Lankershin was not the luckiest NeoPet around. In the first place, he was a
Lenny, a species famous for its lack of popularity. Worse, he was a dull, dark
grey Lenny. Long ago his feathers had been a cheery bright red, but that had
been before he had won a Shadow Paint Brush from the Neopian Fruit Machine.
At first it had seemed like a fortunate event, but once he had actually rushed
down to the Rainbow Pool and used it on himself, he immediately regretted his
hasty decision.
"I thought it would make me look cool," he had lamented to his only friend,
a Green Pteri named Pfergel. "Instead, I look like something that's been dragged
through a dirty chimney."
"Nonsense," replied Pfergel. "I think dark grey makes you look distinguished."
Lankershin refused to be comforted. "Oh, why didn't I just sell or trade that
thing instead of using it? I'd go buy myself a Red Paint Brush if I could afford
the cost."
That was another of Lankershin's problem: he was perpetually broke. Yes, he
would try to earn Neopoints, but he just wasn't very good at any of the puzzle
or action games, and always seem to have the worst luck whenever he played a
game of chance. More than once he had gone to the Faerieland Employment Agency
to get a job, only to be disgraced when he couldn't obtain the needed items
quickly enough.
And one day, Lankershin's luck took a turn--for the worse. He and Pfergel were
visiting Happy Valley, hunting for Ice Neggs when the bad news arrived.
"Hey, you two! Have you heard the latest poll results?" It was Xaminati, a
Cybunny with a green collar and a reputation for spreading malicious gossip.
"You know there's a poll that has to do with Lennys--" she leered at Lankershin,
"--about whether they should be allowed to stay in Neopia or not..."
Lankershin suddenly felt a knot tightening in the pit of his stomach.
"That's NOT what that poll is about at all!" Pfergel chirped angrily. "It only
has to do with whether the Powers That Be should give the Lennys a makeover
or not. I voted that they should leave them alone. Lanker looks fine the way
he is!"
"Well, I'm not telling you how I voted," Xaminati replied, smirking, "but I
think you should know that the majority of votes claim that the Lennys are an
ugly lot, and want something to be done about them."
Lankershin hung his head. The Pteri touched his friend with a wing and muttered,
"Don't feel bad, Lanker. I doubt if anything will come of it."
"Polls are pretty powerful things," the Cybunny reminded them. "They cause
things to happen, to change. Remember the Glass NeoPets? Every last one of them
was wiped out by a poll. It didn't matter if a Glass Shoyru liked his crystal
body and wanted to keep it that way; the Powers That Be responded to the results
of that poll, and turned all the Glassies into Tyrannians overnight. Misshapen
neanderthals is what they are now, the lot of them, nearly as ugly as the Mutants.
Mind you don't tell any of them I said so."
"Then you shouldn't say such things," Pfergel stated flatly. "Really, Xam,
if you can't say anything nice, maybe you should just go somewhere else."
"I'll leave when I feel like it," Xaminati retorted, glaring at the Pteri.
Noticing that Lankershin was shivering, the Cybunny smiled inwardly and decided
to give the Lenny something else to shiver about, just for spites.
"We all know how the Krawks started out as PetPets that gained the ability
to evolve into full-fledged NeoPets, right? Well, I've heard a rumour--"
"We're not interested in rumours," Pfergel snapped.
"--I've heard a rumour," Xam went on, "that the Powers That Be intend to do
the reverse with the Lennys. They're gonna DE-volve them all into PetPets!"
"That's not true!" squawked the Pteri. "You made that rumour up yourself!"
Lankershin swallowed hard. "Your days are numbered, Lenny," grinned the Cybunny.
"One day you'll wake up and find yourself changed forever into a lowly PetPet.
Or maybe you won't wake up at all, `cause you'll be extinct. Deleted from the
database, as it were."
"Now you stop that!" cried an outraged Pfergel. "Stop trying to scare poor
Lanker with your lies! Lanker, don't listen to her. The Powers That Be would
never do anything so cruel!"
"Oh, wouldn't they?" Xam sneered. "Tell that to the Mutants! Tell it to the
Tyrannians who used to be Glassies. As for you, Lankershin, if I were you, I'd
go find a Morphing Potion or a Magical Plushie to play with. Preferably a Magical
Cybunny Plushie, though most any type other than a Lenny would be an improvement."
