The Darkest Faerie Rises: Part Four

      "Quite honestly, Jhudora, I am not telling you because I am still not completely sure that I can trust you, but I have a plan and I know what I am doing. I know that I should trust you, but you've tried to take over my throne before so I have to act as if you'd go and tell this darkest faerie every word of mine the moment you leave my sight. I don't want to because of the help you've been, but I don't really have a choice."

      "I will take your word for it, because right now, you do not stand a chance against her. She has changed so much, and it's all my fault. In a few short years she overcame me and the council, and she seems to grow stronger with each passing minute. Don't underestimate her rage like I did."

      "Master Drakar, some trouble on the front lines."

      Drakar angrily rolled her eyes, "What is it?"

      "It is, well… some of the faeries are refusing to fight."

      "THEY ARE WHAT?!?!?!?!" screamed Drakar with undeniable fury as her eyes turned fire red.

      "It seems that they no longer believe in our cause; they no longer think we can do it."

      "And why is that?"

      "I do not know, master, but they refuse to fight. Not even the threat of severe punishment was enough to make them fight."

      "I will show them severe punishment if they do not fight!"

      "Then, with all due respect, I suggest you do so. They say that they will not fight for a ruler with a weakness."

      "What do they mean by that?"

      "I do not know, master Drakar."

      Drakar flew with lightning speed to her front lines. "I hear some of you will not fight for a ruler with a weakness. What is my weakness?"

      One brave faerie spoke up as she spoke with quavering lips, "I will readily fight for you, but others will not fight because of a rumor about your medallion, about some legend."

      "And what is this rumor or legend?" asked Drakar with a tone that told that faerie she'd better have a good answer and it had better be delivered within seconds.

      "They say that the most powerful dark faerie is burdened with the medallion, and that a different medallion made of pure gold and pure rubies can turn them to stone for hundreds of years if the faerie is wearing both at once."

      "Even if that rumor is true nobody has a medallion made of pure gold and pure rubies so we have nothing to worry about."

      "Yes, my master. I shall convince the other warriors to fight for our cause."

      Drakar stopped mid-flight. "Excuse me, OUR cause?"

      The faerie bowed low again, "I am sorry, master, I meant your cause."

      Drakar murmured, "I thought so," as she flew away to inspect the rest of her troops and to make sure none of them shared in that crazy notion that something could actually stop her.

      "So she doesn't believe in the medallion?"

      "No."

      "Perfect. Now, let us fight for our temporary master!"

      Cheers arose from the front lines, which contained mostly the council members who knew the curse of having that medallion, and now Drakar couldn't remove it because she was the most powerful dark faerie. How ironic, thought the council member who previously had it, that she will lose because she's too powerful and too vain, both traits that all dark faeries try to have.

      Drakar watched from afar as her troops prepared to fight. Perfect, she thought. It's about time they do as they're told. Those council members are so stubborn. I suppose that being in the front lines is their duty, being some of the most powerful dark faeries and all.

      Drakar watched with satisfaction as the weaker faeries "persuaded" any faeries or Neopians out to get back to their homes and to stay there. She felt like her fight had become personal with Fyora, though she did not quite know why.

      As she approached a nearly cleared out castle, Drakar knew why. It was her destiny that made Fyora her mortal enemy, and she had no destiny to fulfill; the legend never ended. Now she would end it without anybody's help. She would make history. She, the darkest faerie. Drakar relished the thought and remembered growing up. She couldn't believe that she had wanted to be anything other than a dark faerie. She had been an ignorant and foolish child. But she was no longer ignorant or foolish, and her time for domination had come.

      Drakar had Fyora escorted from the building. Fyora walked out gracefully and with poise and beauty.

      "You know what I want," said Drakar with more than a little pride in her voice.

      "You're right, I do know, but you shall never get it."

      "And why do you think that is? I'm more powerful than you and you have nobody to help you, your guards are captives and your loyal subjects are too afraid to even look at us."

      "Perhaps that's the case, but nobody will ever serve you Drakar, they will not stand by your side. Your guards would leave you to fend for yourself. They wouldn't care about your welfare, and why should they? You'd have to force them into service."

      "SILENCE FYORA!!! You have stood in my way for the first, and last, time. I think that as a token of your fallen reign, I should get something. That medallion that you're wearing looks just about the right size."

      Fyora looked up at her in sadness. "It was given to me on the day of my coronation to queen."

      Drakar looked at it, "And it will make the perfect match for my current medallion. Wearing both, I will be unstoppable. After all, queen and most powerful faerie alive in one day isn't too bad of a record; so come on, Fyora, make me unstoppable."

      As Fyora draped the chain around Drakar's neck, she said, "No, I will make you helpless, but I'm doing as you wish, Drakar."

      "What are you babbling on about?" asked Drakar with annoyance, until she realized that she was having trouble moving. "What have you DONE to me?!" she cried as her skin seemed to be turning gray and stone-like.

      "Nothing," said Fyora sadly. "You have done it to yourself. My medallion was made of pure gold and pure rubies. You have no hope now."

      As it became harder and harder for Drakar to move, she saw a familiar child walk up next to Fyora. It was Jhudora.

      "Why, you little traitor! You were my mentor, my inspiration!"

      "Yes, and you were a little brat. I taught you everything and you betrayed me. Unfortunately for you, you're still a child and when you made me a child, you only did so physically. That meant that I could figure out your plans with no problems. I hope you enjoy being stone, you will be for years to come!" yelled Jhudora over Drakar's last pitiful cries for help from her teacher whom she had betrayed who in turn betrayed her.

      The streets of Faerieland were full of cheering and rejoicing, for their greatest threat that they had always feared was gone. Even though they tried to keep it a secret, everybody knew about the legend of the darkest faerie, and once Drakar, deemed the darkest faerie, was defeated, they had nobody to fear like that again. Fyora had sent the stone Drakar to the bottom of some Maraquan ruins, where they had no worries about Drakar being found or somehow freed by someone that wanted her medallions, despite the fact that the medallions, too, had turned to stone.

      The council reunited, and nobody had to fear the power of the medallion or the darkest faerie anymore, at least not for hundreds of years. The dark faeries started making plans for Drakar's return, for they knew her power and wouldn't underestimate her like they very nearly had. Although they all took pride in their part of saving Faerieland, they all knew they had no right to be proud, since it was Jhudora that had really saved them by having the courage to confront one of her two greatest enemies in order to keep one faerie from destroying them all.

      Fyora walked up to Jhudora's cloud the day after the many festivities had finally ended and spoke to her. "Perhaps I have misjudged you. How do you wish to live? You can live as a respectable dark faerie in my palace, but any mischief and you're out here again, or you can stay here and live as you have been living."

      Jhudora thought about this and replied, "I am still Jhudora, and I am still a dark faerie. Don't count on my help again. I wasn't saving Faerieland, I was stopping an ungrateful brat. I am Jhudora, so I will live like Jhudora."

      Fyora thought about that and replied with a hint of respect, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The End