The Future is Better

     The young Faerie Kyrii looked out the window of her house sadly, as she reminisced the past.

     Ava had lost her mother almost 3 years ago. It grieved her so much she counted the days. Losing her changed the young Kyrii's life forever... because she didn't have anyone else to rely on. No dad, no siblings, no nothing. At 21 years old, she felt lost. What was she to do now?

     At least she had her job, that served as a distraction, somewhat. Queen Fyora had hired her to be an assistant for the castle's archivist. It was an honour to work for the Queen herself - something she never thought she'd do! But, despite having such a position, she didn't think highly of herself. On the contrary, she didn't like herself too much.

     Her short lilac hair barely reached her shoulders, she wore huge spectacles, a turtleneck, and tended to slouch. Her facial expression was usually downcast, and her demeanour, gloomy.

     As she set off to work for the day, she thought, "Will I ever stop feeling this way?"

     She flew with her purple wings towards Faerie Castle, and landed on the entrance clumsily, nearly tripping. She hastily apologised to the guards, and walked inside.

     She walked towards the library, where a cheery Air Faerie, the archivist, greeted her. "Good morning!"

     "Good morning, Alisha."

     "How are you today?"

     "I'm... okay, I guess", replied Ava, not at all enthusiastic. Alisha noticed the Kyrii's sadness, but understood what was going on with her friend.

     Ava continued, "What is there to do today?"

     "Oh! Um. There's these papers to organise, as usual", chuckled Alisha, signalling a huge pile of paperwork. Ava sighed. "Later we can go out for coffee! You, um, like coffee, right?"

     "Yeah..." muttered Ava.

     Alisha tried to maintain her enthusiasm, but she had tried everything to cheer her Neopet friend up. It was difficult. Thankfully, she was really patient.

     Later, as the two friends went to a cafeteria near their workplace, Ava couldn't help but notice a considerable group enter the palace. "Is the Queen having guests today?"

     "Huh?", asked Alisha, sipping her coffee.

     "I saw a lot of Neopets walk inside just now."

     "Probably, yeah, regal dignitaries from the looks of it, I don't know much about that... There isn't a summit or council that I've heard of, so maybe some ruler friends came over to pay a courtesy visit."

     "I wonder who they are", said Ava.

     "You're so curious, my friend."

     Ava blinked, baffled by that statement. "Is that bad?"

     "Of course not, that's actually really good!", smiled the Faerie. "That's why you're so good at your job."

     "Oh... thank you."

     "You're welcome! I mean it."

     The two coworkers kept chattering, and they returned to the palace to resume their work.

     Ava later went for a walk to clear her mind and breathe some more fresh air, as the papers they were working with were really dusty.

     That she was "good" at her job was something she hadn't heard coming only from Alisha. She'd also heard it from Fyora and her professors... and her mother. But she hadn't internalised it yet. Her self-esteem had been low for years, predating her mother's death. It wasn't something that was to be changed overnight. But she wanted to change. She just didn't know how. She sighed, then spread her wings and fled around the castle grounds.

     The rebuilding of Faerie Castle, like the rest of Faerieland, had become a huge work in progress after it fell from the sky. But progress had been good enough, and the important parts of the structure had been practically rebuilt in a short amount of time, although there were some details here and there. Ava glanced at the Queen's gardens - she loved flowers, and Fyora had a huge variety of them. She wished she could get inside, but that wasn't allowed to anyone but the Queen and her guests.

     She noticed the Queen herself was there at the moment with some other Neopets, but couldn't see well who - after all, she was very high up, and she wore spectacles, not binoculars.

     Curious as she was, she decided to land on a tree nearby. She could see better now who Fyora's guests were-

     "Oh?"

     -she felt her heart skip a beat. It was King Jazan and Queen Nabile. Now, the young Kyrii's "celebrity crush" was the King, but she felt terribly embarrassed to admit it. Still, seeing him this close was something she never thought she'd be able to do, and was very excited. So much, she fell from the tree. Thankfully, she didn't injure herself.

     She rose up, dusted off her clothes and went behind the tree, peeking her head from behind it. She couldn't see much from this height, but she wasn't going to risk potentially breaking an arm or leg by climbing on the tree again.

     So she decided to leave and go back to work before Alisha suspected anything. However-

     "Ava, where were you? You were gone for a while. I was getting worried."

     -that, of course, happened.

     "I... sorry. I went outside, but got distracted."

     "Distracted? More like flustered... Did something bad happen?"

     "No, no...! Well, I fell from a tree, but-"

     "Why were you in a tree?! Are you hurt?"

     "No! But- Um... I- I can explain-"

     "Please do... I'm really worried, friend!"

     It was really difficult for Ava to talk about this with Alisha, but she hoped she could trust her... If not, well, whatever. It wasn't like anyone would care. She wasn't too important.

     "... so, yeah. Th-that's it."

     Alisha couldn't help but giggle. Ava's ears drooped. The Faerie noticed this, and assured, "Sorry! I'm not making fun of you. I just find that really cute."

     "Really embarrassing, you mean", mumbled Ava, crossing her arms, her face red as a tomato.

