The Kiko Lake War: Part Two

Brian the Bruce went to Kiko Lake, only to discover that he wasn’t allowed in! An angry Skeith told him the story of the Kiko Lake War, and now only Skeiths can enter. Now, with his mother’s permission, Brian is determined to get the Kikos back where they belong! But will he succeed? He has an idea...

Brian skipped down the dusty, sandy road. He was very happy and felt warm inside to know that he was going to help some people. The place was rather deserted, but, since he had lived here for nine whole years, he knew where all the Kikos lived in Neopia Central. First of all, there was Lucy-Ann Kiko.

     Brian jumped over some bushes and ran to her door. He knocked on it and almost immediately it opened, as if the old yellow Kiko had been waiting for him the whole time.

     “Yes?” said Lucy-Ann, giving a warm smile.

     “Hallo, Lucy-Ann,” said Brian, “May I come in?”

     The old woman peered down at him through her glasses. “Of course, dear. Would you like some biscuits?”

     “No, thank you,” replied Brian, as politely as he could, “Erm, I would like to talk to you. You know the Kiko Lake War?”

     “How could I forget?” laughed Lucy-Ann.

     “Well, I have decided to start up Kiko Lake War 2,” said Brian. “I know you can’t fight in it, because you’re elderly, and stuff, but could you help me organise it?”

     Lucy-Ann sat back in her rocking chair. “I’m a pacifist, you know. I don’t believe in wars.”

     “But wouldn’t you like to go home?” asked Brian.

     “I guess I would. But I’m against this whole thing,” said Lucy-Ann. “Why not come up with a better idea? Perhaps you could start a campaign or a petition?”

     “That’s it!” exclaimed Brian. “You’ve got it, Lucy-Ann! A campaign! Of course, why didn’t I think of that before? And you and all the other Kikos in Neopia Central, maybe even Roo Island, too, will help me! Won’t you, Lucy-Ann?”

     “I will, of course,” smiled Lucy-Ann, “I’ll help you. Why don’t you get all the other Kikos while I make the petition now?”

     “Do we need a petition?” asked Brian.

     “We certainly do,” replied Lucy-Ann. “All good campaigns need a petition.”

     “OK!” said Brian. “I hope a lot of people sign. Then we’ll show it to the Defenders and they’ll make the Skeiths give the Kikos back their land!”

     “Yes, that’s it, Brian!” cried Lucy-Ann. “Now go! Get the Kikos!”

     Brian turn to leave, but just then Lucy-Ann stopped him. “I have one last question.”

     “What’s that?”

     “You’re a Bruce.”

     “That’s true, I most certainly am indeed.”

     “So why are you standing up for us Kikos? Why even bother?”

     “Because Kiko Lake is nice. You should be able to live there. Everyone should, so really I’m doing this for everyone.”

     “Well, well done, you. That’s a good deed.”

     Brian beamed and left. He ran out the small pink door and hopped over the bushes again. Then he ran alongside a little flowing stream and went to the next three Kikos, the Kiko Triplets, his friends. Then he went to Irvin Kiko’s house. Next to Henry Kiko. Then Sanchez La Kikorinio. Next Greg and Kim Kiko. And so on and so on, until he found himself at the edge of Neopia Central Beach. He looked across the see and saw, in the distance, Roo Island.

     “I need to get there too. I need a lot of Kikos,” he whispered to himself. “But how?”

     Suddenly he spotted a blue Ogrin fisherman casually strolling by the beach, dragging a boat along behind him.

     “Hey Mister!” called Brian to the fisherman. “Can I borrow that boat? I need to get to Roo Island.”

     “Aye, I would,” sighed the fisherman. “But this lassie’s a poor quality. You don’t want her. She’d be gone if you crashed into rocks.”

     “I won’t crash into rocks, Mister,” said Brian, “It’s urgent. I really need to use it.”

     “It’s urgent, is it?” said the fisherman. “Alright. But be careful.”

     The fisherman dragged the boat nearer to Brian. “And by the way. There are hardly any rocks after you’re away from the shore. The main danger is that the current would flow you into Kiko Lake... and then you’d be a goner.”

     “I’m sure the Skeiths in Kiko Lake would understand that it was an accident,” smiled Brian.

     “They would not,” said the fisherman. “Have you ever encountered a Skeith before?”

     “I have. Today, in fact,” said Brian.

     “Well, then you should know what they’re like,” said the fisherman, “Can’t be reasoned with. Anyway, get in this boat now and I’ll push you off. Are you sure you know how to steer a boat?”

     Brian did know how to steer a boat. He had done it many times before.

     “Yes. I do,” said Brian, who now was half in the water. “By the way, how far is Neopia Central to Roo Island?”

     “About a kilometre,” said the fisherman. He pushed Brian a little more and the boat was fully in the water. “Oh! I nearly forgot! Your oars! Your oars! Here, take them, now!”

