To someone wandering past, it might have looked as if Nalu was being very silly. After all, he was sitting in a lovely, sheltered cove on Krawk Island, with sandy beaches and the lapping blue waters of the Neopian ocean... but he had positioned his chair facing the wrong way. Instead of looking out over the sun dappling the waves, or facing the lush greenery full of flowers on the hillside, his chair was pointed squarely at the dark, dripping, musty-smelling entrance to the fungus caves. The most interesting thing he had to see there was the steady trickle of dank water leaking out, and the greyish-brownish-greenish fungus that gave the cave its name.

But sometimes... every once in a while...

A scraping, scratching noise came from the cave. Nalu sat up quickly, nearly dropping his splime smoothie. Could it be? Could it be that his vigil had finally paid off? With growing excitement, he watched as one clawed hand, then another, gripped the edges of the entrance to the fungus cave, and finally a familiar long toothy head poked out, eyes blinking in the bright sunlight.

A Krawk! A Krawk, newly grown from a Krawk petpet thanks to the magic of the fungus! Nalu put down his fan and smoothie and rushed forward, ready to welcome the new Neopian with open arms and welcome them to the island life.

Except... when he got a good look at the newly-born Krawk Neopet...

As the newly born Krawk emerged from the caves, Nalu noticed the spikes along his back looked a bit soggy. "Well, what do you expect when you mix water and paper?" he mused. But enough of that, it was time for Nalu to get to work. He quickly closed the distance between himself and the Krawk.

"Welcome to Krawk Island, my new friend! My name is Nalu and I will be your welcoming committee. It's my duty to greet you, answer any burning questions you have as a new Krawk, and get you started on your journey through life. It's a very important job if I do say so myself." Nalu greeted as the new Origami Krawk stared at him wide-eyed with a slight look of confusion. Nalu merely chuckled to himself, unfazed as he had seen many a new Krawk with the same expression. Knowing just what to do, Nalu quickly moved along with his introduction.

"You have just been born from the Fungus Caves on this glorious day, Krawk Day, the 16th Day of Sleeping. I've welcomed many others, but none quite like you. I can't believe you are an Origami Krawk! Wait until the boys at the Food Club hear about this. But enough of that. I'll be taking you to meet our Governor, Gavril McGill. He helped rebuild this place years ago, can you believe it? Anyway, before we head that way, might I know your name?" Nalu rambled on. He knew he could get a bit carried away with his welcoming.

Just as with many before, Nalu could see the telltale signs of the Krawk trying to remember his name. There were many cases of Krawks not remembering once they exited the caves, so Nalu was prepared to provide a name if needed. Just when Nalu was about to give up waiting, the Krawk cleared his throat.

"My name is...Drake," he stated, his voice cracking a bit at the end, unused to speaking.

"Drake? Well nice to meet you, Drake! Let's go see the Governor. I'm sure he is anxious to meet his newest, special resident," Nalu cheerfully stated as they began their short walk to the Governor's Mansion.

Nalu couldn't wait to hear what the Governor had to say about this new Krawk.

Trailing his fingers in the crystal clear water he gazed at the mermaid figure which was the central focus of the fountain. A slight smile played on his lips as he looked at it - no one had ever guessed the significance of the carving, and it amused him greatly when he saw daily visitors to the mansion exclaim over its beauty... and then move away from it without further comment. As far as they knew it was simply a figure designed to complement the elaborate fountain. Oh, but they were so wrong!

"If they only knew what you really are," he said softly, staring at the mermaid, "it would cause quite a stir, don't you think?"

A loud knock at the main doors interrupted his reverie, causing him to frown slightly in irritation. Immediately he smoothed his features, replacing the frown with a more neutral expression. As Governor one had to appear in control at all times. His Bruce butler Geoffrey opened the door, and from his vantage point by the fountain McGill could see Nalu the Lutari on the stoop. Beside him was...

McGill's eyes opened wide. An Origami Krawk?! Here, in the flesh – or rather, in the paper, he thought with amusement. With a quick parting glance at the mermaid statue he proceeded to the entryway to meet the new arrivals; and as he did so a sudden idea began to percolate in the depths of his mind...

"Nalu!" he greeted his greeter as he gestured for Geoffrey to close the door and stay out of the room. "This be a new 'pet?"

"It certainly is, Governor," the Lutari replied with a chipper inflection. He gently nudged the new Krawk forward, encouraging him to introduce himself.

"Er, hi, er, Governor. My name is Drake," Drake said with a smile.

