“Okay Sparks, my brave and knightly companion,” Seashell said to the Petpet, who scratched a bug out of his feathers and ate it. “The river is too treacherous to cross, so we’ll have to find another route to the Evil Caves of Destruction. We could go through the Swamp of Terror…” She cast a wary eye at the muddy puddles further back towards the park’s main path. “...But no one has ever ventured in and lived! Oh if only our quest weren’t such an important one, Sparks, but alas–OH!”

A small log washing down the creek, with spines of broken branches sticking out at odd angles, was stuck momentarily on some large rocks.

“The Guardian of the River! Quickly, we must defeat her!”

Gathering a handful of pebbles, Seashell launched them one by one at her horrible foe, until it dislodged and carried on its way.

“What a terrible battle, but we won at last. Now, Sparks, what perilous…”

Another object floated down the creek. Unlike the log, this one bumped its way between rocks until it rolled to a gentle stop in the gravel near the edge, shallow water trickling around it. It looked like a bottle. Minding her instructions to stay out of the creek, Seashell used a stick to pull it to safety.

To her absolute delight, there appeared to be a rolled up note inside.

Seashell tried her hardest to open the bottle with her tiny feathers. After much pulling and turning, she decided this was a job for her strong talons. Just one pull and the cork made its way out.

The note was tightly rolled and slipped out of the bottle with ease. A single thread kept the letter tightly bound. Seashell untied the knot and carefully unveiled the beautifully penned words. She cleared her throat and read the message in the most mature voice she could muster:

"My dearest love,

Two score days have passed since I last saw your beautiful countenance. How I long to be in your company once more and share the stories of my travels.

I had every intention to share the day of Valentine with my beloved, but misfortune has overcome us."

Seashell's mother called from the distant park bench. It was time to go home for lunch. The Lenny quickly rolled the note, grabbed Sparks and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her...

“Mhm!” Seashell gave a nod, half-happy and half-tired, and reached up to clasp her mother’s hand. She wondered, as the two began to walk home, if she should mention the strange, big-worded letter she had found in the bottle… but before she could unroll it, her mother voiced a question:

“Seashell, dear?”

“What is it, Mom?”

The pair passed under a great big tree, and the air turned momentarily chill.

“Have you ever thought about why I named you Seashell?”

Seashell shook her head no. She’d never really thought about it; Sparks was Sparks, and she was Seashell, and that was that.

“Well,” her mother started, feathers glinting as shade gave way to sun, “your father initially suggested the idea. Now, I wasn’t too sure what to think about it at first, but then he told me that it was your grandmother’s nickname.”

Despite her exhaustion, Seashell smiled widely. When she closed her eyes, she could see her grandma’s face, warm and full of laughter. “Grandma was called Seashell too?”

“Yes, dear. I believe your grandfather gave her that name some time ago, when they were young, but I don’t believe she ever told me why…”

As her mother trailed off, Seashell realized that they’d already gotten back home. Their cottage, with its sturdy wooden beams and sun-bleached chimney, stood in the distance. Seashell’s stomach growled as she imagined the lunch her father must have cooked by now.

She shook her head to distract herself from her hunger; something else was more important just now. “Mom?” she asked. “After lunch, can we go talk to Grandma? I want to ask about why Grandpa called her Seashell…”

Seashell squawked with alarm. "What's wrong?! Is Grandma alright?!"

Her mother sighed. "I don't know. She went out for shopping a few weeks ago, and she...never came back."

Seashell gasped in horror. "Why not?!"

"Nobody knows. It could be the work of one of Neopia's villains, or maybe there was an accident. Either way, I'm worried sick."

"Me, too!" Seashell immediately dashed upstairs into her room and started sobbing on the bed.

---

Although young, Seashell was quite intelligent for her age. After the initial grief and shock had subsided, she started to connect the dots. She remembered that the note from the bottle said that two score (forty) days had passed since the author had seen their beloved, and that Seashell's mother had said that Grandma disappeared a few weeks ago.

Her heart thumping, Seashell got out the note again and examined the handwriting. To her amazement, the note had indisputably been written by her grandmother. The handwriting was identical!

Then Seashell noticed that there was a blurred phrase at the end of the letter; water had leaked onto the ink. She squinted and held the paper to the light, and was able to make it out:

"I miss you, Joe! Love, Doris (a.k.a. 'Seashell.')"

