Ancient Neopia: Part One

     "ARGH!" Jarod threw the Virtupet on the ground and he was filled with frustration. "Stupid game…" he softly muttered as he hastily picked up the Virtupet and laid it on the table.

     He was a Red Cybunny, although most people would have thought a Mutant Cybunny by the way he looked. His Red Fur was messy and his white fur was turning grey at some spots. He really liked playing games on his Virtupet, but also just outside.

     He had obtained the Virtupet from someone when he was visiting the Virtupets Space Station. Although he had only seen the green hand that gave him the Virtupet, he never thought about the stranger.

     This was one big mistake on Jarod's part.

     "Must try that part again…" the Cybunny walked towards the table, picked up the Virtupet and laid down on the ground to continue playing.

     ***

     Hero was looking around on the plains just before the Jungle Ruins. He just got beaten by one of those vicious Zafaras, yet he always continued. He had to stop Jahbal, but if he could just get beaten by a mere Zafara… how would he ever beat Jahbal?

     He needed to train, but where? The monsters before the Jungle Ruins were too weak to really get stronger, yet the monsters in the desert were too strong. He needed help, fast. Before the land would be completely overrun and destroyed by the monsters of Jahbal.

     He quickly ran back towards the last city to stay at an Inn. He would need more power to at least beat the weakest monsters in the Jungle Ruins. This would also give him more time to think, without the chance of being attacked by some guard from the ruins that just happened to be around.

     ***

     "Uh, he isn't supposed to be running to that city automatically, is he?" Jarod asked himself as he watched the Lupe run towards the closest city.

     "Maybe… this Virtupet wasn't such a good idea…" The Cybunny had a bad feeling. These feelings always came true. He wanted to turn the Virtupet off, but it showed something instead of going out.

     "Monsters attack the city where Hero sleeps and he is unable to do anything on his own. The parade of monsters return to the Kal Panning and the pets in Neopia are too afraid to go outside. But what will Hero do, when his only help comes from an Apprentice Blacksmith and a Rouge Cybunny?"

     That was when Jarod fell unconscious on the ground, right at the end of that sentence. While he was out, a strangely familiar White Lupe came through the door.

     "Him?" he silently asked to particularly no one. He walked towards Jarod, started whispering strange words until a portal appeared behind Jarod. The White Lupe pushed the Cybunny through the portal and then quickly followed.

     ***

     Pteris whistled, a roar followed and then the sounds of Pteris quickly flying away was heard. There was a faint scream in the distance…

     Jarod awoke and when he tried to breathe, he felt water come into his nose. He quickly tried to stand up but that failed. He saw rocks and desperately tried to hang onto them, but every time he slipped away. Then, he saw a huge rock. He clawed it, but he slipped away just like the other stones.

     He then lunged for the stone and clawed it again. His left paw slipped away almost immediately, but his right paw was still in the stone. But it was moving. He had to act fast!

     His left paw reached for the stone, but the water kept pushing him away. He quickly looked behind him, where he saw no rocks and no water. Instead, he only saw air. And there was another sound. A waterfall.

     "Ugh! Where am I?" Jarod thought while panicking. His paw was almost slipping away. Just five more seconds… Five… Jarod tried jumping towards the rock… Four… he almost fell backwards but remained to keep standing… Three… he was now desperately trying to reach the stone, while water drops where flying around of the jumping and the paw of Jarod trying to reach the stone, but ending up in the water. Two… his paw was almost at the end… One… why… Jarod's paw slipped, while he lunged. His left paw scratched the rock but then got stuck, resulting in Jarod flying through the air and then falling into wet grass. Small bits of rock flew through the air.

     "Ugh!" Jarod groaned. "What kind of place is this!?" he shouted, sounding extremely frustrated. His heart was beating about five times in one second of all the action.

     His breathing became less after a few minutes, which caused to finally calm his heart down.

     He then slowly stood up and took a look around him. Grass, trees, rocks, grass, grass…

     This was not his average Neopia City with the shops…

     "Hello there…" a voice behind him said. Jarod whirled around to see who it was. It was a Lupe with messy, white fur.

     "Who… are you?" Jarod asked, feeling a little bit uneasy.

     "I am Hero," Hero said. "I hope to stop Jahbal and the monsters with it."

     "What?" Jarod cried out. "I don't believe you!"

     Hero stared at him with a confused look, but it quickly changed to understanding. "Ah, you are the one…"

     "The one?" Jarod stared at him. "I am not the one or something! I don't know you! Just go away!" His paws formed fists. He was getting frustrated.

