The First Neopian Story I Ever Read - Oh my God

2006-05-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the greatest heroes are the unknown ones, and sometimes they aren't heroes at all, but people trapped in events beyond their control. I must warn you, this series is an intense one, and I do not gloss anything over. Very few people know of the nature of the unspeakable evil that threatened all of Neopia. Even fewer know of the price that was paid to defeat it. And only one knows of the true darkness, and what the heart of love is. As all stories have a beginning, and so this one starts simply. It can take a single snowflake to start an avalanche, and so, the greatest battle between good and evil begins with an Eyrie.

Pals

To start this story, I'd better introduce myself. My friends always tell me I get too excited when telling a story, and jump ahead. So before I start leaping all over the place trying to get this told, I'll let you know who I am. Technically my name is child_dragon, but I'm Kiddo to everyone, a shorter version of my name. My pet is Un-eairkagh, and he's an Eyrie. A rather cocky and spoiled Eyrie I might add. Anyway, before I drift too far off the track, Un-eairkagh and I have been trying to get something from the Snowager for quite some time. But every time we trekked up there, Un-eairkagh complaining all the way (he doesn't like cold), the Snowager was awake, and we couldn't get close. Till one especially freezing day, so cold that even I admitted it was a bit chilly, we made our usual hike up to the caves. Un-eairkagh was complaining bitterly like usual, I merely ignored him and pulled my jacket closer.

"It's gonna be a blizzard," he said sourly.

"Hey now," I retorted. "I told you, I know about storms and stuff. We're not going to be stuck in a blizzard."

"Sure�" he said sarcastically. "Sort of like how you said that one Kougra would be easy."

"That wasn't my fault!" I protested. "You missed twice."

He sniffed irritably. I shook my head and trudged on. My Eyrie isn't a coward, he's never backed down from a fight, he just complains too much. I could see the ice caves up ahead. There was a startled squawk from behind me and I spun around, nearly losing my footing in the snow. All I could see of Un-eairkagh was a tail tip and the top of his wings. I dove forwards and frantically started digging. His head quickly emerged from the snow, the rest of him following. He shook himself off, vainly trying to rid his fur of the clinging snow.

"Are you all right?" I said breathlessly.

"Quite fine," he said dryly. "The drifts here are too deep for me."

"Can you make it to the caves?"

"Yeah� you go first though."

"Sure."

I picked my way through the snow and entered the ice caves. We walked along the massive cavern, giving the crevice a wide gap. I could see the cave leading to the Snowager up ahead.

"Here goes nothing!" I said cheerily.

"Easy for you to say," he grumbled from behind me. "I hope you brought that healing potion?"

"Yes, I did, and stop being a pessimist! We'll be fine."

I went in first, sliding around the ice wall and peeking into the chamber. The Snowager was sound asleep, curled up on top his treasure.

"We're in luck," I whispered to Un-eairkagh.

"Luck?"

We cautiously made our way into the cavern, sliding along the floor until we reached the bottom of the mound. The Snowager stirred slightly, and Un-eairkagh let out a small squeak. I froze, petrified with fear. The Snowager twitched a little, and then was still. I let out my breath slowly in one shaky gasp.

"Okay, that was close, let's go," Un-eairkagh said, sidling towards the exit.

"Not so fast," I hissed, grabbing his tail. "It's asleep, I'm not missing this opportunity."

"We could be destroyed!" he replied, slightly panicky. "It's not sleeping that hard! Don't be stupid, Kiddo."

"You can stay here if you want. I'm going for it."

I inched up towards the pile.

"Kiddo! Don't!"

I ignored him. A couple more feet. Almost there. The treasure was within my grasp. I reached forward and plucked the nearest item from the pile.

The Snowager woke with a roar, shaking the ceiling of the room. I staggered back, dropping the treasure as its eyes fixed on me. It hissed angrily.

"KIDDO!!!"

The Snowager lunged forward, and I saw the end heading for me. Then a blue shape slammed into my side, throwing me out of the Snowager's path. I scrambled to my feet and saw Un-eairkagh lying halfway across the cavern, struggling to rise. The Snowager was preparing to strike again. I ran towards Un-eairkagh, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and hauling him to his feet. We took of running down the tunnel, the Snowager's roars dwindling behind us. We collapsed to the ground once we were safely away.

"You have the potion?" the Eyrie asked weakly.

"Yeah," I said, digging through my backpack. "I wrapped it up pretty well, so hopefully� oh no."

The potion has shattered.

"We'll just have to walk to the healing springs," I said softly.

There was a soft thud from behind me. I turned around. Un-eairkagh had passed out cold.

"Oh no!" I wailed, crying. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't of been so stubborn, this wouldn't have happened. I'm so sorry�"

I rocked back and forth, berating myself for ever doing something so stupid. My pet was hurt, and it was my fault. No use crying, I thought angrily, and dried my eyes. Let's see, what to do now? Well, I need to get him warm. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around him. I then took hold of the ends and managed to hoist him onto my back. I staggered under his weight, and but didn't drop him. He wasn't that big, but then, neither am I. I started plodding for Faerieland.

By the time I reached the springs, I probably needed healing also. But I stood anxiously by as the faerie healed my pet. Un-eairkagh staggered to his feet, blinking at the sudden change of surroundings.

"Oh, the springs," he said blearily.

"Yeah," I muttered from where I had collapsed on the ground.

"Hey, ummm�." Un-eairkagh began, shuffling his feet. "Thanks for saving me."

I laughed.

"Thanks for saving me. I thought I was a goner there."

He grinned at me.

"What are friends for?"

"Indeed," I replied happily.

"Time to head home?"

"You bet."

Un-eairkagh got a thoughtful look on his face.

"I'll glide us home!" he said, bouncing to his feet excitedly.

"Oh no you don't!" I exclaimed. "You can't fly carrying me!"

"Yes I can, I've done it before!" he said indignity.

"And ran me into a pine tree, breaking my wrist! I couldn't practice flute for months!"

"And that's a bad thing?" he said solemnly.

I shrieked and curled up into as small a ball as possible as Un-eairkagh bounded towards me. There was a sharp tug in the back of my shirt, and we were airborne. Un-eairkagh let out a whoop and went into a steep dive towards home, leaving my stomach behind at 10,000 feet.

If you don't know what the Rainbow Fountain was, it was a way to change your pets colour of species for free. All you had to do was get a pass by signing up for sponsors. I loved the idea, and got the inspiration for this story through it.

A Strange Tail

I woke to someone bouncing excitedly on my bed and light on my face. I tried to pull the covers up over my head, but they were pulled back by a large form standing on my chest.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, you gotta get up!" a voice shouted in my face.

I groaned and sat up, blinking my eyes groggily. A blue Eyrie peered into my face to make sure I was really up.

"I'm awake. Sheesh," I muttered, scratching his head. He grinned and leaped off the bed, yelling something behind him as he bounded out of my room.

"What was that!?" I called after him. No reply. "Un-eairkagh!"

There was the sound of claws skidding on wood and Un-eairkagh's head appeared in the doorway.

"Hurry up! Sabreur has something he wants to show us."

And then he was gone again. I got up, shut and locked the door so I could get ready for the day in peace. Sabreur is my brother, two years older than me. He's brilliant, and currently being paid to go to college. But he still had plenty of time to spend with his pet Scorchio, Infernus_2000. After I got dressed, I wondered into the kitchen where Un-eairkagh was finishing up breakfast. I poured myself some cereal and ate hurriedly, as my Eyrie bounced around the kitchen in a fit of hyperactivity.

"Melody coming?" I asked of him. Melody is my best friend, also two years older and a college student.

"No. She's out doing something with Padiglione."

"Ah. When are you two getting married?" I asked innocently.

He skidded to a halt and glared at me evilly. "That's not funny. At all."

"Then how come you two are always spending time together?"

"We're best friends. Besides, Infernus spends as much time as I do with her. And Sabreur hangs out with Melody too. They're not getting married. So quit teasing me."

"Then quit calling me Kiddo."

"Kiddo, Child_dragon, what's the difference?"

I sighed and dumped my dishes in the sink to clean up later.

Un-eairkagh was uncontrollable for the short walk down to Sabreur's house. I was about to strangle him by the time we got there, especially after he knocked over some poor Nimmo and his owner. I politely knocked on the door, but my Eyrie just burst on in, nearly knocking over the red Scorchio, Infernus. I grabbed his tail and he whipped around to face me.

"Un-eairkagh, you can't just go bursting into people's houses, you've got to knock first," I scolded.

"Well, yeah, but Sabreur's your brother, for crying out loud!"

"That doesn't matter."

"Whatever," he said, striding off towards the rear of the house.

"Sorry, Infernus," I said to the Scorchio "He's been off the walls all morning."

"That's okay. C'mon, Sabreur's in his lab."

We walked to the very last room in his house, where my brother spent his time making cool little gadgets, most of them highly destructive and meant for the Battledome. Infernus was an excellent fighter, unlike Un-eairkagh who lacked the dedication to become good, or Padiglione who never fought. My brother was busy finishing up the connections to a few wires, in the midst of an enormous pile of junk.

"So what's new?" I asked.

"I've just made this. It should make give swords a magical charge that'll make them even more powerful," he said, brandishing a mass of tangled wires and spare parts.

"Let's try it out then," I said, turning to Un-eairkagh. "Did you bring... DON'T TOUCH THAT!!!"

My warning came too late, for the Eyrie had flipped a switch on a panel of half completed circuitry. My brother's eyes got real big, and Infernus dove for cover. Un-eairkagh just stood there as the machine sparked and hissed. I ran over and dragged him away from it, just as a fork of green lightning spat out of the machine, hitting us both. I blinked my eyes, wondering how I got the other side of the room and where all the smoke came from. I heard my brother coughing, then he opened a window and the smoke started to clear.

"Is everyone alive?" Infernus asked, returning to the room.

"Yeah, we're fine," my brother replied.

"Oh WOW!! Look at Kiddo," Un-eairkagh said from next to me.

"What?" I asked.

My brother took a look, then stood there, his mouth moving soundlessly.

"What!?" I asked again.

"You're an Eyrie!" my pet said delightedly.

"I'm a WHAT!?" I shrieked.

It was true. I now sported the shape of an Eyrie, just like Un-eairkagh, only white. I stood up, wavering slightly as I adjusted to four paws instead of two feet. A tail, wings, a beak, fur, everything.

"Cool," Un-eairkagh said.

"No, not cool," my brother replied, investigating the machine my Eyrie had fiddled with. "I have no idea how to change her back."

There was silence in the room.

"I'll work on it, sis," he said with a sigh.

"How about we get some outside help?" Infernus suggested.

"Like who?" I asked. "You're the best inventor around."

"How about the faeries?" Un-eairkagh suggested.

I looked at him for a moment. "Sure. Whatever."

"No, seriously. If they can't help us, then we're no worse off than we were before, and you'll get to see how much fun flying is!"

My brother looked up slowly. "Flying�" he said. "Kiddo, if I can't fly, at least you try it!"

Unassisted flight had been a lifelong dream for both of us.

"Well, all right. We'll head over to Faerieland, I'll see what it's like to be an Eyrie for the day, and then we'll return here and see what progress you've made."

"Can I come?" Infernus asked.

"Need your help," my brother muttered, dismantling part of the machine.

"Oh, that's right."

The Scorchio picked up a screwdriver and joined my brother.

"See you later, I guess."

They muttered replies, already engrossed in their work. Un-eairkagh bounded out the door, I followed more slowly.

We were in the marketplace of Neopia Central, I needed to check on my shop. Un-eairkagh had been talking non-stop on the finer points of flying, and frankly I was starting to get a little scared. I had mastered walking on four legs, and was now as agile as Un-eairkagh, except I didn't fly yet. I had just finished restocking my store when a young Uni trotted up to us.

"Why are you white?" she asked. "I didn't think there were white Eyries."

"Long story," I muttered, hurrying to get away.

"She's my owner, and she used to be human!" Un-eairkagh said gleefully.

"Wow!! You got turned into a pet," she said, trotting to keep up with me.

"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "And I'm trying to get turned back, so please leave me alone."

"Tell me how!! That's really neat!! Can I get turned into something else too?"

"Well, you see, she's got this brother�" Un-eairkagh began.

I snarled and leaped into the air, beating my wings furiously. I started to ascend, rather slowly, then quite quickly.

"Hey, Kiddo! Wait up!" Un-eairkagh yelled, following me.

I kept flying, leaving both my pet and the Uni behind. I then had the bad idea to look down. The houses below were mere dots, and I realised with a panic how high up I was. I stopped flapping, then started to tumble. I yelled in fear, flailing my wings. I felt a sharp tug on my tail, and someone yelling, "FLAP!!" I did just that. I straightened out, and stopped losing altitude. Un-eairkagh glided a safe distance away next to me.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said breathlessly. "Just panicked there for a bit."

"Looks like your doing fine, now. Lets practice for a bit before we head to the city, the thermals can be a bit tricky."

We reached the city with only minor trouble, mainly a rough landing on account of me. A group of Shoyrus found it rather amusing, but Un-eairkagh and I gave them a vicious glance and they shut up.

"Where first?" I asked.

"The Healing Springs."

We headed over there, I somewhat nervously. The Water Faerie looked at us and kindly asked what she could do for us.

"Well, my owner here got turned into an Eyrie and she wants to be turned back."

The faerie looked at me closely.

"You got turned into an Eyrie," she stated, a little sceptical..

"Yeah," I muttered, staring at the ground. "My brother likes to invent stuff, and something went haywire."

"The solution is simple!" she said brightly.

"It is?"

"Certainly! Just go to the Rainbow Fountain."

"But that only works on pets!" I protested. "It won't turn me back into a human, will it?"

"I can make a potion that when poured into the water, could work. I just need ingredients."

"Could work?" I said slowly, not liking that phrase.

"Yes. Now, here's what I need�"

Un-eairkagh and I had shopped for hours. We had one item left, a frost mote, but we could not find one anywhere. Un-eairkagh had insisted on repeating my tragic story to every shopkeeper in existence. And I thought I was ready to strangle him this morning. We entered yet another little shop, and were greeted by a sour looking Lupe.

"Do you have any Frost Motes?" I asked, praying he did. The Lupe looked at us, then nodded abruptly.

"Here," he said, placing one on the counter.

"Thank you so much!" I said, counting out the Neopoints to pay for it. "Yeah, we really need this," Un-eairkagh began. "You see, the white Eyrie is my owner, but she got turned�."

I grabbed his tail with my beak and dragged him out of the store before he could say any more.

The Healing Springs Faerie promised the potion would be done in about an hour, and to come back then.

"Now we need a pass," Un-eairkagh said gloomily.

"But this is a special case!" I protested. "They've got to let us use it."

The Eyrie shrugged. I sighed loudly and scuffed at the ground.

"You need a pass?" a voice said from behind me.

I turned around and saw the Uni I had meet in the morning. "Yes. Do you have one?"

"I sure do! You can have it, I don't need it, and it looks like you do."

"Thank you! Thank you very much!"

"No problem."

She handed me the pass, smiled, and trotted away.

"We're in luck!" I whooped to Un-eairkagh. "I'll be human before nightfall!"

The line to the Rainbow Fountain wasn't that long, but I could hardly stand it. As fun as being an Eyrie was, I liked my normal form. We stepped up the crystalline waters.

"Here goes," Un-eairkagh said, and poured the potion in. I hesitated for a moment, then was shoved violently into the pool by Un-eairkagh. I hauled myself out, spluttering and gasping. Then I promptly fell on my face. I was back on two feet again.

"Hey, it worked!" I exclaimed, standing up.

I then noticed every NeoPet there staring at me, aghast, and Un-eairkagh rolling on the ground, laughing so hard tears were forming.

"Not� quite!!!" he howled between his laughter.

I looked at my reflection in the pool's surface. I was human, mostly. I still had wings, huge graceful white ones. And a tail, a long tail that reached to the ground.

"Oh NO!!" I said. "Now what?"

"Back to Faerieland, I guess," he said still snickering. "Can you still fly?"

I could. It was strange to have wings as a human, and a tail, no less. We flew all the way to the Healing Springs, my face burning red with embarrassment as a Pteri nearly fell out of the air in shock at seeing me.

"Oh, dear," the faerie said when she saw me. "I think we need the Faerie Queen's help on this one."

I waited nervously in a large room at the palace, Un-eairkagh by my side. The Queen finally appeared, and looked me over carefully.

"Gotten yourself into quite a mess?" she asked kindly.

"Yes," I said, subdued.

"Well, all wrongs can be righted."

She waved her hand and a glow surrounded me. It faded, and I noticed the weight of the wings was gone.

"All fixed, with a little extra added," she said, smiling mysteriously. She left, and Un-eairkagh and I looked at each other.

"Now what did that mean?" he asked.

We were back at my brother's house. Sabreur was thrilled to know we had solved the problem on our own, cause he and Infernus had made zero progress in our absence.

"So what did the Faerie Queen mean?" he asked after we related our story.

"I don't know."

Suddenly it struck me. "Infernus, how do you use your abilities?"

"Huh?"

"Like Smoke Screen. How do you use it?"

"Well, I just will it to happen. And it does."

I closed my eyes. I had a hunch. I willed myself to become an Eyrie. I opened my eyes and got the wonderful sight of my brother, Un-eairkagh, and Infernus all staring at me bug-eyed.

"Wow!! Cool!" Un-eairkagh shouted.

"Pretty nifty," my brother agreed.

"Try that half and half, after the pool," Un-eairkagh suggested.

I did. I was human, almost.

"Too cool. You can be human, an Eyrie, or half and half," Infernus said.

"Do you know what this means?" my brother asked.

"I'm special?" I asked innocently.

"No, no. You can fight in the Battledome!"

Leave it to my brother to draw that, of all conclusions.

It was morning, a couple days after the fiasco with Sabreur's lab, in which I got turned into an Eyrie. Un-eairkagh had been teaching me to fly, which resulted in the utterly humiliating event of me getting stuck upside down in a pine tree. Un-eairkagh found it hilarious, of course. Now Saubreur had decided I was going to learn to fight, and today was the day Infernus started teaching me. Which was why the door to my room was locked and a blue Eyrie outside raising the biggest fit you've ever seen.

"Kiddo!! Open the stupid door!!" he hollered.

I just rolled over and covered my head with the pillow.

"Kiddo, I swear, fighting's not that hard! OPEN THE� oh, hi Melody."

I sat up instantly.

"Child_dragon? What's going on?" came Melody's voice.

I got up and unlocked the door. Un-eairkagh bounded into the room, followed by Padiglione the Kougra and FireDarkWolfX the Gelert.

"I'm supposed to learn to fight today," I muttered.

"Oh, that should be fun."

"Not really. Infernus is going to be teaching me, and you know how those two are. They practically live at the Battledome."

"You'll do fine. Now c'mon."

She took my arm and led me out the door.

We were in Sabreur's backyard, Infernus had just finished getting all his Battledome equipment ready. I had already turned into my white Eyrie form, and was looking at my Sword of Domar, then over at Infernus' Professional Bow and Bag of Endless Neggs.

"Okay, Kiddo. I'm ready," he said cheerily.

Melody, Sabreur, and the pets stood to one side to watch.

"Now, you're kinda small for an Eyrie," the Scorchio said, "so you're gonna have to rely on speed rather than strength. Pick up your sword."

I gripped the handle and lifted it off the ground. It was a lot heavier than it looked.

"No, you're holding it wrong. Here," Infernus said, correcting my grip. "Okay, now take a practice swing."

I swung hard, overbalanced, and landed on my face. Un-eairkagh started laughing from the sidelines, until Melody kicked him.

"You know what?" Padiglione said. "I think we should go stock up on healing potions."

"Yeah, I think so too," Melody said thoughtfully.

Infernus kept me working all day. I was about to collapse by the evening.

"You're getting much better," he informed me. "I think tomorrow we should go fight."

"Tomorrow?! Are you insane?!"

"Yeah. Besides, I have an idea that can guarantee a win every time."

"What?"

"Remember how the Faerie Queen gave you three forms to choose from? Human, Eyrie, and half and half?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Change to the half and half in mid battle. If that doesn't throw your opponent off, nothing will. And you'll still have wings, so you can carry off a jump attack before he recovers."

"That's crazy. No way."

"It'll work."

"No way."

"Try it. Right now."

I sighed and picked up the sword. I held it in position, then shifted into my half and half form, quickly adjusting to the change in height. I was now human, with Eyrie wings and a tail. I immediately leaped into the air, beating my wings, and dove for the imaginary opponent, swinging the sword.

"Excellent!! I think you get more of an arc with that sword as a human-Eyrie too! Oh, we're gonna kick butt at the Battledome tomorrow," Infernus said gleefully.

I was waiting for an opponent, jittery and utterly terrified. The whole gang had showed up, and Melody reassuringly patted my shoulder. I shuddered a little as Infernus approached, leading an Aisha and his owner.

"Level one, just like you," he said confidently. "Good luck."

I glanced at the Aisha. He was red, and just sat there, utterly calm. I looked imploringly up at Sabreur and Melody. They just smiled reassuringly. I headed for the arena.

