Rayman: Happy Neocreation Day! - Chapter 1
Characters created by Michel Ancel
Written by Andrew Kaiko
***The Island of Loss took place after Hoodlum Havoc ended, but THIS story takes place before Hoodlum Havoc began. I will try to preserve the humor and drama in Island of Loss that made it entertaining. Even though this one will be more 'down-to-Earth', it will still take place 'up in the clouds'.***
Rayman is © 2002 Ubi Soft Entertainment. The character of Rayman and all other characters and subjects are all trademarks of Ubi Soft Entertainment. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Everything was white! Whiteness appeared to be spread all over the ground for miles downward, and appeared to transform directly into white, swirly clouds! Since he was above clouds, the huge ones were free to roam through the slopes, touching the surface and blocking the view of the rest of the slope. So anyone who skied or snowboarded on Upper Summit wouldn't see the bottom of the trail. But for Rayman, it was a feelings of curiosity and risk- it was like diving headfirst into oblivion, his feet, arms and head all twirling over one another into a Bottomless Pit, and popping out of the other side, as if to say 'Surprise!' He was going to snowboard today, and he was ready to nab some powder! He had it all to himself!
Well, almost to himself.
"Hey, Mister! Watch where you're going!"
A group of rascals were traveling to fast on the slope, and were clearly not following the rules! Skiers and snowboarders below always had the right-of-way!
It was noon at the Summit Above the Clouds during the Neocreation holiday, when the Summit was the busiest. Rayman liked to avoid the crowds as much as possible, for that is one reason he came here anyway. Ly, Globox, his family, Murfy, Clark and he all went here every year, not only to celebrate the holiday, but to give Rayman some time away from his busy schedule and the crowds he faced in the Glade, which was hundreds of miles from here! By golly, he was going to get privacy, and so, he diverged off of the main trail and went down a glade called Calidore's Cove, a scenic, forested trail reserved for the most experienced snowboarders only! His only worry was his prediction of the time when he'd go on these trails so many times that it would become monotonous, and would have to find something else to do for the season.
The trail was completely empty, and the smooth surface told him no one else had gone down this way today. The trees were frozen and took on a bright blue, icing quality, and the branches drooped downward into huge drops. As Rayman was going through a fallen log, he wondered if this forest would be reproducible in a miniature candy display, with gumdrops for the trees.
'Am I thinking of candy already?' he told himself. 'I still want to go on the other slopes.'
But he heard his stomach growl, so he decided that he'd finish Calidore's Cove, merge into Dead Punk's Drop, which he found to be a sinch, which would lead him downward into the Lower Summit to the lodge where he was staying. He approached the top of the Triple-Black Diamond, smiled, and dived in a vertical direction downward!
The time to himself might've been over, but he'd go back sometime again this trip.
-
"Clark, dear, did you miss the oven again? Okay, let me get over there."
Uglette, Globox's wife, was preparing a supper for their children, and Clark the gigantic brute with muscular arms had missed the top right plate for the pot! Luckily, there wasn't anything inside the pot yet, so there was no spill to clean up.
Clark was naturally clumsy, like Globox, but unlike Globox, he was so hollow-minded that he couldn't even speak properly. "Clark sorry." It was a wonder that nobody on the first floor went up to their door in the middle of the night to complain about Clark's constant pounding footsteps!
"Quite all right! Just try to be more careful."
The kitchen of the unit joined directly to the common room, where the fireplace was blazing a bright orange and purple flame! Globox's children were doing all sorts of things inside the unit- playing games, warming themselves by the fire, watching the skier so by from the window, drinking hot Coo-Coo sprouted drinks by the couches, chattering, bickering, fighting, apologizing and kissing each other's wounds. Although Globox and Uglette had around a hundred kids, they only needed to make a meal for a regular-sized big family because none of the kids were old enough to develop a constant appetite. "Wait 'til they hit puberty one by one and then the real work begins!" she had been credited for saying. All the children looked, acted and sounded alike, and only the parents knew them apart.
Just then, Rayman burst through the door, taking off his snowboarding gear! "Hey, guys!"
"HIIIIIIIIIII RAYMAAAAAAN!" came a loud scream of a hundred little Globox voices!
"Children! Please! No screaming! We're on the second floor in a three- story lodge! It's not like a home, you know, where you can scream all you want!"
"But you're screaming, Mommy."
Rayman casually walked on over the Clark. "Hey there, Clark! I didn't know you knew a bit about cooking!"
"Clark may make big mess, but, me try!"
Rayman rolled his eyes grinning, and concentrated on Uglette, who was cleaning up Clark's trail of mess he left behind him. "Um, hey, I'll have a hot Coo-Coo sprout drink right about now please!"
"Coming up!" Coo-Coo sprouts were a plant that produced a tasty bean, and when processed through a factory, made for a nice hot flavored drink. Uglette handed the drink to Rayman, whose hand appeared to float right into his mouth as he gulped it thoroughly.
"My, our boy's hungry today!"
"Yeah, I went in early 'cause I felt my stomach growling. Where're the others?"
"Ly and Murfy are in one of the bedrooms catching up on their reading, Globox is in the kids' room looking after the kids, and the rest of the bandwagon have been dropped off at the nursery down in the village."
Rayman headed to the bedroom after he finished his drink, and Ly greeted him with cheer. "Rayman! I was wondering when you'd get back!" Ly was a fairy that could teleport herself in meditation, and could teleport anyone else who happened to be holding onto her at the same time. He was fond of Rayman and had helped him defeat Captain Razorbeard. Murfy was a pint- sized greenbottle in a green wardrobe, a classy smile, and a sarcastic attitude that made his skin curl up like a pickle, but he too helped Rayman in practicing his skills as a couch! What they were reading was the manual that would help Rayman in his next adventure.
