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Reunions and Petpets: Another Pirate Adventure:Part Four


by newenglandquizzer

--------

     "This is awesome!" Sproingal cheered, swooping through the air with his cape flapping out behind him.

     Meadowbuck chuckled at his friend's antics. He quite liked the air streaming through his ears as they flew above the ocean. Lady Oakridge flew beside him. She'd done her hair up in a tight braid to keep it from tangling as they flew, but Aisheena had taken no such consideration. Meadowbuck wondered if the Aisha's hair was part of her mysterious superpowers, because it never seemed to get knotted up.

     Lady Oakridge jabbed out a claw at the ocean ahead of them. "There!" she exclaimed.

     Aisheena and Meadowbuck followed her indicating paw and saw, in the distance, the double-masted pirate ship that had held Meadowbuck and his friends captive only yesterday.

     "That's it!" Meadowbuck said. He kicked out his legs and put on some speed--only to come screeching to a halt as Aisheena swerved in front of him.

     "Hold on there, Gelerty boy," Aisheena said. "We need to wait for backup. You three don't have any superpowers to speak of--you're only flying from Levitation Potions."

     Meadowbuck grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms. "It's my petpet who's been kidnapped here," he said.

     "Yours," Aisheena agreed. "And several dozen Kadoaties. There's a lot at stake here; we wait for backup."

     "How will they know how to find us?" Lady Oakridge asked.

     Aisheena closed her eyes and pressed her palms together in front of her chest. "I'll tell them." She said.

     "Hey guys!" Sproingal said. "Look! That's the ship!"

     Lady Oakridge held up a claw to her lips. "Shh. We saw! Aisheena is alerting the others now."

     Meadowbuck stared at the Aisha, who seemed to simply be hovering with her eyes closed. "Um...she's what?"

     Lady Oakridge rolled her eyes. "She's a telepath. She can psychically tell everybody where we are. Haven't you guys read anything about the Defenders of Neopia?"

     Meadowbuck and Sproingal glanced at each other.

     "I'm not really big on superhero comics," Meadowbuck admitted.

     "And you know my memory is terrible," Sproingal said.

     Lady Oakridge rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the ship in the distance. She squinted. "Hey...guys?" she said. "Do you see any movement on the ship?"

     Meadowbuck shaded his eyes with one paw and narrowed his eyes. "Well...no. It seems pretty still."

     Sproingal drifted forward, past Aisheena, to get a better look. "Maybe they're all belowdecks?"

     "All of them?" Lady Oakridge said. "There'd be at least a few of them on the deck, steering or even just catching the air. It's a beautiful day."

     Meadowbuck's jaw steeled in determination. He zipped forward, ignoring Aisheena's squawk of protest, and headed for the pirate ship. He alighted on the deck, right beside the ship's wheel. He squinted behind his mask. The wheel was lashed in place with a length of rope, holding it on a steady course eastward. Nobody was steering the ship.

     Lady Oakridge and Sproingal landed on the deck behind Meadowbuck. They saw the wheel, too, and exchanged glances with the Yellow Gelert. As one unit, all three 'pets darted for the door that would lead them belowdecks.

     Meadowbuck kept a sharp ear out, but heard nothing more than the slap of water against the hull, and the steady creak of the sails and ropes. No voices, no pawsteps, nothing.

     Belowdecks, Lady Oakridge's huge claws shoved open the door to the petpet holding room. The door slammed against the wall. The sound rang through Meadowbuck's ears as he stared at the empty room. Nothing. No petpets, and certainly no Christopher.

     "They abandoned ship," Lady Oakridge said, her voice small and quavering.

     "Where did they take Delia?" Sproingal said. "Where are they!"

     Stomping pawsteps caused the three of them to turn. A very angry Aisha in a mask, her blonde hair wild around her face, glared at them.

     "What do you think you're doing?" Aisheena demanded. "What if the pirates were still here! You could have gotten hurt!" She jabbed a paw at the three of them. "You may have on Defender's outfits, but remember, they're borrowed. You're just civilians, with no powers and no combat training."

     Meadowbuck's ears drooped at the tirade. "Sorry, Aisheena," he said. "It's just...I had a hunch. And I was right--they're gone." He looked down at the wooden planks of the floor and rubbed a paw across his nose. "They've taken our petpets somewhere else."

     "A decoy," Aisheena said, rubbing her chin. "It's clever. They must have had a ship off the coast. They abandoned this ship after setting it on a course towards Krawk Island, knowing we'd look for them along the most direct route."