My sword was held in front of me just like Infernus had taught me. The battle was three seconds from starting, two, one! I leaped into the air, beating my white wings and dove for the Aisha. He snapped a snowball into the air, I dipped to one side at the last minute and it only clipped my side. I swung the heavy sword in an arc, sending the Aisha flying. He jumped to his feet and shot a lighting bolt out at me. I tried to dodge, but it hit me full on, sending me flying across the ring. A haze blurred my vision, and I dimly heard my brother calling my name. I saw the Aisha, and staggered to my feet. He waited while I got my bearings. I then noticed something. The Aisha was gloating, a smirk on its pointy face.

"All right, that's it, I'm mad now," I muttered under my breath. I charged towards him, sword in one hand. He dropped into a fighting crouch. At the last minute I stopped. The Aisha had raised a blocking shield, but looked, confused. I shifted into my human-Eyrie form, wings spread above my head. The Aisha squeaked and dropped the shield in surprise. I swung the sword with both hands as hard as I could. The Aisha was knocked back, rolled across the ground, and didn't move. I had won the battle. I calmly sheathed my sword and walked over to where my friends stood, all cheering and laughing. The owner who's pet I had beat stalked over, the Aisha in his arms.

"That's cheating!" he yelled, furious.

"How so?" I calmly asked, my wings and tail now gone.

"Owners can't fight!!"

"I fought as an Eyrie. The Faerie Queen herself gave me this ability, you don't like it, talk to her."

"Besides," Melody said, "How many owners have the guts to go out there and fight? I noticed you don't. Standing there on the sidelines letting your Aisha take the beating. Kiddo's one of us, and one of the NeoPets now. Take your loss and go." He turned an interesting shade of red, seemed to be about to say something, changed his mind, and stalked off. I faced my friends.

"Let's go get ice cream. My treat." The victory celebration was underway.

To be continued...

"I'm bored."

"That's nice," I absently replied, turning another page in my book.

"Bored, bored, bored, bored."

"Ummm, huh."

"Kiddo! Are you listening to me?"

"Yes. Of course."

My book was suddenly yanked from my hands. A blue Eyrie glared up at me.

"I'm bored," he stated.

"And it's my job to entertain you every minute of your life?" I demanded, snatching my book back. "You just got some new books, how about you read?"

"I'm tired of reading," he said. "I want to go outside."

I pointed at the window and gave Un-eairkagh a stern look. Rain pounded into the ground, thunder rumbled overhead. It was one of the worst storms I'd seen in a long time.

"Well, can we go to Melody's house then?" he asked.

"And get soaked?"

"Fine, then just I'll go. Please?"

I sighed. "All right, just let Melody dry you off before you go rampaging across her house. And you better not catch a cold."

"I won't, I promise," he exclaimed, running for the door.

I watched him go out and take off running through the soaked grass. Another clap of thunder made me cringe, and I shut the door. Un-eairkagh was way too hyper of a pet for me to handle at times, which made me glad Melody always let him play with her pets. She was the most tolerant and gentle person I knew. I settled back down and resumed reading.

I lost track of time once again, that always happens when I read, but I was jolted from my chair when the door banged open. I nervously edged to the hall, wondering who would be bursting in like that. I saw a sodden Un-eairkagh standing in the doorway. His eyes were huge and terrified. I ran over to him.

"What's wrong!?" I cried.

"There's a Zafara," he stammered. "Oh, Kiddo, DO SOMETHING!!"

"What? You're not making any sense!"

He shook his head, and bolted out the door again.

"Follow me!" he shouted.

I ran after him, shifting into my white Eyrie form as I went. He led me down the path to Melody's house, stopping at a small ditch.

"Here!" he said, peering in.

I looked down inside. There was nothing there, except lots of water flowing towards the river. Part of the ditch had been washed away by the rain.

"Oh, no. It's gone."

"What!? For crying out loud, what is going on?"

He sat down in the mud.

"A Zafara. Real young. It was lying in the ditch, badly hurt." He put his head down, and I think tears streaked his already wet feathers. I looked at the ditch.

"The river," I said. "It might have gotten washed away into the river." Un-eairkagh leaped to his feet and bounded down in that direction. I followed, half running, half sliding on the muddy ground. We stopped short of the water's edge, and desperately scanned the water.

"Might have gotten washed downstream. C'mon, I'm not giving up yet," I said, spreading my wings. We took flight and followed the river, searching for the Zafara. We were flying low, and it was difficult to stay aloft. Then Un-eairkagh shouted. I followed his gaze and saw a brief glimpse of red fur in the turbulent water. Then it was gone again.

"Follow me from above!!" I shouted. "Don't loose track, and stay in the air!" He looked momentarily startled, his features outlined by lighting, then horrified as I dove headfirst into the raging river. The water was icy cold, and for a moment stunned me. I struggled to get my head above the water as I was tossed about by the raging current. I heard wing beats above me, and knew Un-eairkagh was following my directions. How could a little Zafara of survived this? I ducked underwater and opened my eyes, peering through the murky water, straining to see a bit of red fur. There! I swam for it, making slow progress, for even underwater the current was incredibly turbulent. Just when I thought my lungs would burst, I snagged the tip of its tail in my beak. I struggled to the surface, black spots swimming in my vision. My head burst through the surface, and I gasped for air. I shifted to my human form and held the Zafara above the water and kicking to stay afloat.

"Grab 'em eairkagh!!" I shouted.

My Eyrie dived just as a wave knocked me underwater again. I felt a tug, and the Zafara was pulled out of my hands. I frantically surfaced, thinking I'd lost it to the waves. I glanced up and saw Un-eairkagh, clutching something red. The Zafara was safe, now I had to look to myself.

"Take him to Melody!!" I shouted.

"And you?"

"I'll make it out. Don't worry!"

"No you won't!! The river's at flood level!"

"And there's nothing you can do to help. GO!!"

He let out a mournful cry, and wheeled in the direction of Melody's house. I swam with the current, trying to reach the shore. But every time I got near, the river knocked me back again. I was tiring fast, and it was getting harder and harder to keep my head above the water. Another wave knocked me under water, and I struggled to reach the surface. I hit something hard, and flailed about with my hands. Where was up? A red haze surrounded my vision. I needed air. But where was the surface? I ran into something again, I couldn't see through the murky water. My vision swam, and I knew I was out of air. Blackness surrounded me, and I sank into oblivion.

"Is she alive?"

I tried to move, to respond to the voice.

"I think so. She's breathing..."

"Let's get her inside then."

I felt myself being lifted, and sank back into darkness.

I woke to warm blankets and a fire nearby. I opened my eyes groggily, and saw a small wooden room with a couple couches and a fireplace. A kid sat in a nearby chair, sketching with a pencil. He was brown haired, and looked around my age, a teenager. A brown Pteri sat on his shoulder and a rainbow Peophin by his feet. I stirred a bit, and all three looked up to where I lay.

"Oh, you're awake," the kid said, relieved.

"Where am I?" I asked, sitting up.

"My house. On the outskirts of Neopia Central. We fished you out of the river, you were caught on tree branch that had fallen. We didn't think you were alive for a bit there."

"Thanks," I said softly, rubbing my head gingerly. I must've hit it on something.

"My name's Gryphen. This is Kvol," he said, indicating the Peophin, "and MoonFire."

The Pteri bobbed its head in greeting.

"I'm Child_dragon."

"Pleased to meet you. How'd you end up in the river?"

"Jumped in after a Zafara."

"Yours?"

"No idea who's it is, or if it even has an owner."

"I'm sorry, but," he said softly.

"No, my Eyrie's got it. It's safe, don't worry."

"Oh, thank goodness," he said, laughing. "I didn't see it, and was afraid it had drowned."

"Do you think maybe we should tell her Eyrie she's safe?" Kvol suggested softly.

"Oh, right. I'll send a Neomail, where's he at?"

"Melody's house. She's my best friend, she'll be worried too."

I quickly gave him her address and he left to let her know I was all right.

"You're clothes are drying," the Pteri informed me. "We put you in some of Gryphen's, didn't want to leave you wet, might get sick."

"Oh, uhh, thanks," I said, feeling my face go red.

"No problem."

Gryphen re-entered the room.

"Okay, got it sent. Unfortunately, I don't think you should head home just yet. The storm's gotten worse, and the river is flooding really badly. I just heard they're building barriers to keep the water back further upstream. We should be safe here though, my house is on pretty high ground. See, that's why I didn't take you to the hospital�too dangerous right now."

"That's good," I said, feeling a bit sleepy again.

"How about you let her sleep?" Kvol suggested, apparently the perceptive one of the bunch.

"Oh, right."

He quietly left the room and I closed my eyes and slept again.

I woke and realised something was wrong. True, I was in a stranger's house, but it was something else. Then I knew. The rain had stopped. Kvol slipped into the room and noticed I was awake.

"Rain's stopped," she said.

"I noticed," I replied, standing up and stretching.

"Gryphen said he'd take you home. You slept all night, it's nearly noon now."

"Wow. Where's my clothes?"

"I'll get 'em. And I'll make Gryphen get you something to eat. He's rather forgetful of these things. I don't know what he'd do without me."

I smiled and followed her out the room.

Gryphen had walked me all the way to Melody's house. We avoided the worst of the storm's damage, but there were still downed branches and assorted debris everywhere.

"Look's like a hurricane went through," I muttered.

"Almost. It was classified as a tropical storm, and if it had rotation it would have been a hurricane."

"Man. How'd the flooding work out?"

"Not too much damage, actually. The dams held. No ones homeless and as far as I know, no one had been hurt too badly."

"Thanks to you."

He looked at the ground, embarrassed.

"Well, anyone would've done it. It wasn't really dangerous pulling you out, you were pretty close to shore. Now saving that Zafara, that took guts."

"We don't know if it's okay yet. I haven't seen it since I pulled it from the river."

"True. This her house?"

"Sure is. Um, thanks for saving my life," I said shyly. "I wish I could reward you somehow�"

"No, no, no. Don't want one. Just Neomail me sometime, all right?"

"Sure thing."

I held his eyes briefly, then turned and headed up to Melody's door. I opened it and went inside, glancing back at Gryphen. He had already started back towards his home.

"Melody?" I called.

"CHILD_DRAGON!!!" came the exuberant reply of Un-eairkagh.

There was the sound of running feet, and then I knocked on my back with the Eyrie standing on my chest exclaiming, "You're all right, you're all right, you're all right!!!"

"Yes, she's all right. Sheesh. Get off her!" Melody said from above me. Un-eairkagh jumped off and Melody pulled me to my feet.

"Gryphen sent me word. Come see the Zafara, he's alive. He's pretty young, I'd say still a child."

I followed her into Padiglione and FireDarkWolfX's room. The red Zafara was huddled at the foot of Padiglione's bed, the Kougra sitting worriedly nearby.

"He won't talk," she said softly.

I sat down next to him and reached out a hand. He cringed away.

"It's all right," I said softly. "You're safe now."

He looked at me fearfully, then recognition sparked in his eyes. "The river," he said.

"That's right. I helped get you out, as did Un-eairkagh," I said, nodding towards the Eyrie.

He started crying, and this time I picked him up and held him close, telling him he's safe.

We moved the Zafara to my house, where we had an extra room. He cried himself to sleep, and I left him alone.

"Was he hurt?" I asked of Melody before I left.

"No, aside from being in the river. Why?"

"Un-eairkagh saw blood on him."

"Well," she said, puzzled, "it couldn't have been his."

I told Un-eairkagh to amuse himself for a while, and I headed for the Zafara's room. He was scared, and I wanted him to have someone when he woke. I sat near his bed for several hours before he blinked his eyes and looked around.

"All right?" I asked.

He nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Aldrai," he replied.

"How'd you get in the ditch?"

He seemed to shrink into himself.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me. Do you have an owner?"

He shook his head.

"My mum, she, she, she�." he said, starting to cry.

"It's all right," I said, holding him.

He buried his head in my shirt and continued talking.

"She took me for a walk, and we met a group of other pets. They were being mean, and one of them pulled my ear, so my mum bit him. They�." He stopped, overwhelmed with tears.

"They attacked her�and she was crying for them not to hurt me, and then..." I stroked his head, crying myself now.

"It's okay. You don't have to say any more," I said.

"I'm scared. I want my mum."

I didn't know what to say to that.

Aldrai had nowhere else to go, so I took him in as one of my own pets. He rarely speaks, but you can always understand what he wants. He follows Un-eairkagh around all the time, and the Eyrie loves him. He hates violence of any kind, and can't stand it when Un-eairkagh fights in the Battledome. He's adjusted pretty well, loves to read, plays with Melody and Sabreur's pets. The only thing is, he has nightmares nearly every night, in which he wakes up crying and screaming. I have to go hold him, and he cries in my arms. He rarely uses his own bed, rather comes in with Un-eairkagh or I. And I have a mission now. And so does Melody and Sabreur. We're going to find that group of pets that destroyed Aldrai's mum, and make sure they never hurt anyone ever again.

I had just returned from a morning shopping trip with Un-eairkagh, as he was unable to be left alone without destroying stuff. Plus the fact I had just gotten a hold of a striped paint brush. He was ecstatic, running around and showing off his new stripes to everyone around. He was so happy he was nice enough to open the door for me, and I dumped all the groceries on the kitchen table and started sorting. Aldrai wondered in, took a look at Un-eairkagh's new look, nodded approval, and started helping me, unlike Un-eairkagh who wondered off to his room.

"Anyone call?" I asked the red Zafara.

He looked at me and nodded.

"Who?"

He pantomimed playing a French horn. It had been months since I fished him out of the river, and he still didn't talk much.

"Oh, Melody. She want me to call back?"

He nodded again.

"Okay, finish putting these up and I'll go call."

I picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"Hello?" came FireDarkWolfX's voice from the other end.

"Hey, it's child_dragon. Is Melody there?"

"Yeah, hang on."

I waited while the Gelert handed the phone over.

"Hi child!"

"Hey. Aldrai said you called."

"Yeah. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you in going to the Lost Desert today."

"Why not?"

"Padiglione's sick."

"That's not good."

"No, it's not. I've got to stay and watch over her, and I don't want your pets around in case it's contagious."

"Do you want me to take FireDarkWolfX with me?"

"I asked him already, he'd rather stay here."

"Well, okay. You don't mind me going without you, do you? Un-eairkagh really

wants to go, and Aldrai really needs to get out more"

"No, no problem. Have fun."

"Okay, bye."

I hung up the phone feeling a little disappointed.

"So what's up?" Un-eairkagh asked. Apparently his curiosity had won over his evasion to chores.

"Melody and the gang can't come. Pad's sick."

"Oh no!" Un-eairkagh said sadly. "We should bring her back something from the desert. Is Sabreur going to come?"

"Nope. He's got work."

"Oh. We still going?"

"Definitely. After the groceries are put up, that is."

He looked at me, then over to Aldrai, who was diligently working, sighed, and picked up the closest item.

The Lost Desert was as hot and sunny as I had feared. Un-eairkagh was enjoying the open sands, leaping and running and generally doing his best to get heat stroke. I was following more slowly, Aldrai by my side. I carried a backpack with the ever necessary sunscreen, I am very fair skinned, along with some water. My hair was pulled in a ponytail, and I wore a hat and sunglasses. The desert was really quite interesting, we had stopped by Sutek's Scrolls and bought one for Padiglione. Un-eairkagh was now amusing himself by spraying sand everywhere as he dug a hole in the ground. Aldrai trotted over and peered in. He then looked questioningly up at me.

"He's just being silly," I explained.

The Eyrie looked up at me angrily.

"I'm not being silly," he protested. "Look, as fast as I dig, the sand slides back in. Isn't that cool?"

"Well, yes, that's what sand does," I said, fighting the urge to laugh.

Aldrai trotted off again and looked over the edge of the dune we were standing on. He waved at me and I walked up to see. An oasis was beneath us, complete with palm trees and grasses.

"Hey, Un-eairkagh!" I called. "Get your head out of that hole and come look!" He bounded up and looked down.

"Oh, cool! An oasis!" he exclaimed, and took off running down the slope. I followed more slowly, the sand sliding beneath my feet. Halfway down, Un-eairkagh's mad dash became an uncontrolled fall as he lost traction in the sliding sand. I watched, torn between amusement and anxiety as he rolled the rest of the way down and into the oasis, yelping all the way. I heard a yell, then saw Un-eairkagh stop suddenly as his kinetic energy was transferred to someone else by ramming them.

"Oh no," I moaned, and took off down the hill after him, in a controlled slide. Aldrai followed in my wake. I reached the shade of the palm trees in time to see Un-eairkagh standing up dazedly and another person also picking herself up. A rainbow Zafara stood nearby, looking quite surprised.

"I'm really sorry," I said to the other owner as she dusted herself off.

"Well it kind of hurt, but don't worry� I don't mind," she said.

Un-eairkagh heaved a sigh of relief, perceiving himself to be off the hook. I turned to scold him, and was instead splashed with water as he dove into the oasis. He resurfaced near the middle, paddling happily. The scolding would have to wait till later.

"That's Un-eairkagh," I said to the other girl. "He's quite uncontrollable."

"Obviously," she replied with a wide grin. "This is Netsuko." She motioned to the rainbow Zafara. "My name is Sakuko."

"I'm child_dragon, and this is Aldrai," I said, looking at where he was last. I was astonished to find him shyly approaching Netsuko. He timidly introduced himself, and the two started a conversation. I just stared, totally blown away.

"What's the matter?" Sakuko asked.

"I don't know. Aldrai never talks, even to me."

"Strange� he must have� what was it, anyway?"

"Ahh," I said, nervously, lowering my voice. "Aldrai's had a rather traumatic experience, I'd rather not talk about it with him in earshot."

"I understand completely."

I heard Un-eairkagh climb out of the oasis behind us, and turned just in time to witness him shaking off. I shrieked as a shower of water soaked Sakuko and I.

"Un-eairkagh!" I yelled angrily.

He stared at my dripping face, a little surprised, then let out a terrified squeak and took off into the air.

"Will he land anytime soon?" Sakuko asked from beside me.

"No," I said, disgusted at my pet's behaviour.

"Go after him," Aldrai suggested from behind me.

I looked at him in surprise. "Come again?" I asked.

"You know. It's okay, I told Netsuko."

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Told her what?" Sakuko asked curiously

"Watch, and don't freak out. The Faerie Queen gave me this ability after an unfortunate turn of events involving an exploding lab."

I shifted into my white Eyrie from. There was a gasp from Netsuko, but Sakuko didn't seem very surprised. I was a little miffed at that. Isn't shape shifting impressive enough?

"See?" Aldrai said proudly.

I ignored them both and scanned the sky for Un-eairkagh. He was much easier to spot now that he was mainly white and no longer blended in with the sky. I leaped into the air and quickly gained altitude. Desert air is awesome for flying. Un-eairkagh must've seen me coming, for he went into a steep dive away from me. I quickly followed, the wind whipping through my feathers. He's gonna pull up at the last minute, I thought. I smiled to myself, and flared my wings right above him. There was a startled yell, then Un-eairkagh banked sharply away, trying to avoid a mid-air collision. He lost too much altitude too quickly, and without enough lift the keep him from colliding with the ground. There was a poof of sand, and I landed gently, shifting into my half and half form.

The Eyrie was picking himself up and shaking the sand out of his feathers, giving me dirty looks. I ignored him and folded my wings against my back. Sakuko, Aldrai, and Netsuko came running up, Aldrai looking quite pleased with himself.

"That looks fun," was all Sakuko said.

I scuffed at the sand self-consciously, twitching my tail. "You've got to tell me the whole story. C'mon we can wander around while you tell it."

We explored for the rest of the day, finally parting at nightfall. Aldrai was off a ways, saying bye to Netsuko. I said my goodbyes to Sakuko, and Un-eairkagh and I started home, followed by a reluctant Aldrai. We reached my house just as the last of the stars came out.

"So, Aldrai," Un-eairkagh said. "Got a girlfriend now?"

Aldrai gave the Eyrie a stern look and went inside.

"Leave him alone Un-eairkagh," I warned.

"Oh quit it. I know you're jealous too," he said sourly, stalking inside.

"I'll get a boyfriend one of these days," I said mournfully to no one in particular.

Then I too followed him inside.

A lone fire Lupe stood deep within the heart of forest. It was dark, the moon was hidden by a veil of dark clouds. He grimly stared into the night, invisible except for his bright eyes and twining flames around his legs. There was a rustle in the bushes, and he turned.

"You came," he said darkly, not a question.

"Yessss, indeed I diddd," the newcomer hissed, stepping out from behind the brush. He was covered in a ragged black cloak, hiding everything except for his eyes, which glowed red like coals in the fire.

"Do we have a deal?" the Lupe asked.

"We do. Half now, half onceeee the task is completeee," the figure said, holding out a bag heavy with Neopoints.

The Lupe quickly took the bag and inspected it, satisfied with its weight.

"A deal. Do not cross me, Lord," he said, putting a sneer into the title.

"No, you do not cross me. Remember, you must have proof. I want her destroyed," the cloaked one said, no trace of a hiss now. He turned and vanished into the night.

"It will be done. This� human� shall be destroyed," he said, smiling. He laughed and bounded off into the night.

I was cooking dinner like I did every night, except this time I was actually cooking, not merely heating something in the microwave. Aldrai was doing his best to help, and Un-eairkagh was being "useful" by reciting such things as the number for the fire department, how to use a fire extinguisher, and so on. All things considered, I was doing quite well with the pasta, until I actually tasted it.