Ly was in front of Rayman the instant he entered the room. Rayman responded, "I came in to see if you two want to go look for a tree now."
Murfy's wings flapped as fast as a fly's and made him hover in mid-air. "In a minute. I may need to freshen up first. But don't let me push ya' back!"
"You got it, Murfy! And Ly, will you come to?"
"Oh, of course! It was getting to be pretty quiet today anyway. It would be great to get some fresh air!"
"Great! I'll get ready!"
Ly, Rayman and Murfy headed back toward the kitchen, where a group of kids were huddled around the open area where the tree would be, talking.
Ly went towards Uglette and asked what the commotion was about, to which she replied, "They can't wait for the holiday's gift-giver to arrive tomorrow night! They look forward to the fairy tale traditions! Ha ha ha!"
"Gift-giver, eh?" said Murfy. "Well, can you be more specific?"
"Why don't you go ask them? I just heard the heater dinging! The bread is ready!"
Ly kneeled down to the third child and asked, "So what DO you do on Neocreation Day?"
The child responded, quite enthusiastically, "Waul, first we leave out one plumberry pie near the fireplace, and a pack of batteries!"
"Batteries?" said Murfy, more concerned than interested.
"Yeah. 'Cause Grandpa Gustav will be coming to every house on Neotopia!"
"And. who is this Gustav?"
Ly shoved Murfy lightly. "Murfy! This is the children's tradition! Try to play along!"
Murfy sighed and said, "Okay, okay! I mean, yeah! Gustav! That guy! He comes to the several billion homes on this planet in one night, right?"
"Yeah!" replied the child. "He's a tall, fat polar creature with white fur, blue stripes on his belly, and a Yiddish accent! He enters the houses by crashing into a wall on the side of each house, to make proof that he visited each one! He always keeps a pocket watch around his neck to control Time. Without Grandpa, there would be no Time, and that's why he needs the batteries!"
"I. See. Right."
"Yeah! An'-an'-an'-an' when he takes the batteries an' eats the pie, he leaves an offering. He leaves one of his multi-colored teeth that he get straight from his mouth, and puts a surprise inside it! Then he leaves the houses, and when Neocreation Day comes, we all open the teeth and get the surprise! An' then we dance a hoedown with a plum on our heads, while chanting the Neocreation Day Chant!"
Murfy and Ly just sat there, speechless.
Murfy rose up in the air, hovered and said, "Ly, excuse me while I go wash my ears. This kid is makin' them dirty." With that, he dashed toward the washroom.
Ly didn't always approve of Murfy's pessimistic behavior, but she decided to ignore it and smile at the child. "He does this every year, huh?"
"Yup!"
"Well, just don't listen to anything bad ol' Murfy says, okay? Because most of the time, he's wrong. Now why don't you go on over to your mother, okay?" She saturated her voice with an overdose of cuteness.
"Kay." The child waddled over to Uglette, who picked him up and held him in her arms.
Ly got up and brushed off the dust she gathered from the carpet. In her mind, she actually did sympathize with Murfy. She wasn't upset because of what a farfetched story it was, but she was upset more because the kids actually believed in this being! What would happen when the kids grew older and realized there was no Gustav? The more faith they put in this story, the more hurt they'd be when they find out the truth.
And what was worse, is that Globox and Uglette had to sustain their childrens' beliefs every year! There were so many children- they had a painstaking time trying to find privacy to organize the pies, get the batteries, cut a hole in the wall to make it look like a hulky figure actually smashed through it, and get the teeth, the latter of which she rather not try to image how they'd get! And the different prizes! How would they get all the presents in time while caring for each child?!
Ly had an urge to go talk to Globox and Uglette about sacrificing their time over a fairy tale, when she realized she needed to go see Rayman for something. Rayman had already left outside to get a tree. So she would hold the talk off until later, she assumed. She headed out through the front door, into the fresh cold weather, and searched for Rayman.
-
Murfy later came out of the washroom (he didn't really wash out his ears- he only needed to take a shower and brush his teeth. Four times). He was flying through the hallways toward the unit when he was suddenly ricocheted off a big blue tummy! Globox!
"Globox! How many times have I told you never to run in the halls! There're pint-sized, flying beings staying here too!"
"Sorry. I just needed to talk to you about something urgent!"
"Okay, lay it on me."
"I heard my little Davy telling you about the tale of Grandpa Gustav!"
Murfy thought of heading toward the washroom again. "Uh, yeah?"
"I need some help! We have more kids than I had ever imagined this year, and they all believe in Gustav! There just isn't any time to get things done!"
"Oh, you mean fulfilling all the little details of the story?"
"Exactly! Murfy, I've never asked for any other big favor in my life-"
"Only once a year."
"And Uglette and I need to get teeth somewhere, get dyes for the teeth, shop for prizes, make pies-oh, it's getting to be too much!"
"Way ahead of you. Now, it just so happens I know a little bit about baking myself, so we can start making the pies when the children are out tonight. We can get Clark to bash through the wall, after getting permission from the Summit's Real Estate Office, um."
"Do you have a cavity?"
"What? What cavity?"
"Ooo! Ooo! I think you have a pretty yellow molar back there-"
"Ew! Globox! Don't touch #17! We've been through a lot together!"
"Sorry." He sulked.
"You poor, poor father. Don't worry. Their Uncle Murfy will help them grant their wishes in every way possible!"
"Wow! That sounds so unlike you, Murfy!"
