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Toshiba soon found out that Kolioo and his female partner
had been out together, when they were both caught… she had been taken away,
but he was thrown in a cage. Toshiba could now see why he wanted revenge on
the Grundos. She also told Kolioo about her weird dream, and her sister being
inside of this building. 'You're a sightseer.' He had told her. A sightseer
was someone who could see into the future, by using his or her dreams. Toshiba
just shrugged, not really believing this odd Kougra. He said that the new captives
(3 months or less) were held inside… that's where Toshiba's sister was… if she
was here.
"Well…" Toshiba looked deep into the opening,
still standing outside, "we better get a move on…"
The Kougra nodded, and padded in, leading the
way. Toshiba followed right at his tail.
Kolioo carried his marvelous 'keys' on his tail.
Toshiba had slipped them on, and they jingled every step he took. Finally Toshiba
told him he needed to quite them, so he carried them in his mouth.
The place was dark and eerie. More 'doors' branched
off the hallway.
"Offices," Koli said through shut teeth.
Toshiba was amazed at what these Grundos built!
She learned they were all under command by 'Dr. Sloth'. She sure didn't hope
to meet him. The building was horrid… but it filled Toshiba full of curiously.
If it weren't for Kolioo, she would have gone into almost every single room
there was, even the ones that had loud snoring sounds coming from them.
"We are here for your sister… not for the Grundos,"
Kolioo reminded her.
Toshiba nodded seriously, "But what about the
other poor Neopets… what do they do here? I want to help them as well…" she
eyed the keys.
He nodded, "So do I…"
Back at the pack, the elders had already arrived
from hunting. Rei also found out that little Toshiba was missing. Toshiba's
mother, Skye, was terribly worried, as well as Ryat and Chip. After a long meeting,
the three decided to go out, following the scent of their family member.
"Where in Neopia could she have gone!!" sighed
Skye worriedly as she sat down, after long hours of searching.
"Wait! I got it!" Chip's tail wagged back and
forth, his nose to the ground. He had caught the scent again.
The other two jumped up excitedly, following
the rampaging Chip through the grassy plains of Mystery Island. He suddenly
stopped.
"What is it?" Ryat looked at his brother in
confusion. Why had he suddenly stopped?
"That smell…" their mother raised her nose to
the air.
Yes indeed, the three pups smelt the same smell
Toshiba smelt. Death, pollution, and all the Grundos. Ryat reluctantly poked
his head through the bush, to see the same horrid site that Toshiba saw. He
drew it back in fear, "What the-"
He mother glared sharply at him, then looked
through the bush as well, recoiling back in shock, "S-she must be there…"
Chip whimpered, "We have to go in and get her?"
Ryat nodded, "Yes… we have to go in…"
Each Lupe shuddered as the stepped into the clearing.
Every cage held a neopet (except for the one Kolioo was in). Each neopet was
asleep. Skye spoke, "Well… lets begin our search…" Each Lupe had wondered what
this horrid place was, but were determined to find Toshiba.
The other two creatures were still padding down
the corridors of the Grundo's building. Sometimes they would try the keys in
certain doors, but it never worked.
"Hmpf…" Kolioo sat down at a dead end, "I don't
know really where we are… it has been a while since I've been in here." He turned
to go the other way.
"Wait!" Toshiba's ears perked up at some sounds,
"Do you hear that?"
Kolioo's ears shifted forward as well, "Yes…
I do!"
They both listened to the scratching sound they
heard. It seemed to be coming from inside the wooden walls.
"What is it?" Toshiba sounded frightened and
excited.
Kolioo shook his massive head in wonder.
Toshiba's head scanned the wall, and to great
amazement, there was a hole in it at the bottom! "Look!"
Kolioo looked at the hole in wonder, and suddenly
a creature popped his head out of the hole. The Usul's large ears twitched constantly.
His beady black eyes glared at the Kougra, and he jumps in fright, turning to
run back into his hole. Kolioo bounded over, putting a paw over the Usul's tail.
"Don't hurt me!" The Usul squeaked as Kolioo
opens his large jaws (the keys falling out) to gobble up the poor creature.
"STOP!" Toshiba yelled. Taken by surprise, Kolioo
lifts his head, but kept a firm grip on the Usul's tail.
"What are you playing at dog?" Kolioo was definitely
hungry, for is showed in his voice.
"Well-err-maybe we could get some information
from him… I mean, he lives here."
"Good idea kid…" The Kougra glared at the Usul.
"SPEAK!"
