MORDEGAN'S FACE SPLIT into the classic Lupe grin as he examined the news section
of the morning paper. He ran his emerald green paw over the flashy add, which
was complete with a bright cheery picture. Mordegan scanned the add for "attached
strings." When he found none, he leapt up in the air and scrambled around the
house, trying to locate his owner, battlesunn. At last he found her, slicing
some cheese and tomato omelette into little bits. He dashed up to her, placing
his large paws on top of the counter. He waited there, panting excitedly, until
battlesunn turned to him. She smiled.
"Yes, Morty?" Battlesunn fought back a chuckle
as she watched her happy-go-lucky green Lupe jabber and bounce around, rapidly
explaining what he had seen.
"Battlesunn! I saw the coolest thing! OK, I
was reading the paper, and guess what?"
"Uh, you saw, uh..."
Mordegan cut her off. "I saw an add, for a Petpet
show! It's soooo cool!"
Battlesunn smiled. "Hmm... Could you read me
the add?"
Mordegan nodded, tongue lolling, and scampered
back to the table where the paper was. He was back in front of his owner in
record time. Mordegan unfolded the paper ceremoniously and began to read.
"The third annual super duper happy smile Neopian
Petpet show will be held this Sunday in Neopia park! Does your Petpet have what
it takes to be a winner? Can he or she do dozens of daring tricks? Or is he
or she just plain cute? Either way, sign up today! There will be prizes for
best Petpet for each division, and the prize is... 10,000 Neopoints! Come to
Neopia park and sign your Petpet up!"
Mordegan paused, holding the paper in his paws,
staring up at battlesunn. His mouth was wide open, fixed in some sort of grin,
which was, to be honest, a bit creepy. Feeling slightly uncomfortable in the
presence of this optimistic Lupe, battlesunn slowly nodded her approval.
"OK Morty, you can enter your Warf in the contest.
You'd better get down the park right away and sign up, though."
"YES! Oh thank you battlesunn! Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Without a backward glance, Mordegan sped away,
headed towards his room to fetch his Warf, Crop Circle. (Also known as C.C.)
Mordegan pounced on the hapless Petpet, rousing him immediately out his slumber.
The tiny Warf blinked lazily and stared dully at his owner. C.C. was, without
a doubt, one of the dumbest Petpets in the Neopia.
"Come on C.C.! We're gonna enter you in the
third annual super duper happy smile Neopian Petpet show! So come on, get up
get up get up get up get up!"
C.C. stayed put. Mordegan attempted to pull
C.C. out of his Petpet bed by his paws, but the Warf simply slid lethargically
back into his bed. Mordegan frowned. C.C. could be such a stubborn Susie sometimes.
"Okaaaay... I guess I'll just carry you then."
The Lupe bent down and picked C.C. up in his
mouth. (Between the scruff of his neck, of course.) --And trotted daintily out
of the room with him. Mordegan strolled down the sunlit roads, C.C. swinging
lifelessly from his jaws. The Lupe attracted many passing glances on his journey
to the park, mostly because it looked like C.C. was dead, when, in reality,
he was just sleeping. At last Mordegan reached the park, where he instantly
spotted the sign up booth. It was being attended by a bored looking Flotsam.
She raised her eyes warily as a green Lupe and his Warf came galloping toward
her booth. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the sleeping C.C., swaying
from Mordegan's gentle jaws. She sighed tiredly.
"Why do the weirdoes always come to my booth..."
Her thoughts were interrupted as Mordegan, always
the cheerful one, approached her desk.
"Hello Ma'am, I'd like to enter my Petpet in
the third annual super duper happy smile Neopian Petpet show!"
The Flotsam rolled her eyes. "Don't we all?
All right Mr..."
"Morty," Mordegan filled in promptly.
"Your FULL name?"
"Oh, Mordegan Irrae Battlesunn."
"All right sir. Now, before you are entered
in the contest, we must conduct a medical inspection on your Petpet."
"Sure! No problem! Here you go!"
Mordegan dropped C.C., still fast asleep, onto
the table top. The Flotsam inspected C.C.'s ears, eyes, moth and tail. She nodded
approvingly.
"Um, OK sir, technically your Warf passes inspection
but..."
"But what?"
"Well, your Petpet seems very, uh... Dumb. I'm
sorry, but he is! You'd better drop out of this thing before you are seriously
humiliated."
Mordegan finished digging around in his ear.
"Huh? What was that? Oh well, anyway, I'm headed home. Me and lil' C.C. have
to go home and train!"
Mordegan scooped C.C. in his mouth once more
and loped off, headed towards his forest. The Flotsam sighed. That was one Lupe
who was going to have his bubble burst on Sunday
***
"OK C.C.! Sit!"
