Two Queens and One Chocolate Factory Scandal

     The Faerie Queen noticed the Weewoo immediately and opened the window. She smiled as the Weewoo carefully landed on her desk and offered her the letter.

     “Aww, you’re so cute.” The queen offered the Weewoo a treat of bird seed, which the Weewoo happily enjoyed while Fyora unwrapped the bow and the letter itself.

     She frowned slightly as she read through it. The Weewoo finished the bird seed, gave Fyora a goodbye hoot, and flew off into the distance. Fyora waved goodbye and then returned to her letter, staring at it and shaking her head.

     “Another year, another invite to a ball that I have no interest in going to,” she sighed. “Especially now, with the void right in the sky.”

     Resigned to her situation, she tossed the letter in the trash bin. Returning to her seat, she was just about to continue poring through any magical history book she could find in hopes of a solution for the void problem when suddenly there was a knock at her door.

     “King Skarl, for the last time, I promise I’m doing my best to figure this out. Not a day passes without me feeling concerned about you and all other grey-painted Neopians.”

     “It's not Skarl. It’s me, Nabile.”

     Fyora’s expression transformed from annoyance to astonishment. She didn’t know Queen Nabile that well, but she knew of her background. Still, the two hadn’t really talked, so it seemed highly unusual to her that Nabile would reach out to her.

     “Oh, sorry, come on in.”

     The door swung open, and the Pink Ixi stepped in, carrying a golden envelope before staring at the one in Fyora's trash bin.

     "You got an invite too, huh?"

     Fyora tilted her head and nodded. "Yes, yes, I did, but I'm not going. I have far too many things to deal with right here. But if you wish to go, I fully approve of you taking a bit of leave. That's what you came to ask me about, right?"

     Nabile put her paws on the desk to get Fyora's attention.

     "You look like you could use a break. Why don't you come with me? You know I've never been to a chocolate ball, and Jazan really doesn't like these things."

     Fyora looked surprised. Nabile barely knew her. Why did she seem so eager to go with her to the Chocolate Ball? Realising that her astonishment might come across as rude, she smiled and shook her head.

     "Thanks for asking me. I would love to, but there's much to be done here about the void."

     Nabile frowned in frustration as she raised her voice. "Fyora, we're waiting on information from the crew and also from Landlebrot and Jerdana. I feel like slipping out for one evening isn't going to slow things down. Look, everyone thinks you need a break."

     "Everyone?"

     "Yes, we're all worried about you."

     Sighing, the Faerie Queen appeared to relent. "I suppose I could use the break. Plus, I can finally wear my supreme deluxe outfit."

     "Great, the ball is a week from now. You should probably respond to the invite, though."

     Nabile pulled the envelope from the trash bin and handed it back to Fyora.

     "Enjoy!" she said, smiling at her.

     As Nabile shut the office door, Queen Fyora pondered things a bit. She couldn't recall the last time she went to an event organised by a Neopet even. It was always the Faerie Festival, and that was it.

     "Perhaps I really should hang out with more Neopians. After all, I asked all the other faeries to be more involved with Neopian affairs. Xandra had a point." She rested her chin on her right hand as she continued her thoughts.

     "Ah, back to work. Need to make sure we have enough provisions for volunteers."

     --

     The day of the ball arrived, and Fyora finally slipped into her long, flowing dress of finest silks and various shades of pink and purple. Her hair was in matching shades and pulled into two even buns. As Fyora stepped out of the council chambers, Nabile's jaw dropped.

     "Fyora, you look stunning. You know, it wouldn't hurt to have a more varied wardrobe for every day."

     Fyora shrugged. "I don't know, I feel like picking out outfits every day is a waste of time. Just throw something on and get to work."

     Nabile laughed a bit before realising Fyora was serious. "Is that really how you think? You're missing out. It's fun to pick out new outfits."

     Fyora then glanced at Nabile, who looked almost like a flower in her Flowery Ixi Dress. The pink petals swayed with her as she stepped in any direction.

     "Well, you look quite amazing yourself," Fyora complimented.

     "Oh, thanks! This is a new outfit!"

