Main Page Go to Short Stories Go back to Articles Go to Comics Go to Continued Series Go to Editorial Go to New Series

Show All | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23 | Week 24 | Week 25 | Week 26 | Week 27 | Week 28 | Week 29 | Week 30 | Week 31 | Week 32 | Week 33 | Week 34 | Week 35 | Week 36 | Week 37 | Week 38 | Week 39 | Week 40 | Week 41 | Week 42 | Week 43 | Week 44 | Week 45 | Week 46 | Week 47 | Week 48 | Week 49 | Week 50 | Week 51 | Week 52 | Week 53 | Week 54 | Week 55 | Week 56 | Week 57 | Week 58 | Week 59 | Week 60 | Week 61 | Week 62 | Week 63 | Week 64 | Week 65 | Week 66 | Week 67 | Week 68 | Week 69 | Week 70 | Week 71 | Week 72 | Week 73 | Week 74 | Week 75 | Week 76 | Week 77 | Week 78 | Week 79 | Week 80 | Week 81 | Week 82 | Week 83 | Week 84 | Week 85 | Week 86 | Week 87 | Week 88 | Week 89 | Week 90 | Week 91 | Week 92 | Week 93 | Week 94 | Week 95 | Week 96 | Week 97 | Week 98 | Week 99 | Week 100 | Week 101 | Week 102 | Week 103 | Week 104 | Week 105 | Week 106 | Week 107 | Week 108 | Week 109 | Week 110 | Week 111 | Week 112 | Week 113 | Week 114 | Week 115 | Week 116 | Week 117 | Week 118 | Week 119 | Week 120 | Week 121 | Week 122 | Week 123 | Week 124 | Week 125 | Week 126 | Week 127 | Week 128 | Week 129 | Week 130 | Week 131 | Week 132 | Week 133 | Week 134 | Week 135 | Week 136 | Week 137 | Week 138 | Week 139 | Week 140 | Week 141 | Week 142 | Week 143 | Week 144 | Week 145 | Week 146 | Week 147 | Week 148 | Week 149

Neopia's Fill in the Blank News Source | 29th day of Running, Yr 26
The Neopian Times Week 64 > Continuing Series > The Neverending Story: Part Five

The Neverending Story: Part Five

by polayo

Image by polayo

Read Between the Lines
    
We flew over to Tyrannia two days later, as soon as we could get a flight out of there. I hadn't told Omni what had happened that night, only that I wanted to get out of there. She didn't even know I was gone.

     Arriving in Tyrannia, I tried to make the best out of it, even though I was feeling a bit down in the dumps. Omni surprised me with M*YNCI tickets, so that cheered me up a bit, but I still wasn't that excited.

     The concert was fun, I got a M*YNCI CD for free, and that was great. It got out late, so when we got to our hotel, I shut my eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

     In the morning, I woke, still tired, to an empty stomach and an empty room. I grabbed the banana Omni had left on the table for me, munching angrily, feeling like glaring at someone.

     I stormed out of the room, and eventually I was out in the bright sunlight of Tyrannia. I squinted my eyes, and looked down toward the ground.

     Suddenly, someone bumped into my and I fell stumbling, to the ground.

     The pet stopped-a green Shoyru-with fear in her eyes, but took the time to apologise. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I was trying to get away from the Lair of the Beast...it was horrifying. Truly scary."

     I grinned weakly as I dusted myself off. "It's all right," I told her. "I should have looked where I was going."

     After the Shoyru scampered off, I decided that, for something to do, I would go into the Lair of the Beast. There really shouldn't have been anything to be afraid of-all it was was a cave, right? I'd heard there was something living in there, but I truly doubted that.

     After asking directions, I started on my path toward the cave. I kicked along a pebble as I went, and as the cave neared, I could see why so many people were afraid of it. It was quite frightening, even from the outside. But I had my mind set on going in there, so I stomped confidently up the path, and took my first step inside.

     It was a lot like one of those creepy horror movies, where every once and a while a droplet of water drops, and it echoes eerily throughout the cave.

     Did I say a lot like? I meant exactly like.

     Each footstep I make echoed, and I stumbled along nervously. I almost tripped on a pebble, but caught myself as I went on, getting more frightened with each step. It took me a while to realise that I was holding my breath.

