The Cursed Paintbrush- Transformations
Author's Notes:
If any of you readers didn't know what has happened to Sabrina, I think you need to refer to the previous chapters... Lol, a lot has happened since last chapter (the last chapter had a cliff hanger ending) The beginning of this chapter focuses on Sabrina's surreal experiences with the Beast (it iskind of like an allegory- symbollical) But hold on for a roller-coaster into fear itself!
(evillish laughing is heard)
Since it was Friday the 13th last week, I decided to add an epilogue to the finale (The thirteenth chapter!) and supersition says that the number 13 is bad luck...! Or is it! Make up your mind after reading this chapter... And wait for the finale of all things supernatural in Neopia!
Oh, and before I go, I need some more reviews so I can see how many people actually like my stories! I love reviews from my readers! --
(end of the Author's notes)
Presenting... Chapter 12!
"Face your fear… Face your fear…" cried a voice, unknown. I could hardly see anything as I stumbled… Where was I? I was back to my human form, but wasn't I a beast a minute ago? And where did that form go? Darkness surrounded me like a cloak as I groped my way through… I was afraid at what might be waiting for me in the hidden night. Suddenly, I saw an intense glowing light from a gilded mirror and I stood in front of it… Was the mirror a way out! I hoped powerfully. The mirror nearly blinded me.
To my horror, I couldn't see my reflection, but something worse was in store in the depths of the mirror… The same darkened Beast (which I turned into at the Secret Lab) was waiting for me! It drooled and snarled at me with bloodied fangs bared, as I backed away, it was alive… And to my revulsion the beast spoke- with my voice, only the voice sounded more feral and fierce than ever before…
"What are you? What do you want with me?" I asked the Beast in the mirror. It laughed hoarsely, sounding like the hounds of Hell… Its voice screeched in my ears and filled me with utter despair. The creature spoke through its drool…
"I am your bane of life, your Curse itself! Ever since you touched that Darigan Paint-brush I was unleashed once again, darkest nightmares. I am able to turn you into your worst fears…! Say, how would YOU like it if I tortured you…? Only if you can tame me, you can get out of this place… TAME ME! TAME ME!" Then with a prolonged deep cry of immorality, it launched itself and passed through the mirror barrier, shattering the glass… The Beast then tackled me, its iron claws scraping my body… "Behold, you are doomed…Sabrina… I had tortured many other 'innocent' people before you came, but I doubt that you will ever get out of this Curse…This is the ultimate end!"
NO! I tried to push the animalistic entity off, but it was too powerful, trying to crush me within its paws… Then it occurred to me- if I could just say the Beast's true name maybe that could be enough to pacify the cursed animal's terror… So I looked the nightmarish Beast straight in the eyes…
"Your name is the Dreadful Beast of Darigan isn't it? I'm no longer afraid of you…!" I told it, a smile alighting on my face…
The Dreadful Beast's terrible blood-red eyes widened in shock… Then the beast howled in anger, its plain cry echoed sharply. "You have solved it! How could you, a simple-minded girl like you from Neopia, unravel the Curse! No-one who has been cursed before you could ever defeat the Beast of Darigan! AAHH!" Then it muttered something and I fell unconscious at its will…
Somewhere near Faerie-Land…?
"Sabina!" Something was poured down my throat as I awakened to consciousness… I had a pounding headache and I struggled to focus… My wolfish Lupe was there… WHAT? Mysteria smiled at me… "Hi Mum!" Mysteria is here, but where are the rest of my Neopets! I shook my head; maybe I was still traumatized by my experience in the dark place…"Mysteria, how did you get here…?" I asked her, she didn't reply, but only smiled… It was sort of creepy, like she was… Not at all listening to a word I said…
"Are you sure you're listening?" Again, that vacant smile of hers... Then she laughed like it was all a joke. "I was just doing what Queen Fyora told me to do…"
"Which was…?" I said to my yellowish Lupe. Somehow, my own Neopet was freaking me out… Where were Aqua, Scorpachick and Illusen?
"I mustn't say, Mum… But I must tell you something, close your eyes… I'm going to put a blindfold on you…" Okayyy… Maybe she was just pulling my leg… Yeah, that was it… I felt the blindfold around my eyes as she tied ropes… Hey! This wasn't right… Why was she tying my hands as well! Was she afraid of me attacking her? Or was she simply following the Faerie Queen's instructions…?
"Now, take ten steps forward and then turn left, right again, left, straight on…"
I did as my Lupe told me, but suddenly I thought what if she was planning something…? Surely, she didn't want to hurt me- firstly, because she was MY Neopet… And secondary, what if my Lupe actually wanted to help me?
After about thirty minutes of this marching around, I started thinking about what she might be doing while she gave me the outlandish instructions… Was she right by my side? Or was she wandering off? I couldn't tell- because of the blindfold I had on… But I could hear that other people (or Neopets?) were cheering us on… Or were they doing the exact opposite?
If Mysteria was following Fyora's instructions, Fyora, Queen of the Faeries, would know when to tell her to stop doing what she was told… But if my Lupe wasn't following her directions properly, even the slightest mistake could end up in a disaster… Then just as I reached the final step, I took off the blindfold… And nearly fell into the water lapping my feet!
