The Annual Petpet Prank War

     “It’s midnight! Let’s go.”

     The house was otherwise silent except for the whispered murmurs of the Petpets and the soft snoring of their Neopets. The Gruslen and Harris duo grabbed their backpacks, stuffed to the brim with supplies and thrown over their shoulders with a soft thunk. The two stumbled clumsily under the weight of the bags. They quickly tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs, making sure to avoid the creakiest steps. They couldn’t risk waking up anyone else in the house.

     The Petpets slowly opened the front door, pausing to listen for the reassuring snoring of their Neopets, making sure no one had woken up. The Gruslen nodded at the Harris that the coast was clear, and the two stepped outside while carefully closing the door behind them with a click.

     It was a crisp, chilly night that was typical for April. A full moon glowed in the sky with hundreds of stars twinkling around it. The perfect night for mischief, and the Petpets were buzzing with anticipation.

     The two nodded at each other and burst out into a run and quickly made their way into the nearby forest, feeling much safer under the cover of the trees. Other than their hurried footsteps in the dirt, the night was quiet and still. Their packs felt heavy as they sprinted through the brush until they finally heard other whispers in the distance.

     “Shh, I think we’re here!” The Gruslen hissed at the Harris, who was racing to keep up. They slowed down as they approached a break in the trees, taking in the large open field around them. This normally quiet spot in the wilderness was packed full with hundreds and hundreds of whispering Petpets.

     Everywhere you looked, a scheming Petpet was mumbling to their friends, taking peeks over their shoulders at the other Petpets in the clearing and scoping out the competition. The sound of the whispers created an ominous buzzing in the air. The Gruslen and Harris eyed each other anxiously, they’d been waiting all year for this day. It was time to show everyone what they were made of.

     “Attention! Everybody, listen up!” A voice shouted over the crowd. The buzzing immediately died down as a Meowclops climbed onto a makeshift wooden platform in the centre of the field. Its wide yellow eye slowly took in the size of the crowd, a satisfied smirk on its face.

     “This might just be our biggest group yet, I’m very impressed.” The Meowclops purred conspiratorially. The Petpets in the crowd looked all around at each other, grinning and nodding in recognition of their friends.

     “Are you ready for this?” The Gruslen whispered, making the Harris jump in surprise. They couldn’t help but notice the Harris’s nervous shaking as it tried to shrink and blend into the crowd. The Harris didn’t answer, but gulped loudly and nodded its head.

     “Trust me, you’re going to have a blast. And don’t worry, I won’t let anyone prank you too hard. Everyone’s just here to have a fun time!” The Gruslen reassured them. But the Harris still looked nervous.

     “Happy April Fool’s Day everyone!” The Meowclops roared above the crowd. “And welcome to the Annual Petpet Prank War!”

     The crowd erupted in cheers, shouts, barks, and beeps from the robot Petpets. The sound shook the trees and made the ground rumble under their feet. The Meowclops held up its paw until the noise died down.

     “As you know, this event is sacred for us Petpets, and it is imperative that our Neopets NEVER find out about it. I trust that you all used the utmost discretion when sneaking out tonight. The very future of our pranks depends on this remaining a secret.”

     The crowd nodded and mumbled in agreement, mentally retracing their steps to ensure no one was followed or found out.

     “Now to go over the rules.” The Meowclops held a scroll in one paw that they let unroll to the ground below. They held up a magnifying glass and squinted their eye as they began to read aloud.

     “Everyone should have arrived tonight with their own prank supplies. You may only use what you can carry with you to our secret location. All pranks should be harmless and in good fun, anyone who is found to be in violation of these rules will be disqualified. All pranks successfully pulled off against another Petpet will count as one point. The Petpet with the most points at the end is crowned the King or Queen of the Petpet Prank War. The game ends at dawn, giving us all plenty of time to return home before our Neopets realise we’re gone. The playing field extends throughout the forest and you’ll find red ribbon marking the edge of the game zone. If you prank outside of the zone, it doesn’t count. Are there any questions?”

     The crowd again began to buzz in anticipation. Petpets throughout the field started to size up their competition and mentally prepare a game plan. The Harris’s mind was blank with nervous energy. The Gruslen already had ideas for how to kick off their game.

     The Meowclops grinned at the crowd.

     “You have 30 seconds to prepare yourself and establish your position. Good luck and have fun!”

     Chaos immediately broke out.

     Petpets sprinted in all directions, dragging bags, suitcases, backpacks, and wheelbarrows around packed with pranking supplies. Flying Petpets immediately glided into the cover of the trees. A group of Rocks rolled behind some bushes and the Screwtops burrowed safely underground. Whoopee cushions, zeenana peels, and rotten egg stink bombs were quickly littered around the field, with the smell already wafting into the trees.

     The Gruslen and Harris quickly ducked behind a nearby tree and knelt in the dirt. The Gruslen pulled out some supplies from their pack and laid them out in front of them.

     “I think we should start with the can of fake Wadjets, we can easily get someone to open it up and pow! Wadjets everywhere! Then we can get some of the fake barf here… what’re you thinking Harris?”

     The Harris sighed.

     “I don’t want to disappoint you. I know that you came close to winning last year and this is my first time pranking and… what if I just slow you down?”

     “You’re not going to disappoint me!” The Gruslen smiled reassuringly. “The Prank War is just for fun. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. Plus, I know you’ll be a great prankster! Remember last week when you convinced me to take a bite of the mayonnaise doughnut?”

     The Harris giggled. “Yeah, you looked like you were going to barf everywhere! Your Neopet thought they were going to have to take you to the pharmacy for a case of the Grumbles.”

     The Gruslen burst out laughing. The Harris was smiling down at the pile of supplies.

     “See? You’re a great prankster. You’ve had plenty of practice and now’s the time to show everyone what you’re made of. We can do this!” The Gruslen grinned.

     “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks. Now let’s prank some Petpets!” The Harris whooped. The two high-fived and turned back to their supplies.

     The Harris dumped the items from their pack into the pile. They quietly surveyed everything they had until an idea popped into the Harris’s head.

     “Hand me that rotten negg. I have an idea…”

     The End.