"Yeah, I may be coming down with something. Or it's my medication. It'll stop soon, though, and I'll get back to grumpy."
"Okay! We also need to shop, go to the Shoppe to get batteries and small gifts! We'll be done in no time!"
"That's not short enough! We need to head off to the Shoppe NOW!" Murfy rose higher in the air, with his wings beating as fast as a hummingbird's. "I was going to help Rayman and Ly get a tree today, but I don't CARE how busy I get or how much we have to postpone! We're gonna' give this party of toddlers the best night they'd ever seen! And nothing's going to stop us for doing it! Nothing!"
"That's right! Nothing!" agreed Globox.
"Honey! I think it's Gertrude's week to start teething! Come over here and check her mouth!"
"Yes, Dear."
-
Rayman was chopping down a tree outside in a deep glade in the middle of two ski slopes, when he saw something very odd. The structure appeared to be in pieces, whatever it was, and was scattered all over the forest. One thing was for sure- it used to be made of METAL.
His body froze, and he stopped chopping, with a look of shock on his face. The only thing in the planet that had ever been made of pure metal were the robo-pirates that took in all the citizens as slaves, and Rayman had killed them all two years ago! There should be no more pirates! There should be no more metal!
He slowly and quietly stepped forward, to realize that this wasn't just a wreckage of a pirate's row pod, but there was also a real pirate left inside! He was lying inside, unconscious, and was poorly damaged in some areas, even though he was still in one piece! The frost and rust that formed across the moving areas indicated that he had been lying her for a couple years!
It looked like he used to have a low rank when working on the ship- his clothes showed the symbols of a maintenance worker or a mechanic. The patch that he wore over one of his eyes also indicated that he was one of the clumsier ones. Right now, he was frozen in an outstretched, striking pose, with his mouth open, as if he was trying to get out while he was being iced.
Rayman was in the most awkward situation he had ever been in since his confrontation with Razorbeard that horrific night! He remembered his terrifying yellow machine that was programmed specifically to kill Rayman! He remembered how Razorbeard tried to kill him on his own, planting walking homing missiles and pirate stations all around Neotopia! He knew he should've run away right now and call the emergency office!
But his feet couldn't move. They were frozen! Figuratively!
The pirate was frozen solid, so he knew that if he didn't touch him, he would never move.
He didn't know that made him do it that day. Maybe it was the harsh cold conditions. Maybe it was his mind being cleared of all that was important on this trip. But he did it! He touched his outstretched hand, and gave it a tap!
The hand's ice layer broke immediately in response to the tap, and the hand began to move! Rayman stumbled backward and tried to believe this wasn't happening, as he watched in horror as the robot freed himself out of the ice layers with his single hand! The robot began to reactivate himself, even though his system wasn't in good enough condition to function in some particular areas. But he was able to hear Rayman's shuffling against a nearby tree trunk. The robot couldn't see either- the crash had blinded him and his speech wasn't very clear either, due to a rusted metal-hinged jaw.
The robot tried to talk to the new rescuer, but his jaw prevented him from even saying full sentences. "Ah! Aaa! Agn! Rethcue me you?"
Rayman found it hard to even breathe a sound. "Hhhuh! Hhhhgh!"
"Yu tank Grunge rescue me for!"
"W-why are you here?! Tell me! I may not be armed, but I'm FISTED!"
"Can't see. you!"
Rayman paused and lowered his fists. "What did you say?"
"Can't see you! Grunge can't see you!"
"You're blind! That's it! Whatever you crashed into must've busted your visual perception!"
"Where Grunge? What place Grunge in?! Grunge in? Where?"
Rayman was lowering his defenses and calming down. "Well, I suspect you fell off of the ship!"
"Ship? What ship?"
"The ship! The flying ship you worked for under the Captain!"
Grunge jerked his rusty neck, as if to stretch. "Grunge no ship merember!"
Rayman was now fully open and vulnerable, as he was certain of the robot's condition. "You. lost your memory! Didn't you? The crash gave you amnesia!"
Grunge the robot suddenly turned from confused to infuriated! He realized he couldn't remember anything prior to his accident! He twisted and tried to coordinate his body parts, but they were too rusted for him to walk smoothly! "Where Grunge?!! Grunge find now!!!"
He then lost all sanity and ran away out of the woods, and straight into the wide-open slope! In public! His poor coordination made him fall over and into the thick two-foot snow!
He then, heard the giggling of a group of kids, who were having a snowball fight on the other end of the slope. They were a pack of Globox's kids, and when they noticed the white being running toward them, they all screamed out of both panic and amusement, and starting running themselves! "OH! LOOK IT'S GRANDPA GUSTAV! HE'S TRYING TO PLAY TAG WITH US!"
A frantic chase ensued! The skiers were still using the slopes, so when the kids and the robot ran out of the woods, several skiers and snowboarded hit the powder! The robot's only goal right now was to reach the person who recovered him, not knowing that he was aiming at the wrong person!
They all raced back toward the lodge where their parents were, calling Mommy and Daddy! Only one of them had a key to the front door, and it was a battle against Time as he fidgeted with the key in the keyhole before the approaching pirate became bigger and BIGGER! Finally, he got the door open, and they all raced inside!
But the robot managed to get the door before it closed, and he himself intruded into the unit!
Only Clark was in the room, and he was the first to see him enter as he was mixing cookie mix in a bowl, humming to himself.
"Oh, hey dere, metal stranger! Stranger like cookie mix?!"
SPLAT! He picked up the bowl into Clark's face. "Hmmm. Cookie mix!"
