The Plastic Lenny

      Oxley sighed. This was boring. He wanted to go outside and play in the hot, glorious sunshine. He didn't even have a petpet to keep him company while his owner was away. All he had were his books and a few plushies. And they weren't much.

      Retiring from his post at the window, the Kougra snatched up his latest book, Maraquan Kougra Stories, and planted himself on the Rainbow Sofa in the living room. There was nothing better to do.

     * * *

      Oxley's time went by like that for a few days. Slow and tiring. It always rained. Oxley wondered if he would ever see the sun shine from behind white, fluffy clouds ever again. All he wanted to do was have some fun. He wanted to play in the sunshine, escape the drab greyness of rain, be with other pets, and have a little adventure! Instead, he spent his time reading, eating, sleeping, or looking out the front window to see how the rain had affected the garden. Each day the flowers looked droopier, and the puddle around the Plastic Lenny got a little bigger.

      One day, the Kougra was looking out the window, his head in his paws, gazing longingly at the lush green grass. It seemed to beg him to come out and play. But then he saw the angry rain clouds look down upon him. They taunted him so. Grumbling, he turned his gaze to the greenery in the garden, the flash of pink that was the grinning Plastic Lenny once again catching his eye. Oxley wasn't sure why the garden ornament was so appealing to him, but he always found himself looking at it. Perhaps he felt sorry for it, out there in the cold rain, sitting in its puddle of a home. Oxley noticed a sudden movement on the Lenny, and jumped, startled.

      What in Neopia? Did that Plastic Lenny just wink at me? Oxley looked anxiously at the Lenny, hoping to see another sign that he wasn't going crazy from being cooped up inside. And indeed, the plastic being seemed to spring to life, twisting its neck around further to look Oxley square in the eye. Oxley rubbed his own eyes, and looked again. He must be crazy. The Lenny didn't wink at him! It was just standing there, water streaming down its face. Chuckling to himself, the Kougra turned away from the window.

      I do hope it stops raining soon, he thought.

     * * *

      The next day, Oxley was entertaining himself with his weekly issue of the Neopian Times. It was a bit waterlogged from sitting on his wet porch that morning, but Oxley enjoyed it all the same. It was his favorite part of the week, after all!

      The Kougra sat reading the comics and listening to the pitter patter of the raindrops against the glass of the window. The sound was so unchanging, it was almost hypnotizing. But Oxley suddenly heard a disturbance to the drops' normal pattern. It was as though a louder thunk was chiming in as well.

      It can't be hail, Oxley thought as he set the paper down.

      When the Fire Kougra turned his head to find the cause of the noise, he gasped in surprise. The Plastic Lenny was right outside the window, tapping on the glass! Oxley stared at the lawn ornament dumbly, blinking his eyes, even though the image of the Lenny wouldn't disappear. Seeing that Oxley had noticed him, the Plastic Lenny smiled and stopped rapping against the window. Excitedly, he motioned for the Kougra to join him outside.

      It did blink at me yesterday! Oxley realized with wonder. This can't be happening. I'm hallucinating. Plastic Lennies don't just get up and start walking around whenever it tickles their fancy! Or do they? After realizing that the Lenny wasn't going to give up on trying to get him to go outside, Oxley reluctantly got up and went to the door.

      He was greeted by a chilly wind and a splash of rain drops hitting him in the face. They were cold and sharp, making him close the door impulsively. His gaze was drawn to the window, where the Lenny stood waiting for him. He looked so happy. He must have something important to show Oxley! Grabbing a raincoat and some boots, the Kougra opened the door again, ignoring the bullets of rain hitting his face. Oxley went to where the Plastic Lenny stood and looked at him, waiting for whatever surprise the Lenny had for him. After a few minutes, Oxley became impatient. It was cold outside!

      "So, uh, you're the Plastic Lenny that lives in my garden," he said, looking at the muddy grass.

      The Lenny just stared at him, a wide grin plastered on his bill.

      "So, what did you want to talk to me for?" Oxley looked up to see the stupid grin. "Can you even talk?" Oxley couldn't tell, because that grin was distracting him, but he sensed that the Lenny couldn't talk. He was plastic, after all. "Well, you must have wanted me for something. I mean, you're bored, I'm bored, it's raining... There must have been some reason you wanted me to come out here in this downpour." Oxley looked expectantly at the Lenny, hoping for some response. But the Lenny just stood there, grinning.

