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Untitled Document
"What? What answer?" Eraicko asked confused.
"Mutant Grundos! That's the answer! That's who
attacked Jonoq and Hiloka! That's who the intruders were!" Heather cried.
"Come again?" Jonoq asked.
"Don't you understand? The big, green, muscular
creatures were mutant Grundos, and since Grundos speak backwards that would
explain the weird language!"
"But what about the black cloaked figure? He
was there to," Jonoq asked.
"Dr. Sloth!" Eraicko exclaimed. "Heather for
someone so dense you can sure have your moments!"
"Thanks- Hey!"
"But why would they take Hiloka or attack me?
We did nothing to him!" Jonoq yelled.
"Well, after Sloth experimented on the Grundo's
a bit he probably took his spaceship back to Neopia and he probably landed there.
I bet he was planning on doing more experiments, but didn't want you and Hiloka
to get in the way!" Heather cried.
"That still doesn't explain why he kidnapped
Hiloka. He could have finished her off like me," Jonoq said firmly.
Heather and Eraicko thought about that. Finally,
Eraicko spoke.
"Did any of the Grundos say anything to Sloth?"
"Yes, one did," Jonoq said. "But like I told
you I couldn't understand them."
"But do you remember what he said?" Eraicko
asked. "I think I might be able to translate it!"
"Uh, I think he said something like wonk
taht uoy evah neeb gnipoleved a tnatum alumrof rof Sepul and something like
eno rof na tnemirepxe, but I can't remember anything else," Jonoq said as
if he was straining to remember. "Is that enough? It has been seventy-five years!"
Eraicko grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil
from Heather's bag and asked for Jonoq to repeat the phrases. After doing so
five times Eraicko had decoded it all.
"Okay! In the first phrase word number one is
'know'. The second is 'that', the third 'you', the fourth 'have', the fifth
'been', the sixth 'developing', the seventh, of course, 'a', the eighth 'mutant',
the ninth is 'formula', the tenth 'for', and the eleventh is 'Lupes'. Then in
the next phrase the first word is 'one', the second is 'for', the third 'an',
the fourth is 'experiment'."
"So that translates to know that you have
been developing a mutant formula for Lupes and one for an experiment. That
Grundo must have been talking to Dr. Sloth! So that means-" Heather said, but
stopped seeing the look on Jonoq's face.
"That means Dr. Sloth wanted to try the mutant
formula out on Hiloka," Jonoq said in a melancholy voice. "So she's probably-"
But Jonoq could not continue as he choked on his own words. The thought was
too horrible for words.
"We don't know for sure that it happened! Eraicko
might have mistranslated the words, she's not always there you know!" Heather
cried to try to comfort Jonoq.
"Hey! I am always all there and I know what
I translated was right- then again I could be wrong," Eraicko said after she
saw Jonoq's face.
"No. Your translation was right. I know it;
I must face the facts. I can't believe my death was in vain," Jonoq whispered.
"No it wasn't!" Heather cried. "Just because
Dr. Sloth wanted to use her for an experiment doesn't mean that she's not still
with him. Hiloka sounds strong, she's probably still alive!" Heather cried.
"She might be horribly deformed and foaming
at the mouth, but still alive! And I bet somewhere in her mutated brain she
still remembers you!" Eraicko said cheerily.
Heather and Jonoq gave her a cold look.
"Thanks Eraicko. I bet that gave Jonoq a lot
of confidence," Heather said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I know! I am such a motivational speaker!"
Heather and Jonoq looked at her in disgust then
shook it off.
"But what I don't understand is how did we not
notice them? I mean, we explored just about the entire island, how come we never
saw them, or heard them? I remember how many of those 'Grundo' things there
were, and believe me they wouldn't be easy to hide!" Jonoq exclaimed.
"Was there anywhere you didn't explore? Anywhere
at all?" Heather asked.
"Well," Jonoq said, straining to remember. "There
was one place."
"Where?" Heather and Eraicko asked at the same
time.
"A cave. Hiloka and I were frightened to even
go near it. We used to hear stuff around there- oh well that's obvious," Jonoq
said while hitting his head.
"So, this is what we have concluded: Dr. Sloth
and his Mutant Grundos took Hiloka, Sloth was planning to experiment a new mutant
Lupe formula on her, they were living in a cave on the island, and Hiloka is
possibly with them now," Eraicko said. "Wow, for being halfway through this
story part we sure got a lot of information!"
