Homecoming

     You see, Milos' band, Chomby and the Fungus Balls, reached peak levels of fame shortly after he and Gif'n created the course together and as a result, Milo was quickly swept away into a world of never-ending album releases and concert tours. It was only now, after the popularity of his band had died down, that Milo finally had an opportunity to return home for more than just a concert. To no one's surprise, the first place Milo rushed to visit was the golf course he built with his old friend Gif'n.

     The Tyrannian Mini Golf Course was once bustling with Neopians from all over the globe. Mini golf players young and old travelled from Fairyland, Mystery Island, and even Kreludor to experience the first game ever built in Tyrannia and they stayed for the fun, new age obstacles it had to offer. But it wasn't just layered levels that kept them coming back for more, it was the community of kind, generous players that caused so many Neopians, especially the residents of Tyrannia, to fall in love with the course. On any given day you could catch the regulars volunteering to fix conveyor belts, fish dung balls out of sand pits for other players, or carry boxes full of goodies in an effort to help restock the gift shop.

     A decade later, Milo was now looking around at his passion project with tears welling in his eyes as he realized just how much had changed over the years. The palm trees he remembered taking shade underneath no longer sported lush, green leaves but instead hung limp in hues of yellow and brown. The obstacles on the course were mostly all functioning, but they appeared as relics of a lost time, never upgraded or replaced. As Milos' eyes moved slowly over the wear and tear of the course, his pace slowed and he wrung his hands, suddenly afraid to walk the full eighteen holes like he'd originally planned. He could barely look at the snack bar with its closed doors and large sign out front reading 'closed from Monday to Thursday'.

     Milo turned to his best friend and with a weak voice asked, "Gif'n… what happened to our course?"

     It broke Gif'ns heart to hear such desperation in Milos’ voice, so he responded with the softest tone he could manage, "As far as I know, the interest in the golf course declined some a while back… new technology was invented and a lot of Neopians became interested in interactive golf."

     Milo sighed "yeah, I've heard of that… it just feels surreal to think that so many may have chosen something shiny over a once-beloved Tyrannian classic. Back in the early 2000's, our course was hailed for its hazards! People loved the conveyor belts so much… remember when we let our customers create new levels for the course and they added dozens of them?"

     Of course I remember." Gif'n reassured, his throat also getting tight as the memories came flooding back to him. "Remember when we were setting up one of those conveyor belts for hole eleven and I got my tail stuck in it… you almost fell into that pit of lava trying to help me out!"

     Feeling a small bit of his sadness start to subside, Milo chuckled through a halfhearted smile "That was such a close call, even as we were rolling around on the ground laughing about it. Why didn't we move away from that pit sooner?!

     I have no idea, but we were on the ground for at least five minutes and we even had Sabre laughing after he came over to help bandage my tail!"

     Milo rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt for not keeping up with more of the friends that had helped him and Gif'n build this course. Milo let himself think out loud "I wonder how Sabres' doing these days, he was always such a bright light around the course."

     He's actually still here!" Exclaimed Gif'n, feeling a glimmer of hope that this reunion might provide Milo with some much-needed happiness. "Come on, let’s walk through a few more holes, we'll find Sabre and we can show you all of the magic this course still has to offer."

     There was a slight scepticism in Milos' eyes but he nodded and followed Gif'n past a few swirling sand pits. He kept his gaze downward as they walked, making a concerted effort not to reminisce too much while he reasoned that at the very least, it would be nice to catch up with another friend. As they walked through the lower holes of the course, Milo took comfort in counting the shoes of the loyal customers out playing a few rounds. He allowed himself a slightly wider smile than before, realizing that their golf course wasn't such a ghost town after all.

     After some time, Gif'n waved in the direction of hole fifteen exclaiming, "Ah, there's the hard hitter, himself!"

     Sabre!" He shouted at the well-known Giant Omelette Supervisor. Sabre held up a quick hand signalling that he needed Gif'n and Milo to wait a moment so they both watched in awe as the talented Lupe effortlessly floated a stone ball over one of the greens. He grinned at its landing, realizing that he was now one stroke shy of a bogey.

     A full tooth grin washed over Sabre’s face as he looked up to see who was calling after him. "Gif'n, hey! Wait a minute… I must be seeing a mirage! Is that Milo you're with?!"

     Milo laughed, "Hey, Sabre! It's been way too long, I know."

     I thought we'd lost you forever to fame and fortune!" Sabre quipped, now embracing both Milo and Gif'n in a hearty hug.

     “It's great to be back home, I just didn't expect our course to look so different."

     Sabre empathized, "I know what you mean buddy, I get why you think the course isn't as fresh as it used to be, but look around! We're busier than we've been in years, we've got brand new golf gear coming out and they're re-doing the snack shop!"

     “So THAT's why it's closed right now?" exclaimed Milo. "I thought it was because there wasn't enough business!"

     “No! It's getting re-done because we've got too much business and what's better, is that the Neopians that have been around forever have truly come to feel like family. So much so, that I honestly enjoyed the more intimate setting. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the lines are shorter and it's easier to snag a trophy nowadays." Sabre concluded with a wink.

     Gif'n chuckled, "Yeah! Believe it or not, I actually got a bronze last month and that's saying something considering I couldn't even make the high score table a few years ago!"

     Oh I remember how you used to play the game, Gif." Milo teased. "I've got half a mind go to double-check your trophy case."

     Milo sighed, "Maybe you guys are right... I was initially surprised at what I saw but when I stop to truly take it all in, I see our customers enjoying everything that we built just like they did right after we built it."

     Gif'n laid a comforting hand on the back of Milo’s neck. "It's alright! Look, we've all felt that way at one point or another but how wonderful it is that the game you love so much is still here, welcoming you back with open arms after all this time."

     Exactly. Though the view is a little nostalgic and my elbows creak on the downswing, the important thing is that I can still wipe the floor with you two." Sabre teased, tossing Milo and Gif'n a club and ball each.

     Oh it's on!" Chuckled Milo, dodging Gif'ns playful swats as they made their way to the next hole together."

     ***

     The three friends spent the rest of their afternoon laughing and playing mini golf in the Tyrannian sun, stopping at every chance they got to make a joke or chat with returning and longtime customers alike. Between rounds, they learned about a few different communal events still happening at the course and Milo in particular had his faith restored upon hearing that free lessons were being given out to newcomers by the staff. Before the day was over, the trio had already planned to come back tomorrow for another round.

     As Milo swung his last stroke of the day, inevitably losing the game to Saber but exponentially happier for it, he looked out fondly at his course and smiled as he noticed a phantom-looking volunteer in an orange shirt repairing one of his classic green fans.