Information
Betty the Bat
The
Blacklight LasirusOwner:
teacup132Age: 2 years, 8 months, 1 week
Born: August 15th, 2021
Adopted: 2 years, 8 months, 1 week ago
Adopted: August 15th, 2021
Statistics
- Level: 99
- Strength: 249
- Defense: 248
- Speed: 30
- Health: 246
- HP: 246/246
- Intelligence: 632
- Books Read: 617
- Food Eaten: 1
- Job: Certified Mad Scientist
Betty’s Nightmare Before Christmas (by Teacup132)
A high pitch scream emits from a corridor while a little girl is chased by her brother holding a Bat Plushie. (Leave me alone!) squeals Belle. Bob laughs while stopping in front of the girl's bedroom. (Fine Squirt, I'll leave you alone. After all, it's past your curfew and we don't want Santa to stay away because YOU'RE not sleeping.) Belle glares at her brother and then slams her bedroom door shut. Bob roars with laughter from the other side. Belle darts to her bed and starts crying. A lovely cat leaps onto her lap and begins purring.
Belle sobs, (Oh Fluffy, Bob can be so horrible at times. He chases me with his monster plushies, especially BATS! He knows I'm scared of them!) The feline lies down and Belle pets her companion. While trying to fight off a yawn, Belle glances over at a dress hanging from her closet door. (Why can't he like cute things? I wouldn't be scared then. We could even have tea parties together where I'd wear my special princess dress.) She notices something is missing. (Hey...)
Belle jumps off the bed and dashes towards the garment. (Where's my pretty pink bow?) she asks herself. She sighs, (Mom might have put it in the wash. I remember spilling juice on it the other day. I'll have to ask her where it is tomorrow.) She stretches and goes back to bed where Fluffy awaits. She glances at the dress again and tells her cat, (One of the rare times Bob is nice to me and calls me Belle instead of Squirt is on Halloween. I wish... ) She closes her eyes and murmurs, (I wish that it could be Halloween every day so that I could be treated nicely all the time.) Fluffy begins to purr. Belle smiles and asks her, (Do you think Santa would grant me my wish?) Fluffy puts a paw on Belle's arm and purrs louder.
Belle looks at the time on her Limited Edition Royal Girl Usul Clock. She yawns, (I guess I better try to get some shut-eye; it's pretty late after all.) Unfortunately, try as she might, she's unable to fall asleep. She looks at her clock again and sighs. (Fluffy, I can't stand it any longer! It's pretty late; maybe Santa has already passed. I can hear Bob snoring; I'm sure I can get past his bedroom to go take a peek under the Christmas tree.) Fluffy becomes animated and jumps off the bed. Belle manages to tiptoe past her brother's room and enters the living room.
She notices Santa's plate of cookies has disappeared. (That's odd, Santa wouldn't have eaten them and left without leaving presents. Did you eat them?) Fluffy looks insulted. (You're right; you're too well behaved. It must have been Bob! Well, I better get some more; we can't let Santa leave on an empty tummy. After all, it's hard work bringing gifts to so many kids in one night!) Fluffy heads towards the kitchen and Belle follows closely behind.
All of a sudden, the feline paws at a cupboard door. (Fluffy?) She hears a voice whisper from inside: (We've been made! We've got to get out of here; no one's supposed to see us.) Belle exclaims: (SANTA?) She tries to calm down and then gently whispers to Fluffy: (No, he knows he doesn't have to hide... Elves?) She takes a deep breath and gently knocks on the cupboard door. (Whoever you are, you can come out; I won't hurt you.) Another voice from the cupboard whispers (What are we going to do?) The first one cries: (RUN!!!)
Before Belle realizes what's happening, the cupboard door swings open and she's knocked to the ground. She sees two shadows zoom past her. She runs after them into the dining room.
Belle sees part of a pink ribbon slip under the table before it disappears from sight. (Hey, what are you doing with that? It's part of my favourite pretty pink princess dress!) A voice under the table whispers: (Why didn't you listen to me? We're in so much trouble. How are we going to save Santa now?) Another voice replies: (We've got to get out of here. Humans are slow; we can make a run for it.) The two shadows zoom towards the garage.
Unfortunately for our two unannounced visitors, Fluffy manages to catch up to them and they wind up cornered. One whines: (Now what?) The other cries out: (Betty, we're trapped. HELP!!! ) A bat flies down from the rafters.
Belle screams, tries to back away, and then trips on a mop. Tears swell up in her eyes and she starts to wail. The bat mumbles an incantation. A toy mouse magically appears in front of Fluffy to distract her. Belle, bewildered at the sight, stops crying.
The bat lands near the meowclops and starts to talk. (Good grief. I can't leave you two for a minute without trouble arising! What did you do to this poor girl to make her so upset?)
The little furwitch blurts out: (It's Fluffy's fault. We had gotten the bow. We were going to return until HE saw cookies near the fireplace and ate them.) The meowclops grumbles: (I wasn't the only one that ate the cookies.) Fiona squints her eyes at Fluffy. (Only because you offered me some.) retorts Fiona. (I was being polite!) growls Fluffy. The bat crosses her wings and says impatiently, (Enough already! What does a plate of cookies have to do with the girl seeing you and upsetting her?)
Fiona clears her throat, (I realized the food was for Santa only after we had eaten everything. So, we went to the kitchen to get more when the little girl found us. I have no idea why she's upset; she's the one that chased us.) Fluffy adds, (She must be a witch. She knew my name and where we were hiding when we didn't even make a sound.)
Belle whimpers, (I am not a witch and I don't know your name. Fluffy is my cat and she's the one that found you.) Betty giggles amidst the confusion. (It's a case of mistaken identity; he's also called Fluffy.) Fluffy, the meowclops, snarls: (That still doesn't explain why you followed us.) Belle pouts, (I followed you at first because you had my bow. Plus, my cat chased you and I wanted to make sure she didn't get into trouble. Then I heard you mention that Santa needed help and I thought I could give you a hand. But, then I got scared when the bat flew at me.)
(You were scared of ME? I wouldn't hurt a fly! I'm a fruit bat!) the creature exclaims. (Well Betty, you do kind of look scary.) confesses Fiona. (Nonsense, I'm one of the prettiest bats in Subeta.) Betty objects. Fluffy grumbles, (Enough with the chitchat already, we're on a mission! Betty, what are we going to do about the girl?) Belle cries out, (I have a name; it's Belle!) The bat replies: (That's a lovely name. I'm Betty and these two are Fiona and Fluffy.)
Fluffy retorts: ( Betty, I wouldn't waste time introducing ourselves. Don't you have a spell that will make this kid forget she's seen us? We have to get back as soon as possible if we're ever going to complete our mission.)
(Please forgive Fluffy's lack of manners. He's just eager to get back; he can be a real sweetheart once he gets to know you.) Betty says while looking at Belle. She then looks in Fluffy's direction and adds: (Plus, it's useful to be properly introduced since she's going to tag along with us for a while.)
(I am?) Belle asks eagerly. (She's WHAT?! Why?) exclaims Fluffy.
(I'm only a class 3 sorceress. I don't have any spell that's powerful enough to wipe memories. We can't just leave her here. You know very well that humans aren't supposed to know of our existence. We'll just have to find someone that is able to fix this in Subeta.) Betty states.
(Great, that's just GREAT!) Fluffy whines sarcastically. (Well, I actually think it IS great. I wasn't able to sleep and an adventure sure sounds swell. So, what's your mission and why do you need my bow?) Belle enquires.
Betty replies, (I'll explain along the way; however, we're already late and we need to get going.) She mumbles another incantation and the dryer starts to shake. Light begins to radiate inside. Fluffy opens the dryer door and jumps in. Belle is flabbergasted; her mouth opens and her eyes widen. Fiona grins and tells Belle, (Ever wonder where the missing socks from the dryer go? You're about to find out...) She then jumps into the dryer. Belle hesitantly peeks inside. Betty gently nudges Belle inside and flies in behind her. Betty calls out to Fiona, (Tell Squirt we have a guest.)
Upon crossing the portal, our adventurers arrive in another world. Belle lands on something soft and is about to get up when it starts to move. She realizes it's a tentacle and screams. Fiona exclaims, (Belle, calm down! You're frightening Squirt.) The large squid drops her into the swamp, SPLASH! Fiona sighs and yells over Belle's screaming (He won't hurt you. He was just making sure you didn't fall in.)
Belle stops hollering and takes a few deep breaths. (I, I didn't mean to scare you. So... you're Squirt?) He nods and offers a tentacle to help her up, which she accepts. (Nice to meet you; I'm Belle.) He smiles at her.
Belle looks around and enquires: (Where are we?) Betty explains: (We're in the world of Subeta. There are lots of different lands here. We're currently in the Haunted Woods. Squirt is one of the swamp's protectors; he makes sure intruders don't disturb us.)
(Is that cute little gnome another protector?) Belle asks. (What gnome?) Fluffy enquires in an alert tone. Belle points out towards the kelp. Tentacles zoom towards the direction Belle showed. The kelp is tossed aside and a gnome is revealed. Squirt quickly grabs the creature and disappears.
Fluffy's eyes narrow. (A spy... We need to get back as quickly as possible.) Betty informs them: (I can't teleport us any closer. It's too risky to have my magic detected. I don't want to reveal where we're going. Our mission is too important and her spies are everywhere. We've already brought on too much attention by teleporting here.)
Fluffy says in an authoritative tone: (Alright, let's not waste time; follow me everyone.) He leads the group through the swamp. (D, does that tree stump have eyes?) Fiona tries to sooth Belle. (Don't worry, it's harmless. It's the ones that don't look at you that are troublesome. You have nothing to fear; we know how to handle them. How about I hold your hand for a while?) Belle eagerly takes Fiona's hand. Betty hugs Belle's neck while whispering, (You're a very brave girl. Everything will be alright; we'll make sure nothing bad happens to you.)
While walking through the dense forest, Belle enquires: (To whom were you all referring to when you mentioned her and why does she have spies?) Fluffy growls: (SHH! Not so loud! They'll hear you!)
(Sorry!) Belle whispers. Betty flies onto Belle's shoulder and starts to explain (Ruby, a royal girl usul, found a way to control the minds of cute creatures. A few weeks ago, she managed to reach Santa's dwelling.) Everyone was too busy decorating to realize she was amongst them until it was too late. She hypnotized everyone, overtook Santa, and convinced the elves that she's the one in charge. She forced the elves to create a new toy that she plans to give to all the boys and girls for Christmas.
(Where's Santa now?) Belle asks. Fluffy answers, (Ruby's taken him to her castle.) Betty adds, (Our informant managed to get a sneak peek at what she's building.) Fiona removes her hat. To Belle's surprise, although it seems to contain nothing, Fiona reaches inside and removes a gift box. (Magical hat) she says and winks at Belle. Fiona opens the lid and shows Belle its contents.
(EWW! What is it?) whispers Belle. (It's a snot usul plushie with red mittens and a red bow. Although it's the first of its kind, it's not very pleasant looking.) replies Fiona. (This is what we're supposed to get for Christmas? How horrible!) Belle exclaims. Fluffy growls. Belle whispers, (Sorry... Um, how did you all find this out?)
Fluffy replies, (It was Mr. Jingles, Santa's cat, that told us. It seems he's the only one that was able to avoid Ruby's mind-control.) Belle grins at the thought of a talking cat. (Santa's cat can talk?) Fluffy chuckles, (No... meowclops are distant relatives of cats. Consequentially, I can communicate with them.)
(So... how did Mr. Jingles escape Ruby and find you?) Belle asks. (Esh, you sure have a lot of questions.) whines Fluffy. (Well, if you want me to help save Santa, I need to know what I'm in for.) replies Belle. (You're not supposed to be here. As soon as we find someone to erase your memory, you're going home.) insists Fluffy.
Belle starts to whimper. Fiona says in a soothing voice, (Fluffy doesn't mean to sound harsh; he just wants to make sure that you don't get hurt. Isn't that right Fluffy?) Fluffy grumbles, (Yes, yes, that's what I meant. Ruby is very powerful.)
Belle asks Betty: (Why do we have to hide?) Betty explains, (It's because you're a human and most of us are scared of humans.) Belle is surprised, (Why would anyone be afraid of me?) Betty murmurs, (It's not you... it's all humans. They're scared they'll be brought to a secret lab and be experimented on.) Belle exclaims, (I would never do that!) Betty smiles sweetly, (I know, it's just that they don't know you.)
(There are worse things than being experimented on.) shudders Fluffy. (What's he talking about Betty?) enquires Belle. Betty sighs, (Well, the other reason many of us are scared of humans is that we don't want to get ill.) Fluffy smirks, (It's not the ill part that's annoying; it's the icky cures we need to take to get better. YUCK!)
Belle tries to stifle a laugh. While grinning, she says (I don't like their taste either; however, they do help make you feel better afterward.) Fluffy sighs deeply, (I guess so. Although, I still don't like getting sick!) Belle is about to say something when she starts to shiver. Concerned, Betty makes everyone stop.
(She's soaking wet because of the swamp. We have to get her warm.) Fluffy grabs Belle in his front paws and runs off. When the rest catch up, they're in front of a mansion. He enquires as to why they're grinning so much. Fiona evades the question by exclaiming, (We've made it! Home, sweet subeta home.) Fluffy looks around and when he's satisfied that no prying eyes are in sight, he lowers Belle to the ground. As soon as Belle places her foot on the ground, howling screams emanate from the domicile.
