She was an Aisha - a bit on the muscular side - trained in and passionate for the art of battle. With her trusty Ghostkersword in tow, and following a map she still felt she overpaid for, this mission of hers had dragged on for a day longer than expected. It's not that the hike was difficult; for a Neopet as capable as her, the northern mountain range wasn't a particularly challenging environment. It's more that there was a dearth of information on her special interest. Most people knew nothing of it, and the few that did thought she was crazy to pursue it. She was, and she knew it, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

All that fact-finding, hiking, and ear-splitting screech of that strange Mutant Kadoatie that seemed to follow her everywhere... it was all worth it.

She finally found herself in front of the fabled Temple of Sunshine Monk.

As she scaled the staircase, she clutched her blade, but when she reached the top, she found...

"Shoo! Shoo!" She said, trying to get it to leave. "I don't need you here!"

The Mutant Kadoatie had a smug grin on its face, if that was even possible for the petpet. A sick feeling settled in her stomach as she wondered if this was no ordinary creature. Still keeping her hands on her sword, she cautiously approached the Kadoatie. "Alright, so you're not just a normal petpet. There's got to be something up with you." She had heard that there would be unusual things along the way, and especially at the Temple itself. But this wasn't what she was expecting. Finally, she spoke again. "Can you talk? Are you able to communicate with me at all?"

Although the Kadoatie didn't speak, it at least seemed to acknowledge what she said with another grin and a flick of its tail.

"So what do you want, then? Are you just gonna screech at me? Or can you help somehow?" The Aisha said in frustration.

With a quick turn and another flick of its tail, the Kadoatie began to walk in the opposite direction, into the temple. Although she didn't know if it was leading her into success or doom, she decided that she had no choice but to follow...

As she followed her unlikely guide, she looked around. The hall was a wide, domed affair, with a shiny mosaic ceiling and many square niches carved into the walls. Some niches were empty; others had nothing but dust and bones. Still others were not empty at all, and she couldn't help but approach the first one she saw which had something that looked like a statue, or an idol.

It had two triangular ears, sapphires for eyes, and a little pink ruby for a nose. Carved out of marble, it was a sleek creature with a tail wrapped around its feet.

It was a Kadoatie.

And several other niches had similar Kadoatie idols in them, too, with sparkling gemstone eyes and unsettling stony stares.

Slightly unnerved by the sight, she shook her head. "What is this, an ancient Kadoatery?"

As if in response, she heard the meow - no, not a shriek this time, a meow - of the Mutant Kadoatie crouching beside a square space opening into a dark passageway just large enough for her to crawl through. The petpet gave her one disdainful look before scurrying into the passage and leaving her scratching her head with one free paw.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she knelt beside the space where the Mutant Kadoatie had disappeared into, and bent down to look inside. She gasped in surprise when she saw...

The mutant Kadoatie was nowhere in sight—and would have blocked her view down the passageway were it still there—but the emerald star shone clear and steady through the inky darkness. It served as a sort of beacon, and the Aisha, struck by the thought, sheathed her blade in the scabbard at her hip and crouched to the square opening. Keeping her eyes narrowed against the intense brightness, she crawled into the passageway. The walls pressed against her as she squirmed and wriggled her way forward, thick palls of dust scattering, clouding her vision. Yet the emerald light pierced through it all, undaunted by the temple’s apparent attempt to keep intruders out.

The Aisha emerged into a large, windowless chamber of the same polished white marble that made up the rest of the temple. Polished but undusted, she realized as a sudden fit of coughing and sneezing overtook her. As soon as she recovered, she surveyed her surroundings for any signs of danger. But there were none; the room was mostly empty, and even the mutant Kadoatie had seemingly vanished into the ether.

Well, the *living* mutant Kadoatie, at least. Against the far wall of the chamber stood the source of the green light—a brilliant gemstone set into the face of a towering Kadoatie statue.

