Lupina and Professor Letitia were in the professor's house, discussing the
phenomenon of Lupina's two bodies.
"Well, I think I'd like to figure out how far you can go away. Why don't you
teleport to VirtuPets Space Station?" Letitia asked.
Lupina tugged the imaginary cords of magic in her brain, disappearing off
Krawk Island, at the same instant materialising in the VirtuPets Space Station.
"I'm fine," she said to Professor Letitia.
"Well then, get on a interplanetary cruise."
"Okay."
She was lucky, she managed to get on one quickly. About 10 minutes into the
cruise, her body went rigid and froze. She couldn't do a thing.
Back in Letitia's study, her other body froze, but thawed just a little bit.
She could move, but very slowly.
"What's wrong?" Letitia asked anxiously.
"I... am... past... limit... frozen..."
"Can you switch?" he asked, concerned.
She switched. "I... am... still... frozen..."
"I know," Letitia said distractedly. "Can you teleport here? If you can, go
to VirtuPets."
Bit by bit, she disappeared, reappearing quickly in the space station. She
now knew what to do. She had unfrozen herself by coming closer. She switched
again, teleporting her part on the cruise right back to Letitia's office, and
then switching again, so her teleporting body was in the Space Station.
She described her experience to Professor Letitia.
"Well," he mused, "it's the connection between the bodies, not to Neopia.
I know that now. Ah! I have an idea for a new test. Do you think you can bring
your other part into this body?"
Lupina shrugged. "I can try." With that, she teleported her other body right
into that one. She looked no different, but a tingling sensation ran up her
spine. Then it stopped.
"Are you both here now?" Professor Letitia asked. Lupina nodded. It felt strange.
"I have an idea. Bring both your bodies together to VirtuPets Space Station,
then go on an interplanetary cruise. See if it works. In theory, it should."
"All right." Lupina teleported one body to the station, switched, and teleported
the other body. With both together, she went onto the cruise.
The Grundo pilot showed them through several galaxies, and the best aspects
of their planets. Lupina had no problems. When the cruise was done, she returned
to Professor Letitia's study. He was looking at some papers. On her arrival,
he looked up.
"While you were gone, I did some research on this phenomenon. I think I know
how it happened. When you were developing inside your mother, you were supposed
to be twins. However, part way through the development process, you merged into
one. You were born that way. However, your merging occurred earlier than previous
'miracle pets.' You were born without the ability. Although, if I am correct,
you could roll your eyes different directions when you were just one?"
"Yes, I could," Lupina told him. "But why do I have the power now?"
Professor Letitia put down his notes and leaned forward. "It didn't talk about
it anywhere I could find, but I think that it came because of your initiation."
"It did come right after my initiation," Lupina said thoughtfully.
"That's right. Your initiation is a ceremony to unlock magical powers. See,
this was a magical power. So when you stood beneath the waterfall, the pounding
waters swept away the things keeping your magical powers from working. Like
you, you know, the Lupe Moon Falls has two things cascading over it. We see
it as water, but it is truly magic, pure magic. The same kind of magic as is
put into a Magic Key. It's opening magic."
"Wow. So I'm the miracle of..."
"Two centuries." Professor Letitia grinned.
"Cool." Lupina checked her watch. "I've gotta go. I need to talk to my friends."
She went to the door and walked out into the wet afternoon.
***
"Wow. That's SO cool. Why didn't you tell us before?" Rosy asked. She, Lupina,
Emala, and Lily were sitting in their secret attic clubhouse. Lupina had just
finished explaining her visit to Letitia's.
"Where are you now?" Lily wanted to know.
"Both of me are here. In the same body," Lupina told her.
"Cool," Emala breathed. Just then, an exhausted looking Airax who was flying
by stopped on the windowsill to rest. It flew off again, leaving a scroll it
had been carrying.
Rosy looked startled. "An Airax? In Winter World?"
I shrugged. "Probably lost its way and came up through the Ice Caves."
"Guys, look!" Lily was at the window. "It left a scroll! Maybe it's for us!"
Swiftly, she opened the window and grabbed the plastic tube carrying the scroll
inside. She slammed the window shut and opened the tube, unrolling the scroll.
They all gathered around, eager to read its contents.
To: Agent 4-962
From: Captain Sinisitra
I received your message. Good job. Phase one is complete. Now all we need as
the last parts and the machine will be complete. Soon, Neopia will be ours.
The four looked at each other, startled. A plot to conquer Neopia! A tapping
noise caused them to look up. The Airax was back, beating furiously at the window.
Its eye fell upon the latch. Looking cunning, it grabbed it. Lily had forgotten
to latch the window. Emala raced over, slammed the window back down, and latched
it shut. It was a very angry-looking Airax that flew away.
"Well," Rosy asked, "what do we do now?"
"Tell an adult." Emala's voice was firm. "They can do more than we can."
"All right. I guess." Lupina wasn't as certain.
"Wait!" Rosy exclaimed. "There's one more thing on the scroll!" She was right.
At the very bottom, in small print, was written a postscript.
Remember, headquarters have moved. Send your reports to Ugran Cavern.
"Does anybody know where Ugran Cavern is?" Lily asked hopefully. The others
shook their heads. Just then, the faint sound of a door slamming came from downstairs.
Lupina pocketed the scroll and followed the others down through the secret passageway
to the library. They ran out and into the huge ballroom. Lupina's father, Zakani,
was taking off his coat.
"Dad, dad!" Lupina gasped. "An Airax was carrying this - forgot it on our
windowsill - says about conquering Neopia!" She took out the scroll and showed
it to her father.
"Hm... Ugran Cavern, that sounds Tyrannian. You say an Airax was carrying
the message? I suppose it would be best to start searching in Tyrannia. Now,
you four" - he eyed them sternly - "may not come on the search. You will continue
your lives as normal here." The four looked crestfallen.
"It's what's best," Zakani told them gently. "Now, I have to call your parents.
Run along." Obediently, they returned to the library.
"Guys," Lupina whispered, "Dad doesn't know about my power. I can follow them
with my teleporting part. I wish you guys could come, but he's sure to
have someone taking care of us. I'll tell you everything that happens.
Promise." After a moment's hesitation, her friends agreed.
"It's the only thing we can do," Emala said. "We'll have to do it." Four paws
joined over a stack of books.
***
When Lupina the First arrived home, she had all her supplies for an expedition
into Tyrannia. The rest of the foursome's parents were there, too. They were
planning to set off the next morning. Lily's dad, Lifré, was staying to take
care of Lupina and her friends.
The next morning, the expedition set off early. A few minutes later, Lupina
teleported one of her parts to a hiding spot behind the Ice Hill in the Ice
Caves, right next to the crack to Tyrannia. The other part of her, along with
her friends, walked back into the house.
Up in their secret clubhouse, the friends discussed their position.
"Where are you, Lupina?" Emala asked.
"Hiding in the Ice Caves, by the crack. They aren't there yet."
There was a silence, and Rosy checked her watch. "We'd better get ready for
school," she said glumly. They crawled down the secret passageway, put on their
coats, and stepped out into the gloomy afternoon. As they reached the door of
Snowy Valley High, Lupina paused.
"They've arrived at the crack now. They're going down and through. I'm about
to follow them." She stood silent for a moment. "They're through now. I'm halfway."
Suddenly, the ringing of a bell broke the silence.
"Come on!" Lily was already halfway to the giant igloo that was Snowy Valley
High. "We're late!" The others ran after her. They skidded into their first
class, math, just in time and took their seats.
To be continued... | 