      Then, without warning, the Lenny turned and started walking away. Taken by surprise, Oxley ran the few steps it took to catch up with him.

      "Hey! Where are we going? Won't you tell me?" he demanded. But the Lenny just kept walking, staring straight ahead, and grinning the whole time. With a sense of caution, the Fire Kougra followed suit, hoping this venture would be worth it.

     * * *

      After what seemed like countless hours of walking in the cold, hard rain, the Lenny stopped, and Oxley all but ran straight into him. He was so tired, he hadn't even been looking at the path ahead of him. He just followed the shapeless blob of pink ahead of him.

      "Hey! What's the big idea? I almost tripped right over you!" Oxley's surprise turned into anger, but was quickly erased when he saw where they had ended up. "The Lost Desert?! How did we get here?" He turned to the Lenny, but all the response he got was a stupid grin. But Oxley couldn't care less. He was surprised he hadn't realized it earlier. It wasn't even raining anymore!

      The hot sun was beating down on the Kougra as he walked happily over the warm sand. He must have been so used to rain that he didn't even realize the change of climate. He quickly shed his raincoat and boots, forfeiting himself to the yellow sun. Smiling happily, he looked around Sakhmet, for that was indeed where the pair was. He didn't care that he had barely any Neopoints to spend, but instead, he simply enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the company of other pets. He hadn't been to the Lost Desert in quite a while!

      The duo decided to try their luck at the Fruit Machine, and, after winning some exotic fruits, they sat down in the shade of a local merchant's tent to rest and relax.

      "This is fantastic!" Oxley told the Lenny. But the Lenny simply nodded quickly and grinned.

      After wandering the city a while, the Lenny started to lead Oxley away. At first he was sad, for he didn't dare leave the golden sand or colourful tents of the Lost Desert. But then, when he realized the Lenny wasn't leading them in the direction of home, curiosity overtook his senses, and he hurriedly followed the plastic Neopet.

      When they came to the edge of the ocean, Oxley was a little more than curious. And he was itching with questions as the Lenny stepped onto a small boat, motioning for Oxley to follow. Sort of afraid, but too excited to refuse, Oxley climbed about as the boat pulled away from the makeshift dock.

      Where are we heading now? Oxley could only wonder as the waves lulled him to sleep.

     * * *

      "What? What is it?" Oxley lazily opened an eyelid to see the grin of the Plastic Lenny looming over him. Pulling him to his feet, the Lenny began to get of the boat. They had landed again! Getting over his sleepiness, Oxley jumped out of the boat to find his paws on warm, honey-coloured sand, the salty waves licking his toes.

      Eagerly, he whipped his head from side to side, trying to figure out their destination. All around him there were exotic looking fruits and plants, and small pets scampered around in all directions. Oxley could here drums in the distance, and he could smell sea salt and coconut upon the warm breeze. The sun smiled down upon him as Oxley realized they were at Mystery Island. He had always wanted to visit the tropical island, abundant with lush greenery and juicy fruits. Not to mention beautiful beaches and tourist attractions!

      Island pets cluttered the cramped streets of the island as Oxley and the Plastic Lenny headed away from the Harbour.

      After taking a short Tiki Tour and being greeted by the many natives of the island, Oxley headed for the Tombola. He loved the friendly Tombola Man, and perhaps luck would be on his side and he would win himself a souvenir. Always grinning, the Lenny followed obediently. After waiting his turn in line, Oxley stepped up and dug deep inside the barrel of tickets, and finally pulled one out.

      "Number 215! A winner!" The Tombola Man's jolly voice boomed as he turned to retrieve Oxley's prize. Happily, Oxley accepted the amount of Neopoints the Tombola Man handed him, as well as a Bottle of Green Sand and a Vo Codestone!

      "Thank you! This must be my lucky day!" Oxley beamed, thinking of how only a few hours earlier he had been trapped inside the grey prison of his neohome.

      The Plastic Lenny and Fire Kougra traipsed around the island for quite some time, quietly enjoying the peaceful, humid island, and each other's company. They visited the Island Mystic, the Techo Mountain, and the Island Marketplace. Soon, they had run out of things to do.

      "I know!" Oxley cried. "Let's to the Tiki Tack shop!" So the two hurried off to visit the quaint bamboo hut.

