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Lira was in haste. She was about to be late from a dinner. Hurrying to grab her keys and ready to dash out into the streets, she heard a beep. Her laptop, which was resting on a cheap-like desk, was turning on. A window popped up inside the screen. Lira checked her watch and decided that the message, whatever it was, had to wait. Taking one more glance at the message window she was surprised to see it was from Neopia. From her pets. But Lira had no time. "You'll have to wait loves, I really can't spare a moment right now", she said out loud and left the apartment. -Meanwhile in Neopia- Rlarien whimpered on the couch. The little purple grundo had it's hands on it's belly. She was clearly not feeling well. Nervous looking Disco Kau was pacing around on the marble floor of their NeoHome, occasionally stepping on a rug placed just in the right spots. "Hasn't she answered yet?" she asked. The blue Lupe close to the computer said back to her: "You can clearly see it yourself. She hasn't. Relax Belnor, she'll come soon", Hyuire assured the Kau. Belnor stopped pacing and went to the Grundo's side. Hyuire and Belnor were both silent, they hadn't much to say. Only Rlarien's whimpers and random moans would interrupt their thinking. -Back to the real world- "Well there you are! I was getting worried over here about you, you know? Your late" Lira's brother had asked her for a dinner a long time ago. It was now. Lira shrugged and went to embrace her brother. "Gee, Samuel, know what? I think we should do this some other time. I got this really urgent message and my deadline is closing in soon. I still have to make a short story that my boss will like and I have, like, no idea what to write! Lira took a deep breath and gazed his brother. Samuel, in answer, smiled and agreed to her. "How about next week? I thought that might be nice, since then you'd get the chance to meet this friend of mine..." Samuel ended and gently blushed. Lira grinned to him. "You've got a girl, don't you? Awww.. my little baby brother who said he would never grow up and away from his computer and get a girl, has finally met 'someone'? Oh, you little rascal, you." They were both laughing but Samuel did'nt answer to her tauntings. Instead he grabbed his coat and pointed that they should go. Outside the restaurant they hugged and Samuel wished her luck with the story. -Again in Neopia- A young striped Eyrie had joined the three others. She had been away in Battledome looking for possible challengers, but alas, had had no luck. "Is Rlar any better?, she asked with concern. "Not really, she hasn't changed at all, better or worse", Belnor said. Hyuire held his head low and protested: "I just wish there was something we could do! It's terrible to be so helpless!" Lammeria nodded to him in agreement. "Maybe we should try to sending a new message?" Belnor didn't ask this from the two older pets directly, but was concentrating more in Rlarien's way, who had started to look very ill. Lammeria looked questioningly at Hyuire, who was the eldest of them all. He shrugged. "I don't think it'll help. If she was there, she would have already answered and came." Suddenly Rlarien cried in agony and Hyuire and Lammeria rushed closer to their younger sister. Worrying the worse Belnor leaned closer and checked her sisters condition. "She's one worse", she said to her siblings and then continued; "Oh Rlar, dear, try to hold on. It won't be long." -And in to the Real World- Lira was back to her apartment. She proceeded to her computer and started to check on her mails. "Hmmm... A notice on the story from the boss, yeah, yeah it's coming ya yellow bellied trout... A mail from Maxwell..! So the rascal finally decided to answer.. Daily junk mails.. away with those! Oh! Three more messages from my loves. Must be really important. Maybe I finally won in the lottery..." Lira smiled at the idea of being _very_rich (well somewhat). Then she opened the first of the messages her pets had sent. It read: Come quickly! This doesn't look good, Lira. Her eyes widened in fright and soon she was on her way to Neopia. She typed in her password at the login page and pressed enter. She was ported to ... bad password page? She had in terrible anticipation typed in the wrong password. Backtrack and a new try. This time she was ported to Pet Central. None of her pets were nowhere to be seen. They must be at our NeoHome, she thought. She practically run all the way to their NeoHome and bolted inside. She was surrounded! Lammeria and Hyuire were both tucking her to living room. Beside the the sofa Lira saw Belnor and as getting closer she saw her darling Grundo on the sofa looking very, very ill. "Rlarien!" she shouted. "What's wrong?" "She's famished. Just got worse." Belnor said next to her. "How could she be? None of you is feeling hungry, are you? Oh Rlar.." "You didn't check well enough if she got in the NeoLodge last time and our money ran out. She didn't go." "Oh no... Rlar, you poor thing. Lami, here, go grab something to eat from our shop." "I can't. It's already empty." The Eyrie looked sad. "Damn my good prices. Hyuire, go with Lammeria then, and get some money from our bank account." Hyuire stepped closer and asked how much they should get. "Take two thousands. No saving now. Oh, and while your at it, take the interest too." "You know they won't let the pets take the interest. You need the owner for that and that would be you, Lira." Lira just shook her head. "Then forget it. It isn't that much anyways.." She comforted Rlarien. "Well, go already", Belnor told her siblings. The Lupe and the Eyrie took off and within ten minutes, they had returned. Allthough to three of them it had seemed lot longer time. "Okay, we've got... Spice Chicken Burrito for 200 np. Cheesy Shoyru Meatball for 500 np. Two Cheops Plants for 10 np. Broccoli for 47 np. Candy Peas for 15 np. Grapes for 56 np and a Sausage and Pepperoni Omelette. We also tried the Tombola for some food but we only got sand... blue I believe", Hyuire told them. A moment of silence and Lammeria added: "It's all we could think about, being bit overwhelmed by Rlarien." They concluded. Lira blinked. "I figured you'd get more with two thousand, or what?" both the Eyrie and the Lupe looked ashamed. "Well, it would have", Hyuire went on, "but there wasn't that much np on our bank account." When Lira looked surprised, Lammeria quickly said: "Don't you remember? The paint brush and the petpet you gave Tomas for as presents?" "Oh yeah... Man that guy has expensive taste. Your petpets never costed me more than some thousands. Well, here ya go Rlarien, don't eat too much at a time. Broccoli dear?" -A while goes- Everyone was relaxed and happy now in the room. "So, feeling better Rlar?" Lira held her Grundo on her lap. "Much. Thanks Lira and fellas. Can I get that vacation now?" Lira agreed smiling. Rlarien's eyes narrowed cunningly and asked; "In Astrovilla? I deserve it, and I am a space NeoPet." Rlarien added before Lira had the time to answer from her shocked expression. But she agreed, she was very happy now that Rlarien was okay. And suppose she did deserve it.. The other pets demanded that now, that their vacation being over, they should get the chance to go there too. And Lira agreed. "We'll have to play lot of games.. Belnor, you ready for the Lab Ray? See if we can get you back to male this time..." And happily all five of them went on their daily joys. This story © to Riikka Kankaanpää, please do not use without permission. |