Farewell, Faerieland - Part 2

      Born and raised in Faerieland, each of them had visited Faerie Castle at least once, but this time was different. Divina and her friends were going on an exclusive tour of Faerie Castle. Violetta’s father was one of the castle guards and had it all arranged. Faerie Castle stood tall and proud in the heart of Faerie City. Wherever one was in Faerieland, the castle was always a visible landmark.

      Divina had been looking forward to this!

      Their tour guide was a bouncy, cheerful Blumaroo named Alice. They started in the main entry before the grand staircase. They proceeded to the throne room, where they got an up-close look at Queen Fyora’s throne. It was a surprisingly simple and plain golden chair. It looked nothing like Divina imagined.

      “It doesn’t look very comfortable,” Posy said, eyeing the unpadded and unadorned chair with a frown.

      “That’s because the Queen uses magic to make it comfy for herself,” Violetta explained.

      Alice kept them moving, this time out of the throne room and into the ballroom across the hall. It was big and fancy with ornate chandeliers and tall windows with incredible views. The girls were awestruck by the room, and some of them pretended to dance as if they were at an actual ball. Of course, they were all too young for such an event, but it was nice to pretend. Divina felt a wave of sadness as she knew this was the closest she would ever get.

      Eventually, they made it next door to the dining hall that had a large table at the centre and tapestries of faerie tales on the walls.

      “This is where Queen Fyora holds banquets for distinguished guests like fellow royals or Neopians she wishes to honour for noble deeds,” Alice explained. The tour guide also launched into explanations of the tapestries, their age, dimensions, how long they took to make and the stories they depicted.

      The girls listened politely, but even Alice’s engaging storytelling couldn’t keep their attention for long. Thankfully, the tour guide moved them along before they fidgeted too much or fell asleep standing up.

      “Come along, girls. You’re in for a real treat!” Alice beckoned them on with a smile.

      This time, they ended up in the kitchens where a tray of Chocolate Faerie Mallows awaited them.

      “These sweet treats are a favourite of the Queen’s. With three layers of chocolate, marshmallow and strawberry and sprinkled all over with faerie dust, their gooey goodness is hard to resist!” Alice explained.

      The girls agreed wholeheartedly as they dug in. Once finished, they headed down a hall filled with statues, magical artefacts, and art. Having learned her audience, Alice didn’t linger to share any more interesting facts about any of it. Instead, she led them directly into another room. This time, a sitting room.

      “For smaller social gatherings, Queen Fyora uses one of the dozen sitting rooms located in the castle,” Alice explained.

      This room was just as opulent as the rest of the castle, if slightly smaller. It had a few couches and chairs, a low table in the centre and a large portrait of Queen Fyora with filigree adorning the walls. The girls once more pretended they were special guests of the Queen, sitting on the couches and holding imaginary teacups. They would glance up at the portrait as if Queen Fyora were actually in the room with them instead of just her likeness. Long before they had had their fill, Alice moved them along.

      “The room next door is the castle library, but we’ll skip that room as I believe you girls will like a different area better,” Alice explained.

      Not one of them protested to this plan as they weren’t exactly big readers. They went through another hallway, an archway and entered a garden.

      “The gardens are the pride and joy of the castle where guests can enjoy a respite from the chaos of court life,” Alice said.

      The tour guide allowed the girls to tread the cobblestone paths, smell the flowers, sit in the gazebo, and listen to the gurgling of the fountain. It was a peaceful, quiet place and a novelty to the girls that had been raised in the clouds. They’d only ever seen gardens in pictures and flowers in bouquets, not the ground. The bright green of the grass was a bold contrast to the white clouds, pale blue sky, and pink and purple stone they were used to. Their time in the garden came to a close all too soon.

      “We’ll now be heading to the second floor, where you’ll get to see what a guest’s chambers look like,” Alice explained.

      They made their way up a spiral staircase and down a short hall.

      “What’s back that way?” Lavender asked, looking towards a tall set of closed double doors.

      “Those are Queen Fyora’s private quarters,” Alice explained. “Only the Queen and her closest friends have access to that area.”

      “Wow!”

      “Over here is the guest wing,” Alice said, ushering the group in the opposite direction.

      They entered a guest suite that included a sitting area, separate bedroom, and bathroom. As everywhere in the castle, the main colours were pink and purple with gold accents. There was also a large window that had a breathtaking view of Faerieland. Divina loved her bedroom but would trade hers for this one in a heartbeat and knew her friends felt the same.