These remarkable clues prompted the younger Seashell to bravely go looking for her grandmother. She could not just leave her when there was trouble afoot. She remembered all the kind and wonderful things that her grandparents had done for her---taking her to fun places such as museums, babysitting her when her mother was at work, teaching her how to cook and play chess, and so on. Now was little Seashell's time to repay the favour. Not to mention that her Grandpa Joe must also be worried sick!

Little Seashell had read many books at her grandparents' house and learned a lot about Neopia, so she knew that the shallow stream led to a large sea. There was a cave across from the sea, and this cave was often the site of trouble and misfortune; those who had escaped from villains would use it as a refuge, fishing and drinking rainwater for survival until they were found. Unfortunately, there was the chance that the villain would return to retrieve the victim. Nevertheless, Seashell knew that she had to go save her grandmother. Her mother would absolutely forbid such a dangerous journey, saying that the task would be better left to the Defenders of Neopia, but the little Lenny was determined. She decided that she would sneak out at night for the rescue, when Mom and Dad were asleep.

Because little Seashell was a duckling, she could swim easily. Her grandmother was a Faerie Lenny, and was getting older, so she wasn't able to simply swim across such a vicious sea, which was teeming with ferocious Maraquan Jetsams and Grarrls. Thus, she snuck into her neighbours' house and "borrowed" some Battledome equipment: a Sword of Thare, a Faerie Tabard, Dr. Sloth's Personal Bath Buddy (since a rubber duck would block the electricity of a Maraquan Jetsam), a Leaded Elemental Vial, and Thyora's Tear. Of course, she would return all the items once Grandma had been rescued. She couldn't ask first, since the neighbours would surely tell her mom. Thus, little Seashell was ready for her rough journey...

"Seashell?"

Seashell froze at the sound of her name. She tried to move, but her legs would not obey her. Instead, she slowly turned to glance over her shoulder at the Aisha standing in the kitchen.

"M-Miss Estrelle?" Her mind was already racing through many possible excuses for why she had snuck into someone else's house to "borrow" very expensive Battledome equipment.

But Estrelle cut to the chase. "Does your mother know you're here? It's late...too late for Battledome training, if that's what you wanted."

The baby Lenny opened and closed her beak. Estrelle was an old family friend, with a son who was a Battledome expert and who was particularly close to Seashell's parents. Still, could she trust Estrelle not to tell her parents that she was here, at night, preparing for her biggest adventure yet?

The Aisha sighed and gestured for Seashell to approach her. "All right, I won't tell your parents. I promise. Just...if you need any help, you know you can always ask us. It's not safe for a child like you to go out there alone, even with weapons."

Seashell waddled toward her, feeling even more like a kid than a budding adventurer.

"You know Grandma Doris is missing, right?" she said.

"Of course I do."

"I want to go and find her."

"What?" Estrelle's eyes widened. "But Seashell...no one knows where she went! She could be anywhere in Neopia!"

"No. Not anywhere." Seashell unrolled the note and showed it to Estrelle, who took it and scanned the writing. Various expressions chased each other across the Aisha's face - disbelief, to surprise, to restrained hope. "I found this note from the creek in the park. Maybe...maybe if I follow the creek to the sea, I can find my grandma."

Estrelle gaped at the note before reading it again and again, turning the paper over and over. "This is...it really is Doris' handwriting." After thrusting it back into Seashell's wing, Estrelle said, "I don't think Doris is by the sea, Seashell."

"What? Why not?"

"Because she left us a code in this note..."

"Huh, you're right, Miss Estrelle!" exclaimed the baby Lenny with newfound fervour. "And Mom said that Grandma left to go shopping a few weeks ago, but according to the note, 'Two score days have passed...'"

"Two score...two score," repeated Estrelle out loud. "Countenance...Valentine...I've got it! She must be referring to scoring two levels with the infamous Count Von Roo. I think she may have wagered more than the allowed amount and lost too many levels. The Count won't allow you to reach level zero, so he must be holding her captive in his castle on Roo Island to repay the debt!"

"Miss Estrelle, you're a genius!" squealed Seashell, while simultaneously giving her neighbour a squeezing hug.

Seashell's sudden rush of feelings was quickly replaced with a sullen look when she realized that her grandmother must be very weak from losing all those levels. "I have to go now," she said, bidding farewell and many thanks to Miss Estrelle. The good thing about all this was that the Count would surely be hibernating most of the day, so saving Grandma Seashell simply required a good escape plan...

That line of reasoning had always worked against the Guardian of the River, after all.

Equipped with her various Battle-abilia, and brave and trusty Sparks at her side, she set off from her little creek community to the Roo Island Daytime Ferry.

