A/N: You wanna know how much I've gained and lost interest in doing this. The first two parts were written with the rest of the story, the third part was written around like a year ago, and the last part only a few nights ago.

Chapter 2

14TH day of Swimming, 7:30 PM
Island Sanctuary Hotel, Room 204

"You mean to tell me," Charcoal asked SonStar, "that you met an Island Kacheek in the middle of the jungle that's responsible for the disappearances of multiple islanders?"

"That's right."

"Well, whadda ya know? I barge into a clearing and inadvertently save your life. You'd oughta be thanking me."

"Be quiet. Something's up. No one as innocent as she sounded could be doing this on purpose. At least not by herself."

"What makes you an expert on the subject? Yosie's been caring for your hide for a long time now. Sure, he took a half-year sabbatical, but he returned. You've got a decent owner, a tidy Neohome, a beautiful Neogarden, and enough food. As for me, I only support myself by stealing from you. ...Oops."

SonStar gave Charcoal an angered look.

"Anyway," Charcoal continued, "what I'm saying is, you're no detective."

"We'll just see about that."

15TH day of Swimming, noon
Techo Mountain

The strange Acara sat in her stone throne deep in a cave in Techo Mountain. Its heat that pushed through every crack in the rock greatly unsuited her, but it was the best base of operations available to her. As for the throne, she had to carve it herself. The volcanic rock in here was hard, but her dagger managed to cut through, although the poison the blade was dipped in helped.

She looked at the waterproof watch she kept under her sleeve. Almost high noon, she thought, My servant should be here with the morning's catch very soon.

She heard paws on stone near the cavern entrance. Just on time.

A beautiful female Island Kacheek was gently bringing in an Island Wocky by the paw. A Wocky that couldn't help staring at his companion through half-open unfocused eyes.

"So, dearest," the Kacheek said, "do you want to meet my friend?"

"Anything, my love," the Wocky replied. His voice had a ghostly tone to it.

"Wait right here, sweetie." The Kacheek put the Wocky's paw down and walked over to the Acara. Then she bowed. "Mistress, I've brought you another prisoner."

"I can tell," the Acara said, getting up from her throne, "Pass me the rope, blindfold, and duct tape." She slowly walked over to the beauty-blinded Wocky, her boots giving a soft tap each time the soles hit the stone floor.

"Here you are, mistress," the Kacheek said, giving the Acara the items she requested.

It took only a minute for the Acara to practically gift-wrap the Wocky, who never once snapped from his daze.

"Throw this prisoner with the rest, then begin the afternoon hunt. Oh, and one other thing."

"Yes, mistress?"

"I'm only gonna say this one last time. Do not refer to me as 'mistress.' Call me Vira."

15TH day of Swimming, 4:00 PM
Waterfall clearing

She was dangerous. He knew it now. If he tried to find her and learn what was going on, he could just as well fall victim to her wiles. He would join the ranks of the men she had seduced into vanishing off the face of the island.

So why couldn't he stop thinking about her in a different light? Was it her voice? Her charm? Her beauty? Just what made him so determined to think that this ran deeper than the rest of the island thought?

He didn't know. Not yet, he didn't. But he resolved to find out, and in order to do so, he had to find her again.

He decided the best spot to start was where he first saw her the previous day. With Charcoal's reluctantly-provided help, he headed back to the west side of the island and quickly relocated the clearing. It was just the same as he last saw it, except that Novashine was not there.

"Remind me again why we're trying to find the one person on this island we need to avoid," Charcoal whined.

SonStar shushed him with a quick "Shhh!" and approached the rock where Novashine had been sitting before dropping down on all fours. As Charcoal muttered of "indignity," his green friend searched the ground around the boulder for clues.

After some time, SonStar located what appeared to be Novashine's tracks. The indentations in the dirt did suggest that they were made well over a day ago.

"Look, if you're so eager to find her, why don't we get someone that knows more about tracking in this jungle more than you do?" Charcoal suggested.

"Because we won't get any," SonStar answered, never taking his eyes from the prints as he followed them. "The tourists are here to avoid work, and the natives are too scared of her. In fact, I think that if we did try to ask for help, we'd get just the opposite and they'd kick us off the island all the way back to Neopia Central."

"...That might actually be a good thing," Charcoal decided. "We won't have to buy the return tickets."

SonStar shot him a quick look before proceeding to follow the tracks he found into the jungle. Charcoal, after a moment's hesitation, followed.

As one would assume, it was rough going. Neither pet was used to trekking through the jungle's thick foliage, and the tracks were getting harder and harder to follow. More than once they stepped in a mud puddle and had to pull each other out using nearby vines. Charcoal claimed to have seen the same tree at least three times; SonStar suspected that he actually had, due in part to seeing the same rock right next to the tree at least three times as well.

