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Disco Fever


by bitsy_dj

--------

It was a lovely afternoon on the tropical shores of Mystery Island. Aishas were practicing their hula dancing, Flotsams were doing back flips in the water, and Techos were sunbathing on the shore. An especially popular attraction on the island was the Smoothie Shack. It wasn’t a very large business, but it made wonderful drinks that everyone on the island loved. It was run by a red Kyrii named Neil and a purple Mynci named Bud. Neil and Bud had been best friends ever since they met at Neoschool. The one thing they both had in common was that they were experts at recipes. They would spend hours concocting various flavors of smoothies and milkshakes.

     “Here you go,” said Neil as he handed the frosty glass to a Meerca. “One Kiwi-Banana Smoothie. That’ll be twenty Neopoints.”

     Bud whistled as he cleaned out the blender to get ready for the next customer. “Hey Neil? I was wondering,” said Bud. “Do you think lemon and plums would go good together? We could call it Pum-ade!”

     Neil chuckled. “Plum-ade? Sounds like a cure for diarrhea.”

     Bud jokingly tossed a damp dishrag into Neil’s face. “Aw, you’re just jealous of my good taste!”

     While Bud’s back was turned, Neil took the dishrag and spun it until it was wound and tight. “Too bad you don’t know what tastes good!” Neil then gave the rag a sharp whip, stinging Bud right in the tail.

     The Mynci yipped in pain. “You’re gonna pay for that!” With lightening speed, Bud tackled Neil in a headlock and gave him a hard noogie.

     “OW OW OW!” cried Neil as he struggled to get free. “Cut it out!”

     They both froze when they heard the desk bell chime, telling them they had a customer. Neil looked up to see the one face that always stopped his heart; smooth, colorful fur, shiny pink hoofs, sparkling bright eyes. It was Ivy.

     Ivy was a disco-painted Ixi that lived on the island. From the moment Neil saw her, he thought she was the prettiest Neopet in all Neopia. They had become good friends, but Neil always felt very shy around her.

     Ivy smiled as she saw the pair frozen in their headlock. “So, should I place my order or throw in the towel first?”

     “Ivy!” cried Neil. Bud had loosened his grip when Neil straightened up, getting his chin knocked by his friend. Bud toppled to the ground, only to trip Neil when he tried to go to the counter to greet Ivy. He quickly struggled back onto his feet, feeling himself grow redder by the second.

     “Uh, s-sorry,” Neil stuttered. “We were, uh, taking a little break.”

     “So I see,” Ivy said, followed by a laugh that Neil thought sounded like chiming bells. “I’ll just have the usual.”

     “Mystery berry smoothie with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles on top?”

     “You know it!”

     Just as Neil turned to fill out the order, he saw that Bud had already beaten him to it. He smiled and handed Neil the smoothie. “Go get her, Loverboy,” he whispered with a wink and nudge.

     Neil shot him an annoyed glance, then gave Ivy her drink. When she reached for her purse, Neil quickly shook his head. “Nah, that’s okay. It’s on the house.”

     “Aw, thank you, Neil,” said Ivy as she took a sip from her drink.

     Neil felt his heart pound faster, trying to think of the right words to say. “Uh...so, Ivy? I-It’s Friday. You...uh...got anything planned tonight?”

     “Well, actually, I do,” said Ivy. “I was asked to sing at the Funk Club tonight.”

     Neil cocked an eyebrow. “The what club?”

     “It's a new dance club at the Virtupets Space Station,” Ivy continued. “From what my friends told me, it’s suppose to be amazing!”

     Neil’s grin grew wider. He’s heard Ivy sing before and she was very good. She had a fantastic ear that could hit any note perfectly. “Wow! Good for you, Ivy!” Although he was very shy, Neil suddenly gathered up enough courage to utter his next sentence. “Hey, uh...m-maybe I could buy you a-a juice...a-after I hear you sing tonight?”

