The Perfect Petpet

      "Pup!"

      "Mother!"

      "Mom!"

      Thus I was rudely awakened one bright Saturday morning. I groaned. Foxy and Pup were at it again! Both my Christmas Gelert, Ember, and my Christmas Zafara, Angel, along with their petpets, lived in the same room and, consequently, they were constantly fighting and bickering. I sighed and got up. I walked slowly over to Ember and Angel's room, rubbing my eyes and yawning sleepily. I entered the room to see Foxy, a cute little Christmas Doglefox, sitting and whimpering as Pup, a Christmas Puppyblew, circled around him, making fake lunges and snapping at thin air a couple inches from Foxy's face. Both Ember and Angel looked at me, then both said simultaneously, "Help!"

      "All you have to do is pick them up, you know," I said, sighing. "It's not that hard!"

      "I know," Ember said. "But Angel's afraid that she'll hurt her poor, spoiled BRAT, Foxy!"

      "He is NOT spoiled!" Angel said hotly. "And YOU'RE too scared that that untrainable, stinky, utterly horrid creature that tries to pass as a petpet will bite you!"

      Ember glared at Angel, then picked up Pup, who promptly bit her and jumped back down. He lunged at Foxy, who yelped and dove under Angel's bed. I quickly grabbed Pup and held him in a position in which he could not bite me. Ember started to cry. "I want a new petpet!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Something that isn't as mean and... well... horrible as that... thing!" She pointed wildly at Pup, who whimpered and hid his face.

      "Well," I said. "You're in luck! I got a petpet from the Test Your Strength game a few days ago when Harry hit it hard enough! I'll go get it. In the meantime, why don't you two get some breakfast?"

      A half hour later, I returned to the house to find Ember eagerly waiting for me on the front porch. "I put Pup in the SDB, ok?" I said. "Just in case you want him back later."

      "Oh," Ember said. "I'll probably never want HIM back! So, what's the new petpet called?"

      "It's called an Intesteen," I said. I brought the thing out from behind my back.

      "Interesting," Ember said, trying to hide her evident disgust. She gingerly picked it up and carried it back to the house. "Thanks, mom." she said half-heartedly.

      A little while later Ember came downstairs carrying her new petpet. "I named him Slime," she said. "Because he is really slimy! Mom, no offense or anything, but I don't really want this...thing."

      "Let's leave if for a while, ok?" I said. "I don't have a new petpet yet. Do you want Pup back?"

      "No!" Ember said quickly. "I'll NEVER want a petpet that will bite me! I'll keep this thing for a while, but once you get a new petpet, please tell me!"

      "Ok," I said. "I will!"

      A half hour later Ember came back down as I walked in the door. "Mom, I don't care. I really don't want this thing anymore. It's messing up all of my books and it even slimed up my bed! I'll go without a petpet, even!"

      "That's ok," I said. "I got another petpet a few minutes ago when Harry hit the Test Your Strength hard again. I'll go get it." I picked Slime up and carried him quickly back to the SDB. I put him in one of the cages and took out a small gray thing with wings. I carried it back to the house to find Ember once again waiting for me on the front porch. A little less eagerly, though.

      "So, what's this petpet called?" she asked.

      "It's called a Droolik," I said, and brought the little creature out from behind my back.

      "Awwwwwww," Ember said, her face brightening.. "It's adorable!" She picked the little thing up. "Thanks, Mom!" she called over her shoulder as she walked back into the house. I went back to my SDB and saw Pup. He looked at me, sorrow etched all over his face. Slime just stayed still. I figured it didn't really care very much what happened to it. "Don't worry, little guy," I said, patting Pup on the head. "I'll find you a good home!"

      That night I went to bed, wondering if, once again, I would be woken up early by Ember and Angel because the new petpet had started a fight with Foxy. I doubted it. The thing was pretty slow. 'I wonder what the purpose of the wings is?' I wondered. 'I mean, it can't fly!' I fell asleep thinking about this.

      Around breakfast time the next day, Ember came downstairs, carrying her Droolik. "I named it Fluffy." she said to me. "It just sits around, though, and those eyes are starting to freak me out! It can't fly or walk very fast, so I have to carry it around! Mom, I'm starting to have second thoughts about this thing!"

      Half an hour later I heard her her yelling. "AHHH!" she yelled. "Do something other than sit there and stare at me with those weird, freaky eyes! Mom!" I sighed and walked over to her and Angel's room.

      "What is it?" I asked calmly, though I already knew the answer.

      "It's this thing!" Ember exclaimed angrily. "It doesn't do anything! I really don't know if I want it anymore!"

      "Let's leave it for a while still, ok?" I suggested. "Maybe Fluffy will do something eventually!" Ember looked doubtfully at the Droolik, but she agreed to wait a little bit longer.

      At dinner time Ember jumped down the staircase, not touching one step. She was carrying Fluffy, who was still just staring into space. "Mom!" she yelled. "That's it! I do NOT want this thing anymore! I'll take Pup back! Anything is better than this thing!"

      "Ok!" I said, grinning. "I'll go get Pup! I think he'll be pretty happy." I took Fluffy and half walked, half ran back to the SDB. I took Pup out and put Fluffy in the cage that Pup had been in. The Droolik just continued to stare at me will those weird, freaky little eyes. I suspected that it was actually happy to be away from that hysterical pet that kept on yelling at it for no reason. "Pup," I said. "Be good, ok? She's not really sure that she wants you back, but if you're good I think she'll like you more!" I carried Pup back to Ember, who took him from me uncertainly. He yipped and licked her face happily.

      "He likes me!" she exclaimed, giggling.

      "And from now on," I said, smiling. "He'll be a better little petpet. He told me so!" Ember smiled and hugged me.

      "Thanks, Mom," she whispered in my ear.

      That night I went in to check on Ember and Angel. I saw Angel, stretched out, asleep, with Foxy sleeping on the floor next to her bed in his Snowager Petpet Bed. Then I turned around. What I saw made me so happy I wanted to cry. There lay Ember, sleeping, with a smile on her face. And there, snuggled up beside her with her paw resting on his head, lay a sleeping Pup.

The End