A Hero's Valentine Journey

     Or at least, it would be homey if it had less crumpled paper heart cutouts hanging from the ceiling, and even less posters with cheesy greetings like, “Rise and Valen-shine!” or “Springabee Mine!” Even the tables were spread in garish shades of magenta that blazed excessively to life against the peach and cream walls. Finally, the Green Tuskaninny who had taken Rohane and Mipsy’s orders was an extremely smiley fellow whose nametag said, “Josh” and who placed painfully pink fliers on their table.

     “Our Valentine’s Day specials, aye,” said Josh, winking. “Fruit sundaes for two, a heart-shaped strawberry shortcake…ah, the crowd favourite is the coffee parfait, in this very cute glass with a couple o’ fun heart straws – “

     “No thanks, we’ll just have the Seaside Breakfast Tea, the fruit cups, and the omelettes,” Rohane answered, grimacing and glancing at Mipsy over the menu. She only gave him an awkward grin before nodding in agreement.

     “Yeah!” said Mipsy, a little too loudly. “We’re just two friends, having breakfast with a great view!” She let out a laugh – a high, fake one. “And don’t forget the ketchup on my omelette!”

     “Of course, of course, I understand you two would like to have some time…alone.” The two of them exchanged an awkward look, but at least Josh did in fact leave them alone.

     The Blue Acara let out a breath once Josh was out of earshot.

     “I hope the food is worth it,” Rohane grumbled, choosing to focus instead on the window next to their table, which showcased a wide expanse of serene ocean blue, clear sky, and sandy beach sprinkled with Neopians getting ready to fish or swim, or combing the sand for debris left by the sea.

     “It…could be worse?” Mipsy said, her voice rising on the last word. “At least no one’s taking potshots at you just ‘cause you’re a Blumaroo with a sword.”

     “That’s true. You were right about the view, though.” He relaxed in his seat, his arms folded on the table surface. “Father travelled to Seaside, from time to time, and promised that he’d take all of us to see it, one day. I never thought I’d be coming here…without him, or Mother, or Reuben.”

     Mipsy reached out and squeezed his wrist gently.

     “You’ll come back with your family one day. After we beat Ramtor. I know it.”

     “Heh, the view’s nice, isn’t it?” a gruff voice chimed in.

     The two of them craned their necks to see a Pirate Bruce enjoying a cup of coffee with a Darigan Usul. The Bruce raised the cup to his beak and winked, adding, “Even nicer to spend it with someone special. But I don’t think I have to tell you twice.”

     “Shhh, don’t bother them. Let them have their moment,” the Usul chided him, but she winked at them as well.

     “We’re not – “

     Mipsy cut Rohane off with a wave of her hand. “We’re special friends, yes! Known each other for months! He’s never seen an actual beach before so I’m doing the friend thing and showing him this nice view!” She breathed a sigh of relief when the Bruce and Usul turned away from them, but she cringed when they immersed themselves in hushed conversation, complete with furtive glances. “Please don’t tell me they’re talking about us.”

     “Okay, I won’t tell you,” said Rohane awkwardly, his ears twitching.

     “Two omelettes, a pot of Seaside Breakfast Tea and two fruit cups!” Josh’s voice rang out as he brought their orders. He grinned at Mipsy. “Breakfast for two, on this fine Valentine’s Day, and I’m pretty proud of my ketchup art.”

     The Green Tuskaninny swept his hand over her omelette, and her groan caught in her throat as she suppressed it.

     Scribbled on her omelette in ketchup was a heart with a smiley face.

     She waited patiently until Josh disappeared back into the kitchen before burying her burning face into her hands.

     * * *

     “You were right about the view, at least? And the food was good.”

     The sun was shining high in the sky, and the salty breeze traced ripples in the water. As Rohane and Mipsy walked side by side on the beach, they pointedly ignored the roving eyes, the seemingly discreet gestures, and the whispers of Seaside townsfolk aimed at them like arrows shot from a bow.

     “I said I wanted ketchup on my omelette, not a whole ketchup heart,” Mipsy mumbled. “If we get the chance to come back to that café, we’re not going on Valentine’s Day.”

