Authors: Tracey West

The Ninja Quest (4 page)

BOOK: The Ninja Quest

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Sensei safely leads you through the storm back to Town. In the end, you're grateful to be safeâbut you wish you had taken shelter instead.

THE END

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22.

You decide to let the black puffle choose for you. You hold out the book, the puffle hops on it, and it opens to a random page. You read the verse.

“Try and try again.
There is no shame in that path.
Why not start from scratch?”

You nod. “I guess we should go back to Sensei,” you tell the black puffle. “After all, that's where we started.”

Then you notice that the puffle is yawning.

“Would you like me to drop you off at my igloo?” you ask. “You could take a nap there.”

The puffle nods gratefully, so you stop at your igloo on the way back to Sensei and leave it there. Then you find Sensei by the pond.

“Greetings, young penguin,” he says. “What have you found?”

“A lot of water and snow,” you say. “But no fire. I read a haiku from the book and it told me to start from scratch. So I came back here.”

“That is very wise,” Sensei says with a nod. “And now I have another haiku for you.” He recites this verse:

“The map holds secrets.
Look carefully to find them.
And trust what you see.”

“So you're saying I should give the map another look?” you ask.

Sensei nods. “Sometimes, we miss the most important thing at first glance.”

You study the map again. You notice the underground spring you saw before as well as a path through the mountains you didn't notice.

Hmm,
you think.
Both of these are good choices. I wonder which one I should take?

If you go to the underground spring, go to page 47.

If you go to the mountains, go to page 69.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 62.

You realize that blowing up cream soda barrels in an underground tunnel could be dangerous. Trying to find the spot aboveground makes the most sense.

You make your way back to the Mine entrance, using one of the barrels to boost yourself up to the hole in the wall. Outside, you take out the map. You've got a strategy planned: You'll walk above the Mine, trying to imagine the tunnels underneath your flippers. It might not be exact, but it's the best chance you have of finding the spot.

It's nice to be out in the sunlight again, and you hum a tune as you walk along the snow. You've got the map right in front of you.

“Okay, so I make a right just about here,” you mutter to yourself. “And then I keep going, oh, about one hundred paces.”

You follow the path for a while. Then you look up. It looks like you're in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing but fields of snow all around you. You realize you have no idea where you are, or even how to get back to the Mine.

“Grub!” you say. “It's too bad I don't have a compass in my backpack.”

Then you notice a figure coming toward you. It's Sensei! You run up to meet him.

“Boy, am I glad to see you!” you say. “I'm pretty sure there's a perfect spot for the Dojo around here somewhere. But I'm kind of lost.”

“I may have sent you on this journey before you were ready,” Sensei says in his soft, steady voice. “If you wish, I can give you some training to better prepare you. The choice is yours.”

You wonder if this is some kind of test. If you accept Sensei's help, does that mean you're giving up?

If you accept Sensei's training, go to page 41.

If you decide to keep going without more training, go to page 49.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10, 44.

You decide to go to the underground spring. According to the map, it's underneath the Mine Shack. You say good-bye to Sensei and head there.

The Mine Shack is a rickety-looking building made of wood boards and painted red. A track for the mine carts emerges from the front of the building. You know that the tracks take the carts deep underneath Club Penguin.

A few small groups of penguins are hanging out outside the Mine Shack and talking.

“It's true,” a red penguin says. “A friend of my friend's friend saw the ghost herself.”

“My cousin saw it when she was playing
Cart Surfer
,” a green penguin says. “It lives deep in the tunnels underneath the Mine Shack.”

This rumor is just the kind of gossip you like. You're tempted to investigate, but you're on a mission for Sensei. You've got to stay focused.

You waddle to one of the mine carts and hop in, pulling a lever to set the cart rolling down the tracks. The cart slowly rolls into the dark Mine. Safety lights cast an eerie glow on the walls.

The map shows a tunnel leading to the underground spring that's not on the mine cart route. You carefully keep track of your journey, searching for the tunnel entrance.

Then you see it: a boarded-up tunnel in the wall on the right. You quickly pull the lever and the cart comes to a halt. Then you jump out and pry away the old boards so you can climb inside.

There's no light in here. You're wondering if you should go get a flashlight when you hear a noise up ahead.

You freeze. Was it just your imagination?

Creeeeeeeak!

Nope, that was a noise, all right. Is someoneâor somethingâup there?

If you throw snowballs to scare whatever it is away, go to page 25.

If you sneak up on it, go to page 71.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 46.

You decide to prove to Sensei that you can find the Dojo location on your own.

“I know I can find it,” you say. “So, thank you, but I'll pass on the extra training.”

Sensei nods. “The decision is yours.”

You scan the snowy, white field. “It's got to be around here somewhere, I'm sure,” you say. But when you look back at Sensei, he's gone. It's like he's vanished into thin air.

Feeling very alone, you start searching again for the spot above the underground hot spring. You're hoping to find some sign of a hot spring underneathâbut everything looks the same. You check Sensei's haiku book to see what advice it holds.

“The penguin who trains,
Is not always the fastest.
But is very wise.”

It looks like you should have taken Sensei's offer after all!

THE END

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32.

You find an empty boat tied up at the Dock. You hop aboard, turn on the motor, and head out into the sea.

Following the map, you steer the boat around the bottom of the island to the spot where the river meets the sea. As you explore the river, you glimpse groups of wild puffles happily playing in the wilderness. All the while, you keep your eyes open for some sign of a fire element.

