Statues Of Kings and Evil Faeries Are Definite No-No's In Roo Island: Part One

Also by playmobil_is_my_life

"Would you like more cheese with that, sir?"

"No thank you, Wisner."

King Roo finished the last bits of his ham that were lying on the silver platter, and heaved a deep sigh. "That feast was absolutely delicious," he proclaimed, his stomach full to the pit.

Wisner, his Green Quiggle cook, bowed gracefully, and exclaimed, "It's an exclusive meal that our chefs have prepared only for you."

King Roo smiled, and suddenly fished out 10,000 Neopoints from his pocket. "Here you go, Wisner," he said, smiling. He dropped the dozens of golden-tinted coins in the Quiggle's webbed hands.

Wisner gaped at the wondrous sight. "B-but sir," he stuttered, "this really isn't necessary!"

"Ah," King Roo began, "but it is. You deserve it for the extravagant meal you prepared me. And since it is Roo Island Day, I'm feeling a little generous."

"Thank you so much sir!" Wisner exclaimed, still shocked by the aspect of receiving 10,000 Neopoints so abruptly.

"Go Wisner," King Roo said, thrusting his paw towards the door. "You may leave early if you like. Tell the chefs, maids, and butlers that they may all leave early as well. Go out and celebrate."

"Oh, you are much too kind, sir!" Wisner cried. He quickly raced to door and made his way outside.

King Roo smiled, pleased with the compliment. He waited for the door to close and leaned back at his throne, yawning contentedly.

It was then that he heard the slightest shuffle. The smallest movement... as if someone was sneaking behind him. He turned around, only to see the cream-coloured walls and large oak door.

Strange... he thought to himself. Very strange... Trying not to think much of it, he sighed and leaned back again.

But then came the rushing sound, this time against his face. King Roo turned around again. Finding nothing, he scolded himself for being so paranoid. Then he heard it.

A cackle.

"Is s-someone there?" King Roo stammered, unable to hide the fear from his voice. "Wisner?"

A goblet that was perched on the table slid off and clanked against the marble floor, spilling Juppie juice everywhere. But no one had touched the goblet. King Roo gasped in fear as a figure started to appear from thin air. Her purple hair was thick, and her fingernails were a poisonous green...

"Jhudora!"

The thin, sleek figure of Jhudora swiftly made it's way towards King Roo. "Oh, it's wonderful to see you again, Roo," she slithered, a sly smile curving upon her lips.

Sweat began to form on King Roo's brow. "What are you doing here, Jhudora?" he inquired nervously.

Another cackle escaped from Jhudora's lips. "Aren't I allowed to visit an old friend?"

"I'm not your friend, Jhudora," King Roo grunted. "You are an enemy of the island. Now can you please leave the premises?"

"Oh, you are hilarious, Roo!" Jhudora exclaimed, laughing. "Unfortunately for you, I'll be here for quite some time."

King Roo's eyes broadened. "What do you mean?" he whispered.

Jhudora suddenly rose up her hand, and shot it towards the old Blumaroo. She began speaking an uncanny language, "Kanha letnia olysan HERLN!"

"AAAAHHHH!" King Roo shrieked, his body beginning to freeze. His legs could no longer budge, and the rock-hard material was quickly beginning to make it's way up his body.

"I'm afraid that this is the end of King Roo," Jhudora hissed, her eyes carrying a fiery look of evil.

"You won't get away wi--"

King Roo could no longer speak.

"Hehe, so far, so good!" Jhudora exclaimed gleefully. "Now, onto step two."

***************

"Zoey?" Hamerslin, the blue Blumaroo called out to his friend in the crowd of Neopets. "Zoey?"

The purple Blumaroo called Zoey shifted her glance from the Merry-Go-Round to Hamerslin, who was wearing a frown.

"Hey, want to ride on the Merry-Go-Round with me?" She asked, bouncing over to him. "It's only fifty Neopoints a go."

"I'll pass," said Hamerslin, taking his eyes off of the Merry-Go-Round, which had now began to twirl,. "Besides, I want you to come see this."

Zoey followed him as he weaved through the crowds of Blumaroos and tourists on Roo Island. Hamerslin pointed out a golden statue that stood so majestically in the center of the island.

"Hey, it's King Roo!" Zoey exclaimed. It indeed was King Roo, wearing his sweeping cloak and crown. But surprisingly, an almost pleading expression filled his eyes. The Blumaroo looked very, very upset.

"When did King Roo put this up?" Zoey turned to her friend.

"That's what I'd like to know," Hamerslin mumbled. "He sure looks unhappy."

"Hmmm, maybe we can ask him at his castle, and also ask him why he put it up!" Zoey said, her voice switching back to cheerful. "He'll definitely give us an answer! He's so kind!"

"Okay!" Hamerslin agreed. The two friends then bounced off towards the castle, not thinking much about the statue afterwards.

It only took a matter of twenty-something minutes to arrive at King Roo's grand castle. Slender and gleaming turrets rose up high into the cerulean sky, the blazing sun emitting it's light and shining down upon the castle.

"The castle is sooo beautiful," Zoey commented, her expression seeming more dreamy then usual.

Hamerslin seemed less enthusiastic. "Yeah, it looks pretty cool. Now come on, I want to talk to King Roo!"

