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"Please, can we get off the subject of my parents for
once? Really, I think they're just as dreadful as you all do!" Ylana said earnestly.
"Your mum and dad aren't good enough for you,
Ylana? Oh, I'm sorry, that would be Ugga and Uggo in savage, wouldn't it?" Sunari
cackled. Her cronies broke into obnoxious laughter behind her.
"Haha, very funny," Ylana said, hoping that they'd
believe her. "You're really clever Sunari!"
"I know," Sunari muttered as she closed her eyes,
lifted her head high, and flipped her tail in a superior fashion. When she opened
her eyes again, she noticed the stone in Ylana's hand. "Hey, that's a codestone
isn't it?"
"Yes, I owed it to Master Techo," the Acara replied
as she showed it to them. "Why do you ask?"
Sunari's eyes grew wide with greed as she stared
at it, knowing the value of the stone that was in the savage's hand. "Oh, just
wondering. I've been looking for one, you know."
"You don't say?"
"Oh yes, I've been looking for that stone quite
a while. I really want it, will you let me have it?"
Ylana shook her head. "No, it took me ages to
find it! I have to pay the Techo Master!"
The girls behind Sunari began to grow angry,
but the Island Wocky silenced them. "Of course, of course. But how about a trade?
I'll give you a rare jewel that I found a while back for that stone? They're
worth about the same amount. I'll even let you spend the day with us, even though
you aren't really good enough," she said simply.
Ylana paused, thinking of whether she should
or not. She honestly didn't care too much about this jewel, but the prospect
of spending a day with the most popular girls on Mystery Island... "Fine," the
Acara agreed. "Where's the jewel?"
Sunari smiled, then said, "Oh, I don't have it
with me. It's in a cave. Here, give me your codestone and I'll show you."
Ylana stared at her uncertainly. "Why should
I give it to you now?"
The Wocky cackled at the question, along with
her cronies, as it were a completely ridiculous one. "Why shouldn't you? You
trust me-- don't you? I don't know if I want to hang out with someone who doesn't
trust me..."
"Oh no! Of course I trust you! Here!" Ylana said
as she thrust the codestone at Sunari.
Sunari's lips widened to form a wicked smile,
then gestured for all of them to follow her. They walked through the underbrush
of Mystery Island for quite a while, and it was becoming very hot and humid.
"Sunari?" a Maraquan Draik crony whispered. "Where
are we going?"
"You'll see," was the only response.
Finally, the Wocky stopped at a large hole in
the ground. "This is my secret hiding place. It's down there," she said.
Ylana peered over the edge uncertainly. It was
a very long way down, and she could see nothing.
"A-are you sure it's in there?" she asked, absolutely
terrified.
"Of course it's in there! Dare you second guess
Sunari?" a gold Aisha asked.
"No, no! Of course not! It's just a very long
way down--"
"And that's why you should hurry up and head
down there! You wouldn't want to be stuck down there in the dark, would you?"
Sunari asked mockingly.
"You mean you aren't coming with me?" Ylana cried,
taken aback.
"Of course not! I never said I would!" Sunari
exclaimed. "Now get in that hole!"
"But-- but--" The Acara started, but then she
was thrust into the hole by the other girls.
She fell and fell and fell, and finally she hit
a pool of water. The water splattered everywhere, yet Ylana was fine. She clambered
out onto the shore, and shook herself off.
Pant... Pant... Pant...
Ylana's head perked up and her hair stuck out
on end. She had heard something, or someone. The Acara glanced around, looking
for the source of the sound, but couldn't spot anything.
"I have to get out of here," she said, worry
echoing in her voice. Ylana felt the walls, but there were no holds that she
could find. "Oh my, Sunari must have gotten the wrong cave!" she told herself,
ignoring the self-doubt that was lingering within her. "I'll tell them."
Ylana lifted her head up towards the opening,
breathed in deeply, and then called, "SUNARI! SUNARI, THIS IS THE WRONG CAVE!
PLEASE LOWER SOME ROPE SO I CAN GET OUT OF HERE!"
However, there was no reply.
Ylana tried again. "HELP! PLEASE HELP! PLEASE
GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
There was still no reply.
Pant... Pant... Pant...
There it was again! Ylana turned around, and
this time she did see something. Giant yellow eyes in the shadows, and they
were growing bigger every second.
"HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE, ANYONE HELP! THERE'S
SOMETHING DOWN HERE!"
Pant... Pant... Pant...
