Lupina Returns: Part Six

by thegreatlupelover

The Battle

Sloth cackled evilly. "So we meet again, Lupina of Verdancia. But I’ll get you this time. Troops, forward! Destroy them all!"

The robots stepped forward and Sloth retreated to the back of the army. Raising their arms, the robots began firing various weapons at the NeoPets. Lupina dodged and ducked. She got hit by a sword and got a deep cut across her back. She received a head wound from a stone that one of the robots had dropped. She got an arrow in the hip and another one ripped off a piece of her ear. But through it all, she caught sight of Sloth standing in the back, his evil laugh ringing over the battleground. Ducking and dodging, Lupina reached the evil scientist. Before she had time to use Restore, Lupina was paralysed by Dr. Sloth. Using a sudden burst of magic from her Lupe Moon Charm, she broke free of the invisible chains Dr. Sloth had bound her with. With a ferocious growl, she sent out a wave of magic that hit Sloth hard. He staggered backward and stumbled to the ground. Using Flash, Lupina sent a searing beam of light down onto his face. He howled in agony and grabbed a thick metal bar, which he threw ferociously at Lupina's skull. Lupina jumped up in the air. The bar hit her front legs with tremendous force. She collapsed on the ground but continued to send out waves of magic from her Lupe Moon Charm, using abilities randomly. One moment Sloth was being peppered with Magic Pebbles, the next, Lupina was trying to hypnotise him with Fiery Gaze. Sloth kept with him a hoard of daggers, which he threw at Lupina. Using her magic, she sent them off course pretty well, but soon she had many slashes on her sides. Leaping forward, Sloth snatched the iron bar again.

Meanwhile, in the rest of the battle, Emala had discovered how to open the leg of a robot. Inside was a switch to turn the robot on and off. Soon, half the robots stood silent, their machinery stopped.

Rosy and Lily battled their way towards Lupina. As Lily watched, horrified, Sloth lifted the iron bar and brought it crashing down on Lupina's head.

Lupina looked up, dazed. An iron bar was descending on her head. Weakly, Lupina sent up a wave of defence magic. The bar slowed down, but it still crashed down on her skull with tremendous force. Lupina's body went limp.

Watching, Lily and Rosy leapt into the air and beat their wings hard as they made their way over to Sloth. Soon, Emala joined them. Using their abilities, the trio attacked Sloth. He cackled insanely. Soon, the trio were using mostly light attacks, for they knew Sloth hated the light. Emala was getting a little low, so she used Drain Life on Dr. Sloth. Sloth was almost defeated. In a huge burst, the three fired Sun Beam, Water Jet, and Thunder Tail at Dr. Sloth. With a tremendous BANG! Sloth exploded and disappeared.

Instantly, the robots fell to the ground, as dust. The NeoPets had won the battle. But Rosy, Lily, and Emala paid no heed. They were kneeling beside Lupina's limp body. Soon, Amy and Jen ran over to join them. Jen, whose brother was the doctor at the Neopian Hospital, examined Lupina.

"She's covered in wounds. That was a tremendous blow she took to her head. Quick, roll her over." Lily and Amy obeyed with alacrity. Jen held her paw up to Lupina's heart. For a horrible instant, Jen thought that Lupina was dead. But then she felt a beat, and then another.

"She lives!" Jen proclaimed. The others cheered, but they soon sobered up at Jen's next words. "But she is lying at Dark Faerie's doorstep. Sloth wounded her very, very badly. She is within inches of her life."

Amy turned to Rosy. "Water of Life! Rosy, use Water of Life!” Rosy concentrated, and a magical drop of healing water formed above Lupina. It fell, spreading over her. A few of the smaller cuts disappeared. Still, Lupina was still in awful condition.

"There's only one thing for it," Rosy said grimly. "I'll have to call the Water Faerie. After the battle in Faerieland, she gave me an amulet. You see, I kept her from being destroyed. She told me to summon her if one of our friends was badly wounded."

Rosy took an amulet from around her neck. It was a blue crystal in the shape of a drop of water. Rosy breathed on it, rubbed it, and whispered, "Water Faerie, we need you."

A blue light appeared before them. It grew brighter and brighter and then formed into the Water Faerie.

Jen offered a hasty explanation of Lupina's condition. "She's all covered in cuts and slashes. Both her front legs are broken, she's got a deep slash on her back, and a very bad head wound, She's barely alive."

The Water Faerie immediately turned to her task. She soaked clean bandages in magical healing water and wrapped them around Lupina's head and body until she looked like a mummy. She put Lupina's front legs in casts. Then she uttered a spell to make the healing faster.

The Water Faerie explained what they would do now. "Now all we can do is wait. Only time will tell. In a few days, she will be in a fit condition to travel, and then we will transport her to my palace. We cannot take her before for if we do, the journey, even if it is done by the smoothest transportation spells, will destroy her."

At these words, Rosy looked up. "When will she awake?"

The Water Faerie looked down sadly. "I'm afraid it will be a long time before she awakens, perhaps a month at least. And she may...she may not awaken at all."

To be continued...