Why Jhudora and Illusen Hate Each Other

     Why Jhudora and Illusen Hate Each Other, Illustrated by Pinglett and Written by Diskiss

     It was a particularly hot and sunny day on Mystery Island to start the year's Gadgadsbogen festival. The heat was so unbearable, even Taelia the Snow Faerie had removed her winter jacket. The unforgiving heat drove many Island and visiting creatures to quickly empty the Island's Tropical Food shop of all thirst-quenching drinks and fruits. The store was prepared for the demand, but its restocks were fairly infrequent—after all, the store had to save most of the fruit and drinks for the rest of the festival.

     The festival, as it does every year, attracted guests from all over Neopia. It was so crowded, the Island could barely hold all of its visitors. Even Jhudora, an everyday Faerie, came all the way from Faerieland to attend. After relaxing in the sun for a few minutes, her purple hair began to turn lavender. She sighed and decided to look for a place she could keep her hair away from the sun's powerful beams, and to get something to satisfy her thirst. While waiting for the shop to restock, she found a secluded and cool spot in the shop's back room.

     Then, during a restock of the shop, while the shopkeeper's back was turned to unload boxes, an overly-thirsty Jhudora grabbed some of the fruit and devoured it. She looked around sheepishly to see if anyone had seen her, and saw a single lone figure looking right at her, horrified. It was her best friend, Illusen the Earth Faerie of Meridell! She had been looking to reunite with Jhudora and had just discovered her eating the fruit. Illusen was used to the heat and was not nearly as thirsty as everyone else. She also had plenty of her favorite medieval beverage, Braku Berry Juice, before she left for the festival. The shopkeeper went into the sale area to sell his newly replenished goods.

     "Jhudora, what on Earth was that? You're stealing fruit on Gadgadsbogen?" Illusen questioned, and crossed her arms as she approached Jhudora.

     "I was going to pay for it!" Jhudora replied, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "I can't believe you'd accuse me of stealing! I was just so thirsty, I needed some fruit right away. When I saw it there, I had to have it. I'm sorry!"

     "Well, you'd BETTER pay for it! Or else I am going to tell everybody what I saw!"

     Jhudora was outraged at her best friend's insensitivity. "And who would believe YOU? Little, innocent Illusen? I thought you were supposed to be nice, but this is far from being the first time I've seen you get irrationally angry at me. I know there's a lot of litter around because of the festival, and that makes you Earth Faeries mad, but that shouldn't be an excuse. After all, I'm your best friend!" She paused to think for a minute. Illusen did not look very amused. Jhudora continued, "Well, I've just decided what type of Faerie I'm going to become."

     "Don't you DARE say Dark!!!!" warned Illusen, angrily pointing her finger at Jhudora. "If you become a Dark Faerie, it will go against everything I have ever thought about you, and we won't be able to be friends anymore."

     "I have decided to become...a Dark Faerie! I guess that means we're not friends anymore. Oh, and now that I'm Dark, I'm not going to pay for it. MUAHAHA!" Jhudora, Neopia's newest Dark Faerie, stormed off in a huff. A cloud of smoke surrounded her as she went to leave the store. Her hair turned back to dark purple, and green highlights appeared. She hid inside a hut and, now that she had chosen her path, gained the ability to cast spells. So she secretly zapped gallons and gallons of fruit into the shop, far more than what she had eaten, to the delight of the shopkeeper and many others. As for the identity of who zapped the fruit to the Island, it would remain a mystery, especially to Illusen.

     ***

     A few minutes later, Illusen emerged from the shop and joined the throng of guests in fruit costumes and Island natives dressed in their formal leis and grass skirts. She found her friends from Meridell and took them to a quiet area near the volcano so she could explain what she had just seen.

     "I can't believe what I just saw. My best friend--"

     "We know, it's Jhudora," quipped a Gelert farmer called Greb in a Blobbule costume, rolling his eyes.

     "Yes, of course it's Jhudora. I saw her steal fruit from the Tropical Food shop! I was the only one who saw. So I got mad at her and then...and then..." Illusen burst into tears.

     "What happened?" asked a concerned Scorchio farmer, Orb, dressed as an Azzle.

     "She...she... SHE TURNED DARK!!!!!!!!" Illusen sat down and sobbed into her clothes.

     "Are you sure she stole it?" replied Greb.

     "Well, she said she was going to pay for it, but I said she'd better pay for it, and then she went Dark and said she wouldn't pay."

     "Can you prove she stole it?" inquired Orb.

     "She said she was going to go Dark because I accused her of stealing it, and then she went Dark. Normally, that would be enough as proof, but Jhudora had been considering several Faerie specialties. The only proof I have is what I saw for myself," Illusen sighed.

     ***

     Jhudora joined the crowd of Gadgadsbogen partiers and tried to have fun as the sun began to set. She danced with some natives and watched volleyball tournaments and fruit costume jousting fights. Jhudora wanted to play some one-on-one volleyball and signed up. When her name was called, so was Illusen's.

     "YOU!!!!!" They screamed in unison, pointing at each other. Jhudora remarked, "Well, you're the perfect opponent for me, since we're not friends anymore." The crowd gasped. "I'm going to win, you know."

     "Yeah? Well Faerieland isn't exactly known for its sports program." The crowd went "OOH."

     "Oh yeah? Well we ARE known for our brains, unlike that dump Meridell." The crowd said "OOOOOOOH" even louder. Illusen turned bright red. "Can we just start the game?"

     The referee blew the whistle and the crowd watched intently as a fiery game of beach volleyball ensued. The score was tied on Jhudora's serve. Jhudora spiked the ball so hard, it ricocheted off the sand and went into the water. Jhudora had won the volleyball game. The referee went to retrieve it as several Island natives crowned Jhudora the new volleyball queen. They put a floral crown on her head and carried her off into the sunset as she waved a triumphant "Bye!" at Illusen, who left immediately to return to Meridell, ashamed and upset. She swore to hate Jhudora for as long as she was Dark, and convinced Orb and Greb to do the same.

     Jhudora, wearing her flower crown, partied and danced with the guests and the natives for the rest of the night. The whole festival was a success, thanks to Jhudora repeatedly (and secretly) zapping more fruit to the Island. What? She didn't want to be Dark—Illusen drove her to it—but she had to keep up her image somehow.

     THE END