Wouldn't it be great?
When Jakob first uttered these words, no one could imagine what horrors would unfold. Lost in his own madness, Jakob opened a box of pandora that lost its cap and seal... permanently. It was another brilliant idea gone terribly wrong, but no one realized what doom they were in until they saw its monster crawl out and savagely consume all the living. What Jakob created was nothing less from genius, but its side effect was to curse the very people it was intended to help.Happiness in a bottle proved to be the worst catastrophe the town of Appleberry had seen since its opening...
Walking Tombs
Several years passed by since the disaster at Appleberry and the noise from its destruction had finally quieted down. There was much babbling from the surrounding towns with screaming headliners claiming that the living were dead and the dead were now living. At first, the ruckus buzzed across the many lands and oceans, but just as quickly as it flew up it flew down in a hurry. All this was soon pushed away into the archives never to be heard from again while the poor town of Appleberry got lost telling its own story.No one wants to know or rather is brave enough to find out. Forsaken or forgotten, it was difficult to tell. What was once rich lands were now wasted in clutter. The destruction was so much not even mother nature would fight. Dead, wilted, and crumbling into dust, the plants and buildings of Appleberry died along with its inhabitants. Garbage scattered the streets and filth accumulated in piles. There was little left to scavenge if any grave robbers were to come.
Essentially, that's all there was... left of Appleberry, that is. Graves, tombstones, and mounds of dead messily shoveled, picked, and left alone in peace.
At least, in theory. It was rumored the citizens of Appleberry come back to the living every night. Reaching, calling, and grasping at the air, desperate for another taste of the life they were robbed from. They sought what every being on the planet seeks so dearly in their hearts... happiness... tenderly placed at the bottom of their bottles.
3 Types of Happiness
When the happiness bottles first hit the market, the manufacturer produced 3 different kinds.Clover happiness: Increases monetary supply of bottle's user as well increases user's luck.
Side-Effects: Increased chance of addiction and mental delusions. Other effects can include green, murky skin (not natural green), and anti-social behavior.
Loving happiness: Affects those surrounding the user in addition to the user. Makes the user appealing and loved by nearly everyone around them. Most effective on those who already cherish user and least effective on strangers.
Side-Effects: Results may vary. May create a rabid fanclubs (manufacturer has no responsibility over damaged goods due to the bottle's effect). May increase user's confidence and is possible to overload. Known to create, delusions and pink, blotchy rashes).
Simple happiness: Intensifies happiness experienced on a daily basis not related to money, luck, or affection received from others. Intensity may vary according to user's lifestyle and habits.
Side-Effects: May affect user's judgment as well as physical/mental function. If used too often in junction with other happiness bottles, has 30% chance of increasing the other happiness bottle effects. User may also experience blurry-vision, slurred speech, and yellow, mottled skin color.
Notice: If you experience any adverse side effects please contact your local health provider asap.
Bottle Keepers & Sweepers
As the bottles began to move into regular market circulation, the town of Appleberry experienced major shifts in economy and policy. The town's wealth grew as it began selling outside the town and people's living standards drastically improved. Proportionately, crime reports of theft and violence increased as the popularity of the happiness bottles spread. The mayor designated a special order to deal with the crime as well as the surplus of wealth within the town of Appleberry.The rules only applied to the citizens of Appleberry and much black-marketing developed between neighboring underground groups. These rules became known as the "224" and became the heated subject of policy that caused riots and disrupt in the political office.
In order to enforce these rules, the mayor instructed a special force to be formed called the "Bottle Keepers & Sweepers." These special uniform wearing officers would either confiscate bottles or "abduct" individuals for their misbehavior. As the crime rate went up, so did the strictness of the mayors special force. No mercy was given to those who didn't obey the law.
