Because of Jhudora's Book: Part Four

Chia Police Center, Neopia Central

Bob, a Chia official, yawned and stretched in his seat. He picked up an Achyfi and drank. Setting the can down and burping contently, Bob looked over at another official, Jeff. He was looking at the Virtupets TVs, which all the theft cameras were attached to.

      "Any night-prowlers?" Bob asked, casually, taking another sip of Achyfi.

      Jeff looked up, frowning. "I haven't really seen anyone… but…"

      "But what?"

      "Something sort of… fluttered by," Jeff said, looking back at the screen.

      Bob laughed. "Probably just a stray Mootix or something- AAAHHHH!"

      An earth faerie burst abruptly through the door. She looked pale and tired, but ran over to Jeff. "Chia, listen to me!" she practically shouted.

      Jeff looked stunned. "I'm listening," he whimpered.

      "It's-it's Jhudora. She's planning to take over! A-all of Neopia!"

      "What is this all about?" Bob said, walking over. "Jhudora? Taking over? Far-fetched, I say…"

      "No really!" the faerie gasped. "It's no joke! She has- she has an army! Of pets and dark faeries!"

      "An army?" Jeff asked, leaning closer. "Are you sure of this?"

      "A Zafara told me," she said, "a green one. I don't know her name, but she said she was in on the plot and she's not anymore or something, but it doesn't matter! We just need to stop them!"

      Bob said, "We'll call in about five others and take a look tomorrow morning, then."

      The faerie screeched, "No! No, you need to go NOW! And five Chias won't overtake Jhudora's army! We need to get all the Chias, and any volunteers from the town!"

      "But, see here, Miss," Jeff said, "it's almost three A.M. now, we can't just call everyone up!"

      The faerie glared. "I swam across the ocean all night and ran here, and you aren't going to do anything about it? Jhudora is an evil possessed faerie! She is going to take over, I promise you! Do you folks have any baby Chias at home? Everyday after work, you'll be worried sick about them, what if Jhudora got there and tore them up? Diapers and all?"

      Jeff and Bob looked horrified. "Jeff," Bob said quietly, "start off the emergency bell."

      ***

Jhudora's Home, Faerieland

      Athelda had never imagined Jhudora's face so angry. Her lips were pursed with fury, and her hair looked strangely messy, as if she had run her hands though it in rage.

      "So," she whispered menacingly in Athelda's face, "you told someone, did you?"

      Athelda blinked. "Yes."

      "Who? Tell me, now!"

      "Why do you care? The way you gloat about the army, they could tear anyone up! One extra person won't kill them!"

      Jhudora's nostrils flared. "Where is the person you told?"

      "I don't know."

      "Yes you do! Tell me!"

      "Make me."

      Athelda crossed her arms stubbornly and stuck her nose in the air. Jhudora looked behind her at Kasm, who was sitting and rather enjoying the show. "Did you see who it was, Kasm?" Jhudora asked.

      Kasm walked forward and set the now empty faerie bottle on the table. "It was a faerie," she said, "an earth one."

      "And where did you get this faerie?" Jhudora asked Athelda.

      "Like you don't know," Athelda said calmly. "I found her in the room that you have kept a secret to all of us. You know which room… the one where you're taking the wings off of all other faeries and putting them extra on dark ones?"

      Kasm looked furious. "How does she know that and I don't?"

      Jhudora rolled her eyes. "She's not supposed to know about my second army. Yet she found out…"

      Athelda smiled. "Yup. I found out."

      Jhudora narrowed her eyes and seemed to be lost in thought. Kasm however, muttered, "So much for 'the one who has the power,'"

      "Shush," Jhudora ordered. "Now, Athelda-"

      "You will refer to me as captain, Jhudora," Athelda said tauntingly, "always."

      Jhudora looked livid. "You insolent little thing!" she screeched.

      Suddenly, a voice rang out. Loud and magnified, it sounded as if it was coming from outside…

      "JHUDORA AND OTHERS!" it rang out. "THIS IS THE CHIA POLICE!"

      "The Chia Police?" Jhudora said weakly, "You- you told them?"

      "Maybe," Athelda said, smiling.

      Kasm growled at Athelda. "It's all right, Jhudora," she said, "the army can take them on."

      "Yes, yes, you're right!" Jhudora said, now smiling. "Round them up, Kasm, round them up!"

      The mutant Kacheek ran from the room. The Chia Police continued.

      "PLEASE REMAIN IN THE BUILDING!"

      "Yeah right," Jhudora said sarcastically, "stay in the building? I think not."

      She walked to the doorway and said from across the room, "Good day, Athelda, good day."

      The door slammed. Luckily, there was no sound of it being locked. But still remained the rope that was tying up the green Zafara's hands. She twisted and squirmed, but the double knot remained tight as ever.

      Athelda now heard the sound of feet outside the door. It seemed Kasm had managed to round the whole army up.

      "In a line," came Jhudora's hushed voice, "we will give you your helmets. You are expected to attack with your teeth, claws… and anything else you've got that's nice and sharp."

      "What's their helmet?" came Kasm's voice.

      "The Helm of Darkness!" Jhudora said, delighted.

      Athelda heard one of the army pets say, "Doesn't that turn whoever's wearing it into a minion?"

      "Why, yes, now that you mention it," came Jhudora's falsely sweet voice.