(It must be the intruder alarm!) Fluffy yells over the howling. He runs up the stairs and presses a secret compartment in the wall panels; the shrieking ceases. A furwitch bursts into the hallway. (What's going on?) she demands. (Feabie relax, the intruder alarm accidentally went off because of Belle.) Fluffy states. (Belle, who's Belle?) Feabie snaps. Belle walks through the opened door and waves. Feabie gives a concerned look towards Fiona, who asks (Have a memory-erasing potion lying around?) Feabie exclaims (No way, I'm only a level 2 sorceress. You should know better sis.) Fiona retorts, (How would I? You're the one that makes the potions... I only get the ingredients!) Fluffy intervenes (Ladies, ladies, why don't you all calm down? Isn't there anyone you know that could fix this prob?) Betty answers, (We'd need someone with level 1 magic and they're all recovering from the battle.) The furwitch sisters look at each other and simultaneously reply: (Bob might be able to help.)
A few minutes go by when all of a sudden, the house starts to shake. Fire is amidst the room and a large dragon flies overhead. (ACHOO! Sorry. Zake zit rain.) it says in a stuffed-up voice. Feabie waves a magic wand while chanting and rain magically extinguishes the fires. (Belle! You should have waited upstairs.) Betty scolds her. (Zit ok, we zeed her.) the dragon states. The dragon gently lands on the ground making sure not to squash anyone.
Fluffy grins, (Belle, meet Bob. He's one of the most advanced wizards we have. He'll be able to get you home.) Bob sighs, (Znot for a zhile. Zi'm zoo stuffy zoo say spells zand we need her for z mission.) Bob wiggles his nose. (Oh no! Not again, everyone DUCK!) exclaims Fluffy. Bob sneezes and fire erupts from his nostrils. (I got it!) Feabie yells while waving her wand and making it rain again. (It looks like you're going to be with us for a while longer.) Betty says while grinning.
Bob asks the furwitch sisters: (Zow'z z pozion zoming zalong?) Fiona reports, (We still need two ingredients for the potion, the rare True Nature Flower and the Bone of a Brave Warrior.) Feabie looks around the room and then addresses Fiona, (Go get the remaining ingredients. Make sure to bring her along with your other guests. I won't have them causing any more trouble while I clean up the mess that you caused.) Fiona retorts, (From what I recall you're the one that made the mess.) pointing to Bob and the clouds that are still pouring rain. Fluffy interjects, (Ladies, ladies, everything will be ok. Feabie, sorry for all the trouble we've caused you. We'll be back before dusk.) He grabs Fiona's arm and tugs her towards the door while Betty and Belle follow closely behind heading towards the forest.
To pass the time, Betty explains to Belle that when word had spread that Santa had been taken, the most powerful wizards, witches, and warriors attacked Ruby's castle. However, Ruby had anticipated such a possibility and welcomed them right into a trap. She had recruited an army of Lupe Gnomes to fend off anyone that might try to stop her.
Those that managed to get past the gnomes entered the courtyard without realizing what was awaiting them. Ruby had mind-controlled Santa's Snow Squad, the most elite warriors of their kind, to fight for her. They had planned an ambush in the courtyard. The wizards, sorcerers, and warriors fought their best; however, the Snow Squad was just too powerful. They have an arsenal of snow items at their disposal that cause quite a lot of damage. They're the toughest of the tough. That's why they're chosen to protect Santa from naughty visitors.
They caught several of the wizards and sorceresses. Those that managed to get past them confronted Ruby. However, she somehow managed to make them ill. They could no longer cast spells because they kept mispronouncing words. They became powerless to defend themselves and most of them were captured. A few managed to escape; Bob was one of them. Since their plan failed, they had no choice but to devise a new one.
Bob has the ability to foresee the future; however, it's very difficult to do even for a wizard of his caliber. He says that the future fluctuates depending on what one chooses to do. He hadn't foreseen Ruby's ambush because the Snow Squad usually protects Santa. Since their alliance changed, it altered the outcome of the battle. Luckily, he's had a new vision that's adjusted to the current developments. He says that Ruby's true nature needs to be revealed for the hero to resolve the situation. (Who's the hero?) Belle enquires. (Bob didn't tell us. I think it will depend on what everyone decides to do.) Betty answers. (So, how is Ruby's true nature going to be revealed?) Belle asks. Before someone could answer, they arrive at their destination whereby a plant’s roots are glowing.
(Ohhh, so this plant shows the true nature of the soil.) states Belle. Betty grins, (Indeed. Fiona's potion will use this ability to do the same for Ruby.) Fiona unearths the flower and places it in her hat. (We need to go to the tomb of the brave warrior next.) she states. (T, T, Tomb?) Belle asks gulping. (Well of course! Where else would we get a bone? It's not like we chop them off fresh, ya know!) Fiona exclaims. (It'll be alright, we're right here with you Belle.) comforts Betty. They soon arrive at a peaceful garden, where a lone sentinel stands guard.
Fluffy clears his throat, (It's ok, let them through. They're with me.) Belle whispers to Betty: (How do they know each other?) Betty smiles, (Fluffy prefers being known as just plain old Fluffy; however, he's actually General Fluffy. He's won many wars to help keep Subeta safe.) Belle seems surprised, (I never would have thought! He's so tiny.) Betty grins, (Fluffy may seem small; however, he's one of the strongest and bravest meowclops there is. Werelupes don't stand a chance against him!)
(Does that mean he also fought against Ruby?) Belle enquires. Betty nods whereas Belle seems confused. (Why isn't he sick like the others?) she asks. (He would have gotten sick if it weren't for Bob. Ruby was just about to grab Fluffy when Bob flew in between them. Bob grabbed Fluffy and flew them to safety; however, not before Ruby grabbed Bob's tail and made him sick.) explains Betty. (Wow, so Fluffy is a General. Why wouldn't he want others to call him so?) Belle asks. Betty replies, (He doesn't like being treated special.) Belle's surprised, (Why not? It's nice to have others do special things for you.) Fluffy interrupts, (If you're always treated special, it becomes routine and you take it for granted.) Belle and Betty hadn't realized that Fluffy had overheard everything...
(Plus, if I was considered too special, I wouldn't be asked to go on important missions because the Snow Squad would want to keep me safe. Just imagine, I wouldn't be here to protect you. We can't have that now, can we?) He then poses as if in a Mr. Meowclops contest, flexing his muscles. Belle tries to resist giggling; however, Fluffy starts chuckling and then everyone starts laughing. When everyone has caught their breath, Fluffy states: (We better get the last ingredient Feabie needs; it's getting late and I don't want to worry Feabie.) He heads inside the crypt.
Belle has a terrified look on her face. Just as Betty tells Belle, (You can stay outside if you want to.) They hear Fluffy struggling inside. (Urr, URR!) He comes back out and tells them apologetically, (The top is too heavy for just one meowclops. I'm going to need all of your help if we're going to get it open.) He stares at Belle. She whimpers, (I, I guess we have no choice.)
Fluffy walks up to her and tells her in a gentle voice, (Do you know why we're here? It's not just any old ingredient we're getting. It's the bone from one of the bravest Subetians there ever was, Spartacus the Spyder. His owner loved adventures and wherever they went, trouble seemed to follow. It was Spartacus, his loyal petpet, that always managed to get him to safety. Spartacus could fight six villains at once!) Fluffy says in awe. He then murmurs, (I remember when I was getting ready for my first battle. I was so scared that I couldn't even equip my armour. He was in the locker room and he sat down beside me. He told me something that I've never forgotten:
It's normal to be scared, that's what will keep your senses sharp. By knowing this, it will help transform your fear into enthusiasm. Also, don't be scared of losing a battle. If you learn from it, you will always be a winner because the experience is worth more than any treasure.
I was so impressed that he took the time to talk to someone that was just starting out. He helped me find my courage, for which I am forever thankful for. He always took the time to help others, even once he became a ghost. Creatures from all over Subeta still come to visit his crypt to get his advice.)
Belle hugs Fluffy. (Thank you for sharing that story with me. I'm ready to help you now.) Our heroes head inside and start to pull open the top. All of a sudden, something starts to move inside. They all start screaming until Belle stops and yells at them to do the same. A high-pitched voice emanates from inside: (Please don't hurt me!) Belle takes a deep breath and says, (I, I'm sorry we scared you. We have no intention of hurting you. We just need an ingredient and we'll be on our way.)
A little red Robo Eyrie pops out of the coffin and looks around. Her eyes widen at the sight of the meowclops. (Fluffy? Is that you?) He blinks in amazement. (Rouge! What on earth are you doing in there?) Rouge's cheeks redden, (I was going to put fresh flowers on the tomb and ask Spartacus' ghost to help give me courage when I accidentally tripped. Somehow, I got trapped in there.)
(Well that explains why you weren't at the battle. Good thing we were around to get you out. Since you're here, I was wondering if you could do me a favour?) Fluffy asks. (Sure, anything for you, Sir. What do you need?) Rouge asks. (Tell Feabie we've been detained and we're heading back soon.) Fluffy states. (Sir, Yes Sir!) Rouge cries out. She salutes him and then flies off towards Feabie's. Fluffy looks towards the coffin, (Now, back to the task at hand...)
Fiona clears her throat, (I already got what we need while you were talking.) Betty quickly looks around. (So... we can leave?) she asks in a high-pitch voice. (Yep.) Fiona confirms. (Great! I'll wait for you all outside!) Betty blurts while quickly flying out. Our other heroes look at each other and start laughing while strolling out of the entrance.
Upon exiting the crypt, they notice the stars have come out. They rush back under the cover of night. On their way back, Belle enquirers (How are you going to get Ruby to take the potion?) Fluffy joins in on the conversation. (That part is pretty ingenious. Ruby LOVES bows. So, we're going to pour the potion on the bow to turn it into a magical bow. Then, we somehow find a way to put it on Ruby. Since Ruby's bow collection is extensive, Bob told us we needed a very special bow. It turns out that it's your pretty pink princess bow.)
(So how do you know Ruby doesn't already have a bow like mine?) Belle enquires. Fluffy proudly recounts how he managed to infiltrate the gnome's headquarters to obtain the information. He eluded detection from atop the observatory by swimming underwater in the West River. He reached a red bridge and hid until the coast was clear. After entering the premises, he dashed behind bushes and made his way to a bench on the west side of the house. From there, he saw one of the windows was ajar and snuck in.
Inside the playroom, he found Tina, one of Ruby's most esteemed advisors, a fashion consultant. When not advising Ruby, she's confined to the house and is guarded by gnomes. Remarkably, she isn't under Ruby's influence. She willingly serves Ruby, insisting all creatures can use fashion advice. She enthusiastically described to Fluffy how she helped Ruby obtain some of the rarest bows in Neopia. He eventually managed to leave and elude capture, but not before Tina got in a few words about grooming products for his fur. Belle started to giggle at the thought of Fluffy going to a hair salon.
After regaining her composure, Belle asks the team, (If the True Nature Flower is used to make the potion reveal Ruby's true nature, I gather that the Bone of the Brave Warrior is supposed to... make one courageous?) Fiona nods her head. (I'm a little confused. Why does Ruby need courage?) Belle enquires. Fiona squints her eyes in contemplation. (Hum, I'm not sure to tell you the truth. All I know is that it's one of the ingredients. Maybe when it's combined with all the other ingredients it has a different effect. Level 1 sorceresses know more about these types of things.)
It doesn't take them long to reach Fiona's home. They find Feabie in the kitchen hovering over a cauldron. (Rouge gave me your message. I hope you have everything I need?) Feabie asks. (We got the two missing ingredients you wanted.) Fiona answers. (What about the rest of the items on the list?) Feabie enquires. Fiona removes her hat. She reaches in and starts to remove several items. (Let's see... Fenny Snake, check. Eye of Newt, check. Toe of Frog, yep. Wool of Bat... hum… Betty, would you mind coming over here?) Betty flies onto Fiona's shoulder and Fiona picks a few pieces of her fur. (Check!) they simultaneously say while smiling.
Meanwhile, Fluffy starts to get a bit green in the face. Fiona continues to pull out ingredients from her hat. (Tongue of Dog... hum, I could have sworn I had a few. Oh yeah! I put them in the fridge since they need to stay fresh.) She heads towards the refrigerator and takes out a bowl that contains something wiggling inside. Fluffy whimpers, (Uh, I'll go wait for you all outside. I could use some fresh air.) Belle decides to accompany him.
After a while, Fiona and Betty finally come join them. (All done!) they say at the same time. They show Belle the bow. (Hum, it still looks the same.) Belle remarks. (That's because there's an enchantment on it. Only when needed will it activate. That way, Ruby won't be able to detect it's magic.) Fiona explains. (So... what do we do now that we have the bow?) Belle asks.
(We need to head towards Ruby's castle.) Fluffy affirms. (Uh Fluffy, wouldn't it be safer for Belle to stay here?) Betty questions. (Bob said she had a role to play in helping us defeat Ruby... Plus, do you really want to leave her with Feabie? You know how she's always looking for volunteers to try out her potions. Last time I helped her test something she turned me into a fishberry for a week! Who knows what she'll try to do to Belle! I'm not leaving Belle out of my sight!)
