Awakening

     ***

     There was once a realm on the other side of Neopia named Altador. A Meridellian Knight founded it a very long time ago. The King of Meridell sent him on a journey with an Aisha sorceress named Jerdana. The duo was sent to explore areas previously untouched by Neopets. While exploring the other side of the world, they established a town, which grew into a city, which turned into an empire. This empire was named after the founder, King Altador.

     However, while still small, Altador was tortured by mysterious creatures. The town was ransacked numerous times. After the third time the village was destroyed, Jerdana came up with a plan to protect what she hoped would become a wonderful kingdom. She wanted to have twelve protectors keep the city safe. So, they secretly chose ten other Neopets to assist them in their quest to protect their glorious home. Soon enough, they found them all.

     Each and every one of the protectors was powerful in their own way. One could even consider them as gods, they were loved that much. They were united to keep their city safe and out of harm's way. Their city was large and prosperous; their art and knowledge was world-renowned. Yes, Altador was truly a place fit for kings. Or in this case, protectors.

     The leader of the protectors was King Altador. Jerdana was the empire's sorceress, trained by the Faeries themselves. The other ten protectors each had their own skills and qualities. The third and fourth protectors were two faeries, named Siyana and Psellia. A Treasurer and a Gladiator were chosen, along with a protector of the forests, Florin, and a protector of the petpets, Fauna. There was a rogue, a dancer, and a protector of the ocean. And me. I, the Darkest Faerie once was one of the twelve noble protectors of Altador.

     Back then, however, I wasn't the Darkest Faerie. I was just an ambitious dark faerie, and not all dark faeries are evil, you know. I certainly wasn't, contrary to popular belief. This is where my story begins.

     ***

     Meridell always seemed to be in trouble. Nearly every day, they were attacked by anything and everything, from giant Drackonacks to a Mootix army. And every time they were attacked, someone rescued them. It came to be a joke, to see who would help Meridell next. It became such a problem that they had a list of guardians, which was rotated with every new attack. I had saved Meridell occasionally when I was in the area, and I guess I had stopped enough of them to be placed on "the list." And wouldn't you know it, my turn came up when one of the biggest monsters to roam Neopia appeared.

     The creature's name was Kastraliss. And it was huge. While villagers were screaming and running in the other direction, I simply shot a few energy balls at it, and the deed was done. The beast lay unconscious on the ground and the villagers returned. I was about to leave when I heard some fool talking about me in a low voice.

     "Never would have thought that Dark Faerie would have taken care of it," the villager muttered. "I didn't think she'd stop a monster that was her type."

     I stopped dead in my tracks. This hadn't been the first time I had been discriminated against for being a Dark Faerie. In fact, it was far from it. However, I had gotten used to unfairness, and I knew I was higher than that. I spread my wings, and took off into the sky, clenching my teeth. Someday, I wasn't going to take it.

     I arrived in Faerieland a short flight later to be met by a strange looking Aisha on the edge of a cloud. She looked exhausted, and I could see she had a wand tucked in a small pocket of her brightly colored dress. The Aisha walked up to me as soon as I landed.

     "Hello, young lady, may I speak to you privately?" she asked expectantly, without me getting a word in edgewise.

     "Er…ok then," I said, curious to what this woman might want with me, a young Faerie. The Aisha led me to a dimly lit corner in the Faerie Library.

     "I wanted to talk to you here, in the room where I first noticed you. First of all, I should introduce myself. My name is Jerdana. I am a sorceress of Altador."

     Altador! Next to nothing was known about the mysterious city on the other side of the world. "It's nice to meet you, Jerdana," I said. "But what do you want with me?"

     "I want you to come to Altador with me. You see, lately Altador has been attacked by outside creatures. So, I started to gather together twelve noble people to protect Altador, and I believe you can complete us. Will you join us?"

     I was surprised, to say the least. This woman was asking me to become a legendary Faerie! Maybe it would force people to finally acknowledge me as not just a Dark Faerie! I couldn't think of any bad consequences to taking the title, so after a few moments of thought, I nodded my head.

     "I'd love to!" I said enthusiastically. I obviously didn't know at the time that this life-altering choice would create the biggest consequence I'd ever had to face.

     ***

     Altador was beautiful. It was astonishing how developed they were. Even as a fledgling city, it was truly magnificent. Jerdana led me to the center of the city, and I met the other protectors. Instantly, I felt some negative feelings from the two other Faeries, Siyana, a Light Faerie, and Psellia, an Air Faerie. I couldn't believe that they had already started to judge me. It was infuriating.

