Change of Tune: Part Five

     Before they left, Speedwell's crew had promised to come to my aid if I ever needed them in any of my endeavors. Would I need them to hide me from my brothers when they came to King Skarl's festival to take me back? If they even wanted me back.

     "Moonabi," said Lana, "I think you're going to want to look at this."

     I walked over to where she stood by a tall thick tree and gasped.

     There was a drawing of my face, unmasked and real.

     It was printed right under the words WANTED.

     Lana tore it off, reading aloud, "For dishonoring royalty, resisting arrest, theft of a royal ship, and piracy. If caught, will pay the sum of 5000 neopoints…"

     She stopped reading and looked at me with wide eyes. "I wonder why my name isn't on here?" she murmured.

     "They must not have seen you with me," I sighed, relieved that at least she wouldn't be taking the fall for my actions. "What am I going to do?"

     "I hope you still have that mask," she said. I did, but how long could I keep hiding behind it? Or hiding myself, hiding my past, hiding the bad things I had done. I didn't think that mask would fool my brothers who had known me my whole life and I didn't know how much longer it would fool Lana. Lana, who had let me come with her without asking any questions I didn't want to answer, Lana who had offered me friendship when I only gave her lies, and Lana who saved my life who knew how many times. I knew she deserved to see the real me. I owed her that much.

     "Lana," I said, my voice shaky, "there's something I have to tell you, a lot actually." She looked at me, grinning cheekily. "What," she asked, "do you turn into a werewolf of a full moon or something."

     "No," I said, forcing a smile. It was much worse.

     We sat down on the grass and I told her everything, how my brothers had been rich traders and entrepreneurs, how they'd used people to get to the top and how I'd either watched and did nothing or helped them on the way. I told her about Fernypoo especially, how the whole ordeal hadn't been over some stupid card game but something much more significant, something that was much more my fault. I told her how I'd used her because I was young and stupid and only wanted my brothers' approval. I'd wanted them to think I was good at something then, and that maybe I still did, I'd wanted to show them that I wasn't just the embarrassing good-for-nothing little brother. And so I'd used Fernypoo for their advantage in the worst possible way- I'd manipulated her feelings, her ability to trust and love and maybe I'd wrecked them forever.

     I kept going on like that, spewing feelings I didn't even realize that I had. When I was finished I felt like a weight was lifted, like I'd been holding my breath in fear for so long only to finally breathe again.

     "I understand if you don't want to speak to me again," I said, my eyes cast sadly on the ground. "I know I'm not the person you thought I was."

     Lana sighed heavily and seriously. "You're right, you're not the person I thought you were," she said, "I knew you were rich just by the way you acted, I mean I'm not stupid. But I tried not to judge. I don't know, I thought that maybe that snob, step-on-anyone-who-gets-in-your-way attitude wasn't you." She shrugged uncertainly.

     "I'm not sure if I do want to speak to you again after finding out what you really did to Fernypoo. She might be a brat Moonabi, but she didn't deserve that kind of crushing heartbreak and humiliation. Maybe because you're a boy you can't really understand that feeling, to have empty compliments and praise. You feel ugly after that," she said harshly, "like maybe they lie because you really AREN'T pretty."

     Lana shook her head. "And I helped you get away with it.

     She stood up, brushing off the dirt. "I don't think I can be around you right now," she put Melody on her shoulder without even looking at me. I think that hurt worse than if she'd just openly screamed in my face.

     "I have to think about this." She turned away. "Good-bye Moonabi."

     I watched her walk away with the most painful feeling of loss I'd ever encountered.

     And just like that, I was completely alone.

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     I stared up at the huge castle surrounded by every kind of Neopian from the shrouded people of the Lost Desert to the dirty commoners of Meridell. There were royal pets and Darigan pets, plushie pets and fire pets, all crossing the drawbridge to enter King Skarl's castle and maybe catch themselves a glimpse of the most renowned musicians in Neopia.

     I was in no mood for singing, and dancing, and poetry. But yet I knew I still had to cross that drawbridge and play, even if it meant being captured or taken home by my brothers. I'd come too far not to, and Lana or no Lana, I was going to play for a King.

