Visiting Neopets - The Vessel

     “Everyone, make sure you have the correct tickets before entering the Neopian Vessel. We won’t leave without anybody!” Growled a Maraquan Grarrl looking sharply at everyone and every pet trying to get on.

     It was the first day of the launch of the Neopian Vessel, a beautiful and majestic boat that could bring up to two hundred pets and owners all over the Neopian world. A cruise of sorts.

     “Get in line!” The Grarrl snarled, making everyone move over in a single file.

      “I’m not too sure I want to get on anymore. There are so many Neopets everywhere, they are sure to break my things.” An Elderlygirl Krawk muttered under her breath, her eyes darting every which way.

     The voyage was simple, a premade destination had been handed out to everybody, and they had chosen their trips with the destinations to be visited. However, if the weather conditions weren’t cooperating or Neopians or Neopets alike weren’t satisfied, they would proceed with a general vote. Tickets were still being punched and Neopians were quickly going to their rooms on the unique vessel, whilst the Neopians greedily ran to the beautiful buffets.

     The structure of the Vessel had been planned out by the JubJub Engineer. Meticulously designed and organized, the exterior had been done in wood and metal, creating a massive ship design. Huge wooden wings, once again, mixed with metal could stretch out one hundred feet when fully extended. Tyrannian cloth had been used and the help of the Faeries had made the wings extremely sturdy and able to lift up such a vessel. A truly beautiful craft that had no one underestimate it.

     With so many pets and owners on board, a great amount of rooms and services had to be included. The Neolodge in Neopian Central took the entire credit for this achievement, in very little time they were able to accommodate all five stories of the vessel to include not only the owners and pets, but the workers on board as well.

      “Final counts everybody! We’re leaving in ten minutes, please get to your rooms and enjoy take off. Our first destination will be Altador. You are free to leave and visit whatever you want, there will be no group activities on this first stop. Please feel free to talk to our captain, Captain Scarblade if you are looking for specific things or subjects. Remember folks, Altador is known for its great and rich history!” The Grarrl, now much calmer, slowly went back to his seat, closing the gates behind him.

     A cacophony of pets and owners, employees was heard throughout the vessel. Of course cheering was encouraged, the vessel was ready to leave, at maximum occupancy, it was time to see if it could support everyone.

      The vessel creaked and squeaked but with the blink of an eye, it soared through the clouds, leaving Neopian Central far behind sight. The weather was exquisite, once the clouds were surpassed, the sky was vivid and blue, distances as far as the eyes could see astonished everybody onboard.

     “Alrrrrrrright everybody, Altador is only about thirty minutes away on this wonderful vessel, please be seated and wait patiently as we arrive at our destination. Upon arriving, you will have two hours to visit and then we’ll be leaving for our next destination.” Captain Scarblade said in the microphone of the vessel.

     Snacks were distributed whilst people waited patiently, Neopets were fidgety.

     “Wow! Everyone! Look at Altador, I can see the halls of heroes! Oh mama, we must go!” An excited Baby Uni screeched, sticking his face in the window. His owner was as excited as he was, overlooking the beautiful Altador.

     “You are definitely right,” she replied smiling. “We will be able to grab a snack at the Exquisite Ambrosia as well! I hear the Sun Tea and the Altadorian Sun Cheese pair extremely well.”

     The Neopian Vessel swiftly and calmly landed, extremely quickly by the docks at the entryway of Altador. As soon as the vessel was parked, the owners as well as the Neopets ran off across Altador, not leaving the Captain or the Grarrl to explain how the visits went.

     A mass of Neopians ran to the Hall of Heroes, Neopets ran to the Legendary Petpets, everyone had gone every which way, excited about the start of their journey.

      “Oh! Oh! I totally want a Naalala, look at how groovy this Petpet is!” A Disco Bruce hollered, dancing around.

      “They are awesome Mick, but don’t forget we will be visiting other places, and there will be other Petpets to get!” Another Disco Bruce muttered, leaving the store with Mick, who evidently, hadn’t listened to a word of his friend.

     The sun was high up in the sky, and though two hours went by quickly, everybody had been back on the vessel at the right time.

     The trajectory didn’t make any sense, but the Neopian Vessel was so quick to get from one point to the other, that though it wasn’t nearby, the next destination was quickly announced.