(Awe, she's starting to grow on you.) Betty says sweetly. (Hey, hey, enough of that. We have a mission to complete.) Fluffy says and marches off into the woods. The gang follows and they soon arrive at the castle. They sneak their way past the palace's gate and hide behind some bushes. Near the palace's entrance, they see several creatures arrive by horse and carriage. Music can be heard from inside; there seems to be a party.
(That's odd, they seem to be spooky petpets.) Betty whispers. (Remember all the abandoned gardens?) Fluffy mentions. (Ruby must have convinced some of the Halloween creatures to join her cause. I have no idea how; however, when I get my paws on those deserters...) he growls in a low voice. Betty murmurs, (Fluffy, it'll have to wait. We have to figure out a way to get in.)
After discussing several strategies, none seemed plausible. (We're all going to get caught and be unable to save Christmas.) Fiona whines. Her eyes suddenly brighten. (Unless... one of us distracts the guards while the rest go inside.) Before anyone has a chance to object, she pulls out the magical bow from her hat. She hands it to Belle and tells her to: (Hide this in your pajama pocket until it's needed.) She then quickly sneaks behind one of the incoming carriages and casually walks up to one of the guards.
(Halt! Are you on the guest list?) the guard bellows. (Of course I am!) Fiona answers. (Name?) he asks. (Fiona, Fiona Furwitch.)
The guard looks at the list and shakes his head. (You're unlisted. You'll have to come with me.) Fiona squints her eyes, removes her hat, and then throws purple dust into the guard's face. He shrinks down to the size of a petpetpet. The other guards see this and head towards Fiona's direction.
(That-a girl, Fiona! Give them a good run for their gruel!) murmurs Betty. (Is she going to be alright?) asks Belle in a concerned tone. (She's one fierce little furwitch; I'm more worried about the guards.) Betty says. Fluffy whispers, (Now's our chance. I wish Fiona would have let us figure something else out; however, there isn't much time left before Christmas. We'll have to go on without her; we can't let her down.) They sneak past the astonished guests that are too busy observing the guards chasing Fiona around the palace grounds.
Near the doorway, Betty tells Belle to drink a potion Fiona gave her before leaving. (She told me that it's a disguise.) Belle quickly takes it and POOF! she's covered in snow. Fluffy tells them, (Good ole Fiona, she thinks of everything. You can pass as a Snow Squad guard now. Although, let's make haste as I don't know how long it will last.) Our adventurers advance in the corridor and enter the main entrance.
Two receptionists greet them while a procession of snow creatures heads towards the entrance. Fluffy asks one of the receptionists what's going on, who replies, (There's a minor incident outside that will be dealt with shortly. Guests are to proceed with the festivities. Please head towards the coat check on your right and leave any weapons there.) She then addresses Belle, (How come you're not outside?) Thinking quickly, Belle tells her (Um, I have to give Ruby an update. Where I can find her?) The receptionist tells the gang (She's in the throne room; however, she's not seeing anyone at the moment.) As the procession continues, our adventurers have no choice but to head towards the coat check.
Betty flies on ahead and sees that the attendants are preoccupied looking out the window at the spectacle outside. Fluffy suggests they wait there until the procession passes and then head towards the throne room. Belle sits on a chair wiping her brow, (Is it me or is it really hot in here?) she softly asks. Betty's eyes widen, (You're melting!) Within seconds, she's back to herself. Fluffy tells them, (There's nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to sneak you in from here.)
Fluffy tells the two, (The coast is clear; I'll distract the receptionists while you both sneak past them.) He moves on ahead. After a few minutes of flirting, he signals his friends to go while he starts disco dancing between the receptionists. Belle and Betty manage to hide behind a statue and head towards the nearest corridor. Fluffy soon follows whereby our heroes find themselves in a large dark hall. It's filled with glittering lights emanating from a Disco Ball and music is playing. Although it appears to be a ball, no one is dancing.
(Even though it's dark in here, we can't afford to have one of them run into you, Belle. Go hide behind the Gigantic Decorated Christmas Tree while we figure out a way to distract the others.) Betty remarks to Belle, who does as she's told.
(Now what?) Fluffy asks Betty. She looks around, (Hum... it seems several guys are in one corner while the girls are in the other. Go convince the guys to ask a few of the ladies to dance. Once the party gets started, they'll be too busy dancing to see us slip past them.)
Fluffy replies, (You've got to be kidding me? Even Spartacus' ghost has difficultly persuading guys to muster enough courage to ask girls to dance. Everyone knows the first dance is the hardest to find a partner since everyone will be looking at you when you dance. I'd rather have a bath than try to convince them!) Betty narrows her eyes. (In that case, I'm going to come over and ask you to dance.) Fluffy protests, (Awe, I'm all danced out. Plus, I don't want the receptionists to find me here; they'll never let me leave.) Betty sternly looks at him, (You're going to accept; otherwise, I'll cast a dancing spell on you.) Fluffy blinks uncomfortably at the thought of doing pirouettes. (Ok, ok, let's get this over with.)
After their first dance, others start to join in and pretty soon several creatures are on the dance floor. This gives our heroes the perfect opportunity to slip unnoticed into the next room whereby they enter a fighting arena! Before our heroes can leave unnoticed, one of the Balthazar fighters points towards Belle and shouts, (A human!) The other fighter snarls, (Nice try!) while attempting to hit his opponent. The first Balthazar manages to dodge the punch. However, a zomutt looks in our heroes' direction and yells: (A HUMAN!)
Fluffy takes a deep breath. (Betty, Belle, it's up to you both now. You know what to do; I'll take care of this mess.) Fluffy pounces on the first zomutt that comes near him and yells: (RUN!) Belle dashes towards the next door when one of the Balthazars tries to grab her arm. Betty flies near the fighter's face and Belle manages to escape. She hears Betty shout behind her: (Close the door!) Belle starts closing the door. Betty manages to fly inside at the last moment before it shuts closed.
They hear fierce growling and hissing on the other side. (What about Fluffy?) Belle asks in a concerned voice. (Don't worry about him, he's been in a lot tougher jams. He can hold his own against that crowd. He's as brave and as strong as they come. ) Betty says with a proud smile on her face, yet tears in her eyes.
All of a sudden, loud snoring emanates from above. They turn around to discover... (SANTA?!) Betty exclaims. She points towards the suspended cage. (Zzzzz)
They quickly scan the room; it seems empty. Betty flies towards the cage saying, (I'll unlock the cage while you stay on the lookout for RubyIEEEE!) Unfortunately for our courageous bat, she's flown right into an invisible force field. She starts falling to the ground. Luckily, Belle runs under her and catches her. (I should have known it wazn't zat eazzy.) she whispers before falling asleep.
(Oh no! What am I going to do?) cries Belle while gently putting Betty in her pocket. She feels the bow and is about to take it out when she hears a voice behind her. (Well, well, well. What do we have here? A human and her pretty bat too!) Startled, Belle jumps but manages to stifle a scream. She grabs the bow and takes a deep breath, (I'm Belle. Sorry if I seemed startled, I didn't see you there. Are you Ruby?) she asks while turning around to discover a royal girl usul emerge from behind the throne.
(Yes indeed, I'm Ruby.) She looks at Belle in a curious manner. (They sent a human to stop me this time. How interesting...) Belle tries to think fast (No... that's what I made them think. I heard you're the one in charge of toys now and I wanted to make sure you'd grant me my wish.) Ruby ponders... (Maybe; however, what's in it for me?)
(I hear you like bows.) Belle says while taking out the magical bow from her pocket. Ruby's eyes glitter. She starts to reach for the bow; however, her paw stops midair. (You have my attention; now, what's the wish?) Belle doesn't want to reveal her real wish because she no longer wants it to come true. She thinks fast and blurts out: (I want a Royal Girl Usul Plushie for Christmas.)
Ruby seems amazed. (Why do you want that?) Belle replies, (I'd like a plushie of you.) An odd smile forms on Ruby's face. (Of me? That's interesting; why would you change your wish?) Now Belle's the one that seems surprised. (You, you can read my mind?) She clutches the bow in her hand and thinks that it's all over. (No, I can't read human minds. However, I was looking over Santa's list and I found it intriguing that you'd ask for it to be Halloween all the time. Why?)
Belle stammers, (I, I don't want that anymore.) Ruby interrupts, (Gobbledygook. There has to be a reason, tell me!) Her eyes forebodingly start glowing green.
Belle sighs, (It's the one day I get to dress as a princess and everyone treats me special, including my big brother.) Ruby says in a soft sad voice: (We all want to be special. Why would you change your mind?) Belle thinks fast and answers, (Now that I've met a real princess, I'd rather have a plushie to remember you by when I go back home.) Ruby asks, (Won't your brother continue to be mean to you if you go back?) Belle murmurs, (Yes; however, he isn't that bad.)
Ruby's eyes brighten and she tells Belle, (Listen, you have pretty good tastes for bows. How about you become my assistant? If you stay here with me, you could get me new bows and I could make sure you're treated like a princess all the time.) (Thank you; however, I'll have to pass. I just want to go home. I can give you the bow as a goodbye present though.) Belle reaches out and offers it to Ruby. (Nonsense, why don't you stay here? I can give you everything you'd ever want.)
Belle's disappointed her plan didn't work. She's going to have to try something else to get that bow on Ruby! (I'd miss my home.) Ruby smiles, (Oh? I'm sure you wouldn't miss your brother very much. I could make you a palace and you wouldn't have to share with your brother!) Ruby waves her hands while murmuring an incantation... the room magically starts to transform. (Where, where are we?) Belle asks in astonishment.
Ruby smiles proudly. (I can transform things into whatever I want. This could be your new bedroom.) Belle is flabbergasted at the room's beauty; however, it's not her bedroom. Her bow starts to quiver. She blinks and the room transforms into SNOT! She glances at Ruby, who has also altered... into a snot usul, with ruby red mittens and a ruby red bow! Remarkably, Ruby doesn't seem to realize Belle knows the truth.
Belle now understands everything… the bow wasn't meant for Ruby; it was for her all along. It's up to her to make Ruby realize the truth. Belle clears her throat. (Ruby, it's very nice what you're offering me; however, it's not my home.) Ruby looks frustrated. (I can make you anything you want.) Belle smiles sadly, (There are some things you can't make. You can't force people to like you Ruby.) Ruby looks shocked. (I don't believe you!) she snarls.
Belle continues, (You've been unpopular all of your life. You wish humans would like you just as much as all the other usuls; however, most look at you in disgust because you're made of snot.) Tears start to form in Ruby's eyes. Belle persists, (You've tried wearing pretty bows and mittens; however, no one picked you as a pet.)
(They don't even have a snot usuki doll!) Ruby hollers while tears continue to stream down her face. (So, you became a powerful sorceress that could transform snot into different appearances.) Ruby nods. Belle adds, (You also figured out how to mind-control cute creatures; however, I'm not sure why it didn't work for Halloween ones.)
(That's easy, cute creatures tend to trust more easily whereas Halloween ones tend to be more cautious. That's why it's a lot harder to convince them.) Ruby explains while sniffling. (So how did you convince some of the Halloween ones to join you?) Belle enquires.
(I sought out the ones that felt misunderstood. I promised them that once I would rule the world, they would also become popular.) Ruby explains. Belle adds, (The ones you couldn't convince, you gave them colds.) Ruby grins mischievously and says, (Being snot coloured has its advantages.)
Belle remarks, (I see. So, to make yourself popular, you devised a plan whereby you'd take over Santa's role and have his helpers make usul plushies in your image.) Ruby nods. (You, of all people, should know the importance of wanting to feel special all the time, that was YOUR ultimate wish after all!) Belle sighs, (Yes, yes it was. However, a friend of mine made me realize something important. If you're always treated special, then it becomes routine and you take it for granted.)
(Well, I'd take boring over unpopular any day!) growls Ruby. (I hate to break it to you Ruby; however, your plan won't work.) Ruby appears shocked. Belle persists, (If all the kids in the world got a usul snot plushie, most of them would be very upset.)
(WHY?) exclaims Ruby. (It's not what they asked Santa for.) Belle explains. (Of course not! They never ask for snot plushies! They want CUTE things!) Belle sighs, (Ruby, you'd become even more unpopular because they'd see you as the usul that ruined Christmas. You can't force people to like you.) The little usul sobs deeply.
Belle says in a sweet voice: (Ruby, I understand what it's like for others to be scared of you without knowing who you are. When I came here, many of the Halloween creatures scared me; however, I found out that they were even more frightened of me!) Ruby seems surprised and cries out: (Nonsense, why would they be afraid of you? You're just a sweet little girl!) Belle smiles, (Well... they didn't know me and they thought I'd give them colds.) Ruby smirks, (That's gobbledygook. You should have sent them my way; I would have showed them who can really give them a cold!) she states with an evil grin.
Belle remarks, (My journey here taught me to look deeper than just appearances. Ruby, it's not true that everyone wants cute things for Christmas.) Ruby seems to doubt her. Belle continues, (You must have noticed that kids asked for different things from Santa.) Ruby nods. (Well, that's because not everyone likes the same things. I know that my older brother would hate to get something cute. He's hoping for a new monster plushie for his collection.)
