Let him who desires peace prepare for war.
Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Rei Militari
"Terror Mountain? That'll take days! And Mom would eternally
ground us if she found out."
Vai grabbed her brother by the shoulders and
half yelled, "We have to! For Katanya, do it for Katanya, Keagn!"
Keagn shook his head, unconvinced.
"Why on Neopia do you want to go all the way
to Terror Mountain just to see some Faerie about Kitty?"
Vai's face took on a sarcastic expression.
"In case you haven't noticed, we've been chased
by a UFO, two huge aliens and Fyora knows what else is coming to get us. All
this stuff happens right after I find an ALIEN AISHA in the middle of the Glade,
no collar, no information about her besides what we think is her name. Don't
you think that's weird? Don't you want to know if she has something to do with
all this?"
Keagn averted his eyes, frowning at the sidewalk.
"I… I don't…"
Vai's eyes flashed. Even Keagn knew better than
to say the wrong thing when his sister was as mad as she was now.
"Yeah, I do think its weird, but don't you think
going to Terror Mountain to have tea with some bat-in-the-belfry old Faerie
about it is a little… extreme?"
The look on Vai's face was enough answer.
"Okay, fine. I'll buy airline tickets. But…
oh, never mind."
"What?"
Keagn gave her a meaningful look.
"Why? Can I at least ask that much?"
Vai sighed. She had been waiting for this question.
Whispering as if someone was listening in, she told Keagn about the incident
in the garden.
When she had finished, she looked up at Keagn,
waiting for him to laugh. But his face was solemn and awed.
"Kitty did all THAT? Whoa… very bovy, little
dude."
He rubbed the Aisha's head affectionately. Vai
stared.
"You… you believe me?"
"Sure I do," he grinned, "my Kitty can do anything"
Katanya squealed happily and clung to Keagn's
pant leg.
As dusk approached, Vai announced it was time
to get back to Illusen's. All arms were hooked around shopping bags, and the
ends of three PteriiAir tickets stuck out of Keagn's pocket. Talking and laughing
amiably, they ascended the ladder to the tree house…
******
Mulgurg tried to ignore the steadily growing cramp in his thigh, but it got
harder with each passing minute. The cramp was caused from huddling behind a
sofa for almost 6 hours. Zrax had insisted on a stakeout until the Aisha returned,
so the element of surprise would play in.
Now, it finally seemed like the wait was going
to pay off. Zrax saw the knob turn, and heard the happy voices on the other
side of the door. He crouched lower behind the door, switching on the stunner…
******
Before the door was open, Vai stopped. A sixth sense was telling her to
stop…
Or was it a sixth sense?
The trees, the birds around Vai, even the branch
beneath her feet was drumming out a warning in her head. Her hand still resting
half-heartedly on the doorknob, she listened.
"Vai? Are you… okay?"
Keagn tapped her shoulder. Vai jumped, her concentration
broken.
"Yeah, but…"
"What?"
Vai bit her lip, and she opened the door slowly.
It was deceptively quiet… she stepped in. Illusen was lying on the sofa, apparently
fast asleep. And then, Vai noticed the window behind the sofa, reflecting something…
In the fraction of a second the reality of the
matter clicked in Vai's mind, a green hand shot out from behind the door. But
Vai was ready for it with a spinning kick. The thing behind the door, a Mutant
Grundo, howled and lunged again. The door shut behind her, and locked.
Vai flipped backwards, and grabbed a book that
had been lying on the floor. Jumping up, she whacked the Grundo on the side
of the head. His eyes crossed, and he fell face first onto the floor. Vai held
the book in a defensive stance, and yelled at the couch,
"I know you're behind there, come out quietly
and you get to keep all you limbs intact."
The second Grundo rose slowly, his hands up in
the air. "Cool it, kid. I don't wanna have to break your neck" he growled. Vai
held the book higher, her whole person glowing with tangible power. The Grundo
squinted at the cover of the book, and his jaw dropped.
"Is that… Jump into the Future?"
Vai risked an upward glance at the book.
"Yeah, why?"
An ecstatic smile spread across the Grundo's
face.
"C-can I see it? Please?"
Vai was suspicious, but she decided to take a
chance. This Grundo appeared to be less gung-ho than the other one. She lowered
the book, and held it out at arms length. The Grundo snatched it up, and opened
it. Not moving his eyes from the page, he dug out what looked like a remote
control. Vai stepped back, immediately apprehensive. But the Grundo didn't aim
it at her, pointing it instead his fallen comrade. After turning the page in
the book, he pressed a button on the device. The Grundo flickered and vanished,
like the picture on a television when it is switched off. Now, the remaining
mercenary turned to Vai, and grinned.
"Thanks for the book. I owe you."
Vai nodded; her voice had deserted her. The Grundo
pointed the remote control at himself, and disappeared.
For a long while, Vai just stood there. Then
she stumbled to the door, and let Keagn and Katanya in. Keagn started shouting,
but Vai didn't hear him. She reached out, grabbed the airline tickets out of
his pocket, and began walking out the door.
"VAI! What in the name of Fyora are you DOING?!"
Vai turned slowly, and waved the tickets.
"Leaving. You?"
-2 Hours Later-
Vai reclined her seat, sighing happily. The Passenger Pterii was leaving for
Happy Valley in ten minutes, she had a bag of peanuts and a Neocola on the tray
in front of her, and best of all, Keagn and Katanya were both asleep.
