Part Eight:
Having escaped from the grotesque Meuka and jumped forward in time, the Neopians now set out on a mission that will face them against the mysterious Vira...
Chibi stepped forward. "Let's do this. We can handle it," He said firmly.
Everyone nodded in agreement. "Let's go," Emerald stated with determination.
Gryffin asked, "Where do we find Vira?"
"All I can tell you is that she will be found in Neopia Central. Now hurry, you must go quickly."
She handed them mics so they could communicate. She then snapped her fingers and there was a flash of light. The group appeared in Neopia Central. They looked around. Everything was run down. Many of the shops were destroyed and the remaining were closed. The bank had gone bankrupt and the group saw bankrupt signs on the door. There were no other Neopians in sight. It was deserted.
They made their way to the Rainbow Pool. They all gasped as they caught sight of the Pool. It was no longer a colorful sight, the Pool was blackened and the rainbow had turned shades of gray.
"This must be Vira's doing," grumbled Koorite.
"Yes, but where do we find her?" asked Gryffin.
"Maybe there," Luna said, pointing to a tall, dark tower in the distance.
"Come on, let's find out," Spritzie said bravely.
They started walking towards the tower. On the way, they came onto Winding Wood Drive. "This is where we live," Sun said.
Luna stopped dead in her tracks and gasped. They all looked up. "Well, at least where we used to live," Chibi said grimly, staring at what used to be their home.
In front of them was a huge pile of rubble. Broken bricks and wood pieces were everywhere. They were covered in dirt and soot. "What's happened to our home?" asked Luna through tears.
"Come on, let's move on," said Emerald comfortingly.
They moved on to Neopia Avenue. Emerald, Spritzie, Koorite, and Lil's looked the same. Emerald started to walk through the rubble. He stopped suddenly when he saw what was ahead of him. It was a small grave. He was scared to look at the gravestone. "Oh no," he thought, "Someone's died." He looked at the gravestone. It said:
Here lies our beloved Lilbasketballbabe. Lil bravely gave her life in an attempt to save Neopia from evil. She will be remembered always for her selflessness.
A tear streamed down Emerald's cheek. Luna, Spritzie, and Koorite came up behind him. When Luna saw his tears she immediately became concerned. "Emerald, what's wrong?" She asked.
"Yeah, are you okay?" Koorite asked as he got closer.
Emerald pointed to Lil's grave. Koorite, Spritzie, and Luna read the stone. "Oh no," Luna whispered. She looked horrified.
"What should we do now?" Koorite asked. There was a long silence.
"WAIT! This is the future. We can change this! We can save Lil!" Spritzie exclaimed.
"Yes, you're right, Spritzie," Koorite said, "but we have to retrieve that Negg to do it."
"Then let's go get it," said Emerald with determination. "But we can't let Lil find out about this."
They all agreed. They went back to the others and continued on. When they came near the tower, they stopped. "Great!" Lil exclaimed, "Now what do we do? She has a moat around it."
Koorite studied it, "We can get past it."
"How, Koorite?" Sun asked.
"Spritzie, Chibi, and Gryffin can fly across."
"Yeah, and we can each carry someone," Gryffin added.
"But that leaves two of us," Lil said.
Luna looked at the moat, "It's not very wide. Emerald and I could jump across."
Emerald nodded in agreement. "Okay," Spritzie said, taking charge, "I can take Koorite. Chibi, you take Lil. And Gryffin can take Sun."
"Okay, that works. Let's do this," Koorite said strongly.
They went into action. Emerald and Luna took giant leaps and landed safely on the other side. They waited for the others to come. Soon, they were all together again. "All right," Spritzie told them, "Once we get inside, we have to be extra careful. We don't know what to expect. She could have guards. Are you guys ready for this?"
They all said yes. "Wait," Lil said quickly.
What, Lil?" Chibi asked.
"It's going to be hard for us to get through the tower undetected if we're in a large group. We should split up into smaller groups. Then we can move through it faster."
"That's a great idea, Lil," Koorite told her, "I think we should go in groups of two."
"Luna and I will go together," Emerald stated.
"Sun can go with me," Gryffin commented.
"I'll go with Koorite," Lil added.
"Well, that leaves Chibi and I. Are we ready now?" Spritzie replied.
They nodded. Spritzie stepped to the door. She tried the knob. It was locked. She looked back at them. "Watch out, Spritzie. I can handle this," Koorite said as he moved towards the door.
He sent a few sparks at the knob. There was a crackling sound, then silence. Spritzie tried the knob again. It was still locked. She looked at Koorite. Koorite stepped up and swiped it with his claw. There was a click, and Koorite opened the door. They all walked in. "All right. Let's split up," Gryffin said.
They all divided up and went in separate directions. Emerald and Luna went up to the top level; Koorite and Lil went to the third; Spritzie and Chibi went to the second; and Sun and Gryffin stayed on the first.
Sun and Gryffin found themselves in the kitchen. To their surprise there was no one there. "I'm glad we're the only ones in here," said Sun with a sigh of relief.
