Pishicu and the Wisdom Council: Part Eight

     "Er, guys!" she hollered to be heard over the roaring wind.

     "Yeah?" the two replied back, equally as loud.

     "Why don't you go ahead and destroy the Eternity Orb now?" Pishicu inquired.

     "Simple!" Terskun cried. "We need all of our power combined to recite the spell and crack these spheres! Now could you please be quiet, it's rather hard to fly and talk at the same time!"

     "Oh, okay, sorry."

     "It's okay."

     They continued to fly a bit more, and then Pishicu spoke again.

     "Terskun!"

     "What now, Pishicu?" the Draik groaned.

     "Well, umm, where are we going?" Pishicu asked.

     But instead of Terskun answering, Yessey broke in. "Mystery Island, to save Levita. See, in the distance, you can see it just a bit!"

     Pishicu raised her pink head, held onto her glasses so that they wouldn't blow away, and stared towards the horizon. Sure enough, there was an outline of a small island there.

     The island continued to grow bigger and bigger, and finally they were right on top of it.

     "Time to land?" Yessey asked as she fluttered over a grove of palm trees.

     "Yes, I believe it's time," Terskun said as he began to land.

     The two expertly glided through the trees, and finally perched themselves on the ground just a littly ways away from a village. They waited a few minutes so they could get their bearings, and then started walking toward the village.

     "Why are we going this way? Levita's surely not hidden in a village!" Pishicu exclaimed.

     "True, but we don't know the surrounding area, and the Cocos do. So we ask them if they've seen anything unusual lately, they tell us, and we find the place where Levita is located. How'd you think I found the cave where Yessey lay?" Terskun muttered as he strolled into the village.

     "Duh," Yessey put in as she shook her head. "Any idiot can figure out how to do that... Honestly I wish we didn't have to bring you, you're such a pain..."

     The Poogle gave her a mean look, which the Pteri met, but they said nothing to each other, or anyone else for that matter. Terskun was forced to get information from the Cocos, and hire a tour guide to take them to a cave that had just appeared in an inactive volcano.

     Overall, the trip wasn't that rough even though it was rather long, but halfway along the way Pishicu spoke up and she and Yessey started to bicker constantly. They continued to bicker even when they reached the cave, which was now dark since it was nighttime, and Terskun was starting to get a headache.

     "Well, we're at the cave, Pishicu. I know that you're a little slow on the uptake so I thought I'd hint you in," Yessey sneered bitterly as they started entering the cave.

     "Oh, how sweet of you. It must have taken you're little bird brain a great effort to spout out those words!" Pishicu sneered right back.

     Yessey flew at her, and they started to fight right then and there.

     "Girls, girls, stop it! Stop it, please!" Terskun implored. "Think of all the noise you're making-- a Dark Faerie could hear you!"

     "Oh, but she already has! Annecy, at your service!" cackled a Dark Faerie with black hair and a ruby-red dress.

     "Great job guys," Terskun growled as he glared up at the Dark Faerie standing above him.

     "Blame your sister--"

     "Me? It was you who started it Yessey!"

     "Why you--"

     "Oooh, a little trouble between the two of you?" Annecy grinned as she surveyed the fight.

     "STAY OUT OF IT!" the two girls screamed in unison.

     The Dark Faerie smiled, and then clucked, "Uh, uh, uh! Fighting isn't appealing to little girls! Though, I suppose... Yes, yes, that would save me some time... You two would destroy the whole mission... I need to get to that manicure appointment anyway... Great, change of plans, I'm not gonna fight you!"

     "What?" Yessey muttered, an eyebrow raised.

     "Terskun, who is that?" Pishicu whispered to her brother.

     "She's Annecy. Her power is to switch pet's bodies. I mentioned it to you before," he replied.

     "Yup, that's right. Not gonna fight you! But I will--" Annecy stretched out her hands which were glowing a fluorescent green, "--cast my special spell on the Pteri and the Poogle!"

     "NO!" Pishicu and Yessey cried, but it was too late; Annecy had blasted them both.

     It was a queer feeling, having your body switched; it almost seemed as if something was sucking your soul out. It wasn't painful, but Pishicu didn't like it one bit.

     "Umph!" Pishicu and Yessey grumbled simultaneously as they were thrust into each other's bodies.

     Pishicu slowly got up, and opened her eyes, but was surprised to see that her vision wasn't blurry. In fact, it was better than normal.

     This must be how Yessey sees, Pishicu thought to herself as she got to her feet, which were now very petite.

