fingers. “I’m beginning to think Fyora locked you away for your own good.”

Terask glanced back at her, something resembling excitement in his eyes. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, faerie,” was all he said before turning back around, eyes scouring the crowd for the Moehog Jhudora had pointed out earlier.

“Yeah, whatever.”

The pair wandered for what seemed like quite a while, passing laughing children and their chattering parents, threading their way through market stalls bustling with activity and bursting with delicious scents. Jhudora couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if she’d attended the festival as a regular faerie, and not as the accomplice of a beast set on destruction…

“There!” Terask shouted all of a sudden, pointing a scaled claw in the direction of a marching band stationed a short distance away.

Wait… a scaled claw?

Jhudora opened her mouth to shout at Terask for breaking his disguise, but before she had time to do it, a wave of heat stole her breath. “You fool!” she shouted, watching with growing anger as the once-sophisticated Blumaroo morphed into a hulking, red-scaled beast “You’ll set this place alight!”

The huge Draik smiled, sending a shiver down Jhudora’s spine. “I hope it occurs to you that that’s the plan.”

Jhudora’s eyes widened as Terask blew a column of orange flame at a nearby tent, bathing it in smoke and fire. Almost immediately, she heard screams, loud and shrill, echoing from the mouths of the once-laughing crowd, who began to push against one another in an attempt to flee Terask’s rampage.

As much as she wanted to help them, Jhudora knew it was better if they ran; her disguise, weakly made as it was, had already begun to waver in the heat, and would only last a moment longer. Seeing me would only frighten them, anyway, she thought. So much for living life as a regular faerie.

Jhudora allowed herself a breath to quiet her thoughts. She didn’t think she could stop Terask on her own—just the residual heat from his fiery blasts was enough to give her a headache—but perhaps she could work to make his rampage less destructive.

Thinking quickly, Jhudora reached into the folds of her dress and retrieved several Malice Potions. The purple-green liquid, which contained the magical powers of both good and evil, swirled rapidly within. At this point, Jhudora didn’t have time to second-guess her plan; all she could do was fling the potions at Terask, hoping that luck would find itself on her side…

***

Across the ravine, Braxton woke to find himself collapsed on the ground. His head pounded, and the brief memory of crescendoing music rang in his ears. As he rose to his feet, he looked frantically about for Sir Octavio and Joanne… but only smoke, heat, and distant, terrified screams were there to greet him. He thought he heard someone calling his name through the chaos, but couldn’t be sure of anything.

On any other day, the Moehog would’ve been frozen in fear at the situation before him… but this time, something felt different. He felt different.

And he knew what had to be done…

The Vision. It all made sense now. Octavio wasn't a crazy old fool -- he was simply one with the universe, at peace with the cosmic forces that flowed and ebbed and connected all living things, past, present, and future.

And maybe, just maybe, Braxton was too.

The young Moehog raised the birchwood sword he had swiped from his cottage on the Meridellian countryside and concealed prior to his departure to the festival. This was it. Never was he so sure of anything. This was his moment -- that prophesied by Octavio, his book of faerie tales, and legends before him untold. In, NeoQuest II, Terask might have been a computer virus. But in the real world, Braxton would be Terask's vanquisher. Braxton was the rising star.

Braxton charged across the ravine and into the scene just in time to see Jhudora toss a Malice Potion into Terask's flames. But this only seemed to exacerbate the fire, and caused a massive green and purple explosion through the festival tents.

He saw flames. Revellers running out of their tents, screaming, clutching their children and Petpets. A great shadowy figure rose and dipped in the sky, roaring. Green-and-purple smoke. Flames everywhere: crackling, blinding, hot.

Somewhere, at the back of Braxton's mind -- far beyond the here and now, the wits and presence -- he heard Jhudora shout some expletives at the potion apparently deciding to be evil. As though this was not going according to her plan... The Moehog catalogued this information for later.

Jhudora tossed another Malice Potion, and again the smoke merely augmented the raw carnal power of Terask's flames as the beast flew and breathed fire from above.

As though driven on prophecy alone -- or maybe it was muscle memory, from all the times he played NeoQuest II, even in his lucid dreams -- Braxton effortlessly approached the Draik and pointed the tip of his sword up at the beast. "What have you done with everyone -- Joanne and Sir Octavio!?" the young Moehog boomed.

Terask snarled, landed, and craned his neck slowly down to look at the supposed protagonist. "The real question is -- just what do I do with you?"

The last of Jhudora's Malice Potion soared toward Terask. The beast grumbled and turned his head back toward the faerie. "Not NOW Jhudora, I'm in the middle of something important. Work on your timing, dangit."

