Across the Ocean by christinetran |  |
A warm, lush wind fluttered through the leaves of Mystery
Island, sending out the sweet tropical scent towards the ocean. The trees grew
straight and tall upon a hill; as the hill went down, the number of trees dwindled
until merely a few were standing, and only the golden sand of the beach reigned.
The beach was empty of all Neopians, and the loneliness that pressed down upon
it was heartstopping. The only movements upon the beach was the sun's rays falling
from the sky and framing sections in golden sunlight.
Another gust of wind flew by, but this time,
it came from the ocean. This wind was biting cold, as cold as the snows of Terror
Mountain...and this wind did come from the only mountain of Neopia. Sometimes,
wind is able to travel that far; it rarely happens, but whenever something strong,
something deep, yearns for Mystery Island, a wind blows from the snow tops and
down onto the golden beaches of the Island. The cold wind dwindled the moment
it's touches reached the warm air of the mysterious island, and all was warm
once again upon the empty beach.
Time passed, and the sun eventually fell from
the sky and hid itself quickly behind the far horizon. The last rays of light
battled viciously against the oncoming darkness, but then the stars and moon
came out, and the rays finally hid itself from the world. A strand of moonlight
slowly moved across the beach until it came to the edge where the waves met
the now cold, golden sand. This time, the beach wasn't empty. A Lupe sat upon
the waves.
His eyes were red, a soft red, yet it was still
dark...deep. His fur was colored a grayish blue, and wisps of smoke seemed to
emanate off of his body. His back was straight and strong, and his legs seemed
to ripple with the muscles that his smoky color camouflaged. He had a long,
furry tail that thrashed against the wet sand as the waves came up and threw
themselves upon his body, but he stood his ground. He was formidable, he was
strong, he was sad...he was the Ghost Lupe.
He opened his mouth and closed it, almost as
if he was whispering words that he could only understand. His deep, red eyes
were upon the ocean, and a look of longing dwindled inside their depths. He
stepped forward awkwardly with one paw before he withdrew it back in, still
sitting there...still strong...still sad. With slow yet sure movements, the
Ghose Lupe lifted his paw once more, and this time, a necklace fell.
The necklace seemed to be made of gold that shone
despite the lack of reflective light. It was made of small, circles linked together
in an endless circle, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. The Ghost Lupe stared
at it, his red eyes never flickering as the golden sheen of the necklace shone
in them. It was obvious...he was captivated by this small thing. An adoring
look seemed to fill his face as he stared at the necklace, aspiration conquered
his features. He dearly missed someone that was dear to him...
Slowly, the Ghost Lupe lifted the necklace and
carefully draped it around his neck. The gold didn't complement his smoky blue-gray
coat; it actually looked as if it didn't belong there, but the Ghost Lupe didn't
care. The moment the necklace was around his neck, comfortness filled his face,
and it seemed as if his entire body relaxed. Another wave of salty water washed
over his paws, and the Ghost Lupe smiled at the feel of icy water upon his cold
skin. A sudden out of character yell escaped his lips as he dashed into the
oncoming wave with a smile.
Salty water crashed into his light body, slightly
stunning him and at the same time, it enthrilled the Ghost Lupe. He took in
a deep breath and felt the cold air sting his lungs; a feeling that he missed.
Bending down, the Ghost Lupe took a drink from the salty water. The salt stung
his throat, and the water felt weird in him, but he didn't care. The Ghost Lupe
felt incredibly alive...a feeling that is quite hard to come by.
After thrashing about in the waves some more,
his feet dancing upon the water as if he was flying, the Ghost Lupe fell onto
the sandy beach, exhausted. He took his breaths in slowy, savoring each inhaling
of air as if he was eating a rare delicacy. The golden necklace draped upon
him still shone like a million stars...it was more brilliant than any of the
shining lights above. The Ghost Lupe once again gazed at it, hanging from his
neck, and the once joyous look on his face died down. The happiness within him
evaporated, and the lonely look replaced it once more. He threw his eyes to
the ocean, and his heart ached. He missed her so much...
The Ghost Lupe sat up, his gaze still upon the
ocean, staring at something that only his eyes could see. Like before, he placed
one paw forward, almost as if he wanted to swim towards the one which he yearned
for, but, like before, he withdrew his paw, and continued to gaze. Both pain
and adoration was flaming in his eyes, and his entire body was still except
for the shimmering, red gleam of his eyes. He knew that no matter what, he will
always be attached to her. He may be a ghost now, but a ghost was not devoid
of feelings. He still missed her...she was his hope, his light, his pride...and
all that he had left of her was a necklace...
He opened and closed his mouth once more, once
again whispering the words which only he could hear. The moon's light still
shone upon him, as strong as ever although the night was almost wasted. Quickly
yet carefully, the Ghost Lupe reached up and took the necklace off. He held
it before him in his paws, his eyes once again captivated by it's golden sheen.
