The Greatest Prank of All

      To: Jhudora and Illusen

     From: Queen Fyora

     Dear Illusen and Jhudora,

     The month of Eating is fast approaching, and with it, April Fool's Day. Given your behaviour over the last couple of years, I realize that asking the two of you not to play pranks on each other is a waste of time, so I am merely asking you not to do anything that would cause a diplomatic incident between Meridell and Faerieland.

     Sincerely,

     Fyora

     Faerie Queen

     ----------

     To: Kauvara

     From: Queen Fyora

     My dear Kauvara,

     I hope this finds you in good health. I know how busy you are, but I thought you might be interested in experimenting with the enclosed recipe; I need two standard-sized potion bottles of it as soon as possible, and I will, of course, reward you for your time.

     Sincerely,

     Fyora

     Faerie Queen

     ----------

     To: Queen Fyora

     From: Kauvara

     Dear Queen Fyora,

     I was greatly intrigued by the recipe you sent, and I will work on it as soon as I can. I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me what this is all about?

     -Kauvara

     ----------

     To: Illusen

     From: King Skarl

     Illusen:

     I need you to pull a prank on Hagan for me on April Fool's Day. Something to humiliate him and show him up, but not something so serious that he'll declare war on Meridell. I know you'll think of something; you've had so much experience pranking and being pranked by Jhudora.

     King Skarl of Meridell

     ----------

     To: King Skarl

     From: Illusen

     Your Highness,

     As a loyal citizen of Meridell, I will, of course, carry out your command to the best of my abilities. Rest assured that it shall be done.

     Your loyal subject,

     Illusen

     ----------

     To: Jhudora

     From: Illusen

     Jhudora,

     Let's call a truce. I won't do anything to you this April Fool's Day, and you won't do anything to me, either. Sound good?

     Do you still have that recipe book you stole from Kauvara several years ago, the one with all her recipes for morphing potions in it? If so, could I borrow it? King Skarl wants me to play a prank on King Hagan for April Fool's Day, and I know what I'd like to do to him, but I don't know how to make the right morphing potion, and I'm not allowed to ask my questers for morphing potions.

     ~Illusen

     ----------

     To: Illusen

     From: Jhudora

     Illusen,

     Wait, you've actually received a royal command to play a prank on someone? Seriously? I wish Fyora would do something like that; she always gets so angry at me when I play pranks on visiting dignitaries.

     Of course I still have that book, and I'd be willing to lend it to you…for a price. Two Honey Potions and your sworn word that you won't tell Fyora about anything I do to you in the coming year sounds about right.

     As to the truce, I'm going to have to agree to that, sadly. Fyora's been really angry at me recently, so I think I'll try to get back on her good side by not being mean to you for a bit. (Not that I was ever really on Fyora's good side in the first place, but that's beside the point.)

     Evilly yours,

     Jhudora

     ----------

     To: Jhudora

     From: Illusen

     Jhudora,

     I'm not sure that I like where this is going, but I really need to borrow that book, so yes, I will agree not to tattle on you to Fyora. The two Honey Potions are in the box attached to this letter. Thanks in advance for lending me the book.

     ~Illusen

     ----------

     To: King Hagan

     From: Jhudora

     Dear King Hagan,

     A little Beekadoodle told me that King Skarl and Illusen are planning to play an April Fool's Day prank on you; it sounds like it will involve replacing your shampoo with a Flask of Rainbow Fountain Water, or something along those lines. Would you like me to play a prank on King Skarl for you in retaliation? Revenge and intricate pranks are particular specialities of mine.

     Insincerely,

     Jhudora

     ----------

     To: Jhudora

     From: King Hagan

     Madam,

     My thanks for the timely warning, though you must pardon me for not trusting you any more than I would trust a Kadoatie to guard a clutch of Draik eggs.

     Your proposal is most intriguing, and it has been a number of years since my last attempt at discomfiting my deplorably unlearned brother on April Fool's Day, so I am inclined to accept your offer, on the condition that I will disavow any knowledge of your schemes from here on.

     Sincerely,

     King Hagan of Brightvale

     ----------

     To: Queen Fyora

     From: Kauvara

     Dear Queen Fyora,

     Here are the potions you requested. I've changed my mind; I really don't want to know what you need them for.

     -Kauvara

     ----------

     To: Kauvara

     From: Queen Fyora

     My dear Kauvara,

     Thank you for the potions. Your service and discretion in this matter will not go unrewarded.

