Less than an hour later, Mordegan and Zarrelian were
sweating inside a huge, clunky, sweltering faerie Uni costume. A two pet Uni
costume. The face of the Uni was hollowed out, and Mordegan's cheerfully smiling
face was showing through the opening. The large Uni snout and head bounced heavily
on Mordegan's skull as he danced around, singing the "MacUnis" jingle. Technically,
it was Zarrelian who was dancing around, since Mordegan's paws were resting
on his shoulders. A group of small Neopets, herded by their frantic looking
owner, hastily passed by them on their journey to the brightly lit restaurant,
but not before Mordegan had a chance to serenade them with a song.
"Oh, when your
tummy starts a-craving,
something fried
in oil and drenched with gravy,
you've got no further
to seeeeee-eeee-eek!
Than your local
neighbourhood, MacUni's!"
Mordegan winked at a small baby Draik, who seemed
wide eyed with fear. (Or are they always that way?) The Draik's owner quickly
scooped up her pet and began slowly backing away from Mordegan, who had thrown
open his paws, expecting a hug. Underneath him, unseen to the Neopian eye, Zarrelian
was sweating up a flood. His eyes began to water with frustration as Mordegan's
huge bushy hit him in the face, again. A small vein popped out on Zarrelian's
forehead and began to throb unpleasantly. It was so stuffy in the costume! He
looked up the Mordegan, who seemed to be having a fine time, scaring customers,
getting yelled at, being able to breath! It was everything that Zarrelian wanted!
He pulled on Mordegan's tail. The Lupe took a second to glance down at Zarrelian
and hiss, "What?!"
"I want to be in the top. I'm lighter, and I
want to be able to breathe!"
"You can't. Your face was frightening the children."
"And you're not?!"
"No. I'm entertaining them. They all love me!"
Mordegan stuck his head back up and resumed
singing. Zarrelian's rage was beginning to boil, and the weight of Mordegan
on his shoulders was becoming unbearable. He was about to snap, and the last
straw was when Mordegan's oversized emerald tail hit him in the face. One too
many times. Zarrelian let out a fierce war cry, and shoved his head through
the costume, his face erupting on the other side somewhere in the chest area.
Still psyched from his little explosion, Zarrelian sported a frothing mouth,
red eyes and a crazed grin. The baby Neopets who had been present when the strange
spectacle took place began screaming in fear, and running around.
"Mommy! A crazy goat just shoved his head through
Smile Uni's tummy!"
Mordegan stared down at Zarrelian, his eyes
wild with fear and anger. "What do you think you're doing?! You scared the living
daylights out of those kids! And what for? A few laughs?! Do you realise that
we're going to be fired for this?! And another thing... uh oh..."
A troupe of angry owners were rapidly approaching
the two oddly costumed pets, looking as angry as Zarrelian when he burst through
the costume, if not more so. Any courage that the Lupe or the Ixi still possessed
left them immediately. Mordegan had only one word left.
"Run."
Mordegan wriggled out the costume, and Zarrelian
squirmed through the hole he had already made, since an Ixi is 75% head, he
was able to make it out quite easily. Mordegan's long legs came in very handy,
though poor Zarrelian was huffing and puffing along, hardly able to keep up.
Finally, he spotted Mordegan's huge tail, swinging from side to side as he ran.
Zarrelian leapt like he'd never leapt before, and chomped down on the tail.
Mordegan gave a yelp of surprise, and began whirring his tail around like windmill,
Zarrelian clinging doggedly on, flying out behind Mordegan like a bizarre banner.
Finally, after running for nearly an hour, Mordegan finally collapsed at the
door of their NeoHome, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Zarrelian released
his hold on Mordegan's tail, massaging his jaws with his hooves.
"Ooh... Man, my mouth hurts so much! You couldn't
have made your tail any less wide, could've you?"
"What? Your bite felt like a magtiles! Hey...
Wait a minute, you've been filing your teeth into fangs again, haven't you?"
Zarrelian fidgeted nervously, and threw his
hooves up to mouth. "Erm, no. And it's none of your business, anyway!"
Mordegan growled, his face darkening. "Don't
mention business! Thanks to you, we have none! Do realise what you did? Now
we'll never get the Neopoints to buy the baby paint brush to get revenge on
Shell--"
Mordegan gulped, the colour draining from his
face. Shelleylou had just walked outside.
"Er... Hi Shelleylou! We were just talking about
how icky the baby paint brush is, and how it would look absolutely atrocious
on you!"
He pasted a nervous grin on his face, shivering
with fear as Shelleylou's scowl washed over him. She snorted once, her golden
tail wrapping sinuously around Mordegan's throat.
"I'm watching you Morty, I don't trust you one
little bit. I'm warning you... Stay out of my way! Oh, another thing. Ezanna's
in your room, Morty, he said to send you up when you get there."
She pranced haughtily off, cracking her tail
expertly in the air. Mordegan shuddered.
"I just keep on reminding myself, after we turn
her into a baby Gelert, that accursed tail will be gone!"
Zarrelian nodded. "It's going to be hard on
her, though. She and that tail have had some great memories. Anyway, shouldn't
we get up to your room? Maybe Ezanna has some sort of update on... the plan."
