Chapter 13: The Gaming Experience
When Carl, Genaolu, and I left the wormhole we entered upon teleportation, we energed at the Haunted Woods fairground.
"Now what was it we should be doing again?", Genaolu asked.
"Oh! You came!", a familiar voice said. The three of us turned around to see Euryflavia with a Yellow Chomby and Orange Pteri who seem to be native from Tyrannia. There was also a White Poogle with a 'number' plastered on his sides.
Euryflavia! Carl greeted.
"Hey there, Carl.", greeted the Usul.
"Who are these three?", I asked.
"Oh. The Chomby is Milo and the Pteri is Gif'n. They were the founders of the Tyrannian Mini Golf game. The Poogle Racer is named Moogi."
I see, replied Carl. What are their capabilities as Black Ops agents?
"Well, we were issued special bludgeons in the form of golf clubs.", Milo said as he and Gif'n pulled out golf clubs colored green and marigold.
"These babies are unable to unleash rocks or gales at will."
"Ah…wind and earth.", I said. "I forgot to introduce—"
"It's okay, Rael.", Moogi cut in. "Carl already did that."
"…Okay. So what is it that we need to do here?"
"Well, we received intel from Number Six that they have a key that leads from Neopia to their building, where Eithne has set up HQ."
"Why would we need a key?"
"Because other than the Whack-a-Staff Member game, or something, that's the only way to get there."
"I see. What are your abilities as a Black Ops?"
"Well…"
"Are we just gonna stand around here?", Genaolu called as she, Euryflavia, Milo, Gif'n, and Carl went through the entrance into the fairground. The second we did though, Heartless ambushed us from the stalls. Seconds later, we were surrounded by Gargoyle, Wight Knight, and Creeper Plant Heartless. It was then we saw our comrades start to kick ass.
Milo, Gif'n, and Genaolu unleashed earth, wind, and fire at their surrounding opponents, dodging attacks as they went. Moogi was plowing through the Creeper Plants with great speed. Euryflavia was riding on him, unleashing Earth attacks and ice balls from her slingshot.
Meanwhile, Carl and I were back to back, firing at the Gargoyles who tried to swoop down on us. For some reason, even if I know I'm not exactly accurate when it comes to shooting at any angle other than straight ahead (I do quite well in the Time Crisis arcades), every single shot always landed on their mark.
"Whoa.", I muttered. "It feels like my arm is doing the shooting."
Why so?, asked Carl.
"I know I'm not really good at handling these in real life, but here, I feel like I've been practicing all my life."
Despite the fact that you only went through, oh I don't know, about ten 'skirmishes' since coming here?
"Yeah." I learned from Carl that my Neopets have been told him everything that happened so far up to before his arrival to save me and my allies from the Fire Spectre back at Meridell.
Hey! We're done.
"Huh?"
Sure enough, all the Heartless were gone. And I didn't even noticed as I conversed with the chimera. Maybe my arm is doing the shooting after all.
"So… what are we supposed to do?", Euryflavia asked Gif'n as he gave her a pair of cuffs.
"Well, it was during the time humans still resided in Neopia. Of course, a few years later, the humans either left, or somehow became Neopets. Technically, this made the Tiki Tack Man the last of his kind living in Neopia."
"Anyway, they hid the pieces of the key in various rigged games in the fairground.", continued Milo. "Or as it in the places where the rigged games were eventually posted? I always confuse the two."
"What were the rigged games again?", I asked the two. "I haven't been to the Haunted Woods that often. I mean, I'm not exactly fond of such scary places."
*sigh* Here's something to jog your memory., Carl said as he laid his hand on my head, just like what he did to Genaolu back at Terror Mountain. In a flash, I remembered. Luckily, I didn't have to tell the others since they already knew (Carl told Genaolu).
Carl and I were situated at the Cork Gun Gallery. I heard the game was glitched (but less so than the others) and for some reason, despite my accuracy in "straight ahead" shots, I always kept missing. I'd bet that even the coldest sniper would cry foul to find out he keeps missing as much as those with accuracy inferior to his. Even with Carl at my side, I doubt we could unlock the secret. As for the Aisha who usually tends to the stand, she had gone to hiding, but a Jelly Chia soldier was there instead.
