Apoc vs. Old Maraqua

      "APOC!!!"

      Apoc was short for Apocalyptic28. He was a Christmas Bori who lived with his family in Neopia Central. He lived a pretty normal life except for one thing. He wanted to enslave Neopia. And he had just been woken up by what appeared to be the Rock Beast.

      At a closer look the Rock Beast turned out to be his teacher, Mrs. Malon. And she appeared to be mad about something so Apoc figured he might want to listen.

      "-never pay any attention, you're the worst student I've ever had! Do you even KNOW what class you're in!? Look at you, are you even listening!?!"

      In all fairness it wasn't Apoc's fault. Not really. I mean, he had heard it all before. That his world domination business had to stop, that he never payed any attention, that so help her if the strap was legal... The usual. But the Red Kacheek really seemed angry, so Apoc snapped out of his latest daydream, which consisted of giving the pretty Usul in the second row a personal massage.

      "I'm sorry Mrs. Melon. It won't happen again." She might've believed him had he not mispronounced her name.

      "We will continue now," she said through gritted teeth. "Old Maraqua was home to the Koi, a race of aquatic Neopets. They were an inventive and intelligent species, having created such famous petpets as the Golfclubfish and the-'

      "But weren't the Koi famous for designing secret gadgets also?" asked the very Usul who Apoc had been dreaming about.

      "Well, we believe so, but unfortunately they were all lost in Maraqua's destruction many years ago. Besides, that's just a silly rumour. There is no proof of them ever inventing any gadgets other than the utility fish!" replied Mrs. Malon. Apoc's ears perked up. Secret gadgets? This gave him an idea.

      "Ah, Mrs. Melon, ah Malon, sorry, would it be possible for someone to retrieve these treasures?" Apoc asked as innocently as possible.

      "Sure, Apoc," laughed his teacher. "You'd just need a diving suit, a crew, a map, and know at which time the whirlpool stops."

      "Could you repeat that a little slower?" the Bori asked.

      Several daydreams later Apoc found himself at his home, where he raced in screaming.

      "Min! Min! Have I got a plan, or have I got a plan!"

      MinionForApoc, or Min was a yellow Tonu who was totally devoted to Apoc. Min served as his bodyguard, chef, accomplice, and friend. He also was completely devoted to assisting his brother with world domination, as Apoc had once brainwashed his owner which led to Min's birth.

      Min ran in colliding with Apoc and sending his brother straight into the wall. After Apoc was revived he revealed his plan.

      "Okay, Min, here's the plan. Hey Cheeky, what are you doing here? Go away. Bad Kookith!"

      "I think he wants to be a part of the plan."

      "Okay fine. Sit, Cheeky. Now anyway, this is a map of Maraqua's ruins."

      "That's a Rebuild Maraqua poster you got at the Advent Calendar."

      "Do you have a map? I didn't think so. Now I believe that before the destruction of Maraqua the Kois were working on secret gadgets that were supposed to be sold in shops, but Maraqua was destroyed first. I believe these gadgets are still down there. I say we go down to Maraqua and retrieve these gadgets, sell some for millions, keep the really good ones, and enslave Neopia!"

      "But Apoc," Min said. "What about the whirlpool? And how will we get down there in the first place?"

      "Don't worry. I found out that every Wednesday night from five to six, the whirlpool dies down just enough for neopets to swim in. And we can rent two-"

      "Meep!"

      "Sorry Cheeky, three diving suits. It's foolproof!"

      Min paused for a moment to think of Apoc's many other foolproof plans, many of which resulted in a visit to the hospital. The doctors and them were on a first name basis.

      "I'm going to regret this," Min thought to himself. "Let's go."

      Two nights later Apoc, Min and Cheeky were sitting in a small wooden boat in loose fitting diving suits. Apoc and Min were each holding large sacks for their treasures. Cheeky was drooling in his suit.

      "There yeh are," rasped the Nimmo. "It was right 'round here that Old Maraqua's s'posed to be. That'll be 800NP." As Min handed the Nimmo the neopoints Apoc gazed down into what they would soon be exploring.

      It was beautiful. An enormous palace was sticking out of the kelp and several small ruins of homes could be seen through the kelp. Occasionally a Koi would swim by and stare up at them with a slight frown as if they were intruders. But Apoc didn't care.

