I entered the small cavern, or in other words, the only route into the mountain range known as the Two Rings. Ever since that day when I was trapped inside that Laboratory, I knew I was heading for trouble. And, as I neared closer and closer to the climax of my story, I realized that I was sinking even deeper into the plot, like sinking to the bottom of a very deep ocean. I had been sent to Jahbal by Faelinn, the lost leader of the Lost City of Kal Panning. Holding the key that would open the door to the other side of the cave, I journeyed on in the darkness, dreading everything that could pop out at me. However, no monsters appeared before me. The only living thing in the cave, besides me, was an aggravated-looking Techo dressed in a guard's uniform. He appeared to be guarding a wooden door, which looked as if it were guarded by the Techo's magic, but, yet again, it wasn't.

'Eh? Who goes there?' The Techo snapped. There was a noise that sounded like a spark of fire, and then, the entire cave was lit up by an unseen source of light. 'Who're you?'

The question of my identity seemed to have been asked throughout my entire journey. In fact, I was so used to it now I just replied, 'That doesn't matter. This door goes to Two Rings, right?'

The Techo gasped, and some of the light was extinguished. 'How dare you utter the name! The dreaded name of where the prisoner Jahbal has been kept captive through all these centuries! How dare you even bother to enter! This door has been guarded by my family for generations, and I'm not going to let the likes of you enter!'

He swaggered at me. Quickly, I replied, 'I have the key to this door! See!'

I dug into my pack, and I seemed to find many, many different keys, remembering the different ones I had collected from the Temple of Roo. I finally drew out the one Faelinn had dropped. Now that it was in proper light, I could see it very clearly: the handle looked like a tiny sword.

'Where in blazes did you find this?' The Techo looked aghast. 'No... I don't need to know. Just go through this door, and be on your way!'

The Key vanished, and the door opened. I quickly slipped in, letting it close behind me.

The walls of the passage beyond were covered with strange imprints, mostly roughly-cavern pictures of twelve different Neopets, all looking as if they belonged to royalty.

However, as I slowly crossed through the hall, I noticed that most of these pictures had been crossed out. I didn't know what it meant, and I didn't really bother to care much as I saw the end of the cave. Quickly, I burst into a run and dashed out of the cavern and

slowly emerged into the Valley of the Two Rings.

I was taken aback as I slowly entered the Valley. A strange mist covered the trees and hills, even though the sun was high in the sky, and speaking of the sky, when I looked at it, it seemed to be purple, as if there was a magical barrier surrounded it that distorted colour. I looked behind myself to try and find the entrance of the cave once more, but found that it had been sealed, and the entrance was blue. I could look inside it; even see the bright lights lining the walls; but I couldn't go in. I hammered on the force field, but it was no use. Finally, I gave up, and turned the other way. However, I wish I hadn't, because I had come face to face with what looked like a purple techo dressed like a wizard. He was hovering in the air, and preparing to attack.

'You! Outsider!' it squeaked threateningly. 'What are you doing inside the Two Rings?

Prepare to die!'

The two rings wizard quickly spurt what looked like a large block of fire from his hands. I quickly avoided it, and it set some nearby trees on fire.

'Blast you!' it said, and it literally blasted more fire magic at me. I had grown strong enough to be able to dodge them, but I knew that I couldn't do it forever. Quick and nimble as a petpetpet who could jump over a candlestick, I leapt up to the top of a small foothill and sent attacks raining down over the monster.

'How dare you attack me!' It started to send more fiery attacks in my direction. I avoided them all, and shot a few ribbons of magic from my Moonstone Staff. After a few attacks, it began to stumble, and soon after that, it fell to the ground, defeated. Healing potions lay near its body.

'Haha! Who's the bad one now?' I said, scooping up my reward. As I was getting up, I noticed a whole horde of small, yellow Poogles dressed in armour.

They all squawked in unison, 'Get the one who dares destroy our civilization! Get him!'

Night had fallen, and the sky had turned green by the time I had come to a Palace at the very end of the Valley of the Two Rings. I had fought many monsters, but finally I had reached my destination. It was surrounded by a moat, but as soon as I had stepped up to the edge the bridge had fallen instantly at my feet. Hurriedly, in case any more monsters came, I dashed across the bridge and into the palace. Now that I was on the other side, I saw the force that was moving the bridge. It appeared to be a Chia dressed in royal guard clothes, and another Chia dressed like a servant.