     “Sounds like a plan.”

     “Heeeeey, it’s the two adventurers!” an orange Koi called out from where she was spreading her fishing nets on a rock. “Having a nice walk on our beach, that’s the stuff!”

     “Yes, because friends can walk on beaches whenever they want!” the Blue Acara replied, raising her voice to be heard over the sea. “Right, Rohane?”

     “That’s right!” Rohane nodded vigorously and even placed a few more inches between himself and Mipsy.

     An Island Cybunny approached them with bouquets of multicoloured flowers. “If you haven’t got a gift, these are a hit with everyone in town. Only three hundred Neopoints a pop, but I can write a greeting on a card for extra.”

     Mipsy’s eyes widened. “Oh! These are nice!”

     The Cybunny leaned toward Rohane and winked. “Heh, sounds like she’s interested. Now, I can give you a bit of a discount…”

     “No, I mean…the flowers look nice, but we’re good, thanks.” Mipsy held up her hands.

     “Are you sure?”

     “Yeah, but really, thanks.”

     When the vendor was out of sight, the White Blumaroo cleared his throat.

     “If you really wanted a bouquet, you could get one.”

     “Of course I don’t want one! Wait.” She squinted at him. “Are you…”

     “Am I what?”

     Pink patches appeared on her cheeks, and she put her hands behind her back. “Are you saying…you’d get me flowers?”

     “If…you wanted them?” Rohane spread his hands, his expression clueless. “To spruce up your inn room, or for your spells, or whatever. Back in Trestin, sometimes Mother would ask me to buy carnations over at – “

     “Oh. Okay. I don’t really need them.” She chuckled softly. “I don’t know why I even thought you’d…never mind. Never mind. Good.”

     They kept walking, all too aware of the furtive glances toward their direction, the whispers, the gestures sketching hearts into the air or forming hearts with eager fingers. They kept walking until Rohane took a detour uphill onto a patch of grass under a palm tree, well away from everyone’s gazes. Before them, the beach stretched out to either side – fine yellow and white sand dotted with stray stones and other debris, glistening waves lazily caressing the shore, and a clear, cloudless sky.

     “I never thought I’d be spending Valentine’s Day like this,” said Mipsy, smoothing out her robe.

     “You did say you wanted to look around Seaside while we’re here, and you wanted to try the café.”

     “I know, I know. I mean…we’re here, at Seaside, and after we’ve hung around and gathered more supplies and info, we’ll be marching off to Meridell Castle. We’ll…we’re going to be taking on Ramtor. Just the two of us.” The Acara breathed in and smiled. “It feels a bit weird, like I’m standing with one foot here, and the other foot…uh, travelling, I guess. Something like that.”

     “Well, how do you usually spend Valentine’s Day?”

     “I’d buy gifts for my family, and my friends, and someone special I met while I was still living in the south.” The blue Acara’s mouth twitched into a small, nostalgic smile. “It didn’t work out, but whatever. Didn’t work out the second time, either. What about you?”

     Rohane leaned against the trunk of the palm tree and looked out at the sea, his arms folded across his chest, the scabbard of his sword brushing against the wood. He shrugged.

     “I don’t really do Valentine’s Day. Every year Reuben and I bought a gift for our mother and helped her bake some treats she sold every Month of Awakening. That’s it.”

     “A gift…like the carnations you said you’d buy for her.”

     “Yeah, exactly.”

     Mipsy lightly nudged his arm. “Aw, didn’t think you’d be so sweet.”

     “A gift, eh? Got good ones right ‘ere, if ye be wantin’ a heart locket, or these bracelets of flowers, or…”

     The two of them whipped around to find a pirate Kacheek with a pink polka-dotted bandana and holding out a box displaying various heart- and flower-themed jewellery made of coral, shells and silver.

     “Ain’t no goldsmith like Eurig the landlubber, but I think I do a good job, eh? How’s about one for yer mage lass? Nothin’ says Happy Valentine’s Day like – “

     “What?” Mipsy held up both her hands and shook her head. “Me? Uh, no, no, I really don’t need one…”

     “I mean, I ain’t judgin’ if it’s the warrior lad who’s lookin’ fer a Valentine.”