***

A spotted Blumaroo bounced by and greeted her upon her arrival. "Welcome, little girl!" He appeared to be an official "Newcomer Fun Greeter" from the Roo Island Tourist Board. "I'm Dinghy! How can I help make your stay on Roo Island f-f-f-fun to the MAX!?" he uttered the rehearsed line.

Seashell was told not to talk to strangers... Then again, she was also told by her parents not to go anywhere without their permission and told several times by Miss Estrelle not to break and enter into their home anymore. So, what was one more infraction, really?

"I need help to find Count Von Roo's Castle," she replied, her voice level and mature. "My Grandma Doris is locked up there, and I need to save her!" A look of bold determination washed over her face as she raised her Sword of Thare.

"Oh my!" said Dinghy, gravely. "That sounds like an incredibly difficult quest... but I'm sure you will be able to handle it." He smiled at her and patted the fluff on her head.

The little Lenny beamed.

"There is only one thing you need to do before you can save your grandmother." Dinghy looked very serious, a contrast from his earlier exuberance.

"What is it?" Seashell inquired, her eyes wide.

"Follow me," responded the Blumaroo as he started to bounce away, expecting her to follow...

“Garlic?” she asked, puzzled.

“Of course, my dear,” the Blumaroo answered dramatically, seizing a bulb and thrusting it into Seashell’s feathered hands. “Good for marinara sauces and keeping vampire Blumaroo’s at bay.”

“I thought Count Von Roo sleeps during the day,” Seashell murmured, suddenly feeling anxious about the task ahead of her.

“He does,” Dinghy replied jovially. “But just in case you get turned into a Miamouse or something….insurance purposes, you know. We’ll be there shortly.”

Ignoring the skeptical look on Seashell’s face, the Blumaroo bounced away. Seashell heard his greeting to other Neopians drifting over the breezes as the ship began to ebb away from shore. She chose a spot on the ship facing Roo Island, watching as the small mound of land slowly came into view. Her grandmother’s kind face kept popping into her head, resolving her to the mission.

When they docked, Seashell exited the ship with the other passengers, lost in the throng, until a familiar spotted hand stopped her.

“You’re that way,” he said, pointing with a grimace. Seashell followed his gaze to the decaying and dilapidated castle nearby on the edge of the sea, a dark shadow over the otherwise colourful Roo Island. “Good Luck!” With a final wave, he was gone.

“I can do this,” Seashell told herself, clutching her sword firmly. She began her trek towards the castle, wondering how to even approach the building, looking for clues along the way that might indicate her grandmother was here.

Just as she neared the castle, her foot stepped on something…

"Grandma's locket pendant?!" she exclaimed. It was the heart-shaped charm that Grandma Seashell wore around her neck every day. It was the first piece of jewellery Grandpa had ever given her on their first anniversary. The locket appeared to have had its clasp broken, which dislodged it from its golden chain.

The baby Lenny placed the locket in her knapsack and began to panic as she put the pieces together. If the clasp had been broken, that could indicate a struggle. Seashell had to act fast in case her grandmother had been injured. She hurried the rest of the way to the castle, Sparks in tow.

Seashell came upon the castle's right, hiding behind bushes in anticipation of guards at the gate. However, there weren't any. The castle looked so decayed and dilapidated that she was surprised anyone could be inside. Surely the floors would be crumbling and it would be dangerous to traverse. Apparently, the danger of her journey was going to be the castle itself and not any ghouls or guards along the way.

Sparks and Seashell made their way to the castle doors which appeared to be locked. Luckily, the lattice of the portcullis had been broken enough for the baby Lenny and her Vaeolus to squeeze through. They made their way through the foyer, choosing their steps precariously as to not fall into any pits or step on any crumbling stones.

Seashell heard rustling coming from down a corridor to the left and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. "Who's there?" she whispered, holding her bulb of garlic out at arm's length with the other hand resting on the sword in her scabbard. A few Psimouse came scuttering out from a hole in the wall, but she couldn't put her guard down yet. Seashell wondered if these petpets had once been Neopets.

The pair came to a four-way intersection of hallways and Seashell didn't know where to go, so she paused for a moment. Sparks was tilting its head back and forth, as if hearing a sound undetected by Seashell.

"What is it, Sparks?" she whispered. Sparks gave a hushed chirp and started to hop down a corridor. The little Lenny followed as quietly as she could. After what felt like an aeon of walking, they came to a set of broken, cobbled stairs that led underground.

