Fyora: In The Eyes Of Her Subjects

FAERIELAND - Purple everywhere, glowing orbs and loud cheers signify that it is Fyora Day. The great Faerie herself is still in her tower, fast asleep as the sun rises over Neopia. Many stories have been told about her, and she has been interviewed quite a few times.

We Neopians know quite a lot about Queen Fyora, or do we?

That was what got us thinking. What do the common Neopians think about Queen Fyora? What do they believe her to like? Do they just see her as someone greedy because she sells items at such high prices in her Hidden Tower? Or is she seen as a kind ruler, giving quests that strengthens pets?

Well, that was what we set out to find out. The two Neopian Times Authors, Kat and Shadow decided to ask a few Neopians what they thought of Queen Fyora. We got up on the crack of dawn and spied around in Faerieland until we found our first interviewee. She was clad in purple and taking a morning promenade, holding a menacing brew in her left hand. We wondered for a while if it was a good idea to approach such a celebrity so early, because the faerie we had seen was Jhudora.

Kat: Well then, for our first interviewee, we have...JHUDORA? Erm, I mean, yes, Jhudora the dark faerie! Heh. *drags Shadow over to the purple cloud just outside Faerie City and surprises the poor faerie* So what do you think of Fyora the Faerie Queen on her special day?

Jhudora: Well, I must say it IS quite a day, seeing that nobody's asking for quests today. Insolent little Neopets too busy cheering for their queen...what about me?

Kat: Well...you get your own special day too, right?

Jhudora: THAT'S NOT THE POINT! THIS IS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN QUESTS ARE LOW! THAT'S WHY I BARELY GIVE A HOOT TO FYORA DAY! Now leave me alone. I'm cooking up a scheme you puny Neopians will never understand. Go on, shoo!

Shadow: Umm... Well, that was interesting. It would seem that Jhudora quite dislikes Fyora Day. Then again, there are reasons as to why she sits outside Faerie City instead of inside. *Drags Kat off* Next interviewee... *sees a Faerie Poogle* Umm... Hi Poogle, do you have some time? I'd like to ask you a question...

Poogle: I'm not just "Poogle"! *is pleased by the attention* Don't you think that my Faerie wings are pretty?

Shadow: Umm... Sure. Well, what do you think of the great day that is dedicated to the Faerie Queen, Fyora?

Poogle: Fyora? Who's Fyora?

Shadow: You mean... You don't know who Fyora is?

Kat: That's...

Poogle: Well, I've got to get going for my manicure now. Ta-ta! *flies off*

Two stunned authors stand on the cloud, watching the pet fly off into the skies before they look at each other. Kat is the first one to talk.

Kat: I can't believe she didn't know who Fyora was!

Shadow: And on top of everything, she had faerie wings! Well, dear readers, it would seem that the average pet does not think so much of Fyora, simply because they don't know her. Let us just hope that the Queen herself doesn't hear of this and zap us with her wand...

Kat: LET'S GO TO MERIDELL NEXT! We can interview Lisha and Jeran! *teleports to Meridell Castle by some really weird kind of magic* There's Jeran! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF QUEEN FYORA?

Jeran: Uhhh...well, she's a great queen. King Skarl looks up to her, actually, and so do I. She does a great job of governing everything, and the queen has never made a mistake. At least, none I can think of.

Lisha: I'm with my brother on that one. Queen Fyora is the greatest. Without her, we'd all fall into pieces. So she deserves her own special day.

Kat: I see.

Shadow: Well, at least here we receive some positive opinions! Thank you for your participation, Meridell's greatest sibling duo! *drags a sparkly-eyed Kat off* Next, I suppose we can ask another famous neopian...

Kat: You're thinking Illusen, right?

Shadow: That's right! *teleports to the glade by the same mystical magic*

Kat: Couldn't you just have walked? It isn't that far from the Castle to the Glade, you know...

Shadow: *raises eyebrow* Free magic on the Queen's day, aren't you supposed to use it? Okay, so I admit I'm a cheapskate. *knocks on the door*

Illusen: Who is it?

Kat: We are Kat and Shadow, two reporters from the Neopian Times, here to ask you a question!

Shadow: Yes. Now, you must be aware of the fact that it is Fyora Day today, honored Illusen... Well, what do you think about this Queen having her special day?

Illusen: I guess it's okay... Though it's kind of sad that she gets to have her special day after me and Jhu... Nevermind. *cough* Queen Fyora is an uttermost deserving and kind soul, helping all Neopians and therefore, I believe she most certainly should have right to her own day.

Shadow: *muttering* That sounded a bit memorized...

Kat: *also muttering* Do you want to upset her too? Just look what happened with Jhudora...

Illusen: *twitches upon hearing the Dark faerie's name* Did you say JHUDORA? *loud noises are made in the background and smoke wells up* Jhudora... *shakes and shivers* Always stealing questers from me. I'm the good faerie! That freak with freaky purple hair... She so doesn't deserve her own day! And she gets to have hers before mine! *starts ranting*

Shadow: Umm... Well, thank you for your answer, Illusen. *sees the ground shaking* Umm... We'd better leave.

Kat: You're right. Thank you, Illusen! *waves and runs away along with Shadow*

The two authors manage to escape in the last second, before some trees around the Glade are blown up and they hear Illusen's scream of rage.

Shadow: She was sure sensitive... Kat, shall we seek out our next interviewee?

