Connect the Dots

      Less than a month was left before the arrival of Usul Day. Mother Dot knew the triplets would never agree with a themed party, but she still planned to decorate their Neohome anyway. While sorting through a pile of birthday streamers, an advertisement from the Neopian Times caught her eye. Theme Park Entertainers Guild prompted an exclusive Prankster Package for a limited-time offer. The special delivery service included an experienced prankster to guarantee a satisfactory performance or your Neopoints back. The 50% discount made the Prankster Package a great deal for Mother Dot's tight budget. "Perfect!" she thought. "This should be a better way to meet the triplets' needs without having to visit the National Neopian Bank!"

      Three weeks later, the Usul sisters woke up excited to start their special day. The triplets raced downstairs to find the wonderful decorations Mother Dot had set up. Balloons and banners lined every inch of the walls, down to the baseboards. A scrumptious Lemon Swirl Usul Cake rested on the kitchen table, just begging to be devoured. Mother Dot knew it was the only cake the girls would enjoy. "Another surprise is waiting to be opened," she said, pointing downward. The triplets noticed a single gift box was strategically tucked underneath the table. The girls carefully read the label before unravelling the bow ties. "To the Dot family; From the Theme Park Entertainers Guild". The moment the lid was removed, vibrant confetti shower shot up to the ceiling before gradually settling on the floor. An unexpected greeting was spoken by a red-nosed buffoon who miraculously popped out of the box with a well-rehearsed speech. The Faerie Mynci claimed to be a trusted member of the Theme Park Entertainers Guild. His formal introduction was interrupted by giggles and whispers. The self-proclaimed Lieutenant constantly squeezed his fake nose to get the young Usuls to focus. "PAY ATTENTION, YOU LITTLE SKIDGETS!" The triplets continued to giggle as they listened to the squeaky sounds his nose made when pressed. It was all just a joke to them.

      Lieutenant Leigume honked his big red nose for an extended time. The high-pitched whistle summoned a Christmas Frogarott from within the same gift box. Mother Dot and the triplets were baffled by the performance they had just witnessed. The fire-spitting Frogarott was specially trained for entertainment purposes only. However, the longer Lieutenant Leigume squeezed his big red nose, the more frantic the Petpet became. Its wandering eyes would turn crimson red before blasting enemies to oblivion. Lieutenant Leigume commanded the Frogarott to ignite the candles on the Lemon Swirl Usul Cake.

     "THREE...TWO...ONE...MAKE A WISH!" he shouted.

      The Christmas Frogarott burned the whole cake as a result. The frenzied Petpet lost control and continued to scorch the kitchen and blast furniture to bits until the entire Neohome was left in disarray. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Leigume kept Mother Dot unable to interfere with the chaos. Instead of playing a simple game of Pin the Tail on the Hornsby, Mother Dot was handed 1/3 of the burnt Lemon Swirl Usul Cake. Dorothy, the Red Usul tried jumping in to rescue her mother, but was pushed back by the flames of the Christmas Frogarott. The despicable Faerie Mynci found amusement throughout the entire ordeal.

      After hours of endless carolling and torment, the triplets were finally able to come up with a plan to get to Mother Dot and take back their Neohome. Dotty, the Blue Usul was the first to notice a change in the Frogarott's behavior. The hazardous Petpet became extremely erratic whenever Leigume squeezed his nose. Dotty rushed to share this information with her sisters. Shortly after, Peridot discovered a bag of unused balloons hidden in the kitchen drawer. The Green Usul instructed her sisters to produce as many water-filled balloons as they could. By hurling water balloons like Gormballs, the triplets hoped to put out the flames and create a diversion. Eventually, Peridot used the puddles of water to trip the Faerie Mynci and swipe his false nose away. Dorothy and Dotty used ribbons to tie him down as Peridot went on to rescue Mother Dot. Without his squeaky red nose, Lieutenant Leigume was unable to further manipulate the Christmas Frogarott.

      The Dot family took a brief moment to celebrate their victory through a group hug. It didn't take long for them to decide the fate of the intruder. Peridot wanted to even the score and make the Faerie Mynci pay for the damage he caused. Dorothy explained that he would answer for his misbehaviour once he was taken away and brought to justice. "Even the worst criminals deserve a fair trial" the Red Usul stated. Dotty only hoped to care for the Frogarott, seeing the hazardous Petpet as an even greater concern. "Any Petpet can be properly trained," said the Blue Usul. "It just takes a loving owner with the patience to do so." Mother Dot was pleased to inform the girls that she had already contacted the local authorities.

      Lieutenant Leigume overheard the troubling news and attempted to make a swift escape back into the magic box from where he came. Luckily, the Faerie Mynci was stopped by Judge Hog of the Defenders of Neopia. The mighty Moehog swooped through the window and caught the impostor by his ankles. As he prepared to take Leigume to jail, the doorbell rang, setting everyone on edge. Mother Dot looked through the peephole but failed to recognize the disgruntled stranger. Panting on the front porch was the missing Mr. Morton G. Firefly. When the door swung open, the famous prankster locked his gaze on Leigume and immediately charged after him. Judge Hog intervened and kept the two separated. Morton G. Firefly was thoroughly questioned about his actions. The Yellow Gelert explained that he may have been a victim of identity theft. As a verified member of the Theme Park Entertainers Guild, Mr. Firefly was scheduled to visit the Dot family but was ambushed by Lieutenant Leigume and his fire-spitting Petpet. The Faerie Mynci was accused of being Neopia's most notorious birthday crasher. His actual name is Leigume the Buffoon, a registered criminal on the Defenders of Neopia database.

      Mother Dot was glad the chaos was over, but she was most thankful for the lesson it taught the girls. Dotty was granted permission to adopt the Christmas Frogarott as her very own Petpet. Dorothy received a personal autograph from Judge Hog himself, as well as an invitation to visit the Defenders of Neopia headquarters. Even Peridot jumped for joy as Mother Dot signed her application into the Yooyuball Training Academy. The Green Usul rushed to tell her sisters and they all shared her excitement. In the end, the triplets learned to overcome their challenges in life by working together. "Scattered dots on a blank canvas can always form a beautiful picture when traced together," said Mother Dot.

          The End.