The Usul shuddered, frozen with fear. Toshiba
bounced over, "Kolioo, shut it." She looks to the Usul. "You live here?"
The Usul nodded, still shivering, "In the walls."
Toshiba found it odd that he lived in the walls.
She went on to explain that her and Kolioo couldn't find where they were going.
She told the Usul about Azrel as well.
"Azrel… she a young rainbow Lupe pup?" the Usul
had calmed down by now.
Toshiba nodded excitedly. The Usul spread his
whiskers in a small grin. He explained to them that Azrel was kept in a small
room in the northern part of the building. Kolioo and Toshiba were in the west
part, they needed to go through a red door back a ways to get to the northern
part. Toshiba grinned in relief as the Usul finished.
"Thanks a lot! I guess you can go now…" She
shot a glare at Kolioo.
The cat reluctantly let the Usul go, who ran
out of site into his hole.
"Now aren't you glad you didn't eat him?!" Toshiba
smirked as she pivoted to go down the hall in the opposite direction, to find
the red door.
Kolioo sighed, picked up the keys, and padded
after her.
"Oof! Get off me stupid." Ryat shoved Chip off
of his back.
Chip fell over, landing with a thud. The three
Lupe had ventured inside the building, by using a ventilation vent. Each Lupe
was cramped in the vent tightly. Their mother looked upon them with dismay,
"Come on you two… we need to get a move on."
"But mom, he's pushing me!" Chip shoved Ryat
into the side of the metal vent. Ryat yelped, and then growled.
"STOP IT" Skye barked angrily, and cuffed them
over the head with a paw, "Toshiba is in here somewhere…"
The two pups shut up, and continued on.
"There we go!" Toshiba stopped at the red door
in front of them.
Kolioo stepped up beside her, and dropped the
keys at his paws.
They both took the keys, trying several keys
until one fit into the lock of the door, and magically, it swung open. The two
Neopets hesitantly stepped inside to this new part of the building.
It seemed colder in the north wing. The two wandered
through the corridors aimlessly. Kolioo had never been in this part of the building,
so they were oblivious.
Toshiba's ears shot forward, as she heard another
sound. This time it seamed to be coming from the ceiling. She sits down, looking
straight up, "Do you hear that?"
Kolioo has also sat, twitching his tail back
and forth slowly, "Yes…"
A muffled sound from the ceiling started, "This
is where the scent stops…." A lot of rattling sounds were heard. Toshiba was
afraid that whoever was in the vent was going to wake everyone up!
"Err, who's up there?" she said in a loud whisper.
"TOSHIBA!" another voice barked piercingly,
echoing in the vents.
Some more clanging was heard, and the metal grate
door to the vent flung open, and out fell two Lupes. One more jumped down, but
with more grace.
"Mom? Ryat? Chip?" Toshiba wagged her tail happily,
rushing over to them, while Kolioo watched the 'reunion'. Toshiba nuzzled each
one happily, and then proceeded to tell her story about getting here, and Azrel.
The Lupes were very surprised and thrilled to hear about Azrel being alive.
Skye turned upon Kolioo, and said with narrowed
eyes, "Who is that?"
Toshiba bounded in front of Kolioo, grinning
slightly, "This is Kolioo, my new friend… he helped me get through this horrid
place, and agrees to help find Azrel!"
Once again, the Lupes came over, introducing
themselves to the large Kougra. Chip was cautious at first, but soon began to
like the large feline. It seemed Kolioo liked the attention.
After the second meeting, Kolioo jumped up, ears
back, eyes narrowed, "Do you guys hear that…"
The other four turned their heads in the direction
it was coming from. Lights flicked on, brightening the entire hallway. Each
of them heard strange voices, and strange footsteps. The voices got louder and
louder. Kolioo hissed in hatred, "GRUNDOS!"
He dashed off, motioning for the others to do
the same. The four Lupes powered off, racing after Kolioo. They soon found themselves
in a chilly room, and Kolioo shut the door by using his front paws. He took
on paw and flipped something on the door (locking it).
"You learn a lot when living with the Grundos
for a year…" he explained quietly.
Toshiba sat down, breathing heavily, and looked
around the room. It was pitch dark, and her eyes could only see a few feet in
front of her. This room seemed like pure metal. Shelves were lining the walls,
and they were stacked with many strange glasses and bottles of some sort. Some
of them had things floating in them, and Toshiba recoiled, shocked.
The sound of claws against metal was heard, and
something shifted position somewhere. Chip's eyes grew wide. "There is something
in here!"
To be continued...
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