Story Archives

The words in this book are ancient and faded, but you can decipher one section clearly:

"...And so the Darkest Faerie, one of the twelve founders of Altador, city of heroes, fell from grace. Her betrayal was swift and ruthless, her ultimate desire being none other than complete dominion over Neopia.
With no other choice, Fyora, the Faerie Queen, and Jerdana, sorceress and one of the twelve, wove a powerful spell that turned the Darkest Faerie into stone.

For nearly 1000 years, the Darkest Faerie remained entombed, the memory of her evil slowly fading, until one fateful day when the magical bonds of her imprisonment finally broke.
Darkness returned to Neopia as the Darkest Faerie subjugated Fyora and the remainder of those who might stop her, and all seemed lost.

Yet in that direst of hours, unlikely heroes rose to answer the call. Aided by the disguised King Altador, two brave Neopians -Tormund and Roberta - thwarted the Darkest Faerie's nefarious plan, freed Queen Fyora, and returned the Darkest Faerie to stone form.

However, evil never sleeps, and with the fall of Faerieland and the sequence of events that followed, the Darkest Faerie escaped. Although her subsequent plots were foiled again, this time, she evaded confinement. Choosing instead to flee into the void to lick her wounds, planning her next nefarious move.

Some believe she resides in some dark corner of the world, biding her time as she waits for the opportune moment to reveal her sinister ambitions once more. Some few even claim there is proof out there that her next plan is already imminent..."

The book appears almost handmade with a title that says "Greatest Ruler in Neopian History." Most of the text inside seems to be ramblings that barely make sense. But the end has a fairly clear message...

From the first moment he appeared, it was clear who was meant to be the ruler of Neopia. None before him have had his charisma, intellect, or overpowering strength. The fools of Neopia just couldn't grasp his vision. But I did. I have always seen the future that our overlord has envisioned for us.

They say he is cruel, but he just has the fortitude to do what must be done. No one else could make the hard calls or is willing to sacrifice like he is"”all to give us a better, more united world.

The glorious moments that he graced us with his presence in the past were marvels I am blessed to have witnessed. If it were not for the heinous deeds of the few, we would most certainly have seen his true plans come to fruition. First, that despicable faerie got in the way, and then a group of greedy ne'er-do-wells crushed our master's merciful plans. Last time, a pitiful excuse of an organisation that abhorrently had the galls to call themselves a resistance punishes us all by ensnaring our liberator, thus eliminating all hope for us. But I still believe.

They say I am mad, but I see the connecting twine. I have faced the void of the unknowable and survived to learn the truth. Even though I only saw the smallest of glimpses into the colossal, intertwined, inner workings of our beloved leader's mind I know without question that he has a plan that will undeniably save us all.

I have bided my time and gathered like-minded, devoted followers. Even as I write this, we are working to do whatever it takes to continue his work. If you are reading this, I can only assume it is in the halls of a great museum, made to glorify our prosperous emperor and that I have succeeded in my attempt to find and free our saviour.

I leave these final words as a continuous promise.
I will do whatever it takes to protect Lord Sloth!

The waterlogged book has had many of its words washed away, yet some entries are still somehow in pristine condition.

Entry 193
The ship is still as strong as ever. I may have lost some crew, but if they were lily-livered enough to be captured so easily, then they may as well be fish food. My name still strikes fear in all those who hear it, so I will be able to replenish my cannon fodder soon enough.

Entry 245
The new crew members be something else. I have dealt with some of the toughest this here sea has to offer, and yet, I think this crop must have wills of iron. Some barely have their sea legs but still yet dare look me in the eye. I would oft cut one in two for such a thing, but I have a feeling power like this could come in handy.

Entry 282
We have taken many a boat and sunk twice that. The wealth we have acquired could only be matched by those of kings, and the power my crew now holds none could dream to match. But this is nothing new for me. However, I hear whispers of a location that not only possesses a new sort of power but is said to have acquired a treasure unlike any other. It will be mine.