     “We hope everyone enjoyed Altador, we didn’t stay for very long, but we’ll spend a lot more time at our next destination… Faerieland. Since we have a bit of time before arriving at this wonderful and unique destination, here are a few activities you can do. Hum…” Squinting, the Grarrl quickly looked down at his notes. “Well, yes. Upon arrival, please be sure to lock your doors and know that we will be spending five hours here! Due to the amount of owners and pets, we wish to give everyone a chance to visit everything. You might be lucky enough to see Queen Fyora today. Important notice, please be sure to visit the Rainbow Fountain, you might be surprised if you’ve forgotten a Fountain Faerie Quest.”

     Not finishing his list of activities, once again, the vessel docked down, and the Grarrl had no time to finish. The pets hurried to the doors, excited to visit the wonderful Faerieland. Neopians and pets were so enamoured by Faerieland that nobody took the time to talk to one another anymore.

     With no one - or close to no one, left on the vessel, the captain was going to rest a little bit. Until the Elderlygirl Krawk from earlier, snatching her crocheted Quiggle crossbody bag, snagged at Captain Scarblades shirt. “Excuse me mister, where could I get medicine? I haven’t been feeling too good on this marvellous trip.”

     The Captain slowly looked down and pointed towards the healing springs.

     “Arrgh Ma’am, take your time and head to the Healing Springs. The faerie there is extremely generous with her time and her abilities. You can also buy a potion if her blessing doesn’t help you.” Scarblade sat down, promptly put his hat over his eyes and put his feet up on the chair.

     “Thank you, good sir!” She muttered, leaving at a slow pace, heading towards the Healing Springs.

     Faerieland, being already popular and populated, now had hundreds of extra visitors, each visiting different areas. Usually, with their owners, they would stop for a little while at one shop or activity, and then would move on to the next. A lot of Neopians tried their luck at the Poogle Races, and some adventurous pets went to Jhudora’s Bluff. Some pets even had the courage to go to the Employment Agency!

     Not too long afterwards, a Stealthy Uni was seen carrying a bunch of furniture. They had obviously found the Faerie Furniture Shop.

     “Do you think all of that will fit on the vessel?” Asked a yellow Mynci. “Of course it will fit in, did you see the size of that vessel? Plus, there was a huge sale on the furniture, I got a Tooth Faerie Sofa and a Fyora Print Bean Bag for my living room…oh! I almost forgot I got a Fire Faerie Oven for my kitchen as well. I’m telling you, it’s worth it!” Happily trotting away, trying not to lose any pieces.

     “Wait up! I’ll help you!” Screamed the Mynci running after the Uni, successfully grabbing a piece of furniture.

     Newly bought Petpets fluttered around the owners mystically, new Battledome weapons were bought and tried jokingly throughout Faerieland. With only an hour left until the grand departure, everyone frantically stayed in front of the Faerie Quests and Hidden Tower (the what you say?), hoping Fyora would make an appearance. The older Neopets slowly went back to the vessel whilst the younger pets, painted in all sorts of colours, took their time and enjoyed their last minutes in Faerieland.

     “I can’t believe it was my first time in Faerieland!” A Pink Usul told her owner as they walked together towards the vessel. “You don’t say! We live in Neopia Central, so visiting wasn’t always possible for us. I’m sure glad you enjoyed visiting it!” The owner replied smugly, looking at her pet.

     Once again, like clockwork, all the Neopets and the Owners had gotten back on the Neopian Vessel on time, with the exception of a Quiggle that swore they had seen Fyora.

     All the passengers had brought presents and gifts and weapons back from Faerieland, the Neopians couldn’t wait to share the good news with fellow pets and owners.

     “Arrgh! Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for arriving mostly on time. I had a wonderrrrrful nap whilst you were spending your Neopoints. I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit, and that you’ll be coming back soon. This parrrrrticular excursion visited only four destinations, we, therefore, have two left. The next one will be seen in a few hours, and the final destination will be the end of our trip. We will, however, be staying overrrrrnight.” The Captain walked over into the large dining area.

     “Now, I know most of you have prrrrobably eaten a lot of snacks, but we are lucky enough to have a fourrrrr course service offered by Kelp…” Having no time to finish, Mick cut off the captain. “Excuse me sir, excuse me! Are we offered dessert… oh! Oh! And the appetisers?!” The Disco Bruce certainly was impatient for his delicious meal.

     “If you had waited, all of this would have been answered…” The Grarrl snarled, putting Mick back into his place.

