Another Shade of Green: Part Two

      "People don't suspect earth faeries, and dark faeries tend to play their little tricks, even when they're so little they don't know what it is they're doing."

      "What do we do now?"

      "I don't know. The earth one is unaware of her heritage. The dark one probably doesn't care. The earth one is tied to Meridell."

      "And the dark one?"

      "Who knows."

      "Well, we can't expel them. It would raise questions that we don't want answered. I suppose that we should just keep the earth one up here, away from Meridell."

      Ms. Flame cringed while Fyora's advisor, the headmistress of the academy, said, "Fyora cannot know about this. We'll just have to keep the two of them separate."

      Ms. Flame nodded. "Yes, but that may be easier said than done. She longs to be in Meridell. It seems harmless, but you know what's been said. She'll visit Meridell and be consumed by it; then she'll rule it, and the rest of Neopia along with it."

      "Can't she escape it?"

      "I doubt it. You know what they say about power. Just as there is a Darkest Faerie, each type has one too-powerful faerie, or two, in the case of the dark faeries. She simply has too much power. It'll consume her."

      "And her sister as well?"

      "Of course."

      "What are we going to do?"

      "I have no idea."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      Jhudora whispered to Illusen during class. "Earth faerie, earth faerie such a baby. Earth faerie, earth faerie not much of a lady. Earth faerie, earth faerie so very weak. Earth faerie, earth faerie go back to sleep. Earth faerie, earth faerie bow to me. Earth faerie, earth faerie go make me some tea."

      Ms. Flame sighed and approached the two girls. "Well, Jhudora, you're quite the poet. Perhaps, while everybody else goes on the field trip, you'd like to stay behind and write poetry for Vashti."

      "You mean headmistress Vashti?"

      "Yes, that's the one."

      Jhudora started whining. "But Ms. Flame!"

      "Hush! Jhudora, you've been warned time and time again. Still you misbehave. You will not be allowed to go on the field trip. You must stay behind. I'm sorry, Jhudora."

      "This isn't fair!"

      "Fair? How is it not fair, Jhudora? I've been warning you every day to be on your best behavior. The consequences were clarified for you, yet you still persisted in making trouble. Congratulations, Jhudora. You will be left here while everybody else goes on the field trip. If you don't think it fair, why not take it up with headmistress Vashti? Though I doubt she'll see it your way."

      "This is so not fair!"

      Ms. Flame just sighed as she waved off Jhudora's outburst. "Say what you will, Jhudora. My decision has been made."

      "In that case, Ms. Flame, don't I have more motivation to make trouble?"

      Ms. Flame shrugged. "It depends. Do you want to be expelled and taught in a sub-standard school? You'll be ostracized by society and by all the dark faeries. Being a faerie is about more than mere power. For dark faeries, your past is a huge part of who you are. While a dark faerie would normally be proud of being expelled, I don't think you'd want it known that you were at the best school in existence and you got kicked out because you had no motivation to behave well."

      Jhudora crossed her arms and pouted. "This is still so not fair. Where was I going to go?"

      "Jhudora, you have not yet deserved to be told. Until you deserve to know, you will not be told. Now I'm sorry, but I'll not change my mind. I need to go pack for Mystery Island. I hope that you and headmistress Vashti get along quite well."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      A dark faerie walking through the Terror Mountain themed hallway saw Jhudora and called out to her. "Hey, Jhudora, did you hear that teacher's pet isn't going to go?"

      The look of dejection immediately left Jhudora's face as she heard the news of Illusen's fate. "No way! Illusen isn't going on the field trip?! Did you hear why not?"

      "No, but Ms. Flame looked really worried when she told Illusen. She looked like she'd seen Balthazar or something. She was in some big important meeting and Illusen didn't have to go to the rest of her classes that day."

      "That's crazy! Is anybody else not going?"

      "From what I heard it's just the two of you. Aw man, it'd be epic to see just the two of you stuck together. Sorry I'll miss it, but I want to go on the field trip."

      "Can you tell me where you're going?"

      "I wish I could Jhudora, but I can't."

      "Why don't you describe where you're going?"

      "I guess it can't hurt to try. It's – and it has a bunch of – and the weather is really—. Well, at least I tried."

      "Yeah, I guess. I'll see you later, Kyrandia."

      "See ya, Jhudora."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      "Ms. Flame, I think that the wisest thing to do will be to confront the girls. Jhudora would happily fulfill the prophecy, but I don't think that Illusen will respond in the same way."

      "Then perhaps we should allow Illusen on the field trip to test her?"