      Outside the shop, balloons where tethered to the soft ground. Without a word, or a peek inside, for that matter, the Plastic Lenny grabbed a bunch of bright balloons and started to hover about the ground. Aghast, Oxley gazed up at him. Grinning, he silently pointed to the other bunch of balloons on the opposite side of the shop's door. Oxley turned and snatched up the other bundle of balloons.

      He felt gravity diminish as the balloons lifted him off the ground. As the two sailed over the island, Oxley couldn't help but feel happy, without any worries. White, billowy clouds passed him, until they slowly turned to a light, almost unnoticeable shade of lilac. Higher and higher they rose, the purple colour of the clouds increasing the higher they went.

      Finally, Oxley felt himself being suffocated with soft, purple clouds. The pressure was so much, that when he opened his mouth to scream, or at least make a sound, nothing came out.

      But as fast as the strangely sweet pressure had started to close around him, it let go, and Oxley found himself sitting on top of a purple cloud, gasping for breath as he let the balloons go to disappear into the sky.

      Once he had regained himself, he looked about for the Plastic Lenny. The lawn ornament stood over him, the same happy expression glued to his bill. He waited for Oxley to get up, and then started walking to the left.

      Where are we now? Oxley wondered as he followed the Lenny silently. The clouds were all purple and pink! Whipping his head from side to side in an effort to figure out where he was, Oxley saw a myriad Faeries and Faerie pets and petpets flying about him. A shadow cast over his figure, and he looked up to see the great Faerie City looming ahead of him in all its pastel glory. To his side, he recognized the Healing Springs and the Wheel of Excitement. Looking up and ahead of him, he saw the Rainbow Fountain and the Poogle Racing Track. He almost got lost in Faerieland's splendor as they turned into the cloudy gate that was Faerie City's entrance.

      The city was bustling with activity, colour, and magic. Oxley could sense it in the air. Surely this was the most fantastic place he had ever been! With all of his traveling, Oxley's owner, Torith, had hardly taken Oxley himself on any vacations or trips. Instead, he decided to leave his pet at home with nothing to do and no one to play with. It wasn't that Torith was negligent of Oxley; he fed him, and loved him when he was around, but he just didn't understand his Kougra's loneliness. All Oxley really wanted was some company; a friend perhaps. And of course, adventure!

      As the two toured the city, Faeries smiled down on Oxley, waving.

      Everyone is so friendly here. Oxley smiled back at a young Air Faerie who was waving at him. I can't wait to see the rest of the city!

      Suddenly, the Plastic Lenny appeared with some Faerie Toast and a pretty looking fruit Oxley didn't recognize. The two settled down to enjoy their meal in the quiet shade of the towering castle, where Fyora herself resided. By an unspoken consent, they ate in silence. When they were finished, the Lenny took Oxley sight seeing.

      They saw the Faerie Furniture shop, they visited the Faerie Paint Brush "booth", and they looked hopefully into the Rainbow Fountain's magical waters.

      After about an hour, the Lenny turned to Oxley, who was quietly soaking up the sunshine, since it was probably still raining in Neopia Central. The Lenny looked expectant, as if to ask, 'Anything else?'. Oxley looked around, and his eyes lead him to the glorious Wheel of Excitement. The magnificent colours spun around wildly, in a blurry rainbow of magic. Oxley's eyes grew round, and the Lenny understood.

      They waited their turn in the line stretching wide before the wheel, and then Oxley stepped up, paying his 150NP. The wheel spun, and spun, and spun. The rainbow flashing before his eyes dizzied Oxley until he thought it would never stop. Slowly, it started to slow, and Oxley watched with hope and excitement to see what it would land on.

      As if wanting to cause anxiety, the wheel turned on and on, as though not being able to decide what to stop on.

      Finally, the arrow tipped and landed on a light blue space that read "Secret Item". Happily, Oxley turned to the Faerie that was working the wheel. Smiling, she handed him a beautiful, thick, red book. The title read Kougra Tales.

      "Oh, thank you! This is perfect!" Oxley said and turned to the Plastic Lenny. "I'm almost done with my other book, anyway!" After all that time stuck indoors, Oxley was ready for a new book. It seemed to be his lucky day, indeed.

      But his happiness came to an abrupt end as he realized that the Lenny was leading him away from the city. They were leaving. Leaving this beautiful city, and all the fun Oxley had had there. Mournfully, he turned for one last look at Faerieland before he turned to follow the Plastic Lenny.