     As the owners and pets gathered in the huge dining area, waiters danced around placing an immaculate menu and set up upon each table.

     “Monsieur, mesdames, tonight’s drink is the Foozette Juice, and the suggested appetiser is the Pate a la Kelp. Feel free to order anything else from the menu. If not, everything will be served shortly.” As lunch was being served, everyone enjoyed themselves and made new friends. Jazzmosis played quietly in the background, and Neopians enjoyed their lunches so much, that not much could be heard from the dining room.

     As guests and Neopets finished up their delicious meals, the Vessel slowly but surely landed in Tyrannia.

     “Look at the size of those trees!” Yelled a Neopet in the crowd. Excited to arrive in a new location, but tired from visiting the two previous destinations, the Neopets quickly walked towards the vessels’ doors. The owners talked to each other, and planned out their activities. Once again, there was talk of visiting the unique furniture store, whilst others were completely intrigued with the mystery of the Giant Omelette.

     The roar of an unknown Neopet was heard across the valley, but having been warned before, no one seemed too preoccupied by it.

     “Anybody get a GOOD omelette?” Asked the Elderlygirl Krawk.

     “I received a fresh fruit surprise, and in my opinion, fruit doesn’t have its place in an omelette. Back in my day, there was no fruit … in… my omelette!” About to go berserk over her piece of omelette, a young Tonu appeared.

     “Here ma’am, have my cheese omelette.” Just as quickly as he had appeared, the Tonu disappeared into the heavy forest.

     Too tired to eventually visit everything Tyrannia had to offer, a lot of the Neopets and owners had returned to the Vessel quicker than the allotted time. A few younger pets had stayed behind with their owners to visit the concert hall and eat unique foods from Tyrannia. A few items had been recommended by the Grarrl, including Pickled Keno Eggs, Cactopus, and Raw Wartroot.

     The sunset was absolutely astonishing that night, and the lodgers of the vessel were lucky enough to all be able to view it go down over the vessel. The light crawled over Tyrannia, where Mazzews were heard in the forest, with the Airax and Rocks. Slowly the orange skies turned to dark, and the valley was asleep with a beautiful starry night to be used as a blanket.

     The very next day, at different hours, Neopets were woken up as well as their owners by the bright light of Tyrannia. The lair of the beast had not kept quiet either but hadn’t disturbed everyone equally.

     “Good morrrrrning fellow travellers, have you enjoyed visiting Tyrannia?!” Hollered the captain with too much energy in the intercom. A weak general answer was heard, “yes!” Meekly, the Neopets grabbed a plate and even brought food to their tired out owners.

     “Now, we had a schedule for this morning but seeing as this is the last adventure, we can put it to a general vote.” The captain took a bite out of a green apple and looked at the Grarrl.

     “We could either go to Roo Island… or the Lost Desert.” The hyper excitement that could be felt the day before was much calmer this morning, hey, visiting Neopia in such a rapid amount of time can be extremely time and energy consuming!

     “I say we go to Roo Island where the weather isn’t too dry and where we can surely enjoy what the island has to offer…the lost desert is much too vast and warm!” Suggested an owner that had brought along six pets.

     All muttered in agreement, not ready to pick a fight about visiting a warm and tropical area.

     “Well if no one is going to suggest going somewhere or speak up, we’ll be headed off to Roo Island in ten minutes!” The Grarrl took a long sip of his Camouflage Poogle Fizzy Drink. The captain, seeing no one against the idea of a trip to Roo Island, slowly put the Vessel into gear and prepared to head off towards the final destination. The vessel was now full of new objects, foods, and Petpets. There was barely any room left to bring anything on board.

     “Folks, please reduce your buying of items, as the vessel is very close to being full capacity…arrrr!” Snapped Captain Scarblade.

     “What’s the fun in that…” muttered a Yellow Mynci walking back to his seat.

     A lot of the eldery Neopets were already sipping tea slowly, relaxing…finally and enjoying the view.

      Before the departure, that was arriving shortly, Neopians and pets brought back their plates in the kitchen in order to help the waiters. They too had to grab a snack to eat.

      “That Origami Breakfast was absolutely scrumptious!” A Blue Peophin joyfully said aloud to her brothers and sisters. All nodded in agreement.

      “Fellow Neopets and Neopians, please be seated as we will be leaving for Roo Island!” The Maraquan Grarrl had seemingly rested himself, his voice much calmer than the day before.