     "What do we do now?" Sproingal asked. "If they're not going to Krawk Island to sell the petpets--then where?"

     "Somewhere busy," Aisheena said. "They want people to grab these petpets at a low price, without asking too many questions."

     Meadowbuck's ears pricked up. "Busy? At this time of year?" He looked to his friends. "I know just the place."

          ------------------

          Festive music and delicious smells drifted through the air, coating the senses in a feeling of excitement. Vendors peddled their wares and festival-goers watched in awe as street performers showed off their skills.

     The moment Meadowbuck, his friends, and Aisheena landed at the edge of the Festival of Gadgadsbogen on Mystery Island, they were greeted with flower leis and half-shell coconuts full of Agueena juice. Sproingal sipped his drink as he looked around.

     "You're right, Meadowbuck," he said. "This place is pretty busy."

     Meadowbuck grinned. "The Festival of Gadgadsbogen takes place every Month of Running. Thousands of tourists come to celebrate with the locals. I was planning on taking a weekend off from my Geraptiku dig to come into town and enjoy the fun."

     Aisheena surveyed the scene. "You really think they're here?"

     Meadowbuck nodded. "I actually found Christopher five years ago at a Gadgadsbogen festival. It was the festival in Altador, but it was the same idea--a super busy place where people will grab a cheap petpet for fun, without asking questions."

     "The pirates will pawn off the Kadoaties," Lady Oakridge said. "And the new owners will have no idea they've adopted a stolen petpet."

     Aisheena waved her paw. "Spread out. Everyone take a different area of the festival. If you spot the pirates--think really hard. I'll be listening." She tapped the side of her head, probably indicating her telepathic powers. "But do not engage. You hear me, right? You're noncombatants in this. Do not engage."

     Meadowbuck nodded and tried desperately to not think 'I'm going to engage.' She could hear his thoughts. But really, what else could Aisheena expect? He wasn't going to stand by and let pirates sell stolen petpets--or Christopher.

     As he walked through the busy festival, people stopped and waved to him. He looked like a Defender of Neopia, after all. Some curious young Neopets asked who he was--they didn't recognize him from their comic books. He stuttered a few times, trying to come up with a good superhero name, and settled on The Mighty Gelert.

     "You don't look very mighty," said one skeptical little Orange Meerca, surveying Meadowbuck's thin frame.

     The Yellow Gelert patted the big M on his chest. "It's all in here. I have a mighty heart."

     "If your heart is working too hard," said another child, a Blue Eyrie. "You should see a doctor."

     Chagrined, Meadowbuck excused himself from the children. He was on a mission. He didn't need to stand around and be embarrassed by a bunch of kids.

     A mew near his elbow caused Meadowbuck to swivel around and look down. A posh Pastel Xweetok had a Kadoatie on a leash as they walked past the Gelert.

     "Excuse me," Meadowbuck said, but his voice was lost in the hubbub of the festival. Then, louder, "Excuse me!"

     The Xweetok turned and grinned at him. "Hey, Defender! Beautiful evening, eh?"

     "Yes," Meadowbuck said. "But that Kadoatie. Have you owned it long?"

     "Oh, no, just a couple minutes," the Xweetok said. "Adorable, right? I got such a great price for her, too!"

     Meadowbuck smiled apologetically and held out his paw. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I have to take her off your hands. She's evidence in a Petpet theft case."

     The Xweetok's eyes nearly popped out of her delicate pink face. "You're kidding! Seriously? Those pirates stole her? I thought the price was too good to be true…"

     Meadowbuck nodded. "I'm sorry. When you have a chance, contact the Defenders of Neopia about the price you paid for her, and we'll try to reimburse you." He hoped he was telling the truth. He had no idea if the Defenders had some kind of bank account to repay citizens who were victims of fraud--but it seemed like the right thing to do, and the Defenders were all about doing the right thing.

     "I bought her at the third stall on the next row," the Pastel Xweetok said. She reached down to pat the Kadoatie. "I'm sorry, girlie," she said. "I hope you get back home to your real owner soon."

     The Kadoatie meowed and rubbed its head on the Xweetok's paw. She held the leash out to Meadowbuck, and he took it.

     "We'll make sure she gets back home," the Gelert said.

     The Xweetok sighed, nodded, and disappeared into the festival crowds.

     Third stall, next row, Meadowbuck began thinking. He hoped his thoughts were loud enough for Aisheena to hear. How can you raise the volume of a silent thought?