      Finally! The rope that bonded Athelda's hands broke free, and fell to the ground. Athelda got up and quietly walked to door, pressing her ear against it and listening.

      It sounded as if as the line moved forward, each pet was forced unwillingly into a Helm of Darkness, with which turned them on Jhudora's side.

      "Hurry up," Kasm said, sounding panicky, "I think the Chia Police are coming in!"

      Then she heard Lulu, Celazia, Kamper, and Danzick.

      "Where's Athelda?" Lulu asked.

      Celazia, sounding amused, said, "The traitor?"

      "What?" Danzick asked.

      Kasm replied. "The little imbecile is the one who told the Chia Police."

      "Actually," Athelda said, opening the door and stepping forward, "I told the earth faerie you saw me set free to tell them. And she evidently did. Clever plan, no?"

      Kasm and the others looked too shocked from her arrival they didn't say anything, so Athelda continued.

      "But even before that, I told a little someone to tell Fyora. That little someone knows you pretty well, Kamper."

      "Me?" Kamper said. "Who?"

      "Ben," Athelda replied simply. "He was hiding in the faerie room. And he's on my side… the good side."

      Jhudora's voice sounded through the home. "Jhudora's Army!" she called. "Jhudora's Army, Dark Council, and anyone else on Jhudora's side, please come to the war room!"

      "The war room?" Athelda said curiously. She had never heard of that.

      But before she could ponder on it, Kasm had performed her little bit of magic on her, and Athelda was knocked backwards into the door.

      Even though half of the pets didn't have helms of darkness on, the whole lot of them was ushered to the war room.

      "Buh bye!" Celazia said tauntingly, as they walked away, leaving Athelda aching on the floor.

      A few minutes later, though, Athelda was on her feet and sprinting towards the only room she'd never been in. That must be the War Room.

      But when she arrived, she found out that it was not really a room.

      The door led outside, but not onto the puffy clouds of Faerieland.

      It was like Dark Faerieland, where everything was purple, green, and black. Sloping purple clouds surrounded the scene, which was in the middle of action.

      Ben had obviously managed to inform the queen, because plenty of faeries were battling, along with all the Chias and any random pets from Neopia Central who had decided to fight.

      Looking around, Athelda saw that all the pets who hadn't been forced into a Helm of Darkness were indeed fighting for the good side, and those who had just had no idea.

      Jhudora was lurking in the shadows of her dreamland, observing. She hadn't spotted Athelda, but Athelda spotted her. Next to the dark faerie, was Kasm… surprise, surprise.

      Leaping out of nowhere, Athelda knocked the two off their feet. They fell down a cloudy purple slope and into a ditch, where the sides were too soft to climb up. They were trapped.

      Athelda raced down to the battle sight. No real damage was happening. The dark faeries were battling with the good faeries, the Chias and the good pets were forcing the Helms of Darkness off the possessed pets, so no sooner had the war begun… the dark side was left with very few fighters.

      But the war raged on. Dark faeries were very powerful, and it was a great challenge to ward them off. As many warriors as the good side had, it seemed for some time that the dark faeries and the still-helmed pets were winning. Until….

      Balthazar seemed to jump out nowhere and into the battle. He looked quite ferocious, and Athelda was sure they would lose, until she noticed that Balthazar was fighting for them. He was grunting as he fought, "She must never steal my faeries again!" He grabbed the pathetic dark faeries and wrenched them into bottles.

      Athelda looked over to where she had pushed Jhudora and Kasm. They were no longer there. Panicking, she saw a group of still-helmed pets racing off with the two.

      "Stop them!" Athelda shrieked, and instantly Chias raced after them.

      Even with a few Chias racing also, Jhudora, Kasm, and the minions managed to escape. Athelda turned sadly to see Queen Fyora staring at her.

      "It's all right," the queen said, "we'll find them."

      Athelda looked at the battle sight. The fighting had ceased. The healing faerie was patching up a few lightly injured Chias, other faeries were interrogating the once-minioned pets, and a blue Shoyru holding a Pea Chia in his hand was smiling at a net. A net which captured Celazia, Lulu, Kamper, and Danzick.

      "Athelda," came Fyora's voice again, "may I speak with you?"

      The queen took Athelda to a quiet spot and they sat down. After a few moments silence, Fyora said, "It was very brave of you to tell us about this."

      Athelda nodded, looking down.

      Fyora continued. "You see, Athelda, Jhudora was in need of a powerful and evil helper. To get one, she enchanted her book to lure one. Do you know why it is you and not your friend who saw the eerie glow?"

      Athelda shook her head.

      "You, apparently, have evil inside you. Along with the good, that is. But you proved today, that your goodness overpowered the evil. It is a very good thing Athelda, and you are not weak because of the evil that resides within you. Jhudora's magic can conjure a charm to lure anyone closer and closer into her trap. In the end, Kasm proved herself more evil, though she has even less evil in her heart. It is full of jealousy, which is even worse."

      And with that, the queen stood up and walked away. Athelda sat quite still, thinking, until a small baby Poogle walked up.

      "Lessie?" Athelda said.

      Lessie sat beside her. "What's wrong?" she asked curiously.

      Athelda smiled. "Oh nothing. I just think that a little of that evil inside of me just got swallowed up."

      And she was quite right. For Athelda really did have a black soul... but she was choosing to ignore it.

The End