     * * *

      Oxley and the Plastic Lenny were just arriving back to Neopia Central; back to Oxley's neohome. To his utmost delight, the rain had stopped. As the pair walked towards Oxley's home, the Kougra looked to the Lenny. Words couldn't have expressed his feelings. He had such a wonderful, eventful day. And to think only that morning that he had been staring outside the window, looking at the bleak grey sky. He had had his day of fun, his day of escape from his rainy prison. He had been to tropical, sunny places, and magical, faraway lands. What an adventure he had had! His wish had come true! The Lenny seemed to recognize Oxley's gratitude, and gave a slight nod in return. Oxley smiled back. But what Oxley had wanted most, more than any book or prize or souvenir, was a friend. A friend for all the times his owner was away, a friend for all the times he got lonely or sad, a friend for all the times he wanted to have adventures. And, happily, Oxley realized that he had finally found that friend, in the Plastic Lenny. The Lenny grinned back, knowing all too well how happy he had made Oxley.

      As the two stepped onto the moist grass that was Oxley's lawn, the Kougra noticed the lights in the neohome were on. Jumping up, he realized that Torith must have returned! He gained speed, leaving the Lenny behind. Oxley burst through the door to the living room, where Torith was sitting.

      "Torith! You're home!" Oxley flung himself on top of Torith with excitement.

      "Yes, Oxley, I am! I had a lovely trip. I brought you a new plushie," Torith said, handing Oxley an authentic Nabile Plushie.

      "Oh, thank you!" Oxley said, and then suddenly remember all the things he had to tell Torith. "Torith, you'll never guess what I did today! Well, it was raining, and I was really bored, but then, the Lenny! The Plastic Lenny in our front yard! He, he came to life! And he took me on a fantastic adventure, to all the fun, sunny places all over Neopia! Come on, come meet him! Come and meet my new friend!" Oxley pulled his owner to his feet, leading him to the front lawn.

      "Okay, Ox, I'm coming!" Torith said.

      Outside, Oxley looked around frantically. Where had the Lenny gone? He was nowhere to be seen! Then Oxley heard Torith chuckling to his right.

      "So, Oxley, what adventures did you have with this thing, again?" Torith asked. Oxley turned around to see the Lenny in the exact place he had been standing that morning, in the cold rain. The muddy puddle of rainwater and grass blades sat distilled at his feet. Droplets of water from the days of rain clung to his plastic body. It was as though he had never moved at all.

      "But-but..." Oxley started.

      "It's alright, Ox, sometimes my imagination gets the better of me, too. Come on, let's go have some ice cream or something inside. It's a little chilly out here!" Torith strode into the neohome, leaving Oxley looking flabbergasted as he stared at the Lenny.

      "But, it really did happen," Oxley whispered. "Or did it?"

      As he mulled over the thought, he heard a small noise; a rustle from behind him. He turned and saw the hedges move. With a great heave, a small blur of black and red jumped from the shrub and onto Oxley's chest, forcing him to the ground. Struggling, he managed to grab hold of the furry blob and sit up.

      "Hey! What's the big idea?" Oxley asked as he rubbed his head and looked down to see what had pushed him over.

      Sitting in his lap was a magnificent Fire Noil. Oxley gasped. A golden tag hung from the Noil's neck. Oxley's happiness turned to dread as he realized the Noil belonged to someone else. Flipping the tag over, he read the inscription.

     Harvard the Fire Noil

     Owned by Oxley the Fire Kougra

     If found, please return to:

     132453 Sunshine Drive, Neopia Central

      Flashing a smile that showed all the emotion he felt, Oxley hugged the little creature to him. A friend.

      Oxley stood, the wriggling Harvard in his arms, and turned to enter the neohome. But before he did, he turned to the Lenny, who stood in his puddle of old water. Oxley smiled at the Lenny, knowing that their adventures were probably over. Oxley looked to Harvard, knowing all too well how the small petpet must have arrived to be Oxley's friend, and then back to the Lenny, silently thanking him for everything. Then he walked into the neohome, along with Harvard, to eat some ice cream with Torith.

      The Plastic Lenny just grinned.

The End

Author's Note: This is my first story for the NT! I hope you all liked it! Feel free to send me any comments! Thanks! :3