The Price of Ambition

      When Izzrin inhaled quickly, Annie’s head snapped over to her with hope that she had something insightful to say. But that hope was dashed with her words. “Um, where’s your bathroom?”

      “Down the hallway, first door on the left,” SB said, pointing toward it with her hoof.

      Izzrin rushed off, and Brynettia rolled her eyes. “That was really all she had to contribute? I weep for the future of my species.”

      “Hey, be nice,” Annie retorted. “She’s been a big help so far. I know she’s ditzy, but at least she’s useful.”

      Poppy sighed and rested her chin in her hand, leaning on the table with one elbow. “If only we could get a hold of the Space Faerie. Surely, she would know how to get a weapon that can beat Sloth.”

      “She’s even harder to get to than Fyora,” SB said. “I’m not even quite sure where she is right now. Probably off doing something important.”

      “But what about the books you guys read? Wasn’t one of them about the Space Faerie vs Sloth?” Poppy asked, looking back and forth between SB and Bryn.

      “Yeah, but most of her tactics involved her faerie magic and weapons that she fashioned herself. She wasn’t using anything that you could just pick up at the store,” Bryn answered, pulling out the book from a stack she had next to her.

      “Does Space Faerie have friends?” Gus asked, taking the book from Bryn and looking at the back cover. “Maybe friend talk to Space Faerie. Convince her to help.”

      “I think she has a couple pets that work for her in Neopia. They help her out with things. One of them was interviewed in the book.” Bryn took the book back and flipped it open to a page. “See, look here. Someone named Sohrin.”

      “Is there any way we could get a hold of Sohrin? Even if she can’t get us a meeting with the Space Faerie, she could probably answer questions about what she did in her big battle,” Saorsie suggested, peering over Bryn’s shoulder.

      “I’ll try and look through some of the community directories that I have for work. Surely, she’d be in one of them,” Poppy said, getting up and heading upstairs to her office.

      Right after Poppy left, Izzrin came back from the bathroom and sat back down at the table. “So uh, what did I miss?”

      “We’re gonna try and talk to someone who works with the Space Faerie,” Annie explained, gesturing to the book.

      “Oh, sick!” Izzrin exclaimed, then paused. “Um, I wouldn’t be able to help you there. I’m kind of afraid of going into space. And there’s a new episode of Survivor Neopets on tonight.”

      As if on cue, Poppy came downstairs, holding a thick book. “You wouldn’t have to worry about that, actually. Sohrin works out of Faerieland. I found her in the directory.”

      “That’s perfect!” Annie said, her face brightening up. “Uh, I’m not sure who would be able to go with me today to see her… Gus, what about you?”

      Gus frowned and shook his head. “Gus have knitting circle later. Can’t miss.”

      “Poppy? What about you?” Annie asked, her tone still hopeful.

      “I’m supposed to head out and do an interview with someone in Brightvale in two hours. I wish I could, I’m really sorry,” she answered, offering an apologetic half-smile.

      Annie looked around the room, getting a little more worried. “SB, I know you’re working too, but what about Saorsie or Bryn?”

      “Bryn’s going to a playdate and I promised Poppy that I would take her,” Saorsie said quietly, looking away. “I’m not trying to ditch you or anything, I promise! I’d really like to go, but somebody has to take Bryn.”

      “So does that mean…” Annie said, trailing off and looking back at Poppy.

      “I think you have to do this one on your own,” she replied. “I don’t feel great about letting you go out on your own right now, but it seems like we don’t have any other choice.”

      The thought of doing anything she shouldn’t be doing didn’t even cross her mind. Her biggest worry was about being alone. Faerieland was a perfectly safe place to be, but she’d never been that far from home by herself before. “Okay… I guess I can do it.”

      “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I can get a call into Sohrin before you go to make sure she knows to expect you. Just stick to the mission and you’ll be fine.” Poppy didn’t sound fully convinced, but Annie didn’t think it was out of any reasonable fear.

      “Okay. I will.”

