Illusen and the Dung Faerie

     Walking down the dry dirt path towards Meri Acres Farm, green shoes sending a plume of sandy dust into the air with every step, the evening's events were the last thing on Illusen the Earth Faerie's mind. Her own leafy wings drooping in the high heat, the brunette found herself under the shade of a Spyders' web and wooden parasol the petpets of her Glade had kindly weaved for her. As cooling as she found their selfless gift, a pained expression was still etched on her freckled face. As an Earth Faerie and as connected to the natural world all around her as she was, seeing the flora suffer in the unseasonably harsh early summer heat had taken a toll.

     Still, she persisted.

     Approaching the small stone bridge that crossed what was now just a small trickle of the stream that it used to be, the brunette instead took a left. A putrefying smell instantly catching the back of her throat. Burning her nostrils and bringing tears to her emerald eyes. Covering her nose and mouth with one of her hands, she trod through the crisp, dried grass towards the mounds of discarded detritus the locals eloquently referred to as The Rubbish Dump. Ordinarily, Charlie would be proudly guarding his enterprise from any circling Crokabek above keen to steal his slop but the heat had concentrated the miasma to such a degree that even the Blue Kacheek had been forced to flee its stench. Only one resident remained and it was her that Illusen wanted to see.

     "Melindia," the Earth Faerie spluttered, "are you here?"

     The only sound she heard was the rustling of leaves as a breeze blew through some nearby branches.

     She sighed. Melindia was, like Illusen, an Earth Faerie and one of her oldest friends. When the brunette first moved to the Kingdom of Meridell, it was she who had welcomed her with open arms and helped set up her first treehouse in what would eventually become a small community in the Lightwater Forest. In the centuries since, much had changed. Land had been cultivated. Trees chopped down. Their friendship remained steadfast though. Despite their differences. The dark green-haired Faerie was far quieter, shier, than her counterpart. Decades of previous conflict had caused her to create an underground home where it was safe. Since the first war with the Darigan Citadel, she was rarely if ever seen on the surface. Just glimpses, here and there. And only ever at night.

     The brunette missed her friend. But she understood.

     Now, though, her welfare was at stake. And not just from the simply awful smell.

     "Melindia," she urged, "can we please talk? This is important."

     Suddenly, a series of green runic letters began to glow on the path in front of her.

     So ancient not even Illusen recognised what they spelt.

     "My dear Illusen," a quiet voice emanated from the words below, "it is good to hear from you."

     "Melindia, thank Fyora," the brunette wheezed with relief, "I am glad you are well."

     "As well as ever," came a small chuckle, "how can I help you?"

     She shook her head. "I am here to help you, old friend." Brushing away a tear, she explained, "I'm not sure if you can tell from where you reside but on the surface the most awful of heatwaves has befallen the Kingdom. In all of my decades here, I am not sure I remember the temperatures ever reaching these heights! The air feels like a kiln to walk through, even the most ancient of trees are beginning to shed their leaves regardless of what I do and I can not tell you just how much this Dump has begun to smell."

     "I am so sorry to hear that," the voice empathised with her counterpart, having lived through more than her own fair share of ghastly heatwaves, "but rest assured that I am most safe underground. My tunnels are so deep that they keep a stable temperature through the highest of highs of summer days to the lowest of lows of the winter season." There was a pause. "Also, I became accustomed to the smell long ago."

     Illusen frowned beneath her hand. "I fear I have not made my point clearly so let me cut to the chase as the younger pets like to say," the brunette clarified as she wrinkled her freckled nose, "the sun has parched the vegetation so that I am quite worried about the risk of wildfires breaking out. I have lodged my concerns with the King and he has assured me that if the worst were to happen that his Knights would be able to handle it but the fact remains I have never seen Meri Acres look so very dry." She sighed again. "I'm worried that if one were, Fyora forbid, to break out that you may be trapped underground."

     There was a moment of silence.

     "So what do you suggest?" queried the voice, softly.

     "That you return to my Glade with me, sister," the Earth Faerie tentatively suggested, knowing her friend could easily reject her offer, "until the danger passes." The rustling of the tinder dry leaves plagued her ears. "Most of the residents of the forest have already left to attend the Meridell Day festivities with their families and aren't likely to return for a number of days. It will be quiet and, Psellia willing, the winds will change direction and we will have some much needed rain soon enough." She winced, anticipating a negative reaction. "So, what do you say?"

     The runic lettering faded away.

     Causing Illusen to close both of her emerald eyes and crying out, "Sister!!"

     "Yes?"