     "It's alright to have a crush on somebody, girl."

     "Yeah, but he's like, a King, and he's married."

     "True, but you finding him attractive is perfectly normal. Don't feel bad about it. It's not like you're going to try to ruin his marriage."

     "Of course not! Him and Nabile are a very lovely couple. They're my relationship goals... oh my goodness, I can't believe I'm saying that out loud."

     Alisha giggled again, and Ava blushed harder.

     "Then you're fine, friend. Don't overthink it too much."

     "Alright, thanks", said Ava sincerely.

     "Of course. Your secret's safe with me!"

     While that phrase was a bit of a cliche, Ava felt Alisha meant it. It was good to have a real friend, someone to trust.

     The following day, Ava arrived to the castle, still half-asleep. So much, she stumbled over her own feet. She accommodated her spectacles, sighed, and walked inside.

     She greeted Alisha, and immediately started to work. But not long after, she was falling asleep on top of her paperwork. Her Faerie friend lightly tapped her shoulder, and she awakened. "Ugh..."

     "Didn't sleep well, I'm seeing."

     "No."

     "Anything troubling you?"

     "No. It's just a chronic problem I have."

     "Ah... Have you looked for help?"

     "Yes, but nothing works."

     "Oh... I'm sorry", said the Faerie.

     "It's okay. I'm used to it by now", sighed Ava.

     As they were to resume their work, however, they heard someone knock. As Alisha opened the door, she gasped. It was the Queen herself!

     "Hello!", greeted Fyora with a smile. She looked around. "I see you two have been busy."

     "Oh, we have!", beamed the Air Faerie. "Tell me, Your Majesty, what do you need from us?"

     "How is your oratory? I need your presence in a meeting with some dignitaries... that's a plural 'you', by the way."

     "Oh! Good question. I haven't spoken to such a crowd before, but I can try. How about you, Ava-?" They heard a thump. The Faerie Kyrii had fainted, and was laying on the floor. Alisha went to check on her. Ava then opened up her eyes, startled.

     "Are you alright?", asked the Queen.

     "Y-yes... I just wasn't expecting that request. To answer to that, ditto what Alisha said... I am not good at talking to others in general..."

     "Don't sell yourself short, dear", said Fyora with a smile. "You have a stellar reputation. You were the best in your class. And, besides, all of us can learn to be better. Don't you think so?"

     "Well... yeah... but..."

     "No 'buts'. You two can do this. I'm sure of it. I will let you know what you'll need to talk about."

     "O-okay... and... when?"

     "This very evening." Ava fainted again. Alisha sighed, but tried to remain optimistic. The Queen later left, and the two friends stayed behind going over the information. Ava felt her heart race, her breath agitated.

      "Everything will be fine, Ava...", said Alisha, trying to comfort her friend.

      Ava felt like pulling her hair off. "I don't want to make a fool of myself. And especially not in front of dignitaries... that'd mean making a fool of our kingdom! A-and what if Jazan is there? Oh my goodness. I'd make a very bad first impression", she muttered, then noticed Alisha smirked mischievously, to which she blushed. "Y-you understand how I'm feeling right now, right?!"

      "Relax! You'll do fine. We'll do! I'll help you out", reassured the faerie.

     
Evening came over the land, so the two friends went to the little meeting Fyora held.

      "Oh my goodness...", said Ava to herself. There were a lot of Neopets in this room. Well, in reality there were like 15, but for her shy self, it was a lot. Too much. What was she going to do?

      Alisha encouraged her Neopet friend to stop waiting in the wings and step outside to the small stage. So the Kyrii did, but felt every bit of her body tremble. She couldn't glance at the crowd for long, but did manage to spot Jazan and Nabile in there.

      She felt like she was about to perish.

      As per Alisha's counsel, she looked only at her papers, then at her friend, not at the crowd, but she felt her breath short, as if she was being squeezed like a Spardel's toy.

      Alisha begun her part of the talk, and was handling it quite well, Ava thought. Now while Ava did have some public speaking experience, the toughest crowd she'd gotten were her professors and classmates, people she was well acquainted with. Not nobility, that were way more cultured. She felt her heart shrink. She felt small. Weak. Pathetic. As she was overthinking…

      "Ava, it's your turn", whispered Alisha to the Kyrii, who was wrapped up in her thoughts. Ava just blinked in response. Her brow furrowed. She felt like she lost her voice that same moment. "Ava?", asked the faerie, concern in her voice. The Kyrii felt like crying, screaming and running away, all at the same time.

      But Alisha then whispered, "Come on! You can do it!", with a genuine smile. Ava didn't felt pressured. She felt encouraged. Yes, she could do this.

      Ava swallowed, took a deep breath, and began her speech. Her voice trembled at first, as if she was speaking in a microphone made out of jelly. But, as she progressed she gained more and more confidence. As if she was meant for this. It just felt right. Then, when she finished and heard the applause of the small crowd, she pinched herself because she felt this was some sort of weird dream, but it wasn't. She made it. She faced her fears! Her faerie friend hugged her, laughing. She did, too.

