|
Untitled Document
It was early, pale dawn on Mystery Island. Aihami was returning
to the sea cliff where she had had her test for first-degree Master. It seemed
she'd never go any further.
This was not due to any extent to the Aisha
having inferior abilities. But even though some claim that Neo-Kido prolongs
life, it by no means makes Neo-Kidokas immortal. Naro-Master had passed on just
several days ago.
There were no tears in the Aisha's eyes as she
knelt to pay respect before the small mound of earth that was his last resting
place. She had done all her crying when it had happened, and though she still
felt the ache in her heart, she knew he had moved to a better place, perhaps
surrounded by all his other Neo-Kidoka friends who had trained with him in his
youth. She smiled at the thought.
At any rate, his last words to her as he had
slunk off to his bed that last night, never to wake again, had been to do two
things for him.
One was to keep training her life-force, that
mystical point in the body from which rejuvenating energy flowed, and what he
had always described as the spirit, the essence that makes someone who they
are. To make sure it was always strong, and perhaps to discover the life-force's
true capabilities. She had heard many times the stories of Neo-Kidokas being
able to do such miraculous things with energy from their life-forces, like being
able to move things without touching them and to see visions of the world, but
she had never really taken those seriously until that night. Could she truly
do things like that if her life-force's energy was strong enough? Well, there
was only one way to find out.
The other was to expand Neo-Kido and take on
students of her own, to spread it to all of Neopia. The idea seemed incredible
for a single young red Aisha, but perhaps if she trained enough students, they
might invite more to train with her. Perhaps they could even become Masters
and start training their own students. That was something that was possible.
But where could she find a willing student? And how would she know that he was
the right one? How could she impart all of the…
The breeze ruffled and sang around her ears
as it had the day of her test. Only now it seemed to whisper words of calmness
and tranquility to her. Gradually her misgivings began to fade.
The right student will come at the right time,
and Neo-Kidokas will unfold the wisdom of their art to all Neopia…
She smiled gratefully, the tears coming despite
herself. Perhaps that voice had been Naro's life-force.
***
"Alright, Marko buddy," Brandon grinned at his pet. "We got us a new challenger
in the 'Dome who'll be arriving soon. Stats are higher than the usual pets we've
been up against, but no trouble for you, right?"
The blue Kougra grinned coolly back at his owner.
"Of course. What species?"
Brandon laughed, "It makes up for higher stats.
She's a sissy girl Poogle. Painted, too. Bright pink. And get this: her name
is Loveberry96! Isn't that hilarious?"
Marko threw back his sleek head and laughed
with his owner. "Huh. I'll get her all right. No fear."
Marko and Brandon walked across to the Island
Arena together. The Kougra had just finished another training session, although
Ryshu had had a mysterious look on his face as he went through the movements
with his students. He had acted like the previous day had never happened. Marko
had ignored him the whole time, but had nevertheless felt rather uncomfortable
with Ryshu's impassive gazes at him. He was more than ready to work all of that
off, and winning yet another match should help immensely.
"Now you remember what I told you," Ryshu said
gently to his student as she stood in the door of the Training School with her
owner.
She nodded, and bowed. "Everything, Ryshu-Master."
"You really think this will help, sir?" The owner looked rather worried. "If
this Kougra is really such a ruffian as you say he is then…"
"Emily." The student pet looked up into her
owner's face. "If Ryshu-Master thinks I can teach this Marko guy a lesson, then
I'm sure I'm up to it."
"Just be careful, Love," Emily smiled down at
her pet. "I don't want you getting hurt."
"That's why I know Neo Fu, Emily." The pink
Poogle grinned at both teacher and owner, and then her face took on a more serious
cast.
"This guy is ruining Neo Fu, turning it into
just fighting rather than the beautiful art it is. I'm going to prevent my art
being desecrated any more."
"Message For Marko3055612: Your Challenger,
Loveberry96, Has Arrived!"
"Finally," Marko grinned, flexing his sharp
black claws. "There she is, I see her."
The pink Poogle with her owner, a thin red-haired
girl who looked about fourteen, could be seen entering the arena by the other
gate.
