Memories of the PPL: Samrin's New Home

     "You know, that story reminds me of my first mission for PPL," sighed the Kacheek dreamily.

     He was speaking to a small Chia who had just finished telling his tale about an adventure in Terror Mountain.

     "I don't believe I've ever heard that story," came the voice of a Royalboy Draik who had put down his beverage when the Kacheek had started talking.

     "Why don't you tell it, Samrin?" suggested a Kougra also sitting with them.

     Samrin looked around at all of his old friends; they stared back eagerly awaiting a new story.

     "Okay, but it's a bit long," warned Samrin.

     "We came here to listen to old tales," the Chia pointed out. “There’s not much else to do at our age, and I’m sure that your story will be very intriguing.”

          "It all started on an ordinary day," Samrin began, "as do most adventures..."

     ***

     I was a herder at the time, and I never knew that I would be a member of PPL. I was much younger and fitter back then, in fact my fur was a vibrant cyan. I had a farm full of the cutest little Petpets, Snorkles, Puppyblews, Noils, you name it. I loved them all dearly, but there was a certain Lupe who loved them just as much... as a snack. I'm sure you all know of Balthazar the Bounty Hunter; well, he would swoop in at any time to gobble up as many of the little dearies as he could find. I would often herd them into a pit or my house, but every week I lost at least one of my precious Petpets.

     Anyways, this day was quite rainy and I could tell that the petpets had no intention of going outside. My already cluttered house was crammed full of Snorkles on the couch, Doglefoxes under tables, and a couple Puppyblews looking at the rain curiously. Despite the dreary weather, I was glad because I knew that today they were safe from the vicious Balthazar.

     As we were all trying to find some comfortable place to relax, I heard a scratching at my door. I rushed over to answer it, fearing that one of the Petpets had gotten stuck outside. I swung the door open and saw a rather muddy Weewoo flapping in the rain.

     "Oh my goodness, I've always wanted to see a Weewoo," I exclaimed excitedly.

     Then I noticed that it was holding a green envelope. I reached out and took it from the little fellow, who then flew back off into the storm. I seldom got any mail so I was quite eager to find out what was inside. I pushed over a couple Noils from my chair and opened the envelope.

     I read aloud, "Dear Samrin, your actions of Petpet protecting have been noticed by the PPL and we would like to offer you a job. We have a ranch on Lutari Island that needs a rancher. You will be allowed to bring along all of your Petpets, and you will be in charge of protecting any ones you find in distress. If you are interested, then please come to Lutari Island as soon as possible. If you would like to decline, then please let me know so that we can find someone else. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Weltrude."

     I was thrilled to read this message; I would be given a new ranch, I would be getting paid for what I did, and best of all, I'd be away from Balthazar. Even if that Lupe would want to follow me, he'd be lost in Lutari Island. Over the next few days I packed all my belongings and got all my Petpets ready to leave. By the end of the week we were on our own boat, provided by PPL, on our way to Lutari Island. Of course, it wasn't easy keeping track of the many little guys on a rocking ship. I was constantly darting after ones that got too close to the edge, or were being bumped around. By the end of the trip I was mighty seasick and so were most of the Petpets.

     But we made it, and let me tell you, Lutari Island was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen. The entire land was covered with trees, vines, and flowers of more colours than you could name. For the first few minutes I just stood and gaped at the beauty of all that nature. I must have lost track of my Petpets, because the next thing I knew one of my Doglefoxes had dashed off into the vegetation.

     "Come back, Charlie," I called.

     I chased after him, but got wrapped in the bountiful vines. I struggled to get free, and when I finally did I found a sweet blue Bruce holding Charlie.

     "Is this yours?" she asked kindly.

     I nodded dumbly.

     "Then you must be Samrin," she exclaimed as she returned Charlie to me. "I'm Weltrude."

     "It's a pleasure to meet you," I replied. "I'm so thrilled to be working for your wonderful organization."

     "Excellent. Now, let me show you to where you'll be staying," she said bubblingly.

     She led me and my many Petpets through the thick jungle. We passed many unusual houses, some were in trees, and some were trees themselves. I spotted a couple of exotic petpets and I knew that I would adore living here. Eventually, Weltrude brought me to a clearing with a home in the middle. It wasn't quite big enough to be considered a house, and yet it wasn't small enough to be a shack.

     "This is your new home," she announced, "and if you look around back you'll see where the petpets will be staying."