Ruby ponders about what Belle has just said. (I, I hadn't thought of that.) Belle says in a soothing voice, (I'm sure he would find a snot usul pretty cool.) Ruby smiles at the idea until her eyes suddenly widen. (Oh no! I've ruined Christmas!)
(It's not too late! If you release Santa, he'll be able to fix everything; I'm sure of it!) Belle states. Ruby looks down ashamed, (He, he won't understand.) Belle reassures her and tells her she'll talk to Santa on her behalf. She then goes towards Ruby to give her a hug.
(Wait! I don't want to give you a cold.) protests Ruby. Belle giggles, (It's alright, I get one every year so a little earlier won't make much of a difference.) Belle then picks her up and hugs her. Ruby's eyes brighten from joy. Once Belle puts her down, Ruby murmurs various incantations. As a result, the cage disappears, Santa floats gently to the ground, and both Santa and Betty wake up.
(BELLE!) Betty exclaims while flying out of her pocket and halts midair. (You're covered in snot!) Belle giggles, (It's all right Betty. I'm ok and Ruby has decided to let everyone go. She's sorry that she's caused such a mess of things.) Belle goes on to explain to Santa and Betty what happened.
Santa forgives Ruby. She offers to help him clean up and he accepts. Before they leave, Betty flies over to one of Santa's shoulders and whispers in his ear, (Is it possible to find Ruby a home?) He tells her, (Hum, it won't be easy; however, I have an idea of how it might be doable. To think of it, I might be able to make it so for you as well.) and winks. She gives him a big hug and then flies over and hugs Belle. She too becomes covered in snot. He starts laughing in his deep charming voice. He wiggles his nose and magically disappears with Ruby.
At that moment, Fluffy and Fiona violently burst through the door. After Belle explains to them what happened, Fiona says: (Well, we can't have you going home like this.) She points to our two snot-covered heroes. They look at each other and laugh. (Don't you want a hug Fiona?) Betty asks. Fiona smiles while backing away and shaking her head. (Nope, nope, nope. Hey, why don't you give one to Fluffy instead?) Fluffy's eyes widen. (No way! I've already had my yearly bath and I don't want another one anytime soon!) Roars of laugher can be heard throughout the castle. A little while later, Betty teleports our heroes back to Fiona's home. Singing, giggling, and a squeaky Devil Rubber Ducky can be heard from a washroom.
(Make sure not to leave a mess in there!) Feabie hollers from downstairs. (We won't!) Betty and Belle chime at the same time. All of a sudden, Belle exclaims: (Betty! You've changed colour! You're a black bat.) Betty looks confused. (I've always been black. What colour was I before?)
From behind the curtains, Fluffy replies, (Grey), while trying to refrain from laughing. He hands Betty a towel. Betty looks surprised. (Since when was I grey?) She asks while grabbing the towel. Fiona nudges Fluffy as she tries to resist grinning as well. Fiona replies, (Since... the start.) She hands Belle a towel. Betty whines, (Why didn't anyone tell me? It must have happened when I was waiting for the both of you on the garage's dusty rafters.)
(Yep, sure looks like it.) snickers Fluffy. He tries to mimic Betty's voice, (I'm one of the prettiest bats in Subeta.) Fiona hollers from laugher and Fluffy joins in. (Why you two! Wait till I get my wings on you!) Fluffy and Fiona run downstairs while Betty rapidly chases after them leaving a rainbow trail.
Belle quickly tidies up the washroom and joins her friends. She finds Fluffy and Fiona hiding behind Feabie in the dining room while Betty files around their heads. Belle laughs at the sight and the others join in. After catching their breaths, Feabie tells them that: (Although I'd like Belle to stay longer, she needs to get back if she's not going to miss Christmas.) They all look a little sad; although, they know it's the right thing to do. (I wish you could all come with me or at least I could come visit you all once in a while.) Belle says and sighs. Fiona looks at her sorrowfully, (We wish that too; however, you know humans can't know we exist.) Belle murmurs, (I know.)
Fluffy enquires, (So... how are we going to get her home?) Fiona and Feabie simultaneously answer (Bob.) Betty looks around, (And exactly how are we going to get him here when his layer is kept secret?) (Belle's one of us now; we can trust her.) Fiona answers. Feabie casts an incantation revealing... a secret passage behind the fireplace. They hear (SURPRISE!) from inside the opening. Fluffy grins at Belle and explains: (Bob's lair is just past the garden. However, a few friends of ours wanted to thank you before you leave. So, we had them hide inside to surprise you.) Our adventurers enter the tunnel.
Although it's dark at first it, she notices that the passageway is brighter in the distance. She advances and sees an opening in the tunnel's ceiling. The sun beams in and reveals creatures coming towards her. They shake her hand and thank her for saving Christmas. She tells them that she wouldn't have been able to help Ruby if it wasn't for her newfound friends. They helped give her courage and made her realize that appearances can be deceiving. One of the creatures, a Pant Devil Gnome, refuses to let go of her hand. Fluffy interrupts: (Danny, you need to let go now. Did you take anything from her?) He looks shocked and lets go of Belle's hand. (Of course not!)
Belle asks Fluffy, (Why would you ask him that?) Danny clears his throat, (Well, I do have a bad habit of taking things for my large collection of knickknacks. Nonetheless, I would never take something from you, Belle. I'm, I'm just so happy Christmas will happen after all! Santa's supposed to bring me a new hat!) Belle smiles sweetly while the other gnomes lead her deeper into the passageway.
(Come in) a voice bellows from inside. (Bob! You're sounding much better.) exclaims Fluffy. They enter his lair. (WOW! This is way more extensive than my collection.) exclaims Danny in admiration. (Now you know why we keep Bob's lair a secret; he has the best stash of ingredients a potion witch could ever dream of! He has necklaces of every size and shape, bottles and vases from all of Subeta, and so much more!) Fiona remarks. Fluffy nudges Belle and points to an item floating in the air. (He even has a Hover Sink!) He says while grinning. Bob chuckles deeply.
(Bob! Was Santa able to make it in time?) Belle asks while trying to find him. (Yes. He and Ruby were able to replace all the plushies Ruby had created with the real gifts the children had asked for. His elves packed his sleigh just in the nick of time and he's already started delivering toys around the world.)
(That's great news!) exclaims Belle. (Um, Bob, where are you? There's so many items that I can't see you!) she states. (I'm near the stairs.) he replies. Belle scrambles up and goes through the wall's opening. Peeking inside, she realizes those weren't stairs... (Um Belle, why are you on my tail?) enquires Bob. Fluffy interrupts, (Bob, it was over the stairs. She must have mistaken it for them.) Bob chuckles while Belle descends from him. She tilts her head sideways and then looks up. (Bob! You've grown!) exclaims Belle. (Actually, that's his true size. We usually shrink him so he can fit through the house.) Fiona explains. (Oh... like you did with the guard at the castle when they chased you?) Belle remarks. Fiona grins and nods.
Belle wipes sweat from her brow. (Wow, it sure is warm in here.) she remarks. (That's normal. Bob's a fire breathing draik after all!) Fluffy comments. Fiona adds, (It's one of the reasons we chose to hide the passageway with a fireplace.)
Bob clears his throat, (I'm very proud of all of you.) He tells them. (Especially you.) he nods in Belle's direction. She realizes that he isn't motioning towards her; he's looking beside her at Fluffy. (Fluffy, do you have something to tell us?) Belle questions. Bob smiles, (He's the one that made sure you'd go on this adventure.) Betty looks confused. (No way! He whined a good part of the way and always tried to get her back home.) Fluffy grins widely. (I was playing my part; no one could know I'm a real softie when it comes to kids. They could use it against me.)
(No, no, no. I was there; this doesn't make any sense.) protests Fiona. (You saw what we wanted you to see.) replies Bob. Fluffy clears his throat, (Well, I wasn't alone in this. When I went inside Belle's home to make sure the coast was clear before letting you come in, I talked to Belle's Fluffy. She agreed to help out. She's the one that came up with the plan of how to get Belle to follow us. She kept Belle awake. She made sure to get Belle into the kitchen where she already knew our location because she told me to eat the cookies and hide there.)
Betty, Fiona, and Belle seem confused. (Why?) Betty enquires. (Who was afraid of going into the house?) Fluffy asks her. (I, I... that's before I met Belle!) Betty exclaims. (She's usually afraid of humans.) states Fiona. Betty shyly looks at Belle, (I didn't know you then. Things are different now; you're my friend!) Belle pats Betty on the head. (It's ok, I was scared of you too.) They smile at each other and then Betty hugs Belle's neck with her wings.
Bob explains to them: (My vision showed me that Betty never would have allowed Belle to come along if things hadn't occurred as they did. By forcing Betty to help calm down Belle, Betty had to overcome her own fear. In doing so, Belle also overcame her own fears, which made her realize that we all want to be liked and can be misunderstood. This epiphany is what ultimately let Belle help Ruby.)
(So, the one that we should really thank is Fluffy?) Fiona asks. Fluffy smiles, (There's no need to thank me, I was just doing what Bob had asked me to do. Plus, I owed him since he made sure I didn't get sick during the battle.) Fiona smacks Fluffy on the back of the head. (Owie! What was that for?)
(That's for not telling me. I get why you didn't tell Betty; however, you could have let me in on the plan.) whines Fiona. Bob puffs smoke between the two of them.
(That wasn't his fault. He was under strict orders to tell no one. The less people that knew of the plan, the better.) Fiona sighs, (Sorry Fluffy.) He smiles, (It's ok. You hit like a freshly made Loaf of Bread Bat.) He says while chuckling. She starts giggling and pretty soon everyone is laughing.
Once everyone calms down, Fluffy says, (Now that the mission's complete, we better get Belle back home, shouldn't we?) Bob nods. (Do I have to forget everything?) whines Belle. (I'm going to miss all of you so much!) Betty starts to tear up and looks sadly at Bob, (Isn't there another way?)
Bob smiles, (Santa dropped by before going to his workshop. We had a little talk and figured something out; however, you'll have to wait and see.) Betty still looks sad. Belle gets out the pretty pink bow from her pyjama. (Here Betty, why don't you keep this? That way, you'll always have part of me with you.) Betty flies into Belle's hand and Belle puts it on her head. (There, now you truly are the most beautiful bat in Subeta.) she says in a gentle voice while holding back tears.
(Belle, it's time to go now.) Bob says gently. Everyone gathers and gives her a group hug. Bob lowers his snout so that he's face to face with Belle. He tells her to, (Look into my eyes.) He starts to fill the room with smoke and purr deeply... (I didn't know dragons could purr.) Belle says while fighting a yawn. The room becomes even darker and the purring becomes softer. Her eyes start to close. When she opens them, she's face to face with her cat.
Puzzled, she looks around and realizes she's in her bed. (What, what happened? Was it all a dream?) Fluffy looks at her as if she has no idea what Belle's muttering about. Belle quickly gets up and dashes to the living room. She notices that the cookies have been eaten... and there are presents under the tree!
(I was beginning to wonder what was happening, Squirt. You normally don't oversleep, especially on Christmas day.) her brother says from the table while finishing his breakfast. Her parents come in from the kitchen. (Belle! You're up. Looks like you're just in time; Santa's paid us a visit.) her mother states.
(Anyone want to open presents?) her father asks. Belle and her bother both blurt, (I want to go first. Hey!) Their parents chuckle while shaking their heads. They tell their kids to choose one each. Belle and her brother race under the tree and start looking at the pile of gifts. He chooses a little box while she grabs a large malleable present.
Belle's brother exclaims (WOW! COOL!) while looking in his box. Meanwhile, Belle tears the wrapping paper from her present, revealing a beautiful brown bear. She pats its head; however, she seems disenchanted. Her brother looks at her oddly, (Why do you look so disappointed? You've been begging mom and dad for something cute to have tea parties with for weeks.) Belle sighs, (I know. It's just, well... I was hoping for something maybe a little bit spookier.)
(Spookier? Does that mean you're over your cute phase?) her brother questions. Belle shrugs her shoulders, (Maybe, then again spooky can be cute. It's just that some spooky items are misunderstood.) Her brother seems puzzled. Belle sighs, (It'll be alright. Anyways, what did you get?) Belle asks. He takes something green from the box. (It's a limited edition snot usul plushie!) Belle's eyes widen, (Ruby?)
(How do you know it's name? I thought you weren't interested in my monster collection.) her brother enquires. Belle smiles and says in a hoarse voice, (It's a long story. I'm sure glad she's found someone that will appreciate her uniqueness.) Her brother gives her a weird glance: (You sure seem odd today. Are you coming down with a cold or something?) He feels her forehead and informs their parents that it's warm. Her father takes her in his arms and brings her back to bed.
Belle spends most of the day in bed with Fluffy by her side. In the afternoon, her brother comes into her bedroom. He tells her that he's found one last present under the tree and hands her a small box. She smiles at him and opens the lid...
(BETTY!) she exclaims. Her brother smiles, (I guess you've already chosen a name for her. I thought about what you said earlier and I figured you might like your own monster for your tea parties. Since I have two of this one, I put a bow on yours that I found in the wash. That way, you won't mix it up with mine.) Belle hugs Betty the plushie and then asks, (Could Ruby come visit for tea parties sometime?) Her brother grins, (Only if I'm there. She's a limited edition after all and I don't want your fingerprints messing up my monster.) Belle giggles at the thought of getting Ruby dirty. Her brother shakes his head. (You sure mustn't be feeling well. Get better soon, Squirt.) He leaves her so she can rest; however, just before he closes the door he sees Betty wink at Belle. He shakes his head… naw, it must be his imagination.