      The young Acara’s heart ached at the thought that she would be trading in her bedroom regardless but for something far less appealing.

      “This brings our castle tour almost to a close. There is only one place left to show you. Girls, please follow me,” Alice said.

      The girls exchanged curious, eager looks and hurried after their tour guide.

      She led them down another hall and up yet another staircase.

      “Why…are there…so…many…stairs?” Lavender panted.

      “Probably because most residents and visitors to the castle have wings or magic,” Divina reasoned.

      Alice paused at the top of the staircase, hand on the doorknob. She beamed at them. “Girls, welcome to the Hidden Tower.”

      The door swung open, and the girls gasped as a veritable treasure trove was revealed. They rushed into the room with wide eyes to take it all in. There was so much to look at that it was difficult to decide what to look at first. Everything for sale was placed on its own pedestal, with a placard that named the item and its price. There was quite an assortment of items here, ranging from toys to weapons!

     Divina stopped in front of a Jhudora the Dark Faerie Doll (priced at 1,500,00 Neopoints!). The young Blue Acara gulped at the hefty price tag as well as the rather sinister appearance of the doll itself.

      Born and raised in Faerieland, Divina had been taught to respect dark faeries. Don’t mess with them, and they usually won’t mess with you. Even so, there were more than a few stories about the villainous deeds of dark faeries. While Jhudora was considered one of the very few ‘good’ ones, it didn’t make sense for her to have her very own doll sold at the Hidden Tower. Let alone anyone that would be willing to buy it or at that price.

     “I wonder why Queen Fyora agreed to sell this?” Dvina pondered aloud.

     “I was very reluctant to do so but found I couldn’t refuse.”

     Divina looked up into the face of the Faerie Queen. “Queen Fyora!” The Blue Acara gasped and dropped into a clumsy curtsy.

     Queen Fyora smiled gently at her. “No need for such displays here. I’m simply a shopkeeper here.”

     “You sell Jhudora merchandise, but I don’t see any here for Illusen,” Babs observed.

     “Illusen prefers to handle her own merchandise, especially given that she lives on the continent in Meridell, rather than here in Faerieland.”

     Babs looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. “I guess that makes sense.”

     Queen Fyora moved on to help a paying customer while the girls continued perusing the wares.

     Divina headed past a handful of weapons before her eyes landed on a pink glass vial with faerie wings filled with pink glitter. Its label read Glittering Faerie Dust, and its price was listed at 12,500,00 Neopoints. Divina looked at the jar with longing. Of course, faerie dust was insanely expensive! Figuring Queen Fyora wouldn’t appreciate someone drooling over her wares, Divina forced herself to move on.

      Passing a few more weapons (including, inexplicably, various piles of dung), Divina came to the most beautiful doll she had ever seen. Labelled the Supreme Deluxe Faerie Queen Doll (and only 5 million NP!), it was clearly the best item in the tower. Unlike the other toys and replicas, this doll actually did the Faerie Queen justice in every detail. The other girls also came to admire the doll, crowding around its pedestal eagerly. N one was possibly too old for this doll!

      “Yes, this is one of my favourites,” Queen Fyora said. “Commissioned a few years ago, the designer truly created a masterpiece.”

      There was no question about that!

      “I understand you girls were on a private tour of the castle,” Queen Fyora said. “Did you enjoy it?”

      “Oh yes!” was the enthusiastic reply.

      “Especially because we ended up here,” Posy said.

      “We’ve heard of the Hidden Tower, of course,” Violetta explained quickly.

      “But none of us has ever actually been!”

      “Well, I’m glad to hear it, but I must ask you to make your way out of the tower. I don’t want to keep other visitors waiting,” Queen Fyora said gently.

      “We understand. It was more than we could have asked for to visit the Hidden Tower at all, especially since-” Divina abruptly cut off as she felt a lump rise in her throat.

      Queen Fyora furrowed her brow slightly but didn’t pry.

      “Anyway, we’ll be going now,” Posy said.

      The other girls quickly made for the exit.

      Divina trailed behind, and her eyes landed on- of all things! -a Kiko Squeeze Toy. The small, round Blue Kiko smiled at her, and she suddenly couldn’t bear it. Even here, in the heart of Faerieland, she couldn’t escape what was coming. She felt the first tears begin to fall as she headed down the tower stairs. Thankfully, they had dried by the time they left the tower.