The Aisha exhaled slowly, awed by the beauty of the statue. It was intricately carved from limestone, a perfect likeness of the petpet it represented. But it was not styled like those unpainted Kadoatie idols in the room before. Rather, it had a wild, slender form, complete with all the tatters and teeth of a mutant Kadoatie. And in true mutant fashion, it was missing an eye, the empty notch in the left side of its face gaping where a matching gemstone should have been.

As the Aisha stepped closer, she kicked something, sending it rolling with a clattering sound that raised the fur along the back of her neck. She knew what it was even before she crouched to retrieve it—the emerald star that had guided her through the passage. This second gemstone was smaller than the first, round and pleasantly warm to the touch despite the chill in the room. She turned it over in her paws several times but discovered no obvious heating mechanism. It was as if the gem itself were a living, breathing organism capable of keeping itself warm.

But she knew what she had to do with it. Straightening, she held the gem aloft, then slotted it into the statue’s empty eye socket…

As the deafening seism persisted, the dim surroundings started to grow even darker. No longer was the shimmer from each emerald gem warm and inviting. The crystals were dulling - emanating a cold, unsettling aura that grew more menacing by the second.

Pitch black.

Then, a single ominous boom echoed through the temple, and as abruptly as it had started, the rumbling ceased. It was only at this moment that the brave warrior’s heart started to waver with fear. There was nothing to see and nothing to hear but her own breathing, yet she sensed that someone - no, some thing predatory - was lurking dangerously close by. Every fibre of her being was screaming that only imminent disaster awaited her.

“Calm mind, and you’ll be fine”, she recited in her head as she purposefully inhaled deep breaths to slow her heart rate. This was not her first rodeo with looming death, and she knew what she needed to do to increase her chances of survival. Indeed, her prized war accolades as Saviour of the Faeries and Honoured Champion of the Obelisk were not just for show. She smiled sanguinely as her combat ingenuity worked its strategic magic.

Showtime.

Maintaining her forward-facing stance, the nimble battler struck the wall behind her with the Ghostkersword’s hilt, and immediately sidestepped twice to the right. Within the same second, a blood-curdling, demonic scream exploded within the chamber, and the Aisha felt the wind of a mighty force crash into the wall where she had stricken. The monstrosity fell for her bait, and she now knew exactly where it was. She retraced her previous leaps and with a powerful two-handed swing, delivered a devastating blow to her adversary.

In a flash, whatever it was vanished as soon as her sword reached its victim. What was once a clear shape had become nothing.

"What?" she gasped, bringing her sword in front of her in a protective stance. What was happening? There was no chance for it to have escaped. She felt the sword make contact. This was impossible.

Behind her, the statue began glittering again. She turned just as an enormous flash of light exploded across the room, burning her eyes, and then lit up everything around her once more.

An old Mynci in decorative robes was stood by the statue, beard growing from his chin to the floor. He held a large wooden staff in his right hand, and used it to guide himself towards her.

The Aisha took a step backwards, still on guard. Where was her adversary? Who had charged at her? It couldn't have been this elderly Mynci.

And then she took a second look at him. At his robes. The hem was decorated with a shining sun that seemed to sparkle.

"You're..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

Behind the Mynci, the Mutant Kadoatie appeared, scurrying around his robes and pausing to lick its paw before narrowing its eyes at the Aisha as if studying her very hard.

"You proved yourself very well just then," the Mynci said, in a whispery, hoarse voice.

"Proved myself?" the Aisha echoed. "You mean that was some sort of test?"

"A test in preparation for the real thing," the Mynci informed her. He stroked his beard with his free hand and came to a stop about a metre ahead of her. "Do you know who I am, young warrior?"

She took in his personage once more. "You're the Sunshine Monk."

The Mynci's eyes sparkled in delight. "Well done, child. Aye, that's me. And I knew my darling Rex here did well to guide you to me." He cast his gaze down to the Mutant Kadoatie, who gave an appreciative mew in response.

Rex? The Aisha's mind was spinning, but most confusing was the fact that the grotesque creature seemed to have a cute side to go along with his name.