THE END... or is it?
A high pitch scream emits from a corridor while a little girl is chased by her brother holding a Bat Plushie. (Leave me alone!) squeals Belle. Bob laughs while stopping in front of the girl's bedroom. (Fine Squirt, I'll leave you alone. After all, it's past your curfew and we don't want Santa to stay away because YOU'RE not sleeping.) Belle glares at her brother and then slams her bedroom door shut. Bob roars with laughter from the other side. Belle darts to her bed and starts crying. A lovely cat leaps onto her lap and begins purring.
Belle sobs, (Oh Fluffy, Bob can be so horrible at times. He chases me with his monster plushies, especially BATS! He knows I'm scared of them!) The feline lies down and Belle pets her companion. While trying to fight off a yawn, Belle glances over at a dress hanging from her closet door. (Why can't he like cute things? I wouldn't be scared then. We could even have tea parties together where I'd wear my special princess dress.) She notices something is missing. (Hey...)
Belle jumps off the bed and dashes towards the garment. (Where's my pretty pink bow?) she asks herself. She sighs, (Mom might have put it in the wash. I remember spilling juice on it the other day. I'll have to ask her where it is tomorrow.) She stretches and goes back to bed where Fluffy awaits. She glances at the dress again and tells her cat, (One of the rare times Bob is nice to me and calls me Belle instead of Squirt is on Halloween. I wish... ) She closes her eyes and murmurs, (I wish that it could be Halloween every day so that I could be treated nicely all the time.) Fluffy begins to purr. Belle smiles and asks her, (Do you think Santa would grant me my wish?) Fluffy puts a paw on Belle's arm and purrs louder.
Belle looks at the time on her Limited Edition Royal Girl Usul Clock. She yawns, (I guess I better try to get some shut-eye; it's pretty late after all.) Unfortunately, try as she might, she's unable to fall asleep. She looks at her clock again and sighs. (Fluffy, I can't stand it any longer! It's pretty late; maybe Santa has already passed. I can hear Bob snoring; I'm sure I can get past his bedroom to go take a peek under the Christmas tree.) Fluffy becomes animated and jumps off the bed. Belle manages to tiptoe past her brother's room and enters the living room.
She notices Santa's plate of cookies has disappeared. (That's odd, Santa wouldn't have eaten them and left without leaving presents. Did you eat them?) Fluffy looks insulted. (You're right; you're too well behaved. It must have been Bob! Well, I better get some more; we can't let Santa leave on an empty tummy. After all, it's hard work bringing gifts to so many kids in one night!) Fluffy heads towards the kitchen and Belle follows closely behind.
All of a sudden, the feline paws at a cupboard door. (Fluffy?) She hears a voice whisper from inside: (We've been made! We've got to get out of here; no one's supposed to see us.) Belle exclaims: (SANTA?) She tries to calm down and then gently whispers to Fluffy: (No, he knows he doesn't have to hide... Elves?) She takes a deep breath and gently knocks on the cupboard door. (Whoever you are, you can come out; I won't hurt you.) Another voice from the cupboard whispers (What are we going to do?) The first one cries: (RUN!!!)
Before Belle realizes what's happening, the cupboard door swings open and she's knocked to the ground. She sees two shadows zoom past her. She runs after them into the dining room.
Belle sees part of a pink ribbon slip under the table before it disappears from sight. (Hey, what are you doing with that? It's part of my favourite pretty pink princess dress!) A voice under the table whispers: (Why didn't you listen to me? We're in so much trouble. How are we going to save Santa now?) Another voice replies: (We've got to get out of here. Humans are slow; we can make a run for it.) The two shadows zoom towards the garage.
Unfortunately for our two unannounced visitors, Fluffy manages to catch up to them and they wind up cornered. One whines: (Now what?) The other cries out: (Betty, we're trapped. HELP!!! ) A bat flies down from the rafters.
Belle screams, tries to back away, and then trips on a mop. Tears swell up in her eyes and she starts to wail. The bat mumbles an incantation. A toy mouse magically appears in front of Fluffy to distract her. Belle, bewildered at the sight, stops crying.
The bat lands near the meowclops and starts to talk. (Good grief. I can't leave you two for a minute without trouble arising! What did you do to this poor girl to make her so upset?)
The little furwitch blurts out: (It's Fluffy's fault. We had gotten the bow. We were going to return until HE saw cookies near the fireplace and ate them.) The meowclops grumbles: (I wasn't the only one that ate the cookies.) Fiona squints her eyes at Fluffy. (Only because you offered me some.) retorts Fiona. (I was being polite!) growls Fluffy. The bat crosses her wings and says impatiently, (Enough already! What does a plate of cookies have to do with the girl seeing you and upsetting her?)
Fiona clears her throat, (I realized the food was for Santa only after we had eaten everything. So, we went to the kitchen to get more when the little girl found us. I have no idea why she's upset; she's the one that chased us.) Fluffy adds, (She must be a witch. She knew my name and where we were hiding when we didn't even make a sound.)
Belle whimpers, (I am not a witch and I don't know your name. Fluffy is my cat and she's the one that found you.) Betty giggles amidst the confusion. (It's a case of mistaken identity; he's also called Fluffy.) Fluffy, the meowclops, snarls: (That still doesn't explain why you followed us.) Belle pouts, (I followed you at first because you had my bow. Plus, my cat chased you and I wanted to make sure she didn't get into trouble. Then I heard you mention that Santa needed help and I thought I could give you a hand. But, then I got scared when the bat flew at me.)
(You were scared of ME? I wouldn't hurt a fly! I'm a fruit bat!) the creature exclaims. (Well Betty, you do kind of look scary.) confesses Fiona. (Nonsense, I'm one of the prettiest bats in Subeta.) Betty objects. Fluffy grumbles, (Enough with the chitchat already, we're on a mission! Betty, what are we going to do about the girl?) Belle cries out, (I have a name; it's Belle!) The bat replies: (That's a lovely name. I'm Betty and these two are Fiona and Fluffy.)
Fluffy retorts: ( Betty, I wouldn't waste time introducing ourselves. Don't you have a spell that will make this kid forget she's seen us? We have to get back as soon as possible if we're ever going to complete our mission.)
(Please forgive Fluffy's lack of manners. He's just eager to get back; he can be a real sweetheart once he gets to know you.) Betty says while looking at Belle. She then looks in Fluffy's direction and adds: (Plus, it's useful to be properly introduced since she's going to tag along with us for a while.)
(I am?) Belle asks eagerly. (She's WHAT?! Why?) exclaims Fluffy.
(I'm only a class 3 sorceress. I don't have any spell that's powerful enough to wipe memories. We can't just leave her here. You know very well that humans aren't supposed to know of our existence. We'll just have to find someone that is able to fix this in Subeta.) Betty states.
(Great, that's just GREAT!) Fluffy whines sarcastically. (Well, I actually think it IS great. I wasn't able to sleep and an adventure sure sounds swell. So, what's your mission and why do you need my bow?) Belle enquires.
Betty replies, (I'll explain along the way; however, we're already late and we need to get going.) She mumbles another incantation and the dryer starts to shake. Light begins to radiate inside. Fluffy opens the dryer door and jumps in. Belle is flabbergasted; her mouth opens and her eyes widen. Fiona grins and tells Belle, (Ever wonder where the missing socks from the dryer go? You're about to find out...) She then jumps into the dryer. Belle hesitantly peeks inside. Betty gently nudges Belle inside and flies in behind her. Betty calls out to Fiona, (Tell Squirt we have a guest.)
Upon crossing the portal, our adventurers arrive in another world. Belle lands on something soft and is about to get up when it starts to move. She realizes it's a tentacle and screams. Fiona exclaims, (Belle, calm down! You're frightening Squirt.) The large squid drops her into the swamp, SPLASH! Fiona sighs and yells over Belle's screaming (He won't hurt you. He was just making sure you didn't fall in.)
Belle stops hollering and takes a few deep breaths. (I, I didn't mean to scare you. So... you're Squirt?) He nods and offers a tentacle to help her up, which she accepts. (Nice to meet you; I'm Belle.) He smiles at her.
Belle looks around and enquires: (Where are we?) Betty explains: (We're in the world of Subeta. There are lots of different lands here. We're currently in the Haunted Woods. Squirt is one of the swamp's protectors; he makes sure intruders don't disturb us.)
(Is that cute little gnome another protector?) Belle asks. (What gnome?) Fluffy enquires in an alert tone. Belle points out towards the kelp. Tentacles zoom towards the direction Belle showed. The kelp is tossed aside and a gnome is revealed. Squirt quickly grabs the creature and disappears.
Fluffy's eyes narrow. (A spy... We need to get back as quickly as possible.) Betty informs them: (I can't teleport us any closer. It's too risky to have my magic detected. I don't want to reveal where we're going. Our mission is too important and her spies are everywhere. We've already brought on too much attention by teleporting here.)
Fluffy says in an authoritative tone: (Alright, let's not waste time; follow me everyone.) He leads the group through the swamp. (D, does that tree stump have eyes?) Fiona tries to sooth Belle. (Don't worry, it's harmless. It's the ones that don't look at you that are troublesome. You have nothing to fear; we know how to handle them. How about I hold your hand for a while?) Belle eagerly takes Fiona's hand. Betty hugs Belle's neck while whispering, (You're a very brave girl. Everything will be alright; we'll make sure nothing bad happens to you.)
While walking through the dense forest, Belle enquires: (To whom were you all referring to when you mentioned her and why does she have spies?) Fluffy growls: (SHH! Not so loud! They'll hear you!)
(Sorry!) Belle whispers. Betty flies onto Belle's shoulder and starts to explain (Ruby, a royal girl usul, found a way to control the minds of cute creatures. A few weeks ago, she managed to reach Santa's dwelling.) Everyone was too busy decorating to realize she was amongst them until it was too late. She hypnotized everyone, overtook Santa, and convinced the elves that she's the one in charge. She forced the elves to create a new toy that she plans to give to all the boys and girls for Christmas.
(Where's Santa now?) Belle asks. Fluffy answers, (Ruby's taken him to her castle.) Betty adds, (Our informant managed to get a sneak peek at what she's building.) Fiona removes her hat. To Belle's surprise, although it seems to contain nothing, Fiona reaches inside and removes a gift box. (Magical hat) she says and winks at Belle. Fiona opens the lid and shows Belle its contents.
(EWW! What is it?) whispers Belle. (It's a snot usul plushie with red mittens and a red bow. Although it's the first of its kind, it's not very pleasant looking.) replies Fiona. (This is what we're supposed to get for Christmas? How horrible!) Belle exclaims. Fluffy growls. Belle whispers, (Sorry... Um, how did you all find this out?)
Fluffy replies, (It was Mr. Jingles, Santa's cat, that told us. It seems he's the only one that was able to avoid Ruby's mind-control.) Belle grins at the thought of a talking cat. (Santa's cat can talk?) Fluffy chuckles, (No... meowclops are distant relatives of cats. Consequentially, I can communicate with them.)
(So... how did Mr. Jingles escape Ruby and find you?) Belle asks. (Esh, you sure have a lot of questions.) whines Fluffy. (Well, if you want me to help save Santa, I need to know what I'm in for.) replies Belle. (You're not supposed to be here. As soon as we find someone to erase your memory, you're going home.) insists Fluffy.
Belle starts to whimper. Fiona says in a soothing voice, (Fluffy doesn't mean to sound harsh; he just wants to make sure that you don't get hurt. Isn't that right Fluffy?) Fluffy grumbles, (Yes, yes, that's what I meant. Ruby is very powerful.)
Belle asks Betty: (Why do we have to hide?) Betty explains, (It's because you're a human and most of us are scared of humans.) Belle is surprised, (Why would anyone be afraid of me?) Betty murmurs, (It's not you... it's all humans. They're scared they'll be brought to a secret lab and be experimented on.) Belle exclaims, (I would never do that!) Betty smiles sweetly, (I know, it's just that they don't know you.)
(There are worse things than being experimented on.) shudders Fluffy. (What's he talking about Betty?) enquires Belle. Betty sighs, (Well, the other reason many of us are scared of humans is that we don't want to get ill.) Fluffy smirks, (It's not the ill part that's annoying; it's the icky cures we need to take to get better. YUCK!)
Belle tries to stifle a laugh. While grinning, she says (I don't like their taste either; however, they do help make you feel better afterward.) Fluffy sighs deeply, (I guess so. Although, I still don't like getting sick!) Belle is about to say something when she starts to shiver. Concerned, Betty makes everyone stop.
(She's soaking wet because of the swamp. We have to get her warm.) Fluffy grabs Belle in his front paws and runs off. When the rest catch up, they're in front of a mansion. He enquires as to why they're grinning so much. Fiona evades the question by exclaiming, (We've made it! Home, sweet subeta home.) Fluffy looks around and when he's satisfied that no prying eyes are in sight, he lowers Belle to the ground. As soon as Belle places her foot on the ground, howling screams emanate from the domicile.
