Ninja Faellie Diaries: Part Two

When Ello flew back to her neohome, she found Chris waiting at the front door, with a knowing expression on his face. “And just what were you doing?” he asked, suspicion obvious in his tone of voice.

     The young Faellie knew she couldn’t lie to Chris. He was the one Neopet in all of Neopia that could read her like a book, as she could read him. However, the wise Techo Master taught Ello not to lie, for it was not the ninja way. He never said anything about not telling the whole truth. “I was out,” Ello replied to Chris’s question, putting on her best casual face.

     “Out where?” he asked.

     “Outside, silly.”

     “What did you do outside?”

     “Flew around, took a breath of fresh air; you know how I roll.”

     “You weren’t doing anything suspicious?”

     “Nope.”

     “Then why did you leave a decoy in your bed?” Chris asked, holding up the pink Doglefox plushie. “You were trying to make me think you were still asleep!”

     Chris was right; that was exactly what Ello was trying to do. “How could you accuse me of such a thing?” Ello asked, trying to sound offended. Chris stared his Faellie down with a face that said, ‘I’m not amused’. The Faellie sighed. “Oh alright, you got me. I went out early and went to the Training School to talk to Sensei.”

     “Aha! A confession!” Chris exclaimed. “What did you need to see Sensei for?”

     Ello pondered in her head if she should tell him that she was going on a life threatening mission that she may not come back from, or if she should just avoid the question like she had before.

     “I’m waiting,” Chris growled.

     “Alright, fine! I went to see Sensei because I need to regain my lost focus, Chris! We both know that the way I keep breaking things is not the way of the ninja! So I’m going on a dangerous mission all the way in Shenkuu, and if I come back, not only will I have regained my focus, but I’ll have proved myself worthy to be called a ninja.”

     Chris contemplated what Ello told him. “Dangerous, huh?”

     “Oozing with danger,” Ello confirmed.

     “Sounds awesome.” Chris grinned. “Alright, I’m coming.”

     Ello grinned as well. “Good, because we can be ninjas together.”

     “Yeah. Just give me ten minutes to load up my backpack and get ready for the mission.”

     “Gotcha. Oh, and Chris?”

     “Yes?”

     Ello couldn’t contain her excitement. “WE’RE GOING TO BE NINJAS! WHOO!”

     ~*~

December 3rd, Month of Celebrating

     Dear Diary,

     It’s confirmed. Chris and I are going on a mission to Shenkuu to become ninjas. Well, to complete a mission in order to become ninjas. But oh well, that’s not the point. Wait, that is the point. I can’t think straight; I’m hungry. So I’m going to stop writing and snag a muffin before we leave.

     Chris wasn’t sure how he was going to tell his sisters that we’re going to Shenkuu, that we don’t know how long we’re going to be gone, or if we’re even going to come back alive. I told him to tell them the truth. We had a good laugh at the suggestion. So Chris and I used our magic, and hopefully Rachel, Jessica and Zulu won’t notice we’re gone. Hopefully.

     ~*~

     It was 10:00 in the morning when Rachel finally opened her eyes. The striped Xweetok stretched out her arms, and yawned as wide as she could, her mind immediately thinking about what she could have for breakfast. A genuine smile spread across Rachel’s face when she remembered there were still muffins left over, and she got out of her Fyora inspired bed, walked through the wooden halls, and entered the kitchen.

     “Well, this is odd,” Rachel told herself as soon as she came to the kitchen. She was used to walking into a messy kitchen, with crumbs all over the table and countertops, the cereal boxes left out and not in the pantry, and the chairs not pushed back in. But she was surprised that she walked into a clean kitchen. This only meant one thing: Chris and Ello didn’t eat breakfast here. “Where are those two?” Rachel asked herself, as she descended from the kitchen to her little sister’s room.

     “Good morning, Rachel,” Jessica greeted happily. She was in her room brushing her younger sister, Zulu the baby Korbat’s hair.

     “Morning, Jessica. Morning, Zulu,” Rachel greeted them. “Hey Jess, have you seen Chris or Ello this morning?”

     “No, I haven’t; are they not here?” Jessica inquired.

     “I don’t think so,” Rachel answered. “Chris was supposed to help me decorate the living room with garlands.”

     “Check his room,” Jessica suggested.

     Rachel nodded, closed her sister’s door, and went through the same wooden hallway, until she came to a big black door that read, ‘Chris and Ello’s domain, enter at your own risk’. Rolling her eyes, Rachel opened Chris’s door, and immediately gasped from surprise! “YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, CHRIS!” Rachel hollered angrily.

     Inside Chris’s room, sitting on his Kauvara inspired bed, were two life size plushies, one a starry Shoyru, the other a pink Faellie. However, Rachel knew they weren’t plushies; they were decoys. Fakes. Which meant the real Chris and Ello were out somewhere in Neopia, no doubt causing trouble.

     ~*~

     It was now noon, and Chris and Ello were flying through the unknown waters between Mystery Island and Moltara. “If worse comes to worse, we might need to stop in Altador and stay the night, then continue our journey to Shenkuu in the morning,” Chris said, his face covered with an old torn up map he bought at Meridell.