     Bud’s ears perked up when he heard this. “Uh, Neil?”

     “Really?” cried Ivy happily. “Oh Neil, that’d be so great! I’m going to be so nervous tonight and I could really use some moral support.”

     Neil blushed deeply. “Ivy, I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather...”

     “Neil, I really should tell you...” Bud whispered.

     “Not now, Bud!” Neil snapped, turning back to Ivy. “So, w-what time are you performing?”

     “Well, it’s a night club, so sometime around 11, 11:30.”

     “I’ll be there...front row, center,” Neil said.

     Ivy leaned over the counter and wrapped her arms around Neil’s neck, giving him a tight hug. “Oh Neil! You’re the best! I’ll see you there!”

     Neil felt like he was on the softest cloud in Faerieland while he watched Ivy skip away from the Shack. He leapt in the air and clicked his heels joyfully. “WOO HOO!!! I did it, Buddy! I actually talked to her! And she’s EXCITED about seeing me there!”

     Bud sighed heavily. “Neil, listen, you can’t...”

     “What should I wear? I’ll be in space, so maybe a sweater. Nah, I’ll be in a club, so a T-shirt, definitely. What do you think, Bud?”

     “Well, I don’t know. I guess a T-shirt would be good...after you go the rainbow pool and paint yourself disco!”

     Neil stared as his friend curiously. “What?”

     “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Man!” said Bud. “The Funk Club is restricted! Only disco-painted pets are allowed. No exceptions.”

     Neil’s jaw hit the floor. “Disco...color? What the...where’d you hear this?”

     “From my friend, Stewie,” answered Bud. “He’s a Bruce from Terror Mountain. He sent me a postcard last week saying he tried going to that club, but when he got to the front door, they literally threw him into the next pod to Neopia because he was yellow! It was the most humiliating thing that’s ever happened to him.”

     Neil’s legs went weak as he leaned against the counter. “Aw man, I’m dead! I don’t have any disco paintbrushes! What’s Ivy gonna think?”

     “Just tell her that you got stuck at work doing inventory,” Bud suggested.

     “At 11:00 at night?”

     “Hey, it’s a rough business.”

     Neil groaned as he ran his fingers through his hair. “No, I promised her I’d be there and I’m going to! I’ve been saving up. Come on, let’s go to the market and find a disco paint brush. I mean, how much can they be?”

* * *

"100,000 Neopoints?!?" Neil shouted at the large Eyrie salesman. “How do you sleep at night?”

     “Look, buddy,” the Eyrie said gruffly. “I’m trying to run a business here, all right?”

     “You call having outrageous prices a business? This should be illegal!” Neil continued. “Nobody’s going to buy it at that price!”

     The Eyrie scratched his chin and looked at the price tag of the paint brush. “Ya know, you might have a point." He then took out a black felt-tip marker and scratched out the original price. In its place, he wrote 99,999 Neopoints.

     Neil gave the Eyrie a withered look. “Yeah, it’s really going to be ripped off the shelves now.”

     Just then, a small blue Zafara popped into the shop, carrying a large bag of Neopoints. “Excuse me,” she asked the Eyrie, placing the bag upon the counter. “Can I please have that Disco Fever Paint Brush? I have exactly 99,999 Neopoints.”

     The Eyrie took the bag and put the paint brush on the counter. “There ya go,” said the Eyrie.

     Neil tried very hard not to scream as he left the shop. As he walked through the streets of the Island Market, he saw Bud returning from the Trading Post. Neil quickly went up to him. “Well? Any luck?”

     “None,” said Bud. “Unless you call 150,000 Neopoints plus five codestones a fair trade.”

     Neil groaned loudly as the two friends walked back to the Shack’s kitchen. “I don’t believe this! I mean, it’s not like it’s a royal paint brush or one of those Nova Wand things! If I don‘t show up at that club tonight, Ivy will never speak to me again.” The Kyrii dejectedly sat down on a crate of Flotatos. The moment Neil sat upon the wood, however, the entire crate collapsed beneath him. Within seconds, Neil was covered in Flotato juice. Bud quickly went to his friend’s aide.

