Indefinitely Slow

     ***

     The blue Scorchio got out of a big green tent in the middle of nowhere. Actually, Kero was pretty sure that we were in Shenkuu, although I had my doubts. I was never that good in Neopian geography. Never thought I would need it; I never actually did. From the time I met Kero, my life has been an on-going adventure. Battle after battle we make our way through Neopia.

     I am Mov, a Purple Kacheek blessed with the ability to slow down and speed up molecules. A gift from Queen Fyora herself during a long quest in the past that took me months to achieve. Still sleeping in my tent, I perceived Kero going out.

     "Time to go?" I asked, half awaken, half still sleeping.

     "We have to, we might not be able to reach the next bosses in time and we still need a strategy..." he sighed and yawned. He wasn't really that anxious because he always managed to have it his way. He just liked to listen to the sound of his voice, that's what I think!

     I got up quickly and we departed at once, leaving behind the empty tent we had slept it; probably an old traveler happened to forget it there. The road was winding, full of dead ends and steep cliffs. We were far away from any civilisation, somewhere lost between the mountains of Shenkuu and Altador.

     Suddenly we heard a noise from the bushes.

     "Keep back," Kero ordered. Not that I had any intentions of getting near the noise. If there is one thing he taught me is to always be on my guard... and on the safe side! Kero got close but as he approached a black-cloaked Neopet, wearing a mask, came out of the bushes. He was about my size (and I only say "he" because of the sound of his voice.)

     "I come in peace!" he declared as soon as Kero wielded his sword. I started powering up my paws, but something felt friendly with his movements. He wasn't ready to attack us, he spoke softly and acted in no way dangerously. He just waited for Kero to give the cue.

     "We're listening," Kero declared and you could see the masked Neopet relax.

     "You need me," the masked Neopet -let's call him Fuu for now since that is the name he told us when he properly introduced himself later- said.

     "Why would we need you? Or why would we believe you? " Kero quite correctly, asked.

     "I know about the next bosses. Three of them right?" Fuu revealed.

     "Anybody knows that..." Kero answered back, still not trusting this masked Neopet.

     "Yes, but as the leader you should know that your fellow party member..." at that point he turned at me, gesturing me to tell him my name

     "Mov!" I quickly said and he went on,

     "...Mov, holds the power to indefinitely slow one of the three bosses".

     That was true but how did the stranger know about my powers to such precision? We both knew that I was really valuable in the next battle. I just believed that Kero would take care of the other two bosses. Maybe we would find Engineer to boost up my power and keep two bosses slowed at once, I wasn't sure. Kero would figure something out for Fyora's name!

     "So what's your point, stranger?" Kero asked back. We couldn't lose any more time!

     "I also hold the power of indefinite slowing. With me, your battle will be like a stroll in the park!"

     I have to admit it, that seemed weird. I didn't know Fyora gave out such an ability so easily and it did make me feel a bit less special, but I had no time to investigate then. Little did I know.

     "If what you say is true, I would have asked you to join my party with a reward of gold, but we are out of that at the moment," Kero said with a sigh, looking towards Fuu. Fuu spoke at once, saying that it was part of his duty to do this and that our debt had already been paid. What duty? Who voluntarily goes on to fight bosses - except Kero of course - with no reward? In any case, free service from a valuable stranger? We agreed but had to keep on moving through more winding roads, dead ends, steep hills, rocky mountains...

     "Why don't you show us your face?" I asked Fuu on our way to the bosses.

     "See over there? That's their lair and we are almost there," Kero jumped in, pointing towards a brown castle.

     "Where did you get your power?" I asked Fuu again, but he ignored me, not sure if it was on purpose. He was anyway writing something underneath his cloak.

     "Almost there," Kero declared.

     ***

     At this point, dear future readers of my memoirs, I would like to point out that my mind went blank. I don't remember how we got past a whole maze and mini towns found inside that castle. I remember we met many potential party members, such as a Petpet tamer and a Brewer, but I doubt we hired any; partly because I have very vivid images of our battle being only the three of us and also because our gold had already run short. Enough rambling, though; my memories begin again upon looking at the three bosses.

     ***

     A vast, brightly lit room. Three huge Hissis, perfectly arranged in a line.

     "I got that one!" I shouted and ran towards the huge Hissi on the left. I charged up my paws and shot a beam of energy onto the Hissi. With each bolt that shot out of my paws, he became slower and lastly I had him where I wanted him; unable to move, unable to do anything, just stare at me with an evil grin. Looking up at his ugly face, I got terrified. That's why I preferred to keep concentrated not to lose my focus and power. Fuu had managed to stop the second Hissi on the right, who had almost hit Kero with his tail. His tail lay in midair above Kero's head. In any case, Kero had spent some skills on Group Shielding and he had already cast the blue shield which was surrounding each one of us. I had to use my full strength and potential to keep him frozen; I felt the strain in my arms and I was sure Fuu felt the same. But we had to keep going as Kero slashed and defeated the middle Hissi.

     "Come here!" I shouted as soon as Kero had finished with the middle boss. "He is almost overpowering me, getting past the slowing and I don't have any energy left!" I cried for help and Kero came. I stopped blasting the Hissi with full potential and gradually started lessening my power to mere deceleration. I saw Kero defeat the second Hissi in a few seconds. He quickly recast our group shields for they had disappeared and ran towards the third and final one. Fuu was as exhausted as I was by now but followed the same tactic; mere deceleration. I really wondered how long he had been practicing this power; even so exhausted he kept going until Kero easily slashed the third and final Hissi.

     That was it; we had defeated all three of them. I felt tired as if I had never battled or used my power before. Fuu approached me with news.

     "There is something I never told you. Just like slowing down Neopets, I can also make them move so fast that they can travel back in time," he slowly added as I inevitably started realising what was bound to happen.

     ***

     Don't worry, dear readers, here is the part where it gets interesting

     ***

     "Slowing down Neopets, accelerating them," I added jokingly as the whole truth started unfolding before my eyes. I had never before thought this was the way destiny had planned it for me. I wouldn't have known anyway! Fuu remembered. He ran towards a closed chest beneath the middle Hissi and took out the very same cloak and mask he wore.

     "You will need these," he told me and quickly put them on me. At the same time he started charging up his paws. A different kind of energy was building up, though, an evolved kind!

     ***

     As I am writing these last words, I feel the energy overtaking me, my body feels faster as I am being taken back to hide inside the bushes, where it all started.

     Here I see them coming towards me. I left myself in the future but came to find me in the past.

The End