Entry 361
Learning more about this supposed location of wealth and power has been slow, but getting the information out of those who have it is an easy feat for my crew. So I have decided, once we know more about how to track down what I seek, I shall have my men continue on as if I am on board while I find this power all for myself! The world will continue to tremble at the mere mention of my name while I hoard this new wealth and power all to myself!

Entry 439
I have found the location. A particular new acquaintance of mine has agreed to help me in this search. She and I will set out soon. Only a few know of my departure, and fewer still know of my intended destination. But if all goes according to plan, I will become strong enough to not only wipe New Maraqua off the face of the planet but all of Neopia if I so wish!

This book has no title. Its jet-black cover and warped binding are inscribed with strange symbols that hurt your eyes if you stare at it too long. The pages are illegible except for one hastily scribbled note.

Until the end of my days, I will never forget the night it came.

We had heard whispers of something evil on the edge of the Haunted Woods, but our elders had told us to remain calm and that this threat would pass; surely, there was safety in numbers.

Then the disappearances started.

Curfew was imposed, and nobody was allowed to wander at night alone.

It didn't stop.

A council was hastily convened, and it was determined that there was no other choice but to make a stand. We would gather at the next new moon when Kreludor's face was hidden. Preparations were made, and the whole village readied itself.

If only we could have understood what we truly faced.

We knew it had arrived when we could see the breath condense before our faces on what had -- just moments ago -- been a warm summer evening. A deathly cold snap seized the air, the breeze itself seemingly fracturing under the onset of an otherworldly chill.

We had set torches to light the wooden palisades surrounding the village square, hoping that the warmth of the burning braziers would deter it: a light against the darkness.

We were wrong.

Huddled together for warmth and safety, we gaped in abject horror as the torches were snuffed out, one by one. Silence gripped the air, and not one of us dared to move.

Slowly, inevitably, a shadow began to coalesce, its suffocating gloom covering us in an impenetrable barrier that was devoid of all light.

All living things know darkness, but this was not darkness. This was pure nothing.

I stood paralysed in terror as the final glimmer of illumination was siphoned away from my sight, leaving me utterly blind. Even sound seemed stifled in this place; my frantic pleas for help barely left my mouth as more than a gasped whisper.

All was still, like the calm before the storm.

And then - there in the darkness - two eyes appeared, their pupils like cosmic maelstroms.

Our gazes met, and I stared into the void.

I remember nothing after that moment.

When I came to, it was the morning, and I was alone. My friends, my family, the entire village: they were all gone, like they had never existed in the first place. I searched and searched, and when I could search no longer, I left that forsaken place and never returned.

This memory is why I live in fear. Those eyes are the source of my nightmares.

I will write its name here because I dare not speak it aloud:

"Shadow Usul."

This book is both there and not there at the same time. It's hard to comprehend, so it's best not to think too hard about it. There are not really words inside this book, but voices that speak to you through text... again, it is best not to dwell on it.

A fully corporeal piece of paper is stuck inside the book. It reads -
"WARNING: If you start to feel as though these words are affecting your reality in any way, you should close it immediately and read no further!"

The first voice reads as a sickly sweet sound. She says, "I am above all, already my dears. Why should we make note of this in some record?"

Another voice is dark and feels aggravated. His voice raises as he says, "You dare question me? You should know very well that my methods are beyond doubt!"

The last voice is gruff and drips of voracity. He is hard to understand as he spits out, "Doubt, doubt? Don't make me laugh. Your methods have never given me anything, so of course, I can doubt."

The angry voice has a distinct shape in the text now, a cloaked, tall figure with a stern face and the words shout he is to be called Revenge.

He speaks again. "There is more than just a record to be kept here. There is an opportunity."

The text now formally introduces you to the one known as Ambition. Her wings and dark hair are formed through the words in a beautiful yet deadly manner.