     I was just about to turn back-I couldn't stand it anymore!-when a few yards up ahead, I noticed a folded piece of paper. Expecting something like, "Beware the Beast" or "HELP!" just to scare you, I bounded forward and unfolded it.

     The ink was smudged and runny, but I could make out a few of the words. They alternate lines, the writing, and I could only make out the last line: Read between the lines.

     I pondered it for a moment, then bounded out of there, holding the paper, into the sunlight. This time I didn't squint, but was thankful for the light.

     Back at the hotel, I waited impatiently for Omni to come home, while I wrote in my journal and sketched a few pictures of myself. I had calmed down a lot now, and I sat down with a book to read, but pondered over the note. Had it been meant for me? Was I destined to receive it? Or had it gotten there by chance?

     I suppose that if I ever wanted to answer those questions, I'd have to read between the lines...

     But some questions, I suppose, are better left unanswered.

Anything For Family
     We spent a few more days in Tyrannia, just for fun, and we went to a few more concerts. It was fun, and there were no more people telling me to keep on looking.

     Our next, and last, stop was Meridell, my favourite land by far. Illusen was my favourite faerie, too, and the prospect of meeting her was exciting. When our train chugged to a stop, I bounded off the train and into Meridell, eager to get going.

     After we dropped our bags off at the hotel, we zoomed over to Illusen's Glade and I shyly presented myself to her. She smiled at me and asked for an Apple, so I plucked one out of my bag and handed it to her. She rewarded me with some shampoo, and I laughed as she joked about my quickness. I danced down to where Omni and Tika stood, waiting, and laughing at me.

     I playfully punched Omni in the arm as she scooped me up and held me like a baby. I called Ev again later in the day, and was able to get onto a computer to chat with some of my other friends, too. All in all, it was a great day, and it ended with a smile on my face.

     The next day, Omni and I played a few rounds of Round Table Poker, and lost terribly every time. We had fun at Meri Acres, piling turnips, gazing at huge marrows, picked some berries, and counted potatoes. We played with some of the petpets at the petpet shop, cooing at how cute they until Tika became obviously annoyed and we left. I poked Omni into playing a few rounds of Kiss the Mortog, and we actually ended up getting about 5 thousand Neopoints, even though we had to head back to hotel and help Omni clean out her mouth afterwards. The Shapeshifter Ixi stumped us at level 6, so we decided to practice our archery skills with ultimate Bullseye and failed horribly.

     I had a great time, as we did all that over the next two days, and Omni told me that after I'd fall asleep, I was still smiling. I'd really needed this pick-me-up-I'd been pretty depressed before, but now I was back on my feet, laughing and smiling again. I had even written the beginnings to a few stories, which was good, since throughout the whole previous of our trip I hadn't scribbled down a single word.

     We rented a movie that night which we watched in our hotel room, laughed over and I fell asleep in Omni's bed, snuggled in with Tika, with Omni's arms around me. We woke up the next day, late morning, excited, well rested, and ready for another fun day.

     Omni mentioned something about going to see about Cheeseroller, but that Tika and me could go off and do something else. Eventually, I thought of something.

     "Hey, Tika, you want to go see the Turmaculus?" I cried, scooping her up in my arms and walking towards the mythical Turmaculus, whistling a tune as I went. It never even crossed my mind what would happen next...

     I pushed Tika towards him, and she went up reluctantly. She, very weakly, picked up the bucket of water and dumped it on him, and then he stirred...

     Then awoke with a roar.

     Poor Tika whimpered, shivering under the Turmaculus' shadow, and it took me a while to realise what was about to happen.

     "NO!" I shouted, leaping towards Tika and shielding her with my arms. "Don't take Tika! Take me if you have to!" I paused. "I'll do anything for family!"

     Just before old Turmac closed in on me, the full impact of my last words really hit me. It wasn't as much as a realisation, how much I loved my family, but the fact that I'd finally spread my wings, let one grain of sand fall to make the rest clearer, reached the light at the end of the tunnel, even when my lantern burned out. I'd opened my eyes and braced myself, and read between the lines, I'd discovered that roots go deep.

     And just before everything went black, I knew where my place was.

Everything Comes to an End
     I woke up in the hospital, surrounded by whiteness. Before anyone had a chance to say anything about my waking up, I sat up sharply and exclaimed, "Where am I?"

