With those words, she let loose a cry like a wild animal and shot forward
at an amazing speed, her wings turning into a mere blur. In an instant,
Mitsuko reacted to the sudden attack, her boosters activating and launching
her backwards straight through the door, hardly so much as knicking her
metal on the way out, being driven into the air, zooming upwards. The
faerie followed diligently afterwards, swinging her sword expertly, Mitsuko
just barely able to dodge the assaults. Soon, they were high up in the air,
duking it out a dog-fight up in the air.
The Battle Faerie hovered in the air, pointing her sword at Mitsuko. It looked at first as if she was going to charge, but instead of launching forwards, a stream of water burst from the tip of the sword, racing towards Mitsuko. Mitsuko shot upwards, but the water pursued after her, no matter how she twisted and spun around in the air, trying all of her aerial tricks which admittedly weren't much.
Suddenly, she shot upwards, high into the sky, the Battle Faerie having to look up in order to see her, Mitsuko's body becoming a small dot in the sky. The Battle Faerie squinted, hardly able to see the robot. For a moment, she was convinced that the robot had overestimated her limits and had forced herself through the atmosphere, thin as it was, and had melted herself to nothing. She even began to retreat-but soon found that she had made a dire mistake.
Mitsuko dropped down like a stone, her descending speed incredible, comparable of that to a Pteri falcon in a stoop after aerial prey. The water was right behind her, a long, thin line that never left her tail, transforming into a hand that reached at her. However, she was not about to be caught. She nearly slammed right into the Battle Faerie, missing her by inches, and then flipping onto her back at the last second, grabbing the Battle Faerie in her death plunge, yet steadying herself out, her boosters activating, having been shut off before.
The Battle Faerie realized what Mitsuko meant to do as she was forced to look upwards into a line of water. The liquid descended upon her, splashing her and drenching her totally, though not freezing as it would've done if it had hit Mitsuko. The Battle Faerie, drenched and furious, tried to kick her way out of Mitsuko's grip as they still fell downwards. She barely managed to turn around, grasping Mitsuko by the neck, her fingers clawing at the metallic supports that connected Mitusko's body to her head.
The two nearly hit the ground, straightening out into a horizontal position just before they would've slammed into the ground, making an enormous sand crater. They kicked up sand as they skimmed at high speeds across the ground, each trying to rip the other apart. They sped through the streets of Sakhmet, hardly noticing the gasps and Neopets around them that just barely managed to get out of the way. Desperately, seeing that they would slam into a quite solid shop if they continued going in the direction they were headed, the Battle Faerie banked upwards with all of her strength, sending them spinning upwardly vertically, unlocking their death grips on one another.
As soon as she had released the Battle Faerie, Mitsuko was back in action. Lowering her head like a bull ready to charge, she flared her boosters, sending her rocketing forward. Her head collided with the Battle Faerie's soft stomach, made of tender flesh and quite exposed due to her style of dress. The Battle Faerie gave a moan of pain, being slammed backwards, nearly getting knocked from the sky. She gripped tightly to her sword, however, and stabbed downwards into Mitsuko, her sword piercing through her metallic body. Mitsuko gave a shriek, not of pain but of surprise, pulling back and away, the Battle Faerie pulling out the sword simultaneously, covering in black oil.
"You like that, robot?" sneered the Battle Faerie, holding her sword out for Mitsuko to see. Mitsuko looked down at the hole in her body, seeing that she was rapidly using fuel, draining from the sword wound and dripping to the ground far below. "Just because you're made of metal doesn't mean you can't be harmed." She held forward her sword like a fencing weapon, her arm tilted upwards and the sword pointed at Mitsuko, who was distracted with the hole in her body. "No more free shots."
The Battle Faerie lunged forwards to make her final strike, Mitsuko not able to react fast enough, the faerie like a streak of light, her sword a blazing strip of hot metal. Mitsuko could only try and dodge, finding she was not fast enough with her sluggish metal body, knowing that she was doomed to whatever fate the Battle Faerie determined was just. Thankfully, Mitsuko wasn't the only one looking out for her tail.
The Battle Faerie suddenly stopped in mid-strike, letting out a horrible shriek that started quite high and then quickly descended down the scale, a woozy look overcoming the faerie, who wobbled in the air. A small dart stuck from her neck's fair skin, and her wings suddenly became still, the faerie plummeting to the ground, eyes closed, body completely limp.
Mitsuko landed slowly, floating just above the faerie's sleeping form, her chest rising and falling evenly. She took the sword easily from the Battle Faerie's hand, looking around for who shot the tranquilizer dart.
"See? Just like riding a bike-you never forget," came Phil's voice from behind her. Mitsuko craned her neck, her eyes locking in on Phil's golden form as well as Dr. Sloth, holding a tranquilizer rifle across his chest.
"You're just lucky I used to hunt ducks," grumbled the doctor, rubbing the black metal of the rifle. Phil abandoned the side of Dr. Sloth's wheelchair and ran up to Mitsuko, his smile melting as he looked over Mitsuko's body, seeing the large hole caused by the sword, as well as the sword dripping oil into the sand, making a hole in the ground.
"You're hurt," he said, his eyes widening. Mitsuko nodded, handing him the sword and using her hands to cover the wound.