The creature was closer, and now Ylana could
see it was a saber-toothed Kougra. Saliva was dripping from its fangs, and its
ribs were showing. It was hungry. She picked up a stick and charged at the Kougra,
trying to whack it and scare it away. She attacked it furiously, but then it
swiped at her stick, shattering it. The Acara immediately retreated as far and
as fast as she possibly could.
"PLEASE! SAVE ME! SAVE ME, SOMEONE! SUNARI!"
The Kougra was right in front of her now, and
Ylana knew there was no escape. However, she made a promise to herself that
if she did get out of here, she would become rich, rich enough to buy the whole
of Mystery Island. And then, when she did, she would paint her coat so exquisitely
and look so beautiful that she would do the same thing as was done to her to
girls like Sunari. She would make them suffer...
The Kougra pounced, and Ylana winced, ready to
feel its claws tearing into her flesh, however, she felt no such thing. There
was a bold voice talking, and yet it sounded very friendly and majestic. The
Acara peeked her eyes open and saw a Rainbow Aisha in a white suit fighting
the Kougra off. She was very skilled in the martial arts, and Ylana could only
stare at her in awe. Finally, she defeated the Kougra, and allowed it to run
off.
The Aisha turned to the young Acara with a smile
on her face and said in a very friendly voice, "Let's get you out of here, shall
we?"
Ylana nodded, almost speechless, almost. "Who-
Who are you? How did you find me?" she stuttered as she walked towards the figure
in white.
"I am Aclaimisha, and the Defenders of Neopia
always find those in need. Oh, and I must compliment you on what you did to
the Kougra. I could tell you attempted to drive him away, and if you had a stronger
weapon I'm sure you would have. You'd make a great Defender one day."
Ylana beamed, "Thank you!"
The Aisha smiled back at her. "Hold onto my waist,
I'm getting us out of here," she said as she pulled something from her utility
belt. Ylana did as she was told, and then Aclaimisha launched a little silver
hook connected to a rope from a gadget from her belt. As soon as it struck the
rock, Aclaimisha pressed another button on the gadget the Aisha and the Acara
were hoisted into the air and up to the top of the hole.
When Ylana finally was at the top, she was amazed
at how appreciative she was of the fresh air, the green grass, the light wind
that brushed up against her cheek. However, she was not appreciative of her
friends who were no where to be found.
"There weren't-- there wasn't-- Was there anyone
here when you came to save me a while back?" Ylana inquired, tears starting
to form in her eyes, knowing that she was betrayed.
"No, there wasn't. Was there supposed to be?"
Aclaimisha asked, her eyes looking almost protectively at the poor little Blue
Acara.
"No, I suppose there wasn't," Ylana said as she
fought back her tears. She would keep the vow she made back in the cave. She
would earn lots and lots of money, and make sure Sunari suffered. "Well, thank
you for saving me. It's really cool how you have all of those gadgets and skills
and stuff."
The Aisha laughed, her eyes looking friendly
behind the mask that covered the top of head. "It's nothing! Believe me it's
not! The reward I get out of it is beyond what I do!"
"Reward? What reward?" the Acara inquired. A
strong surge of something that she had never felt inside of her before was building
up. She had a desire for Neopoints, lots of them, more than anyone else. Was
it greed? Even if it was, that wasn't the only emotion; there was something
else, something that used to be small but was now growing, and she didn't intend
to stop it, even though she knew that it wasn't necessarily good.
"Oh, it's a very wonderful reward. I can't even
begin to describe it to you!"
Ylana's eyes sparkled at the thought of this.
She knew now how to get the money that she so desired. "How do you join the
Defenders of Neopia?" she asked, a tone of urgency mixed in with her sweet voice.
Aclaimisha looked at her with interest. She walked
around her, examining the Acara's slim, strong body. "It's tough," she finally
said, "but you look like you're strong enough to handle it. Here--" she pulled
out a piece of paper and a pen, scrawled a note on it, and handed it to Ylana
"--take this and in a few years time if you're ever in Neopia Central, go to
the Defenders of Neopia Headquarters and present this to Judge Hog. He'll let
you in."
Ylana looked down at the paper in awe. This was
her chance. This would make her dream happen. Her mouth tried to form the words
"thank you" but she had lost all of her breath. Instead she just made huffing
sounds.
"Well, I have to go," Aclaimisha said as she
hit a few switches on her belt. Two wings connected to rockets shot out from
her back, the words Space Station glinting on them in metallicy letters.
"See you in a few years I hope!" And with that, the Aisha disappeared into the
cool island sky.
Ylana smiled, in a few years, things would finally
start to work out for her.
To be continued...
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