Past Reflections: Part Two

I couldn't even react to the arrow speeding toward me. Before I knew what was happening, the feathers on the end were cutting across the edge of my cheek, leaving a small cut, and thudding into the bark behind us. I looked to see where it had landed, but I felt myself being thrown around and turned over.

      "Whoa!" I cried out as myself and Hiterkuna fell to the ground, a small net trapping us.

      The white Shoyru strode up to us, the sneer vivid on his face. "Well, well, we've got ourselves a couple of Defenders of Neopia."

      "Hey," Hiterkuna began, "we're not--"

      She was cut off as the Gelert who had sniffed us out smacked her across the face brutally with one paw. Hiterkuna thudded into the tree behind her, slumping down, and I felt rage for what they had done to my little sister. "Why, you--" I began, throwing myself at the Gelert. The doglike pet snarled at me, and I probably would've made contact with him, but the white Shoyru interrupted me. I felt a foot collide with my side and I fell to the ground, panting.

      "Did Judge Hog send you?" the Shoyru asked coolly, his blade under my chin. He thought we worked with the Defenders of Neopia? I shook my head groggily, coughing. "N-no..."

      "Then how'd you get through our shields?" he asked coldly, his blade feeling more forceful each second. I blinked, my eyes flicking over to the unconscious Hiterkuna and feeling worried. "Uh... what... shields?"

      "Don't play dumb with me," the Shoyru hissed. "We had shields placed all around this island. You shouldn't have even gotten through, let alone not know how you did so."

      "I don't understand..." I said dumbly. "We didn't run into any shields..." The white Shoyru had obviously heard enough "lying." I felt his foot collide harshly with my head and I fell to the ground again.

      A Lupe trotted over to Hiterkuna's still form and said, "I'll take this one to our HQ, boss." The Shoyru nodded. I was about to launch myself at the Lupe, but the Shoyru kicked me squarely in the stomach and I doubled over, panting.

      "Consider this a compliment, kid," he hissed in my ear. "I admire you. Half the fools we capture whine and groan. But..." he said, sneering, "I wouldn't let it get to your head. All brave fools die in the future." I was about to argue, but I felt the back of my head explode with pain, and I was shrouded in darkness.

     ~*~

      "Where do you think they went?" Yubioke asked Mesbeto as she looked lazily out the window. The Acara shrugged. "Dude, when you don't have wings, you don't know where the winged people go, 'kay?"

      "That's why when I'm painted something nice, something with wings..." Yubioke muttered. "I'll tail that idiot Kyradose wherever he goes."

      Mesbeto sneered. "Paint yourself faerie."

      "Oh, shut up," Yubioke snapped, her already slitted eyes narrowing in a glare. By "nice" she had meant something remotely evil looking. She loathed faeries above all else, and didn't bother to use Fyora's name bluntly once or twice. She really could care less. "Pigs will fly before Smurf can afford one..."

      "Not many good colours for an Aisha, anyways," Mesbeto muttered.

      Yubioke sighed dully and leaned on the window sill, her eyes drearily scanning the cloudless sky. She hated cloudless skies. Too happy. And, much to her dismay, she found herself worrying about her brother and sister. Trouble followed Kyradose wherever he went. Hiterkuna was far too innocent to face fighting, and this was coming from the mind of the Aisha who had nagged her just hours ago about not being tough enough.

      "I'm bored," she finally concluded, laying her head down on the table. "And hungry. Can we order pizza?"

      Mesbeto answered, "None of those sick anchovies you dudettes like." Yubioke suppressed a growl. In truth, she was trying to cover up for her worries with anchovy pizza. She'd just eaten a double cheeseburger and wasn't hungry in the least. Finally, cursing, she grabbed her meager bag of Neopoints. "I'm going to go look for them. I've gotta find those idiots." She grabbed her overcoat and stomped out the door. Mesbeto waited for a moment, then followed. No use staying in a house that was empty.

      "Dudette, like, wait up!" Mesbeto cried after Yubioke. The Aisha continued her stomp, only speeding up to bait her little brother.

      "Where do you think they'd go?" Yubioke asked Mesbeto. She didn't even waste her time to look at him.

      Mesbeto shrugged again and suggested, "The beach?"