"Either she is a very tricky and cunning Kacheek who managed to deduce someone would try to follow her and took appropriate measures," SonStar said eventually, "or I have no idea where the trail has been for the past half-hour or so and we are very very lost."

"Any reason it can't be both?" Charcoal retorted. "Along with you having a thick head?"

SonStar tried his best to ignore his friend's sarcastic remark. "Let's try to get back to town and get something to eat."

"Brilliant idea, Sherlock," Charcoal replied mockingly. "I've only said something like that at least a dozen times since we left the hotel."

"Look, I keep telling you, you need to watch what you say. One day that big mouth of yours is going to get you into big trouble."

"Hey, I'm just grumpy that I got dragged out into the middle of the jungle instead of hitting the beach and watching the surf. Anyone would be upset about getting dragged out into the hot humid jungle in search of a serial kidnapper."

It took most of the day for them to find their way out, and by the time they were back on the cold sandy beach, the sun was setting and the sky was growing dark. Making their way back to the hotel, the village was in a small ruckus; three more islanders had vanished that day, including a young Wocky.

"Man, who would've guessed?" Charcoal said sarcastically once they returned to their hotel room. "We get lost in the jungle, and we miss all the excitement."

SonStar didn't hear; he was thinking. After a few moments, he slapped himself in the face. "Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Think of what?"

"Novashine wouldn't hang around in the jungle all day since there aren't any people there! She would be around here, since the village is where the islanders are disappearing from!"

"...Meaning?"

"Tomorrow, we don't go to her," SonStar concluded. "We'll have her come to us."

"So, tomorrow we're just going to hang out around the village and enjoy ourselves while waiting for Little Miss Diva to show up?"

"...That's the idea, yes."

"Now you're talkin' my language!" Charcoal cried happily, pumping his arms. "Let's have a vacation!"

15TH day of Swimming, 8:52 PM
Techo Mountain

"Mistress Vira, the last of the prisoners for the day have been secured."

"Dang it, girl, what did I tell you about calling me mistress? I'm vain, not conceited."

"My apologies... ma'am. It's just, given my position, calling you by your name seems... above me."

"Hm... Given I am making you hunt down every islander on this piece of rock by threatening your life, I believe I see your point... Stick with 'ma'am.'"

"Yes, ma'am. Will... that be all for today?"

"...Yes, no point in any more hunts for the moment. But that hesitance in your voice... Is something the matter, girl?"

"No, m-ma'am. It has just been an exhausting day, so many suitors..."

"Ah... In any case, I'm going to bed. I am not to be disturbed unless the mountain starts erupting or something. Good night."

And with that, Vira walked out of the room. Once she was out of sight and she heard the sound of the Acara's bedroom door, Novashine quickly slammed her fist against the cave wall. Only a few miniscule chunks of rock came off; Kacheeks were not known for physical strength and her even less so; but that was not the point.

"Why... Why did he have to get away...?" she muttered.

Until he came onto the scene, her record was perfect. Sure, she was spotted a few times, but never enough to identify her exactly. The only ones that ever saw her fully were her victims, and given she lured them away to her mistress's clutches it wasn't like they could tell anybody.

And then she was taking a breather in a clearing in the jungle by a small waterfall and he came in. The green Kacheek. SonStar, was that his name? Definitely not a native to the island; she'd lived her her whole life and knew of almost every one of her island brethren, and he was not one of them; likely a tourist from the mainland. Within moments, she saw how his brain kept skipping grooves and decided to seduce him, if only because she didn't want him asking around about her. He could see him blushing from all the way across that clearing, she knew she was about to close her hold on him and send him into a state of infatuation he'd have a lot of trouble getting out of, just like all the others. And then that fire Kacheek just burst in and woke him up. She panicked and escaped while they were distracted and it wasn't until an hour later that it occur to her to try and seduce both of them at once, probably because she was so used to doing it one-on-one.

Novashine had felt uneasy inside from that point. "They saw me... They saw me..." She had not told Vira; she couldn't give her bad news unless she wanted another beating. She was already on edge from knowing Vira hated her for being more beautiful than she was, and this was stressing her even more. As long as they were loose to speak to the others and give them information they couldn't be allowed to have, her hunting- oh hell with the hunting, her life was at risk.

She never knew how men reacted to her the second time. Every other time she got them on the first try.

Well, she would have to find out.

"I have to find them..." she told herself. "I have to hunt them down... before Vira has reason to suspect I failed..." She looked over to the cave entrance; the sun had almost set, and the beginning of the night sky was skimming the roof of the arch.

"I have to get them both... tonight."