The Monster
Several weeks after the 244 laws were put into action, the citizens discontent for the new rules and government policies grew exponentially. Demonstrations and fights were everyday common events and many were injured. However, the influx of black-marketing had grown a substantial influence over the town and more people had access to happiness bottles than ever. Consumption of happiness was off the charts! It soon lead to an evil that would bring down the fall of the peoples happiness.Over-consumption of happiness lead to a high dependency rate. The more people consumed the more they wanted. Greed absorbed the many rampant citizens and soon their corruption began to manifest into a solid being.
It began as small, black pebbles that littered the fountain located at the center of Appleberry. At first, no one took notice until the pebbles grew to the size of small child children and petpets. To the growing fear of the citizens, the mounds of black, smoldering rubble began to shake subtly as if coming alive. It didn't take long before the menacing balls solidified into one large, gritty, egg. 3 days later, it hatched into the form of Appleberry's doom.
Eye-witness reports from neighboring cities and traveler's described the monster as such:
It had ---- to be continued.
Jakob's Resolution
Jakob had sold his happiness in a bottle invention to a powerful manufacturer at a wealthy price. "Finally," he thought, "I've created something to make a positive change in people's lives". He was the last to suspect that it might possibly ruin an entire town and before it was too late he was determined to find the solution to the people's corruption.It came. Jakob had fallen ill the days leading up to the monster's release. He lost all sense of reasoning when the monster came charging across his street and over the houses of all the neighbors and friends he knew. There wasn't any time left...
It was gone. The town of Appleberry was now shredded into a pile of rubble. Jakob and a small group of survivors had made it out of the town just in time. However, his illness had taken a hold of him and he had little time before it would consume his life. The day before he passed, Jakob gave his son a pink vial. "Inside," Jakob told his son, "will be the answer to Appleberry's future." What he meant, his son did not know and kept the vial hidden safely in one of Jakob's office books.
Years passed... Jakob's legacy and Appleberry's destruction became a tale known to most people in the surrounding area (and beyond). The rumors began to pop up of happiness-thirsting citizens of Appleberry coming back from the dead. No one dared to explore to truth behind the mysterious rumors of Appleberry except 1 brave individual.
His name was Cody
Cody was a young gelert who bore an astonishing resemblance to Jakob. Whether he was related to Jakob or not was a mystery due to the fact that Cody's parents had been missing since he was a child. Legally, he was an orphan and Cody lived life as one. However, he was also an active adventurer obsessed with the stories of Appleberry and its rising-dead citizens. On one frigid winter night, Cody decided to see for himself if the rumors were true.Hours passed. It was now well into the 2nd hour of morning and he had seen no disturbances from thirsty zombies or even any stray cats. That was until he sat at the once beautiful center fountain. Just when he thought all his efforts were in vain, the clock hit 2:44am and ran so loudly that the neighboring buildings began to shake. It was only until a couple seconds afterwards did Cody realize that the ground was also shaking, if not shifting?
The citizens have awakened. Great crevices opened up beneath Cody's feet and he scrambled to climb on top of the fountain statue. Hands, out-stretched arms, legs, feet, and all sorts of limbs and bodies began reaching out of from the ground. Crawling, limping, some headless and some limbless, the bodies of hundred dead citizens began to take life. In the middle of the chaos, Cody lost all sense of feeling and his legs and sat shaking at the top of the statue.
A living bottle, there! said a hoarse and scratchy woman's voice. One detached arm was pointing straight at Cody and frozen, he had no idea what to do. Madly, Cody regained strength in his legs (or rather his legs took flight of him) and ran, jumping across the scattered limbs, heads, and moaning half-dead beings. Racing through the alleys and streets, Cody searched for anything or anywhere that could possibly shelter him from the hundreds of walking dead chasing after him... and what did they mean by living bottle? Wasn't he a person?
Cody ran into an ominous looking, but somehow inviting, green building. Running up the stairs to the highest possible floor, Cody hid under a desk in what appeared to be an abandoned office. Trembling, Cody did his best to stay as quiet as possible. He heard the mob of zombies moan and mumble outside. After a few minutes (that felt like an eternity) passed, Cody crawled out from beneath the desk and took a good look at his surroundings. The name plate on the desk was dusty, but still gleamed brilliantly beneath the coats of dust. Wiping away the debris, the name plate revealed that this office (and building) once belonged to the infamous Dr. Jakob. Astonished, Cody stared at the room in amazement.
