Every morning at promptly ten-thirty, the eventide Aisha visited the archives' lobby, stared up at the ceiling, and examined the fliers pinned to the bulletin board to see if anything interesting was happening in sleepy, ordered Altador. Herbalism, mining, engineering, pottery, ballroom dance lessons... the same notices that hung there week in and week out were all in their usual places.

Arretta sighed again and turned toward the smaller, single oak door to the left, ducked under the velvet rope, and started to press down on the latch release (she spent the two hours between arriving at the archives and lunch every morning studying in the vast library, of course with the permission of the archivist) when she noticed a tiny piece of paper tucked close to the wall beneath the rope.

The edges of the paper were tattered, with half-circles along the top as though it had been torn from a notebook. A Yellow Lined Notebook, to be precise, the same kind Arretta used to take notes from the tomes she devoured. It was crumpled, as though someone had tried to shove it in their pocket, but missed. She read the very curious message:

"To whom it may concern,
I don't know where this note will end up, or if it will end up anywhere, or if anyone will ever see it if it does end up anywhere, or if anyone who might see it if it does end up anywhere will care to do anything about it. I believe I have discovered the existence of an artifact of some importance to some very powerful Neopians. If someone does read this (assuming that it does end up anywhere where anyone can read it), I can only trust that you will also take what I'm about to say seriously, in part because I'm writing the message from a place I'll probably never see the outside of and in part because the consequences of not doing so are... grave.

I can't say more here. I've hidden what I know somewhere someone might be able to find it in time. I'll give you a hint: it's where everything is written.

Oh, and time is quite short. You'll understand when you find the information I left.

Verll, a very concerned, straightforward Meerca."

Arretta, still reading over the note, crossed back across the lobby and knocked on the archivist's study door. If anyone could tell her whether this meant anything or was just some kind of prank, it was that blue Lenny.

A moment later, when she had wrapped her mind around the confusing parts of what Verll had written, she realized the archivist hadn't answered. Not even a gruff "I'm busy!" She knocked again, harder this time in case he hadn't heard, or she hadn't heard his response through the heavy doors. Still no answer.

The Aisha reached for the handle and gave the door a hard shove. To her surprise, it swung inward and she found herself staring into a lightless room. Grunting rose from one corner, and scuffling, as something large wiggled along the floor...

The dark form upon the floor rose and stepped closer to the frightened Aisha. Arretta gasped and had almost turned to run when the figure stepped into the light, revealing that it was only the janitor. The Yurble wore his usually gruff expression as he glared at her. "What do you want?" he demanded, holding his mop in front of him as if it were some sort of weapon.

"I was just looking for the archivist," she answered. "Have you seen him?"

The janitor grumbled at the mention of the Lenny. "No, I haven't seen him," he replied, "but when I do I plan to give him a piece of my mind. Look what a mess he left for me! It's not like I don't have enough work to do around here."

Now that Arretta's eyes had adjusted to the dim light, she could see that the archivist's room looked as if it had been hit by a tornado. The Lenny was always a bit messy, although he claimed to have his own method of organization, but this was far beyond anything she had ever seen. Papers, documents, scrolls, books, and artifacts lay about the floor in a jumbled mess, and the tables were laying on their sides.

"This is quite a mess," Arretta managed to say, "but why are you cleaning in the dark?"

"I busted my lantern, that's why," the janitor snarled. "I laid it up on that desk, but it fell off." He almost managed a smile as he looked at her. "Why don't you go and fetch me another light?" he asked.

She wanted to refuse, but she'd always had trouble turning down a request. "Okay," she mumbled, turning away from the door. In her mind, she complained about the situation. She should be looking for the clues mentioned in the cryptic note instead of helping a grouchy janitor, but she had agreed to do so. She had left a light by the books the last time she'd been studying the archives, so she hurried over to the smaller oak door.