     I tied that black sequined mask around my face one last time and, violin tight in hand, crossed the drawbridge and stepped into the huge courtyard.

     I had never seen so many musicians in my life, all there by the hundreds. Trumpeters, cellists, harpists, every instrument there and accounted for.

     Kayla herself was there, mixing bright red potions and then tossing them onto the ground where they exploded like crimson clouds, giving off the scent of sweet berries. I wouldn't have been surprised if Illusen even showed up.

     Then King Skarl entered and the courtyard was a roar of cheers and applause over the large dignified Skeith. After all, it was his festival.

     "Great musicians of Neopia," he said, and everyone yelled as if in answer to the title they thought was theirs. "It is truly great that after times of such wreckage and savagery that we can get all come together again to celebrate the beauty and majesty of music!"

     The applause was so loud I thought that I might never hear again. The King held up his large hand to silence the massive crowd.

     "And I know you all are to prove that your music has more beauty and majesty then that of any other. But that job," he said, "is mine to determine." His eyes scanned the crowd and he smiled. "So play from your heart," he said and then walked to his gold plated throne to sit down.

     I watched as musician after musician was chosen to stand before Skarl and play a song or two, only to be waved away disinterestedly, scoffed at, or even openly laughed at.

     At last I felt a tap on my shoulder.

     "King Skarl has taken a liking to your music," said a young Ixi squire mechanically, "and he requests to hear you play before him especially." He motioned boredly, "follow me." I did, through all the bunches of people, all who seemed to be looking at me. Were they all wondering who was behind the mask?

     And then I stood in the open, right before King Skarl and everything I'd dreamed of since I saw a shiny violin in the music shop. I could almost see all the wrinkles on the King's face, lines of worrying about his once war befallen Kingdom. I was about to start playing when I heard a startled cry from the crowd:

     "Moonabi? Moonabi is that really you?"

     I spun to see the oh-so-familiar glow of my brother Jezak pushing his way through the crowd and Bell beside him trying to hold him back.

     "Moonabi, if that's you, please come home," pleaded Jezak.

     Tears sprung to my eyes seeing my once proud brother weakened.

     "Back!" shouted Skarl, "stay back! Guards! Keep them away from the musicians!" Burly Grarrls emerged to push him back.

     "Moonabi," said Jezak again, hopelessly trying to break free of the Grarrl's hold, "tell them we're your brothers so we can take you home." He gave up struggling. "We miss you."

     I shook my head, hidden tears falling beneath my mask. I turned away so that I didn't have to see the crushed look on my brothers' faces, the look of finally finding someone you loved after not knowing where they were for so long, only to find out that they didn't seem to care about you anymore.

     But I couldn't let them stop me. I had to do this. I couldn't spend the rest of my life thinking and dreaming about 'what ifs'. There was no turning back now.

     "I'm sorry," I whispered, closing my eyes and brining my bow across the string. And I really was sorry, for everything, everyone I'd hurt, my brothers, Fernypoo, Lana, and even myself.

     I took King Skarl's advice and I played from the heart.

     All my apologies were in the music, all the pain, and dreams, and empty wishes, and love, all spoken from the mouth of my violin.

     And when I opened my eyes again I was greeted by utter silence.

     King Skarl was there before me, a great and powerful King, with tears in his eyes.

     "Never," he said quietly, "have I heard a song like that before." He looked around the courtyard filled with an awestruck audience. "I don't need to hear any more musicians," he said, smiling at me.

     "NO!" A shrill scream cried from the crowd.

     Skarl stood up, misty eyes replaced with fiery ones. "Who dares protest my decision?"

     "I do!" said the same voice, slowly pushing her way through the crowd. She emerged, in all her white and glowing beauty. "Stella the harpist."

     The crowd gasped and I did too.

     "How can you pick this marauder," she said furiously, storming her way towards us, "this deceiver, this CROOK!"

     "How dare you question me!" said Skarl in outrage, but Stella went on, raving madly.

     "How dare HE steal this from me," she yelled, pointing a finger at me, "how dare he who is so undeserving steal this from me!"

     "I order you to get back!" boomed Skarl.

     "I unmasked you before, O masked Zafara," smiled Stella wickedly, "and you can imagine how pleased I was at the unexpectedly disastrous results. I imagine that it will work just as well this time, what with you being a wanted criminal and all!"

