Queen Fyora: The Faeriest of them All

      As Fyora Day looms closer, and pets around Neopia are struggling to think of ways to honour their Faerie Queen, Zladie sits with her Floating Tooth Faerie Doll, squabbling over how to best celebrate their violet monarch. The disagreements are slight, yet also sincere. The doll has some questionable ideas, such as to present the Queen with a Faerie Toothbrush. Her main incentive here is to ensure that Fyora receives the utmost dental care and retains her exceedingly good looks, however, Zladie objects. “Do you assume the Queen does not groom herself enough?!”

      A short time before, upon hearing this suggestion, Zladie would have willingly complied. However, this time, she resolved to find something different; something that would make Fyora not only appreciate her role as Faerie Queen, but also those around Neopia who worshipped and respected her. Not that she doesn’t do this anyway - Fyora is said to be one of Neopia’s most humble rulers, a benevolent being whose actions are fair and honourable, yet she often bravely shows the ability to display her wrath towards those who attempt to dishonour her land. Her care for Neopia and its inhabitants goes above and beyond expectation. Zladie therefore wanted to think of something that would show her admiration of the Queen's actions, instead of her looks.

      Zladie had admired Fyora since she first learned of her irrefutable beauty. She had always loved the Faeries, with their splendid appearances and charming outfits, though Fyora was always her favourite, as she was considered the Faeriest of them all. She had even named her Snicklebeast after her, in the hopes that it would somehow grow more beautiful. As she followed the Queen from event to event, she had begun to believe that a large part of Fyora's allure was in her beauty and grace. Zladie adored watching her Faerie Queen effortless exude eminence and magnificent splendour. As Zladie learned more about Neopia, however, she soon became tired and wondered what was underneath Fyora's illustrious display of pride. She would see the kindest of Neopians wandering over to the Money Tree, dressed in humble Potato Sacks, who would donate endless piles of Neo Crackers and Old Rotten Left Shoes, simply to feed and dress those even less fortunate than themselves. Fyora was rarely seen doing this. Zladie's owner, however, was adamant that the Chomby and her siblings should learn of Neopia, its heroes and its enemies, as she felt this was an extremely important part of being a Neopian who respected the tradition and heritage of their land. As soon as Zladie read the candid novel, ‘Fyora’s Rule,’ she considered why Fyora was made Queen of Faerieland; ultimately, the most admired position in the whole of Neopia. As the book contained both Fyora’s high and low times, Zladie began to apprehend how it was much more than Fyora’s appearance that made her the hero she is today. While this took some time, it eventually taught the young Neopian a lot about understanding vanity, and how her actions and knowledge had ultimately prevailed and made Fyora into the beautifully benevolent ruler we know her as today.

      Zladie therefore pledged that, were she ever to be granted a role as influential and beloved as Fyora’s, she would be as modest and altruistic as her own Faerie Queen was. She highly doubted that this would ever happen, as an ordinary young Chomby, though she knew it was an important step to take in realising who she truly was. Despite her doubts, however, Zladie was walking through the streets of Meridell one day - where she often meandered after completing Illusen’s quests - when a green Acara seemed dumbfounded by her mere appearance and stopped to stare in her wake. Zladie was confused, and began to approach the Acara, who soon scuttled away into Meri Acres Farm. Disheartened by the reaction, Zladie began to wonder if she had frightened the innocent Neopian. Soon later, she was sat outside the Food Shoppe stall, waiting to be served, when she spotted the same Acara next to Ye Olde Petpets shop. Aiming to reconcile any differences, Zladie bounded over, smiling graciously, as the Acara appeared simultaneously shocked, yet full of delight. Zladie warily paced her steps, as the Acara sheepishly smiled. Aware that the Neopian may have been afraid of her, Zladie shyly mumbled,

      “I’m sorry, did I scare you earlier?”

      The green Acara seemed overpowered by a mixture of wonder and captivation.

      “A-a-are you… Actually speaking to me?” She looked around, as if to search for other participants within the conversation. Zladie nodded and smiled.

      “What’s wrong?” the Chomby urged, kindly.

      The Acara took a few small steps towards her as though she finally felt comfortable, and her eyes grew with admiration as she gazed up at the Pastel Chomby. Zladie wore nothing but a pair of Translucent Faerie Wings and Galaxy Hair with a Flower Accessory, as she was never into adorning herself with beautiful items. This was so others could see the beauty underneath, and though Zladie thought herself an unremarkable sight, the Acara praised her anyhow.

      “I… I had never seen a Pastel Chomby before. Ever since they were released, I had been looking for one, so that I could stare at the beautiful colours. But when I saw you, I froze… I had to run away.”

      Zladie soon understood that the green Acara had actually been intimidated by her delicately considered Pastel appearance. As one of the first of her kind in Neopia, Zladie felt honoured. She had been painted Pastel as her owner believed the colour would represent her soft, yet bright, personality. However, she felt obliged to teach the Acara of how her appearance was just that - an appearance. While she was a beautiful Neopet, she knew it was her character that came first, and it was her personality that had, ultimately, influenced her look. While she did look pretty in pastel, she knew that looks meant nothing if you were any less than a caring, selfless Neopian. She even learned to love her Snicklebeast, Fyora, horns and all - he was beautiful in his own, loving way.

      This was how Zladie had grown to understand that it was not her appearance, but her actions, that truly mattered - something she had learned through reading about Fyora and how she became so admired and respected. In light of this, she decided to present Fyora with a small but perfectly considered gift on her annual celebration day. Carefully wrapped in a Faerie Gift Bag, Zladie had placed the Handcrafted Fyora Plushie she had made. It wasn’t as beautiful as Fyora or nearly as elegant, yet this didn’t matter due to the love and affection that Zladie had put into creating the wonderful gift. She had spent hours crafting the delightful little toy, and she was ever so pleased, as she knew it would serve to remind Fyora of how cherished she really was. Alongside this, she included her tattered, overused copy of 'Fyora’s Rule', so the Faerie Queen could look back on how well she had served Neopia throughout the years. On the very first page, Zladie jotted a small note, thanking Fyora for her kindness. She apologised that the book was tattered, but stated that it was what was inside that really mattered.

      While Fyora, Zladie, and many other Neopians may still take some pride in their physical looks as a means of expression, it is important to understand how it is their actions that carry true meaning. She made it her mission to educate her fellow Neopians of how looks and vanity mean very little if your behaviour is ugly. You could be a beautiful person on the outside, yet if you were shallow and heartless, you would never be truly loved and appreciated - just like Fyora is on this very special day, and rightly so. Happy Fyora Day to all!

      The End.