Her voice pierces the pages as she says, "Oh? I see. I am sure I have guessed your plan already, but go on tell us."

"Tell me, tell me. I want to know now, how dare you play these games!" Greed's harsh voice spits out of the text as his form intrudes as well, a rough exterior that matches his tone and a face that is hard to read.

"Shut up, you fools. I will not bark because you demand it!" Revenge growls. "Besides, there is no need to explain it, as it is already taking place! Even now, eyes peruse this page.

"The lure of my power is great, wouldn't you agree?" sings Ambition.

"My power is greater still!" yells Greed.

"I wasn't talking to you, you ignoramus!" Ambition says.

"We could even stop this now if we so wish. I can feel their curiosity is peaked... the void to their mind is open." Revenge says.

"Make sure to listen to those voices in your head."

This book seems to be a spiral notebook one would buy for school. However, it is fairly old. Many pages have been torn out, and the rest appear to be simple writing assignments for class. One page has been preserved with extra care.

I've been told to write about a friend. It can be anything I want: a true story about us or one where we interact in a fictional setting...but I don't know if I can do either. I don't have many friends here. Most of the other students seem to avoid me because I don't do so well in school. There is one girl who is nice to me from time to time, though, which is strange because she's the top student! Her name is Xandra.

I don't know if I'd call her a friend yet, but I can still tell a story about us.

Back when the disappearances were still happening. I was sitting alone at lunch like usual. We have lunch outside when the weather permits it, and that day, it was cloudy but overall nice. Looking back on it now, it seems reckless to have continued to have lunch outside, but the disappearances were few and far between and only seemed to happen at night. So life went on like normal.

I was eating underneath a tree near the forest line when Xandra came and sat next to me. She didn't say much, then got up and walked into the forest, waving for me to follow. I shouldn't have followed, but I did. The forest was especially dark due to the cloudy weather, and it was hard to keep up with her, but eventually, we stopped.

We had come upon a small open patch in the middle of the forest. Even with the lack of trees, the open area was still fairly dark. I watched as Xandra placed odd trinkets along its edge. I also stood off to the side and asked her what we were doing here, but she never responded. Eventually, she stood in the middle of the clearing, and her eyes began to glow.

The trinkets lit up in the same bright light as Xandra's eyes. They were shining so much that the clearing had to have been visible for miles. I wanted to run, but I was unable to. All I could manage was moving my arms to cover my eyes, and that's when I noticed I was shining too, brighter than any of the trinkets around. Though we both were training in magic, none of this was under my control. It was my power but all her doing.

Soon, I heard rustling all around us. The once quiet forest now echoed with noises that sounded far too large to be anything good. For a moment, I wondered if this was her magic as well, but then I saw it. A massive creature dripping an odd ooze with multiple eyes and rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. It rose behind Xandra, its terrifying jaw wide open as it stared right at me.

Xandra's arms rose and pointed at me at the same time the creature lunged forward. All I could do was scream and close my eyes, cursing myself for falling into her trap. Yet, when I opened my eyes, I was on the ground, unharmed. The glowing had stopped, and the terrifying creature lay off to the side, covered in the odd trinkets that were previously on the ground. They seemed to now form a sort of cage around the thing. Rendering it immobile.

Xandra helped me up but I am uncertain what happened next because I fled as fast as I could. But after that, the disappearances stopped completely, and Xandra moved up in the school. I have the odd sensation that I had been used as bait, but I am not necessarily upset about it. Maybe I will ask her about it over tea sometime...I think Xandra will really be something special one day.

Almost all of this book has turned grey. Bits and pieces of it seem to have the book's original colour, but even as you hold it the grey is ever so slowly creeping away at it, making it difficult to read most of the words printed on it.