Braxton looked over at Jhudora and noted that she merely grumbled in response to Terask's reprimand... and then it hit him.

Jhudora and Terask weren't in cahoots. No, rather the opposite. Sure, Jhuroda couldn't generally be trusted... but the enemy of Braxton's enemy was his friend -- wasn't she?

The Dark Faerie looked over at Braxton with almost pleading eyes. He nodded at her, then turned back toward Terask -- as Terask turned his head to face the boy.

With a great roar, Braxton charged at the beast.

Terask breathed fire and ash and smoke at him... but Braxton had played NeoQuest II before. "Left Left Right Left-Bumper Right-Back Right Left Left-Back Right-Bumper" he uttered mercilessly as the cheat code took effect. He managed to soar right over Terask's head, narrowly missing the flames the beast shot at him. But a narrow miss was still a miss, and that was all that mattered. The birchwood sword, with its cream-coloured tip -- seemingly magically enhanced by whatever power or Vision had enchanted this battlefield -- sliced the horn right off Terask's nose. And this made Terask angrier.

From the ground, Braxton gazed toward Jhudora -- who gave him a thumbs up before continuing her potion work -- before charging back into Terask whilst reciting another code. "Left Right Right-Bumper Left-Back..." Thank Fyora he was a gamer. This code would deal some serious damage.

Meanwhile, Jhudora was doing all she could to re-craft her original liquid -- attempt 73. Methodically -- insofar as she could with all this wanton destruction about -- she added to her bubbling Cauldron-To-Go (TM) various things she found around the Festival that she hoped would work as adequate substitute ingredients. A Void Blade. A Blueberry Fish Pop. A slightly torn Blue Moehog Plushie. Even an exquisite hand-painted portrait of King Altador for some "Support our Moehogs" charity auction, or something like that. She had everything she needed except--

"Jhudora!" came frazzled speech behind her. "What's GOING ON HERE!?"

The Dark Faerie gritted her teeth at the familiar voice. "Earthie..." she started slowly as she spun around to face, no doubt, Illusen's wrath.

The Earth Faerie looked disapprovingly at the Dark Faerie. "I invite you to be my plus one at the Council of Faeries' Festival of Neggs After-party but you go here instead?" She gestured dismissively out into the chaos. "And you're chasing after an ancient demon beast like some common trollop?"

Jhudora scowled, she didn't have time for this. And then she noticed the Orange Negg in Illusen's hand. Some party favour, no doubt.

"Well the party was very nice, even without you," the earth faerie harrumphed. "Though I looked pretty foolish sitting beside an empty chair you-- hey!" Illusen shouted as the Orange Negg was torn from her palm.

"I love ya' Earthie but now is NOT the time for your incessant babbling," Jhudora muttered with a scowl as she tossed in the Negg. At once, the cauldron seemed to bubble that familiar share of jade... but something was wrong. Something was amiss. The ingredients weren't coalescing as they had before -- the potency of these substitutes mustn't have been balanced. The jade colour seemed to flicker, as her crystal ball had earlier. Fear spread over the Dark Faerie's face.

Meanwhile, amidst the cackles of flames, Braxton's voice could again be heard. "Left Right Right Joystick-Up Joystick-Left Joystick-Right Left-Bumper Joystick-Down," he said with a grin. That one was a particular favourite of Mr. Insane. The young Moehog dodged the beast by running between its legs, where he took a swipe at a place he knew would cause the beast pain.

Indeed, the beast squealed -- then roared. "YOU BRAT!" it seethed. And then Terask mustered his energy. "You know... I've been going easy on you, because I didn't want to hurt some kid. But you've proven yourself, Braxton." He spun around to gaze at the lad. "You are not weak like first I presumed. You are a force with a power equal to my own!" The beast cackled, and his eyes went alight. "Join me, Braxton -- join Jhudora and I in our fight against Fyora! Be the rising star we need!"

Braxton just stared back at him, a vengeance in his eyes. "No," he said. "NO!" he repeated, even bolder, as he rose his sword. "I'm Braxton Evermore, prepare to die!"

But something stopped him from rushing the beast. He snapped his neck over to look at Jhudora and Illusen, arguing and staring into the murky jade substance. But then Illusen suddenly and quickly flew away, much to Jhudora's seeming dismay.

Though, none of that truly mattered. As though compelled by the forces of the universe, Braxton knew this fight was going to end here -- and end by helping Jhudora.

The Moehog dashed away, and Terask merely laughed, snorting wisps of smoke. "Running away? Some saviour you are."

And then Braxton saw it, scattered about a table that was overturned in the fray.

