Vira: A Beautiful Lie

     An intoxicating aroma hung freely in the air and settled around the whole field going whichever way the wind happened to blow. Hues of every shade could be seen in this field flowers and blossoms blooming everywhere. Petals traveled with the wind and floated softly in the air. Trees towered over, and sunlight beamed through the emerald leaves of the trees casting a transcendent glow to the ground. Vines curled and twisted with the trees, they wrapped around every branch each bursting with blossoms. A once golden gate, now taken over by time stood and appeared to be one with the vines.

      Warm sunbeams peeked through the leaves and danced on Vira’s face this caused her to smile. The sweet smell of summer brought back some of Vira’s fondest memories. Vira had all her warmest memories in this field, even when was a young Acara all her happy thoughts all came back to this field. The field had been here for as long as Vira could remember, it never changed, and always remained constant. It was as if stepping into this place made time stand still, it always made Vira feel at peace and safe. Her favorite part was the grand entrance a magnificent gate with tall columns stood in the front of the field. Although the gate was now rusted and long past its prime, it still made Vira feel like a princess. She would do a curtsey and a little twirl every time she entered her haven.

      Large jade eyes, thick black eyelashes, a perfect complexation, and rosy lips with a dazzling smile looked back at Vira in her mirror. Long brown braids, with wispy curls hanging, framed her beautiful face. A flowing velvet red dress helped to accentuate her glossy blue fur. Adorned with fabulous jewelry, Vira always looked her best. She was naturally beautiful and did not even have to try. Vira always was praised and adored for her beauty so no one bothered to praise or even notice her other many talents. Although she had a wonderful voice and she was an avid reader and could name just about every plant in Neopia. This struck a chord with her and over time her beauty became her only reality

      Vira did not become obsessed with her appearance overnight, it was a slow and gradual change. Every time she tried to sing, dance, tell other stories, or impress others with her knowledge about nature they all came back to one thing it was her appearance. All her other talents were outshined by her beauty, they were never nurtured so they never grew. Vira’s beauty had all the admiration and acknowledgment it needed to grow and it indeed did grow and started to fester within her. Bit by bit and time after time, her other talents, and pieces of her self-were pushed deep within. They were buried so far, they became unreachable and eventually…forgotten altogether.

      Vira visited the field every dewy morning and would sometimes stay past milky twilight and late into the starry night. When she was very young she would sing, dance, play and skip among the field. Vira would pay no mind to her dress and roll in the grassy knolls without a care in all of Neopia. As she got a little older she slowly but surely changed, she would spend less time enjoying the serenity of the field and more time gazing into her mirror. Vira would get upset if her dress got wrinkled or grass stained. Her mind would wander for a short time, but if she got upset she would just pull out her mirror. Vira always her had beauty.

      Vira always had her memories as well and when she visited the field her favorite thing to do was just, remember. Remember when she was carefree when she knew how to not be obsessed, consumed, and ruled by her beauty. She would just lay back and let the sunlight shine on her face and the wind would carry the familiar sweet scent of the flowers to her nose. Then, the memories would come back in little sparks at first, then strike like lighting and hit her all at once...

     Vira ran giggling in the field, her curls sprung wildly around bouncing as she danced with the sway of the wind. Her bright red dress twirled along with her movements, the flowers were following her lead, moved by the breeze of her dress. She was the star of the show, the flowers her backup dancers, the field her stage. Vira laughed and gracefully fell into the grass, she let the gentle breeze glide over her face, and let the wind carry away all her worries.

     A smile spread across Vira’s face as she fondly reminisced over one of her favorite memories. A familiar feeling crept in, sadness, oh how she longed to be happy and carefree again. Then Vira reached for her most prized possession and she pulled her golden mirror out of her purse. She gazed into the mirror at her own reflection and she gripped the handle tight, she only saw a beautiful lie. Vira threw her mirror on the soft grass with more force than she intended too, she heard it crack and shatter. She hastily picked up her mirror and saw a broken Acara looking back at her finally, she was truly reflected in the mirror.

     Vira cried for the first time in what felt like forever. She wept for her broken mirror, broken spirit, and what once was, and what she would never have again. Eventually, she wore herself out and drifted off into a restless sleep. Cold drops of rain awoke her from her sleep, Vira stared up at the stormy sky.

     “It never rains or storms in my field,” Vira mumbled in surprise.

      She started to carefully pick up her broken mirror and attempted to put it back together. Vira managed to find most of the pieces so she looked into her mirror once more.

     “I wish…. I wish I could be beautiful again. I want people to see me for well, myself…a beautiful soul.” Vira sighed, as tears began to form in her bright green eyes.

      Suddenly the air became to darken, a murky and mysteries mist spread across the field. The mist swept through the once bight sky, along the trees, and even to the grand old gate. Everything was now cast in hues of gray; the field was a shadow of its former self. Vira’s eyes widened with fear, she had never seen her field like this, a feeling of darkness suddenly consumed her. She quickly pushed aside her feelings of dismay and was overcome with fear. Every muscle in Vira’s body wanted to bolt, but she was frozen.

      The mist started to gather, then pool in a single spot. All the plants that were once vibrant started to wilt and decay. The mist swirled, twisted, and turned it began to take on an unfamiliar shape. The mist began to dissipate, Vira could not believe what she was seeing. Great and menacing bottomless purple eyes glared back at her. Long strands of dark purple and bright neon green hair framed the eyes looking back at her. Majestic purple wings each fitted with a sharp horn on top were fanned out. She was wearing a long purple and green dress, its oversized sleeves hiding her dainty hands each baring sharp green claws. She was staring directly at Vira, a dark smile crept across her frightening face.