     Queen Fyora decided to fly them to Neopia Central using a Cloud Racer. None of the other rulers appeared to receive an invite this year, so it was just going to be the two of them.

     "Oh, I suppose I've never ridden a Cloud Racer before," mentioned Nabile.

     Fyora grinned slightly and then offered Nabile the backseat. "I'll be flying, you're in good hands."

     "Am I? I feel like you did reckless things to become Cloud Racer champion."

     "That was back then. I don't fly like that anymore, I promise hehe." The Queen laughed, which seemed to unnerve Nabile a bit.

     "This isn't funny."

     "I know, I know, it was a joke. I promise we'll get there safely."

     The two of them climbed into the Cloud Racer and set off. The flight itself was uneventful, and soon they found themselves in Neopia Central without any incident. Fyora gently landed the racer near the Chocolate Factory, and the two of them got out, only to be swarmed by a crowd. Fyora rolled her eyes a bit in annoyance as Nabile tried to shoo the crowd away.

     "Fyora! Nabile! Can you sign my T-shirt? How about this photo of you? Hey, how's the void situation? Can we get a statement from you?"

     "Ignore them," Fyora said to Nabile as they began to swim through the crowd. However, then Fyora heard a little voice of a young Gelert who came up to her for an autograph.

     "Alright, I can spare one for this cute one here." She took out a permanent marker and signed the little Faerie Queen Doll he was clutching. Nabile also decided to sign a poster of herself. After that, though, they pushed through the crowd and into the Chocolate Factory entrance."

     "Ah, your majesties… come this way. It is our pleasure to be able to entertain you," said a well-dressed Scorchio at the entrance. After double-checking that they were on the invite list, the guards at the door opened the door and invited them inside.

     As they stepped into the main lobby, they noticed that several enormous chocolate statues sat in the middle of the room where they were. Fyora stood in front of her own likeness in chocolate form. She stared at it anxiously and then began examining every angle.

     "This statue is uncomfortably accurate," Fyora whispered as she continued her close inspection.

     Nabile was also over at her chocolate statue, or rather Jazan's.

     "This one looks kinda silly. My husband doesn't look like that, does he?"

     As they continued examining the statues, an elite-looking Kiko descended the stairs. He wore a blue top hat and suit and held a purple cane in his hand.

     "Welcome! Welcome! Especially to our new first timers. I'm so glad you two finally showed up. I hope everything is to your liking so far. My statue of you is my proudest work, Queen Fyora."

     The Kiko extended his hand, and both Nabile and Fyora shook it.

     "The pleasure is ours to be here," Fyora replied, followed by a nervous laugh.

     "Well, help yourselves to some chocolate and drinks. The dancing and activities start in about an hour."

     Nabile had already wandered into the main hall, passing by various machines that churned out chocolate. She had surveyed the other guests quickly before Queen Fyora arrived to join her.

     "Just look at these elite, not a care in the world. Not even the void rift or parts of Neopia Central turning grey could stop them from turning out. I guess they need a distraction too," Nabile commented, rolling her eyes after a few stopped by to greet her with almost every complimentary word they could find.

     Out of the corner of Fyora's eye, she noticed an individual who looked strangely familiar. The height of the individual was almost as tall as Nabile, and he appeared to also be an Ixi.

     "Hey, do we know that person?" Fyora said, asking Nabile. Nabile took one glance at him and gasped.

     "Why is Hanso here?" Nabile asked Fyora.

     "Hanso? I thought he was fighting shades with Brynn. Are you sure that's Hanso?"

     "I'm positive! He's not doing a great job of blending in. But I'm guessing the rest of the elite are completely oblivious. Come, let's go confront him."

     "No, wait…" the Faerie Queen whispered. "If he's here, that can mean only one thing. There's a dangerous artefact hidden somewhere in the building."

     "Are you sure he's not just here to steal things?"

     "Hey, now, didn't you also have a good purpose behind your stealing?" Fyora asked as Nabile took a step closer to Hanso.

     "I am no longer affiliated with the Desert Scarabs, Fyora," the Ixi said curtly, shooting Fyora a stern look.

     "My mistake, I'm sorry for bringing that up."

