In the Margins

     Once the gully came into view, Cleo ducked down in her flight path so that she was skimming just below the treeline instead of well over it. Not that she had any illusions about being able to sneak up on the faeries now that they knew someone was on to them; no doubt they'd have set magical wards, or at least posted one of their number to keep watch. But one never knew, and Aethia had taught her to take every possible opening an adversary afforded to her.

     By Fyora's Crown, though, it still didn't feel right to think of faeries as adversaries. At least faeries that weren't dark ones. She just hoped she could get through to them. That they would listen this time, without Tavasz lingering nearby and shouting in Cleo's ear or asking for advice on how best to attack them.

     She finally reached the edge of the trees just short of the gully, and landed in a branch that was sturdy enough to take her weight. So far, so good- there had been no magical flashes to indicate a tripped ward, and there was no one she could see at the entrance of the cave. Maybe the faeries were overconfident? Or perhaps-

     Cleo didn't have time to finish the thought before tendrils of dark purple energy snaked up at her, forming a net to close in on her body on all sides. She yelped, thrashing against the magic, but it only tightened, holding fast her wings and arms. Then, with a sharp yank, it tugged her to the ground.

     "I had hoped you wouldn't be back," a cool voice remarked. "Certainly, Tavasz must have shown you how necessary this all is?"

     Cleo looked up sharply and found herself looking into the gaze of the aisha sorceress. Her frill flattened. "What are you doing here?"

     "My part," she said simply. "I've been helping your faerie friends from the beginning, dear, and I tried to warn you off from this fool's errand. The woods need to be purged."

     "No! There are people here, good people, and they-"

     "They will be fine," the sorceress cut her off. "Some will lose magical abilities, like myself, but they will adjust. And certainly one such as yourself, who has run herself ragged fighting monsters at the Woodland border day in and day out, can agree that some of the creatures here need to be purged."

     Cleo gnawed on the inside of her cheek anxiously. A mere few days ago, such a suggestion would have been incredibly enticing. The ultimate realisation of her mission to protect Faerieland, and with it, freedom to finally escape the solitude of her patrols.

     Now, though, she squared her jaw. "I want to talk to the faeries."

     "They aren't going to change their minds," the aisha noted, folding her arms. "You imagine yourself very wise and enlightened, but that couldn't be further from the truth. You're just a little girl who's been brainwashed by the Woodlanders."

     "And you're just a self-important bully who thinks she'll get special privileges because she flatters the bigger bullies," Cleo snapped. "I've met people like you; people who had disabilities like mine, but were better at masking, who joined up with the ones picking on me so they wouldn't be targets. I'm not interested in talking to lackeys. Take. Me to. The faeries."

     The sorceress recoiled, her main ears flattening and her stalk ears curling back with her fury. A moment later, however, she sighed. "Fine. Waste your time. They won't listen."

     The aisha made an upward flicking motion with her finger, and the net hoisted Cleo into the air. Then, spreading her wings, she fluttered down into the gully, bringing along the magic net behind her. As both the sorceress and Cleo descended into the luminous cave, the Draik swallowed hard. Now or never.

     Raydeen, Lustri, and Spectra were all standing in a circle around the crystal, doing… something to it. They glanced around when the sorceress entered the room, and Raydeen sighed.

     "Back again, little one?" she asked. "We'd hoped you had realised the necessity of our mission when you took the Lutari out of here."

     "All you're doing so far is sending monsters towards the faerie city," Cleo pointed out. "Or did you forget I mentioned that?"

     "We didn't forget," Spectra replied with a dismissive gesture. "That's why we're accelerating our plans. Feeding some of our personal energy into the crystal to charge it faster. Another hour, and it should be ready."

     Cleo bristled, her wings buffeting uncomfortably against the energy net holding her as she impulsively tried to flap them. "You can't do this! What if someone decided faeries are the enemy and stole all the magic from Faerieland? Oh, wait, that already happened, her name was Xandra!"

     "Xandra argued for faeries getting more involved in stopping the darkness infesting Neopia!" Lustri pointed out. "We're doing exactly that!"