      After saying goodbye to Tuskgus and Izzrin, Annie began to get ready for her journey. She packed her list of materials, the book about the Space Faerie and Dr. Sloth, some food, a small map, and some money. Everyone in the family hugged her and wished her well, and then she was off.

      Flying to Faerieland was quick and easy, just like it had been the last time she went when she was with Gus. But the journey felt a little more lonesome since she knew there wouldn’t be anyone at her side while she was there. When she touched down, she pulled out the map of Faerieland, where Poppy had circled Sohrin’s office. It wasn’t too far from where the Hidden Tower entrance was, in a small cluster with other offices. Annie walked up to the door, trying to keep herself from shaking, and knocked on it.

      A few moments went by without an answer, and Annie started to worry that Sohrin wasn’t even there. But almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the wooden door opened and revealed a Faerie Kougra. “Are you Anerada Golden?” She asked, not betraying any sort of emotion in her voice.

      “Um, yeah, that’s me.” The lack of inflexion made Annie nervous. Was this even the right person? Was she mad at her for some reason?”

      “I was told you were coming. I’m Sohrin.” Sohrin stepped aside, gesturing for Annie to come in, and she did. “So your owner is Poppy from the Neopian Times, right? She didn’t say why you were coming. Is this for a story or something?”

      Annie followed Sohrin into the office and noticed that it was sparsely decorated. There were a few generic knick-knacks, but not much that indicated that it was for someone who worked for Mira. “Uh, no. I need help with something related to the Space Faerie. You were interviewed in the book about her fighting Dr. Sloth, so I was hoping you could help.”

      Sohrin sat down at her desk, which had a few papers and books stacked on it, but not much else. “I might be able to. Depends on what it is.” She was still closed off, and Annie wasn’t sure if she would want to help, even if she could.

      Annie sat down in the chair across from the desk and began fidgeting. “So, um, Dr. Sloth turned me into a mutant. It was with a really powerful potion that we couldn’t easily reverse the effects of. Edna said she could do a spell, but it needs a bunch of different ingredients. One of them is a weapon capable of defeating Dr. Sloth.”

      The Kougra pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “Mm. That’s tough.”

      “Is it?” Annie asked, her heart dropping into her stomach.

      “Mira doesn’t use your average, everyday weapons. Everything she uses is specialized and designed just for her. She’s not going to lend them out to any Neopian off the street,” Sohrin explained. She did seem to notice Annie’s dejected look, though, and her face softened a bit. “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything we can do. You don’t actually have to beat Dr. Sloth, do you? You just need something that can, right?”

      “Um, maybe? Edna didn’t really explain it very well…” As she thought about it, Annie wasn’t even really sure how that kind of thing would work. Did the physical objects go in the pot and make some sort of stew? Was she supposed to drink it or use it on Sloth?

      Sohrin steepled her paws together and hummed in thought. “Unfortunately, Mira’s on an important mission right now. It probably wouldn’t be a great idea to interrupt her.”

      Every word was a dagger in Annie’s chest. “That’s fine. I don’t want to be too much trouble or anything.”

      “But…” Sohrin trailed off as she pulled open one of the drawers in her desk and pulled out a fancy-looking gadget. It looked like a cell phone, if the cell phone was totally tricked out with eighty features that didn’t exist in Neopia yet. She typed something out on it, then set it down on the desk. “I sent a message anyway. I’m not sure if she’ll answer, but it couldn’t hurt.”

      Although it lifted Annie’s spirit a bit to hear Sohrin’s words, it still wasn’t a guarantee. “So, should I just wait or…?” Her words were cut off by the device whirring and beeping, and it made her flinch in her seat.

      “Wow, quick response! She must not be very busy right now. Let’s see what she said…” Sohrin carefully read the message on the device and nodded at the words on the screen. “Huh, she’s actually free right now! She’s gonna come down to talk to you.”