(It must be the intruder alarm!) Fluffy yells over the howling. He runs up the stairs and presses a secret compartment in the wall panels; the shrieking ceases. A furwitch bursts into the hallway. (What's going on?) she demands. (Feabie relax, the intruder alarm accidentally went off because of Belle.) Fluffy states. (Belle, who's Belle?) Feabie snaps. Belle walks through the opened door and waves. Feabie gives a concerned look towards Fiona, who asks (Have a memory-erasing potion lying around?) Feabie exclaims (No way, I'm only a level 2 sorceress. You should know better sis.) Fiona retorts, (How would I? You're the one that makes the potions... I only get the ingredients!) Fluffy intervenes (Ladies, ladies, why don't you all calm down? Isn't there anyone you know that could fix this prob?) Betty answers, (We'd need someone with level 1 magic and they're all recovering from the battle.) The furwitch sisters look at each other and simultaneously reply: (Bob might be able to help.)
A few minutes go by when all of a sudden, the house starts to shake. Fire is amidst the room and a large dragon flies overhead. (ACHOO! Sorry. Zake zit rain.) it says in a stuffed-up voice. Feabie waves a magic wand while chanting and rain magically extinguishes the fires. (Belle! You should have waited upstairs.) Betty scolds her. (Zit ok, we zeed her.) the dragon states. The dragon gently lands on the ground making sure not to squash anyone.
Fluffy grins, (Belle, meet Bob. He's one of the most advanced wizards we have. He'll be able to get you home.) Bob sighs, (Znot for a zhile. Zi'm zoo stuffy zoo say spells zand we need her for z mission.) Bob wiggles his nose. (Oh no! Not again, everyone DUCK!) exclaims Fluffy. Bob sneezes and fire erupts from his nostrils. (I got it!) Feabie yells while waving her wand and making it rain again. (It looks like you're going to be with us for a while longer.) Betty says while grinning.
Bob asks the furwitch sisters: (Zow'z z pozion zoming zalong?) Fiona reports, (We still need two ingredients for the potion, the rare True Nature Flower and the Bone of a Brave Warrior.) Feabie looks around the room and then addresses Fiona, (Go get the remaining ingredients. Make sure to bring her along with your other guests. I won't have them causing any more trouble while I clean up the mess that you caused.) Fiona retorts, (From what I recall you're the one that made the mess.) pointing to Bob and the clouds that are still pouring rain. Fluffy interjects, (Ladies, ladies, everything will be ok. Feabie, sorry for all the trouble we've caused you. We'll be back before dusk.) He grabs Fiona's arm and tugs her towards the door while Betty and Belle follow closely behind heading towards the forest.
To pass the time, Betty explains to Belle that when word had spread that Santa had been taken, the most powerful wizards, witches, and warriors attacked Ruby's castle. However, Ruby had anticipated such a possibility and welcomed them right into a trap. She had recruited an army of Lupe Gnomes to fend off anyone that might try to stop her.
Those that managed to get past the gnomes entered the courtyard without realizing what was awaiting them. Ruby had mind-controlled Santa's Snow Squad, the most elite warriors of their kind, to fight for her. They had planned an ambush in the courtyard. The wizards, sorcerers, and warriors fought their best; however, the Snow Squad was just too powerful. They have an arsenal of snow items at their disposal that cause quite a lot of damage. They're the toughest of the tough. That's why they're chosen to protect Santa from naughty visitors.
They caught several of the wizards and sorceresses. Those that managed to get past them confronted Ruby. However, she somehow managed to make them ill. They could no longer cast spells because they kept mispronouncing words. They became powerless to defend themselves and most of them were captured. A few managed to escape; Bob was one of them. Since their plan failed, they had no choice but to devise a new one.
Bob has the ability to foresee the future; however, it's very difficult to do even for a wizard of his caliber. He says that the future fluctuates depending on what one chooses to do. He hadn't foreseen Ruby's ambush because the Snow Squad usually protects Santa. Since their alliance changed, it altered the outcome of the battle. Luckily, he's had a new vision that's adjusted to the current developments. He says that Ruby's true nature needs to be revealed for the hero to resolve the situation. (Who's the hero?) Belle enquires. (Bob didn't tell us. I think it will depend on what everyone decides to do.) Betty answers. (So, how is Ruby's true nature going to be revealed?) Belle asks. Before someone could answer, they arrive at their destination whereby a plant’s roots are glowing.
(Ohhh, so this plant shows the true nature of the soil.) states Belle. Betty grins, (Indeed. Fiona's potion will use this ability to do the same for Ruby.) Fiona unearths the flower and places it in her hat. (We need to go to the tomb of the brave warrior next.) she states. (T, T, Tomb?) Belle asks gulping. (Well of course! Where else would we get a bone? It's not like we chop them off fresh, ya know!) Fiona exclaims. (It'll be alright, we're right here with you Belle.) comforts Betty. They soon arrive at a peaceful garden, where a lone sentinel stands guard.
Fluffy clears his throat, (It's ok, let them through. They're with me.) Belle whispers to Betty: (How do they know each other?) Betty smiles, (Fluffy prefers being known as just plain old Fluffy; however, he's actually General Fluffy. He's won many wars to help keep Subeta safe.) Belle seems surprised, (I never would have thought! He's so tiny.) Betty grins, (Fluffy may seem small; however, he's one of the strongest and bravest meowclops there is. Werelupes don't stand a chance against him!)
(Does that mean he also fought against Ruby?) Belle enquires. Betty nods whereas Belle seems confused. (Why isn't he sick like the others?) she asks. (He would have gotten sick if it weren't for Bob. Ruby was just about to grab Fluffy when Bob flew in between them. Bob grabbed Fluffy and flew them to safety; however, not before Ruby grabbed Bob's tail and made him sick.) explains Betty. (Wow, so Fluffy is a General. Why wouldn't he want others to call him so?) Belle asks. Betty replies, (He doesn't like being treated special.) Belle's surprised, (Why not? It's nice to have others do special things for you.) Fluffy interrupts, (If you're always treated special, it becomes routine and you take it for granted.) Belle and Betty hadn't realized that Fluffy had overheard everything...
(Plus, if I was considered too special, I wouldn't be asked to go on important missions because the Snow Squad would want to keep me safe. Just imagine, I wouldn't be here to protect you. We can't have that now, can we?) He then poses as if in a Mr. Meowclops contest, flexing his muscles. Belle tries to resist giggling; however, Fluffy starts chuckling and then everyone starts laughing. When everyone has caught their breath, Fluffy states: (We better get the last ingredient Feabie needs; it's getting late and I don't want to worry Feabie.) He heads inside the crypt.
Belle has a terrified look on her face. Just as Betty tells Belle, (You can stay outside if you want to.) They hear Fluffy struggling inside. (Urr, URR!) He comes back out and tells them apologetically, (The top is too heavy for just one meowclops. I'm going to need all of your help if we're going to get it open.) He stares at Belle. She whimpers, (I, I guess we have no choice.)
Fluffy walks up to her and tells her in a gentle voice, (Do you know why we're here? It's not just any old ingredient we're getting. It's the bone from one of the bravest Subetians there ever was, Spartacus the Spyder. His owner loved adventures and wherever they went, trouble seemed to follow. It was Spartacus, his loyal petpet, that always managed to get him to safety. Spartacus could fight six villains at once!) Fluffy says in awe. He then murmurs, (I remember when I was getting ready for my first battle. I was so scared that I couldn't even equip my armour. He was in the locker room and he sat down beside me. He told me something that I've never forgotten:
It's normal to be scared, that's what will keep your senses sharp. By knowing this, it will help transform your fear into enthusiasm. Also, don't be scared of losing a battle. If you learn from it, you will always be a winner because the experience is worth more than any treasure.
I was so impressed that he took the time to talk to someone that was just starting out. He helped me find my courage, for which I am forever thankful for. He always took the time to help others, even once he became a ghost. Creatures from all over Subeta still come to visit his crypt to get his advice.)
Belle hugs Fluffy. (Thank you for sharing that story with me. I'm ready to help you now.) Our heroes head inside and start to pull open the top. All of a sudden, something starts to move inside. They all start screaming until Belle stops and yells at them to do the same. A high-pitched voice emanates from inside: (Please don't hurt me!) Belle takes a deep breath and says, (I, I'm sorry we scared you. We have no intention of hurting you. We just need an ingredient and we'll be on our way.)
A little red Robo Eyrie pops out of the coffin and looks around. Her eyes widen at the sight of the meowclops. (Fluffy? Is that you?) He blinks in amazement. (Rouge! What on earth are you doing in there?) Rouge's cheeks redden, (I was going to put fresh flowers on the tomb and ask Spartacus' ghost to help give me courage when I accidentally tripped. Somehow, I got trapped in there.)
(Well that explains why you weren't at the battle. Good thing we were around to get you out. Since you're here, I was wondering if you could do me a favour?) Fluffy asks. (Sure, anything for you, Sir. What do you need?) Rouge asks. (Tell Feabie we've been detained and we're heading back soon.) Fluffy states. (Sir, Yes Sir!) Rouge cries out. She salutes him and then flies off towards Feabie's. Fluffy looks towards the coffin, (Now, back to the task at hand...)
Fiona clears her throat, (I already got what we need while you were talking.) Betty quickly looks around. (So... we can leave?) she asks in a high-pitch voice. (Yep.) Fiona confirms. (Great! I'll wait for you all outside!) Betty blurts while quickly flying out. Our other heroes look at each other and start laughing while strolling out of the entrance.
Upon exiting the crypt, they notice the stars have come out. They rush back under the cover of night. On their way back, Belle enquirers (How are you going to get Ruby to take the potion?) Fluffy joins in on the conversation. (That part is pretty ingenious. Ruby LOVES bows. So, we're going to pour the potion on the bow to turn it into a magical bow. Then, we somehow find a way to put it on Ruby. Since Ruby's bow collection is extensive, Bob told us we needed a very special bow. It turns out that it's your pretty pink princess bow.)
(So how do you know Ruby doesn't already have a bow like mine?) Belle enquires. Fluffy proudly recounts how he managed to infiltrate the gnome's headquarters to obtain the information. He eluded detection from atop the observatory by swimming underwater in the West River. He reached a red bridge and hid until the coast was clear. After entering the premises, he dashed behind bushes and made his way to a bench on the west side of the house. From there, he saw one of the windows was ajar and snuck in.
Inside the playroom, he found Tina, one of Ruby's most esteemed advisors, a fashion consultant. When not advising Ruby, she's confined to the house and is guarded by gnomes. Remarkably, she isn't under Ruby's influence. She willingly serves Ruby, insisting all creatures can use fashion advice. She enthusiastically described to Fluffy how she helped Ruby obtain some of the rarest bows in Neopia. He eventually managed to leave and elude capture, but not before Tina got in a few words about grooming products for his fur. Belle started to giggle at the thought of Fluffy going to a hair salon.
After regaining her composure, Belle asks the team, (If the True Nature Flower is used to make the potion reveal Ruby's true nature, I gather that the Bone of the Brave Warrior is supposed to... make one courageous?) Fiona nods her head. (I'm a little confused. Why does Ruby need courage?) Belle enquires. Fiona squints her eyes in contemplation. (Hum, I'm not sure to tell you the truth. All I know is that it's one of the ingredients. Maybe when it's combined with all the other ingredients it has a different effect. Level 1 sorceresses know more about these types of things.)
It doesn't take them long to reach Fiona's home. They find Feabie in the kitchen hovering over a cauldron. (Rouge gave me your message. I hope you have everything I need?) Feabie asks. (We got the two missing ingredients you wanted.) Fiona answers. (What about the rest of the items on the list?) Feabie enquires. Fiona removes her hat. She reaches in and starts to remove several items. (Let's see... Fenny Snake, check. Eye of Newt, check. Toe of Frog, yep. Wool of Bat... hum… Betty, would you mind coming over here?) Betty flies onto Fiona's shoulder and Fiona picks a few pieces of her fur. (Check!) they simultaneously say while smiling.
Meanwhile, Fluffy starts to get a bit green in the face. Fiona continues to pull out ingredients from her hat. (Tongue of Dog... hum, I could have sworn I had a few. Oh yeah! I put them in the fridge since they need to stay fresh.) She heads towards the refrigerator and takes out a bowl that contains something wiggling inside. Fluffy whimpers, (Uh, I'll go wait for you all outside. I could use some fresh air.) Belle decides to accompany him.
After a while, Fiona and Betty finally come join them. (All done!) they say at the same time. They show Belle the bow. (Hum, it still looks the same.) Belle remarks. (That's because there's an enchantment on it. Only when needed will it activate. That way, Ruby won't be able to detect it's magic.) Fiona explains. (So... what do we do now that we have the bow?) Belle asks.
(We need to head towards Ruby's castle.) Fluffy affirms. (Uh Fluffy, wouldn't it be safer for Belle to stay here?) Betty questions. (Bob said she had a role to play in helping us defeat Ruby... Plus, do you really want to leave her with Feabie? You know how she's always looking for volunteers to try out her potions. Last time I helped her test something she turned me into a fishberry for a week! Who knows what she'll try to do to Belle! I'm not leaving Belle out of my sight!)
(Awe, she's starting to grow on you.) Betty says sweetly. (Hey, hey, enough of that. We have a mission to complete.) Fluffy says and marches off into the woods. The gang follows and they soon arrive at the castle. They sneak their way past the palace's gate and hide behind some bushes. Near the palace's entrance, they see several creatures arrive by horse and carriage. Music can be heard from inside; there seems to be a party.