The Governor gripped Drake's hand in his, and shook it firmly. "And I'm Governor McGill. What a truly amazing... specimen you are, Drake. I've never seen one quite like you and I'm glad to have lived long enough to. I'm sure others be in the same ship..."

Nalu beamed. He knew the Governor would be fascinated by the new guy.

The three shared some small talk and a few laughs, but the encounter was beginning to drag. "Shall I show him the rest of the island now?" inquired the Lutari. It was customary to give new Krawks the island tour.

The Governor shook his head in an attempted reassuring manner. "No... actually, lad, I'd like to take him around myself..."

"Er, Governor," he said slowly, "are you sure about this? I've always handled the tours for new arrivals. I know all the answers to any questions Drake might have, I know my way around the island - "

"You must be tired from today's excitement." Governor McGill cut him off with a wave of his hand before resting it on Drake's shoulder. "I'll take it from here. Why don't you return to your post? You can take a breather at the Fungus Caves, and let me know if Drake has any more origami friends."

The Lutari glanced from Drake, who didn't seem at all bothered by this change of plans, to Governor McGill, who didn't seem ready to change his plans any time soon.

Before Nalu could say anything, the governor began to usher Drake out of his mansion without so much as a glance at Nalu.

* * *

Thus, Nalu returned to his post in front of the Fungus Caves. The sun was setting, dyeing the sky reds, blues and purples. He wondered how Drake's tour was going; perhaps Governor McGill was able to answer all his pressing questions. Perhaps now, Drake was settling in his new home -

Nalu sat up in his beach chair. Over the gentle lapping of the waves and the call of the Weewoos and the Pawkeets, he heard voices.

Familiar voices.

After a quick glimpse of the Fungus Caves to ensure that another Krawk wasn't coming out of it any time soon, Nalu left his chair - and his post - to follow the voices. As he walked along the shore, he felt an unpleasant prickle on the back of his neck.

The voices were not only familiar, they were coming from the direction of an old ruined temple. Legends told of remnants of its power, which was the inverse of the power of the Fungus Caves - where the caves and its fungus granted life and sentience, the temple could take them away. It was said that Krawks who emerged from the Fungus Caves and ventured deep enough into the ruins never returned - or, at least, returned as cold, lifeless statues.

One Maraquan Krawk, it was said, was last seen around these parts before vanishing forever. Their statue was probably still deep within the ruins - unless someone had managed to carry it away.

So why were Governor McGill and Drake there? Was the governor simply telling Drake to keep away from that site?

Nalu braced himself against the rock face of the cliff and peered around to see Drake and Governor McGill standing in front of the entrance to the ruins.

"I don't know," Drake was saying, "I was literally born today, so I don't know the first thing about tourism. Would they really come here to see me?"

"Of course they would. It's not every day an Origami Krawk shows up from the Fungus Caves, after all," the governor replied.

Drake shook his head. "I'm sorry, Governor. I don't think I can do it."

The green Krawk's lips twisted into a mirthless smile. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But...if you won't do that for me, we should continue our tour. Those steps lead down into some very important historical ruins that you should see, Drake..."

Nalu watched in horror as Drake naively entered the temple with the Governor following behind. He desperately wanted to scream at the Krawk to stop but his instincts knew not to lest he was caught by the Governor, who had made it clear earlier that he didn't want the Lutari to be involved. Perhaps the Governor was just briefly showing Drake around the site and would protect him from any real danger.

"Yes, that must be it," he muttered, trying to convince himself but the back of his neck continued to prickle.

After a moment of thought, Nalu decided that he'd surveil from a near distance to keep an eye on them and rushed towards the entrance of the temple. Drake had just crossed the threshold of the dilapidated inner sanctum, but Governor McGill had stopped in his tracks, his paw holding a kerchief to his nose and mouth. The Lutari slowly tiptoed into the ruins, staying a safe distance away as he hid behind a cracked pillar overgrown with vegetation. Oddly enough, the place smelled faintly of something pleasant and sweet. Surely, it wasn't the rotting moss but he couldn't quite place a finger on what it was though.

"Aren't you going to come in?" Drake turned his head to ask the Governor.

"I'm afraid this is as far as I can go." Governor McGill's voice was muffled by the cloth. "I'm allergic to orchids, you see."

Upon hearing the mention of orchids, Nalu immediately covered his nose and mouth with his arm. He remembered now: it was the scent of these flowers that attracted unsuspecting victims into the temple!

"There's a small bath just ahead, filled with orchids," the Green Krawk continued. "Those who take a dip in it will be blessed with good luck and happiness. Please go ahead without me and have a look around. Perhaps you can try out the bath too. I'll wait over here in the meantime."

