Chapter 5: A Fairy Affair
Not long after Seth and his friends had departed from Fablehaven, Kendra found herself being awoken by the sound of voices booming into her bedroom from the first floor below. Even though she was two floors above, sound traveled fairly well throughout the house. Kendra yawned as she rolled out of bed, then made her way down to the second floor.
As she walked towards the bathroom, she was able to make out the adults of the family arguing about something, if the sounds of their voices were anything to go on. Part of Kendra wanted to find out what was going on, the other felt that she shouldn't go sticking her nose into other people's business.
Kendra entered the bathroom and washed up, then went back to her room, where she changed into her clothes for the day. Regardless of her view of the argument, she would have to go downstairs anyway in order to get breakfast.
"Well I don't know what he expects us to do!" blurted Mr. Sorenson's voice from the kitchen, as Kendra made her way downstairs. She continued onward into the kitchen, where her parents, grandparents, Warren, Dale and Tanu were all standing around.
"What's going on here?" asked Kendra, trying to figure out what all the commotion was about.
"Did Seth tell you about this, Kendra?" asked Grandpa.
"Tell me about what?"
Grandpa sighed. "Seth took off with Lance and David last night. They left Fablehaven."
Kendra dropped her jaw. "They left? What do you mean?"
"Read this," said Grandpa, handing a note to Kendra, which she began to read to herself upon sitting down on a stool.
Dear family and friends
David confessed to me that he has been possessed by Zavarok, the innocent twin brother of Navarog. Umbriel confirmed the demon's presence just to make sure. However, David claims that Zavarok is not evil, even though he's a demon. We were afraid that you guys would not believe us, and possibly do harm to David and/or Zavarok if we tried telling you. I'm sorry to take off like this, but we just didn't feel safe telling you in person. We are trying to find a way to resolve this issue on our own, and will return when we can. The three of us will attempt to take off with Raxtus.
Please, don't hate us for this. I love you all and wouldn't do something like this without a reason.
Seth, David and Lance
"Is he serious?" asked Kendra.
"This doesn't appear to be a joke," said Tanu. "We've scoured the area and there's no sign of the boys or Raxtus."
"Raxtus left too?"
"Seems like it," replied Dale. "We woke Geminus to ask if she knew about this, and she's just as shocked as we are.
"But Raxtus is a fairy dragon!" exclaimed Kendra, who then grumbled. "They must've lied to Raxtus, I know it! He'd never agree to help if he knew what this was all about!"
"I'm still shocked at the whole Zavarok thing, myself," said Warren. "That David seemed like such a nice kid. And now he's trying to pass himself off as the host of a good demon."
"Since when did Navarog have a brother, anyway?" asked Kendra.
"I must admit that there's a lot about Navarog that we likely never knew about," said Grandpa. "It's quite possible that he could very well have a brother, and maybe even more siblings. However, what I'm not buying is this whole good demon story."
"What do you mean?"
"All demons are evil," said Tanu. "It's in their nature. Navarog was classified as a demonic dragon no doubt do to the fact that demon genetics dwell within his body. And no doubt he and Zavarok share the same parents, if we're led to the believe that the two of them are twins."
"True or not," said Warren, "what are we supposed to do about this whole situation? The boys' parents are going to kill us if they find out they've run off like this."
"What if their parents are in on this?" asked Kendra. "I hate to jump to conclusions, but we barely even know them."
"Something to consider," said Grandpa. "Rather than fret, let's look at the whole situation with more thought. One: David claims that the twin brother of Navarog is not evil, and that he's inside his body. While this may be true, I'm not buying this whole good demon story at all. Seth however, can be gullible, and he might be oblivious to the danger here due to being a shadow charmer. After all, demons are instinctively evil by nature. Two: Seth bought this story and has somehow persuaded Raxtus in taking them to find help. Exactly where they're going is still a mystery. And three: If they do succeed in restoring Zavarok, or whatever they're planning on doing, we could be in serious trouble."
Kendra' eyes lit up. "Why don't we just ask the fairies for help? They could use the Omega Star to set things straight, right?"
Grandma winced. "I'm not too keen on getting the fairies involved with all this, but it might very well be the wisest approach to this situation."
"I agree," said Grandpa. "We've reached an agreement with the fairies that while they're in charge of what goes on with the five instruments, that us Knights of the Dawn have permission to request their usage in a crisis. And I'd say that someone trying to restore Navarog's double could very well constitute as a crisis."
Kendra rubbed her forehead. This huge revolution regarding, Seth, Lance, David, and now apparently Zavarok had hit her like a ton of bricks. What was the deal with Zavarok, and what was his motivation? Kendra had never so much as even heard of Zavarok before, and had a feeling that no one else in the room did either. She was worried, but knew that with the fairies' assistance, they could remedy the problem fairly easily.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Kendra.
"It's quite simple, really," replied Grandpa. "After breakfast, you will arrange to meet with the Fairy Queen. Explain the situation to her as best you can, and hopefully, she'll permit you to use the Omega Star and let us solve this whole ordeal the easy and practical way."