      Annie froze up. “R-really? Mira, talk to me? Are you sure I’m not interrupting her? It’s not that big of a deal or anything…”

      Sohrin shrugged, but she was smiling, as if she had finally warmed up to Annie. “Mira’s not the type to neglect her duties just to help one Neopian. If she had something more important to do, she’d be doing it.”

      Much quicker than Annie expected, the space faerie appeared in the room, bringing a puff of blue glitter with her. She had a gentle smile on her face, and looked at Annie with kind eyes. “Hi, you must be Anerada. I’m Mira. It’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand, and Annie shook it with a firm grip.

      “I’m really sorry for interrupting whatever you were doing. You really don’t have to help me if it’s too much trouble,” Annie said, trying not to trip over her words. Although she had been around Fyora, Illusen, and Jhudora now, she was still in awe of Mira’s presence.

      Mira waved her hand, dismissing the notion. “Don’t worry, I was actually just finishing up what I was doing. What do you need help with?”

      Annie took a deep breath, then went into the story. As soon as she mentioned Dr. Sloth, she could see Mira’s expression harden a bit. It only made sense that bringing up her greatest enemy would upset her a bit. But all she could do was hope that the task wouldn’t be too difficult. “...Sorry if that’s too much.”

      Mira looked up at the ceiling in thought for a moment. “That is going to be tricky. I’ve beaten him plenty of times before, but I can’t say there was one weapon or thing that helped me do it. It’s a combination of multiple things, as well as my magic and skills.”

      “Does that mean it’s impossible?” Annie asked, bracing herself for the worst.

      “I don’t think Edna would’ve given you the task if she didn’t think you could do it. But I’m sure she knew that it wouldn’t be easy, either.” Mira’s face softened a bit, much to Annie’s relief. “I think it’s doable. The question is how we can find out just what that weapon may be. If it doesn’t have to be the only thing used to beat him, then I may have something I can give to you.”

      “Wait, you can just give it to me? What do I need to do in return?” Annie asked, practically jumping out of the chair.

      Mira nodded. “I can think of a few things that would be easy for me to craft again, so I don’t need anything in return. Besides, this all helps me learn about what Dr. Sloth may be up to right now. The knowledge is enough of a payment.”

      Tears began to well up in Annie’s eyes. With that, the biggest hurdle would be complete, and she could finally get back to normal. Although she wanted to hug Mira, she didn’t think it was appropriate and kept her distance. “I can’t thank you enough! It means the world to me.”

      “Of course. Why don’t you come with me? I can bring you along to the Space Station in just the blink of an eye,” Mira offered.

      Annie looked over at Sohrin for reassurance, and the Faerie Kougra nodded, so she looked back at Mira and gave a firm nod. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

      Mira reached out, touching Annie’s shoulder, and the Eyrie felt a strong rushing sensation, as if a strong wind was blowing around her. Not even a moment later, she blinked and found that she was in an armoury at the Space Station. Weapons of all shapes and sizes lined the walls, from staffs to bombs to tomes. It was like a dream come true.

      “Wow, is this all yours?” Annie asked, her face lighting up with glee. She was already beginning to imagine all the damage she could do with what seemed like every weapon in Neopia at her command. She would be a force to be reckoned with in the Battledome.

      Mira chuckled, amused by the eager expression on Annie’s face. “Yep, everything you can see. I use these in all of my various space missions, but also when I occasionally take civilian challengers in the Battledome.”

      Annie’s head whipped over to look at the faerie. “You take challengers?”

      “When I have the free time. I don’t use all of my power, but I don’t let them easily win, either. It helps me stay in shape and keeps me on my toes,” she replied.

      “Wow, I hope someday I can fight you!” Annie said, already in a daze just from thinking about it.

      “Slow down there, speed racer. Let’s get through this first, then we can talk about fighting,” Mira stepped away from Annie and began to scan the walls. Upon finding what she was looking for, she flicked her wrist and a small drawer opened. From the drawer, two snowflakes in two glass cases floated over before landing in the space faerie’s hand.