"It's nothing big. It just needs a new metal plate. . .and I'll need a refuel," said Mitsuko simply, not wanting to worry Phil. It would've been a large issue if she were organic, but thankfully, she was not. "Krishna's in trouble," she reported, her eyes darkening, speaking more to herself than the others.
As Phil inspected the wound worriedly, his forehead covered in wrinkles, Dr. Sloth wheeled up behind them slowly, the sand not serving for very good traction for a wheelchair. He tipped forward in the chair, looking at the faerie on the ground. "The Battle Faerie," he said flatly, pushing up his glasses with his index finger, his face falling. "They sent the Battle Faerie."
"What should we do with her?" asked Mitsuko, Phil wrapping up her waist with his head covering. Mitsuko tried to resist this offer, but Phil insisted, tying it up at her side.
"If they sent the Battle Faerie after you, they must need you deactivated, or otherwise destroyed. When she wakes up, we can get information out of her. I was always a persuasive talker," Dr. Sloth snorted. "Phil, pick her up and bring her to my lab. Mitsuko, you come with- you're going to need repairs. That gold-and-blue bandage might suppress blood until skin could heal, but unfortunately, metal doesn't heal."
The two nodded, Phil picking up the Battle Faerie roughly with little regard for her comfort, slinging her limp form over his shoulder. Mitsuko took the handles of Dr. Sloth's wheelchair and pushed him forward towards his house, the three making slow progress, but all alive.
The Battle Faerie was laid out on the metal table, her chest rising and falling with her steady, even breaths, sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the iron restraints fixed about her neck, wrists, ankles and waist. At least she was able to get some rest-Phil had been up the whole time watching her, Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko over in the corner, the doctor attempting to patch up Mitsuko's rather deep injury, spanning from the front of her body, penetrating all the way to the other side.
"I don't know how well this will hold. . .in any case, it's only temporary until I can get some better material," sighed Dr. Sloth, twisting his wrist to lock in the final screw to keep the metal covering in place. Flipping open a small door on Mitsuko's chest, he placed a tube connecting to a tank of oil in the hole, pulling up a lever. "And you're draining my supply of oil quite rapidly, Miss Mitsuko-I'd appreciate if you'd try and keep it inside your gas tank."
"Yes, sir," said Mitsuko, hardly listening. Her eyes were focused on the Battle Faerie, her former opponent, looking so vulnerable now on the table. Now that Mitsuko wasn't facing her in battle, she could admire the gracefulness of her body, beautiful yet deadly at the same time. What most mesmerized Mitsuko, however, were the long, butterfly-like wings, iridescent, shining with millions of individual colors depending upon how the light fell upon them. Mitsuko had always secretly craved organic wings, finding hers rather clunky and inconvenient, although she supposed they did drain less of her energy.
The faerie stirred briefly, her eyelashes fluttering, giving a little moan. She tried to move her legs, but apparently found they were stuck, her bare skin brushing against the cold metal. She gave a little start, and then her eyes popped open, her neck jumping upwards, trying to see what had happened to her body.
"Wretch! What have you done to me?!" roared the Battle Faerie. "My Empress Tahora will avenge me!"
"Chill out, you're not dead yet," said Phil, sticking out his tongue. Mitsuko sidled up next to Phil, glaring down at the Battle Faerie. The faerie glared back, her muscles tensing.
"You! What did you do to me?!" the Battle Faerie demanded of Mitsuko. "Tranquilizations are unjust!"
"It would be more appropriate to ask what I did to you-for I was the one that fired the tranquilizer dart," grumbled Dr. Sloth, rolling up aside the metal bed on the opposite side of Mitsuko and Phil. Upon setting eyes on Dr. Sloth, Mitsuko was convinced the Battle Faerie was going to pass out of natural causes this time-but she regained herself, baring her teeth.
"You're supposed to be dead!"
"A lot of people say that," replied Dr. Sloth flatly, his red eyes emotionless. "Now, let us discuss the half-faerie Krishna." The Battle Faerie snarled, spitting onto the doctor's face, hitting his glasses. The doctor seemed to stiffen, and then relaxed, taking off his glasses and wiping them with the edge of his lab coat.
"You'll never get a single word out of me, scum-I have been sworn to secrecy! My Empress Tahora-"
"Who is Tahora, anyway? I thought Fyora was the crown queen," asked Phil, lifting an eyebrow.
"It's of no matter now," interrupted Dr. Sloth, his jaw clenching, looking almost in pain. "What matters is why you were after Mitsuko-and what has become of the half-faerie Krishna."
"I'd sooner die than tell you!" retorted the Battle Faerie, fire in her eyes.
"Shall we test that theory?" asked Dr. Sloth dryly, backing up his wheelchair and picking up a syringe, filling it full of a potent, puke- green chemical with a practiced preciseness. He wheeled back towards the table, wrapping a rubber arm band around her arm, holding up the syringe and pressing the needle flat against the bend in the Battle Faerie's elbow. "Old habits die hard," smirked Dr. Sloth, seeming to take delight in the fear arising in the Battle Faerie's eyes. "And I haven't had a faerie test subject in so long."
