Eclipse of the Heart: Seeking the Blades by masked_outlaw14
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Rain fell that night. A fine, whispering rain, it seemed
to fall lightly, gracefully from the sky. In actual fact it was like a rain storm,
only more mysterious, more magical. Another odd thing about this rain, it seemed
to glow. Although it was hardly noticeable it was still there. The glow was faint,
and the colors of black and gold. The colors spiraled around each other, as though
competing for the skies. Alas, this was true.
From high up, perched on the grey storm clouds,
sat Calabrus. She controlled the skies, deciding when it was light and when
it was dark. But lately, the cloud Aisha had been losing her control over night
and day. Not wanting to accept the fact that now she only had power over the
clouds, Calabrus sought the answer to the loss of her powers.
Calabrus traveled everywhere, from the watery
depths of Maraqua to the inside of the fiery volcano. No matter how long she
looked, she could not find it. Then, on a most peculiar day, when the sky was
half light and half dark, she was visited by a very regal guest. Fyora, faerie
queen, informed Calabrus that something was about to happen and that the outcome
would affect Neopia. Two blades, one of sun, one of moon, had been found by
the Queen. She told Calabrus that she must set them to the ground, when the
time was right. Then Fyora left, leaving mystery trailing behind her.
Now, the cloud Aisha had heard a great deal of
myths, about how two blades had been forged out of the day and night itself.
Oh how she had dreamed of wielding them, harnessing the powers of light and
dark as she did, but they were not in her grasp and never would be. Calabrus
knew that Fyora would never trust her with the blades personally; she would
have to decide when to make the colored rain fall, sending the swords falling
from the sky.
And later that day, in the night, the colored
rain fell.
*******************************
Eyes, filled with curiosity looked up at a rainbow.
The evidence that there had been a rain storm. These eyes belonged to Talluha,
a young starry Cybunny with a spark for adventure. She skipped along the path,
every so often glancing at the shops that lined Neopia Central. Talluha, unlike
her friends, had no time for shopping. She preferred to read. Mainly books about
fantasy, legend and brave heroes caught between a battle of good versus evil.
Oh how Talluha had dreamed about being one of
those heroes. Slashing minions of the dark with a sword made of pure light,
shining as bright as the stars on her fur. At home, she drew pictures of herself
riding on a majestic Uni, leading an army to the fight. Of course that was all
her imagination. The Cybunny was smart enough to know that nothing like the
books she read ever happened in real life.
So it was a very big surprise to Talluha when
faint glinting of gold caught her eye. She hopped over to a clearing that looked
like it should have belonged in Illusen's Glade! Now to think of it, Talluha
had never seen this area here before.
With a puzzled expression, Talluha edged into
the clearing. As she entered she felt an unseen force sweep over her, blocking
out the hustle and bustle of various people chattering about the goods they
had purchased. The Cybunny turned; the entrance was now just a wall of brambles.
Okay, any other person would probably have taken
notice that the entrance had gone, but not Talluha. She had never been so excited
in her life. Maybe today, just maybe, her adventure would begin.
How right she was.
*************************
A sly smile belonged to Darius, the Darigan Kougra,
one of the last of his people to still feel bitter towards Neopia, choosing
to plot then be accepted into the world. He was very happy on this raining night.
For, according to his messenger, the blade of the Night had been found.
The old door creaked open and in stumbled a short
little Shoyru. The Shoyru gulped, his hands trembling as he approached Darius.
In his hands was a velvet cushion, but more importantly, on it lay the blade.
"Well done!" Darius cheered, placing a paw on
the Shoyru's shoulder; he shook even more. "Mithon, you shall be rewarded greatly
for your find." Darius waved a hand, beckoning for Mithon to leave.
Mithon beamed as the Kougra spoke these words.
Bowing, he placed the cushion in front of his master and walked out of the room,
humming a happy tune.
"Stupid little Shoyru." Darius growled as he
clutched the handle of the sword. It felt warm as it touched his paw, as though
it always belonged there. Darius could feel the power running through him, scanning
him as such. Making sure he was worthy of wielding such a blade.
Darius felt the powers of the blade merge with
his mind, connecting itself to the Kougra's black heart. Images flashed through
his mind. Images of a great war, a shining city, and a young Cybunny clutching
the blade of the sun appeared in front of him.
A growl escaped Darius's lips. "The blade of
the sun cannot be found."
*******************************
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh…" Talluha gasped as an orb of
shining light began to fall from the sky. She reached out with her paw, and
on contact with her paw, the orb began to spiral around her. Talluha giggled
and began hopping up and down, clapping as the orb left a trail of white light.