     "You're annihilating an entire culture! You're assuming that you are inherently wiser and smarter than anybody else, and so your opinion means more!"

     "Does it not?" the sorceress asked in reasonable tones. "You studied under the Battle Faerie. Surely you know that the faeries only have the best interests of Neopia at heart."

     "I… I know, but…" Cleo shook her head, "But in this case, you're wrong! I've seen the people in these Woods, they're sneaky and tricky, but they look out for each other! They survive in a place that most couldn't! And they're here because the world refuses to take them as they are, the mutants and the witches and those so scary looking nobody will give them a chance!"

     "They are dangerous," Raydeen said flatly. "Aethia's disciple, think of who you're arguing on behalf of- monsters like the Spider Grundo. Vile tricksters like the darkness faeries."

     "Users," the sorceress put in, her mouth twisted in a triumphant smirk, "like Tavasz."

     Something in Cleo snapped then- like she had been looking into a funhouse mirror that distorted the shape of the world, and abruptly someone had taken a mallet to it. As the shards of glass fell around her, suddenly she was able to turn and see the world with sharp, brilliant clarity.

     "The Spider Grundo is a monster because he was made into one by a cruel tyrant who used and betrayed him," Cleo snapped, straining forward against the net that restrained her. "The dark faeries are tricksters by nature, but that didn't have to turn them to villainy if they weren't treated like villains for it! And Tavasz is like she is because she thinks it's the only way to prove to people like you that her life is worth respecting. Maybe if we all spent less energy on hating people and trying to get rid of them, there would be a lot fewer good people pushed into a corner where their only choice is to become the monsters everyone says they are!"

     Cleo was a little surprised at herself for jumping so quickly to the defence of Tavasz. She was still angry with the Lutari, no question of that. But, she realised, she also meant what she said. Tavasz had been stupid and cruel, but only because the world had taught her that cruelty to begin with.

     "To think I was starting to believe you would listen to my side, that I didn't have to be a 'hero' by your standards, that you might like me for me-"

     It was like how Cleo had learned to manage school. After enough times of being bullied and harassed for reasons she couldn't begin to fathom at the time, she'd simply retreated into herself rather than trying to connect to people. Going quiet, numb, and appeasing as a defence mechanism. But with Tavasz, that isolation was externalised as anger.

     Spectra stepped away from the crystal, eyes narrowing as she strode towards Cleo. "Aethia's pupil, we've heard all about you from the sorceress. How you were tricked into abandoning your post by a Woodlander and convinced to play hero alongside her. How she lied, easily convincing you that her intentions were true, when all she wanted was fame and glory. How, despite all of the times she spoke ill of your teachers and protectors, you failed to see past her sugary sweet facade. Tell me, what makes you think you have any right lecturing us about the nature of the Woodlanders when you were so, so easily led and lied to?"

     "That!" A new voice rang out through the cavern, "is not Cleo's fault!"

     The Draik's head whipped around, and to her astonishment, she saw none other than Tavasz standing at the mouth of the cave. A golden band was cinched around her neck, and her eyes were creased with pain that was evident even to Cleo, but when she spoke, her voice held steady and strong.

     "It isn't Cleo's fault she has trouble reading people. It's certainly not her fault that I took advantage of that for my own selfish ends. She has been taught every single cruel bias you three have, but she opened her mind and her heart to the Haunted Woods anyway, and she saw the goodness and value of the people here."

     The Lutari stepped forward, prompting the sorceress and all three faeries to take defensive stances. But Tavasz only laughed harshly. Several blue glowing shapes floated into view around her- Kahlfu's petpet ghosts.

     "It isn't just the Woods that the rest of the world treats as lesser! And those of us that the world has rejected shouldn't stomp over each other trying to climb up from rock bottom."

     She took another step forward, and the space behind her in the cavern suddenly filled with much larger, darker shapes. A pack of werelupes; the Fetcher; the carnies from the Deserted Fairgrounds; the Spider Grundo…

     Her voice ringing through the light-filled cave, Tavasz shouted, "We- all of us- need to stick together!"