     Sincerely,

     Fyora

     Faerie Queen

     ----------

     To: The Space Faerie

     From: Queen Fyora

     Mira,

     I need you to help me with something….

     ----------

     To: Lady Lisha Borodere

     From: Lord Darigan

     Dear Lady Lisha,

     It looked like there was a lot of commotion down there in Meridell today, especially in the vicinity of King Skarl's palace and Illusen's Glade, and it appeared that a company of soldiers were approaching from the direction of Brightvale. Is there something I should know about, or anything I can do to help Meridell? I have no intention of breaking the peace treaty between our respective lands, but I would be willing to rain a few fireballs down on the countryside if needed.

     Most sincerely,

     Lord Darigan

     ----------

     To: Lord Darigan

     From: Lady Lisha Borodere

     Dear Sir,

     No, we do not need any fireballs, thank you very much. As far as I can figure out, what happened was this: King Skarl asked Illusen to play an April Fool's Day prank for him on King Hagan of Brightvale, and Illusen somehow managed to turn King Hagan into a baby Meerca. Meanwhile, King Skarl awoke this morning to find that he'd been transformed into a strawberry Wocky, and is now finding it hard to refrain from eating himself. Some of the palace servants claim they saw Illusen sneak into King Skarl's bedchamber last night, and they think she's the one who cast the transformation spell on him, but Jeran is certain that Illusen would never do something like that to the King, and I'm inclined to agree with him. As for Illusen, we received a letter from Queen Fyora half an hour ago, saying that Illusen would be absent from Meridell for a considerable amount of time, and it included a form to fill out if we want a replacement for Illusen.

     In any event, I don't think your assistance will be required, though thank you for offering to help us. King Skarl has already sent Jeran off to the Mystery Island Trading Post to buy a couple of Skeith morphing potions, and I've already contacted the Meridellian ambassador to Faerieland to see if she can find out what's going on with Illusen.

     Again, thank you for your concern, and your offer of aid.

     Sincerely,

     Lady Lisha Borodere of Meridell

     ----------

     To: Grundo Kitchen Helper #34961 (formerly known as Illusen the Earth Faerie)

     From: Grundo Lab Assistant #43759 (formerly known as Jhudora the Dark Faerie)

     Illusen,

     I cannot believe Queen Fyora turned us into mutant Grundos during the night and transported us to the Space Station to work for the Space Faerie! If she'd done this to anyone other than me, I would have called it the greatest April Fool's Day prank of all time.

     Anyway, I somehow got assigned to work in the laboratories on the Space Station, and if this is the kind of potion-brewing equipment the Space Faerie gets to play with, I might actually be jealous of her. (I wonder how much it would cost to get someone to build a fully-equipped, Virtupets-style laboratory in my lair?) I've figured out how to undo the transformation magic on us, and I've brewed some potions that will help us escape. I've sent you two potions: the clear one is an invisibility potion, and the green and brown one has an 87% chance of turning you back into an earth faerie, and a 13% chance of turning you into a woodland Draik (either way, you'll fit right in back in Meridell, right?). Wait until tomorrow morning to drink them; I'll slip the Kau Transmogrification Potion I just brewed into the Space Faerie’s morning coffee, and the ensuing panic should provide us with enough of a diversion to sneak onto the tourist shuttle that leaves at 7:45 am.

     Evilly yours,

     Jhudora

     P.S.-If you ever tell anyone that I did something nice for you, I'll make sure those pictures of you dressed as the Happiness Faerie at Fyora's Halloween party make their way into the Neopian Times.

     ----------

     To: Grundo Lab Assistant #43759 (formerly known as Jhudora the Dark Faerie)

     From: Grundo Kitchen Helper #34961 (formerly known as Illusen the Earth Faerie)

     Jhudora,

     How in Skarl's name did you end up assigned to work in the labs? I was forced to work in the kitchen of Grundos Cafe, which will probably give me nightmares for several years; I'm fairly certain Gargarox Isafuhlarg attended a cooking school run by the Alien Aishas.

     I hate to admit it, but your plan sounds brilliant, though I'd prefer better odds on being turned back into an earth faerie. I'll see you on the shuttle tomorrow morning, then (or rather, I won't see you since we'll both be invisible).

     ~Illusen

     ----------

     To: Queen Fyora

     From: The Space Faerie

     My Queen,

     Never again send Illusen and Jhudora up here! I don't care what they've done, or how many favours I owe you, I never want to see them on the Space Station, nor on Kreludor, ever again. They are your problem, and I will never again agree to help you deal with them. I do not envy your job.

     Yours,

     Mira

     The End.