"You said that that was a test," she said, returning to her senses and growing serious. "What do you mean?"

Now, the Sunshine Monk looked grave. "There is a terrible monster in the centre of the temple. It has taken our most prized gemstone - the Sunshine Crystal - and refuses to give it back. Without it atop our temple, this place ceases to be remembered by the folk of Neopia. And if it goes on long enough, all of us will turn to stone."

The Aisha remembered the stone statues of Kadoaties she'd seen along the way, and stared in horror at Rex. "You mean..."

The Sunshine Monk nodded. "Only if you defeat the monster and return the crystal to its correct place will the statues return to the Kadoaties they once were, and this temple can be remembered by the world again, receiving visitors from all over."

It was a heavy task. But the Aisha took one long look at the pair in front of her and knew her decision.

"I'll do it. Tell me what I must do."

"You must follow the catacombs to the depths of the temple, enter through the locked chamber gate, and incapacitate the monster in order to retrieve the crystal. There may be adversaries along the way as the catacombs have been long since been abandoned," he said.

The Aisha nodded. "Is there anything I must know about this beast I am to slay?"

"Yes. It has a mark shaped like a diamond in the center of its chest. This is its weak spot. While it will take a hefty blow, this will be your best avenue for victory."

"Thank you. I will be back with the crystal, I assure you," the Aisha said with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Let's hope you return in one piece," the old Mynci responded, grinning coyly.

The Aisha turned on her heels and headed for the catacombs.

The tunnels of the catacomb were dimly lit with seemingly ancient torches and smelled of dust and despair. The only thing the Aisha could hear was water dripping in the distance and the occasional Cooty scuttering at her feet.

Before rounding a corner, she heard clumsy footsteps and an unnerving rattling. The Aisha pulled her Ghostkersword from its scabbard as she jumped out of hiding.

She was face to face with a Skeleton Guard who seemed startled to see her. She struck it with her sword and its bones rattled into a pile.

"That was easy," she thought to herself.

After a few more catacomb-dwelling adversaries were defeated, she was met with a door twice her height and five times her width. The chamber door had a large bronze wheel in its center that seemed to be closed with a vault-like mechanism. She tried to turn it herself, but it wouldn't budge.

Underneath a torch to her left, she spotted a lever. As she pulled it, the vault wheel slowly turned open with a whining creak.

The Aisha took in a deep breath and pushed open the chamber door. Peering in through the dark opening, she saw...

How will this story end?

“Don’t move,” the Aisha cautioned as she crept forward, brandishing her Ghostkersword before her. “Unless you want to end up like that Skeleton Guard outside, you’ll take me to your leader.”

She watched as several Kadoatie eyed the spot of light her blade reflected on the floor. One prepared to pounce.

“Hey! This is serious business!” The Aisha recoiled as a fuzzy Island Kadoatie slipped through the space between her legs, purring loudly. “I’m here to reclaim the Sunshine Crystal you lot stole, so give it over if you don’t want to get hurt!”

Before the Aisha could make good on her threats, a wet nose poked her leg. On guard, she leapt back… but for all her reflexes, she wasn’t quick enough to dodge the swarm of Kadoaties underfoot.

Oh dear Fyora… she had time to think, before she tripped and fell to the ground. I just knew I was going to get eaten alive by Kadoaties… She closed her eyes: Not in fear, but in acceptance of her place in the food chain. These adversaries truly have bested me.

Some minutes passed… but the Kadoaties, despite their victory, showed mercy. The Aisha felt soft puffs of air on her skin as they sniffed about, and, on one occasion, another wet nose. The rainbow Kadoatie she had seen earlier plopped contentedly on her stomach and began to groom itself, the reverberations of its purring shaking through her.

At first, the Aisha felt angry — were the beasts playing with their prey before they ate her alive? — but the feeling dissipated as she noticed a gleaming collar looped around the rainbow Kadoatie’s neck. She wasn’t quite sure of it, but the jewel at the center looked like the Sunshine Crystal the Mynci had described. And if she squinted, she was sure she could make out a diamond-shaped patch of fur on the Kadoaties belly.

