The Betrayal by snow_squirrel

Ò--ightshade, oh Bri! Please wake up!Ó
ÒWha...?Ó the exhausted Kougra opened her eyes slightly and peered at the blurry images dancing around her.
ÒI think sheÕs coming around!Ó came an excited squeak. She thought it sounded familiar. Eyes opened a bit wider, she waited a few minutes for her vision to focus. Shaking her head, she bolted into an upright position on a yellow cot. The small room reeked of a sickeningly sterile smell.
ÒWhere am I?Ó she asked in a small voice.
ÒOh, we were so worried about you!Ó an island Eyrie beamed at her. ÒYour plan was so brave! You saved the whole Academy!Ó
ÒNot quite...Ó said a faerie Chomby, but a sharp jab from the Eyrie caused it to close its mouth again.
ÒErr... who are you?Ó the Kougra asked timidly, its brain as useful as a pile of dung.
ÒOh Bri, stop playing games,Ó the Eyrie snapped in a matter-of-fact manner. ÒI, Tam, and he, Mech, have come to pick you up from the hospital. This dreadful stench canÕt have affected your brain that much.Ó
ÒOf course!Ó Bri muttered. It was all coming back to her now. But... ÒWhere exactly are we headed?Ó ÒWhy, to the Neopia Defenders Headquarters, of course!Ó Tam ripped off the bed covers and helped Bri rise to her feet. Then they headed quickly out the door and down a long, plain corridor until they reached an elevator. After they waited patiently for it to arrive, all three pets stepped inside the empty liftand quickly closed the door behind them. Mech began fishing around for something in a drawstring bag that had been tied around his neck.
ÒDo you want me to push the button for you?Ó Bri asked, slightly annoyed.
ÒThink, child! Since the attack on the Academy all students have been promptly promoted to privates... true Neopia Defenders travel in style.Ó Mech finally found what he had been searching for and inserted the key into a small hole below the standard buttons. The elevator shot downwards at an alarming rate. 5th floor... 4th... 3rd... 2nd... 1st... but it kept going. After another minute the elevator doors reopened.
Dim lighting and musty air gave Bri the impression that they were in some underground cavern. After the trio stepped out of the lift, the doors quickly closed. As the elevator headed upward the cavern walls moved in to seal off the place it had once stood. ÒOh no, weÕre trapped!Ó Bri cried. Tam and Mech ignored her and began heading down a narrow passageway to their left, grabbing a bright torch from the wall as they descended the first steps. Bri followed in wonder.
The spiral staircase seemed to plunge downward into infinite. Enchanting cave drawings were painted all over the rugged dirt walls. A Moehog facing the Monocoraptor. An Aisha flying over the ocean on a rogue cloud. A sinister Usul with a sly smirk. Bri gasped. The Usul had winked at her! But no... it must have been a trick played by the light...
ÒPay attention, Bri!Ó Tam snapped as the Kougra stumbled down a few of the narrow clay steps, breaking the enchantment the Usul had held on her. ÒIÕm sorry,Ó the Eyrie replied tenderly, Òbut these caves can be very dangerous if you donÕt have your wits about you.Ó
After what seemed an eternity, the three friends finally reached the bottom of the staircase. The torch was running out of fuel and its flames became dim. ÒIt should be right about... hereÓ Mech said as he ran his paw over an ancient stone wall in front of them until he found the tile he was looking for. ÒJustice Forever,Ó he said and pressed his hand slightly into the wall. The stones silently split apart, as if their track had been recently oiled.
Beyond the secret passage a small room was brightly illuminated. ÒNDHQÓ read a small plaque on the wall. A large tinted box sat in the middle of the room. Mech walked up to it and nudged a hinged door open with his muzzle. Once he was all the way inside the box, the girls heard a muffled click as he flipped a switch. Suddenly the box was spinning in circles at a cyclonic speed. Its ceiling expanded and contracted, until finally it got so small that it disappeared entirely from the room. ÒWhatÕs happening?Ó Bri screamed.
ÒShhh.. just watch,Ó Tam said patiently in reply. A few moments later another box appeared in the former oneÕs place.
ÒWhen did you learn all this?Ó the Kougra asked in wonder. She didnÕt remember any of it from the thorough lessons at the Academy.
ÒA lot has happened since youÕve been in the hospital,Ó Tam said simply. ÒNo go along. Jump into the box and flip the switch. I need to close the passageway behind us."
Obligingly, Bri strolled in through the small opening. A musky odor filled the dark interior as if it had not been used in ages. For a small moment the Kougra panicked, seeing no way to activate the machine. Everything in the box was obscured by a curtain of darkness. I knew this weird paint job would come in handy some day, she muttered and activated her laser vision. ÒAh, there it is!Ó she said aloud and lifted her paw to pull down the handle of the switch.
Instantly colored lights dazed her contracting pupils and a sick feeling came over her stomach as the odd sensation that she was in some sort of vacuum overtook the poor petÕs mind. Her heart leaped into her throat as the box lurched downward, and then as suddenly as it had happened... the movements stopped. The door opened itself and a prim blue Aisha in a starched suit gazed at her with disdain. ÒYouÕve made it to the Neopian Defender Headquarters I see. Though, I can hardly think of why you would deserve a welcome. Come along, Sargent Smithers expressed a desire to speak with you as soon as you arrived.Ó She sighed huffily and paced out of the room.
The NDHQ itself was located fifty meters below Neopia Central, and it seemed their decorating scheme involved simply letting the natural beauty of place showcase itself. Sparkling formations on the walls were lit with neon lights that provided a safe, but not glaring, visibility to the complex that exposed a cheery aura. Stalactites as large as Grarrls clung to the high ceiling and their floor-bound counterparts grew to respectable heights as well, though never enough to become an impediment to the passageways.
Each hallway was lined with hollow spaces that had been formed by a great river long ago, and doors were furnished to seek an office-like appeal. The ground glistened with a steady stream of cool cave runoff and a gentle breeze flew quietly throughout. It was a beautiful place. ÒExcuse me! Hello?Ó Bri snapped back into reality. The Aisha was motioning towards an oak door with the word ÒSmithersÓ embossed in black. ÒRight in here please, the Sergeant will see you now...Ó