Neoplay: Two Faeries and a Wannabe Evil Overlord - Part One

Arathyne the faerie Xweetok drummed her fingers on the kitchen counter. She had on denim jeans and a white shirt covered by a black sweatshirt. Both shirts had holes cut in the back to feed her wings through. Her white sneakers were still on, because even though it was preferred to not wear shoes in the house, everybody did anyway, including her owner, who was pacing back and forth in her own sneakers.

     "I don't know about this," Lucy muttered for the umpteenth time. "Maybe I should bring you with me."

     Bored to the extreme, Arathyne told her again, "Mom, I'll be fine." She felt like she'd die if she didn't get something entertaining to stimulate her, and soon. "I'm not going to blow up the house. You can trust me."

     Lucy shook her head of straightened brown hair. She looked at the Xweetok sternly, hands on her hips. "I thought I could trust you to behave at school, too, but you didn't do that, did you?" Arathyne sighed and put her chin on the table. Her owner resumed her pacing. "Now you're suspended because you broke a window and spray painted the walls... Where did you get the spray paint, anyway? And... Ugh, Arathyne! Where did I go wrong with you? None of your sisters misbehave. Erm, well, not usually, but—"

     "Mother!"

     Lucy stopped in her tracks and looked back at the Xweetok, who stood up in her chair and placed her hands in front of her on the counter.

     "Please, Mother, do not compare me to those... those people you call my siblings!" she yelled. "And what are you talking about, anyway? Ronyshia's the only goody-goody you've got. Trei's a witch, bound to become evil at any given moment! Why else does she lock up her whole room when doing her 'magic' junk?! And that pirate..." She said the word 'pirate' like it was a curse word. "She's the most evil thing walking around in this house!"

     "Do not talk about your sisters that way," her owner warned.

     "Those people are not my sisters," Arathyne growled. "Now, I promise I will not cause or get into any trouble, or vandalise the house in any way, shape, or form. Do you trust my sworn oath to you, Mother, enough to leave the house for half an hour to get some stupid groceries?"

     Her owner blinked, then a small smile crept across her face. She knew that Arathyne, out of all her pets, hated lying the most. She hated liars, and being called one. Arathyne was many, many things, that was for sure, but "liar" was not one of them. Even as a cynical, sometimes called evil, little girl, she never did lie. She just kind of got mad easily and acted without thinking sometimes. "That was a little much," she told her, trying not to laugh, "but you've gotten my trust. I'll leave now. And don't worry, I won't tell anybody about this."

     Arathyne sighed. "Thank you," she said, relieved. "Now go get us food." As Lucy walked out the door, she called after her, "And bring back some tetraberries!" Then the door closed and she was alone, unknowing of the events that would soon take place in only a matter of minutes.

     Arathyne hoped her owner would bring back lots of tetraberries. She knew Lucy knew she had an obsession about them — everybody knew. It was as clear as the nose on her face.

     Looking for something to entertain her, she strayed into the living room, looking at the piles of books filled with faerie tales and medieval knights all around the room. Everyone in her family loved to read, except for her pirate sister, Vinetaa, whom she despised. The only books she ever caught Vi reading were ones about pirates and treasure, but nothing else. Arathyne personally enjoyed the same material as her mother — books on medieval fantasy, with knights and magical faeries and princesses that did the saving themselves. She, like her owner, was not too fond of books with male protagonists, because they often acted full of themselves and thought they were so much better than women. Reading about female warriors that slew deadly beasts and creatures was more fun.

     But today Arathyne didn't feel like reading. She exited the house and decided to hang out around the town nearby. Hey, I never promised Mom I’d stay inside the house or on the property, she told herself. Besides, I hang out here all the time. How much trouble could I possibly get into? As she made her way down the dirt path to the Trading Post where she planned to hang out and beat the post owner at a game of cards, she noticed a strangely familiar-looking light-blue Bori lugging a stupid suitcase around. She didn't notice the Bori's wings.

     Arathyne blinked. She shook her head and turned, entering the Post. The owner sat on the other side of the counter. The trades went on in the room to the left, and a short line of people were waiting to get in. She sat at the counter and she and the Post owner began to play some cards. The door opened from behind.

