Faeries: Before the Fame - Part One

      ***

     Jhudora pulled out her text book from her locker. Once she had all of her proper possessions, she cautiously walked down the pristine hallway. Everything sparkled with perfection, the checker floor, the glass windows, the painted walls. Once the young Dark Faerie was certain that Illusen wasn’t around, she pulled out a small mirror and examined her visage. Her long flowing, purple hair dropped down to her shoulders. The colour matched her tinted skin, deep mauve dress, and ominous dark wings. It all looked nice, but she could never be as pretty as Illusen.

     Unfortunately for the teenage faerie, she was so wrapped up in her mirror that she didn’t see Illusen coming. The Earth Faerie had chocolate brown hair that was done into a long braid. Throughout the braid a green steak ran. She was wearing an emerald skirt and matching top with almost no sleeves. On her back was a pair of leafy wings. Her face was covered in freckles that finished her beauty.

     Behind Illusen were her two follower friends, Casandia and Bella. Casandia had smooth blond hair done up in pigtails. She wore a pink, frilly dress on her short body and had two diamond shaped wings. Her face was nowhere near as pretty as Illusen’s and currently it had a cruel grin. Bella was a water faerie with long blond hair. Her hair always had streaks of a different colour each week, this week was bubblegum pink. Unlike Illusen and Casandia, she had merely a neutral face; or at best a little bit mischievous.

     As Jhudora approached the band of faeries, Illusen stuck out her foot, causing Jhudora to trip and drop her possessions. As her mirror touched the ground, the glass shattered to pieces.

     “You should really watch where you're going, freak,” sneered Illusen.

     “Careful, Illusen, Dark Faeries are known to cast hexes when they’re angry,” mocked Casandia.

     The three cruel faeries laughed as they left Jhudora to collect her belongings. As the Dark Faerie slid the glass back in place with care, she questioned why Illusen hated her so much. She had done nothing, but still the Earth Faerie persecuted her at every opportunity.

     What she didn’t know was that Illusen did not enjoy tormenting Jhudora at all. She felt like she should go back and offer to help, but that would make her look weak. Dark Faeries had always been feared by the others and Illusen had to prove that she was like everyone else. She was not a trusting fool who would let a Dark Faerie take advantage of her. When she met Jhudora, she used her to demonstrate her power over Dark Faeries. It may have seemed that way to everyone else, but Illusen wasn’t sure if it was proving anything to any Dark Faeries or herself. Jhudora didn’t seem evil and Illusen felt guilty every time she harmed her.

      ***

     “I had another one of those dreams last night, Baelia,” mentioned Celeste to her best friend.

     “That’s cool,” answered the Light Faerie. “What was this one about?”

     Baelia listened intently as her friend described her miraculous adventures through dream land. She didn’t know if they were true dreams or just fantasies. Probably a bit of both. Baelia had platinum blond hair done up in a fluffy ponytail. She wore a long, draping, marigold dress that was speckled with rhinestones. Matching her hair were two feathery wings on her back.

     Celeste, the one talking , was not yet sure what kind of faerie she was. She had shoulder length indigo hair that was unevenly cut. Her eyes were a piercing red and her skin was tanned. She wore a T-shirt with a red star on it and blue jeans. Behind her were two blue wings.

     “We’d better get to class,” exclaimed Baelia as Celeste finished her story. “I hope Zoë doesn’t sleep in again.”

     “If she keeps missing classes, she’ll be in hot water,” sighed Celeste.

     As the two faeries made their way to the classroom, they passed another student. This one looked very gothic. Her hair was short, black and covered her left eye. She had pale white skin, but everything else about her was ebony. She wore a small top and ripped pants; her face was always in a look of disgust.

     “Morning, Jenny,” greeted Baelia warmly.

     “My name is Jennumara,” hissed the Dark Faerie, “but you can avoid that predicament and just not speak to me.”

     “Okay, bye,” said Baelia just as cheerfully.

     Once they were out of earshot from Jennumara, Celeste remarked, “One thing I love about you, Baelia, is that nothing can rain on your parade.”

     “That’s not one hundred percent true,” pointed out Baelia. “If Zoë doesn’t start getting to class on time, I will be very worried.”

      ***

     Fyora observed the present students as she waited for the rest to arrive. At the back of the room, Illusen and her friends were chatting, while Baelia and Celeste conversed up front. She sighed as she looked at Jhudora and Jennumara on opposite sides of the room; Dark Faeries always had trouble fitting in.

     The Faerie Queen then returned her gaze to Celeste; it was curious that she didn’t know what type of faerie she was. It was true that she didn’t look like any normal faerie; perhaps she was something new. People had never heard of an Island Faerie a few years ago, and now she had her own cooking pot. She had more trouble accepting Jon. For starters there had never in the history of Neopia been a male faerie, and he did not resemble in the slightest a faerie. He was a putrid green and wore a black robe. On his face was a small mask and on his back were two cardboard wings. Fyora could not describe him in anyway other than a Halloween Moehog combined with a plump faerie. Still, he had claimed to be a Faerie and Fyora didn’t have any proof that he wasn’t, what with some many new types always springing up.

     Fyora decided that class should start and that she ought to call attendance. She began to announce each Faerie’s name and they would respond if they were present.

     “Illusen?” Fyora called out.

     “Here!”

     “Jhudora?”

     “Here.”

     “Jennumara?”

     “Ugh.”

     “Bella?”

     “She’s here.” This was said by Illusen who had taken to speaking for Bella most of the time.

     Fyora continued through the list in this fashion until she came to the last one.

     “Zoë?” she questioned more than announced. “Where is that Dark Faerie?”

     As if on cue, a Dark Faerie darted through the door out of breath. She wore a long indigo dress and had knotted navy hair as if she hadn’t brushed it yet. She looked exhausted and disoriented.

     “I’m... sorry... I’m late,” she breathed between gasps for air.

     “Zoë, this is becoming a habit,” observed Fyora. “If you wish to graduate from Faerie School, I suggest you break it.”

     “I’m sorry,” she said as she broke into a yawn.

     She then found her desk and rested her head on it.

     Behind her Casandia snickered. “What’s the matter, Sleeper? Did you have a nightmare?”

     Zoë pretended not to hear her.

     “You know those Dark Faeries; they do all their evil practices at night,” mocked Illusen.

     Zoë did hear this and she glared a threatening look at Illusen.

     “Alright, class, let’s begin our next lesson,” said Fyora. “Today we will be learning about blessings.”

     But Zoë didn’t hear her; she had fallen asleep.

      ***

     As Fyora explained how blessings worked and the rules of blessings, Jhudora took notes on every detail. Casandia was more focussed on Jhudora than their teacher. With a flick of her wrist she conjured up a wind spell and sent it towards Jhudora. Suddenly the Dark Faerie’s papers scattered in front of her. As she bent over to collect them, she turned to see who had cast the spell on her. She gave Casandia a pleading look that said, “Why are you doing this to me?” Casandia responded with a cruel smirk.

     Illusen wanted badly to intervene with Casandia’s assault on Jhudora. Every day it became harder for her not to shout, “Enough is enough!”, but she couldn’t, because then everyone would look at her differently. Why would a popular Earth Faerie defend a Dark Faerie? Illusen turned away from Jhudora and closed the thought from her mind.

To be continued...