     “Do not fear me now my child, I can smell the fear on you. I can tell what you are thinking so I will just come right out with it. Yes, my dear, I am the one you hear about in the legends. I am the dark faerie, Jhudora.” Jhudora said as the mist finished clearing.

     “I…I uh, uh…Vira.” Vira muttered out, unable to slow her nervous and shallow breaths.

     “It is okay my child, no need to be so frightened. I mean you no harm, I heard your wish.” Jhudora whispered, trying to calm Vira who was still in shock.

     “You, uh you heard that?” Vira mumbled, suddenly embarrassed realizing that she had been watched.

     “Yes, I have been watching you for quite some time Vira. You see, I do not appear for just anyone. A very select few, this is no mistake. You and I, my dear Vira we are more alike than you realize.” Jhudora said in a smooth voice.

     “You…and I…? Alike?! You…you…are a dark faerie, a villain. I am nothing like you!” Vira yelled back, with such force she stumbled.

     “No need to yell Vira, I am only here to help. Let me put some things into perspective for you my dear. I usually do not take interest in the trivial problems of Neopets. But you Vira, you caught my interest. You are different, you are not seen for who you truly are, you are misunderstood.” Jhudora purred in her most soothing voice.

     “I am misunderstood.” Vira nodded, and she thought Jhudora did not seem so bad, maybe she was just misunderstood.

     “Very well, I knew you were a smart Acara. I have seen you in the field gazing in your mirror.” Jhudora laughed, followed by a wink.

     “Oh, so you have been watching me for some time?” Vira asked as she blushed.

     “Yes, my Vira, I have seen you many a day ignore the beauty around you, and just stare into your mirror. But today…something was different you threw your mirror in anger?” Jhudora asked as she smiled.

     “Why does my mirror hold any interest to you…the dark faerie?” Vira asked, now getting concerned.

     “Haha, Vira it is not your mirror that peeked my interest. I have seen you in that field clutching that mirror holding it as if it were a precious jewel. Then suddenly you destroy the thing you love?” Jhudora wondered.

     “I…I uh, I was not happy with what I saw,” Vira mumbled under her breath.

     “So that is it, the only reason? You were not satisfied with your reflection?” Jhudora sneered.

     “I guess so, my reflection does not reflect who I am,” Vira said.

     “So…your wish is to make your reflection, whom you truly are?” Jhudora asked with a hopeful expression.

     “Yes, that is my one true wish. No one can see me for well, just me.” Vira sighed.

     “Enough, Vira I heard your wish and lucky for you I can help. You agreed and wanted me, the dark faerie to grant your wish. I will let the world see you for whom you truly are, a vain and selfish immature child.” Jhudora laughed, as she waved her wand.

     “WAIT, YOU MISUNDERSTOOD ME I…I…” Vira shouted, but she cannot finish her sentence.

     Vira twisted, coiled, and hissed as the dark mist surrounded her and it engulfed her entire being.

     “No need to explain, anymore Vira.” Jhudora scoffed, as she tossed Vira her broken mirror.

      Vira held the mirror up to her face, large red eyes gaped back at her. Her once bounding brown curls were completely gone and replaced with two large and sharp horns protruding from her head. Her blue glossy fur was no more, in its place was short plain grey fur. Vira’s beautiful paws now sported long dirty sharp claws. To her surprise, she fanned out her large grey wings also topped with a large horn on each wing. Vira ran her new claws up and down her tattered black dress. A pointed tail made her stumble and fall and look at her chunky black boots. Vira put her hands and her head and cried herself into a deep slumber.

     Surrounded by decayed and wilted flowers, Vira woke up.

     “It must have been a nightmare…” Vira thought to herself, as she reached for her mirror.

      Vira glazed deeply into her mirror at first, she saw the beautiful blue Acara with the jade eyes gazing back. She smiled and picked up a gorgeous red flower to add to her hair. Vira admired its simple beauty, inhaled its calming amora, and then brought it her lips. Instantly, it started to burn her lips, turned a midnight black, and she threw it to the ground. Vira grabbed her mirror to examine the burn on her lip, it showed nothing, expect the same beautiful blue Acara. She stared more intensely, and her reflection started to transform. Blood red eyes were staring back, and a large inflamed gash appeared by her lip. Disgusted, with what she saw Vira hurled her mirror and hissed.

      Vira began to jog, then came to a full speed run, she kept going and going. Utterly exhausted and out of breath she fell into a bed of flowers. She gathered up a bouquet of flowers and once again brought them to her lips. Although, this time they did not burn they turned a deep black and had a somewhat different amora. Vira heard a slight rustling and she quickly hid beside a nearby tree. In her sight, came two Neopets, one of them picked up her poisonous bouquet and placed it in her hair. A sinister smile spread over Vira’s face.

      Vira sang and skipped in her field and she sought out the most beautiful flowers. When she found a worthy flower, she would cautiously kiss the flower being careful not to pick it. Then, Vira would watch as they turned a stunning shadowy black and smile. She roamed her field and never left. Vira spent her days gazing into her mirror and tending to her dark garden. Maybe, someday someone can remind Vira of whom she really is. Until, then Vira will stay in her field, living her beautiful lie.

     The End.