     "Annecy!" said a bold, snippety voice-- Pishicu's bold, snippety voice. "Annecy, how long is this going to last? I know this spell doesn't last forever!"

     The Faerie above them, who was now wearing an evil grin, conceded, "True. Sad, but true. The spell shall last until you get the next Eternity Orb, if you can make it there. I have a feeling that there will be quite a bit of trouble along the way! Well, I hafta go now! Have fun you three!" Then with a wink, and a puff of smoke she was gone.

     "Great, just great," Yessey mumbled miserably. The now Strawberry Poogle with huge glasses was hunched against a wall with an extremely disagreeable look on her face. "Not only can I no longer fly or have terrific eyesight, I'm fat!"

     "HEY!" Pishicu screeched, she was surprised at how squeaky her voice was. She meant to charge at her, but then she something very odd happened. Her feet were leaving the ground, and she felt extremely light. Then Pishicu remembered that she now had wings, and a thin smile appeared upon her beak. She flew up high, and was about to dive at Yessey when the Poogle bared her sharp teeth. Pishicu pulled back, but was quite shocked; she had forgotten that she had had those. She was about to go in for another attack, but then someone grabbed her from behind.

     "Let go!" Pishicu muttered, as she desperately tried to get away.

     "No," Terskun replied stoutly. "Too long have I watched the two of you fight, it's your own fault you're both in this mess. Don't you realize that Annecy had intended for you to squabble such? If you keep doing it, no one else will be saved since you'll never get another Eternity Orb, and you'll never be changed back. So please, if you ever want to get back to your own bodies, cooperate with each other!"

     Pishicu and Yessey stared at Terskun bitterly, but then stared at each other. They both knew that Terskun was right, so finally they both nodded in agreement.

     "Very good, now come on," the Draik snapped. "This cave's on Mystery Island, I have a feeling it's going to get rather hot."

     "What? Why?" Pishicu questioned as she fluttered back to the ground.

     "Mystery Island has a whole lot of volcanoes. There's bound to be lava around here somewhere," Terskun muttered as he too landed on the ground and proceeded down the tunnel.

     "So? Just because a cave's in somewhere that's supposed to have lots of volcanoes doesn't mean it will have lava in it. Tyrannia's cave didn't," Pishicu stated promptly.

     Terskun shook his head in an annoyed manner. "You'll see," he whispered, a grim smile on his lips.

     The new Pteri grumbled at Terskun's "know-it-all-ism" as she called it, but still continued following him; Yessey was hot at her heels.

     Of course, that wasn't the only thing that was hot. As they continued to journey deeper and deeper inside the cave, the temperature started to rise to unholy levels.

     "Yessey, this wouldn't just be an effect of one of your spells, would it?" Pishicu asked tentatively.

     "No, you saw my power, you dung-head! I have control over the earth!" Yessey snapped testily; her own dislike for Pishicu and the heat were making her grow unusually testy. "Besides, I'm not me anymore, am I? You have my power now. Don't you know anything?"

     "Sa-orrr-ry! I don't know much about magic, forgive me, I'm normal."

     "I wouldn't go that far--"

     "HEY!" Pishicu turned around to face Yessey, but then Terskun began to yell.

     "Pishicu, look out!" he screamed. Then he valiantly dove at her, shoving her against the wall as a jet of fire released right were she would have been standing.

     The Pteri was shocked at this; her eyes open with fear. She then noticed her brother's wing tip was slightly scorched, but he folded it as to hide it from her and Yessey.

     "Thank you Terskun," she finally muttered as he let go of her.

     "No problem, just be careful. I told you this place is volcanically active, and this is only the beginning! I'm glad all Draiks can sense fire before they see it..." he mumbled as he continued a brisk pace down the tunnel. "Now both of you, c'mon! This is only the beginning."

     Pishicu stared at Yessey with a shocked look, but did not receive the same look back. It occurred how tough her brother and all of the other members of the Wisdom Council actually were not to be shaken up by something like this.

     Then a thought ran through her mind. If this is only the beginning, what lies for me, no, for all of us, at the end?

     Terskun lead Pishicu and Yessey down innumerable paths, some where they only had about a foot of walking space because there was so much lava.

     "Terskun, it's getting so hot," Pishicu complained as she tried to rest against a wall, but sprang back immediately because of its heat. Sweat was pouring of her in buckets, and she feared that the Pteri wings would become too weighed down with the liquid to fly.

