A Group of Queens

      "What is a burrito? Are you feeling okay, my Queen?"

      Fyora couldn't believe it, and she tried again and again to explain that every afternoon she bought a Faerie Queen Burrito here. The savoury grilled vegetables; the juicy meat seasoned to perfection; the warm toasted tortilla topped with chervil - the highlight of her days, besides speaking with her beloved citizens, of course!

      "I am truly sorry my Queen... Why don't you try another one of my dishes? I'm sure there is something here to your liking..."

      Fyora then looked at the shopkeeper more closely and noticed something strange. Her usual green wings and hair accessories were bright purple today. She had been coming here for years, and not once had she seen the shopkeeper change her look.

           "I like what you've done with your style. May I ask, what made you decide to change your usual colours?"

      Again, the shopkeeper gave her a confused look. "Ummm... I have always dressed in these colours... but, but I thank you my Queen for the compliment. Also, thank you for visiting my shop! I was more than surprised to see you today!"

      "Wait, do you mean this is the first time you have seen me in your shop?" Fyora was beginning to feel a chill run through her body. Something very odd was going on...

      The shopkeeper nodded and excused herself to help the other customers. Fyora sat at a table and thought carefully about the curious events that had just occurred.

      She needed to get to the bottom of this straight away, so she decided to head to the Faerie Bookshop to speak with Seshatia. The Library Faerie possessed a deep well of knowledge that Fyora respected immensely, and surely she would be able to help.

      As Fyora walked through the sparkling streets of Faerieland, she noticed other strange things as well. Different flowers, colours, and even shops she had never seen before!

      “Good morning, Queen Fyora! What a surprise to see you outside!!” Fyora tried smiling naturally for her citizens, but it was hard to settle her nerves. She always made it a point to visit the shops and Neopians living in Faerieland!

      She quickly entered the Faerie Bookshop, which wasn't where it should have been, and let out a sigh. Thankfully, the shop was empty, so she let down her guard for a moment and slumped down into a chair. She replayed the events in her head and came to the conclusion that this might be some kind of parallel world. If that were true, then there should be another Fyora in her castle. Or was she still in her world, and were her citizens just playing a trick on her?

      “Oh my! Fyora! Thank goodness you're safe!!” Seshatia appeared from the back of the bookstore, surprisingly the same as the Library Faerie she knew.

      “Yes, why did you think I was not safe? I came here because...”

      “You are in a different world! It's all my fault! I found this new book of spells and I...” Seshatia continued to explain what happened at rapid fire. Fyora tried her best to keep up and take it all in. When the Library Faerie had finally finished, she was panting and out of breath. Fyora put her hand on Seshatia's shoulder and smiled.

      “It's okay. Let me get this straight though – you found a book of spells and came across one about knowing yourself better. And you thought this would help me, er, your Fyora, if she had a better understanding of herself?”

      Seshatia nodded while tears streamed down her face.

      “Yes! I thought it could be a nice thank you present for everything you do for Faerieland and Neopia. More personal clarity would mean an easier time ruling... Not that you, or any Fyora, lacks clarity. I just... I thought it would be a nice thing to do!! I absolutely did not think it would start pulling in other Fyoras randomly!!”

      Just as Seshatia started bawling again, one Fyora after another walked out from the back of the bookstore, until there were finally 12 Fyoras comforting the Library Faerie. A Fyora dressed all in shades of blue addressed the group.

      “Well, it seems like all of us had the same thought to come here, so that is good. The Fyora of this world has not been informed yet, so...” The blue Fyora looked hesitantly at the red-eyed Library Faerie who had just stopped crying.

      “It's okay, we must inform Fyora. I'm sorry I've kept all of you here, I was just a bit panicked. I will send word to Fyora to come to the bookstore right away. I don't think it's good if all of you walk out into the streets and confuse everyone.” Seshatia returned to one of the backrooms, leaving the rainbow array of Fyoras together.

      They smiled at each other, and at the exact same moment said, “Well, this is certainly a surprise!” Laughter filled the bookstore as each Fyora tilted their heads back and placed their hands in front of their mouths in the exact same manner. The happy atmosphere lasted until the talk turned toward the Void and Grey threat.

      “So, the same troubles have occurred in all of our lands, though in slightly different ways... Maybe we can learn...” However, before she could finish speaking, the Fyora of this world, dressed in pale green, walked in through the doors. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of all the Faerie Queens before her.

      “My, my... I thought the message I received was some kind of joke. Nice to meet all of you! So... Of course you are always welcome here, but I'm sure everyone would like to go home eventually. Seshatia... Do you have any ideas on this?”

      The Library Faerie emerged from the back of the store, carrying a large black tome. A grave look on her face told them she had an idea, but it wasn't going to be easy.

      “Well, unfortunately the same magic I used won't be able to send you back. According to the research I have done on the Void, as well as listening to all the Fyoras talk just now, it seems like the Void is connecting our worlds. Fyora, I mean the Fyora in purple... uh pink? You said there haven't been many attacks in your world recently, right?”

      The purple pink Fyora nodded and replied, “That's right. The threat is still there in the sky, but the attacks have decreased these past few months.”

      Seshatia nodded, then turned to the Fyora in red, “And you said the attacks from the Void creatures have intensified recently, compared to a few months ago? It seems it's not different creatures attacking all of our worlds, but the same ones moving from world to world. I have also contacted Virtupets Station, and they are sending over a fleet of ships as we speak. Together, we can explore the Void and find the path to your worlds, and maybe we can defeat the threat once and for all!”

      The purple pink Fyora nodded enthusiastically, “Yes! If we can combine the powers of all of our worlds, and attack the Void creatures at the world they're at now then...” An excited air filled the room as each Fyora and Seshatia thought about the threat of the Void finally being vanquished.

      There was still much work to be done, but everyone in that bookstore was now eternally grateful for the “mistake” Seshatia had made.

     The End.