The Cursed Paintbrush- Transformation
"Please, whatever you do down there to Hubrid Nox in the Secret Laboratory, just don't do it!" Aqua pleaded, clutching my hand. "He might have an entire army with him! And you know that he's going to destroy anyone who opposes him!"
"Look, Aqua," I said, sweat running down my face in little rivulets. "I don't care about whatever happens to me now… Hubrid Nox and that Thaerin have set me and dozens of other Neopets and humans already like some kind of sick little experiment that they planned and I'm supposed to do nothing about it!" Aqua said nothing, but she nodded hopelessly. Normally, I would have listened to her, but the toxin was too far in for me to think properly… I glared at her angrily.
"What about Illusen and Scorpachick, how are they going to be found again, if he continues with that crazy plan of his- Mutant Neopets/humans? Lately, I noticed the constant changes had made my mind more animal than human… Does it matter if I'm about to die at their hands? They had taken away so many things away from me and you… They took away my normal life, our own choice, your Neopet…"
I continued shouting at her… "It hurts me to transform each time I'm weakened, it's my constant cause of distress- and I'm willing to stop him, whatever the cost might be… I won't let him do what he is going to do to millions of other Neopets and humans! I won't let them continue with this… I've got to face my fears, my nightmares…! And then, may the curse be lifted…" I muttered…
"SABRINA, no! Don't sacrifice yourself for this!" begged Aqua. She was terrified at what I said to her… Either way, I am doomed…But I'm going to try and get the cure back!
"Well, well," said Hubrid Nox, "Look what the Mewclops dragged in…" he said as he eyed me, the other half-human Neopets snickered at my appearance. I avoided them with a sullen gaze. "Why do you want to come here all by yourself...? You foolish owner!" I ignored Hubrid's haughty gaze as Scorpachick yelled for help.
"You've ruined my significance of living my life, you stole Aqua's Neopet (and Illusen with her) and worst of all you took away my cure! Now I would like them back."
"You dare to speak to Sir in that manner!" laughed Thaerin. His gold eyes gleamed most immorally. The Lab Scorchio also chuckled.
"Then why do you two work for Hubrid?" I wanted to know.
"Ha, so… If you would really like to know, Thaerin was a normal female Usul- before I transformed her with the Lab Ray… That was when the Secret Lab Ray was in its early stages, very dangerous back then… When I used it on Thaerin, it exploded and she transformed into this Shadow type- and works for Hubrid now."
"She?" I was shocked; I always thought Thaerin was a he.
"Thaerin is a she." the Lab Scorchio laughed maniacally. "I however had different priorities… I need Neopoints and Hubrid gives me all the profits for all my Secret Lab Ray experiments!"
"By the way, Sabrina..." Hubrid's nasty mouth grew even wider… "Feeling the effects already?" I most certainly did, but I didn't want to admit it…! Cold sweat dripped down my face…
"Transforming makes your weak human body more susceptible to the toxin; I suggest you give up the fight, how about it…" Hubrid grinned… "With all that power, who needs friends?"
"You are seriously one twisted Chia," I told him, "Now, let my friends go!"
"What's the chance of that? Seize her!" Hubrid yelled. The army of the Neo-Humans surrounded me… One of them, a red Zafara/human teenager, grabbed me from behind. I should have realised this would had happened, it was inevitable. I closed my eyes… Maybe it was too late to save Illusen and Scorpa… Not yet…whispered my inner voice. NOT YET! I hardly noticed the painful changes from human to animal… And when I did, it didn't matter to me anymore…
"SIR! She- she… transformed into an unknown creature!" shouted Thaerin.
Meanwhile, back in the real world…
YOU HAVE A NEW BATTLEDOME CHALLENGER: Hubrid Nox!
"Cool!" said Steph in enthusiasm as she chose her Neopet to battle, but she was in for a huge shock… "Huh! What is that!" she said, looking at the screen in horror. Instead of her Neopet appearing in the battle, an unknown Beast was challenging Hubrid Nox and its stats said '5467/6000'! "How can that be? Neopets had gone weird again!" shouted Steph. She shook her head; mysterious things were happening on Neopets that were beyond her wildest dreams...