The robot followed the chatter of what was going on to the bedroom, where Ly, Globox, Murfy, Uglette and the rest of the kids, were huddled together, in shock and terror! This was where all the problems started!
-
Ly couldn't breathe! Her heart was racing like a speed car! The frozen weather and dropping temperature of the end of the day only made her even more uncomfortable and vulnerably frantic! An enemy had crossed their line and they accepted it! What was the matter with them all?! But by her character, she acted as collected as she could, as she paid attention to her pace and her tone of voice.
Nonetheless, she found herself yelling out load, "Rayman! Rayman! We need you, Rayman! Where are-OH! THERE YOU ARE!"
Rayman was casually walking back toward the lodge across the closed, empty slope, carrying a fresh, healthy tree by its trunk. He waved to Ly, not noticing her frantic scurrying toward him, her big, blue tail waving frantically behind her!
She stopped right in front of him, and said, "Rayman! Sit with me by that small hill next to the lodge and I'll tell you the problem!"
"Woah! Okay! Take it easy, Ly! I have to drag this weight behind me, ya know!"
She assisted him in dragging the tree up to the hill, and she sat to the right of Rayman.
"Don't you think it's strange that we celebrate a holiday, but not what the holiday means?"
Rayman halted in his motions. "How do you mean?"
"I mean, you know about the tale of Grandpa Gustav, his plumberry pie addiction and his flying red Pontiac?"
"Yes?"
"And about the thistle decorations on the walls, the indoor tree, the candy, the shopping and the dancing."
"Go on."
"Well, these things, when you think about it, don't make any sense! Why do we eat pie for this day? Why do we let our kids believe in a furry jolly being who takes his teeth out so we can crack them open to get a gift? Why do we eat candy? Why the thistles? Why everything?! This holiday has become so saturated that everyone has forgotten the real meaning behind it! We're littering children's minds with nonsense!"
"This sounds familiar. I watched a Neocreation Day TV Special about it-"
"Do you know the meaning of Neocreation Day?"
"Oh, it was the very last thing the hero said before the commercial break! Oh, why did I forget it?!!" Rayman was obviously passive about what Ly was saying, until she blurted out her next line.
"I never knew it either! I was always told that you always do these things every year, but not until several hours ago have I ever considered why! That's what my parents always told me. This holiday is so old, that the traditions that go along with it have evolved to the point of ridiculousness! It makes NO sense! NADA!" Ly was on her feet now, and Rayman was scrunched lower into the snow. He could feel the heat rising from her face, and it wasn't the routine comforting heat that Rayman was used to. This was jabbing at his eyes, so much that he had to squint! Her presence seemed suddenly threatening!
"Ly! I understand your feelings, but is that any reason to explode like this?!"
Ly calmed down and realized that Rayman didn't know about the pirate who intruded into their unit. She was almost ashamed, as she sighed and said tenderly, "Rayman, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such a grouch. Something happened today. There was a rusted old robot that-"
"Yes," he said, suspiciously.
She took one hard silent gulp. "--entered our house."
Rayman felt like he had been torn apart at the energy fields between his body parts and thrown hard at a brick wall.
Ly continued, "But h seemed to be nice enough! He even told us his name was Grunge, and he told us that the only thing he remembered was the moments after he was revived from lying inside a wrecked space pod! So, just because it's Neocreation Eve Eve, we let him stay. BUT! But, the children think that he's actually the REAL Grandpa Gustav, and they want us to treat him with kindness! Treat an ENEMY with kindness! Rayman, this holiday has turned into an accident waiting to happen to us! What if he has a complex or is a double agent?!"
Rayman just sat there, dumbfounded. He had such a mixed feeling! On one hand, it was Neocreation season, so if Ly said he was friendly, he should stay. On the other hand, he WAS a former pirate of the ship, so there's no telling what evil thoughts still crept in his mind after the crash, even if he DID get amnesia. On the other hand, Rayman destroyed Razorbeard's ship a couple years ago, so there's no reason why he should still be working undercover for them!!! On the other hand, Globox's kids may be in more danger than ever, and if a catastrophe may happen to them on Neocreation Eve, it would be all the worse! Finally, get got up with no overly dramatic movements, calmly raised his head in restrain, paused as if trying to calm himself, and finally, let out a deep, deep sigh, with his eyelids looking tired and shot.
He turned morosely toward his dear, sweet friend, who had stuck by his side for years, and said, "Ly. This is very important. Go back inside and tell the escapee to obey everything we tell him to do. Never keep an eye off him, never let the kids too close to him, and never, EVER, make him remember his days on the ship. He has amnesia! I know that because he didn't remember a THING about what happened on the ship or before that! I found that out when I first encountered him in the woods! Most of all, stay calm! If he didn't do anything harmful to any of us in the last few hours (which, being a robo-pirate, he should've), he is definitely trying to keep a friendly composure. But DON'T take any chances and watch what you do and say!"
He then regained sanity as he paused and said, sadly, "If all that doesn't work, then. Then, you can tell the kids the truth about Grandpa Gustav."
Ly, alarmed by Rayman's sudden stern demands (not to mention, a bit moved by it), gave him a soft half-hug on his ride side. He was relieved to find the jabbing heat to be gone, and replaced by the warm, comforting heat that came from the hug.
She raised her head, affectionately held up his small chin and whispered, "You know, you came here to get away from it all. But what's great about you, is that you never cease to be off-duty."
With that, she left, carrying the tree, struggling to breathe but keeping it inside, toward the front door of the lodge. Rayman just sat there, his head in his lap, as the sky became darker, and somehow, the clouds were heavier on the slopes than usual.
