"Oh no!" groaned LittleVinny88. "Where's Channi??" Channi_88 was a mischievous,
young blue Shoyru, forever running off.
"I don't know and I don't really care!" declared PinkMusic, a beautiful red
Uni. "He always disappears and always comes back. He's probably in Mystery Island
or Faerieland or somewhere."
"I'm playing Kacheek Seek with billabong_baby88. I'll ask her if we can go
to either of those to places," suggested Shadalea, a green Blumaroo. "We'll
see if we can find Chan while we're there."
"I want to play with my Elephante toy," LittleVinny suddenly whined. Being
a yellow Elephante, he just loved his yellow Elephante plushie.
"OK, well you go do that," PinkMusic said irritably. "I've got to go to the
shops."
Shadalea, having been adopted from the pound and being older than the others,
thought herself as the leader of them all.
"Are you needing help, Pink?" she asked coolly.
"No, I thought you were playing hide and seek," PinkMusic replied smugly, pushing
down her feeling of love for playing with billabong_baby. LittleVinny went away
and asked billabong_baby88 for her Elephante and something to eat. PinkMusic,
who was actually kind and gentle at heart, felt too much for her beauty and
strode off elegantly to the shops. Shadalea went off to play Kacheek Seek.
A little while later, Shadalea came running to Vinny and Pink who were talking
with Princess Prettiful in billabong_baby's shop. Princess Prettiful served
customers at the shop.
"Guys! Oh guys!" The poor Blumaroo was nearly in tears. "It's Channi- oh poor
baby, he's been captured by some evil creature!!"
"Shad! That's terrible!" Princess Prettiful cried, then quickly turned to take
money from a customer. "Prin, we have to go--see you later!" called PinkMusic.
Shadelia jumped on her back and they ran through the busy Marketplace.
Following Shad's directions, they came to Mystery Island and were told by a
Poogle (The same one who had told Shadalea) where he had seen Channi_88 last.
"Among the trees!" he squeaked. "Need a ride?" he asked, turning to LittleVinny.
Vinny laughed and shook his head.
"I'm an Elephante, way too heavy for a little Poogle like you." Of course,
he could not tell how strong and well-trained this particular Poogle was- all
of them look exactly the same.
"Get on!" the Poogle ordered in a squeaky but firm voice.
"Get on, Vin," repeated Pink and the little Elephante climbed on the creature's
tiny back.
Away he and Pink Music galloped, through the market and into the trees.
"In here!" called the Poogle, running into a dark cave. He ran ahead so far
PinkMusic and Shadelea lost sight of him.
"AHA! I HAVE YOU ALL NOW!!!" bellowed a voice. A flame was lit and Pink and
Shad stared in horror as the Poogle began to stretch and morph and change into
a Grarrl. LittleVinny toppled off its back and onto the rocky ground.
"Vin! Shad! Run!" cried Pink and they all bolted for the mouth of the cave,
but the Grarrl simply stepped over them and blocked their way. The three friends
could hear only the deep pants of the huge monster.
"Help!" A tiny, also familiar voice pierced the nearly-silent air.
"If that's another Poogle…" groaned Shadelea.
"It's me! Channi_88!!!" cried the voice. Quick as lightning, PinkMusic jumped
up and smashed the lamp hanging from the ceiling. She, Shadelea and LittleVinny
tore down into the never-ending blackness the Grarrl crashing after them. He
took big strides, but LittleVinny on PinkMusic's back and Shadelea on foot outran
him easily. The heavy footsteps soon ceased. After what seemed like ages of
running through a pitch-black corridor that swerved and turned all over the
place (Shad had to keep her hands out in front of her and run first so the party
didn't bang into a wall) they turned a corner into a dimly-lit little room.
"Channi!" cried LittleVinny, leaping from Pink's back and running to his friend,
who was tied to the wall. Pink chewed the ropes off him easily and the friends
embraced the little blue Shoyru.
"Why did they kidnap you?" asked Shadalea.
"Well," Channi began, "I beat him in the Battledome and won a VERY expensive
and EXTREMELY rare potion... so rare, in fact, there is only one of them in
the all of Neopia... that only its owner can use. Because it is rightfully mine,
only I can open it! I guess he thought I'd have no chance against him in a battle.
Heehee! Well, that is why he kidnapped me."
"It must be a good potion," commented PinkMusic, who hated the Battledome
"It basically makes its user always win!" Channi giggled.
"What does it do?" asked Shadalea eagerly. Channi grinned and giggled again.
"Only I know, since I am its owner, but I can tell you guys because you're
my friends." He babbled out everything about the potion while the others laughed
at his enthusiasm.
"It's especially good how the potion can't be stolen- it must be given away
or won in a fair trial," commented Shadalea. The Neos suddenly realised that
the crashing of the Grarrl had started again--this time faster.
"Quick, I've got an idea," Vinny whispered. He pressed himself against the
wall where Channi had been tied. "Shadi- get on PinkMusic!" he ordered. Shadalea
obediently climbed onto PinkMusic's back and, also following LittleVinny's instructions,
Channi leaped into the air, tumbling down a few centimetres but quickly regaining
her height. She was still young and not an excellent flyer.
LittleVinny quickly told his friends the rest of the plan. Though all of them
were reluctant, they knew it was their only hope. "Now run!" he hissed. "Go!"
Off PinkMusic went, galloping down the tunnel. Channi flew ahead, feeling the
way.