It was here... Completely forgetting about the dangerous mob of zombies in pursuit of his flesh, he excitedly began pulling books off the shelves and digging through what treasures he could find. Cody pulled one book out in particular called, "Policy 244," and inside was a tiny, pink vile.
Cody took out the glowing pink vile and stared at the swirls of dust that freely moved around inside. Cody felt that the vile wanted him to open it and without thinking, did as it desired. In a sudden burst pink fire and dust, a creature burst out of the vile causing Cody to yell out in surprise. Suddenly remembering the hundred zombies that probably heard his yell across the empty city, Cody frantically started to put things back when he looked up and saw the most curious creature he ever laid eyes on.
Antidote X2-44
Eets yuu! Eets yuu! Oh I nuu yuu'd come back fo mee! I can't believe eets yuu!
Whoa wait, you can talk? What are you? Who are you? And why are you hugging me?!
Yuu don't remember mee? Oh Jakob, how cood you forget? I'm yor precious X2-44!
Hold on a sec, I'm not Jakob! My name is Cody and I have no idea as to what is going except that there's a large pack of ex-living Appleberry citizens out to take my bottle (whatever that means)!
ecks-living... ah! Yuu mean zoombies? I can take care of them, no problem!
And with that, X2-44 flew outside where an already large crowd of zombies had congregated in pursuit of Cody's yell. Staring uncertainly at the mass of the living dead below, Cody hoped that this strange creature had some sort of plan. It was then the zombies made a gut-wrenching attack on the pink creature by stacking themselves on top of each other, limb on limb, till they were high enough to grab at her glowing light. The second a zombie's detached finger slightly touched her body, the entire tower of zombie parts disintegrated into fine, pink dust.
Shocked at discovering X2-44's ability, Cody and the leftover zombies stood gaping at the now shining brighter pink creature.
Ding-dong-ding-dong. The clock struck 3:00am. Again, the loud ringing caused the buildings to shake and the crevices to open. Within an instant, the zombies and all that was left of them were gone. Only 16 minutes had gone by? Cody felt like he'd been there for hours.
Swiftly, X2-44 came back into the building and sat down on top of Dr.Jakob's old desk. Quietly, she stared at the photo of Dr.Jakob and his family and a few awkward minutes went by until she spoke.
Yuu're not Dr.Jakob are yuu?
Nope. From what I know, Dr.Jakob passed away a long time ago after the monster's appearance.
For several minutes, Cody began telling X2-44 of what happened after the monster destroyed the town. X2-44 listened silently, half-staring at something beneath the piles of rotting papers on Dr.Jakob's desk.
...and that's when I ran into this building and found you.
I see... that's unfortunate. I missed Dr.Jakob so much. But oh well. Now, yuu are my bottle keeper.
Huh? Bottle keeper? The zombies did say something about me being a living bottle... am I bottle?
Haha, no silly. Everyone has a bottle... inside of them. Our bottles are our hearts.
Cody looked down and placed his hand on his heart. He felt the warmth from his chest resonate as he thought about it.
What do you mean bottle keeper? If our bottles are inside of us as our hearts why does someone need to protect yours?
I am different than yuu. I am a creation of Dr.Jakob's. I was made to purify happiness used for evil and in order to do that Dr.Jakob made my bottle separate than my body. I am antidote X2-44 or 244. Dr.Jakob used to call me, "Miracle," though.
Miracle... that's a nice name.
Collect me!
Rules: OBEY THEM.1. No stealing or claiming as own
2. No unauthorized usage such as in the beauty contest or in other contests
3. Do not remove credit
4. Do not take outside of neopets unless permission is granted by me
/end unpleasantries
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