     "It is the truth…" Hero said. His eyes then looked behind Jarod. A dangerous Plains Aisha stood behind him, its teeth bared and ready to attack.

     "WATCH THIS!" Hero leaped over Jarod and struck the Plains Aisha with a sword. It roared out of pain and it ran towards Hero and attempted to hit him. It then ran to the closest target. That target was Jarod.

     "Jump!" Hero his voice shouted and Jarod quickly nodded and then jumped, yet not high enough. The Plains Aisha hit him in his stomach and Jarod fell on the ground. "Ow…"

     But it had completely forgotten the White Lupe that was behind it, but it remembered when a sword came down and he was struck again, now to be beaten by the White Lupe. A few blue orbs came through the air and then went inside Hero. It fell down and then suddenly disappeared while leaving a bottle of green goo and some golden coins.

     "What…" Jarod silently said, while slowly standing up and trying to fight away the pain in his stomach. "Those were in Ancient Neopia… not now…"

     "And… what were those orbs?"

     "But, my boy," Hero started. "You ARE in Ancient Neopia. And to answer your question, that was Spectral Magic. It sucks away a little bit of their health and it adds it to the owner of the weapon."

     Jarod stared at him. Why was he suddenly in a river instead of his home? He couldn't forget the attack of the Plains Aisha and the sudden appearance of the white Lupe. Then it dawned on him.

     It was the Virtupet's work. It had to be. The person who had given it to him must have wanted to send someone back to Ancient Neopia. "Wha?" was the only thing that Jarod could get out of his mouth.

     "Believe it or not, but you have to come with me," Hero simply said. "Or would you like to walk back to town all beaten up?"

     "I have no choice!" Jarod sadly said. "But I don't want to… I want to go home!" he said. He was thinking. Everything here was part of Ancient Neopia, the Plains Aisha for example. But right now, he refused to accept it. It was all a game.

     "How? Walk through these plains without any weapons to your far, far away home? Do you know where it is?" The voice of Hero pulled him out of his stream of thoughts.

     "Well…" the Cybunny looked behind him. An endless field of grass, with here and there a few trees, but nothing else.

     "Lead the way, then…" he muttered. Hero then started walking towards Neopia City, the ancient one, while Jarod followed him.

     Neopia was completely different than Jarod would have expected and the plains were much and much larger. It had to be almost a day they traveled, because by now the sun was setting.

     Jarod's body was tired and his legs were sore from the walking.

     But anything was better than being beaten up by some random Plain Aisha or Lupe. It was better to wait and see. And if he was here, he might as well help save the world here. He would at least have a use to be here. Not some not-so-trusty sidekick of uselessness.

     He stared into the distance, where the faint images of a castle appeared. A small grin came onto his face as they neared the castle. He was finally able to see people and when they entered the gates, he almost hugged one of the walls and shouted "WALLS!"

     Yes, he really was happy to see at least one wall. That was until Hero dragged him towards the blacksmith of the town. He looked around to see pretty impressive swords lying on the tables.

     "Wow…" Jarod said. "I want one of those!" His voice was filled with awe.

     "You can buy one of those, you know?" a voice behind him said. A small Korbat, with tiny wings and a hammer that was probably even bigger than him stood there.

     "Oh, I am sorry! My name is Rioeiro." The Korbat grinned and then walked excitedly towards the sword that Jarod was looking at and took it, while still holding the hammer in his other hand.

     "Would you like this one?"

     "Uh…"

     "Yes," Hero said simply. "Everyone knows they need a weapon."

     "Oh! I see!" the Korbat said excitedly, while he sharpened the sword a little and then he handed it to Jarod. "Everyone's first sword is free!" Rioeiro quickly explained. "The monsters are dangerous so… everyone has to have a weapon to protect them if they get attacked."

     "Thanks!" Jarod said, and then he walked over to Hero, who stared at Jarod.

     "Is something wrong?" Jarod asked him.

     "Yes. Are you strong enough to beat the monsters?" he asked silently. "I need someone to help me to beat Jahbal."

     "Well, I don't kn-"

     "Great! Well, let's go to the Inn!" Hero then walked out of the door, leaving a confused Jarod behind. "I didn't say I wanted to go…" he softly whispered but he just followed Hero to the Inn. "But I'll have to."

     Hero paid for their room. They were going to rest then leave for the Jungle Ruins. As they slept, monsters were coming closer. They were going to attack…

To be continued...