     "S-stop com-complaining," Yessey panted heavily. The poor thing was swaying dangerously inside the Poogle's body as if she was about to faint, and Pishicu could see why; Poogles were made for cold climates, they were built for it in every way. Being in a body like that in a place as hot as this; Pishicu did not envy her one bit.

     "We should be there soon," Terskun replied. He was the only one who seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal. Pishicu figured it must gave been the fact that he was a dragon and made for heat. Why couldn't I've switched bodies with him? she thought to herself.

     Finally, they came to a large room of black stone. There was a path of stone that led to a large platform at the end which housed a large arch; the whole thing was surrounded by bubbling lava. It was sweltering hot inside, and poor Yessey looked like she was fit to die.

     "Here," Pishicu said as she pushed up against the Poogle who was leaning dangerously close to the lava.

     "I don't need your help," was Yessey's curt reply. She tried to hurry up and catch up with Terskun, but then she missed a step out of fatigue and nearly tumbled into lava.

     Pishicu rushed over to her, and grabbed her with her talons by the stubby, green tail.

     "Don't need help, huh?" she said with a swift smile.

     "Well, not too much, but maybe a little help would be okay... These glasses fog terribly, and it's sort of hard to see," Yessey replied, attempting to hide her look of gratitude. "But you also do need to go on a bit of a diet."

     Pishicu gazed heatedly at her. "If you weren't in my body I would so shove you in that lava," was her reply.

     Yessey smiled, but said not a word more.

     "Terskun, are we almost there?" Pishicu called to her brother who was further up. "I'm not sure if I can take much more of this, and I think Yessey's getting a little worn out, too."

     Terskun turned around to look at them, not a drop of sweat on his forehead. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you two come--"

     "Nonsense!" the Pteri and the Poogle cried simultaneously.

     The Skunk Draik smiled, mumbled something about "hard-headed girls," and then called back to them, "I think Levita is probably through that archway, but there is a problem..."

     "What?"

     "Well, you two switched bodies, so which one shoves Levita out of the way?"

     Pishicu and Yessey were quiet, not knowing what to say.

     "Well, we're just going to have to touch Levita together, aren't we?" Pishicu mumbled.

     "How do you figure?" Yessey questioned.

     "Well, your body has my soul, but my body has my body! Each of us has a half of me, and since no other non-member or non-past member of the Wisdom Council is here, we need to combine those halves to move Levita out of her trance."

     Terskun nodded, "I suppose that is what we'll have to do."

     Finally they reached the black arch, and they slowly entered it. They gazed around in awe to see a huge room made entirely of brimstone (Pishicu screamed, "This place smells absolutely terrible!"). The walls reflected the red from the lake of lava below and had intricate carvings of vines and animals spiralling upward around the sides ("Wow!" Pishicu mouthed.). Then, situated in the middle of the very top on a tall platform, was Levita.

     "Okay, guys, let's get to business. Pishicu, you can fly up to Levita, right?" Terskun asked as he rubbed his hands together.

     "Yup!" Pishicu chirped as she produced the brown Pteri wings.

     "Good, and Yessey, I'm carrying you up there, okay?"

     "Okay, but it feels so weird not being able to fly..." Yessey muttered to herself. She turned her head and looked at her chubby, wingless body and then let out a long, sad sigh.

     Terskun placed his scaly hand on her shoulder and reassured her that she'd have her old body back soon. The Poogle smiled at him then told him that she was ready to go.

     "Okay, guys, we're going to have to reach Levita at the same time, or else one of you will get an unnecessary shock. Ready?" Terskun tightened his grip on Yessey and Pishicu began to slowly flap her wings. "1... 2... 3... GO!"

     The two winged Neopets took off into the air, flapping their wings furiously. Pishicu was actually surprised how easy and fun it was; she felt carefree and light as she ascended into the air, but Terskun didn't look like the job was so effortless. The sweat that had been missing for hours in the intense heat was beading up on his forehead, and he looked like he was fighting with his every being to stay alight. He wavered dangerously, and Pishicu soared over to him.

     "Terskun, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with concerned.

     "M-my wing," he gasped.

     Pishicu fluttered and looked at his wing, and saw a scorched section that was a little torn. Then the Pteri remembered that he had gotten it burnt when he saved her from the fire, and she was filled with heavy guilt.

     "Can you make it?" Pishicu inquired nervously.

     "I-I think so." At that moment the wing gave out and Terskun went plummeting to the ground.

     "TERSKUN! YESSEY!" Pishicu screamed. She dove to try to get both of them at the same time, but was stopped.

     "Ignore me, I'll live! Get Yessey, she's all you can carry!" Terskun screamed at her.