      “A snowflake? You can buy those for 1np anywhere!” Annie noted, trying to get a good look at what was inside the case. It seemed to glow with blue and purple light, like it came from another galaxy.

      “I call this the Space Snowflake. It’s like your average snowflake items, but infused with my magic. They aren’t very hard to make, but they pack a punch.” Mira opened up one of the cases and without much warning, threw it down the hall, where it hit a training dummy and burned a hole right through it. “See? Like that.”

      Annie’s jaw hit the floor. “Wow.” She wasn’t able to say anything else. All she could do was stare at the training dummy.

      Mira held the other case out to Annie. “Here, put this in your bag. Don’t take it out until you’re ready to give it to Edna, otherwise, it’ll melt.”

      Annie carefully put it in her bag, making sure it wouldn’t get crushed by anything else inside. “So that’s it, then? I just take this all to Edna and…” She trailed off, in disbelief that her journey was finally coming to an end.

      “That should be it!” Mira said, putting her hands on her hips. “The Space Snowflake can’t beat Sloth all alone, but combined with other weapons, it stands a strong chance. If it doesn’t work, Edna can take that up with me.”

      Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, Annie felt a strong wave of accomplishment wash over her. She had overcome every hurdle and now, she would get to look like her old self again. “Thank you. Thank you so much,” she said, her voice shaking.

      “It’s no trouble, really.” Mira placed a hand on Annie’s shoulder to try and calm her down. “Do you want me to teleport you to Edna right now? I can get you there right away.”

      Annie shook her head. “No, all the rest of the ingredients are back home. Plus, I want my family to be with me.”

      Mira gave a firm nod and a reassuring smile. “Well, the least I can do is teleport you home.” When Annie nodded in confirmation, the Space Faerie began to slowly roll her hand. “Take care, and let me know if there’s anything else I can do!”

      Before Annie could say thank you, she had popped into her living room like a bubble. Saorsie, who was sitting on the couch, practically jumped out of her fur. “Annie, you made it back! How did it go?”

      Annie smiled from ear to ear. “It went great! Mira gave me a special snowflake that she thinks will do the trick. Now I finally have everything I need!” She hopped back and forth on her feet, unable to contain the excitement that filled her from head to toe.

      Saorsie’s eyes were wide with pride. “Oh Annie, I’m so happy for you! Poppy’s going to pick up Bryn on her way back home, and then when SB is back too, we can get everything situated.”

      Being patient was not Annie’s strong suit, but she was going to need some time to cool down after all the excitement that came from retrieving the final item. She nodded to her sister, put the snowflake in the fridge, then raced up the stairs and into her room as fast as she could. Once there, she practically collapsed onto her bed.

      As Hopper bounced up to her, she let out a long sigh. “We did it! After all this time, we finally did it!” She said, letting her Petpet jump all over the bed. Her whole body felt like it was radiating with light. Throughout her life, she had accomplished a lot of things, but they felt small compared to the quest she had just finished. How could getting an A on a test or mastering a particular kick measure up to venturing all across Neopia and gathering so many special items?

      But as her adrenaline began to fade, a new thought formed in her head. What would happen now? Would everything just… go back to normal? She had gotten just a taste of the power Sloth’s potion had provided; speed, strength, sturdiness, and more. It would be like experiencing the life of a millionaire for a day, then going back to your drab, everyday existence. A fear began to nestle itself into Annie’s brain: what if she was never satisfied again?

      She still didn’t know for sure whether going back to normal would take away all her powers, but she didn’t want to work under the assumption that it wouldn’t and then end up disappointed. She was going to be disappointed either way, but at least she could prepare herself better for it.

      While she waited for the rest of the family to get back home, Annie tried to distract herself. She played with Hopper, read a book, and reorganized her closet. As long as she didn’t practice fighting, she wouldn’t make herself sad. But even so, she still felt a pang of loss inside of her. Soon, it would all be over. It was both a relief and a heartbreak.

