The Moderately Evil Faerie: Part Five

      Jhudora ignored the stares of all of the faeries as she made her way to the Hidden Tower with Vanity and Spite flanking her. Her clothes were soaked with brine and her makeup was completely washed off. She had put her cloak back on to hide her wings, but she was sure almost everyone knew exactly who she was.

      Vanity and Spite took deep breaths as they realized where they were going. Malice was still hissing and making as many unpleasant sounds as her new slorg body could manage. Once they were at the base of the Hidden Tower, two eyrie guards stared at her in confusion. She ripped off her wig to reveal her purple and green hair. The guards, only slightly less confused, let her into the tower. She made her way to the shop Fyora kept in the top of the tower. If she wasn’t there, Jhudora was willing to wait until she did show up to make sure no one stole her artifacts. Of course, Fyora wasn’t there.

      Jhudora grabbed a chair and sat down. Vanity and Spite just stood awkwardly while Malice continued to make as much noise as possible.

      “Why?” Jhudora pulled off her glove to inspect her nails.

      “Well . . .” Vanity stuttered, “I . . . guess . . .”

      “Let me guess,” Jhudora rolled her eyes as she looked up at the sisters, “Vanity is vain and will hurt people because of it. Spite is spiteful and will hurt people for revenge. Malice is malicious and hurts people because it’s fun. I gave Vanity plenty of clothes and makeup, so she liked me. I was nice to Spite, so she liked me . . . But nothing will ever make Malice love anyone for any reason.”

      The sisters just stared in shock. It was a spot on analysis.

      “The only time that’s not true is when we’re with The Betrayer,” Vanity sighed, “She unifies us in a way that nothing else can. If The Betrayer wants it, we want it.”

      “And the end game is to get The Betrayer back?” Jhudora sighed, “The sad truth is that I’m lonely. I am so lonely. I have no friends other than my bartmuses. Even every other kind of petpet somehow is afraid of me! If you have been my friends, then I would have done for you what you did for The Betrayer. But . . .”

      Vanity and Spite could hear the pain in Jhudora’s voice as the door flew open. Two grarrl guards stormed in with Fyora close behind them. Fyora’s voice boomed as she commanded her guards, “Apprehend the Dark faeries! But leave Jhudora to me!”

      “Wait . . .” Jhudora sighed. She snapped her fingers and Malice was returned to her own body. Malice began to scream madly as the guards restrained her. Vanity and Spite simply followed the guards as they dragged Malice out of the room.

      As they left the room, Fyora made her way to Jhudora. Jhudora looked up at Fyora and began to cry. Fyora pulled Jhudora close to her and sighed, “Jhudora, it’s ok.”

      “I made a mistake, Fyora,” Jhudora cried, “I made a giant mistake.”

      Fyora looked down at the blubbering Dark faerie and took a deep breath before admitting, “I know, Jhudora. I know what you’ve been doing.”

      Jhudora pulled away from Fyora’s embrace before simply asking, “Why?”

      Fyora took a step back and motioned for Jhudora to follow her. “Jhudora,” Fyora began as they walked down the hallways of the tower, “I first want you to know that I trust you more than I trust any other Dark faerie. I also know of your kind heart. You know that your kind heart is the reason we have always kept you away from all of the other faeries.”

      Jhudora nodded as Fyora continued to explain.

      “Jhudora, I know that it was many, many years ago that we reached the agreement that you would be the face of Dark faeries. I know it has been many, many years and now Dark faeries are allowed to be carefree and kind . . . But Jhudora, Neopia is changing too fast. Every day, I’m more and more afraid that they’ll forget about us someday. I send as many faeries as I can out every day to ask people to complete quests. I know I’m being selfish. . .” Fyora stopped and turned to Jhudora.

      Jhudora looked away from Fyora and sighed, “You simply want me to be a reminder of the old times.”

      “I do,” Fyora took a deep breath before continuing, “The moment I lose you as the most feared faerie is the moment that Neopia loses their last darkest faerie.”

      “The one before me was The Betrayer, wasn’t it?” Jhudora looked back to Fyora, “The one that those girls kept talking about.”

      “Of course – The Betrayer will hopefully never come back. But that’s the point – without an appearance of a balance of light and dark, we’ll be welcoming an even bigger change that I’m not even willing to think about.”

      Jhudora nodded. She understood.

      “Am I just supposed to sit in my house and wait for quests just like the old days?” There wasn’t a single shred of indignation in Jhudora’s voice – simply defeat.

      “It’s not fair, Jhudora. It really isn’t. Just ask the Healing Faerie. You have a house you can retreat into, but she needs to stay in the springs every minute of every day just so poor Neopians can be healed,” Fyora turned back around and continued walking, “You play one of the most important roles a faerie can play. Most people think of you as a counterbalance to Illusen, but I see you as a counterbalance to me. I am light, Jhudora, and you are the darkness. If I were to find a new faerie to embody darkness now . . .” Fyora looked back at Jhudora, who had not moved, “We would be in very much trouble.”

      Jhudora began to catch up with Fyora as she mulled over what Fyora said. Her eyes grew wide as she realized the implications of what Fyora had just told her. She stopped dead in her tracks and whispered, “There is no order in Neopia.”

      Fyora nodded slowly, “There is no order. I’m not a Light faerie – I’m simply the queen. There is no light faerie to counterbalance you. There’s no Dark faerie to counterbalance me now that The Betrayer is gone. Dr. Sloth would be annihilated by the Space Faerie if she put her mind to it. There’s nothing to stop the Monocerous, nothing to stop Balthazar . . . There is no neat system of light versus dark in Neopia, but you, well, the image of you as the most evil and vile faerie at least creates that dichotomy in Faerieland.”

      “I have no choice in accepting it, do I?” Jhudora sighed, “I have no choice in accepting the fact that I will be confined to that bluff until Faerieland is raised into the clouds and I will be confined to my cloud once again.”

      Fyora put her hand on Jhudora’s shoulder and sighed, “My dearest Jhudora, the Dark faerie I trust the most . . . You will always have a choice in following me or rebelling against me. I’ve known that you hide your wings and roam Neopia since you started. I knew you brought those sisters home with you in an attempt to form bonds of friendship. I knew it. I didn’t stop you because you are a faerie. You have emotions of empathy, kindness, and love. I could never stop you from trying to fulfill the things every heart desires . . .”

      Jhudora fell to her knees. She stared at the floor and asked softly, “But I would never have your blessing.”

      Fyora slowly nodded and held her hand out to help Jhudora stand. Jhudora took Fyora’s hand and stood up.

      Jhudora sighed and whispered, “Queen Fyora . . . I . . . I think I’ll go home to my bluff . . . I won’t leave for quite a while . . .”

      Fyora took a deep breath before asking, “Please, my dearest Jhudora, may I ask you one favor?”

      Jhudora looked up at Fyora with confusion. Fyora asked in a very matter of fact manner, “Please start a small fire and fly out of the window cackling.”

      Jhudora just stared at Fyora incredulously. “Start a fire?”

      “Start a fire. Just a small one,” Fyora let a small smile form on her lips, “Then fly out of the window so that all of Faerieland can see that it’s you causing mischief.”

      Jhudora couldn’t help but let out a small giggle as she realized what Fyora was asking. She smiled through her tearstained face and nodded, “Show me the best window.”

      Fyora led her to a large window overlooking the heart of Faerie City. Jhudora looked back at Fyora and smiled before letting out a blood curdling scream. The entire room went up in flames before Jhudora launched herself out of the open window, cackling at the top of her lungs.

      The End.