Petpet Talk: Lost Adventures in Geraptiku - Part One

“So what do we have?” asked Arnold the Angelpuss to himself. He looked down at his tiny duffel bag, which held a broken Blue Fuzzle toy and a gnarled blanket. Already the bag was full and had no more room.

     Note to self: remind Karl to buy me a bigger bag, thought Arnold. He crept back across the quiet living room to the sofa. It was the middle of the night—or really, really early in the morning, depending on one’s point of view—and the room was still dark. Arnold, however, was not tired at all. That was because the very next morning, the entire family was going on a vacation to Mystery Island—for a week!

     “If only I can bring Stacy or Chucky along,” sighed Arnold, scratching gently at the sofa’s base. Stacy the Mazzew and Chucky the Polarchuck were Arnold’s best friends in all of Neopia. The three of them did everything together at Ms. Finkle’s Sunshine Daycare for Petpets. Even though Arnold was excited to be visiting Mystery Island (he couldn’t wait to meet the Tombola guy, whom he had heard many wild tales about), Arnold still wished he could be with his friends.

     Two minutes and three seconds later, just as Arnold was starting to get sleepy, a brilliant idea hit his head. He blinked as he thought it over. Then, when he decided it was a great idea, Arnold leaped down from the sofa and zoomed upstairs to his owner’s bedroom.

     “Karl,” Arnold meowed as he rushed inside his owner’s bedroom. With an easy leap, Arnold jumped onto Karl’s bed and meowed again. “Karl, wake up!”

     Karl the Kacheek sleepily cracked open one eye and mumbled, “Blah blah blah blab sleep? Blah blah go back, Arnold! Blah blah Mystery Island blab.”

     Arnold sighed and nudged Karl’s arm. “Arnold, I want to bring Stacy and Chucky along with us.” Because nobody ever said he couldn’t, right?

     Karl rubbed one eye and grumbled, “Blah blah talking about? Go blah blab sleep.”

     One major problem among petpets everywhere is how to communicate effectively with their owners. Arnold sighed. Then, noticing Karl’s writing desk across the room, Arnold hurriedly went over and grabbed a few sheets of paper. Using a red pen, he began to draw a Mazzew and a Polarchuck. After contemplating, Arnold drew Mallory the Mallard as well, since the more the merrier, right?

     Karl flicked on his bedside Meepit light (an item Arnold did not like very much) and examined the paper in Arnold’s paws. “Ah! Blah blah blah Mazzew blah Polarchuck? Blah blah! Blab blah come vacation blah with us? Blah blah good idea.” Karl patted Arnold’s head.

     So far so good, thought Arnold. He pointed at the Mallard.

     “Hmm?” Karl squinted at the paper. “Blah blah? Oh! Blah blab blah Meepit? Blah blah!” Karl nodded happily.

     Wait... WHAT? Arnold gaped at his owner. Did Karl just say—Meepit? Arnold shook his white head fervently and motioned with his paws. But Karl just smiled and flicked off his light. Twenty seconds later, he was fast asleep again.

     “Oh, bother!” Arnold sighed in exasperation. He noticed that his drawing of the Mallard did in fact look like a Meepit. I forgot to add wings! Arnold buried his head in his paws. A vacation was supposed to be fun and relaxing. With a Meepit tagging along, neither was possible. And it wouldn’t just be one Meepit Karl would invite.

     At Ms. Finkle’s Sunshine Daycare for Petpets, three certain petpets stood out. These three were the main cause of trouble and mayhem. The sink’s clogged with asparagus? Those three were responsible. Someone put a Landfish in Susie the Snowbunny’s lunch? Guess who did it.

     Three petpets. Three troublemakers. And those three were none other than the Meepit Brothers.

     Much to Arnold’s dismay, Karl thought Arnold was good friends with the Meepit brothers, and had invited them over for play dates countless times. If Karl had said what Arnold thought he’d said a few minutes ago, then... the next morning, along with Stacy and Chucky, three certain Meepit brothers may just appear at the doorstep with their luggage, ready to go.

     Arnold was ready to wake Karl up again to explain when Arnold suddenly remembered the petpetsitter incident not too long ago. The Meepit brothers had been heroes (shockingly).

     Get a grip, Arnold. Relax. The Meepit brothers deserve a vacation, too, after they saved the house from two robbers who pretended to be petpetsitters. Arnold tried to calm down. He got off Karl’s bed and headed for the stairs. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen?

     The next morning, Arnold was woken up by a shout and a squeal. He opened his eyes to find himself face-to-face with... Stacy the Mazzew and Chucky the Polarchuck!

     “You’re here!” Arnold jumped up to embrace his friends. “Your owners agreed?”

     “Your owner contacted my owner at, well, I can’t tell time, but it must’ve been really early,” yawned Chucky. “Because she awoke me, the sun was barely up! And it always wakes up earlier than I do!” Chucky patted his small brown suitcase. “Anyway, I’m all packed. My owner Rena has always wanted me to visit someplace new, and Mystery Island sounds like a great place to go for the first week of summer.”