      He gave Min the thumbs up, grabbed his petpet, and dove into the cold water below.

      When Apoc opened his eyes he half expected to find a leak in his suit or that he'd miscalculated and Maraqua was fifty miles east. But he was wrong. With his loyal crew alongside they gazed down at the glory that was once Maraqua.

      "It's beautiful!" Apoc said, only to realize that Min couldn't hear him. It was just as well as evil geniuses didn't want to go around commenting on natural beauty and Apoc kicked himself for doing it, which as it turned out really hurt.

      Apoc gave the signal and they turned on the communications devices that Apoc had recently invented. Together they swam towards the ruins, going back halfway because Cheeky had made an accident in his suit. Then when they finally reached the palace Apoc heard Min gasp.

      "I know, we're so close to the treasure," he responded.

      "Gasp!"

      "That's quite annoying, you know. What is it?"

      Apoc soon found out what it was. It was a giant sea slug who happened to be screaming "GO AWAY!!!"

      Apoc grabbed Cheeky and dove into the palace, Min right behind him. As the slug advanced they couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of the former home to the royal family of Maraqua. As they passed portraits of King Kelpbeard and his ancestors, past winding staircases leading to unknown chambers Apoc noticed a small door.

      "In here!" he yelled. As the pets swam in the slug tried to follow, but promptly got stuck.

      "Well that was a nice detour. Now let's find those gadgets!" cried Apoc.

      "Um, what makes you think they were in the palace?" Min asked.

      "Well they ... it kinda .... I dunno..."

      "Meep! Meep!"

      "Cheeky? Hey Apoc, Cheeky's trying to tell us something!"

      "Meep!"

      "He is! What is it boy?"

      "MEEP!"

      What Cheeky was actually trying to comment on was the fact that the wooden doors the sea slug was stuck in were slowly breaking and he looked very angry at the Neopets. Finally Apoc guessed right and they fled down the corridor. Two minutes later the sea slug broke out.

      "Okay, look for a lab," said Apoc as he scanned the murky water.

      "What? The Koi would invent things in their own homes," replied Min.

      "Meep," said Cheeky as he gestured towards the washrooms.

      The debate was cut short when the sea slug burst out of the palace screaming something that was almost certainly very violent.

      "Quick Min!" ordered Apoc. "Fight him with your Tonu Golden Horn, and your Sandstone Boots, and your Tonu Face Mask!"

      "Um Apoc, all those weapons require me to be out of my diving suit."

      "Oh. Well running works too."

      "Shall we?"

      "Sounds good."

      "MEEP!!!"

      With that the neopets fled, with the huge sea slug in pursuit. Apoc was just thinking about who he would want to inherit his mutant plushie collection when the sound occurred that saved all their lives.

      It was a swishing noise. They stepped back to notice none other than the Koi Warrior facing down the sea slug, his trident glistening nobly. He attacked the slug twice with it, causing the creature to fall back into a nearby cave, unconscious.

      "So what are you little pets doing here?" the Koi asked.

      "This," Min replied, and knocked him out with a blunt rock. Apoc grabbed his trident.

      "Can you believe our luck? Can you believe our luck???" cried Apoc. "This is like a cheap ending in a story that you know would never really happen. I don't believe it!"

      "Um Apoc, remember that thing about the whirlpool?" Min hesitantly asked.

      "Yep and how it slows down from five to seven on Wednesdays. What's your point?"

      "Are you sure it wasn't five to six?"

      "Now why would you ask that?"

      Even as Apoc asked his last question he had a feeling something very, very bad was about to happen and instinctively grabbed Cheeky. At that moment he felt a horrible jerk and was thrown out of his body as he was flung into a rock. Then a bunch of kelp. And from the nearby "oof!", "ow!", and "Meep!" he guessed Min and Cheeky were experiencing the same.

      Picture a toilet flushing. Then picture your whole body in the toilet. And it isn't a toilet but a ruined city with many pointy and dangerous objects. And you're going seventy or eighty miles an hour. And it lasts three hours. Then you might have an idea as to what Apoc and the others experienced before they washed up on the shore near Meridell.

      They trudged back to Neopia Central. And instead of turning down the street to their neohome they went to the Neopian Hospital.

      "Hey Jane," Apoc said to the receptionist. "Is Bill in?"

      "I'll tell him it's you three. He'll be ready in ten minutes."

The End