      Afterwards, the queen held a small gathering in her garden, and invited Ava and Alisha. The Kyrii sat in a corner, tea in hand, silently admiring the flowers. She was so immersed in her thoughts, she didn't notice someone approach-

      "Hi!"

      -she jolted, surprised at who it was. It was Queen Nabile! "Sorry for startling you. I wanted to congratulate you for your lovely speech."

      "Oh, th-thank you..."

      "I also wanted to say, I love your hair! It's really pretty."

      "R-really?", asked the Kyrii, accommodating the disheveled lilac strands of hair on her head. "Thanks...". She didn't like it much, but didn't know what to do with it, either. But hearing a compliment made her feel not as bad about it.

      "Nabile?", asked a voice. It was King Jazan, who approached. "I apologize for the interruption, but Fyora wanted to talk to us for a bit."

      "Oh, okay. Well, bye, Ava, right?", said Nabile. "It was nice meeting you."

      Ava blinked, startled. "Y-yes, s-same!". Ava felt her face blush - she didn't think she'd see King Jazan this close. The ruler couple noticed her staring, especially the Kyrii king, as he was the one being started at, but brushed it off politely, so as to not make her feel bad.

      Ava was still lost in thought when her faerie friend approached her. "Ah, how cute." The Kyrii jolted in her seat. Alisha was snickering. "You saw that?!"

      "Yup. I think they noticed, too." Ava buried her face in her hands, blushing even harder, and moaned. Alisha laughed. "Hey, don't overthink it, friend. I don't think you're the first woman to fangirl over him. He must be used to it by now."

      "I sure do hope so..."

     
The next day, Ava arrived punctually at the castle to begin her workday. She was still half-asleep, and nearly tripped over her own feet, as usual. But this time, she didn't overthink it. She stood up straight, and accomodated her clothes. She was in a good mood today, something strange for her, but it was real.

      She made her way towards her workspace, but as she was about to open the door-

      "Ava!"

      -she heard a voice call her, so she turned around to see who it was. It was Queen Fyora herself, and King Jazan and Queen Nabile stood beside her. Ava froze in place at seeing them. "Ava, come here", invited the tall faerie Queen. Ava swallowed, and approached the nobles.

      Turning to the couple, Fyora began, "Jazan, Nabile, this is Ava Qamar, assistant to my archivist. I believe you're acquainted because of yesterday."

      "Yes, we are", said Nabile with a smile.

      "Ava, we were just talking about you."

      "Oh?", exclaimed Ava weakly, blushing. "A-about me?"

      "Yes, but it's nothing bad. On the contrary. I was telling them about your career. It might be short, but it's impressive, nonetheless. And they have a proposal for you."

      "Yes, Ava", said Nabile. "We have a scrollery we need assistance in, and Fyora mentioned you have a lot of knowledge regarding the history of The Lost Desert, is that right?"

      "Yes, my mother was from there- well, her city was destroyed, so she was forced to leave and moved here... ah...", she then muttered, "Wait, why am I telling you that, of all things...?". Then she continued in her normal voice, "But, yes, basically, yes I do."

      "What city was your mother from?", asked Jazan.

      Ava jolted. He was talking to her. She was very excited by this. But she managed to control her emotions enough to respond. "Nebu, Your Majesty."

      "Ah, yes, I've heard of it", he simply replied.

      "So", continued Nabile, "Would you want to come with us?"

      "Really?", asked Ava, surprised. "I mean... not that I object... I'm just... flattered you'd consider me. Thank you."

      "Of course, dear!", beamed Nabile sincerely. Jazan smirked a little.

      Ava felt like she was about to faint from the excitement, but someone grabbed her. It was Alisha, who helped accommodate her friend's feet back on the floor. "I see she knows."

      "Yes, she does", smiled Fyora.

      Later that day, Ava was packing up her things for the journey ahead. She heard someone knock on the door - it was her faerie friend. Ava hugged her.

      "I'm gonna miss you, bud."

      "Me too. Thank you, for everything."

      "Of course!", smiled Alisha. "I'm so happy about this, honestly. See? I told you, the future is better - there's always a rainbow after the storm."

      "Did you have anything to do with...?"

      "Yes, sort of. Fyora told me she wanted to help you, somehow. She asked what would make you happy, I replied you wanted to travel to clear your mind. That was all."

      "Nothing else?"

      "No. Like I said, your secret's safe with me. Now, that the queen might've noticed is something else." Ava blushed. "Queen Nabile seems to have a liking for you. I'm sure you'll become good friends soon! She's very sweet and approachable, we've spoken before. The king's another story. He's very polite, but he's a closed book."

      "That doesn't mean I can't befriend him as well eventually..."

      "Maybe, you never know. Anyway, do you need any help packing?"

      "I'd appreciate it."

      "Of course, Ava! A new beginning is ahead of you!", cheered the faerie.

      Yes, it was. Ava still felt really insecure and frankly, terrified, but, this felt right. She had a feeling, a hunch she'd got this.

      She had a bright future ahead of her.

     The End.