Soon they turned a corner and could faintly see the Grarrl in front of them.
Channi quickly dived under PinkMusic's belly and hid there. In his hurry the
monster rushed right over them, but hearing Pink's light galloping he turned
around.
"Gotcha now!" he roared. He advanced forward quickly as PinkMusic tore off
to the mouth of the cave.
"COME BACK!" he growled.
Suddenly… "Guys! I'm out!" called a squeaky voice that did not belong to Channi_88--but
LittleVinny88! Of course, since it was coming from the place where Channi had
been tied up, the Grarrl had no idea about this.
"Go before it gets you!"
"Channi! He heard you, you dimwit! Get out of there!" The Grarrl was already
moving back down the tunnel towards LittleVinny. Channi_88 quickly turned and
followed it, flying just above the ground. PinkMusic and Shadalea hid behind
a rock for a few moments, then began to follow (so the monster wouldn't hear
Pink's hoofsteps). As they turned into the small room where LittleVinny was,
the Grarrl let out a bellow of fury.
"WHERE IS THE SHOYRU??" it yelled. "TELL ME NOW!!!"
Immediately, Channi whizzed under his legs and soared up to his face.
"AH, THERE YOU ARE!!" he laughed evilly. He reached out a distorted claw and
tried to grab Channi, but missed. The little blue Shoyru dodged the creature's
snatches with amazing ease, while LittleVinny quickly and quietly escaped. PinkMusic
and Shad had just reached the room. Shadalea leaped off Pink's back and LittleVinny
quickly climbed on. The poor Uni was very puffed and could only trot slowly
down the rocky corridor.
"Good luck, Shad," she panted, as Shadalea crawled behind a rock just outside
the room.
"You too!" she called back softly.
She peered around and watched Channi swoop and drop and weave around the Grarrl's
head, infuriating it. She laughed gently to herself.
"Eeeek!" cried the Shoyru, suddenly clutching her leg and falling to the ground.
That was the signal. With a beautifully accurate throw, Shad hurled a small
stone at the lamp just above the Grarrl's head and the smashed glass fell over
its face. As it stumbled around in pain, Channi whizzed through its legs and
flew through the tunnel. Shadalea ran through its legs, let out a faint groan
of pain in the same place where Channi had fell, then sped after her friend.
"I'VE STILL GOT YOU AND NOW YOU'RE HELPLESS!!" he roared, thinking Channi_88
was still at his feet. He made a grab at the ground and felt only rock, so made
more blind snatches around the room but could find no Shoyru Meanwhile, Shadalea
and Channi had reached PinkMusic and LittleVinny who were waiting at the entrance
to the cave.
"Thanks so much, guys!" Channi puffed, flopping to the ground. "You saved me!"
"Thank LittleVinny88!" laughed Shadalea. "It was his idea. Oh- and don't forget
Pinky, doing all that running!"
"We all did it," LittleVinny grinned, "when we worked as a team." The Neos
were set to return through the forest, when they heard an evil laugh coming
from the cave. The Grarrl loomed over the tiny little creatures, a triumphant
smirk planted on its face. In one swift movement, all four of them were held
tight in the strong grip of its thick, muscular arms.
"NO MORE TRICKS, NO MORE GAMES!!" it boomed. "HAND OVER THE POTION, SHOYRU!"
"No," Channi replied calmly. "You don't know it, but this potion cannot be
stolen. It can only be given away by the owner or won in a fair trial."
"FINE!" the Grarrl snorted. You 'n me, the Tyrannia battle ring. What do ya
say?"
"Well… I've got a better idea. One that favours you, but I'd rather it than
battling again."
"Uh huh…"
"You choose a number between one and fifty. I have to guess it. The odds are
1 out of 50 for me and 49 out of 50 for you- there's a much better chance you'll
win than me."
"Mmm… what's the catch?"
"None, I mean, I'm not that attached to this potion or anything and I know
I'm gonna lose it- I guess I just want to give myself one last chance."
"Chan! Just battle him!!" Shadalea cried. The Grarrl laughed.
"Your friends are against you, but I am with you!" he guffawed. "Let us make
it I will pick a number between one and one hundred- do we have a deal?"
"But that's… oh fine. We might as well make in two hundred."
"Five hundred?"
"WHY DON'T WE SAY ONE THOUSAND!! Just choose a number."
The Grarrl, still holding the NeoPets firmly in his arms, paused for a second.
"Okay, Shoyru," he grinned. "Guess."
"To make sure you don't cheat, write the number in the dirt in the cave where
I can't see it."
"Great plan, while my back's turned to you you're running off to catch the
next ferry to Terror Mountain! No thanks." The creature shook its huge head.
"You'll just push over a tree on top of us! There's no point. I promise I'll
stay!"
"All right, all right. Turn the other way, all of you." He dropped the Neos
and they obediently turned towards the forest. The Grarrl walked a few steps
into the blackness of the cave, wrote the number in the sand with his claw then
returned. "Guess!" he growled.
Channi drew a sharp breath, stared around then looked back at the monster.
"One hundred and two," she said confidently.
The Grarrl froze, its mouth open. Scampering into the cave, the pets looked
eagerly for the number. There it was, scrawled just behind a rock, "102".
"A potion that tells the future- now that's a good potion!" PinkMusic laughed.
"I agree!" smiled Channi_88. "Its powers saved itself!!"
The End | 
