Small Paws, Big Trouble

     She had barely reached for that book when she heard a tap at the door. Too soft for a knock. Too deliberate to ignore.

     Altoc frowned. She didn’t know a single Neopet in Neopia Central yet. She opened the door to an empty doorstep.

     “Hello?” she called out.

     She started to close the door, but a pink streak darted past her. Altoc jumped back as a muddy little Meepit skidded to a stop in the middle of her floor, shivering.

     “Oh, you poor thing! Where did you come from?” Altoc asked.

     The Meepit blinked and raised one tiny paw, which had a scrap of paper tied to it. Altoc knelt down and carefully loosened the string. The note said: Help me.

     The Cybunny scooped the Meepit into her arms. “Don’t worry, little one,” she whispered. “You’re safe here.”

     The Meepit wiggled out of her grasp and tugged at the hem of her skirt. “Where are you trying to drag me off to?” Altoc said with a soft laugh. “You just came in out of the cold. Let’s get you cleaned up first.”

     A few minutes later, the Meepit was freshly shampooed and bundled in a fluffy towel. Altoc brushed him slowly until the tiny creature let out a faint snore.

     “I don’t know where you came from, my Meepit friend, but I’ll take great care of you,” Altoc whispered.

     The next morning, Altoc woke to a clatter in her living room. She sprang out of bed and raced out of her room.

     “Little Meepit? Are you okay?” she called. No answer. Altoc felt worry creep in. Had the Meepit escaped?

     A soft scraping crossed the floorboards. Altoc looked down and found the Meepit dragging her Brass Lantern by its handle, clamped awkwardly in his mouth.

     “What are you up to?” She asked, chuckling.

     The Meepit blinked at her, then kept tugging the lantern toward the door like he had somewhere important to be. Altoc hurried after him.

     “Hey now, where are you going with that?”

     The Meepit ignored her and scurried toward the door. Altoc scooped the petpet up in one paw and the lantern in the other.

     “Come on, I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” Altoc said.

     She set the lantern back on the table and the Meepit on the couch, wrapping it in her scarf. The poor thing was still acting like he had to fend for himself outside. When Altoc felt overwhelmed, a good story always made her feel better. Maybe it would help the Meepit too.

     She browsed her bookshelves for a good story to read the Meepit. She remembered owning a book about Meepits. She found it… and sighed. “Behind the Rusted Door: The True Story of the Meepit Oaks Sanitorium.”

     Absolutely not. Much too frightening for a creature who barely weighed as much as her teacup.

     Altoc heard a soft tapping behind her. She turned toward the couch, but it was empty. The Meepit was already at the front door, tiny paws tapping on the wood as he clutched the scarf in his mouth. When she reached the Meepit, he turned around and patted the door, as if commanding her to open it.

     “We’re not going on a walk yet, my friend. We haven’t even had breakfast,” Altoc said.

     At the mention of breakfast, the Meepit perked up and dropped the scarf. He scampered over to the kitchen, already having forgotten its mysterious quest.

     That afternoon, Altoc set up her canvas and paints. Before she could sit down, the Meepit tugged at her skirt again. She smiled at him and set a sheet of paper and a pack of crayons down on the floor. The wide-eyed creature plopped down and began scribbling with intense focus.

     Altoc turned back to her canvas, studying it as if inspiration would leap out any moment. Maybe she would paint the green hills of Meridell. Or one of the Lost Desert’s hidden passageways. She caught herself and shook her head. No, no more adventures. Not right now. That was the whole point of moving to Neopia Central… right?

     A sheet of paper suddenly pressed against her nose. The Meepit had climbed onto her canvas and was waving his drawing wildly. She took it, expecting scribbles, until she saw what was actually on the page.

     It was a map. Crayon-drawn tunnels looped and branched beneath what looked like a building, ending in a bright red X.

     “Buddy, what did you make here? Is this a map?” she asked.

     “Meep,” he replied.

     Altoc smiled. “You finally made a sound! Okay, but what is this a map of?”

     The Meepit pointed at her canvas. “Meep.” Then he grabbed the drawing and dropped it on the ground. “Meep meep.”

     Altoc squinted. “Alright… tunnels. Underground? Below something to do with canvases…” Her eyes widened. “The Catacombs under the Art Centre?”

