Not the Best Family Reunion

     By now, her blasted paw liked to alternate between mind-blistering pain and pure unbridled numbness. She stared at the passersby without truly seeing them. Neopia Central was bustling as ever. Neopets and their owners chattered happily on their way from point A to point B, reminding Leala of happier times.

      “So, what do we do now?” asked Mio.

      “The only thing we can do,” she answered with a sigh, using her good paw to massage her temple. “We’ll get to Faerieland and break Reena out of the Shadeblight Asylum. Between the three of us, we’ll figure out some way of beating Notixu.”

           “Okie dokie. But I wanna do it legally this time. I’m tired of sneaking around, and poor lil’ cub here needs her num nums every day. A growing baby needs plenty of nutritious food.”

      “I don’t think she’s growing, but whatever. Let’s go. I have a plan.”

     Though slowly, they navigated the sprawling streets into the very heart of Neopia Central. It was a peculiar sight when one had been traveling the otherwise dense cityscape. Tall buildings and roads paved with colourful bricks came to an abrupt halt at the edge of a circular clearing that gave the feeling of nostalgia to anyone and everyone, even if they’d never visited before. They followed a couple of twists and turns and emerged into the core.

     The massive sentient tree stood in the center, piles of mostly junk surrounding him. The Rainbow Pool was just next to him, with a small line of Neopians awaiting their turn. Packed dirt wound around old buildings and eventually through the wall of trees for the paths to the Bazaar and Plaza.

     Magma and Plushie ‘pet made their way over to the ancient tree. Aside from a rather disinterested-looking Blumaroo, they were the only ones there. Leala would’ve thanked her lucky stars if she believed in such a thing. She took Kalilu while Mio reared on her hind legs and awaited any useful items. The Inventory Spell allowed for donations from anywhere on the planet, so a keen eye was crucial. Even if no one else here was faster, few could outspeed a ghost, and those weird little gremlins gave and took from the tree at all hours.

     They waited…

     And waited…

     And waited some more…

     Mio bolted, leaping over a pile of rotten shoes to tackle a bag of neopoints. Five hundred total were stored within. Not bad. She scurried past a bunch of driftwood pieces and broken toys to swipe a Nova. Within another hour, she had a few servings of jelly. The tree gave her a warning that she would only be allowed one more item.

     Mio perched herself atop a small mound of bones-she so adored the look of their lifeless visage-and remained vigilant for any sign of something fantastic. The sun felt wonderful on her fabric skin. Petpets chirped and children played and there was such a cute aura of impending doom in the air… That foreboding aura… Like the eye of a hurricane, so calm, but bearing the promise of oncoming demise…

     Oh, a chocolate-flavored healing potion! Mio plucked it from its nest of rotten sandwiches and gave a little nod to no one in particular. She hopped back over to the sleeping little ones to wake them.

     Leala eagerly downed the potion. They traded the Nova for a couple of omelettes and took the next flying carriage to Faerieland. By the time they arrived, the sun had fallen just below the horizon. With just enough points left, they booked themselves a room for the night. They cleaned themselves up and ate and made sure Kalilu was still alright. Blook helped look after the cub and get the big little sister to sleep.

     At last! Leala had forgotten how wonderful it felt to simply not be in a state of complete disaster. While her paw still ached, she could at least move the thing, and the food gave her a much-needed boost.

     Leala checked on Kalilu, snuggled up in a nest of blankets at the end of one bed, and Mio, who was snoring away on the other. She hopped up onto the one with the Kougress and splooted comfortably over some bargain bin mattress. Her pelt glowed a soft fiery orange. She kept her seeing eye on the peaceful form of her sister, watching as it slowly fell shut.

     How was her external AI doing, she wondered. She figured the egg should be finished incubating by now. She’d found the Draik egg abandoned in the mountains of Shenkuu, its colours dull as though all life inside had gone away. A bad egg most certainly couldn’t be salvaged… unless you were a bunny of some questionable scientific ethics. The perfect vessel for her new lab assistant! That was if the stupid alien menace hadn’t found her secret lab.

      “Oh, of course not. Your camouflage skills are unmatched,” droned a voice that was not her own.

     She opened her eyes, and her gaze was alight immediately. “Not. Now.”