     “Are you okay, Neil?” Bud asked as he helped a very sticky Kyrii to his feet.

     Neil looked down at the splotches of pink and yellow that covered his natural red coat. He reached for a wet rag and tried to wipe off the stains. “Great,” he muttered sarcastically. “Like this day hasn’t been bad enough already.”

     “That won’t get it out, Neil,” said Bud as he searched the kitchen. “I read that only club soda can remove fruit and berry stains from fur. I’m pretty sure we have a bottle somewhere.”

     “Well, hurry up and find some! I look like...” Neil froze when he looked at his reflection in the refrigerator’s door. He was a bit of a mess, but he was very colorful! “A disco Kyrii!” he cried joyfully.

     The Mynci looked at his friend quizzically. “Come again?”

     “Bud! Find more fruits! I got an idea!”

* * *

And so, Bud and Neil spent hours going through various Doughnutfruits, Flotatos, and Twirly Fruits. Neil dyed his mane and tail with Twirly Fruit juice while Bud painted designs on the Kyrii’s belly. Topped with a headband and blue neckerchief, Neil looked exactly like he had been professionally painted disco.

     Neil stood before the mirror in his hut, admiring his festive colors. “So, how do I look?”

     Bud took a moment to look over the new Neil. “Well, you do LOOK like a disco Kyrii, but do you really think she’ll buy it?”

     “It’s not Ivy I’m worried about,” said Neil as he straightened his neckerchief. “It’s the bouncer at the club.”

     “For your dignity, he better buy it. Just stay away from club soda and keep your cool.”

     “Wait!” said Neil, suddenly realizing something. “I can’t stay like this forever! What do I tell Ivy when I go back to being red tomorrow?”

     Bud thought for a moment. “Lab ray.”

     “Got it!” Neil shook Bud’s hands vigorously. “Wish me luck!”

     Bud shook his head as he watched Neil head to the nearest raft off the island. “Let’s just hope Ivy doesn’t care about fur color.”

* * *

Neil felt his knees tremble as he stood in line for the entrance. He was surrounded by disco-colored pets. Zafaras, Bruces, Draiks; all painted disco and ready to party. He soon approached the bouncer: a large, disco painted Skeith. He had his strong arms folded as he glared down at the timid Kyrii. “You on the list?” he asked, glancing at the clipboard in his hand.

     Neil swallowed. “Uh, a-actually...I-I’m here to see I-I-Ivy. I’m N-Neil and I work at the Smoothie Sh-Shack...”

     The Skeith’s face lit up. “Oh yeah! Ivy said you were coming!” He stepped aside and pushed the “open” button on the sliding door. “Go on in. She’ll be performing in just a minute.”

     Neil sighed in relief as he walked through the door. The club’s interior astounded him! It was a brightly colored night club that had lots of retro style furniture. Tons of disco Neopets were dancing, talking, and drinking juices. A lean Nimmo was the DJ as he played upbeat disco music that boomed from the speakers.

     Neil worked his way over to the bar where a disco colored Grundo was working. “Excuse me?” he shouted over the loud music. “Do you have any drinks with mystery berries in it?”

     “Well, I could put a bunch of berries together and mix ‘em up, if you want,” replied the Grundo.

     “That’ll work,” said Neil as he put the Neopoints on the counter. “I’ll have two of those. And could you put whipped cream on one with sprinkles?”

     The Grundo gave him an odd look, but shrugged and filled out the order. Neil took the drinks and headed to a table close to the stage. Just as he sat down, the DJ’s voice blared over the speakers.