     Ello stuck her nose in the map as well. “Why can’t we stop here and stay the night?” she asked, pointing her paw on a triangle shaped lump.

     “Because that’s not a place, Ello, that’s a mustard stain from my hot dog,” Chris answered.

     “Oh. Are you sure?”

     “Of course I’m sure!”

     “No, I mean are you sure that’s mustard? It kind of looks like mayonnaise.” Ello grinned. “I’m just messing with you; we’ll stay the night in Altador.”

     “Excellent.” Chris smiled.

     It wasn’t long before the two adventurers came across the old and timeless land of Altador. Because Christmas wasn’t too far away, there were a few homes that put up lights, making it easy for Chris and Ello to land. When they did land inside the city, it was already dark, and they ventured inside Exquisite Ambrosia for something to eat.

     “Greetings, strangers! Welcome, we only sell the most delectable foods fit for heroes!” the red Skeith shopkeeper greeted them. Chris had to put his paw over Ello’s mouth to keep her from laughing at the Skeith’s golden toga.

     “Fit for a hero, huh? How about a ninja?” Ello asked, sitting down on one of the counter seats.

     “Ninja? I don’t see any ninjas,” the Skeith replied. “So what would you like, little Faellie?”

     “I’ll have the cheese stuffed olives,” Chris told him. “How about you, Ello?”

     “Altador Meatloaf,” Ello answered.

     “Excellent choice, we just picked our olives fresh from our garden.” The Skeith smiled, going back into the kitchen. “I’ll get your order in a bit.”

     Chris sat back on the table, exhausted from all the flying he did today. “You think Rachel, Jessica and Zulu are mad?” he asked.

     “Yeah, but they’re always mad,” Ello laughed.

     Bells chimed as the door opened within the restaurant, and in walked a red Shoyru that wore a purple bandana. The Shoyru walked up to Chris and Ello, taking a seat next to Chris. “And who are you?” she asked, with an edgy tone to her voice.

     “Chris, who are you?” he answered impassively.

     “My name's Lola and I’m the regular that comes here. You happen to be in my seat, so I suggest you move.”

     “Maybe I will, if you ask nicely,” Chris retorted, narrowing his eyes at the other Shoyru.

     Lola laughed. “Look, you’re cute, but not that cute. So move.”Chris blushed lightly. No one had ever called him cute. His grandma did once, but that was his grandma! Not a complete stranger, especially a girl that looked so close to his age. Lola smiled. “What’s the matter? Got nothing to say?”

     “Back off,” Ello growled. “He said he’d move if you’d ask nicely.”

     By now, Chris had disregarded Lola’s ‘cute’ comment, by telling himself he wasn’t cute, but awesome. “I’ll move,” he told Ello. “Come on, let’s go take a booth seat.”

     “I’m not moving from this seat,” Ello replied stubbornly. Chris rolled his eyes and sat on the other side of Ello, Lola smirking at sitting where he was originally at. Ello eyed Lola warily. Lola kept her eyes towards the kitchen, waiting for the red Skeith to take her order.

     A few minutes of silence passed. Finally Lola turned to look at Ello, and smirked. “You’re rather small for a Faellie, aren’t you?”

     Ello growled. “Yeah, but I’m twice as vicious.”

     Lola laughed. “You know, I like you two. You’re both not easily fazed by me. I’m Lola Lockhart. What brings you to Altador?”

     “We’re on a mission,” Ello answered.

     “A mission, huh? What sort of mission?”

     “It’s confidential,” Chris then said. “We’re just trying to complete our mission in time for Christmas.”

     Lola scoffed at the mere mention of Christmas. “There’s nothing great about Christmas,” she said sourly, “Trust me. Nothing good about that holiday.”

     “Wow, Chris, looks like you’ve found someone who shares your opinion,” Ello said.

     Lola raised a brow. “You don’t like Christmas either?”

     “Not really,” Chris admitted. “Really I find it a waste of time.”

     “Here’s your food,” the red Skeith then said, coming back from the kitchen with Chris and Ello’s food. He smiled when he saw Lola. “Ah, I assume you want the usual?” he asked.

     “Of course.” Lola smiled.

     The Skeith nodded, and went back into the kitchen, having no idea that when he’d come back out, his restaurant would be a complete mess, his customers would be gone, and the meal he spent time on to prepare wouldn’t be paid for.

     Really Chris didn’t know that what happened after his food came would happen. It started simple enough. He and Ello got his food, and Lola ordered something for herself. But as Chris poked his cheesy olives with his fork, Lola’s eyes became wide, and suddenly she shouted, “GET DOWN!”

     BAM!

     Lola leaped upon Chris and Ello, sending the two of them to the floor! Before Chris could register in his mind what was going on, arrows began to shoot through the glass of the restaurant windows, and gas grenades were thrown in. “We’re under attack!” Ello exclaimed.

     “Follow me!” Lola exclaimed.

     This was no time to argue. Chris and Ello followed Lola through the back door of the restaurant, and down the dark alleyways of Altador! “What’s going on?!” Chris demanded.

     “We’re being hunted!” Lola answered. “And we’ve got to escape!”

To be continued...