It and Carl then looked at each other and stared for a few moments. I guessed they were talking through thought, but then I saw the Chia soldier making uintelligible grunts. Carl remained silent, as he can't speak and since he wasn't thought-speaking to me, I can't find out what he's saying. After a while, Carl turned to me.
I found out how to locate the piece of the key hidden in this stall., explained Carl. The only thing that has to be done is to hit all objects at least once with only three misses. Nothing more, nothing less.
"How did it come to that?", I asked. "I mean—"
The ones who set up stalls in these places found out about the pieces, and thought they can hinder the luck of others in these places. Must be some occult horoscope or something.
"Oh well.", I sighed, then asked. "Let's do this. Or…would you rather—"
Allow me., Carl said. I haven't missed my mark yet. I'm not gonna miss now. Many times I always used Mrfipp as target practice, and only he has dodged my shots, but only because I go easy on him.
Carl then twirled his guns, then dismissed them, taking the cork gun from the stand. He then aimed at one of the targets and then started to shoot. At that same moment, Shadow Heartless began to appear and head for our position. I turned around to attack those Heartless and I hit each without problems.
"*sigh* I hope Carl is as good as he claims to be.", I muttered as I fired away.
Moogi and Genaolu, were at the Coconut Shy, where they were trying to knock all the coconuts in a certain order. It was harder then it looked since the coconuts were nailed to the posts. What was worse, Heartless were attacking on occasion. Genaolu saw this and told Moogi to hold them off while she thinks of something. After half a minute, she made her move.
Seeing a Creeper Plant about to shoot at her, Genaolu promptly dodged and the Creeper Plant's seeds went straight for the first coconut, knocking it over. The Xweetok turned to her comrade and said, "Moogi! Leave the seed spitters be! I need their seeds to knock down the coconuts!"
"You got it!", the Poogle answered as he then pounced on the Gargoyles, leaping really high to reach them. Kicking off of them in succession, he managed to remain in the air for a substantial amount of time and was even able to do this long enough to make a safe landing on the ground. He then rushed the Wight Knights and pummeled them with strong headbutts. He was literally wiping the floor with them, dodging seeds as they flew past him and to the coconuts.
Meanwhile, Milo, Gif'n, and Euryflavia were almost done with their task in the Test Your Strength. All they needed to do was to pound on the target and make the meter reach just about near the top, not all the way. And so far, Milo was going a bit too strong and he continued pounding the target with conjured stones with increasing size and velocity. Gif'n was making measures in getting the exact power exerted. While they did that, Euryflavia was holding off the Heartless
"Keep at it, Eury!", said Milo as he readied another stone. "We're almost done with the challenge."
"It's Euryflavia!", scoffed the Usul as she took down a Wight Knight with a fissure. She then did a spin kick on another of those Heartless. She then followed with a shockwave stomp and a subsequent Throw Pebbles ability.
(A/N: Remember in the early chapters? My Neopets have read books on spells, combat, and other stuff. They were only able to utilize them after getting their talismans. They just temporarily forgot about these skills because they were exhilirated in using their talisman powers.)
"Almost…there.", muttered Gif'n as the meter reached just above the goal. Below, Milo tried again and with a stroke of luck, and a stray Gargoyle to break the fall a bit, the stone Milo conjured landed on the target, and the meter finally made it to the required point. The second it did, the ground underneath the Test Your Strength structure began to shake, crack open at sections, and then emit an eerie glow at the cracks. This eliminated all the Heartless and a 'time capsule' levitated from one of the cracks.
"Whoa!", Euryflavia gasped as she, Gif'n, and Milo approched the capsule, which promptly opened, revealing something resembling a key's loop. It was colored black, yet it was very shiny. It also had a star-shaped hole, as if it was a slot for connecting it to another piece.
"We got a piece of the key.", Gif'n declared as he took the piece from the capsule, which surprisingly, didn't have any surprise security measures. Maybe the rigged game challenges were security enough.
