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Heart of Gold: Part Four by Baloyarn |
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Click here to see how this story started! Waiting for the Battle "Good old apples!" I shouted aloud, dashing into the Health food store. I emerged with an Organic Green Apple and an Organic Red Apple for each of us. I stuffed the other 100 NP into the sack and ran back to the designated meeting place. Another hour, I thought dully. That'll be fun, I said. I ran into the Toy Store, purchasing a Deck of cards for me, a deluxe set of colored pencils for Katrycia's Coloring Book, a Drawing Pencil for Amanda, and a Blue Chia Doll Mysteey had her eye on. I immediately sat down on a bench and began playing solitaire. The hour rolled by quickly. "Ready to head home?" asked an eager Katrycia. "You bet!" I laughed, grabbing my bag. I gave everyone their things, receiving much thanks. Katrycia eagerly bit into her Organic Green Apple as she ran upstairs to get her coloring book. Mysteey hugged the Chia Doll tight. Amanda immediately began to sketch me reading as I sat by the fire, contentedly reading my book. "Funny you should read about Darkness Faeries..." Amanda said, her voice trailing. I said nothing and continued to read. After a large dinner and a bit of relaxing, it was time for bed. "Aw man!" I said. "I was just getting to the good part!" We were herded upstairs and tucked in. Mysteey clutched her Blue Chia Doll close, Katrycia finished her Organic Red Apple, and Amanda put her Drawing Pencil away. We soon drifted into innocent slumber. I awoke again early the next morning. I eagerly grabbed my book and almost tripped down the stairs. I sat by the fire, still giving off adequate light, and opened to where I had left off. Something caught my attention as I gazed over the lines. "Only the power of love can destroy a Darkness Faerie, for they only know evil..." I read aloud. "Very few NeoPets posses true love. If they do, their true power will only be released when the ones they love are in trouble or when they are threatened by the..." I stopped. "You will pay..." said a voice. I peered about the room. No one was there. I rose, but immediately fell because of the pain. "YOU WILL PAY!" the voice screamed. I tried to fight it, but the evil was too powerful. I heard the angry cackle of ghosts. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed, but it was too late. They were carrying me off into the dark realm. I fought as hard as I could. "Foolish Child. You know no love. Your heart of gold will not only get you hurt, but it will get your loved ones hurt as well!" The voice cackled. The ghosts cackled. I forced myself to open my eyes. Around me were those little blue Twinkles again. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted in rebellion. The fire was black, but the ghosts weren't there. Neither was the Uber-Darkness Faerie. The book lay open and where I had left it. I blinked and the fire was orange again. Amanda was standing there in her pajamas looking at me in a strange way. "It was... I... you... they... the..." I protested. "We shall discuss this matter in the morning. Now, go back to bed," she said. I marched up the stairs, head hung low. I forgot the book. I ran down stairs to get it. I grasped it firmly and rushed up the stairs. "It is you who is causing my suffering. Why?" I asked the book. The picture on the cover just stared back. I put it down on the desk and crept back into bed. My sisters lay asleep. "I shall tell them in the morning." I resolved. I then fell asleep. The next morning, I awoke to the usual smells. Sleepy yawns near me told me that if I wanted to tell them, I had better get down stairs now... I tumbled down the stairs and into my chair, looking innocent. "Sleep well?" Amanda asked. "Uh... yeah," I replied, trying not to sound guilty. "You know," she said, "I haven't the faintest clue what happened last night. Can you please explain yourself?" "Well, I was just sitting there, passing the time, reading my book, when I get this pain in my body, fall to the ground, and hear, 'You will'..." "Pay," she interrupted. "Exactly. Then there were ghosts and the Uber-Darkness Faerie, then I woke up. Weird huh?" I replied. "Strange indeed," she agreed. Mysteey and Katrycia hopped down the stairs. "Another encounter, I suppose," Katrycia said. "You can read me like a book," I said. *** "Betcha can't find me!" yelled Katrycia, soaring above my head. It was later that day and I had just finished breakfast. "We'll just see about that!" I shouted from the ground. Katrycia hid while Mysteey and I counted to ten. We both "seeked" since she was the best at hiding. "Ready or not..." I began. Lighting tore across the sky. "Oh dear!" I said, running for cover. "Relax, Twincklezz, it's just a little..." Pain again plagued me. I could hear nothing except, "YOU WILL PAY!" Over and over. Covering my ears and ducking, I shook violently, silently chanting, "I will not pay!" Suddenly, everything went black. I heard Mysteey and Katrycia shriek and the protests of Amanda. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I shrieked. Silence... Black... Nothing... I opened my eyes again. The whole place was blurry. Shaking and blinking, I saw a glowing ember. My eyes soon adjusted. I was in the forest, covered, with a fire. I blinked again. There was someone there, no, two. I could hear them. My eyes adjusted. Before me were three unbelievably beautiful Faeries. One had to be the Queen, one the Uber-Water Faerie. I couldn't make out the other. I blinked again and the other two had vanished. "Good, you're awake," a kind voice said. Shaking, I tried to discover the mystical figure before me. "Don't, you'll hurt yourself," she said, restraining me. "Where's Amanda, and Katrycia, and what happened to Mysteey, and what happened period?" I exclaimed. I tried to move, but everything hurt, so I listened. "Well, it appeared to be the storm, but it wasn't. You are a victim of the Uber-Darkness Faerie. Katrycia, Mysteey, and Amanda, they are her hostages. She is making high demands at a golden age. I was there to save you. If I weren't, you surely would have been killed. She wants Neopia..." her voice faded. I suddenly had strength. "Well, she can't have it!" I protested, leaping up. "Rest, please!" she scolded, restraining me. "Not while the ones I love are in danger!" I said, struggling. "The effort involved to save them, to fight her.. you don't have it in you!" she cried, trying to restrain me. "I won't rest until my family, my kind, my race are safe," I replied. I finally managed to struggle away from her firm grip. I collapsed immediately. "You are tired. Now you must rest. We can talk, but please stay here," she said, placing me on the sleeping bag. The blurry figure became clear. "AN AIR FAERIE!" I exclaimed. "This happened before. The Uber-Darkness Faerie attacked Neopia. Your sisters were able to save me and the rest of them!" she replied. "Who are you!" I protested, "And what business do you have with my family!" "I am Starlight and I fought with them." I stopped struggling. "Defeating the Uber-Darkness Faerie will take a lot of courage, love..." I began. "Love that I don't have..." I cried. "You have plenty of love that remains hidden until you need it!" Starlight said. "Your sister saved Neopia, you can surely..." "I posses only kindness!" I protested. "You've saved the wrong pet. It was my sisters you should have saved, my family, my owner!" "I have saved the right pet, make no mistake!" she argued. "Why save me! I'm a level one NeoPet, average everything, no attacks!" I said. "I saved you because you have it in you. You can stop her..." Starlight interjected. "I have nothing that they don't! Why not save them! I'd die for them, destroy for them... steal for them! They can't do a thing in her clutches!" I argued. "No, but you can do something before all of Neopia is destroyed," she replied calmly. "What can I do? I have nothing! Not one measly, flea bitten scrap of nothing!" I shouted in protest. "You have a heart! You have..." Starlight began. "I have NOTHING!" My angry shout rang throughout the forest. "Nothing but..." I began to retaliate. "But your heart of gold, your ears of silver, and your lightning speed," Starlight said. "I am average!" I interjected. "Your ears hear even what the Queen's eyes don't see, your heart is big enough for all of Neopia and its neighbors, your speed is within you. Your love burns like the fire at which you stare into. You have all you need," Starlight said. I lowered my ears. "But, she said..." "What she said does not matter. You said it yourself, you'd do anything for them, and that doesn't make you foolish. It makes you brave. You have love within you. You must now find its inner source and bring out your true power," Starlight reminded. "You sound like the book." We both laughed over this. To be continued... |
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