How Trouble and I Met

     Startled awake, G.G. Bear rolled over to look up into the tree's boughs. Down climbed Trouble, her older brother's blue Babyca. The Babyca looked mighty pleased with himself as he dashed about to gobble up all of the jellybeans that he could find in the grass. Sweet could only shake her head in wry amusement. Trouble was always doing things like that.

     It made the jelly Shoyru wonder... Her brother Lofty was a very patient sort yet, if asked to imagine what he would want in a friend, especially such a close friend as he and Trouble were, the blue Babyca would not be the first choice she would think of.

     "Lofty, how did you come upon Trouble, anyway?" Sweet asked.

     The baby Yurble twitched his nose, having grabbed up a handful of the fallen jellybeans to eat at his leisure. He blinked his wide green eyes at his sister and smiled.

     "Legend was asking me the same thing earlier. He wants to know if it will make a good story to share at one of his parties. So, I believe this is what I will say..." the baby Yurble began, waving his jellybean-filled fist to get his Babyca's attention.

     "This, of course, is Trouble. He is my blue Babyca. In order for anyone to fully understand the relationship I have with my Petpet, I shall relate here how it came to be that we first met. Once I was morphed and painted into a baby Yurble, I went to the Neopian Petpet Shop, yet again, to look for a suitable Petpet for myself. As I had learned from Momma, I did my research.

     I had dismissed Petpet after Petpet. None of them seemed to be suitable for me. They were too slow, too used to warmth and comfort or too neat for me. It was not that I was picky, I just knew what I was looking for. Like any rare treasure, a long and earnest search must ensue for it to be a really great adventure and definitely worth it.

     I had read about Babycas and was curious about the species. As with my neck ruff as a red Wocky, I was not crazy about them being originally pink. As with me, it could be easily fixed with a paint job. I had already thought about painting my Babyca blue but even before that, I wished to at least meet one of the species. On this particular visit to the Neopian Petpet Shop, I was in luck!

     A half dozen Babycas had just come into stock! I was able to observe the little Petpets at my leisure, having long since made friends with the shopkeeper. She had allowed me first choice if I decided to actually buy a Babyca. It was a generous offer and one I did not take lightly. A royalgirl Meerca began to make a fuss, a Chocolate Faellie Cake in one curled fist.

     To my amusement and slight exasperation, the Babycas and I were equally distracted by the cupcake. I believe the royal Meerca was upset because she wanted to look at the Babycas, too.

     "Go ahead and let her look, too, Fadila," I said with a nod.

     The green Usul shopkeeper gave me a thankful look and allowed the royalgirl Meerca to pass. She gave me a condescending look and a sniff, before stuffing the cupcake into her mouth. As she chewed her sweet treat greedily, the Babycas lost interest in her, not even bothering to sniff her fingers. Not liking her manners with Fadila, myself or the way she scanned the Babycas with an uncaring eye, I withdrew the small bag of Double Chocolate Jellybeans that I always carried with me. At the sight of yet another treat, all of the Babycas rushed to me with eager faces.

     I ate a handful of my precious stock and then put the bag away. The Meerca was glowering at me with her bright pink berry eyes. I ignored her attitude and began to seriously observe the Babycas. It was why I was there, not to cause trouble with a rude customer of Fadila's. I gently lowered my hand into the pen, the Babycas swarming about me eagerly enough.

     Most allowed me to run a gentle hand along their soft, round bodies, but there was one who would allow my fingers to come close but then he would speed away, again. I realized that he was playing a game with me and I continued the game with delight.

     "I thought because Babycas are so fat that they would also be lazy. Yet, none of these, especially that one, are staying still," the royalgirl Meerca groused, pointing one stubby finger at the Babyca I was playing with.

     I did not deem her worthy of a response and allowed my hand to pause, hoping to draw the Babyca in. He was but he did not get close enough for me to catch. Hitting upon a new idea, I quickly withdrew a jellybean from my little bag. Again, this caught all of the penned Babycas' attention. They were practically enraptured by the jellybean (I certainly could not blame them; they are one of my weaknesses).

     The Babyca who had been playing with me studied me with bright blue berry eyes but he did not immediately rush towards my curved palm (in order to protect the jellybean from the other Babycas who were practically drooling by this point). I could see his intelligence and pondered what he was thinking of. That is when he dashed speedily through the crowd, using his fellow Babycas as stepping stones to reach my just-out-of-reach hand and the jellybean prize. His plan may have worked but another Babyca yanked on one of his three tails, making him literally tail-spin in midair. He landed smack dab in the center of the royalgirl Meerca's perfectly coiffed hair (it reminded me of icing on a cupcake).

     To everyone's horror (Well, except mine. I was inwardly laughing at the spectacle. The snooty Meerca merely got what she deserved.), the Babyca scrabbled about the royalgirl's hair, completely ruining her manicured 'do that probably took way too long for a maid to put up, ending up tangled in the long, shiny strands. The royal's crown had been knocked to the ground with a clatter and the royal Meerca first began to screech, trying to reach up to remove the Babyca with little success (it seemed that her arms were rather short for the job) and then, when she realized that it was already too late and the damage was done, her pale cheeks turned a deep, dark red and she began to cry. This is when I finally found a bit of pity and removed the Babyca from the royal's hair. The royal swooped up her crown and stomped out of the shop. Fadila and I looked after her in stunned silence.

     "Well, that was certainly unexpected. What do you think, Lofty?" Fadila asked me, turning to look at me.

     I looked down at the Babyca I held in my arms. He had gotten the jellybean from me and he had munched and swallowed it in a hurry. He looked mighty pleased with himself and I could not help but smile. Even though I had read about their devious natures and I had not fully realized what exactly that meant. Now, I had seen it for myself.

     If I bought a Babyca, then I would have a lot more on my plate than I had originally bargained for when looking into buying a Petpet as a companion. Yet, I could see this little Babyca traveling, keeping up with, challenging and yes, loving me, for the rest of our days. We could be best friends, a lot of extra work aside. I knew I was up for it and so was he. I immediately named him Trouble and so he has been since that very first day but it is everything else in our relationship that truly counts and he has been enough for me."

     Sweet fluttered her wings as Lofty finished speaking. She admired her older brother for many things and this was something she could add to that list.

     "Legend isn't the only one in our family who is good at telling stories, Lofty. I think others would love to hear about it. I can't be the only curious one about you two," the jelly Shoyru said.

     The baby Yurble smiled and looked down at his Petpet, who had, for once, settled down at his feet. Though, Lofty knew his Petpet well enough by now. His berry bright blue eyes shone with intelligence... he was just waiting for an opportunity to get into trouble once more.

The End