Vira's Mirror: Part Three

      "Yo! Stars!" Genki joined in the search chorus.

      Moose, Genki, Nibbles, and Jhonen were scouring the forest for Starseek. After she stormed out of the house earlier, no one had seen her for at least an hour. Quite worried, the gang went out looking for her.

      "I still don't see why we're looking for that poo-head. She's such a meanie-weenie!" Nibbles pouted.

      "Nibbles, I told you before… I don't think Starseek is in control of her own actions anymore. This smells mightily of a curse." Jhonen explained to the doubtful Kau.

      "Yeah, well, I hope you're right, or she's not going to be my friend anymore!" Nibbles frowned.

      Genki rolled her eyes. "You have such a masterful command of the English language, Nibbles."

      "Thanks!" Nibbles smiled, not having the vaguest clue of what Genki was talking about.

      "Shush you guys! I think I heard something!" Moose barked suddenly, and the group stopped in mid-step.

      From the south, a muffled yell was heard.

      "Starseek!" Moose ran towards the sound's origin.

      As they ran, the sounds grew louder. Suddenly, all was silent. Uneasily, Moose looked around and listened. Only the sounds of the birds were present. And then… a sound to the right. An unfamiliar laugh.

      Moose put a finger to her lips indicating silence and waved her pets closer to the sound. They poked their heads through a fern and saw the back of an Acara, who seemed to be quite tickled, as she was cackling maniacally with her arms up to the sky. In front of her was a huddled form floating in midair, held in place by glowing silvery tendrils. It was Starseek.

      Nibbles gasped as she saw this, but quickly clamped a hoof over her mouth.

      Vira stopped cackling. There was a sharp intake of breath from all of them as they watched the Acara look around for the source of the small noise.

      Genki mouthed "Vira" to Moose, who nodded in agreement.

      Vira spoke. "Whoever you are, I know you're there. Why don't you come out and play?" she let out a little laugh.

      Vira turned and began walking in the opposite direction. Soon, she disappeared out of sight. The four let out a sigh of relief.

      "BOO!" Vira apparated right in front of them, scaring them out of their wits. "Come to save your precious Neopet, girl?" she swooped down, grabbed Moose, and threw her against a tree.

      Jhonen growled and lunged for Vira. She vanished and reappeared behind Jhonen and shot a ball of energy at him. He was pushed forwards and tripped over.

     Moose slowly rose to her feet, aided by Nibbles. Her side was throbbing something awful, but she wasn't going to give up now.

     "VIRA!!" she shouted.

     Vira turned and growled.

     "You are going to give Starseek back to us NOW."

     Vira chuckled. "And what happens if I don't?"

     Moose paused for a second and saw Jhonen and Genki creeping up behind Vira. They signaled for her to keep talking. Moose gave the tiniest indication of a nod and continued. "If you don't I am going to make you sorry. You are going to pay for what you've done to my friend… what you've done to all of us. This is going to end here, Vira."

     "I only gave her what she wanted. Is that so bad? Do you know what I think? I think you're JEALOUS of Starseek here. After all, wouldn't you love to look like this?" Vira made the black mirror appear in her paw and tossed it to Moose, who took it reluctantly.

     "Don't look, Greeney!" Nibbles whispered, nudging Moose in the side.

     Moose gave no indication that she had heard and instead looked into the mirror curiously.

     From behind Vira, Jhonen and Genki were furiously giving hand signals to Moose to tell her not to look, but it was in vain. She didn't see them. All she looked at was the mirror.

     Vira turned to see the two Neopets behind her. She snarled and flung them aside with a glowing ball of energy.

     She turned back to face Moose, but was startled by Nibbles suddenly flinging herself at Vira with her head down and horns out. Vira has no time to react and was tossed over the Kau's head and into a bush. Nibbles ran over to Moose and tried to pry away the mirror from her, but Moose held it in her hand like a vice.

     "No! Moosey! Please, don't look at it! You'll end up like Starseek! Please, don't do it!" Tears began to flow freely down Nibbles's face.

     A few feet away, Jhonen and Genki lay, dazed. Genki slowly got up and tried to wake Jhonen. Jhonen groaned and turned over, but didn't awaken. Genki looked up and saw Starseek floating over her head.

     "Starseek! Hey! Wake up, dude!" Genki reached out and tugged on Starseek's tail.

     "Mffrr…?" Starseek mumbled and slowly opened her eyes.

     Meanwhile, Vira was getting out of the bush, hissing like a kettle put on the stove too long.