You want a scary story? I'll give you one.
There once was a beautiful Acara. She was graceful, charming, and, of course, humble. When others looked upon her, they would shower her with admiration.
"You're more beautiful than any flower I've ever seen."
"You shine brighter than any star in the sky."
"I would do anything for you."
This Acara had it all -- beauty, admiration, so she had happiness as well.
She wanted for nought. Yet one day, a wish of hers was... misunderstood, and it all came crumbling down.
A vile curse was laid upon her, and she became ugly, so ugly that her humble heart turned bitter.
There was no way for her to get her beauty back or her happiness back, so she turned to violence.
But the darkness that had turned her soon returned and made her a promise. She would be beautiful again, more beautiful than ever before if she listened.
And so she did, and do you know what she learned? That the darkness can be too powerful, so there is no point in fighting it.
She and the darkness made a deal that day, a deal that will soon come to fruition. So hear my words now.
If you wish to survive the coming terror, then do not impede on the darkness creeping in. I am sure you will start to feel it. Some may already know its tight grip.
There is so much more at play than what you think is about to happen. Let the dark take you in, or else you may regret it.
You wanted a scary story, and oh, are you about to get one...

This handwritten book is labelled "Ambra's Items Log". Many of the entries are smudged and unreadable. Notes are scribbled throughout the margins that seem to have been added later.

Item #52: Exotic Plant - often sought out by flora enthusiasts who wish to have a showpiece in their collection but don't want to deal with the hassle of getting it the "correct" way.
This can't be what they are after.

Item #75: Superior Reflection Shield - despite being a shield, these have a tendency to break during transport, but that's a great excuse to up the price.
This could be useful if they find me...whoever they are.

Item #91: Staff of Nova - usually mistaken for its more powerful lookalike. Always ask for cash upfront when dealing with these. Clients aren't always the happiest upon delivery.
Maybe a disgruntled client is doing this?

Item #124: Evil Eye Ring - not many trade in objects like this for a reason, but beggars can't be choosers. Just be careful not to look directly at it.
Why is this happening to me? There have been three attempts so far...I don't know how to stop this.

Item #132: Queen Fyora Stamp - hard to get but easy to sell. Keeping too many around can be risky, though. Best to keep them hidden in the attic.
No one knows where my stash is. I should hide there!

Item #159: Krawk - don't particularly like dealing in petpet "transportation," but these guys often catch a hefty price.
If one of these grew to have a vendetta... I may be up here for a while.

Item #172: Floud Bomb - don't trade in explosives anymore.
I still have regrets about this one.

Item #193: Golden Peophin Harp - there are not many asks for stuff like this. It's a nice break from the other requests that come through.
The longer I'm in here, the creepier all this stuff becomes. I swear I could hear one of these instruments playing music for a moment!

Item #224: Blade of the Battle Faerie - this one may have been a mistake to take. The client was happy, but now the faeries are on high alert. It will be hard to move things in and out of Faerieland for a while.
I remember this...could a faerie really be coming for me after all this time?

Item #257: Tablet of Horrific Curses - items like this are some of the most requested items. Yet the price for handling these is always high. Both metaphorically and literally!
I wish I had never gotten into this forsaken business.

Item #289: Freezing Potion - be wary of anyone purchasing this under the table. Make sure to package it in a way the buyer can't open it right away!
I've been up here so long. Maybe this is all in my head. Maybe I can just get rid of all this junk and start over...

Item #333: Sword of the Dead - both the dead and the living can handle this. Personally not the most useful, but it doubles my clientele base.
I think I heard something downstairs. This place has looked abandoned for years. How could anyone know that I'm here?

Stapled together are many documents labelled Neighbourhood Watch Incident Report. Most of the papers are covered in an odd red substance, making it hard to read a lot of them.

Log 1
Date: 23rd day of Hunting, Y14
Location: Park in Neovia
Description of Incident:
Those Rotten twins have been a blight on this neighbourhood since they were born. Their mother won't do a thing to reprimand them, so I suppose it is up to me to document their heinous actions in the hopes of compiling enough evidence that the sheriff will actually do something about them for once. This will be one of many reports, I am sure.
Lanie and Lillie have somehow obtained many of the local children's favourite toys and strung them up among the trees in the park. I caught them laughing and dancing as the other kids tried climbing the trees to retrieve them. When pressed as to why they did this, all they said was they were the decorations for the party. What horrible children, indeed.

