It's the end of another long school day. Sunset unlocks the door to her apartment as cars on the street beeping at each other. She slams the door shut, locks the door, and tosses her backpack on the ground. This is her territory, a place where she has authority. What should I eat tonight? Sunset Thought: Pasta? No. Pancakes? Definitely. Pizza? Maybe... It's the end of another long school day. Sunset unlocks the door to her apartment as cars on the street beeping at each other. She slams the door shut, locks the door, and tosses her backpack on the ground. This is her territory, a place where she has authority. What should I eat tonight? Sunset Thought: Pasta? No. Pancakes? Definitely. Pizza? Perhaps... As Sunset completing on her options, an odd clicking sound from the kitchen caught her attention.
"Oh, come on!" Sunset calls out, hand reaching for her swatter.
The clicking, more akin to that of a cicada, continues.
As Sunset carefully enters the kitchen, a strange little animal caught her attention: It looks like a giraffe with grey fur shrunk down into a cat's size. As she takes another step in, the creature turns around. It looks at her with a pair of giant, pale eyes located on an otherwise featureless face.
"Um...hello?" Sunset slowly backs off, closing the door. Yet, the animal quickly catches up to her, sticking its' head out.
"Wow, OK..." Then, realizing it's impossible to lock the creature in, Sunset lets it into her common room. Upon entrance, the animal walks around but eventually settled down beside her feet.
"Alright, my home it is..." Sunset tries to walk away, but the small animal follows her around.
"Hi, stop following me!" Sunset throws the swatter away while gently pushing the animal away. Her endeavors failed, however, as the animal refuses to back off.
"Whatever," Sunset sighs, pulling out her phone: "I hope you like pizza."
"OK, OK, thank you. Have a good day!" Sunset hangs up after the delivery's person leaves her order at the door. Sunset opens the door, takes her dinner inside. Surprisingly, a metal card with an arrow printed on it was left under the pizza box.
"Oh, are you hungry?" Sunset sets the box on her table as the little creature bounces up and down.
"Here," Sunset opens the box and hands the animal a piece: "Do you like mushrooms?"
The animal inspects the triangle-shaped food for a bit before its' face splits in half vertically from the center, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth and a grossly long tongue. The tongue, functioning like a tentacle, grabs the pizza, pulling it inside as the animal closes its' face.
"OK..." Sunset forces a smile on her face while fetching for another piece: "You really like mushroom, want another piece?"
The creature turns away, walks in circles for a bit, and jumps on Sunset's lap.
"Oh, dear," the creature again walks in circles, much like a what cat would do on its' owner's lap, before settling down.
"Great?" Sunset carefully moves her piece of pizza to her mouth: "Just stay still until I'm down."
"Phew," Sunset lets out a sigh of relief as she closes the box. The little animal is now resting on the sofa, meaning Sunset can finally wrap up the most stressful dinner of her life in the human world.
"So, ah, it's my sofa," Sunset speaks, attempting to get the animal off of her seat: "You know?"
The creature looks at Sunset for a moment before moving aside and making some space for the bacon-colored human.
"Alright," Sunset backs off, sits on her bean bag, and grabs the remote control for her TV: "You can have the sofa."
"Hello! Hello!" an obnoxious voice fills the room as the TV switches on: "Are you plagued by an unknown little monster in your place?"
"Oh?" Sunset raises an eyebrow as the little monster on her sofa looks at the commercial.
"Worry no more!" the voice continues as the screen showcases various types of monsters: "We are the experts! Take a look at your card!"
"Um," Sunset pulls out the metal card with an arrow painted on it: "OK?"
"Follow the instruction and come to our facility!" the scenery switches to that of a pet shelter: "We'll take good care of it! Just follow the instruction, and you will arrive in no time!"
"But it's just an arrow!" Sunset says as if she's having a discussion with the man on TV: "What am I supposed to do?"
"Your wish is our command!" the commercial ends.
"Wha...Agh!" Sunset rolls her eyes before scrutinizing the card. However, all she can find is the arrow painted on one side of the metal card.
"Whatever!" Sunset tosses the card on the ground out of frustration.
*Beep, beep, beep...*
"Oh..." Sunset yawns as she turns the alarm clock off: "Just five more minutes..."
Click, click, click...
"I said five more minutes..." Sunset says, reaching her hand out to the source of the noise. Instead of her alarm clock's flat, plastic surface, Sunset felt a furry and bumpy triangle-shaped object.
"For the love of..." Sunset groans, knowing its' the head of the little creature: "OK, I'm up! I'm up..."
"OK, so..." Sunset closes the door to her apartment behind her: "Are you ready?"
Click, click, click... the creature replies.
"I'm sorry to do this to you," Sunset gets down on one knee, putting a leash on the creature's neck as cars drive past her: "But if I don't do this, then I can't take you out!"
The creature didn't fight back. Instead, it brushes its' head against SUnset's face as a showcase of affection.
"Oh, wow!" Sunset giggle: "OK, I get it! So maybe I should name you before we part ways. Let me think...Toothy! What do you think?"
The creature walks in circles a bit before brushing against Sunset's face again.
"Toothy it is!" Sunset stands up, taking out the metal card: "So, let me see..."
Cars on the road in the early morning are far and between. However, this gives Sunset an idea: the card only has an arrow painted on one side. Maybe she is supposed to infer from the things they see. They walked down the street and were greeted by a crossroad.
"Well," Sunset makes a face, looking at the card: "Let me take a look."
All the traffic light soon turns green, pointing towards her left.
"OK then," Sunset raises an eyebrow: "Whatever."
The pair turned left and kept walking. With her eyes focus on the card, Sunset paid no attention to her surroundings. The pair walked and walk until they are interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Sunset!" Twilight calls out.
