Baby Lupe, Red Gelert, Red Gelert, Baby Lupe: Part Three

     "They could be, Pucca_Xero. We just don't know."

     "I think they must have been heroes, like Toggerneo."

     "Toggerneo? A hero?"

     "He told me a story about him journeying all over Neopia the other night. It was really exciting." The Lupe coughed before continuing. "He fought monsters, met the Sunshine Monk, saw all sort of things!" Frowning, the Lupe glanced in the mirror. "Why did he start liking me? This story says that he was never that happy about me…"

     "Well, I can explain that. You see…"

     Toggerneo moaned and shoved the baby Lupe off his lap. He landed with a thud on the floor and whimpered, looking up at his idol.

     "I'm busy!" the Gelert sighed, pointing at the newspaper in his hands. "Go to sleep or something."

     The Lupe coughed and then turned to look out the window, glancing back at Toggerneo every few seconds, as if he was likely to vanish. There was a click and the front door swung open, drawing the baby Pet's attention away momentarily. Neonick walked in and scowled.

     "Why is he sat on the floor?" he asked in an annoyed voice. "I told you to share the sofa."

     "He smells funny. And his coughs are annoying."

     "Toggerneo."

     "Fine, fine." With a mutter he scooped the Lupe up and dropped him onto the sofa, before turning back and staring at the paper in his paws. "Where did you go?"

     "I was trying to send a message to Meridell, asking about Pucca's parents."

     The Lupe looked up with obvious interest, coughing as he did.

     "There wasn't any news."

     Whimpering quietly, the baby Pet turned to Toggerneo, who ignored him.

     "It's sad, sure, but we can still give him back to the pound. I was thinking about it last night; he'll be snatched up straight away."

     "Because he's a cute baby Pet, not because someone will want to look after him well. You know as well as I do that painted pets are usually only adopted to look good, and then ignored."

     "I'm ignoring him anyway."

     "Well I'M not."

     The Lupe whined and put his paw on Toggerneo's long ear, which had fallen down onto the cushions. With an angry tap the paw was gone, and the Gelert had pulled his ear away.

     "He's getting in the way, and WON'T STOP COPYING ME!" He was glaring at the baby as he said this, and the Lupe trembled slightly before coughing. "You have to admit it, there are many homes he would be loved far more in!"

     "No, Toggerneo. He's part of the family."

     With a grumpy moan the Gelert got to his feet and flicked his ear out, curling it around the paper and folding it up with practised precision. The Lupe coughed again, and then looked up at his own ears.

     "That Ugga-Ugga is getting worse," Neonick said, a little concerned. "He really needs a cure."

     "Too bad it costs so much," Toggerneo muttered, not really paying attention.

     " I guess… we could break into your Shadow paint brush fund…"

     "What?!" Toggerneo barked. "No! Uh-uh! You promised! You said that money was all mine, for any paintbrush I wanted!"

     "Some things are more important than looks, like your brother's health-"

     "He's not my brother!" Toggerneo yelled, startling the Lupe.

     "Stop yelling!" exclaimed Neonick, seeing Pucca's frightened expression. He had rewarded himself with an angry glare, but it worked.

     "Fine. He is NOT my brother- he's a Lupe you happened to adopt, on one of your strange ideas!"

     "I'm going to buy the cure, Toggerneo, and you're going to look after him while I'm gone. Perhaps he'll start talking without Ugga-Ugga, and you can get to know him better. It seems to be your favourite hobby."

     "No! I won't-" But Neonick had already walked out the door, leaving a very angry Toggerneo and a very confused Pucca_Xero. The Gelert turned and glowered at the baby intensely.

     The Lupe coughed.

     "Fine. What do you want to do?"

     Silence.

     "I'll read you a book." He grabbed the baby Pet up off the floor and stormed towards his bedroom, grumbling angrily. Once he was inside he slammed the door shut and dropped the Lupe onto his bookshelf.

     "Choose one," he snapped. The Lupe stared at this crimson Pet he adored, and then turned to look at the books. Quickly he ambled over to a large book with a light yellow cover and thick blue pages. With one quick sniff, the Lupe tugged the book out with his teeth, letting it fall down onto the bed below.

     "The Magic Paw?"

     Toggerneo's glare faded, replaced with a curious frown.

     "I liked that book as a baby as well."

     Quickly he shook his head and brought back his angry stare.

     "I GUESS I can read it to you," the red Pet moaned, scooping the Lupe off the shelf and dropping him onto the bed. He flipped the cover open and started to read.

     "Frika placed her paw on her brothers wound. His leg started tingling as the magic took effect, within seconds there was nothing but a scratch. The Acara frowned, as the magic stung her paw, but finished the spell anyway. 'Thank you, Frika' her brother said in a grateful tone. 'But we have to get out of here, before they find us!' 'Sure thing, Petee,' she whispered, before getting to her feet. The pair turned to the exit and ran as fast as they could, and soon their little legs had gotten them away from that strange place. The pair hugged. 'Thank you again, Frika. You saved me in there. I know healing my wound hurt you…' 'No, thank you, brother. You're the best gift I could ever have asked for, and you health is more important than anything…'"

     Toggerneo frowned.