     "No, I'm still proud of my time with them. Anyways, we should at least ask Hanso what he's doing here, right?"

     Immediately after, Hanso ended up coming to them instead.

     "Queen Fyora, just who I wanted to see!"

     "Hanso, not so loud, let's go find a quiet corner."

     Hanso then stared at Nabile. "Why is she here? I thought I was your only trusted thief."

     Grinning, Nabile reached her paw out. "It's not a competition… yet anyway. I'm pleased to finally make your acquaintance with Faerieland's one and only Master Thief."

     Queen Fyora put her fingers to her lips and then gently pushed both with her hands to move them towards a quiet corner, away from all the activity where the elites were sampling the latest chocolates.

      "Alright, Hanso, why are you here? I highly doubt you were invited because, well, of your occupation. So how did you get in here and why?" Fyora asked.

     "Ah yes, see, Fyora. I have a strong hunch that there is a dangerous artefact hidden below the factory. Brynn and I confirmed this while you were away. However, we agreed that Brynn should help Aethia with the shades, so I'm the only one here. And I got in by umm… I stole the credentials of a greyed Ixi who umm… was too depressed to come." Hanso puffed his chest and grinned with satisfaction before Nabile interrupted him.

     "Ahem, ok, so what's your plan? Have you properly cased the factory? Do you know how we get down into the basement? What about an exit strategy without getting caught? How big is the thing anyway?" Nabile hissed, rapidly firing her questions.

     Opening his mouth and then shutting it, eventually, Hanso found his words. "Are you sure this isn't a competition? One thing at a time. Let a thief think a little bit, wouldya?"

     "You've done none of the above…"

     "Well, no, I haven't done anything, but I was kinda hoping… Fyora would use her creds to… make any problems go away?"

     Fyora then whispered into Nabile's ear, sensing tension in the air.

     "Please go easy on him. He's really not the kind who does well if you just demand things on the spot. But he's very skilled."

     Nabile nodded and gave Hanso a pat on the back. "Alright, buddy, about we work out a plan first before we jump right in? Actually, perhaps we should blend in a bit while conducting our survey of the area for any vulnerabilities."

     The three of them wandered the area and began sampling some chocolates with the other elites. Fyora noticed a Faerie Blumaroo and went over to talk to them.

     "Hello there."

     The Blumaroo almost appeared to fall over in shock before regaining their composure. "Hello, um, your majesty."

     "No need to be so formal," Fyora said, smiling as she sampled a bit of milk chocolate in the shape of faerie wings.

     "Hi, I'm uh, Tiana. I am a board member of Faerie Clothing."

     "Ah, I've heard of you as the newest board member. How is the business going?"

     "Well, the void has certainly put a damper on business. I'm sure you're aware."

     "Yeah, I know, although the Hidden Tower has gotten lots of sales due to folks needing weapons to fight shades. I wonder if selling clothing with properties that can resist the void would be worthwhile."

     "Oh, interesting point…"

     The two of them chatted for a bit before Fyora glanced at her surroundings and noticed a door leading to a staircase, which was visible through a pane of glass.

     "Well, I hope that you have a good time here. Take care of your little corner of Faerieland for me. I hope Faerie Clothing continues to do well," Fyora said as she moved quickly over to Nabile and Hanso.

     "What did you learn?" Nabile asked both.

     Fyora gestured towards the door leading downstairs. Hanso grinned as he brandished a keycard for the door.

     "Hehehe, and you thought I didn't have a plan. I swiped this off the maintenance staff while I pointed out an issue with a machine that I just so happened to jam hours earlier," Hanso said proudly.

     Nabile sighed. "I suppose that was very good thinking on your part, Hanso. I managed to get some info from a worker about the basement. He says that's where the Kiko keeps his treasures and valuables that he's collected over the years. Apparently, the guy is a big hoarder."

     "Alright, well remember our rules," Fyora said as she felt like the plan was beginning to materialise.

     "Don't hurt anybody," Hanso said.

     "Don't steal from anyone who doesn't deserve it, but in this case, this Kiko guy deserves it for hoarding," Nabile added.