(to be continued.)
Characters created by Michel Ancel
Written by Andrew Kaiko
***The Island of Loss took place after Hoodlum Havoc ended, but THIS story takes place before Hoodlum Havoc began. I will try to preserve the humor and drama in Island of Loss that made it entertaining. Even though this one will be more 'down-to-Earth', it will still take place 'up in the clouds'.***
Rayman is © 2002 Ubi Soft Entertainment. The character of Rayman and all other characters and subjects are all trademarks of Ubi Soft Entertainment. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Everything was white! Whiteness appeared to be spread all over the ground for miles downward, and appeared to transform directly into white, swirly clouds! Since he was above clouds, the huge ones were free to roam through the slopes, touching the surface and blocking the view of the rest of the slope. So anyone who skied or snowboarded on Upper Summit wouldn't see the bottom of the trail. But for Rayman, it was a feelings of curiosity and risk- it was like diving headfirst into oblivion, his feet, arms and head all twirling over one another into a Bottomless Pit, and popping out of the other side, as if to say 'Surprise!' He was going to snowboard today, and he was ready to nab some powder! He had it all to himself!
Well, almost to himself.
"Hey, Mister! Watch where you're going!"
A group of rascals were traveling to fast on the slope, and were clearly not following the rules! Skiers and snowboarders below always had the right-of-way!
It was noon at the Summit Above the Clouds during the Neocreation holiday, when the Summit was the busiest. Rayman liked to avoid the crowds as much as possible, for that is one reason he came here anyway. Ly, Globox, his family, Murfy, Clark and he all went here every year, not only to celebrate the holiday, but to give Rayman some time away from his busy schedule and the crowds he faced in the Glade, which was hundreds of miles from here! By golly, he was going to get privacy, and so, he diverged off of the main trail and went down a glade called Calidore's Cove, a scenic, forested trail reserved for the most experienced snowboarders only! His only worry was his prediction of the time when he'd go on these trails so many times that it would become monotonous, and would have to find something else to do for the season.
The trail was completely empty, and the smooth surface told him no one else had gone down this way today. The trees were frozen and took on a bright blue, icing quality, and the branches drooped downward into huge drops. As Rayman was going through a fallen log, he wondered if this forest would be reproducible in a miniature candy display, with gumdrops for the trees.
'Am I thinking of candy already?' he told himself. 'I still want to go on the other slopes.'
But he heard his stomach growl, so he decided that he'd finish Calidore's Cove, merge into Dead Punk's Drop, which he found to be a sinch, which would lead him downward into the Lower Summit to the lodge where he was staying. He approached the top of the Triple-Black Diamond, smiled, and dived in a vertical direction downward!
The time to himself might've been over, but he'd go back sometime again this trip.
-
"Clark, dear, did you miss the oven again? Okay, let me get over there."
Uglette, Globox's wife, was preparing a supper for their children, and Clark the gigantic brute with muscular arms had missed the top right plate for the pot! Luckily, there wasn't anything inside the pot yet, so there was no spill to clean up.
Clark was naturally clumsy, like Globox, but unlike Globox, he was so hollow-minded that he couldn't even speak properly. "Clark sorry." It was a wonder that nobody on the first floor went up to their door in the middle of the night to complain about Clark's constant pounding footsteps!
"Quite all right! Just try to be more careful."
The kitchen of the unit joined directly to the common room, where the fireplace was blazing a bright orange and purple flame! Globox's children were doing all sorts of things inside the unit- playing games, warming themselves by the fire, watching the skier so by from the window, drinking hot Coo-Coo sprouted drinks by the couches, chattering, bickering, fighting, apologizing and kissing each other's wounds. Although Globox and Uglette had around a hundred kids, they only needed to make a meal for a regular-sized big family because none of the kids were old enough to develop a constant appetite. "Wait 'til they hit puberty one by one and then the real work begins!" she had been credited for saying. All the children looked, acted and sounded alike, and only the parents knew them apart.
Just then, Rayman burst through the door, taking off his snowboarding gear! "Hey, guys!"
"HIIIIIIIIIII RAYMAAAAAAN!" came a loud scream of a hundred little Globox voices!
"Children! Please! No screaming! We're on the second floor in a three- story lodge! It's not like a home, you know, where you can scream all you want!"
"But you're screaming, Mommy."
Rayman casually walked on over the Clark. "Hey there, Clark! I didn't know you knew a bit about cooking!"
"Clark may make big mess, but, me try!"
Rayman rolled his eyes grinning, and concentrated on Uglette, who was cleaning up Clark's trail of mess he left behind him. "Um, hey, I'll have a hot Coo-Coo sprout drink right about now please!"
"Coming up!" Coo-Coo sprouts were a plant that produced a tasty bean, and when processed through a factory, made for a nice hot flavored drink. Uglette handed the drink to Rayman, whose hand appeared to float right into his mouth as he gulped it thoroughly.
"My, our boy's hungry today!"
"Yeah, I went in early 'cause I felt my stomach growling. Where're the others?"
"Ly and Murfy are in one of the bedrooms catching up on their reading, Globox is in the kids' room looking after the kids, and the rest of the bandwagon have been dropped off at the nursery down in the village."
Rayman headed to the bedroom after he finished his drink, and Ly greeted him with cheer. "Rayman! I was wondering when you'd get back!" Ly was a fairy that could teleport herself in meditation, and could teleport anyone else who happened to be holding onto her at the same time. He was fond of Rayman and had helped him defeat Captain Razorbeard. Murfy was a pint- sized greenbottle in a green wardrobe, a classy smile, and a sarcastic attitude that made his skin curl up like a pickle, but he too helped Rayman in practicing his skills as a couch! What they were reading was the manual that would help Rayman in his next adventure.