It opened easily, as always, when she entered the musty room. On one table the Book of Ages sat silently, brimming with so much information. As always, Arretta felt a bit in awe when she looked upon it, but she had other things to do. With a sigh, she hurried over and retrieved the lantern she had left in the room. She was turning to leave when a small part of the note she had read from the "straightforward" Verll suddenly rose in her mind.

"I'll give you a hint: it's where everything is written."

"Where everything is written," she repeated aloud to herself. With new confidence, she approached the book...

Magic, she thought. All of the great adventures begin with magic.

With excitement now shining in her cobalt eyes, Arretta quickly opened the book and what she saw caused her to jump back with surprise: swarming from between the book pages came a teeming wave of ugly purple bugs. They seemed to exit the book in every direction, but as they hit the smooth marble floor of the archive, they formed one large column and marched toward, and through, the room's oak door.

The Aisha tried to slam the cover shut on the Book of Ages, but the swelling multitudes of bugs were too powerful for her to stop.

"What have I done?" the Aisha moaned. A scream from the next room broke her contemplation and Arretta ran toward it, trying to avoid stepping on any of the bugs that continued to pour from the book.

When she reached the screaming, Arretta discovered it was the janitor who was trying desperately to sweep up the bugs with his mop.

"I sent you for a light and you bring me this mess?" the janitor growled. "I suggest you get yourself a broom and start helping me here."

"I... I'm sorry," Arretta said, "but I think these bugs are a message." As soon as she said it, she knew it to be true. Remembering the urgency of the Meerca's note, she continued, "I must follow them. Time is quite short."

The Aisha flashed an apologetic smile at the janitor as she turned to follow the purple swarm...

The bugs proved themselves to be quite swift, so Arretta had to run, something she hadn't done since she had slept late one time and wanted to stay on schedule. Her short purple dress flapped around her in the gentle breeze, and she realized she had her light with her—a simple lantern that she had intended to give to the janitor. Anyone on the cobblestone paths of Altador that day would have turned their heads curiously at the Aisha in pursuit of a swarm of furry little insects.

Arretta began to pant, and she almost started to wish that she'd had a different lifestyle -- one that would've given her more stamina. No, she silently realized as she dashed after the bugs, if I weren’t a researcher, then this wouldn’t have happened. This is my chance.

After scurrying along several roads surrounding the Hall of Heroes, she found herself running through poorer and poorer neighborhoods. Many Altadorians' houses doubled as their shops, and now she saw that many of them were boarded up. Those that remained open seemed to specialize in the selling of inadequately-made products.

At some point, Arretta left the worn pathways connecting the homes and ran onto a rough trail overgrown with ferns and lichens. She briefly thought that it was odd for lichen to be growing on level ground, but then questioned her own knowledge of the subject before shooing the thought away. The bugs had formed into a single-file line now, and the moment after she had noticed this, she found herself stumbling down an abrupt slope that hadn't given the purple creatures any trouble.

Finally, she practically fell over her own paws with momentum (hers, in addition to gravity's) as the insects simultaneously stopped short at the entrance to a cave. They collected themselves and then slowly -- almost fearfully -- trotted forward. The Aisha shrugged, lit her lantern, and then entered...

I can't go back now, she thought, since this may be my only chance for the excitement and adventure I've been dreaming of.

She quickened her pace to match the meandering line of bugs and bravely left behind the light of the cave entrance. She noticed, a little belatedly, that the bugs showed no fear of her as she drew close to their marching line. They were single-minded in their quest for whatever destination they were headed to. The darkness was frightening, and as Arretta looked around, she began to see small pools at the edges of the cave. As she continued along the tunnel, these pools grew larger and larger, until she was forced to walk almost right on top of the bugs to stay on dry rock.

The Aisha started to wonder if the cave was really a cave. She had entered the beginning of a tunnel, and she could see other entrances to different paths on the other side of the water. Her question was answered almost immediately.