      "No, not where you'd go. Where Kyradose and Hiterkuna would go, dork," Yubioke said, but she couldn't keep the small hint of amusement from her voice.

      Mesbeto tried again. "Um... I dunno..."

      Yubioke sighed. It had been bad enough when they were kids. But now she wanted nothing less than some silly little wild-goose-chase for her brother and sister.

     ~*~

      "Brother... please wake up... You're not dead... right...? Please... come back to us..."

      Hiterkuna's eyes snapped open. A voice in her head... it had been that girl... The young Zafara felt happiness when she heard the maiden's voice, but also misery, and maybe a little jealousy. The maiden was something she had simply thought of as fairy-tales, but the more she heard, the more she believed. She and her siblings had lived somewhat peacefully in their ancient village when they found their brother, a Draik they named MirrorEyes because of his silver eyes.

      But, as soon as they took their new brother in, strange things began happening. Whenever he became sad or angry, the landscape changed according to his mood. He wasn't a very normal child, either. He spoke in riddles and he spoke of his other half, an evil pet that would one day be the death of him. Though his brother and sisters were worried about the oddities of MirrorEyes, they accepted and loved him. In return, he loved them back.

      But the child's prophecies came true. When he was a grown warrior, undefeated by many, wielding a great sword called the LifeBringer, the village he lived in was massacred. In an attempt to rescue his brother and sisters, he was killed by his other half, the Zafara called Tyne Bloodyeyes. She died in the process, and the balance went unchanged.

      So... strange. It hardly appealed as a realistic story in Hiterkuna's eyes. If she had not heard the voice in her head, she would think of it as silly.

      Then she had seen pictures in her mind. Pictures of a land not unlike Meridell, but obviously different. It seemed perfectly peaceful at times, but the maiden's voice told her that peace was indeed not the case. Constant wars were tormenting the innocent, while tyrants ruled the land and lived the easy life. Hiterkuna had only seen a few pictures of the maiden herself, and she was beautiful. She had creamy white skin, like Hiterkuna did, and angelic wings. However, she seemed far more mature, with a pair of violet eyes to finish her off. It made Hiterkuna sad in a way, and she hoped, as a child, that she would one day look like her. She was her idol, the pet she thought about all the time, respecting and envying her all at once.

      The silver Shoyru next to her shifted, waking up. Hiterkuna reached a paw over to her brother's shoulder and shook him gently to wake him.

          ~*~

      I blinked, feeling Hiterkuna's paw on my shoulder. "Nnn... Hiterkuna? What are we...?" Then I remembered. I tried to stand, cursing our bad luck, and I kicked the wall angrily. "This is so stupid!" I shouted. "We can't stay out of trouble, can we?" Hiterkuna said nothing as I rubbed the back of my head, gritting my teeth in pain.

      First the snake-ordeal. That had been over a year ago, but I couldn't shake the bad luck that was beginning to haunt me again. I hated it, actually. The thought of being a big hero had piqued my interest when I had been younger, but now it was just a pain. I seriously just wanted to go home... what was so hard to see about that?

      We sat in the cement prison for seemingly hours. I tried to find some way to escape, any at all, but after a few tries I gave up and instead I tried to find ways to amuse myself. I kicked the wall until my footpaw hurt. I swatted flies for seemingly hours, while Hiterkuna watched me with a bland expression. Oh well. If I was her, I'd be questioning my brother's sanity, too.

      "What do you make of them?"

      I looked in the direction of the voice, and the owner was on the other side of the iron bars. Two pets, a fat Korbat and a Wocky, stared at us through the bars. Their expression was almost of respect and awe.

      "D'you really believe that fool's tale that they're Defenders...?"

      "Nah, they're too weak. I mean, lookit their stats; that boy's not even amazing in anything yet..." I felt a slight twinge of annoyance. Ouch.

      "And the girl, she's not very old..."

      Their voices dimmed to whispers and I strained my ears to pick up any information they would offer. I wasn't very strong or smart, but I could deliver whatever message I could to the real authorities... once we escaped, that is. A sinking feeling set in my stomach. If we get out at all. As if reading my thoughts, Hiterkuna hugged her knees to her chest and lowered her head. I really hoped she wasn't crying, because whenever she was, I was the one feeling guilty. Concentrating on listening into the conversation and trying to put Hiterkuna's misery from my mind, I picked up a few words:

      "What if it's like the boss said?"