      After what felt like an eternity, she heard the door slam shut downstairs. Annie’s head snapped up, and she nearly tripped over her blankets as she dashed to meet the rest of her family. When she got there, she found Poppy and Bryn settling into the kitchen, and SB coming through the door. Everyone looked up upon hearing Annie reach the foot of the stairs.

      “Annie!” Poppy said excitedly, her face lighting up. “Saorsie said you did it!”

      Without another word, Annie rushed to her owner and almost tackled her in a hug. She was beginning to tear up, but she didn’t want anyone to think she was a big baby for crying. “Yeah, I got it. It’s in the fridge. We can take everything to Edna whenever you guys are ready!”

      “You don’t have to wait on all of us, you know. You can go there yourself and just bring the potion back.” Poppy pulled back and rested her hands on Annie’s shoulders. “You proved that you can go places by yourself. You’re strong enough. Give her all the ingredients, and then we can all celebrate with you.”

      Now, Annie couldn’t hold back her tears. They welled up in her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks before she could do anything about it. “Y-you’re right. I can do it.”

      “Do you know how proud I am of you? How proud we all are of you?” Poppy stepped back and gestured to the rest of the family, who were eagerly looking on.

      “Yeah! You’re so brave,” Brynettia chimed in, her tail wagging. “I hope I can be as brave as you someday.”

      “I think you’ve matured a lot,” SB added with a knowing smile. That sealed it for Annie. She had always looked up to her oldest sister, and now she had gotten a true statement of approval from her.

      “Okay,” Annie said with a tone of finality. “Can I go now? I wanna get this all over with.” A small part of her mind followed that statement up with ‘before I change my mind.’

      After getting a nod of approval from Poppy, Annie set out around the house to collect all the ingredients. Edna had already taken the stuffed animal from Izzrin, but everything else was still at home: the Maraquan coin, the dress blessed by King Altador, the snow from Terror Mountain, the Valentine’s Day card from Jhudora and Illusen (Annie still didn’t know what to make of that situation, but it somehow made her feel seen), and most importantly, the Space Snowflake. She secured the items in her bag, then went back to the living room where her whole family was waiting.

      “Well, I guess this is it,” Annie said, her voice wavering.

      Everyone looked at her with a level of fondness that she had never seen before. Well, maybe they had done it before, but she had never truly paid attention. It was like a whole new world had opened up - one where she could appreciate how much the people around her cared. “Call or text if you run into any trouble,” Poppy said.

      “I will. Thanks.” And with that, Annie turned and walked out the door, ready to fly to the Haunted Woods.

      Her solo trip was much faster since she didn’t have to go on bike like she did with Izzrin. While she flew, she focused in and tried to just take the experience of flying instead of letting her mind fill up with doubt. But she couldn’t help but think about the way the wind felt against her abnormal scales, and how soon, she wouldn’t feel it that way again. It would just be the light fur that she had grown up with.

      The thought of being unsatisfied with her physical form once all was said and done was still present in her head, lurking like a shadow. No matter how hard she tried to shake it, even literally with her head, she couldn’t get rid of it. Despite the fact that she was trying to not set herself up for disappointment, she hoped with everything in her that she would still be able to keep the extra abilities she got once her appearance was back to normal.

      When she finally landed in front of Edna’s castle, her stomach began to do somersaults. “Time for the do-or-die moment,” Annie said to herself, opening the door and beginning her trek up to the top. The smell of magic filled the air the closer she got to Edna’s chambers, and it seemed to make her even more anxious. By the time she was knocking on the door, her legs felt like they were going to give out on her at any moment.

      “Come in,” Edna called out in the same croaky voice Annie had heard last time.

      When she pushed the door in and entered, she was greeted with the sight of Edna poking and prodding at a pile of soot on her table. Annie had heard about Petpets turning to soot at the laboratory before, but she had never seen one in person. Just the sight of a dirt pile with eyes chilled her to the bone.