"Don't let your guard down completely," Gryffin said, "They may be hiding."
They searched the kitchen and there was no sign of any guards or the Negg. They continued searching the level. They found nothing. They radioed to the others. "Level one is clear. No sign of the Negg or any guards."
Koorite and Lil had the third level. This happened to be the dining room. It contained a large table with shiny utensils and candles on it. "She sure is fancy for being so evil," Said Lil, "I sure hope there are no guards in here, or anything else."
They searched the room and found nothing. "There has to be a catch, or something to this," said Koorite after they were done.
"What do you mean?" Lil asked.
"Why are there no guards guarding her valuable stuff? Why were there no guards at the entrance? There's something weird going on."
Koorite radioed to the others, "Level three is also clear. There's no Negg. What about you guys?"
Emerald and Luna had been looking around, when they came across Vira's bedroom. There were two Skeiths guarding the door. "Well, Koorite, we found her bedroom, but there's two Skeiths guarding the doors."
"How do you plan on getting in?" Koorite asked.
"Hold on a second. Someone's coming," Emerald replied.
Emerald and Luna hid around the corner. Suddenly a Jetsam walked around the corner. "All right guys, your shift is over, head to your quarters. Your replacements will be up in a few minutes."
The Skeiths nodded and started towards the stairs. The Jetsam followed. Emerald and Luna waited until they were down the stairs, "Koorite, Lil, watch out. They're coming your way."
"Okay, Emerald. Thanks for the heads up."
"Okay, Emerald, now's our chance," Luna said taking a few steps forward, "Let's go."
They rushed to the doors. Luna opened one door and Emerald peeked in. "It's clear."
The two Kougras walked in. "Wow!" Luna exclaimed, "Look at all this stuff."
Emerald looked to his right. The wall was lined with shelves. The shelves were covered with all sorts of rare plushies and other rare items. Luna saw a couple of large display cases by Vira's bed. They were full of Neggs. "Emerald, look. It's probably in here."
They ran over to the cases. They looked through them. "It's… it's not here, Emerald. What do we do now?"
"Spritzie, it's not here. It's up to you and Chibi."
"Well then, Chibi, it's up to us," Spritzie said.
"Let's do it," Chibi responded.
They had been searching the other rooms on their floor. They were just heading towards the last one. There were no guards outside the room. Suddenly, the door swung open. Vira walked out. She muttered, "I can't get any good help around here. I'll just do it myself."
When she was out of sight, Spritzie turned to Chibi. "I saw the Negg. It's in her throne room."
She told the others. "Do you think there are guards in there, Spritzie?" Chibi asked.
"There could be. Let's find out."
Spritzie and Chibi slowly opened the doors and looked inside. They didn't see any guards. "That's odd," Chibi said, "I didn't think Vira would leave her throne room unguarded."
"She wouldn't, so it must be time for a shift change, which means we need to work fast."
They quickly ran to the Negg, which was sitting on a pedestal. "Before we take it, we need the others to get out. We need as few as possible in here when Vira notices it's gone," Spritzie told Chibi.
He nodded in agreement. Spritzie radioed to the others. "Guys, we are about to get the Negg, we need you all out as fast as possible."
They quickly exited the tower and waited by the moat. Chibi looked at Spritzie, "Well, Spritz, this is it."
Chibi picked up the Negg and handed it to Spritzie. She quickly put it in her backpack. "Now, let's get out of here," Chibi whispered.
Chibi and Spritzie ran out of the throne room. On the way out, they heard Vira. They quickly hid.
"Gryffinstormie, Koorite," Vira screamed.
"Yes, Vira?" Koorite asked.
Spritzie looked at Chibi, "This must be what happens to them in the future," Spritzie said softly.
They listened as Vira continued. "You guys were supposed to be at my throne room 15 minutes ago. Where were you?"
"We were…" Gryffinstormie started.
"Never mind that. Get to my throne room now, or I will have you locked up in cages and EmeraldMount and ChibiMartian will take your places. Now go!"
Gryffinstormie and Koorite raced to the throne room. Vira walked away. "Now's our chance, Spritzie. Let's get out of here."
Chibi and Spritzie hurried outside. They met the others. "Did you get it?" Lil asked hopefully.
They nodded. "We need to leave now," Chibi informed them.
They quickly got over the moat. As they were running away, they heard a shrill scream. "Uh oh," Emerald stated, half laughing, "I think she noticed that it's missing."
They hurried towards the Faerie Queen's palace, with Chibi, Gryf, and Spritzie flying up into Faerieland, carrying the others in their claws and on their backs. When they arrived, they were quickly ushered in. "Did you retrieve the Mosaic Negg from Vira?" The Faerie Queen asked.
Spritzie opened her pack and handed her the Mosaic Negg. "Well done," She said as she took the Negg from Spritzie, "You have successfully completed my first quest."
"Does this mean that we are the Chosen?" Sun asked.
"Not necessarily. You must complete all of my quests."
"So, this is only the beginning?" Lil asked.
"Well, yes…"
"Great," Chibi sighed.