"Oh, ick," I muttered, shoving the pan aside. Un-eairkagh took a tiny sip of the sauce and fell to the floor, rolling on the ground and crying he was poisoned.

"Quit the theatrics," I told him, and rinsed out the pan. "We'll just go get something from the bakery for tonight. And we'll stop by the chocolate factory, how's that sound?" Un-eairkagh immediately leaped to his feet, miraculously cured.

"Yippee!" he shouted, and ran for the door.

I put the dirty dishes into the sink and followed him out the door. The striped Eyrie was leaping around in the yard, singing some nonsense song.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked.

He paused for a moment.

"You are actually giving up in a reasonable amount of time, last week it took three tries before you called it quits."

"Hey!" I shouted, and held up a fist like I was going to smack him.

He let out a yelp and took off running down the street towards the market place, and I resumed my leisurely walk with Aldrai, free of distractions.

It was such a nice evening we decided to eat outside for dinner instead of taking the food home. We sat just outside the art gallery, finishing up our sandwiches. Un-eairkagh had just devoured his and was starting on the white chocolate Uni I'd bought him. I was content to watch the people and pets pass by, all different types. A pair caught my eye, not because they were anything unusual, but because they had no owner with them, and looked a little lost. It was a striped Uni and a shadowed Shoyru, both girls. I figured I might as well make sure they weren't lost. I got up and walked over, Aldrai and Un-eairkagh watching from the sides.

"Hello," I said brightly. They both turned to me, looking confused.

"Good day," the Uni replied formally. She seemed to have received almost noble training in manners.

"Are you lost?" I asked.

"We are," the Shoyru said.

"Do you have a home?" I persisted.

"We do not," the Uni replied.

"Do you have an owner?"

The pair hesitated for a moment.

"We don't," the Shoyru said quietly.

"Then how about you come home with me for the night? I've got a spare room you can use."

The two pets looked at each other for a moment.

"Truly, we are grateful for your offer," the Uni said. "It is much appreciated, we will come."

I led the way, wondering where the Uni learned to talk so formally. Aldrai and Un-eairkagh just looked at me, the Eyrie in despair. I made a short shushing motion before Un-eairkagh could say anything, and I led the way home. On the way there, I informed them my name was child_dragon, and introduced them to Aldrai and Un-eairkagh. The Uni was named MoonFall, and the Shoyru Terraile. Once inside, I got them something to eat, as they hadn't had dinner yet. They were obviously hungry, but didn't wolf their food as I would of expected. Instead, they had impeccable manners. Since I spend a lot of time around my friends and they're pets, my concept of manners was pretty loose. I decided I needed to find out where these pets were from. Un-eairkagh was oddly quiet, he seemed a little out of his league.

"So, where are you from?" I asked.

"Neopia Central," Terraile replied hurriedly. She can't lie, I thought to myself.

"Why don't you have an owner?"

There was a long pause.

"Well, you need one. You can either go to the pound, which I wouldn't suggest." The two looked at each other, a little scared.

"Or," I continued, "you can live with me. I've got room."

Un-eairkagh started choking behind me. I heard Aldrai lead him quickly from the room. Good thinking on his part. The two pets looked at each other, and I just smiled and left the room after my pets to give them time to talk it over. I found Un-eairkagh in a state of shock.

"How can you do this to me?" he gasped.

"Easy," I said. "Aldrai, can I count on your approval?"

He thought about it for a moment then nodded.

"All right, then."

There is a tap on the door.

"Child_dragon?" came the Shoyru's voice.

"Coming," I replied, and went into the dining room.

"We've decided to live with you," MoonFall stated, "and as such, we will also tell you who we are, for our host should not be kept unawares."

"If you move in, I'm not you host," I said seriously. "I'll be your owner. Which means I'll take care of you and protect you."

The pets nodded.

"Very well. Our owner. But we need to tell you our story."

"Let's sit down, I'm guessing it'll take a while," I said. "Aldrai, Un-eairkagh, come say hi to your new sisters!"

The two walked in, the Eyrie a bit reluctant. There's going to be trouble, I thought to myself. Un-eairkagh had on the most sullen and resentful look I've seen in my life. "My full name is Lady Sryi MoonFall. I am of royal blood, in an ancient Uni family. Terraile is my companion, an orphan my father gave shelter to. We, I, grew tired of my life, as royalty, I have very little freedom, and what I do have is restricted by the necessary protocols of proper behaviour."

The Uni pauses for a moment, and Terraile took over.

"I suggested we leave and make our own way in the world, have a nice simple life on our own. We didn't have much reason to stay, as MoonFall never knew her mother, and her father died two years ago. Her brother is reigning now, and he's not very nice to his sister."

MoonFall looked saddened at this, dropping her head.

"It is not worth being royalty anymore," she said sadly. "So I wish to be like everyone else for once."

"Then you're in the wrong place," I said with a slight smile. "Cause we're anything but normal."

The pair looked at me curiously. I stood and turned into the white Eyrie. They both gasped.

"Now, it's my turn to relate a story," I said, and I told them the entire tale. The two listened attentively, while Un-eairkagh pretended to be nodding off, until Aldrai elbowed him. I finished up my tale and looked at the clock.

"Umm, bedtime you guys," I pointed out.

"Ahh, c'mon," Un-eairkagh muttered.

"Very well," MoonFall said primly, and stood, Terraile following her. I grinned and led them upstairs to the guest room.

"I'll get a new room built tomorrow, but for now you can share, okay?"

"Sure," Terraile replied with a shrug.

I left them and went downstairs to check on Aldrai and Un-eairkagh.

"You okay with this?" I asked of Aldrai in his room.

"Yes," he said softly. "I like them."

"Good," I said, ruffling his fur.

I then headed into Un-eairkagh's room.

"Why?" he asked angrily.

"Because sooner or later, they'd wind up in the pound. You're being selfish."

"I am not!! You can't just bring pets in like that, what about us!?"

I took a deep breath.

"Come with me, we're going somewhere."

"Now? It's late," he protested.

"Now."

I got up and led the way out the door. We walked down the street in silence, all the way to the pound. The Techo greeted us, and Un-eairkagh looked up at me in trepidation.

"Can we just look around?" I politely inquired.

He nodded and let us in. We walked down rows of cages, full of miserable abandoned pets. One in particular, a blue Techo, caught my eye. He sat there, staring at the ground, eyes totally devoid of emotion. It was like he'd given up living a long time ago. I let Un-eairkagh take a good long look, then led him back outside, thanking the Techo on the way out. My Eyrie just sat there, eyes wide and stunned.

"That's where'd they'd be, sooner or later, if someone didn't take them in. Got it?"

He nodded.

"I was being selfish� wasn't I?"

"You were."

He lowered his head, and I swear I saw a tear.

"I'm� sorry."

"That's okay. Let's go home."

Once home, Un-eairkagh startled me with a question I had thought I'd never be asked.

"Kiddo, who were my parents?" he asked softly.

I stood there stunned for a couple of seconds.

"Well, I� don't really know�." I said slowly. "See, you were my first pet, when I was just getting started in Neopia, and it never occurred to me to find out. So I really have no idea."

He thought on this for a moment, then startled me with another question I didn't expect.

"Do you have parents? Cause I know you're brother, but that's the only family I know."

I shook my head and laughed a bit. "Of course I have parents. Wouldn't exist without 'em. But they're not in Neopia, it's rather hard to explain."

"Are they nice?"

I laughed at that. "I have great parents. Where do you think I learned everything? It's really hard to learn such things as cooking or driving from a book."

"But you can't cook," he pointed out.

I sighed irritably. "Just go to bed."

He shrugged and went to his room, and I to mine.

I got up at my usual time the next morning. All my pets were in the kitchen, much to my surprise. Lady MoonFall seemed to be cooking breakfast, something I never did. Un-eairkagh was talking, and I refrained from entering the room to hear what he had to say. Sure, I was ease dropping, but I wanted to see if Un-eairkagh was actually behaving.

"And don't ever let her cook," he was saying, "cause it's really bad. And if you run out of books to read, just tell her, cause she believes in reading a lot. And don't go over to Sabreur's house unless you feel like listening to the two of them ramble on and on about technology and the Battledome and junk like that. Melody's house is always great to visit cause she's got three pets now, a Kougra, a Gelert, and a Uni that she adopted a couple days ago. She's really fun and will buy you toys if you look pitiful enough. Speaking of Melody, if we're going somewhere and you get a choice of whose car to ride in, go with Melody, always. If they won't let you, then it's a choice between two evils and the lesser is Sabreur, I think. And if you see Kiddo pulling out her music stuff, find an excuse to be out of the house, no matter what."

Aldrai caught my eye and grinned. I grinned back. A family indeed.

I returned home from my daily trip to the stock market with a smug grin. I had also passed by Sabreur's house, and seen Infernus's new look, fire. That had pretty much made up my mind. Un-eairkagh and Terraile greeted me happily, and I made my way and collapsed on the living room couch. The two girls had been living with us for a week, and had settled in just fine. MoonFall was even loosing most of her formality, and the transformation in Terraile was incredible. She was even using slang now.

"What's up?" Un-eairkagh asked immediately.

"We now have enough Neopoints to buy one paint brush," I said proudly.

The two let out cheers, and Un-eairkagh leaped into the air, narrowly missing the coffee table.

"So where's Aldrai? He's the only one that's not painted."

"Visiting Netsuko. And MoonFalls in her room, pouting."

I blinked in dismay. "When did this start?"

"While you were gone."

I groaned. "Wonderful. So what started this mess?"

I noticed at that point that Un-eairkagh had pulled a disappearing act.

"Ah, let me guess," I said wearily. "Those two got in a fight."

"Exactly right."

"Why, oh why?" I moaned. "All right, did Un-eairkagh start it?"

"He did," Terraile said, "and, umm, I'll go get Aldrai, and then we can get him painted, that fine? I'd rather not be around� if you know what I mean," she said.

"Sure, I'll patch things up here. See if Melody or anyone else wants to come while you're at it."

She nodded and left the room, and I headed over for Un-eairkagh's. He was playing with his Flizzardo, DreamWish. At the sound of my steps, he turned around and faced me guiltily.

"Go apologise," I ordered.

He nodded and trudged up the stairs. Sad, I thought idly, that he's so used to getting in trouble he knows instantly when I'm going to get on to him. I scratched DreamWish behind the ears and went back into the kitchen. Terraile had left a quick note saying that Sabreur couldn't come, but Melody would. She'd check with Sakuko when she found Aldrai. I waited for MoonFall to reappear, and she did, followed by a subdued Un-eairkagh who went outside to wait for Aldrai and Terraile to get back.

"You okay now?" I asked.

The Uni nodded.

"Okay, all better then," I said, also heading for the door. MoonFall smiled and followed me out.

Melody arrived soon, with all her pets trailing along. The blue Kougra, Padiglione, bounded off with Un-eairkagh, and the two engaged in a wrestling match underneath the tree. Lady MoonFall was already good friends with SwiftRiversRunning, the blue Uni, and FireDarkWolfX, the Gelert, was friends with everyone. Melody took a spot by me and watched the pets play.

"So, we getting a paint brush?" she asked.

"Yeah, figured it was about time."

She nodded, then her face seemed to cloud over.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"I don't know. I've just had this bad feeling lately."

My heart seemed to freeze, and I gasped.

"Child_dragon?" I shook my head. "I'm fine, but, I've had a bad feeling too. The weirdest thing."

Melody bit her lip. "Well, they don't call it women's intuition for nothing. Let's keep our eyes open," she said, watching her pets fearfully.

I too looked at mine. Where we sensing a threat to our pets? I would die if something happened to any of them. Terraile arrived just then, along with Aldrai, breaking my depressing train of thoughts.

"Sakuko couldn't come!" she called out, landing by my feet.

"All right then, let's go."

Un-eairkagh and Padiglione bounded out of the yard, racing to see who could be the first to reach the marketplace. I smiled and walked along at my own pace with the rest of the group.

As always, we were one of the biggest groups of people and pets shopping. Two owners, plus seven pets. I would hate to see the size of all four of us. After much debate, two attempts at a vote, and more debate, Aldrai decided on a spotted paint brush. We quickly found one among the massive amounts of shops (thank you shop wizard!) and headed back for the rainbow pool. Aldrai, after a bit of encouragement, timidly walked up to the Uni running it, and handed her the paint brush. She gently stroked it along his back, and his deep red fur lightened into a light brown with large black spots. He stared at himself in the pools reflection, admiring his new appearance. I marveled too, Aldrai looked even cuter with spots. Un-eairkagh couldn't restrain himself any longer.

"You've got spots!" he yelled, and dashed forwards, tossing his brother into the air and catching him. Aldrai let out a terrified squeak and Un-eairkagh hastily put him down, glancing guiltily at me.

"You guys are hopeless," I muttered, picking up Aldrai myself and ruffling his fur.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"None needed, you're my pet," I whispered back.

I set him down and he wondered back over to the water to admire his new colour some more.

"Umm, child_dragon?" Padiglione asked from behind me. "We've still got some shopping to do."

I looked over at Melody. "Watcha after?" I asked.

"Books," she said. "Lot's of them."

I shrugged. "I'll come with you then. Hey, you guys!" I called out to my pets. "Stay here, we'll be right back."

Melody and I headed for the book shop, followed by her three pets. We browsed the shelves, searching for new titles, preferably ones our pets hadn't read. I was searching under a stack of Loyal Lupes when an old beat up book missing it's cover caught my eye. I picked it up and read the title. Neopian Prophecies. Strange, I thought. Wonder where this came from. I carefully opened its yellowed pages and read a bit.

A shard from each of the six elements
Buried deep within the darkness
United by the Essence
To pierce the Source and save the soul

Very odd. I flipped back a couple pages, trying to make some sense of this. "child_dragon!!"

I nearly dropped the book at Melody's panicked voice. I hastily shoved it back on the shelf and rushed up to the front. Her face was absolutely white. I looked outside, and saw a heap of teeth, claws, and fur that constituted my pets. A fire Lupe was in the middle, all four of my pets ganging up on him. But he could still hold his own, and as I watched, horrified and stunned, he seized Lady MoonFall's wing with his jaws and tore. I felt Melody's hand supporting me as the world seemed to spin. All I could see was MoonFall screaming and her blood�. I shook off Melody and changed into my white Eyrie, unable to breath, or even think. I sprinted towards the fight, and rammed headfirst into the Lupe, sending him flying. I slid along the ground, my momentum carrying me almost as far as the Lupe. He leaped to his feet and dove for me, I jumped to my feet, and he slammed into me, knocking me into the ground. I grunted in pain and then yelled as his claws ripped at my fur. There was a sudden startled yelp from him, and he released me and took off running, Un-eairkagh and Terraile chasing after him, along with all three of Melody's pets. I staggered to my feet, gazing dumbly at the red spotting my white fur.

"Child_dragon!" Melody said fearfully, kneeling by my side.

"I'm all right," I gasped, feeling a bit light-headed, "go check on MoonFall." I sat down and concentrated very hard on the ground, feeling my head spin and desperately tried to not pass out. The dizziness subsided, and I got up to check on MoonFall. She lay on her side, gasping in pain, but not seriously hurt. Melody had wrapped the wound with her jacket, and the other pets had gathered around, afraid and unsure of what to do.

"We need a healing potion," I said, close to tears. Inside, my heart was twisted into a knot, fear for my pets eating me up. So this is what my parents felt, I thought in a detached portion of my mind, when I cut my knee up real bad.

"I'll get one," Terraile volunteered, and prepared to take off.

"Don't bother," a new voice said, and I looked up at a Moehog and her owner. He dug through his backpack and pulled out a glass bottle.

"Thank you so much!" I said, immensely relieved.

He shrugged.

"No problem, what happened anyway?"

"Don't know exactly," FireDarkWolfX muttered as I helped MoonFall drink the potion. The blood stopped flowing and magically, the skin knit itself back together. She stood up, and flapped her wings a couple times, making sure they were all right.

"A little sore, but otherwise, fine," she said, then glanced at me.

"Oh, I'm fine," I said, looking at the red spots around my shoulder. "See, very shallow, they've already stopped bleeding."

"Either way, they've got to be taken care of," Melody said firmly. "We're going to the healing springs."

The Healing Springs Faerie recognised me and the rest of the pets. She "tsked" over my scratches, and with a couple words, healed them completely.

"Now shift back to human," she ordered.

I complied, and glanced at my shoulder. The shirt was torn in several places, and a couple thin scars along my forearm could be seen.

"Best I could do, if you'd gotten here faster, there would be no trace," she explained.

"Yeah, but I was injured as an Eyrie," I said, slightly confused.

"But you're still the same person. I'd be more careful, if I were you."

I sighed and fingered the torn places, absently noting that this shirt was ruined. Which was too bad, as I rather liked it.

Aldrai was extremely withdrawn on the way home, his eyes huge and frightened. I carried him all the way back, fearing that this sudden outburst of violence may of somehow reminded him of his mother. He'd been doing so well, and now I was scared that he'd regress after this. Melody didn't come to my house, but took her pets and went home, asking that I call her if I figured out what happened or I needed help. My pets all gathered in the living room, sensing that an explanation was in order. "Un-eairkagh started it," Terraile said, and the Eyrie hung his head. "He was making fun of the Lupe, and he insulted us and you. So Un-eairkagh snapped at him, and Aldrai stepped in to make them quit."

The Zafara burrowed his head into my arms.

"And the Lupe cuffed Aldrai," MoonFall continued, "so we jumped him."

I stared at them all in dismay.

"I can't believe this," I said. "Un-eairkagh, what on earth could posses you to go around picking fights?!" I said, furious. "I though I'd taught you better than that! Your idiocy resulted in MoonFall being injured, and you're lucky it wasn't worse!"

He backed away, too scared and ashamed to look me in the eyes.

"Just go to your room," I said, suddenly very tired, "and don't come out. All of you, go. I don't want to see you at all tonight, Un-eairkagh."

They left, all three crying. Aldrai was crying too, and I stroked his fur reassuringly.

"It's okay, you're safe now," I said softly.

"That's not it," he sniffled.

I looked him in the eyes, confused. "Then what?"

He burst into tears, and I wondered what could of upset him this bad. "I started the fight," he said between sobs.

I stared, then realised what he meant. "No, no, it's not your fault. You were just trying to stop them, you were doing the right thing. Un-eairkagh�"

"NO!" he shouted, and glared at me. "Un-eairkagh and the girls were lying. They agreed to make up this story so I wouldn't get in trouble. I don't know what happened, but when I saw this Lupe, I, I, saw my mother� and I heard her begging them to leave me alone again�."

He shuddered, and continued talking.

"And something just snapped. I was so mad, so mad that I couldn't do anything to save her, and that this pet had destroyed my life, and I just leaped onto his back and started biting for his throat. I wanted to hurt him," he said, terrified.

I hugged him close, tears streaking my cheeks, and wondered what I was to do next. We sat there for the longest time, and then Aldrai's breathing became slow and regular, he had fallen asleep. I carried him to his bed and shut the door behind me, then sat down in the hallway and cried. There was a deep weight on my heart, the pain of seeing Aldrai suffer for his childhood and my pets willingness to sacrifice themselves to protect him pierced me through, and I wondered if I was worthy of being the owner of those four. Un-eairkagh must of heard me crying, for I felt his paw on my shoulder. I turned and hugged him tightly.

"You three are the bravest pets in all of Neopia," I said, "and I'm proud you're mine."

The next couple days were strange ones, to say the least. Sakuko and Netsuko visited, and the two Zafaras had a long talk in the backyard. All the pets seemed to be doing fine, they were all very watchful of Aldrai. Sabreur was furious, and ranted and raved up and down his house, fortunately all the other pets weren't there to hear, about this fire Lupe. I feel sorry for the thing if those two ever find him, almost. Melody took the events with her usual attitude, displaying a grace and calm that I wished I possessed. Me, I survived, as I always do. But that nagging feeling deep in the back of my mind told me that things were not going to get better, indeed, they were going to get much worse.

It's amazing sometimes, how quickly normality can return to life. I continued with my daily habits, keeping the shop stocked, checking my stocks, and making sure the pantry was full. I was surprised that no one took an interest in the fight, I fully expected to get a call from the police. But nothing happened, and the nagging feeling in my mind remained. And then I started having nightmares.

They were always the same. I was deep within a forest, black mist swirling all around. There were no stars, no moon. Only the trees and the mist. Then the mist would take shape, creatures with glowing red eyes. I would see a figure standing behind them, staring at me malevolently. I would spread my Eyrie wings and try to fly, only to find that my ability no longer worked. And the creatures would come ever closer, until I woke, drenched in sweat.

We sat outside one night, enjoying the late warmth and the stars above. Fireflies danced around us, and Un-eairkagh and Terraile competed with catching them. Aldrai held a jar containing the latest catches. Lady MoonFall came outside and found a spot on the grass by me.

"You really shouldn't catch fireflies, you know," she said disapprovingly.

"Why not?" Un-eairkagh asked.

"Because they protect Neopia," she explained, yet at the same time making no sense.

"Huh?" Terraile asked.

The Uni blinked at her sister in surprise.