      "That the kid's him...? No way. He'd be a Draik, wouldn't 'e? And wouldn't 'e be silver?" The Wocky who had just spoken turned and looked at me, as if to prove his point, but when he saw my silver scales he stumbled over his words. "W-well... he ain't a Draik..." The Korbat snorted. I had to force myself not to sneer, either.

      "Hey," I said in a calm tone, to attract their attention but not to give away my feelings of loathing towards them. "D'you know why we're here?"

      The Korbat walked up to the bars, gripping a knife from his belt and knocking it across the iron, creating a loud ringing. Hiterkuna jolted but didn't look up.

      "You little pesticides broke through the barrier," the Wocky sneered. "That barrier was to make sure nothing got through... not even with the greatest technology. Why did a couple 'o scum-filled brats like you get in?"

      "Yeah, yeah," I said, nonchalantly waving a paw and using the other to gently point his dagger in a different direction. "I mean, what's so important about this place that they need a barrier?" The Korbat looked at the Wocky, as if to ask if he should give away this information, and the other pet shrugged.

      "The boss and his men are researching an ancient warrior or whatchamacallit... 'E thinks you got through the barrier because you 'ave something to do with that warrior guy, that's what 'e thinks." I felt my heart skip a beat. How had I slashed that snake open last year? I couldn't have done that by myself. I had heard voices in my head, voices that did not belong to the consciousness of my mind, but to another pet entirely. He had only spoken to me briefly, in short sentences, but I could remember very clearly. You've done well so far... I am MirrorEyes...

      "What do they plan on doing with us, then?" I asked.

      The Wocky shrugged. "The boss said somethin' about running through some tests... if you're not the match-up we're looking for..." He sneered. "Let's just say you were better off not flying around this island at all."

      Hiterkuna started sobbing at these words. Concerned about my sister, I turned and placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. "Don't worry," I said gently. "It'll be all right, okay? I'll make sure of it."

      "Huh," the Wocky jeered. "You'd better comfort yer sister - tests'll be starting soon."

      Only moments after the guards had left, Hiterkuna whispered, "I don't want to be experimented on, Kyradose. I'm scared... she's scared, too..."

      I could find no reply that I found suitable for my sister. I seriously didn't know what "being experimented on" meant. What were they going to do? The one question I desperately wanted to ask was who the girl was, and if she had any relation to the voice in my own head. But I held back because I knew Hiterkuna would prefer me not asking such things.

      A few minutes later, we heard talking coming down the hall. I didn't even bother to look, knowing that this time it was their leader. The white Shoyru opened the door and I tried vainly to escape through the opening, but he knocked me down again. "Fool," he mumbled, grabbing me and shoving me over to another guard. "Take this one to M-Lab. Run him through all the experiments. If he starts fading on us, then keep using him." A sneer passed over his face. "Even half dead he can still be used."

      Then he grabbed Hiterkuna by the wrist. The little girl struggled against his hold, demanding to be released. The others laughed and the white Shoyru silenced them with a look. He then began walking back the way he had come, the scruff on Hiterkuna's head twisted forcefully in his paw and the girl trailing behind him. "I'll escort the girl to the H-Lab." He glanced down at her, the sneer returning. "I get the idea Hisika doesn't want you going in there, does she?"

      Hiterkuna said nothing, but tears were forming in her eyes. "Let me go!" she screamed, kicking him in the stomach and trying to run. He attacked her in a rage and knocked her brutally to the ground with a forceful paw. He grabbed her by the wrist again. "Make it easy for you and your brother and come along," he said, his voice a deadly quiet hiss.

      "Wait," I begged. "She's not part of this... please, let her go..."

      "Oh, she's part of this, kid," the Shoyru said. "Your whole family is."

      Then the door slammed behind him and Hiterkuna's screams were hushed. I felt my heart slamming against my chest. My whole family? He had said a name... Hisika... I didn't know her. Was that the girl in Hiterkuna's mind...?

      The guards dragged me to the lab. I would've put up a fight, or at least made a nasty remark, but my brain was numb and my legs refused to obey me. I was scared for my family.

      I'll get them... a voice hissed inside my head.

To be continued...