     I followed her directions and I saw a place that I can only describe as paradise. The grass was lush and covered with flowers, a waterfall trickled down from a cliff and into a pond. All of this was surrounded by a small, but firm fence.

     "This is all so lovely," I gasped, awestruck. "I'm sure that the Petpets will love it."

     "That's great. I've just got a few things to leave with you and then I'll be on my way," she said as she reached into her sack.

     She handed me a lime green shirt and said, "This is your official PPL uniform."

     Next she gave me a rather large book and explained, "This is a list of all the known petpets and their personalities."

     Finally she handed me a small orange ray gun.

     "A weapon?" I inquired, perplexed.

     "Oh, it's not very dangerous." She brushed my question aside. "It's the same design as Boochi's ray gun; it only turns Neopets into babies."

     "Yeah, but why do I need it at all?" I asked.

     "Well, it's really more of a precaution," she muttered. "It's not like you'll need it; I mean, Petpet herding is not the kind of occupation that will require a weapon."

     "But what is it a precaution for?" I demanded, getting a little agitated.

     Weltrude sighed. "You see, there have been numerous crimes happening in this area. I'm sure that the Petpets won't get into any trouble, but if they did I would never forgive myself."

     "I understand," I said.

     Weltrude loved petpets as much as I did, and I bet she just didn't like the thought of them being near a criminal without protection. But I couldn't think of anyone who would target Petpets, especially common ones like mine.

     "Well, I'll be heading back to the headquarters, and I hope you enjoy working here," she said as she turned away.

     Once she was gone, I brought all of my Petpets to the back to let them get used to their new home. The Lutari Island house was a little more primitive than my Neopia Central ranch, but it had everything I needed. There was a bed made out of soft leaves and cabinets in the kitchen carved from a dark wood. After taking a little time to familiarize myself with everything I checked back with the Petpets. They had all already adapted, so I went back to unpack. I took another glance at the beautiful land in front of me and smiled, thinking I would love this place.

     ***

     The next day I awoke and found all my Petpets nestled into my new furniture. Every cupboard I opened revealed a Doglefox or Noil dozing. Eventually I found a drawer that contained some very colourful and interesting fruit. I used it to make some salad for breakfast for me and my Petpets. Once they had all eaten, I let them outside. I glanced around Lutari Island and decided that I should explore the village. I made sure the Petpets were safe and content before heading down a soft dirt path.

     Lutari Island had many fabulous shops, each with an eccentric shopkeeper. I walked into a shop that sold berries and saw a tall Mynci behind a counter.

     "You're that new Petpet guy, right?" she said. "Here, have some berries as a welcome gift."

     As she handed me a handful of purple berries, I stuttered, "For free?"

     "Of course, you're doing a very important job," she laughed.

     Every other store I went to followed the same policy. Soon I was covered with free clothes, free trinkets, and free books. It was then that I noticed a small stand with a poster on it. The advertisement announced, Come see Lutari Island's own dazzling diva, Alex Peterson. Below the words, there was a picture of a stunning Pink Lutari in an indigo dress. I was intrigued. I had always thought that concerts were only held at Tyrannia, but maybe now I could finally see one.

     I walked up to the teller and inquired jokingly, "Free samples for the new guy?"

     The small Electric Korbat looked up at me, confused.

     "Uh, it's a joke," I explained, a little embarrassed. "How much are tickets?"

     "800 NP," he mumbled.

     I wasn't sure if that was a good deal or not, but I wanted to see this show, so I handed over a bag of Neopoints.

     "My name's Samrin," I said, holding out my paw.

     When he failed to say or do anything I pressed further, "What's yours?"

     "I'm Kaos," he answered without making eye contact.

     He then handed me a ticket. "The concert will be taking place at that clearing at 9:00pm tomorrow night."

     "Alright.”

     I then returned home to tell my beloved Petpets about my interesting day.

     ***

     The next night I found the clearing with great ease. There were lights flashing and people cheering around an enormous stage. I hurried over to a Grarrl who was collecting tickets and handed him mine. He ushered me into the restless crowd of fans. I tried to find a place to stand where I could see the stage, but I was repeatedly shoved over by an aggressive spectator. After much of this rambunctious behaviour I saw Kaos fluttering onto the stage with a microphone (obviously designed by a Virtupets inventor). He was looking much more enthusiastic than when I had first seen him.

     He announced, "Are you ready to see the one and only... Alex Peterson?!"