     With bellows and howls of triumph, the amassed Woodlanders charged forward. The faeries jumped into the air to try and get clear, but the Spider Grundo caught Lustri with a jet of web and sent her tumbling back down. Before either of her sisters could move to save her, Spectra yelped in pain as a cork pinged off the side of her head from a small pop gun aimed by a smirking blue aisha. Raydeen lifted her hands, gathering balls of golden light into them, but one of the werelupes made a mighty leap onto her back, sending her toppling to the ground.

     Cleo felt her spirits rising as she saw the faeries being overwhelmed, only to yelp in pain as the sorceress grabbed the back of her neck through the netting and hauled her up. "Tavasz!" she shouted. "You speak pretty words- tell me, then, do you really care about this Outlander?"

     Tavasz, who was still standing at the entrance of the cave, bristled. "Let her go!"

     "Call the others off," the sorceress demanded, her voice flat. "Or perhaps they will prove us right; prove that they care only for themselves, and that this Wood has nothing worth saving."

     Cleo thrashed against the sorceress's hold, the uncomfortable warmth of her hand nearly as bad as her threats. In response, a jolt like an electric shock surged through the net, paralysing the Draik. She screeched in pain as her nerves lit up all at once, only to slump limp as it abated.

     "Cleo!" Tavasz called, though the Draik didn't have the strength to lift her head to look at the Lutari. "You cruel traitor, put her down!"

     "Call them off," the sorceress repeated. "Or I-"

     She yelped in pain, her grasp on Cleo slipping as she toppled sideways. Eyelids fluttering weakly, the Draik managed to glance over her shoulder in time to see the wrinkled, fleshy form of the Fetcher bouncing up and down on her chest.

     "You cruel witch, you will let Miss Cleo go!" they shouted. "She is good and sweet and thoughtful, and you are a big, big meanie!"

     Tavasz bolted towards Cleo, kneeling as the Draik panted and wheezed. "Shoot, I'll get you out, Cleo, I promise, just let me-"

     Purple sparks trailed from her paws, but before she could get the magic together, the band at her neck flared, and she gave a sharp cry of pain. "Curse it, stupid thing, I can't…"

     The Fetcher yelped as he was caught up by a cloud of purple and flung across the cave. The sorceress lurched to her feet, looming over Tavasz and Cleo.

     "Wrong choice, Tavasz," she hissed and clenched her hand as the lightning began to sear Cleo's scales again. Tavasz shouted her name, but she couldn't reply. Finally, the shock stopped, and the sorceress glared down at the two.

     "Last warning- call them off, or it ends for your little friend."

     Cleo looked up in time to see Tavasz's eyes narrow. Then, the Lutari grabbed a handful of the magic net and leaned down to bring it up to touch the band around her neck. Light radiated from the band, and Tavasz snarled with discomfort, but she held on. To Cleo's surprise, however, the sorceress only stared for a second and then laughed. The glow from Cleo's band brightened as the netting began to sizzle.

      Realising what was happening, Cleo whipped her head around to the crystal in the centre of the cavern, which she realised was starting to pulse.

     "No… Tavasz, no, stop! The crystal's almost charged, if you don't stop, you're going to give them exactly what they need to de-Haunt the Woods!"

     The Lutari looked Cleo straight in the eye, and for once, the Draik did not impulsively drop her gaze. "I trust you, Cleo. You're the one who deserves to be a hero here, not me. And I'm sorry for everything. I'm so, so sorry."

      Tavasz's band flared, and the net blasted into a thousand pieces. Freed, Cleo jolted up on her hands and knees, wings flaring open. Before she could capitalise on her freedom, however, the light emanating from the crystal surged in intensity. The werelupes howled with pain, falling to their sides as the glow touched them. The ghosts squealed and cried, their incorporeal forms winking in and out of existence. The Spider Grundo's legs buckled, and he fell flat on his stomach, fists clenched in agony. The sorceress' wings spasmed, and she went to her knees, smiling in spite of her own obvious pain.

     And Tavasz stumbled backwards a step before falling against the wall of the cave, her eyelids fluttering. As Cleo watched, motes of purple fire danced at her fur only to be burned away by the light.