      “You don’t tell me what to do.”

      “Thought I got rid of you.”

      “Cute.”

      “Get outta my head, Charka!”

      “You know, the last person who said that to me… Things didn’t turn out very well for her.”

     * * *

     It was dark down here, and she was hungry.

     Reena sat in Shadeblight’s solitary confinement, meant for those who presented a danger to those around them, but the people here weren’t the moral type. She’d ticked off one of the so-called “doctors” of this place and the Light Faerie had sentenced her to this. The Xweetok stared at the thick blanket of darkness with a bored look plastered across her features. Her stomach growled; by Slorg, shouldn’t it be used to starving by now?

     Reena sighed and ran her fingers through her mane. She failed to tell night from day in this windowless cell. Her staff was locked away somewhere else, and her magic wasn’t all that strong without it. Ugh. At least Niri, her Spyder, could squeeze through the cracks in the walls and find something for herself to snack on. The Faerie ‘pet would be particularly enraged if her closest companion fell victim to these jerks as well.

     Her wings ached to feel the wind beneath them once more. Blast it all! She’d arm-wrestled Werelupes. She’d shredded Wraiths until there was nothing left of their shadowed forms. She’d eaten an entire building in Jelly World. She was an adventurer, for Slorg’s sake! And a powerful one at that. She didn’t belong in a stupid dungeon beneath a stupid asylum run by stupid, stupid people!

     She felt Niri’s legs on her shoulder. “Gah, I’m so bored! It’s been ages. Isn’t it about time for something to happen? A haunting? An earthquake? Living pasta noodles?”

     The Spyder blinked her crimson eyes and chirped.

      “Exactly!” She leaned back against the wall with a huff. “Something should happen. Something exciting. Something interesting. Something…”

     With a raucous crash, the door slammed open and hit the wall so hard it fell off its hinges.

      “Something like that,” whispered Reena, blinking at the sudden flood of light to make sense of the figure in the doorway.

      “Heeeeere’s Kay!” The silhouette put its hands on its hips, and a snowbunny slipper on the now-broken door. “Who wants to get involved in some mayhem?”

      “I do!” Reena cheered; her arms raised in celebration. Niri mimicked her gesture.

      “Who wants to go do a violence?”

      “I do!”

      “WHO HAS HIPPOPOTOMONSTROSESQUIPPEDALIOPHOBIA?”

      “I… don’t know what that is.”

      “Excellent. Then let us be off.”

     Reena dusted off her worn jacket and joined Kayixu in the hall. Flameless torches illuminated the less-than-presentable stone tunnel snaking along beneath the ground. Neopet and alien stood side by side, nodded to each other, and proceeded. A streak of teal fur draped over Reena’s face, and dark hair over Kay’s. Together they climbed the stairs up into the main part of the building.

      “We gotta find my staff. Silver with a crescent moon sorta look. Also, food.”

      “Noted.”

     It was much brighter up here, despite the night having fallen a while ago. The floor tiles were shiny as ever, an off-white colour with golden sprinkles. The walls were a garish pink, and every window was garbed in a bright yellow curtain. A few confused people were out and about and asking them just what in the bloody heck was going on so late.

      “Go back to bed, everyone,” said Kayixu, dismissively waving a hand as they passed. Her too-long hoodie sleeve flapped about. “Not to worry. We’ll be reporting the corrupt little creatures here to the queen and she will replace them with people who are actually qualified to assist you. But I shall say: if you’re here because you think Jelly World is real, it is.”

     Cue a chorus of “I knew it!”s from Reena’s fellow prisoners.

      “Speaking of them, where are those evil Light Faeries?”

      “Dealt with, my friend. No need to worry.” She flashed a devious grin. “Any idea where they’d put your staff?”

      “Nope. Say, what was the whole deal with the Intergalactic Council? Where the Slorg have you been?”

      “Oh… around. Now’s not the time nor the place. We’re in a race. On the case. Like detectives on the chase. Having rap battles, hear our brains rattle, gettin’ ready t’ punch bugs in the face!” Kayixu suddenly paused. “Reena, do you think maybe twelve cups of coffee is a little too much?”

     The Faerie Pet thought for a moment then said, “Nah, I think it’s fine.”To be continued . . .