Fire and Water: A Rivalry Revisited

     Everyone was clapping and cheering…everyone, except a certain fire faerie in the distance, with a spiteful look on her face. Serena shot back the same look and stuck out her tongue, and that other faerie immediately focused on the ceiling of the magnificent castle instead as the water faerie was escorted out of the castle formally.

     "Farrah, what's wrong? You don't seem happy…are you OK?" A much taller fire faerie sat down beside her furious comrade.

     "It's Serena," groaned Farrah with a sigh. "I hate her. I don't want her to be a proper faerie at all because she doesn't deserve it."

     Liana sighed. "Well then, why not?" she asked curiously.

     "She's stuck up, a braggart, and she loves to tell people off. Serena likes to act as if she's queen of all. It started when we were young. Every time I try to make a practical joke and it backfires, she rubs it in my face. Sometimes she even tattles on me just to feel special. We hated each other back then, and often tried to outdo each other in games. We were considered the ultimate rivalry by our friends." Farrah crossed her arms angrily.

     "Well," said Liana calmly, "perhaps she has changed. That was then, and this is now. If you probably take the time to talk to her, maybe she really has something to say."

     "Oh yeah, and Sloth will start collecting White Weewoos," moaned her young companion.

     "Farrah, come on," continued Liana. "Don't dwell on the past too much and let's go."

     ***

     "Hey Farrah, remember the time that you wanted to trick Fuhnah for April Fool's and you got dung all over your hair instead?" asked Serena cheerfully. "I can never forget the look on your face when you found out that you'd been had!"

     Farrah nodded blearily. "Yup, I kind of remember that," she said quietly. She was sent to Mystery Island to help protect the islanders from a villain supposedly lying in wait there. However she was not alone, as Nereid summoned Serena to come with her. Now the young water faerie was trying to force conversation with her old rival.

     "And what about when I played a prank on you and put a whoopee cushion under the rock you were about to sit on? That was a riot!" added Serena excitedly. "Ah, I miss the good old days…"

     Farrah rose up and hovered before Serena. "You mean you still want to get me in trouble?" she asked furiously. "I was right! You haven't changed a bit!"

     "But I didn't say anything!" she replied loudly. "I'm just recalling things, for goodness' sake, not trying to make you feel bad!"

     "Well you just did!" screamed the fire faerie. "All you recalled were the times when I humiliated myself! Did you forget the time when I scared you with a Spyder Bite because you thought it was real?"

     Serena put her hands on her hips and glared at Farrah. "I didn't mean to! What did you think I am, a brat for life?"

     "Actually, yes," replied her rival nonchalantly.

     The water faerie gasped in outrage. "You're just jealous because you know I'm better than you at everything, even harnessing the magic bestowed upon us!"

     "Are you challenging me to a duel, Serena? If you are, you're making a big mistake, because I'll win for sure!" said Farrah. "Are you scared you'd break a nail?"

     "No way! Bring it on, and I'll definitely beat you, no doubt!" she answered, putting her hands together and letting loose a huge jet of water towards Farrah, who closed her eyes and concentrated on it. The water bubbled and immediately evaporated in the blink of an eye. She gritted her teeth and sent a fireball flying towards Serena, but she simply cast a bubble shield around her. The water faerie was unharmed as the fireball, upon impact on the shield, turned into ashes immediately.

     Farrah flew high up and summoned more fireballs towards Serena, but the latter sent bursts of water to extinguish them all. "Give up?" she asked as the last of her rival's fireballs were reduced to ash.

     "Don't count on it," the fire faerie answered, dodging more blasts of water. She shut her eyes briefly and gazed at Serena intently, attempting to hypnotize her with a fiery gaze. Unfortunately Farrah's efforts were futile, as her opponent created a steam shield around her and escaped behind it.

     All of a sudden, both faeries heard screaming and frantic footsteps amidst their duel. They lay down their weapons and looked at the panicking islanders.

     "Something's happening!" said Serena quickly. "Look!"