"You don't know the legend of NightHawk's Tears?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

"No, I don't, should I?"

"I don't know it either, MoonFall," I said. "You probably know something we don't."

She looked at us, and we gathered around her. "I guess you all want to hear the story then," she said. "All right. But first let the fireflies loose."

Aldrai unscrewed the jar and the pinpoints of light flew out, dancing through the night, and MoonFall began her story.

***

A long time ago, Neopia was a much different place than what we remember. It was a wild and rough land, full of magic and danger. In that time, the faeries lived apart from the Neopians, hidden away in their city in the clouds. None ventured there, except in times of great need. Now, no sane Neopian left the safety of their house after dark. As soon as the sun started to slide past the horizon, all hurried inside and locked all doors and shuttered the windows, lighting candles and waiting for the morning. For the night was dangerous, and an unseen danger prowled the darkness. There was many a time when a family would venture outside and find deep claw marks in the door and some poor animal on their doorstep. Anyone caught out in the night was doomed. And in this troubled time lived a shadowed Shoyru, by the name of NightHawk. She was the greatest archer alive, and feared nothing. She carried a powerful bow, called Nighthawk's Bow, made of wood of the deepest black. It was said to have come from the grove in the heart of the Cursed Forest, now known as the Haunted Woods. See, evil was alive in those days, and very powerful. It was said to have its origin deep within the Cursed Woods, in the same grove Nighthawk cut her bow from. But Nighthawk was not bothered by such things, and was often out after dark, laughing at the others fears. She roamed the Cursed Woods freely, and never came to any ill. And because of her dark colour, her bow, and her travels through the night, it was whispered that Nighthawk was evil herself, and was in league with this faceless danger. Things continued in this matter for many years. Nighthawk spent most of her time practising her skills, scorning all others, who in turn whispered and grew afraid of her. This evil that stalked the night grew stronger, and bolder. Now not a single night went by where a house remained untouched, and some of the more remote families simply vanished, their neighbours discovering days later the splintered remains of the door, with no trace of the occupants. The Elders of Neopia decided that this could continue no longer, and in desperation, turned to the fairies. But a petition to the faeries was not to be taken lightly, and they decided to hold a tournament to find the most powerful warrior to act as their representative. And so hundreds of Neopets streamed to the tournament grounds, eager to prove themselves and win the honour of destroying this evil. Nighthawk heard of this tournament, and decided to go. "'After all," she said, "who better than I? I am not afraid of this phantom, the Cursed Woods are my home, and I am the only one who dares to brave its depths." So she flew to the tournament, and all the other contestants quailed to see her arrive. "The shadowed Shoyru," they whispered among themselves. "Why is she here? And what chance do we have against her?"

They despaired, for all knew they could not best her. And surely one tainted by the darkness could not be a representative to the faeries? But on the last day to register, a lone Scorchio arrived. He was a brilliant rainbow of colours, red, blue, green, black, white, all the colours of the six elements of nature. He carried his head high, and in his presence one had the urge to kneel. His name was Lord BrightSong. Nighthawk glared at this newcomer, resenting his intrusion. "Never mind, I'll beat him yet," she said scornfully.

The contest began, and Nighthawk easily bested the first task. And the next. And to her dismay, so did Lord BrightSong. The days wore on, and more and more contestants dropped out, unable to compete with those two, so finely matched in skill and power. At last the final day came, and only Nighthawk and BrightSong remained. It was to be an archery contest, and the winner would determine who would petition to the faeries. Nighthawk smirked as she strung her first arrow. She was the best archer around, none could beat her. The target was incredibly far away, a speck in her eyes. She confidently drew back her bow, and took aim. There was a swish, and the black arrow sped away.

"Bull's-eye!" the watching Neopians cried.

Lord BrightSong was next, and Nighthawk smiled, feeling the tournament was hers. He drew back his own bow, made of sturdy ash, and let loose an arrow.

"Bull's-eye!" they cried, and Nighthawk gasped. But who was the winner? The judges inspected the targets, and it was determined that Nighthawk's arrow was on the exact centre, while BrightSong's was a hair off. The Shoyru sneered at the Scorchio She had won, he had lost. She waited eagerly for the judges to proclaim her the winner.

"Though Nighthawk demonstrated magnificent skills, we have decided that Lord BrightSong would be better suited as a representative of our needs to the faeries." Nighthawk nearly dropped her bow in shock. How dare they choose him over her!! She had won, and they passed her over!

"Treacherous fools!!" she shouted, but none heard her over the cheering. She watched in fury as the placed a crown of leaves onto the Scorchio's head, then she snapped her wings open and flew off, vowing that this crime would not stand.

It was decided that as soon as night fell, Lord BrightSong would begin his flight to the city. And as the sky turned red, he spread his jeweled wings and rose from the ground. Everyone cheered and then hurried home, for night was falling. But one remained, a Shoyru with a black bow. Nighthawk watched the Scorchio fly with a sneer, then she too took to the air, placing an arrow on her bow.

"Lord indeed," she hissed, and drew back the string, taking aim. She paused for a moment, the silver moon reflecting on the jeweled scales of the Scorchio, then let the arrow fly, a shaft of darkness in the night. It struck Lord BrightSong in the heart, and he let out a cry of anguish and his wings stopped beating. Nighthawk laughed, but her laughter suddenly stopped in amazement. As he fell, a light grew around him. The colours from the scales dimmed, and crystallised into a starburst shape, then flashed once, and vanished. This was the Essence of Neopia, the core of our land, embodied in BrightSong. His body, devoid of the brilliant colours, fell to the ground, never to rise again. Nighthawk landed on a cliff overlooking the ocean, puzzled over what had happened. She stared at the spot where BrightSong had left Neopia, and then at her bow.

"Wretched thing!" she cried, and flung the bow into the sea with all her might. And she sat there and cried, realising the selfishness and hatred of her actions. The Faerie Queen had seen BrightSong's demise, and was grieved for these Neopians being persecuted by an ancient evil, existing before the faeries themselves, and beyond their power. She breathed out a blessing upon Nighthawk's tears, and as each sparkling drop fell, it was transformed into a firefly, a living creature of light to combat the darkness.

And so the fireflies live on to this day, fighting that ancient evil and keeping Neopia safe. But the fireflies are not the cure, they are only one defence against the darkness. It is said that when the evil arises again, the fireflies shall fall. And in that time, the Essence of Neopia will be reborn into a new champion, who shall destroy the evil for good. And an heir of Nighthawk shall stand by this ones side, wielding Nighthawk's Bow, and redeem Nighthawk by helping to vanquish this evil. And that is why you should never harm a firefly, for until that time, they are our only protection against the darkness that would destroy us all."

***

Lady MoonFall fell quiet, and we all pondered over her story. "So that's why I should know of this," Terraile said softly, "because Nighthawk was a shadowed Shoyru, like me." Lady MoonFall nodded.

"Well," I said, "I highly doubt you're Nighthawk's heir, after all, this is a legend. It's late, let's get to bed."

My pets rose and walked inside, sleepy and full of thoughts. I closed the door behind me, checking to make sure it was locked. Essence of Neopia, fireflies, Nighthawk's Bow. I smiled to myself. An interesting legend, nothing more. I went to bed.

***

Deep within a grove of black trees, a firefly died. A whispering began, a promise of darkness across the land again. And the fireflies flashed brightly, defying the darkness. But the whispering did not cease.

Nightmares again. Always nightmares. I sat in my room at three in the morning, unable to fall back asleep. Now I was seeing a shadowed Shoyru in my dreams, probably a result of MoonFall's tale. I slipped out of bed and padded down the dark hallway to the kitchen. Maybe a glass of water would help. I was utterly quiet, so as not to wake up the others.

"Hello child_dragon," a voice said from behind me.

I stifled a shriek and managed to not drop the glass. I turned around, heart thudding painfully in my chest. A Dark Faerie hovered there, smiling smugly at me.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Rycio. I want you to bring me something."

I paused for a moment. A Faerie quest then. "What?"

"A small item. A crystal, in the shape of a starburst. It was stolen from us a long time ago."

I was still suspicious. That was pretty specific for a Faerie quest. "Where is it?" I demanded. Get all the details before agreeing.

"Part of a dragon's hoard. In the Terror Mountain range."

I took a deep breath. "No way on earth. I am not facing some dragon."

The Dark Faerie glared at me.

"You have no choice."

"I do too! I say no, and that's final. I'm not risking my life, and my pets lives." I heard footsteps behind me.

"What's going on?" a shaky voice asked. Aldrai.

"Nothing, go back to bed," I said firmly, not taking my eyes off the Faerie, who was utterly still and watching me in a way I didn't like. She sneered, and raised her hand. A dark aura started to glow around Aldrai, Rycio chanting in a strange language.

"Stop it!" I shrieked, and rushed over to Aldrai, frantic.

Something knocked me back, throwing me across the room to land painfully on the floor. The room seemed to spin, and I lay there, unable to move or even think. There was a flash of dark power, then it subsided. Aldrai was crying from somewhere, terrified. I weakly rolled onto my side and staggered to my feet. Aldrai was crouched in a corner, hiding his head in his arms. Rycio hovered in mid-air, smiling cruelly. I put one hand on the wall for support and stared at her in a mixture of disbelief and fury.

"What have you done?" I demanded.

"A simple curse, nothing more," she said calmly. "Bring me the jewel within the week, or you will never see Aldrai again."

I gasped and closed my eyes, tears threatening. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. The world around me seemed to tilt, to be dumped upside down.

"You can't do this," I gasped.

"Already did. A week, child_dragon," she said.

"No!!" I cried, and fell to my knees, "please, leave Aldrai alone! I'll take the curse, let my life be forfeit! Leave him alone!!"

She merely faded from view, disappearing with a small trail of black smoke. I rocked back and forth on my knees, sobbing, lost and afraid. I dimly heard frantic footsteps of MoonFall and Un-eairkagh.

"Get Melody and Sabreur," one ordered.

They came, they all did. Sakuko and her pet, Sabreur, Melody, and everyone else. Melody managed to calm me down somewhat by the time Sakuko got there, and Sabreur had to go outside so as not to upset the pets even more. He gets really really mad when people mess with his family. Aldrai was terrified, he did not speak, only sat there and shook. Netsuko sat by him and looked at us fearfully, at a loss of what to do. I stared at the floor, still crying silently, shaking with anger at this Faerie who could place so little value on life. Part of me wanted to curl up and cry, the other part wanted to scream and rage and take revenge.

"Why couldn't it of been me?" I said to Melody, in a daze, "I'm the owner, it's my responsibility. I should be the one in danger, Aldrai is my responsibility, I would give all for him�"

I cried in her arms, and it was then Sakuko took charge.

"We have a week," she said firmly. "Aldrai's not going to vanish on us yet. We have time, and we have a pretty good chance. There's four of us, and we've all got great pets. We can pull this off."

The assembled Neopians muttered agreement, and Sabreur and Infernus put their heads together to talk.

"I say we go over there, get the stupid crystal, and get the curse lifted," she continued, and walked over to me. "Child_dragon," she said firmly, "you've been blessed by the Faerie Queen. You are the only shape shifter alive. You've got four brave pets, one heck of a brother, and two friends ready to stand by you. Life isn't over. We can do this!"

I looked up, and saw hope. It was in Sakuko's determined eyes.

"We leave in the morning," she said firmly. "Melody, you stay here with Aldrai and the non-fighting pets."

"But we all want to come!" Lady MoonFall protested.

"But you can't. We can't just face a dragon head on, we've got to be sneaky. We need the pets who are fast, and can handle dangerous situations. Padiglione, are you in?"

The blue Kougra nodded determinedly.

"Un-eairkagh?"

"Always," he said, eyes blazing.

"Terraile?"

"This is my family."

"Infernus?"

"Was there any doubt?"

"Netsuko?"

"For Aldrai."

"Sabreur?"

"No one messes with my sister."

"Child_dragon?"

I gazed at her, my tears gone.

"Let's do this."

***

The fire Lupe lay in the darkened woods, licking a shallow gash on one leg. A white Aisha stalked back and forth, muttering angrily.

"Deealoe, please stop, that's very irritating," the Lupe said sourly.

"Well, WeatherWolf, if you'd actually done what you promised to do, instead of getting mauled by a psycho Zafara, we'd be a lot richer now," the Aisha retorted angrily.

"Instead, now I've got to placate the rest of the group, Jenina and Citrus are going to use this to undermine your authority, you know that. You're on shaky ground here." The Lupe sighed and stood up, towering over the Aisha.

"Let them," he said coldly. "They cannot ever hope to defeat me, and they know it. I am too strong. They are not a threat."

The Aisha stopped pacing and sighed.

"Okay, you're right there. I guess I worry too much about the others.... Now, I've done some spying, and these people are heading up into the mountains tomorrow. We could ambush them, the whole gang of us. We're more than enough."

WeatherWolf nodded, pleased. "Oh, and Deealoe?" he said.

"Yes?"

"You lied to me. He's still around." The Aisha looked puzzled.

"From about a year ago. The red Zafara. You promised me you got rid of it. It survived, somehow. It belongs to this girl now, he's her pet," he said with a sneer. "So, when we go to the mountains tomorrow, I want you to finish the job. He'll be staying behind, and he's spotted now. You destroyed the mother, now eliminate the son. "

"How do you know it's the same one?"

The Lupe looked at the Aisha in disgust.

"Paintbrush or not, you can't change your scent. I do have a nose."

And with that, the Lupe vanished into the night. The Aisha stared at his departing back.

"Bah," he muttered. "Silly Zafaras. Should be easy for me. I've fought much larger," he said with a smile, remembering his previous owner, the fool who'd abandoned him to the pound. Gone now, had an 'accident' one night. He laughed and followed the Lupe off into the night.

***

It had taken a full day to reach the base of the dragon's mountain. Sabreur had discovered a map the morning we left, bearing Rycio's signature. She had helped us that much. We made camp, and went over our plans for the morning. We would climb up to the entrance of the cave, and Terraile would sneak in to scout. We'd figure out what to do from there once we actually reached that point. We had two tents, one for the girls, one for the guys. Of course, the girls tent was quite crowded, as there were five of us and only three of them. But none of us were about to sleep outside, the mountains were bitter cold even during the day. We settled in for the night, putting out the campfire and unrolling our sleeping bags.

I was startled out of my latest nightmare by the tent collapsing and Sabreur yelling. I struggled in the dark, desperately trying to make sense of the confusion. There were voices, a lot of voices, and I recognised none. I morphed into my Eyrie form and quickly ripped a hole in the tent fabric, freeing us. I yanked Sakuko out and the other girls followed, Terraile drawing her expert bow. I stared in shock for a few moments. A huge group of NeoPets were attacking us, Infernus was fighting off two at once, a fire Lupe and a blue Pteri. Sabreur had a rapier and was facing off with a Skeith, the fencing lessons he'd taken in college the only thing keeping him alive right at the moment. The next thing I knew it, something dropped on me from above, and I rolled, snarling, trying to throw the weight off my back. Terraile yelled and took to the air, shooting off arrows. Netsuko stayed by Sakuko's side, the two fighting back to back. I managed to fling the pet attacking me off, and jumped for it, claws out. It was a Wocky, she met my attack head on, and we rolled across the ground, snarling and biting at each other. Hot blood stained my white fur, and I couldn't tell whether it was mine or my opponents. All was mass confusion.

"The Eyrie!! The white one!" a voice called.

I leaped into the air, followed by rapid wing beats. Apparently our attackers had quite a few flyers. I desperately gained altitude, when I saw a white form leap into the air. Un-eairkagh, in the darkness his stripes were nearly invisible.

"There's two!" a voice called out, the Pteri.

I grinned. Good ol' Eairkagh, pulling his usual stunts of deception. I veered to the right, and Un-eairkagh took left. The flyers split up, some straying off to pursue Un-eairkagh. I suddenly reversed my flight, diving back towards the camp. I dove right into the middle of the melee, startling the Lupe and Infernus. The two split apart and I faced the Lupe, backed by Infernus.

"There's too many," Infernus muttered in my ear.

"I know, but we have no choice," I replied.

The Lupe smiled and leaped at me, I met the attack head on. Infernus jumped in too, wielding his sword with incredible skill.

"Child_dragon!" I heard Sabreur yell.

I broke off from the fight, and ran towards his voice, the Lupe pursuing for half a second before being engaged by Infernus. My brother was pinned between a purple Acara, and the Skeith. I bowled into the Acara, carrying him to the ground.

"We've got to get out of here!" Sabreur yelled.

I leaped into the air, scanning for the other pets. "Retreat!" I yelled, praying I would be heard. "C'mon!" I dove, catching up my brother and desperately flapping to gain altitude. I caught sight of Netsuko and Sakuko heading off in one direction, covered by Terraile and her bow. Padiglione leaped over her opponent to race off in another direction, while Infernus remained, holding off three at once.

"Infernus!" my brother screamed, twisting in my arms.

"Just go!" the Scorchio yelled back. "I'll be fine!"

"We've got to, bro," I said, a knot in my chest. "They'd be on us in no time if he didn't hold them back. All we can do is pray."

My brother held on grimly as I flew on, tired and sick at heart.

I flew for the rest of the night, up the mountain. Hopefully everyone would make it to the dragon's cave and we could regroup there. We only had a week, there was no turning back. At first light I landed. Sabreur stood there, staring off into the distance.

"It'll be okay," I said, in way of consolation.

"This wasn't the Battledome," he said softly. "There is no Healing Springs here."

He hung his head, the wind ruffling his golden hair. I quickly took stock of our situation. I was only mildly hurt, Sabreur had a deep cut along one arm. Infernus most likely didn't make it out, there was no way of knowing if the rest of our group had escaped, and Aldrai was still cursed. My world was falling apart, piece by painful piece.

***

WeatherWolf stalked back and forth before his gang.

"Fools!" he snarled. "You let the Eyrie escape!"

"It wasn't our fault, there were two!" the blue Pteri protested.

"Silence Jenina!" he snarled, and continued pacing, glaring at his followers.

"We continue on. Hopefully we can catch up with them, even though they are scattered and have a lead," he growled, casting an angry glare at the fire Scorchio. It lay in a crumpled heap, the ground around stained red, the sword broken in two.

"We split up, in groups of two. Find a trail and follow it. We will look for three days, if they aren't found by then, return to the forest. Deriff, I want you to take Golden and Corin back to the forest now. Deealoe should be there, I sent him after this girl's pet that stayed behind."

The two pets looked at their leader, then over at Deriff. Of all of the attackers, they were the worst injured. The others had some minor injuries, nothing more. WeatherWolf had a gash on his flank, the only wound any of them had seen him take. It was from the Scorchio's sword.

"Now go. Three days, and I want them all destroyed."

The pets split off and started up the mountain. WeatherWolf paused for a moment, regarding the fire Scorchio.

"What a waste," he said. "A fine fighter, throwing everything away for an owner! Fool."

And the Lupe bounded off, leaving the fallen NeoPet behind him.

Sabreur and I walked the rest of the way to the cave. There was no turning back, we didn't have much time left to save Aldrai. All we could do was keep going and try to salvage the shambles the world we knew had become. We went in silence, often checking back behind us to make sure we weren't pursued. There was no other sign of life except us on the mountain. Around evening, we reached the cave. There was no snow around it, just scorched and blackened earth. I knelt and touched the ground. Black ash clung to my fingers.

"I think we're in the right place," I said to my brother nervously.

"You bet!" an enthusiastic voice answered.

I whipped around to face the sound, morphing into my half Eyrie form. Padiglione emerged from behind a scorched rock pile, followed by Un-eairkagh. I let out a shaky breath and returned to normal.

"Scared you, huh?" she said with a grin.

"Don't do that!" my brother said, eyes huge.

"Where's everyone else?" the Eyrie asked.

I took a deep breath. "I don't know. Sakuko and Netsuko are still missing, and Infernus� stayed behind."

Padiglione turned away with a choked sob and Un-eairkagh hung his head. "We've got to keep going though," he said, grieved. "Nothing we can do. We have to save Aldrai."

I nodded. "Then let's make our plans."

***

Sakuko, Netsuko, and Terraile watched the fire Lupe and the purple Acara trudge up the steep slope.

"They're headed for the cave," Netsuko whispered, "must be following Pad and Un-eairkagh's trail."

Sakuko nodded. The pair was moving much faster than they were, used to difficult terrain. She bit her lip and thought. The trio couldn't get ahead of them, but they couldn't just return home and let the Lupe reach the others.

"It's up to the rest to get the jewel," Sakuko said, decided on a course of action. "They need time though, and it's up to us to keep those pets off they're backs. So, we use diversionary tactics. Hit and run. Are you two up to it?"

The two pets nodded, and started making plans.