"Sure," Drake said and proceeded further into the temple. "It smells really nice in here, by the way. I can't wait to check out the bath!"

Nalu was certain at this point that Governor McGill was luring Drake into a trap, the same trap that the Maraquan Krawk had fallen into many years ago. He needed to quickly find a way to warn the Origami Krawk, to stop him...

The Lutari bent down slowly and felt around on the floor for a small chunk of rock. Expertly he flicked it out toward the Governor - much like the times he had skipped rocks over the sea while waiting for newly born Krawks.

"Eh? Drake?"

When the Green Krawk turned to look at the skittering stone, Nalu hurriedly ducked behind the next pillar, and then behind a broken Krawk statue. He crouched there, watching as the Governor surveyed his surroundings and then waved his handkerchief meticulously in front of his face as though trying to fan away the scent of the flowers.

Nalu didn't bother to look back as he followed Drake, pushing away wilted orchids and gingerly stepping over gashes in the floor and piles of rubble.

It didn't take long for him - and Drake - to reach the bath, a pool just big enough for a few Neopians to sit in happily, full of surprisingly clear water adorned with floating orchids. More flowers grew around the edges and overhead. Nalu covered his nose with his claw; the scent here was overpowering.

But it didn't seem to bother Drake.

"Wow," the Origami Krawk said, gazing at the pool. "Even if it doesn't bring good luck and happiness, I could really use a ba - "

Reaching out, Nalu grabbed Drake and pulled him behind a huge column that had many different images carved onto it. Before Drake could say anything, Nalu slapped his palm over the Krawk's mouth.

"Mmmph?"

"Don't get into the bath," Nalu hissed. He made Drake face the drawings on the column. There were engravings of Krawks rising from a hole in the ground, walking, and then going down a set of stairs underground to a pool surrounded by flowers.

"This temple is like the reverse of the Fungus Caves - it takes away what the Fungus Caves has given you. There's a story about a Maraquan Krawk who also came out of the cave, who was last seen around these ruins, and never seen again."

"Wh-what happened to them?"

Wordlessly Nalu pointed to the next image on the column. It was a Krawk - a Krawk rigid upon a pedestal, with flowers adorning it.

"They turned to stone."

Drake inhaled and was about to gasp in shock when Nalu covered his mouth again.

"Shhh!"

"B-But why would Governor McGill tell me to bathe in here? W-Why does he want me to turn into stone?"

"I don't know. But maybe he's really determined to turn you into the next tourist attraction. Which is why you need to trust me. Here's what we'll do..."

The crooked Green Krawk reminisced about the night he met her at the shoreline not far from the ruined temple. He had a hard time sleeping. The Weewoos were singing a haunted chorus exceptionally loud that night, which was common on mild evenings when the air was still. He decided to take a walk to burn off some energy when he saw the mermaid sitting upon a rock, her hair sparkling in the moonlight.

The scent of the orchids had caught her attention and she longed to visit the temple from where the smell was emitting. Any flower that could smell so beautiful and inviting must be worth seeing, and perhaps she could pick one for her Crown, which consisted of flowers she collected from around the far stretches of Neopia.

“Did you just arrive from the Fungus Caves?” asked the Governor. This was the first time he had ever seen a Maraquan Krawk.

“No,” she answered. “I emerged months ago and no one was here to greet me, so I decided to explore the ocean.”

She could not travel to the temple alone, so Governor McGill agreed to carry her. The smell was overwhelming and seemingly lured him deeper into the temple. The mermaid pointed out a pool in the centre of the room where the orchids grew thickest, and insisted she go there because she was drying out. The entranced Krawk carried her cluelessly to the water and placed her in. Orchids danced all around her in the water, along the ceiling and on the walls, bringing a big smile to her face. Moments later she turned into stone. The shock woke him from his trance, and he instinctively covered his nose to avoid falling back into the trance.

He did not want to leave the mermaid in the pool, so, struggling, he lifted her up and carried her home. She weighed significantly more being made of stone, but her small size made it manageable.

He placed her in the centre of his fountain in the foyer of his manor, hoping the water would revive her. Instead, it became a wonder to tourists. The intricacies of the statue made it look very lifelike and her beautiful smile was captivating. The revenues generated from the increased number of tourists to his struggling community could not be ignored and soon the statue became his pride and joy.

There was a loud shriek and Governor McGill snapped out of his current trance. He looked over at the pool where he last saw the Origami Krawk and saw nothing but a lump of soggy paper, half hanging out of the pool.