     * * * * *

     23rd day of Sleeping, Y11

      Her birthday was on a Friday, and it also happened to be the last full weekend she would spend in Faerieland. It being her birthday, her parents allowed her to stay home from school. It started off with her being able to sleep in as long as she wanted. Then, they took her to brunch at their favourite diner. Despite how special the day was, she couldn’t quite shake off the impending sense of doom she felt.

      How could she ever be happy again when her life as she knew it was coming to an end?

      Next up, Divina and her mother had the works at their favourite beauty salon. The sights and sounds of the salon soothed her nerves. Wanting to enjoy it, she pushed away all of her unhappiness. She chose a simple beige with white tip for her nails and decided on a basic wash and trim for her long blonde hair. A mani-pedi and new do did wonders for her mood.

      Divina and her mother spent the next hour or so doing some shopping. Retail therapy at their favourite shops also did wonders to buoy Divina’s mood. Though they didn’t make many purchases-mindful of their impending move-it was still fun. They didn’t stay nearly as long as they usually liked. After all, Divina had a big night ahead.

      They were going to have a birthday party with all of Divina’s friends and a sleepover after with a select few. While Divina and her mom were out, her dad had been busy moving all of their partially filled boxes to the guest room. He had then decorated and picked up the cake so that everything was ready by the time they got back. It was nothing over the op as had happened in years past.

      Divina was just thankful she was getting something. Even if it would feel more like a going-away party than a birthday.

      Divina quickly changed into a peach-coloured ruffled dress and heels and accessorised with a glittery peach chunky bracelet. She was just in time for the first guests to arrive. Slowly, the living room filled with Divina’s friends and plenty of presents. Music played in the background as the birthday girl made the rounds. She happily took compliments on her hair, nails and clothes while catching up with her friends after being apart all day.

      “Alright, kids, pizza’s ready!” Divina’s mom called.

      They swarmed the kitchen counter where three fresh pizzas-pepperoni, cheese and combination-were set. They ate hungrily as only a bunch of preteens could, grabbing chips and sodas to wash it all down with. This was all too short before Divina’s dad stepped in.

      Divina’s dad rubbed his hands together with a playful grin. “Game time, everybody!”

      What followed were games like spin or dare (a combination of spin the bottle and truth or dare, untangle the knot (where everybody held crossed hands and tried to untangle themselves) and Who Am I? (where everybody impersonated a celebrity and had to figure out who was who). The games were a real hit, and everybody had a blast, smiling and laughing. Divina couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much. Even her parents got in on the games! Suitably entertained, the group only settled down for cake and ice cream.

      Everyone oohed and aahed over it. The cake was a standard pink frosted cake covered in gold glitter. It was light and fluffy and not too sweet. No surprise given it was from the best bakery in Faerieland. Everybody enjoyed their slices of cake and ice cream before it was finally time for the gifts.

      It was the moment Divina had been waiting for since she’d woken up that morning: presents!

      The young Acara went from smallest to biggest. Her gifts ranged from cards to clothes to CDs. The piles of wrapping paper and gift bags grew as her friends oohed and aahed over her presents. Each one was better than the last. While she loved all of her gifts, there were two that stood out the most.

      The first was a collective gift from her friends. She felt a rush of disappointment first as it had the size and weight of a book. Even so, she unwrapped it as she had all the others. A slim, beige volume was revealed. A cutout in the center held a group picture taken on New Year's Eve of Divina and all her friends.

      It wasn’t a book. It was an album! As Divina opened the album, she found it filled with pictures of her life in Faerieland. The places she’d been, the things she’d done and ‘pets she loved. They were all there, moments captured forever on the page.

      Memories.

      Divina didn’t even try to stop the tears that welled but she slapped the album closed before any tears could fall and potentially ruin the precious pictures within.

      “We wanted to get you a gift to remember us by,” Kinsley explained.

      “We hope you like it,” Posy said.

      “Thank you,” Divina said earnestly. She hugged the album to her chest. “I love it!”

      The second gift was from her parents. It was a small velvet jewelry box. She snapped it open eagerly but instead of a ring or a necklace, it was a small glass vial with faerie wings filled with pink glitter.

      Divina gasped, eyes darting up to look at her parents. “No, this isn’t-”

      Her parents smiled at her.

      “Yes, it is. A very small amount of faerie dust,” her dad confirmed.

