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This is getting way over my head.
Ghosts? Honored Truths? Curses and evil magic?
It's enough to make a Scorchio's head spin.
At first, I decided not to get involved. After
all, I don't think these ghosts are real, and I don't want Ruby to drag me along
on another one of her wild goose chases. Then, Sapphire (who shares a bedroom
with Ruby) said that the ghost problem has become worse than ever. Ruby tosses
and turns and writhes in her bed like a worm at the end of a fishing hook. "She
looks so helpless." Sapphire sobbed. "We have to do something, Emerald."
So I reconsidered my decision. I would help
get rid of the ghosts, but I wouldn't promise to like it.
The day after we went to Kauvara's shop, we
got to work trying to crack the case. Ruby, Matt and Daywalker went to the school
gym, the scene of the crime, to search for clues. Indigo, Dante and I went to
the school library.
"You'd find information on ghosts in the non-fiction
section, Indigo! Why are you looking for children's books?"
"Don't boss me around, Dante! They have plenty
of information on ghosts here!"
It was going to be a long afternoon. Dante and
Indigo were going to argue until the Kaus came home, and nothing was going to
stop them. So, I didn't even try. I plucked a huge encyclopedia out of the reference
section and looked up "ghosts".
I didn't get much. Just some worthless information
on the Ghost Lupe and other lost souls.
Then, I searched the fiction racks. My claws
touched every book binding… until I came to one that made me stop. It was titled,
"The Myths of the Myst."
Cautiously, I lifted it like it was made of
porcelain. I took it to a table and opened it to a random page. There, I saw
an illustration. An army of wandering spirits, dressed in flowing white robes.
Spirits of NeoPets and humans alike. The leader was a human, but no human could
possibly be that tall. It wore robes of a rusty red color and a hood that covered
its face. It held out a gnarled, slimy hand. The hand was pointing to three
tiny NeoPet children, a Bruce, a Quiggle and a Kacheek. The three stared in
terror at that hand. Absolute terror.
I read the paragraph on the other page. "The
Thousand Spirits of Myst jealously guarded their Honored Truths. They cursed
anyone who got in their way. But they had a weakness. Clara the Kacheek knew
they had a weakness. A virtue so strong, none could oppose it. It was so easily
broken, yet easily fixed once more. It is the yarn that bonds friends and the
base in which Neopia stands. And it rescued Clara and her friends, because she
had it.
"She took a step, then another. Closer and closer
to the Truth, closer and closer to the Mysts. Closer and closer and closer…"
Then, the weirdest thing happened. The red-robed
specter, the illustration from the book turned and faced me. I couldn't see
its face; it was all blackness, infinite darkness. I tried to shut the book,
to scream for help, but I couldn't. The evil had a strong grip on me, and it
was sucking me in.
* * *
Meanwhile…
Ruby and Daywalker were examining the writing
on the wall again. "I see no changes, Ruby!" Daywalker complained. "Can't we
get out of here?"
Suddenly, an odd shadow passed over Ruby's face.
She stared at the first O in the word "HOOPLA" and it transformed into… the
red-robed ghost. It faced Ruby, and she felt herself being pulled… being pulled
into that same darkness.
* * *
Down, down we fell, down in that black vortex, spinning, ever spinning. I
tried to lift my wings, but they were pinned against my sides. Ruby fell with
me, a few feet away.
I had to save us, somehow. Had to walk towards
the Truth, like that Kacheek in the book. "Ruby, if we don't make it out of
this… I'm sorry I called your detective work 'Playtime'."
Then, I held her hoof and believed. I believed
that ghosts do exist, that they hurt and protect and hate and love like anyone
else. I believed in my sister, the clever reporter and detective. I believed
in magic, the force of the unknown. Then, I took a step upwards, as if I were
climbing a stair. I took another step, and another. Ruby tried to step with
me, but stumbled and fell each time.
"Have some faith, Ruby!" I shouted to my sister.
"Believe."
Ruby believed. I could feel her belief, strong
in the air. I felt her believing with all her heart, all of her soul and all
of her will. Carefully, step by step, she climbed this staircase with me. I
led her onwards. Each time I moved my leg, it became harder to believe, but
that made me want to do it that much more. I would not, could not let these
spirits win!
Upwards we climbed, but we kept being sucked
back in. Forever climbing, forever falling, like a warped roller coaster ride
that never seemed to end. I wondered if we had made any progress. Were we in
the same spot we were in before? Then, I stumbled and fell a little. I had let
doubt get the better of me. Hastily, I rebuilt the invisible stairway of trust
and continued to climb.
Onward and upward, onward and upward, seeing
nothing but darkness on all sides. But I felt the warmth of Ruby's hoof in my
hand, and I clung to that warmth.
I clung to it for all I was worth.
Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel. We
had made it! Onwards and upwards we continued to climb, a new hope soaring in
our hearts, making our feet as light as feathers. The pressure was lifted; we
unfurled our wings and flew! Soaring high, a unicorn and a dragon, free.
We were free at last.
To be continued...
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