Abruptly, the line of bugs stopped; the path had reached a dead end. Arretta was so surprised that she almost toppled into the water. When she managed to right herself, she took a look around. It seemed she had reached an underground lake of enormous proportions. Even her powerful lantern could not reach its edges.

What now? she wondered, as the bugs gathered in a large group around the edge of the rock. I am definitely not getting into that water.

She watched the bugs for some sign, some way of crossing the lake. They seemed to be waiting for something. What could they be waiting for? Is there more magic at work? She looked around for some indicator and her eyes fell upon a ragged piece of paper, partially concealed under a rock. She pulled it out and immediately noticed that it had been pulled from a Yellow Lined Notebook. She held the lantern closer to the faded writing and began to read:

You have made it this far. Congratulations, brave Neopian. If you are willing to continue -- and I believe that, if you have made it this far, your insatiable curiosity will prevent you from doing otherwise -- you must utilize your (hopefully) sharp reasoning skills. There are six tunnels across the lake. One of them is the correct path. The others will lead to your imprisonment. The question is this: darkest night, brightest day, which 'pet can I see painted this way?

Eventide, of course, the Aisha thought as she looked down at her eventide coloring. The darkest night, riddled with stars, slowly fades to reveal the brightest color of sunlight. She began to wonder if she was destined for this, but then told herself that that was silly. How could this Verll have known that an eventide-painted Neopet would begin his quest? She shook her head and continued to read.

Say your answer out loud, and you will be shown a path. I hope it is the correct one, for the sake of all Neopia.

Verll

Arretta read the note once more, and then again, hoping for any other clue as to the ending of this adventure of hers. What happens if I'm wrong? she thought, growing more and more anxious. If Neopia's fate really rests on me, though, then what choice do I have?

This is the adventure I've been waiting for.

Steeling her resolve, she looked around at the blackness. "Eventide," she said, speaking clearly and loudly. For a moment nothing happened, then...

Bravely, she placed one foot on the path and, seeing that it held under her weight, she took another step, and then another. Further and further she went. The shore she had come from disappeared, and there was only her, the lamp, and the lake left. For a while the Aisha considered turning back, but she refused to let herself give up.

A faint buzzing suddenly alerted her to the presence of the bugs -- they had followed Arretta, walking beside her in their single-file line; when she stopped, they stopped, and when she resumed walking, they did so as well. Arretta didn't notice when she stepped off of the path and back onto the shore, but the bugs did, breaking formation and becoming an amorphous blob. Her lamp seemed dimmer here, its brightness unable to show her where she was.

Her surroundings then brightened, the pitch black slowly being replaced by light. Arretta glanced around confusedly. Her surroundings were coming into view, and to her shock, she was standing inside a cavern, its walls carved out into a giant picture of a shockingly familiar dark faerie.

The Aisha took a step toward the wall, only for her foot to hit something hard. Wincing from the pain, Arretta then noticed that the ground was also lined with dark faeries, this time in the form of statues.

In the midst of all these dark faerie statues was a Meerca...

"Someone has answered my summons," she said in a low voice to herself. "And what is your name, eventide Aisha?"

Arretta suddenly felt wary. Maybe it was the dark faerie statues glaring at her from every angle, or the unfamiliar glint in the Meerca's eye, but Arretta wondered if she should give information to the stranger.

But then she had to wonder. Why would she go to all the trouble just to get me here? She sounded genuinely concerned in the letter.

"Arretta," she said, keeping her voice steady.

"That is a beautiful name," Verll commented. "And you are a beautiful Aisha. I'm almost sorry it was you who fell into my trap."

Arretta's mind froze over. She couldn't make sense of anything. Trap? That didn't sound good. Almost? That also didn't sound good.

The Aisha's brain then unfroze, however, and she could think clearly once again. She whipped around, planning to run out, but found the purple bugs blocking her path. No longer were they a benevolent guide.

