Another Shade of Green: Part Four

      Jhudora had retuned from the field trip and said nothing about Illusen. Although Ms. Flame made a few comments about Illusen's absence, she did nothing else. Ms. Deja questioned Jhudora about what happened in Meridell, but Jhudora was silent on the matter and Ms. Deja was wise enough to let the subject be. Headmistress Vashti said nothing to Jhudora, so Jhudora didn't know what became of the sick headmistress.

      "This is just wrong in so many ways! If I'm so powerful, why do I feel so powerless?"

      A crying Jhudora ran away from the school. She ran through the crowded streets and approached an abandoned cloud just outside the edge of the city. Just as Illusen's tears had soaked the soil, Jhudora's tears were soaking the cloud and the cloud was quickly saturated with her tears. Jhudora's tears blinded her, so she didn't see the cloud beneath her grow and solidify. It turned a pale purple and gradually darkened until it was a dark purple with lime green swirls. The cloud gained columns that gradually solidified and became a castle.

      Jhudora's tears finally subsided and she was able to see the cloud on which she had been sitting. She looked around what appeared to be a master bedroom. It had in it all of her possessions and a chair that she adored, composed of rich gold with green fabric. As she stood in awe of the room, she saw two gruslen walk up to her and make themselves comfortable in their new home; one purple and the other green.

      Jhudora sniffled as she tried to erase all evidence of her tears. "What are you two doing here?"

      She approached and tried to pet the green one, but its response was to snarl and nearly bite her.

      She harrumphed and lightly swatted it. "Don't be that way! This is my home and if you want to stay here, you'll obey me."

      Jhudora and the gruslen seemed to have a staring contest until the gruslen huffed, looked away, and, using her body movement, indicated that she would allow Jhudora to pet her.

      "You're actually a cute thing when you're not snarling at me. I think I'll call you Sarah. Who's your friend? Is she like you?"

      Jhudora then approached the purple gruslen and went through the same process that she had gone through with Sarah.

      As Jhudora petted the purple gruslen, she spoke to herself. "I think I'll name you Daisy. You're both awfully cute, ya know. You'd make great little bodyguards."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      "Illusen, I have the information that you asked me to find. All but a small cub was killed. It's a little blue Lupe named Jeran."

      Illusen nodded towards the Skeith who had given her the vital information. "Thank you for your valuable intelligence. Hold on just a moment, please."

      Illusen stood up and walked to her private library and took out a book. She flipped through all the pages and finally found what she was looking for.

      "Here it is. I think that this family will take good care of him. If you can, please take him and put him on their doorstep. They will care for him as they do the Aisha that we led to them."

      The Skeith bowed his head slightly. "Of course, Illusen. Anything else?"

      "For now, no, but always be on the lookout for misdeeds. While spying may be seen in a bad light, it's really not the horrible thing that everybody thinks it to be."

      "Indeed not, my lady."

      "Thank you very much. You really should be going now, so thank you for your time and effort!"

      "It was the least I could do. Good day, Madame."

      As the blue Skeith walked out of Illusen's home, she spoke faintly to herself. "Good day, future King."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      "I've got what you want to know."

      "Come in then."

      "I would, but I'd rather not be torn about by a pair of gruslen."

      Jhudora glared at the one who dared address her so informally. "If you don't have the information I want, you'd prefer it. Sarah! Daisy! Retreat!"

      The two gruslen glared at Jhudora's visitor, but they obeyed her orders and returned to their posts on each side of her golden chair.

      "What did you find?"

      "On the matter of Vashti: She still runs the school. It's no longer the best school, but it isn't too bad at what it does. It's not a remedial school and it's not quite substandard either. It's basically like all the others now. She runs the school well given its diminishing reputation. It went down quickly once news of your cloud and Illusen's glade came out."

      "Wait, wouldn't that improve the reputation?"

      "Well, the fact that you both left the school permanently after that happened... Let's just say that it made the school look bad. Faeries just didn't want to go there as much anymore."

      Jhudora waved her hand, dismissing the irrelevant information. "Very well. And the light faerie that saved me from whatever they had planned for Illusen and me?"

      "I have no news at all. I searched for days and I asked all of my contacts. The few that knew of her simply knew of her as the treasonous one. I can't find out how she was treasonous or whom she, apparently, betrayed. I could find nothing about her at all."

      "You disappoint me. Next time I may not call on you for help. And if I do, you'd better hope that you don't disappoint me again. Daisy really doesn't seem to like you much. It'd be a shame if she got loose."

      The ghost Gelert gulped. "Indeed, it would be a terrible shame. Good day, my lady."

      "Go. Now."

      The ghost Gelert quickly left Jhudora's home and waited to be called again.

      Jhudora murmured quietly to herself. "One down, two to go. Three in total and Three in name."

      ~*~*~*~*~*~

      Ms. Flame, Vashti, and one very elderly light faerie all sat together on the edge of the school's cloud.

      "I knew that Illusen would overcome it."

      "I was never sure, but I suspected it."

      The elderly faerie laughed slightly as her eyes sparkled. "Neither of you knew until you met the child. Illusen was always different. When she came to be, it was easy to see that she was another shade of green. Jhudora was the same. She was the only dark faerie to ever show a love of green, the element of earth, an element other than her own. Together, they are complete. They are bitter enemies. They are destined to be at odds with each other and that prophecy they will fulfill. Still, despite their feelings for each other, they are two halves of a whole. Without one, there cannot be the other. It is an odd thing, really. Most things are unbalanced. There is a darkest faerie but not a lightest faerie. Many lands have a King but no Queen. However, in those two faeries there is a power strong enough to overturn all the kingdoms."

      "Are they really that powerful?"

      The light faerie nodded. "Together, yes. Jhudora is less powerful than the darkest faerie, but with Illusen, they hold great power. We should be thankful that we've not yet discovered that most powerful light, fire, water, and air faeries. While I doubt they will be like Jhudora, if they teamed up with Illusen to fight Jhudora, it would be disastrous. One day we will likely face a great threat. It is then the Illusen's true power will be revealed. Without even trying, her tears created a home filled with all of her possessions. Never question her power. In a time of need, it will be revealed."

      "Isn't it dangerous to have her around if she is really so powerful?"

      "She's keeping her distance, isn't she? Allow her to enjoy the land she loves. You wouldn't deprive yourself of Faerieland's beauty any more than she would deprive herself of Meridell's beauty. In addition to that, she has her network of spies designed to keep Meridell safe. Despite not next to any ocean, Meridell is a strategic piece of land that will need Illusen if it wants to stay free of outside influences. The land has not yet been corrupted and I'm sure that Illusen would like to keep it that way."

      "If it is corrupted?"

      The wise light faerie smiled. "I'll tell you a secret. She already knows that it will be. She's already planned for the future King, a great knight, and more."

      "Then isn't she bending them to her will?"

      "As odd as it sounds, she isn't. They can fight her at any point and she will obey them. She knows how to test character, and she has done an amazing job thus far. Have faith in her choices. She will keep Meridell safe while she busies herself with other tasks that she sets out for herself."

      "Has the school served its purpose?"

      "Yes, thank you Vashti. Please feel free to leave the school to another and enjoy a well-deserved rest. Ms. Flame, you are a magnificent teacher. You should take over for Vashti or go on to teach at another school."

      "Thank you."

      "Yes, thank you very much."

      "You're welcome. Now please give me some time to myself. I have a strong feeling that we've not seen the last of Illusen and Jhudora. Each girl is a unique in ways that we've never seen before and will likely never see again."

The End