      “Aha, Anerada, yes? You were the one that was turned mutant by Dr. Sloth, right?” Edna asked, looking up from whatever warped experiment she was doing.

      Annie nodded, finding that she was rendered speechless from both the thought of what was coming next, and the sight of the crispy Petpet on the table. She held out her bag wordlessly, and Edna took it.

      “Huh, you really did it!” Edna said as she looked through the bag. “I see the coin and the snow… did Jhudora and Illusen make this card together?”

      “Uh, yeah,” Annie said, finally able to push past the lump in her throat. “Saw it done personally.”

      Edna opened up the card and her eyebrows shot up to her scalp. “Wow, this is… passionate.” She set the card down, then pulled out the dress. “And this is…?”

      “Blessed by King Altador at Neopian Fashion Week. And the snowflake is from the Space Faerie.”

      The snowflake glowed as Edna pulled its case from the bag. She whistled as she examined it. “Now this is something special. I don’t know how you managed to get this from her. Well done.”

      “So, um, will the potion work?” Annie squeaked out.

      Edna crossed to one of her shelves and retrieved the Darigan Cybunny plushie from Izzrin. “Well, I did warn you that I couldn’t guarantee it. This is highly experimental.”

      Annie’s face fell. She had completely forgotten about that. Would she really have gone to all that effort just to have it fail? She opened her mouth to try and speak, but words completely failed her.

      “However, you seem to have really pushed yourself to gather these items. That kind of passion tends to be rewarded.” Edna moved over to the cauldron and pulled a lever to warm it up. “No matter what, I’ll make sure this wasn’t all for nothing.”

      She wasn’t sure if she felt reassured, but Annie had nothing else to go off of. She joined the Zafara at the cauldron and peered inside. It seemed to just be filled with water. “So do you just throw all the items in there and that’s it or…?”

      “Not exactly. I do have a little magic of my own that I perform here first. There’s a generic spell that starts off any potion, and then one or two ingredients that I have lying around here to help everything you brought mix together.” Edna went back to her shelves and pulled a small bottle and jar of little flakes out. Before throwing them in, she took a moment to trace all around the rim of the cauldron. Her eyes were shut tight in concentration and she mumbled a few words under her breath. Annie didn’t know what any of them meant, but they sounded very official and magical.

      When she was done with her little spell, the water in the cauldron had fully heated up and was now beginning to boil. It also developed a green hue, similar to that of Edna’s fur. “Huh, it’s green, just like you,” Annie commented.

      “Yes, it’s my magical signature. Accept no substitutes,” Edna said with a cackle. With the water at a boil, she poured some of the liquid inside the bottle in, and then sprinkled some of the flakes over top of it. Both ingredients made the water flash and gurgle, unlike anything Annie had seen before.

      With that done, Edna grabbed the bag of items and held it out to Annie. “Would you like to help me? You drop everything in, and I’ll stir.”

      “O-okay,” Annie said, taking the bag. First, she pulled out the plushie and said a thank you to Izzrin in her head as she tossed it in. The Gelert hadn’t taken her up on the offer to buy her new plushies, so she’d probably have to remind her.

      Next was the Maraquan coin. Going down the whirlpool and catching the coin with a net had been scary at first, but she found that it was much more fun than she expected. Plus, the two Kougras that had helped ferry her and SB couldn’t be forgotten.

      When she threw the dress in, she felt a small pang of guilt. The garment had meant a lot to Saorsie, especially after getting approval from Limbre on it. But after their meeting at the afterparty, Saorsie had followed up with Limbre’s assistant, and the two had already met up again. The glow on her sister’s face was unlike anything Annie had ever seen from her before, so surely, it must have been worth it.

      After that, she opened the small freezer container and dumped the snow from Terror Mountain in. Not only did she appreciate the help from Ipv, but she also had finally begun to appreciate Izzrin as a friend. Maybe she would even be willing to watch a silly reality show with her.

