After the lunch hour was over I was hot from being over the stove all day. I was pleased that we made a good profit. Icefire had calm down now and I had got rid of the rhyming gig. I've forgotten about Randy until now. Maybe I shouldn't have angered him so much. Nah who am I kidding!? He deserves everything coming to him after what he done to me in the past!
"199,996…199,997…199,998…199,999…200,000! Yes we did it! We made it funky, we made it!" Icefire cried after counting the day's profts. He jumped up and cheered, "I'm going to be normal! I'm going to be free!"
I cheered. We achieved our goal. The snow eyrie suddenly grabbed my feather arms and pulled me along with him in his victory dance. Then he swung me around and around and around and around and around… He finally let go and I was thrown in the air and I landed in a pile of snow. My head finally gained the surroundings and I managed to get up. My stomach was in a knot.
"Are you ok? I'm sorry!" Icefire ran up to me, "I'm just so happy!"
"I know and you should be!" I murmured, "Next time swing someone else"
"Sorry" he said, "So you going to find a Fire Paint Brush?"
"Yeah" I replied, "I'll look around the auctions this afternoon and I see if I could place a bid"
"Cool" he smiled, "I'm glad-"
He stopped suddenly when a loud thump was heard we both turned towards it. I cried in panic and Icefire stood in horror. The large pot that held Grandma's infamous Boiling Paprika and Chilli Chow Ka-boom Stew was lying on the icy floor! The stew streamed out slowly like lava out of a volcano. Steamed filled the air as sounds of sizzling echoed in the cave. The hot stew was melting the ice!
"Oh no!" I screamed and quickly put on my insulated gloves. With all my might I grabbed the pot handles and pulled it up and hoist it back up on top of the stove. There was barely any left in the pot!
Icefire ran up to me, "What do we do! If we don't stop it it's going to melt the whole cave!"
I tried to think as panic rose inside of me, "We have to put heaps and heaps of water on it. That may cool it down and stop the flow!"
"But there is no water! Just snow!" Icefire shouted in panic as the liquid was heading straight for the Neggery
"Well get some snow!" I shouted back feeling panic gripping me also, "We got to stop it!"
The eyrie quickly flew off to get snow from outside the cave. I quickly ran to the Neggery. I burst through the door and saw the Negg Faerie sitting behind the counter. She laid back in her chair and her feet her on the icy desk. She wore green boots and stockings, a negg decorated mini skirt and top, her green hair was up like a dollop of ice cream and her green wings stick out from behind her. She was filing her nails and hardly took notice of me. I ran up to her
"You must get out of here!" I cried
She yawned, "Why?"
"Because this place is going to melt!" I cried
She laughed and looked at me, "If you haven't noticed we're on Terror Mountain! The coldest place on Neopia! Nothing can possibly melt-"
Suddenly steam came from the side of the negg building. Water trickled down the walls. The Negg Faerie look bewilded then look at me.
"You're that lenny that sells that hot food next door" she recalled
"Yeah, uh we had a little accident" I murmured
Her eyes grew wide, "Lets get out of here! What are we stalling for?"
She sprang from behind the counter and grabbed my wing and ran out. I saw pets and owners looking on as the red stew liquid touched the Neggery walls. The negg faerie hovered slightly from the ground and approached the onlookers.
"Everyone! We must stop this stuff before it melts the whole cave down! I want everyone to go outside and bring in snow and pile it on the liquid!" she ordered
Everyone obeyed the faerie and brang in snow from the outside and piled it on the stew. She turned to me with her hands on her hips, "You better help too! After all it's your fault!"
I whimpered and nodded. I joined the operation to save the Neggery. Hours went past and the hot liquid stopped flowing and turned black. The Neggery stopped melting as cold evening wind blew in returning the temperature of the cave back down to below zero. After everyone cheered that the danger was over and congratulated themselves for the effort they put in. Relief filled my body and I sighed feeling relaxed again.
"This neopet almost destroyed our cave!" a voice cried
Every turned to the voice as well as me. It was Randy! He pointed his finger at me and had a revengeful glint in his black coloured eyes.
"He almost destroyed our cave and the Neggery by having his stupid hot food shop on ice where it's hard to extinguish! He had no right to set up shop and no doubt he'll do it again. Next time it wont be pretty" he convinced
Angry stares and glares shot my way. I gulped. "It was an accident! Honest! I didn't mean to melt down anything!" I cried innocently
Randy kept his eyes on me, "Don't you know it's unsafe to boil hot mixture in an ice cave? It's practically common sense…oops I guess you have none"
I growled. Then I looked at the crowd, they seemed convinced. Icefire appeared beside me and saw what was going on. "Don't worry too much. We have enough neopoints to get a fire paint brush!" he whispered in my ear
I nodded. The Negg Faerie landed in between the crowd and me. She held the same anger in her eyes. She had her hands on her hips and her lips pursed together.
