Legend Seekers: Destiny Discovered - Part Five

     Villagers and tourists alike were dashing out of the way, but not fast enough - many were swept under, and perished. It was just too terrible - possibly the worst disaster in the history of the Island.

     Thialma knew they would blame Pemero. Out of the hundreds swept up, he alone would survive - and that would put him in a very bad position. If nobody else was alive, and he had been on top of the volcano, then his guilt would be proven beyond doubt.

     Confidently, the Faerie took flight, and commanded the lava to expand. It burst outwards in a flood of radioactive blue, covering everything in sight, marring it beyond all recognition. Only a quarter of the island remained untouched - and it was the unpopulated section.

     "My job is done here," the Faerie said to herself, and flew away. Just in case, she would have to lie low for a month or two. Being the queen's favourite did have advantages, though - and who knew it would be so easy to corrupt such a high council? Thialma did. She knew all the tricks, all the little things she could do to win Fyora's favour - and it had worked like a charm. But that wouldn't help her if the Queen found out, so hiding it was.

     Just as planned, only one pet on the island survived that day - a prodigal young adventurer with reflective fur and a big heart. It had landed him in the deepest trouble imaginable, but it hadn't waned in the slightest.

     ***

     Pemero awoke to a soft, motherly voice calling his name. His eyes widened instinctively, and he took in his surroundings - a large, white room with a translucent glass roof and portraits of flowers on every wall. One thing stood out in the young cub's mind, blotting out everything before it - he had to warn someone!

     "The volcano," he started. "It was going for the village!"

     "Shh," said the soft voice. He looked up, and met the eyes of the Faerie Queen. Realising he hadn't made any sense, he kept his mouth closed.

     "What do you remember?" she asked.

     "I was thrown into the volcano..." he started, looking around the room for a second time. A pair of formidable-looking guards were stationed near to the door. Fyora prompted him, and he went on, "And I had to find an escape. So I pushed on the rock, and it collapsed. The magma was blue..." He shook his head, as if to clear an absurd wandering thought. "It's all fuzzy."

     The Queen looked compassionate. "Well, it seems you're not entirely to blame. Do you remember who - or what - threw you into the volcano?"

     "It was a Light Faerie. She'd been travelling with me all along, but she turned out to be a traitor." He shuddered.

     "Did you know her name?" asked Fyora.

     "No, I never asked," said Pemero. "I'm sorry. I really am."

     "Don't worry. I'll look into it. You should know that most of Neopia is after your blood - I can't tell them the truth, they wouldn't believe it. Many of them don't realise that Faeries exist," said the Faerie Queen, looking slightly worried.

     "Wow... was it... was it really that bad?" choked the cub.

     "I'm afraid so," replied the Queen. "Take a look for yourself."

     Standing up for the first time proved difficult. His legs felt like Jelly, and his balance was off - partly due to his injuries, and partly due to fear.

     The Faerie was gesturing to a window near to the door. The guards stiffened imperceptibly as Pemero reached it, and leaned out to get a good look at the ground below. The cloud had been positioned directly over Mystery Island.

     "I... uh... whoa." He gulped. "I didn't know it was this bad." He hung his head at these words.

     "It was not your fault, Pemero. You have nothing to be ashamed about - you were tricked, that's all, and even we Faeries can fall for a well-planned trap."

     "Okay," said Pemero. He still felt bad, but knew there was nothing to be done. It still hadn't sunk in - maybe it never would.

     "I know you had a friend on the island," Fyora started. "We're not certain yet, but it doesn't look like she got away."

     "Jen..." he sighed. "I really am sorry. I'll make up for this next time. I'll do you proud." The Kougra looked out over the dead Island again. The forest was almost completely gone. There were no villages left - only a plain of dark rock, and a clump of lonely trees in the far distance, hiding the abandoned Geraptiku from view.

     It was the only sign that the place had ever been populated, by Neopets or otherwise.

     "There's one more thing I have to tell you," Fyora said. This was it - the punishment. Pemero closed his eyes and waited for the blow to fall.

     "When we rescued you from the wreckage, you were barely breathing. It took some very special magic to bring you back, and we weren't sure that it would work." Fyora said, her tones more serious now than they had been yet. "In fact, we were astounded that it did."

     Pemero let his breath out. It looked like he was going to be okay - but he didn't know what to say to that, so he remained silent.

     "It couldn't have worked without one key ingredient," Fyora said softly. "You have a magical core. In fact, half of all Neopets have one - but they never realise it. It would be dangerous knowledge, and so it has remained a secret for millenia past.

     "What happened was that something reacted with your magic, and brought it to life. If it hadn't, you would have died long before we reached you."

     "Why do I need to know all of this?" Pemero asked, looking overwhelmed by this sudden news.

     "You have to ask?" said the Faerie with a slight chuckle. "Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know. Well, Neopet magic is only half as powerful as Faerie magic - but it's much more flexible. You can train yourself to do any number of things, while Faeries are limited to one elemental type."

     "What does that mean?"

     "It means," she said, "that with proper training, you could achieve almost anything in the scope of a Neopet's experience."

     "Wow..."

     "Exactly."

     Fyora signed a sheet of paper, and handed it over to the guards, who left the room immediately.

     "Now, there is the matter of where you're going to stay. You can hardly go back home - you would be putting yourself and others in danger. That is, until you're trained."

     "I suppose I could stay in the neolodge?" Pemero offered. "I still have enough points left for a few months..."

     The Queen paused, apparently lost in thought. "Hmm, well.... no, I don't think that would be a good idea. Since you'll be on a special training course here in Faerieland, why not stay in my castle? We always have several rooms free, in case of events like this."

     "Really? Wow... uh, thanks. Can I do any chores to make up the price?"

     "There'll be no need for that! Everything you get while staying here is free. You'll have plenty to do already," Fyora promised. "You'll need a lot of willpower if you're going to succeed in this. That applies to anything, really, but magic especially - it feeds on the spirit, so you have to be as strong as you can."

     "Okay," Pemero said. "I have to make up for what happened, though. It's my debt to those who died for my naivete." Pemero's mind was set - she could see that.

     Maybe it was the loss of his friend that made him seem so, but he looked much older than his years. The experience would count for much in his development, but it would still weigh on his heart like a ton of charcoal. There was nothing Fyora, or anyone, could do to change that - it was his burden, and his alone.

     "Okay. Well, after the course is done, you could use your magic to help Neopia recuperate? I think that would help."

     "But... can anything make up for what happened?" Pemero wondered, mostly to himself.

     "No, not really. I won't lie to you - nothing will bring back the lives lost in the disaster. Having said that, you can make a difference. While there are those who practice magic for evil ends, you could be one of us, and work against them for the greater good."

     ***

     Pemero agreed to the course, and vowed to himself that his magic would never be used for wicked ends. It was a blessing, and should be shared as such - rather than a curse. There was one thing he 'forgot' to tell the Queen about, though...

     Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the parchment that Thialma had confiscated. When she left the Island, the paper had returned to him. He held it close to him always - for though it was blank, it held the memory of a much-loved friend. Little did he know what power it held... he might, one day. That day was years away, though, and the immediate future took up all of Pemero's thinking space. So, rather than taking a closer look, he tucked it safely back into his pocket and left the tower room.

The End