I glared at her, but she just shrugged with her blond, muscular, furry shoulders. "Can't be helped…" Mysteria said indifferently… I stared into her golden eyes. Was she hiding something from me? I should know; I had raised her ever since she was a tiny Lupe pup… But this time, her big, wolfish, friendly eyes told nothing, not even the slightest hint. I felt uncomfortable... I was sure the other Owners and Neopets were staring at us right now, at this strange unordained event… I was right, they were… But to my relief, I saw Illusen, Mariam568, Aquachickrulz (Ella) and Scorpachick in the crowds too…
"Mysteria! What sort of trick are you up to?" I yelled at my Lupe, I could feel my eyes burn with rage, they actually flashed scarlet… Without saying a word, Mysteria actually pushed me with her huge paws into the cold icy water- of the Rainbow Fountain… "Argh!" I lost my balance! Falling forwards, unable to support myself, I hit the mysterious waters with a SPLASH! The usually crystal clear water instantly turned a dark velvety purple…
Purple liquid surrounded me as I spluttered out fresh water, then the waters hit me with its extreme temperature… I could feel the Darigan paint-brush's power, which was controlling my emotions; lessen in the water as countless bubbles floated past my eyes and burst… Eventually, I felt free of the curse that had bound me- since I was doomed to touch the Darigan's paint-brush!
The curse was finally vanquished! I was free of the Darigan paint-brush's evil influence. "It's chilly!" I cried out as Mysteria laughed with joy… She helped me out of the pool…
Then my other Neopets (including Paws!) joined me in a group's hug… And this time I did not feel distant and cold-hearted, instead I felt so much delight and laughter that I haven't actually felt in a long time… Parlrina the rainbow Wocky purred as I hugged his warm furry body… "It's good to have you back!" he said.
"Did you give me Illusen's potion back there," I asked Mysteria, my smiling Lupe nodded, holding up an empty bottle… Paws laughed, "At least we have the old Sabrina back!" He licked the trickling purple water off my face… I laughed, J
"Sorry about it Sabrina, but that is the only way you can finally get rid of Darigan's Curse…" shouted Isis, the Rainbow Fountain Faerie, sitting by the edge of the pool.
"Darigan's Curse?" I requested, the words sounded totally foreign, but the topic also interested me… What secrets did this ancient paint-brush hold?
"The Darigan's paint-brush was formed many eons ago by the malicious Lord Darigan who ruled over his people with an iron fist…Through this powerful instrument, the evil Lord brought out the worst in his minions, turning ordinary Neopets into living, breathing nightmares at his tyrannical will…But as an unforeseen consequence, what was also unleashed, was the Beast of Darigan…"
"Whoever, Neopet or human, touched the Darigan Paint-brush had to face the Beast 'within them' at some point, because the Beast had the ability to transform them into their worst nightmares and it could also distort the person/Neopet until it was driven mad… Many people and Neopets had been tortured by the Curse that bound them until they drew their last breath… Including Lord Kass- the insane temporary ruler of Darigan, before the true Lord called Darigan came again."
"After the Meridell wars were over, Lord Darigan was restored to his senses- and he realized that the Paint-brush contained no good to ANY of the people he treated cruelly and with a final resolution, he put a hefty price on the Paint-brush and shut it up in the Hidden tower so it could do no Neopians any harm… But still, even after all those precautions, the innocent Neopians got affected every year…"
Isis paused, "Even one drop of the Paintbrush can change any Neopian's outlook on life forever… You were one of the lucky ones, other Neopians before you weren't so fortunate…" A nasty thought came to me… What did happen to the rest?
"You mean those people…" Isis nodded sadly… I avoided her calm eyes; I knew the truth about those poor Neopians, I didn't need to be told about their fate…
"They fell at the hands of the Beast that they couldn't control…" Isis concluded.
I shuddered with relief… So now I was cured, finally the Beast couldn't transform me any longer! Illusen approached me; her eyes were wide and welcoming…
"I just want to thank you, Sabrina… Without your help, I could have been transformed to a half-faerie with the Secret Laboratory Ray…"
"No problem!" I answered Illusen, "By the way, how did you four (you, Scorpachick, Mariam586 and Aqua) get out of the Secret Lab- without being attacked by the half-humanoid Neopets or without your powers?" The Earth Faerie winked, "It's a secret, Sabrina!" Oh great, I might have to wait for the revelation…!
"And the other Neopets are fine?" Illusen smiled mysteriously… Then Mariam586's real owner actually turned up and took a pleased, squealing Mariam586 back home. "Mummy!" Mariam586 cried, Sun-princess smiled gently, "My little darling Shoryu! I missed you so much since your captors took you away!" Sun-princess squeezed her into a tight hug as Mariam586's other siblings joined her. "Mariam586! You're back! Yay!"
I looked at Aqua, the friend that worked so hard for me, finally hugging her prized Scorpachick and introducing a new addition to the family, a baby Xweetwok! I smiled, at least everyone was happy for now…
I was wiser now, but none the experience never the less altered my outlook on life, it had taught me to treat each and every day as a gift… I looked down at the Shadow Usul bite on my finger, I knew from now on, it would serve as a reminder of the day I conquered my own Curse… Kassiko looked at me, her Lenny plumage was shining since I last saw her…
"Shall we go home now?" I smiled at Kassiko, I appreciated her thoughtful aspects.
"Yes, lets." I smiled as all my Neopets started to walk with me, finally together… Forever… Or is it?
To be continued... In the finalEpilogue!
(don't you just love cliffhangers?)