The girls stared aghast at Abbie. "Actually, only one will suffice," she said, sounding as conversational as if she were ordering sliced Neggs and asking the waitress to hold the mustard. "But two will make me far less likely to lie to you."

"We're not bargaining with you," snapped Jody. Tammy, Venus, Kami, and Brooke nodded fiercely.

"Oh, that's too bad," mocked Abbie. "Have a nice day." She closed her eyes and returned to her former state of ignoring them.

"Come on, guys." Jody turned and stalked towards the water. Suddenly Brooke, who was following, pointed up at the sky. "Look at that!" she exclaimed.

Four other eyes darted up to follow her pointing finger, and Kami and Venus started laughing in relief. "Hi, Artemis!" called Kami.

"Hi hi!" chirruped Artemis as he and Shoylana soared down to hover next to the girls.

The pretty cream Shoyru pressed a button on the communicator she held. "Zelda? We have found thy companions," she announced.

"Great!" cried the brunette on the other end of the line. "Are all eight of them there?"

Jody took the communicator from Shoylana. "Eight? There were only five of us..."

"Let me see." Zelda looked from face to face. "Aikouka, Melony, and Starlee aren't with you?"

"No; they swam in before we did."

"Follow Shoylana and Artemis; they'll lead you back to us. Arty, are you sure you didn't see the other three? They should be between where we are and where you are."

"I am certain we have not seen them," confirmed Shoylana softly but firmly.

"Um, guys?" Tammy drew their attention to a pair of burly men and pets in what were unmistakably uniforms. They were striding towards the girls - and they didn't look happy.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a crashing sound from adjacent trees. She'd thought at first that the creatures who had captured her might be Cocos, but had revised her opinion since then; they were furry and, under the masks, multicolored. And they were coming back.

The strange tribe came into view and Starlee gasped. "Aikouka! Melony! Hi!"

"Starlee! We were looking for you!" called Aikouka, struggling against the grip of the furry masked creatures dragging her along.

"Why didn't you transform and fight them?" demanded Melony.

"You guys haven't transformed," Starlee pointed out. She reached out with one hand and felt her red-violet and teal pen appear in it. "Gelert Neo Power, Make Up!"

The other two girls followed suit: "Moehog.." "Bruce..." "...Neo Power, Make Up!" To the watching tribe, it looked as if three bright flashes of light engulfed the girls and then vanished, leaving them both unharmed and untied.

There was a confused jabber among the creatures for a moment, and then they took off their masks and bowed down to the three divinities who had apparently appeared among them.

The sailors stared, flabbergasted. "They're Wockies!" exclaimed Sailor Gelert.

"Yes, you can," one of the men said gruffly. "This is a private beach, little ladies."

"We're sorry," Tammy interjected quickly. "We're here by accident. We were just leaving."

The Skeith nodded sternly. "Get yer tails off this sand as quickly as you can," the Skeith said sternly. "And don't be bothering the paying customers no more, hear?"

"Y-yes sir!" stuttered Jody. She and the others turned and, with the two pets leading them, raced off as fast as their legs/wings would carry them.

Panting, they reached the fence at the edge of the privately owned property. "Which...paying customers...were we...bothering?" panted Venus.

"Isn't that obvious?" Kami replied. "Abbie."

"I wish I'd seen the look on her face when she realized they didn't yell at us at all!" chortled Brooke.

They climbed over the fence and started off for the beach where they belonged...

"They seem to think we're gods or at least messengers of Pango Pango," Sailor Bruce noted. "I did a report on Mystery Island mythology in seventh grade. These Wockies believe that Pango Pango can give people divine powers..."

"Don't tell me they expect us to stay and lead them!" exclaimed Sailor Moehog.

"'Fraid so," Bruce replied unhappily. "But look at the bright side."

"What bright side?" demanded Sailor Gelert.

"I think before we transformed they were planning to sacrifice us."

"It's getting late," Leslie noted, after a fairly joyful reunion. "At least, for those of us who're still on Neopia Central time. And we can't all go looking for Starlee and the others..."

"Kara Lynn and I will go," announced Ji. "We're on the right schedule mentally, and between her senses and-" she lowered her voice - "Sailor Shoyru's wings, we'll find them pretty quickly."

"I'll go with you too," Naomi announced. Her skin was tanning spectacularly.

"Why?" asked Ji in her usual blunt manner.