     Pishicu nodded and grabbed Yessey by the scruff of her neck with her talons, even though she was worried for her brother. The Poogle was extremely heavy and it was taking all her strength and more to keep herself in the air; she knew not how Terskun had managed to lift her with the hurt wing.

     "I really need to go on a diet later," Pishicu thought to herself miserably.

     The Poogle and the Pteri looked down to see Terskun's fate, and they were becoming increasingly nervous. His wings had not opened up again and were pulled tightly in towards his body which almost seemed to help him gain speed.

     "He's not pulling out!" Yessey cried with fear.

     "He's going right into the lava!" Pishicu screamed with fright.

     "PISHICU, USE MY POWER!" Yessey yelled.

     Pishicu's eyes widened with realization. She had just remembered how all of them knew how to use special powers, and that Yessey controlled the earth. How she had missed it before she didn't understand, since she could feel a weird, powerful sensation flowing through her veins.

     Pishicu concentrated hard on the earth, trying focus the power. Suddenly, a wave of warmth flew through her, and she heard a crackling sound of rock from below. She looked down to see a large rock platform form underneath her brother, and she hoped it would be enough.

     Terskun too seemed to notice it, and he pitifully flapped his wings to try to slow and steady his fall. It didn't do much, but he landed considerably softly.

     "Terskun! How--" Yessey started.

     "Never mind that, go get Levita," Terskun ordered. This was good news for the girls to see that he was in condition to talk.

     Pishicu nodded, and desperately tried to go farther up in the air, but made very little progress.

     "I can't do this," Pishicu finally admitted.

     "What?"

     "I can't take you all the way. You're-- I mean I'm-- to heavy!" Pishicu cried.

     Yessey groaned, "Well how else am I supposed to get up there?"

     Pishicu didn't know at first, but then something caught her eye. The spiral that went all the way up to the ceiling, it was just wide enough for a Poogle, and if Yessey were to leap off the edge when she got to a little above Levita's height, she just might...

     "Yessey I have and idea, hold on a sec!" Pishicu muttered as she flew furiously over to the edge of the spiral. She then dropped the chubby Poogle along it and took a few breaths to brace herself.

     "What's going on?" asked Yessey suspiciously.

     "You're going to roll up in a ball."

     "What?"

     "You're going to roll up in a ball, it's a natural Poogle talent. Then you can roll around the edge all the way up to the top and fly off to reach Levita. I'll probably be waiting at the top by the time you get there," Pishicu said as she started to fly away.

     Yessey was aghast. "What if I can't do this? What if I fall off?"

     "Don't worry, you won't! You're a Poogle, and all Poogle's can do this! Trust me, I'd know. Now I suggest you get going!" Then Pishicu flew off, but still kept her eye on the hesitant Poogle.

     Yessey slowly followed Pishicu's instructions. She must have tucked herself up into a ball about five times before she finally got comfortable enough like that to roll. "Amateur," Pishicu couldn't help but thinking. The Poogle's roll was slow at first, and it unnerved Pishicu since she knew that Yessey would have to pick up speed if she was to reach Levita, but soon she was going as fast as Pishicu could have when she was a Poogle.

     Yessey was almost ready to jump, and Pishicu was waiting for her at the top next to Levita. Then, Yessey veered off the spiral along the wall right as she got a little higher than where Levita was, flew off at an incredible speed, and soared over to where Levita was sitting. Pishicu took her cue and touched the Kougra just as Yessey reached her and stuck her paw out.

     Then, there was an odd sensation. Pishicu could see Levita stirring, yet she almost seemed outside herself.

     We must be switching back, Pishicu figured.

     Suddenly, she started to feel very heavy, and the wings that she had had only a few seconds ago were gone. Her vision had cleared up, and she was now aware of everything that was going on around her, including how she was falling.

     "HELP!" Pishicu hollered as she waved her paws frantically.

     Levita looked down at her surprised, and then quickly grabbed her with her paw.

     "Don't worry, I've got you!" she called in a reassuring voice. Then, with great strength, the Kougra hoisted her upon the platform.

     Pishicu thanked her, then turned to Yessey who was hovering a little ways away.

     "We did it!" the Poogle screamed excitedly. "And we're back to normal!"

     "Of course we are!" Yessey chirped. "Now let's get down from here. I'll take you both back one at a time."

     "You sure I'm not to heavy?" Pishicu asked, remembering from when she was in the Pteri's body what a challenge carrying her body had been.

     "Normally yes, but since we're going downward, it won't be a problem."