"Don't get discouraged, my young Neopets. I have faith in you. I believe that you are the Chosen and that you will be able to complete my other quests. Are you ready for a new quest?"
"Definitely," Emerald said firmly.
They all agreed with Emerald. "For the next quest, I need you to get me a Mystery Island Paint Brush."
"What else is there to it?" Luna asked.
"You must get it from the Ghost Lupe, on Mystery Island," answered the Queen.
"Wait a minute," Spritzie said, stepping forward. "I need to know something first."
"And what is that?" asked Fyora politely.
"How far into the future are we?" Spritzie asked.
"Approximately fifty years from your own time," answered the Queen.
"So you're saying, that sometime in the next fifty years of our time, four of us are going to be enslaved by Vira?" Spritzie asked, leaving out the bit about Lil's death. "Is there a way to change all of that?"
Fyora paused for a moment. She walked over to a very tall, very wide full-length mirror on her wall. It took up most of the wall. "Come forward, please," The eight walked up beside the Queen. The Angelpuss followed, watching curiously.
"Time and Destiny are both very complex things, " she said. As she said this, the mirror changed. It was now reflecting blackness, with an infinite number of brilliantly glowing white lines running through the darkness, all crossing each other, separating, crossing again. Occasionally, a line would end abruptly.
"These lines represent time," the Queen continued. "Each line is a life, a living being. Where two lines cross and separate, is the point in which two beings meet, and later part ways. Where a line ends, a life ends." The mirror then changed once again. This time, it showed a scene of war and mass destruction.
"Within a few years of your time, a great war will break out. Lord Darigan, Dr. Sloth, and the Monocerapter will unite their power in an effort of total conquest of Neopia. They will call themselves the Tri-Union. They will recruit, through means of bribery and promises of wealth and power, other evil beings such as Vira, along with many Neopians. There will be a great and long war. Many Neopians will die; many others will cross over and join the Tri-Union forces - some willingly, others by force. Ultimately, the Tri-Union will win the war, and Neopia will be purged into the darkness you now see."
The Neopets watched the scene unfold in the mirror with horror. "But can it be changed?" Luna asked, a tear falling from her eye.
"The future is never set in stone," the Queen answered. "To an extent, everyone controls his or her own destiny. However, when it is something large-scale such as this, it is almost always fate, the ultimate destiny, that guides the course of time. You have been given a very rare opportunity, to see the future of our world before it actually comes to pass. There are ways you can use this knowledge and change it; however, the consequences are so wide-ranged and there are so many other ways things could happen, that by preventing this great war, you could unintentionally make things worse for the future of Neopia; they could simply come back later when they are much stronger, and the world would be even darker than it is now. "
"So there's nothing we can do?" Chibi asked. "Some of us are destined to become Vira's slaves, others of us to... to die... no matter what?"
Fyora looked at them sadly. "No matter what happens, everyone's ultimate destiny is to die someday," she said. "Since I do not know who specifically you are speaking of and how he or she died, I cannot say for sure whether or not it could be changed; besides, that is something that is best left unknown. As for those who are taken by Vira... Vira alone is not one of the more powerful of Neopia's evil beings. Her power is mainly within the mirrors she gives away. When she sided with the Tri-Union, her powers were increased greatly, allowing her to hypnotize and use mind-control. If the three leaders of the Tri-Union -- Darigan, Sloth, and the Monoceraptor -- are defeated, then the people whom they gave powers to, such as Vira, would revert back to their original state of ability; in her case she would lose her hypnotic powers. When this happens, those under her spell will be freed. If the Tri-Union leaders are defeated, those enslaved by them will be freed, and they will be able to start a new life for Neopia, and punish those on the side of the Tri-Union."
"So, if you're right about us, and we're the eight destined to save the world," began Lil, "our future selves who have been captured or put under a spell will be freed?"
"Yes," answered the Queen. "However, I must warn you of something very important. During your Quests for me, and your subsequent Quest to defeat the Tri-Union, if you prove worthy, you may come across your future selves. I take it this has already happened with some of you, since you are asking these questions. If this is the case, do not interact with your future selves. It will have horrible consequences. For example, if the Sunskyes of your time were to meet the Sunskyes of this time, and they actually touched each other, both Sunskyes would cease to exist. It is also possible that you would not even have to touch, but only to see, one another. A timeline cannot overlap with itself."
Chibi was somewhat confused by this statement, but thought he had the general idea. "So if we meet our future selves, run and hide so they can't see us?" he asked.
"Yes," answered Fyora calmly. "Now, if you like, I will direct you to the sleeping chambers so you can get a good night's rest before completing the next task."
"Ok, thanks," Koorite said gratefully as they followed the Queen through the Palace into the sleeping quarters.
"As if we could sleep after hearing all that. "Emerald whispered to Luna. The Angelpuss meowed happily.
After narrowly escaping Vira, the Neopets learn about their grim futures. Lil will die, and at least four others will succumb to Vira's power. But what of the others? Will they ever find out? Can they succeed in their next mission?