With that as her parting shot, Xaminati hopped smugly away, heading towards
the Slushie Shop igloo to treat herself. However, when she came out of the shop,
sipping contentedly at a Berry Blend Slushie--Something Happened! A Wet Snowball
dropped from the heavens and pasted her between the ears, causing her drop the
slushie, which of course spilled all over the ground. Furious, she whipped around
to see who the culprit was, but no one was there. Pfergel and Lankershin had
left.
***
Despite the Pteri's attempt to reassure him, Lankershin felt terrible after
hearing Xaminati's ill tidings. His feelings were hurt, and he was frightened;
it really did sound like the Lennys were fated for a drastic change. That night
he huddled on his nest (for he couldn't afford a NeoHome), unable to sleep,
for what if tonight was the night the Powers That Be decided to act? When he
did finally fall asleep just before the dawn, all his dreams were nightmares
about turning into some sort of hideous creature, or shrinking down into a tiny
PetPet who couldn't talk, or of disappearing forever into a black void...
"Lanker! Lanker! Stop screaming and wake up!"
Lankershin emerged from the dark depths of his nightmare with a jolt. Pfergel
was beside his nest, shaking him into wakefulness. Wildly, the Lenny glanced
at himself. Long legs, thin tail, skinny neck, sooty plumage, and when he felt
the top of his head, the double crest that looked like a jester's cap without
bells was still there. He was still himself!
"I--I haven't changed, have I?" he asked, his voice dry with tension.
"Of course not, silly!" twittered the Pteri. "You look fine. Now come with
me--there's something I want to show you."
Still rather shaken by his bad dreams, Lankershin followed Pfergel without
a word as they flew to Central Neopia. Presently they came to a building that
the Lenny had never seen before. "What's this place?" he asked as they entered.
Inside it appeared to be an enormous reception hall teeming with NeoPets of
every colour and species. But that wasn't all--there were all kinds of Faeries,
Humans with oversized heads, a large Green Dragon, a giant Furry Fly, a Happy
Blue Fish (who wasn't a Koi) and even living Plushies!
"This is the Shopkeeper's Lounge," Pfergel replied. "All the Shopkeepers that
work in the privately-owned shops gather here during off-duty hours. Now, look
at that table over in the corner, and tell me what you see."
Lankershin looked. "Why, that looks like... a Glass Shoyru!"
"Yep, it sure is. C'mon, let's go over and say hi."
The Glass Shoyru was glad for the company, and even offered to buy the two
birds a Smoothie. "I can afford it," she assured them, "I make lots of Neopoints
from my work."
Pfergel ordered a small Wild Chocomato while Lankershin chose a small Salmon
Sherbert. As they sipped their Smoothies, the Shoyru spoke, "I suppose you're
wondering what a Glassie like me is doing here, when all others of my colour
no longer exist." She looked a little sad when she mentioned this, but continued
on: "It seems that Shopkeepers like me are under a special protection. Whatever
affects the rest of Neopia does not necessarily affect us here. See that Silver
Eyrie over there? Notice that he's got the old silver design--he didn't change
like the other Eyries who were silver when the change occurred. I think it also
has to do with the fact that none of us have owners."
Lankershin blinked. He didn't have an owner, either. Glancing around, he saw
two Lennys dressed like cowpokes laughing and joking at another table. They
certainly didn't appear to be worried that they might be altered or eradicated
or turned into PetPets!
"How do I become a Shopkeeper?" he asked.
"Way to go, Lanker!" Pfergel cheered, while the Glass Shoyru smiled and pointed
the way toward the Shopkeeper Sign-up Counter.
And thus Lankershin's run of hard luck finally came to an end, for he found
his calling as a Shopkeeper. The Shopkeeper's Union saw to it that he had enough
Neopoints to afford a modest NeoHome Today, Xaminati's taunts no longer bother
him, though he continues to hope that nothing bad will happen to the Lennys
who are not Shopkeepers.
The End
Author's Note: Pfergel is owned by harrystcloud, and is used with permission.
Xaminati is a made-up character (thank goodness). As for Lankershin, if you have
a shop, click on Create/Edit a Shop and check the Shopkeeper list for a Shadowed
Lenny. That's him! | 