"The basement," Seashell thought aloud, her voice cracking with anxiety. She knew Count Von Roo would be down these stairs and she was certain Sparks led her to Grandma. Grandma was always Sparks' favourite.

Seashell began to delicately make her way down the fragmented stairs and accidentally kicked a stone from the staircase. She held her breath, realizing her mistake.

"H-Hello?" came a voice from the darkness...

"That's not how you welcome a stranger." The voice chuckled.

"I know you're Count Von Roo!" Seashell had the courage to face the vampire Blumaroo.

Once Count Von Roo came out from the darkness of the basement, he met his foe with an evil gaze in his eyes.

"I want to know where my Grandma is!" Seashell demanded an answer from Count Von Roo.

"Oh? You're poor old Faerie Lenny? She's been writing you those letters, I see. She's right over in the corner, trapped in a nice cage I've built for her. When she reached level zero, or should I say, no level at all, I made a deal with her." Count Von Roo pointed to Seashell's grandmother. She looked very miserable in her cage as she looked at the baby Lenny.

"Let her go!" Seashell cried out while keeping the sword pointed at him. Count Von Roo then chuckled and laughed.

"You really think it's that easy? Why don't we play a little game." Count Von Roo stood in the middle of the basement and magically made his table appear. On the table were two dice. He removed one and left the other one at the end of the table.

"You want me to play against you with your game?" The baby Lenny was surprised.

"Of course, the deal is that if you can roll higher than me, your grandmother will gain at least 2 levels and I will let her go. I will also forget about her debt." Count Von Roo explained while sitting himself down on a chair.

"I'll beat you at your game!" Seashell quickly ran to the table and sat on the other side. Count Von Roo let out an evil grin as he rolled first. When the dice stopped rolling, it landed on a 5.

"Ha! Try and beat 5!" Count Von Roo laughed.

"I don't know if I can do this, Sparks." Seashell looked down at her petpet. Then she remembered all the effort she put into this journey. She finally closed her eyes and gathered all of her courage.

She turned her attention back to the game and shook the dice in her feathers. When she let the dice roll on the table, it bounced 5 times before it landed on a 6.

"Ha you didn't-!" Count Von Roo cut himself off to realize that the young Lenny rolled a 6. He growled and banged on the table with his fists.

"How did you beat me! Drat!" Count Von Roo hissed.

"I beat you fair and square! Give my grandmother the two levels that you promised and free her!" Seashell took out her sword and flashed it at Count Von Roo.

"Alright! Alright, kid! Let me find the key!" Count Von Roo sneered as he reached in his cloak for the key. He unlocked Seashell's cage as the Faerie Lenny was freed. He granted her two levels and gave the baby Lenny 3 levels.

"It seems like the light is coming through to my castle, I'm gonna disappear but don't even think about challenging me again!" Count Von Roo angrily hissed and vanished into thin air.

"Seashell!" The Faerie Lenny hugged her grandchild.

"Grandma Seashell!" The baby Lenny hugged her back.

"I knew you'd come. You seemed to have figured out my letter with the code that I have written on it." Her grandmother laughed.

"Of course! I have to find you! I'm sorry that this happened to you." Seashell sniffled.

"It's no worries. I'm glad that you beat that Blumaroo at his own game. Let's not waste our time here in the castle. Let's go back home." The Faerie Lenny took Seashell by her feathers and the two left the castle of Count Von Roo. On their way to the dock, they were greeted by a few cheerful Blumaroos. They guided them to the boat.

As they were seated inside, Seashell looked out of the window as the island grew smaller.

"Grandma Seashell, are you going travel anywhere else soon?" Seashell looked up at her grandmother with a small smile.

"Of course, I'm still going to travel around Neopia and play games. Just not with Count Von Roo for a long time." Grandma Seashell answered.

"Can I come with you on your next adventure?" Seashell looked up at her grandmother with eagerness.

"Of course!" Her grandmother couldn't help but laugh. Sparks started jumping around in excitement.

And so, the two Lennies were going back home for the day to rest after their long journey.

The End... OR...

Heart racing, Seashell reached the last step. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, she observed a figure, cloaked in shadow, reclining in a lawn chair at the centre of the musty cellar that expanded before her. Count Von Roo! As if on instinct, she pointed her blade forward, the bulb of garlic Dinghy had given her speared through its tip.

“Hey, no need for the sharp stuff.” Although he was some distance away (and wore stylish prescription sunglasses), Seashell could feel The Count roll his eyes. “Or the smelly stuff. Let me guess, Dinghy conned you into taking that?”