     Everyone erupted in cheers and I couldn't help but join in myself. The stage filled with a mysterious blue fog and I saw the figure of a Lutari emerge. When I finally saw her clearly I was stunned at how glamorous she was. Her fur was a sweet pink and her dress was like a wild ocean. Her hair was like long locks of chocolate that swished as she walked. Her eyes glimmered and her smile burned a hole in the air.

     She began to sing immediately,

     "I can see you there,

     Standing with a frown

     The world just ain't fair

     And that's got you down

     But I'm here to make you smile

     I promise not to be a bore

     And it will only take a little while

     Before your spirits soar!

     You will feel so happyyyyy

     When. You. Look. At. Meeee!"

     Her song continued flowing like that, but I wondered how she could project her voice so loudly. Then I caught sight of Kaos doing something with his microphone. I remembered reading that Korbats have very accurate hearing and could use echolocation. With those skills, combined with Virtupets Technology, he might be able to alter sound. Of course it would not be easy, but maybe...

     Alex's song ended and with another puff of fog, she was gone. Her music had truly touched me; I don't think I had ever heard anything more beautiful. I left and strolled back to my home, humming her tune. When I arrived I could feel that something was wrong. There were no sounds of Petpets! I rushed to the back and found it deserted. I frantically searched every nook and cranny, but found no trace of them.

     Then I heard a distant bleating of a Babaa. I was ready to jet out to find him, but I stopped myself. Before I left I picked up the baby ray that Weltrude had given me. Then I ran outside; it was late night now so I had to be careful where I stepped. I could hear the bleating getting louder and soon I found the Babaa wrapped in vines.

     "Don't worry, Paulie, I'll get you out of here," I muttered as I ripped off the vines.

     However, as soon as he was free, Paulie pranced off in the other direction. It wasn't like he was in a trance; he just seemed to really want to get someplace. I chased after the guy and nearly tripped several times on roots and rocks. After a few minutes of this pursuit, Paulie arrived at the same stage I had recently left. It was all dark and empty now, but Paulie went around to the back. The Babaa found a small crawlspace and scurried under it. I tried to squeeze myself through, but stopped when I saw where I was going.

     Ahead of me was a dank room containing all of my Petpets caged up. In the centre of the room was Alex and Kaos, who had just scooped up Paulie.

     "Perfect," squealed Alex, "That's the last one; your supersonic whistle really worked. I've already contacted Balthazar; he's taking the first boat he can catch to get here."

     I cringed; Balthazar, here?!

     "Are you sure you want to do this?" inquired Kaos nervously, "I mean, sure, we did a few local crimes, but Balthazar is a real tough guy. If he gets angry he could hurt you."

     "He's paying for these Petpets and that's all that matters," sniffed Alex, "And besides with you by my side I have nothing to fear. If that brute starts to cause trouble you can create a sound frequency sound so dangerous his ears will pop."

     Kaos snarled, "You know that my skill is not for hurting others!"

     Alex sighed. "I have always been loyal to you and you shall do the same for me. If I'm in danger, you are going to save me."

     "Yes, Alex," hissed Kaos reluctantly.

     I had heard enough and decided that it was time for action. I reached for my baby ray, but Kaos's super keen hearing picked up my noise.

     "There's someone there!" he cried.

     "Don't just stand there, do something!" shrieked Alex.

     The Korbat dived down to where I was and grasped onto me. I fumbled with the ray gun, but soon I was in his tight grip.

     "Put him in that cage in the back," ordered Alex.

     I tried to resist, but it was futile. The strong Korbat dragged me to the back of the room and tossed me into a large cage.

     "I'm really sorry," he whispered, "Samrin."

     Hearing my name gave me a feeling of connection with this guy. Even though he was doing evil deeds, he had bothered to remember my name.

     "Are you really going to let Balthazar devour these petpets?" I asked.

     "I don't like it, but Alex makes the decisions," he murmured.

     "But why do you listen to her?" I pressed. "You're obviously stronger than her."

     "She's my best friend, and I am hers," he elaborated sadly. "Ever since we've met it's been like that and I can't turn my back on her now."

     I thought that he had finished, but he had more to say. I had clearly opened up a topic he had been longing to talk about.

     "I know that she's doing bad things, but she still needs a friend," he continued. "She was abandoned by her parents at a young age. Her father was a journalist for the Neopian Times who couldn't care less about her. When she was taken to the pound she was separated from her twin brother whom she loved more than anything. It destroyed her; I know, she is in so much pain every time she tells me about it. As a Lutari she couldn't be sent to the pound so she washed up here where I found her. I need to be with her so that she doesn't break down completely. It's not all bad, we really have had a lot of good times-"

     His emotional speech was interrupted by a door slamming open. Standing there was a broad, towering Lupe with dirty tangled locks of periwinkle fur. His eyes were ferocious and hateful, and he had a snarl that showed several murderous teeth. He was Balthazar the Bounty Hunter.

