Another Chance: Part Two

     “People, settle down!” Fyora cried above the chatter of all the Faeries.

     They quickly silenced and Fyora continued, “I have called you here to discuss an important topic, Balthazar. I have been watching our enemy and he has recently been reverted to Baby. This means that he has a chance to relive his life; he may have a chance to be reformed.”

     The reaction of this news was mixed; some faeries agreed with Fyora, others were against her idea.

     “You could be right,” called out Nuria.

     “Of course, she’s wrong; Balthazar will never change,” sneered Ilere.

     “Everyone deserves another chance,” pointed out Bree.

     “But Balthazar has spent his whole life trying to imprison us,” argued the Tooth Faerie.

     “Only because he had such a terrible life,” observed Cassandia.

     “Everyone, calm down!” Fyora shouted as the arguments got more intense. “You all bring up good points, but please let me finish. I propose that in a few days someone finds Balthazar and brings him to me. I will examine him and see if he is ready to change or not. If he is we can give him a place to live, but still be cautious around him.”

     Most Faeries felt that this was a fair decision.

     “Now, who can be the one to bring Balthazar to me?” asked Fyora.

     “I will.”

     Fyora looked to the back of the room and saw that Jhudora had volunteered.

     This was a surprise; Jhudora was one to hold a grudge and Balthazar was no exception. Perhaps she was scheming, thought Fyora, she had always been suspicious. Still, she had yet to do anything evil and she had volunteered first,

     “Alright, Jhudora, you may leave in three days,” said Fyora. “This assembly is over.”

     As the faeries filed out, Fyora noticed Illusen. The Earth Faerie had not said anything throughout the meeting. Fyora had thought that she would protest against Jhudora going to find Balthazar. She had never trusted the Dark Faerie. Yet she only watched her leave with a slight smirk on her face. Something suspicious was definitely going on.

      ***

     “We're going to the beach, Growler, want to come?” asked Cyndi sweetly.

     “No,” I growled.

     I had taught myself some simple words after listening to Cyndi, Jonathon, and Rosie for the past week. It was nothing much, but I hoped it would be enough to make Cyndi understand what I wanted. It didn't’t.

     “C’mon, the beach will be fun,” she pressed as she sat down next to me on the bed.

     “I... don’t... wanna,” I managed to work out.

     Great, I thought to myself sarcastically, I’m turning into a whiney kid.

     “Okay, but you don’t know what you're missing,” Cyndi said as she left.

     The past week had not been too bad, I suppose. I had been well fed and slept in a nice bed. These were luxuries that I had never had before. It had even occurred to me once or twice that I could just live here my whole life. Maybe I could actually try to be happy. I don’t know what I was thinking when that thought went through my head. I was Balthazar the bounty hunter, not Growler the brat, and nothing could ever change that. Besides, I didn't’t know how much more of Cyndi’s loveliness I could take. I would have to leave soon, or else I might turn soft permanently. The last thing I wanted was to be anything like Cyndi.

     I hopped out of bed and decided to stretch my legs. With Cyndi and the Neopets gone, I could go out to town with out them knowing. I found myself spending more time in bed and eating more expensive food; that was not good for my fitness. I had to stay strong and agile. I could never go back to being the bounty hunter if I got sluggish and slow.

     As I approached the window, I saw a dark figure outside. It looked ominous and I wanted to get a better look at it. I opened the window to examine it and was pushed aside as something entered. It was a Dark Faerie. I growled with hatred at her. She wore a long purple dress with a green streak through it. Her hair was almost exactly the same as her dress. Around her neck was a jade necklace and behind her were enormous wings. On her face was a smug smirk. Immediately my memory flashed to when I had been young and lost in the Haunted Woods. I had asked a group of Dark Faerie for help and they had pelted me with sticks and stones. In my mind I could still feel the sting.

     “Hello, Balthazar, or is it Growler now?” she mocked.

     I snarled at her with fury and prepared to bite at her. I didn’t care if she was mush more powerful than me; I wanted her dead. Just as I was about to dig my claws into her, a firm hand reached out and grabbed me around the neck.

     “Fyora sends me to give you a second chance and this is the welcome I get?” she gasped, feigning disappointment.

     I was too furious to process her words. I tried to squirm out of her grip, but she held on, steely. She pulled out a purple wand with a claw at the end and waved it once. Purple smoke swarmed around me fogging my sight. When it cleared, I was in a hallway made out of clouds.

     “Why don’t you stop squirming so I can take you to Fyora?” suggested Jhudora.

     This caught my attention; Fyora was the kind and wise leader of the Faeries. Although I had lost faith in her long ago, the thought that she could help me intrigued me. I followed the Dark Faerie obediently through the hallways. I always kept my eyes on my feet as we sent down stairs and through doorways. Eventually we arrived at a barren dark room. This was definitely not where Fyora should have been.

     “I’m sorry, I lied,” giggled the faerie evilly as she pulled out her wand. “If you could talk I bet you be asking what I wanted, so I’ll explain. Fyora has this crazy idea that you may have changed, but I see things differently. You’re the same monster as you always have been, and even if you had changed, you don’t deserve to live after all you’ve done to the faeries.”

     I could do nothing but listen to this twisted Dark Faerie. I had no doubts that that wand could obliterate me in a second. Suddenly as pair of hands appeared behind that faerie and snatched the wand from her hand. She angrily turned around, but was shoved forward by an Earth Faerie.

     This Earth Faerie wore clothes that all resembled leaves. Her gloves, top, wings, and skirt were all green and leafy. Her hand was brown with an emerald streak going through it. In her hand were both her wand, which resembled a branch, and the Dark Faerie’s wand.

     “Illusen, I should have known that a goodie like you would have ruined my attempt to destroy Balthazar,” sneered the Dark Faerie.

     “Actually, I agree with you that Balthazar does not belong in Neopia,” said Illusen in a sweetness that was comparable to Cyndi’s, “but Jhudora doesn't’t belong in Neopia either. So, Balthazar will be destroyed and Jhudora will be found at the scene of the crime, captured by the heroic Illusen. I'll be a hero who tried all she could, but couldn't save Balthazar and you'll be locked away forever.”

     Illusen waved her wand in the air and tangle of vines sprouted up beneath Jhudora and wrapped her up. The Dark Faerie twisted trying to escape from the clinging vines. I got a slight pleasure out of seeing her being imprisoned instead of me, but it didn't last.

     “And now to get rid of Balthazar,” she declared as she pointed with Jhudora’s wand at the place I had been standing.

     However, while she had been directing her speech to Jhudora, I had sneaked across the wall and was now exiting the door. I dashed through the halls as fast as my puny baby legs could carry me. I heard Illusen scream in frustration as she realized I was gone. This castle was so big and full of turns, she could never find me now. I was careful to avoid other Faeries. Who knew how many others wanted me dead? My faith in Faeries was severed for good now. They couldn't give me a second chance, they only wanted me to suffer. Soon I came to a large door and entered the vivid land of Faerieland.

To be continued...