The Missing Crown

It started out like any other day. I made breakfast for my little sister and brother, Shreeve and Hinigtoh, and I somehow managed to ruin cereal (again). Then I left the house to meet my best friend, Seirra1001, at Faerieland. My other best friend, Myrah Zann, was late; as per usual. Once again we went off to the Hidden Tower (not that it's that "hidden" any more) for our part time job, helping Fyora, who Seirra is on very good terms with. When we got there no one was there, which was odd.

      "I wonder where Fyora is?" Seirra whispered. I happened to see her in her bedroom. I pointed her out.

      "Up there. I wonder if something's wrong....?" I said.

      "Dunno," Seirra replied, "but let's go see. There may be something we can do to help."

      So we headed over to the castle, and up to Fyora's room. On the way we saw several of our friends going to and from Altador. I missed the peaceful time before the portal was found. We opened the door, or rather got hit by the door as it opened from the inside. Some Skeiths came out; we went in. Fyora was scrambling on her hands and knees obviously looking for something. If you haven't seen a faerie queen scramble on her hands and knees, you don't know what you're missing.

      "Did you lose something?" Seirra asked.

      "Oh! Seirra, Swifft, Myrah!" she cried. (Did I forget to mention my name's Swifft? 'Cause it is.) "Yes, I can't find my crown anywhere."

      "Do you think maybe someone stole it?" Myrah asked. She's pretty quiet.

      "It's possible." She looked thoughtful. "But who would steal it?"

      I took a step forward and slipped on something. You think you've had embarrassing moments? Try slipping in front of the queen of Faerieland!

      "Oh my gosh! Swifft, are you okay?" Seirra gasped. She can be a little strange sometimes...

      "Yeah..." I mumbled. I was later told my face looked like a cherry.

      "That still doesn't answer the question of who stole Fyora's crown, guys." Myrah sighed, exasperated.

      I looked at what I slipped on. It was a white cloth with... boxers printed on it?! "I think I know."

      "All right then, who did it if you're so smart?" Myrah taunted.

      I waved the cloth in the air. "The Pant Devil. Can you think of anyone else with underwear as their symbol?"

      "It makes sense." Fyora nodded. "I want you three to find him and get my crown back!"

      "All right!" we chorused. This was not a normal day for any of us! So that's how we ended up at Neopia Central, following the most recent Pant Devil attacks. The first one was an island Jubjub who had had a spyder stolen from him. We had to wait half an hour while he ranted about how he had spent all his allowance on it. I fell asleep on my feet. Next in line was a green Wocky who had had a bucket of sludge stolen. I've always wondered what the Pant Devil does with all the junk. After eight more we ended up at Mystery Island and my cousin. Apparently she had had a piece of cheese she was trying to feed her draconack. We wasted several hours there. Finally we got her to stop ranting by buying her a new piece of cheese. I wasted a good three hundred neopoints. Several hours later while we were in a small village in Brightvale, Myrah finally screamed.

      "Why are we doing this!?"

      "Because we're looking for the Pant Devil, who has Fyora's crown...?" I shrugged.

      "No, I mean, why are we going from place to place looking for him!? Wouldn't it be so much easier to challenge him in the Battledome? He always comes."

      "True," Seirra said, "but how are we then going to get the crown from him?" She always was the logical one.

      "Simple! We challenge him and make a bet. If we win we get Fyora's crown back!" I shrieked happily, I had finally caught on. Myrah nodded.

      "But what if he wins?" Her logic hurt.

      "We don't have to!" Myrah said. "All we need is a sticky hand to grab the crown with!"

      "Now you're talking logically." Seirra nodded approvingly.

      So off we went to the shop wizard, to find a sticky hand. We counted our neopoints. We had six hundred all together, not enough to buy one.

      "So what's plan B?" Seirra asked.

      "Well, the best way to lure him out would still be to challenge him in the Battledome," I said.

      "Yeah, we know that." Myrah sighed. There was silence between us as we sat by the Money Tree.

      "I've got it!" I cried, startling several young Zafaras who were playing nearby. I grinned sheepishly before continuing. "One of us challenges him and fights. The one of the other two of us act as a 'cheerleader' for whoever fights, and the third steals the crown while he's distracted by the fight and the cheering!"

      "That would work, but who'll do each job?" Myrah asked.

      "Easy." Seirra giggled. "Myrah, you're the strongest so you should fight. And Swifft, you're the fastest, so you should steal the crown back! And that leaves me, the innocent Aisha, to cheer Myrah on!"

      Myrah and I rolled our eyes at the 'innocent Aisha' part but we headed off to the Battledome. Well, actually we stopped at Myrah's house to pick up her battle equipment, then we headed to the Battledome. A bored looking Scorchio was at the 'challenges' desk.

      "Hello," Myrah said. She looked really imposing in her battle helm with her sword and shield.

      "Do you want something?" the Scorchio grunted.

      "Yeah, I want to fight the Pant Devil!" She smiled.

      He looked her up and down as if she were nuts. "All right then, I tell him he has a challenger. Oh, and do you two want something?" He was referring to Seirra and me.

      "We're her cheerleaders!" I laughed. The Scorchio grunted.

      "He'll meet you in his private arena." The Scorchio pointed down a dark hall.

      We arrived just seconds before the Pant Devil. Then the fight started. Seirra and I cheered for a while; you could really get into that sort of thing. About five minutes into the fight I zoomed behind the Pant Devil. Where he put the crown was obvious. I grabbed it and was back before anyone (except Seirra) noticed I was gone. Quickly I stuffed the crown unceremoniously into my cute little hasee backpack.

      "Do you have the crown?" Seirra whispered out of the side of her mouth.

      "Yep!" I whispered back, patting my backpack. Ten minutes later the fight ended and Myrah won. "That was awesome!" I said.

      "Not my best, but then again I wasn't trying too hard." Myrah grinned. Seirra and I gave each other amazed looks. "Common! Let's get back to Faerieland!" Myrah acted like it was no big deal.

     *

      Back in Faerieland we headed back towards Fyora's room. Most of the crowds had dispersed by now, but there were still some neopets wandering one way or another.

      "Fyora!" Seirra said excitedly. "We're back! And We have your crown!" I pulled it out of my backpack and handed it to Fyora.

      "Thank you very much!" Fyora said. "I will reward you as soon as I can!"

      "That... That's not necessary!" Myrah mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

      "Oh, but I think it is! You went to so much trouble to get my crown back. You deserve something!"

      "T-thank you...!" I stammered. This day was definitely getting weirder by the second!

      The next day everything seemed normal. Hinigtoh brought in the mail.

      "Hey, Swifft! You've got mail." He handed me a letter in a lavender envelope. It was from Fyora. I opened it and inside was a coupon for ninety percent off any one item in the Hidden Tower! That made a baby paint brush only sixty thousand neopoints! I smiled; this was going to be a strange week.

The End!!

Author's Note: Seirra1001 belongs to my friend and was used with permission.