She turned back and held her head high. She would not be intimidated. She quailed under the Meerca's stern gaze as their eyes met, but quickly drew up her courage.

"What is it you intend to do with me?"

"I guess I can tell you; there's no use not to. You see these statues? The Darkest Faerie. I suppose you could call it worship, but I prefer to think of it as loyalty. She will be whole once again! And you will help me. You see..."

"Ow!" Arretta winced as she felt a sharp tug on the top of her head. As the Aisha instinctively raised her paw to rub the sore spot, she brushed against something furry. Turning around, she saw one of the bugs fall to the ground -- with a strand of her hair in its mouth!

"I'll take that!" Verll said, taking the strand of hair from the bug. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a bottle containing a swirly purple liquid. The Meerca uncorked it and dropped the eventide hair into it.

"Surround her. Don't let her escape!"

Arretta gasped as the bugs formed a circle around her. "What's in that bottle?" she dared asking, raising a slightly trembling paw and pointing at the now pitch black mixture.

"A potion, of course," Verll said with a smile, looking quite proud of herself. "It contains a strand of the Darkest Faerie's hair, and I'm going to make you drink it."

"How did you get a strand of her hair?!" Arretta shrieked, starting to lose her composure.

"I have my ways," Verll cackled, revealing her slightly yellow and crooked teeth. "It wasn't hard to get and hypnotise these bugs, either! All I had to do was go to Roo Island and catch a few of them." She suddenly began to chant:

"Darkest night with brightest day
Become the one they couldn't slay
Bind together to create a life
To rule and punish those who disobey
Break out of your chain
And end the strife
Come back to your glory and fame ag-- AUGH!"

Verll fell to the ground as a purple bug hit her in the face. And another. And another. Arretta gasped with effort as she heaved one bug after another and threw them at the Meerca -- they were heavier than she had expected.

While Verll was still lying on the ground with shock, Arretta spun 'round and noticed that the path in the lake was still visible. She started to sprint back toward the entrance of the cave when...

"Get off of me, Verll!" Arretta shouted, her ability to resist the mysterious Meerca's surprise attack weakening. "I thought I had incapacitated you!"

"You may have momentarily stopped my physical essence, but the will of the Darkest Faerie drives me to pursue my mission despite the costs!"

Arretta continued struggling while she tried to sort the situation out. All of the synapses in her mind pointed to the obvious thought that Verll's obsession had driven the Meerca to an ill-mind -- or, perhaps, the other way around -- and she tried to think of any way she could use that thought to her advantage.

Speaking in between her grunts and groans of discontent, which were caused by her being crushed under the strength of Verrl onto the cold rock floor of the cave, Arretta shouted, "Look, the Darkest Faerie!" The Aisha attempted to point in a direction that she hoped Verll would look.

Verrl kept her position atop Arretta, however. "You can't trick me with your lies, you dastardly Neopet. Now, drink the potion..." The Meerca's voice trailed off as she removed the flask from one of her pockets, the liquid inside somehow a deeper, more intriguing black than it had been just a minute before.

Arretta tried hard to resist just looking at the color -- it appeared as though light itself could not escape from the inky void that was the contents of the bottle. Finally she regained her bearings. Arretta was still under Verll and, from this position, she also noticed that the path through the water had been sealed, providing for no direct escape route. Realizing that she was no match in strength for this Meerca, and even if she was she was a prisoner to her shrine, Arretta decided that maybe she could try to outwit her.

"Fine," the Aisha reluctantly uttered, "I'll drink the potion."

"Splendid!" Verll said as she let go of Arretta, who promptly stood up and dusted herself off. "Open up," she finished before she uncorked the bottle.

"Wait," Arretta started, sounding weak from the recent frenzy, "are you absolutely sure you want me to?"

"Well..." Verll tried figuring out the obscure statement, "yes. You are the best candidate I've seen. You managed to decipher my riddles and had the bravery to come all the way here."

