Seeking Love: Part Two

     "Yes. I did."

     "I see. My friend and I are on our way there."

     "We passed by just before," the other Acara piped up. "We saw a poster displayed in the window; it seems that someone's Petpet is missing."

     "Yes," Lucinda said again. Her attention shifted to Candy. "It's actually my friend's Pikis."

     "Oh dear!" sympathised the first Acara, exchanging, to Lucinda's eyes, a meaningful if surprised look with his companion. "It's good that we ran into you then. We were talking and we think we might've seen the missing creature. I can't be positive it was yours but, about an hour ago, we happened to see a Red Petpet playing by itself near the Chocolate Factory. It was around the same size and shape as a Pikis."

     About an hour ago! That was shortly after she, Candy and Tess had met with Isobel. Heart pumping loudly, Lucinda flashed a grin at her Draik friend. The wide, toothy smile Candy returned was just as excited. They finally had another lead.

     With the Acaras' avid well-wishes ringing in their ears they set out for the Chocolate Factory. Seven animated minutes had passed when they locked gazes on the tall stone building. Lucinda was inclined to consider the cherry-coloured flag at its pinnacle, which waved emphatically in the breeze, something very like a beacon, beckoning them in.

     The place was awash with smells as rich and invigorating as those in the Gardening Supplies store. While the other shop had been full of floral, earthy fragrances, this store, however, was filled with the sugary, mouth-watering aroma of freshly-made sweets. Tess, for one, had developed a sudden appetite. Its jet eyes had rounded as they took in the rows of treats on display and its mouth had popped open as though imagining how this truffle or that bonbon might taste. Lucinda laughed as she gave it a pat.

     But the Biscuit Kiko at the counter knit his brow at their questions. "Cillian, our head chocolatier, had a tea break around that time. You could ask him," was his only offering. He gestured them towards the back rooms.

     Pushing through the coffee-coloured doors, Lucinda and, behind her, Isobel, came to a shocked halt when she entered the kitchens. It was chaos. Complete, utter chaos. A score of workers bustled about, alternately measuring, mixing, pouring and stirring in frenzied motions. A Cloud Eyrie in a chef's hat rushed by at full speed and Lucinda had to take a quick step back.

     "Excuse me," she called out tentatively. "We're looking for the head chocolatier."

     The Eyrie she'd noticed glanced at her. Drawn and pale, there were deep lines visible on his forehead as he frowned. "Can't talk right now, dearie. The chocolates are flying off the shelves."

     Disappointment surged up in Lucinda's chest. She bit the inside of her mouth as she turned to face her friends, thinking hard. Candy's face had gone white.

     It was Isobel, surprisingly, who spoke up. "What if we were to help you? Would you talk to us then?"

     It was a good idea. "We could do anything that needs doing. Anything at all," Lucinda resolved.

     The head chocolatier assessed them. After a strained pause, he shrugged and pointed. Lucinda's eyes followed the line of his arm to rest on a Pirate Lupe who was sitting at a workbench, organising the goodies into boxes, with a Faerie Xweetok. "Sure, alright. If you'd handle the packaging, it'd free up Lou and Kayla here."

     "Awesome," Candy chirped. Lucinda was glad to see her renewed energy.

     Hurrying across, the Lupe tugged absently on his hoop earring as he tipped the hat he wore over his bandanna. "Much obliged, ladies." He then dashed to a nearby oven.

     They knuckled down to work. Lucinda sat on a stool the same dark brown shade as the heart-shaped chocolates before her. She pried each from their moulds with a careful paw and placed them in fours in rectangular pink boxes. Next to her, Isobel packed tiny balls of milk chocolate into a crimson box painted with roses. Candy's box was also red and, again like Isobel's, heart-shaped, but where Isobel's had been painted Candy's had been fringed in delicate white lace. They were gorgeous creations. Tess' contribution was to pull tight each cerise ribbon Candy fastened onto her projects.

     "So, Cillian," Lucinda appealed while they packed, "we heard that you were out on break, a little more than an hour ago. What we wanted to know was if you happened to see a Red Pikis nearby. It's the Petpet of my friend here."

     Cillian looked up from where he was spooning sugar into a mixture. "Why, yes. In fact I gave it some of the Blueberry Jelly Beans I'd taken with me; it was by itself and seemed starving, the little thing."

