Nadia

Throughout Neopia, Darkness faeries are renowned for being evil and merciless creatures, ready to sacrifice even their closest friends for a taste of the power denied to them by forces of light and goodness. But this is only a stereotype, and, like all stereotypes, it is wrong many more times than people care to admit.

     *

     A crowd of young faeries swarmed out of the gates of the Faerieland Academy, chattering excitedly. They wore multi-coloured dresses which sparkled in the bright sunlight, the colours bearing no relation to the kind of faerie they would be when they grew up, for these were too young to yet know in what direction their powers would lie. Some had already made “choices” based on their family, or their heroes, but by looking, one could not tell whether or not the girl in the orange dress with a motif of golden flames would actually serve the fire or would fly alone through the vast, cold depths of space, thousands of miles beyond Kreludor.

     Two faeries walked together, deep in conversation. There was much to talk about, for the next day they would begin to learn about the different types of faeries, with their abilities, weaknesses, strengths, and preferences. They would all learn about every type of faerie, the theory being that when they grew up they would be able to understand each other’s needs, and Dark and Light faeries would still call one another “sister”. That was the theory, anyway. In practice, by the time they were sorted into their specialist types in five years, there would already be a rift between faeries of differing powers.

     “I’m really looking forward to starting training properly!” exclaimed a blonde haired faerie dressed in pale green. “Do you know yet which type of faerie you want to be?”

     “Sephy, I didn’t know the answer to that question when you asked me two minutes ago, and I still don’t know now!” laughed her companion, a taller girl with dark brown hair and a floor-length deep blue dress. “We’ve got five years to choose!”

     “Yes, but don’t you have any idea at all?” asked Sephy. “I mean, I know I’d like to be a Light faerie, or maybe an Earth faerie. You must have some idea, Nadia!”

     Nadia smiled. She did have an inkling of an idea. The time of day that she liked best was between dusk and dawn, when the still lands were covered with a thick cloak of darkest purple. “A... a Darkness faerie might be good,” she said hesitantly.

     Sephy shouted with laughter. “Don’t be so silly, Nadia! Everyone knows that darkness faeries are cruel and evil; you don’t want to become one of them!”

     “I do love the night, though,” said Nadia softly.

     Her friend laughed again. Ten years is not enough time to appreciate that ideas about things can be changed, and to think of quiet gentle Nadia choosing to become one of a kind with the infamous Jhudora was beyond her comprehension. But as they waved goodbye to one another and headed towards their homes, Nadia’s face took on a frown, signifying that she was thinking deeply.

     *

     Five years seemed to pass quickly. Before long it was time for the young faeries to choose the separate paths that their lives would follow. Sephy and Nadia remained close friends, for they shared their love of nature, although they loved different aspects of the world of Neopia. Sephy would spend free days roaming the lands and woods around Neopia Central, Meridell, and Mystery Island by day, talking with Illusen, who she looked up to entirely, and playing with the sun loving Petpets, Symols and Miamice being her especial favourites. Nadia preferred walking in the woods at night, especially at dusk, looking up at the shining moon and stars and listening to the quiet sounds of the peaceful lands at night, while the hem of her long inky blue robes swept the diamond-glittering dew from the long grass.

     Lost in memories of her midnight walks, Nadia was unaware of what was going on around her until Sephy nudged her sharply and hissed, “It’s time!” The hall full of excited faeries fell silent as Queen Fyora stepped gracefully up onto the platform, followed by the leader of each group of faeries, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Light, and Darkness.

     “Welcome,” intoned the Queen, her melodious voice carrying to everyone in the hall. “Today, young faeries, you will choose the element that you wish to dedicate the rest of your life to. Do not choose lightly, and do not let others sway you, for it is your life, not theirs. When your name is called, mount the platform and announce your choice. Wait for the leader of your chosen element to accept you, then stand behind them. We will begin.” She took out an ornate scroll and read the first name written there. “Callistra.”

     A shy, small faerie climbed the short flight of steps, trembling visibly, and stopped in front of Fyora. She spoke clearly, although shakily, in the ritualistic manner that they had been taught. “I am Callistra. I choose the Water.”

     “I accept you, Callistra, to the Water,” answered the Water faerie. Smiling, Callistra moved to stand behind her.

     “Mirela.”

     Another girl stood forward. “I am Mirela. I choose the Light.”

     “I accept you, Mirela, to the Light.”

     Nadia listened, but her mind was racing. Dark faeries were evil; the girls who had so far chosen Darkness were unpleasant and she disliked them. However, she felt the call of the night to her, and she could not imagine spending the rest of her life shackled to a different element.

     “Sephy.”

     “Good luck!” whispered Nadia to her friend, who let out a gasp of mingled terror and excitement in reply. She felt pride in her best friend as she watched her climb the steps as if she was they were made of slippery ice. Briefly they made eye contact and smiled before Sephy turned to Fyora.

     “I am Sephy. I choose the Earth.” Sephy spoke slowly and firmly. Nadia smiled. For years now there had not been the slightest doubt that the Earth would be her choice.

     “I accept you, Sephy, to the Earth.” Sephy moved to join the group behind the Earth faerie leader. Nadia felt a lump in her throat as she wondered whether she would ever see her best friend again. She herself could choose Earth, she supposed. It would be a compromise after all. At the same time, though, it would be a denial of what was important to her. She wondered what her other friends thought she would do, as she had only talked about the secret aspirations to Darkness with Sephy. Everyone who had been called up so far had been so certain, and it had been known or guessed well in advance which element they would embrace. Among her classmates, she was the only mystery.