“I… well… insurance?” Seashell didn’t know what to say. She’d been expecting The Count to be a formidable opponent, but he looked half-asleep in his chair. “Aren’t you going to fight me so I can save Grandma from your evil clutches?”

The Count flipped the sunglasses upon his forehead. “Who said anything about fighting?” With a snap of his fingers, ambient lights filled the cellar, and the Blumaroo leaned forward to squint at Seashell. “I’m getting too old for all that… and I never liked fighting youngins, anyway.”

This encounter was, so far, not going the way Seashell had planned. In desperation, she looked at Sparks, and then back at The Count, and then at the garlic in her hands. It would probably make a good marinara.

Before Seashell could think too much on that, The Count got up out of his chair. He groaned as his bones creaked and cracked, but with a quick stretch of the arms, he seemed good as new, and began walking towards Seashell with only a slight hobble. “You want to face me?” he intoned. “Fine. But let it be a crossing of minds — not swords.”

Seashell looked at The Count with confusion. She didn’t know if she could win in a fight where she could only use her head. Maybe if she wore a helmet…

“The mental feat you must perform to get your grandma back,” said The Count, stepping cautiously to the side as he noticed Seashell preparing to headbutt him, “is to tell me what my name is. My real name, mind you.”

“Count Von Roo!” Seashell chirped. Is this what The Count had meant by a crossing of the minds — riddles? “I thought that was supposed to be hard!”

“You’ve got the spirit, but no. Count Von Roo isn’t my real name, although most visitors call me that.” The Count crossed his arms and retreated to the lawn chair, taking a moment to give Seashell an encouraging thumbs-up. “I’m sure you’ll get it sometime, just keep trying.”

Seashell pouted. “Is your name Beeky?”

“No.”

“Mac?”

“No.”

“Riel?”

“No.”

“Giuseppe?”

“… Close, but no.”

Seashell had run out of options. “Can you give me a hint? Pretty please?”

The Count sighed, and again rolled his eyes. “Fine. You know how I’m called ‘Count’ Von Roo? Counting things might help you figure out the answer.”

Seashell pointed to a piece of moss on the ceiling. “One.” Then another one on the floor. “Two.” Then another one on The Count’s chair. “Three.”

“That’s not going to get you anywhere,” The Count muttered. “Think outside the box.” He clapped his hands, and the lights faded. “Come back when you’ve got an answer. I’m going to take a nap.”

***

Feeling more than a little defeated, Seashell plopped down onto the last step leading into the cellar, setting her blade to the side in despair. Was she really so weak, that the Count would take a nap in front of her knowing she wouldn’t be able to defeat him?

A tear rolled down Seashell’s cheek. She was weak, that much was true, and she didn’t want to fight anyone if she didn’t have to — but The Count’s riddle seemed impossible to crack…

“Hello, Seashell.”

Seashell started at the erudite voice coming from just to her left. Wiping a stray tear from her eye, she looked to see Sparks peering up at her with inquisitive eyes. “I see you are struggling to answer the question that Count Von Roo has posed. Perhaps I can assist.”

“You… you talk?” Seashell pressed a feather to her head to make sure she wasn’t hearing things. Sparks was a Vaeolus, surely he couldn’t actually speak to her?

"I've always been able to talk, Seashell. You just need to learn to listen.”

“Well, okay.” Seashell had seen stranger things in her short life. “I’m all ears.”

Sparks fluttered a short distance, so as to position himself directly in front of Seashell. “Indeed,” the Vaeolus began, “if you count the alphabetical letter positions of Count Von Roo, you will notice that the first letter of each word tallies to 43. It’s a code, Seashell.” As his owner sat dumbfounded, Sparks continued: “As you may know, 43 in octal form is equivalent to 35 in decimal form. It just so happens that 35 can be broken down into 10 plus 15 plus 5, which in turn forms the letters JOE, and which may, in fact, be connected to your grandfather, Joe.”

Seashell thought about all that Sparks had told her; for a moment, she wondered if she had inhaled too many garlic fumes. But then she grinned. “Thanks, Sparks! Guess who’s got a can of Faerie Petpet Food with his name on it once we get Grandma back?” Before the Vaeolus could flee, Seashell squished him in a hug.

Sparks rolled his eyes. He did like Faerie Petpet Food, but not if it tasted like garlic.

***

“Grandpa Joe! Grandpa Joe!” Seashell snapped her fingers and clapped her hands until the lights wavered back on. “Your name is Grandpa Joe!”