Then you hear an unwelcome sound.

Putt . . . putt . . . putt . . . putt . . . putt . . .

It's the motor! You check the controls and

It's the motor! You check the controls and realize that the fuel gauge reads
Empty
. You forgot to fuel up before you left the Dock!

The motor cuts out. You grab an emergency oar and try to paddle against the current. But the strong river carries you back where you came fromâand pulls you out to sea.

You start paddling again, but you can't seem to get close to the shore. There's nothing to do but wait and hope that a rescue boat finds you soon.

THE END

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 79.

You and Amy decide to go around the mountain. As you waddle along, Amy asks you more questions about Sensei.

“I can't believe the rumors about ninjas are real,” she says. “If that's true, who knows what else is on this island that we don't know about!”

Your mind starts to wander as you continue along the path, imagining what other secrets Club Penguin might hold.

Suddenly Amy stops. “Hey, look at that!”

She points off the trail to a set of very large footprints in the snow. The two of you leave the trail to investigate.

“They don't look like penguin prints,” you remark. “They're wide and kind of round.”

“Maybe they were penguin prints and the snow melted around them,” Amy guesses.

You shake your head. “It's too cold up here for that. And the outline of the prints is very crisp. I think they belong to a large creature.”

Amy's eyes grow wide. “Maybe it's a Yeti!” she says, her voice rising with excitement. “A penguin at the Pizza Parlor told me a rumor that one lives in the mountains.”

“You mean a big, hairy snow beast, like Bigfoot?” you ask.

“Exactly,” Amy says. She reaches into her backpack and whips out a camera. “We've got to find it and get a picture. I'm sure Aunt Arctic will print it in the newspaper!”

Getting proof of a Yeti is too good to pass up. “The tracks lead over there to that cave,” you point out.

But before you can follow the tracks, you hear a strange, wild yowl coming from over the ridge. You and Amy look at each other.

“That could be the Yeti!” you cry.

If you go to the cave, go to page 57.

If you decide to climb a tree to look over the ridge, go to page 65.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 80.

You and Amy arrange the old boards in the construction site into a makeshift shelter. It's not much, but it protects you from the snow and wind. Amy builds a small fire, and the crackling flames keep you warm.

“What if we're stuck in this storm for a long time?” you wonder out loud.

You open up Sensei's haiku book to see what advice it has for you.

“No path is easy,
But you are close to your goal.
Do not give up now.”

“I like the sound of that,” you say.

The storm passes after about an hour. You and Amy douse the fire with snow, and soon you're trekking across the snow, dragging the two ladders behind you. When you get to the ravine, you tie the ladders together with rope. Then you stand them up on your side of the ravine, and together you and Amy give them a push.

The ladders are long enough to reach the other side. Perfect!

“I'll go first,” Amy says bravely. “Hold the ladders steady for me.”

You grab on to the end of the ladders and watch as Amy begins a slow crawl across the ravine. To your relief, the ladders hold steady as Amy moves across. She reaches the other side, stands up, and gives a triumphant whoop.

“Your turn!” she calls to you.

You squat down and begin to crawl over the ladders, just like Amy did. Then you catch a glimpse of the long drop below and your heart jumps into your throat.

“You can do it!” Amy encourages you.

Hearing the sound of your friend's voice gives you confidence. Before you know it, you're safely across the ravine. You and Amy head for the volcano.

When you reach the volcano, you stop.

“So we've got fire and snow here,” you remind your friend. “Now we just have to find water.”

“Let's climb up,” Amy suggests. “Who knows what we'll find.”

The sides of the volcano are steep, so you use the grappling hook and rope to scale the straight portions of the mountainside. Most of the time, you're able to climb up a rocky path.

You take a step on the path and your right flipper lands on a rock. Your boot slides off of your flipper and tumbles down the path, dropping onto a ledge at least ten feet below you.

“Grub!” you say. “I can't keep climbing without my boot.”

You look down at the ledge. “It's a bit of a drop, but we can try it with the rope,” you say.

“Maybe,” Amy says, pointing. “But I see a path that goes down there. It's steep, but we should be able to do it.”

If you drop down to the ledge to get your boot, go to page 23.

If you take the steep path, go to page 27.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37.

“Hop up on my backpack, and I'll carry you across,” you tell the black puffle, but it takes one hop backward as if to say, “No way.”

You jump up and grab the stalactite above you. Then you swing forward and grab the next one. You swing toward the third one, which hangs right above the center of the whirlpool.

Crrrrrrack!
You're too heavy for the spindly stalactite. It breaks off the ceiling, and you helplessly plummet into the whirlpool.

The water swirls around you, and some unseen force pulls you through a tunnel of water. You're terrified, but before panic can set in, you suddenly find yourself above waterâand it's calm. You look around and realize you're in the Underground Pool!

Bewildered, you climb out of the pool and go to get the map out of your backpack. The pocket is unzipped! The map is soaking wet and all of the ink has smeared. Without the map, your search is over.

THE END

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52.

“Let's check out the cave,” you suggest. “The footprints lead right to it.”

“Sounds good to me,” Amy agrees. “We should go quietly so the Yeti won't hear us.”

The two of you quietly follow the footprints to the cave. As you get closer, you can see light smoke floating out into the open.

BOOK: The Ninja Quest

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