The Shadows of Darkness: Part Four

by nanjikat

We trekked down the narrow tunnels for days, seeing nothing but ice and snow, but finally we reached a carved, wooden door. Sandre tugged on the handle. "It's locked!" he cried in frustration.

I searched the bag of items that Kauvara had given us. Inside was a Magic Key.

"Will this fit in the Keyhole?" I asked Sandre.

Sandre grabbed the key, which shrank to the exact right size as he turned it in the lock. I heard a click, and the door swung open.

I gasped. Inside were such treasures that only exist in legend. There was the Crown of the Queen Faerie, the Shield of the Battle Faerie, the Sword of the Space Faerie, and others, one powerful, magical item for each Faerie.

As I turned to ask Sandre what he thought of these glorious items, I felt something cold and sharp against the back of my neck. I looked around the room and saw that Sandre was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the Space Faerie's Sword.

"Sandre," I said quietly, "don't do this. We've been friends forever, why do you want to hurt me?"

Sandre's voice, cold and cruel, answered from behind me. "Why? Because you are on the wrong team, Adria. You're fighting for the good side, but the evil side will triumph. All the good ones shall be eliminated. You'll be one of the first to go. My master commands it."

Sandre took the sword away and I turned around to face him. What I saw nearly made me cry. My friend was no longer there. He had been replaced by an evil, yellow beast whose eyes were full of hate. He was no longer the Scorchio I had grown up with. He had become twisted and cruel, barely recognizable as kind, fun-loving Sandre.

Sandre spoke again. "The mutated pets were only the beginning. Those pets are controlled now by Dr Sloth. Soon, they will turn on their owners. They will mutate other pets. Eventually, all Neopians will be mutants, and Dr Sloth will be their ruler. There's a war coming, Adria. Are you sure you're on the right side?"

As he reached into his pack for who-knows-what to finish me off with, I grabbed a Bottled Tornado. As I pointed the end of the bottle at Sandre, I narrowed my eyes and said "Positive." Then I unleashed the tornado.

***

As I emerged from the passageway, I saw the Techo Master waiting for me. He immediately came running towards me. I handed him the Faerie weapons, and something else -- Sandre, frozen by the tornado and shrunken down so he would fit in the empty bottle. Then I told the Master what had happened.

After I finished my story, he said, "Sometimes finding what is wrong, can make you understand what is right. Sandre was evil. But through this experience, you now had a better understanding of what is good, what is the right thing to do. You are a better NeoPet because of this, and I am proud of you."

Somehow, he always knows exactly what you need to hear.

The End