     "It is done," Raydeen said, leading the faeries back down to the crystal. "Soon all the Haunted Woods will be bathed in light, and its transformation can begin. Witness the birth of a new age!"

     The carnies from the Deserted Fairgrounds were still on their feet, but they were looking around at the monsters and spellcasters with patent horror. Cleo felt frozen, trembling on her hands and knees as she watched the ones she had once trusted utterly inflicting so much pain. She knew there was no way she could stop this now- the faeries would defend the crystal, and on her own, she stood no chance of fighting through them.

     Then, she felt a soft pressure on the side of her hand and jumped, glancing sideways. Tavasz had lifted a paw, weakly, and touched her talons to Cleo's hands.

     "You can do this," she whispered. "You're strong. You're brave. And you listen when no one else will."

     Then her head went ragdoll, and her arm fell limp at her side.

     "Tavasz!" she whimpered, her frill flat against her skull. "You're wrong, I, I don't know what to do, you're the clever one, alone I'm just… I…"

     Then, it hit her and she looked up sharply- she wasn't alone, because not everyone in the woods was a monster, a mutant, or a witch. Some of them were just normal Neopians, living where their families had lived for generations and thriving there on wit and guile. Some were normal Neopians who were different in some way society refused to accept, and had fled to the Woods because it was the only place that would have them.

     She gritted her teeth and lurched to her feet. "Carnies!" she called, catching the attention of the Deserted Fairgrounds dwellers. "Woodlanders?"

     The lupe with the mustache grinned suddenly, calling out in reply, "Stick together! What's the plan, girlie?"

     Spectra glanced in Cleo's direction suspiciously, but too slowly- the Draik jumped into the air, wings pumping, and called, "Keep them busy!"

     Spectra bristled, rounding towards the other faeries. "Sisters, ware-"

     She yelped as a coconut hit her in the back of the shoulder, and rounded with a snarl on the green quiggle who'd thrown it. He gave her a gap-toothed grin, waving cheekily before throwing another that she barely managed to dodge.

     Lustri started to move to help Spectra, but the lupe jumped up behind her, putting his hands over her eyes and growling, "Guess who?"

     "Get off me, you filthy wretch!" she shouted, thrashing against his hold.

     Raydeen, however, had kept her eyes on Cleo, and was glowering at the Draik with undisguised contempt.

     "Aethia will be so disappointed," she mused, "to see her student fallen so low."

     Without even glancing behind her she called a shield of light into being, and several corks bounced off of it as the blue aisha tried to hit her with the pop gun. She gestured imperiously, and the lupe and quiggle were both caught up in glimmering golden chains.

     "I will give you this," Raydeen mused. "You fought bravely, and it is clear you have much honor. But you have been brainwashed, and it's obvious that there is no saving you."

     She lifted her hand towards where Cleo was hovering, and a ball of light formed in her palm. Cleo tensed, terror pulsing in her with each wingbeat.

     But then, she noticed a small, pudgy shadow moving along the rocks behind the faerie, and the Spooky Food vendor lunged out from where he'd been hiding at the edge of the cavern.

     "Say hello to my little friend!" he yowled, and Raydeen jerked towards him just in time to have a large, angry red slorgclops thrown straight at her face.

     "UUUGGGHHH!" she bellowed, staggering backwards as Hellebore's mucus got into her mouth, nose, and eyes. The slorgclops yowled and hissed, wrapping her amorphous body tight to the faerie even as Raydeen reached up to try and pry her off. Lustri and Spectra moved to try and help, but as soon as Raydeen's concentration on the light chains faltered the carnies descended on them in force.

     Now or never. Cleo drew her rapier, and flapped up as high as she could go in the cavern. Then, grasping the hilt with both hands, she folded her wings and dove, the swordpoint straight out ahead of her. She could feel the warm pulse of the light magic singing in her mind, a choir that spoke of purity and peace.

     But Cleo knew better now- the only peace here would be the forced peace of oppression, where dissident voices were silenced. Gritting her teeth, she jabbed forwards, plunging the rapier into the heart of the light crystal.