"You endangered our home and so behalf of everyone here it's best that you'll never set up shop here ever again!" she announced
I felt sad. I stared at the ground in guilt and shame. I guess I deserved it. I nodded as I blinked back tears of rejection. I felt a cold hand on my back. I turned and it was Icefire. His smile was full of comfort. I sniffed and looked up to the Negg Faerie.
"Ok, let me get my things and I'll be out of your fur" I mumbled
I pushed past and gathered my things. All angry eyes were following my every move. My skin prickled. Icefire came and helped me. After packing it all away and tearing down the shabby rickety stand that served me for so long, I headed towards the entrance of the cave. I looked back and saw everyone staring at me. They were as icy as the cave itself. Then I saw Randy with a victorious smile and gloating eyes. I shot him an angry look but then turned and left in the winter night.
"You better go home before your mum gets worried" Icefire murmured, "There is a blizzard due to come in soon, so it's best to go now"
I nodded, "I'll come back tomorrow and we'll go and get you painted"
He smiled, "Thanks"
With that I took to the sky. I bet Randy was behind the accident, I though as I flew in the cold night, He tipped the liquid and blamed it on me! Why else would he be here in the cold evening? Despite the cold my body shook with hot temper. He's going to pay for that!
***
Next day was different. I put the trouble of yesterday behind me and wondered about Neopia Central finding a Fire Paint Brush. I headed off to the auction house and went around bidding for a brush. By noon I finally won one and soon was off to Terror Mountain to tell Icefire.
Icefire was waiting for me at Happy Valley. I swooped down and landed with ease. Then I ran to him. I pulled put the long awaited Fire Paint Brush.
"Merry Christmas!" I chirped as I pulled out the paint brush for him to see
He cried in joy, "I'm finally going to be painted! Whoo-hoo! I'm going to be free!"
"Come on! Lets go and get you painted!" I urged excited as he was.
He nodded and we both took to the sky. We soared across the snowy ground. Then the snow disappeared and grass took its place. Trees sprung out and soon the city was on the horizon. I turned to see Icefire. He was flying weakly. His body mass seemed limp and saggy.
"We're almost there!" I shouted over the rushing wind
"Oh" he murmured, "Good, this sun's killin' me!"
By the time we reached the outskirts of Neopia Central his form looked more like a blob then an eyrie. Seeing the urge to be quick I grabbed his paw. Cold wet snow squelched in my palm and fingers. Time is at the essence.
We ran into the City itself and dodged through the crowds towards the Rainbow Pool Ignoring unorthodox stares from passer-by. His feet were making slopping sounds and water puddles were left in his wake.
"I feel hot" he complained
"We're almost there!" I urged, "We can make it!"
With last effort I felt his squelching form running faster. I ran faster too and we finally made it to the pool. I pulled him into the large magical pool and quickly took my brush out and brushed a few strokes here and there. I stood back and waited. Nothing happened. I painted a few more strokes and still nothing happened.
"Don't worry" his form sobbed, "It's never going to work. I've melted too much and I don't even look like an eyrie anymore. Thanks for trying"
"Don't give up on me now!" I growled, "I didn't sweat over the stove and cook up all that stew for you to melt into the Rainbow Pool! I didn't humiliate myself at Randy's expense just for you to die! Come on and change!"
They eyrie seemed to have some hope of fighting. Suddenly he stopped melting. His blob form moulded into his eyrie shape. Then his fur and mane turned black, red and yellow flames licked his legs, wings, brow and tail, his beak turned from an orange carrot to a hard red and finally his irises was washed with red and the white of his eyes turned yellow.
When the metamorphosis was complete a large smile crossed his face as he looked at his reflection in the water. He jumped out of the water and ran about in happiness.
"I'm free! I'm free! I'm free!" he shouted at the top of his lungs
He was so happy he picked me up and cuddled me and landed a kiss on my beak. Not just one either but several all over my face! Finally he released me and went running around celebrating. I coughed and spluttered and wiped my face.
"Ewwww! Yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk! He kissed me! He kissed me! GROSS!" I yelped as I wiped my face
After the excitement was over, Icefire calmed himself and I disinfected my face for the hundredth time he came over to me.
"Well it's time to go" he said
"Your leaving?" I asked in surprise
"Yup! I'm going home. Back to the Lost Desert" he nodded
I suddenly felt sad, "Aren't you coming back?"
"Sure I will! I'll visit you any time I can. When I find a place we can send neomail to each other! And you can come along an visit!" he cried excitedly
"Cool" I smiled, "Or should I say hot"
He smiled back, "Thanks for everything! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I hope you can handle Randy better next time"
"Yeah me too. Well let's just say you owe me big time, well 200,000np to be exact. My owner wouldn't be pleased that I just spent it. But it's for a good cause" I shrugged
"Well goodbye and Merry Christmas!" he farwelled
"Bye and Merry Christmas to you too" I returned
He nodded. We shook hands and made our special friendship handshake then he leapt into the air and flew off into the setting sun. I stood there and waited until he was just a speck in the distance. I sighed and turned and headed off home.
I wonder if he'll pay me back" I sighed
The End