Kat: Ooh, ooh, let's go to Maraqua! LET'S GO! *Kat and Shadow fly - thanks to a kind air faerie - towards the watery kingdom, where they perch upon a rock in the middle of the waters and spy Garin and Jacques as they sail by*

Shadow: Hey, it's Garin! Hey, over here!

Garin: Are you...stranded or something? *scratches head*

Kat: Not really. A kind air faerie brought us here to help us so we can interview you. So what do you think of Fyora the faerie queen?

Jacques: Well, I must say that without her, many things here wouldn't be possible, and evil would be running about.

Garin: Evil IS running about. CAPTAIN SCARBLADE!

Jacques: I mean, there would me much more evil. So we're thankful for the queen and her rule.

Shadow: Thank you for your answers. *takes Kat's hand while she is busy staring at the Maraquan heroes*

Jacques: Erm... I kind of didn't get an answer.

Shadow: Look! *points to the distance and promptly ignores Jacques's comments* There's an Aisha... What's her name, again?

Kat: Don't you know her? I thought you knew all evil pets... That's Caylis, the banished Maraquan.

Shadow: Ooh... Really? We have to go and interview her! *swims off with Kat and lands in front of Caylis, the Maraquan Aisha*

Caylis: What do you want? If you're a bunch nonsense fortune-tellers like that stupid Island Mystic, just leave.

Kat: No, we're a two Neopian Times Reporters, and we're here to ask you a question. *whisper* Maybe this was a bad idea... She doesn't look all that happy.

Shadow: *whispers back* Well, Jhudora didn't do that either but she answered our question. *clears throat* Well, Caylis, what do you think about Queen Fyora, having her own special day?

Caylis: It's Fyora Day today? *raises eyebrow slightly* Well, like I care... *frowns*

Shadow: Surely you must think something of her?

Kat: *whispering to Shadow* Do you really want to know? Just look what happened with Jhudora...

Caylis: What are you whispering about? *narrows her eyes* It's about me, isn't it... Gossiping behind my back... You know, I wasn't asked to be born with these abilities!

Shadow: Erm... Anyway, thanks for all your help.

Caylis: Too bad of an apology. Fyora doesn't matter... Though I've never had any dreams about her.

Kat: That's good...

Shadow: Well, thanks again. Let's go, Kat. *runs away from fright*

Far from Maraqua and quite close to the beaches of Mystery Island, the two reporters finally stop and have a rest after escaping from the incredibly creepy Aisha who is rumored to dream true nightmares. They have lost about half of their diving equipment and there clothes are all wet, as they get up on the beach and see some minor celebration of Fyora Day.

Kat: There is bound to be a good interviewee in this crowd... *looks around*

*Kat and Shadow spy a pet owner at the Island Mystic, demanding the avatar*

Owner: I DEMAND you give me the avatar! I am an avid collector and I'm not going to stop at nothi - *Shadow taps her shoulder* - Who are you?

Kat: We're two Neopian Times reporters collecting opinions on Fyora on Fyora Day. So then...what do you think of her?

Owner: She's got good looks.

Shadow: What makes you say that?

Owner: *holds up Faerie Queen Doll* Plus the avatar you get from her dolly is really pretty. It's one of the most wanted ones so far because it's sparkly and cool and proof that you have two million Neopoints to spare.

Kat: Uh...okay...?

Shadow: Wow... That was something different. *spies another owner who is also coming forth to demand the avatar* Excuse me... *taps on the owner's shoulder*

Owner #2: What do you want? Can't you see that I'm busy with getting an avatar?

Kat: *whispers to Shadow* Did you really have to pick another avatar collectors?

Shadow: *grins and whispers back* Well, she has the other desirable avatar...

Kat: Oh. *to the owner (#2)* Well, we're two Neopian Times reporters, and we'd like to know your opinion on Fyora on her special day.

Owner: They asked me that too. Honestly, just look at my sparkly, pretty avatar to see what I think!

Owner #2: Fyora? *eyes bulge*

Shadow: *whispers* Uh-oh, maybe this was a bad idea after all. She seems to be getting the Jhudora/Illusen Syndrome...

Kat: *whispering back* Is there even a word for that?

Owner #2: She's such a swindler! Putting all those expensive things in her Hidden Tower, making one to earn loads of NP for her to just sit and guard on just because of an avatar! She makes money way too easily, sitting there and patting her orb while putting all her million-or-more items on display for people to buy, just so they can get that stupid avatar... And she doesn't even look good!

Shadow: Err... I see.

Kat: Oh well...I guess that...sums it all up for our article? *shifty eyes*

Shadow: Oh, yes. But first, we have to tell everyone what WE think of Fyora. I'll start. I think she's really pretty, though she seems rather strict and that tower’s design is just hideous. But really... I think she’s a Neopian just like the rest of us, though she has more power... and stuff... Though I think she would like to be appreciated, like us, and a day for her isn’t that bad of an idea.

Kat: I see. Well, I personally think that she is quite a great queen, someone who deserves her place in the Gallery of Heroes. Although I admit that those prices in the Hidden Tower drive me nuts -

Fyora: *appears out of nowhere* So YOU TWO are the ones running around and talking behind my back! And on my special day too!

Shadow: Shall we make a run for it? Kat, WAIT FOR ME!

*the two authors dive behind a couple of bushes to hide, while Fyora blasts them and turns them into identical Mortogs, after smiling to herself and disappearing behind a cloud of violet fog*

Kat: And that ends our article. Close one!

Shadow: We have survived! Now we can write our next collaboration -

Kat: Uh, I think I'll stay away from the topic of Fyora for a long, LONG time.