A Forgotten Promise: Part Three

     Blossum picked up The Legend of the Lost Magical Solar Lens and blew away a majority of the dust on its cover. Its sunny yellow and orange colors had darkened over the years but it seemed in almost pristine condition otherwise. The book was still stiff, as if it had never been read before. She hoped that it the very proof that they had been looking for.

     Blossum was fascinated by the Altadorian version of the legend, she had almost memorized the story from the Shenkuuvian perspective, but the new details make it all the more interesting:

     "One day, Princess Solana of Shenkuu came to Altador to see the king on an urgent matter of state. She requested the use of a Magical Solar Lens to destroy a terrible beast that was attacking her father's kingdom. King Altador warned Princess Solana that the Magical Solar Lens was not a weapon with which to destroy ordinary beasts, but a specially made tool to amplify the powers of good. King Altador was hesitant to lend the only Magical Solar Lens in his possession because it was widely believed that its light acted as a shield against the power of dark faeries. Princess Solana would not be dissuaded by logic, so she asked earnestly to borrow the Magical Solar Lens to save her people from imminent destruction. King Altador was so moved by her request, that he granted it. His only condition was that she was to return the Magical Solar Lens as soon as her enemy had been destroyed. She took the Magical Solar Lens and returned to Shenkuu. Once the powerful weapon had left the borders of the kingdom, The Betrayer, also known as the Darkest Faerie, chose to attack the Kingdom. We were separated from our memories and all memory of the outside world. We even forgot what our treasure was. And that is how we lost our one and only Magical Solar Lens."

     Blossum handed the copy of the The Legend of the Lost Magical Solar Lens to Celes to read. She stood up and walked around the room, amazed at all the other books there were to read - on subjects ranging from Aa lava to Zoos - and that was just in this room - only Finneus had an inkling of what sorts of things were in all of the other rooms of the Altadorian Archives.

     Finally Celes stood up excitedly. "I think we have all the proof we need to convince the council that this is their long-lost treasure. Our Community Service task of returning the Magical Solar Lens to King Altador will be a piece of Lemon Sun Cake. Let's go present the artifact to King Altador now."

     Celes arranged to borrow The Legend of the Lost Magical Solar Lens; she also had the duplicate of Shenkuu Mystery among her possessions. She wasn't able to secure a copy of the scroll that the Historian had read to the Emperor of Shenkuu, but she was hoping she wouldn't have to mention its existence.

     Both Celes and Blossum impatiently waited for Altador's Council to finish its current votes and other important business. They knew that they were the last on the list, but the hours seemed to pass by glacially. Blossum used to think that math class was boring. Now she realized how exciting math class was compared to this.

     "Our final order of business is a matter brought before us by Miss Celes the Librarian's assistant of Neopia Central Neoschool and a student known as Blossum. You may now present your findings," the speaker announced.

     "Greetings, most honored members of the council. I come before you to fulfill an ancient promise of your allies and to return a lost treasure to you. I present these two books as evidence of a long forgotten story. In Shenkuu Mystery, its author, Empress Solara, tells her story one way - how her kingdom was threatened and she sent for a powerful artifact to save her people. However, she could not return the artifact and chose to hide it away. In The Legend of the Lost Magical Solar Lens, the author writes that Princess Solana, also of Shenkuu asks to borrow a Magical Solar Lens to save her people. She promises to return it to King Altador as soon as she possibly could. Coincidentally, an enemy of Altador chose to attack on that occasion and as a result, all memory was erased. I bring before you the third proof - the very same Magical Solar Lens that King Altador lend to Empress Solara to save her people from their terrible foe. The very same artifact that she couldn't return to Altador, she hid it away. It was discovered by followed the clues that she left in her book - Shenkuu Mystery, and confirmed again by The Legend of the Lost Magical Solar Lens. It is our purpose to return your treasure to you, King Altador, and so fulfill Empress Solara's ancient promise. Will you accept the Magical Solar Lens?" Celes addressed the council respectfully.

     King Altador carefully considered the evidence before him. The council members quietly waited for his judgment on the matter. He finally answered them, "It is, as you say, recorded in history that we were all separated by our memories. I do not recall ever personally owning a Magical Solar Lens. Furthermore, a thousand years ago was a whole other life-time. These names do stir up some memories but I cannot agree to take possession of this treasure unless I see that it is tested in battle. So here is my proposal; you shall take the Magical Solar Lens and challenge the Shadow Usul. If the battle is over quickly, then this must be the treasure that belongs to me and I will accept it. If you are not able to defeat the Shadow Usul, then the Magical Solar Lens is useless to us and I will not accept it."

     "I agree to your terms; however, I have an understanding with Blossum's family - to keep her out of harm's way, I request that she be permitted to remain at your side during the viewing of the battle, where she will be absolutely safe if anything goes wrong," Celes replied.

     King Altador arranged for Celes, Blossum, and about a half dozen of his best guards to travel to the Stone Dome in the Haunted Woods together where the battle was to take place. Celes was fearless, she was certain that she was right and that it would be a simple match. Blossum wasn't so certain. The Haunted Woods' dangers travelled far and she had heard just about every age appropriate scary story there was for young children. Blossum watched from the upper viewing booth as her friend entered the Stone Dome facing the Shadow Usul. She was now watching her very first battle.

     Celes was thankful that she had read the instruction manual. Like Empress Solara, she had stowed the Magical Solar Lens away in her bag so that her opponent couldn't see its light. It was a weapon of surprise and she knew exactly how use it effectively. When the Shadow Usul raced toward her to land the first blow, Celes pulled out the Magical Solar Lens and activated it. A brilliant beam of scorching sunlight was unleashed; every corner of the Haunted Woods was flooded with light so that no shadows remained. When the light had faded away, the only trace of the Shadow Usul was a white flag left standing in the arena.

     "Where was a weapon like that when we were up to our shoulders in Shadow Wraiths?" one of the guards commented. "It sure would have made things a lot easier."

     Celes walked up to the booth and presented King Altador with the Magical Solar Lens, she said: "In one of the books (I've forgotten which one exactly), you told Empress Solara that it wasn't just a weapon to destroy ordinary beasts, but a tool to amplify the good in your heart and use its power to benefit all people. It would have been useless to her if she didn't hope that it would save her people. Likewise, she always hoped to return this treasure to you. I think that was the purpose of the poem she wrote - to fulfill her promise in one way or another."

     "Well said, Celes. What reward would you like for all of your troubles?" King Altador asked her.

     "All I ask is that you write to the Emperor of Shenkuu, telling him that you've accepted the artifact. I'm ready to go home and I'm not the only one," Celes mentioned as she pointed at a sleeping Blossum.

     Blossum continued to sleep on the journey back to Neopia Central. She was just so sleepy for the first time in awhile.

     She finally woke up. It was a rainy morning in the library. On the floor next to her there was a small book titled Shenkuu Mystery. She picked it up, got up and walked to the front desk - leaving it there for the librarian to return it to its rightful place. She looked at Miss Celes and thought to herself, "Could she really be an archaeologist?" She shook her head.

     She didn't know if her brand new idea was a real adventure or not, but Blossum was certain it would be the very next story that she wrote. She started on what she could remember right away – outlining the plot, people, events, and puzzles along the way.

     Meanwhile, Celes opened up the latest package to arrive at the Neoschool Library – a box of books from Altador's Archives and a thank you note from Finneus. One of the books was simply titled Altadorian Mystery.

     "I don't think Blossum is ready for this adventure yet." Celes thought to herself, "But I most certainly am." She sat down at the comfortable reading chair, flipped the book open to its first page and let the next adventure begin.

The End