Halo the Lost Angelpuss

      "Miss Sable?"

      At first, Sable had no idea anyone was calling her name. The piano suddenly became louder, blocking out the annoying voice of her butler. When a hand was laid firmly on her shoulder, the music suddenly stopped. She thrust her head around to glare at him. Sable pushed her glasses up her nose, and waited for him to say something.

      "Your sister is here, madam."

      Sister. Sable's sister didn't play music; instead Maple had worked at a toy-shop where she became famous with little children. Sable was sure she had seen Maple's white face on a billboard somewhere... Maple came into the room and ruined her thoughts. "Oh, my little brown Zafara!" she cried out, rushing over to embrace her sitting sister. Sable did not drag herself up.

      "What're you here for, Maple?" Sable asked. Her sister's white hair was tied back into a ponytail... Odd, thought Sable, she usually wears her hair in pigtails. I wonder when she started to do that...

      "What am I here for?" Maple echoed, seeming surprised. "Well, I found this little Angelpuss on the side of the road. Poor little thing was starved! I already have enough petpets, so I thought, 'Maybe Sable will want it.' Am I right? Do you want her? She's a sweet little thing, and she doesn't claw on furniture, from all I know."

      Sable adjusted her glasses, trying to see over the glare from the light. The Angelpuss was sure pretty, but she tended to stay away from petpets; thinking that they'd ruin her career. "I don't know..." she said uneasily. She didn't want the poor thing to starve again... It was rare for petpets to survive without a good, warm home to return to.

      "Please, Sable! All of my friends already have enough petpets! And it would be a shame to turn the Angelpuss loose again!"

      "I know, I know. But would this Angelpuss get into my way? Job wise?" Sable had stood up from the bench, and was smoothing down her silken lavender dress. She walked up to where Maple stood, the Angelpuss wrapped in her hand. "Let me hold her. I want to see if she'll be used to me."

      Maple nodded and handed the Angelpuss over. The petpet's fur was as white as Maple's, and it was silky; as silky as Sable's dress.

      "Nope. The Angelpuss would not be a problem at all! Silly Sable, petpets don't get in your way! They help you through tough times, like a loyal friend. They make you laugh when you're down, and they're great to talk to when you're lonely!" Maple was anxious. She was rubbing her knuckles against her jean pants.

      Sable wrinkled her nose in intense thought. She was self-consciously petting the Angelpuss. Purring broke her thoughts. Sable looked down at the petpet. It peered up at her with angelic yellow eyes. They reminded Sable of a halo... An angel's halo...

      Sable addressed her butler to come over to her. She handed him the Angelpuss. "Make sure the petpet gets enough water and food. Play with it, if you will." Sable heard the butler's shoes tapping against the marble flooring as he left to go take care of the Angelpuss. She turned back to her sister.

      "I can make an exception. But if the Angelpuss causes any trouble, I want you hightailing all the way back here to take it away."

      "So you're going to keep doing that, aren't you?" Maple wasn't the most specific neopet of all time. She was twirling the tip of her ponytail with her paws.

      Sable regarded her with wide eyes. "Keep doing what?" Had she done something wrong? Sable was getting antsy.

      "Keep calling the Angelpuss 'Angelpuss' and 'it' and 'petpet'?"

      She hadn't even thought of getting her new petpet a name! "N-no, I was going to name it! How about Halo? It has a halo, and its eyes are as yellow as one." Sable seemed to be asking Maple for help in naming her petpet. But if Maple knew, she didn't let on. Maple looked like she was getting ready to leave.

      "Halo? Yeah, that's a very nice name! How creative of you, Sable." Maple turned towards the white oaken door of Sable's house. It seemed like her sister always dumped problems onto her... and right when she was busy playing the piano, too! "Anyway, I told Tabby to keep watch on the toy-store as I came to hand you the Angelpuss. She's not that good with children, so I should be getting back-"

      Sable crossed her arms. "That quickly, Maple? Leave that quickly? We haven't spoken to each other for almost a year!"

      Maple seemed confused. She froze; her fingers almost grazing the doorknob. "What?" she asked dubiously.

      The brown Zafara pianist dipped her hand dismissively. "Never mind. You can leave; but make sure to come and visit me, alright? A little music does great to soothe one's soul, you know."

      Maple nodded, and then she was gone.

   ***

      When the butler left to go to his house and family, Sable had curled up in her bed like a Hissi. She blindly laid her glasses on the nightstand beside her white bed, but she heard them snap off and fall to the marble floor. Sable was too tired to care, and she rolled over and closed her eyes shut. Sleep took her like a bad disease, engulfing her for another night in the dream realm.

      By birdsong was Sable's favorite way to awaken - but that morning it did not start out like that. Instead, it was an obnoxious meowing and pawing at her bed. She rolled over to investigate this; and saw sheathed paws patting at her covers. At first Sable was utterly confused, and then realized it must be her new petpet Halo. Sable grunted as she leaned over to pick the petpet up. Halo's heavenly yellow eyes bore into her fur. Sable gave a little shake and sat up. "I guess you can come to the store with me," Sable grumbled, rubbing at her eyes. She bent over to grab her glasses and place them squarely onto her nose. She saw Halo clearer.

      "Alright, Halo, just stay here on my bed while I get dressed." Sable laid her petpet down on her feathery white sheets, and then she turned to the closet. Sable picked out her most commonly worn wool shirt and plaid pants, with her leather boots. Maple had always made fun of her for the way she dressed... But, alas, Sable didn't care because this was the way that made her feel comfortable with herself.

      After picking up her wristwatch and lacing it on her left wrist, Sable picked up Halo and then waltzed out the door. The store wasn't that far, so she didn't need to use the taxi that Old Man Lupe drove. He stank, and Sable had always dreaded riding in his taxi with him...

      When Sable and Halo got to the store, she was just about to push past the glass doors when she noticed something plastered onto the glass windows. Sable backed up a bit to look at it closer. On the top was a picture of an Angelpuss, and it said if this Angelpuss was found to go inside the store at the front counter. Sable felt her throat go dry. That petpet looked a lot like Halo...

      It said that the person who found the lost petpet should go to the front counter at around ten NST, PM. Sable checked her watch. Oh, she had enough time. It would be wrong of her to keep Halo, so she entered the store and soon found herself standing at the front counter behind a green Gelert. Once the neopet was finished with his business and left, Sable stepped up hesitantly and ignored the gawking neopets nearby. At the counter was a sweet looking blue Uni. When she saw Sable and Halo, her mouth dropped.

      "Muffin!" she cried, and took Halo from Sable's paws. "Oh, Muffin! You're alive! You're back to Mommy!" After waiting about a minute, the Uni finally turned to Sable. "Oh, you're the famous musician! Your name is Sable, right?"

      Sable nodded.

      "Thank you so much for finding her. The reward is a very rare kitchen-set-"

      Sable cut the Uni off. "No, I didn't find her. My sister Maple did. She works at the toy-store a couple of miles from here." And then Sable turned and left, the Uni didn't even call after her. Sable had enough wares anyway, so a new kitchen-set wouldn't do her any good at all. Maple deserved it more.

      Her slim brown hand pushed at the glass doors, and a bell jingled its good-bye. Sable pushed her glasses up her nose and strained not to cry over the petpet she had just lost, and only had for a day or less.

      "Good-bye," she said softly.

The End