The Battle Faerie swallowed, staring down at her arm, at the sharp needle threatening to break her tender skin. The needle pressed harder and harder against her skin, and finally she snapped, her eyes squeezing shut. "All right! Put away the needle and I'll tell you!"
"We appreciate your cooperation," said Dr. Sloth, pulling away the syringe and putting it aside, taking the band off of her arm.
The Battle Faerie gritted her teeth, and then spoke, eyes opening and staring at the ceiling. "The half-faerie Krishna has been captured, his house burned, for he will not need to return to it. He is in the custody of our Empress Tahora-what happens to him is up to her alone to determine."
"So he is alive," affirmed Mitsuko, staring at the Battle Faerie.
"Yes."
"Why were you after Mitsuko?"
"The half-faerie Krishna spoke of the robot Mitsuko-he tried to make contact with her, and it was only natural that we wanted to destroy her before the information had gotten to her. Unfortunately, I was a little late.and she was being watched," said the Battle Faerie, glaring at Phil and Dr. Sloth.
"Is there any chance that you would let Krishna go?"
"The Empress is free to do what she pleases with her slaves. Though she may be bought over by a certain sum of cash."
"In the price area of.?"
"Two million Neopoints." Eyes widened in the room at the mention of the enormous sum of money. None of them had ever even laid eyes on that much money (save for perhaps Dr. Sloth in his criminal days); it was an unheard of amount in the current times.
"Are you kidding? Nobody has that money-not even the royal family of Sakhmet."
"True. . .but the winner of the RBT this year will be pleasantly surprised with the rise in reward prices. . ." commented the Battle Faerie, her eyes wandering towards Mitsuko. Immediately, Phil's face hardened from one of astonishment at the amount of money to anger.
"No," he said, his voice hard and determined. "Not happening. Uh-uh."
"Let the piece of scrap metal speak for herself-anyway, I doubt she could do much damage. Had to get help in beating me, plus she's injured. . .if you ask me, you should just take her to a junkyard now," offered the Battle Faerie with a roll of her eyes. "A useless robot should be disposed of."
"She's not useless!" shouted Phil, his eyes burning. "You don't know what you're talking about! You didn't see half of what she was made of!"
"Oh really? Then she should have no problem snatching the prize then," replied the Battle Faerie dryly.
"She's not entering," said Phil, his voice gravely final.
"Let the robot speak for herself. Unless she's not smart enough to even do that.?"
"I can speak, faerie," cut in Mitsuko, her voice steady and emotionless. "And although my friend Phil may have my best interests in mind, I do not agree with him. If Krishna's safety is at stake, I will gladly enter the RBT."
"But Mitsuko-" began Phil, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"I would appreciate if you didn't make decisions for me," interrupted Mitsuko, her tone icy. "Just because I'm made of metal doesn't that I can be ordered around." Phil looked as if he had been slapped in the face, a stunned expression caught on his face, rendering him unable to speak.
"You need a sponsor, though, robot called Mitsuko. And it appears your organic Shoyru friend here does not want to cooperate with being such," replied the Battle Faerie, clearly amused at the infighting between them. Mitsuko turned her head to Phil, her eyebrows turned downwards, asking his mentally to agree, to allow her to enter. But the Desert Shoyru refused, shaking his head slowly, turning away from her, all traces of a smile gone from his face.
"I will," spoke up Dr. Sloth, looking tired. "I will sponsor you, Mitsuko, if it is so important that you save Krishna." Dr. Sloth looked over to Phil, as if to apologize. The Desert Shoyru turned away bitterly, and turned away from the whole of them, walking out of the room, his back uncommonly straight, as if a board were attached to it.
"Now that I have given you all the information you require, I would be much obliged if you released me," said the Battle Faerie, unaffected by Phil's change in emotion. Mitsuko did not answer, distracted by Phil, watching him charge in a huff out of the room. It wasn't as if he were leaving in a rage, like a little child defeated after a tantrum-he looked honestly perturbed, deeply wounded by Mitsuko's choice to participate in the RBT. Dr. Sloth, however, had the Battle Faerie covered.
"I'm sorry, Miss Battle Faerie, but frankly, I don't trust faeries, and I haven't for a very long time. We're going to have a nice little conversation, okay?" said Dr. Sloth, smiling sadistically. Mitsuko hardly heard his words, however, for she was departing the room, following after Phil.
He had made progress in the seconds that she had hesitated to follow, but tracking him wasn't difficult-he left his scent everywhere, and all she needed to do was increase the sensitivity of her scent sensor. He had already made his way outside, where it was dark, forcing her to put on her night vision, for Dr. Sloth's house was significantly far from town and its bright lights. As she scanned the horizon with heat vision activated, she could see a bright pinpoint of heat in the distance in a Shoyru shape. She jumped into the air and accelerated after it, catching up to the Desert Shoyru in no time.
"Phil."
Phil didn't respond to his name being called, even as Mitsuko hovered above him, her boosters not exactly the quietest things on Earth. She repeated his name, and even jumped right in front of him. The only thing he did to react was to shoot her a harsh look and spiral downwards, flopping down into the sand, sitting hard on his behind. Seeming defeated from trying to get some solitude. Mitsuko landed next to him, looking at him interrogatively, his head in his hands, eyes staring forward with an uncommon hardness in them. It almost scared her to see him that upset-it was so unlike the Phil she knew.