     Brian reached out and snatched them from the fisherman’s hands.

     “Thanks!” he called, as he slowly drifted away. “And thanks for lending me the boat, too! I’ll have her back in an hour or so!”

     “Alright! Bye!” shrieked the fisherman, waving. “Bye now!”

     “Goodbye!” Brian shouted back, and his boat drifted into the distance, nearer and nearer to Roo Island.

     Brian pushed the oars as strongly as he could. Every so often a little wave would come and slightly lift the boat up. It was great fun.

     Brian whistled “Row, row, row your boat” all the way. The sun was shining and it was a nice day.

     Then suddenly everything got misty. He couldn’t see anything and he began to feel a little frightened.

     “Oh no! I can’t see where I’m going!” squealed Brian, frantically yet cautiously pushing the oars, and then, whoosh! a rather large wave came up from behind him and pushed him forward a lot. And then... Roo Island was in sight, and very near.

     Brian, still rather shocked, steered up on Roo Island. A passing young red Kacheek stopped and stared at the Bruce.

     “Hallo, there,” she said. “I’m Kate the Kacheek. Haven’t seen you around before. You must be new to the island.”

     “Oh, I’m only a visitor,” replied Brian. “I’m Brian the Bruce. I want to get all the Kikos back to Kiko Lake and I need some people to sign the petition.”

     “I’ll sign,” said Kate, “Give it here and I’ll sign yer little petition.”

     “I’m afraid I haven’t got it with me,” said Brian.

     “Then why are you here?” demanded Kate. “What’s the point of coming here to make people join your campaign if you haven’t got the petition?”

     “Well, I guess I should have thought of that,” said Brian, feeling rather stupid.

     “You should have!” laughed Kate. “Ah well.”

     “I also came here to get some Kikos,” said Brian. “And bring them back with me.”

     “Well, as you can see, I’m no Kiko,” said Kate, “But I’ll show you were all the Kikos live.”

     “Oh, thanks.” Brian smiled. “I’d really appreciate that.”

     Kate grinned and walked out of the beach, and Brian followed. She came into a little village.

     “It’s rather handy that you came for Kikos,” said Kate, “Because all the Kikos in Roo Island live here.”

     “Really?” said Brian. “All of them?”

     “All of ‘em,” grinned Kate. “Erm... but there are only nine Kikos in Roo Island. I guess I should have told you that, eh?”

     “You should have,” grunted Brian, “but all the same, I just need Kikos. And you be sure to come to Neopia Central soon to sign our petition!”

     “Not a chance,” scorned Kate. “Neopia Central is a dreadful place. Full of litter-bugs, graffiti artists, thieves...”

     “Hey! Don’t say that!” yelled Brian. “You don’t know that.”

     “I certainly do,” said Kate. “I used to live there. It was so revolting and disgusting that my family and I left.”

     “Well, I disagree,” Brian shrugged, “but it’s your life. And your loss.”

     Kate frowned at Brian but then shrugged again. “Whatever. Anyway, all the Kikos in this village live there, there, there, there, there, there, there and there.”

     “Hang on,” said Brian, “You only pointed to eight houses. You said there were nine Kikos in Roo Island.”

     “Two of them live together,” said Kate. “Is that so hard to figure out? Anyway, see ya.”

     “Bye,” said Brian, and Kate walked off.

     Brian went into all the houses that Kate said to. All the Kikos agreed to come back with him to Neopia Central.

     The ten of them walked back to the beach. Then Brian remembered something.

     “Oh no! The fisherman said that the boat’s bad quality,” he mumbled to himself. “It can’t hold ten people all at once! I’m such an idiot!”

     The nine Kikos behind him looked worried. What was he going to do?

     “We can get separate boats from the boathouse over there,” suggested one.

     “There’s a boathouse?” said Brian.

     “Yes. We’ll get four; then we’d have five altogether,” said another.

     “We could have two in each boat,” said another.

     “OK! Right then, pair up,” ordered Brian. “And get a boat between the two of you.”

     Each Kiko hopped beside the person they wanted to be their partner.

     Brian put his hands on his hips and then shooed them off to get their boats. One green Kiko remained.

     “I haven’t got a partner,” he said.

     “You can be mine.” Brian smiled. “Come on, get into the boat. I fear that this boat will allow two inside.”

     “I hope it does,” said the Kiko. “My name is Keith the Kiko.”

     “Well, I think you know my name, do you?” asked Brian.

     “Yes. I do. Brian the Bruce,” said Keith. “That’s a nice name.”

     “Well, thank you!” chuckled Brian, and the two got in the boat. Soon the others came out of the boathouse, dragging boats behind them.

     “Are we all ready?” asked Brian. “Great! Let’s go!”

To be continued...