     "Excuse me, does anybody know where the nearest inn is?"

     The voice. Arathyne froze. It was too familiar. As the owner shuffled the deck again, Arathyne twirled around in the stool and saw the Bori she'd seen a few minutes ago. She was suspicious, but then, why should she be? It wasn't like this Bori had wings or anything, and even if she did, she probably wasn't any different from any old faerie Bori. No, she was sure it wasn't that... what was her name? Ce-something. It wasn't her, she was sure. Still, she felt complied to answer the question of one who was, obviously, a tourist.

     "Not too far away," she replied. "The Sasoani Inn is right down the road. Here, I'll take you there. You look lost and I've already beaten her at this game." The owner scowled. Arathyne hopped down off the stool and walked past the Bori. "Follow me, and don't move slow or I'll be way ahead." She walked briskly out of the Post and down another dirt path toward where she knew the Sasoani Inn was.

     "I don't know if I can keep up, though," the Bori muttered, and though Arathyne had already left the building and was on her way down the street, she could still hear the blue girl, who yelled at her to wait up.

     She looked back, then sighed. Her antennae hung in front of her face and her shoulders slumped. Oh, all right, she told herself in exasperation. She turned and walked back to the Bori. She picked up her suitcase and carried it for her, making sure to walk a little slower. The suitcase might've been heavy for the Bori, but for Arathyne it was as easy to carry as an empty dinner plate. Years of Battledome rumbles and fights with her siblings strengthened her up.

     She was ahead of the Bori by only a few paces, but was still moving slower. She kept her poker-face on, her expression blank, but inside she was confused. She was glad she was doing a sort of good thing for somebody, but confused as to why she hadn't just shrugged off the Bori's question and continued to play cards. Had she met this girl before? Something told her she did, but she didn't know where the feeling came from.

     "Not to pry," she said slowly, "but do you, by any chance, have wings?"

     The Bori nodded. "Ummm, yeah, I do," she answered, moving the black protective covering to the side to show a pair of blue translucent wings underneath. "I'm a faerie Bori." She said this shyly. Arathyne picked up that she probably liked her color, but it made her stand out more, and she obviously wasn't the type to want a lot of attention. "Why do you ask?"

     "Because I met a faerie Bori once," Arathyne replied slowly. "On Krawk Island. Timid little thing, she was. That was when we brought back home my pirate... sister... from her temporary lodging at Mom's friend's house." She said 'sister' like she had said 'pirate' earlier; like it was a terrible word. She hesitated, then changed the subject. "The inn's not too far from here..."

     The Bori looked up at her, confused when she said that she had seen someone like herself, but then nodded, smiling. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere!" she said, smiling and laughing. She looked back ahead of her when Arathyne mentioned the inn, but thought nothing of it. "You were kind of out of it, and you let me stay at your house and yeah, that was me!" She was apparently glad that she finally finally figured out who this person was.

     Arathyne froze in her tracks. A hot blush suddenly rushed to her cheeks, which looked odd on a light brown face. "T-That was you?" She felt humiliated for what seemed like no reason at all, but she was also a bit embarrassed because she had made a point to put that memory of her "freak out" from that night and the punishment that followed after far in the back of her brain.

     "Yeah! It was about four months ago; I had gone to Krawk Island for a visit and got lost because I bought a map off a pirate and it wasn't even of Krawk Island..." Her voice grew quieter as she admitted her stupidness from back then.

     "I... forget your name."

     She looked back up with a smile, and answered sheepishly, "That's okay, I kind of forgot yours too." She grinned. "My name is Cera, short for Cerarose."

     "Arathyne." She paused, wondering what to say. "I, erm, got a paintjob. I was green, now I'm faerie." Her wings fluttered slightly. "All my sibs are painted, too. Roni's royal and Trei's ghost." She turned a corner, not bothering to mention Vinetaa's change from yellow to pirate. Their chatter faded as they continued to walk. Arathyne was still holding Cera's suitcase. The broken side of the suitcase faced its owner. Neither of them noticed when it began to mend itself.

To be continued...