The Diary of an Underwater Fisherpet

     It takes quite a long time to trudge my weary limbs over to what Maraqua once was - now no more than wreckage. The current of the water tires me as I try to push my body further and further. I should have painted myself Maraquan instead of Stealthy. I shall rest under this stone henge. We have a long day tomorrow.

     Day 2: Can’t really tell if it’s daybreak under the water... It’s all dark and misty. I carefully make my way around the Bubbling Pit. I hear a strong gushing sound in the distance. Could it be…? I had heard about this vortex which promised treasures to those who seek. But I’ve also heard thousands of horrifying stories of those who tried and perished. I edge closer and closer towards the sound. I squint my eyes and see… an opening!

     It looks like… a cave? I see streaks of light flashing from within. It can’t be… This site was said to be abandoned, how could there be signs of life?

     The cave seems deep and I am tired from the journey here. Better rest up before I take on what’s ahead.

     Day 3: I hear voices. Sounds of laughter and glee. Some of anguish and disappointment. I don’t understand… are they ghosts? I pick myself up and begin to make my way through the water. I realize the water level is slowly decreasing. Are we.. above the water? I don’t think so. I regained my strength again as I got out of the water.

     I’m in a cave… it’s brown. It’s different from all the blue-tinted maractite caves you see around Maraqua. I continue to sneak through the cave, hiding behind whatever I can, towards the voices and the streaks of light.

     I begin to see a structure. What? Is that… a fishing shack? Colours of bright blue and yellow greet me as I draw closer to what seems like a lake in the middle of the cave. The water is murky with a shade of turquoise and there are other Neopets there. They all look like they’re fishing. Sitting around with fishing rods, talking, joking, laughing. I see some others reeling in their lines and there’s a shoe on the hook.

     I spot a Jetsam in the fishing shack looking out at the fisherpets.

     “Hey… what is this place?” I ask him. He responds and tells me that this place is called the Ye Olde Fishing Vortex, where people come to fish for treasures, food, and petpets. Your level goes up whenever you catch something good and you get even better things with higher levels.

     “Wait.. what about the vortex which promises treasures to those who seek?”

     “Oh that? The treasure’s here for sure. Once you get to level 80, you can start fishing up Titanic Giant Squids. You then get an avatar!! That’s the treasure of a thousand Maraquan generations!”

     So THAT’S the treasure... For a person with a total avatar count of 15, I wouldn’t know, neither do I care. Since I’m already here, I figured I’d just grab a fishing rod and see what happens. I lodge myself between an Elderly Purple Krawk and a White Cybunny and cast my line into the water.

     Nothing! Maybe you should be more patient.

     That’s frustrating..

     …

     Day 7: I can’t believe I’ve been here 4 days and all I’ve gotten are Rotten Old Shoes. Yes, I have the Left and Right sides now but I’m not going to wear them! How long will it take before I acquire the treasure of a thousand Maraquan generations?

     Day to day, I see pets come in from a different direction I came from, drop their lines in, reel in something in mere seconds, and then leave in the same direction they came in. Some, like me, get Rotten Old Shoes, some get Giant Red Kelps and one even got a Surzard!

     “Hey! How did you find the cave? Where does that direction lead?” I’m curious to know about this secret entrance that many people come in from. The way I came from had literally no one else but me.

     “Me? Oh, I followed a URL link from JellyNeo’s dailies page.”

     What….? I had to go through the Map of Neopia, allow Flash Player, through to Maraqua, on to the Ruins and finally here and all they had to do was to click a URL link? Why had nobody told me this… I felt cheated. I felt dejected, and nothing’s going to help me unless I uncover the treasure of a thousand Maraquan generations.

     ….

     Day 100: I still have not gotten the avatar. On the other hand, my fishing level has gotten up to 45. I’m beginning to get some really good stuff. The other day I reeled in a Landfish. I heard that The Coincidence takes it in for rewards so I’m going to keep this for future use. I also heard that you can get up to a maximum of Fishing Level 500 so that might be a goal for me.

     ….

     Day 500: I’m up to Fishing Level 250 now. I’ve gotten the avatar. You should have seen the place when I reeled in the Titanic Giant Squid. Thrashing around its tentacles and wrecking the shack. Half the people were congratulating me for finding the treasure, and the other half (who already seem to have the treasure) were seething with anger because this disruption meant that the lake was now barren… at least for a while.

     So… my avatar count is now at 16. But that doesn’t matter anymore. Because I’ve got a new goal. I must get to Fishing Level 500. I NEED TO GET TO 500…. And I’ll stay here as long as it takes. Hopefully, I don’t turn Elderlyboy before I get to it...

     I’ve gotten enough Kelps, Rocks, Ferns and Fungis to line my entire Neohome with enough gardening for a lifetime.

     I read a Soggy Scroll I reeled in the other day and my Intelligence went up by 2. There was also a book titled Fishing Made Easy that gave me 3 extra Fishing Levels.

     I saw someone fish a Neopet-Eating Carp the other day and it ate her, then jumped back into the deep waters. That was scary... I hope I never fish one. I’ve trained in Mystery Island before.. Have 150 Hp but you never know what might happen.

     I’ve even reeled in what I thought were Lesser Spotted Fish and Rockfish but they turned out to be Plushies! Those went straight into my Plushie Gallery.

     I’ve met so many different Neopians from all walks of life. Some really enjoy fishing and come in groups of 6-7. Some just seem to do it as a daily habit, uninterested in conversation and whatever they reel in. Some, unlike me, are here hoping to get the avatar. There are some… like me, obsessed with getting a fishing level of 500, and we’re mostly in our own corner, avoiding the stares of many others.

     I long for the day I get to see the skies again, maybe travel to Faerieland, or even the Space Station. Some day.. Another 250 levels to go...

     The End.