     She lunged at my face with teeth bared, like a crazy rabid animal.

     Then a yellow fist struck her face.

     With an "Oommff" Stella crumpled and fell to the floor.

     "I told you she was a nasty little thing," said Lana.

     I wanted to tell Lana how happy I was to see her, I wanted to thank Skarl for choosing me, I wanted to hug my brothers, and I wanted to stand atop Terror Mountain and scream out just how happy I was.

     But there was something I had to do first, even if it meant losing all of that.

     I untied my mask.

     "Why, you're the brown Zafara they've been looking for," said Skarl, his mouth dropped in shock. The audience was murmuring questions and looking about curiously.

     "I've heard a lot about you," he said solemnly, "you embarrassed a princess, stole her boat, survived a terrible storm, and sunk a pirate ship." The crowd whispered louder in amazement.

     "Yes," I said. "But I'm done hiding from it." I threw the mask on the floor. "My name is Moonabi," I said, "my brothers are Jezak and Bell-" I pointed to them in the crowd "-I ran away from them to come here. Somewhere along the way I started hiding behind that mask," I looked at the black sequined thing on the floor, "and I stopped being myself."

     I held my head high. "But I don't want to anymore. I am a violinist, a good one, and that's all that matters to me."

     King Skarl looked down at me and smiled. He put a huge hand on my shoulder.

     "And me too," he looked to crowd, all waiting expectantly. "Consider this Zafara's slate clean and all crimes forgiven!"

     The entire audience cheered wildly but yet I didn't really care. I turned to the yellow Kyrii I'd been traveling with for so long.

     "Lana…I…" I tried to search for the words.

     "I know, I know," she grinned the half smile I'd actually grown to love, "you're sorry, I'm sorry, we're all sorry. You knew I couldn't stay away from you." She ruffled my hair.

     I looked over at my brothers then, standing in the crowd looking at me as if wondering if I was the same Moonabi they'd grown up with. How could I show them that I was without having to go home with them again?

     All I could think to do was offer them a smile. They smiled back, and the next thing I knew I was being smothered in a giant group hug between a glowing Kougra and spotted Gelert.

     "I don't suppose you're coming back," stated Bell.

     "Nope," I said. Too much had changed. Especially me.

     "Then you're staying here," said Jezak sadly, "forever."

     Forever? There was eternity in that word, and did I really want to spend it in a castle in Meridell.

     I looked over at Lana who stood outside my family circle awkwardly.

     Something sad occurred to me.

     "Lana," I said, "you never got to play for King Skarl."

     She just shrugged and smiled. "Kid, from the first time I heard you play I knew I didn't stand a chance."

     I smiled; I think it was the best compliment I'd ever gotten, even better than Skarl accepting me into his court. I decided that wasn't quite right, especially if it meant never getting to see Lana anymore, not really.

     I stepped towards the King. "Good King Skarl," I said to him as boldly as I could, "while I greatly appreciate your pardon and liking for my music…I don't think I can stay." I could see the shocked faces of my brothers and Lana. "There are just so many places I haven't been…."

     Skarl sighed heavily. "This upsets me boy," he said, "I chose you because I wanted to hear your music everyday. You're passing up enormous fame and fortune."

     My brothers practically winced.

     "I might come back for that someday," I said.

     Skarl laughed jocundly. "I'll hold you to it."

     I turned to Lana who just shook her head.

     "So," she said, "what is this great undertaking that you've passed up Skarl's court for?"

     "I don't know," I said, "I was thinking that there may still be a few people in Neopia we haven't played for yet."

     "We?" said Lana, her eyes wide.

     I nodded.

     "I don't know if I'm interested…" she said scratching her chin.

     "What?!" I all but screamed.

     "I've got just one condition." She smirked.

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      As I stepped off Speedwell Captain Scarlet put a paw on my shoulder sympathetically. "It'll be over soon lad," he said.

     Lana nudged me across the drawbridge and pounded on the huge wooden door.

     A startled blue Acara with flames in her eyes opened it.

     I was down on my knees, heart pounding.

     "Princess Fernypoo," I said, "I'm so sorry."

The End