Some cream-coloured nacho chips, the triangles just drenched in the burniest, fieriest, melt-your-mouth-and-your-house hot sauce the Moehog had ever had the displeasure of accidentally trying one midsummer evening two years ago.

The missing ingredient. The last piece of the prophecy.

He dashed up, and -- avoiding Terask's flames -- said "Right Right Right Right Joystick-Right" in rapid succession... the Mad Dash command in his video game. In no time at all, he was right beside Jhudora's cauldron. He tossed in the chips, and the concoction went from a dull jade to a bright, sparking red.

Jhudora's eyes widened. "Boy... I think you just saved the day."

With one of many broken wooden spoons she found around the festivities, she quickly dabbled some of the mixture onto her latest wand. Rather than crumble to dust or glow a nice jade, a powerful red beam immediately fired from it and toward Terask, immediately linking the two in a massive magical energy surge and transferral.

Before the beast could even roar at this apparent betrayal, he collapsed on the ground, defeated.

***

Jhudora groaned and raised a hand to her throbbing head. Mustering her effort, she sat up.

Illusen, beside her, hugged her. Fyora stood above them both. "See, I knew she would pull through," the Faerie Queen replied, a wry bent to her voice.

"Once I saw that you were only trying to help defeat that... monster," started Illusen incredulously, "I called for the Faerie Queen. But then, according to witness accounts, there was a massive magic surge between you and the beast and you passed out!"

"Terask had too much power, even for you to contain, Jhudora," said Fyora sagaciously.

Jhudora squinted as her forehead throbbed again. "Yeah... I-I guess so," she stuttered, her voice distant. But then she cracked a smile. "But, he's gone, right?"

"Vanquished, indeed." Fyora smiled softly. "Good work, Jhudora. I'm glad to see the Book of Prophecies I gifted you came in handy."

Jhudora bit back a scowl, immediate sober... and she grit her teeth as she was suddenly swarmed by Moehogs and a few other Neopets, like Joanne.

"She has woken!" Joanne called, to a chorus of cheers through the crowd. "All hail the King and Queen of the Festival!" shouted the Usul as Braxton walked and stayed beside the dark faerie. Joanne tossed petals from the castle flowers at the pair.

The Moehog turned back toward Jhudora. "We did it, Jhudora!" Jhudora just glared back at him -- though inside, she was smiling.

Sir Octavio walked up to them. "All of us here helped to extinguish the fires -- a ravine nearby is a boon for this -- but we would be nothing, nae, not even alive, without our saviours... The legendary two who put Terask to rest, once and for all!" He gestured toward Braxton and Jhudora.

"To Jhudora," he started as he walked up to her, "I must apologize. I seem to have had the prophecy wrong. You were BEHIND the red mouth... which meant that you were always destined to be Terask's betrayer, his backstabber. To go against him for the good of us all. And you have proven yourself today. All hail Jhudora, QUEEN OF THE MOEHOGS!"

The crowd started to applaud, and Fyora came and hung a medal around Jhudora's neck. Jhudora scowled... outwardly. Inwardly, she was rather content, maybe even squeeing. Maybe this was what it felt like to be a "regular" faerie for once... well. Maybe not. But maybe one day... that would be a story (beginning) for another time.

"And to Braxton, VANQUISHER, SHINING STAR..." He laid a hoof on the lad's shoulder. "I know that I am your mentor, but you taught me something today." Braxton just stared up at Sir Octavio with wide, sparkling eyes. "That there is some merit to being an obsessive gamer after all." The crowd laughed -- not even Braxton could stop himself from chuckling. "You have done well, my pupil. May you continue to grow, and continue to hone your Vision." The two hugged, and then Braxton, clutching Terask's nose-horn, raised it in victory.

There was a large wave of applause after that, and the revellers then started to talk amongst themselves. Sure, their food was gone, and 90% of their decorations were charred to ash -- but it was still Moehog Day, for Fyora's sake, and they were going to celebrate.

As the festivities started again in their limited capacity, Jhudora slipped away across the hills and out into the Meridellian countryside. She scowled and threw off the tiny Moehug crown they had bestowed upon her... and then felt some raw, fiery energy, surge through her veins. A slow smile spread on her face -- maybe summoning Terask hadn't been for naught, after all.

But exploring her newfound power and magic could wait.

First, she deserved a nice nap -- she had been up since nighttime. Then, she would destroy her remaining few Hubrid's Puzzle Boxes; she could do without the chaos those creatures could unleash.

Receiving a medal of honour from Fyora? Being called good? Hailed as a saviour?

A sly smirk formed on the dark faerie's lips.

Yeah, this beast had been far more trouble than he was worth.

THE END