     The vast amounts of energy concentrated into the stone raced for the cracks and faults like water to a weakened dam. And like the dam, that pressure was too much for the structure- the crystal exploded, forcing Cleo to wrap her wings around herself protectively even as the force of the magic sent her tumbling backwards. The warmth was more like heat now, and a headache pulsed between her temples at that blinding radiance that never seemed to dim.

     Then, at last, the energy dissipated. Cleo slowly lowered her wings, and saw the faeries staggering to their feet, wailing over the shattered crystal. Lustri rounded on Cleo.

     "You ruined everything, you-"

     Her words were cut off as, freed from the spell's hold, a massive werelupe clenched its paw over her shoulder. She flinched, looking up at the beast with wide eyes.

     "Hello, morsel," the werelupe crooned. "You've been very naughty now, haven't you? I think we ought to have a word with that queen of yours, oughtn't we?"

     "Yes," Cleo said, pushing herself to her feet and striding forwards with her wings mantled. "I think we very much should."

     *

     When Tavasz came to, it was with the sensation of something sticky, wet, and purring on her lap, and she blinked blearily. A flash of crimson drew her gaze, and she gasped with surprise.

     "Hellebore!" she cried, pulling the slorgclops into an enthusiastic hug. Hellebore purred harder, bunting her head against Tavasz's chin and leaving the fur there sticky. A soft laugh caught the Lutari's attention, and she looked up to see Cleo sitting cross-legged on the stones across from her.

     "Little hero, that one," the Draik mused. "Came in clutch for us at the end, there."

     "Oh… oh Cleo," Tavasz's heart plummeted, and she flinched in on herself. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

     The Draik wrapped her tail around her legs, flicking her fingers mindlessly. "Yeah, well, you should be. You took advantage of me, played me for a fool, and even when you thought better of it, you didn't come clean. Do you have any idea how often people like me get taken advantage of because we can't tell when someone's only pretending to be our friend? How many times growing up, kids have strung me along, all while giggling behind my back?"

     Tavasz felt very small and very cruel. "I won't make excuses. And I don't blame you if you don't want anything to do with me from here on. But I'd like to make it up to you, if you'll let me. I… wasn't lying when I said I like you." Sheepishly, she added, "An awful lot."

     Cleo flushed, flapping her hands. "Fool me once, Tavasz." She looked out at the entrance to the cave, adding, "But the werelupes are going to help me escort the light faeries as far as the edge of the woods. I'm going to turn them over to Queen Fyora, and… well, some words need to be had about the kind of culture she's cultivating that made them think doing this would be well received."

     Tavasz risked a crooked smile, scritching Hellebore's ear. "And you aren't looking forward to that conversation at all, I expect."

     "I hate confrontation," Cleo confirmed, rubbing her face. "Especially with someone who has power over me. I'll do it, I've confronted you plenty over the last several days, but it's awkward, and if people read me as being more aggressive than I'm intending, it can escalate before I realise what's happening."

     "If you're asking me along, I'm not sure I'd be much help with that," Tavasz admitted ruefully. "You know I have a quick temper, and I am not confident I could keep that in check around faeries being prudish."

     "Yeah, well, I'm not confident I can keep my nerve if they start cross-examining me and questioning my judgement," Cleo retorted. "Maybe what I need isn't a tone coach, funnily enough. Maybe what I need is someone who isn't afraid to call Queen Fyora a condescending jerk to her face, and can tell when she's just saying what she thinks I want to hear to placate me and throw slorgclops slime at her until she agrees to something real."

     Tavasz laughed out loud at that, quirking one ear up hopefully. "I can do that. And hey, we also need to make sure she honours that promise we made to the dark faeries."

     "Also true," Cleo agreed. "As for you and me… We'll see. You'll need to earn back my trust before I'm willing to consider that question seriously."

     Tavasz nodded slowly. Levering her feet under her, she stood up, transferring Hellebore to her usual place in the Lutari's cloak pocket. Once she'd wiped her hand clean, she offered it tentatively to Cleo. "So, one more adventure, then?"

     Cleo fluttered her wings with a smile before accepting Tavasz's hand and levering herself up. "One more adventure. Out of the margins, and into the light."

     The End.