(That's odd, they seem to be spooky petpets.) Betty whispers. (Remember all the abandoned gardens?) Fluffy mentions. (Ruby must have convinced some of the Halloween creatures to join her cause. I have no idea how; however, when I get my paws on those deserters...) he growls in a low voice. Betty murmurs, (Fluffy, it'll have to wait. We have to figure out a way to get in.)
After discussing several strategies, none seemed plausible. (We're all going to get caught and be unable to save Christmas.) Fiona whines. Her eyes suddenly brighten. (Unless... one of us distracts the guards while the rest go inside.) Before anyone has a chance to object, she pulls out the magical bow from her hat. She hands it to Belle and tells her to: (Hide this in your pajama pocket until it's needed.) She then quickly sneaks behind one of the incoming carriages and casually walks up to one of the guards.
(Halt! Are you on the guest list?) the guard bellows. (Of course I am!) Fiona answers. (Name?) he asks. (Fiona, Fiona Furwitch.)
The guard looks at the list and shakes his head. (You're unlisted. You'll have to come with me.) Fiona squints her eyes, removes her hat, and then throws purple dust into the guard's face. He shrinks down to the size of a petpetpet. The other guards see this and head towards Fiona's direction.
(That-a girl, Fiona! Give them a good run for their gruel!) murmurs Betty. (Is she going to be alright?) asks Belle in a concerned tone. (She's one fierce little furwitch; I'm more worried about the guards.) Betty says. Fluffy whispers, (Now's our chance. I wish Fiona would have let us figure something else out; however, there isn't much time left before Christmas. We'll have to go on without her; we can't let her down.) They sneak past the astonished guests that are too busy observing the guards chasing Fiona around the palace grounds.
Near the doorway, Betty tells Belle to drink a potion Fiona gave her before leaving. (She told me that it's a disguise.) Belle quickly takes it and POOF! she's covered in snow. Fluffy tells them, (Good ole Fiona, she thinks of everything. You can pass as a Snow Squad guard now. Although, let's make haste as I don't know how long it will last.) Our adventurers advance in the corridor and enter the main entrance.
Two receptionists greet them while a procession of snow creatures heads towards the entrance. Fluffy asks one of the receptionists what's going on, who replies, (There's a minor incident outside that will be dealt with shortly. Guests are to proceed with the festivities. Please head towards the coat check on your right and leave any weapons there.) She then addresses Belle, (How come you're not outside?) Thinking quickly, Belle tells her (Um, I have to give Ruby an update. Where I can find her?) The receptionist tells the gang (She's in the throne room; however, she's not seeing anyone at the moment.) As the procession continues, our adventurers have no choice but to head towards the coat check.
Betty flies on ahead and sees that the attendants are preoccupied looking out the window at the spectacle outside. Fluffy suggests they wait there until the procession passes and then head towards the throne room. Belle sits on a chair wiping her brow, (Is it me or is it really hot in here?) she softly asks. Betty's eyes widen, (You're melting!) Within seconds, she's back to herself. Fluffy tells them, (There's nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to sneak you in from here.)
Fluffy tells the two, (The coast is clear; I'll distract the receptionists while you both sneak past them.) He moves on ahead. After a few minutes of flirting, he signals his friends to go while he starts disco dancing between the receptionists. Belle and Betty manage to hide behind a statue and head towards the nearest corridor. Fluffy soon follows whereby our heroes find themselves in a large dark hall. It's filled with glittering lights emanating from a Disco Ball and music is playing. Although it appears to be a ball, no one is dancing.
(Even though it's dark in here, we can't afford to have one of them run into you, Belle. Go hide behind the Gigantic Decorated Christmas Tree while we figure out a way to distract the others.) Betty remarks to Belle, who does as she's told.
(Now what?) Fluffy asks Betty. She looks around, (Hum... it seems several guys are in one corner while the girls are in the other. Go convince the guys to ask a few of the ladies to dance. Once the party gets started, they'll be too busy dancing to see us slip past them.)
Fluffy replies, (You've got to be kidding me? Even Spartacus' ghost has difficultly persuading guys to muster enough courage to ask girls to dance. Everyone knows the first dance is the hardest to find a partner since everyone will be looking at you when you dance. I'd rather have a bath than try to convince them!) Betty narrows her eyes. (In that case, I'm going to come over and ask you to dance.) Fluffy protests, (Awe, I'm all danced out. Plus, I don't want the receptionists to find me here; they'll never let me leave.) Betty sternly looks at him, (You're going to accept; otherwise, I'll cast a dancing spell on you.) Fluffy blinks uncomfortably at the thought of doing pirouettes. (Ok, ok, let's get this over with.)
After their first dance, others start to join in and pretty soon several creatures are on the dance floor. This gives our heroes the perfect opportunity to slip unnoticed into the next room whereby they enter a fighting arena! Before our heroes can leave unnoticed, one of the Balthazar fighters points towards Belle and shouts, (A human!) The other fighter snarls, (Nice try!) while attempting to hit his opponent. The first Balthazar manages to dodge the punch. However, a zomutt looks in our heroes' direction and yells: (A HUMAN!)
Fluffy takes a deep breath. (Betty, Belle, it's up to you both now. You know what to do; I'll take care of this mess.) Fluffy pounces on the first zomutt that comes near him and yells: (RUN!) Belle dashes towards the next door when one of the Balthazars tries to grab her arm. Betty flies near the fighter's face and Belle manages to escape. She hears Betty shout behind her: (Close the door!) Belle starts closing the door. Betty manages to fly inside at the last moment before it shuts closed.
They hear fierce growling and hissing on the other side. (What about Fluffy?) Belle asks in a concerned voice. (Don't worry about him, he's been in a lot tougher jams. He can hold his own against that crowd. He's as brave and as strong as they come. ) Betty says with a proud smile on her face, yet tears in her eyes.
All of a sudden, loud snoring emanates from above. They turn around to discover... (SANTA?!) Betty exclaims. She points towards the suspended cage. (Zzzzz)
They quickly scan the room; it seems empty. Betty flies towards the cage saying, (I'll unlock the cage while you stay on the lookout for RubyIEEEE!) Unfortunately for our courageous bat, she's flown right into an invisible force field. She starts falling to the ground. Luckily, Belle runs under her and catches her. (I should have known it wazn't zat eazzy.) she whispers before falling asleep.
(Oh no! What am I going to do?) cries Belle while gently putting Betty in her pocket. She feels the bow and is about to take it out when she hears a voice behind her. (Well, well, well. What do we have here? A human and her pretty bat too!) Startled, Belle jumps but manages to stifle a scream. She grabs the bow and takes a deep breath, (I'm Belle. Sorry if I seemed startled, I didn't see you there. Are you Ruby?) she asks while turning around to discover a royal girl usul emerge from behind the throne.
(Yes indeed, I'm Ruby.) She looks at Belle in a curious manner. (They sent a human to stop me this time. How interesting...) Belle tries to think fast (No... that's what I made them think. I heard you're the one in charge of toys now and I wanted to make sure you'd grant me my wish.) Ruby ponders... (Maybe; however, what's in it for me?)
(I hear you like bows.) Belle says while taking out the magical bow from her pocket. Ruby's eyes glitter. She starts to reach for the bow; however, her paw stops midair. (You have my attention; now, what's the wish?) Belle doesn't want to reveal her real wish because she no longer wants it to come true. She thinks fast and blurts out: (I want a Royal Girl Usul Plushie for Christmas.)
Ruby seems amazed. (Why do you want that?) Belle replies, (I'd like a plushie of you.) An odd smile forms on Ruby's face. (Of me? That's interesting; why would you change your wish?) Now Belle's the one that seems surprised. (You, you can read my mind?) She clutches the bow in her hand and thinks that it's all over. (No, I can't read human minds. However, I was looking over Santa's list and I found it intriguing that you'd ask for it to be Halloween all the time. Why?)
Belle stammers, (I, I don't want that anymore.) Ruby interrupts, (Gobbledygook. There has to be a reason, tell me!) Her eyes forebodingly start glowing green.
Belle sighs, (It's the one day I get to dress as a princess and everyone treats me special, including my big brother.) Ruby says in a soft sad voice: (We all want to be special. Why would you change your mind?) Belle thinks fast and answers, (Now that I've met a real princess, I'd rather have a plushie to remember you by when I go back home.) Ruby asks, (Won't your brother continue to be mean to you if you go back?) Belle murmurs, (Yes; however, he isn't that bad.)
Ruby's eyes brighten and she tells Belle, (Listen, you have pretty good tastes for bows. How about you become my assistant? If you stay here with me, you could get me new bows and I could make sure you're treated like a princess all the time.) (Thank you; however, I'll have to pass. I just want to go home. I can give you the bow as a goodbye present though.) Belle reaches out and offers it to Ruby. (Nonsense, why don't you stay here? I can give you everything you'd ever want.)
Belle's disappointed her plan didn't work. She's going to have to try something else to get that bow on Ruby! (I'd miss my home.) Ruby smiles, (Oh? I'm sure you wouldn't miss your brother very much. I could make you a palace and you wouldn't have to share with your brother!) Ruby waves her hands while murmuring an incantation... the room magically starts to transform. (Where, where are we?) Belle asks in astonishment.
Ruby smiles proudly. (I can transform things into whatever I want. This could be your new bedroom.) Belle is flabbergasted at the room's beauty; however, it's not her bedroom. Her bow starts to quiver. She blinks and the room transforms into SNOT! She glances at Ruby, who has also altered... into a snot usul, with ruby red mittens and a ruby red bow! Remarkably, Ruby doesn't seem to realize Belle knows the truth.
Belle now understands everything… the bow wasn't meant for Ruby; it was for her all along. It's up to her to make Ruby realize the truth. Belle clears her throat. (Ruby, it's very nice what you're offering me; however, it's not my home.) Ruby looks frustrated. (I can make you anything you want.) Belle smiles sadly, (There are some things you can't make. You can't force people to like you Ruby.) Ruby looks shocked. (I don't believe you!) she snarls.
Belle continues, (You've been unpopular all of your life. You wish humans would like you just as much as all the other usuls; however, most look at you in disgust because you're made of snot.) Tears start to form in Ruby's eyes. Belle persists, (You've tried wearing pretty bows and mittens; however, no one picked you as a pet.)
(They don't even have a snot usuki doll!) Ruby hollers while tears continue to stream down her face. (So, you became a powerful sorceress that could transform snot into different appearances.) Ruby nods. Belle adds, (You also figured out how to mind-control cute creatures; however, I'm not sure why it didn't work for Halloween ones.)
(That's easy, cute creatures tend to trust more easily whereas Halloween ones tend to be more cautious. That's why it's a lot harder to convince them.) Ruby explains while sniffling. (So how did you convince some of the Halloween ones to join you?) Belle enquires.
(I sought out the ones that felt misunderstood. I promised them that once I would rule the world, they would also become popular.) Ruby explains. Belle adds, (The ones you couldn't convince, you gave them colds.) Ruby grins mischievously and says, (Being snot coloured has its advantages.)
Belle remarks, (I see. So, to make yourself popular, you devised a plan whereby you'd take over Santa's role and have his helpers make usul plushies in your image.) Ruby nods. (You, of all people, should know the importance of wanting to feel special all the time, that was YOUR ultimate wish after all!) Belle sighs, (Yes, yes it was. However, a friend of mine made me realize something important. If you're always treated special, then it becomes routine and you take it for granted.)
(Well, I'd take boring over unpopular any day!) growls Ruby. (I hate to break it to you Ruby; however, your plan won't work.) Ruby appears shocked. Belle persists, (If all the kids in the world got a usul snot plushie, most of them would be very upset.)
(WHY?) exclaims Ruby. (It's not what they asked Santa for.) Belle explains. (Of course not! They never ask for snot plushies! They want CUTE things!) Belle sighs, (Ruby, you'd become even more unpopular because they'd see you as the usul that ruined Christmas. You can't force people to like you.) The little usul sobs deeply.
Belle says in a sweet voice: (Ruby, I understand what it's like for others to be scared of you without knowing who you are. When I came here, many of the Halloween creatures scared me; however, I found out that they were even more frightened of me!) Ruby seems surprised and cries out: (Nonsense, why would they be afraid of you? You're just a sweet little girl!) Belle smiles, (Well... they didn't know me and they thought I'd give them colds.) Ruby smirks, (That's gobbledygook. You should have sent them my way; I would have showed them who can really give them a cold!) she states with an evil grin.
Belle remarks, (My journey here taught me to look deeper than just appearances. Ruby, it's not true that everyone wants cute things for Christmas.) Ruby seems to doubt her. Belle continues, (You must have noticed that kids asked for different things from Santa.) Ruby nods. (Well, that's because not everyone likes the same things. I know that my older brother would hate to get something cute. He's hoping for a new monster plushie for his collection.)
Ruby ponders about what Belle has just said. (I, I hadn't thought of that.) Belle says in a soothing voice, (I'm sure he would find a snot usul pretty cool.) Ruby smiles at the idea until her eyes suddenly widen. (Oh no! I've ruined Christmas!)
(It's not too late! If you release Santa, he'll be able to fix everything; I'm sure of it!) Belle states. Ruby looks down ashamed, (He, he won't understand.) Belle reassures her and tells her she'll talk to Santa on her behalf. She then goes towards Ruby to give her a hug.