     Opening them, the Earth Faerie found a tiny, glowing, pale green figure fluttering inches from her nose. Not a new species of butterfly but instead her old friend. "I forgot you could do that." Her counterpart chuckled. The previous generation of Faeries excelled at changing their size to suit their situation, a form of magic tapped into by a certain rogue Lupe for his bottling enterprise. As Faeries' powers had increased over time, newer Faeries found it increasingly hard to concentrate their higher levels of magic into such small spaces and so the skill was something of a disappearing art amongst the elite of Fyora's court. Having travelled back many centuries in time to live in Meridell, Illusen found herself surrounded by those it was second nature to.

     Landing on the dry dirt path in front of her old friend, in an instant Melindia grew to be ever so slightly taller than her younger counterpart. Dark green waist length hair adorned with circlets of mycelium alongside matching button mushroom earrings, her deep brown eyes winced as her pale green skin iridesced in the bright sunlight. With a light brown dress draped over one shoulder completing her look, the older Earth Faerie shielded herself from the sun using her emerald wings. She didn't remember it being quite so bright. Covering her companion with her Spyders' web parasol, Illusen reassured her, "We'll be in the Glade in no time at all."

     -----

     Sat on the wooden balcony of Illusen's impressive treehouse, pale green legs dangling over the forest floor far below, Melindia watched on as the smallest of small white clouds began to form across the midafternoon skies that stretched from Brightvale in the west. Eyes bouncing from one tree to the next, she remembered when even the most ancient of oaks in the Lightwater Forest had been mere saplings. She had planted a few of them herself. Lost in her thoughts, it was the creaking of the wooden planks that snapped her out of her reverie as her fellow Earth Faerie approached with a much needed cold beverage. "Thank you," she smiled, gratefully taking the iced matcha from her friend's hands before drinking it down.

     "No problem," the brunette grinned, sipping on her own cooling drink as she sat down beside her.

     Gesturing to the horizon with her free hand, Melindia remarked, "It looks as though Psellia has listened to your pleas." Surprised, Illusen stared at the not-so cloudless skies before feeling a sense of relief. The Air Faerie had, in fact, been reading her scrolls. The elder Earth Faerie frowned, before playing with the straw in her glass. "How is Lady Psellia these days?"

     "Pretty good," the younger Earth Faerie replied quite casually, stopping to take another sip, "in her last scroll, she was detailing her discussions with King Altador over the creation of some sort of ornamental garden for her Harris? Apparently, Queen Fyora was adamant that she had to remove them from her gardens in Faerieland. Something about them eating all of the leaves from her..." Illusen trailed off, having noticed the colour drain from her counterpart's face. "Sister, are you okay?"

     "He's...?"

     "I am sorry, I didn't quite catch th-"

     "King Altador is alive?!" Melindia gasped in astonishment, remembering all too well when the city of Altador fell at the hands of the one who came to be known simply as the Darkest Faerie. And the terrible toll that that had taken on Psellia, the sole founder who had escaped its destruction by mere chance. By the time the Air Faerie had returned from a brief visit to the Shenkuu Empire on behalf of the Council, everything she had helped to build was gone. They had not talked in some time, not since the second Meridell/Darigan War, but she was often in her thoughts. "How? How is this possible, sister? Was Jerdana's immortality spell the cause? I always thought highly of her as a sorceress but, even still, that would be incredible. Has any of the other Council Members been found? What about Siyana? She must have survived? Surely?"

     "We..." the brunette frowned, "...really haven't talked in such a long time, have we?"

     The elder Earth Faerie's eyes fell to the floor of the wooden balcony. "No, we have not."

     Illusen gave her old friend a warm embrace, causing Melindia's mood to lift. "Well," she laughed, "let's start now!" Jumping up from her spot, the younger Earth Faerie dashed inside her abode before returning with a globe of Neopia that Lady Lisha had gifted her on the last Day of Giving. As she sat back down, she couldn't help but smile as she noticed her companion's eyes were very much transfixed by the blue and green orb. Pointing to the location of the city of Altador, the brunette explained, "Firstly, the city of Altador has returned. The way Psellia tells it, well, it is somewhat muddled. Through sheer excitement, no doubt. But it, its inhabitants and all of the Council Members have returned." She grinned. "She came to the Glade to tell me herself. I have never seen a Faerie so happy as her that day."

     Fluttering her emerald wings, the dark green haired Faerie placed her glass down before clasping her hands together. "I am so very glad!" As a small white cloud transited the blazing sun above, Melindia was momentarily dazzled by a rogue ray of light. Averting her gaze, she found her deep brown eyes landing on a white object catching the light through the treehouse's open doorway. Squinting at it as her counterpart was gearing up to talk about the fall of Faerieland, she realised it was a scroll. And that Psellia never sent illustrated parchments complete with gold leaf. "I fear, sister, that I am keeping you from an important task," she mused before pointing at her waiting correspondence.