'Who dares venture this far into the Two Rings?' they said at once. Instantly, they began to attack. Attempts to drain the life out of me and trying to spear me were very common in the battle. I took them down one by one, and then, all was silent. Panting, I drew out a healing potion and quickly gulped it down, and, feeling regenerated, quickly began to venture further on inside the palace.

The Palace of the Two Rings sort of looked like a place fit for a King, because I had walked into a large garden when I was still in the building. But, I could still sense some evil presence lingering in the air; I could almost smell it. I was frequently attacked by monsters; even the groundskeepers and gardeners rounded up to try and defeat me. It was obvious that nobody wanted me there.

When I had exited the garden, I came to a maze of different rooms and hallways. I took a right turn, and found a long hallway of rooms with doors. I opened them and took a quick glance inside, but soon I decided to just stop, because nothing really interesting seemed to be inside them. Plus, some of them even held some more Chias, who would spill out like ketchup from a bottle and begin attacking me immediately. Finally, at the end of the Hallway, I opened the door to a room and found a staircase leading upwards. Thankful, I quickly dashed up them as fast as I could.

The second floor wasn't much more interesting than the first. There was another garden, but this one was smaller than the one on the first floor. Then a large maze of statues, followed by a Water Labyrinth. New Chias started to attack me, such as sentries and captains. At the end, I finally uncovered the Staircase leading up. I was dead tired now, because the monsters were very frustrating, powerful, and tasty but poisonous.

Dashing up the stairwell, I took a swig of Healing Potion and found myself at the beginning of a large red carpet, which lead to a figure at the very end. I sprinted down the hallway towards- what was it? It looked like a monster made from slime, with red orbs of destruction for eyes. I looked behind it, and saw the Valley of the Two Rings, with its purple skies. At the end of the third floor was a balcony, but that wasn't truly what was amazing about it. The thing that was actually worth mentioning was the slime-thing.

'I have waited here for you, Lupe!' it uttered. Its voice sounded like the voice of- but no, it couldn't be. Xantan the Foul was dead. How could he still be alive?

'Oh, you're thinking I was defeated by your little spells, weren't you?' it sneered. 'I was weak and decayed... but when you defeated me, and took away the Ring binding me, I was free to start regaining my strength and will to dominate Neopia! You have only unleashed my true powers! I am Xantan Reborn!'

Questions quickly started to flood through my mind as quick as I could move in battle. 'Ring binding you?' was the only thing that I was able to say.

'Yes... the Ring you took from me had many magical powers, but my magic countered against it, and instead of aiding me it bound me in that weak, pathetic state. However, now that I have finally gotten that fool Jahbal out of the way, and drained all of his power, I am now strong enough to do whatever you please! Watch!'

He clapped his slimy hands together and there appeared what looked like a mirror. He quickly muttered some words under his breath, and Neopia City came in view. It looked very peaceful, and unchanged when I had last left it. Xantan threw a spell at the portal, and fireballs began to rain from the sky. Plains lupes began to run into the towns limits, destroying everything in sight. The Hour of Faithful Resting had been disturbed, and the townsfolk fled from their houses, screaming. Clearly visible in the mirror was Eleus Batrin, Margoreth, Tylix, and Denethir. They were trying to calm everything down, but nothing seemed to work.

'See what my magic has become?' chuckled Xantan horribly. 'Watch, now!'

Swamp Edge City had zoomed into view. Xantan raised both his hands into the air and muttered an evil incantation, and, and all of a sudden, the Swamp overflowed and Swamp Edge City was now 'Swamped City' as quick as you could blink.

'Never really did like that town... I mean, who would like the name 'SWAMP EDGE' City? What a wretched name... Oh! Watch closely in the mirror!'

Sunny Town, perched on its high cliff, appeared. Xantan traced a shape in the mirror, and a large rumbling started to take place in the area. I could only guess what was going to happen, and I was right: The Cliff broke off and fell into the ocean far below.

'Ha... dumb founders, deciding to build a town on a cliff!'

The mirror slowly dissolved, and Xantan looked back at me.

'So, Lupe,' he said. 'Are you ready to battle?'

'B-battle?' I stammered.

'Of course, battle!' he said. 'What do you think you trekked all the way up here for? A cup of tea? We're not just some crazed school girls; we're warriors!'