     "And remember, we're doing this for the good of Neopia," Fyora continued.

     "How do we open that door without drawing attention to ourselves?" Nabile asked.

     Hanso put his fingers to his chin for a bit and then nodded to himself.

     "Yes, that'll work. Nabile, since you're kinda pink and so is Fyora, you can stand right behind Fyora as she stands near the door and use the keycard. And then the three of us just take a few steps backwards, and then the door shuts after we enter."

     "And you are sure opening the door doesn't trigger an alarm? Or an alert?"

     Hanso looked around the door and above it and then sighed.

     "It probably does. We're going to have to disable that."

     "Already did, Hanso. I was just testing you."

     "Well, excuse me, Miss Expert Thief."

     "I'm married, Hanso…" Nabile said, waving her paw with her wedding ring and glaring at Hanso.

     " Mrs. Expert Thief."

     "We need to move," Fyora said. "This needs to happen before the ball begins since it'll look obvious if you aren't there."

     The three of them executed the plan flawlessly as Nabile swiped the keycard and Fyora, with her hands on Hanso, quietly floated backwards into the doorway, carrying Hanso to minimise the noise. The door shut, and the three of them tiptoed down the steps. They found themselves in a small room in the basement where there were multiple doors.

     "Which door?" Nabile asked.

     Fyora grabbed her staff and pointed it at each one. Her staff glowed with varying degrees of brightness for each passageway.s

     "I sense strong magic emanating from the door on the right. We should go this way."

     Nabile swiped the keycard for the right door. The door swung open, and the three of them stepped in. Suddenly, large buckets of cocoa powder tipped over and nearly buried them alive. But with her quick thinking, Fyora seized both Ixis in each of her arms and flew upward, landing with both on the ledge that had formed.

     Hanso and Nabile stared at Fyora as they pondered how Fyora seemed to be much stronger than she looked.

     "What are you both staring at? Let's go."

     The three of them continued into the narrow passage as they began to hear a loud whirring sound up ahead. The passageway was dimly lit with a faint red glow, but up ahead, they could see it open up more. The whirring noise got louder as they got closer to its source, and as they stepped into the room at the end of the tunnel, they found three exhausted Neopets running around still, working the machines.

     The three of them stared as a Lupe, sweating from all the heat given off by the machine, took a giant tub of cocoa powder and tried to lift it, but ended up collapsing to the floor. Queen Fyora rushed over to tend to him.

     "Hey, buddy, stay with me now," she said. "Hanso, get me a glass of water. I see a faucet over there!"

     Nabile surveyed the other workers and carefully lifted the same tub, helping them out a bit.

     "Why are you still here? Isn't the chocolate ball a day off for you all?" she asked.

     "I don't get any days off…"

     Hanso came back with a glass of water, handing it over to Fyora. He then gestured toward a small machine in the corner with the words etched on the side, "Property of Power-X Corp. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out."

     "I think that’s our dangerous artefact."

     The Lupe gulped down the glass of water. Fyora then gently helped him back up. He rushed towards the machines before Queen Fyora pulled him back.

     "You need to take a break."

     "I can't, that machine over there has a camera that will watch my every move. If I stop working, it'll know!" the Lupe cried.

     Nabile and Hanso counted down.

     "3… 2… 1… go!"

     The two of them lifted the machine and slammed it hard against the floor, shattering the camera lens and causing it to start smoking slightly. Immediately, a shrill alarm went off, and suddenly, they heard loud footsteps.

     Queen Fyora gestured for everyone to move behind her as she stood there and pointed her staff at the opening where the footsteps were coming from. The rich Kiko emerged from the doorway and yelled.

     "What is the meaning of this?!" he shouted.

     "Sir, at first we thought all we had down here was a dangerous magical artefact. It turns out, you're using evil faerie magic to force Neopians into labour. What do you have to say for yourself?" Fyora furrowed her eyebrows as she folded her arms.

     "Hahaha, oh, you're one of those types. Don't tell me you're so innocent. I heard you forced a faerie to make weapons when she didn't want to!"

     Nabile and Hanso gasped as they stared at Queen Fyora, who stood there, shellshocked.

