I am a dark faerie. I might as well say it bluntly, get it out in the open. I can see your expressions of disgust right about now for I have been seeing them throughout my very long life. Funny how it is disgust and revulsion that come to mind initially. I can see your eyes flicker over to my wings. Yes, they are destroyed. Maimed and crippled, rendering me flightless and a disgrace to my kind. Ah, now curiosity overcomes you. Very well, I will tolerate your initial rudeness and tell you my story. I am over 400 years old. I was here in the very first age of Neopia, before there were humans, before there were NeoPets. There were just us.

No one knows what the original faeries were or how we came about. We just appeared, like the morning dew. I imagine things back then were just the same as they are now. Six elements, six different types of faeries. It didn't take long for the first power struggles to emerge. The light and dark faeries were the first to contest, as our elements are such opposites. Soon complex alliances were formed, betrayals were committed, and rule by force dominated. Our first faerie queen arose out of this chaos, restoring order and balance to our kind. The old rivalries live one, however.

I came into existence in the rule of our second queen, Queen Miriol. Faerieland had been established by that time and a rigid caste section was in place. I had little opportunity of advancement at such a young age, nor did I want to advance in our ranks. My superiors paid little attention to me. I did not try to distinguish myself in any way. Eventually I secured a position in Queen Miriol's service as a guard. I spent my time patrolling the outer wall of the palace, a act done only for show really. Ever since the queens had taken power we had very little violence amongst ourselves. I enjoyed my simple life and remained content where I was. Things would have remained much the same if it weren't for a light faerie that shared my shift.

She was overly haughty, only a touch older than myself and slightly better at magic. I paid her little attention. How naïve of me to do so. For although I wished this light faerie no ill, she harbored towards me the worst of intentions. She could not stand to see my deep purple wings, my aura of dark power. It was loathsome to her. Funny how it never occurred to her that her own brilliant radiance of light burned my eyes and skin when I came too near. It was the nature of opposites, to despise one another. I kept my feelings to myself and buried any forbearing about this other faerie I may have harbored.

This faerie, we shall call her Hvai, allowed my nature to irk her constantly. It gnawed at her, tormented her. She grew to despise me more each and every day. It was like a worm gnawing away at an apple, turning the core rotten. This only added to her distress. Her nature was light and goodness, and so this horrible malignant hatred of me was against her very nature. She blamed me and loathed me the more for it. I had no idea of what was taking place in her heart. One day, she decided to act. Her mind had become so consumed with hatred of herself and I that she had been driven half-mad. Although I had done no wrong she deemed me evil of the worst crimes against faerie kind. She decided I could not be suffered to stay any longer.

I heard her approaching that fateful day, as I stood on the battlements looking out across the city. I straightened my back and steeled my nerves to pay her no attention. I could feel the aura of light that surrounding her slide across my skin, burning as it touched. She stopped behind me. I twitched slightly but still did not pay any attention.

"Ak du's trivviol," she hissed, a horrible insult in our language.

I whirled around, furious. But that was what she had intended for all along. Her weapon flashed once and I fell, back and over the castle wall.

I do not know how badly I was injured for I blacked out shortly after I was wounded. I came to much later with a water faerie nearby. I staggered to my feet and took stock of my injuries. The only permanent damage from the fall had been done to my wings. They were destroyed. I would never fly again.

"I'm sorry," the other faerie murmured, "I came too late. Hvai has been banished by the Queen. If that can come as any comfort to you."

I didn't reply, merely turned my back and left. For the woods, for darkness and solitude. I never returned to Faerieland and I don't intend to. I live here, alone, and watch the doings of my kind and other Neopians with disinterest. I do not deign this land worthy and I have no hope for it. If one such as I can be condemned for no wrong other than existence, then who can claim that good still lives in this world? We are nothing but beautiful liars, all of us. I doubt anyone even remembers that I exist. It does not matter. Nothing does. I see your horrified expressions. Has my tale distressed you? Did you really think us faeries above any evil? Naïve. Go then, and make what you will of my story. I am weary of relating it and weary of you staring at my wings. Go then, and leave this crippled faerie to her memories.