(Wait! I don't want to give you a cold.) protests Ruby. Belle giggles, (It's alright, I get one every year so a little earlier won't make much of a difference.) Belle then picks her up and hugs her. Ruby's eyes brighten from joy. Once Belle puts her down, Ruby murmurs various incantations. As a result, the cage disappears, Santa floats gently to the ground, and both Santa and Betty wake up.
(BELLE!) Betty exclaims while flying out of her pocket and halts midair. (You're covered in snot!) Belle giggles, (It's all right Betty. I'm ok and Ruby has decided to let everyone go. She's sorry that she's caused such a mess of things.) Belle goes on to explain to Santa and Betty what happened.
Santa forgives Ruby. She offers to help him clean up and he accepts. Before they leave, Betty flies over to one of Santa's shoulders and whispers in his ear, (Is it possible to find Ruby a home?) He tells her, (Hum, it won't be easy; however, I have an idea of how it might be doable. To think of it, I might be able to make it so for you as well.) and winks. She gives him a big hug and then flies over and hugs Belle. She too becomes covered in snot. He starts laughing in his deep charming voice. He wiggles his nose and magically disappears with Ruby.
At that moment, Fluffy and Fiona violently burst through the door. After Belle explains to them what happened, Fiona says: (Well, we can't have you going home like this.) She points to our two snot-covered heroes. They look at each other and laugh. (Don't you want a hug Fiona?) Betty asks. Fiona smiles while backing away and shaking her head. (Nope, nope, nope. Hey, why don't you give one to Fluffy instead?) Fluffy's eyes widen. (No way! I've already had my yearly bath and I don't want another one anytime soon!) Roars of laugher can be heard throughout the castle. A little while later, Betty teleports our heroes back to Fiona's home. Singing, giggling, and a squeaky Devil Rubber Ducky can be heard from a washroom.
(Make sure not to leave a mess in there!) Feabie hollers from downstairs. (We won't!) Betty and Belle chime at the same time. All of a sudden, Belle exclaims: (Betty! You've changed colour! You're a black bat.) Betty looks confused. (I've always been black. What colour was I before?)
From behind the curtains, Fluffy replies, (Grey), while trying to refrain from laughing. He hands Betty a towel. Betty looks surprised. (Since when was I grey?) She asks while grabbing the towel. Fiona nudges Fluffy as she tries to resist grinning as well. Fiona replies, (Since... the start.) She hands Belle a towel. Betty whines, (Why didn't anyone tell me? It must have happened when I was waiting for the both of you on the garage's dusty rafters.)
(Yep, sure looks like it.) snickers Fluffy. He tries to mimic Betty's voice, (I'm one of the prettiest bats in Subeta.) Fiona hollers from laugher and Fluffy joins in. (Why you two! Wait till I get my wings on you!) Fluffy and Fiona run downstairs while Betty rapidly chases after them leaving a rainbow trail.
Belle quickly tidies up the washroom and joins her friends. She finds Fluffy and Fiona hiding behind Feabie in the dining room while Betty files around their heads. Belle laughs at the sight and the others join in. After catching their breaths, Feabie tells them that: (Although I'd like Belle to stay longer, she needs to get back if she's not going to miss Christmas.) They all look a little sad; although, they know it's the right thing to do. (I wish you could all come with me or at least I could come visit you all once in a while.) Belle says and sighs. Fiona looks at her sorrowfully, (We wish that too; however, you know humans can't know we exist.) Belle murmurs, (I know.)
Fluffy enquires, (So... how are we going to get her home?) Fiona and Feabie simultaneously answer (Bob.) Betty looks around, (And exactly how are we going to get him here when his layer is kept secret?) (Belle's one of us now; we can trust her.) Fiona answers. Feabie casts an incantation revealing... a secret passage behind the fireplace. They hear (SURPRISE!) from inside the opening. Fluffy grins at Belle and explains: (Bob's lair is just past the garden. However, a few friends of ours wanted to thank you before you leave. So, we had them hide inside to surprise you.) Our adventurers enter the tunnel.
Although it's dark at first it, she notices that the passageway is brighter in the distance. She advances and sees an opening in the tunnel's ceiling. The sun beams in and reveals creatures coming towards her. They shake her hand and thank her for saving Christmas. She tells them that she wouldn't have been able to help Ruby if it wasn't for her newfound friends. They helped give her courage and made her realize that appearances can be deceiving. One of the creatures, a Pant Devil Gnome, refuses to let go of her hand. Fluffy interrupts: (Danny, you need to let go now. Did you take anything from her?) He looks shocked and lets go of Belle's hand. (Of course not!)
Belle asks Fluffy, (Why would you ask him that?) Danny clears his throat, (Well, I do have a bad habit of taking things for my large collection of knickknacks. Nonetheless, I would never take something from you, Belle. I'm, I'm just so happy Christmas will happen after all! Santa's supposed to bring me a new hat!) Belle smiles sweetly while the other gnomes lead her deeper into the passageway.
(Come in) a voice bellows from inside. (Bob! You're sounding much better.) exclaims Fluffy. They enter his lair. (WOW! This is way more extensive than my collection.) exclaims Danny in admiration. (Now you know why we keep Bob's lair a secret; he has the best stash of ingredients a potion witch could ever dream of! He has necklaces of every size and shape, bottles and vases from all of Subeta, and so much more!) Fiona remarks. Fluffy nudges Belle and points to an item floating in the air. (He even has a Hover Sink!) He says while grinning. Bob chuckles deeply.
(Bob! Was Santa able to make it in time?) Belle asks while trying to find him. (Yes. He and Ruby were able to replace all the plushies Ruby had created with the real gifts the children had asked for. His elves packed his sleigh just in the nick of time and he's already started delivering toys around the world.)
(That's great news!) exclaims Belle. (Um, Bob, where are you? There's so many items that I can't see you!) she states. (I'm near the stairs.) he replies. Belle scrambles up and goes through the wall's opening. Peeking inside, she realizes those weren't stairs... (Um Belle, why are you on my tail?) enquires Bob. Fluffy interrupts, (Bob, it was over the stairs. She must have mistaken it for them.) Bob chuckles while Belle descends from him. She tilts her head sideways and then looks up. (Bob! You've grown!) exclaims Belle. (Actually, that's his true size. We usually shrink him so he can fit through the house.) Fiona explains. (Oh... like you did with the guard at the castle when they chased you?) Belle remarks. Fiona grins and nods.
Belle wipes sweat from her brow. (Wow, it sure is warm in here.) she remarks. (That's normal. Bob's a fire breathing draik after all!) Fluffy comments. Fiona adds, (It's one of the reasons we chose to hide the passageway with a fireplace.)
Bob clears his throat, (I'm very proud of all of you.) He tells them. (Especially you.) he nods in Belle's direction. She realizes that he isn't motioning towards her; he's looking beside her at Fluffy. (Fluffy, do you have something to tell us?) Belle questions. Bob smiles, (He's the one that made sure you'd go on this adventure.) Betty looks confused. (No way! He whined a good part of the way and always tried to get her back home.) Fluffy grins widely. (I was playing my part; no one could know I'm a real softie when it comes to kids. They could use it against me.)
(No, no, no. I was there; this doesn't make any sense.) protests Fiona. (You saw what we wanted you to see.) replies Bob. Fluffy clears his throat, (Well, I wasn't alone in this. When I went inside Belle's home to make sure the coast was clear before letting you come in, I talked to Belle's Fluffy. She agreed to help out. She's the one that came up with the plan of how to get Belle to follow us. She kept Belle awake. She made sure to get Belle into the kitchen where she already knew our location because she told me to eat the cookies and hide there.)
Betty, Fiona, and Belle seem confused. (Why?) Betty enquires. (Who was afraid of going into the house?) Fluffy asks her. (I, I... that's before I met Belle!) Betty exclaims. (She's usually afraid of humans.) states Fiona. Betty shyly looks at Belle, (I didn't know you then. Things are different now; you're my friend!) Belle pats Betty on the head. (It's ok, I was scared of you too.) They smile at each other and then Betty hugs Belle's neck with her wings.
Bob explains to them: (My vision showed me that Betty never would have allowed Belle to come along if things hadn't occurred as they did. By forcing Betty to help calm down Belle, Betty had to overcome her own fear. In doing so, Belle also overcame her own fears, which made her realize that we all want to be liked and can be misunderstood. This epiphany is what ultimately let Belle help Ruby.)
(So, the one that we should really thank is Fluffy?) Fiona asks. Fluffy smiles, (There's no need to thank me, I was just doing what Bob had asked me to do. Plus, I owed him since he made sure I didn't get sick during the battle.) Fiona smacks Fluffy on the back of the head. (Owie! What was that for?)
(That's for not telling me. I get why you didn't tell Betty; however, you could have let me in on the plan.) whines Fiona. Bob puffs smoke between the two of them.
(That wasn't his fault. He was under strict orders to tell no one. The less people that knew of the plan, the better.) Fiona sighs, (Sorry Fluffy.) He smiles, (It's ok. You hit like a freshly made Loaf of Bread Bat.) He says while chuckling. She starts giggling and pretty soon everyone is laughing.
Once everyone calms down, Fluffy says, (Now that the mission's complete, we better get Belle back home, shouldn't we?) Bob nods. (Do I have to forget everything?) whines Belle. (I'm going to miss all of you so much!) Betty starts to tear up and looks sadly at Bob, (Isn't there another way?)
Bob smiles, (Santa dropped by before going to his workshop. We had a little talk and figured something out; however, you'll have to wait and see.) Betty still looks sad. Belle gets out the pretty pink bow from her pyjama. (Here Betty, why don't you keep this? That way, you'll always have part of me with you.) Betty flies into Belle's hand and Belle puts it on her head. (There, now you truly are the most beautiful bat in Subeta.) she says in a gentle voice while holding back tears.
(Belle, it's time to go now.) Bob says gently. Everyone gathers and gives her a group hug. Bob lowers his snout so that he's face to face with Belle. He tells her to, (Look into my eyes.) He starts to fill the room with smoke and purr deeply... (I didn't know dragons could purr.) Belle says while fighting a yawn. The room becomes even darker and the purring becomes softer. Her eyes start to close. When she opens them, she's face to face with her cat.
Puzzled, she looks around and realizes she's in her bed. (What, what happened? Was it all a dream?) Fluffy looks at her as if she has no idea what Belle's muttering about. Belle quickly gets up and dashes to the living room. She notices that the cookies have been eaten... and there are presents under the tree!
(I was beginning to wonder what was happening, Squirt. You normally don't oversleep, especially on Christmas day.) her brother says from the table while finishing his breakfast. Her parents come in from the kitchen. (Belle! You're up. Looks like you're just in time; Santa's paid us a visit.) her mother states.
(Anyone want to open presents?) her father asks. Belle and her bother both blurt, (I want to go first. Hey!) Their parents chuckle while shaking their heads. They tell their kids to choose one each. Belle and her brother race under the tree and start looking at the pile of gifts. He chooses a little box while she grabs a large malleable present.
Belle's brother exclaims (WOW! COOL!) while looking in his box. Meanwhile, Belle tears the wrapping paper from her present, revealing a beautiful brown bear. She pats its head; however, she seems disenchanted. Her brother looks at her oddly, (Why do you look so disappointed? You've been begging mom and dad for something cute to have tea parties with for weeks.) Belle sighs, (I know. It's just, well... I was hoping for something maybe a little bit spookier.)
(Spookier? Does that mean you're over your cute phase?) her brother questions. Belle shrugs her shoulders, (Maybe, then again spooky can be cute. It's just that some spooky items are misunderstood.) Her brother seems puzzled. Belle sighs, (It'll be alright. Anyways, what did you get?) Belle asks. He takes something green from the box. (It's a limited edition snot usul plushie!) Belle's eyes widen, (Ruby?)
(How do you know it's name? I thought you weren't interested in my monster collection.) her brother enquires. Belle smiles and says in a hoarse voice, (It's a long story. I'm sure glad she's found someone that will appreciate her uniqueness.) Her brother gives her a weird glance: (You sure seem odd today. Are you coming down with a cold or something?) He feels her forehead and informs their parents that it's warm. Her father takes her in his arms and brings her back to bed.
Belle spends most of the day in bed with Fluffy by her side. In the afternoon, her brother comes into her bedroom. He tells her that he's found one last present under the tree and hands her a small box. She smiles at him and opens the lid...
(BETTY!) she exclaims. Her brother smiles, (I guess you've already chosen a name for her. I thought about what you said earlier and I figured you might like your own monster for your tea parties. Since I have two of this one, I put a bow on yours that I found in the wash. That way, you won't mix it up with mine.) Belle hugs Betty the plushie and then asks, (Could Ruby come visit for tea parties sometime?) Her brother grins, (Only if I'm there. She's a limited edition after all and I don't want your fingerprints messing up my monster.) Belle giggles at the thought of getting Ruby dirty. Her brother shakes his head. (You sure mustn't be feeling well. Get better soon, Squirt.) He leaves her so she can rest; however, just before he closes the door he sees Betty wink at Belle. He shakes his head… naw, it must be his imagination.
THE END... or is it?
Pet Treasure
Green Mid-Calf Socks
Dirty Socks