     "My poor Love," Candy whispered, her eyes briefly misting over.

     Lucinda saw Tess nuzzle against the Draik from the corner of her eye as she inquired where the Petpet had headed. Affection motivated her to put her paws around them and draw them into a hug.

     "I'm sorry to say that your friend's Love vanished pretty quickly. At best guess I'd say it went in the direction of the Plaza."

     It was better than nothing. As Lucinda followed Isobel out the doors a half-hour later, thanking Cillian as she went, the resolution she felt to find Love was as strong as ever. The Eyrie pressed a Heart Shaped Box of Toffee into her paws to her great surprise.

     "You four were a huge help."

     "That's our line."

     Cillian's mouth tugged upwards. "Good luck finding the Petpet," were the only words he spoke as he waved them on.

     Candy wasn't sure where in the Plaza they should check first. "It's such a big area to search without any definite location," she fretted.

     Isobel pursed her lips as she thought things through. "It'd be better to start in the area closest to the Bazaar. It's lunch time now and, even if it's had jelly beans, it'll be hungry. Tired," she suggested in her quiet voice.

     Lucinda studied the Neopian sun. From where it peeked out from between a series of fluffy white clouds came light far brighter than the morning's rays. If that wasn't enough to clue her in, the rumble in her stomach confirmed that it was undoubtedly time for lunch.

     "Hmm," Lucinda deliberated, measuring her hunger against her desire to find Love as soon as they could. "I've got some muffins that we can eat for now but we'll need to eat something else at some point – and no, I don't mean the toffee. It might be wise to check in with the Defenders HQ. Maybe they can help us."

     Isobel volunteered to go. "You guys continue the search. It'll be faster this way."

     Candy protested against their splitting up. "What if we can't find our way back to each other?"

     "How about we reconvene at the Wishing Well in an hour?" The Usul set off, muffin in paw. She'd soon vanished into the trees.

     Lucinda and Candy looked at each other for a beat. With a shrug, Lucinda led the way to the Welcome Centre, the Plushie Shop and even the Alien Vending Machine. The little Pikis was nowhere to be seen.

     "I'm sorry," wheezed a Spotted Wocky.

     "I'll keep an eye out," assured a Woodland Uni.

     "I'm sure you'll find it," consoled an Orange Poogle.

     Eventually, their steps took them to the Wishing Well. "Looks like we're early," Candy commented, dispiritedly checking her watch. "I might go and make a wish."

     Lucinda didn't think the Well answered the kind of wish she supposed the Draik was going to make. Nevertheless, she bit down on her tongue and nodded abruptly. The faint ache in her belly had grown to full-blown hunger and she felt dizzy with it. Frustration was setting in despite the licks Tess gave her. It was strange to think how confident she had felt only a short time ago. Would they ever find Love?

     There was movement in the trees. Lucinda wasn't sure if she'd imagined it or not until a Neopet stepped into view. It wasn't Isobel so Lucinda directed her attention elsewhere.

     But the Neopet, it seemed, was there for her. The thuds on the grass as feet stepped towards her prompted Lucinda to spin. Standing before her, Lovepetal in hand, was an Aisha she recognised. The Elderlygirl Aisha from earlier.

     "Um!" Lucinda breathed.

     "Hello," the other Aisha told her. "You might not remember that we met this morning. You gave me this flower, as it happens. I was so shocked that I forgot to thank you."

     Lucinda blinked. She'd been so down she had, for a moment, forgotten the events of the morning. "It was my pleasure."

     "I thought so," the Aisha remarked with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. "All the same, I decided to give you something in return. It's not often, you see, that young ones go out of their way to be kind to me."

     Lucinda felt obliged to protest. "I appreciate it but you don't have to. I did it because I wanted to."

     "I want to as well; I don't want what you did to go without thanks." The Elderlygirl Aisha held out her picnic basket.

     Lucinda's dizziness intensified as she set down Tess and her own basket to take the other Aisha's. Though she hadn't yet opened it the smell of fresh bread wafted towards her. She took a big sniff. "Thank you."

     "It was my pleasure," the Aisha pronounced sincerely.