Kendra nodded in agreement, as she prepared to eat a bowl of oatmeal that her mother placed down in front of her. Once she was finished, Kendra went back upstairs to brush her teeth, then changed into a formal dress, the same vibrant one that Bright had conjured up for her for their visit to the Fairbanks' two months prior.
She then went back downstairs, where Warren was waiting for her, dressed in a formal tuxedo, complete with a carnation boutonniere.
"You look nice, Kendra," he said with a smile. "We've explained the situation to Bright and Clover, but to be quite honest, they aren't too thrilled about the whole thing. Anyway, if you're ready to go, we can get rolling."
Kendra and Warren departed from the house, making their way across the yard and into the forest. From there, they ventured down the path that ultimately led them to the naiad's pond. They soon arrived at the pond, where the rainbow bridge that connected the shore to island in the center was beaming vividly.
"Ah, there you are," said Bright, with a somewhat concerned look on her face.
"You look a bit perturbed, Bright," said Kendra.
"I'm just worried," the fairy angel replied. "I mean, if this whole Zavarok thing is true, who knows what else he could be up to. Let's just go and get this whole thing over with."
Bright led Kendra and Warren across the rainbow bridge. As they crossed, Kendra kept reminding herself that not just anybody could do the same; only a select few who had been elected by the Fairy Queen herself. Anyone else would merely pass through as though the bridge were intangible.
Once they stepped onto the island on the other side, Bright walked up to the statue of the Fairy Queen and unleashed her rainbow-colored magic upon it. The statue then began to glow in a flurry of colors, indicating that it was now active.
Kendra, Warren and Bright all stepped up to the statue, and allowed its magic to pull them through to the other side. A moment later, the light faded, revealing that the beautiful Fairy Kingdom had replaced the naiad's pond that had previously been surrounding them.
Kendra glanced around at her surroundings. It wasn't often that she had been given clearance to enter the Fairy Kingdom. They had arrived in a garden next to a statue of the Fairy Queen; identical to the one back at Fablehaven. The plants were blooming vibrantly, and the sun was joyously bright, as it usually was in the realm of the fairies.
From the garden, Bright led Kendra and Warren over to the gate outside the royal castle. Bright spoke to the guard, who then gave them permission to pass through and enter the castle proper.
Although Kendra had been here several times in the past, visiting the castle of the Fairy Queen always impressed her. The floors, walls, ceilings and pillars were all constructed out of a rainbow of crystals, right down to the last tile. It was a magnificent sight to behold.
Bright directed Kendra and Warren upstairs and down a hallway to a set of large, double doors. Recalling her previous visits, Kendra knew that this was the throne room of the Fairy Queen herself. In fact, had this been her first visit, Kendra would've made the same assumption.
"We're here on official business," said Bright to the fairy guarding the doors. "Let us pass."
"Of course," said the guard, as she pushed one of the doors open, revealing the throne room on the other side.
Kendra, Warren and Bright all stepped into the throne room, where surely enough, the Fairy Queen was sitting on her throne atop the dais at the far end.
"Kendra!" said the Fairy Queen from across the room. "How nice to see you again!"
"Good morning, Mother," said Bright, as the group walked across the room towards the throne.
"Hello, your majesty," said Warren.
"What brings you here?" asked the Fairy Queen, as Kendra, Warren and Bright walked up the steps that her throne stood upon.
"We kind of have a problem," said Warren.
"A problem?" asked the Fairy Queen. "What's wrong? Is Fablehaven under attack? Is the Society of the Evening Star up to something?"
"No," said Kendra. "It's about this... demon."
Kendra and Warren took turns explaining the whole situation regarding David and Zavarok to the Fairy Queen, who seemed to be quite miffed upon hearing the bad news.
"So," said the Fairy Queen. "This David. He's been wrongly possessed by a demon? And this demon is actually the twin brother of Navarog?"
"That's what we've been told," said Warren.
"And you want us fairies to just wish away this problem, correct?"
"Could you?" asked Warren.
"Perish the thought," snapped the Fairy Queen, whose remark made Kendra jump. "From what I understand, you want David to be separated from Zavarok. That is, if they actually are two separate entities"
"What's wrong with that?" asked Warren.
"Because then we'd have a demon floating around," said the Fairy Queen. "Which we'd have to banish, since destroying it is not an option, even with the Omega Star."
"Hold on," said Kendra. "We don't know if Zavarok is actually evil or not!"
"He's a demon," said the Fairy Queen. "And as such, he is undoubtedly evil, no matter how friendly he comes off as. Do you not recall how friendly Gavin Rose made himself out to be?"
Kendra stopped to reminisce about Gavin. Until his revelation back at Wyrmroost, he truly did feel like a genuine friend to Kendra. Was Seth falling for a similar trap too? If he was aware of Zavarok, why did it seem like he couldn't recall what had become of Gavin?
"Kendra," said the Fairy Queen. "If there's a demon out there, we'll gladly banish it to Zzyzx for you."