Log 22
Date: 14th day of Relaxing, Y14
Location: Wilberforce's Residence
Description of Incident:
The Rotten twins have really outdone themselves. They noticed me watching them from my house and actually approached me directly, then threatened me! They said I should be their babysitter if I wanted to watch them so badly, and they could show me why the last one had disappeared! They then skipped away, singing about how babysitters make the perfect cakes for their parties... It was, of course, vague enough that if I reported it, nothing would happen! Now that their mother is busy with the littlest Rotten, I fear what new horrors they will get up to. Not like she would have been much help to begin with. I can only hope that new boy of hers doesn't grow up to be as horrible as his sisters.

Log 38
Date: 6th day of Swimming, Y14
Location: Rotten's Residence
Description of Incident:
For the past few weeks, I have started noticing a pattern. The Rotten twins have been helping their mother with her flower beds in front of the house, and since then, their hydrangea bushes have grown rapidly. Alongside this new occurrence, there has also been a steady stream of new missing petpet posters appearing throughout the neighbourhood. What really turned my stomach was hearing them say how lovely the flowers would be for a party. Their brother at least appeared as disturbed as me. He's just a baby, so I may be projecting. What I'm most worried about is that next week is their birthday. I'm afraid of what they are going to do...

Log 43
Date: 13th day of Swimming, Y14
Location: Rotten's Residence
Description of Incident:
I don't know why I'm writing this one... The police already know, but I...I still can't believe what happened. Their obsession with parties was always strange, and I figured their birthday party would be morbid, but I never could have guessed that they had planned something like this. I can still hear that wretched music as they sang... I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. They're gone, and they aren't coming back. The whole family was indeed rotten to the core. Good riddance.

Log 44
Date: 11th day of Sleeping, Y15
Location: Wilberforce's Residence
Description of Incident:
This can't be happening! I hear it again...I hear them! Singing and laughing all around my house! It started out of the blue a few weeks ago, but no one believes me! But I saw them this time! They were at my window, smiling and staring. They wanted in... they wanted me! I have to get out of

This book is labelled "Beware the Bringer of Night" and seems to have been read many times as the cover and pages are well-worn and starting to fall apart.

He has been called many things, demi-god, death bringer, demon. All of these are true to some degree, and no one would know this more than those he has had under his thumb. His reasonings are unclear, but he has terrorised countless by decreeing himself their ruler. It does not matter if they are already ruled by another. Once he has his eyes on ruling, he destroys all he must to secure his crown. There are many contradicting stories about why he does what he does. Some say he does this simply because he can; others claim to have proof that he has no control over his actions, while others still quietly ruminate that it is his apparent lack of full godhood that compels him to throw his weight around. No matter the case, there have been very few who even dare try to oppose him. Those who do often do not return home in their entirety.

Many calamities have been accredited to him over the years he has roamed these lands. It's said he was seen shaking the earth to bury the old lands. Or he was the cause behind a giant cloud of ash that choked out the sky. He was even accredited for stirring the ocean to create a whirlpool big enough to swallow a land right off the map. These atrocities and more may not be confirmed. Still, it is often thought that he first started his rampage among those in the Lost Desert long before it was even known by that name. It was so long ago now that it is hard to know how he came to be, but once he was, there was no stopping him.

His greed was so great that it corrupted all those around him. They say he turned them into nothing more than servants to bring him grand fortunes. He would bleed the people dry of all their land's wealth. Then, when there was nothing more to gain, his anger would become so great that he would obliterate all in his way until he came upon a new, unsuspecting corner of the world to impoverish. It is thought that must be how he was the one to drive the Bori so deep into the mountain that they were forgotten by the rest of the world. He had wiped the world of all its jewels, so he drove us to the brink of extinction to get to the only remaining treasure - the heart of our people.

