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I felt like yelling at her, but I kept my mouth shut. After
all, if I wasn't grounded, surely I wasn't in too much trouble ... or was I in
more?
"Right," I finally said. "Can I have dinner
now?"
"Duh!" she told me. "Would I let you starve?"
"Probably," I said, but luckily she didn't hear
me.
"Jhupiter's sick," Jhudora said. "What have
you done to her?"
"Left her at home when I went to see Illusen,"
I said calmly. "I thought you might ground me if I stayed long enough to take
her."
"I would have," Jhudora said, "even if you hadn't
taken her. C'mon. Dinnertime."
I had Jhudora Soup (a recipe she does not give
anyone, nor does she give the item - it's a sort-of secret that she likes cooking)
for dinner. But right after dinner, I felt funny. I don't mean that mum told
me a joke and I laughed. My head hurt. I was dizzy. My feet felt numb.
Mum smiled, and said, "You've caught what Jhupiter
has."
"I have a PETPET disease?" I asked, skeptically.
"No," said mum, "You have a NeoFlu -- one with
slightly different symptoms to the one they have down THERE. It's common to
Faerieland -- and the Virtupets Space Station -- and Darigan, and basically
any place that flies."
"So I have Flying NeoFlu," I said, sarcastically.
"I hope it flies away."
"Oh, it will," mum said, smiling wider, "I promise."
- - -
Sleeping was hard that night. Every time I almost drifted to sleep my head
was there to wake me up. It hurt like anything if I tried to think. NeoFlu Jelly
Pills weren't working at all. And at about 6 am, a voice hissed, 'Think about
what you do next time...'
I got out of bed around seven. I usually slept
in as late as I could, but today I wanted to go to the Healing Springs as much
as I could.
I tried to sneak past the kitchen, where my
mum was having Faerie Toast and Butter. But, being dizzy and tired, I walked
into the wall right night to the door.
"Jhuisa?" I was caught.
"Yeah, mum?" I made a big show of being sick
on the way to the kitchen table.
"You want breakfast?"
"Um -- I'm sick; I've lost my appetite." For
once I seemed to have told a lie well -- Jhudora nodded and continued reading
The Neopian Times while she ate toast.
"Pah!" she suddenly said, "It's the same every
issue -- a Jhudora-is-bad-Fyora-is-good-and-Illusen-is-good-too world. I mean,
look at this!" she shoved a comic under my nose. "How could I turn Sloth into
a cup of tea in MY OWN HOUSE? You'd be there too, and she's completely forgotten
you."
"That's because," I said calmly, "not many people
know I exist. Someone's writing a book about Hannah now - I believe they plan
to release it on the first Ixi day, in 4 months. But no-one knows who I am,
except for the faeries who baby-sit for me."
"That's true," Jhudora said, "but look at this!
A story! I apparently walk into a NeoHome carrying two crates, and apparently
nobody notices me! As if! Those humans are so mega-nosy!"
"Mmmm-hmm," I said, uncomfortably. "Listen mum,
I have to go to the Healing Springs -- the NeoFlu won't let me sleep."
"Oh, no," mum said, "It was in the news-- someone
blew up the Healing Springs."
"WHAT?" I went, "No way. I'll bet it hasn't
been."
"Look out the window," Jhudora shrugged, and
went back to her toast.
Outside the window, I saw a fine mist -- well,
there always was one in the morning at my house - and through it, I saw a crying
Water Faerie.
"I'm going to help!" I announced.
"No way!" mum shrieked, almost panicky, "You're
way too sick. Go to bed."
"Mu-um," I groaned. I walked off. But no way
was I going to stay where I was.
I opened my bedroom window. It was cold outside.
I went to find a jacket. I look a look out the window. I climbed onto the window
sill. I - got stuck.
"What's wrong?" I asked myself.
"You, that's what! You're not sick at all! Look
at you!"
I suddenly realized I did not feel dizzy anymore.
"I'm cured!" I said happily. Then I turned angry.
"SO LET ME OUT!"
"No!" she said, treating me like an idiot. "I'll
do this instead."
She shot a blue bolt at my wings, which suddenly
would not flap anymore.