"You're angry."
"Master of the obvious," retorted Phil bitterly. Mitsuko pulled back, as if she had been struck. Phil wasn't one to use sarcasm or sharp words- yet now.
"Why?"
"I told you I hate the RBT. . ." grumbled Phil, pulling his knees up to his head, sinking his face into them, muffling his words. ". . .and then you go and volunteer just like that. Couldn't you have at least hesitated a bit? Just to give me a little bit of false hope?" He looked up, a strained smile on his face. Not quite Phil, but getting closer.
"Why do you hate the RBT so much?" Phil's face looked troubled at the question, looking back down into the sand, his smile, fake as it was, dissolving.
". . .It's not important. . ." he mumbled, turning his eyes downwards, obviously unwilling to speak on the subject. He changed it immediately, his eyes snapping up to her and staring directly in her eyes. "Is this Krishna person really that important to you?"
Mitsuko paused before answering, watching Phil draw circles in the sand with his finger. "Yes. . .I wasn't with him for much more than a week. . .maybe less, it's getting blurry in my mind. But when I reactivated. . .he was the first thing that I saw. I don't know. Have you ever heard how Pteris imprint on the first moving thing that they see, be it a curtain, or their actual mother?"
"Yeah."
"I think it's like that. Dr. Krishna is. . .like a father to me. I would give my life for him."
"For a man you've only known a week?"
"Yes. In an instant."
"Would you give your life for me?"
The question came out of the blue for Mitsuko, having to tune in, record the message, rewind and replay it in her mind to verify that he had asked what he had. She stared at him blankly, unsure what to say. She didn't enjoy lying-in fact, she had a reputation for being quite blunt. Yet as she thought about it, considering the scenarios in her mind, she wondered. . .would she? Would she sacrifice her life for Phil, whom she had known longer than Krishna? Why couldn't she answer yes, just to make him happy, just to have that smile remain on his face?
"Why do you ask?" was all she could manage. Phil shook his head, smiling sadly, turning his face towards the solemn moonlight, peeking through the gathering clouds. In the moonlight, he radiated with a strange, golden glow, seeming to illuminate him, making him glow as if he were a god of the night, closing his eyes, bathing in the light. She again found herself staring at his brilliance, finding it vanish as soon as she blinked, as soon as he spoke his next words.
"No reason. Just a silly question," amended Phil. "You don't have to answer." The last statement was said with a reluctance-it was obviously he preferred that she answer, but she obliged with his last statement, keeping herself quiet, looking up into the moon with him.
"Do you think that somebody guards it?"
"Where?"
"The moon, of course. I remember someone in RARE speaking of a bright light that could be seen around the moon before the radiation came. . .a shining light in the tunnel of darkness, guarding the planet of Neopia, guarding the moon. I think. . .he said that when the light went out. . .that's when the darkness came."
"The Space Faerie?"
"I guess. I only heard it from someone. . .probably not a reliable source. Who's the Space Faerie?"
"A guardian of Neopia. Kind of like the Battle Faerie, but seen less. They say. . .they say that when you die, you become a shooting star, and the Space Faerie directs you to the heavens," said Phil with a hint of a smile. The smile quickly turned to one of seriousness. "I'd advise not mentioning her around the doc."
"Why not?"
"Touchy subject. A nasty relationship at best," snorted Phil, seeming amused.
"Is there something I should know?"
"Nah, it's not really relevant anymore." Phil fell quiet, gazing at the moon. With his index finger, he pointed towards the sky, tracing the path of a star that shot across the sky, Mitsuko watching it in wonderment. Mitsuko found herself drawn to him underneath the half-lit sky, clouds seething and writhing over the light, relaying distorted black shapes onto the sand. For a moment, it seemed as if he were the only Neopet on the universe that could offer some kind of comfort for her-for deep within herself, a fear arose, the fear of realization of what she had promised to do. Fear was an odd sensation for her, quite foreign, but in a strange way, a welcome one. The dependence, the vulnerability.all weaknesses, yet all inspiring a sense of being alive inside of Mitsuko.
Her body seemed to be out of her control as she felt it lean towards Phil, hardly noticing, concentrating on the moon. Before she could realize what she was doing, she felt her cheek against his shoulder, his skin warm compared to the cooling air of the night. His muscles tensed slightly, but then relaxed, a peaceful look spreading onto his face. The pressure of his head finding its way onto hers was noticeable but light. She hardly reacted to it-it felt like a certain piece of a puzzle was falling into place, and she wasn't going to be the one to disturb its perfection.
Something in Mitsuko, however, told her not to give in to the temptation of curling into Phil's lap, to submit to the alleged 'romance' of the situation. Something, a different something, made her pull away from the sweet moment of comfortable silence, slowly shaking off Phil's head, her head moving back and forth, the word 'no' repeating itself over and over in her mind. She stood up, her back feeling uncomfortably straight, looking down at the confused Phil, a questioning look on his face, asking her why she had parted their tender minute.
"I'm sorry, Phil. I'm sorry."
