Part Seven
Recap:
"I thought he didn't move quick enough," Ares murmured as fresh tears fell.
"He did move quick enough, Ares. Quick enough to save your life," the Battle Faerie told Ares gently.
Ares nodded, and slowly he got up and stood on all his four paws, over his best friend Jack. "You saved my life, Jack. You were the great friend," he whispered to the scorchio, then turned away.
Ares stepped into the marble ballroom of the Battle Faerie's palace. It was months after the greatest battle had taken place, and the members of the Neopia Army and Neopia's faeries had been invited to a ball held in memory of Jack.
A few seconds later, Ares found the Battle Faerie at his side. Her long purple hair was swept up in a bun, kept in place by a sparkling diamond pin. Instead of her usual green battle tunic, she was donned in a long silver gown that made her easily the most beautiful faerie in the room. "You look great," the Battle Faerie said to Ares. Ares glanced down at his lupe tuxedo. "Jack gave this to me," he recalled, holding back tears. The Battle Faerie nodded, "He had great taste," she said.
Minutes later, the Battle Faerie and Ares were standing on a raised platform with crowds of well-dressed neopets and elegant faeries below them.
"Welcome, citizens of Neopia! Today we are gathered here for a ceremony held in memory of Jack, rank Doctor in the Neopia Army, and best friend of General Ares," the Battle Faerie gave a nod to General Ares, who stepped forward.
"Jack the fire scorchio was my best friend. I had known him ever since I was a young lupe, and he was there by my side through thick and thin. There was one thing that we shared with passion and vigour. That is, my dream to become a fire lupe. Jack shared that dream fervently too, and even when we grew up, we still shared that dream. Jack went to become a neopet doctor, and I a General in the Neopia Army. But we still kept in contact, and Jack was still my best friend, the only neopet I ever trusted with my life. And a few months ago, Jack joined the Neopia Army as a doctor so that he could be by my side through thick and thin, even when I was working."
Ares took a deep breath. Just thinking about Jack made him sad.
"Well, now my dearest friend Jack is gone, and his last words reminded me of something. Just a few days before the greatest battle, Jack handed me a parcel, and told me to open it only after the war was over. Now the war is over, and I shall open the parcel in front of all of you," and with that, Ares withdrew the small brown parcel from his black coat and began to undo the wrappings.
Everyone watched in anticipation as a table was brought forth (hundreds of faeries flew the table up to the stage in a glitter of colour) and as Ares placed the parcel on the table.
The gift was wrapped in soft cloths, and slowly Ares removed the fold of the golden cloth. And now the gift was displayed to everyone in all its splendour. The whole ballroom gasped, and Ares felt a tear slid from his eye.
For lying there, in the fold of soft golden cloth, was a fire paintbrush.
The End
A Word of Thanks:
Lener would like to thank the only 2 people who reviewed her Neopets fic. *laughs* They are of course, Gabriel-San and I Am The Mystical Penguin. I'm glad you two liked my story! But now it's finished so you don't have to keep checking back anymore! Hahaha