     Then Yessey proceeded to carry down Pishicu then Levita.

     "Okay, girls, I think it's about time that we leave this place," Terskun declared when they all arrived.

     "Yes, I do believe it is," Yessey said with a sly smile.

     "I agree, but, err..." Pishicu started.

     "Yes?"

     "Are we going to have to walk the whole way back?" The Poogle was already sweating bullets, and she doubted that she would survive walking that long, tedious road.

     Yessey laughed. "Of course not!" she exclaimed. "Levita, show her!"

     The rather large green Kougra smiled slightly, and then beckoned them all over to her.

     "Now all of you hold my tail." She addressed them all, but Pishicu knew that these words were meant for her. "And count to three. No matter what, do not let go."

     Pishicu did what she was told, though somewhat hesitantly. Her paws were slippery, and she was worried what would happen.

     "One... two... three!"

     On three, a flash of light emitted from below Levita, and Pishicu for a split second the Poogle saw a portal like the one Sisle had created appear. The pets sank into it, and when Pishicu was completely emerged in it she looked around to see that she was in some sort of white tunnel. Suddenly, she was standing at the base of the cave. The sky was now pink from the morning, and it was really quite lovely.

     "W-wow!" Pishicu exclaimed, a huge smile across her face.

     "Yes, it is quite incredible," Terskun said with a grin. "And it has some extra healing benefits as well..." The Draik flapped his once-injured wing proudly.

     "It's nothing, really it is," Levita persisted, but she couldn't hide the pride that shown in her eyes. "I can only do it to places I've already seen. Anyone can learn to do it with years of rigorous training in magic and the fact that I can do it with little to no effort is no big deal."

     Yessey shook her head at Levita, then looked at the group stubbornly. "Why are we wasting time? Levita, you have the Eternity Orb, like I have mine?"

     "Yes," she said as she pointed to the round object on her neck.

     "Good. Then we need to get moving. Terskun, you carry Levita since you're stronger than me and she's actually heavier. I'll carry Pishicu."

     "You sure you two won't kill each other?" Terskun asked with a smile.

     "No, but I think we'll be able to get along just for a bit," Pishicu said with a smile at Yessey, who returned it.

     Terskun nodded. "Great! Now off to Krawk Island!"

     ***

     Sisle tapped her fingers impatiently on a silver chair at the end of a very long table. Her eyes were closed, and a deep frown was formed on her lips. Though she didn't see it, she knew that Annecy had failed and she had lost another Eternity Orb. It was an evil ruler thing.

     She held out her hand and released some sparks. Suddenly, Annecy appeared in the pink stone room, looking unusually cheerful. However, that wasn't the only thing different about her; on both hands her claw-like fingernails were glittering with fresh, shiny polish.

     "Oh, hello Sisle! How do you like my nails?" Annecy inquired airily as she waved her manicured hands.

     Sisle growled, and sparks of anger flew from her fingers. "I don't give a dung about your nails!" she hissed, blonde hair swingy wildly. "You lost the Eternity Orb!"

     "I did?" the Faerie said uncertainly. "Oh... Oh I didn't think they'd get that... Well, er, I can explain!"

     "I have no time for your excuses! It's just wasting time! Don't you realize what will happen if they get all of them?" Sisle's voice grew to a very frightening roar as she said these words, thoroughly scaring Annecy.

     "Yes'm," Annecy replied, knowing it was no use to try to defend herself.

     "Good, now go! I no longer wish to see you!"

     Annecy nodded, frightened to the core, and left the room quickly without a single look back.

     Sisle stared at the door for a few more seconds, and then did the hand-summoning thing again. Another Dark Faerie appeared, this one a bit scarier than the others. Her skin was pure white, her cloak and dress a midnight black, her wings gigantic and bat-like, and her hair long, black, and straight. She immediately backed away into a corner after entering the sunny room.

     "What?" she asked. Her voice was soft, yet it had an eerie feel that was indescribable.

     "Bebaru, I believe you are aware of our dilemma with the Eternity Orbs," Sisle said quietly as she drew the purple silk curtains for Bebaru's comfort.

     "Yes, I am indeed," Bebaru muttered, inching forward. "Why? Is it my turn to try to get one back from those buffoons?"

     "Yes, it is. I imagine that they are now heading to Krawk Island. It is morning now, but I feel a storm coming on that will shroud the sun for you. You must intercept them, take their Eternity Orbs, and dispose of them, understand?"

     "Yes. And don't worry, I shall not fail."

To be continued...