Which Came First: the Pteri or the Egg?

Before arguing each view, it is a wise choice to go into detail about the characteristics of both the Pteri and the egg. With a detailed understanding of both of these Neopian life forms, it is easier to answer the question of which came first.

I will first explain the Pteri, delving as much into this bird as I can. The Pteris are described as “lively and fun loving creatures who can soar through the skies with ease.” They live in Tyrannia, preferring to nest at the top of tall trees. Pteris are mischievous birds who love to play tricks on anyone that comes their way. They have several feathers that stick out from the top of their heads, have sharp breaks, plump talons, strong wings, and an arrow-like tail. Pteris also have a rather piercing expression that can be intimating to the average neopet. With this being said, the Pteri is a bird (duh! I bet you already knew that) that LAYS EGGS in a nest.

Now I will discuss the egg. There is not much to be said about this simple form of life, except that it is round or oval in shape, may have spots, is quite good to eat (if you don’t mind the thought of eating a future Pteri!), and HATCHES INTO A PTERI.

Phew! Now that you’ve listened to me ranting about the obvious, it is now time to finally answer: Which came first? The Pteri or the egg?

POSSIBILITY 1: THE PTERI CAME FIRST

It is possible that the Pteri could have come to Neopia without the requirement of hatching from an egg. How, you may ask? Well, if you haven’t noticed, there is another bird-like neopet squawking around Neopia: the Lenny. The Lenny and Pteri have similar characteristics: a beak, feathers, wings, talons, and all of those other things that birds have. It is possible that the Pteri may have mutated from the Lenny; the similar looks are enough evidence alone. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that the Pteri is a mutant form of the Lenny (goodness no!), but they very much look alike. The problem with this theory is the question: how did the Pteri morph into the present day species from Lennies? Lennies don’t simply spit out new species here, but they are very smart! I’m sure they could have figured out a way to create the Pteri out of thin air.

POSSIBILITY 2: THE EGG CAME FIRST

The simple, yet deceiving innocent round egg might very well be the first thing to arrive in Neopia. After all, those chocolate Pteri eggs didn’t hatch by themselves! The main evidence that the egg came first is that other neopets hatch from eggs as well! Birds are not the only things that could come from eggs; dinosaurs can as well! The powerful Grarrl neopet also comes from an egg. This knowledge further sinks us Neopians into the Pteri-egg dilemma. Now we have to figure out where Grarrls come from, as well as Lennies! Eggs may very well be the ultimate life creation machine in all of Neopia! (*muhaha!*)

Okay, after reading the two options, I bet you are more confused than ever (you think?!) There is an equal chance of both these things coming first. But now, I get to confuse you even more. There are several problems to which came first, and I will list each and every one of these dilemmas that further question Neopia!

PROBLEM 1: THE BABY PTERI

This is probably the biggest problem of them all. As you probably know, there is a certain item called the baby paint brush that morphs almost every neopet species into a baby (apart from Boochi). Now this may not seem like a big deal – I mean Kougras turn into cute little cubs, Nimmos into tadpoles, etc. However, a Pteri gets turned into an…egg! (dun-dun-dun!) This adds more drama to our little-suddenly-turned big question because: why an egg? Why couldn’t the Pteri turn into a chick like a Lenny? Different looking of course, but why an egg? Being turned into an egg means now each one could morph into another! How could either one have been created first if they could switch identifies back forth at will? This is quite a dilemma.

Another problem with the baby version of Pteri being an egg is that other creatures hatch from eggs as well! Lennies, Grarrls, and Nimmos are among those neopets that hatch from eggs. A Pteri turning back into an egg does not necessarily mean that the egg will hatch into a Pteri! No no no, it could indeed hatch into another whole neopet species! This could mean that the Pteri could be the second thing created, as it would have been one of the random neopets hatched from an egg, but then…WHO LAYS THIS MAGNIFICENT EGG THAT CREATES MANY DIFFERENT NEOPET LIFE? Not to mention…a great source of protein.

PROBLEM 2: NEGGS

Neggs are items that eerily resemble an egg in appearance. Round, polished, and innocent looking. It could even be “hatched” at a place called The Neggery, located in the Ice Caves of Terror Mountain. However, neggs do not hatch into anything. Ordinary neggs, such as plain brown ones, are worth a certain amount of points. These points could be traded at the Neggery for more powerful neggs that could serve as Battledome equipment, increase/decrease pet stats, give random items, or other mysterious, yet powerful magic obtained while eating. The problem with neggs is that because they look like regular eggs so much, something may eventually hatch out…a monster maybe? Or just a man-eating Pteri! (scream!)

Well yes, now this article is coming to an end. I bet after reading all the words above, you are probably asking: SO WHAT CAME FIRST? I think it is safe to say that Neopia may never know. The easiest compromise to satisfy everyone is that TNT created both the Pteri and the egg and the exact time, place, and date. This is the ultimate solution because…well…it answers the question. Unfortunately, this probably didn’t happen. When I searched around the neoboards looking for answers, I found that other Neopians seemed just as confused as myself. 50% believe that the Pteri came first, the other 50% believed it was the egg.

And as I end this writing, I will say that this simple question of which came first may never be answered. It will just keep appearing every now and then to every curious Neopian, be the talk of random conversations, or just become an unsolved myth. I just hope that this article gave you further insight to the greatness of Neopia…and maybe confused you more than ever before! (shifty eyes).