He destroyed us just as he had destroyed the world around us. But not even a power as hot as his can burn forever. You see, we also had power. And while we could not extinguish his flame, it was enough to show those he stepped upon that they could stand up to him. In the end, we had to hide, but the very first of his victims, those of the Lost Desert of their time, managed to bring down this mighty foe. The story goes that they marched into battle with a mighty military cadence and were somehow able to dull the will of the beast. They never told a soul how they managed this tremendous feat. But, due to this, they were able to beat back the monster who had enslaved them for so long and ensnare him in a prison of his own, guarded by a powerful curse.Yet a demon can bide his time for eternity.

Once again, this foul entity was set free upon our people, and if not for the brave actions of a few, we would not be here today. This is why, dear children, you must tread carefully. For even though he has seemingly been defeated for good, he has returned from the dead once already, and you never know if he will return again!

This letter has shaky handwriting, and the yellowing parchment indicates it must be very old. There is nothing else on it though to indicate who wrote it.

My parents always warned me to keep my windows closed at night. I was a good kid. I listened to everything else they had to say. But I loved the feeling of a breeze as I fell asleep, so sometimes I would open a window or two after they came to check on me for the night. I'd give anything to feel a breeze again.

Master Von Roo has admitted he didn't mean to turn me. I was just supposed to be a convenient snack. That's why I awoke alone the next morning, knowing nothing but that I felt different - hungry.

I wept as monstrous nails jutted from my hands and my teeth shifted painfully around. My parents, they heard my wails and ran to help me...I wasn't hungry after that.

Ever since then, I have followed him. To his credit, he did not force me to. In fact, he got upset when I would not leave. But I had nowhere else to go, so follow him I did, and have for a long time now.

Trekking far from my home within the Haunted Woods I have now seen most of the world. I have seen its sorrow, and its beauty, and its horror.

Master is not evil, but he is not good. He does whatever pleases him in the moment. He jokes amongst patrons at taverns, sings ancient tunes alongside travelling musicians, and passes out coins to village children.

Yet, I've also watched as he's passed by those in desperate need of help, turned others into monsters without care, and destroyed whole lives when he hungers.

I wonder if I will do such things one day. Will I lose myself as he has?

I like to think I've been a good kid and kept to my parent's teachings since I began following him. I have fed, but only to survive. No more lives have been taken or twisted such as mine. But there are the tasks...

When the Master remembers that I am here he will sometimes send me away on tasks. Most of these seem to be him toying with me. At first, I thought he was serious, but the more I do the more I think he is just trying to see what levels of depravity he can send me down.

This is why I write this, for I think this is the last task he will ever ask of me.

When we arrived in his homeland he stopped me from following. He said he was staying and that I could not. He told me he was interested in seeing what I would become, but for that to happen much more time needed to pass me by.

I have been tasked to wander as he has. To never know familiarity. I think he wants me to become like him. He wants me to become a monster...

If I do, someone please, send me to see my mom and dad.

This stack of paper seems to be a rough draft of a manuscript. A lot of pages are missing and many things seem to have been erased or scribbled out.

When I heard he was gone, I was angry at myself. Angry that my first thought wasn't one of joy. He was a terrible man, and the fact he is dead means the world is better off, right? And yet, my first thought was a selfish one. If he is gone, what happens to me? How can I atone now? Perhaps through this book, I can start to work through these thoughts and bare my soul to the world. They can decide who I am.

I know to atone, I must lay bare my misdeeds, but I can't yet. I suppose I still haven't come to terms with what I've done. Even if it was he who made me do them. All I could manage to do was fight him over and over again. I should have done more. But he needed to be stopped.