     “Thank you, but we’ll pass,” said Rohane quickly, straightening up and already walking away from the Kacheek. “They do look nice, though!” Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Mipsy promptly fall in step behind him until they were several paces away from the marketplace. The Seaside Sunrise was visible, thanks to all its décor, even amidst pink and red paper hearts, garlands and pennants festooning the shops and stalls.

     Rohane and Mipsy watched as a Lenny emerged from a store with a bunch of flowers and presented it to a Ruki seemingly on the verge of tears. A Pirate Blumaroo laughed as they peddled stacks of heart-shaped boxes, and a Jetsam and a Kiko brought out guitars and began to sing a sickly sweet tune that caused a throng of Neopians in frills and lace to gush excitedly.

     The blue Acara looked wearily at her companion.

     “What now? I think I’ve had enough of Valentine’s Day, and Valentine’s Day isn’t even over yet. Normally it’s fun, there’s a lot of sweet treats to go around, but…”

     “I didn’t think Seaside was this crazy about Valentine’s Day,” the White Blumaroo said. “But if you still have anywhere you want to go…”

     * * *

     The farthest end of the beach was deserted, with only a shipwreck docked to a dilapidated pier covered with seaweed and barnacles. Stray Urgoni dotted the sand, while a Crabby colony skittered away into the water. The tattered, stained sails of the ship flapped uselessly in the breeze.

     “Not much of a view here, but at least you got a much better one back at Seaside.”

     Wand in one hand, Mipsy held up a blue gem shard in the other. The crystal pulsed sluggishly with an eerie glow.

     Rohane tightened his grip on his sword. “So, you think there’s another one like it, in there?”

     She nodded. “If Ramtor left any more cursed artefacts in Meridell, the gem we found in the Eye of Meridell should react to them, since they all have…well, it’s like a magical signature. It’s in spells we cast, or any objects we enchant. And whatever’s in the shipwreck might have the same purpose – to turn harmless creatures, or even other Neopians, into mindless monsters.”

     “Do you think it’ll also be hard to break with your magic?”

     “Hey, I’ve been learning more spells since Lakeside! It’s my turn to break one of Ramtor’s toys this time!” Mipsy said as she peered around the shipwreck and saw a large gaping hole that led into the cargo hold filled with rotten crates, empty bottles and damaged barrels. She took a tentative step inside and breathed out when the wooden planks held under her weight instead of cracking or splintering. The gem shard in her grasp began to glow a bit more fervently as she walked toward the stern of the ship.

     “Well, at least this time it doesn’t seem to be under a lake.” Rohane followed her, glancing this way and that, and slowly lifting the loose lid of a small dirty chest with his blade; only a Spyrabor emerged to search for a new hiding place. “Or under the sea.”

     The wizard let out a laugh as another Spyrabor shuffled out of her way and gestured to a stack of sealed boxes and barrels. “Nope, it’s somewhere around here. Heh, I don’t have flowers, or chocolates, or anything like that, but will you take one of Ramtor’s cursed objects as a Valentine’s gift?”

     “Only if it’s no longer cursed.”

     “We’ll un-curse it when we find it.”

     “Still, it’s good to be somewhere without all the Valentine decorations and other Neopians thinking we’re…we’re a…” The White Blumaroo’s voice trailed off, and he put a finger to his lips before holding up his sword in a guard position. Mipsy stepped beside him, wand at the ready, after tucking the gem into her pouch.

     Creeping into the cargo hold were three Spyrabors, each as large as an average Neopian, clacking their claws and brandishing their stinging tails.

     “I was serious when I said I learned new spells,” said Mipsy, her wand beginning to crackle with colourful energy.

     “I think that’d be a better Valentine’s gift than a cursed object.” One Spyrabor charged forward, but Rohane swung his sword and sent the Petpet crashing into the hull of the ship, right past Mipsy’s line of vision.

     “Is that all you got for me this Valentine’s Day?”

     “Of course not. Come on, there’s still two more.”

     The End.