     But the Gelert wasn't going to wait. The pirates were already selling the Petpets--and that could include Christopher. If Christopher were sold to someone in this crowd, Meadowbuck may never see him again.

     With the recovered Kadoatie at his side, Meadowbuck pushed through the crowded rows, trying to reach the stall of stolen Petpets. A Skeith and a Wocky, eating big cones of Banango ice cream, blocked his path obliviously. The Gelert groaned, then recalled the potion he'd drunk earlier that day.

     "Hold on," he said, picking up the little Kadoatie and nestling her in his paws. He leapt and stayed airborne, flying above the crowd. Young Neopets cheered and pointed, and some adult Neopets even clapped. Meadowbuck kept his eyes peeled for the stall the Xweetok told him about. But something caught his eye before he saw the stall itself.

     A squirming blob of purple fur and wings, being handed to a young Faerie Acara. Meadowbuck's voice cut through the noise of the crowd, a cry of desperation.

     "Christopher!"

     The Faerie Ombat looked up, and his face morphed from distress into a look of pure joy and relief. He chomped his teeth down on the furred paws that held him, and their owner--unseen beneath the awning of the festival stand--yelped in distress and released him. Christopher flew to Meadowbuck and flung himself into his owners waiting arm--just one, the other still held the Kadoatie. Meadowbuck hugged his Petpet to his chest and nuzzled his nose against his neck ruff.

     "Christopher! Christopher, oh my gosh, I found you! I've been so worried…"

     Christopher squeaked happily and began chirping out his story. Meadowbuck couldn't understand what he said, of course, but the gesticulations of the Ombat were quite amusing.

     A voice interrupted their reunion.

     "Well, well, well," said Sacrige. "Look who's back." The Pirate Lutari shook his bitten paw and leered at Meadowbuck.

     "If it ain't Bucky," said Rasival. The Pirate Quiggle put his hands on his hips. "Looks like our plan to frame you for theft didn't work out."

     Sacrige rolled his eyes. "Of course that goodie two-paws could convince the Defenders he didn't do no stealin'."

     Meadowbuck realized he had begun to sink lower in his flight as he listened to Christopher. His paws now barely hovered over the ground, right in front of the stall. Rasival and Sacrige were level with him, and giving him fiery glares.

     Stolen Kadoaties mewed piteously behind the stall, closed up in wooden crates with airholes. Meadowbuck's ears also caught the sounds of hooves and the squeak and squeal of Peanut and Delia. Everyone was here.

     "Yer always gettin' in our way," Rasival said. He drew his cutlass. "I'm just about sick of it."

     Sacrige drew his rapier. "I'm fed up, too. It's time we taught you a real lesson."

     Meadowbuck let go of Christopher and set the Kadoatie on the ground. He squared up to the two armed Pirates, and said to the Petpets, "Run."

     Christopher nodded and chirped to the Kadoatie. The two of them bolted into the crowd.

     "We've done this before," Meadowbuck said. "And you two lost big."

     "We ain't goin' back," Sacrige growled. "Not without takin' you down first."

     "It'll all be worth it t'see you down and out," Rasival said. He swished his cutlass. Neopets on either side of the stall gasped and cleared away, leaving Meadowbuck facing the Pirates alone in a circle of empty grass.

     "Get them, Mighty Gelert!" said a small voice from the crowd. The Blue Eyrie child from earlier.

     Meadowbuck gulped. The only thing mighty about him was his heart. Cutlass beats heart every time.

     "I'll give you one last chance," Meadowbuck said, in loud voice that he desperately hoped wasn't shaking. "To come quietly and return all the stolen petpets."

     "Stolen Petpets?" said a voice in the crowd.

     "That's awful," said another voice.

     Rasival and Sacrige looked at each other and burst out laughing.

     Rasival slapped his knee. "That's a good one!" said the Pirate Quiggle. "Us, surrender to you? You're just one scrawny Gelert with a positive attitude."

     An overripe Tigerfruit flew through the air and squashed wetly into Rasival's tunic. The young Faerie Acara that had tried to buy Christopher hefted a Chokato from a nearby fruit stand, ready to throw again.

     "I've wanted a Faerie Ombat for ages, and you try to sell me a stolen one!" she flung the Chokato, but Rasival dodged this one.

     "Ha!" he said. "Get a life, little girl. It's called a hustle. Sometimes ya just lose out."

     "You're about to lose out," said the voice of the little Blue Eyrie. An entire Chilled Kelp Cone splatted into Sacrige's face, and the Pirate Lutari spluttered and tried to get the gelatinous goo off his muzzle.