"I don't think you quite understand," stated Warren. "This demon might not be evil. At least, that's what we've been told."
"Do you really believe that a demon might not be evil?" asked the Fairy Queen. "It's impossible. It's their nature. Even a wish from the Omega Star would be incapable of rectifying that."
"Could you at least transport the boys back to Fablehaven and let us deal with them from there?" asked Warren.
"I'm not very keen on that idea. You possess no means of extracting the demon yourself, and I don't approve of demons running around near my shrines, let alone anywhere in the mortal realm. I feel that Zavarok needs to be vanquished immediately."
Kendra's heart was trembling in fear. Although she knew that demons were evil, part of her wanted to believe that Zavarok was actually good. The way David had been acting; it just felt different from the times when Navarog had been posing as Gavin and Seth. However, if the Fairy Queen had her way, then there was the possibility that a legitimately good soul was going to be banished to a point of no return.
As Kendra pondered, the Fairy Queen rubbed her hand on a crystal ball that stood on a podium next to her throne. Within seconds, five full-bodied fairies materialized at the bottom of the stairs in front of the throne.
It didn't take long for Kendra to recognize the quintet. They were the five fairy angels who served as keepers for the instruments of eternal power. The two who stood out to Kendra right away were Opal and Tiara. The other three were Brillia, Bravia and Brook, Bright's older sisters. The five keepers, upon seeing the group of Kendra, Warren and Bright, were all quick to greet them upon making their arrival.
"What did you summon us here for, mother?" asked Brook, stroking her shimmering crystalline hair.
"We have a predicament," said the Fairy Queen, as she, Kendra, Warren and Bright explained the situation to the five keepers.
"So, do you understand what we're trying to do?" asked Bright.
The five keepers all nodded, although they seemed to be somewhat frazzled by the whole ordeal.
"Good," said the Fairy Queen. "In that case, I want you five to assemble the Omega Star so that we can banish Zavarok to Zzyzx and be done with him."
"No!" exclaimed Kendra, drawing attention from everyone in the room.
"My dear, do you really want another Navarog plotting against you?" asked the Fairy Queen. "The sooner we deal with this brother of his, the better."
"I don't know," said Tiara. "What if Kendra has a point?"
"Don't be daft," said Brillia. "A demon is a demon. Let's just get rid of it."
"I'm with you, Tiara," said Opal. "I gave everything I had to help save Seth when he was possessed by Navarog. We took extra precaution to make sure that we did no harm to him while trying to recover the instruments."
"And now we're just supposed to banish Zavarok, without learning of his true intentions?" asked Tiara.
"He's a demon," said the Fairy Queen. "I want him banished right away."
"Well, not all of us necessarily agree with you, Mother," said Bright sternly. "If Kendra seems so sure of this, maybe Zavarok isn't entirely evil. He is part dragon, after all."
"But he's still part demon," stated Bravia. "Just like his brother. I say we banish him."
"Show of hands," said the Fairy Queen. "All who believe we should banish Zavarog?"
The Fairy Queen, Brillia, Bravia and Brook all raised their hands.
"And all who believe Zavarok should be helped?"
Tiara, Opal, Bright, Kendra and Warren then raised their hands.
"Five to four," said Warren with a grin. "We win!"
"Absolutely not, said the Fairy Queen. "What gives you the right to vote? This decision is entirely up to us fairies, not mortals."
Warren groaned. "You know, it was mortals such as myself who recovered those very instruments which you're all so fond of."
"That is unrelated to the decision at hand," said the Fairy Queen. "And for the most part, my fairies helped you along the way."
"What about Bracken?" asked Kendra. "Or Clover? Or Geminus?
"What goes on regarding the instruments is not something that they have a say in," said the Fairy Queen. "And there aren't many other fairies I'd leave this decision up to to."
"Can we at least transport Zavarok to a safe environment, somewhere in our world?" asked Warren. "It doesn't have to be on a preserve."
"If we get the Omega Star formed, we're sending Zavarok to Zzyzx," said Brillia. "You can be sure of it."
"Just what we need," said Warren. "Conflict amongst the fairies."
"Well, what are we going to do?" asked Bright. "My kin appear to have reached an impasse."
"This is terrible," said Warren. "We can't get them to agree with us."
"At least they're not entirely disagreeing," added Kendra.
"I'm sorry," said the Fairy Queen. "But I don't think we're going to solve this dispute any time soon."
"I think we should go," said Bright.
"We're sorry to bother you," said Kendra. "Maybe you'll think of a better solution later on?"
"We hope to," said the Fairy Queen. "You do bring up a good point, but the truth is, there has been no such thing as a good demon, ever."
Bright led Kendra and Warren out of the throne room, then made her way outside of the castle. It was unfortunate that the fairies were torn on the whole prospect of helping them. They had raised a valid argument, but deep inside, Kendra couldn't decide who was wrong, and who was right.
Bright then used her magic to make the statue of the Fairy Queen glow, allowing them to step out of Fairy Realm and return to Fablehaven.