Peace. Absolute peace, where for a few hours,
all was right with the world.
Vai allowed herself to doze off, and when she
awakened, the Pterii had taken off. She glanced out the window, looking at the
stars. She remembered something Whisper had told her, about the day she had
"created" her and her brother…
There weren't any stars that night, not a
one. And it was clear too. No street lights or anything. Just the night sky,
and the only light came from the moon. And the moon; it was bright red. Like
blood.
Why hadn't Whisper told her? It wasn't like
her to keep secrets, much less lie to her own pets. Maybe she knew something,
maybe they all did. But, what did it all mean? Vai knew her alleged birthday
had been on the day the Desert war began, some 15 years ago… if that was her
birthday. If Illusen had been telling the truth, Vai could be older, much older,
and Keagn too. But how old?
Vai shuddered, moving her thoughts to something
less disturbing. She thought about sitting on a beach drinking greengage breezes
served hourly by an eager Kyrii, and watching the sunset…
"Vai? Wake up, we're here."
Vai had been finishing a Blue Cocofizz when the
Kyrii who had handed it to her began to talk in Keagn's voice. She awoke with
a start, and immediately shielded her eyes from the bright light pouring through
the passenger car window. Keagn was standing over her, Katanya resting on his
shoulders. They were both wearing heavy parkas and a scarf was wrapped around
Kat's head.
"Ugh… okay. Gimme a second to wake up."
Vai yawned and stretched, rising slowly.
"Our hotel's walking distance from here," Keagn
announced, tossing Vai's suitcase into her lap.
A few minutes later, as the three wind-bitten,
drenched pets staggered into the hotel, Vai resisted the urge to kick Keagn
in the tail. Walking distance, she scowled, through what? A quarter
mile of flippin' blizzard, that's what…
After checking in, Vai dropped her carpetbag
on the bed and collapsed. She was exhausted. Her watch said twilight, but with
the roaring blizzard outside she couldn't tell if it was the middle of the night
or 2 pm. And she was too tired to care.
Keagn was in the bathroom, wondering why anyone
would need 7 different scented soaps for three days in a Mountain Lodge.
"Vai? What's the difference between Snowberry
Heartfruit and Zeenana Coconut Smoothie? They smell the same…"
Vai almost laughed. Her brother knew absolutely
nothing about bathrooms.
"Hey, look! There's a basket of candy and stuff
on the toilet, with cinnamon sticks and everything. Did you want some, or can
I eat it?"
The Aisha held her breath to restrain a gale
of laughter, and then declined the offer.
Vai was just about to shut her eyes, when Katanya
scrambled onto her bed. She smiled, and curled up on the pillow next to Vai's
head.
"What are you happy about, huh?"
The Aisha just beamed at her, and rested her
head on the soft hotel pillow. She closed her eyes, and was soon fast asleep.
Vai sighed; her birthday was tomorrow. She wondered
if anyone had remembered. Ah well, Vai thought, no use crying… over… spilt…
Myncibean Punch…
******
Drakk twirled his Hornet dart rifle, grinning like a loon. He tucked it
back in his parka, and pulled the hood closer. After the two deserters,
Mulgurg and Zrax, had made their escape, Furg had given Drakk their assignment;
find the Aisha, and bring her back alive. It was easy, even for someone
like Drakk who had trouble with grade school addition.
The escapees had been cowards; nothing more.
At least, that's what everyone had been saying. Drakk didn't have enough brains
in his head to question why they had deserted. The way he saw it, it was a matter
of more breakfast surprise for him.
******
Vai woke up, feeling refreshed. Keagn had dozed off on the couch, and Katanya
had somehow managed to climb up to the sink and fall asleep under the faucet.
Vai yawned, and changed into fresh clothes. Waking
the others, she tossed them some donuts and hurried them out the door. The sooner
they found this Faerie, the better.
Layered in boots and parkas, Vai rented a cloud
racer up to the Ice Crystal shop. She found the shopkeeper waving a hair dryer
in front of his face, half asleep.
"Hello?"
The Shoyru awoke with a snort.
"SAVE THE PEADACKLES! Oh… I mean, what can I
do for you, miss?"
"I'm looking for a Faerie, a good friend told
me she lives in a cave around here. Can you help me?"
The Shoyru smiled deviously, and shrugged.
"Lotsa Faeries around here, miss. I don't know
if I can name a particular one…"
Vai groaned, and dug some Neopoints out of her
pocket. Dropping them on the counter, the Shoyru smiled.
"Well, that changes things. There are five Faeries
livin' in Frozen Falls near the Pass. Just follow the signs from the ice rink."
"Which of them is the oldest?"
He scratched his head in mock thoughtfulness.
"I can't seem to remember…"
Vai, her temper rising, slammed more Neopoints
on the counter.
"Railene StarFlame. She never comes out though,
good luck finding her."
"Any tips?"
"Maybe…"
The snowflakes on Vai's parka sizzled as her
temperature rose. Grinding her teeth, she threw a bag of Neopoints at the Shoyru.
They made their mark squarely on his nose.
"Owch… well, you go straight until the fork,
turn left, and then turn right. It should take you right to her front door."
Vai nodded and walked out, slamming the door
behind her. She sighed, trying to ignore the snowflakes glancing off her cheeks,
hoping that Railene wasn't going to be as congenial as the Shoyru had been.
To be continued...
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