     "That… was… NOT… nice…" Vira righted herself, and then threw a ball of energy at Nibbles. It wrapped around her and bound her in place.

     "Now, where were we? Ah yes." Vira glided over to Moose's side. "Do you like what you see?"

     "Yes…" Moose breathed, entranced.

     "Well, then- hey, wait a second, you're holding the mirror face-down." Vira blinked.

     Suddenly, Moose lifted her arm and smacked Vira on the head with the mirror. It connected with a loud crack and Vira fell to the ground, stunned. Moose cast the mirror aside and ran to her pets.

     "Jhonen's knocked out, but Starseek's come around." Genki pointed to Starseek, who was smirking with satisfaction at the unconscious Vira laying facedown in the grass.

     "Keep trying to wake him up, I have to tie Vira down somehow… keep her so she can't get away when she comes to." Moose looked around for something to use.

     "Kay. Oh, and by the way… that whole 'pretending to be under the spell' thing was really, REALLY awesome." Genki grinned, and then went back to shaking Jhonen_C.

     Moose pondered what to do. Vira could disappear and reappear wherever she wanted, so tying her might be kind of useless. Unless she could find some way to keep her from apparating… She looked at Nibbles stuck in the glowing ball.

     "I wanna get out of this thing… its tingly," Nibbles pouted.

     "Let me try and get you out then." Moose touched the shimmering orb. It felt warm and cold at the same time. It gave her goose bumps. Despite its appearance, it felt quite solid. Moose pulled on the ball and it started to give. She pulled more and the whole thing slid off over Nibbles's head.

     Moose stared for a moment at the strange glowing orb and then went and placed Vira in it. Upon feeling the orb binding her, she awoke and glared at Moose with unparalleled fury.

     "I suppose you think yourself very clever. Defeat the enemy with their own weapon."

     Moose grinned and picked up the mirror. She tossed it to Nibbles, and gave her a little nod.

     Nibbles blinked, but then understood. With a sudden movement, her hoof connected with the mirror and glass shards rained down on the brown grass below. Starseek, still floating in midair, gasped and shook her head. Her face began to melt and shift and become youthful again. Her fur started to brighten and grow back in the bare spots.

      Vira howled in rage. "HOW DARE YOU? You have destroyed ALL that I have worked for, you INSOLENT BRATS!"

      As Vira screamed and struggled and sputtered, Moose ignored her and walked over to Starseek. She pulled off her magical binds and threw them aside.

      Jhonen was waking up at this point. He slowly got to his feet and looked around.

      "Is it over?" he asked.

      Starseek thought for a moment. "Yes, I think it is." Suddenly she began to cry. The tears poured down her face.

      "What's the matter? What's wrong?" Moose ran over and hugged her Neopet tight.

      "I- I- just… I was SO awful… These past few weeks have been hell. I… I was dead inside. And I made all of you feel so awful. I- I hated myself… yet I couldn't stop it, couldn't break myself away… And I couldn't even save myself, I had to have you guys step in and rescue me… I just…" Starseek buried her face into Moose's shoulder and sobbed.

      Starseek felt a gentle nudge on her back. She lifted her bleary eyes and saw Nibbles standing there.

      "Those things you said to me… I know you didn't mean it. It wasn't your fault. I forgive you, Starseek." She said and then nuzzled her affectionately.

      Starseek laughed a little and hugged her sister, shaking from sobbing.

      After a while, she just couldn't cry any more and she lay down in the grass, collecting herself.

      "I'm sorry you guys. I wish that none of this had ever happened," Starseek sighed.

      "We forgive you, Starseek. It was not your fault." Jhonen hugged Starseek. Even Genki, who was definitely not the warmest of Neopets, came up and gave Starseek a little pat on the back.

      "Hey, speaking of blame… Where did Vira go off to?" Moose turned to find the spot where Vira had sat empty. The glowing bonds lay broken next to it.

      Starseek growled and shook her head. "We could search this whole forest and we'd never find her. Let's just go home. I need to sleep… for the next five months." She gave a little laugh and began walking home.

      "I suppose you're right, but I still would like to make her pay for what she's done to you." Jhonen scanned the tree line before turning and following Starseek.

      "I think we did pretty well, considering." Genki picked up a shard of mirror and examined it a moment before throwing it away.

      As the tired group trudged off towards home, Vira watched from afar, viewing their progress in a glowing ball. Looking disgusted, she waved her paw and the ball vanished with a poof. She flew off into the night, searching for a new victim to set her claws upon.

The End