***

We slipped into the cave, single file, staying against the wall. I could hear breathing, deep and rhythmic. The dragon must be asleep, I thought. Padiglione went first, then me, Un-eairkagh, and Sabreur taking up the rear. The tunnel suddenly opened up into a huge cavern, filled with light from an unknown source. A massive pile of gold, jewels, and other wondrous items filled the room. The dragon lay on top the pile, a green scaled beast of enormous size. The smell of sulphur filled the room. I scanned the piles of treasure, looking for the star burst crystal. Sabreur tapped Padiglione's shoulder and pointed. There, near the dragons snout, was the crystal. The Kougra nodded and started off across the room. We had agreed that she should be the thief, being the most sure-footed of all us. She stealthily made her way across the room, paw by paw. Now she was on top the treasure pile, mere feet away from the dragon's snout. Slowly, she eased the crystal from the pile. A single coin rolled away, and landed on the stone floor with a tink. I gasped as the dragon twitched. No one moved, no one breathed. The dragon didn't wake, and after what seemed an eternity, Padiglione turned and started off towards the entrance. Too late, I saw the dragon's eye open. With a roar, it slammed a clawed hand over Padiglione, trapping her underneath. Its dreadful gaze fell on us, and we cowered against the wall. Its eyes were deep wells, ancient and full of knowledge, of things that should not be known. It held my gaze, and slowly, lifted its hand off of the Kougra She didn't move, only sat there, shaking.

*Child of the Dragon* it said, needing no words. We heard it directly in our minds. I stepped forwards to stand in front of the massive creature, its will tangible in my mind. *You are your name* it said, only to me. *Fierce, like a dragon, but still a child. Innocent, and unaware of what you are. I do not tolerate trespassers, thieves even less. But you merely come to claim your birthright, and my time as Guardian has passed. Take what is rightfully yours.*

It gestured to Padiglione, and in a daze, she lifted the crystal from the floor and returned to the entryway. Frightened, and confused, I started to skitter back, wanting nothing to be gone.

*Remember, Child of the Dragon, the crystal is yours. Do not let any take it from you*

***

LanceHunter followed tiredly in WeatherWolf's wake. It was rough going in the snow, especially at the pace the Lupe demanded. The purple Acara paused a moment to catch his breath, and saw a glimpse of colour against the blinding snow. Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw that it was the rainbow Zafara, just standing there. He absently walked up to the fire Lupe, not paying any special attention to the Zafara

"Over there," he muttered.

"Already saw it," WeatherWolf replied softly. "Fall behind and circle around. Don't be seen."

LanceHunter dropped low to the ground, hidden in the snow. WeatherWolf kept on walking. Slowly, the Acara crept around to the side of the rainbow Zafara She didn't take her eyes of WeatherWolf, who was pretending to survey the terrain up ahead. The Acara smiled. This was too easy. A sudden hiss of air was the only warning he had. There was a dull thunk, and a blinding pain spread over his chest. He glanced down in shock--he had been hit. With a gasp, he fell to the side, the pristine snow stained red. He glanced up at the Zafara in desperation, and was met with her cold, pitiless stare.

"Infernus," was all she said. He closed his eyes and slid away into eternal darkness.

The Zafara was running, along with a human and a Shoyru. He stopped by LanceHunter's still form and snarled. With one paw, he closed the Acara's eyes, and glanced back at the fleeing trio. He might just catch them. With a howl he bounded off through the snow.

***

Melody sat in the living room with Aldrai. The house was empty except for them, MoonFall had gone with her pets while Melody stayed at child_dragon's house. It was night, her friends had been gone for two days now. She was worried, to say the least. Aldrai sat in her lap, asleep. She stared at the wall, thoughts whirling through her head. There was a soft noise, and Aldrai woke up. He peered around sleepily, yawning.

"They home yet?" he asked.

"No, still gone."

He sighed and lay his head back down on his tail. There was another sound, and Melody snapped to alertness, feeling an icy shiver down her spine. It sounded like someone was in the house. Aldrai slipped off her lap and she stood. Something hard hit her in the back of the head, and she fell, sinking into darkness. Aldrai gasped and nudged Melody's unconscious form. A white Aisha leaped over the couch to stand in front of the Zafara

"WeatherWolf was right, you are the son," he said, smiling at Aldrai.

"What, who�..?" he stammered, shocked.

"My name doesn't really matter. What does is that several years ago, I defeated your mother. I thought I'd destroyed you too, but apparently, this miserable human saved you. I'm going to remedy that."

Aldrai stared at the Aisha, then turned to flee. In a split second, the Aisha tackled Aldrai, sending him crashing into the ground. The Zafara tried to get up, but he Aisha was stronger, keeping him down with punches and kicks. Aldrai lay there on the floor, panting and too weak to stand.

"That's it?!" the Aisha exclaimed. "You're weaker than I thought. Pathetic. Just pathetic!"

The Aisha sighed and kicked Aldrai again for good measure. He leaned down and grasped the Zafara's ear, raising his head to stare him in the eyes.

"See this?" he asked, showing Aldrai a silver dagger. "I destroyed my owner with it, I fought and defeated your mother with it, and now I'm going to wipe you out. But first, watch this." He turned and flipped the dagger to hold it throwing style.

"Bet I can hit her from here," he said gleefully, "Funny, I don't even know who she is, oh well."

And he threw. A black figure seemed to appear from no where, snatching the dagger out of the air.

"Her name is Melody," Infernus growled, throwing the dagger back at the Aisha He let out a startled squeak and ducked, the dagger imbedding itself in the wall behind him.

"A fighter then," the Aisha muttered, and snarled. Infernus inhaled deeply, and the Aisha started to circle around. With a roar, Infernus spat out a ball of flame, catching the surprised Aisha head on. He howled and broke through the window, disappearing into the night.

"Won't have much trouble from him anymore� he'll have a fun time growing back his fur," Infernus said sleepily, then collapsed to the floor. Aldrai managed to stagger to his feet and stared. If Infernus was hurt this badly� then what about the others?

"Child_dragon!!" he howled in grief.

***

Sabreur and I couldn't believe what had just happened. He just kept turning the jewel over and over in his hands, shaking his head. Padiglione's eyes still hadn't returned to normal size, and even Un-eairkagh looked shaken.

"What'd the dragon say to you?" Sabreur asked.

"Not to give the crystal up," I said uncomfortably, unsure of what the dragon had meant. My birthright? I stared at the crystal. It seemed to pull at me, to demand something. I shuddered and turned away, but it was still there, whispering just outside my mind.

The way back down the mountain was strangely uneventful. We traveled in silence, casting nervous glances over our shoulders. We expected an ambush at any moment. Only when we reached the familiar confines of Neopia Central did we relax. We arrived home only to find a hastily scribbled note in Sakuko's handwriting to come to the hospital. Once there, we discovered Melody, Aldrai, and Sabreur, along with the rest of the gang waiting anxiously. Sabreur broke down with relief at seeing his pet alive, though badly hurt. I nearly had a fit too, after Melody and Aldrai related what had happened. I related my story, and there was general silence all around.

"So we can't let Rycio get her hands on this," Melody said thoughtfully.

"Do you know why?" Sakuko asked.

I shook my head. For some reason, I didn't want to mention what the dragon had said to me.

"I've got an idea," MoonFall said quietly.

I sat on the front step of my porch, alone except for Aldrai. The crystal was in my house, Padiglione had set it there. Soon enough, Rycio appeared, hovering in mid-air.

"Do you have it?" she demanded.

"I do. But first things first," I said calmly.

She glared at me, then abruptly nodded.

"You deserve something out of this," she grudgingly conceded.

"First, remove the curse. That was the original agreement. Second, swear to never harm me, my pets, my friends, or their pets ever again. And third, we were attacked by a band of ownerless pets. Lay a spell on my house preventing any with evil intentions from entering."

She thought for a moment. "Very well, you deserve that much," she murmured, and gestured. Arcane symbols appeared from her hand, and she whispered. A dark glow surrounded Aldrai, then slid off like fog. She continued to chant, and I felt rather than saw the spell take hold over my home.

"You are safe now. And I swear upon the Faerie Queen and the Darkness to never harm you, your pets, your friends, and their pets ever."

She was bound by her oath, for as MoonFall had said, a faerie could never break an oath.

"The crystals inside," I said, turning quickly to hide my smile of triumph. I opened the door and Aldrai hurried inside, I followed. There was a shriek from behind us.

"Why, I do believe you can't get in," I said lazily, gazing at the furious Rycio with slitted eyes.

She sputtered, then howled in fury, and disappeared in black smoke. The victory was mine, and life would return to normal, for a while, at least.

WeatherWolf lay in the clearing, waiting. He'd raged for over an hour at Deealoe, and at all the rest of the group. They were furious, especially at the news of what happened to LanceHunter. Those Neopians would pay. But for now, he had to meet with this Lord.

"Ahh, the mighty warrior returns," a figure hissed. "You have failed me, Lupe."

"I can still get rid of them. There are a lot more of us than them," he replied calmly.

"True, but now the have the crystal. The girl must be eliminated, and soon!" he growled, stepping out into the light.

WeatherWolf sniffed. "She will be destroyed."

The cloaked figure snarled in anger. "You fail to understand! Now that they have the crystal, time is against us," he said, advancing on the complacent Lupe. "I don't think you realise the stakes."

WeatherWolf stood up, watching intently as the cloaked figure lifted back his hood.

"Look at me," the figure hissed, "and know what the price of failure is."

WeatherWolf stared into the figures eyes as the hood fell back, and screamed. Deep within a black grove of trees, the whispers stopped for a moment. A soft laugh echoed, then died. The whispers started again, stronger. And a firefly died.

***

Infernus was out of the hospital, but was still very limited in his activities. Melody and Aldrai were fine now, though Aldrai wouldn't leave the house alone. He was having nightmares again. As was I. The shadows were always there, and a Shoyru with a bow. Now I saw the crystal, it haunted me even in my dreams. I heard whispering too, the shadows. The crystal sang, fighting against the infernal whispering. I would wake, and the song of the crystal would remain in my head. I wasn't getting much sleep, to say the least.

It was Padiglione who came up with the brilliant idea. Plans were hastily made, and phone calls sent out. We were going to the beach, me, Melody, Sabreur, and Sakuko. All of our pets were coming along. On the appointed day, we all met at my house with towels, sunscreen, and other necessities. It was absolute pandemonium for a while, until we managed to calm our pets down.

"Okay, Melody, your pets are riding with you, so that means you have one extra space," I said, thinking. "Sakuko, you're riding with me, right?"

She nodded. "Then I can fit three pets, and Sabreur can take everyone else, right? That'd be three pets to Melody, three to me, and three to Sabreur. One person will have to sit in the middle, but it'll be in my car, so that's okay."

I had the biggest car of the three of us, Melody and Sabreur having sports cars, Sakuko couldn't drive yet, and I had the four wheel drive truck made for off road. Aldrai and Netsuko quickly gravitated towards me, along with Terraile. Melody's pets stood by her, and Un-eairkagh and MoonFall headed over to stand with Sabreur and Infernus.

"Okay, let's go."

We threw our stuff in the trunk of our cars, and the pets piled in. I quickly pulled Sabreur aside before he unlocked his car.

"Don't let Un-eairkagh ride in the front," I whispered.

"Why not?"

"Cause he tries to shift when you're not looking. He put it into third gear once at an intersection and I wound up killing the engine. He's dangerous around a standard transmission."

Sabreur nodded, looking a little surprised. He was sure to put Infernus in the front seat. I hopped in my car and made sure everyone was buckled up.

"Let's pray this starts," I muttered.

It took two tries for the engine to turn over, no surprise there. I carefully backed out and started down the road following Melody and Sabreur.

It was a perfect day for the beach, not too sunny, not too hot, and the water was perfect. I was walking along the shore with Melody, shell hunting, while Sakuko and our pets played in the surf.

"You know," Melody said, "I was thinking. About the whole Rycio deal."

I didn't reply.

"And do you think that Rycio, those pets, and the crystal are all linked?"

"I doubt it," I said wearily. "There's this little voice in the back of my head saying that we won't see Rycio again, I can't explain it."

Melody looked at me intently. I gazed out along the beach, and my eye caught sight of a black piece of driftwood sticking out of the sand. A ray of sun caught the tip, and it sparkled. Wait� driftwood doesn't sparkle! I walked a little faster, Melody hurrying to keep up. I reached the object. It was a bow, entirely black, and it seemed to have an aura of power. A hawk was carved near the grip. My breath caught in my throat. It was the bow from my dreams, NightHawk's Bow. I gingerly touched it with one finger, and leaped back with a yelp. The thing had shocked me with magic. "Get the others," I said grimly to Melody.

We all gathered around the bow. MoonFall hastily related the story of Nighthawk's Tears, to a worried audience.

"And the bow is found," Padiglione said wonderingly, "washed up on the beach. She did throw it in the ocean after all."

"Which means the fireflies have failed," Sakuko finished.

"Oh c'mon you guys!" I said desperately. "It's just a legend, right?" No one agreed with me. Terraile stepped forward as in a daze, staring at the bow.

"It sings," she said, mesmerised.

I shook my head in denial. This wasn't happening. Terraile was just a shadowed Shoyru, nothing more. But events were quickly spinning out of my control. Terraile stepped forward and grasped the bow, easily pulling it out of the sand. A quiver was with it, filled with black arrows. There was a flash of light, and I covered my eyes. When I opened them, Terraile was standing there as if stone.

"Terraile?" I said timidly.

She shook herself and breathed deeply, coming out of her trance. "It all makes sense," she said softly. "The fireflies are failing, they cannot hold the evil back any longer. I'm Nighthawk's heir�. Destined to help the one bearing the Essence of Neopia throw back this darkness."

I backed up, not wanting to believe this, desperately praying this was a bad dream. The song of the crystal was in my ears, filling my mind. I could hear the bow, could hear its song join with the crystal. And I could hear the whispering of the Shadows. "No�" I moaned, and ran, trying to get away from the song. My friends called after me, but I ran, changing into my Eyrie form in panic. I eventually stumbled and fell to the sand, crying.

"Why Terraile!?" I sobbed, beating the sand with my wings. "Haven't we done enough?! Haven't I had to watch my pets risk their lives enough? WHY!?!" I screamed, my hatred of the direction fate was taking us spilling out in this one turbulent outburst.

"That is one question I cannot answer," a voice said from above me.

I looked up and saw a Light Faerie, hovering serenely above my head.

"We cannot face this evil. The Shadows are things not of this land, they are a void of evil. Each creature is aligned with an element, or more. As are we. But the Shadows have no element, they are nothingness. And they feed off of the life and soul of all living creatures. We cannot come near them, to do so is a waste of our lives. The only thing that can stand against these monsters are the fireflies, and Neopians armed with Nighthawk's Bow and the Elemental Spear."

"Spear?"

"A weapon containing all the elements. It was lost to us shortly after BrightSong's demise. Only the Essence of Neopia can wield this artifact."

I stared off across the waves, my mind numb. "How do you know all this?" I asked softly.

"There are prophesies."

"What do they say?"

"They are very precise up to a point. The Heir shall appear, the Essence shall be reborn, and they shall fight the evil. All connected to the Essence and the Heir shall be in danger of their lives, but the Essence alone shall face the true evil. The others should survive, if the Essence succeeds. The prophecies do not say who will be the winner in this final confrontation."

I was silent for a long time, the wind ruffling my fur. Ancient prophecies, a devastating evil. And we were caught in the middle. I just wanted to rest, to be done with this all. I was so sick of the fighting and the violence, so tired of the constant danger. But it seemed that we had no choice but to stand by Terraile and fight. Heroes were needed, and all Neopia had were a bunch of scared teenagers. But stand and fight I would. For Terraile, for Neopia, for everything I loved and cherished. There was one question I needed answered.

"So who's the Essence?" I asked, dreading the reply. The Faerie looked at me, holding my gaze. She reminded me of the dragon, knowing something that was hidden to me, something of who and what I am.

"The Essence shall be reborn� in you."

The beach trip was cut short, needless to say. I drove home in a daze, a Light Faerie sitting with Terraile, talking softly to her. The Shoyru was still stunned, and seemed quite unsure of how to handle her role as Heir.

"Look at it this way," Netsuko said in an effort to put a positive spin on things. "You won't be doing all the fighting, that's the Essence's job."

I paled slightly, I hadn't told them yet that I was the Essence. Sakuko looked at me kinda funny, but didn't say anything. We reached my house and unloaded the cars. No one spoke. We all gathered in the living room, finding spots either on the couch or on the floor. The Faerie took a spot in the middle.

"My name is Heya," she said serenely, and proceeded to tell the others what she had told me, leaving out that I was the Essence. For that, I was thankful. I wasn't a hero, I wasn't a fighter. I was a normal teenage girl with aspirations of college and a job. That was all. But it seemed fate had other plans. Heya finished her explanation and turned to Terraile. "Do you think you can do this?" she asked.

The Shoyru looked around at everyone gathered here.

"I cannot on my own," she said softly, "but together, we will win."

"Good," Heya said, "Padiglione, could you bring in the dragon's crystal?"

The Kougra got up and left the room.

"What about Rycio?" Infernus asked.

"She's off pouting somewhere. Apparently the Faerie Queen herself is upset at her, so I imagine Rycio isn't going to show her face for a long time."

Padiglione quickly returned with the crystal. It pulsed with light once, and the bow answered it. I felt a strong tug in my chest, and tried to ignore it.

"There is one last thing you must know," Heya said. "BrightSong carried the Essence of Neopia, but he was not the Essence. Neopia was made up of pets and owners, BrightSong was only one. When the Faerie Queen blessed child_dragon, she was changed. She is both owner and pet, and only she can be the true Essence of Neopia."

Every head turned to stare at me in astonishment.

"I know you have doubts," Heya said softly, "but you must put them behind you. Now is the time to step up and fight for what you love. Claim your birthright."

The crystal sang, and all could hear it now. It hovered in the air, gleaming with all the colors of the elements. I stood, unconsciously changing into my half Eyrie form. The crystal called to me, demanded that I touch it. I stepped forward and stretched out my hand, one finger gently resting on its tip. There was a blinding light, and something engulfed me, something so powerful, so incredible. It melded into my bones, my blood, the very core of what I am, my soul. Then, it was gone, and I fell to the floor, filled with a power and knowledge not of my own. I knew. The knowledge the dragon held, and the Faerie held was mine. I was the core of Neopia, I was the embodiment of all it was. I slowly stood, no longer afraid. I could sense things now, I could feel the individual presence of everyone in the room and beyond. There, in the street, walked a kau. I couldn't see him, but I felt him. And I could feel the elements. Burning in each person was a strand or two of the elements. Un-eairkagh possessed fire and wind in his blood, Aldrai earth and water. Terraile was darkness and air, and MoonFall earth. Melody was water and life, while Sabreur fire, as was his Scorchio. Sakuko was darkness, life, and fire, while Netsuko was air. And I, I was everything.

"child_dragon," Melody said in awe. "You've really, really changed."

"I know," I said softly. "I'm the Essence."

Un-eairkagh shook his head.

"No, that's not what she means, she means you're really a freak of nature now."

It took me a moment to grasp his meaning. I had my white wings, but that was the only normal thing about me. My tail was that of a pteri, dark blue in color. My hands were lightly covered in black fur, and clawed, like a kougra. My legs from around mid shin and down were that of a uni, and green furred. I had fiery red scorchio horns, and the light blue frills near my ears of a peophin.

"You truly are the Essence," Heya said in awe.

"What do you mean?" I demanded, "why am I like this?"

"You know why," she stated.

It was true. I did.

"Because I'm the embodiment of Neopia. Pet and owner. And all the elements. My tail comes from air, my legs from earth, my wings from life, my horns from fire, my claws from darkness, and the frills from water," I said in a daze.

"Are you stuck like that?" MoonFall asked nervously.

I nodded.

"Can't unbecome the Essence," I muttered.

"Do you know where the spear is?" Heya asked.

I shook my head.

"Can't feel it."

She sighed noisily, and rose into the air.

"We have some things for you in Faerieland. Just a couple need to come, preferably those who can carry a lot. I'll meet you there."

And with that, she vanished.

"Are you okay?" Melody asked of me.

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I feel the Essence in me, it's what I am now, and it's reassuring somehow. It's like knowing that whatever happens, every living creature in Neopia will be behind you."

I walked to the window and looked out. It was growing dark, and a brilliant sunset of red and gold stood on the horizon.

"Can I count on all of you to help?" I asked.

"You can," they replied.

I smiled thinly and turned.

"Okay, I'm going to Faerieland... of course, Infernus, are you up to it?"

He nodded; the Healing Springs Faerie had been really nice to him.

"Then, MoonFall, you come, ummm, how about Un-eairkagh and SwiftRiversRunning?"

Melody's blue Uni grinned broadly at being included.

"That should be enough, plus it's all our flyers," Melody said softly.

***

In the heart of a black grove, the whispers stopped. A cry of anguish arose. A cloaked figure raised his head and stared at the stars far above.

"No matter," he whispered. "The fireflies are gone, once again we rule the night. Our hold is strong, and this girl weak. Go, children, hunt again."

He stretched out his robed and emancipated arms, and the Shadows vanished into the night. The figure laughed, the Neopians were once again prey within their home.

***

Heya wasn't kidding about having stuff for us. For Infernus, Un-eairkagh, and FireDarkWolfX, a sword. Even though Melody's green Gelert wasn't much of a fighter, the Faeries insisted he'd need it. Lady MoonFall, Aldrai, and Netsuko all had a dagger awaiting them, while Padiglione got two, one for each paw. SwiftRiversRunning, Melody and Sakuko were both given bows, and Sabreur had a rapier made especially for him. Not only were all the weapons crafted specifically to fight Shadows, they were blessed by the Faerie Queen. "I don't know how effective these will be," Heya said as she handed us the bundles of sharp steel, "but they should do something."