She took off into the sky, climbing higher and higher, as if trying to isolate herself from the world. While one part of her congratulated herself for keeping control of her feelings, another wept in the background, knowing that she had missed an opportunity, one generally offered to only to organic Neopets. Looking upwards, seeing the moon above her, she could only wish that she could become the Space Faerie and flee to the moon, where she would no longer have to worry about the feelings of others around her.
The Battle Faerie hovered in the air, pointing her sword at Mitsuko. It looked at first as if she was going to charge, but instead of launching forwards, a stream of water burst from the tip of the sword, racing towards Mitsuko. Mitsuko shot upwards, but the water pursued after her, no matter how she twisted and spun around in the air, trying all of her aerial tricks which admittedly weren't much.
Suddenly, she shot upwards, high into the sky, the Battle Faerie having to look up in order to see her, Mitsuko's body becoming a small dot in the sky. The Battle Faerie squinted, hardly able to see the robot. For a moment, she was convinced that the robot had overestimated her limits and had forced herself through the atmosphere, thin as it was, and had melted herself to nothing. She even began to retreat-but soon found that she had made a dire mistake.
Mitsuko dropped down like a stone, her descending speed incredible, comparable of that to a Pteri falcon in a stoop after aerial prey. The water was right behind her, a long, thin line that never left her tail, transforming into a hand that reached at her. However, she was not about to be caught. She nearly slammed right into the Battle Faerie, missing her by inches, and then flipping onto her back at the last second, grabbing the Battle Faerie in her death plunge, yet steadying herself out, her boosters activating, having been shut off before.
The Battle Faerie realized what Mitsuko meant to do as she was forced to look upwards into a line of water. The liquid descended upon her, splashing her and drenching her totally, though not freezing as it would've done if it had hit Mitsuko. The Battle Faerie, drenched and furious, tried to kick her way out of Mitsuko's grip as they still fell downwards. She barely managed to turn around, grasping Mitsuko by the neck, her fingers clawing at the metallic supports that connected Mitusko's body to her head.
The two nearly hit the ground, straightening out into a horizontal position just before they would've slammed into the ground, making an enormous sand crater. They kicked up sand as they skimmed at high speeds across the ground, each trying to rip the other apart. They sped through the streets of Sakhmet, hardly noticing the gasps and Neopets around them that just barely managed to get out of the way. Desperately, seeing that they would slam into a quite solid shop if they continued going in the direction they were headed, the Battle Faerie banked upwards with all of her strength, sending them spinning upwardly vertically, unlocking their death grips on one another.
As soon as she had released the Battle Faerie, Mitsuko was back in action. Lowering her head like a bull ready to charge, she flared her boosters, sending her rocketing forward. Her head collided with the Battle Faerie's soft stomach, made of tender flesh and quite exposed due to her style of dress. The Battle Faerie gave a moan of pain, being slammed backwards, nearly getting knocked from the sky. She gripped tightly to her sword, however, and stabbed downwards into Mitsuko, her sword piercing through her metallic body. Mitsuko gave a shriek, not of pain but of surprise, pulling back and away, the Battle Faerie pulling out the sword simultaneously, covering in black oil.
"You like that, robot?" sneered the Battle Faerie, holding her sword out for Mitsuko to see. Mitsuko looked down at the hole in her body, seeing that she was rapidly using fuel, draining from the sword wound and dripping to the ground far below. "Just because you're made of metal doesn't mean you can't be harmed." She held forward her sword like a fencing weapon, her arm tilted upwards and the sword pointed at Mitsuko, who was distracted with the hole in her body. "No more free shots."
The Battle Faerie lunged forwards to make her final strike, Mitsuko not able to react fast enough, the faerie like a streak of light, her sword a blazing strip of hot metal. Mitsuko could only try and dodge, finding she was not fast enough with her sluggish metal body, knowing that she was doomed to whatever fate the Battle Faerie determined was just. Thankfully, Mitsuko wasn't the only one looking out for her tail.
The Battle Faerie suddenly stopped in mid-strike, letting out a horrible shriek that started quite high and then quickly descended down the scale, a woozy look overcoming the faerie, who wobbled in the air. A small dart stuck from her neck's fair skin, and her wings suddenly became still, the faerie plummeting to the ground, eyes closed, body completely limp.
Mitsuko landed slowly, floating just above the faerie's sleeping form, her chest rising and falling evenly. She took the sword easily from the Battle Faerie's hand, looking around for who shot the tranquilizer dart.
"See? Just like riding a bike-you never forget," came Phil's voice from behind her. Mitsuko craned her neck, her eyes locking in on Phil's golden form as well as Dr. Sloth, holding a tranquilizer rifle across his chest.
"You're just lucky I used to hunt ducks," grumbled the doctor, rubbing the black metal of the rifle. Phil abandoned the side of Dr. Sloth's wheelchair and ran up to Mitsuko, his smile melting as he looked over Mitsuko's body, seeing the large hole caused by the sword, as well as the sword dripping oil into the sand, making a hole in the ground.
"You're hurt," he said, his eyes widening. Mitsuko nodded, handing him the sword and using her hands to cover the wound.
"It's nothing big. It just needs a new metal plate. . .and I'll need a refuel," said Mitsuko simply, not wanting to worry Phil. It would've been a large issue if she were organic, but thankfully, she was not. "Krishna's in trouble," she reported, her eyes darkening, speaking more to herself than the others.
