Chapter Twenty: The Long Trek North

    "We don't even know where we're going anymore... How are we supposed to find Olaf like this?" Jessica asked, her voice was mixed with anger and depression.
    "Come on Jim. Cheer up. Sarah's in a better place now," Florence said, trying to be comforting.
    Jim had barely said a word ever since he let his departed goat float down to her final resting place at the bottom of the sea. All they could do was wander aimlessly in the Pygmy Whale, searching relentlessly for a sign as to where Olaf could have gone.
    "You know Jim," Harry began, "those that can speak to the planet, like me, have a belief. We believe that we are born from the planet and when we die, we return to it. We go to a paradise, every man, woman, animal and plant. Everything returns to that paradise and in turn keeps the planet and everything on it alive."
    Jim remained unchanged. He stared blankly at his feet, refusing to speak or acknowledge the others.
    "Come on Jim! She's gone! We all miss her, but we don't have time to mope around. With the Black Pebble, Olaf will summon a greater power that shall destroy the entire planet. Sarah wouldn't want us to waste our time like this!" snapped Kevinda, suddenly.
    Jim's eyes locked onto Kevinda's. "What do you know about Sarah? Nothing! You don't know what she would want! You don't know her at all! You're nothing but an impostor! You have no right to travel with us!" Jim shouted.
    "Jim, calm down!" Florence cried.
    "Humfubbler... Dundelfib... Extra lettuce 'n' tomato.... Quizgobger...." Harry suddenly entered a familiar trance-like state.
    "Whut in tarnation is he doin'?" Ziggy questioned.
    "He's talking to the planet again," Jessica sighed.
    Everyone's attention, except Jim's, was on Harry as he mumbled to himself. Suddenly, he jolted into awareness. "I know where he's going!"
    "What do you mean?" Muffie questioned urgently.
    "Olaf, I know where he's headed. Turn this plane north Chazzy!"
    "How do you know?"
    "Do you remember before, when Kevinda explained the Black Pebble to us? She said that Olaf would need a lot of power to use it, but if he got it, he could activate the Black Pebble. Well, the planet told me everything. Do you also remember what Helga told us about Hako before we got to Junon? According to the planet there is a huge amount of raw Hako at the northern pole. Years ago, Gengai believed that the greatest source of Hako was to be found there, so they went north. They began digging and formed a giant crater. Then, they found the better power source and so the crater was abandoned. Inside that crater is an open source of untainted Hako energy, the blood of the planet. Olaf if going there to use the power of the Hako to unleash the strength of the Black Pebble."
    "Can ya go back to thuh part whare ya made sense?" Ziggy asked, staring at Harry, more than a little confused.

    "Here we are," Chazzy said at last as they landed at the edge of a snow covered continent. "You'd better get your mittens on, because it's smootin' cold up here."
    Jim slowly got to his feet. "I know you're out there Olaf," he shouted, "and I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!"
    The party began their long journey across the snow covered earth. They were all shivering in the cold, but refused to surrender to it. Finally, they saw something in the distance.
    "What's that?" Jessica asked no one in particular.
    "Home," Florence responded with a smile.
    "What do you mean?" Jim inquired.
    "I was born in that town up ahead. I was taken to Wigfarm when I was very young, but Mom always spoke so fondly of Icicle Inn. At least, that's what it used to be called. We left because this company bought the whole town and changed its name to 'Froofroo's Skiing and Snow Hiking Death Trap'. It's nothing but a really bad resort now."
    "Sounds like fun!" Muffie exclaimed cheerfully.
    "A death trap, eh? Sounds great!" Jim shouted and began running towards the town.
    Jessica sighed, "I have to admit, it's good to see him back in a good mood."
    The others followed slowly behind Jim and Muffie; Harry and Kevinda were at the rear of the group.
    "I've been wondering for a while now;" Harry began, "we know that you're actually guy and everything, so why do you keep wearing that fortune teller's outfit? And why do you keep talking like a woman? There's no need to disguise yourself anymore, really."