'Uh...' I began, but Xantan had already launched a huge wave of destruction at me. I quickly leapt as high as I could in order to escape the attack. I sent some of my own streaks of magic at him, which seemed to hurt him only a little bit.

'Ha! Your mediocre attacks do not harm me! I am XANTAN REBORN!'

'So I've heard,' I muttered under my breath, but that was the wrong thing to say. Xantan sent not one, but THREE attacking waves of damage towards me. They hit me so hard that when the attack was done I had slammed right into the wall. I was very weak, and barely had the strength to get up. I gulped down one of my strongest Healing Potions and quickly dashed to the Balcony to avoid Xantan's newest attack.

'Fool! Stop running from me, for you can do nothing against my power!' Xantan sent a forceful amount of magic at me, which sent me flying over the edge of the balcony! I quickly grabbed on to the edge. Looking down, I saw that if I fell, I would fall right into the dark waters of the moat.

'Well then, Lupe! I daresay that this is the end of you!'

'No- no- please don't!' I begged, mercifully.

'Oh, yes, I will!'

'NO!' I shrieked. But, it was too late; Xantan sent three small sparks at my paw, and suddenly it just gave away. The next thing I knew, I was falling through the air very quickly, the waters coming to meet me...

Anyone looking from above would have seen a large splash of dark water, and then after a few seconds, the water was peaceful, with no signs of struggling to try and get back above or any bubbles. The Lupe was gone- or was he?

The first sense of feeling I got was that I was cold. Very, very cold, with my eyes shut completely tight. The last thing I remembered was falling off that balcony, and into the deep waters of the moat... I could still feel the rush of wind in my fur. 'I am going to die...' I thought to myself. 'That insane Xantan Reborn threw me off the edge, and now I am going to die... I must open my eyes; I must try to get above the surface...'

Slowly, I forced my eyes open, because they felt like lead. Instead of the murky slime and gruesome things I expected to see in the moat of the territory of a sludge monster, I saw ten pearly white figures in front of me, all looking at me gravely. I gasped, and realized that I could gasp- I could breathe underwater!

'Lupe,' one of the pearly figures said. It was a wise-looking Kyrii that looked very old. 'We are the Spirits of the remainder of the Circle of Twelve.'

'Circle of Twelve?' was the only smart thing I could blurt out.

'Yes, the Circle of Twelve. We died out many centuries ago, but our spirits escaped and have fled to this moat. We are responsible to help anyone who is trying to overtake Xantan - 'That betraying piece of slime!' said an elderly, female Pteri from behind' - and fall into our troubled waters.'

'But... what could you do to help me?' I asked.

'We can give you all of our spirit's powers, but it comes with a price...' the Kyrii said. 'If you were to misuse our magic, or fail in defeating Xantan, then you, instead of just going back to Neopia City, will come here to join us in this moat for all eternity...'

'Why can't I just leave?' I asked.

'The magic of the Two Rings has prevented us from leaving.' the Kyrii said. 'It is impossible. The only way for the spell to broken is for the Cursed One, Xantan, to be slain once and for all.'

There was a grave silence. 'Would you like our powers? If you do not accept them, then you will die.'

I quickly blurted out, 'Yes!' at the sound of the possibility of death at the moment.

'We will now begin the procedure.' said all twelve spirits at the same time. Each of them raised their hands and then said, 'Dare i nostri poteri allo Scelto Un!'

A row of golden bubbles emerged from their spirits, as each of them slowly floated away in the depths of the water. I felt myself rising, very slowly, and suddenly, a jet of water rushed from the surface of the water, with me at the top. It rose all the way up to the Balcony where Xantan Reborn had knocked me off hours ago.

I jumped up on to the floor, and declared, 'Xantan! I am here for a rematch!'

'So, pathetic one,' Xantan grumbled, looking up at me. I was quite a sight; a silhouette of me standing in the moonlight, which was full. 'You have returned- for your defeat! We shall battle to the death!'

I shot a row of spells repeatedly at him, shooting a hole through his body. I could almost predict the sight of the damage repairing itself, but Xantan was starting to look slightly tired.

'You troublesome thing!' it shouted. Xantan put his hands together and shot jets of dark magic at me. In fact, they were so black that they looked like little pieces of a starless, moonless night. I quickly dodged them all, and landed behind him. It took him quite a while to move around, so I managed to get a lot of damage before he turned to face me and send more attacks. I dodged these too, and leaped up to his side, shooting weak sparks at him. His sides and his motor abilities seem to be his weak points, and it was to these that I turned to, trying to attack those parts.

