Part Seven:
After overcoming evil Darkness Faeries and bizarre Chia Clowns, the Neopians are still searching for Sun and Gryffin. But now, they will face something much more dangerous, and their quest will take on an unexpected twist...
Through the course of the rest of the afternoon, they followed the scents of Gryffinstormie and Sunskyes through the Haunted Carnival. They walked past empty tents, odd-looking and deserted roller coasters, and strange, creaking booths, until finally they found they were at the exit again.
"Good, they went this way!" said Luna, following the trail out of the Carnival and deeper into the Fairgrounds. "I am so glad to get out of there!"
After about an hour, they stopped to eat. They were still in the very large, Deserted Fairgrounds. They ate some more of the food Spritzie, Lil, and Koorite had packed, and were each given Healing Potions by them to drink.
"Where do you get all these Healing Potions?" asked Chibi with awe. "I drank my only one when I fought Spritzie in the Battledome!"
"We stock up for emergency situations," said Emerald. "We don't fight very often."
After eating, they set off again. Around dusk, they found themselves on the other end of the Deserted Fairgrounds.
"This place is even creepier than the Carnival of Terror," said Lil nervously, sticking close to Spritzie.
"Well, they went in here," said Luna angrily. "Why did Gryffinstormie and Sunskyes and their friends have to be such thrill-seekers?"
"We've never been much better, Luna," chuckled Chibi.
"In any case," began Emerald, "I'm keeping my eyes and ears alert, we all need to stay together."
They followed the scent for a few minutes when it happened. Koorite and Emerald both perked their ears up, and Luna stopped in her tracks. "What is that?" she asked, picking up the same foul scent and dripping sound her friends had picked up.
Before they had a chance to answer, Lil screamed with terror, looking at the entrance to the Fairgrounds. Standing there at the entrance was a Meerca, whose body was dripping with mucus and saliva. Its eyes were barely visible through the horrible layer of smelly mucus, and it had large, clenching yellow teeth, which had twigs sticking out of it as though the creature had just eaten an entire tree.
"It's Meuka!" cried out Luna, edging closer to Emerald.
"We can take it on!" cried out Chibi, charging toward the monster.
"No!" Luna cried out
"You can't!" cried Koorite. But it was too late.
Chibi ran toward Meuka, his horn aimed for its chest. Laughing, Meuka reared back and spat a thick layer of mucus and saliva at him. The spit wad caught Chibi in the head, throwing him back several feet onto the ground. He lay there motionless.
In rage, Luna sprang towards the mutated Meerca. Emerald followed closely behind. Meuka stretched out his hand, and from his palm flung a sticky ball of mucus at Luna, which hit her in the midsection, immobilizing her legs, paralyzing her.
Meuka took aim and flung another sticky sphere at Emerald. Emerald dodged it and, using his claws, climbed up the trunk of a nearby pole. Lil, Spritzie, and Koorite began racing towards Meuka. Emerald jumped off of the pole, claws outstretched, onto Meuka's back. Meuka let out a roar of pain as Emerald's claws embedded into his skin. Emerald let out a roar of frustration as he realized his paws were stuck in the mucus that made up the Meerca's body. Meuka grabbed Emerald with his tail, pulled him off of his back, and threw him several feet, leaving him tied in a rope of slime.
Spritzie flew up into the air with her powerful Shoyru wings. Koorite attempted to make his way behind Meuka, whose attention was on Lil. Lil roared with her Fiery Roar, and curled up into a ball, and started rolling toward Meuka. Meuka threw another ball of slime at Lil, completely engulfing her in mucus. Noticing Koorite behind him, he lashed out with his long tail, tangling Koorite in a vine of slime. Meuka looked up and saw Spritzie dive bombing toward him in the air. He spat out another ball of saliva at her, knocking her to the ground.
Meuka surveyed the scene, laughing. The unconscious Chibi's head was covered in spit and mucus; Luna was writhing on the ground, trying to free her legs and waist from the slime; Emerald and Koorite were tied up in Meuka's mucus ropes; Lil was stuck inside a ball of mucus, slowly suffocating; and Spritzie was on the ground, covered in spit. "Lunchtime..." announced Meuka, with his slimy, rattling voice.
Suddenly, four ghosts appeared. The spirits of a Cybunny, a Kau, an Aisha, and a Mynci floated among the group, whispering haunting words of encouragement as Meuka watched curiously.
"Don't be afraid..." whispered the Cybunny.
"You will not be taken, like we were," declared the Kau.
" But we were not all taken. Two of our number escaped," said the Aisha.
"You must find them!" cried out the Mynci. Then, as mysteriously as they had come, the spirits vanished.
Before Meuka could react, however, a speeding orb of light soared around each of the six struggling Neopians. It slashed the mucus-ropes tying Emerald and Koorite. Magically, it freed Chibi and Lil of their prisons. It freed Luna and Spritzie of their bonds. Slowly, they stood up. Luna ran over to try to awaken Chibi, as the orb turned and faced Meuka.
