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"I'm not paying you anymore!" the King of Maraqua spat as
he slammed his fist on his throne. The whole room seemed to shake, of course the
water's might have just been rough outside.
"What?" a bony Kiko snarled with a fake smile.
He ground his teeth and stared fervently at the King with his one eye socket.
"I-I told you Captain Dread! The people of Maraqua
don't want to pay you anymore! So-so just leave us alone!" the King screamed.
He stuttered out of anger, he knew he should have done this a long time ago.
Captain Dread gave the King a piercing look,
he knew that his decision was final. "You'll regret this Kingy, all of Maraqua
will regret this..." he hissed as he started to go back to his submarine.
But the King showed no sign of fear. What could
this 'ole seadog do to him anyway? Crash his submarine into his city? No, the
threat was an empty one, it had to be -- for Maraqua's sake.
Meanwhile...
Captain Dread walked into his submarine. His face was angry, but he also looked
slightly disappointed.
"So Cap'n, did ye get our booty?" a Blumaroo
with an eye patch cried.
Dread gave him a cold look, and sent him scurrying
back to scrubbing the poop deck. He then walked headed for his cabin, scaring
the living daylights out of anyone who came in his path.
"Argh! You worthless crew! Can't ye do anythin'
right? I just come from work, and there's no grub on my table!" Dread hissed
as he walked into his cabin.
"That's because there's no money in the cook's
budget!" snapped a female Aisha with a feather duster. She wore lots of make-up
and a poofy red dress.
"What's that Maria?" Dread asked as he sat in
his captain's chair.
"The cook does not have enough money to feed
you! You have to have gourmet foods! The cook can't afford the ingredients!
He can barely afford to feed the crew! Why, they're feasting on Semolina in
the Mess Hall! O' course the Cap'n is above that! Eat like his crew, it's like
asking someone to eat the same food as a Puppyblew!" Maria muttered testily
as she dusted an old vase.
Captain Dread remained silent for a long period,
and then he got up.
"Where ye going Cap'n?" Maria asked slyly, though
she knew the answer.
"Down to the Mess Hall o' course! I need to
get some grub! Besides, I have an announcement for the crew. I just thought
of it," Dread said in a dignified manor.
"What it be Cap'n?" Maria asked while setting
her gaze on the Kiko.
"Never ye mind," he snapped as he slammed the
door behind him.
Captain Dread wandered around the ship, searching
desperately for the Mess Hall. It was true that he had never gone in there,
but he figured that he could find it by himself. Finally he stumbled upon the
room, but it was not to his liking. The floor was messy, and all of the pets
were being very loud and obnoxious. No one even seemed to notice that he had
entered.
He sidled over to where the Semolina was literally
being dumped on plates. The stuff smelled foul, but there was nothing Dread
could do about it. He made a mental note to give the cook more money. Then he
was grabbed a pint of what seemed to be dirty water. He gave it a disgusted
look.
"Not good enough for ye Cap'n?" asked the large
Bruce who had given it to him. "It's what ye crew drinks ev'ry night!"
Captain Dread made no reply, but headed for
a small table in the very front of the room. It was old, dusty, and unused,
but Dread knew why. Reserved for the Captain a small sign read at the front
of the table. He remembered putting it there ages ago when he thought he would
actually eat with his crew.
Dread sat down and the whole room quieted and
looked at him, Captain Dread never ate with his crew, he was famous for it.
"I have an announcement to make!" Dread hollered
to his crew. "We will be changing our course by 26 degrees!"
The whole crew gasped.
"But Cap'n!" the Blumaroo from before shrieked.
"Those are dangerous waters they are! That Dark Faerie lives there!"
"I know that!" Dread snapped as he glared angrily
at his crew. Honestly, he had been sailing the seas for longer than any other
pirate had! Did they think that something crawled in his skull unnoticed and
devoured his brain? (though it was possible)
"Then, why are we going there?" a Kyrii asked
sceptically.
"Because as it happens," Dread muttered casually.
"The Dark Faerie is the only one who will probably help us in such a short amount
of time."
"What do you mean by 'help us'? Are we in some
kind of danger Cap'n?" a Krawk cried nervously. He then looked around him in
a paranoid fashion.
Captain Dread sighed, he deeply hoped that he
would not have to tell his failure to collect the money, but then knew he must.
"Those scurvy Maraquan dogs didn't pay us- and I want them to realize that no
one goes back on a deal with us pirates!" Dread hollered.
His cry was met with happy shouts of approval
and delicate phrases such as "SMASH 'EM!" "DESTROY 'EM ALL!" and even the dainty
little "TAKE 'EM ALL AS PRISONERS AND RIP 'EM TO SHREDS!"