As Phil inspected the wound worriedly, his forehead covered in wrinkles, Dr. Sloth wheeled up behind them slowly, the sand not serving for very good traction for a wheelchair. He tipped forward in the chair, looking at the faerie on the ground. "The Battle Faerie," he said flatly, pushing up his glasses with his index finger, his face falling. "They sent the Battle Faerie."
"What should we do with her?" asked Mitsuko, Phil wrapping up her waist with his head covering. Mitsuko tried to resist this offer, but Phil insisted, tying it up at her side.
"If they sent the Battle Faerie after you, they must need you deactivated, or otherwise destroyed. When she wakes up, we can get information out of her. I was always a persuasive talker," Dr. Sloth snorted. "Phil, pick her up and bring her to my lab. Mitsuko, you come with- you're going to need repairs. That gold-and-blue bandage might suppress blood until skin could heal, but unfortunately, metal doesn't heal."
The two nodded, Phil picking up the Battle Faerie roughly with little regard for her comfort, slinging her limp form over his shoulder. Mitsuko took the handles of Dr. Sloth's wheelchair and pushed him forward towards his house, the three making slow progress, but all alive.
The Battle Faerie was laid out on the metal table, her chest rising and falling with her steady, even breaths, sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the iron restraints fixed about her neck, wrists, ankles and waist. At least she was able to get some rest-Phil had been up the whole time watching her, Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko over in the corner, the doctor attempting to patch up Mitsuko's rather deep injury, spanning from the front of her body, penetrating all the way to the other side.
"I don't know how well this will hold. . .in any case, it's only temporary until I can get some better material," sighed Dr. Sloth, twisting his wrist to lock in the final screw to keep the metal covering in place. Flipping open a small door on Mitsuko's chest, he placed a tube connecting to a tank of oil in the hole, pulling up a lever. "And you're draining my supply of oil quite rapidly, Miss Mitsuko-I'd appreciate if you'd try and keep it inside your gas tank."
"Yes, sir," said Mitsuko, hardly listening. Her eyes were focused on the Battle Faerie, her former opponent, looking so vulnerable now on the table. Now that Mitsuko wasn't facing her in battle, she could admire the gracefulness of her body, beautiful yet deadly at the same time. What most mesmerized Mitsuko, however, were the long, butterfly-like wings, iridescent, shining with millions of individual colors depending upon how the light fell upon them. Mitsuko had always secretly craved organic wings, finding hers rather clunky and inconvenient, although she supposed they did drain less of her energy.
The faerie stirred briefly, her eyelashes fluttering, giving a little moan. She tried to move her legs, but apparently found they were stuck, her bare skin brushing against the cold metal. She gave a little start, and then her eyes popped open, her neck jumping upwards, trying to see what had happened to her body.
"Wretch! What have you done to me?!" roared the Battle Faerie. "My Empress Tahora will avenge me!"
"Chill out, you're not dead yet," said Phil, sticking out his tongue. Mitsuko sidled up next to Phil, glaring down at the Battle Faerie. The faerie glared back, her muscles tensing.
"You! What did you do to me?!" the Battle Faerie demanded of Mitsuko. "Tranquilizations are unjust!"
"It would be more appropriate to ask what I did to you-for I was the one that fired the tranquilizer dart," grumbled Dr. Sloth, rolling up aside the metal bed on the opposite side of Mitsuko and Phil. Upon setting eyes on Dr. Sloth, Mitsuko was convinced the Battle Faerie was going to pass out of natural causes this time-but she regained herself, baring her teeth.
"You're supposed to be dead!"
"A lot of people say that," replied Dr. Sloth flatly, his red eyes emotionless. "Now, let us discuss the half-faerie Krishna." The Battle Faerie snarled, spitting onto the doctor's face, hitting his glasses. The doctor seemed to stiffen, and then relaxed, taking off his glasses and wiping them with the edge of his lab coat.
"You'll never get a single word out of me, scum-I have been sworn to secrecy! My Empress Tahora-"
"Who is Tahora, anyway? I thought Fyora was the crown queen," asked Phil, lifting an eyebrow.
"It's of no matter now," interrupted Dr. Sloth, his jaw clenching, looking almost in pain. "What matters is why you were after Mitsuko-and what has become of the half-faerie Krishna."
"I'd sooner die than tell you!" retorted the Battle Faerie, fire in her eyes.
"Shall we test that theory?" asked Dr. Sloth dryly, backing up his wheelchair and picking up a syringe, filling it full of a potent, puke- green chemical with a practiced preciseness. He wheeled back towards the table, wrapping a rubber arm band around her arm, holding up the syringe and pressing the needle flat against the bend in the Battle Faerie's elbow. "Old habits die hard," smirked Dr. Sloth, seeming to take delight in the fear arising in the Battle Faerie's eyes. "And I haven't had a faerie test subject in so long."
The Battle Faerie swallowed, staring down at her arm, at the sharp needle threatening to break her tender skin. The needle pressed harder and harder against her skin, and finally she snapped, her eyes squeezing shut. "All right! Put away the needle and I'll tell you!"
"We appreciate your cooperation," said Dr. Sloth, pulling away the syringe and putting it aside, taking the band off of her arm.