     The floor space gradually emptied as more and more young faeries thronged behind the leader of their new order. I don’t want to be the last one left! she thought desperately, but it was soon clear that her name was near the very bottom of the scroll in Fyora’s hand. And all too soon, she was the only faerie unassigned to a specific element. Fyora read the last name on the scroll.

     “Nadia.”

     In a daze, with a dry throat, Nadia managed to walk up the steps and arrive in front of the Queen. She was still desperately trying to decide what to do, but she knew that she couldn’t deny her heart. She swallowed. “I am Nadia. I choose the Darkness.” She was aware of the sudden surprised movements among the faeries who had been her classmates, but it was too late to do anything now.

     “I accept you, Nadia, to the Darkness.” Nadia walked proudly over and stood behind the Darkness faerie, aware of the surprised looks from all sides, not least from the group of faeries that she had pledged to join.

     Fyora spoke up. “Now you all have your feet on the start of the path to your future. Be true to your element, and good luck in your life.”

     *

     The next few years were spent learning about the faeries’ chosen elements in greater detail. Nadia learnt the spells and customs that all faeries of Darkness must know. Still, she remained apart from the other faeries in her group and was pleased to do so. She still took midnight walks in the peaceful woods wearing her new robes of dark purple crushed velvet, which swished along the ground and created the same delicate patterns in the dew. Her teachers were puzzled by her, for she refused to fit to the mould, and it was clear that the only Darkness which interested her was the pure and natural darkness of the night. However, she was a clear adept at the spells and potions which were taught to her, although she never used the nasty ones except to demonstrate them in class.

     When she became twenty, Nadia was a fully fledged Darkness faerie, graduating at the top of her class. With her new wings she was able to fly through the lands of Neopia at night to visit places that she had only dreamed about before. She never attended the regular meetings of her fellow Darkness faeries where they planned out mischievous tricks to play on unsuspecting Neopians. Instead she almost lived in her forests. The night time creatures knew her by now and would flock to greet her whenever she came walking past their homes.

     *

     Meanwhile, Sephy was enjoying her life in Meridell, helping the villagers with their crops and gardens and talking with Illusen in her spare time. Although at first she was perfectly happy, she soon began to feel that she was missing something. She and Illusen were the only Earth faeries in Meridell, and while Illusen was a real friend, she missed the companionship of faeries who were her own age and understood a bit more about what she wanted to do. Also it would be nice to have someone with whom she could talk for more than five minutes before being interrupted by a quester!

     Soon her thoughts began to turn to Nadia, who she hadn’t seen for over ten years. Sephy wondered how she was getting on in the life that she had chosen for herself, and wished that she could see and talk to her. One day she managed to waylay a Darkness faerie delivering a message to Illusen from Jhudora. The faerie was called Yeliss and had been in her year, so Sephy asked her if she knew how Nadia was.

     “Nadia?” asked Yeliss. “No one’s seen her for nearly a year now, since we gained our wings.”

     “How was she?” asked Sephy. “I haven’t seen her for nearly eleven years, so I expect that your information is more accurate than mine!”

     “She was a bit strange really,” came the answer. “I think that she only became a Darkness faerie because she loved the night so much; she never joined the rest of us at all! She’s probably howling to the moon somewhere like a Werelupe!”

     Yeliss had to hurry back then, but Sephy pondered what she had been told for a long time. Finally, she decided to go in search of Nadia. That evening as dusk was falling she entered the woods and wandered through them, calling, “Nadia! Nadia!”

     Unused to the darkness, Sephy became scared of the shadows. After searching for hours she decided to turn back, but had forgotten the way. She began to run, desperate to find her way out of the labyrinth of trees, so different after nightfall.

     Bursting into a moonlit glade, she ran into a tall figure and fell to the ground, exhausted. The figure bent down. “It’s alright,” came a voice, somehow familiar. “The forest won’t hurt you. What were you running from?” And then, puzzled and unsure, “Sephy? Is that you?”

     “Nadia!” gasped Sephy, both relieved and alarmed.

     “What are you doing here?” asked Nadia, sounding wary. Didn’t Sephy always hate the night? What’s she doing here in my forest?

     “I... I was looking for you,” whispered Sephy. “I was worried about you. I hadn’t heard from you for so many years and I wanted to see you again.” The strain of the night caught up with her and she burst into tears.

     The two faeries sat together in the glade for hours, talking. Nadia told Sephy about the beauty of the world that she had found for herself and, although sceptical at first, Sephy began to see it through her friend’s eyes and appreciate what was around her. In return, Sephy told Nadia about the world of day that she had left behind, and they both began to realise that to fully appreciate Nature you have to know both sides of it.

     Finally, as dawn was breaking, Nadia led Sephy once more to the edge of the forest. “Come back with me,” begged Sephy. “You aren’t evil; you shouldn’t be a Darkness faerie. Even the clothes you’re wearing aren’t the same as the other Darkness faeries are wearing. You could change, become an Earth faerie like me!”

     Nadia laughed. “Thanks, but there is more than one type of Darkness, and I truly belong to the night. Can’t you see it?”

     Sephy thought about it. “You made the right choice,” she said. “This is where you belong. Don’t forget me, though!”

     “Of course not!” Nadia exclaimed. “We’ll still see each other, especially now that we know where we are!”

     Her friend smiled. “You’re right. I must leave now, but we will always be friends, not separated by our elements.”

     The two faeries parted. One left for the fields, another for the forest. Overhead the sun and the moon watched them.

     And smiled.

The End