“Why didn’t it work?!” He irritably shouted, running carelessly towards the pool. He stopped suddenly. Something was tugging at his leg...

How will this story end?

"Go!"

Governer McGill whipped his head up just in time to catch the Origami Krawk making a dash for the exit from behind one of the pillars. Reflex kicked in as he turned to chase after the Krawk but another sharp tug of the vine made him stop again.

"Not so fast, Governor."

Stepping out from behind another pillar, Nalu surveyed the path behind the Green Krawk. Drake was nowhere to be seen, his footsteps no longer audible. He let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing here, Nalu?" the Governor inquired furiously. He had noticed that the other end of the vine was held tightly in the Lutari's paw. "Come to stop me, have you?"

"Obviously!" Nalu exclaimed. "How could you even think of sacrificing Drake's life for your own selfish gains? It's absurd!"

"For my gains?" The Governor laughed derisively, then glared at the Lutari. "You don't know how hard it is to keep this island thriving. I don't dare to imagine where we'd all be today if the mermaid didn't rake in so much income. Drake would do us all a huge favour if he volunteered too!"

Nalu shook his head. "He doesn't have to be turned to stone for just that. Did you ever consider hiring him instead?" The Governor fell silent. "You can make him the mascot of Krawk Island. I bet tourists from all over Neopia would flock here to see an Origami Krawk."

Governor McGill still didn't respond.

"Live," the Lutari quickly added for good measure.

After being lost in his thoughts for a while, the governor finally spoke. "I hate to admit it but you're right. I hadn't thought of that." He then sighed in defeat. "To be honest, the mermaid turning into stone was an accident. I never intended for her to stay that way or use her but it just... happened. Deep inside of me, I still wish I could save her."

"Well then, Governor, you're in luck," Nalu said with a smile as he walked over to a section of the rock wall and patted it, "because these carvings tell of a way to convert the stone statues back into their former living selves."

The Krawk gasped. "Really? What does it say?"

"Hmm, we need to get some fungus from the Fungus Caves and dissolve it in a bucketful of this bathwater, then pour it over the statue's head," Nalu explained. "It seems that the fungus can negate the orchids' magic and revive those who have been affected by them."

"That's great! In that case, I'll handle the water while you collect the fungus," the Governor said, but Nalu didn't move. He was looking apprehensively at the Krawk, the vine still gripped tightly in his paw. "You can trust me. I want her to live, more than anyone else. I want to correct my mistake."

"You promise?"

"I won't go back on my word," Governor McGill assured him.

"Okay, I trust you." Nalu released his hold on the vine, letting it drop to the floor. "Let's meet again at the mansion later. I'll bring the fungus there when I'm done," he said as he left the temple, smiling to himself when he caught a glimpse of a few teardrops falling from the Governor's face as he turned away. "Let's try to save her as soon as we can."

---

Drake licked his lips after gulping down the last of his Ergyfruit Grog. "This is the best thing I've ever tasted!"

"Huh?" Nalu shouted. He couldn't hear him over the din of the tavern.

"I SAID, THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER TASTED!"

"I wouldn't recommend it if it didn't taste good," Governor McGill replied in a loud voice as he gently set his half-finished mug on the wooden table.

"I KNOW! WAITER, CAN I HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE GROGS, PLEASE?

Nalu couldn't help but chuckle. It had been half a year since the bad blood between Drake and the Governor had been resolved. The Origami Krawk was now hosting his own live one-of-a-kind paper-magic performances all across the island. As expected, his shows were always sold-out and received great reviews. The Island's inbound tourism was also flourishing largely because of him. But he wasn't the only one contributing to the influx of tourists.

"The show's about to start soon," the emcee announced using a loudspeaker.

The Lutari and two Krawks shifted their chairs to face the open sea and waited. After a few minutes, a gorgeous Maraquan Krawk broke the surface of the aquamarine waters in an elegant arc, her crown and tail glittering in the bright sunlight. The crowd gasped and cheered as she dived into the sea and resurfaced again, her hair sending sprays of water droplets in all directions, which caused a mini rainbow to form above her.

"Wow! She's absolutely stunning!"

"I'm glad I came all the way from Shenkuu to see this show! Best decision ever!"

"Oh, I'm definitely coming back to Krawk Island again! This place has so many tourist attractions!"

Nalu, Drake and Governor McGill exchanged glances with one another and grinned. They each knew the other had heard in on the conversations around them too and so simultaneously, they raised their drinks. "To Krawk Island!" they chimed in unison and clinked their mugs, drinking happily to a better future.

The End.