Evil Fuzzles, Dr. Sloth, and a Chocolate Chia

Ursula the blue Meerca sat on the floor of her room in her Neohome, paging through the Neopian Times as she explained for the millionth time to her best friend, Alexa the green Bruce, that there was indeed an evil fuzzle hiding underneath her bed.

      She heard someone knocking on the door and she ran to answer it. It was the Neomail man. He handed her a small package. She dropped a few Neopoints into his hand and ran back to her room.

      She opened the box and pulled out a small device.

      "It's from the Dr. Sloth catalog. It can tell me when there is an evil fuzzle in the room," Ursula told Alexa. She walked around the room. "It must be broken! I know there's an evil fuzzle down there!"

      Alexa smiled. "There's only one thing to do!"

      The red Kougra twins, Bob and Not Bob, lived down the street and they loved to solve mysteries, plus their older sister, Priscilla (who was also a red Kougra), was good friends with Ursula and Alexa.

      When the three of them arrived, Ursula burst into explanation.

      "There is an evil fuzzle living under my bed! In the night he pokes me and once he ate my pillow!" Ursula finished.

      "Maybe it isn't an evil fuzzle," Bob commented.

      "Right, it could just be another plushie you ordered from the Dr. Sloth catalog. You really should stop buying from there," Not Bob suggested.

      "Have you guys thought of this," Priscilla called, "why not check under the bed?"

      "She's right!" Bob cheered.

      "She's brilliant!" Not Bob exclaimed.

      Ursula picked up a candle and lifted the blankets on her bed. She peeked down there, and started to laugh.

      "It wasn't an evil fuzzle, it was my pet doglefox, Grapes!" They all burst out laughing.

      "Or was it?" Grapes asked.

      "Grapes isn't supposed to talk!" Alexa exclaimed.

      "Oh, I can; did you forget you bought me from the Dr. Sloth catalog?"

      "Never buy from them again!" Alexa ordered. Ursula agreed.

     But the next day- there it was, a brand new Dr. Sloth rainbow Scorchio plushie.

      When Alexa came in and saw it, the toy was just about to throw Grapes across the room and Ursula wasn't even in the room.

      As Alexa rescued Grapes from the clutches of the evil plushie, she shouted, "That's it! We're taking you to Miss Giggle!"

      Miss Giggle was the starry painted Uni guidance counselor at their school, Tombola Middle School. She was very nice and always helped the kids when they came to her.

      "Miss Giggle! Ursula keeps buying from the Dr. Sloth catalog and she can't stop!" Alexa yelled, dragging Ursula into Miss Giggle's office.

      "I do not! I didn't even order that dumb Scorchio plushie! I already have, like, seven! And none of them can breathe fire or torment Grapes!" Ursula protested.

      "Sit down, Ursula," Miss Giggle ordered calmly. "And will you please leave us alone, Alexa." It wasn't a question and both girls instantly obeyed.

      After a nice long talk with Miss Giggle, Ursula emerged from the room, with a smile on her face.

      "I'm canceling my subscription to Dr. Sloth catalog," Ursula announced, triumphantly.

      On the way home, the girls stopped by Hubert's Hotdogs. It was a perfect day outside, so they sat out for a while, playing with their Usukis.

      But, as the time inched nearer to noon, the heat got unbearable and the girls went inside.

      They went into Ursula's bedroom, but the closet door was pulled closed by a small, wrinkly, grey hand. Dr. Sloth was himself was in Ursula's bedroom.

     "We could just ignore him," Alexa murmured out of the side of her mouth.

      "No, we have to call in the Marching JubJubs and the Lupolice," Ursula decided.

      She sent an urgent Neomail to the two forces and soon the Neohome was surrounded.

      The girls had been out front, not wanting to wind up rainbow toast with rainbow butter at the hands of Dr. Sloth.

      Ursula jumped up to talk to them. As she was about to start, the General JubJub stopped her.

      "Hey, aren't you that girl who called us about an evil fuzzle under your bed?" he asked. Ursula nodded and the Marching JubJubs and Lupolice turned and left.

      "Now we have to take care of this ourselves!" Alexa moaned.

      "No, we don't!" Ursula contradicted, smiling mysteriously.

      They ran up and down the street, asking all the neighbor kids to come and help.

      In the end they had recruited Bob, Not Bob, Priscilla, Serena the green Kau, Ed the blue Zafara, and Todd the yellow Acara.

      They assembled around the closet and pulled the door open. Dr. Sloth slowly came out of the closet. An evil grin played at the corners of his lips.

      "You never saw this coming, you brats, did you? Oh yes, I know you're there. Just come out. Ursula, Alexa, Bob, Not Bob, Priscilla, Serena, Ed, Todd, come out and play."

      Slowly, one by one, the kids came to stand in front of Dr. Sloth.

      "What do you want?" Ursula bravely asked.

      "All I ever wanted was a piece of Chia shaped chocolate, but did anyone ever think that an evil doctor like myself could ever want something sweet? They didn't! So I came to steal it!"

      "That's all you wanted?" Todd asked, furiously.

      Dr. Sloth nodded.

      Serena dug in her backpack and pulled out a piece of chocolate. She placed it in Dr. Sloth's hand and he disappeared, munching on the chocolate.

      "But how did you get the plushie, if you didn't order it?" Ed wondered aloud, eyeing the Scorchio plushie on the bed.

      "Oh, I can answer that!" a voice from above echoed.

      "Who said that?" Serena questioned, sharply.

      "It was me." Illusen floated gently to the ground. "I gave her the plushie to thank her for going on so many quests for me after school! I mean, how many of you could get a transporter helmet in under five minutes? But anyway, since Dr. Sloth was in the room, the plushie was turned evil, the same with Grapes being able to speak. Now that Dr. Sloth is gone, though, they should be harmless and back to normal," Illusen finished.

      "Well, I'm not!" Grapes announced.

      "Like I said, SHOULD BE. Well, sorry, anyways, gotta go, bye!" Illusen slipped the transporter helmet back on and disappeared from sight.

      "What am I going to do with you, Grapes?" Ursula wondered.

      "Send me to Healing Springs?"

      "Hey, yeah! That's a good idea!" Ursula picked up Grapes and hopped up to Faerieland and to the Healing Springs. She held out Grapes and the Water Faerie did her healing thing. Grapes barked a few times and ran in circles.

      Dr. Sloth looked out of the space station.

      "Land on Kreludor!" he barked at the Grundo who was driving.

      "But, Boss-"

      "Just do it! I have some important business to take care of there."

      Dr. Sloth reached into his pocket and pulled out the remnants of a chocolate Chia and munched on the head.

      After a conference with some Grundos there, he was off to Darigan Citadel.

      He demanded to see Lord Darigan and they went privately into his chambers.

      "Meridell has had it too good for too long," Dr. Sloth insisted.

      "I know, but what I am to do?"

      "I think we may be able to get Tyrannia's beast on our side, and maybe even the Snowmuncher."

      "My friend, I think, let the invasion begin."

      They shook hands as Dr. Sloth swallowed the last of a chocolate Chia.

The End

(Or Is It?)