      "That's quite a leap of faith. If we're wrong, she will be so consumed by it that she will not stop until she controls it. If we're right, she'll be harmlessly enthralled by its beauty."

      "At such a young age she won't be much of a threat. If we wait until she's older, it might be too late. It's better to test her now than to wait for later when we will be unable to control the situation should the need arise."

      "Very well. Please go let her know that our decision has been reversed and that she will go with the other earth faeries to visit Meridell."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      "Illusen, I'm happy to let you know that the decision has been reversed! You may go with the other earth faeries to visit Meridell."

      Illusen's eyes filled with pure rapture as she was informed that she would be allowed on the trip after all. "YES!! I've always wanted to visit Meridell! I didn't realize that this day would come so soon! I need to go get packed. Oh, thank you Ms. Flame!"

      Ms. Flame chuckled and gestured to Illusen to calm down. "Just take care of yourself, Illusen. Don't be too caught up in Meridell. As a faerie you belong in Faerieland with the rest of us. Earth faeries have Faerieland's greenery to worry about. Meridell is not under our jurisdiction."

      "I understand that, Ms. Flame. But it's only right that we be interested in it. I don't control the earth anymore than you control the fire. Sure, we do amazing things with it, but we don't control it; not really. That's why it takes a powerful faerie to do anything with large amounts of earth or fire. It is beyond our control."

      Ms. Flame didn't know how to respond. Illusen was merely a young faerie, but she understood a concept that many faeries never fully grasped. Once again she began to fear the power in the small faerie, but she let her fear pass as she began to understand the truth in the prophecy.

      "Illusen, you are a very wise young child. Don't ever think that you are under the control of anybody. Whenever you are in doubt, don't trust the words that you are told. Trust what you know in your heart to be true. Sometimes others will expect something of you and you will feel bound to prove them right. There are times when it is better to prove someone wrong than it is to prove them right."

      "Ms. Flame, what are you talking about?"

      "One day you will understand. Until that day comes, think of my words and understand what I say to you."

      "Of course, Ms. Flame. Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to go pack!"

      Ms. Flame chuckled. "Yes, of course dear. Go and prepare yourself. We leave early in the morning tomorrow."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      "I'll teach them to leave me behind! I just wish that I was more powerful. I know what I want to do, but I'm nowhere near powerful enough. What do you think that I should do?"

      "Jhudora, calm down. What is it that you want to do?"

      "I want to make a duplicate of myself so that I can sneak in with the other dark faeries. I just need to trick headmistress Vashti."

      "Why don't you talk to the dark faerie leading the field trip and talk to her? Maybe she can help you trick headmistress Vashti."

      "I guess it's worth a shot."

      Jhudora, joined by her best friend Kyrandia, walked through the halls of the school until they reached the dark faerie that taught the class 'Learning how to stretch your power.'

      Jhudora slowly knocked on the large wooden door. No expense had been spared when the school had been created. Each teacher had an expansive door and an elaborate room. Despite the fact that it was just a school for young faeries, it was a wonder that most of the humans and pets could only dream of affording.

      "Excuse me, Ms. Deja, but I was wondering if you could help me."

      The dark faerie looked down and saw the two faeries standing before her. Unlike the other dark faeries who conjured their clothing using the same technique, she created her own clothing by hand. She wore a dark purple dress that had black on the edges with was an elaborate design across the bottom of the dress, though neither of the two girls could figure out what was on the design. Her long hair was pulled up and in her hair were dark purple ribbons designed to keep her hair out of her face.

      "With what do you need my help? You look familiar, but you aren't in any of my classes. Do you know why this is?"

      Jhudora gave her a sheepish grin. "Well, I've gotten detention in your room a few times. I'm Jhudora. Anyway, I'm the only faerie not allowed on the school trip, and I'd like to join the rest of the dark faeries. However, to do that, I need to trick headmistress Vashti."

      "It sounds to me like you have some elaborate plan. I, too, have a plan, but mine is much simpler. You will show up to your first period class with everybody else. There, you will clearly be sick. You will not be pretending to be sick, Jhudora. You really will look and feel miserable. You will be sent to the nurse, and she will confirm that you are sick. You will go to headmistress Vashti and tell her that you'll be asleep in your room all day. Then you'll go to your room and drink a special drink that I will make for you, and you will be cured. Then you'll quickly and stealthily join the other dark faeries."

      "But what if headmistress Vashti tries to check on me?"

      Ms. Deja grinned. "Leave that to me."

      Ms. Deja's tone suddenly started dripping with hatred and cynicism. "I can handle 'Headmistress Vashti.' I've done it before; it'll be no trouble at all doing it again."

To be continued...