Dar forced himself to look the faerie queen in the eyes, eyes that were still shining with tears even as she smiled. The faeries around them were no longer glowing; some were dismounting their winged steeds and stepping on to the Nimbus. Their shallow breathes and melancholy sighs shook the air around them- the shock was still fresh on their faces, although some were weeping quietly or smiling gently.

"Where will I go now?" Dar asked, looking around at the wide-eyed faces around him. "What will become of me?"

Fyora sighed, and Dar realized for the first time that she was an imperfect being, one with doubts and emotions just like him. "You are no longer an infant," she replied, evading the question. "You are an adult Korbat now. Lilicah will reborn in a few days time, and you must understand that she cannot return to care for you."

Dar nodded. It had made since, but he had hoped

Fyora interrupted his thoughts with another sigh. "She has her duties as one of us now. She will have to serve Faerieland and the citizens of Neopia."

"How?" Dar croaked, "how will she be reborn?"

"That is a secret guarded by our kind for centuries, one which no Neopet will ever discover," Fyora replied, voice betraying a hint of gloominess. "But she will reenter the world as one of us, with no memory of her other life."

"But where will I go?" Dar demanded again.

Illusen the earth faerie stepped forward, looking somewhat awkward. "There is a kingdom near the place I will someday live, a kingdom without a ruler," she explained gravely. "And it is one of the duties of the faeries to assign monarchs to places where no royal is there to rule."

Dar blinked, trying to hide his surprise. It felt as if the cloud was spinning before him, threatening to hurls him off into the serene blue sky Responsibility like that. He wasn't ready

"Do you mean?" Dar ventured lamely, numb with confusion.

Fyora nodded. "It is our wish for you to assume the throne of this kingdom," she announced, the regal, commanding quality returning to her voice. She had spoken loudly enough for the entire assembly to hear.

Dar gulped, not knowing how to answer.

The faerie queen's voice softened as she spotted the bewilderment etched in his face. "It is your decision," she said softly, "and you may refuse if that is your wish. But if you accept," she added, "you may take Lilicah's orb with you to assist you in your duties."

Dar glanced around at the sea of faces around him, feeling less ready than ever to make such a decision. Lilicah will be a faerie, he thought, and Fyora is right, I'm not an infant any more. I don't want to be sent to the pound. And they wouldn't offer this to me if I wasn't ready, would they?

Before he could stop himself or think any further, Dar announced, "I accept!"

Fyora smiled at him as he asked, "But why? Why did you choose me for this?"

"Because you are bold of heart and noble of character," she smiled as Dar shook his head in puzzlement. "You have shown courage equal to the faeries, to any ruler, during this ordeal." She paused to look around at the faeries surrounding them, many of whom were nodding their agreement. "But, keep in mind, DuskWinged_Darigan, that I chose you not only because of who you are, but who you will come to be."

"I'll do my best," the Korbat replied solemnly. "When will I see this kingdom?"

"Soon."

* * *

Illusen accompanied Dar to the kingdom a week later, the Korbat clutching the orb in one hand. Twisting rivers, snowcapped mountainsides, and velvety plains stretched out below them as they soared through the cloudless sky.

The earth faerie halted over a small island where a beautiful citadel hovered over the ground, casting elegant, eerie black shadows over the blooming Sponderolas.

"This is it," Illusen whispered, leaf-like wings fluttering delicately as she landed. Dar followed suit, landing on the freshly-dug earth in front of the floating citadel.

"What's this kingdom called?" Dar asked curiously. It was the only detail the faeries had left out.

"Now is the dawning of a new era, for you are its new monarch," Illusen quoted from the ceremonial texts in a monotone. "With the new age comes a new age. You must name it as you wish."

Dar sighed inwardly. More responsibility. I'm not sure I'm ready for this. "Umm, is it alright if I name it Darigan, after myself?" he stammered, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "It's not self-promotion, I just can't think of anything else at the moment."

Illusen smiled. "So be it. Enter the citadel and talk to the faerie in the throne room. I will leave you now." The earth faerie flew away, fluttering wing carrying her back to Faerieland.

Dar's wings brought him a few inches off the ground to meet the looming citadel. With one hand he twisted open the ornamental bronze doorknob while the other one was still clenching the orb. A golden room met him on the other side of the carved wooden door, where a light faerie stood near a red velvet throne.

Dar gasped. Light faerie. Golden hair, golden wings. Eyes amber, not silver, but still the same. Same face, same soul

"L-lilicah?" the Korbat whispered. His mistress- former mistress- stood before him with her new faerie wings, clothed in golden silk. Her body gave off the power and light of the faeries, but she was unchanged, except for her now-amber eyes.

Lilicah beamed, and Dar remembered that she would not recognize him. "Yes. How did you know my name, Lord Darigan?"

Lord Darigan. Dar's heart sank, remembering the change that was about to unfold. "The faeries told me. You look familiar."

The light faerie nodded. "Yes, I'm the faerie on the trading card. I'm just here to make sure your journey was safe. I will be leaving now."

Lilicah drew back the burgundy drapes that hung majestically in front of the immense windows, drenching the elegant room in golden sunlight. She opened the windows with a creak and flew out, disappearing in the sunlit sky.

As Dar stood their, watching the golden beams dance across the room, Illusen's words came to mind again. Now is the dawning of a new era, he thought, and I'm going to be okay.

He set the orb gently in a glass case near the window, watching the gleaming surface catch the light. Pteris were singing outside as beautiful flowers wove rainbows across the fragrant grass. The sky was bright and cloudless, a lone golden figure visible between the rays of the sun.

I'm going to be okay.