The Battle Faerie gritted her teeth, and then spoke, eyes opening and staring at the ceiling. "The half-faerie Krishna has been captured, his house burned, for he will not need to return to it. He is in the custody of our Empress Tahora-what happens to him is up to her alone to determine."
"So he is alive," affirmed Mitsuko, staring at the Battle Faerie.
"Yes."
"Why were you after Mitsuko?"
"The half-faerie Krishna spoke of the robot Mitsuko-he tried to make contact with her, and it was only natural that we wanted to destroy her before the information had gotten to her. Unfortunately, I was a little late.and she was being watched," said the Battle Faerie, glaring at Phil and Dr. Sloth.
"Is there any chance that you would let Krishna go?"
"The Empress is free to do what she pleases with her slaves. Though she may be bought over by a certain sum of cash."
"In the price area of.?"
"Two million Neopoints." Eyes widened in the room at the mention of the enormous sum of money. None of them had ever even laid eyes on that much money (save for perhaps Dr. Sloth in his criminal days); it was an unheard of amount in the current times.
"Are you kidding? Nobody has that money-not even the royal family of Sakhmet."
"True. . .but the winner of the RBT this year will be pleasantly surprised with the rise in reward prices. . ." commented the Battle Faerie, her eyes wandering towards Mitsuko. Immediately, Phil's face hardened from one of astonishment at the amount of money to anger.
"No," he said, his voice hard and determined. "Not happening. Uh-uh."
"Let the piece of scrap metal speak for herself-anyway, I doubt she could do much damage. Had to get help in beating me, plus she's injured. . .if you ask me, you should just take her to a junkyard now," offered the Battle Faerie with a roll of her eyes. "A useless robot should be disposed of."
"She's not useless!" shouted Phil, his eyes burning. "You don't know what you're talking about! You didn't see half of what she was made of!"
"Oh really? Then she should have no problem snatching the prize then," replied the Battle Faerie dryly.
"She's not entering," said Phil, his voice gravely final.
"Let the robot speak for herself. Unless she's not smart enough to even do that.?"
"I can speak, faerie," cut in Mitsuko, her voice steady and emotionless. "And although my friend Phil may have my best interests in mind, I do not agree with him. If Krishna's safety is at stake, I will gladly enter the RBT."
"But Mitsuko-" began Phil, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"I would appreciate if you didn't make decisions for me," interrupted Mitsuko, her tone icy. "Just because I'm made of metal doesn't that I can be ordered around." Phil looked as if he had been slapped in the face, a stunned expression caught on his face, rendering him unable to speak.
"You need a sponsor, though, robot called Mitsuko. And it appears your organic Shoyru friend here does not want to cooperate with being such," replied the Battle Faerie, clearly amused at the infighting between them. Mitsuko turned her head to Phil, her eyebrows turned downwards, asking his mentally to agree, to allow her to enter. But the Desert Shoyru refused, shaking his head slowly, turning away from her, all traces of a smile gone from his face.
"I will," spoke up Dr. Sloth, looking tired. "I will sponsor you, Mitsuko, if it is so important that you save Krishna." Dr. Sloth looked over to Phil, as if to apologize. The Desert Shoyru turned away bitterly, and turned away from the whole of them, walking out of the room, his back uncommonly straight, as if a board were attached to it.
"Now that I have given you all the information you require, I would be much obliged if you released me," said the Battle Faerie, unaffected by Phil's change in emotion. Mitsuko did not answer, distracted by Phil, watching him charge in a huff out of the room. It wasn't as if he were leaving in a rage, like a little child defeated after a tantrum-he looked honestly perturbed, deeply wounded by Mitsuko's choice to participate in the RBT. Dr. Sloth, however, had the Battle Faerie covered.
"I'm sorry, Miss Battle Faerie, but frankly, I don't trust faeries, and I haven't for a very long time. We're going to have a nice little conversation, okay?" said Dr. Sloth, smiling sadistically. Mitsuko hardly heard his words, however, for she was departing the room, following after Phil.
He had made progress in the seconds that she had hesitated to follow, but tracking him wasn't difficult-he left his scent everywhere, and all she needed to do was increase the sensitivity of her scent sensor. He had already made his way outside, where it was dark, forcing her to put on her night vision, for Dr. Sloth's house was significantly far from town and its bright lights. As she scanned the horizon with heat vision activated, she could see a bright pinpoint of heat in the distance in a Shoyru shape. She jumped into the air and accelerated after it, catching up to the Desert Shoyru in no time.
"Phil."
Phil didn't respond to his name being called, even as Mitsuko hovered above him, her boosters not exactly the quietest things on Earth. She repeated his name, and even jumped right in front of him. The only thing he did to react was to shoot her a harsh look and spiral downwards, flopping down into the sand, sitting hard on his behind. Seeming defeated from trying to get some solitude. Mitsuko landed next to him, looking at him interrogatively, his head in his hands, eyes staring forward with an uncommon hardness in them. It almost scared her to see him that upset-it was so unlike the Phil she knew.
"You're angry."
"Master of the obvious," retorted Phil bitterly. Mitsuko pulled back, as if she had been struck. Phil wasn't one to use sarcasm or sharp words- yet now.
