Whirlpool
It was two days later, and Keeta's Neopets were still apologetic. However,
they had more important issues on their minds. Like how they were going to stop
Dr. Sloth and Triano, the Pepito, from controlling Neopia, defeating the creators
and the Neopets themselves, as well as stopping them from spreading into the
outside world.
Keeta may have been an expert on HTML, CSS, etc., but Jay knew what wire did
what, and that completely baffled and frustrated Keeta. So Jay was in charge
of figuring out how to alter their little vortex. That is, when he had the time
away from his cousins' house, in which he was staying at.
On that day, he completed it. With an excited, "Viola!" He turned on the computer
and the screen instantly showed a whirlpool instead of the usual start up nonsense.
Keeta's eyes widened. "Will this take us there?"
"It should." Jay said and got up from his sitting position on the floor. "Where
are Griffiane and Chargoun? They were supposed to find the rest."
"Right here!" Griff called out and a herd of Neopets bounded up the stairs
and down the hall. The group consisted of (aside from Griff and Chargoun) a
Christmas Lupe (SabreXtravaganza - Sabre), a Norwegian Forest Cat (this would
be NickATours - Nick - the Wocky, but since he was named after an actual cat,
he got a well-adapted body), a purple JubJub (FuzzFuzzJubJub), a blue Uni (Sparklene)
and another fire Scorchio (Verticous). Those missing, aside from Soleriana,
were the striped Shoyru (Kiku89 - Kiku), the yellow Tonu (Tamarasu - Tama) and
the green Tonu (Gigioana - Gigi).
"Okay," Keeta said, all business. "You guys all know what to do, right?" The
Neopets nodded, Griff having explained everything to the other pets. "Let's
go!" With that, she took a daring leap into the seemingly solid swirling computer
screen.
Eternal Flame
The group tumbled out on to the summit of Terror Mountain, and the entire
mountain echoed with silence. "Where's the NeoHome?" Moonstruk asked behind
Keeta.
It was true. Their NeoHome should have been right in front of them, but it
was not. Nothing was ahead of them; it was completely barren.
"This is eerie..." _Ancient_Dragon_ (blue Eyrie) commented softly from Keeta's
right.
"Yeah..." Trader agreed.
"Come on," Chargoun said, struggling to his feet. "Let's get a move on. We
have to find some place to..." he paused, and then stared in front of him.
Keeta turned to see what looked like a fireball hurtling towards them. "Run!"
HapayHari, Jay's Tonu, yelled, and the entire group turned to run, except for
Sparklene, Chargoun, and Keeta.
"Is it her?" Chargoun asked Sparklene and Keeta softly.
Both of them nodded. It was. They could sense it. In a few moments, a female
Lupe made entirely of fire with eyes like burning coals and fiery wings on her
back landed gracefully in front of them. Chargoun groaned and collapsed to the
ground, as two large lumps protruded from his back. They grew, and grew, and
grew until two great, red wings the size of his body stretched out above him.
"It's true..." Keeta said and swallowed. By now, the group was cautiously
coming back from behind them, but they were still a ways off.
FlameKeeta nodded. "You shall call me Flame, to stop any confusion. And yes,
we will be in our Myth forms until this ends. Chargoun will be fine.
"Of the others, FlareCharcoal has been captured, but Egsfa and WizardWalfoulm
are in our safe haven. Come, gather your friends and I will show you." She turned
to Sparklene. "Come, Sparklene, I would like to speak with you..."
Chargoun slowly rose to his feet again, shaking his head with a weak grin.
His wings were folded against his back. "That's FlameKeeta, all right..."
***
When they all got to the safe haven of the NeoRenegades, Chargoun, Flame and
Sparklene were deep in conversation while Walfoulm, a strict-looking silver
Eyrie, chose who would remain in the haven.
Among those who would fight were Myricabra, FireCannon, Moonstruk, Chargoun,
Flame, Sparklene, Dragon (Jay's Eyrie, _Ancient_Dragon_), Egsfa and, of course,
the humans. NickATours, the yellow Wocky-turned Norwegian Forest Cat, was to
be a scout. Walfoulm would remain in the haven to plan with the rest.
"There have to be others." Keeta murmured to FireCannon later that evening.
He looked at her in surprise. "Oh, but there are! Did we not tell you? SilverGryphon128's
Neopets are out there! There must be others who escaped."
Keeta sighed. "I hope you're right. We can't go this alone."
***
While the Unis chattered, Flame and Chargoun were deep in conversation, Walfoulm
and Egsfa were deep in a yelling contest and FireCannon and Griffiane were playing
an endless game of War.
