Max and the Ghost Lupe

      She smiled an evil smile, showing off her pointed teeth. "Hello, My little pet."

      "What do you want?" Max whispered. Jhudora moved toward him, tickling his chin with her long, dangerously sharp nails.

      Max shivered with fear, and tried to turn around and run, but the thorn bushes surrounding the clearing wrapped themselves around each other and pushed him back.

      "Don't try to leave, my dear, I will only be harder on you," Jhudora cooed. She picked him up and looked him in the eyes, as if looking fore something. "Yes, you're perfect," she said in a satisfied voice.

      "Please, what are you going to do with me?" Max whimpered.

      "I have been searching for a neopet that is powerful enough to help me take control over Neopia. I need a pet with a certain amount of magic in him, so I can train it to be evil and do my bidding. I concocted a morphing potion that will not only change the appearance of a neopet, but also change the way they think and the soul that lives inside them. But all of the Neopets that I chose couldn't handle the potion, and they died as a result. I almost gave up, but then I saw you. You are special. You were born with magic flowing in your veins, enough to defeat Fyora. The only problem is it's good magic."

      "I will never drink that potion! I won't help you!" Max bit down hard on Jhudora's hand, and she screamed in surprise. But instead of letting go, she held on tighter and raised the potion to his lips. Just when Max thought it was over, he heard a long low howl that sent shivers all over his body, but also hope. He had heard that call before.

      Jhudora dropped screamed scream of rage as a huge Lupe jumped on her. Max could tell it was the Ghost Lupe. Jhudora disappeared into her orb of light.

      Max landed on the ground with a hard thump. He looked around, but the mysterious Ghost Lupe was nowhere to be seen. He only had one thought: Warn the pack.

      Max ran through the thick underbrush, leaping over logs and dodging tree trunks. He had to get back to the pack to warn them. He could still hear Jhudora's evil laugh ringing in his ears. He could hear her getting closer, and he knew it was just a game to her, and that he would be caught any moment…

      "Come here, little Lupe, you know I'm going to get you... why not just give up and stop running? I'm going to get to your precious family and all your friends anyway. Nobody will escape! I will have my revenge!" Jhudora called to him.

      Max was just about to give up, when he heard something. A tiny but strong voice in his ear said, "Be quick, run like you've never run before, I will help you." And somehow, this gave him strength.

      "You'll never catch me!" he yelled, surprised at the fury now burning in his chest. It pushed him forward, and soon he could see his pack, out sunning themselves lazily.

      "Everyone get up, listen to me! Jhudora is coming this way! Hurry up and run, or hide, or something! She's coming!" Max's legs collapsed underneath him, and the exhausted Lupe was dragged to see Markus, the pack leader.

      "Alright now, what is all this about Jhudora? Where were you? Your mother has been wondering," he asked in an irritated voice.

      Max took a deep breath and repeated his story. The pack leader sighed when he heard it and said, "We knew the day would come when we would have to fight Jhudora again. Quickly, take all the young pups and nursing mothers to the secret cave, and all the strong fighters stay here with me." Max started to follow his mother to the caves, but Markus stopped him. "I need you here. You can help us defeat Jhudora."

     The Lupe pack waited breathlessly. Night fell and the full moon rose, and suddenly they could hear Jhudora's evil cackle echoing all around them. The glowing orb of green light appeared above their heads, and Jhudora appeared in a puff of purplish black smoke. Markus ordered the Lupes to attack, but none could get near her. Many were hit with shots of dark magic from her scepter and fell down, lying very still, to never get up. Markus fought hard, but he was hit. Max ran over to the wounded Lupes side.

      "What do I do?" Max cried out.

      "Use your magic," Markus replied. " Protect the pack." Those were his last words.

     Max summoned up all his anger, and he could feel the magic coursing through him. A jet of pure light shot out of his eyes and hit Jhudora square in the chest. It knocked her backwards, but it was not enough. Max needed help. Then, out of the darkness, the Ghost Lupe appeared as if answering his silent plea. He growled fiercely and jumped on Jhudora from behind. She let out a shriek and fought back. They were fighting to the death now. As Max watched, he realized that he needed to help, and he could feel once again the magic inside him just waiting to get out. His fur glowed with energy. He threw himself at the dark faerie and bit at her hand. She tried to shake him off, but the Ghost Lupe held her down. Max let the built up magic go through his teeth into Jhudora and she writhed with pain. All of a sudden, she disappeared with a horrible scream of anger and pain, and Max was alone with the Ghost Lupe.

      Max Looked at the Ghost Lupe. "Thank you my friend. Without you I don't know what I would have done."

     The Ghost Lupe said nothing, but nodded his head and was gone.

     Years later, when Max was the leader of the pack, he would still tell the story of the Ghost Lupe to the young Lupe pups.

      "The Ghost Lupe is a powerful spirit who roams the woods. He can show great wrath to those who disturb him, but if you need help the Ghost Lupe can show great kindness," he tells them. "And on dark nights, when the moon is full, you can almost hear him howling faintly with the wind.

The End