Heather, Jonoq, and Eraicko sat there for a
second, thinking about all that had been said.
"If," Heather said finally. "And this is a big
'if'- If Sloth still has Hiloka, than how do we know that he's still not staying
at the same base? I mean, besides Hiloka and you, no one has ever really explored
that island."
"That's right! Why would he move when there
was no reason to? That's genius Heather!" Jonoq cried.
"I could have come up with it," Eraicko muttered
under her breath.
"So Hiloka might be there on the island still!
I can't believe it! Under my nose all this time! I must go get her!" Jonoq cried
happily. And for once, a huge smile broke across is face, and Heather and Eraicko
could swear they saw a silver tear go down his cheek.
"Okay then, let's get moving!" Heather cried.
"What makes you think you are going with me?"
Jonoq said, now stern.
"What do you mean? You don't actually think
we aren't going to go with you, after this much? No way! We're coming!" Heather
cried.
"No. I appreciate what you have done for me
but I must do this on my own. Farewell, Heather and Eraicko, farewell." And
with that Jonoq was whisked away with the wind.
"I hate it when he does that! That's twice,
and it's always when something big happens!" Eraicko whined.
"Well, let's get going," Heather sighed.
"What?"
"You don't expect us to let Jonoq go alone do
you? He's a ghost, he might think he can do anything but I've seen him in the
Battledome! Easy opponent! We have to help him!" Heather cried.
"How can we though? I mean, it's not like I'm
terribly strong! I had trouble with the Chia Clown for goodness sakes!" Eraicko
cried.
"That's true, what we really need are some awesome
weapons!" Heather cried.
"Which we could get if you hadn't spent all
of our money flying to Neopia!" Eraicko snapped.
Heather blushed.
"Well, we still have 400 NPs. Let's go to the
battle magic shop to see what we can find!" Heather cried.
Then Heather and Eraicko started running to
the battle magic shop and when they got there, they got a very unsatisfactory
response.
"Four-hundred Neopoints? Are you kidding?!?"
the Grarrl shopkeeper laughed. "Now really, how many Neopoints do you have?"
"Four-hundred," Heather said timidly.
The Grarrl started laughing again and Eraicko
and Heather edged out of the shop.
"Well that was a waste of time!" Eraicko cried.
Heather nodded. "I expected for him to give
us a lousy weapon, but not laugh us out of the shop! Gosh, one decent weapon,
that's all I ask for!" Heather and Eraicko started to walk away when they heard
some one call.
"Hey! Hey! You with the white Lupe!" shouted
the girl with the Poogle that they had met earlier. "How'd the battle go? Did
you show that Ghost Lupe who was boss? I would have liked to, 'cept Pishiu still
a little weak from Neomonia!"
Eraicko noticed a sly look in Heather's eyes
and then in a melodramatic voice she cried, "We were so close! Eraicko, my Lupe,
had him cornered, and she tried her best to get him but-"
"But?" the girl and Pishicu asked.
"But, unfortunately we did not have good enough
weapons! If only someone would give us money for a Grand Lightning Beam, 400NPs
is just not enough!" Heather cried.
"Well, if it's for the good of Neopia I'll give
you the money," the girl said hesitantly. "How much are they again?"
"35,000NPs!" Eraicko screamed.
"Uh, okay, here," the girl said while handing over the Neopoints. "Never let
it be said I didn't help Neopia!"
Then the girl and her Poogle turned and walked
away.
"Hey!" the Poogle yelled. "How come you're gonna
let them have a Grand Lightning Beam? You won't even buy one for me!"
"I told you Pishicu, next year!" the girl hissed.
"We'll talk about this at home!"
After the girl and her Poogle were well out
of hearing range, Eraicko and Heather cracked up laughing.
"I can't believe they bought that!" Heather
cried. "By the way, why did you ask for 35,000NPs? Grand Lightning Beams only
cost 25,000NPs!"
"We have to have to have transportation! And
a few extra Neopoints after that wouldn't hurt either!" Eraicko said with a
wicked grin.
Heather smiled back and followed Eraicko as
she ran to the shop wizard to get a Grand Lightning Beam. After they purchased
it, they ran off to the Uni Express Station to buy two tickets for Mystery Island.
To be continued...
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