A Water Faerie's Secret

     You see, I do have a name. It was not taken from me... exactly. Not being able to be known by my name is part of my penance. I do believe I have about ninety years left to labor as a nameless servant to all the weak and sick of Neopia. After the first few years I gave up on counting down each day served of my punishment.

     Perhaps you are wondering why Fyora would discipline a water faerie, whose sole purpose and joy is to heal those around her. Though this sentence is a heavy burden, indeed I know that the Faerie Queen was fair in judgment. Sometimes I look back and wish all of it was just a nightmare...

     "Lalala-la-la..." I was singing to myself on the shore of a gentle brook of healing waters. Occasionally a sick pet would pass by, and I would guide his weak body into the waters and allow them to heal all that ailed him. Aside from basking in the sun, healing the ill was what made me feel complete. I also basked in the love and adoration that all water faeries are given by the pets they heal.

     The sun was beginning to set and I was preparing to leave the shores and head for my home, which was a small pond hidden in a secluded cave. *snap* Hearing a twig crack under a footstep behind me, I turned, seeing a mutant Chia limping towards the bubbling healing brook. He hobbled, almost having to drag himself towards me. His eyes were glazed over, and when he opened his mouth to call for help, only a whisper escaped his lips. All faeries have the gift of knowledge, and instantly know every pet’s name when they look upon them. This poor Chia was named Charlie.

     “Come Charlie, let me ease your pain,” I remember calling softly to the poor neopet.

     “Heee---lp-uh,” gasped Charlie, as he collapsed just at the shore of the waters which would save his life.

     I gathered Charlie into my arms, ignoring the large nap-sack he carried on his back. I was more concerned with saving him than taking the time to remove his belongings. My only hope was that there were no items inside that water would ruin.

     As I lowered Charlie into the gentle waves to heal him, with a sudden and unexpected amount of strength, he pulled me under the waters. Frantically I fought with him, trying to surface for a breath of air. Charlie wrestled me under with strength unnatural to Chias. My lungs were beginning to ache, and my body was weakening with each moment I clung to life in the struggle. When I finally went limp, Charlie released me, allowing me to float to the surface.

     He climbed out of the water and stood over my languished body flopped like a careless fish on the rocky shore. I was so feeble all I could do was gasp for air and stare up at him in disbelief and confusion.

     “Jhudora sends you a message,” Charlie said in a chilling tone that sent a shiver to the tip of my tail.

     He then removed his sodden nap-sack from his back and opened it to pull out a translucent purple potion bottle containing violet ooze. I tried to muster up all the strength I could, but before I could lift myself up, Charlie pulled the cork stopper from the bottle in his hands.

      The ooze began to turn to steam and an immense cloud arose from the bottle to encompass me. As I felt the remaining strength being pulled from my body, I heard Jhudora’s cackle.

     “Now you are MINE,” her voice echoed inside my head as if her thoughts were my own.

     As the purple cloud settled around me, and began to clear, I frantically tried to look around. I had not the energy to move but only my eyes. The water and shore began to fade into each other as everything darkened.

     I awoke to a bright ray of sunlight shining through the trees onto my face. I eased my aching body into the water and felt a great relief as the cool brook moistening my dry tail. I felt confused and wondering if perhaps all that had happened was only a dream. I set about to grooming myself convinced that I had conjured up the whole ordeal in my sleep. Then a gleam of light caught my eyes and I saw a broken bottle dropped carelessly on the rocks. The glass was the same translucent shade of purple; this was the bottle Charlie had opened the evening before.

     “Hello.” I jumped at the voice of a neopet lingering behind me.

     A small Korbat named Giddy was standing there smiling at me.

     “Yes?” I asked, unsure of myself for the first time.

     “I am sorry to bother you, but I fear I ate too many berries this morning and have an awful stomachache. I don’t have the time to go to the pharmacy or the hospital. I have an appointment on Krawk Island in an hour. Can you help me?” he explained to me.

     Give him a potion bottle. Jhudora’s voice suddenly echoed inside my head.

     I was unable to act under my own intentions. I felt myself pull a small vial containing a light green fluid out and hand it to Giddy. I heard myself tell him to drink it and in thirty minutes he would feel completely fine.

     Giddy thanked me and ran along, swallowing the contents of the small bottle as he hurried off to Krawk Island.

     Jhudora’s voice once again came into my mind. That is a good girl.