    "A lady doesn't give out such secrets," Kevinda replied snobbishly and began quickening her pace past Harry.
    At the entrance of the town there was a giant sign that read 'We c me  o  roof oo's  ki ng  n  S  w  i  ng  ea   r   !!'. There were two men sitting near the sign, wrapped in fuzzy pink parkas. Both of them appeared to be sleeping, and quite comfortably, despite the cold.
    "Wow, I've always wanted to go to a 'King 'n' Swing Ear'," Jessica commented sarcastically as she looked at the sign.
    "Wha-?" came a sound from one of the parka-clad men. "People?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Oh my goodness! There are really people here! Sam! Sam, wake up! There are people!" He began shaking his companion wildly as he stared at the party with wide eyes.
    "What are you talking about Tony? We haven't had people here in eight years. You're hallucinating again," the one who was shaken said as he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He then caught sight of Jim and the others and rubbed his eyes again. "Holy cow! People! Real people!"
    Sam and Tony began shouting words of joy that weren't understandable. They jumping up, dancing in the snow, and then ran off into the town.
    "Well um... That was odd," Florence said at last.
    Not another word could be spoken for there suddenly came a mighty clamour. Drums were pounded upon, trumpets blared and soon a whole parade marched up to the group. There was a marching band, people waving flags, and a giant banner, welcoming them to the skiing and snow hiking death trap. They saw jugglers juggling, dancers dancing, and a couple of clowns who were making tiny igloos from balloons.
    At last, the clamour died down as the parade passed by and a single person approached the group. The person was obviously female and was wearing a tight, hot pink parka. From inside the hood they could see a tuft of blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a big red smile. She spoke in a voice that would grate at the ears if it went on talking for more than three minutes:
    "Welcome! I am Froofroo! Oh, today is a joyous day! It has been a long time since anyone has ever come to my death tra- I mean, resort. Yes, that's it."
    "You're Froofroo? Wow, can I ask you something?" Jim inquired. "What were your parents drinking when they named you? I mean, really, who names their kid Fro-"
    Jim was promptly elbowed in the stomach by Jessica. She grinned and spoke to him quietly through her teeth. "Let's avoid another name incident, like with Choco Jill, shall we?" Jim kindly nodded in response, holding his aching stomach.
    "Yeah, we're just sort of passing through. Did you see a guy come though here carrying a really big fish? He might have left a trail of whipped cream behind him," Harry inquired.
    Froofroo shook her head. "No, you're the only people to come here in eight years. It was eight years ago that that family of four was kill- I mean uh... um... Oh darn, how do I get myself out of this one..?"
    "All right then," Kevinda suddenly broke in, "if you haven't seen him we should be on our way then."
    "No! Don't go! You can't leave! I'm flat broke! You're my last chance at business!" She fell to her knees and clawed pathetically at Jim's feet.
    "We really should be going," Jim said, his voice a little shaky.
    "What if... What if... I give you a free snowboard? After all, it's not safe to travel farther north of here without one."
    "But there are eight of us. One snowboard isn't going to do much good," Jessica pointed out.
    "That's true," Froofroo responded. Her eyes flashed about worriedly. "All right, I'll give you all free snowboards just as long as you stay at the resort and help us increase revenue!"
    "Wait... Why don't we just pay for the snowboards and then go on our way? That way everyone's happy," Kevinda suggested.
    "Why, that's so crazy it just might work! Yes! Gunfer, go get eight snowboards!" A short little man in a parka ran up, nodded obediently, and dashed off quickly.
    "It's too cold up hyar. Dawgone Gengai... Why didn' they dig thar hole somewhar warm'r?" Ziggy grumbled as they awaited the return of Gunfer.
    Time passed and soon the short man returned weaving along with the snowboards. He swung left then shuffled right, trying to keep the large pile from falling and crushing him. At last, he reached the group and let out a sigh of relief. A moment later, Gunfer was nowhere to be seen and the snowboards were sitting in a nice stack on the snow.