Carl had managed to accomplish the task required to unlock the secret. As I finished firing at the Shadows, the ground just ahead of the stall cracked feom behind me, and from there, a 'time capsule' emerged. As the capsule opened, Carl approached it, reached inside, and took out a something that was supposedly a key's teeth. However, these 'teeth' resembled a slim cylinder with a star-shape attached to the cylinder's wide side. The cyinder had a star-shaped hole, presumably for connecting it with another piece.
Hmm. This star looks vaguely familiar, remarked Carl. If there was a white square around it, it'd resemble the Neopets logo.
"Psst.", I whispered to his ear. "Let's not break any 'walls', considering I am from behind one of those."
Sorry. It's just in Mrfipp's fanfics, breaking the fourth wall is occasional. Especially episodes featuring him inbetween chapters.
"Well, this is 'my' story, so Mrfipp's regulations can only work if 'I' allow it."
Okay. But aren't you just—
Before Carl could finish, Chia Clown Robots appeared out of nowhere and ambushed us. The second that happened, Carl teleported himself, me, and the key piece away. and those automatons landed in a heap where we were a split second ago.
"Run for it!"
Genaolu and Moogi were running for their lives from an army of clowns that were robots and shaped like a Chia.
"What are those things?", the Xweetok asked the Poogle Racer.
"Chia Clown Robots!", Moogi answered through his teeth, where he held the 'key piece', which was a black cylinder with two star-shaped pegs on each side. "Blast them from a distance! They're really explosive and they launch pies of doom at ya!"
Just as he said that, one of said pies struck the ground just behind them, splattering a few bits on the two's feet. Still, they kept running as the robots went for them like a horde of zombies. Eventually, they ran into us, and seconds later, so did Euryflavia and her companions.
"Man! Where did these come from?", complained Gif'n.
"They're from us!", said two voices. We all turned to see two clowns, one who seems to be the basis of the robots we encountered, and a Kacheek with the monseter clown look. And he looked real pitiful.
"Chia Clown and Mr. Chuckles!", I exclaimed.
"We finally meet personally, nightelf_37.", Mr. Chuckles greeted. "But don't think we're easy."
"You see, not only are these Heartless on our side, but we're no longer the weaklings your Neopets have made us thanks to Eithne.", Chia Clown added.
The two of them then summoned loads of Heartless and Chia Clown Robots. In a few seconds, we were surrounded. With nowhere to go and escape, we had no choice but to fight. However, because of the battle that soon followed, we were split up.
Genaolu and I now had to contend with about 400 robots and a hundred Heartless. Gif'n and Milo had to deal with a hundred fifty robots and the same amount Heartless. Moogi and Carl faced the Chia Clown and 250 of his copies. And then Euryflavia is fighting Mr. Chuckles and 250 Heartless. Of course, all the Heartless were Creeper Plants, Gargoyles, and Wight Knights, and some Shadows.
"Darn it.", I cursed as I busted a few robots with my Flower Power. "How are we gonna get out of this now?"
"Don't worry.", Genaolu assured as she hacked away at a Heartless. "I got your back."
"No need to tell me twice!"
Milo and Gif'n were back to back, plowing down Chia robots and Heartless alike. With gales and boulders, blobs of darkness and robot parts flew all over the place.
"This is just too easy!", Milo remarked as he swung his club and obliterated more enemies.
"True.", agreed Gif'n. "But the same cannot be said for our allies."
Sure enough, Carl and Moogi were having a bit of a disadvantage against Chia Clown, who was driving around in his car, squirting his flower, and shooting his Ultra Rainbow Flash at the same time. In addition to the Chia Clown Robots, this proved to be a problem to the two of them.
If that wasn't bad enough, Euryflavia had bigger broblems. She was alone, and she had to deal with Mr. Chuckles and two hundred and fifty Heartless. And even with her Ornate Usul Gear, while she totally eradicated the Heartless in a manner of minutes, Mr Chuckles was tougher than before. Not that they were the ones who last met. Even then, it wasn't a piece of cake for Tychophon, who dealt with him and brought him to justice during his Defenders of Neopia mission.
"Ready to give up, pipsqueak?", sneered Mr. Chuckles.
"You're one to talk for someone your stature!", Euryflvia scoffed, now that her opponents are down to one.