I discovered on the way back that I could fly much better know, perhaps it was part of the innate knowledge of the Essence within me. Either way, I was enjoying the flight, even if a korbat followed us a little ways, not believing her eyes.

Everyone was pleased with the gifts, except for a select few who were a bit dismayed to find out they'd be fighting. Melody and Aldrai looked especially uncomfortable with the idea. It's not that they were scared, they were just unsure of how they'd be of help. None of them had any fighting experience.

Everyone had gone home, and I was alone with my pets. Finally, they too went to bed. I stared at my reflection in the mirror for the longest time. My familiar face stared back, the Irish ancestry evident in the structure and red streaked brown hair. But that was all that hadn't changed. For good or bad, I was the Essence of Neopia. And I had a task to fulfill.

Sleep came easy for the first time in weeks that night. There were no nightmares, nothing haunted my dreams. But I was soon shaken awake by a frantic Un-eairkagh.

"What�." I muttered, staggering out of bed.

"Padiglione's hysterical!" Un-eairkagh gasped. "Come quick!"

Not the kind of thing you want to wake up to. I followed him into the living room, where Padiglione was sitting on the floor, gasping. She held one of her daggers ,the other was missing. My other three pets were nearby, comforting her.

"They're loose," she gasped, eyes wild, "we�we� were ambushed. They're everywhere. Melody, ohhh, Melody�. The others stayed to fight, I, I went to get help�."

"It's okay," I said, desperate, "I'll go, c'mon Un-eairkagh, Terraile." The two grabbed their weapons and followed me out the door. We took to the air, watching down below. Terraile drifted a bit closer to speak to me.

"It's the Shadows, isn't it?"

I nodded, I could feel the malevolence and evil in the air, like a thick fog.

"Many are going to be destroyed tonight," Terraile said softly.

I had no reply to that. I could only hope that Melody wouldn't be the first. With the shadows loose, unchecked, and a civilisation used to being out after dark�

Un-eairkagh spotted them first. Melody's blond haired form lying motionless, with her two pets back to back by her, and a ring of hissing darkness surrounding them. I dove, landing before the shadows. They screeched and drew back, and my Eyrie smashed into their side, swinging the glowing sword in an arc. A hiss, and a shaft of black sped past me, piercing the chest of one of the Shadows. I stepped forward, tense, and feeling a power stirring within my heart. The Shadows hissed and leaped for me as one. I fell underneath them, gasping as the breath was stolen from my lungs from the blinding cold of their touch. Icy claws ripped at my arm, so cold it was like liquid fire. I pushed out, providing an outlet for the power I held. There was a roar in my ears, and a blaze of light shot out in a circle around us. There was a last despairing cry as the Shadows were vaporised. I stared around me in surprise. I had no idea I could do that. Hearing FireDarkWolfX behind me, I turned and knelt by Melody. She seemed to be asleep, her breathing deep and even.

"Melody," I said softly, touching her shoulder.

"Let's get her to Faerieland," Un-eairkagh said softly.

I nodded, the faeries would know what to do. "SwiftRiversRunning," I said, "go see to Padiglione, Un-eairkagh, you take Melody to Faerieland FireDarkWolfX, you stay with me." I grabbed the Gelert in my arms, leaping into the air, beating my wings to gain altitude. We flew to the centre of Neopia Central, landing in the street. "Keep an eye on me after this," I muttered.

The Gelert looked at me in curiosity, wondering what I was up to. I knew just what to do. It'd be hard, but better that than the Shadows running loose. As Terraile said, people would be destroyed tonight. I took a shuddering breath and closed my eyes. I felt the power grow and swell, currents of it coalescing in me. I drew it to myself, formed it, into a knot of pure power. It continued to increase, until all I could see and hear and feel was raw magic. It threatened to overwhelm me, to engulf my mind. Then I released it, with a roar a tidal wave of raw magic rolled out across Neopia, destroying every Shadow it touched. It was impossible to miss it, every Neopian that night saw and heard the tempest I had released. But the sheer volume of power I wielded was too much, and I collapsed to the ground, unconscious. And FireDarkWolfX understood why I had wanted him to stay with me.

I was dreaming, of Shadows again. I kept seeing pieces of coloured crystal, deep within a pool of darkness. And a cloaked figure watched me, red eyes glittering. "You may of won once," it hissed, "but the Shadows are infinite in number. They shall return tonight, and the next night. You cannot continue like this forever, we shall rule once again."

I spread my Eyrie wings to their full extent. "We shall win," I simply said. "Because I will not back down.

I woke to daylight on my face. I struggled to sit up in the bed, looking around. I was in my own room, Aldrai asleep at my feet and Un-eairkagh sitting on a nearby chair. He looked solemnly at me for a moment, then sighed. "So what's up?" I asked softly.

"Melody's in Faerieland The Shadows have some kind of influence, curse, lingering bit of whatever they do to drain life, still in her. That's why she won't wake."

"How do we cure her?" I asked, scared to hear the answer.

"We destroy the Shadows."

I nodded and slipped out of bed, waking Aldrai. He yawned and stretched, blinking around blearily.

"Just what did you do last night?" Un-eairkagh asked. "Not quite sure. Apparently I can use magic, like faeries. So I released a tidal wave of it and mangled the Shadows."

I walked from the room, my hooves echoing on the wooden floor. I found Sakuko asleep on the couch in the living room, and Sabreur outside with Infernus, practising with their swords. I rummaged up some cereal for breakfast and considered what to do next. Heya soon appeared perched on the nearby chair.

"Hello," she said softly.

"M'ello," I said around a mouthful of food.

"Do you know where the spear is?"

I swallowed before replying.

"What's the prophecy say?"

"Something about being buried deep within the darkness."

I thought on that quietly. "I had a dream last night," I said slowly, "about different coloured shards in a pool of darkness. Does it mean anything?"

Heya shrugged and shook her head.

"You'd know better than me."

I finished the rest of my cereal and headed back into the living room. Sakuko was blearily looking around, Terraile standing nearby with NightHawk's Bow.

"We're gonna have to practice if we're gonna take on the Shadows tonight," the Shoyru said simply, heading for the back door.

"Tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah, the gates only open at night," she said matter-of-factly over her shoulder. I merely shook my head and followed her out.

Sabreur quickly informed me that SwiftRiversRunning was with Melody, and would not participate in the upcoming battle. I didn't mind, someone had to stay with her. All the other pets where there though, and we practised literally all day, perfecting our aim and technique, with a lot of help from Infernus. A couple hours before sunset, and after we ate, it was time to head for the Haunted Forest, or, the Cursed Woods.

We walked in silence, the leaves crunching underfoot sounding eerily loud in the semi-darkness. A tingling on my arms caused me to shudder, and a chill went up my back.

"I think we're close to the source," Terraile said softly. The forest darkened, and through the trees I could see the brilliant colours of the vanishing sun. We didn't have much time left. Then, the trees around us suddenly vanished, and we were standing in the middle of a clearing. No brush, nothing was growing there, and a black mist covered the ground. The waning light seemed to despair of brightening this place, and the twilight was even deeper within the ring of midnight black trees. Terraile's eyes shone, remembering events performed by Neopians long gone. A single obelisk of ebony stone reared in the middle of the clearing, runes carved along its service that seemed to twist and move along the stones surface. A fire Lupe emerged from behind this massive shard of evil.

"Greetings child_dragon" he said calmly. "I am WeatherWolf, and we've been waiting." I glanced around in panic, and saw a huge group of pets, all kinds, emerging from the trees. We were outnumbered nearly two to one. A white Aisha moved to stand next to the Lupe Aldrai and the Aisha snarled at each other.

"Ah, so you remember Deealoe, good," WeatherWolf said. "Well, it's been an interesting time, but I'm afraid that this is it. None of you will leave this clearing alive." He laughed, and the ring of pets laughed too. We drew back to back, weapons ready.

"Get out of here first opportunity," Sabreur muttered in my ear.

"Can't leave you," I whispered back. The Lupe held up a paw and the menacing ring went still.

"I wish to fight you, child_dragon. Just me and you. No one else will interfere," he said.

"Kiddo, you can't!" Un-eairkagh said desperately.

I shook my head at him and stepped forward. "I accept," I said calmly. Anything to buy my pets time.

He laughed, and leaped for me, eyes blazing and claws ready.

I didn't flinch as the Lupe struck me hard in the chest. I was thrown backwards, and the Lupe leaped off to one side, growling. I rolled onto my side, groaning as my chest protested in pain. I shoved myself to my feet, and was immediately slammed back to the ground by the enormous size of the fire Lupe He leaped back again and waited for me to stand. He was toying with me, and I knew it. I stood again, and again he knocked me to the ground. I could hear MoonFall crying, and I glimpsed the horrified and desperate faces of my friends. And all around were the leering and laughing followers of WeatherWolf. I stood again, and this time the Lupe hit me from the back, knocking me to the dirt. A jarring pain stabbed up my side and I gasped in pain, struggling to my knees. I had fallen on a rock, and a sharp pain and tightness in my chest signified a broken rib.

"Stand up and fight, dragon!" the Lupe snarled from behind me.

He slashed lightly down my back with his paw, causing me to wince. I stood once again, facing him quietly.

"Well, fight!!" he snarled, standing there in a crouch. "I'll even let you strike first."

I shook my head. "I will not fight you," I said softly.

He sprang, slamming me into the ground again. I cried out as the pain from my ribs increased tenfold.

"Fight me!" WeatherWolf screamed, hitting me with his paws.

I curled into a ball, shielding my head with my wings. He rained down blows, enraged at my refusal to fight. He finally slumped to the ground, panting.

"Why won't you fight?!" he moaned in frustration.

I looked him in the eyes. "Because violence begets violence. If this is going to end, then one of us will have to back down. And I will not destroy a pet, even to save myself."

The Lupe stared at me in astonishment, and a startled ripple ran through the assembled pets.

"Not even to save yourself?" a voice questioned, and a blue Pteri stepped out into the clearing.

I managed to lift myself to my knees, meeting the Pteri's puzzled gaze. "When I entered Neopia, I took on a responsibility to protect and cherish the NeoPets, even those not my own," I explained.

"Bah, she lies. Weren't we all abandoned by our owners? Thrown aside and discarded without even a backwards glance?" the white Aisha named Deealoe hissed. The last rays of the sun vanished over the horizon. A chill wind rushed through the clearing, whispering of things that should not be known.

"This isn't good," I whispered as the obelisk glowed darkly.

Power seemed to gather around it, and the whispering wing strengthened. WeatherWolf seemed strangely unconcerned.

"Perhaps for you," he replied.

"Destroy the girl WeatherWolf!!" the Aisha screamed, hurling a silver dagger with one paw.

The blue Pteri shrieked and leaped into the air. She gasped, and fell to the ground, the dagger embedded in her shoulder.

"Jenina!" a pet among the circle shouted, shocked.

The Lupe stared in surprise at the Pteri

"You care," she said, voice twisted in pain. "That's more than any other human has done."

There was a flash of dark power, and a howling arose. I could see shadows forming at the base of the obelisk, hundreds and hundreds. There was a cry from behind me, and I turned, seeing my friends and WeatherWolf's group engage. We were outnumbered, but the arrival of the Shadows had thrown everything into utter chaos. WeatherWolf snarled at the scene about him. I staggered to me feet and nearly fell, the pain causing me to grow light-headed. I felt something strong brush up against me, and I clung to rough fur for support.

"He lied," WeatherWolf said from beside me, "he said we would be safe from the Shadows."

I grasped his meaning in a heartbeat. The Shadows were attacking everyone, indiscriminately. Everyone had gathered into a big bunch, my friends on the outer ring fighting with the faerie weapons.

"Strike the gate, open the way, stop the Shadows!" a familiar voice yelled, and I looked, seeing Terraile hovering above the battle, stringing an arrow. I held my breath, and she took aim. Time seemed to slow, and with a hiss, the arrow flew straight, striking the obelisk in the very centre. The Shadows screamed, and a dark vortex appeared around Terraile's arrow. With a resounding crack, the obelisk shattered into a million pieces, crumbling to the forest floor. The Shadows didn't move, then sluggishly regained their bearings, turning to face the group of pets. I gathered power into myself, and released it in a golden shockwave, destroying the rest. I swayed, and heard a clatter of steel being dropped. Sabreur's arms quickly kept me from falling and helped me to sit on the ground. Everyone was silent as they watched. WeatherWolf shook his head, dazed. He looked around as if one awakening from a dream. He wasn't the only one. Deealoe seemed especially shaken.

"It was evil," a soft voice said, a yellow Buzz. "And� it was influencing our actions," he finished in an amazed whisper.

The Buzz hovered over and knelt by the Pteri's side.

"You saw it, didn't you?" he said, gently touching her wing. "You saw what we were becoming."

The Pteri nodded and closed her eyes.

"I saw. I knew what was happening, so I spoke out." She shivered, gasping for breath. "Citrus, it's so cold," she said weakly.

The Buzz shook his head, denying what was happening.

"No, Jenina, don't go, we'll get you to the Healing Springs, you're going to be all right, you're going to be fine," the Buzz said desperately. He gasped, staring around in shock.

"Jenina!" he cried, gently picking up the tiny form and cradling it to his chest, rocking back and forth crying. I glanced up at WeatherWolf, and saw sorrow in his eyes.

"We all have paid dearly," he said softly.

I was about to reply, when Sakuko gasped in shock. She pointed up to the sky. The stars, the moon, they were all gone. There was a rumbling, and the ground started to shake.

"An earthquake?" Padiglione cried in fear.

It was worse. In the sky, a black cloud started to form. Lighting streaked across it, smashing into the ground at random intervals. The cloud started to spin, to form a vortex into the sky. Purple light faintly outlined it, and I could see that it wasn't a cloud at all. It was a whirling vortex of darkness in the sky, a gate to the source of the Shadows. I stared at it grimly.

"The sun will not rise until it is gone," Terraile said grimly, "and if it is not closed within a few days, the realm of the Shadows will merge with the world of Neopia." She did not need to elaborate on what would happen then.

"Then this is it," Un-eairkagh said. "We've got to go in."

I shook my head. "No, only I can enter," I said. "I'm the Essence of Neopia, and�" I paused, searching for the root of that strange feeling I had. "That's where the Elemental Spear is," I finished. I turned to WeatherWolf. He wouldn't look me in the eyes. "Un-eairkagh will take me to the Healing Springs. Everyone else, see to yourselves and try to get home. There's going to be mass panic, cause if I'm not mistaken, that vortex is right above Neopia Central."

My friends and their pets nodded, while the rest just looked lost.

"We have no home," WeatherWolf said. "We are all abandoned."

"Then come with us," Netsuko said steadily.

WeatherWolf dipped his head in thanks, then looked around. "Where's Deealoe?" he asked.

The Lupe bared his teeth in frustration, then glanced at Citrus. The Buzz still held Jenina's lifeless form, the weapon gone. The Aisha must of reclaimed it, I thought, worried. But one Aisha was the least of our worries right now.

"All right, let's go, Un-eairkagh," I said.

I climbed onto his back, and he leaped into the air. We quickly reached Faerieland, the vortex sending strange currents of air about that made flying tricky. The Healing Springs Faerie was frightened, and gave me the best healing spell she could, along with a fervent wish that I succeeded. I stood gazing out at the vortex, not hurting a bit now.

"This is it," I said to Un-eairkagh.

He nodded. I knelt and placed my hands on his shoulders.

"Listen, if I don't come back, there's a letter in my top drawer," I said.

"If you don't survive, it's a moot point," he said softly.

I shook my head. "Either way, I want you to remember where it is." I leaned forward and hugged him close. "I love you," I said simply, trying not to cry.

"I love you too," he replied.

I released him, and stood. Tears trickled down his cheeks.

"Now go show them why they shouldn't mess with our Kiddo," he said, and I leaped into the air, my white wings flashing. Higher and higher I flew, the thunder roaring in my ears. The vortex yawned above me, a portal into a realm of darkness. I flew into it, and was engulfed into the maelstrom.

Un-eairkagh watched as his owner became a mere speck against the sky, then vanished into the darkness. He fell to the ground, tears spilling across his beak. A gleam of white caught his eye. A single feather lay on the ground, shining white. It had come from child_dragon's wing. He picked it up with one paw and clutched it to his heart. "You will return, Kiddo. I cannot live if you don't."

It was cold, and dark. I stood alone in a circular room, made of black stone. A eerie purple light lit the area. I could see no visible way out. What now? I wondered, seeing no sign of the Elemental Spear, or anything except stone, for that matter. "child_dragon, the Essence of Neopia," a voice breathed from behind me.

I whirled around, dropping into a crouch, the claws in my hands out. A Scorchio stood there, smiling sadly at me. He was brilliantly coloured with all the colour of the elements, and his eyes were gold rimmed.

"Lord BrightSong?" I ventured nervously. It was at the point that nothing could shock me. He merely nodded.

"But you're dead," I said, wondering what further strangeness I would encounter.

"I'm not here in flesh, just in spirit. Even if I wasn't the true Essence, I held it for a while."

He walked past me and tapped on the wall. At his touch, a section of the wall glowed red, a portal to another part of this strange place appearing.

"The Spear has been broken up into shards of the different elements. You need to go reclaim them. Good luck, Essence of Neopia."

I nodded to him, and stepped through the gate. A blast of heat seared my face, and I looked around in amazement. Fire, the most temperamental and unpredictable element. A narrow path of stone led through a lake of fire, off in the distance, flaming comets fell from the sky. Gouts of fire would suddenly leap up in random places, everywhere I looked was an inferno.

"Hey sis," a voice said from my left. I looked, and saw Sabreur standing next to me. But he wasn't really there, only in spirit, like BrightSong.

"I don't understand," I said.

My brother shrugged. "Time and space have no meaning in the realms of the Shadows," he said. "I care about you, so a spirit form of me is here to be with you as you fight. I can't help, but I can guide."

"So is Sabreur, I mean, you, at two places at once?"

"No, the Sabreur that's not in the Shadow realm won't even know any of this is happening."

I was silent for a few minutes, digesting this. "Well, then, lets go get the spear shard." I set off down the path, my brother following.

"I'm glad you're my sister, Kiddo," Sabreur said.

"Yeah, I'm glad I have you for a brother," I replied, stepping daintily around a puddle of molten rock.

"Most girls I know complain about how awful their brothers are, but I get lucky and get stuck with you."

Sabreur just shrugged.

"Even if you have to follow in my footsteps?" he asked.

"I couldn't think of anyone better to follow," I replied, meaning every word.

We continued on in silence, following the path. It grew progressively skinnier as we walked, and the heat seemed to grow even more oppressive. Finally, the path vanished. We were left standing at the edge of the lava lake.

"Now what?" I asked.

Sabreur just looked at me and shrugged. I sighed and stared out across the inferno.

"There's what looks like a small island out there," he said, pointing.

After a few minutes of searching, I saw it also.

"Worth a try," I muttered. "But I guess this is the end of the line for you."

He nodded and grabbed my shoulders, looking me in the eyes. "Listen. You come back all right, got it? You're the only sister I have."

I nodded solemnly. "I will. I swear it."

I quickly turned and leaped into the air, the hot air beneath my wings causing me to soar with hardly a wing beat. The mass of rock loomed nearer and nearer, and my resolve strengthened. I would do this, I was the Essence. I landed lightly, folding my wings close to my back. So where is it, I wondered. There was a rumbling and I staggered, glancing around wildly for the source of the shaking ground. Then I saw it. A plume of fire, rising from the lava, twisting and twining into the form of an enormous winged snake, made entirely of flames. It howled, and the very ground shook, the lava booming out in a wave away from the force of its arrival. The fire drew into it, solidifying into skin that burned like the embers of a fire. Its eyes were flame, and its wings leapt and threw sparks into the superheated air. I crouched, the claws in my hands sliding out in reflex. The snake looked at me, then hissed. It rose into the air, beating its fiery wings. It circled around me, eyeing me with one bright eye. I never let my eyes leave its massive form. It shrieked again, the sound of its roar so powerful I staggered back a few paces. It struck, snapping forwards in a sudden lunge. I dove to one side at the last moment, snapping my wings open and throwing myself into the air. I flew high, as the beast followed, even faster than I. I banked sharply, avoiding its jaws once again. It whipped around and dove after me. It was the blitzkrieg! How could I defeat it? I dove lower and lower, shutting my wings fully to plummet even faster. At the last second, I snapped them open, soaring so low over the lava that I could of reached out and touched it. I flared my wings, gaining altitude and nearly stopping my forward momentum. The creature was underneath me, and I snapped my wings shut, falling squarely on its back. I raked with my clawed hands, but the snake's scaly skin was immune to my claws, and red hot to the touch. It hissed and easily shook me off, and I desperately flapped my wings, gaining speed and altitude. Fear lent strength to my tired muscles. The snake roared again, a note of triumph in its banshee cry. I was out of ideas, and fast running out of time and strength. Then I spotted the falling fire that I had seen when I first entered this place. I smiled grimly to myself and swerved in that direction, flying even faster now that I had purpose. I drew ever closer, the hideous swish of the creatures wings following me. Now I could hear the roar of the falling fire, comets from a blood red sky. I took a deep breath, and flew into the midst of them. It was dumb luck now, I could only pray that I wouldn't be hit and the snake would. There was a roar, and a comet streaked by, very close to me. I desperately tried to regain my balance, but the agitated air left in its wake pushed me of to one side, and I had to hover to regain balance. The snake snapped around, eyes glinting. I tried to dive, but too late, it lunged forwards, and I could see its gaping maw. There was another roar, and I was tumbled through the sky by a blast of scorching air. I frantically straightened myself in time to see the snake slam into the lake of lava, crushed by the flaming comet. It gave one last despairing cry, then vanished. I didn't even stop to catch my breath, but flew back to the rocky island as fast as my wings could carry me. I landed and fell to my hands and knees, gasping for breath, a stitch tight in my side. There was a soft whisper of air, and I looked up. A stream of red sparks gathered before me, crystallising into a shard of reddish tinged crystal. The first shard of the Elemental Spear. I reached forward and grasped it, and a piercingly bright light surrounded me. I closed my eyes, feeling the power of fire surging through my veins. The light faded, and I looked around. I was back in the stone room, BrightSong standing before me.