"But Cap'n," a smart Techo shouted over the
crowds of cheering pirates. "How will you convince the Faerie to help us?"
Dread quieted down the crowds, then smiled at
the question. "Darkness Faeries are almost as greedy as pirates. I'll tell her
that I'll give her a piece of me treasure if she helps, and then she'll DESTROY
THE MARAQUANS!!!"
The crowd's roar started up again.
"But Cap'n!" the same Techo cried. "What if
she doesn't like the gift? Who's to say she won't destroy us and take our gold
as well?"
"Ye just leave that part to me an' don't worry
ye little head..." Captain Dread said with a sinister smile. "Just leave that
part to me..."
As the pirates turned the submarine the waters
grew rockier. The Dark Faerie was the cause, she lived on a green storm cloud
above the ocean, constantly making the waves rough for any unfamiliar travelers
who sailed on her turf. But the pirates did not mind, if all went according
to plan this would be worth it.
Finally, they rose to the surface, the Faerie's
green cloud hovering above the rough waters. Captain Dread got out of the submarine
and got on the cloud.
"Miss Darkness Faerie!" Dread cried as he saw
her on the edge of the cloud. She was waving her hand slightly, making the waves
abnormally rough.
"Yes?" she asked, not even glancing at the newcomer.
"I am Cap'n Dread, and I came here to assist
ye help," Dread declared with a piercing glance.
"Why do you want 'ye help', 'Cap'n' Dread?"
the Dark Faerie asked mockingly. She turned slightly and got a look at the Kiko.
She giggled a bit, for she did not know Neopets could look that silly.
"I want revenge on someone."
"And who would that someone be Cap'n?" the Darkness
Faerie chuckled. These Neopets and trying to be discrete!
"Maraqua," Dread snapped.
"The whole of it?"
"Yes."
"Well, well, don't we have a lot of issues..."
the Dankness Faerie muttered.
"So will you do it?" Dread asked impatiently.
"Yes -- for a price."
"Will this do?" Captain Dread inquired as he
pulled out a red and gold amulet from behind his back.
The Faerie looked at it, trying to suppress
her interest, but could not hide the excitement in her eyes. It was big, clunky,
valuable, and she loved it.
"Yes, that's very nice," the Faerie muttered
happily. Of course, it would not have mattered what they gave her, she would
just be destroying the ship and stealing their gold in the end anyway.
The Faerie then started flapping her bat-like
wings; she wanted to get this done as quickly as possible.
"Make it look natural!" Dread called after her.
She nodded, then continued to go off into the dark night sky.
An hour later, she returned to the cloud. Her
hair was slightly messed up, but other than that, she looked fine.
"What did you do?" Captain Dread asked as soon
as she landed. He had been on pins and needles since he left.
"Just a giant whirlpool. No one will suspect
a thing," the Darkness Faerie muttered simply. "So, where's my amulet?"
"Right here," Dread said as he handed her the
amulet, trying to suppress a smile.
The Faerie looked at it with the utmost pleasure.
She then placed it around her neck. How beautiful it was! It shimmered even
though there was very little light around.
"Now," the Faerie hissed as she popped her knuckles.
Her eyes turned into slits and she glared at the Captain and his submarine evilly.
"It's time to get your hoard. I'm sorry Captain, but this opportunity is to
good for me to miss..."
"Oh, you should not be sorry," Dread replied,
equally as evil. "It is I who should be sorry."
"Why's that?" the Faerie inquired nervously.
"Look at your feet."
The Faerie did as she was told and then gasped.
The purple shoes that she had once worn were now gray stone, but that was not
all. Her whole body was slowly turning into stone.
"Y-you!" she stuttered. "It's this amulet!"
The Faerie desperately tried to take it off, but to no avail.
"Try as much as you like. You won't be able
to get that off. The Faerie Queen tried to make one for the Battledome, but
the formula she used for it was too strong. It froze the opponent until another
took it off, which the Faerie Queen doubted would happen in the Battledome.
So she banished it. Fortunately, I came across it. And let me guarantee you,
I will never take it off for you," Captain Dread cackled.
The Darkness Faerie gazed at him angrily. She
leaped forward to attack him, but as soon as she did the process completed.
The Darkness Faerie was now a statue.
These are the facts: Captain Dread and his crew
where seen carrying a large gray package towards the Maraqua Whirlpool. The
Darkness Faerie that lived on that cloud has yet to be seen. A large statue
that matched the Darkness Faerie's description has been found at the bottom
of the Maraquan Whirlpool. Coincidence? That decision is up to you.
The End
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