     Life as a protector was great. I had a great time with the other protectors, and for a while everything was excellent. We all lived in harmony, and Altador was continually growing. I was especially happy that my mark had been made in a place where it counted. I would be remembered for something other than for being a dark faerie, and that pleased me very much.

     And then, after about twenty years, it happened. The greatest injustice of all had been committed, and it was committed against me. It started on a chilly fall afternoon. I was strolling through one of the many beautiful parks of Altador when I heard some screams. I looked around and noticed there were some blasts in the Bazaar District of Altador. I hurried into the air, wondering what could be attacking Altador. Altador had been attack-free ever since the twelve protectors came to be, and the subjects were unaccustomed to anything terrorizing them.

     When I arrived at the Bazaar, what I saw shocked me. There, slithering through the narrow walkways between shop stalls was the same serpent I had defeated all those years ago. Somehow, Kastraliss had come to Altador. Rushing forward, I tried zapping it with a few of my blasts, but this time it didn't work. The serpent was completely unharmed. However, it did look at me, and I was surprised to see that it recognized me. Its beetle black eyes registered, and suddenly it was coming towards me. I took off into the air, and it lunged towards me. It didn't reach me, however. It fell back to the land, and for the second time, it was out cold. I looked around and saw King Altador had somehow stopped it.

     Landing back on the ground, I noticed that the other two faeries, Siyana and Psellia were speaking with the King in hushed tones. Siyana glanced at me, and I could see hatred run across her face. I knew I was in for trouble.

     ***

     "Is it or is it not true that you brought that beast into this city?" the King asked me sternly. We were in the center of the city, my home. I was sitting on my own, facing the other eleven protectors. After Siyana and Psellia had spoken to King Altador, he had taken me to the city heart and set me down to talk to him.

     "His name is Kastraliss, and no, I didn't let him in. Why do you all of a sudden accuse me?" I asked, infuriated.

     "How did you know his name is Kastraliss?" Siyana blurted.

     "I defeated him once before, when he was attacking Meridell," I said. I couldn't believe my colleagues were interrogating me. I guess these people really weren't my friends.

     "Then why did Psellia and I see you talking to him earlier today?" Siyana shouted, her voice rising to the point of hysterics. I knew she didn't like me, but I was still surprised to see how far she was taking this.

     "I didn't!" I replied, my frustration mounting. "I haven't had anything to do with him since Meridell!"

     "Kastraliss says different," the King said quietly. "And some villagers. They all saw you with him earlier. Unless you can prove that you were somewhere else, I'm afraid I'm going to side with Siyana and Psellia."

     I looked around. All of the others doubted my story. They all trusted a Faerie of the lighter kind, of course. I knew then I couldn't do anything more. I shook my head.

     "I have no proof," I said slowly. Siyana's eyes lit up with glee, but I could see past the eyes. In her heart, I knew she was as dark as me, perhaps even darker.

     What are you going to do with me?" I said after a moment of despair.

     "Banish you, I'm afraid," the King stated sadly. "A crime against Altador, especially by a protector, is unacceptable. You are hereby exiled from Altador. I'm sorry, old friend."

     I was dismayed. Altador was my home, my safe haven. To have that taken away from me was horrible. It was unbearable. I couldn't return to Faerieland. I wouldn't!

     And that's when it happened. Something inside me opened up, and I instantly felt different. My thoughts were racing, my feelings were angrier. It was like a hole had opened in my heart, and my past life was melting into a new one… a darker one. In the few seconds that had passed, all of the discrimination and prejudice that I had bottled up exploded. I was more furious than I had ever been. I was no longer a Light Faerie in a Dark Faerie body. I was truly a Dark Faerie, and it felt like I finally had gotten a burden off my back.

     I gazed around at the protectors, taking in their features slowly, committing each and every one of them to memory. I knew I had to get revenge on all of them, especially those two vile faeries.

     "Goodbye, noble protectors of Altador! I will see you all again, do not worry!" I spread my wings, and for the first time in twenty years, I left Altador. But I had no worries. I would be back soon. I knew it. I had a revenge to plan, after all. It was inevitable.

     ***

     I began with Meridell. It was easy. The people of Meridell weren't expecting anything. I brought a full-on attack, and they fell fast. I quickly spread my dark clouds across the expanses of Meridell, as a message to everyone that the Darkest Faerie was here to stay.

     Faerieland was easy too. As powerful as they said they were, all but the Dark Faeries fell to my command. The Dark Faeries that seemed so different before were glad to have me as their leader now. They had been itching for an attack for ages. I now realized that these were my friends, not me enemies. I couldn't understand how that was my point of view before. This way just seemed better to me. It felt right, and of course, I always did the right thing.