      “We wanted you to have a small bit of Faerieland to take with you,” her mother explained.

      “Thank you!” Divina exclaimed. She would have hugged her parents if it weren’t for the gift-wrapping debris and guests in the way.

      The main party wrapped up then, about half of her guests leaving with final birthday wishes. Everyone trailed out until only a handful remained. They had been invited to stay the night. The five girls headed to Divina’s room to change out of their party clothes and into pajamas. Then they trekked back into the now clear living room to watch a movie.

      “Remember girls, you’re only allowed to stay up until midnight,” Divina’s mom said.

      “So, make it count,” Divina’s dad added.

      “You got it, Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn,” Kinsley assured.

      Flossie-being the youngest there-fell asleep during the movie.

      “Hey, Vee. You have any whipped cream?” Kinsley asked.

      “Yep,” Divina answered. She was already going to get it, knowing exactly what her friend wanted it for.

      Carefully, Kinsley sprayed a small white pile onto Flossie’s open paw.

      Violetta used her tail to tickle Flossie’s face.

      The Pink Cybunny moved to slap the tail away and slapped herself with the pawful of whipped cream instead. She awoke with a gasp.

      The other girls burst into laughter.

      Flossie looked crestfallen and hurried to the bathroom to clean herself up. By the time she returned, the movie had ended.

      “I have an idea. Let’s play a game!” Kinsley suggested.

      “Like a board game?” Flossie asked.

      “No!” Kinsley scoffed. “Truth or dare.”

      Flossie’s ears drooped.

      Divina frowned. “But we already played that game earlier.”

      “That was spin or dare. Truth or dare is a lot more fun,” Kinsley asserted.

      Flossie looked uncertain but no one spoke up.

      “Since I thought up the game, I get to go first,” Kinsley went on. Her sky-blue eyes lit on her best friend, Violetta. “Alright, Lettie. Truth or dare?”

      Violetta tossed her long hair over one shoulder. “Dare, of course.”

      “I dare you to walk down the block and back, alone, without a flashlight.”

      “Wait, my parents aren’t going to like that,” Divina said quickly.

      “So? What are they gonna do? Ground us?” Kinsley snorted. “They’re your parents. Not ours!”

      Divina recognized the logic and didn’t protest further.

      “Alright, easy!” Violetta walked out the front door, her friends bunched around it as they watched her.

      The faerie Kougra disappeared into the darkness, her lavender striped fur illuminated occasionally by a streetlamp. It took a few minutes, the others waiting with shifting feet and bated breath. At last, Violetta made her way back to them, strolling along as coolly as if it were broad daylight and not (almost) midnight.

      “Alright, my turn!’ Violetta exclaimed as they resettled on their sleeping bags. “Whitney, truth or dare?”

      “Mmm, truth,” Whitney said.

      “Is it true you dye your mane to keep it so white?”

      “Nope!” Whitney tossed her mane. “All natural.”

      “How,” Violetta muttered, almost to herself.

      “Violetta, truth or dare?”

      “Hang on! Violetta already went,” Kinsley interjected.

      “I answered the question, so I get to pick who goes next. That’s the rule.”

      “Well, I suggested the game in the first place, so I make the rules.”

      Whitney huffed. “That isn’t fair.”

      “It’s OK, I don’t mind going again,” Violetta said. She looked at Whitney. “Truth.”

      “Is it true that you’re going to have a modeling contract with the agency when you’re older?”

      Violetta looked away for a brief moment before looking back at Whitney. “Yes.”

      Whitney looked disbelieving but let it go.

      They played a few more rounds of Truth or Dare with everyone going at least once. Divina was the last to go and of course was asked the classic who’s your crush? question. This distracted all of the girls into talking about their own crushes. Their chatter ranged from how much they did or (mostly) didn’t like school to the latest fashions. Slowly, they each drifted off to sleep.

      Divina’s last thought was that she had had the best birthday yet.

     * * * * *

     31st day of Sleeping, Y11

      The Vaughns last week in Faerieland flew by in a flurry of packing and shipping off the few belongings they would be taking with them to Kiko Lake. All too soon, their last day arrived. A small group of friends saw them off at the airport and Divina surprised herself when she didn’t cry. Not when she hugged her friends goodbye or when she boarded the plane. It was only after the plane took off and she realized she was seeing Faerieland for the final time that the tears began to flow.

      “Farewell, Faerieland.”

     The End.