     "Stolen goods? Totally against the spirit of Gadgadsbogen!" said a voice from the crowd. A Pineapple Doughnutfruit grazed Rasival's arm and thunked into the side of the stand.

     Meadowbuck watched in awe as more fruits and snacks flew through the air and struck the two Pirates. They swung their swords ineffectively at the flying fruit, and finally dropped their weapons and held up their paws to protect their faces.

     The fruit stopped abruptly. Meadowbuck's ears pricked up as Aisheena descended and grabbed Rasival and Sacrige by the scruff of their necks. The Aisha grinned at them behind her mask.

     "Gotcha," she said.

     "Meadowbuck!"

     A Spotted-and-dotted shape crashed into the Yellow Gelert, and both fell into the grass. Meadowbuck laughed and hugged his friend.

     "Sproingal! You missed the fun!"

     "I know!" the Spotted Blumaroo said. "No fair!"

     "No fair?" said Lady Oakridge as she alighted delicately on the grass beside them. "You could have been seriously injured, Meadowbuck! They had swords!"

     Meadowbuck reached up and yanked Lady Oakridge into the group hug. "I don't care. We got 'em!"

          ------------------

          "The last of the Kadoaties has gone home," Judge Hog said, smiling.

     "You did pretty great, for rookies," Aisheena said. "Even if you did put yourself in way more danger than I would have liked."

     Meadowbuck shrugged. "It turned out okay, right?"

     Judge Hog rubbed his temples. "It did. But what if the citizens and tourists hadn't stepped in to help you? Aisheena might not have gotten there in time."

     Lady Oakridge nudged Meadowbuck's shoulder. "Maybe you really do have a 'mighty heart,' and inspired those Neopets to help you."

     "You've inspired me!" Sproingal said. "I have a great idea for a mural now."

     Christopher nuzzled Meadowbuck's paw. Meadowbuck, Sproingal, and Lady Oakridge were seated in Judge Hog's office again, with their recovered petpets in their laps. Peanut the Mutant Miamouse was in Lady Oakridge's lap beside her Nuk, Nuka. The Neopets had shed their borrowed Defender's costumes, and the Levitation Potion had worn off. Everything was back to normal.

     "We can give you an escort back to Brightvale, if you'd like, Lady Oakridge," Aisheena said.

     The Royal Bori shook her head. "That won't be necessary. With those pirates put away, and my friends with me, I have no worries at all."

     Aisheena smiled and nodded. "Very well. Now, there's one last matter to attend to." She glanced at Judge Hog, and the muscular Moehog cleared his throat.

     "It's customary for those who help the Defenders to receive a Neopoint compensation," he said. "Meadowbuck, I understand you have an archaeological dig in Geraptiku that needs funding." The Gelert nodded, his eyes wide. "You'll receive that funding later this week." Judge Hog turned to Sproingal. "And you need art supplies for that mural. I'll set up an account for you at the art supply shop." Sproingal pumped his fist and cheered. "And Lady Oakridge," Judge Hog said. "You'll find a charitable donation made out to your petpet reserve fund. I'm sure Peanut and the other rescued petpets will be very comfortable"

     Lady Oakridge's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, thank you!" She laughed and turned to her friends. "Did you ever imagine that our little nostalgic reunion would turn into...this?"

     Meadowbuck and Sproingal grinned.

     "No way," the Spotted Blumaroo said. "I thought we'd drink some Neocola together, swap old stories, and call it a night."

     "We really must get together more often," Lady Oakridge said. She tapped a claw against her chin. "Hmm, but maybe we can skip the pirates next time."

     "Huh, you know," Meadowbuck said. "I never did drink any of the tavern's Neocola."

     Sproingal jumped to his paws, upsetting Delia, his Spotted Feepit, who hopped to the ground. "Let's go now! Live in the moment!"

     Judge Hog and Aisheena shook their heads as the three friends ran each other over getting out the door.

     "Do you think we'll be hearing from them again?" Aisheena asked.

     Judge Hog chuckled. "That Meadowbuck seems to have a knack for getting himself into trouble. I doubt this is the last time we see him."

     And it wouldn't be the last time. But that's another story.

      The End.

 
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Other Episodes


» Reunions and Petpets: Another Pirate Adventure
» Reunions and Petpets: Another Pirate Adventure:Part Two
» Reunions and Petpets: Another Pirate Adventure:Part Three



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