The Count sat up, blinking away the 5 minutes of sleep he’d gotten. “Yeah yeah, you got me. Though I thought it’d take you longer to figure out it was me…”

“Sparks told me how!” raved Seashell. “You just count the letters in your fake name, then… use an octopus… then…”

“That’s nice, sweetie.” Grandpa Joe — who really didn’t look like Grandpa Joe in his vampire outfit — cupped a hand over his snout and called, “Doris! Seashell Jr’s here!”

From the distance — or perhaps from another room — a familiar voice returned: “Alright, Joe, I’m on my way!”

And then Seashell’s grandma bustled into the cellar, decked head to toe in a beautiful white dress that looked as if it had been plucked out of the old, whimsical storybooks Seashell loved to read when she wasn’t out adventuring. A smile, warm and welcoming, spread across the elderly Lenny’s face as she regarded Seashell. “I know it’s not the prettiest, but welcome to our home away from home. I just knew you’d find us in time.”

Happy tears welled in Seashell’s eyes. Feet skittering on the cobblestone, she ran up and wrapped her grandma in a hug. “Time for what?”

Doris smiled. With a pat on little Seashell’s head, she said, “Your grandpa and I have been wanting to renew our wedding vows for decades now.” She chuckled, shaking her head softly in Grandpa Joe’s direction. “At long last, we agreed to return to Roo Island — that’s where we got married, you know — and have the celebration here, on our anniversary.”

“We would’ve told you and the rest of the family earlier that we were travelling,” The Count chimed in from his seat, “but we were so caught up in the excitement of reliving our youth that it skipped our minds.”

“But,” added Grandma Seashell, “We were able to send a secret code your way — disguised as a letter in a bottle — so that you would find your way to us. We knew it was a long shot, but with your budding skills as an adventurer, we had faith that you could crack the code!”

Seashell beamed. She’d known her grandma was smart, but to put together such an elaborate quest for the sake of spurring an adventure in Seashell’s heart was something else altogether. “You’re the best, Grandma.” She looked over at Grandpa Joe, who was eyeing the bulb of garlic she’d left by the stairs. “And you too, Grandpa, even though you gave me that tough riddle to solve.”

“Don’t blame me for all that,” Grandpa Joe replied, his voice gruff around the edges. “Your grandmother wanted me to buy her some time when you arrived so she could find that special locket of hers.”

Remembering the locket she’d found upstairs, Seashell reached into her knapsack and fished around until her feathers touched cool metal. “You mean this one?”

Doris’ eyes lit up as Seashell slipped her the locket. Although it had initially appeared broken beyond repair, her grandma snapped the clasp back into place with a few dexterous moves, and slipped the locket around her long neck with ease. The heart-shaped jewel sparkled against the Lenny’s feathers, once again set perfectly in place.

After a moment of silence, Grandpa Joe stood up once more. Running a hand through his slicked-back hair, he announced, “Well, now that we’ve found your locket, Doris, how about we head outside for the ceremony?”

***

As Seashell and her grandparents exited the castle, they were surprised to see a cadre of familiar faces gathered in the front yard.

“Mom! Dad! Estrelle!” Seashell called, waving a wing above her head in greeting as she scurried to meet them. “How did you get here?”

“Let’s just say Estrelle had a hunch you’d be travelling to Roo Island, sweetie.” Seashell’s father smiled, then shook his head as he heard the little Lenny’s stomach growl. “Though you should’ve let me at least pack you a lunch before you went out all on your own.”

From his position beside the Gelert, Dinghy — who had acted as the group’s tour guide — chimed in: “I brought plenty of garlic over on the ferry, sir, so don’t worry about that.”

Grandpa Joe and Sparks groaned in unison.

***

It took a while for everyone to get squared away for the ceremony, but by the time they did, the afternoon sun was beginning to peek gently through the clouds, bathing the bride and groom in natural light that was only mildly uncomfortable for Grandpa Joe.

Sitting atop a lectern placed before the couple, Sparks cleared his throat and flapped his wings. “It is my pleasure to welcome you all today to Roo Island, on the estate of our esteemed groom, Count Von Roo, and his most accomplished bride, Mrs. Doris ‘Seashell’. These individuals have pledged the last 70 years of their lives to one another—“

“Hey, Mom, Dad?” whispered Seashell. “Did you know that Sparks could talk this whole time?”

Her parents looked at each other, then back at Seashell with surprise. “You’re telling us you didn’t know?”