Finally, after a long time, Xantan was pushed to the edge of the balcony, extremely tired. One more strong attack and he would be dead. He looked up at me, and then declared, 'You! You have messed up my plans for far too long!'

Xantan looked as if he were using the last of his powers to cast a new spell, which was,

'Distruggere il palace!'

Instantly, the pillars behind me began to crumble. Using the last of what seemed to be the magic in me, I shot one last jet of magic at him, praying that it would hit its mark.

It did.

Xantan seemed to be dissolving before my very eyes. 'No... no!' The orbs of destruction in his eyes died out; his eye sockets dissolved; his very skin was turning into liquid-like slime. He slowly became what seemed to be a thick goop that rolled over the side of the balcony and falling into what was, presumably the moat.

Xantan Reborn was defeated. However, at that very moment, a large chunk of a pillar had fallen on my head, and I fainted to the ground as the Two Rings Palace was slowly destroyed all around me, instead of me celebrating and leaving the area in peace. That means that I didn't realize the chunk of cliff that rose back up to the mountain where Sunny Town was, completely unharmed, or the swamp mysteriously sinking back into the ground at Swamp Edge City, or the apocalypse ending near Ancient Neopia. All there was in my mind were strange, crystal lights and a whooshing sound, like I was going at a very, very fast speed along the plains…

I awoke in a glorious room of white. It looked like the room of a Royal Chamber in a dream. For the first time in a long time, I felt thoroughly rested, after all of my adventures in the wildlife of Neopia. I got up instantly. My armour had been taken away and replaced with a delicate white robe, which felt as light as a cloud. My weapons were spread out on a long table on the side of a nearby wall, along with all the other items I had collected through my journeys. I looked at each one of them, memories flooding back into my mind. Sighing, I approached the door, but before I got there it had burst open, and Margoreth, Denethir, Mokti, Rikti, Gali Yoj, Korabric, Pommana, Eleus Batrin, Choras Tillie, Erick, Leirobas, and Tylix all crammed inside the chamber.

'Lupe! You have awoken!' said Eleus Batrin, stepping up to me. 'You are our Savior, for defeating the unspeakable evil which has flooded through all of Neopia!'

All of the people in the room to cheer and clap for me, and Denethir sent up sparks saying 'THANK YOU!' in the air. When all the cheering had finished, I asked, 'What happened?'

'Well, when you defeated Xantan Reborn, you were knocked out with a rock,' said Leirobas. 'Naturally, when you die, you are sent back to Neopia City.'

There was silence in the bed quarters. And then...

'You are now being sent back to the future. You have lived your purpose of saving Neopia from an Ancient horror, and now you may return to your time after saving your present Neopia from the dictator that would overtake it, Jahbal the Seventeenth. You should be proud of yourself.'

I really didn't know what to say, and I was spared of saying anything because there was a sudden jerk from my back, and, as if I were hooked from behind to a fishing rod, I was being pulled back, back, back into the future and away from Ancient Neopia.

When the sanity returned to him, the Lupe was face-to-face with an owner. She had short, brown hair and a Yellow Tonu at her side.

'You are the cutest lupe I have ever seen!' she screamed. The girl hugged him tight, and said, 'I would like to adopt this one!'

After a payment of 5,666 neopoints, the girl led her newly adopted pet out into the sunlight.

'I'm Katie,' she said to the Lupe. 'I have three other pets, and they're all dying to meet you. They're all so excited!'

She led him down an assortment of streets and houses, finally stopping outside one that was decorated with Meepit-print wallpaper, even from the outside.

Dazzled, the Lupe was about to go inside, but first, he decided to ask his new owner what his name was. The question had been haunting him through all through a journey which he could not quite remember, but he had done something very grand and very fabulous- if only he could remember what!

'What is my name?' he asked Katie.

'Oh, your name?' she said, frowning only a little bit. After about five seconds of thinking, she declared, 'Your name will be... Hero!'

Grinning, the Lupe was lead inside the house. The door silently closed behind them as the Lupe, Adam, prepared for a happy lifetime with his new owner. However, outside on the sunny street, a fragment of a cloak, which was brook-red with purple stars on it, slowly fluttered down the street of Neopia Central, representing the memories of many grand adventures… slowly, it was picked up in a gust of wind and blown away, never to be seen again.