     She pointed towards an evil looking figure in the distance, blasting huts and trees with a gnarled purple and red staff. Farrah looked up and saw it too…it had wings, and it seemed to be a…

     "It's a dark faerie!" she said loudly. "Look!"

     Sure enough, as Serena and Farrah drew ever closer, they could see the familiar face of a dark faerie, grinning and cackling nastily as she reduced stuff into ashes and set purple and green fires everywhere. "Well, well, if it isn't the two little rivals who waste time fighting with each other?"

     "Shut up, Cassandra," said Serena defiantly. "What have you done?"

     She giggled and stared at the water faerie malevolently. "Oh, nothing much, except that I'm so tired of Fyora being a goody-goody and not letting me take over just one place in Neopia. So I sweet-talked Fuhnah and Nereid to send you two here to 'protect' the island, since I knew that because of the undying rivalry between you two, you'd waste time dueling instead of stopping me!"

     The two ex-rivals stood defiantly and faced Cassandra bravely. At first the pair and the dark faerie stared at each other unblinkingly. Then just as fast as they had stood, Farrah and Serena snapped into action, hurling fireballs and blasting jets of water at their foe.

     "You'll never win, because divided you FALL!" mocked Cassandra as she emitted a blast of dark magic from her staff towards the duo. Serena immediately formed a huge bubble shield around herself and Farrah, so they were not harmed at all.

     After the shield saved her life, the fire faerie flew up over the villain and launched more attacks. But as Cassandra was blocking those, she didn't notice Serena behind her, who let loose with a huge blast of water at the dark faerie.

     While Cassandra was surprised and faced the young water faerie, Farrah snuck up behind her and promptly unleashed a colossal fireball. Serena grabbed the staff before their enemy could use it, and now the pair stood once again, before the villain, who looked up at them angrily and said, "You two…will pay…" She unleashed a dark blast at Serena, but Farrah flew between them and received the attack, crumpling to the ground.

     "Farrah!" said Serena worriedly. She knelt down beside her ex-rival and was about to heal her, when Cassandra hovered before them, cackling evilly. Before she could do anything however…

     "No, it is you who will be paying. Dearly, I might add," came a voice. The fire and water faeries were relieved to see the faerie queen alight and grab the dark faerie by the forearm. "Cassandra, I should have known you were behind this! What were you thinking?"

     "I was just going to claim this island for myself, when these two meddling faeries interrupted me!" she growled.

     "Come on, we'll talk about this during your trial. Farrah, Serena, thank you for apprehending this nasty creature and helping us capture her. Honestly, you two deserve a reward…"

     The duo traded a look excitedly as they were immediately teleported as well to the castle once again.

     ***

     "Farrah, I'm so sorry," whispered Serena meekly. "I didn't mean to say all those mean things about you back then, and just awhile ago. Sometimes I tend to get too sure of myself and then I don't realize I'm stepping on others already."

     "I'm sorry too, Serena," replied Farrah, smiling weakly. "I never realized that you could change, and I kept jumping to conclusions about you. I do hope you could forgive me, and thanks for healing me back there."

     The two faeries smiled widely at each other and hugged fiercely as Fyora started talking. "We are gathered here today to honor two brave, young faeries who have helped capture the evil Cassandra, and save Mystery Island from total destruction."

     Everyone began clapping, much louder than they had when Serena became a real, official faerie. The faerie queen continued her speech and everyone hung on to her every word.

     "Serena and Farrah have shown that it is only in unity that we can achieve anything. It is only in putting our differences aside and joining forces that we can defeat the opposition. They, despite a past full of rivalry and division, have united and through this, overthrew the dark faerie and kept Mystery Island from descending into total chaos. Today we honor them, not just for their bravery, but also for their willingness to change and set aside their rivalry…"

     The duo had felt equal twinges of excitement when Fyora spoke about their great deeds, but they felt much more when she spoke about their rivalry and history.

     "I guess this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Serena," remarked Farrah with a grin.

     "I know," agreed Serena, putting her arm around Farrah as they stepped up towards Fyora, wearing equal smiles of pride and happiness.

The End