“—and through the vicissitudes of life, this couple has held, steadfast, in the bond of marriage. And today, after 70 years, they wish to renew that bond.” Sparks paused. “Does any one among you object to this renewal?”

There were, of course, no objections.

“Then let the bride and groom speak their vows.”

Joe was first. With great composure, the Blumaroo cleared his throat, then pulled out a roll of parchment with handwritten notes drafted upon it. “My dearest wife,” he started. “I still remember that day, 65 years ago, when I found you playing by the creek, not a care in the world beyond your adventures — and your aspirations to become an adventurer yourself someday.

“Having lived an isolated life among the Roo Island nobility until that fateful moment, your spirited nature spoke to me… and you showed me the fun that could be had in make-believe. In stories. And especially in sharing those stories with others, even if they take two weeks to tell.

“I am grateful each and every day that you opened your heart up to the stranger that found you among all of those beautiful seashells on the creekside. Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy anniversary, my love.”

Doris spoke next. Her words were filled with love, and she smiled widely as she held Grandpa Joe’s hands. “I can’t believe we’ve spent the last 70 years together, Joe — or, I guess as you’re better known around here, Count. The day we met seems as clear in my mind as yesterday, when you were just a young tourist from Roo Island, and I was just a girl looking for a partner in crime. I guess you could say I got that, and more, as we embarked on an adventure that would span a lifetime.

“It wasn’t easy in the beginning, of course, when we had to send Neomail back and forth across the sea… in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if our relationship would last when I’d run out of room on the paper after writing two paragraphs… but somehow, we managed.”

Seashell might have imagined it, but she thought her grandmother looked at her when she spoke her next lines:

“Joe, I’m so proud that we’ve brought up a family together — and helped raise a granddaughter who loves adventure as much as we do. Here’s hoping that there’s plenty more journeys in our future, wherever they take us.”

After a short round of applause from the audience, Sparks began to speak the closing remarks. Seashell, having been thoroughly impressed with her grandparents’ big speeches, sat deep in thought between her parents — so deep in thought, truly, that she didn’t even notice Miss Estrelle’s son, Peter, scurry up next to her.

“Um… Seashell?” the young Peophin asked, scratching the back of his head nervously. “Do you… do you happen to know where my Sword of Thare went?”

Seashell reached carefully beneath her seat and pulled the blade into view. “Here you go,” she said, handing it to Peter. “Thank you for letting me use it.”

“Sure thing.” Peter smiled, then looked at the sword. “Smells like garlic.” Looking sheepish, he handed it back to Seashell. “Why don’t you keep it? Maybe we could go on an adventure sometime.” He earnestly looked at her.

Seashell considered the young Peophin’s proposal. Maybe she could embark, with Peter, on a special adventure of their own?

Just as Seashell was going to respond, Sparks concluded his remarks. “You may now kiss the bride,” he stated, with as much decorum as a Vaeolus could muster.

Seashell — much to her imminent chagrin — turned to observe the ceremony’s end. Her eyes widened at what she saw. “Gross!” she uttered as she looked away, draping a wing over her face, then looking back at the young Peophin. “Uh, maybe in a few years, Peter,” she said hastily, placing the Sword of Thare gingerly back in the Peophin’s hooves and rushing off in embarrassment.

She was all for her grandparents’ sweet love story — was it safe to look at them yet? — but she was still a kid. She would have time for love later, when she was grown up and ready to face those kinds of adventures. Seashell smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief. She has her creek to guard. Monsters to defeat. Miss Estrelle’s house to break into. And Sparks to converse with, apparently.

And for now, that was more than enough.

She knew for sure what she would do with the next love note she found floating in the creek — Give it to her mom to deal with!

The End... OR...

"M-Miss Estrelle?"

"Seashell!" The Aisha's voice was unmistakable. But when the baby Lenny saw her, her hair was dishevelled, there were bags under her eyes, and her clothes were dusty. She glanced from the sword to Seashell, and then over Seashell's shoulder. Estrelle gasped. "Seashell, run!"

Curiosity got Seashell for a moment - but just a moment. She caught a glimpse of a Blumaroo's spotted face as she hurried down the staircase, tripping on the second to the last one and falling to the floor. As she sat up, she said in disbelief, "D-Dinghy?"

"How can I help make your stay at Count von Roo's castle fun to the MAX?" he asked, and at that last word, he bared his teeth - terrible, sharp fangs. As he glided down the stairs, his appearance changed from a spotted Blumaroo guide to...something else. Or rather, someone. With fearsome fangs and a cape.

"Run, Seashell!" Estrelle cried.

