A Fire Burns Within Me (completed)

The Planet of the Golden Shadows Part 1

I stayed on Yona for a while, enjoying the hospitality of the Sunny Days Resort. Koni, Regna and I got along really well and we became good friends. They gave me a free life time pass to come back. I get to come back when ever I want.

Now however, I believe it is time for me to leave and move on to another planet. I have learned all I could from this planet. Regna and Koni came with me to the bus station to see me off. Regna ended up getting emotional and gave me a hug that could rival Tyson's.

Once I got on the bus, I saw the same bus driver as last time. He looked better than when I last saw him, his suit was new and neatly pressed and his hair was freshly cut. The bus looked cleaner too. Obviously he recognized me too because he brightened. "My lord!" He exclaimed. "I am glad you did not get stuck at the Winterland Resort, I did not get a chance to thank you for the money you gave me last time!"

"You are welcome, sir," I answered. "My name is Fire Lord by the way."

"And my name is Toll," he said, holding out his hand for a shake. When I did not reach out right away, uncertainty replaced his excited look. "I am sorry, was that not a greeting earthlings do?"

"No, it is," I said, quickly taking his hand. "It's just that I have been on Yona so long I have grown on your ways."

Toll smiled, something that made me slightly nervous. He looked too much like the Stolls when he did that. "Then let us see it, how do you greet people now, Fire Lord?"

I sighed in relief. This wasn't so hard. I made an 'L' with my right hand and twisted it above my heart. With my other hand, I held it right in front of me, open as if I was manipulating water and twisted it at the same time as me right hand. At the same time I did not at, I said, " Fire Lord, stars and fire greet thee."

Toll looked delighted and did the same only he said, "Toll, stars and traveler greet thee."

To each person, the greeting is different. You always say your name first and then say stars but the second part is something that has to do with you.

"Where to now, Fire Lord?" Toll asked, getting back in his seat.

I got in the nearest seat, which happened to be right behind Toll. What ever your next stop is, Toll," I answered pleasantly. "I don't need to be anywhere for now. I am just exploring."

Toll turned to look at me, his eyes wide. "Surely not there Fore Lord?" his shock leaked into his voice and it wavered. "Not the planet of the Golden Shadows?"

I raised an eyebrow. "The planet of the Golden Shadows?" I inquired.

"The deadliest planet I know," Toll whispered as he put the bus into gear.

I looked around, no one else was on the bus. "Is it like Tartarus?" I asked, referring to the pit I had fallen into.

"No," Toll said, shaking his head. "Worse."

- - - - -

As I waved good bye to Toll, something I'm sure he thought would be the last time he saw me do, I looked around the area I was in cautiously. The stories Toll told me were still running through my mind, making me nervous about being here. And only for my second planet. Third if you count Earth.

The first creature he said I would probably run into was the Golden Ninjas. I know, it sounds ridiculous and you probably think I would see them right away.  Well, you're wrong.

The entire landscape is golden. The station I was at was all made of yellow bricks. The road and the fences are yellow as well. The only other color was silver, black and grey. But there was more gold than any of those colors. Apollo would have a field day there. There was no one but me here at the station and the golden sky was starting to hurt my eyes. I started wishing I could see some other color besides gold. Golden fields stretched as far as the eye could see. The few trees scattered across the land were a deep gold, standing out from the never ending fields.