     “Meep! Meep meep!” the Meepit squeaked, hopping in place.

     Altoc gasped as the pieces clicked into place in her mind. The note tied to his paw. The items dragged to her door. The constant attempts to pull her outside. Now a map leading straight into the Catacombs.

     Something was wrong down there. And this persistent little Meepit clearly knew it.

     Altoc folded up the map and put it in her pocket. “Alright,” she whispered. “Show me where you want me to go.”

     First, she helped the Meepit pack up the lantern, a warm blanket, a little food, and water. She had learned long ago that there was no such thing as a quick adventure. With the Meepit tucked snugly in her pocket, she headed for the Art Centre.

     Altoc had heard Neopets talk about the Catacombs and the legends who wandered them, but she had never pictured them being this vast. At first, she and the Meepit walked through well-lit halls, dotted with artists quietly sketching or writing. Then the crowd thinned. The corridors stretched on. And the light kept fading.

     The deeper they went, the more the walls narrowed into dark, twisting paths. Soon Altoc could barely see her own paws without the lantern’s glow.

     Finally, the Meepit stopped in front of a corridor with stones blocking the entrance. He looked up at Altoc and tapped the rocks with his paw.

     “Through here? Are you sure?” She was getting increasingly nervous about how far into the tunnels they had gone, and how she had no idea how she would get back out.

     Then a faint voice came through the rubble. “Help me,” it gasped.

     Altoc sprang into action and began moving rocks out of the way. “Hold on! I’m here!” The Meepit scrambled beside her, pushing aside any pebble small enough for him to move.

     Together they worked until Altoc finally cleared enough space to squeeze through the opening. Dust swirled around her as she ducked inside.

     A dust-covered Aisha lay crumpled on the floor. The Aisha groaned, weak but alive.

     “Are you okay?” Altoc called out.

     “Yes,” the Aisha whispered hoarsely. The Meepit scurried to her side, and she managed a tired smile. “I see my little messenger got to you.”

     Altoc’s heart dropped. “Oh, yes… your Meepit led the way here.” She helped the Aisha sit up and passed her the water from her bag.

     The Aisha took a careful sip and shook her head. “He’s not mine. Just someone lucky enough to pass through these tunnels at the right moment. I think he grew up in these tunnels, all alone.”

     “I’m Altoc, by the way,” the Cybunny said. “Would you mind telling me what happened?”

     “I’m Sofia.” the Aisha coughed. “I came down here looking for inspiration for my next book. I turned into the wrong hall, the ground collapsed, and the rocks pinned me in. When I heard footsteps, I thought it was another cave-in… but it was him. He let me tie that note to his paw. I didn’t know if anyone would ever see it.”

     The Meepit rummaged through Altoc’s bag, dragged out the blanket, and dropped it onto Sofia’s lap. Altoc understood then. The Meepit wasn’t lost, abandoned, or misbehaving, he had been gathering supplies to help the Aisha.

     Altoc lifted him into her paws. “You clever little hero,” she whispered.

     The three made their way back to the exit, returning to the fresh air of Neopia Central. Altoc knelt down to meet the Meepit’s gaze.

     “Well, little one… mission accomplished. I guess that means this is goodbye, unless…” She hesitated. “Unless you want to come home with me?”

     The Meepit hopped into her pocket and curled up to take a nap, exhausted from the long day. She had her answer. Altoc helped get Sofia to the NeoHospital with the Meepit resting peacefully in her pocket.

     The Meepit slept through the afternoon into the night. When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere he had never seen before. He panicked, worried that his new friend had left him behind. Altoc picked him up and hugged him close.

     “Don’t worry, little guy. I’m right here. We’re at the Petpet Puddle.”

     “Meep?” the Meepit chirped.

     “Trust me.”

     Altoc guided him into the shimmering water, and when he hopped back out, a tiny crown sat atop his head and a blue robe trailed behind him. He stared at his reflection, wide-eyed.

     Altoc smiled. “My brave friend… I crown you Baby George. A Royal Meepit, through and through.”

     He nestled into her arms, crown slightly crooked, fast asleep before she even stood. Altoc let out a soft breath. So much for a quiet life.

     The End.