"But," Arretta continued, "I lack the strength -- something the Darkest Faerie would definitely require. Did you see how fast you wrestled me down? And you, making up the enticing, thought-provoking riddles in the first place... I mean, you're a genius. Why don't you just down the potion?"

Verll thought about it. "I guess I always thought there would be someone better... but no, I'm the best Neopet."

"Yes!" Arretta said, urging Verll to continue her thought.

"It will be me who the Darkest Faerie will once again speak -- live -- through; it will be me that will lead her to taking over all of Neopia; me who will reinstate her with the power she deserves."

"Er..." Arretta wasn't sure what kind of attitude she should be taking toward what she was hearing.

At that moment, however, Verll plucked a hair from her head, placed it in the bottle -- there was now a strand of hair from the Darkest Faerie, Arretta, and the Meerca in there -- and, after quickly mumbling the chant to herself, drank its contents. Immediately, her eyes flared up and a dark mist began to form around her.

Arretta tried backing up, but it was to no use. Without the path, there was no place to run to. She was surrounded by water.

Through the mist, the Aisha heard Verll scream in a voice not her own. "Finally, my transformation is complete!"...

The Aisha gasped as there was an aura of darkness surrounding her, and Verll was floating in the air because of it. The atmosphere in the chamber was becoming claustrophobic, due to the incredibly powerful darkness that she was releasing.

The Meecra started to laugh evilly, her voice shrill and cold, filled with malice and hate. "I have finally been released!" the Darkest Faerie said, having taken over Verll's body. "Now, I shall have my revenge not only against Altador, but all of Neopia! Even the Faerie Queen shall bow before my power!"

Arretta backed up as much as she could before she hit the wall at the edge of the chamber. A few rocks shifted slightly, bringing the attention of the Darkest Faerie toward her. "You!" she said coldly. "You were helpful in speeding along my return. As a reward, your death shall be quick and painless!"

The possessed Meerca raised a hand and a sudden blast of energy was fired at her. Arretta screamed out in terror and quickly jumped away, barely avoiding being vaporized.

"So," the Darkest Faerie said, the eyes of the possessed Meerca glowing red with malice, "you wish to prolong your torment? Fine with me. I know many ways to enhance your suffering!"

The possessed Meecra raised both of her hands and then, suddenly, rocks rose out of the ground, surrounding Arretta on all sides. The only way out was forward, and that path lead right through Verll.

"Now," she said to her, "there's nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide."

Arretta looked up, watching the floating Meerca grow even closer, more and more darkness emanating out of her. The eventide Aisha backed up to the wall, hoping beyond hope for a miracle to happen, for her to be able to get out of this situation and hopefully return to Altador. She would have to get to the King, to Jerdana, to anyone to warn them that The Darkest Faerie had risen again.

It seemed like that wouldn't happen, though. The Meecra was slowly building up more power, getting ready to vaporize her with a single shot.

"Farewell, fool," the cold voice of the Darkest Faerie said, and she fired another blast at Arretta.

Then, at that moment, the wall opened up, the path across the lake returned, and Arretta fell backward, just barely avoiding getting blasted again.

"What?!?" the possessed Meerca shouted out, genuinely surprised at the change of events.

Arretta didn't think about what had just happened; all she knew was that she had been given a chance. The Aisha quickly got to her feet and ran down the path. Looking back, she now saw that the Darkest Faerie was pursuing her!

The Aisha looked forward once more, but then ran straight into someone else on the path!

"Oomph!" the gruff voice said, as both of them were knocked off their feet. Arretta looked up to see who was there.

It was the Yurble janitor, rubbing his lower back and still holding onto his mop. What was he doing here?

"Ah!" he said, looking at Arretta. "I've been looking for you!" he said angrily. "I was just talking to myself about how I had been looking for an eventide Aisha, and here you are! Now, are you going to get me my lantern and help me clean up that mess you made or not?"