"Well done child_dragon," he said. "Well done."

I glared at BrightSong, not in the least happy. The shard was clutched tightly in my fist.

"You could have warned me," I said accusingly.

He merely ignored my comment.

"You'll need to get the water shard next," he said, gently touching the wall. Like ripples on a pond, a blue gateway opened up off of his touch. I regarded it suspiciously.

"One, how will I breathe if it's water? And two, will there be another monster?" I asked.

"You're immune to the elements to a certain degree. And don't forget the peophin frills."

I touched them absently, surprised. "Gills?"

He nodded.

"But you didn't answer my second question," I persisted. "Water is associated with healing and renewal, so there really wouldn't be anything like the fire snake, right?"

"Your logic is flawed," he declared, smiling a bit. I tried not to scowl. He reminded me of a certain kid I knew that always gloated when someone else messed up.

"So enlighten me," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Ever seen a tsunami?" he asked, apparently missing it, "Every element has its extremes. From a harmless candle flame or a calm pond, to a raging gale or a violent earthquake. Even the most insubstantial elements, light and dark, have power. Think of a supernova or a black hole."

He paused, gazing at me.

"Now, go on, you're wasting time."

I walked over to the gate.

"Geez, how do you know so much?" I muttered, stepping through.

I was underwater, the bottom sandy beneath my hooves. I couldn't see the surface, but shafts of light pierced the shifting sapphire water. I took a deep breath, somewhat fearfully, I admit. I could breathe.

"Kiddo," someone said ecstatically.

"Melody!" I squealed, hugging her.

She grinned at me.

"And you're here in spirit so you won't be affected by no oxygen," I said gleefully. "Do you know where the shard is?"

She grinned and shrugged, pointing to our right.

"I think it's that way, but that's an, 'I think.'"

"Hey, we're taking everything here on faith anyways," I said, doing my best to swim through the waters. I wasn't the fastest swimmer. Melody just seemed to fly through the water, not making any effort to swim whatsoever. An advantage of being a spirit, I guess.

"You're slow," Melody observed.

"No really," I muttered.

She just laughed.

"You know, I was thinking about how we sometimes joke that we're twins," she said, suddenly serious.

"And?"

"Well, in a way we are. I mean, we're so much alike in personality."

I nod slowly.

"And I'm glad. It's nice to have an adopted twin sister."

She suddenly stopped and frowned.

"What's wrong?" I questioned.

"I can't go any further. It's up to you."

She sighed.

"Good luck, and be careful."

I swam off though the pristine waters.

The ocean grew steadily darker around me, dimming from turquoise to a navy. I looked over my back nervously, having this paranoid fear of being in dark water. I think it's some kind of phobia. There was a dip in the ocean's bottom, not very deep, but the only change in scenery I'd seen. I paused, treading water, sensing something wrong. The water around me stirred in a sudden current, and I spun around, feeling fear creep up on me. The water continued to move, now I could see a silver trail solidifying. The stream of water coiled up around itself, and solidified into a serpent, a blue water dragon. An explosion of power exploded out from it, and I felt it rush past. It was huge, its head about as big as me, and covered in shiny silver blue scales. Spikes adorned its back, and the tail was webbed with translucent skin between barbs. It had two fins near its chest, and a long flowing mane of dark blue. I stared in disbelief at the way it just moved through the water, with hardly a flick of its tail, it could outdistance me easily. I hesitated, unsure of what to do. The leviathan circled me, eyes glinting. Then, with a roar, it exploded into a burst of speed. I tried to swim away, but it was so much faster. Something hit me in the side, sending me tumbling eerily slow through the water. I rightened myself and looked at the leviathan. It was circling again, watching. I watched it carefully, and it rushed at me again, but this time I didn't even bother to dodge. At the last minute, I stroked up as hard as I could, and the leviathan went under me. I hastily twirled and grabbed hold of it's slippery mane, clawing at its scales with my free hand. Once again, my claws couldn't pierce its skin. I snarled in frustration, and the beast whipped its body around in the water, flinging me casually off. The shard fell from my hand as I flailed in the water. I managed to right myself in time to meet its next attack, but wasn't able to avoid the beast entirely. I tried to get up over it again, but it was faster and snatched me up in its jaws. I yelled and struggled, its jagged teeth cutting my skin. It glided close to the ocean floor, and I saw out of the corner of my eye the shard, where I had dropped it. I stretched for it, and managed to snag it, just barely. The beast must have seen this, for no sooner than my finger touched it, I felt the pressure of its jaws increase.

"No you don't!" I shouted, and twisting, slammed the sharp crystal into the underside of its throat. The beast gasped and thrashed, knocking me off to one side. I swam quickly away from its convulsions, a red shard embedded in its neck. The creature gave one last despairing cry, than fell still. Its body dissolved into a trail of blue light, and like a whirlpool, gathered together in the form of another shard. I retrieved the fire one where it had fallen, and then inspected my hurts. A few minor scratches from the thing's teeth, some definite bruising, but nothing that would affect my fighting later, such as it was. I sourly looked around, and feeling that annoying fear of dark water creep in, hastily grabbed the blue shard. A light surrounded me and I was returned to the central room.

I stood blinking in the stone room, adjusting to the absence of water now. I was dripping wet, but oddly enough, not cold. I looked at the two shards in my hand. If I was going to have to find six of 'em, they'd be quite a handful to carry.

"Now what do I do with these?" I asked BrightSong.

"Combine them," he said simply.

I shook my head in disgust; his cryptic instructions were starting to really annoy me. I placed the two shards together, and with a hiss and glow of blue and red, the shards melted together into one. Red and blue mist seemed to swirl within the crystalline structure. It was a little longer than my forearm, as skinny as MoonFall's horn, and sharp at both ends. "This should make things easier," I muttered, reflecting on the fact that I had a longer reach now. There was the sound of a soft wind, and I looked to see another gate open, green, the color of earth.

"Nurturing and protectiveness," BrightSong said. "Retrieve the third shard."

"Just a minute," I said. "How did the spear get broken up in the first place?"

"A traitor. I'll tell you more when you return."

I sighed and stepped through the gate.

I stood in the middle of a vast meadow, lush and green with a bright sun overhead. The whole scene could have looked very peaceful and relaxing, if not for the fact I knew there was some nasty creature out there wanting to get rid of me. Plus the very openness of the fields intimidated me a bit. I was used to closed areas, forests, houses, the city, not bare openness. There was the dull thud of hoofbeats, and I turned to face Lady MoonFall.

"Hello," I said with a smile.

She dipped her head and snorted happily, tossing her mane.

"You doing good so far?" she asked.

I nodded and brandished the partly completed spear.

"Wonderful. I know where the third beast is, want a ride?" she said, turning sideways so I could climb up on her back.

"You sure?" I asked. I normally didn't like my pets carrying me.

"Positive. Get on."

I took hold of her mane and swung one leg over. Even bareback, I still remembered how to get on a horse from a long time ago.

"Get a good grip," she instructed, and I tangled my hands in her mane.

She whickered and took off in a gallop, with me leaning over her neck and holding on for dear life.

"Grip with your knees Kiddo, you're gonna fall off!" she said.

I did, and something occurred to me.

"You called me Kiddo," I said. She had never used my nickname before.

"So I did," she said softly, in wonder.

Eventually I saw what looked like a scar in the earth, a gaping hole. She stopped at the edge of the chasm. The side was gently sloped, rocky and broken. The bottom spread out into the horizon, a barren wasteland of rocks.

"I can't go any further," MoonFall said softly. "The slope's too steep for me, and even with my wings, something's preventing me from continuing. It's up to you."

I looked at her in the eyes, remembering all the times we'd had together.

"I've always been kinda bossy," she said with a smile, "and I know me and Un-eairkagh fighting over silly things have really tried your patience, but I left my position as royalty to find a family. And I've found one beyond my wildest dreams."

I hugged her, and turned quickly to hide the tears in my eyes. I slipped over the edge of the slope and slid down in a slightly controlled slide. I flared my wings at the bottom to keep from stumbling and looked around me. At the top of the slope was the white figure of MoonFall, watching, ahead, a barren wasteland. I tightened my grip on the shards and started walking. The sky grew steadily overcast, and soon MoonFall was out of sight. Ahead of me was a circle of rocks, taller than me. I paused just outside them, an inner feeling warning me that this was trouble. Sure enough, the ground started to shake, and I leaped into the air to avoid being knocked off my feet. I stared in horror as green strands connected the rocks, pulling them together. They merged, a figure emerging from the mass of stone and dirt. A lizard-like creature, made entirely of stone, looked up at me with burning green eyes and roared, a hissing kind of screech. I hovered in the air, wondering what to do now. I could just stay in the air, and wait for an opportunity to attack, but apparently this realm had other ideas.A blast of wind came from nowhere, and I was slammed into the ground. I quickly recovered, and rolled aside in panic as a massive stone foot slammed into the spot where I was seconds earlier... I danced aside, watching warily. It was slow, but the stone body would be impossible to pierce. It screeched at me, and advanced ponderously in my direction, the ground shaking under its weight. I staggered slightly, and realized I'd have to have very good balance to avoid falling in this fight. Speed and agility were my advantages now; time to use them to the fullest. I ran to one side of it, my hooves clipping hollowly on the packed dirt. The creature slammed its foot into the ground and I lost my balance, falling to one knee. The beast turned to me, its green eyes glowing. The eyes� I waited for it to come closer, remaining in a crouch, but tensing for the leap. It was mere feet away, and with every step the ground trembled violently. It moved with sudden quickness now, darting its head forwards to snatch me up, but I was still faster. I leaped into the air, over its head, my Uni legs much stronger than any human ones. I twisted in midair and landed deftly on its back. The creature howled in anger and I leaped over to straddle its head. It tried to shake me off, but I managed to keep my balance, and I raised the spear shard high, aiming it for its glowing eye. With all my strength, I brought the point down. The rock beast screamed and thrashed, and this time I really was thrown off. I landed about a yard away, and scrambled into a crouch. The creature wasn't moving, a red and blue crystal protruding from its darkened eyes. The beast let out one last whispering hiss, then crumbled away into dust. The dust swirled through the air, turning from brown to green shimmers of light. It coalesced into a shard, then melded with the other two pieces. The spear was half complete. I reached forwards and took it from the air, and a rushing wind and bright light surrounded me, and I was back in the center room.

It was raining outside. The rain had started shortly after child_dragon had vanished into the vortex. Un-eairkagh sighed and looked away from the window, his tail and wings drooping sadly.

"She'll be all right," Lady MoonFall said encouragingly, but he could detect the worry in her voice.

"Sure," he replied glumly.

He returned to the living room, pacing back and forth. No one told him to stop. About a dozen pets were gathered there, Sakuko and Netsuko, Sabreur and Infernus, along with the whole slew of WeatherWolf's followers. Melody's pets were in Faerieland watching over her, praying for her to wake. The door slammed open and Un-eairkagh whipped around to face it.

"Sorry," WeatherWolf muttered, shutting the door gently behind him, rain streaming from his fur.

Un-eairkagh dropped his head sadly, and all the other pets also looked back to what they were doing before the Lupe interrupted.

"Any change?" Un-eairkagh asked softy to the Lupe as he drew closer.

The former enemy glanced at the assembled pets.

"Let's go elsewhere," he muttered.

The Eyrie nodded and led the way out of the living room. He stopped just short of his room, remembering he'd given it over to a couple of WeatherWolf's crew. Child_dragon's house was fast running out of space. With a sigh he led the way upstairs and into Kiddo's room, glancing sadly at the messes of schoolwork and other assorted junk. MoonFall had always been after her to pick her room up.

"So what's going on?" the Eyrie asked.

"Mass panic," the Lupe said with a sigh. "Neopians are everywhere, there's been some looting, rioting, and just general chaos. The Faeries are trying to restore order, but with that vortex overhead it's been near impossible."

Un-eairkagh heaved a sigh, hearing nothing that he didn't expect.

"It's been nearly two days since she left," he said softly.

WeatherWolf remained silent, not wanting to speak what was on everyone's minds. Child_dragon had failed, she was not coming back, and tomorrow the realm of the Shadows would consume all of Neopia.

The striped Eyrie walked over to child_dragon's dresser as if in a trance, and opened the top drawer. There was a letter there, just like she had said. He took it out and stared at it for a long time.

"What is that?" WeatherWolf asked.

"Something she left us in case she�didn't come back. I figured� we'd probably better open it since it's been several days�"

"Not yet," a new voice said from the doorway.

Un-eairkagh turned and stared at the spotted Zafara.

"What do you mean Aldrai? It's been too long, she should have been back by now."

The Zafara shook his head.

"Time flows differently in the realm of the Shadows. What is a day to us may only be an hour there. She will either succeed or fail on the third day, not before. Until then we can only wait."

And then he turned and was gone. Un-eairkagh nodded slowly and replaced the letter.

"The third day. I'll be waiting for you then, Kiddo," he said, his gaze returning to the window, out into the rain, up into the darkened heavens, and into the vortex.

***

I faced BrightSong, determined.

"Okay, now, tell me about this traitor," I demanded.

He looked sadly at me, than nodded.

"When I was first killed, the spear was in the faerie's possession. But a Neopian allied with this evil realised the threat it presented, and stole it from the faeries. He delivered it to the grove in the Cursed Forest, and the Shadows shattered it into the six pieces. This traitor, possessing magic, hid the shards away in the realm of the Shadows, sealing each with a Guardian to keep the Essence from obtaining them."

"Okay, so what happened to the traitor? And you talk about the Shadows as if they're intelligent."

"No one knows what happened to the traitor. They say he still lives, aiding the Shadows. And the Shadows are intelligent, child_dragon, they are incredibly intelligent. They've been plotting for ages for this moment, but unfortunately for them, you've survived much longer than they'd hoped for."

"Glad to be of service," I said sarcastically, my spirits somewhat dampened by this news. I had assumed the Shadows to be mindless, driven by a need to destroy and disgust of all things living, nothing more. BrightSong touched a section of the wall, and a dark blue gate appeared.

"Wind," he said. "Unpredictable and tricky. Fly well." I nodded and stepped through.

I was immediately buffeted by a blast of wind, then it hastily died away. I stood on a cliff, below me was barren earth, far far below.

"It's Kiddo!" an exuberant voice said, and I turned to see the striped Eyrie hovering just out of my reach.

"Un-eairkagh, of course you'd be here for wind," I said serenely.

"Of course. Who else?" He laughed and somersaulted in mid-air, loosing a couple feet of altitude, but then gliding back up again. "So, you coming?" he asked.

I spread my wings and leaped off into the air, feeling the currents of wind fill my wings and support me as I flew. "Lead on," I commanded and he laughed, showing me the way.

As we flew, the wind grew steadily stronger, and dark clouds appeared. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the wind shrieked with gale force power. Flying was unreal now, and Un-eairkagh stopped and just hovered.

"Technically, I'm supposed to stop here, but I never have been a big fan of rules. Lets keep going," he said, and continued flying. There was a resounding crack, and a bolt of lighting streaked down to burst inches before the Eyrie He let out a startled squawk and hurriedly backed up.

"On second thought, never mind. Guess I can't go on after all," he said grimly. "It's up to you. Remember, flying is a dance, and the wind is the music. You fly with it, following where it leads. And Kiddo�I'm sorry I'm such a pain all the time."

"And I would of found Neopia a very dull place without you to exasperate me all the time," I said, "Never think that I don't love you, Un-eairkagh. Never."

And I meant every word.

I spread my wings and caught the wind, gliding higher towards the troubled sky. There was a brilliant flash of lightning, and something streaked out of them, a myriad of flashing colours. It stopped before me, hovering. The wind Guardian was an immense bird, different shades of blue patterning its feathers. It looked at me proudly, then dipped away, thunder echoing in its wake. I folded my wings and followed. It flew like the wind itself, veering and soaring, diving and banking with hardly a flaw. I, on the other hand, was buffeted by the wind, struggling to keep up. It laughed, the sound of its harsh caw drifting back on the winds. A blast of air shrieked past me, knocking me back. I hovered, catching my breath, and the bird hovered also, slowly flapping its wings, waiting.

"How am I supposed to catch the thing?" I muttered.

Then I remembered Un-eairkagh's words. Flying is a dance, the wind is the music. I closed my eyes and listened. And suddenly I knew. My flute instructor had always said that air must support the notes at all times. The notes follow the air, not the other way around. If the air support is weak, so will be the music. The wind would support my wings. And I had to follow the wind, wherever it led. I dove back into the tumult of wind, this time flying with the currents. The bird also took flight, and I beat my wings hard, following the wind. The current veered suddenly, and I followed it, even if it was leading me away from the bird. I rose into the air, the wind powering my flight. I was directly above the bird now, my speed matching its. I laughed and dove, not against the wind, but with it. The bird screamed and dove also, but I was faster now. The wind roared in my ears, and I readied my spear shard. I could reach out and touch its tail now. I drew back my arm, and threw, the spear speeding to strike the birds neck. It cried in pain and flared its wings. I snapped mine out, a loud pop stopping my descent. The bird hung there for a second, then fell, dissolving away into light. The spear shard hovered there, the dark blue light melding with it. Two elements left. I dipped slightly and grasped the spear. A swirling wind surrounded me, and I was returned to the centre room.

"Two left BrightSong," I said.

He nodded in satisfaction, and I turned to look around me again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw BrightSong open a gate, one of pure black. And I saw something else too, him sneering at me. In what? Anger? I turned to face him, and only saw the solemn, slightly sad expression he'd had since the beginning. You're imagining things, I chided myself mentally.

"Darkness," he said, "the force of death and decay. Not necessarily evil, but the element that drifts closest to the more undesirable emotions."

"What will I fight there?" I asked. Every shard's Guardian had reflected its element, but what would darkness be?

He shook his head. "I do not know. I truly don't."

I sighed and walked through, glancing at BrightSong out of the corner of my eye. His eyes glinted, but I couldn't catch the emotion. I shook my head. I was imagining things.

It was totally dark, except for a small patch I stood on, in which a pale light seemed to brighten the gloom somewhat. I caught the glimpse of movement. "Terraile!" I said in relief, my heart returning to normal. She had scared me for a moment.

"Yes, it's me," she said, flying up to perch on my shoulder. "I won't be with you for long, the nature of the Guardian here is very different from ones you've faced before. I'm not sure exactly how, but I've got some important things to tell you first." I nodded.

"One, never forget what Neopia is made up of. Two, never give up, no matter how tempted you are. Three, remember us. Remember your family and your friends. Four, the Shadows don't want to necessarily obliterate you. If you can be taken over and used for their purposes, they will do it. They can't by force, so be on your guard. And lastly, you could destroy every Shadow in existence but not stop them. You've got to destroy the source, or we will still lose. That's all I can tell you. Don't ask me to elaborate, because I don't know anything else to elaborate on."

"All right," I said softly. "Terraile, I'm sorry you were dragged into this." She shrugged. "It's no big deal. My part as Heir is done, and I get a nifty bow out of the deal. You're task is much harder. Be careful, all right?"

And she closed her eyes and dimmed from sight, finally vanishing. The light around me vanished also. Icy fear clutched my heart. I couldn't see a thing. There was just nothingness around me. I turned in panic, thinking I heard a noise. My heart was beating painfully, and my breath came quickly. I took a deep breath and forced myself to be calm. I listened, but heard nothing. Panic started to rise, and I forced it down. I thought frantically. What was darkness made of? Fear, for one. I gingerly sat down in the darkness. I would be calm, I told myself. If darkness was fear, then I wouldn't be afraid. Then I really did hear noises. Whispers, things moving in the darkness. I wouldn't be afraid. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists. For what seemed an eternity, I sat there, a bead of sweat dripping down my face as I forced myself to be calm. The whispering ceased, and I opened my eyes again. It was slightly lighter, I could actually see myself now.

"Kiddo," a voice said, and I turned.

Terraile stood there, looking at me solemnly.

"I thought you said you wouldn't be here�" I said, confused.

"I am," she replied.

I started to walk towards her, then stopped.

"I'm sorry," I said. "But darkness is and element of confusion and deception also. If it really is you, than you understand why I can't trust you, right?" I turned my back to her and didn't move.