Marko and Loveberry walked towards each other
until reaching the centre of the arena as their owners sat by the sides to cheer
them on. For a moment the two pets faced each other. Marko was built more on
a wiry frame rather than a large one, but the Poogle was still dwarfed by him.
To the untrained eye it seemed like an uneven contest, but any pet or owner
trained in the martial arts could have said that though Marko seemed physically
stronger and tougher than the Poogle, and infinitely more confident, she was
far more focused and calm, and beneath the chubby exterior lay a bomb ready
to explode.
Marko triggered it by leaping at her with a
loud shout. She parried it easily with a swift block of defence thrown into
his path, and Marko was sent spinning off it. Undaunted, he came at her again,
and again was blocked. After several more unsuccessful tries Marko retreated
to the side of the ring and rolled out his own Rainbow Frost Cannon.
Loveberry started at the sight of the vivid
barrel of the weapon gleaming in the sun's glare but never lost her cool as
a bolt of brilliantly coloured frost shot out of the cannon's gaping maw straight
towards her. She was off in a second, dodging, ducking, weaving, occasionally
blocking the frost with her own defensive moves.
Then, without warning, she came at him. Marko
was caught off-guard. The 'sissy girl Poogle' had turned into a fierce bundle
of energy that pounced and punched and kicked, and he found himself in a situation
never-before experienced: he was fighting for each of his hit points now. He
couldn't afford to lose. He'd never lost before.
But she wore him down, steadily. Before long
Marko was lying, exhausted, in the sand of the arena, all his hit points gone.
The more hit points are lost, the more tired a pet feels, and Marko was unable
to move for fatigue burning every limb. He couldn't talk or think but just lay,
dumbly watching the Poogle and her owner collect their prize, a trophy. She
came over to him then.
"I hope I made you realise that Neo Fu isn't
just about fighting," she said. He could sense she had lost hit points as well,
she wasn't totally fresh. "Ryshu-Master told you it was an art. And he's right.
If you'd just listen to him and not to your…owner." He felt her footfalls rather
than saw her walk away. Then he heard Brandon coming towards him, shouting incoherently…
Then silence. And darkness.
When Marko came round, he found himself lying
in his own bed, in his own NeoHome. He felt fresh and bright, and knew his hit
points had been restored. Brandon came into the room.
Marko shrank, knowing what to expect.
"You lost! How could you?"
"She…she was too strong…"
"You, of all pets, lose to a girlie Poogle.
I've never been so humiliated!"
Marko wondered why his owner was acting as though
it hurt him, Brandon, instead of himself.
"Brandon, I just need to train harder…"
The boy wasn't listening. He was opening the
door of the one-room NeoHome.
"Get out."
The Kougra looked shocked. "W…what do you…"
"You heard me fine. Get out of my house! I don't
want to see you again! I'll raise up a tougher pet, one who'll be a much better
fighter than you, you who lost a battle to a pink Poogle! And with only half
her hit points gone! Go on!"
Marko could easily have fought Brandon and overcome
him, but he was too stunned to do anything but obey. As he left the house and
ran blindly into the jungle, the sound of the door slamming mingled with the
boy's words in his head.
"Get out…I never want to see you again… You
who lost to a pink Poogle!"
Marko didn't stop running for what seemed to
him like a lifetime. When he finally skidded to a halt in the midst of some
bushes he could comprehend the injustice done to him.
Loveberry had been far more experienced and
had higher stats than him. Why had Brandon kicked him out after losing to an
opponent of her caliber? It seemed so unreal that Brandon should abandon him…Brandon,
who had always understood him and taught him everything he knew, who had raised
him and paid codestones for his training… That Brandon should abandon him. Instantly
Marko realized that Brandon had never cared about him. He had never cared about
anyone other than himself. The only thing he had kept Marko on for had been
winning matches in the Battledome. As soon as he had lost, he had seen no further
use for him and had him disposed of.
Turning in the direction of his ex-owner's home,
Marko let out a contemptuous, ear-splitting roar that sent the Beekadoodles
tumbling and scattering from the trees nearby, and several leaves drifting to
the sandy floor of the jungle. Turning, he gave a last defiant glare backward.
He didn't need Brandon. He was strong and tough, and he had all his hit points
back. He could take care of himself.
To be continued...
| 