"No flying for you," she said. "Bye." She blocked
my door with some kind of forced shield before closing it.
Even though I was more mad than sad, I cried.
I'd been grounded before - but that just meant no outside. Now I couldn't leave
my ROOM.
"What do I do?" I asked myself.
Then, my mind brightened up. I KNEW what I had
to do - I just had to lie. Well. A bit difficult maybe - but if it fails, I
WOULD find a plan B, right?
"MU-U-UM!" I yelled in a singsong voice.
Mum opened the door and stuck her head in. "Is
everything okay?" she asked, coolly.
"Actually..." I began, and started to fib. "Well,
there's this -- uh -- Gelert. He wanted to interview me for The Neopian Times
- he hates Illusen too and so he wants to prove those writers how wrong they
are... so he wanted to interview me -- like, Life with Jhudora."
Jhudora had this sort of look on her face which
makes you feel like you have to continue or she won't believe you.
"Um -- his owner likes Illusen and so he refused
to do the interview me - but it's today, and if I'm grounded, I can't go. So
can I go?"
"Where does he live?" mum asked, slowly -- and
critically -- thinking about it.
"Illusen Forest Drive," I answered, "As I said,
his owner likes Illusen..."
"Very well," mum sighed, "Shall I take you there?"
"NO W -- I mean, no, thanks," Jhuisa quickly
corrected herself. "You -- I'm fine. Besides, you have to keep doing your quests.
Isn't that Illusen_hater guy on like, quest 30 now? For the eleventh time?"
"Quest 34," Jhudora answered, giggling. "It's
almost funny. He just likes my quests so he'll keep doing them - but he's never
beat quest 39." Then Jhudora grew sort huffy. I swear, my mum is SO unpredictable.
"And HE lives on Dark Faerie Path. Unlike your dear friend Mr. Gelert."
"Right," I said, anxious to leave, "Listen,
mum -- can you unfreeze my wings now?"
- - -
Soon, I was on my way. It was an hour long flight, but I had to get to the
street. I'd totally made up the Gelert - I actually needed to see Illusen.
I just hoped my mum really had believed me...
if she hadn't, and was waiting at Illusen's Glade for me, I would be in big
big trouble. Bigger than that. Like, grounded for the rest of my life.
I thought this just as I touched down near ShapeShifter.
I was in no mood to play a game, but I decided to try Ultimate Bullseye for
awhile, to show to my mum if she was spying on me there was no need to spy on
me and she could spy on ... um ... the Uber-Light Faerie, instead.
I only got a score of 12.
I walked up to Illusen's Glade eventually. I
noticed she was "Closed" in giving out quests.
I knocked. "Illusen! Are you in there?"
"Who wants to know?" she called.
"Someone who has proof my mum's got your wand!"
Illusen opened the door in the manner of someone
who's rolling their eyes. The only difference was that she wasn't rolling her
eyes.
"So where is my wand?" she asked. If, at that
moment, someone asked which was better, Jhudora or Illusen, I might have said
they were the same Faerie.
"I'm not sure exactly," I said, "but it has
to do with my mum. We have to watch her."
Illusen snorted. "Duh, I know that already,"
Illusen said. "Besides, you're the one that lives there."
"Yeah. I got sick, frozen and I couldn't sleep
at all within twelve hours. Of course I think my mum's right," I retorted, sarcastically.
"Okay, okay," Illusen said, sounding like she
didn't mean it. "But now you are going straight back to your cloud. If you find
it -- or Hannah -- you know where to find me." Illusen slammed the door in my
face. Hmpf. I spoke to her like five minutes - if I went home straightaway,
mum would get suspicious. And then she'd find out I lied and then I'd get grounded
for the rest of my life.
But if I did go home early -- and make sure
my mum didn't catch me -- I might be able to tell where Hannah was. And Illusen's
wand, but I wasn't going to do Illusen favours any time soon. But Hannah might
make me.
To be continued...
Author's Footnote: Will Hannah be saved? Will Jhuisa and Illusen stop fighting?
Will Illusen get her wand back? Will Jhuisa be grounded for the rest of her
life? Will Jhudora be defeated? Will... okay, okay. All will be revealed in
the final part, coming out next week!
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