"Why?"
"I told you I hate the RBT. . ." grumbled Phil, pulling his knees up to his head, sinking his face into them, muffling his words. ". . .and then you go and volunteer just like that. Couldn't you have at least hesitated a bit? Just to give me a little bit of false hope?" He looked up, a strained smile on his face. Not quite Phil, but getting closer.
"Why do you hate the RBT so much?" Phil's face looked troubled at the question, looking back down into the sand, his smile, fake as it was, dissolving.
". . .It's not important. . ." he mumbled, turning his eyes downwards, obviously unwilling to speak on the subject. He changed it immediately, his eyes snapping up to her and staring directly in her eyes. "Is this Krishna person really that important to you?"
Mitsuko paused before answering, watching Phil draw circles in the sand with his finger. "Yes. . .I wasn't with him for much more than a week. . .maybe less, it's getting blurry in my mind. But when I reactivated. . .he was the first thing that I saw. I don't know. Have you ever heard how Pteris imprint on the first moving thing that they see, be it a curtain, or their actual mother?"
"Yeah."
"I think it's like that. Dr. Krishna is. . .like a father to me. I would give my life for him."
"For a man you've only known a week?"
"Yes. In an instant."
"Would you give your life for me?"
The question came out of the blue for Mitsuko, having to tune in, record the message, rewind and replay it in her mind to verify that he had asked what he had. She stared at him blankly, unsure what to say. She didn't enjoy lying-in fact, she had a reputation for being quite blunt. Yet as she thought about it, considering the scenarios in her mind, she wondered. . .would she? Would she sacrifice her life for Phil, whom she had known longer than Krishna? Why couldn't she answer yes, just to make him happy, just to have that smile remain on his face?
"Why do you ask?" was all she could manage. Phil shook his head, smiling sadly, turning his face towards the solemn moonlight, peeking through the gathering clouds. In the moonlight, he radiated with a strange, golden glow, seeming to illuminate him, making him glow as if he were a god of the night, closing his eyes, bathing in the light. She again found herself staring at his brilliance, finding it vanish as soon as she blinked, as soon as he spoke his next words.
"No reason. Just a silly question," amended Phil. "You don't have to answer." The last statement was said with a reluctance-it was obviously he preferred that she answer, but she obliged with his last statement, keeping herself quiet, looking up into the moon with him.
"Do you think that somebody guards it?"
"Where?"
"The moon, of course. I remember someone in RARE speaking of a bright light that could be seen around the moon before the radiation came. . .a shining light in the tunnel of darkness, guarding the planet of Neopia, guarding the moon. I think. . .he said that when the light went out. . .that's when the darkness came."
"The Space Faerie?"
"I guess. I only heard it from someone. . .probably not a reliable source. Who's the Space Faerie?"
"A guardian of Neopia. Kind of like the Battle Faerie, but seen less. They say. . .they say that when you die, you become a shooting star, and the Space Faerie directs you to the heavens," said Phil with a hint of a smile. The smile quickly turned to one of seriousness. "I'd advise not mentioning her around the doc."
"Why not?"
"Touchy subject. A nasty relationship at best," snorted Phil, seeming amused.
"Is there something I should know?"
"Nah, it's not really relevant anymore." Phil fell quiet, gazing at the moon. With his index finger, he pointed towards the sky, tracing the path of a star that shot across the sky, Mitsuko watching it in wonderment. Mitsuko found herself drawn to him underneath the half-lit sky, clouds seething and writhing over the light, relaying distorted black shapes onto the sand. For a moment, it seemed as if he were the only Neopet on the universe that could offer some kind of comfort for her-for deep within herself, a fear arose, the fear of realization of what she had promised to do. Fear was an odd sensation for her, quite foreign, but in a strange way, a welcome one. The dependence, the vulnerability.all weaknesses, yet all inspiring a sense of being alive inside of Mitsuko.
Her body seemed to be out of her control as she felt it lean towards Phil, hardly noticing, concentrating on the moon. Before she could realize what she was doing, she felt her cheek against his shoulder, his skin warm compared to the cooling air of the night. His muscles tensed slightly, but then relaxed, a peaceful look spreading onto his face. The pressure of his head finding its way onto hers was noticeable but light. She hardly reacted to it-it felt like a certain piece of a puzzle was falling into place, and she wasn't going to be the one to disturb its perfection.
Something in Mitsuko, however, told her not to give in to the temptation of curling into Phil's lap, to submit to the alleged 'romance' of the situation. Something, a different something, made her pull away from the sweet moment of comfortable silence, slowly shaking off Phil's head, her head moving back and forth, the word 'no' repeating itself over and over in her mind. She stood up, her back feeling uncomfortably straight, looking down at the confused Phil, a questioning look on his face, asking her why she had parted their tender minute.
"I'm sorry, Phil. I'm sorry."
She took off into the sky, climbing higher and higher, as if trying to isolate herself from the world. While one part of her congratulated herself for keeping control of her feelings, another wept in the background, knowing that she had missed an opportunity, one generally offered to only to organic Neopets. Looking upwards, seeing the moon above her, she could only wish that she could become the Space Faerie and flee to the moon, where she would no longer have to worry about the feelings of others around her.