     "How do you know about that?" the Faerie Queen finally asked.

     "Wait, so it's true?" Nabile said.

     Fyora hung her head and nodded. "Yes, it's true. I made Baelia make weapons, and she never told me she didn't want to. But as queen, I should have recognised the signs. In my defence, I didn't know what I didn't know!"

     Hanso and Nabile looked at each other and nodded in unison.

     "Fyora was wrong to do what she did, but she didn't work Baelia to death! That's what you're doing here!"

     "Hahaha, keep telling yourself that. She's just as ruthless a businessperson as I am. Look at her Hidden Tower, stocked with expensive items. I bet none of you know how those weapons came into fruition. Trust me, she's just as awful a boss selling items that drive all of Neopia's past wars. At least I sell stuff that doesn't harm anyone."

     In a fit of rage, Fyora rushed up to the Kiko and shoved him hard into the machine as his workers watched in shock and awe that the Faerie Queen had just decked their boss.

     "Silence! I’m nothing like you! I pay my workers a living wage!"

     "Oh sure, you do all the right things. Keep telling yourself that. But have you ever considered the collateral damage your weapons do?"

     Queen Fyora's face grew redder as she attempted to hold her anger back. She stared at the ground and then suddenly flew through the doorway.

     "Fyora, come back!" Nabile said, rushing after the queen. Hanso, meanwhile, stood next to the workers and continued glaring at the Kiko.

     "You are robbing from these poor Neopians. I think the Thieves Guild ought to pay you a visit… if that knucklehead Kanrik ever figures things out."

     "Ha! Good luck. All my assets are liquid in the Neodaq. And you might have destroyed that machine, but I'll just build one without faerie magic. And sure, take my workers, but I'll just find new ones willing to work here. Everyone loves chocolate, and I'll just tug at their passion for chocolate."

     Hanso motioned for the Lupe, Lenny, and Zafara working the machines to follow him.

     "Faerieland has an employment agency. We can get you situated. You can work as much or as little as you want, and we'll provide a place to live regardless."

     The workers followed Hanso out as Nabile eventually caught up to Fyora.

     "Fyora, please slow down. We know you're not like him. And we know you've made mistakes. Just please tell us you've fixed your labour practices."

     The Faerie Queen nodded. "There's still much more room for improvement. But I can promise you, I'm not constantly watching and forcing anyone to do anything."

     "So, we took care of that artefact. It was easier to destroy. But the Chocolate Factory remains. He said all his money is in the Neodaq, so we can't even steal it easily," Hanso said. Fyora looked at the workers next to him.

     "Oh, they're gonna need jobs by the way."

     Fyora shook each of the workers' paws and promised them much better working conditions in Faerieland. Meanwhile, Hanso concocted a scheme.

     "What if we just leak this scandal to the Neopian Times? Then people will just sell shares of Power-X? It's a great way to rob him of his wealth."

     "How do we stop folks who don't care from seeing the low stock price as a buying opportunity?" Nabile asked.

     "We're going to have to convince Neopians that chocolate is overrated, and we should eat less of it. I don't know, tell them it's not healthy. Maybe have the tooth faerie talk about how it causes cavities," Hanso shrugged.

     --

     A Lupe, Lenny, and Zafara walked around Faerieland, holding a large stack of posters. Each of them had a different message, but all of them seemed to try to dissuade Neopians from eating chocolate.

     "Chocolate causes cavities!"

     "Chocolate has too much sugar in it!"

     "The Chocolate Factory mistreats workers!"

     The three of them carefully placed the posters around Faerieland. Soon they returned to the employment agency. The Tooth Faerie paid them each a large sum of Neopoints.

     "Thank you for your service, Neopians. We appreciate your efforts in making Neopia a healthier place," the Tooth Faerie said, beaming at them.

     Hanso grinned behind the scenes as he watched the Power-X stock drop in the latest Neopian Times update.

     "Yes, the plan is working," he wrote in a Neomail which he handed to a Faerie Weewoo.

     "Safe travels to the Lost Desert to see Nabile!"

     The Weewoo hooted at Hanso and then disappeared into the sky.

     The End.