His plans always seemed comical at first. Things that seemed like they could never work. Destroy the world by turning all of the potatoes into fries, take over everything by creating a popular musical that subconsciously brainwashed everyone who heard it into doing his bidding, set fire to the sun, blah blah blah. But the more I was forced to do his bidding, the more I saw how his mind worked and how he hid his true power and intentions behind absurd ramblings.

Once free of his control, I thought my first step had to be destroying him. Back then, I thought it was for justice, but perhaps it was just for revenge. Either way, I wasn't the one who stopped him. I have done nothing.

I've been wandering his old stomping grounds. He may not be around anymore, but that doesn't mean he hasn't left some terrible plan behind. Perhaps this is actually all part of his bigger plan??

Something strange is going on in his castle. At night, I hear movement in the halls, but when I go to investigate, I find nothing. Many of the rooms I've wandered before are locked. Yet when I break in, no one is there.

I've been on my own for a while now. No one has really come around. The few who have said I should leave here. I know I need to. I need to find other ways to help those I've hurt. But if I leave now, what will this all have been for?

His painting in the grand entrance seems as though its eyes follow me. He is still watching me. Tormenting me!

It's only a matter of time before he returns. When he lived, he could summon ghosts to do his bidding. So it makes sense that he could summon himself upon his death, right?

There have been more and more ghost sightings in the old graveyard. There's never been this many. It has to be him. I know he is here.

I see him floating just out of the corner of my eye. He's there one moment and gone the next. There in the trees, in the tombstones, in the ground but not in the ground. He is here. He is after me. He is haunting me. He must be stopped. It is my duty to stop him. If I stop him, I can move on.

Someone crumpled up this tear-stained note and concealed it inside a hidden compartment disguised as a brick on a Faerieland castle balcony.

I thought I saw you last night.
Lounging in the courtyard, where we used to sit together, charting grand futures.
For a moonbeam-dappled moment, I could have sworn you called for me from the shadows.
As if you had been waiting all this time, for us to pick up where we left off.

Then, the clouds parted.
The grass lay empty while a dead silence evidenced that even the wind sought to abandon me,
And the moon illuminated the fact that I was still alone.
An eternal verity I accepted when first lifting the crown.

I thought I saw you last night.
Alone in the library, perusing the mustiest tome you could find.
Perched on the corner of those stiff chairs you could never seem to sit still on.
Provoking stifled memories to rupture their restraints and abscond to the forefront of my mind.

Then, the shadows faded.
Memories of simpler times twisted into fragmented phantasms of the past... slipping away.
Leaving me nostalgic for your irksome fidgeting, your rambling yet fervent tangents,
And sobbing into the arms of a deeply perplexed Seshatia.

I thought I saw you last night.
Propped against the throne, twiddling your curved locks.
The same spot where you counselled me through the darkest of times.
Never shying away from even the most contentious of conversations.

Then, a gentle zephyr roused my wandering mind.
Stirring me from my conceited daydream.
The tender breeze wished to remind me,
That you had always closed the windows before dark.

I thought I saw us last night.
Arguing in the reflection of the Rainbow Fountain.
When I faltered, you were never afraid to share your every thought.
Until our quarrels reached a crescendo, and an insurmountable distance grew between us.

Then, I looked up across the water.
To see younger faeries shouting in our place.
I witnessed Earth and Shadow parting before me,
History revolves as they turn their backs on one another.

I thought I saw you last night.
Or at least that intrigued gleam of yours, reflected in the eyes of a gifted young sorceress.
She acted as you did in those days, lighting up at new discoveries, unable to let go of the past.
Once more, I found myself lacking, unable to balance duty and friendship.

Then, I woke to a stone-cold realisation.
The years had worn away my convictions, driven me to clutch secrets tight to my chest.
How could either of you truly be to blame for your missteps,
When your leader failed to guide you down the right path?

I thought I saw you last night.
Then I remembered,
because of me,
there's nothing left of you...

This crumpled-up piece of paper has a note from Reginald attached "I'm honestly not sure what to take from this...but it haunts me.