Scalliwag: Part Two by princess_zelda38 |  |
"Weell (spit-he hadn't changed one bit), I thought I mighta invest (spit)
a leetle in the business section, ya know, work (spit) to pay off the loan for
the plane (I chuckled), ya know?"
"Good for you, Hampshire," I said. A TV in the window that was showing a soap
opera:
"Oh why must you leave me, Charles!" flickered on and changed to the Neopian
News, where News-A-Roo was reporting, and everyone turned to watch.
"We interrupt this soap opera for breaking news! A new world, Krawk Island,
has appeared! And it's not in place of Maraqua, though the whirlpool is still
there, sadly. This is News-A-Roo, over and out." We kept watching until, "Charles,
you are - a mutant! We can never be together!" and then we decided to leave.
I hopped on Ari's back, Nova clambered up on top of Tide, and Hiter prepared
to take off, when we heard Hampshire. "Where ya'll goin'?"
"To Krawk Island,
of course."
"Could-could I go with you?"
"Why?"
"Well, I-I've grown rather fond of ya'll…" and I saw what Hampshire was trying
to say, that I was like the owner he had never had. Touched, I said gruffly,
"Sure, Hampshire. Hop on Hiteru."
I watched the sky from Ari's back as we soared through the air, catching the
occasional current. "Zelda, tell me a story about the Faeries," Ari said. I
was surprised, because it had been a long time since Ari had wanted to hear
a story like that, but I started.
"Well, the Faeries are not immortal, as many think, the Faerie Queen herself
told me, she is a new one, her mother had recently died. Shikanak (the Faerie
Queen), was one day walking in the Spooky Woods…" when we hit a Pawkeet. "Shoot!
Ari, you know the maneuvers, this should be just like avoiding a flock of Pteris
in Tyrannia! V string!" I called and Ari swooped under to lead the V formation,
she lowered her horn, brushing Pawkeets out of her way gently, but there were
too many.
One hit Ari and she tumbled. I shrieked as we fell down through clouds, I was
groping tight to Ari's back and praying that the others were all right. In the
Lost Desert Princess Vyssa screamed and fainted. The Faerie Queen woke in Faerieland
and flew as fast as her wings could carry her to Krawk. Edna the Witch started
stirring her stew the wrong way and it exploded in her face. Kemos, the Tyrannian
Lupe prince, stopped playing and his mother, Millie (From Kwake's story, "You'll
Get What's Coming to Ya") ran to get Talon. The whirlpool of Maraqua started
turning counterclockwise, Usana Usul, world-class skier, flipped upside down
on her run, Ryshu Nimmo missed a kick and it knocked him down, and the Space
Faerie stopped time in the whole of VirtuPets Space Station, flying to Krawk
Island, where I was falling to what I was sure was the end of me.
The Faerie Queen grasped the Space Faerie's hand and they pulled the cloud's
out of the sky to stop our fall, but we still had a nasty one, and as Ari hit
the ground, I thought, What a mess we've made of it this time, we REALLY
botched it.
***
I looked up at the Faerie Queen, and she said, "Don't move Zelda, you took
a nasty fall and you're quite injured."
"Why were you watching me?"
"This may take some explaining. You are Chosen, you and your pets. The Faerie's
small gift of prophecy tells us that you will greatly affect the world of Neopia.
When you are in peril, all of Neopia will know it, that you are about to leave
Neopia forever. Princess Vyssa screamed and fainted, the whirlpool of Maraqua
started turning in the opposite direction, and I woke from my nap, not to mention
a few."
I stood there like an idiot with my mouth hanging open. The Faerie Queen gently
closed it and smiled, walking out.
"Ari, are you all right?" I heard some soft sobbing from the bed next to me,
and turned to see Ari, but she was horribly disfigured from the fall, she had
apparently hit head first, her chin was jutting out at the wrong angle, her
horn was bent, her whole body was no longer Gold but a dung colour and one eye
was swollen shut. "Oh Ari," I said, crooning gently and patting her head.
"Then you do care I'm not beautiful any more!" I looked up in surprise.
"Of course not Ari, I was just worried that you might care. Of course I wouldn't
dump you in the Pound because - you don't look so well."
"I'm sorry Zelda, I shouldn't have doubted you."
"Now, onto Krawk Island - unless you'd rather not go, Ari." I was so proud
of what Ari said next.
"I don't care how I look," she said, her lip trembling, "it doesn't matter,
I'm still the same person on the inside."
"Where's Hampshire?" I asked.
"He went to bet on the Deckball
Championships as soon as we landed, didn't even wait to see if you were
all right," said Tide disgustedly. I started laughing hysterically. How like
Hampshire!
We were helped out of bed by Tide, Hiteru, and Nova, who asked, "What should
we do first?"
"Hmm, let's go play Deckball!" yelled Tide. "You're on!" shouted Hiteru, and
they rushed off to the Deckball court.
"What do you guys wanna do?" I asked Ari and Nova.
"I want to go check out the Swashbuckling Academy, if that's okay with you,
Ari," said Nova kindly.
Ari looked happier and nodded her head as we walked into the Swashbuckling
academy, which was filled with hardworking Meercas, Jetsams, Unis, and who knows
what else practicing their skills.
A group of Unis walked over and stared at Ari, who hid her head. "Gee Nina,
they'll let just any Uni come to train, won't they?"
"Sure Kay, I mean, who'd want to be her owner, with looks like Edna?" They
all started giggling hysterically, and I stepped forward.
"Yeah, they will let just anybody in here, won't they?" Ari hung her head even
lower when I said this.
"I mean, who could ever want jerks like you near them?" I asked in the sweetest
possible voice. Ari smiled and watched as the Unis let their mouths fall open
in surprise.
To be continued... |