"Don't think I'll be easy as your Shoyru friend made me."
"I don't expect you to be. After all, you're stronger with the darkness and Eithne, and I'm stronger with my talisman."
Mr. Chuckles pulled out his Ultra Bubble Gun and began firing away at Euryflavia, who dodge-rolled each bubblebeams that came out. Euryflavia followed with her Ice Slingshot. However, Mr. Chuckles pulled out a U-Bend to reflect all her attacks. But Euryflavia dodged those attacks and used an earth attack on Mr. Chuckles. However, the clown used a Super Custard Pie imbued with darkness to counter that, and then he rushed for Euryflavia and caught her hand, zapping her with his Hand Buzzer. He then followed with his Giant Clown Shoes, kicking Euryflavia in the tail and back. Afterwards, he moved out and placed the turret of the Red Frost Cannon at Euryflavia's back. When the Cannon fired, there was an explosion.
"Hahaha!", laughed Mr. Chuckles. "Victory's mine!"
"Not yet!"
The smoke cleared and it showed Euryflavia in an aura. Her talisman was glowing and she was levitating.
"By The Amethyst Of Sinipunaien! Bestow on me the Purple Armor!"
The second she finished her invocation, purple streamers surrounded Euryflavia and imbued themselves into her gear, which then morphed. Her collar turned into a helmet, her shield became armor, and her gloves merged to form an axe in her hands.
"You think your new equipment will scare me?", scoffed Mr Chuckles.
"I don't need to!", replied Euryflavia. "I just need to beat you, that's all!"
The Usul began to charge with her weapon, and Mr Chuckles charged as well with his Ultra Bubble Gun.
Carl fired away at Chia Clown, who swerved about in his car and used his Seltzer on Moogi, who wasn't doing so well. (He held the key in his mouth and kept it closed.) As for the chimera, he also fought the Clown Robots using expert dodging skills to make the robots' attacks hit each other.
"Just give up already.", the Chia Clown taunted as he drove around, evading Moogi's attempts to tackle him out of his car. "Your hybid friend will fall sooner or later, and you will run out of strength. Spare yourself the suffering you'll have to endure if you go on."
"Like I'll allow Neopia to fall into Eithne's rule?", Moogi grunted as he stopped and his opponent drove in circles around him.
"Yes! Surrender now and I may just convince her to spare you and make you my personal slave."
"You know, about my hybrid friend, it looks like he won't be falling anytime soon."
"What?"
It's true!
Carl was atop a pile of decommisioned Chia Clown Robots for one second. The next, he was gone in a poof of smoke. Then, he re-emerged above the original's car.
Show's over for you, circus freak!
The chimera unleashed a barrage of bullets and destroyed the car, sending the Chia Clown flying. Moogi rushed over to where he was about to land and butted him square in the face with his head. Then, Carl telported where the Chia Clown was about to land and this time, the chimera slapped the cuffs on the Chia's hands, sending him away.
"Well that takes care of that.", Moogi said as he came over to Carl.
"What a piece of cake!", said Milo as he and Gif'n joined the two.
"We're done as well!", called Genaolu as she and I headed away a pile of trashed robot parts and to our comrades.
True., said Carl. But…
The chimera thumbed to his left, and we all looked there, seeing Euryflavia in her new gear, swinging her weapon wildly at Mr. Chuckles, who was having difficulty dodging after taking a few surprisingly accurate axe swings. In the end, swung her axe down on Mr, Chuckles…and knocked him unconscious with its broad end. She then cuffed the clown and he was gone in a second.
"Alright. Now we got the first key."
Gif'n, Carl, and Moogi offered their keys to Euryflavia, and after looking at them for a few seconds, she connected them and assembled the key. The second she did that, her talisman 'rang', and it revealed Casandia's face.
"Come to Roo Island immediately, Rael.", the Air Faerie said. "Take Genaolu and Carl with you. Euryflavia, I will relay you and your comrades your orders later." And with that, she was gone
Well then., said Carl. Time to go.
The chimera took Genaolu's and my hand, and then we teleported away, leaving Euryflavia and the others to perform their next orders, whatever they are.