     “Hey, all you pets out there in retro-space!” cried the Nimmo. “Are you ready to get FUN-KAY?” A loud cheer came over the Neopets. “Well, get ready to get down because tonight we got a very special guest! A little lady all the way from the tropics of Mystery Island! Put your paws, claws, and fins together for the lovely, the funky....IVY THE IXI!!!”

     A spotlight shone on the stage and there was Ivy. She was dressed in a gold, sparkling dress with a long, matching head scarf around her forehead. Behind her were three female disco Neopets: A Shoyru, a Zafara, and an Acara. Ivy took the microphone and began to sing as the three Neopets sang backup.

I hear the music playing.

I hear the people saying.

“Why aren’t you out here, swaying?”

(Oo oo ooo)

I feel my body moving.

I just can’t stop grooving.

My whole soul is moving

To the beat!

I gotta dance the night away!

Through the night till the break of day!

Everywhere, I hear the people say...

“Someone call a doctor,

cuz this girl’s got

DISCO FEVER!”

Neil sat there, watching in awe as Ivy danced on stage. Every Neopet in the club was dancing along to the beat. At one point, Ivy spotted Neil and a huge grin covered her face. Neil blushed as he shyly waved to his friend. It wasn't long before the song ended and Ivy was greeted with a loud applause.

     Ivy trotted off the stage and went to Neil. "Neil? Is that you?" she called over the music.

     "H-Hey Ivy," he stuttered. "You were great!"

     Ivy hugged her friend tightly. "Oh, Neil! I knew you would come!"

     "I promised you, didn't I?" he said as they both sat down. "I got you a smoothie. Just the way you like it."

     "Thanks! After that performance, I'm parched." She took a long sip, then looked curiously at Neil. "So...where did you get a Disco Paint Brush?"

     Neil felt himself go red. He didn't want to lie to Ivy, but it was the only way to impress her (and keep himself in the club). "Oh, well, I had some neopoints lying around so I thought I'd look my best for tonight. I mean, you gotta be disco to be here, right?"

     A sad look came across Ivy's face. "Yeah, you gotta be disco..."

     Neil noticed the Ivy's saddened look and was about to ask what was wrong, but just then the DJ put on an upbeat song. "Oh, I love this song!" said Ivy as she took Neil's hand. "Come on, let's dance!"

     Before Neil could argue, he was in the middle of the dance floor with Ivy. He felt slightly embarrassed, but soon got the tempo of the music and began dancing. Ivy was definitely an experienced dancer and didn't miss a beat. Neil's courage grew as he risked twirling Ivy under his arm. Ivy laughed, but her smile quickly faded when she pointed behind Neil.

     "Neil, look out!"

     It was too late. A large Grarrl had been dancing behind them and had swung his tail right into Neil. The small Kyrii went flying right into a Kau waitress carrying a tray of sodas. There was a loud crash that silenced the music and the crowd. Covered in soda, Neil felt his head spin.

     "Neil!" Ivy was at Neil's side, helping him on his feet. "Neil, are you..." Before Ivy could finish, she looked down to find her hoofs covered in juices.

     When Neil's head stopped spinning, he saw that lots of angry eyes were on him. He looked down at his fur and saw that his colors were melting off his body. He then read one of the bottle labels the waitress had been carrying: Kiko Club Soda.

     "Hey! He's not Disco!" cried a voice.

     "He's a phony!" cried another.

     Soon the crowd was filled with angry murmurs and shouts. Neil looked to see a shocked look on Ivy's face. "I-Ivy," he sputtered. "I can explain!" But Neil wasn't able to explain when the Skeith bouncer gripped him by the scruff of the neck and carried him to the exit. With a mighty heave, Neil was thrown from the club, landing roughly on the ground.

     "And don't ever your face around here again, ya big phony!" shouted the Skeith.

     Neil sighed heavily as he got to his feet and looked for the next pod to Mystery Island.