"Kiddo!" she cried, grief straining her voice. "Kiddo, I need you! Please?" I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the despair in her voice. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. Eventually she grew quiet, and I looked around again. She was gone. A soft laugh echoed around me.

"All right!" I shouted, "That's enough! Show yourself!"

I held my spear up, searching for something, anything. "Show yourself!!" I demanded.

The darkness seemed to shift, to gather in one spot. A darkness deeper than anything surrounding it, a blob of malicious intent, with a single black eye.

"About time," I muttered, and ran towards it. I stopped just short. It hadn't moved an inch. I shrugged and stabbed the spear shard into its insubstantial form. It merely faded from view. "Too weird," I muttered, and turned.

It had reappeared behind me. Again I heard its soft laughter.

"Oh, so this is not funny now," I growled, leaping into the air. I dove for it, swiping with my spear, once, twice, and attacking its single gleaming eye. Once again, it merely faded from view. I heard its laughter and turned, seeing it reappear again.

"Okay, why can't I kill you?" I demanded.

"And why would I tell you?" it replied.

I gasped and stared in amazement.

"Didn't expect a reply?" it said in amusement.

I merely shook my head.

"I'm a little bit different than the other Guardians," it said lazily. "As you've probably guessed."

"So how am I supposed to get the shard if you're invincible?" I demanded.

Its single eye rolled around to look at me.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a challenge, now would it?" it replied.

"No, I guess not. But it is possible, right?"

"Indeed."

"Then fighting isn't how to get it," I mused. "What is darkness? Not necessarily evil, but some of the more undesirable emotions. Fear, hatred, envy, greed, bitterness, spite, selfishness, deception, and a bunch of others, but I think I've exhausted my vocabulary."

The thing laughed.

"Then let me supply some more. Being judgmental, cruelty, maliciousness, pride, and a bunch others. It takes a long time to list them all. Humanities done a good job thinking them all up."

"Hold on a minute!" I said a thought dawning. Jenina had given her life to save me. Why? Because I cared and refused to fight for a cause I knew was wrong. I had always tried to be a good person, to love others. I looked at the dark cloud, a though in my mind.

"Well, it's worth a try," I said, and walked towards it.

"What is?" it demanded.

"I think I've figured it out," I said, mere feet from the Guardian. I reached out and touched it with one hand. It hissed and tried to pull away. I laughed.

"You can't bear my touch then!" I said, "You are darkness incarnate, and I try to be the opposite of what you are."

It shrieked in fury and tried to flee, but I leaped towards it, falling into the centre of the cloud. An icy cold surrounded me, then a bright light streamed out, and the cloud melted away. I stood, looking around me in astonishment. Black mist now swirled within the spear, now a little taller than I was.

"I didn't think that'd actually work," I marveled.

I was back in the central room. I grinned smugly at BrightSong. "One more, open the gate," I said.

He turned quickly, and his movements were jerky, as if disguising anger. I looked at him, considering. Something was up.

"You know, it's kinda odd that you're here," I said idly, watching for his reaction. He didn't reply, but just touched the wall, a gate of white appearing.

"I mean, if the Shadows are intelligent, then why do they allow you in their realm?" I persisted. "You're opening the gates and all for me, when they could just never allow a way in, and I'd never get the spear, and never be able to defeat them. Then they'd have their way. They're making evil take over the world mistake number one, letting someone who knows how to defeat them remain."

He just eyed me sternly.

"I held the Essence, in case you forgot. I don't know what you're trying to say, but the Shadows can't touch me. Now, are you going to get the last shard or not?" I just smiled and walked past him, into the realm of light.

"You don't trust him, do you?" a voice said.

I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the all present brilliance. I turned to the voice and saw a lady, dressed in white, sitting on a gleaming rock of white. Light seemed to stream from her face, and her gaze was serene, her long white hair resting in a gentle wave over her shoulders. In her lap sat a spotted Zafara.

"Aldrai?" I said, surprised.

"Of course," he replied. "You really didn't think the Guardian of light would be violent, did you?"

"BrightSong said all elements have their violent side."

"That's true," the lady said, "But you don't seem to trust him, do you?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't."

"Listen to your heart, then," Aldrai said. "You did when you dove into the river to save me. You did when you faced the dragon. And when you accepted the Essence."

The Zafara looked up at her. "Shi'kly, I've got to have a word with my owner," he said softly.

She nodded and stopped stroking his fur, and he leaped off. I picked him up and held him to my chest. Shi'kly faded from view.

"She's nice," he said.

"Yeah, I guessed. But how am I supposed to get the shard?"

"I don't know. I'm only here to see you." He sighed. "You've always been so good to me. Someone else might not of risked their life to save me like that. I don't miss my mother anymore. I know she's gone, and I wish I could of known her more, but I have you. I know she loved me, but you're love is as great as any she could of shown." I buried my face in his fur, feeling tears spill from my eyes. I gently set him down and knelt to look him in the eyes.

"I am so blessed to have pets like you," I said, "and I don't know what I would of done without you."

He smiled, and hugged me around the neck. "Come back. And never forget about love."

And with that he was gone. I stood, brushing tears from my eyes. Shi'kly was back, gazing at me serenely.

"So how do I get the shard?" I asked.

Her smile vanished. "This is the hardest shard to get," she said softly. "And not because I am hard to fight or anything like that. There is no violence here."

"That tells me nothing," I said. "I need the shard, I've got to defeat the Shadows."

"What is light?" she demanded.

I thought on that. "It's the good part of life. It's life itself, and hope, love, gentleness, caring, mercy, giving, and everything else that's good."

She walked towards me and looked me in the eyes. "And how did you defeat the Darkness Guardian?" she questioned.

I was having trouble understand where this was going. "Well, I was the opposite of darkness. I don't claim to be perfect, but enough so that the thing couldn't bear my touch."

She nodded. "You're more light than you think, child_dragon," she said. "But that is good, modesty is also a virtue of light."

"Is patience?" I questioned.

"It is."

"Dang," I muttered. "Guess I've fallen short there."

She laughed.

"Very well then, I will hurry up my explanation. Now, I do not have the shard."

"What!?" I said, startled. "If you don't have it, then where is it?"

She turned away from me and didn't reply for a while. "Only a person with a good heart can claim the final shard," she said. "That was not one of the traitors designs, but one of mine. I didn't want the spear to go to one that would be taken over by the Shadows. The traitor is furious at that, of course, but after he spelled me into existence, it was too late."

"What happens after I take the shard?" I asked.

"I vanish. But don't be worried," she said hastily. "I'm the embodiment of light, I'll still be around, but not like this."

"Okay then. Now, the shard?"

She nodded. "Yes. You see, the shard is in you," she said, turning to face me again. "You have a good heart, so the shard must come from you. An evil heart would not posses the shard."

I paused, taking that in. "I'm confused now," I confessed. "How do I get the shard?"

"Give me the spear."

I looked at her, then reluctantly handed it over.

"An evil person would be too concerned with self-preservation and would not trust me. Do you?"

"What, trust you?" I asked. "Yeah, of course! I just gave you my spear."

She nodded and looked at the pointed tip. She gently placed it against my chest. "How much do you trust me?" she demanded.

I stared at the shaft, feeling the point through my shirt. "You've got to be kidding," I muttered. "This is how you get the shard?"

She nodded. "That's why I ask if you trust me."

I took a deep breath. "Lying isn't a character of light," I said through gritted teeth. "So, yes, I trust you." And she punched the pointed shaft through my chest. I cried and fell to the ground, feeling a numbing pain spread through me. I gasped and stared at the spear shaft, finding it nearly impossible to breath. Shi'kly pulled it up, the point coated with red. A light surrounded the tip, and when it vanished, the head of the spear was there. A pointed crystal, devoid of colour, as was the shaft. The Elemental Spear was complete. My vision seemed to dim, then suddenly all weakness and pain was gone. I sat up slowly, looking at my chest. Not a mark remained. I stared at Shi'kly in disbelief.

"Death isn't part of the light element either," she said matter-of-factly. "Take your spear, Essence of Neopia. You've earned it."

I reached out and grasped it, feeling power run through me. The light surrounded me, and I returned to the centre room.

I faced BrightSong in triumph. He seemed to flinch away for a second from the spear.

"You know, Shi'kly didn't seem to trust you either," I mentioned.

He just ignored me. "Listen up now," he ordered. "This is extremely important. I'm going to open the way to the true realm of the Shadows, where the source is. You'll know what to strike, trust me. When you do, you can't feel anything. For the core and power of Neopia to be channeled through you and the spear, you must not be anything. I know you drift strongly towards light, and do everything through love, but you must set it aside for now. Else the Shadows will win."

I stared at the ground, thinking. "But that doesn't seem right," I said. "I mean, aren't the Shadows nothingness?"

"Yes, they are, but I'm not asking you to be like them. I'm asking you to set everything aside, so that you can strike their Heart with all the power of Neopia. It's the only way, can you?"

I looked at him, at his intent gaze.

"Terraile told me to never forget what Neopia is. And Aldrai told me to never forget love," I said suspiciously. "And I was also told the Shadows would try to possess me. Wouldn't not feeling, not being anything, be like them?"

He snarled in frustration. "No, you're not listening to me!" he said angrily. "Forget what your pets said, they don't know as much as I do, you've�"

"Be silent!" I shouted. "The Essence of Neopia is pets and owners. It's the bond of love between them. I cannot forget my pets, I cannot forget love, to do so would to deny what I am!" I said defiantly.

"Then you shall fail," he said coldly.

I stared at him, and a thought crept up on me. "You're the traitor," I said. "The Shadows can possess a person, can't they? And after you were destroyed, they took over you. Who else could take the Spear safely? And who else could use the magic of all the elements?"

He stared at me, then howled silently.

*Curse you, child_dragon* he said, but he no longer used words. *It seems we cannot use you. You would of made a powerful tool, especially with the spear, but that is no longer feasible*

I backed away, holding up my weapon. The walls melted away, and we were on an island of rock, below us, a liquid sea of Shadows, hissing and snarling at us. BrightSong's brilliant scales melted away, replaced with long been gone flesh. His eyes melted into pools of darkness, and ivory bones showed through his ancient skin. He hissed at me, no longer resembling anything alive.

"You sssshall pay, child_dragonnnn," the creature hissed.

"You are wrong there, monster!" I screamed.

He howled and rose into the air, dark power surrounding him. I followed, holding the Spear ready. A surge of pure darkness rushed towards me, but I blocked with the Spear. It exploded harmlessly. I flew towards BrightSong and swiped with my spear, but he blocked with a sword of black. I swooped back, landing on the island. He landed also.

"We finish this here," I said.

He charged for me, and I side-stepped, stabbing at his side with the Spear. He nimbly twisted aside and swung the sword in a downward arc. I rolled on my back and caught it, tilting the Spear off to the side and deflecting the blow into the dirt. I leaped to my feet and brought my spear down at him, the force jarring through my arms as he blocked with his sword. We spun apart, facing each other with weapons raised.

"You could rule all of Neopia," he said.

"Why? I already have everything I want, a family," I retorted. He swung his sword low at me, and I jumped lightly over it. I landed and just barely caught his return stroke with my spear. I felt my arms giving under his unnatural strength, and quickly slid my spear off and danced around him, swiping for his back. He spun and knocked my spear aside. Snarling, he raised his hands, and a ball of dark energy formed. It exploded out into a shockwave, and I was thrown back. I landed unsteadily near the edge of the island.

"You shall not win, child_dragon," BrightSong hissed.

I stood my ground, waiting. He ran towards me, and at the last minute I leaped. I twisted up over his head and behind him, plunging the Spear into his back as I landed. He staggered, and I grimly twisted it, and pulled it out. He gasped, and fell forwards, into the mass of Shadows. They hissed at me, then the island started to shake. It was dissolving. I leaped into the air, beating my wings furiously. The Shadows merged into one pool of inky darkness, and a serpent emerged from it. A sinuous body with clawed arms and wings of darkness. It did not have a tail, but rather rose from the pool of Shadows, growing longer as needed. I stared, not knowing what to do next. I had to stop the Heart, I knew that much. Was it the serpent? It soared towards me, not even beating its wings. I flew away, unconsciously knowing that one touch of that thing would be death, no, worse than death. I would be consumed by the Shadows, and be a slave to their power. It followed, roaring. The evil presence of the Shadows filled the air, I could feel their hatred beating on my mind, seeking a way in. I dodged past the Shadow serpent as it snapped, trying to catch me in its jaws.

*You shall never leave here alive!* the creature shrieked, and I cried in pain as its thoughts touched my mind. Its hatred was a tangible thing, and it was all directed at me. *Even if you destroy the Shadows, our Realm shall collapse, and you will be dragged down with it. You will be obliterated here, there is no way out!*

"Then so be it!" I shouted in defiance. "I gladly give my life to save Neopia from you!"

It howled, and I saw a flash of white out of the corner of my eye. I flew towards it,

and dimly saw the outline of Un-eairkagh. *Here, Kiddo* his voice echoed in my mind.

*This way!* I heard Sakuko say.

*The Heart isn't in the serpent. It is here* Terraile whispered.

*Strike, we shall be with you* MoonFall promised.

*You have always known your life was to lay down for us* Aldrai said.

*I understand if you don't come back. You were called to something greater than we* Melody reassured.

*We will see you again. Even if it is in heaven, we will see you there* Sabreur said.

*Never forget love!* they all cried, their voices drowning out the hatred of the Shadows. A crystal rose before me, a crystal filled with black nothingness. It was huge, much larger than me. The Heart of the Shadows. The Source. The serpent hissed in fury as I landed on its surface.

"I shall never back down!" I yelled, raising the Spear to strike. "For Neopia!!" And I slammed the Spear into the crystal. A current of power streamed through me, the very core of what Neopia was. Fire, earth, water, wind, light dark. All the elements united in the Spear. And Love, the bond between a pet and owner. The power streamed into the Heart of the Shadows, filling the void that they were. Then I knew why they hated us so much. They could never live, could never love. That was the source of their hatred, they wanted what we had. The stream of power radiated out from the crystal, touching everything connected to it, touching every Shadow in existence. The Shadows screamed, and the crystal cracked, then exploded with a roar. Light streamed out, brilliantly coloured and burning with power. I was thrown back from the force of the explosion, but I never lost my grip on the spear. The realm of the Shadows was collapsing, and I flew away, to a distant pinpoint of light, and my family was with me. The serpent screamed and tried to block me, but suddenly beams of light burst through its skin, destroying it from within. The place was falling in on itself, the out lash of power ripping the fabric of their realm apart. I strained my wings, feeling the collapse of the place all around me. So close� The pinpoint of light started to vanish. There was no way I could reach it. My wings slowed in despair. I'd fought so hard, and yet I was the one who would loose it all. Then Terraile's words came back to me. Never give up, no matter how tempted. I summoned all my strength to me, feeling nothing but a desire to see my family again, and with a single channeling of power, stopped the exit from vanishing. I touched it, and fell through the gate back into Neopia, the realm of the Shadows collapsing into nothingness forever behind me. I was in the air, the vortex above me vanishing with a roar. I fell, feeling myself slipping away into darkness. I tried to beat my wings, to save myself, but I was too weak. I couldn't stop my fall. Then something hit me from behind, lifting me out of the fall.

"Kiddo," Un-eairkagh said, holding me close.

I rested my head on his shoulder as he flew in the direction of our house.

"I knew you'd come back," he said. "I knew it."

"Un-eairkagh," I said weakly, crying.

"Just like old times, eh?" he said, his voice trembling as tears of joy spilled across his beak. "Didn't you know I'd pull through for you? I always do."

"Remember when we saved each other from the Snowager?" I asked. "One of us said that that's what friends are for. We were wrong. This isn't friendship. This is love."

Months had passed. I was changed, inside and out. I had seen evil, felt it's touch, and recognised it for what it was. It gave me something�.a deeper understanding of this world, perhaps. On the outside, my appearance had changed slightly. I looked older, and according to Sabreur, like the dragon, eyes holding a knowledge forbidden to others. I also had a single streak of white in my hair, a brilliant snowy lock trailing through the brown, framing my face. I had been touched by power, an incredible power, coming from the very core of Neopia. However, at the current moment, darkness and power and magic were far from my mind. It was a sunny day, and me and my pets were out in the front yard, enjoying the sun. Aldrai sat on the step next to me, watching Un-eairkagh, Terraile, and MoonFall play a variant of baseball. I felt a pet approaching, and absently identified it's species. An Aisha, male, and with a very familiar aura. I leaped to my feet, summoning the Elemental Spear to my hand. My pets stopped playing and stared at me in fear.

"Get back," I ordered them, and they clustered around the steps. Deealoe appeared through the front gate, staring at us with sad and solemn eyes. He loosely held the silver dagger. He slowly walked up the path, not taking his eyes off us. I watched him in confusion. His eyes were haunted, empty, reflecting a sadness and hollowness that tore me apart. He was skinny, as if he hadn't eaten anything in months. And his white fur was dirty, smeared with mud.

"I need to speak with Aldrai," he said, his voice hoarse.

I stared for a moment, then Aldrai stepped out to stand before the Aisha The two looked at each other, then the Aisha took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Take this," he said, resolve tightening on his face. "Take it and finish it all. Bring the circle to a close, I will not fight back, strike and avenge everyone."

Aldrai stared dumbfounded as Deealoe pressed the dagger into his paw. The Aisha closed his eyes, as if in pain, and tilted his head back, giving Aldrai a clear view of his heart and neck. The spotted Zafara stared at the dagger in his paw, than at Deealoe, who was not moving an inch, prepared for the blow that would end his life. I watched in silence, fear gripping my heart. Aldrai was my pet, and I could read his emotions pretty well. But not now. I could not tell what was going through his head, could not tell what he would do. His face was expressionless, his eyes hardened in�something. I prayed it wasn't hatred. The Zafara raised the dagger high with a hiss, and I cried out slightly, turning my head away. There was a snap, and I looked again, astonished. Aldrai stood there, panting, he hadn't destroyed Deealoe, rather, slammed the dagger into the pavement, snapping it in two. The Aisha opened his eyes, looking at Aldrai in confusion. Aldrai gently handed him the ruined hilt.

"I give my forgiveness freely, take it and change your life," he said softly. Deealoe gazed at the broken hilt, and a single tear trickled down his cheek.

"The Shadows shall have no more hold on me," he whispered, and turned away to leave. I watched him go silently. His stride now held purpose, his shoulders no longer slumped. It was if a weight had been lifted off of him. Aldrai turned to me, and a fire burned in his eyes.

"The circle of hatred is broken," he proclaimed. "The last thing is done. It is over."

The End
Child_dragon still lives with her four pets, and her friends nearby. She is still the Essence of Neopia, and still has the Elemental Spear. Sure, she gets a lot of questions and comments about her looks, but she doesn't care. She has faced something no one else has, and survived. Her only physical mark of the encounter is a single streak of white hair framing her face. No one can touch evil and remain unchanged. She is changed on the inside also. She no longer takes things for granted, and knows just how precious her pets are. She has touched the true heart of Neopia, a willingness to sacrifice everything for someone else. She has touched love. Un-eairkagh is still cocky, spoiled, and troublesome. MoonFall still is a bit bossy, and rules the house like a queen. Terraile hasn't changed much from before either, but she still has NightHawk's Bow, and will threaten any pet she believes is being a bully with an arrow. It seems she's a bit more aggressive and protective of those weaker than her. Not that that's a bad thing. Aldrai has changed the most. He is no longer afraid of things, and is no longer burdened down with grief. He's moved on from that part of life, and seems much older and wiser than his age implies. Melody is her usual calm and loving self, nothing could shake her foundations. Sabreur hasn't changed much either, except his lab is now off limits to everyone except himself and Infernus. WeatherWolf and Deealoe have returned to the Haunted Forest with his pack, but this time not with a hatred of owners. Instead, they take in abandoned pets and help them understand that a vast majority of humans have good hearts, and help them find a home. So some of those caught up in these events have radically changed, and some only a little bit. But they've all learned something very important. You don't have to be powerful, a leader, or of any particular importance to be a hero. Sometimes a simple teenager will do.

***

Here ends As Told by Child_dragon. To finish this, I'd like to repeat that you can definitely Neomail me. I encourage it. And if you wish, Neomail Sabreur, horngodess (Melody), or Sakuko. Everyone else in the story is fictional. And lastly, I've got about several hundred more people to thank, but obviously, I can't do that. So here goes a big general thank you. When I wrote this series, I had no idea what I was going to do in life, etc. Not a good thing for a junior filling out college applications. Anyway, I defined myself as a bandie, due to being in marching band. However, that was soon ruined due to a person who abused her authority and a director who refused to do anything about it. I was forced to quit, and the resulting events were quite ugly. So I lost my one thing I identified myself with. Shortly after this happened, I finished my series in about two weeks. I sent it in, and the reaction was phenomenal. I began to see myself not as a bandie (which was no longer true), but as a writer. Combined with the best teacher I've ever had for Advanced Creative Writing, I soon realised that this is what I love and what I want to do. I plan to major in computers, minor in writing now. And the one thing that has given me direction and purpose is you. Yes, all the fellow Neopians who wrote telling me what you thought of my story and encouraging me to keep writing, and those who read my series. For that, I thank you.

My Diary

The First Neopian Story I Ever Read - Oh my God

Diet