Grabbing the sword from the dusty floor, Seashell ran. After placing as much distance as she could between herself and "Dinghy", she whipped around and raised the blade to protect herself, but mostly her face.

"The little baby thinks she can fight me?" Count von Roo drawled. "No, all you did was walk into my trap!" He lunged toward her, and Seashell dived aside with a wail, crawling past Estrelle, who took her Sword of Thare and faced the Blumaroo.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" the Aisha declared as she brandished the weapon.

"You mean just like when you tried to rescue Doris?" said von Roo smoothly. But before he could say anything else, a jet of water blasted into his face, causing him to splutter and stagger backwards. Estrelle saw Seashell holding up Dr. Sloth's Personal Bath Buddy defiantly.

"Come on!" She grabbed Seashell's wrist and the two of them raced back up the cracked, crumbling steps while von Roo recovered from the unwanted, extreme bath and backed away from the forgotten garlic on the floor.

Seashell's mind was a blur as they escaped, but she managed to remember one thing.

"Sparks! Where's Sparks?"

As if on cue, the Vaeolus came flying out from another hallway. Somehow, while Seashell and Estrelle fought against Count von Roo, Sparks had retreated unseen and was now chirruping for them to follow him the way he had come.

"Sparks!" Seashell breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so happy - w-wait for us!"

The relief was short-lived; she could hear the frantic footsteps of Count von Roo as he pursued them. Sparks led them into a spacious chamber filled with bookshelves and various weaponry placed on display on the walls, and all the curtains were drawn so the only light came from dimly burning lamps. Estrelle pulled Seashell to hide behind the nearest shelf, and Seashell, in turn, grabbed Sparks.

"Miss Estrelle, I thought you were in your house..."

"Whoever you saw, that wasn't me. That was probably Count von Roo, pretending to be me. You thought he was a Blumaroo named Dinghy too, didn't you?" The Aisha shook her head vigorously as they crouched, watching von Roo glide into the library.

"Your grandmother didn't actually lose any levels like I told you. She gained them...but she kept gaining them," he snarled. "I had to find out how she did it. But she wouldn't tell me her secret. She says she doesn't know. She's a liar!" That last word echoed throughout the chamber, and Estrelle placed herself in front of Seashell, Sword of Thare at the ready, as von Roo started looking around for them.

The baby Lenny opened her beak to ask where her grandmother was, or to just make any vehement interjection she could think of, but instead, she decided to just shove her wing into her beak. Meanwhile, Estrelle stepped out from behind the shelf.

"You're just mad she figured out how to win your sick game!" she declared. "And impersonating me...you've gone too far!"

With a roar, Count von Roo pounced, like a Kadoatie that had spotted a Miamouse. But Estrelle was faster; she veered away expertly and struck, her sword tearing into his cape and causing him to clutch his arm. But in retaliation, he threw himself against the nearest shelf, causing it to topple, and Estrelle had to dive aside to keep from being trapped beneath it. The bookshelf and all the books on it crashed and scattered dust clouds everywhere.

"Maybe...maybe her granddaughter has the answers!"

"Leave my granddaughter out of this!"

A well-thrown book hit the back of Count von Roo's head, causing him to crumple onto the floor. Seashell crumpled too, dropping to her knees and gaping at the sound of that new voice and seeing the elderly Lenny dart out with another thick book in her wing.

"Grandma!"

"Give me one second," said Doris as she waddled toward the nearest window where Count von Roo lay. With a deft, purposeful tug, she pulled away some of the curtains and let the sunshine in. The Blumaroo writhed in pain and covered his eyes, and as he tried to stagger back onto his feet, Doris dealt him a second blow with her second book. "Ah, those extra levels do feel so good."

"Grandma, I'm so glad you're okay!" Seashell cried, blinking back tears as she sprinted forward to hug Doris, still wearing her Faerie Tabard. "I missed you. We missed you! But...Count von Roo said you got a lot of levels from him..."

Estrelle chuckled. "Somehow, Doris always won Deadly Dice, no matter how many times they played. That was why he kept her locked up here - to figure out her secret."

"He kept me under close guard, except today," said Doris. "Which was why all I could do was send messages. And it looks like you got mine, Seashell."

"Do...do you really have a secret, Grandma?"

"Yeah, was it all in the wrist, whenever you threw those dice?" Estrelle wanted to know.

Doris winked. "I'll tell both of you when we get out of here." She took Seashell by the wing. "But in the meantime...do you want to know why your grandfather called me Seashell, Seashell?"

The End