     "I've been waiting a long time to sink my teeth into these guys," he chuckled cruelly.

     "Here's your payment," he barked, tossing a large sack of coins on the floor.

     "They're all yours." Alex gestured to the caged Petpets.

     Balthazar advanced on them hungrily, but then he caught sight of me in the corner.

     "Well, well, if it isn't little Sammy, the guy who's been making it impossible for me to get a meal for the last few months," he snarled. "I'm gonna make you pay for that."

     I could see an idea flicker into Alex's mind as she spoke. "If you want him, you have to pay double."

     "Out of my way," he growled, swiping his paw against her face.

     She tumbled to the floor in pain, clutching her scarred face more in shock than agony. Both Kaos and Alex had been greatly surprised; I realized that with Kaos always protecting Alex, she had come to feel as though she were invincible.

     Kaos was clearly furious now. He unleashed a screech and directed it towards the Lupe. Balthazar stepped back, but he was far from hurt. The Korbat grabbed both hands on his microphone and thus dropped my baby ray that he had taken from me. He let out another high-pitched sound, I could feel it scorch my ears and could only imagine the suffering that Balthazar was experiencing.

     However, I was more focused on reaching out and grabbing at my baby gun. I clutched it in my arm and pointed it outwards. Although it made most sense for me to want to shoot Balthazar, instead I aimed at Alex. Balthazar had hunted my Petpets, but he had a reason. She, on the other hand, had stolen all of my Petpets and was going to feed them to that monster. She had no reason. She was a singer who had no need for money; she only did it because she was evil. I hated her for that and so I fired at her, not even realizing that there was no such thing as a Baby Lutari. Kaos saw what I was doing and acted in a split second. He soared into Balthazar's gut causing the Lupe to stumble backwards. He fell right into my line of fire, and in a flash there was nothing but a sleeping baby Lupe. Alex had now also collapsed into unconsciousness.

     Kaos rushed to Alex's side. Even though he knew that she was evil and treated him like a slave, he still remained loyal to her. I didn't know the whole story behind their relationship, but at the time I didn't care.

     "You can go," breathed Kaos, "and take the petpets too. I don't see what a Baby Lupe will want with them."

     He threw me a key which I used to let myself out and then free all the other Petpets who immediately grouped around me. As I prepared to take them away I glanced at the still body of the Baby Balthazar. He had always made my life miserable by taking away my precious Petpets, and yet now he looked just as helpless as them. I had learned from Kaos that a traumatic past could do terrible things to a person; maybe that was what had happened to Balthazar. I wouldn't go as far as Kaos had and be his friend, but I would give him a chance. I picked him up and carried him to the door.

     As I left, Kaos cried, "I'm sorry, Alex, I couldn't protect you."

     Although she would live I could tell that her face wasn't the only thing that would be scarred. Her reliance on Kaos had been damaged greatly; I didn't know what either of them would do now. However, at the moment I had my own problems to worry about. I took Balthazar into the jungle, thoughtful all the way. I was approached by a thin faerie wearing a cloudy attire. She had blue wings and blonde hair streaked with cerulean.

     "Hello, Samrin, my name is Briana, and I have been watching you," she said with a melodious voice. "You have been very noble. I can take care of Balthazar."

     "What are you going to do?" I asked, a little worried.

     "I will return him to the Haunted Woods," she explained. "I will change his memory so that he believes that he was zapped by Boochi while bounty hunting. He will decide whether he is ready to change."

     "Thank you," I said as I handed away the Lupe who had caused me so much grief.

     The next day I packed up all my possessions and herded my Petpets on a ship headed back to Neopia Central. Balthazar was gone; but more importantly Alex was here, and I wanted to be as far away from her as possible. Of course, Weltrude was a little surprised at my sudden departure, but she understood once I had explained. And I kept my position as a herder for the PPL, which is what I did until the day I retired.

     ***

     Samrin sighed as he finished his tale. The Draik, Glasgow, stared mesmerized, while the Chia had teary eyes.

     "I feel so bad for Kaos and Alex," the Chia sobbed.

     "We all go through moments like that," observed the Kougra. "In fact, I have a story as well that may interest you."

To be continued...