Only Human: Part Four

     ***

Rogue's purple eyes stared at the door of the Haunted Woods home in anticipation. She had done was Jhudora asked, even if it had been a bit much. Then again, did she really have a choice? It felt like she had been acting against her will when she sold her Terror Mountain Home to the National Neopian Skeith. Had that been before or after she had robbed it? She couldn't remember.

      The house was empty, save for the piles of money sitting around her. One and a half million neopoints... more than the entirety of her bank account. Jhudora was ambitious, to say the least. It felt as if she had needlessly put her at risk, just for her enjoyment. Just hoping to watch her 'apprentice' fail...

     As night began to descend around the rickety shack, Jhudora burst through the door. Rogue's wing tips perked up. "You're back!" The dark faerie paid her no mind, casting spells under breath. A small rickety old bed appeared in the midst of the money, as well as a small meal.

     "Eat," said the elder dark faerie tersely. "I've no time to coddle you on your first night. We're under suspicion." Her first night... oh. It hadn't felt like she'd been a dark faerie for only a few hours. She had stolen a fortune from the National Neopian for Fyora's sake! The day had dragged on for what felt like weeks to her. But she didn't have much time to ponder this.

     "I'll be back tomorrow. Try not to blow anything up." Jhudora drifted out the rickety old piece of wood marked as the door, and shut it delicately. The door managed to stay attached, and the sound of locks clicking from the outside drifted through the door. Eight locks clicked before the sound of Jhudora's wings could be heard, drifting into the night.

     Why did she need to shut her up so well? Surely she wasn't a danger to the Neopians. After all, she was just a dark faerie, right? Rogue tried to console herself with this knowledge, but she continued to worry. Her chest had been growing tighter and tighter since the sun had fallen, and she was becoming acutely aware of it now. She felt like a Werelupe, with the night clawing at her insides. Maybe she been shut up for a reason?

     As the hours passed, Rogue felt more and more restricted. Her wings longed to take flight, whether she fell or not. She wanted to cast spells, zip throughout the woods, and shocking enough to her, trick someone. Rogue had always been mischievous, and had gotten good at tricking people after she left her home; but it had always been out of need, rather than greed.

     When the clock tolled midnight, Rogue could take it no more. She found a week spot in the window, and used the claw in her wing to shatter it. It wasn't a large opening, but she managed to squeeze her figure, through the small shack window. The newly minted dark faerie was free.

     Rather than fly, Rogue walked quietly through the underbrush, searching for anyone to take on. The darkness in her heart, which she had told Fyora she could most certainly withstand, was encroaching. It was creeping in, pressuring her to acquire a victim. Rogue was in no position to fight back.

     A rustle sounded in the leaves ahead on the trail. Rogue froze; she pressed herself against a tree to listen for the incoming creature. A small yellow Kacheek came running in to the clearing, though nothing appeared to be chasing him. It appeared he was running from the woods themselves.

     Rogue stepped out of her hiding place to appear in front of the Kacheek. The young creature slammed to a halt just in time to avoid hitting the dark faerie. The pair's toes were almost touching, and the Kacheek was shivering. Rogue shifted her body so as to be able to get a good look at the Kacheek.

     "What's wrong, my dear?" purred Rogue. She pulled her wings tight against her body, to conceal herself. She could remember being scared of dark faeries at one time, and this mission would not be successful if she scared away her prey. "Are you lost?"

     "I-I-I-I was being chased by Werelupes!" sobbed the Kacheek, falling to his knees and resting his hands on Rogue's shoes. "Please don't take me back, please! I'll do anything, anything!" Rogue smiled. The darkness inside her delighted in these simply words of desperation.

     "Alright, alright," she cooed. "I'll keep you safe. But you'll have to do me a favor." The Kacheek nodded eagerly, anxious for any way to escape. Now that she paying attention, Rogue could hear the Werelupes in the distance. Rogue opened her mouth to demand something, but something caught her tongue. The darkness was being beat back.

     "I need you to get me a ride to Faerieland," she whispered hastily, while her will was still her own. "Please, do this quickly!" The Kacheek nodded, putting his paw in her hand. He waited anxiously before Rogue remembered she would have to lead him out. When she reached her realization, the pair left.

