The Timeless Tale

     Kera awoke not long after him. "Rhea! Are you all right? I thought you'd never wake up!" He appeared less concerned than Rhea about their situation. "Why are you making that face? We're alive, aren't we?"

     Rhea burst into laughter. It was true; they were alive. Despite everything they had endured, stranded on a barely seaworthy piece of wood in the middle of an unfamiliar sea, they were alive. He took a deep breath, feeling more serene this time.

     They continued drifting for a few more hours. Eventually, they spotted land in the distance. Their makeshift raft was being tossed about by the waves, but they were gradually getting closer to the island. As they approached, Rhea had a sudden insight and realized that they were in the archipelago close to Mystery Island.

     "Kera, look! It's the island where we made a stop after leaving the Island Mystic!" Drawing on his last ounce of strength, Rhea smiled. Kera, fatigued and injured, returned the smile but found himself unable to speak.

     With their energy depleted, the only thing propelling them forward was their basic instinct for survival. Falling asleep in these conditions could be life-threatening. This simple awareness fueled the adrenaline they needed to continue rowing, doing their best in the unforgiving sea.

     The two friends barely managed to take a couple of steps on the beach before collapsing on the sand, succumbing to unconsciousness once again. Just before silence enveloped their senses, they heard a Korbat flying towards them, shouting, "MONSTEEERS, MONSTERS ON THE BEEEEEACH!!"

      *******

     Rhea awoke in a cozy bed, lulled by the song of Petpets outside his window. When he tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through his muscles, as if a thousand needles were piercing him.

     "No, please, don't move yet!!!" A friendly Island Kacheek approached, gently pressing his forehead to keep him lying down. "Your blood pressure might drop if you get up too quickly. How do you feel?"

     "I feel... I feel fine. I think I'm... Where am I?" Rhea was bewildered by the events of the past few days.

     "Oh, it's true. You've been asleep for three days already, it must be hard to keep up! My name's Lina, and I live here with my family. Neil discovered you on the beach, so we took care of you."

     Rhea remembered the last words he heard before passing out and felt a twinge in his heart. "Oh, the Korbat, right? I heard him call us monsters. I hope we didn't scare him..."

     Lina burst into laughter. "Him? He called you monsters? Neillord's a mutant. It would take much more than that to spook him. He considers it a compliment to be called a monster. It just means you guys look tough."

     Her words reassured the little Ixi. "Thank you very much, Lina. I owe you my life. My name is Rhea. I was traveling with a Draik, is he here too?"

     "Kera? Yes, he woke up yesterday! He's out with the others at the moment. Do you want me to tell him you're awake?" Lina handed him a Borovan and added a cushion under his head, allowing him to slowly sit up.

     "No, don't worry. I'll go and see him myself. I also want to thank Neil and the rest of your family for what you've done for us." Rhea tried to sit up on the side of the bed, and Lina offered her arm for support.

     After gradually getting up, Lina accompanied him into the garden to sit on one of the deckchairs. The sounds of the outside world reached Rhea's ears as he approached the doorway leading to the garden. He crossed the porch and shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around at the residents of the island, who had suddenly turned towards him. Shuddering at the attention, he was soon overcome by relief at the sight of familiar faces.

     "WEEEEEEEEE!!!" Kauwee threw himself at him, nearly knocking him down.

     "Take it easy, Kauwee. You wouldn't want to hurt him again," Nala reprimanded the baby firmly.

     "Kauwee? Nala? What on Neopia are you doing here?" Rhea was delighted to see his friends from a few years ago—from their perspective, that is.

     "I should be asking you that question," Nala replied with a smile. "I moved here eight years ago with Lina and Ane," she remarked, pointing alternately to the Kacheek who had looked after him and to a beige Xweetok leaning against a tree. At the mention of her name, Ane looked up, waved in a friendly gesture, and went back to her busy work. "Hunego then joined us, followed by Neillord and Kauwee a few years ago."

     An Acara, a Kacheek, a Xweetok, a Wocky, a Korbat, and a Kau—what a peculiar family. Rhea greeted each of them and finally turned to Kera, who was smiling broadly. "I didn't know you were such a heavy sleeper."

     "I have to say I've earned those three days of peace...."

     He was cut off abruptly by Neillord, who was charging straight towards Hunego the Wocky. "FIGHT ME HUNEGO," he shouted while flying.

     "Come on, I don't want to hurt you." The Wocky smirked, seemingly provoking the Korbat even more.

     "I'VE BEEN TRAINING, I AM STRONGER NOW!!!"

     "No, I have stitched enough wounds for the week. Stop giving me unnecessary work, guys, please!" Lina, busy for the last three days taking care of them, had barely had time to sit down.

     "You heard the lady, Neil."

     "AAArgh so frustrating, FIGHT ME Rhea!"

     "... Who? Me? Why?"

     "He is still recovering, man. Let him rest…"

     "THEN WHEN YOU GET BETTER, YOU HAVE TO FIGHT ME. I WILL BE THE VERY STRONGEST OF THE FAMILY NYAHAHAHAHA."

     Rhea was still sore and had no intention of getting into another fight. Actually, he wished he would never have to engage in battle ever again. However, he wasn't hurt by the Korbat's provocation. On the contrary, all the commotion gave him the feeling of finally belonging to a group. Ane, who had finally finished her work under the tree, approached him and they exchanged a few words. Then, an unexpected question arose. “How long will you be staying here, by the way?”

     "As soon as we get better, we don't want to cause you any more trouble," Rhea replied. He had finally made some friends, and the last thing he wanted was to become a burden to them.

     "Do you have a place to return to?" Nala asked the question innocently, but Rhea suspected she already knew the answer, given the Acara's deductive ability.

     "Well… it's complicated…" Kera attempted to navigate the conversation, unsure how to reassure them without lying.

     Ane lifted an eyebrow, confused, and replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Stay living with us, then."

     "Oh yes, please stay! The more, the merrier!" Lina seemed genuinely delighted by this proposal.

     Taken by surprise and without any other option, the two friends eventually agreed.

      *******

     As the days passed, Rhea and Kera found themselves more and more at home on the island. Who wouldn't grow accustomed to a life under the palm trees, savoring gourmet meals with their feet in the sand? Hunego was busy cooking dinner, Lina played volleyball with Kauwee, Neillord, and Horliane, while Nala, Keraiem, and Rhea lounged on the beach. Everything was going well.

     Yet, the Striped Acara seemed contemplative. Determined to address her lingering questions, she asked them, “When we first met, you guys seemed desperate, like you had a huge mission to accomplish or something...” She paused for a few seconds. “So eventually, did you find what you were looking for all this time?”

     The Draik and the Ixi exchanged glances, pondering the question. That was difficult to tell... The breeze ruffled Rhea's fur, and he had grown fond of its Grey colour. More than used to it, he had come to appreciate it. His friends had suggested that he visit Naia to find a workable solution to his colour and shadow, but he turned them down. He had embraced his duality, cherishing his Grey coat and the imposing shadow that served as a reminder of his history. For however difficult the trials he had faced, he had overcome them. And it was these very hardships that had forged the person he was today, and whom he could finally face with pride. Minutes passed, and finally, Rhea broke the silence, smiling timidly. “... Well, in a certain way, I think we did.”

     Nala frowned, maintaining her gaze on them. Sensing their reluctance to elaborate, she decided to press on. "And what was it?"

     Rhea and Kera looked around them. The cheerful calls of their friends playing on the beach, the aroma of Hunego's cooking, the foam rolling down the shore, and Nala's steady gaze. They knew they would never feel lonely again. Exchanging a brief glance, they answered in unison:

     “A family.”

     The End.