Mordegan was out in the yard, trying to train
his pathetic little green Warf. Mordegan had put on a ridiculous looking baseball
hat, a striped referee shirt and, to top it all off, he was sporting a shiny
coach's whistle around his neck. His efforts were wasted, since the only trick
C.C. could perform was "play dead." Mordegan
sighed.
"OK, lie down!" C.C. made absolutely no movement,
though he was already lying down in the first place. Mordegan considered this
to be a trick, and rewarded C.C. profusely.
"Aww... Good boy! Here, have a Petpet treat!"
He tossed a whole wheat treat in the shape of
a smiley face to C.C. The treat landed on top of his head, perfectly poised
and balanced.
"Oh! What a good Warf! You're balancing that
treat right on your nose! OK, now flip it in the air and catch it in your mouth!
I'll wait for you!"
Mordegan resumed a "cheering position" Sitting
down on the grass, with his two front legs bent slightly upwards, his paws formed
in a fist. He grinned from ear to ear, sitting perfectly still, watching C.C.,
awaiting the time when he would flip the treat and catch it in his mouth.
"He'll do it!" he told himself. "He's just revving
up for the toss!"
Mordegan waited, and waited, and waited. He
waited for three hours, stuck in the same pose, he probably would've waited
all night if battlesunn hadn't come and saw him.
"Morty! What in the name of fuzzles are you
doing?"
"Huh? Oh, I was just waiting for C.C. to finish
his trick..." He stared sadly at his Warf, who also hadn't moved a muscle.
"Come on, C.C. Let's go to bed, we got a big
day tomorrow."
Mordegan reached out and grabbed C.C. around
his plump middle, and heaved him off to bed. Battlesunn watched her disappointed
Lupe sadly.
"Poor Morty... I should've gotten him a Gruslen..."
***
It was the day of the Petpet show, thousands of pets lined up in front of
check in booths. Mordegan was in the midst of it all, dragging his immobile
Warf along with a leash. Mordegan grinned back at his Petpet, and gave the leash
a little tug.
"Well C.C., here's the big day! If you try hard
then you can do it!"
Mordegan brought C.C. to the sign up booth,
where he saw his friend, the Flotsam, again.
"Hello again ma'am! I'd like to know where I
take C.C., here."
The Flotsam pointed wordlessly at the large
tent, with a sign baring the words, "WARF DIVISION" Mordegan thanked the Flotsam
and wandered over to the tent. Other than C.C., there were about 16 other Warfs
under the tent, each of them were awake. One very foot looking blue Warf was
doing what looked like leg lifts and side bends!
"Oh boy..." Whimpered Mordegan, as he gazed
across the room. "Some tough competition..."
Suddenly, an announcer cut through the silence.
"All Warfs and their owners, please go to the
arena where the tricks will be performed."
"Oh BOY!" shouted Mordegan. He picked up C.C.
in his jaws and ran towards the arena. He placed C.C. down, and began pacing
nervously. He just hoped that C.C. hadn't forgotten all of his tricks. After
all the competitors had entered, the judge of the contest began to call them
out, one by one.
"And first, we have Anarrmi Gerros, who is competing
with his Warf, Mickey!"
A cloud Eyrie flew walked into the arena, followed
by a yellow Warf. The Eyrie placed a burring hoop in the center of the arena,
and handed his Warf three dried figs. The Eyrie blew a whistle, and the Warf
began juggling the figs while doing backwards flips through the hoop. Mordegan
gulped, how he stand against tricks like that? The Eyrie finished his act by
snapping his fingers, and his Warf caught all three figs in his mouth. There
was a smattering of applause as they walked off and the new pets came in. This
time it was a checkered Kacheek and his blue Warf, the one that had been stretching.
The Kacheek threw five Frisbees in opposite direction, and the Warf miraculously
caught them all! There was a huge applause for that act.
"And now, we have Mordegan Irrae Battlesunn!"
Mordegan gulped, and dragged C.C. onto the arena
floor. He began to demonstrate C.C.'s "talents"
"OK! C.C., shake a paw!"
The Warf remained still. Mordegan felt the sweat
beginning to trickle down his neck.
"All right then, roll over!"
Same response. Mordegan was getting desperate
when he was suddenly struck be an idea.
"Hmm... C.C., STAY!"
Mordegan backed far away from his Petpet, issuing
the command for C.C. to stay. Suddenly, C.C. got up, shook himself off, and
walked over to Mordegan. C.C. licked Mordegan's paw affectionately. Mordegan
was shocked!
"C.C., you actually came!"
BEEEEP!! The time buzzer went off, Mordegan
had been disqualified. Mordegan shrugged. So, he had lost the contest. Who cared?
Mordegan looked down at his Warf, who was happily wagging his tail, and smiled.
He didn't leave with a trophy, or a shiny Neopoint prize, but he left with something
even better. Mordegan left the contest with his Petpet.
The End | 