Mordegan's jaw was set. "I think it's time.
Now listen, when we tell him what happened to the Neopoints, we blame everything
on you, okay?"
Zarrelian muttered a few well chosen words,
and galloped up to Mordegan's room, the Lupe close in tow. They entered the
room to find Ezanna, sitting nonchalantly in Mordegan's chair, stroking C.C.,
Mordegan's Warf. Zarrelian gulped, and began speaking a mile a minute.
"Ezanna! Uh, yeah, it's not my fault, the costume
was hot, the kids scared easily, angry owners... I... uh..."
Ezanna held up his paw, signaling for silence.
He took a deep sigh, and stared straight at Mordegan.
"Before I answer any questions, I have to ask
you, why did you draw smiley faces on everything in this room?"
Mordegan grinned. "Oh! Because it makes me happy
to see my desk lamp, my bed, my table, a carpet, my door, my pencil and my plushies
happy! You could also ask Zarrelian why everything in his room has fluffy pink
bunny ears duct taped to them."
Ezanna blinked. "I'd rather not ask. Now, about
the baby paint brush... I already have it. I always did. I just thought it would
be really funny to see you guys in a two pet Uni costume. So... We can now carry
out our plan!"
Mordegan and Zarrelian cheered wildly, ready
for their revenge. Ezanna put on a pair of shades, and tossed the brush to Zarrelian.
"Go on Ixi, do the honours."
Zarrelian's face glowed with fiendish delight,
and he skipped off, Mordegan following close behind. Ezanna smiled, and, cool
as could be, pulled a second paint brush from his jacket pocket, and strode
out the door and after his two brothers. Shelleylou was peacefully reading a
book in a cushy beanbag chair, unaware of the danger standing right above her
on the second floor. Zarrelian and Mordegan grasped the paint brush handle together,
and simultaneously let go. The paint brush streaked down through the air, Shelleylou
turning her golden head upwards the last possible second before the paint brush
struck.
"Noooooooooooo!" Shelly cried, shutting her
eyes tight and wincing as the pink and blue paint drizzled over her post-golden
coat. Her ears shrunk and became stubby, her snout twisted and changed shape.
A ridiculous blue collar curled around her neck, and her eyes were oversized
and... cute. Shelleylou's grief was short lived. It was soon replaced by anger
and rage. Rearing up to her full height of two feet, Shelleylou launched herself
at Mordegan, clawing furiously at his tail. Mordegan chuckled and lifted Shelleylou
up as if she were weightless.
"Heehee... awww, what a cute widdle baybee!"
Shelleylou made a high pitched yipping sound,
her words coming out a piercing squeak. "Mordegan! Put me down this instant
or I'll force feed you a bunch of asparagus!"
Mordegan laughed and dropped Shelleylou on the
floor, where she was instantly attacked by Zarrelian.
"Cootchie cootchie cooo! Is wickle Shelleywoo
tired? Do you need a diaper change?"
Shelleylou's eyes turned bright red. "Zarrelian!
Get me a golden paint brush right now! You two are dead meat when Battlesunn
finds out! I swear, when I'm gold again I'm going to be so mad at yo-- Hahahaheehee!"
Mordegan tickled Shelleylou's paws some more,
keeping her in his vicelicke grip. "Aw... what a sweet liddle puppie!"
Zarrelian threw his arm around Mordegan's shoulders,
grinning wildly. "Come on old buddy, I'll buy you a smoothie."
The two long time enemies walked paw in hoof,
chatting as if they had never fought. Shelleylou snorted, and glared at Ezanna,
who had just appeared by her side.
"All right Ez, paint me gold again."
Ezanna obliged, and Shelleylou was soon returned
to her sparkling self. Ezanna sighed as he stared out at Mordegan and Zarrelian,
still on their way to the smoothie shop. Shelleylou seemed to be thinking the
same thing as the Zafara.
"How long d'you reckon this will last?"
Ezanna shrugged. "Who knows, but at least our
plan will hold them off for a little while."
Shelleylou growled. "As nice as it may be to
have them as friends, I still say that nothing was worth that humiliation. Next
time, you can be the victim."
Side by side, the golden Gelert and the yellow
Zafara stepped back into the NeoHome still arguing over their scheme.
***
Mordegan slurped his smoothie loudly, spraying bit of mushed up strawberry
all over Zarrelian's face. The Ixi's good mood vanished instantly. Mordegan.
He repeated the name inside his head so many times. Mordegan, the incredibly
obnoxious Lupe. The Ixi had been friends with him for five minutes, but then
he realised what an idiot Mordegan was, and decided that he would never be his
ally again. As he stared at his despised sibling, Zarrelian was reminded of
a very famous quote. "Keep your friends close, and you enemies closer."
Mordegan smiled as he enjoyed his smoothie.
Zarrelian was being so nice to him! It was a welcome change from his old attitude,
that was for. Mordegan's brow suddenly furrowed, as if he had been struck by
an engrossing thought.
"Yes..." He murmured silently under his breath.
"Yes... I think I DO prefer peach to strawberry..."
Ah well, some things never do change.
The End | 