It took a moment for Arretta to register what he'd just said. Apparently the janitor had followed her into the cave, looking for her to take her back to get his lantern, and to make her help clean up the bugs. Then, while he was complaining about an eventide Aisha, he had gotten right to the lake and said the password in the middle of his ranting.

Arretta wasn't going to question her luck, or the odds of that happening. She was just glad that he was here now. "We've gotta go!" she said to him, returning to her feet and pulling him up as well. "The Darkest Faerie has returned!"

Almost as if on cue, another blast was fired at Arretta and the janitor, just barely missing them, but the force of the blast knocked them both over.

"The Darkest Faerie!" the janitor said. "Don't get me started on her! Do you know how long I've been trying to clean up the rubble from her statue? Not to mention all the messes I had to clean up from everyone coming and going through the Hall of Heroes? No one even thinks to wipe their feet! Do you know how much I have to clean to keep everything clean and shiny? A LOT! Why, just thinking about it makes me ANGRY!"

The janitor started to go on another angry rant, shaking his fist and mop in frustration, leaving Arretta to only look on in horror and frustration as he wasn't moving and was, in turn, blocking the only way out. The Darkest Faerie was only a few feet behind them, and Arretta couldn't do anything to stop her!

Just then, the Aisha caught sight of something shiny caught in the janitor's mop. It looked like a gold and red necklace. Arretta gasped... it was Jerdana's necklace!

Running almost on pure instinct, Arretta grabbed at the janitor's mop, prompting the Yurble to growl angrily and pull his mop away. She had, however, managed to free the necklace from its confines.

"Any last words?" the Darkest Faerie said, floating behind them and charging up to blast them once and for all.

"Catch!" Arretta shouted out, tossing the necklace at the Meerca and striking her in the face.

Jerdana's necklace began to glow brighter and brighter; the Darkest Faerie let out a horrible high-pitched shriek. Arretta had to cover her eyes as the light coming out of the necklace became too bright to look at as the entire cavern was awash in light.

"CURSE YOU, JERDANA!" The last screams of the Darkest Faerie rang out before fading, the light then suddenly vanishing.

When Arretta dared to look once more, Verll was face down on the ground. Slowly, the Meerca got up. "Owwww..." Verll muttered, "What... what happened? Where am I? This isn't Faerieland! The last thing I remember was reading a book about dark faeries in Faerieland! How did I get here?"

Arretta recounted the entire story to the confused Meerca, explaining how the Darkest Faerie had taken her will, her mind, and right at the end, her body. She also explained how she'd been used as a pawn to help restore her.

"Thank goodness she was stopped!" Verll said, visibly shaken at having been used like that.

"Yeah," Arretta said, "and it's all thanks to him!"

Arretta pointed over toward the janitor. It had been all thanks to the Yurble. If he hadn't shown up when he did, the Darkest Faerie would have been freed to do whatever she wanted to all of Altador, and then later to all of Neopia.

"And that's why I deserve a raise!" The janitor said, finishing his angry rant and apparently not heard a single thing the other two had been saying the entire time.

Arretta looked at the janitor, the unintentional hero of Altador. "You do deserve a raise," Arretta said with a smile. "I'll ask around and see what I can do about getting you one, and I'll even help you clean up the archives and Hall of Heroes."

That seemed to get the janitor's attention. "Really? Thanks!"

"Not a problem," Arretta said, "just one question, though. Where did you get that necklace in your mop?"

The Yurble looked at her with a curious look. "What necklace?" he asked. "Is that why my mop has sometimes been making a weird jingling noise -- there was a necklace stuck in it?"

Arretta couldn't help but laugh. The janitor had just saved all of Neopia and didn't even realize it. "Don't worry about it," Arretta said. "It's gone now."

The Yurble just shrugged his shoulders and, together, the three of them exited the cave. There was going to be a lot of cleaning in Arretta's future, but she'd had enough of adventure for now.

The End