Ly was in front of Rayman the instant he entered the room. Rayman responded, "I came in to see if you two want to go look for a tree now."
Murfy's wings flapped as fast as a fly's and made him hover in mid-air. "In a minute. I may need to freshen up first. But don't let me push ya' back!"
"You got it, Murfy! And Ly, will you come to?"
"Oh, of course! It was getting to be pretty quiet today anyway. It would be great to get some fresh air!"
"Great! I'll get ready!"
Ly, Rayman and Murfy headed back toward the kitchen, where a group of kids were huddled around the open area where the tree would be, talking.
Ly went towards Uglette and asked what the commotion was about, to which she replied, "They can't wait for the holiday's gift-giver to arrive tomorrow night! They look forward to the fairy tale traditions! Ha ha ha!"
"Gift-giver, eh?" said Murfy. "Well, can you be more specific?"
"Why don't you go ask them? I just heard the heater dinging! The bread is ready!"
Ly kneeled down to the third child and asked, "So what DO you do on Neocreation Day?"
The child responded, quite enthusiastically, "Waul, first we leave out one plumberry pie near the fireplace, and a pack of batteries!"
"Batteries?" said Murfy, more concerned than interested.
"Yeah. 'Cause Grandpa Gustav will be coming to every house on Neotopia!"
"And. who is this Gustav?"
Ly shoved Murfy lightly. "Murfy! This is the children's tradition! Try to play along!"
Murfy sighed and said, "Okay, okay! I mean, yeah! Gustav! That guy! He comes to the several billion homes on this planet in one night, right?"
"Yeah!" replied the child. "He's a tall, fat polar creature with white fur, blue stripes on his belly, and a Yiddish accent! He enters the houses by crashing into a wall on the side of each house, to make proof that he visited each one! He always keeps a pocket watch around his neck to control Time. Without Grandpa, there would be no Time, and that's why he needs the batteries!"
"I. See. Right."
"Yeah! An'-an'-an'-an' when he takes the batteries an' eats the pie, he leaves an offering. He leaves one of his multi-colored teeth that he get straight from his mouth, and puts a surprise inside it! Then he leaves the houses, and when Neocreation Day comes, we all open the teeth and get the surprise! An' then we dance a hoedown with a plum on our heads, while chanting the Neocreation Day Chant!"
Murfy and Ly just sat there, speechless.
Murfy rose up in the air, hovered and said, "Ly, excuse me while I go wash my ears. This kid is makin' them dirty." With that, he dashed toward the washroom.
Ly didn't always approve of Murfy's pessimistic behavior, but she decided to ignore it and smile at the child. "He does this every year, huh?"
"Yup!"
"Well, just don't listen to anything bad ol' Murfy says, okay? Because most of the time, he's wrong. Now why don't you go on over to your mother, okay?" She saturated her voice with an overdose of cuteness.
"Kay." The child waddled over to Uglette, who picked him up and held him in her arms.
Ly got up and brushed off the dust she gathered from the carpet. In her mind, she actually did sympathize with Murfy. She wasn't upset because of what a farfetched story it was, but she was upset more because the kids actually believed in this being! What would happen when the kids grew older and realized there was no Gustav? The more faith they put in this story, the more hurt they'd be when they find out the truth.
And what was worse, is that Globox and Uglette had to sustain their childrens' beliefs every year! There were so many children- they had a painstaking time trying to find privacy to organize the pies, get the batteries, cut a hole in the wall to make it look like a hulky figure actually smashed through it, and get the teeth, the latter of which she rather not try to image how they'd get! And the different prizes! How would they get all the presents in time while caring for each child?!
Ly had an urge to go talk to Globox and Uglette about sacrificing their time over a fairy tale, when she realized she needed to go see Rayman for something. Rayman had already left outside to get a tree. So she would hold the talk off until later, she assumed. She headed out through the front door, into the fresh cold weather, and searched for Rayman.
-
Murfy later came out of the washroom (he didn't really wash out his ears- he only needed to take a shower and brush his teeth. Four times). He was flying through the hallways toward the unit when he was suddenly ricocheted off a big blue tummy! Globox!
"Globox! How many times have I told you never to run in the halls! There're pint-sized, flying beings staying here too!"
"Sorry. I just needed to talk to you about something urgent!"
"Okay, lay it on me."
"I heard my little Davy telling you about the tale of Grandpa Gustav!"
Murfy thought of heading toward the washroom again. "Uh, yeah?"
"I need some help! We have more kids than I had ever imagined this year, and they all believe in Gustav! There just isn't any time to get things done!"
"Oh, you mean fulfilling all the little details of the story?"
"Exactly! Murfy, I've never asked for any other big favor in my life-"
"Only once a year."
"And Uglette and I need to get teeth somewhere, get dyes for the teeth, shop for prizes, make pies-oh, it's getting to be too much!"
"Way ahead of you. Now, it just so happens I know a little bit about baking myself, so we can start making the pies when the children are out tonight. We can get Clark to bash through the wall, after getting permission from the Summit's Real Estate Office, um."
"Do you have a cavity?"
"What? What cavity?"
"Ooo! Ooo! I think you have a pretty yellow molar back there-"
"Ew! Globox! Don't touch #17! We've been through a lot together!"
"Sorry." He sulked.
"You poor, poor father. Don't worry. Their Uncle Murfy will help them grant their wishes in every way possible!"
"Wow! That sounds so unlike you, Murfy!"