     What are you doing to me? I thought hoping Jhudora could also hear my thoughts. Sure enough we were able to communicate through my thoughts.

     Oh my dear sweet, you are so naive. Don’t you want power? Am I to be doomed to perform dark deeds only because I was born into darkness? Should you be cursed to spend your days serving others because you were created as a water faerie? NO my dear, you and I shall work together and break these chains that bound us.

     I begged Jhudora to free me. Please, no, please let me go. I promise I won’t tell Fyora, we can pretend this never happened. Nobody has to know. Please. What will happen to Giddy?

     The voice of the dark faerie went silent, and I could only imagine what awful things would happen to the pets I was forced to pretend I was healing.

     This went on for weeks. Each pet would come to me, and with a sweetness that seemed to be my own, I handed out little vials of various colors of potions to each of them. I hated not being able to talk to anyone with my own thoughts. Finally I gave in to Jhudora. I began screaming at her in my thoughts.

     I give in! I will help you. Just free me and we shall complete your plot together, I will help with my free will.

     *whoosh* A cloud of purple steam rose up from the ground to reveal Jhudora standing before me. She gleamed with an evil smile upon her face. I felt her power slowly ease from my body and I was able to act by my own accord. I could feel she had not given me my full strength back, I suppose as a precaution in case I decided to attack her. A large scroll appeared in her hand, and silently she handed it to me with a long dark quill.

     Tears streamed down my face as I untied the ribbon around the scroll and pulled it open. I did not bother to pause to read it for I knew it outlined her evil plot and it would break my heart to know what she was doing to the poor and sick of Neopia who came to me with trust. Defeated I scrawled my name on the bottom. I rolled the scroll back up and tied the ribbon before I held it out to Jhudora. She snatched the scroll and disappeared without a word.

     The next day a white Xweetok named Alina came to me with a sore paw. She had stepped on a thorn. Even though the thorn had been removed, it was still causing her a lot of pain. With free will I handed her the potion bottle Jhudora had produced for me to pass out.

     “Are you okay?” Alina asked me.

     “Of course, I am always fine. Water Faeries are always happy. Always,” I tried to cover for my apparent sadness with false bubbliness.

     “You look as if you could cry. Sometimes if you carry a burden it is best to share. You have done much for Neopia, please let me help you,” Alina begged me.

     “NO, take your potion and leave me be!” I snapped at the poor Xweetok.

     I did not know it, but Alina went to Illusen to ask for advice about me. Concerned, Illusen called upon Fyora to hear Alina’s tale about the cranky water faerie.

     The next morning I woke and took my usual perch upon a rock on the shore of the healing waters. The wind began to blow fiercely around me. Fire, leaves, and water began fluttering through the winds until there were several faeries standing before me. Jhudora, who was kneeling, screamed. It was apparent she was bound by the magic of the Faerie Queen.

     I could see in her eyes Fyora was furious. She never raised her voice, but even words spoken in softness could carry the same weight of those shrieked.

     “Jhudora, I banish you to that dark cloud you call home. You shall not be permitted to leave your lair for a hundred years. Your magic will not have any power outside the clouds of your home. Never again will you be allowed to give tonics and potions for the ingestion of any creature of Neopia. For poisoning the pets of Neopia with your fake healing potions given through this water faerie, you will be sentenced to working spells for healing potions. You will obtain your ingredients through those who come to you for quests.”

     With a shriek, Jhudora disappeared as she was sent back to her dark cloud.

     Fyora looked down upon my tear-stained face and did not speak. She turned to the other faeries and asked for council. Suggestions for banishment, taking my powers, and many worse sentences were given. After Fyora heard each one, she turned back to me. She gave me a look of kindness.

     “A cloud with a healing spring will be created next to Jhudora’s lair. Every day you will see her cloud in the skies and be reminded that you fell prey to her dark powers. Every day of her sentence, you shall serve as well. For one hundred years you will heal all those who come to you. For one hundred years you shall remain nameless and known only as a healing faerie.”

     Turning to the other faeries, she asked, “My Faerie Council, do you support my decision and vow to make certain the punishment of these two faeries is served?”

     Ilere, an Earth Faerie, said, “Aye, my Queen. As do I vow to help this faerie find strength to battle the evil powers of the dark ones.”

     From that day on I have been healing all those in Neopia. I still hand out bottles created by Jhudora. Only I know in certainty that these could never harm the pets I care so much about.

The End