     "You've read this before, haven't you?"

     The baby Lupe just stared up at his idol, and Toggerneo sighed.

     "You're a mystery. Who read this to you? I guess we might never know."

     A cough, and then more stares.

     "But it won't work!" Toggerneo exclaimed. "Lupes- I can't be friends with any Lupe! I've always been so against them- and- and- why couldn't you have been a Gelert?"

     In the end he just shook his head and walked out, leaving the confused baby Pet on his bed. Pucca_Xero, after a few moments, coughed and looked around the bed. A couple of other books lay on the pillow; one was the Gelert A to Z, with a heavy cover the poor Lupe couldn't lift, and one other…

     To Beak or Not to Beak.

     A story of a Pteri who decides whether to step in front of the lab ray, and perhaps change species forever.

     The Lupe, after seeing a few of the illustrations, clambered down from the bed and wobbled towards the door.

     "Zero? Zero?!"

     Toggerneo called again and again, but the baby Pet was nowhere to be found. He checked in the cupboards, under the stairs, in the sink (well, he got a drink of water and THEN checked) but it was as if he'd just… fallen off the face of Neopia.

     He sighed and walked back into his room. Perhaps Xero was hiding under the bed or something. The Gelert knew he'd been a little harsh, but still, he hadn't been terrifying. Had he?

     He slid his paw under the bed and started feeling around. An old skateboard sat under there; nothing more. He sighed and stood up again.

     And that's when he saw the book.

     He frowned and walked over to it slowly. As he saw what page it had opened on, he gasped.

     It was a picture of the lab ray, and a Pteri walking into it. And coming out a Gelert.

     "Oh no!" he exclaimed as he realised what had happened. He shot for the door, and as he rushed out onto the porch he slammed into Neonick, who yelled and tumbled back into the small pond. Toggerneo ignored him and shot down the street, wondering if he was already too late…

     Cough.

     "You're here for the ray?" the bizarre scientist asked, flicking a few switches on the gigantic machine. "A little young, but why not? Step in front of the machine, please."

     The Lupe crawled forwards and looked up at the huge machine. It didn't look as friendly as in the book, and the baby Pet shivered slightly.

     "Right… powering up…"

     "Wait!" yelled Toggerneo, racing forwards. "Stop the machine! Stop the ray!"

     The scientist frowned, and then grinned "I can't!" he exclaimed, clearly pleased to be involved in such excitement. "I just don't have the ability! It's terrible, TERRIBLE!"

     Toggerneo ignored the over-dramatic Scorchio and leapt towards the Lupe. There was a hum, and then a zapping noise, and then-

     Cough.

     Toggerneo breathed a sigh of relief. The Lupe was still just that- a Lupe. No colour change, no gender change- no change.

     And then he saw his own paw… or, as it was now, hoof.

     "I'm a Moehog."

     "Don't worry, Toggerneo, I'm sure we can find another Morphing Potion around somewhere."

     "… I'm… a Moehog."

     "What you did was very nice. You can see it in Pucca's eyes… he really appreciates it."

     "… A… Moehog."

     Toggerneo turned away from the mirror and looked at the baby Lupe, who was frowning, clearly confused. It was still Toggerneo's voice, but it wasn't Toggerneo.

     "Listen, Zero," the ex-Gelert said slowly, "you shouldn't want to be something else, just because I would prefer it. Lupes are great as well; there's the Ghost Lupe, and Jeran, all sorts."

     "J'ran?" the Lupe asked, in a quiet, confused voice.

     "That Sprokle Syrup really worked, didn't it?" Neonick commented. "Jeran is a heroic Lupe, the saviour of Meridell. There are lots of famous Lupes, heroic Lupes."

     "G'lert!" squeaked the baby Pet. "Toggy!"

     Xero leapt up and started trying to climb onto Toggerneo's lap. As he did a small piece of paper fell out from his bandana, and a frowning Toggerneo picked it up. It was a crumpled photograph of a family of Lupes.

     Two tall adults stood at the back, one a shining WHITE and the other deep black. Two baby Lupes sat at their feet. One was both black and white, like a skunk, and had fierce eyes. The other was just a tiny bundle of fur. Both wore a dark black bandana.

     "See?" Toggerneo asked, passing the photo over. The baby sniffed it inquisitively, and then stared up at his idol. "You parents were Lupes, and they were real heroes. They went off to find your brother, to rescue him."

     The Lupe coughed quietly, and then spoke.

     "Lupe."

     With another cough he curled up on Toggerneo's lap, and fell asleep. The Gelert smiled.

The End