    "Whar'd he go?"
    Froofroo sighed as she looked behind the stack at a hole which was in a perfect outline of Gunfer. "I lose so many good assistants like that... Anyway, it's three hundred gil per board."
    "Three hundred? Three smootin' hundred? Are you a spoony crazy marmoset?! Who in their smootin' right mind would pay three hundred spoony gil for a smooting snowboard?!" As Chazzy finished his brief rant, Jim had already passed a bag of gil to the parka-clad woman.
    He stared at Jim for a moment, and opened his mouth to speak when Jessica softly interrupted, "Don't bother saying anything... After all, he isn't in his right mind."
    The group was then led by Froofroo to the edge of the resort. There was a steep slope that ran north and to a great glacier in the distance. "Thanks again!" Froofroo exclaimed as everyone prepared to head down the hill. "Don't forget to tell your friends about Froofroo!"
    "Oh my!" came a voice from behind. "More people! This is a miracle! Two groups in one day!"
    "Be quiet for a minute! Have you seen a guy carrying a fish or not?" a familiar female voice barked.
    "It's Helga!" Florence exclaimed.
    "Let's get out of here!" Harry insisted urgently.
    "Froofroo, can you distract them for as long as possible? I'm sure they would enjoy taking full advantage of the resort," Jim requested as the others began to snowboard down the mountain side.
    "Off course!" Froofroo replied.
    "Don't you mean 'of course'?"
    "No, I mean 'off course'! Your friend is off course!" She pointed to Ziggy who wasn't steering the board very well. He let out a startled yell as he shot into the air and crashed into a snowdrift. They both winced when he hit. "Don't worry," Froofroo continued, "I'll deal with those guys back there. Take care, and be sure to come back some time!" She waved and Jim shot down the slope.
    Ziggy's legs were kicking from the snowdrift when Jim managed to bring himself to a stop next to him. He pulled the other from the drift and got him back onto his snowboard.
    "Dawgone snow. Thar's too much o'it up hyar," he grumbled as Jim took off down the slope again. "Wait for muh!" Ziggy wobbled along as he tried to pick up speed. Soon, he was flying down the slope, and catching up with the others. "Tan mah hide! Ah's gittin' the hang o' this!" He suddenly began to swirve and turn towards a snowy mound. He let out a yelp, as his board got stuck in the mound. It acted as a catapult, launching him through the air. "Dawgone snow!"
    "Sweet gooblin spoonies, this is a blast!" Chazzy exclaimed as he twisted down the slope. "Eat my snow, Harry!" He proceeded to speed past Harry, taking the lead.
    "Help! I'm gonna crash! Ahh! Help! I can't control this thing!" Jessica cried.
    "Oh come on, it's not that bad. It's all in the wrist," Kevinda called to her as she passed by.
    This statement confused Jessica for a moment, breaking what concentration she had, and sent her smashing into a snowman. "Who builds snowmen in the middle of a slope?" she groaned as she shook the stars out of her head.
    "Lalala, skiing along, lalala, singing a song. Lalala... Spoons?" Muffie's eyes widened. "Look Jim! Spoons! Giant spoons!" She turned in the direction of the large spoons, standing upright in the distance.
    "No, Muffie! Those are-" she smashed into one of the spoons, "-just ice sculptures," Florence sighed.
    "You know, this place isn't much of a death trap. I mean, what's so threatening? There may be obstacles, but they're easy enough to avoid. What makes this place so horrible?" Harry inquired.
    "No, Harry, no!" Jessica exclaimed breathlessly, after catching up with him. "You don't say that kind of thing, that's when bad things usually happen."
    From ahead of them there was a loud scream. It sounded like Chazzy.
    "You see?"
    The others quickly realized what it was that made Chazzy scream. They suddenly came upon the end of the slope. It ended in a sudden cliff that overlooked the great glacier. The others cried out as they tried to stop, but were unable to in time, and were quickly sent flying out into the snowy landscape.