The blue Blumaroo seized Zoey's arm and quickly dragged her inside the castle. She was always so absent-minded when they visited the castle.

"King Roo!" Hamerslin called out, as he stepped inside the entrance of the castle.

Surrounding him and Zoey was a room made entirely out of cream-coloured marble. There were two staircases that rose up to the second floor on opposite directions, and an elegant chandelier hung from the incredibly tall ceiling, the crystal pieces shining in the daylight.

"Wow!" Zoey exclaimed, a smile plastered onto her face.

"KING ROO, ARE YOU THERE?" Hamerslin called out again, yet this time louder.

Weird, there was no reply. King Roo was usually always in his castle.

"Come on Zoey, let's go investigate," Hamerslin said, worried.

Since had Hamerslin decided to take the left staircase, Zoey took the other. She knew that King Roo probably wouldn't appreciate her and Hamerslin snooping around his castle, but she, as well, felt that something wasn't right.

Her curiosity was building as she made it to the second floor and stood in front of a hallway, with several doors to the left and right. She inched across the velvety carpet, pausing at the first door to the right.

Zoey sucked in a deep breath and she twisted the doorknob, only to find that it wouldn't budge.

Locked, she thought, frowning. Great.

"Psst! Zoey!" Zoey could hear Hamerslin's voice from across the hall. He was waving his arms and calling her over. "Come see what I found!"

Zoey hopped over and joined her friend. In front of them stood a tall, oak door that was ajar. Hamerslin quietly pushed it open and pointed to an object lying on a table. The room was circular and ordinary, but it had a strange glow to it. Hamerslin could see that the glow was coming from an object on the table. Zoey noticed it too.

"What is it?" Zoey asked Hamerslin, but he didn't have a clue either. As Zoey crept closer, she could see that it was a scroll.

"I don't think we should touch it--" She began, but Hamerslin was already unravelling it.

When Hamerslin had unravelled it completely, he began reading the bold lettering that was the title, "Transforming An Object, Human, or Pet Into A Statue." Beneath the title was a fine-print text that seemed much too complicated for Hamerslin and Zoey to understand.

Hamerslin gasped sharply as he finished reading. "What is this?" he whispered.

A look of anxiety washed over Zoey's features. "I don't know!" she whispered back.

Suddenly, the two friends perceived the soft echo of high-heels click-clacking against the smooth flooring. The sound was quickly making it's way towards the room that Zoey and Hamerslin were in.

"Oh no!" Zoey hissed. "What do we now?! We're going to be caught!"

"Uh--let's hide in that closet over there!" Hamerslin said, thrusting his paw towards a small closet that was located in the back of the room.

Zoey nodded. The Blumaroos hastily scrambled to the closet and crept inside, pushing themselves against the dusty and gloomy corners.

"I think someone's coming in," Zoey whispered in an ever so-soft voice.

Hamerslin pushed his finger against his lips as a sign to be quiet, and pressed his ear against an exceedingly thin crack in the wall.

"Oh, there's that stupid spell I've been looking for!" the voice suddenly shrieked, sounding enraged and frustrated at the same time. "I thought I'd lost it for a few moments!"

The heels swiftly paced towards the table and the sound of a hand snatching the piece of parchment away made it's way towards Zoey and Hamerslin's ears. Sweat began trickling down the two Bulmaroo's backs as they continued to listen on.

"I'm lucky that no one found out about King Roo's little…incident," the voice hissed. "Hopefully, everyone we'll still be looking at that stupid statue. Urgh, transforming him into an apple would have been so much better! He's even uglier as a statue then in real life!"

Zoey was just about to screech at the shocking comment, but Hamerslin beat her to hit. He quickly pressed his paw against her maw, causing her to only widen her eyes.

"Well, I guess I better get to the Island's Centre Square, and trick those stupid residents into believing that King Roo is gone," the mysterious voice concluded. The click-clacking noise subsequently made it's way out the door, and finally began walking away from the room.

Zoey and Hamerslin waited a few more minutes before stepping outside, just to make sure that no one was still there.

When the two finally slid out of the closet, salt-ridden tears had formed in Zoey's lively eyes. "Oh my goodness, who was that?" she asked nervously.

Hamerslin didn't have tears in his eyes, yet he carried a look of utter astonishment. "I'm pretty sure that was a woman," he said, horrified. "And whoever that was, I'm pretty sure that is was the cause of King Roo's abrupt disappearance, and that statue suddenly appearing in the Island's Centre Square."

"D-d-do y-you t-think," Zoey began, stuttering, "t-that that t-thing m-made King R-roo into a st-statue?"

Hamerslin sighed. "I'm sure of it," he said. "Even that piece of parchment said so! I'm guessing that it was some sort of spell that transformed King Roo into a statue."

"Oh, what do we do?" Zoey inquired, wiping the tears that had begun sliding down her cheeks.

"Well, we know that whoever did it is going to the Centre Square for some reason," Hamerslin explained. "So, I guess we should check it out to see who did it. After that, we'll see what happens."

"Okay," Zoey said. "Now come on, let's get out of here."

So at last, the pair ran out of the room and raced out of the grand castle, beginning to make their way down the streets of Roo Island to discover who was in charge of transforming King Roo into a lifeless statue.

To Be Continued…