Back in the Secret Lab in Neopia…
My human mind seemed to switch off, to be replaced by an animalistic rage. I flexed my furry dark paws, the beast was in control now… This was good -at least to my advantage- because now I wasn't a 'weak' human anymore… The Neo-humans backed off in total terror. They wanted to protect their Master (Hubrid) but they were also on the defensive, their semi-fur and scales were puffed up. My form must have been fearsome for them to be so scared of me… No matter, I had a job to do… My no longer human eyes gleamed like wild fire, illuminating the darkness in the lab.
I crouched down on my sharp metallic claws; my scaly tail was like a long whip cracking as I pounced into the middle of the room where the Potion was. But then Hubrid sent the Neo-humans to attack me! I charged at them full speed, racing… Racing, racing, like nothing else really mattered to me anymore… To the Neo-humans I must have been like a darkish blur, as I had to get to Illusen and Scorpachick! I ran ever-increasing circles around them, soon they were unsure about where or when to strike.
Pretty soon I sped to the machine in the centre of the Lab that controlled the DNA blending… Aqua's blue Kacheek and the Earth Faerie were already tied there by the ropes that bonded them together… Illusen struggled against the rough ropes.
"Help us! Are you Sabrina! You have changed…" said Scorpachick in fear… I gathered my human wits and nodded briefly. Stay still, I wanted to tell them. I raised my paws above them and brought it down as they cried out in horror- but my sharp metal claws set them free, the ropes were cut!
"Destroy her!"
One yellow Kougra/human girl was baring her claws as she slashed and bit into my left leg. It felt like several knifes against my fur. I shook her off like a pest. I showed my newly formed fangs at her and she whimpered. I fought off the rest but they kept coming, tossing weapons at me… It hurt my outer body; I felt pain as red blood ran down… But still I persisted; Hubrid must pay for what he did to me…
"If this does not stop her, nothing will!" shouted a teenage blue Zafara-boy as he produced a powerful staff, but I simply knocked it out of his semi-hands- and it just shattered on the floor. "I want my MUMMY!" he bawled as I ignored him. Another Neo-human blocked my path, but I pushed her aside and she sprawled on her back.
Hubrid watched in utter amazement as the beast approached him… I guess I totally surprised him with all that fighting! ROWARRR! I shouted a challenge as the beast in me eyed him, he was just a puny prey compared to the fierce predator…
"WHAT!" yelled Hubrid, "The 'foolish owner' is invincible!" He turned to the Lab Scorchio in fear, "Don't just stand there!" The Lab Scorchio gibbered…
"I would like to help, Master Nox, but it is technically impossible to beat her… The only thing that can stop her rampaging is… Give her what she wants!" The Shadow Usul, Thaerin nodded in assent.
"NEVER!" The egotistic Hubrid Nox yelled at his sensible servants. "I came so close to creating the ultimate army, then you two interfere! YOU ARE BOTH FIRED!" The mad, dark blue, fanged Chia held the cure in his paws laughing fanatically… Then he yelled as I picked him up and threw him as hard as I could.
The potion laid on the ground a couple of meters away as Hubrid lay unconscious. I stretched out my paws to grab the cure, but… ARRRGGH! The pain was unbearable as the toxin ravaged me, causing me to hold my head in anguish as I collapsed... It seemed like my mind was coming apart, the extreme pain as it coursed through my transformed body. Then I could remember no more as darkness came upon me… My… Friends… My last words lingered in my mind as I lay there in defeat…
The dark blue Chia opened his eyes… Who was he? What was he? He couldn't remember. Then a green Shoryu came up to him and told him that he was a good Neopet in his previous life- everybody loved him, and that he was the kindest Neopet that ever was… All Neopets and humans (including Lupes and half-breeds) were his friends- His true name was NobixDuhri! The clueless vampire Chia, now known as Nobix, thanked the Shoryu as he went on his way, making new friends in the world of Neopia! Nobix was never heard of again, vanishing into obscurity…
Authors Notes: What did you think of it so far? Is it the end! Or will Sabrina ever wake up again? Ifelt like crying when Iwrote this second last chapter because it was so melodramatic... ButI lightened it upabitwith a bit of humour! Please review!