Shenkuu's Sun

The sun was shining in the sky with the strength of a thousand lanterns, and the city of Shenkuu began to wake from its night-time slumber. The clouds covering the spires on top of every building, and the mist setting like stone- Alex still lay fast asleep. The Kyrii was not the kind of person to follow the crowd. When the city was awakening, he remained sleeping; when the city was in its slumber, Alex would rise. For this reason, Alex only woke to check his neomail, buy a few things from the surrounding areas, and self-study, for as he was always asleep, he had never been to neoschool.

     The light of the sun shone through Alex's window and remained motionless on his bed. Minutes and hours passed and soon enough it was night again. Alex awoke from his sleep and yawned. He got out of his bed and strode over towards the mailbox, unaware that the light from the morning was still shining upon it...

     Alex collected his piles of letters and parcels and headed back to his bedroom to sit down on his bed. However, Alex's plan was interrupted as in the corner of the room were a sketch Flotsam wearing a strange watch, accompanied by a small cloud JubJub, standing atop the watch. Alex quickly dropped his mail and hid behind the bed as the two neopets in the corner began to engage in conversation.

     “So where are we then?” asked the JubJub.

     “Did you not hear when I spoke?” the Flotsam retorted.

     “I was much too excited about the fact I was going to travel in time!”

     “Shh...” exclaimed the Flotsam, putting a fin over the JubJub's mouth. “There could be someone here.”

     “So where are we then?” repeated the JubJub, surprisingly patiently.

     “Shenkuu City, Lunar Temple Grounds, 13, Celebrating, Y16,” the Flotsam replied.

     “We've gone to the future?” asked the JubJub, taken back in awe.

     “Yes, which is exactly why you don't pay too much detail to anything. I don't want you spoiling your own future,” warned the Flotsam. “You might tell someone.”

     “So I take it we won't be able to go to the Altador Cup V then?”

     “No, unfortunately. I do have rules to protect you from spoiling your future.”

     “Ex... excuse me...” stuttered Alex.

     The two intruders turned to face Alex, exchanging glances of awkwardness.

     “Wh... wh... who are you?” asked Alex, nervously.

     The Flotsam and JubJub, looked at each other for a second, before the Flotsam spoke.

     “I'm Kwychang,” he said. “And this... this is Ippleswitch.”

     “Hi,” said the JubJub, waving, of which Alex looked amazed, as Ippleswitch had no arms.

     “What are you doing in my house?”

     “I'm... er...” started Kwychang. “I'm the... the... cake inspector? Yeah, the cake inspector. Here's my card.”

     Kwychang handed Alex a scrap of card.

     “This is a Terror Mountain Ice Cream Coupon...”

     “Oh drat, I need that,” Kwychang realised, quickly snatching the coupon back. “Anyway, it appears that all the cake in this neohome is... um... edible... and... yeah... we'll leave you alone now. Bye.”

     “But I don't own any cake...” replied Alex, confused.

     “Oh... right...”

     “What were you talking about before with time travel and wha- wait a second... are you the legendary Kwychang? The Flotsam that...”

     “Possibly... possibly...” said Kwychang. “Wait a second, what time is it?”

     “23:48, why?” replied Alex.

     “So it's completely dark outside...” Kwychang asked Alex, almost seeming convinced that Alex got the time wrong.

     “Yes...”

     “So what's that light on your bed?”

     Ippleswitch and Alex turned to look at the spot on the bed. They concentrated their gazes on it, not looking away for what felt like forever. After a considerable amount of time had passed, Ippleswitch spoke.

     “Um... guys?” he said. “Is it my vision, or is that light getting larger?”

     Kwychang looked directly into the light, concentrating all his energy onto it. When suddenly, he exclaimed.

     “Ippleswitch, you're right! Everyone get out of here, quick as you can!”

     So Alex, Ippleswitch and Kwychang bolted out the door, slamming it shut on the way past. The mist consumed the moonlight and it was almost pitch black because of that, however the neohome of Alex was clearly visible even through the fog, as the entire house shone a bright white. There was a bright flash of light, almost like thunder, and a strong breeze struck the trio. The light that had consumed the house was still growing, but at a much more rapid pace.

     “What will it do if it gets us?” asked Alex.

     “I don't know...” replied Kwychang. “But if I had to make a guess... it looks like a teleport beam...”

     “We have to get someone to help us out!” cried the red Kyrii.

     “Everyone's deep asleep. There's no way we could wake them up. It's up to us three.”

     “Typical,” muttered Ippleswitch.

     “There's no way we could stop it... it's light. How do you stop light?” queried Alex.

     Kwychang thought for a moment. How does one normally stop light? If you want to block the light from the sun, what would you do? Cover it up? Block it. Block it! A wire seemed to have clicked in Kwychang's head, he suddenly had a plan. Ippleswitch could see that, he always knew when Kwychang had brilliant ideas.

     “Right, I have an idea. We need to block out the light. It's coming from the moon, we need to block out the moon...”

     “How do we do that?” questioned Ippleswitch.

     “Right, here take this...”

     Kwychang handed Ippleswitch a leather wristband, similar to his watch.

     “This is a stellar communicator. It will let us communicate from far off,” Kwychang explained.