     Omni's face lit up as she rushed over to my side, and gave me a hug. "We're in the Neopia Central Hospital...do you know what happened to you?"

     I sank back into my pillow with a content sigh. "Yeah, the Turmaculus tried to eat me, didn't he..." I grinned. "And how's Tika?"

     "She's fine. I supposed you saved her from the Turmaculus?"

     "Yep!" I answered with a giggle.

     Only a few days later, I was let out of the hospital. When I arrived home, Ev was waiting, and I rushed toward her, into her open arms.

     "Po! I was so worried! What happened?"

     I glanced from Omni, to Nova, and back to Ev. "Well, I guess it's about time I told the whole story, isn't it."

     Omni nodded.

     "All right then. But let me tell you, it may take awhile..."

     So we went inside the house, mid-afternoon, and I started from the beginning, telling in detail the whole tale, from start to finish, everything I remembered. And I don't even remembered what happened at the end, except for the fact that there was a lot of comforting and hugging.

     "But I'm here," I tried to say. "I'm home...I've found my place..."

     After Nova and Ev got up to leave-to give you an idea of how long the story took, it was now late evening, and the stars were shining bright-Ev pulled me aside as Omni and Nova said their goodbyes.

     "It was good of you to tell us the story, Po," she said, her eyes still twinkling. She'd always loved a good tale.

     "It needed to come out someday," I agreed.

     "And I think I know just where your place is..."

     "Me too."

     She hugged me again, and said, "I just want you to know something, Po."

     "And what is that?"

     "You're my best friend, and you always will be. And sometimes we might get into fights, and I don't want that to change what you think about your place. Because where you are is where you should be..." she paused.

     "Go on," I coaxed.

     "And...that you're like a sister to me. And I don't ever want you to go away for that long again," she stopped, considering. "Unless you take me with you," she added.

     I grinned. "Don't worry, Ev, I won't. I won't have any need to. Unless, of course, you don't agree with me on everything..."

     She smiled and lightly punched me in the arm. "Ah, maybe not." She took my hand, and cupped it in her two. "But true friends last forever."

***

Later that night, I sat on the balcony again.

     But this time I wasn't crying.

     Omni was by my side, arm around me and Tika was snuggled in my lap, sound asleep.

     The stars twinkled above me, and this time when I saw one fall and glide across the sky, I didn't wish on it, but merely acknowledge the beauty of it. Because this time I didn't have to wish for my place in Neopia-I didn't have to wish for anything. Because I'd found it, I was there.

     I was home.

     So, Ev was wrong--it wasn't a neverending story. Because, of course, everything eventually comes to an end. Is there really such a thing as forever? Is there really such a thing as neverending? That's what I'd like to know. Maybe there isn't such a thing as forever, but I know that my story--the story of my dreams, hopes, and life-will last just as long as anyone else's, and longer. But that's another story, to be told at another time.

The End

Previous Episodes

The Neverending Story: Part One

The Neverending Story: Part Two

The Neverending Story: Part Three

The Neverending Story: Part Four

Week 64 Related Links

Po's Birthday
The Friday before my birthday, Omni woke me up after I'd slept through both my alarms and some gnawing on my ear by Tikano.

by polayo


NeoFun
Getting hit in the head with a rock... not really fun at all.

by meowth4



Search :
Other Stories

Mangstar Evil: Part One
So there she sat; no new missions, no papers to file, just a computer screen to stare at, and a mini-satellite to make her dizzy. It spun around, and around, and around...

by snickering_1


Needed Too: Part One
The shadow-coloured Gelert looked around at his friends in the dimming light as the sun began to descend behind the western hills, and he was suddenly struck by how much things had changed in two years' time.

by tdyans


A Neon Sign: Luna's Place - Part One
Luna's Place is a bar/restaurant on Terror Mountain. It was owner by Luna (duh), a white Lupess. It seemed successful, but it didn't start like that at all.

by miss_laddy


The Zafara Assassin 3: Upon the Wings of Fate - Part One
I opened up my eyes, but not to the bright sunlight, but to the jabbing that I was suffering on my left side.

by meratocat


Al's Halloween II: Part Two
A Halloween Chia snickered from the glass rose bushes as she peered through an open window into Stenchpaw's large, heavily decorated pad...

by al_the_chia


Neopets | Main | Articles | Editorial
Short Stories | Comics | New Series | Continued Series | Search