That’s where I’ll strike.

Slowly, the Aisha lifted the Ghostkersword, moving it inch by inch towards the creature. Noticing the movement, the Kadoatie stopped grooming itself… and rolled tauntingly over to reveal its weak spot.

The Aisha knew this would be her only chance to take down her adversary. She gulped, steadying her hand. A well-timed strike at the weak spot would surely…

At the last moment, she shook her head. No. I can’t end this poor creature’s life. Even if it was a terrible beast that had stolen the Sunshine Crystal, she didn’t have it in her to kill an enemy that had put up no fight. Instead, she raised her other paw, quite carefully, and began to pet the Kadoatie. As if on reflex, the Petpet curled its front arms around the warrior’s paw, trapping it. Then it began to kick her rapidly with its hind legs. The attacks didn’t hurt, but —

“Enjoying yourself?” The voice belonged to the Sunshine Monk, and as the Aisha craned her head back to the entrance of the cavern, she saw him standing there, Rex in tow. “I see our ‘terrible monster’ here is giving you a run for your Neopoints.” He knelt down, paw outstretched, and the rainbow Kadoatie pranced towards him.

“I… uh… what?” The Aisha’s heart began to slow, and she sat up. Somehow, the Kadoaties swarming around her didn’t seem as scary anymore. “What happened to the Sunshine Crystal, and all that business about you turning to stone if I didn’t find it?”

The Sunshine Monk chuckled. “Well, this is the Sunshine Crystal,” he said, giving the Rainbow Kadoatie a scratch behind the ears. “And as for the bit about us turning to stone… that was another test for you. I needed to see if your heart was pure enough — your resolve strong enough — to put your life on the line for others’ sake. And, just as importantly, to show mercy to enemies who mean you no harm.” There was a glimmer in his eye as he beheld the Ghostkersword in the warrior’s hand. “You are indeed a worthy heir to my blade.”

The Aisha scrambled to her feet. “Your blade?” She looked at the Ghostkersword, then at the Sunshine Monk, then back to the Ghostkersword. She supposed she saw a resemblance… as far as swords could resemble Myncis. “My Ghostkersword belonged to you?”

The Sunshine Monk gave a sage nod. “Why else would it draw you here? Think about it. Hardly anybody even knows this place exists, and yet, you were compelled to adventure straight to our doors.”

It made sense, once the Aisha thought about it. She hadn’t exactly known why she’d wanted to come here; it had simply felt like it was the right thing to do. So he once fought with this blade? Questions danced in the warrior’s mind, and she found her curiosity getting the better of her. “Can you tell me more about the Ghostkersword?” she blurted. “There’s so much I don’t know…”

The Sunshine Monk laughed, a great echoing chuckle that made him seem fifty years younger. “It would be my honour to train such a kind and intrepid warrior as yourself. Consider the Temple — and all of our Kadoatie residents — your home and family… until your next adventure calls you away to some faraway land. Now, come. We’ve got quite the journey ahead of us.”

With that, the Sunshine Monk turned, beginning the long trek back to the statue-studded room from which he had come. With excitement filling her chest, the Aisha scurried after him, Ghostkersword to hand… but before she could leave entirely, she felt the soft brush of fur against her legs. A glance down showed the swarm of Kadoaties — several dozen of them, at least — trailing closely behind her, conducted by their rainbow-coloured leader.

“Seems to me that they like you!” the Sunshine Monk called over his shoulder, laughter in his voice. The warrior had to laugh, too: Who would’ve known that she’d make friends with not only the legendary Sunshine Monk, but a family of Kadoatie as well?

“Oh!” the Aisha called, once the laughter had died down. “I just realized I haven’t told you my name.” She cupped her paws around her mouth to make sure the Mynci could hear her next words. “It’s—“

The End,