     Once again, the enormous vessel filled with treasures from Neopia and relaxed Neopets and owners lifted up into the skies, soaring over Neopia and the small, fluffy clouds. The day was going to be calm and serene for the travellers.

      “As we will be arriving quickly to Roo Island, I wish to take the time to explain a few things about the island. We are travelling there and it was chosen by the majority of the owners and pets…it’s an island located close to Neopia Central, therefore making it easy to head right back home after the trip. The island being so much, is mostly enjoyable to relax and take in the fresh air…the water isn’t too bad either!” The Grarrl quickly looked out the window expecting the vessel to be docked.

      “To cut this off short, you may visit the beach, the properties, the merry go around…and well, I figure the souvenir shop.” The Grarrl was astonished that nobody had raised their hand for a question or simply cut him off to head towards the door.

      “How long can we stay to visit this island?” An owner with a Halloween Uni asked, smiling but looking exhausted.

      “Argh, I’d say… if the weather is nice for about three hours for you all to enjoy your last moments with us, the water is exceptionally warm I’m told today.” The captain had smoothly docked the vessel as he finished answering the question.

     Blumaroos were seen jumping around the island, a huge grin glued to their faces. No pollution on the ground, in the air or in the waters. Once the vessel opened its enormous doors, a fresh and sweet scent took over the boat. It not only relaxed the Neopets and Neopians, but it made them happy and anxious to visit the unique island.

      Slower than the previous locations, every passenger slowly followed one another around the small island. Visiting boutiques and buying a few things but not being overdramatic, the sun made the Neopets' coats shine like gold, and the owners were so happy to be surrounded by their pets.

      A lot of the artists felt inspired to write poems, to draw by the hillside. Eventually, everyone went their separate ways, close to the beach or at the Roo Island Coffee Cave.

     “What a wonderful and unique trip, extremely groovy!” Mick said, putting his feet in the sand, his disco glow vibrant.

      Petpets were seen scurrying around, running after each other. The three hours had gone by extremely quickly, not really surprising knowing that good times, and good weather passes by in a heartbeat.

     This time around, the Maraquan Grarrl and Captain Scarblade were forced off the vessel to gather its missing members. Not one single person or pet had walked back towards the vessel in the allotted time, too busy enjoying their time on Roo Island.

     “Argh! Mateys! It’s time to head back to Neopian Central! Please, gather your pets, find your owners, and get your Petpets as well. We should all be on the vessel in twenty minutes!” He had started walking around the beach, trying to bring back the Neopians who were visibly enjoying themselves too much with their pets.

     Reluctantly, Neopians and Neopets started to gather on the beautiful sandy beach, until the Yellow Mynci appeared out of the crowd.

     “Captain, I know how lovely this voyage was and how beautifully constructed the vessel is. I understand it was to try it out. We were able to climb on board and discover some of Neopia, but please, oh, Please! Could we not leave the vessel docked and enjoy our final day and night, here in Roo Island?” Shyly grabbing his tail, the Mynci looked towards the crowd of Neopians and Neopets. All agreed together, nodding and looking at one another. The best idea truly was to stay another night, but would the Captain allow this?

     “I say, what a marvellous idea. We could enjoy the weather and our Lenny Coffee Mug and our Chai Tea!” The old Krawk said, grabbing a hold of more food.

     “I could go on the Merry Go Round some more!” The Baby Uni chirped in, almost ready to head off.

     “Alright, alright, everybody…” the Maraquan Grarrl muttered, eating a Tigersquash Iced Bun.

     “Argh…well, I guess if it’s popular demand, we could stay another night. I have been enjoying the Dice-A-Roo Tournament Hall and the Poetry Competitions…” The captain walked towards the beach with his hands crossed behind his back. The Neopets and Neopians were gawking at him wide eyed, excited about his final decision.

     “Alright! One more night, and then we’re back on the vessel to return to Neopian Central!” He yelled, chuckling. Everyone cheered in excitement and ran off across the island once again. The Blumaroo villagers were equally as happy and participated in the activities that interested the Neopets and Neopians.

     Together, they travelled the island, looked at the massive vessel and ended their night on the beach. Once again, and to their luck, the stars and beautifully coloured skies filled their entire view with the most beautiful of sunsets.

      Now, would you visit the Neopian islands on such a vessel?

      THE END