"Mum, why are there Light Faeries?"
"Because there are Dark Faeries, dear."
"Why are there Dark Faeries?"
"Shhhh. Or they'll hear you."

Thunder and lightning shake the world below as she leans forward on her throne, half-shrouded in darkness. Her red eyes flash in the dim light. "Did you bring it?" she asks the little Kacheek.

Welldap gulps. "I did," he says, his little hands bringing the object forward. A tiny charm trembles in his fingers. He holds it before him, keeping his eyes away from the Faerie sitting in that dark throne.

Her fingers reach forward, like a spider reaching for a fly trapped in its web. She plucks the charm out of his hand, and he feels her razor sharp nails scrape against his skin.

"Very good, little Welldap," she says. "This is exactly what I asked for."

The Kacheek's worried face lightens a little. "Oh... I'm so glad... it took me. . ."

He stops. Jhudora's eyes are laughing, but her lips are cruel. Welldap realizes that he isn't sure which of those two facts scares him more.

"Is there something wrong?" he asks. Shadows gather 'round his feet, as tight as ropes, as sharp as teeth.

"Yes," she says, dangling the item from her fingertips: the shadows at his feet begin curling up to his knees.

"What?" he asks, his voice breaking... begging. "What did I do wrong?"

She pauses. "You are exactly five seconds too late."

He tries to move, but can't even feel his toes. She reclines in her throne, watching. "Do you know what Illusen says about failure, little Kacheek?" Welldap shakes his head. "She says, 'Failure is its own punishment.'"

Her laughter fills the room... every shadowy corner, and every corridor. "I say..." she pauses, watching the darkness swirl about his neck, ready to devour his head. "Illusen suffers from a severe lack of imagination."

One Dark Faerie stands out above all the others, the mere utterance of her name inspiring shudders of fear: Jhudora, high on her cloud-castle, plotting away.

Her hand is subtle in Neopia, for she seldom takes direct action against her enemies. She hates all the other Faeries, most notably Illusen, Meridell's resident Faerie. No one knows why the two share such a blind loathing... chiefly because neither is willing to talk about it, and most are afraid to ask.

Not all... but most.

What happens if you do ask?

Depends on whom you ask.

She has agents everywhere, listening... watching. She never acts on her own, preferring to use others. Some say it is because she's lazy. Others, who are wiser in the ways of the world, know better. By employing others, she never takes a direct hand in any evil act. This keeps her own hands clean and helps corrupt those who assist her. Two evils with one stone, as it were.

So far, no one has been able to discern her master plan. She gathers trinkets - mundane and magical, plain and extravagant - but to what end? None can say. For the time being, she's keeping to her cloud, committing acts of petty evil, moving toward an unfathomable goal. Rest assured, if anyone discovers what she's up to - she'll make sure they never get a chance to tell anyone else.