Sleeping Count Von Roo Beauty

      This night was different than most, though, as he was very troubled. He had finally decided to question why it was he was only able to wake up for one hour each day. He could get so much more mischievous activities done if only he could be awake longer! He paced his castle floor, only half paying attention to his challengers. He decided that it was high time he investigated this mystery, and vowed that the next day, he would leave his castle.

      Well, he is a Roo of his word, so the next night, as soon as he woke up, he headed off to the Neopian Plaza, on his way to the Neopian hospital. He had realized that he there must be something wrong with him, as regular creatures didn't sleep all day long. He sighed as he gazed upon the entrance to the building; there were so many cheerful looking people inside. He held his head high, walking through the doors, a slight evil smirk on his face. He walked up to the counter and attempted a grin, but with his malevolence, it didn't look very much like one to the receptionist. She took a few steps back from the counter, holding her clipboard to her chest.

      "Can-can I help you, Sir?" she asked timidly.

      "I need to see a doctor, regarding a matter of the utmost importance," he said, in a calm voice.

      She consulted her clipboard, before looking back up at him.

      "There's an appointment available in ten minutes; would that be alright?"

      "Why, yes, that sounds lovely." It was almost physically causing him pain, maintaining the air of politeness.

      "And your name, please?"

      "Count Von Roo," he said, watching her eyes widen in surprise. She swallowed hard and penciled him in, her hands visibly shaking.

      "If you would have a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly."

      He nodded at her and turned around, grimacing. He detested interacting with people. He took a seat in the waiting room and stared at the ground, determined not to make eye contact with any of the pets seated around the room.

      A few minutes later, a doctor leaned out of a side door.

      "Mr. Von Roo?" he asked the room.

      The Count stood up and walked over to where the doctor stood.

      "Right this way, Sir," the doctor said politely.

      He couldn't help but feel a little surprise at the doctor's reaction; he didn't seem frightened at all! When they reached his room, the doctor ushered him inside and shut the door.

      "Hello, Sir. I'm Doctor Phante, nice to meet you. Let's cut to the chase; what seems to be the matter with you today?"

      Von Roo sat down, greeting the doctor with a slight nod of his head.

      "Well, as you may know, I am asleep almost all day. I am only able to wake up one hour out of every day. This really puts a damper on my plans, and it just does not seem normal to me. I have decided to come here, to see if someone might be able to tell me what sort of problem I have," he said, trying not to let his worry show.

      "Hmmm. Quite odd. When you're awake for this one hour, do you feel tired, or well rested?" The doctor tapped his pen against his knee as he waited for a response.

      "Well," Von Roo began, "I usually still feel rather tired."

      Dr. Phante stood up and pulled a book off of the bookshelf, opening it to the content page. He ran his finger over the words until he found the section he was looking for.

      "Aha! Let's see... page 467." He sat back down and opened the book on his lap, allowing both him and Von Roo to look at it as he read.

     "Well, I think you may have what is known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. Sufferers of this disorder feel drowsy and sleep for most of their days and their nights. When they're awake, they may have a lack of emotions, lethargy, and a different demeanor than they would normally display."

     Von Roo blinked as he absorbed the information. "I see," he said slowly. "What can be done about this, then?"

     "Unfortunately, Mr. Roo, the cause of this disorder is unknown; therefore we are unable to provide treatment at this time. I can offer my support for your difficult situation, though, and answer any questions you may have," he said, leaning over to gently pat the Count on the shoulder.

      Von Roo flinched at his touch, pulling away quickly. He skulked in his chair, feeling quite angry. Of course he would have a disorder that was incurable; it was just his luck.

      "Do you have any questions?" Dr. Phante asked in a gentle tone.

      "Is it possible that there will be some sort of solution to this problem in the future?"

      Dr. Phante shrugged. "It's difficult to say, to be honest with you. However, as the medical field makes new advancements every day, it certainly doesn't seem to be too farfetched of an idea."

      "Okay, thank you," he muttered angrily to Dr. Phante, before getting up and storming out of the hospital, his cape flapping behind him. He made his way back to his castle, glowering at everyone he encountered on the way. He bounced so hard on his tail that it began to hurt, but he was too angry to care. He reached his castle and saw the line of pets waiting to challenge him. He slammed the door open and dealt with them all, beating every single one of them. That brightened his mood considerably. When they were all gone, he went up to the tower and stood by the window, gazing up at the sky, pondering his predicament.

      He took notice of the time, realizing he only had a few more minutes to be awake. His eyes were already beginning to droop, and he had to keep suppressing the urge to yawn. When he could put it off no longer, he lay down in his coffin and sighed, thinking of the future. Dr. Phante had said that it was possible that there would be a cure someday, and it wasn't like he didn't have all the time in the world, after all. He had waited many, many years to even discover he had a problem; he could be patient as he awaited a cure. He comforted himself with that thought, as well as the knowledge that, in the meantime, he could continue mastering his dice, and causing the suffering of pets' levels. An evil smile crept upon his features as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The End