     “Yeah,” Stacy said, shifting the backpack on her back. “My owner was really glad to be rid of me for a week. She needs her rest, y’ know? I can’t wait! Mystery Isle, here we come!”

     After a quick breakfast of Wheat Flakes, Arnold was all ready to head for Mystery Island. He joined Chucky and Stacy at the front porch as they waited for Karl and his family to get ready.

     “Hey, no sign of the Meepits,” Arnold said pleasantly, looking down the road.

     Chucky’s mouth dropped, and the lemon neodrop he’d been sucking on fell on the ground. “Don’t tell me Karl invited them!” he cried.

     “I don’t know. It was late last night when I got the brilliant idea to invite you two,” said Arnold. “I wanted to invite Mallory the Mallard, too, but Karl has mistaken my drawing of Mallory for a Meepit.”

     Stacy and Chucky groaned. Arnold felt bad; he reminded himself to keep his mouth shut more.

     Karl stepped out onto the front porch. “Blah blah blah Meepits blah,” he told the petpets. “Blah blah blah blab blah. Coming blah.”

     As soon as Karl had stepped back inside again, Chucky and Arnold turned to Stacy simultaneously. “What’d he say?” they chorused.

     Stacy was a very bright Mazzew. She could translate what the neopets said smoothly, and when she didn’t know what a neopet was talking about, she made excellent guesses. Smiling, Stacy answered Chucky and Arnold’s confused looks, “Karl just wanted to let you know that the Meepit brothers won’t be accompanying us. They’re occupied.”

     Arnold didn’t want to know what Mark, Moe, and Millicent were up to—it couldn’t be anything too good. No Meepits? This vacation will be the best!

     Karl and his parents stepped outside with their luggage. “Blah blah blab blab go!” he said excitedly.

     Stacy didn’t have to translate this time. Everyone knew what Karl meant. Mystery Island, here they come!

    ***

      “Welcome to Mystery Island,” an Island Techo greeted them as Karl’s crew stepped off the cruise boat. Arnold stared in awe at the island life: Coconut JubJubs he’d never seen before, exotic Island Quiggles, beautiful plants Arnold did not know the name of at all...

     “So this is Mystery Island,” sighed Stacy, taking a deep breath. “It is fancy.”

     “Keep up, guys,” Chucky called twenty meters ahead. “Our beach house is this way!”

     When the petpets reached their new home for the following week, they saw it wasn’t that much of anything. It was just a simple straw hut. However, the inside was quite cozy and large enough for them to all fit.

     “I call this corner,” Stacy announced as she stood beside the corner next to the small round window.

     “No way, they have food set up!” Chucky pointed to a row of exotic-looking fruits. “Must be a welcome gift! I love Mystery Island!” He picked up a thing that looked like a swirly shell and sniffed it curiously. “I think this may be a Chrysaberry Seashell. My owner ate one before, I think. They’re quite common on the Island, I believe.”

     “You sure know a lot about this island,” Stacy remarked.

     Just then Karl stepped in front of the petpets. “Blah blah blah Meepits blah!” he told them. “Blah blah blah friends blah coming!”

     Only Arnold paid attention to Karl. His ears perked up when he heard the word ‘meepit’ and nearly choked on the Owabit he was snacking on. “Stacy,” he gulped. “What did Karl just say?”

     “Huh? I don’t know. Is this safe to eat?” Stacy asked as she held up a bright yellow Wartroot.

     For the rest of the day, Arnold, Stacy, Chucky, and Karl and his family explored the wonders of the Island. They loved the Tombola Man, marveled at the Tiki Tours, and enjoyed the beach. Arnold especially liked the Rock Pool. Never before had he seen such exotic (and weird) petpets before.

     “That was one weird Peadackle,” Arnold commented as he, Stacy, and Chucky trailed behind Karl and his parents.

     “No, the Orp was the weirdest,” Chucky shuddered. “It was striped—just like the Snowager!”

     “Chucky,” sighed Stacy. “The Snowager is just a legend... there is no Snowager on top of Terror Mountain.”

     “Of course not; he lives in the Ice Caves,” argued Chucky.

     Out of nowhere a red Crabula crawled over to the trio and gave Chucky a hard pinch on his back. Chucky yelped in surprise. The Crabula burst into a fit of giggles and scurried quickly away.

     “Ouch!” Chucky cried, rubbing his back where a red bump was starting to grow. “Polarchucks have sensitive fur, you know!”

     So Stacy and Arnold stayed behind to help soothe Chucky. Three minutes later, Chucky’s wound was starting to heal. Chucky sighed and muttered, “If I see that nasty Crabula again, I’m going to pinch him!”

     Stacy suddenly froze. “Uh... Arnold?”

     “What?”

     “Where’s Karl?”

     Arnold looked up. The trail ahead of them was completely empty.

To be continued...