Three Powers: Fate - Part Four

"You'll never take me alive!" Apolla snarled jumping to the front of the cage.

     "Oh, can't you see it's a little too late for that?" Gozbin asked with a cruel laugh.

     "No, you've taken me but you won't be able to take my power," Apolla said strongly, even though the world waved in front of her eyes. She had stood up too fast.

     "Alive you say?" Gozbin said coolly, "Well we can fix that..."

     *****

     "Apolla!" Ashkinzy cried. Her memory returned, flooding into her head.

     5tari's eyes grew wide, "Where'd Gozbin take her?"

     Hu rubbed her head then suddenly started as she recalled the day's events, "We have to go find her before its too late!"

     Ashkinzy suddenly remembered when she had known that Apolla had woken up... was it possible that she and Apolla could communicate like she and 5tari did? It was worth a try.

     Apolla? Where are you? It's me, Ashkinzy... Two minutes passed, Hu and 5tari in silence watching Ashkinzy.

     Ashkinzy looked up in hopelessness telling her sister and owner it hadn't worked. Suddenly pictures flew to Ashkinzy. A metal cage, Gozbin's sinister laughter, a large dark room...

     "I know where she is!" Ashkinzy cried. "The warehouse!"

     *****

     "No!" Apollo cried in pain. "I - I - owe! I'll never tell you!"

     Gozbin turned down a red lever, "I'll ask you one more time... How can I get the power?"

     Apolla gasped, breathing heavily, her fiery chest moved up and down with each shuttering breath.

     "All right then... here we go again," with one paw Gozbin began to lift the lever once more.

     Suddenly the warehouse doors flew open. Sunlight streamed into the dark building.

     "Apolla!" Hu cried rushing to the Yurble's cage.

     5tari's eyes narrowed to slits and lunged at Gozbin before the Gelert knew what was happening.

     Ashkinzy observed the scene for a while, framed in the doorway. She gave off quite a powerful era.

     That's when Gozbin noticed it. Between the flurry of fins and scales Gozbin saw Ashkinzy standing there with such power.

     Twins. Two. Three parts of the power. Apolla, Ashkinzy, 5tari...

     Gozbin stopped fighting the Koi and with a sinister smile he reached up and pressed a large blue button. Apolla fell to the floor as the cage opened. Gozbin threw off the Koi with a strong swipe. 5tari flew towards Apolla and the two crashed into Hu. A huge zap went through the two pets and a blue light rose into the air.

     "Our power!" Apolla screamed.

     Gozbin smiled and leaped into the air where the blue light hung, suspended. He was enveloped by it and then it was gone. Gozbin had 5tari's and Apolla's power, Ashkinzy was the only one left...

     I'm the only one left... thought Ashkinzy to herself.

     "Now, hand over your power," demanded Gozbin. The ixi chuckled nervously.

     "Um, what power?"

     Suddenly Hu realized what had to happen. Apolla and 5tari had to hit each other at a forceful speed so the power was pulled out of each into one larger orb which Gozbin now had... so that meant...

     "Tell Ashkinzy she has to run into Gozbin," Hu whispered to her Koi.

     "What?" 5tari asked in confusion.

     "Just do it," Hu said desperately as Gozbin approached Ashkinzy.

     On the other side of the room Ashkinzy gave the trio a curious look but then obeyed. She rammed into Gozbin with all her might and two blue orbs flowed out of each pet. Gozbin's larger, Ashkinzy's smaller, they rose above everyone's head and molted together.

     "Thank you, that's just what I needed," Gozbin smiled menacingly and jumped into the air. But it was too late.

     The power had risen twenty or so feet above the ground out of everyone's reach.

     "5tari! You can get it! You can fly up there and take the power!" Ashkinzy cried.

     The Koi looked up. For a fleeting moment 5tari realized what it would mean to have all this power. She could control Neopia, she could do anything! All that power...

     "No!" 5tari cried firmly. She glowed with rage and self-containment looking like the perfect image of Athena. "Gozbin will not have his way! What better would I be if I just took the power for myself? That's exactly what he wanted to do. I won't stoop that low... the power's gone."

     It was indeed gone. The blue light had floated out of the warehouse and out of any of their reach.

     "Well, as fun as this is to watch Athena realize her true self - I'll have to be going," Gozbin chuckled making his way to the door.

     Ashkinzy took her place firmly in his way.

     "That's a very bad idea, my little goddess," Gozbin said cooly.