"Yeah, I may be coming down with something. Or it's my medication. It'll stop soon, though, and I'll get back to grumpy."
"Okay! We also need to shop, go to the Shoppe to get batteries and small gifts! We'll be done in no time!"
"That's not short enough! We need to head off to the Shoppe NOW!" Murfy rose higher in the air, with his wings beating as fast as a hummingbird's. "I was going to help Rayman and Ly get a tree today, but I don't CARE how busy I get or how much we have to postpone! We're gonna' give this party of toddlers the best night they'd ever seen! And nothing's going to stop us for doing it! Nothing!"
"That's right! Nothing!" agreed Globox.
"Honey! I think it's Gertrude's week to start teething! Come over here and check her mouth!"
"Yes, Dear."
-
Rayman was chopping down a tree outside in a deep glade in the middle of two ski slopes, when he saw something very odd. The structure appeared to be in pieces, whatever it was, and was scattered all over the forest. One thing was for sure- it used to be made of METAL.
His body froze, and he stopped chopping, with a look of shock on his face. The only thing in the planet that had ever been made of pure metal were the robo-pirates that took in all the citizens as slaves, and Rayman had killed them all two years ago! There should be no more pirates! There should be no more metal!
He slowly and quietly stepped forward, to realize that this wasn't just a wreckage of a pirate's row pod, but there was also a real pirate left inside! He was lying inside, unconscious, and was poorly damaged in some areas, even though he was still in one piece! The frost and rust that formed across the moving areas indicated that he had been lying her for a couple years!
It looked like he used to have a low rank when working on the ship- his clothes showed the symbols of a maintenance worker or a mechanic. The patch that he wore over one of his eyes also indicated that he was one of the clumsier ones. Right now, he was frozen in an outstretched, striking pose, with his mouth open, as if he was trying to get out while he was being iced.
Rayman was in the most awkward situation he had ever been in since his confrontation with Razorbeard that horrific night! He remembered his terrifying yellow machine that was programmed specifically to kill Rayman! He remembered how Razorbeard tried to kill him on his own, planting walking homing missiles and pirate stations all around Neotopia! He knew he should've run away right now and call the emergency office!
But his feet couldn't move. They were frozen! Figuratively!
The pirate was frozen solid, so he knew that if he didn't touch him, he would never move.
He didn't know that made him do it that day. Maybe it was the harsh cold conditions. Maybe it was his mind being cleared of all that was important on this trip. But he did it! He touched his outstretched hand, and gave it a tap!
The hand's ice layer broke immediately in response to the tap, and the hand began to move! Rayman stumbled backward and tried to believe this wasn't happening, as he watched in horror as the robot freed himself out of the ice layers with his single hand! The robot began to reactivate himself, even though his system wasn't in good enough condition to function in some particular areas. But he was able to hear Rayman's shuffling against a nearby tree trunk. The robot couldn't see either- the crash had blinded him and his speech wasn't very clear either, due to a rusted metal-hinged jaw.
The robot tried to talk to the new rescuer, but his jaw prevented him from even saying full sentences. "Ah! Aaa! Agn! Rethcue me you?"
Rayman found it hard to even breathe a sound. "Hhhuh! Hhhhgh!"
"Yu tank Grunge rescue me for!"
"W-why are you here?! Tell me! I may not be armed, but I'm FISTED!"
"Can't see. you!"
Rayman paused and lowered his fists. "What did you say?"
"Can't see you! Grunge can't see you!"
"You're blind! That's it! Whatever you crashed into must've busted your visual perception!"
"Where Grunge? What place Grunge in?! Grunge in? Where?"
Rayman was lowering his defenses and calming down. "Well, I suspect you fell off of the ship!"
"Ship? What ship?"
"The ship! The flying ship you worked for under the Captain!"
Grunge jerked his rusty neck, as if to stretch. "Grunge no ship merember!"
Rayman was now fully open and vulnerable, as he was certain of the robot's condition. "You. lost your memory! Didn't you? The crash gave you amnesia!"
Grunge the robot suddenly turned from confused to infuriated! He realized he couldn't remember anything prior to his accident! He twisted and tried to coordinate his body parts, but they were too rusted for him to walk smoothly! "Where Grunge?!! Grunge find now!!!"
He then lost all sanity and ran away out of the woods, and straight into the wide-open slope! In public! His poor coordination made him fall over and into the thick two-foot snow!
He then, heard the giggling of a group of kids, who were having a snowball fight on the other end of the slope. They were a pack of Globox's kids, and when they noticed the white being running toward them, they all screamed out of both panic and amusement, and starting running themselves! "OH! LOOK IT'S GRANDPA GUSTAV! HE'S TRYING TO PLAY TAG WITH US!"
A frantic chase ensued! The skiers were still using the slopes, so when the kids and the robot ran out of the woods, several skiers and snowboarded hit the powder! The robot's only goal right now was to reach the person who recovered him, not knowing that he was aiming at the wrong person!
They all raced back toward the lodge where their parents were, calling Mommy and Daddy! Only one of them had a key to the front door, and it was a battle against Time as he fidgeted with the key in the keyhole before the approaching pirate became bigger and BIGGER! Finally, he got the door open, and they all raced inside!
But the robot managed to get the door before it closed, and he himself intruded into the unit!
Only Clark was in the room, and he was the first to see him enter as he was mixing cookie mix in a bowl, humming to himself.
"Oh, hey dere, metal stranger! Stranger like cookie mix?!"
SPLAT! He picked up the bowl into Clark's face. "Hmmm. Cookie mix!"