     “Why? Where are you going?” asked Alex, worried.

     “Virtupets Space Station, Control Deck, 13, Celebrating, Y16!”

     And in the blink of an eye, all that remained of Kwychang was a tiny puff of smoke.

     “Oh no...” started Alex. “What happened to him?”

     “It's OK,” said Ippleswitch. “He's gone to Virtupets Space Station.”

     * * *

     Kwychang landed surreptitiously in an air vent of Virtupets. He struggled his way through the air vents until he reached the pilot. The Grundos in charge of piloting the ship were taking a quick nap.

     'This is my chance,' Kwychang thought to himself.

     He slowly removed the end of the air vent from the pipe it was connected to and dropped practically silently into the control room. He hovered his fin over all the buttons, in a hunt for the one he needed. However, with the colossal amount of buttons to press, how would he ever find the right one? As he thought all hope was lost, a small cabinet caught his eye. He strode over to it, trying his hardest not to wake the Grundos. He had a feeling they wouldn't be best pleased to see him intruding like this.

     He arrived at his destination and opened the cabinet. Inside was a large red button, with the words 'DO NOT PRESS' engraved upon it. He studied the button closely, and then, as any normal neopet would do, he slammed his fin right into the centre of it. The room flashed red repeatedly, and a voice on the intercom stated: “WARNING: Space Probe #1.012 Control Takeover, Virtupets is now in control of your shuttle. Please remain calm and wait for assistance.”

     Kwychang glided gracefully over to the controls, amazingly, the Grundos seemed not to be disturbed. He placed his fins on two joysticks and controlled the space shuttle probe to block Kreludor from Shenkuu's view. It was successful... for about 10 seconds. As the light from Kreludor came into contact with the probe, it vanished. It had just gone. It was unlike anything Kwychang had ever seen before. He opened up his communicator and attempted to contact Ippleswitch.

     “Ippleswitch, are you there?” he asked.

     “Oh, Kwychang! It's horrible!” was the reply.

     “What? What happened?” asked Kwychang, concerned.

     “Well,” said Ippleswitch. “Alex wanted to know what happened if you stepped into the light, so he tried to throw a rock in there, but he accidentally didn't let go and threw himself into the light as well!”

     Kwychang gasped.

     “He picked himself up after a few seconds and then, he was... he was just gone! As if he was never there!”

     “Hold on a second...”

     Kwychang turned around and said: “Shenkuu City, Lunar Temple Grounds, 13, Celebrating, Y16!”

     He found himself in the heart of the light. Realizing where he was, he ran out as rapidly as possible, and, like a miracle, he managed to make it out before he too was consumed. He got to Ippleswitch's side.

     “Everything that stays in the light for more than a few seconds gets consumed!” shouted Kwychang.

     “But... how? Why?” replied Ippleswitch.

     “I don't know how... or why... but we need to get to Kreludor and find out what's happening.”

     “OK, go then,” said Ippleswitch.

     “Oh no, I'm not leaving you here. You could go through what Alex went through. No, little fellow, you're coming with me,” he said, strongly grabbing Ippleswitch and resting him on his watch. Then he continued speaking. “Kreludor, Altador Cup Training Grounds, 13, Celebrating, Y16!”

     Suddenly, they appeared to be in a stadium filled with purple and orange. It was the Kreludor Altador Cup team training grounds.

     “Out, now,” said Kwychang.

     “What's that?” asked Ippleswitch.

     “Sorry, you can't know- spoiling the future and everything. Come on!”

     Ippleswitch trudged unwillingly out of the Kreludor Team training grounds, followed closely by Kwychang, who started shouting.

     “Ippleswitch, stop!”

     “Huh?” queried Ippleswitch, turning. “Why?”

     “Look in front of you.”

     Ippleswitch turned back and noticed... a Kreludan Defender Robot? With a pulsing light coming out of its arm. Why?

     “Ippleswitch!” shouted Kwychang. “Turn it off!”

     “Why can't you?” asked Ippleswitch, turning back, stunned to learn that a wall of light separated Kwychang and Ippleswitch. The brightness was almost too much to bear and Ippleswitch had to turn around.

     “How do I turn it off?” shouted Ippleswitch.

     “The off button on its back!” replied Kwychang.

     Ippleswitch walked up to the robot carefully, making sure it did not detect him and then... flicked the switch. He looked around. Everything was back to normal, as it should be.

     “Oh,” said Ippleswitch. “Well, that's disappointing.”

     “Never mind, Ippleswitch! You did it!” congratulated Kwychang. “And I believe... Shenkuu City, Lunar Temple Grounds, 13, Celebrating, Y16!”

     Kwychang and Ippleswitch arrived in Alex's house with Alex in a deep sleep on the bed.

     “Yes,” started Kwychang. “Everything is back to normal. Alex is here, his neohome is here and look!”

     Kwychang pointed to the bed.

     “No strange light.”

     “But Kwychang! Why was the robot doing this? And who gave it that much power?”

     “Good questions for another day. But for now, let's get outta here!”

     “You can say that again!” said Ippleswitch.

     So the day was saved once again by Ippleswitch and Kwychang. However, there seemed to be a small detail that they missed whilst on their adventure. The light from the Defender Robot... was in the shape of a sun...

The End