     Candy arrived as the Aisha left. "What's that?" she crowed, bending to take some bread. The Draik appeared much happier than she had when they'd parted. Maybe the Well – or time to clear her head – had worked some magic after all.

     As Lucinda bit greedily into a loaf, she reflected. It was true that they hadn't found Candy's Love thus far but there were still hours left in the day and Neopians who might just help them. If there was one thing she had learned this Valentine's Day, it was that there were those in Neopia who were willing, even eager, to help in whatever way they could. The knowledge of that brought a pleasant warmth to her cheeks.

     Isobel's return was as quiet as the Usul generally seemed to be. She strolled into their midst to sit by them casually and Lucinda handed her a slice of bread well dosed in jam. Though she accepted it with silent gratitude she made no move to eat. Instead Isobel cleared her throat as she faced Candy. "After I told our story at the Defenders HQ, two Defenders of Neopia volunteered to help us look for Love. They're out there now."

     Candy's eyes began to water. Unlike her earlier tears, these were tears of happiness. "Oh, thank you, thank you! That's wonderful," the Draik enthused.

     "Great news," chimed in Lucinda.

     Near the Kadoatery they ran into a Baby Kougra. His cries were so like those of the Petpets inside that they didn't notice him until they practically walked into him. "Waaah! Waaaaah!" the infant Neopet bawled. Lucinda knelt at his side and Candy immediately took a position on his other. The problem was quickly apparent; he'd scratched his knee.

     "Now, now," Candy clucked, "don't worry. You'll be fine, I promise." She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a Valentine's Chia Plushie. "I bought this just this morning. How would you like to keep it?"

     The Baby pet's eyes widened. "Really?" His paws grabbed at the plushie. Lucinda was impressed; Candy sure knew what she was doing. She could picture Candy interacting with Love in much the same way.

     The next clue as to Love's whereabouts came as they dropped the Neopet to hospital to have his knee bandaged. Scanning the Plaza landscape, Lucinda caught a glimpse of something that flashed vivid blue in her periphery. She lifted the sweet to the sky. "It's a Blueberry Jelly Bean," she said, startled.

     "Right," Candy affirmed. "It is a Blueberry Jelly Bean. But what we're looking for is red. Remember?" Her tone was confused.

     Cogs were turning in Lucinda's head. "Yes, yes we are."

     Candy raised an eyebrow at Isobel as though fearful for Lucinda's sanity. The Brown Usul's eyes, though, brightened with understanding. "The chocolatier fed Love Blueberry Jelly Beans. It might be close."

     Rounding a bush, they arrived at the Neopian Defenders HQ. Lucinda's jaw dropped as she processed the scene before them. The Green Blumaroo from Gardening Supplies sat on the steps with the Elderlygirl Aisha who had given her the bread at the Wishing Well and the Eyrie and Lupe from the Chocolate Factory. Crouched near them were two familiar Acaras and two other Neopets in Defenders outfits. That they were all grouped together was not the most surprising thing. Playing with a twig between the Acaras was a tiny ball of red fluff. A ball that very much resembled a Pikis.

     Candy let loose a small scream. In an instant she went from standing, motionless, by Lucinda to rushing forward and gathering her Petpet to her in an embrace so tight it was obvious she had no intention of soon letting go.

     Lucinda didn't blame her. She could feel the corners of her mouth lifting in a huge grin as the Neopets on the stairs stood and cheered. Tess could sense her glee. The little Feloreena clapped its paws and danced on the spot. They had been successful. Love had been found.

     "How?" Candy gasped out. Tears had sprung, once again, to her eyes.

     A Defender stepped towards her. In the Peophin's grasp were several handwritten signs. Some Lucinda recognised, some she didn't. "Putting these up were an excellent plan. Not only did Neopians see them and report to us but they put up signs of their own. Some," he added, with a nod at the group, "even came to search themselves."

     "Thank you, oh, thank you," Candy marvelled. She wheeled to face Lucinda and Isobel. "You guys especially. The signs were your idea, Lucinda. I truly doubt I could have found Love without you."

     Lucinda laughed along with Isobel and Tess, taking in the glowing faces around her. "You could say that this was a real team effort." It honestly did seem to her that there was a love of sorts in the air. She pulled out the box of toffee from the Chocolate Factory to hand round; what better way to celebrate?

The End