     5tari ran across the room to tackle the Gelert but he turned around seconds before she reached him. Gozbin in the advantage the two struggled on the cold cement floor for a minute and were soon joined by Apolla and Ashkinzy.

     The Koi looked up. For a fleeting moment 5tari realized what it would mean to have all this power. She could control Neopia; she could do anything! All that power...

     "No!" 5tari cried firmly. She glowed with rage and self-containment looking like the perfect image of Athena. "Gozbin will not have his way! What better would I be if I just took the power for myself? That's exactly what he wanted to do. I won't stoop that low -the power's gone."

     It was indeed gone. The blue light had floated out of the warehouse and out of any of their reach.

     "Well, as fun as this is to watch Athena realize her true self - I'll have to be going," Gozbin chuckled making his way to the door.

     Ashkinzy took her place firmly in his way.

     "That's a very bad idea, my little goddess," Gozbin said cooly.

     5tari ran across the room to tackle the Gelert but he turned around seconds before she reached him. Gozbin in the advantage the two struggled on the cold cement floor for a minute and were soon joined by Apolla and Ashkinzy.

     Hu had been lost in thought, as she sat down on the chilly cement floor. At the corners of her eyes she could have sworn that there was another Ne- not Neopet, but some kind of spirit form. The white speck grew and formed into a white figure.

     It seemed like everything in the world was lost; Gozbin had succeeded in finding the goddesses for the power he desired. He had taken their powers from them, leaving them weak. However, sometimes, success isn't such a great thing.

     Nobody but Hu noticed the white figure. Gozbin, 5tari, Ashkinzy, and Apolla were too busy wrestling to notice the figure. Perhaps if Gozbin had seen the figure, he would have given up. But, alas, he didn't.

     "Hu... you've done a wonderful job with the goddesses, and my twins. I'm here, and everything will be fine..." whispered the figure to the girl. Hu shivered. "Don't be scared..."

     With this said, the ghost glided towards the wresting group.

     "Gozbin, you will never get the power!"

     "Who says that?" barked the Gelert.

     "I..." answered the ghost. Gozbin stopped wrestling. His eyes molded into a pair of large circular eyes. His eyes reflecked memory, shock, and fear.

     "I killed you! How can it be?" cried the Gelert.

     "Anything is possible. The orb cracked, when you, the unrightful owner, tried to steal it. Its powers split into three and made their way to the chosen ones. You haven't done your research," spoke the ghost.

     5tari, now it's time. We can get that sniveling Gelert into the cage, thought telepathically Ashkinzy to her sister. Her sister whipped the distracted Gelert into the very same cage that held them.

     "T-thank you, Ghost whoever you are," Hu said quietly. Ashkinzy and 5tari nodded.

     "Are you..." Apolla's voice began to drift away.

     "Yes, it's me. Dexina and Athena's mother."

     "MOTHER?" blurted out the twins. The word felt dry, from not being used. But it felt right. The ghost nodded its head.

     "I have to go now," concluded the ghost, "Now that fate has done its duty, I have to do mine." With this the ghost faded away.

     "Wait! Were you the one who spoke to us before, telepathically?" yelled Ashkinzy.

     Of course, sweethearts. Did you honestly think that you were the only ones who had that kind of power?

     "What? I thought our powers were taken away from us..."

     Telepathy was always in you, you've just have to listen with your heart, and that's how you will always do it.

     Apolla cried, with tears tickling her whiskers on her snout.

     "Now, girls, what are we to do with HIM?" pointed Hu at the growling Gelert.

     "I think I may have an idea..." answered 5tari with a grin.

     *****

     (5tari/Athena)

     We turned Gozbin over to the Defenders of Neopia. Of course, they didn't really understand what happened, but... Neopia is safe, once again. It's been months since this all happened, and I'm sort of glad it's over.

     (Ashkinzy/ Delxina)

     I heard that they make Gozbin scrub the bathroom floors with a toothbrush. Anyways, after turning over Gozbin to the Defenders, we went home. A decision was made; we now have a new sister. Her name? Apolla, but we've gave her a new name... F1refighter.

     (Apolla/ F1refighter)

     There was no way I could go back to the Sun. I was back to being a regular Neopet, meaning I had no way of surviving the sweltering heat. Hu offered me a part of her household, and of course, I agreed.

     (Hu)

     What happened to the powers? Well they floated away, far out of the Neopia atmosphere, and disintegrated into regular white fluffy clouds.

The End