It reminded him so much of her, and it hurt to look at it, yet he still kept
it. Like her owner, the necklace was his hope and his light...it made him feel
more alive; sighing, the Ghost Lupe closed his paw about the necklace and gazed
at the ocean once more.
Another warm wind flew by from the inland and
made the smoky wisps about him curl and dance, only to fall down against his
body once the wind died down to a steady gust. Light started to touch the horizon,
warning the world of the sun's return to the dark sky. As the sun started to
climb over the horizon, the moon started to slowly make it's retreat, and the
stars started to fade in the morning's bright light. The Ghost Lupe, still sitting
upon the shores, was still gazing. He cared about her so much...and that care
hasn't dwindled over the many years that she's been gone.
The sun's rays soon began to touch the tips of
Mystery Island's trees, and the Ghost Lupe knew it was time. Slowly, his body
started to dim from the world, and he disappeared just as slowly as the stars
did. Finally, the only thing that was visible of him were his red eyes, still
full of yearning, still full of hope...always gazing. The Ghost Lupe sighed,
and the wind blew once more, carrying his sigh across the endless ocean. Just
as the wind died down, the sun finally made it's arrival, and the entire Island
of Mystery was flooded in it's bright stare. Nobody knew of the ghost upon the
shores...
*******************
Upon the very summit of Terror Mountain was a castle of snow and ice. It was
a magnificent structure with many tall towers and brilliant statues that showed
the flawless beauty of dead-cold ice. The entire castle was the perfect example
of an algid place that still shone despite it's cold exterior.
Standing on a balcony located on the southern
side of the castle stood a Lupess; she contained a natural radiance about her
that was completely breathtaking. Her eyes were a golden shade that rivaled
the suns, and her fur was the color of pure, snowflake white. Her shoulders
were slender and all four of her legs stood straight and strong; her face was
filled with the queenly look of both a merciful yet kind creature, and a touch
of magic seemed to dwell in her stare. She was gazing out at the ocean...
Her look was that of someone who was missing
a person quite dear to their hearts, and a look of pain and longing lingered
in her eyes despite their brilliance. She took a deep, shaking breath and tore
her gaze away from the deep blue, looking down quickly. She could not bear the
heartbreak anymore...and yet, she still couldn't help but think of him. Tears
threatened to spill on her face, but she forced them to stay within, for she
wasn't weak, and only the weak cried. Once again, her eyes lifted themselves
and fell onto the ocean's endless waves.
Slowly, she placed her paw upon her neck and
lifted something away from her thick, white fur. It was a necklace. With careful
movements, she took off the necklace and hung it on her paw before her eyes;
she smiled as the memories the necklace contained flooded her mind. It's red
interlocked circles reminded her of his round, dashing eyes, and the glimmering
light that fell from it remind her of the hope that she felt whenever she was
near him. Her paw shook slightly as these memories came back in torrents, but
she quickly regained her composure. Sighing, she draped the necklace about her
shoulders once more, hiding it in her white fur, and gazed at the ocean, the
same yearning look in her eyes...
"Excuse me, sorry to be bothering you, but it's
time."
The white Lupess quickly spun around and met
the image of another snow-white Lupe standing behind her in the doorway to the
balcony. She reached up to her neck and shifted the red necklace a bit before
she asked, "Time for what?"
"For the crowning, Your Majesty," the Lupe said
back, still standing as still as the ice sculptures upon the castle.
The white Lupess sighed as she remembered the
crowning. It didn't matter to her anyhow...she didn't care whether or not she
was queen. Once again, she threw her eyes to the ocean and thought of the knight
which she met upon the shores of Mystery Island... Pain soared up in her once
more, warning her of the oncoming tears, and she gazed down quickly.
"Princess Lilac," the Lupe said, once again interrupting
her thoughts. "You must come now."
Sighing, Princess Lilac reached up and touched
the necklace once more, and a smile flickered on her lips when she remembered
the day he gave her that necklace. A gust of wind flew by, combing through her
hair and making it softer than it already was. Lilac sniffed the cold air briefly
before her nose started to sting as the icy bite flew into her nostrils. Sighing,
Lilac turned around and whispered, "I am coming," to the Lupe.
Just as Princess Lilac left and disappeared behind
the doors of the balcony, a stronger wind kicked in, and this time, the wind
wasn't cold. Instead, the wind was filled with a strange warmth mixed with the
scent of salty water and tropical trees, the scent that lingered upon island
paradises. The wind came from the island of mystery. Sometimes, wind is able
to travel that far; it's an occurrence that rarely happens, but when it does,
it means that something - or someone - yearned for Terror Mountain. Eventually,
the wind started to lose it's warmth the moment it touched the icy snow, and
then all was cold again upon the summit of Terror Mountain.
The End
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