     It was two AM before the pair reached the border of the woods. Faerieland could be seen over the horizon, but the Kacheek had not stopped. Rogue was holding on to the Kacheek's paw, hardly aware of her surroundings. As the night had worn on, the darkness within her heart was fighting against the goodness in her that kept her from turning the Kacheek into a Werelupe himself. When he pulled her up the edge of Jhudora's bluff, she was barely able to speak.

     "Thank-you," she said, her voice strained. "Now run, quick!" The Kacheek did as he was told and quickly disappeared towards the nearest eyrie taxi service. Rogue sat on the edge of the bluff, trying to control herself and forces within her.

      Dark faeries don't do nice things! Chase after him!

     He's going to tell everyone that you stole the money! Go get him!

     I guess you were never good enough to be a dark faerie after all.

     The voices rattled around in her head, yelling and degrading her. Rogue clung to single thought, something that had been her foothold to keep the voices at bay. Now however, she was sitting alone, with no one she needed to protect from herself. The thought began to grow, beating back the other voices with its new found strength.

     ' Not all dark faeries are evil, ' the thought whispered. 'And neither are you. ' Rogue stood up and stretched her wings, letting the morning light fall onto them. Her inner battle had taken more time than she could have possibly grasped.

     Rogue began walking, step by step, into the faerie city. The receding darkness combined with the advancing thought allowed her to slowly increase her pace, letting her get closer and closer to the inside of the faerie city. Rogue paused when she reached the bridge she crossed detestably the day before and smiled. Fyora would see she had been right all along. She would see that she could be a good dark faerie.

     "Freeze."

     Rogue spun instinctively on her heel as an unfamiliar face appeared in front of her. He looked furious. The sunlight glinted off his 'Defenders of Neopia' badge.

     "You're under arrest for robbing the Nation Neopian. Please remain still while I handcuff you." Rogue slid her hands behind her back, away from the brown Moehog's cuffs.

     "I was just going to see the queen, not big deal. No problem here." Rogue began to back away slowly. The Moehog advanced on her as she began to back across the bridge.

     "Ma'am, you are under arrest. Please, stop so I can arrest you." Rogue turned to run as the Moehog began to give chase. She flapped her wings, but couldn't gain any leverage. The Moehog grabbed the back of her shirt.

     "Stop!" Queen Fyora voice rang out through the clouds. She appeared in a puff of smoke along the bridge with the pair, slightly flustered. "This girl is with me. I shall take care of her.

     "But-"

     "Enough! Go." The Moehog began to slink away, returning to Neopia to tell Judge Hog about the queen's interference. Fyora turned to face the faerie, and gasped. She could not summon the words to express her surprise.

     "What? What is it?" Fyora simply put a hand over Rogue's mouth, silencing her questions. She couldn't wrap her mind around the changes that come over the girl.

      "Your eyes are blue," Fyora said softly, unable to wrap her mind around it. "And your skin, it's not purple anymore, it's..."

     "Pale as the Terror Mountain snow?" Rogue finished for her, her eyes now locked on her forearm. It had been a gradual change, something she hadn't noticed in her hectic day. And her eyes... she didn't exactly carry a mirror around with her, did she?"

     "The only way this could have happened was if you resisted. But how would you have overcome the darkness?" Fyora stroked Rogue's cheek, trying to understand the change. "How?"

     "The power of good parents," Rogue whispered. "Thank you, my queen. But what am I going to do? I'm tied to her." Both faeries scowled. Of course, Jhudora could not be ignored.

     "I'll tend to it. I've also sold your house in the woods, and moved you to Darigan Citadel. It'll be a nice place for a dark faerie like you." Rogue stood open mouthed. "What? You didn't think I didn't know where the money was did you? Silly girl."

     Rogue shook her head. "No, not that. Does that mean you'll let me stay a dark faerie?" Fyora just smiled sweetly.

     "Of course, dear. Who's going to be my shining example of dark faeries that aren't evil?" Rogue threw her arms around the faerie queen, elated. Finally, her greatest wish had been granted. But as she hugged her ruler, a bitter voice floated through her head.

      Do not forget, Rogue. You still belong to me...

The End