"It's a Battle Faerie!" a surprised Lil exclaimed. The Faerie turned to them, sword still pointed at Meuka.
"Go, now!" she commanded, her voice determined and echoing. "The ones you seek are through the tree!"
Spritzie looked around. There, at the other end of the Fairgrounds, was a tree. Inside the tree was an opening, marked by a clown's head, with the hole in the tree being inside the mouth. "In that?" she questioned, pointing at it. Luna helped the now awake Chibi to his feet.
"Yes!" cried out the Battle Faerie. "Now, GO!" she commenced making slashing motions at Meuka, making him back up, as the six Neopians ran off to the place where the Battle Faerie said to go.
One by one, they went through the Clown Entrance, Chibi and Luna taking the lead.
"Gryf? Sun? Gryffin?" called out Chibi.
"Sunskyes? Gryffinstormie?" cried Luna. There was no answer. They kept walking forward. As they did, they felt a lurching in their stomachs, and colors danced in their eyes. Then, just as quickly, they were walking out of the clown face. Luna gave a small gasp.
"What happened?" she questioned. "The Deserted Fairgrounds looks even more deserted!"
The Deserted Fairgrounds looked vastly different from what it had just moments ago. The Wheel of Misfortune was toppled over. The buildings had crumbled to the ground. The tents had great holes in them from age, rotting, and moths. The very tree they had just walked out of was bare of any vegetation. The gates had vines growing up them.
Slowly, they came out into the open, looking around in awe.
"ChibiMartian? Lunamercurie?" said a voice. Chibi and Luna looked around, searching for the source of the voices. Through the gates stepped a yellow Ixi and a green Eyrie.
"Sunskyes! Gryffinstormie!" cried out Luna. She, Chibi, and the others ran up toward the newcomers. Luna, Gryffin, Sun, and Chibi hugged each other happily.
"How did you get here?" cried out Sun.
"How did you?" answered Chibi. Luna told them everything that had happened in the past few days, and Gryffin filled them in on the events of their camping trip.
"You two were the only survivors?" asked Spritzie sadly, listening to their story. "How did you get away from Meuka?"
"The Battle Faerie saved us and sent us through here," answered Gryffin. "When we came through the clown face, we were so confused, so we've been sitting here since, hoping someone would find us. Meuka got our friends before the Battle Faerie got to us."
"Who were your friends?" asked Lil.
"They were a Cybunny, an Aisha, a Kau, and a Mynci," answered Sun, now crying.
They all looked at each other. "What?" Gryffin asked.
Chibi went on to tell them about their friends' spirits. Spritzie looked around, "What happened? Everything looks so different."
"I… I don't know," Lil whispered.
"It's like we're not even in the same time," Koorite said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?" Chibi asked.
"I mean, maybe we're somewhere in the future."
Before anyone could reply, a lavender orb appeared before them. Slowly the light spread until the shape of a faerie could be seen. Slowly the light faded. They gasped as they saw the Faerie Queen standing in front of them. "My name is Fyora. I am the Faerie Queen. I must speak with you."
With that, she snapped her fingers and there was a flash of light. Next thing they knew, they were all in the throne room of the Faerie Queen's palace. She looked at them. They were all huddled close together. "There's no need to be afraid," She said calmly as she seated herself on her throne. A white Angelpuss slept quietly beside the throne.
They all stood in silence. Finally Spritzie stepped forward. "What's going on? Where are we?" She asked.
"You are in the future," The Faerie Queen said.
"Why are we here?"
"There was a prophecy made by the Island Mystic about eight young Neopets that would save Neopia from darkness."
"I've read about that," Koorite said, "But what does that have to do with us?"
"I have reason to believe that you are those eight."
They all looked at each other. "Us?" Chibi asked in astonishment.
"Yes. But to be sure, you must complete a few quests for me."
"What do you need us to get?" Emerald asked.
"Whatever it is, we can get it," Chibi said proudly.
"I need you to get me a Mosaic Negg," Fyora told them.
"Cool," Koorite responded, "That should be pretty simple."
"But…" She started.
"There's more to it?" Luna asked.
"Yes. You must get me the Mosaic Negg that is possessed by Vira."
"Vira?" Lil asked in fear.
"Yes. It will not be easy, but if you are the chosen, you will succeed."
"And if we're not?" Sun asked.
"Then there is the possibility that you will not retrieve the Negg."
They looked at her in shock. "But you must try your best. This is for the well-being and safety of Neopia and all Neopians." she added.
The group has finally united with Sun and Gryffin, only to find themselves in a strange, dark age, and be thrust into a new, dangerous mission by none other than the Faerie Queen herself. Can they succeed?