* * *

Neil gazed at the moonlit water as he sat dejectedly on the log on the beach. He had washed off the remaining colors with club soda and was back to his original red. The sad Kyrii looked at his reflection in the waves. "Boy, that was stupid," he muttered to himself. "All I wanted to do was impress her. Now Ivy will never speak to me again."

     "Why would I do that?"

     Neil turned around to see Ivy standing behind him. The moonlight glistened off her dress, making her look more lovely than ever.

     "Ivy!" said Neil. "What are you doing here?"

     "Looking for you, Silly," replied Ivy, sitting down next to Neil. "I wanted to see if you were okay."

     Neil sighed again. "Well, after being publicly humiliated and thrown out of a dance club, I don't see how I could be okay. I, uh...guess you want an explanation."

     "Well, that would be nice..."

     Neil took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. "Look, Ivy. I really did want to hear you sing, but when I found out about the Funk Club's...qualifications, I got desperate. So, Bud helped me paint myself in berry juices so I could come and see you and...well, I guess you know the rest. I'm sorry I lied to you, Ivy. I just wanted you to like me."

     The Kyrii hung his head low and dug his toes into the sand, waiting for Ivy to storm off angry. He was surprised when he felt one of Ivy's hoofs lifting up his chin so he could look her in the eyes.

     "Oh, Neil," she said softly. "You're my best friend. I don't care what color you are. To be honest, I really didn't like singing at the Funk Club. I just saw a flyer for singing auditions and thought I'd go for it. I didn't know about the color restrictions. I swear, if I knew beforehand, I never would've done it!"

     "But Ivy," said Neil. "That was a really nice club. You could become a famous singer there."

     Ivy chuckled. "I don't care about being famous. I love singing for all types of pets, especially my friends." Ivy placed a small kiss on Neil's cheek, making him blush madly.

     "Awww...thanks Ivy," said Neil. "You really were great tonight. I just wish that others could hear you."

     "Yeah," said Ivy sadly. "Too bad there aren't any dance clubs that welcome all Neopets."

     Neil's eyes suddenly lit up. "That's it!" he cried, jumping to his feet.

     "What is?"

     Neil took Ivy's hoofs in his hands and pulled her to her feet. "I just got a great idea! Come on, let's find Bud!"

* * *

And so, after many weeks of preparation and constructing, Bud and Neil started the first dance club on Mystery Island. Adding a large dance floor in front of their store, they set up tables, tiki lamps, and decorative banners. Every night, tourists and islanders alike flocked to the Smoothie Shack to dance and drink wonderful smoothies. They were even able to hire some bands to perform live, occasionally having Ivy sing lead.

     That evening, Bud was in charge of making the smoothies while Neil delivered them to the tables. Neil walked up to the counter with the next order. "Hey Bud! Table three wants another round of Plum-Ade."

     "Ha!" said Bud. "I told you Plum-ade was a good idea."

     Neil laughed as he placed empty glasses on the counter. "All right, so it's our most popular drink so far. Just wait till my Twirly and Swirly drink comes out!"

     While the two friends continued making smoothies, the popular band, the Hikalakas, were playing their tropical tunes with Ivy singing lead. When they finished their song, Ivy hopped off the stage and went to the counter. "Neil, this was a great idea! So many different Neopets coming together and having fun."

     "Yeah," said Neil, looking at the happy customers. "Just the way it should be. Let's just hope the Funk Club realizes that soon.

     Just then, the Hikalakas started playing an upbeat song. "Oh, I love this song!" said Ivy. "Come on, Neil. Let's dance."

     "Oh, I-I don't know," stuttered Neil. "I got to work and that table is waiting for their smoothies...."

     "I'll take care of it," said Bud, taking the tray from Neil. "You're due for a break anyway."

     Neil smiled at Bud, then took Ivy's arm and went to the dance floor. As they danced among the happy Neopets, Neil never felt happier being a basic-colored Neopet. And luckily for him, Ivy found red to be a pretty groovy color.

The End

 
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