"There are Cocos and tribes of Wockies which they might've run into. I happen to know a little of their language - unsurprising, hm? Sailor Wocky speaks island wocky? - and I know my way around the island all right. Plus, it's my little sister who's missing."

Zoe nodded. "I'd think you'd be jumping for joy...but go ahead." Ji opened her mouth to protest, but Zoe cut her off: "Remember when Mike was trapped by the Hisslady?" And Ji was quiet.

After a moment's pause, Aviva said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get going!" Ji, Kara Lynn, and Naomi nodded quickly and hurried off...

"I am Sailor Bruce," replied the transformed Aikouka. "This," she continued, gesturing to each sailor in turn, "is Sailor Moehog, and this is Sailor Gelert."

Umbus Alta jabbered something to his fellow Wockies, and they responded with something like shock. "You...pet sailors?"

"We are the Sailors of Pets, yes," clarified Sailor Moehog, hoping that was what had been meant.

"Jhuidah say...pet sailors...good." The sailors recognized the name of the Island Faerie. "You stay."

"We need to go home," cut in Sailor Gelert.

"No, Gelert Sailor. You stay. All you stay," he added, using a sweeping gesture to make his meaning clear.

"We go," replied Sailor Moehog firmly, starting to walk away.

A rainbow of Wockies blocked her way. They no longer looked like surprised innocents; they looked dangerous. A red Wocky and a rainbow one raised spears; two blues and a white unsheathed their claws, and a striped bared its teeth.

"Oy! Sis!" called a voice from above. Looking up, Sailor Moehog saw her sister descending via Sailor Shoyru's wings. "Having trouble?"

"Yeah!" called Moehog in reply. "These Wockies want us to stay with them forever!"

Shoyru swooped low and Sailor Wocky jumped to the ground, followed by Sailor Buzz. "Now listen here," she snapped at Umbus Alta, and then switched into a halting version of the Wockies' jabber and growl. After a moment and a half of her speaking, Umbus Alta cut her off in the same language.

"What are they saying?" murmured Sailor Gelert.

"No idea," whispered Sailor Bruce in reply. "They keep using the word ach-kee, which is we render as Wocky, but I don't know anything else about this language..."

Suddenly Sailor Wocky turned to face them. "Get going," she directed.

Sailor Bruce stepped forward, and was instantly blocked by an orange Wocky with claws bared. It leapt at her, using that trademark attack of its species, Wocky Pounce.

"Oh, Wocky Pounce yourself!" cried Sailor Wocky, aiming for Bruce's attacker. "I warned them we would do this, guys - don't hesitate!"

The other members of Umbus Alta's tribe surged forward - "Buzz Wind!" cried Sailor Buzz, and they were all blown back, some into trees.

"Come on!" cried Sailor Moehog, and, grabbing Sailor Gelert's hand, dashed through the now-clear path to the jungle.

"Why don't...we just...get on...Sailor Shoyru?" panted Sailor Gelert.

"Just call me the Sailor Express," came Ji's voice snappishly from above them. "Now, look: if you're getting on me, you'll be unable to attack without risking hitting me. So you need to get clear before we can fly away."

Sailor Bruce caught up to them quickly, being on the track team after all. "You can slow down," she advised them. "Buzz and Wocky - the sailor, I mean - are on their way; they've got Umbus Alta and his tribe pretty much under control."

Sailor Shoyru landed and held out her arms, a resigned look on her face. "Grab on," she grumbled. "All aboard - please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle until it has come to a complete stop."

Within moments Sailor Gelert had an arm, Sailor Moehog had the other, Sailor Bruce was holding the shoulders from behind, Sailor Wocky's arms were wrapped around Bruce's and Shoyru's waists, and Shoyru's arms were keeping a similar tight hold on Sailor Buzz. The cream-colored wings flapped; everyone made sure their grip was as tight as possible, and they lifted out of the jungle and into the sky.

"I think so," replied Ji in a hushed voice. "Kara Lynn neomailed me; everyone's asleep at her house too. She invited me to come down to the Tombola, and then we're going for fresh fruit before the sun goes down." Kara Lynn had noted that this might help them relax after saving their friends from hostile native Wockies, but Ji neglected to mention this to her mother.

"All right - go ahead - I'll see you later," replied her mother, but Ji was already out the door, although she had been careful not to slam it lest it wake the sleepers. Mrs. Kouryunno smiled as she watched her daughter go. Ah, to be young again, she thought wistfully, and not have a care in the world...