The Timeless Tale

     "I think we've arrived, Kera!"

     Keraiem, who had dozed off, grumbled in his sleep and opened his eyes. The sight of his homeland made his heart sink, yet he still smiled wistfully.

     "Yes, this is it. Let's go and see that eccentric old Kyrii!"

     They docked on the small island and headed for the cabin. The Kyrii leapt to his feet when he saw them and invited them in.

     "Welcome to my hut! I suppose you're here to hear about your fortune?"

     "To be more precise, we're looking for..."

     "STOOOP!!! Say no more. Fortune should never be skewed by your whining. Listen to the voices of the vibes. And above all, DON'T SAY ANYTHING.”

     He closed his eyes and bobbed his head in all directions. Suddenly, his eyelids opened wide, and his eyes were completely white. Rhea gasped at the sight and let out a frightened hiccup. He announced in a deep, monotonous voice:

     “You will fight off a trio of evil Sloth’s Minions;

     Your direction in life will change in a strange way;”

     Kera and Rhea exchanged puzzled glances. The Mystic's prediction did not offer much clarity.

     "Er... Thank you very much for your insight. We'll have to be off now."

     "My pleasure! Come back tomorrow if you like. And have faith in your fortune."

     "Yes, yes, we will. Farewell." Kera muttered impatiently as he climbed back on the boat. "What a waste of time!"

     "That was our only lead. What are we going to do now?" Rhea asked worriedly.

     Kera didn't answer immediately. He seemed caught in a terrible dilemma. Suddenly, a revelation seemed to strike him. "Sloth's minions! That's the answer! We've got to find a way to get to the moon."

     "... The moon? I'm going to need a bit more explanation if you want me to follow you."

     "Sloth's minions are Grundos. I'm pretty sure that if there's anywhere you can find them, it would be on Kreludor."

     "But the mystic said we were going to fight them. Why would we willingly go there?"

     "... My instinct."

     "That's the most stupid reason to willingly go to meet beings who are hostile to us," Rhea lectured him.

     "I know my parents and the people of Geraptiku. If their love of science led them to the future, then I'm sure they must have tried to explore space."

     Rhea sighed but had no argument to counter his friend's reasoning. "Very well," he said with a sigh, "let's go then."

     Kera's face lit up. "I knew I could count on you. Let's go!"

     No sooner said than done. The two companions set sail once again, but this time in the direction of the lunar temple of Shenkuu. Near the shores of Mystery Island, they landed on a small deserted island to rest for a few days before embarking on another great adventure. They salvaged planks of wood from the many wrecks of ships that had washed up in the archipelago. They used them to build a shelter for the night and to light a fire. A week passed peacefully, feeding on whatever was fished and watching the stars before going to sleep.

     Every time Rhea closed his eyes, he couldn't help but think, "If only these days could last forever, would I finally be happy?"

     But all good things must come to an end. That week passed in the blink of an eye, and their trip resumed.

      *******

     The sun was hanging high in the sky, and their boat gently bobbing on the waves when an unusual phenomenon occurred—a thick foam began to form on the hull of the boat.

     "That's strange; there shouldn't be so much seafoam when we're this far from the coast..." Rhea observed, a puzzled look creasing his face.

     "And the bubbles are a bit too big to be foam. They almost look like soap bubbles."

     They continued their journey, but as they progressed, the bubbles grew in size and number. Reflecting pink and blue hues onto the deck and mast, they added an ethereal glow to the surroundings. Rhea, intrigued, reached over the edge and attempted to pop one. To his surprise, the bubble didn't burst but rebounded, bouncing off in the opposite direction.

     "Wow, they're super tough! Should we try to find where they come from?" Rhea's excitement mirrored that of a child who had discovered a new toy. Unable to resist the Ixi's enthusiasm, the Draik nodded, and they altered their course, chasing the mysterious soap bubbles.

