Sooty Happiness

Knock. Knock. Knock.

     “I said go away,” an angry voice called from behind the closed door. Things weren’t running too smoothly at 31658 Urchin Row. In fact, a disheveled owner was attempting to figure out what in Neopia had gotten her disco Pteri so upset that he’d locked himself in his room. That owner was me.

     “84th... for the last time, what’s wrong?!” I cried at the door.

     “Ask Dionrak,” was the muffled response I was given. Sighing, I walked a little ways down the hall and opened the door to my snow Grarrl Dionrak’s room.

     “What’s wrong with 84th, D? He just tells me to go away whenever I ask him what’s wrong. This is the FIFTH time he’s locked himself in his room. I'm tempted just to go back home to my main account for the day.” I sighed, sitting in the electric arm chair in Dionrak’s room. He looked up at me from his bed, where he was playing with a rubber yooyuball.

     “He wants a petpet,” D stated simply.

     “That’s it? He’s locked himself in his room five times and gotten mad at me just because he wanted a petpet?!” I cried hysterically.

     D nodded.

     “Why didn’t he just ask me...” I groaned, a headache forming.

     “Too many trips to the lab ray?”

     “Eh... you were labbed, weren’t you? You didn’t go crazy?”

     D shrugged. “Just get him a petpet... that should make him happy.” He then looked back down at his rubber yooyuball.

     I sighed again, rubbing my now aching head, and knocked on 84th’s door. “Get your coat on... we’re getting you a petpet.”

     I was knocked down when the door slammed open and a fully dressed 84th flew out heading towards the door. “Help?” I asked feebly to no one in particular. Commiserable, my blue Grarrl, shook his head at me when he passed by and took a picture, then headed into his room. I slowly, and painfully, got up and trudged down the stairs, where 84th was waiting tapping his talon impatiently.

     “Let’s go already!” he cried and grabbed me and dragged me out the door and down the street.

     I have such loving and appreciative pets, I thought to myself, as my merciless Pteri continued to drag me down the street.

     Eventually we came to Shenkuu’s petpet store. We entered, myself cautiously, remembering what happened the last time I had been in here. I glanced wearily at the rows of Shenkesse petpets, took one look at the price tags, and whispered to my Pteri, “Let’s try the imported pets section.” We turned to find imported pets, mostly from Neopia Central, with much cheaper price tags. One in particular caught 84th’s eye. He walked up to a small blue, bird-like petpet, with a large beak.

     “Hello little fellow,” he whispered.

     “Petoot!” was the bird’s response. The Koi running the store glanced at 84th looking at the small petpet.

     “That’s a petoot, from Neopia Central. That’s pretty much the only noise it makes, petoot. Drives me insane, that bird does. You can have him for only 1,000 neopoints.”

     “Only, 1,000! We’ll take him!” I cried pulling out the neopoints. I handed them to the Koi, who then walked over and opened the petoot’s cage. She took the petoot out and handed him to 84th, who happily took him into his... er... wings.

     “Hello there, little fellow! I’m going to name you Todd!” my Pteri squawked in delight. He set Todd on his... er... well, what Pteris have of a shoulder. “Let’s go home, Todd!” He then walked out the door, striking up a conversation with the petoot, who would occasionally petoot back in response.

     “Uh... I better follow them,” I mumbled to the shopkeeper. “Thanks!” and with that I dashed out the door after my Pteri.

          ~~~~~~~~

     The next day it was time for 84th’s daily lab trip. Also owning the petpet lab ray, I decided to take Todd along. We walked down the mountainside, which, frankly, was annoying because I could barely get halfway down the mountainside, and to the docks that would take us to where we needed to go. When we arrived at the docks, I was panting, as usual, and 84th just scooted away from me, pretending he didn’t know me.

     “He gets more and more like Willy every time they spend time with one another. Mental note to self: keep cloud Kougra away from other pets,” I muttered under my breath. A royal Uni stared at me like I was crazy when she saw me muttering. I just gave her a smile that said: ‘I belong to the NTWF; I know I’m insane’ and walked along. I found 84th and Todd gazing at the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of any aquatic pets or petpets. I joined them.

     After about an hour the boat docked at an undisclosed location, and only those with lab ray passes were let off the boat. Once off we headed down the pathway and to the lab. The Scorchio, now somewhat familiar with us, gave me and 84th the usual smile.

     “Come again today, I see,” he said. He gave 84th a pat on the head. “You know the drill, kid.” He walked over behind a machine, and 84th, leaving me to hold Todd, walked over and stood under the ray. There was a bright light, and when it passed, 84th looked no different.

     “What’s the result today, doc?” I asked, stroking Todd’s head feathers.

     “Up two movement points,” he said. 84th walked back to me, a little faster than normal.

     “Eh, not too shabby. Speaking of which, you know where the petpet lab ray is, doc?”

     “My petpet kookith’s ray for petpets? Right there, through that hole,” he replied, pointing to a small hole in the wall.

     “Thanks,” I stated with a grin and walked over to the hole. I placed Todd down on the ground in front of a hole, which he peered into. A kookith waddled over and took him by the... er... I think petoots have wings... and dragged him to the ray.

     “Petoot,” Todd... er... petooted, and watched the kookith, his head tilted in a curious ray. 84th and I watched from the hole, being too big to fit in it ourselves. The kookith pushed some buttons and pulled some levers, and the ray was shot with a blinding white light. When both 84th and I regained our vision we saw Todd... or... what was left of Todd. A pile of soot, looked up at us, a slight grin on its face... if that’s even possible. The Kookith swept him up and handed him in a baggy to me. I handed him to 84th.

     84th looked down at his once blue petoot, and the pile of soot Todd now was looked back. They looked at each other, faces expressionless, for I’d say... five minutes or so. Then 84th’s beak broke into a big grin.

     “C’mon, Todd! Let’s go show D what you look like!” 84th cried happily, and skipped out of the ray and back to the dock, swinging the back of soot, which, oddly enough, gave out the random ‘petoot’ here and there. I sighed walking after him. I stopped at the exit to the lab ray, for a moment.

     “Hey Doc,” I called. He turned to look at me. “Can the lab ray possibly turn your pet... crazy?” He shrugged.

     “It’s been known to happen.” I sighed.

     “Okay, thanks for telling me.” I exited, wondering, and followed my Pteri. We boarded the boat and arrived back home where we had to hike all the way back up the mountainside.

     “Must... find... better way... of transportation,” I gasped when we arrived home. I flopped down on the couch and fell asleep for a couple of hours. When I woke up, the sun was starting to go down and I realized I had to cook dinner. Or maybe not....

     “Who’s up for Pizzaroo?” I cried up the stairs. I was almost tackled by a stampede of two Grarrls and a pink Lupe. I wondered where 84th was... he’s normally the first one down when the word pizza escapes my lips. I glanced outside.

     There he was, sitting happily with Todd, still in a baggy, next to him. They were gazing at the sunset from out backyard. I sighed with happiness.

     “Hey... Mis... get your camera... I think I found the perfect photo...”

The End