The robot followed the chatter of what was going on to the bedroom, where Ly, Globox, Murfy, Uglette and the rest of the kids, were huddled together, in shock and terror! This was where all the problems started!
-
Ly couldn't breathe! Her heart was racing like a speed car! The frozen weather and dropping temperature of the end of the day only made her even more uncomfortable and vulnerably frantic! An enemy had crossed their line and they accepted it! What was the matter with them all?! But by her character, she acted as collected as she could, as she paid attention to her pace and her tone of voice.
Nonetheless, she found herself yelling out load, "Rayman! Rayman! We need you, Rayman! Where are-OH! THERE YOU ARE!"
Rayman was casually walking back toward the lodge across the closed, empty slope, carrying a fresh, healthy tree by its trunk. He waved to Ly, not noticing her frantic scurrying toward him, her big, blue tail waving frantically behind her!
She stopped right in front of him, and said, "Rayman! Sit with me by that small hill next to the lodge and I'll tell you the problem!"
"Woah! Okay! Take it easy, Ly! I have to drag this weight behind me, ya know!"
She assisted him in dragging the tree up to the hill, and she sat to the right of Rayman.
"Don't you think it's strange that we celebrate a holiday, but not what the holiday means?"
Rayman halted in his motions. "How do you mean?"
"I mean, you know about the tale of Grandpa Gustav, his plumberry pie addiction and his flying red Pontiac?"
"Yes?"
"And about the thistle decorations on the walls, the indoor tree, the candy, the shopping and the dancing."
"Go on."
"Well, these things, when you think about it, don't make any sense! Why do we eat pie for this day? Why do we let our kids believe in a furry jolly being who takes his teeth out so we can crack them open to get a gift? Why do we eat candy? Why the thistles? Why everything?! This holiday has become so saturated that everyone has forgotten the real meaning behind it! We're littering children's minds with nonsense!"
"This sounds familiar. I watched a Neocreation Day TV Special about it-"
"Do you know the meaning of Neocreation Day?"
"Oh, it was the very last thing the hero said before the commercial break! Oh, why did I forget it?!!" Rayman was obviously passive about what Ly was saying, until she blurted out her next line.
"I never knew it either! I was always told that you always do these things every year, but not until several hours ago have I ever considered why! That's what my parents always told me. This holiday is so old, that the traditions that go along with it have evolved to the point of ridiculousness! It makes NO sense! NADA!" Ly was on her feet now, and Rayman was scrunched lower into the snow. He could feel the heat rising from her face, and it wasn't the routine comforting heat that Rayman was used to. This was jabbing at his eyes, so much that he had to squint! Her presence seemed suddenly threatening!
"Ly! I understand your feelings, but is that any reason to explode like this?!"
Ly calmed down and realized that Rayman didn't know about the pirate who intruded into their unit. She was almost ashamed, as she sighed and said tenderly, "Rayman, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such a grouch. Something happened today. There was a rusted old robot that-"
"Yes," he said, suspiciously.
She took one hard silent gulp. "--entered our house."
Rayman felt like he had been torn apart at the energy fields between his body parts and thrown hard at a brick wall.
Ly continued, "But h seemed to be nice enough! He even told us his name was Grunge, and he told us that the only thing he remembered was the moments after he was revived from lying inside a wrecked space pod! So, just because it's Neocreation Eve Eve, we let him stay. BUT! But, the children think that he's actually the REAL Grandpa Gustav, and they want us to treat him with kindness! Treat an ENEMY with kindness! Rayman, this holiday has turned into an accident waiting to happen to us! What if he has a complex or is a double agent?!"
Rayman just sat there, dumbfounded. He had such a mixed feeling! On one hand, it was Neocreation season, so if Ly said he was friendly, he should stay. On the other hand, he WAS a former pirate of the ship, so there's no telling what evil thoughts still crept in his mind after the crash, even if he DID get amnesia. On the other hand, Rayman destroyed Razorbeard's ship a couple years ago, so there's no reason why he should still be working undercover for them!!! On the other hand, Globox's kids may be in more danger than ever, and if a catastrophe may happen to them on Neocreation Eve, it would be all the worse! Finally, get got up with no overly dramatic movements, calmly raised his head in restrain, paused as if trying to calm himself, and finally, let out a deep, deep sigh, with his eyelids looking tired and shot.
He turned morosely toward his dear, sweet friend, who had stuck by his side for years, and said, "Ly. This is very important. Go back inside and tell the escapee to obey everything we tell him to do. Never keep an eye off him, never let the kids too close to him, and never, EVER, make him remember his days on the ship. He has amnesia! I know that because he didn't remember a THING about what happened on the ship or before that! I found that out when I first encountered him in the woods! Most of all, stay calm! If he didn't do anything harmful to any of us in the last few hours (which, being a robo-pirate, he should've), he is definitely trying to keep a friendly composure. But DON'T take any chances and watch what you do and say!"
He then regained sanity as he paused and said, sadly, "If all that doesn't work, then. Then, you can tell the kids the truth about Grandpa Gustav."
Ly, alarmed by Rayman's sudden stern demands (not to mention, a bit moved by it), gave him a soft half-hug on his ride side. He was relieved to find the jabbing heat to be gone, and replaced by the warm, comforting heat that came from the hug.
She raised her head, affectionately held up his small chin and whispered, "You know, you came here to get away from it all. But what's great about you, is that you never cease to be off-duty."
With that, she left, carrying the tree, struggling to breathe but keeping it inside, toward the front door of the lodge. Rayman just sat there, his head in his lap, as the sky became darker, and somehow, the clouds were heavier on the slopes than usual.
(to be continued.)