During one of my many excursions to the NeoPets Battledome, my pet Kari4511
told me she wanted to go fight in the one-player
dome. I decided she was strong enough, so we traveled the dark underground corridors
of the Battledome until we emerged in the one-player Battle-Ring. We were surrounded
by massive creature from all over the length and breath of Neopia. We saw NeoPets
being carried away on stretchers, NeoOwners tending to their defeated NeoPets
with healing potions and Healthshrooms.
The Water Faerie from the Healing
Springs was on-call, trying to help as many pets as she could.
Over in a corner we could see exhausted pets practicing their skills against
a beaten-up Punchbag Bob, Their owners cheering the on from the sidelines. With
pain we saw one owner, a scared NeoPet in hand, heading off to the Adoption
Pound. A NeoPet could make or break its Battledome career here, and with some
owners, that was all that mattered.
I leaned down to Kari4511. "Kari4511, are you sure you want to fight here?"
She smiled up at me. "I've trained for this day for months," she said. "I've
been with Captain Threelegs and Ryshu the Master Nimmo, I've fought scores of
pets in Quickfights. The Pant Devil stood no chance against me (at least until
he stole my staff of Nova)." She paused. "Kittykat4511, I won't fight if you
don't want me to. But I would like to." She hoped into my arms and gave me that
warm, winning smile she knew would make me give in.
"Oh, all right!" I said, laughing. "Who first?"
She ran over to the desk clerk and requested her file on who had challenged
her. She scanned the list. "Well, I've never fought Harry, the Mutant Moehog.
Oh here we go! The Flaming Meerca. I fought him once, and lost. Let's try again."
I requested the location of the Flaming Meerca's Ring. The desk clerk gave
it to us, smiled and gave Kari4511 a pat on the head for good luck. Kari4511
got in line, and I was told to sit in the ringside seats. It wasn't long before
Kari4511's turn came. I saw her enter the ring, and the flaming Meerca rose
to its feet.
Well, needless to say, it was an overwhelming victory. After that she conquered,
in order, Harry the Mutant Moehog (twice!), The Esophagor and, due to some bad
decisions, Sabre-X.
By this time we were both feeling mildly invincible, and Kari4511 decided to
take on one of the biggest challengers of all time. The
Brain Tree.
The battle was long and hard. In the end, my beautiful Acara, Kari4511 was
defeated. I waited for her outside the ring to congratulate her, but when she
came out she had an odd look on her face. I plucked her up and gave her a small
healing potion. "Kari4511?" I said. "Are you okay?" she blinked twice, and turned
to stare into my eyes. "The Brain Tree... he's been helping Sloth!!!"
I wouldn't have been more surprised if she had just told me a Jubjub had killed
three hundred. I walked with her over to the recovery area and sat her down.
"Kari4511, are you positive? How could you know that?"
"Because," she said simply; "he told me." She paused. "We were fighting hard.
His blows were really painful. I'd just begun to think I'd made a mistake when
I though I'd got my second wind. I struck him fiercely, real hard right in the
trunk. But it wasn't enough. He seemed... pleased... with my strength. Just
as I started to fall back, he whispered to me. He said: 'I've never told anyone
this before, but Sloth comes to me for advice.' I was so shocked I could barely
concentrate, and I lost really fast. But Kittykat4511, do you know what this
means?"
I sure did. It meant that The Brain Tree could be funneling Neopia secrets
to Sloth. Maybe he was partially responsible for NeoPet
Version Two! The Brain Tree is one of the smartest creatures in Neopia,
maybe he assisted Sloth against Sakhmet!
I sat down heavily. Kari4511 nuzzled against my arm, pretty much recovered from
her defeat. "Kittykat4511?" she said.
"Uh?" was the only answer I could get out.
"We have to expose The Brain Tree. We can't let him hurt any more NeoPets."
I hugged her to me. "Yes, you're right. And we'll stop doing his quests!!!"
The tale you have just read is true. All of it. Feel free to Neomail me if
you want more information, if you wish to join the fight, or if you need more
proof about the Brain Tree/Sloth collaboration. | 