Then it stopped, hovering in-between her eyes,
perched softly on her nose. The Cybunny shook it off and the orb began to float
away, leaving a trail, almost as if beckoning Talluha to follow.
She began to run, chasing the orb, letting her
paws touch the dirt that stained the beautiful haven. What would she find when
the sphere stopped? Talluha didn't know and didn't care. Her mind was focused
on the chase.
After what seemed like hours, Talluha found herself
in another clearing. But this one was different. There were no flowers, just
grass. There was also a stone. The surface had something on it but Talluha could
not guess what it was. A light pulsed from whatever it was, becoming so intense
that she had to cover her eyes. She wanted to know what it was, so she edged
closer.
Talluha's heart thudded faster with every step
she took. Her throat was dry. What was the shining object? A step closer and
Talluha found the answer she had been looking for. It was a sword, a beautiful
one at that. The blade was pure silver, reflecting everything around like a
mirror. The hilt was a fiery red, emblazoned with an emblem of the sun.
As her paw approached the blade, ready to touch
it, it seemed to connect with her. There was a invisible field, beating in rhythm
with her heart. It seemed like a century, just her and the sword. She stared
at it like it was a precious gem. Without knowing it, her paw grasped the blade
and swung it into the air. The area around her lit up, illuminated by the light
of the blade.
It was from that moment on that Talluha knew
that she was destined for greatness, but at the same time, she would have to
fight a war.
**********************
With his paw clenched into a fist, Darius thumped
the wall. "THE BLADE HAS BEEN RECOVERED!" he snarled, glaring at the guards
who quickly left the room. How on earth could the blade be found so quickly?
According to the image his blade had imprinted in his mind, it would not be
found for at least another month!
Then again, the sword had been forged out of
darkness, so had its attributes. Not trustworthy. This was in Darius and in
the sword. He picked it up, weighing it affectionately. He would bring everlasting
darkness to Neopia and rule with an iron-fist! Good would not win the final
outcome.
"Oh course they will not…" said a voice, as though
it had read his mind. "You shall be the ruler, my dear Darius. All you need
is a push in the right direction; call it guidance, if you will."
Darius turned. There his eyes saw the owner of
the cold, yet beautiful voice. It had belonged to a Darkness Faerie. Her skin
was a pale grey, her raven hair was streaked with blue, and a vivid purple dress
clung to her body. A red jewel hung around her neck on a chain, streaked with
gold stripes. It glowed furiously, and from this, Darius realized that it was
no Faerie- but a spirit.
"Who - Who- a - a- are you?" Darius stammered.
He had never seen a Faerie like this one before.
A high-pitched cackle filled the air; the Faerie
was laughing. "Why, Darius, you probably wouldn't recognize me; I mean I'm made
out of stone after all." The Faerie winked. "After this ordeal, if you win,
drop by Maraqua and drop me a visit by the ruins."
The Kougra was confused. Maraqua, stone, what
did this sprit mean?
"My name is Jennumara, the Darkest Faerie. Banished
and turned to stone. But I have returned to help." She smiled. "Let me help
you, I can make you win the upcoming war the blade has shown you. The blade
I once wielded. The blade I forged!"
At Jennumara's last words, the sword of the Night
flew out of Darius's hand and towards the Darkest Faerie, hoping to be touched
by its creator. It went through her and into the wall. Darius rushed over to
collect it. He bent on one knee in front of the Faerie. "It would be an honor
to receive your guidance."
"Good, we must hurry. For I fear my foe shall
seek the latest wielder of the rival blade." Throughout the large home that
belonged to Darius, Jennumara could be heard, telling Darius the secrets of
the blade and the darkness itself.
****************************
Calabrus frowned, secretly fuming. Both blades
had been found; now they were entirely out of her reach. The guardian of the
skies would have found them herself, but she was being watched. It hurt the
cloud Aisha inside to see the blades being wielding by someone other than herself.
But things had taken an interesting development. It seemed that Darius had found
a tutor, Jennumara herself.
Pushing aside the clouds with a paw, Calabrus
looked down upon Talluha. The young starry Cybunny sure knew how to treat a
sword. Like an old friend she talked to it, handled it carefully. Darius however,
was stabbing the air and plotting against the Cybunny.
It was then that Calabrus realized something.
Whatever happened, it affected her. Soon these two would be brought together,
forcing the sister blades to fight. But didn't Jennumara, the old witch, tell
that Kougra that Talluha would soon get help?
The Aisha stared up at the sky, where only one
constellation of stars could be seen. To the untrained eye they were just dots,
but Calabrus knew better. She knew the constellation and the verse that went
along with it.
"Awakening early is very wise, For Siyana smiles
on those first to rise."
The End
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