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We stopped at the Ice Caves on the way back, so we could
get some ice for Shimmer's foot. I was fairly exhausted when we reached Truth's
cave. It is not easy to fly with someone on your back.
Both Truth and Jewel looked amused when Shimmer
came hopping into the cave.
"What happened to you," Jewel questioned.
"I took the quickest way out of the Hidden Tower."
"You jumped out the window?"
"Okay, the second quickest way."
"Which was?"
"Not going to say."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Fine. Did you try the potion?"
"As a matter of fact, I did."
"So it worked?"
"Yes."
"Didn't it taste horrible?"
"You knew!"
"Yep."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid you wouldn't try it if you knew."
"I knew, too," I declared, more to get on Shimmer's
nerves than anything.
"It's a conspiracy, isn't it?"
"Now," Truth interrupted. "What did you find
out?"
I proceeded to explain to Truth about the coalition
between the Snow Faerie and the Water Faerie of the Healing Springs.
"As for Fyora?"
"Shimmer was the one that talked to her."
"Shimmer?"
"First, I walked all the way up the steps to
the Hidden Tower. Then, I bought that Asparagus Dagger for you."
"Where is that, anyhow?"
Shimmer handed her the bag, and Truth removed
from it a dagger, which had a blade made of asparagus. She gazed at its bumpy,
green surface, sliced it through the air, and then bit off the tip with a loud
crunch.
The three of us watched in horror as Truth devoured
the rest of the blade, leaving only the wooden hilt. Shimmer was the first of
us to say anything.
"That cost 2.3 MILLION Neopoints and you ATE
it!"
"Why, yes, I used to eat them all the time, actually.
Then they became such a delicacy and were in such demand that the prices skyrocketed.
I don't know who got the idea of using them as weapons. Such a silly idea, really."
"Why didn't you just get some asparagus from
the store?"
"It's just not the same. Besides, this gave you
an excuse to go to the Hidden Tower. What happened anyway?"
"I could have just gone to look. Anyhow, after
I bought the now-eaten dagger, I tried to strike up a casual conversation with
Fyora. 'I really like your eyes and hair. Purple is one of my favorite colors.'
Then Fyora became all flustered and said, "Thank you! To be honest, I don't
really like them.' And then I asked, 'Why not?' She answered, 'I have my reasons.'
Then, I asked her which side of her family she got them from, and she said they
were from her mother's."
That fits Truth's story, I thought.
"So then I asked her what Jhudora had been up
to lately. Fyora answered, 'Lots of terrible things.' However, when I asked
what kind of things, Fyora said, 'I can't tell you because they are top-secret.'
I think she was just making things up. So then I asked her why all Dark Faeries
--I thought it would be foolish to say 'Night Faeries'-- were evil, and she
told me that they just were. Then she asked me to leave because she was busy.
Like I believe that! There wasn't even anybody in the store."
There was something I had wanted to ask. If I
could just remember…"When was the Hidden Tower built?"
"I'm not sure," answered Truth. "All I know was
that it was sometime after I came here. Why do you ask?"
Shimmer and I met eyes, and she shook her head.
We didn't have any proof, so there was no point in saying anything. There was
no need to cause undue suspicion or even hope. It could very well have been
petpets under those stairs.
"I was just wondering."
Everyone was quiet for a few seconds. I guess
we all had questions we wanted to ask but were all too scared to ask them. It
was Truth that finally broke the silence.
"To be honest with you --and I do hope that you
will be honest with me in return-- I can't tell this time. Are you all
convinced? Do you believe the truth or is there something more that I must do?"
Jewel, Shimmer, and I all gazed at each other.
Jewel nodded, convinced that Truth was not telling a lie. She had not even needed
to do that really. It was obvious from the admiration showing in her eyes every
time she looked at Truth that she believed Truth entirely.
Shimmer, on the other hand, just shrugged. She
was undecided, which was kind of typical. Either way was okay for her.
Great, I thought sarcastically, I guess
that means I get the deciding vote? It would have been so easy to say I
was completely convinced, but I couldn't. My brain told me that all I had seen
supported Truth's story, but my heart did not. I'm not a very trusting Eyrie,
and my paranoid streak does not help. To fully believe her I needed what I felt
to be the ultimate proof, one that Truth would not take too kindly to me asking
for.
"Truth, there is one more thing I need you to
tell me; one more person whom I need to talk with. If what I find matches up
with your story, I will believe it. What you have to decide now is how much
you want to convince me."
***
Truth was deathly pale and had actually gotten up out of her chair to pace.
"I don't know," she said in an unnaturally calm voice. "I didn't ask her."
"Yes you did," I countered. "One of the first
things you did when we walked in was ask us for our names. You expect us to
believe that you didn't ask her for her name?"
"I was too busy thinking of other things."
I did not believe that for one second. I had
asked Truth for the name of the Aisha who had helped her escape, and Truth was
less than willing to give it to me. I couldn't be sure yet if it was because
she was trying to protect the Aisha or if she had made the story up.
"I don't believe you. You said that you wanted
to convince us. I won't be convinced any other way. If you will not give me
the name, then I will just leave."
As to emphasize my words, Shimmer pulled the
Lost Desert Dagger out of her boot (the boot belonging to the same foot she
injured at the Hidden Tower) and handed it to me. The only one in the cave who
seemed surprised was Jewel.
"How… why did you…"
"Not now, Jewel," I said, distracted with questioning
Truth. "Are you going to tell me, or should I leave?"
Truth stopped her pacing and met my eyes. Everyone
was quiet for a moment. "Okay, Sakura," said Truth quietly. "I'll tell you the
name of my Aisha friend, but only you. The less people who know the better.
You may not tell anyone under any circumstances what I tell you. I will only
tell you once. You may not write it down nor may you ask me again. Do you agree
to these conditions?"
"You will give me the full name of the Aisha
without leaving out any characters whatsoever, so that if I looked up the name,
the pet that I'm looking for would come up?"
I could tell from the look on Truth's face that
I had caught a loophole. "Okay."
"You will not, in any way, try to prevent me
from seeing and talking to the said pet?"
Another loophole closed. "Fine."
"You will give me the name that you went by when
you last saw the Aisha that helped you?"
"How did you guess?"
"No Faerie would have such a simple name as 'Truth'."
"I will, but you the conditions that apply to
the name of the Aisha apply to my own."
"Fine. You understand that I have no ill intent
towards you or the pet in question?"
Truth paused. I could see the indecision in her
eyes. Ironically enough, she reminded me of me --not very trusting. "Well… I
guess I do understand. Perhaps to be trusted fully, one must trust."
"Is it a deal then?"
"It's a deal."
***
I walked with Truth down to the tunnel through which we had first entered her
lair. It had been difficult to convince Shimmer to stay behind at first, but
then I pointed out how ridiculous she would look hopping on one foot through
Tyrannia (I wasn't going to carry her). I gave her back the dagger before I
left, although what Truth had said about trusting haunted me when I did.
Truth and I stopped at the end of the tunnel.
Truth looked forlornly out onto the snow "I really should go with you," she
said. "I still have the robe that I used to get here, and I haven't seen my
friend in so long. They are looking for me now, though, but what are the chances
of me getting caught?" Truth sighed and turned to me. "I guess I'm just scared,
really,"
I have to admit that I was a bit thrown off by
the change in Truth's attitude. "That's understandable," I said sympathetically.
"It's understandable, but is it excusable? She
did so much for me."
I wasn't sure what Truth wanted me to say. "So,
um… are you going to tell me the names now? Do you know where the Aisha lives?"
"I will tell you, Sakura, but first, I have to
tell you something else. I lied to you."
To be continued…
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