I was back in the central room. I grinned smugly at BrightSong. "One more,
open the gate," I said.
He turned quickly, and his movements were jerky, as if disguising anger. I
looked at him, considering. Something was up.
"You know, it's kinda odd that you're here," I said idly, watching for his
reaction. He didn't reply, but just touched the wall, a gate of white appearing.
"I mean, if the Shadows are intelligent, then why do they allow you in their
realm?" I persisted. "You're opening the gates and all for me, when they could
just never allow a way in, and I'd never get the spear, and never be able to
defeat them. Then they'd have their way. They're making evil take over the world
mistake number one, letting someone who knows how to defeat them remain."
He just eyed me sternly.
"I held the Essence, in case you forgot. I don't know what you're trying to
say, but the Shadows can't touch me. Now, are you going to get the last shard
or not?" I just smiled and walked past him, into the realm of light.
"You don't trust him, do you?" a voice said.
I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the all present brilliance. I turned to the
voice and saw a lady, dressed in white, sitting on a gleaming rock of white.
Light seemed to stream from her face, and her gaze was serene, her long white
hair resting in a gentle wave over her shoulders. In her lap sat a spotted Zafara.
"Aldrai?" I said, surprised.
"Of course," he replied. "You really didn't think the Guardian of light would
be violent, did you?"
"BrightSong said all elements have their violent side."
"That's true," the lady said, "But you don't seem to trust him, do you?"
I shook my head. "No, I don't."
"Listen to your heart, then," Aldrai said. "You did when you dove into the
river to save me. You did when you faced the dragon. And when you accepted the
Essence."
The Zafara looked up at her. "Shi'kly, I've got to have a word with my owner,"
he said softly.
She nodded and stopped stroking his fur, and he leaped off. I picked him up
and held him to my chest. Shi'kly faded from view.
"She's nice," he said.
"Yeah, I guessed. But how am I supposed to get the shard?"
"I don't know. I'm only here to see you." He sighed. "You've always been so
good to me. Someone else might not of risked their life to save me like that.
I don't miss my mother anymore. I know she's gone, and I wish I could of known
her more, but I have you. I know she loved me, but you're love is as great as
any she could of shown." I buried my face in his fur, feeling tears spill from
my eyes. I gently set him down and knelt to look him in the eyes.
"I am so blessed to have pets like you," I said, "and I don't know what I
would of done without you."
He smiled, and hugged me around the neck. "Come back. And never forget about
love."
And with that he was gone. I stood, brushing tears from my eyes. Shi'kly was
back, gazing at me serenely.
"So how do I get the shard?" I asked.
Her smile vanished. "This is the hardest shard to get," she said softly. "And
not because I am hard to fight or anything like that. There is no violence here."
"That tells me nothing," I said. "I need the shard, I've got to defeat the
Shadows."
"What is light?" she demanded.
I thought on that. "It's the good part of life. It's life itself, and hope,
love, gentleness, caring, mercy, giving, and everything else that's good."
She walked towards me and looked me in the eyes. "And how did you defeat the
Darkness Guardian?" she questioned.
I was having trouble understand where this was going. "Well, I was the opposite
of darkness. I don't claim to be perfect, but enough so that the thing couldn't
bear my touch."
She nodded. "You're more light than you think, child_dragon," she said. "But
that is good, modesty is also a virtue of light."
"Is patience?" I questioned.
"It is."
"Dang," I muttered. "Guess I've fallen short there."
She laughed.
"Very well then, I will hurry up my explanation. Now, I do not have the shard."
"What!?" I said, startled. "If you don't have it, then where is it?"
She turned away from me and didn't reply for a while. "Only a person with a
good heart can claim the final shard," she said. "That was not one of the traitors
designs, but one of mine. I didn't want the spear to go to one that would be
taken over by the Shadows. The traitor is furious at that, of course, but after
he spelled me into existence, it was too late."
"What happens after I take the shard?" I asked.
"I vanish. But don't be worried," she said hastily. "I'm the embodiment of
light, I'll still be around, but not like this."
"Okay then. Now, the shard?"
She nodded. "Yes. You see, the shard is in you," she said, turning to face
me again. "You have a good heart, so the shard must come from you. An evil heart
would not posses the shard."
I paused, taking that in. "I'm confused now," I confessed. "How do I get the
shard?"
"Give me the spear."
I looked at her, then reluctantly handed it over.
"An evil person would be too concerned with self-preservation and would not
trust me. Do you?"
"What, trust you?" I asked. "Yeah, of course! I just gave you my spear."
She nodded and looked at the pointed tip. She gently placed it against my chest.
"How much do you trust me?" she demanded.
I stared at the shaft, feeling the point through my shirt. "You've got to be
kidding," I muttered. "This is how you get the shard?"
She nodded. "That's why I ask if you trust me."
I took a deep breath. "Lying isn't a character of light," I said through gritted
teeth. "So, yes, I trust you." And she punched the pointed shaft through my
chest. I cried and fell to the ground, feeling a numbing pain spread through
me. I gasped and stared at the spear shaft, finding it nearly impossible to
breath. Shi'kly pulled it up, the point coated with red. A light surrounded
the tip, and when it vanished, the head of the spear was there. A pointed crystal,
devoid of colour, as was the shaft. The Elemental Spear was complete. My vision
seemed to dim, then suddenly all weakness and pain was gone. I sat up slowly,
looking at my chest. Not a mark remained. I stared at Shi'kly in disbelief.
"Death isn't part of the light element either," she said matter-of-factly.
"Take your spear, Essence of Neopia. You've earned it."
I reached out and grasped it, feeling power run through me. The light surrounded
me, and I returned to the centre room.
To be continued...
Feel free to Neomail me, I encourage it. I like feedback. Sabreur is really my
brother, you can Neomail him also, though I ask you to go easy on that. He's in
college right now, and I'd rather not have him mad at me for getting a ton of
Battledome challenges, etc. Melody is also real, my best friend. She's in college
too, her Neopets name is horngodess, but I wouldn't suggest bugging her, she has
a very demanding major and hardly any free time. Sakuko is also real, she's a
really nice person. | 