      Second to last was the Valentine’s Day card. Annie opened it up and took another look at it before she threw it in. It was almost a shame to lose it. She felt like one of the two of them should’ve kept it. There seemed to be something special in their rivalry, and Annie found herself a little envious, in an odd way. But she needed to put that aside and focus.

      Finally, she looked at the snowflake in its glass case and took a deep breath. She would need to toss it in quickly as soon as it was out in the open. Otherwise, it most likely wouldn’t work. After admiring its beauty for a few extra seconds, she opened the case and immediately threw it in. It landed at the top of the brew and disintegrated before Annie’s eyes, adding a slight hint of blue to the mixture.

      Annie stepped back after throwing the snowflake in, not sure what to expect. Edna continued to stir, a crazed look beginning to cross her face. Now she was nervous. “So um… what do I do now?”

      Without making eye contact, Edna spoke as her stirring became more fervent. “I advise you to step back and brace yourself!”

      She didn’t have to tell Annie twice. She leapt backwards, hiding behind a chair and shutting her eyes tight. There was no telling what would happen next, but all Annie could do was pray that it worked and that Edna hadn’t gone completely bonkers.

      Behind her closed eyes, Annie could vaguely sense that a green light had flashed in the room, bathing every inch of it in a bright glow. Against her better judgment, the Eyrie opened her eyes and tried to shield them from the intense radiance. At the head of the cauldron stood Edna, cackling with glee as they stopped stirring.

      “It’s beautiful!” She crowed, lifting her paddle and tossing it to the side. “My best work yet! I really must thank you, young Eyrie. This formed beyond my wildest hopes.”

      The green light began to flicker and fade back into the cauldron and Annie lowered her hoof from her face. “So… does that mean it worked?”

      From one of her cabinets, Edna pulled down an empty bottle and scooped it into the cauldron, filling it with the liquid within. “Well, why don’t you see for yourself?” She asked, handing it out to Annie.

      Annie took it from the Zafara, carefully examining it. “You’re just gonna test it on me and hope it works? What if something bad happens?”

      “Do you want to go back to normal or not?” Edna asked, tilting her head to the side. “If you’re having second thoughts I can…”

      “No! No, it’s not that!” Annie looked down at the potion and tears began to fill her eyes. She had come such a long way and learned so much. Maybe staying the way she was now was the best choice. She’d lived as a mutant for so long and she’d gotten used to all of the good effects from the original potion. Would going back mean she’d never feel the same? When she uncorked the bottle, she looked down into the swirling liquid and saw her reflection in it. Maybe this was a face she could get used to. Maybe things would be better this way.

      But at the same time, maybe she’d learned the lesson she needed to learn, and going back to normal would be more of a punishment than staying a mutant. Before she could think more about it, Edna interrupted her internal war.

      “Tick tock, tick tock! Are you gonna take it or not, missy?”

      The sudden question jolted Annie a bit, and out of a subconscious reflex, she raised the bottle to her lips and chugged the entire potion in one go. The familiar taste of chemicals and green apples met her senses again, and for a moment, Annie wondered if this was no different than the first potion she had taken. Was it important that it tasted the same? What did that mean? Had she made a terrible mistake? Had she-

      Before her train of thought could derail any further, Annie toppled over and blacked out.

     ~

      When Annie came to, her vision was fuzzy, like she had just woken up from a nap that lasted much longer than she intended. Her mouth felt dry, and all the noises around her were slightly muted, like she was wearing some thick headphones. As things became less blurry, Annie began to make out the faces of Poppy and Mira the Space Faerie over her, looking down with concern.

      “She’s awake!” Poppy said in an excited whisper.

      Mira put her finger to her lips, shushing Poppy. “Don’t be too loud, we don’t know how she feels right now.”

      “I wasn’t being that loud…” Poppy mumbled, crossing her arms and looking away.

      “Wh-Whaaaa?” Annie said, her voice coming out in a strained tone.

      “Anerada? Can you hear me?” Mira asked, leaning forward slightly.