     "Hm?" the younger Earth Faerie responded, before leaning over and spotting what it was that her friend was referring to, "Oh, it is not important."

     "It certainly looks important," the elder Earth Faerie mumbled softly.

     The brunette wrinkled her freckled nose as she tried to change the subject, "It is of... some importance, of course. Everything from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree in the Kingdom has some importance. But if we are listing things from the least importance to the most importance then I would say-"

     "What is it?"

     "An invitation from the King."

     Now Melindia wrinkled her nose. "For what occasion?"

     "Meridell Day celebrations at the Castle, this evening."

     "Sister," she scolded quite simply as Illusen drummed her fingers on the plastic surface of her globe, wearing a somewhat guilty expression. The elder Earth Faerie sighed, before continuing in a more sympathetic tone, "I appreciate your efforts in trying to inform me of the events that I have missed whilst I have been tending my mycelium, truly, I do. And in all honesty, I do have some questions regarding instances of dark magic that I have sensed in our realm since our last encounter. However. I have lived in this place long enough to know the struggles that our pets go through - and why celebrations like Meridell Day are so important to them. And if I was the one to keep their favourite Faerie from attending their festivities, well, I would feel far more rotten than anything the Rubbish Dump has produced."

     Illusen frowned.

     Before a simply wonderful thought crossed her mind.

     "You should accompany me!"

     A look of horror filled Melindia's face.

     "I-I... I do not think that is wise, sister."

     The brunette put down her globe, excited. "I know large crowds are not your bowl of gruel, sister, but I assure you now is a time of peace in our Kingdom. Tensions with the Darigan Citadel are at an all time low. The Kingdom of Brightvale causes us no woe. Things are calm." The dark green haired Faerie looked far from convinced. "There has never been a better time to attend the Meridell Day celebrations! And, to be frank, if the pets of our realm knew everything that you did for them I am in no doubt that you would be their favourite Faerie not I. You deserve that level of respect and appreciation." She was still frowning. "And if it is all too much for you, you can leave at any time. I won't feel disappointed. I swear it."

     "I suppose..."

     The younger Earth Faerie scooped her counterpart up into another warm embrace.

     Though this time it was not enough to lift her spirits.

     -----

     As the sun started to set on another unusually hot early summer's day, thickening cloud cover over the parched lands of Meridell obscured the dazzlingly yellow and orange hues normally associated with the time of eventide. With the Crokabeks returning to their roosts atop the turrets of Meridell Castle as the temperatures ever so slightly began to fall, skipping down the earthen path towards the fortress was an excited Illusen. A platter of frosted cupcakes in hand. To her right, hiding under the hood of a dark brown cloak, was Melindia. The elder Earth Faerie far less enthusiastic than her counterpart. Still, she tried to put on a smile. The evening couldn't possibly be as bad as feared.

     Approaching the looming white stone walls, Melindia found her deep brown eyes drawn to something other than the building's imposing architecture. Fading sunlight as weak as it was, the subdued rays of light still glinted off what appeared to be metallic surfaces high on the golden ramparts. Squinting, she could make out the unmistakable silhouettes of archers. Longbows at the ready. A shiver went up her spine. Focusing on her path straight ahead, the lowered wooden drawbridge was coming into sight. Beyond the portcullis, the elder Earth Faerie could see through the structure to the crowds gathered in the courtyard. She held her cloak tight.

     Stood at the front of the lowered drawbridge, a solitary Green Draik Soldier guarded the party beyond. Both his helmet and chainmail shined to the highest degree for such an auspicious occasion, he pointed his metal-tipped spear at the distant figure of Illusen until he recognised who it was. "Good eventide, Lady Illusen," he remarked formally, accompanied with a bow, "His Majesty will be most pleased to learn of your attendance." The younger Earth Faerie suppressed a grin. "Are you happy to go in now or are you awaiting somepet's arrival?"

     The brunette felt her heart sink.

     Turning to her right, she realised Melindia was gone.

     "No," she smiled, weakly, "I'd like to go in now, please."

     -----

     The sound of rushing water filled the fresh, cool air that hung low around the fields and pastures of Meri Acres Farm, courtesy of an overnight thunderstorm that more than made up for the cancellation of the Kingdom's annual Meridell Day fireworks display in both brightness and noise. To the relief of the on-call Knights, no lightning strikes had caused any wildfires. Helped by the rain. So much rain. With large puddles scattered across the dirt path ahead twinkling in what little midmorning light escaped the thick cloud cover above, Illusen found herself carefully picking a route through the churned-up mud towards The Rubbish Dump. A frown refusing to leave her lips.

