Ancient Neopia: Part Nine

     Jarod then stood on the path towards the Mountain Fortress. They were going to fight the elements and then continue to the ancient city, Kal Panning.

     As they stepped inside the Mountain Fortress, a shiver went down Jarod's spine. There were no monsters to be seen.

     "A mad scientist once wanted to create monsters," Hero said. "He ordered the monsters to attack the other scientists, but when he was done he wanted to be even more powerful. He then finally created the five elements. The Guardians of Fire, Ice, Shock, Spectral and Life. They killed the scientist and are now living here."

     The group remained silent, until they heard a strange noise. It was then followed by maniacal laughter and a rainbow colored Usul appeared. She was shining bright, but her eyes were filled with darkness. She then landed before Jarod.

     "If you wish to be the master of the Spectral element, you have to defeat me," the Usul said. "I am the Guardian of Spectral Magic."

     She then leaped backwards and shot balls of fire at the group. She then finally raised her hands and a bright light almost blinded them. Jarod shielded his eyes. He was completely frozen, and then a beam of light hit him.

     ***

     He was lying on the ground. His whole body was full with wounds and he was dizzy.

     "Hero?" Jarod croaked. "Where are you?"

     He then saw Galgarroth and Vex lying on the ground. He then noticed a portal that had opened. They had to go…

     "Wake up!" Jarod cried out. "You have to go!"

     The Guardian of Spectral Magic looked at him and then stepped in front of him. She then turned around and raised her hand. Lights erupted from her hand and soon Galgarroth and Vex stood up.

     They then turned around and saw Jarod on the ground and the Guardian.

     "Go…" Jarod whispered softly. Galgarroth and Vex stared at him.

     "No… what about you?" they both said.

     "Just go!" Jarod shouted furiously. He then raised his sword as a bright light emitted from it and strook the Shadow Usul. "You must go back!"

     "Why?" Vex said, as Galgarroth punched the Guardian away from Jarod and quickly gave him a healing potion.

     "You said it yourself!" Jarod said. "You got here accidentally!"

     Then it looked as if time had frozen. Galgarroth and Vex looked at each other.

     "And I was called…" Jarod continued, as he hit the Guardian, who quickly recovered and punched Jarod.

     "Go!" Hero's voice called out. Then the two ran away and into the portal. It then disappeared shortly after it. He handed Jarod a strong Healing Potion and they then stood up to fight. Jarod then looked at his sword. It then hit him. The Guardian of Spectral Magic.

     The Guardian hit him again and it was time. Jarod powered up and then threw his sword in the air. He got surrounded by lights and closed his eyes. He felt his energy go away for his attack and then he opened his eyes. He flew through the air and electric surges shot from his sword. He then hit the Guardian and a bright light blinded him.

     He and Hero flew through the air and then landed on the ground.

     ***

     They woke up in a forest of some sorts. A small pond laid in front of them and the flowers were in all kinds of colors. The sun was shining. Jarod then looked at Hero and also for Rioeiro. He was gone.

     "Why… did I shout at them? " Jarod asked to no one, but still Hero replied.

     "I did that," Hero said calmly. "I made you say it through the use of magic."

     "Why?" Jarod felt his anger rise. "How could you?"

     "You have to face the truth…" Hero then finally said. "Your father…"

     And then a story began.

     ***

     "Your father was a knight. A defender for the city of Kal Panning," Hero said. "He left Swamp Edge City, his -and your- home town, to defend the city."

     "How?" A tear slid down over Jarod's cheek.

     "You were born here," Hero said. "But you, well, actually your father, found the portal that took you to the future, to your Neopia Central. We didn't know where it took you at first, but now we know. You never remembered that you were here."

     "Your father, he died in the battle against the mad wizards and the monsters of Jahbal," Hero said. "That was why you were called here. You were born here and your father knew me."

     "He said 'take good care of my son, even though I do not know where he is. Just… find him for me and take him in,'" Hero said, while stepping closer to Jarod. Jarod walked to the pond and started sobbing.

     "My… dad…" Jarod said. "Never knew him…"

     He looked at his reflection in the water. He then looked up in the air and suddenly a song sprang into his mind.

           The forest that surrounds,

     the black mist that covers it…

     Even in the darkest times…

     I can hear you.

     Flying through the night sky,

     In the sky, the broken boundaries…

     While down below…

     The forest echoes the screams that were lost.

     Still, light will come!

     And show us tomorrow's path.

     There are times of sadness…

     But always try and seek the path of happiness.

     The boundaries that surrounds,

     The black mist that covers it…

     Even in the darkest hours,

     I can hear you.

     On days when you feel like crying...

     I give you courage…

     To face the future.

     That is my wish.

     Why are we here?

     What we see isn't everything.

     Remember that day.

     I remember you.

     Fly high over the clouds

     Far to the unknown.

     Don't be scared of them.

     I'll be on your side.

     Tear apart the darkness…

     Break through the boundaries…

     Learn about the unknown.

     Look further, don't be scared.