     They arrived at a tiny island in the archipelago where a cave nestled. Bubbles swirled around them, obstructing their view. They manoeuvred their way as best as they could to the cave, where they discovered a dozing baby kau. A star-shaped marking adorned the middle of his pale blue forehead, and purplish hair fell in curls between his little horns. He slept curled up on the floor, looking peaceful. Every breath he exhaled produced a bubble that escaped from his mouth.

     "Did he do that?" Rhea was astonished.

     "How can such a small fellow produce so many bubbles?" Kera added.

     "Wait, is that what's surprising you?" Rhea turned around, widening his eyes. "How can a little guy make bubbles at all? And why are these bubbles so strong? They're like rubber!"

     "That's also true; I didn't really think about that..." Kera frowned, deep in thought.

     Their conversation seemed to disturb the little Kau, who began to wriggle. Slowly opening his eyes, he flickered just long enough to adjust to the light. When his gaze met the two strangers, he let out a high-pitched "Weee!" and stood up abruptly. He ran over to the two travellers, circling around them as if someone had paid him a visit for the first time.

     "Hello there, who are you, little Kau?" Rhea asked in a soothing voice.

     "Weeee!" the Kau replied.

     "OK, communication's going to be tricky..." Kera pointed out. "Do you live here?

     He shook his head energetically in denial.

     "Where are you from then?" Rhea asked.

     The Kau gazed up at him with starry eyes, raising its hoof to the sky.

     "Are you from Kreludor?" the Kau shook his head negatively "Virtupets?" he denied again. "Somewhere else in space then?"

     This time, the Kau shook its head frantically in approval. He shouted "Weee! Weee!" while bouncing around them.

     "Do you think you could take us to your house?" Kera asked hopefully.

     The baby Kau nodded again, and before they could say a word, he released three huge bubbles that engulfed them.

     Panic-stricken, the two adventurers tried to break free, but no amount of hitting against the walls would help. The bubbles ascended rapidly, and under their feet, Neopia grew smaller and smaller. Their fate now rested in the hands of a space baby unable to speak. And this fact was far from reassuring to our heroes.

     If you've ever wondered what it would feel like to fly through space in a soap bubble, here are some answers. For Kera, the trip was a wonderful experience. Somewhere between science and magic, the bubbles were so intriguing that he didn't even realise he'd been in them for several hours. For Rhea, on the other hand, every second felt like a century. The tossing and turning to dodge asteroids, the constant fear that the bubble would burst, and he'd be lost in space for eternity, and so on. So many fears and anxieties that only increased his relief when, finally, they set foot on land.

     As soon as the baby Kau stepped onto the ground, the three bubbles burst as quickly as they had appeared.

     Rhea took the time to look around him. The planet seemed smaller than Kreludor and even more deserted. Stars shone in the sky, and in their midst, Neopia was no more than a marble. He didn't even have time to appreciate the end of his trip as his guide began to run at full speed.

     "Hey baby Kau, where are you going?" Keraiem shouted, "Stop right there!”

     "Quick, let's follow him! Otherwise, I really have no idea how to get out of here!" Rhea added.

     The baby trotted toward a crater. In the middle of the crater stood a very modern-looking building. A green and red creature was sitting at a table, desperately writing calculations on a sheet of paper.

     "It looks too small to be a pet," Rhea whispered in Kera's ear.

     On closer inspection, it strongly resembled a Wain.

     "A Petpet?" Kera observed, "Why is there a Petpet all alone here?"

     "I haven't seen a new face in years," The Wain noted, surprised. "The name is Trilluna, nice to meet you."

     "Oh, sorry for the intrusion; we thought the planet was uninhabited!" Rhea apologised.

     "Well, it's not. What are you doing on Lunaria?"

     "We wanted to go to Kreludor, and the little Kau over here flew us to your planet..." Rhea explained. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

     Trilluna glanced at him with disdain, as if he'd just asked the most stupid question.

     " Me? Well, I live here.”

     "All alone?" Rhea started feeling sympathy for the odd-looking Wain.

     "So what? Got a problem with that?" the way she spoke was harsh,"Well, to be more precise, I come from here but in the future."

To be continued…