Keeta was sitting with FuzzFuzzJubJub, her neglected JubJub. "Sorry." She
said after a few moments.
"About what?" Fuzz asked, as if he didn't know.
"About forgetting you all the time. I really don't mean to do it."
"I know." Fuzz said simply. "But I've never had another owner, and I know
I couldn't find a better one." He smiled up at her. "Just tell Nick that I'm
the oldest, and you never have to apologize for anything!"
Keeta laughed and patted Fuzz's head. "Yeah, yeah, but you are the oldest,
you know. Older than Nick, anyway." Fuzz grinned broadly, finding pride in the
fact that he was only a few minutes older than the Wocky.
"Keeta!" Walfoulm bellowed. "Come and collect your battle gear!"
Keeta nodded to Fuzz before getting up and collecting a Fire Sword and a suit
of Faerie armor from Walfoulm. She looked for Jay, who held Faerie armor and
- were her eyes deceiving her? Was that a Sword of the Air Faerie? It was, and
it was glowing, like it only did when the Uber Air Faerie held it. She watched
as Jay sheathed it, trying to stifle the blue-white glow.
She walked over to Jay and led him away from the other Neopets. "Jay, tell
me the truth!" She demanded.
Jay took a breath, knowing he was cornered and that Keeta would not waver
until she had the truth firm in her grasp. "I'm not sure, but... I think that...
you know when I told you that if you were the Uber Fire Faerie, then I was the
male version of the Uber Air Faerie?"
Keeta nodded, her hands and feet numb.
"I think I really am, Keeta, and I don't want to be!" Jay said, looking genuinely
afraid.
"Then that means that I'm the Uber Fire Faerie!" Keeta walked a few steps
and collapsed into a blue bean bag chair. She rested her forehead in her hand
and looked at Flame, who stared intently back at her. She knew, all right, and
Keeta was the Eternal Flame, just like she had called herself in her guild...
The Battle
The ragtag group of Neopets and their owners cluttered around the forest edge
that was bordering Dr. Sloth's Neopian Central base. Keeta had since grown black,
feathery wings like Flame's. She could call fire to her aide on demand now,
and had a greater orb of the Fire Faerie added to her arsenal.
Jay, meanwhile, had grown white wings, feathery like Keeta's, and his hair
had turned from a nearly black brown to a cloud white. He could call wind to
his command and did so sparingly, not quite sure about being the only male Faerie
that they knew about.
"What happened to Fyora and the other Faeries?" Myricabra asked quietly. Her
purple wings shuddered involuntarily as they watched a struggling human being
through a steel door that was guarded by two very mean looking shadowed Shoyrus.
"They were taken as 'special' prisoners." Flame explained, turning away sadly.
"I saw them when I was prisoner here. Fyora's tears..." She shivered and Chargoun,
the only one who wasn't fire that could touch her, put a comforting paw on her
shoulder.
Myri swallowed and held her Sword of Domar protectively in front of her, but
said nothing.
Trader sniffed and looked around. "Someone else is here..." He said softly.
The entire group went on alert. They could all sense it now, something drawing
closer.
"Hold your arms ready." Chargoun ordered quietly, he being the chosen leader.
The group obeyed.
A large, hoarse roar cut through the air and the pterodactyl, normally found
in a cave in Tyrannia, attacked them at full force.
"You guys!" Dragon yelled. "It's on a chain! It's a prisoner!" The blue Eyrie
was dancing around near the pterodactyl's feet, keeping it at bay. The pterodactyl
screamed in anguish at not being able to catch the avian.
"We're here to help!" Egsfa yelled to it. "We can help you! Just calm down!"
"Who's out there?" A voice called from behind them.
"Now!" Chargoun yelled and the group charged out of the forest and attacked
the Shoyru guards.
Keeta felt it before it happened. A strange burning feeling seemed to have
lodged in her heart and she was suddenly furious and held the Fire Sword in
front of her. With an angry battle cry, she became someone like Flame, made
entirely of fire with burning coals for eyes. In the heat of the battle, no
one noticed, but the Shoyru guards did and they were terrified at having to
flaming fighters hurtling at them with fire swords.
One Shoyru pulled out a horn from his belt and blew into it, causing a warning
call to sound. Soon, guards of every type flooded into the field of battle and
they were eventually dwindled down to a very few, who soon retreated as a new
line of contenders came forward... All equipped with either rainbow frost cannons
or hypno helmets.
"It's over." A little Pepito in the front line told them. "I'm sorry." Triano
threw up a fin, and there was a loud BOOM! And they saw no more.
The End | 