     Scream out, cry out!

     Ask, talk, laugh…

     Share anything…

     I can hear you.

     ...I... can hear you.

     "It's a song…" Jarod said. "I remember it."

     "That is nice…" Hero replied and sat down next to Jarod. "Your father always sang it. Always. And… he said that you could sing it very well and that you would always sing it with him."

     "I remember him now… a little," Jarod finally said. "What do you think what happened to Vex and Galgarroth?" he said, trying to change the subject. He didn't like to talk about this…

     "I think they are fine," Hero said. "They are strong fighters."

     "And Rio?" Jarod asked then. Hero remained silent, and then answered.

     "I guess that he has gone to search for us," Hero said. "Or maybe he went to Kal Panning."

     "Yeah… If you say so," Jarod replied sadly, as he gazed over the pond. Hero understood. It is not really… nice to hear that you had a father you loved who left one day and never came back.

     He sighed and then lay on the ground, laid his paw around Jarod's neck and comforted him for the rest of the night as they watched the lake, the stars and the moon.

     "Hey, Hero," Jarod said, now thinking about his father. "You talked my father before he went to Kal Panning, didn't you?"

     "Yeah, I did talk to him," Hero replied. "I tried to talk him out of it." He crawled towards the water and looked at his reflection. "You want to know how he looks like?" Jarod nodded.

     "He looked a lot like me, only he was a Cybunny. His fur was almost completely white, only his neck fur was red, just like yours."

     "I… see," Jarod said, as he laid down to get some sleep.

     "Before you drift off…" Hero then said. "His name was Karod."

     It looked like Jarod's name. "You were named after him."

     ***

     Too much thinking about his father. Jarod had visions of his father in his head and he wanted to know what his father was like. Nice, friendly? Or maybe the complete opposite. He got a dream.

     "Jarod!" His father called out to him. "Son, I want to show you something…"

     That was the most horrible day of his life. The two walked through a forest, climbed the mountain and his father protected him from all the monsters. They finally reached the peak. Jarod saw himself looking around. The ground was covered in snow and all the plants were either dead or frozen.

     He then saw a portal open up.

     "I have to go…" his father whispered.

     "What!" Jarod heard the younger Jarod shout. "Why?"

     "I will go and fight the wizards…" his father said.

     "No! Daddy!" the young Cybunny cried out, as tears slid down his cheeks.

     "I will always be here…" his father said, as he poked at the place where Jarod's heart was.

     "On days when you feel like crying... I give you courage… To face the future. That is my wish," his father whispered, as he patted Jarod's hair. The older Jarod watched in shock and sadness.

     "Please don't go, please don't go... Stay here." Jarod hugged his father.

     "I have to go." His father gently stroked his hair. "Don't forget me. You're not alone."

     His father then stood up, nodded and then slowly climbed down the mountain, towards the fields of Kal Panning. Not the way to their small home back in Swamp Edge.

     "Daddy!" Jarod ran towards his father. "Don't… please…"

     "I have to, Jarod," his father said.

     "No, you don't! You can stay here and pick berries with me! Play with me and laugh after beating all the monsters that ate our crops!"

     "I have to," his father said. "Remember my name, Karod. You are named after it, Jarod. It is a name to live up to. You know, I will always be close to you."

     "But… I don't have anyone if you go…" Jarod croaked out.

     "You can't see them… I and your mother will always be with you, even though you can't see us. It is called a bond. That bond is never broken, even not when I am far away."

     "Goodbye…" Karod said, as he then walked down the mountain. He then stopped. "Don't forget me," he said.

     Jarod felt a few tears slide down his cheek and he wiped them away. He had never expected that there would be so much sorrow now. He had forgotten it… even forgotten him.

     He suddenly noticed that the ground was coming closer and soon he landed. He looked at the crying, small Jarod. He walked towards him and kneeled down.

     "Wh-who are you?" Jarod looked at Jarod. Jarod then noticed that he wasn't a red Cybunny, but a White Lupe. Hero.

     "Hero…" Hero said. "I came to take you with me through the portal."

     "But, but… daddy…" Jarod sobbed, as he crawled and clung to Hero's leg.

     "I just know that you two will see each other again… someday," Hero said, as he picked up the quiet Jarod. "Let's go."

     He then brought Jarod to the portal.

     "This will bring you somewhere else, far away from all this fighting," Hero explained. "Your father… his last wish was to keep you safe so you two could meet each other when everything was over."

     "W-wait!" Jarod shouted. He broke out of Hero's grip and then he crawled towards the edge of the mountain.

     "Daddy!" he shouted. A small figure at the foot of the mountain turned around and waved one last time at his son, then continued towards the raging battle. Jarod stood up and was now standing on his little legs. He then ran down, but fell.

     His father was going away. His daddy. Hero slid down and picked Jarod up and brought him up again.

     "Goodbye… daddy..." Jarod clung to Hero's leg, as he took Jarod through the portal. They disappeared and everything started to turn black. Jarod's father. The last time he had seen him.

To be continued...