     Arriving at the impressive mound, the Earth Faerie could breathe easy. Well, easier. The heavy rains having dampened down the stench somewhat. With Charlie yet to arrive to work, sleeping in after being kept awake by the awful night-long din, the brunette seized her opportunity for a private conversation with her old friend. "Melindia..." she spoke loudly to garner her attention, pausing for a moment in the hopes of a response. Emerald eyes falling to the mud-strewn path below, no runic lettering of any sort appeared.

     She sighed softly.

     "I don't know if you can hear me," Illusen continued, in hope, "but I want to apologise." She furrowed her brow. "I shouldn't have dragged you to the Castle. It was selfish of me." Before shaking her head at her own behaviour. "I know just how shy you are and I shouldn't have forced you to do something you weren't comfortable doing. I..." The brunette trailed off momentarily, her voice breaking ever so slightly. "...just got so carried away. I was so excited to spend time with you." She closed her eyes. "I miss you, sister. But that is no excuse. I was selfish. I hope, in time, you can forgive me."

     "I miss you too," replied a quiet voice.

     The younger Earth Faerie's eyes darted open.

     "Sister?"

     Crouching down, she brushed her hand across the sticky surface.

     Revealing a faint green glow from the still obscured symbols below.

     "I appreciate your apology, sister," the elder Earth Faerie's voice continued, magically transported from her underground abode by her ancient runic spell, "but you didn't force me to do anything." She too sighed softly before her voice strengthened. "I forced myself. It was all too much for me." A hint of annoyance at her own actions in her tone. "I should have said something but I did not. Instead, I left you there by yourself. For that, I am sorry." More than a hint. "My impoliteness was intolerable."

     Illusen stood back up. "You do not have an impolite bone in your body, sister," she smiled.

     "Nor you a selfish one."

     "I wouldn't go so far as to say that!" the brunette retorted playfully, affording herself a self-deprecating laugh. She had been accused of being selfish many times over the centuries, usually by those who didn't appreciate or understand her defence of the natural world. Still, she was capable of conceding that at times her immaturity did shine through. Melindia though. She truly was selfless. "I do stand by what I said in my treehouse. The pets of the Kingdom do not show you the respect that you deserve." The elder Earth Faerie specialised in the collection of dung. Collecting it from all over the realm. Taking it into her underground warren. Returning its nutrients back into the cycle. "None of the pastures, the fields, the forests would survive without you. And what thanks do they give you?" Her voice broke. "You know what they call you..."

     "I do not mind, sister," came a small chuckle, "truly."

     The Dung Faerie.

     A name coined in the time of Charlie's great-great-grandparents. Back when pets actively helped her harvest the manure for her mushrooms. Back when she still trusted them. Building her home underneath The Rubbish Dump had been a great way to hide the smell in the early days but now that the Blue Kacheek's upcycling enterprise was more popular than ever it was also something of a burden. Just one of those things. "As unlikely as it sounds," Melindia's voice insisted, "I do love my work. The health of my mycelium is all the thanks that I need." A melancholic sigh echoed from her underground chamber. "Besides, my dealings with pets and petpets alike never seem to be particularly fruitful."

     "Petpets?" Illusen responded, surprised. She knew of her old friend's problems with pets but...

     "Quite." The hint of annoyance in the otherwise shy tone returned. "On my way back from the Castle last night," the voice was at pains to explain, "I bumped into one of Lady Psellia's magical messenger Harris. No doubt having just delivered a scroll to your abode. Well, when I attempted to converse with it on the subject of the city of Altador it became most rude."

     "Ah, yes," the younger Earth Faerie winced at the thought of the interaction. And the part she had played in its awkwardness. "I," she conceded, apologetically, "may have... omitted certain details surrounding its return."

     "Such as?"

     "Well," she continued to wince, "the city of Altador has returned in all of its glory. The pets, the council, all picking up where they had left off all of those centuries ago but, uh..." The brunette momentarily rested her other hand on her chin, as she collected her thoughts. "...not in this time? As you are aware, I came to Meridell through a portal that transported me three hundred years into the past. Well, that's where Altador has returned. When. When it has returned. Three hundred years from now. It was that Psellia who I was talking to about the return of her city and it was this Psellia I was asking for aid from regarding the Kingdom's plight." Her brow became quite furrowed. "Physics is confusing."

     "Hm." The voice was unfazed. "That would explain why the subject was off limits."

     Illusen was reassured by the calmness of her old friend's tone, a smile returning to her freckled face. "Perhaps, Melindia," she ventured, carefully, "when the Glade is quiet once more, you can return and I can tell you the full story over a pot of herbal tea?"

     "I would like that very much."

     The End.