      Suddenly, the last things she remembered before passing out came rushing back to her. Annie tried to sit straight up, but her head started swimming and she fell right back down onto her bed. “Edna! The potion! What happened?”

      “Edna called for us right after you took it. You collapsed and she couldn’t wake you up,” Poppy explained, wringing her hands.

      “Did - did the potion work?” Annie asked nervously.

      The Space Faerie smiled and held up one of her signature mirrors. “See for yourself”

      Steeling herself, Annie took the mirror from Mira and looked into it. Staring back at her was a Purple Eyrie - her old self. She was back to normal. A sense of pride began to swell in her chest and she couldn’t help but let out an excited cheer.

      “Whoa, whoa, hold on!” Poppy said, raising her hands to try and ease Annie back. “Edna said you should rest for the next week. Take it easy. No fighting.”

      At the mention of fighting, Annie’s shoulders slumped. “Does that mean the abilities I got are gone now?”

      Mira looked at Poppy with a small smile, then back at Annie. “Actually, no. I ran a few medical tests on you while you were out. Every ability you gained from the potion is still intact.”

      “Wait, really?” When Annie found that she was back to normal, she fully expected to be mourning her old skills. Was there really no catch?

      Mira nodded. “Yes really. However, your body back in its old form may need some time to adjust to the sudden gain in power. That’s why you have to rest for a week. In addition, either myself or one of my associates will be coming to check up on you daily. We have to make sure you’re sound from a medical and scientific standpoint.”

      Poppy spoke up next. “You’re going to have to think carefully about what you want to do next. I don’t want you rushing straight into the Battledome again and beating everyone senseless.”

      The idea was tempting to Annie, but the worry on Poppy and Mira’s faces told her that it wouldn’t be a wise idea. “Well then, what else could I do with all this strength?”

      “I actually have an idea,” Mira said with an eager grin. “We’d really like to study more about the potion you were given and the most potent forms of Grundite. With your permission, maybe you could work alongside Kauvara in some of her research into it.”

      “And Mira said if you did that, it could lead to a job at the Space Station after you graduate!” Poppy said excitedly, clapping her hands together.

      There was a small beep coming from a device on Mira’s wrist and she looked down at it. “Oh, I’m sorry, there’s something important I have to attend to. Please, get some rest and don’t feel pressured to make any big decisions right now. More than anything, we need you to recover. Good luck, Anerada!” With that, Mira disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

      Annie looked back to Poppy as a chill of anxiety ran through her. “The Space Station? That’s so far away from you guys!”

      “Well, it wouldn’t be for a good while. You’ve still got school to get through and everything. But yeah, you may need to go live there if you take it,” Poppy explained.

      Tears sprung to the Eyrie’s eyes. “I don’t wanna do that! I don’t wanna be alone!”

      “But you wouldn’t be alone!” Poppy sat down on the bed and took one of Annie’s paws. “You can reach us by Neomail any time you need to, or maybe you can get one of those fancy devices they have up there. You can come visit us, or we can come visit you! Plus, you can make lots of new friends up there. Right, Hopper?”

      As if on cue, the Hasee jumped up onto the bed and made an excited little chirping noise. Annie reached out to pet him, mustering a small smile. “Yeah, I guess…”

      “But as Mira said, you don’t have to think about it yet. I want you to focus on taking care of yourself right now.” Poppy reached forward and stroked Annie’s fur. “Hey, the whole family wants to see you. Gus and Izzrin even came by too. Do you want me to send them up?”

      “Yeah, I think I’d like that,” Annie answered with a smile. As Poppy got up to go get them, the Eyrie laid her head back on the pillow and sighed. Maybe her Battledome days were beginning to come to an end, but there was a new direction in sight for her. If she could use her new strength to help others, then maybe she could live with it. And even though her ambition got her into a sticky situation, it was that very ambition she would use to do everything she could to help others like her. And by doing that, she would never be alone. She had a newfound strength, separate from what she had gotten from the potion. The strength that came within herself was worth more than anything Neopoints could buy.

     The End.