     Altador was harder. The protectors were ready for me after hearing of my attacks in Meridell and Faerieland. But one by one, I took them down. My wonderful allies helped, of course. In my plans for revenge, I found many creatures of the night willing to assist me in my troubles.

     We stormed the city center first. As my minions attacked with all of the fury they had, I was searching for the protectors. But, strangely, enough, they were nowhere to be found. The knights of Altador were fighting my minions, but that wasn't what I cared about. They were dispensable. The protectors weren't. I wanted them gone and out of the way.

     "Kastraliss!" I shouted after searching for a few moments. In the planning stages, I had recruited Kastraliss to be one of my servants, and he was anxiously waiting by my side. He slithered closer, and I told him to search for the protectors.

     "Those protectors are all-important! Find them! NOW!" I screamed. He slithered away rapidly, weaving his way through the battle scene. I took off into the darkening sky in search for them in the sky, but I could not see anything. They were nowhere to be found.

     Suddenly, I heard Kastraliss roar. I perked up; he had found one. I dipped into a dive towards the roar, anxious to see whom it was. I was grinning evilly from ear to ear when I found out it was Siyana. The serpent had found and cornered the protector, and from the looks of it, she was scared to death.

     "Well, hello, Siyana! What a pleasure it is to see you again," I said sweetly. She took a swing at me, by Kastraliss stopped her before she could get close. My mood instantly changed.

     "Tell me where the others are now. They must be hiding, and I'm sure you know where. Tell me now or you will regret ever framing me for that crime."

     "Oh, wouldn't you like to know? Well, I'm not telling," she said, still looking fearful of Kastraliss.

     I had had enough of Siyana the Light Faerie. I turned around and took off into the sky, leaving Kastraliss to deal with her as he pleased.

     ***

     It turned out that the Dark Faeries I had left to control Faerieland weren't doing their job. Fyora had escaped from the dungeons, and blasted all of the Dark Faeries to smithereens. She then left for Altador, bringing with her my doom, in the form of a small necklace.

     When she arrived in Altador a short while later, she found an Altador she had never seen before. It was dark, scary, and nothing like she'd seen in the past. Altador had been tainted by the likes of me.

     I was surprised to see the Faerie Queen enter the palace, but I wasn't shocked. I had a feeling in my gut not to leave some incompetent Faeries as guards, but it was no matter. Fyora was easy to take care of, and if she was gone, I could assume her title as Queen of the Faeries. An added perk, I must say.

     "Hello, Fyora. I see you took out my guards," I said simply when she entered the throne room.

     "Why are you doing this? What happened to you? You used to be such a caring person," Fyora asked me.

     "You want to know what happened? I'll tell you. I was banished from Altador by a Light Faerie who framed me for a crime I didn't commit. She and every other person alive discriminated against me. When I came to Altador, I thought it was different. But it wasn't. I've always been the odd one out, the evil Dark Faerie that lurks in the corner. And I wasn't even that much of a Dark Faerie! I was good and caring, like you said, but no one seemed to notice that. And now I'm getting them to notice me. They will always know me as the one that rules over them. They will always know me as the Darkest Faerie!"

     Fyora just looked at me. She had something in her eyes that shocked me. She had compassion. She understood my pain. She understood me. But as I was looking into her eyes, I noticed her hands were doing something different. While I wanted to let it all out to Fyora, she blasted energy orbs at me, sending me to the far wall. I was caught off guard, and before I could react, she fluttered over to me, placing a small red and yellow necklace around my neck.

     I felt myself changing again, this time for the worse. My heart, already black, was getting heavier. My wings were getting harder to move. I looked at my skin, and I saw that instead of a purple sheen, it was changing to a dull gray color. I looked up.

     "What's happening?" I asked quickly, for my mouth was hardening.

     "Jerdana's Orb has finally been put to use. I am banishing you for eternity. Goodbye, my friend. May you solve your problems in your next life."

     And with that, I was imprisoned in stone forever.

     Or so I thought.

     ***

     One thousand years. That was how long it was for me to wait. Although my body was set in stone, my mind wasn't. Somehow, I knew I was still alive, and once I realized that, I began to plan my revenge again. Prisons don't last forever, I knew. And once my prison broke down, the world around me would break down as well. I felt the Orb break. It was the heaviest burden I'd ever had to carry. But it was gone now.

     I opened my eyes, looking around. My plan was ready. Neopia would fall. I grinned devilishly.

     I had awakened.

The End