"Ah!" Sunset drops the card on the ground before bump into "Twilight?"
"Sunset!" Twilight greets: "What are you doing here at school?"
"School?" Sunset looks around: "Yeah! I...eh...was just walking around! What are you doing here?""
"I was taking a stroll as well!" Twilight smiles: "There's nothing better than to read a good book on the soccer bench at 6 am! Want to join me?"
"I'm good!" Sunset laughs nervously: "But I'm kind of busy now."
"Speaking of which, what is that?" Twilight points at Toothy: "Is that a pet?"
"It's...um..."
"Let me take a look!" Twilight pulls out an encyclopedia and furiously flips through the pages: "What kind of animal is this?"
"Um, Twilight?" Sunset calls out as Toothy looks at her and Twilight and back: "Twilight?"
"Hm..." Twilight straightening her glasses, completely ignoring Sunset's existence.
"OK then," Sunset benches down to pick up the card: "I've got to go!"
Sunset looks at the card, which points towards the Sun now.
"OK, I've got to go!" Sunset walks past Twilight: "Talk to you later!"
"Lover's Park?" Sunset looks at the giant sign and back at the card in disbelief: "Are you kidding?"
"Whatever," Sunset sighs: "Toothy, let's go."
Sunset nervously looks around as they traverse the empty park. Although there's no one around, she still doesn't want others to see Toothy. As they navigate the routes overshadowed by archways of roses, Toothy suddenly starts to act up.
"Wow, easy there!" Sunset holds onto the leash tightly as Toothy desperately tries to jump into the walls made of roses: "You'll get hurt!"
Things got so bad they Sunset had to pick Toothy up before it runs face straights into the beautiful yet spiky walls.
"Good morning, young lady!" An old woman greets Sunset from the other side of the tunnel: "Are you looking for someone?"
"No, no, I'm not!" Sunset walks towards the source of the voice while trying to hold her troublesome friend in her arms: "I'm just...lost!"
"Oh, don't worry," The old lady smiles as she sees Sunset and the grey mini giraffe: "Tell me what your trouble is, and I'll help you!"
"I'm not sure if anyone can actually help me," Sunset speaks to the old lady who stands behind a counter while holding onto Toothy: "By the way, do you have anything to eat? My...em...pet here is acting up a lot!"
"Oh, the poor thing just got confused by the sweet scent of the flowers," the old lady replies, before handing Sunset a small basket of baked goods: "Here, I was supposed to charge you for this. But since you are the first customer of the day, I'm willing to give it to you for free."
"What? I can't..." before Sunset can finish the sentence, Toothy again tries to run off.
"OK! I'll take it!" Sunset struggles to keep Toothy in check while taking the basket: "Thank you!"
"Of course!" the old lady replies, pulling out a piece of cookie from the basket and feed it to Toothy, who instantly shifts its' attention to the baked goods.
"There!" Sunset puts Toothy down before reaching her hand into the basket: "If you stay with me, then you can have more cookies! If you run off, the no cookies!"
The little creature sits down on its' ramps, paying full attention to Sunset.
"OK, then," Sunset says, taking out the card again: "Let's see..."
"Oh, are you going to the soccer game?" the old lady says: "It will not start until tonight."
"Actually, yes!" Sunset lies, not sure where she is going: "But I just want to take a look at the field!"
"Oh, of course!" the old lady smalls before pointing towards the north: "Just keep walking north, and you will be there in no time!"
"OK!" Sunset reaches her hand into the basket and pulls out another piece of cookie: "You've been nice the whole time! And this is your cookie!"
Toothy jumps up and down in joy before catching the treat with its' mouth.
"OK, then," Sunset looked at the field and was surprised to see bunches of soccers matching against each. But, of course, it's still early in the morning; maybe they just want to get some practice before the game tonight.
"Excuse me, young lady!" Then, an old man on a bench calls out to Sunset: "Do you have a moment?"
"I'm sorry," Sunset replies: "I really to go somewhere now."
"Is that so," the old adjusts his glasses before closing the book on his hand: "You look lost."
"I'm," Sunset admits in defeat: "But I don't even know where I'm going."
"I see," the old man replies: "I have a map of the city; maybe that could help you a bit."
"Oh, really?" Sunset asks.
"Of course," the old unzips his bag, pulling out an old yet well-preserved map: "There are a few marks here and there, but I do believe you need it more than I do."
"Thank you very much," Sunset scratches her head: "That could really help."
"You are very welcome," the old man hands Sunset the map: "By the way, that peculiar creature beside you, what is it?"
"It's..um..." Sunset tries to think of something.
"I just want to say, I've never seen anything so beautiful," the old man adds: "I spent my entire conducting research, yet I have never seen anything like this. May I ask you where did you find it? Such marvelous creatures must be studied thoroughly!"
"I'm sorry," Sunset chuckles: "But I've really gotta go!"
"My apologies," the old man says: "Then I won't be wasting your time."
"OK, thank you," Sunset waves at the old man: "Have a good day!"
"Alright then," Sunset holds the map in one hand, the metal card and the leash on the other: "Let me see..."
As Sunset observes the parchment, a bee lands on the map and spoils her focus.
"Shoo! Shoo!" Sunset tries to drive the creature away. Yet, it refuses to leave and keeps landing on the same spot, which happens to the local nursing home.
"Oh?" Sunset takes a closer look at the map: "Let's just hope we are going somewhere."
The pair walked and walked, and they arrived at the nursing home.
"Now what?" Sunset scratches her head, looking at the arrows painted on the ground: "I really hope we are going the right way."
They follow the arrow and finally arrive at a tall building.
"Phew!" Sunset lets out a breath of relief: "I thought we are going the wrong way!"
"Hello?" Sunset enters the building, with Toothy following closely behind: "Anyone here?"
The interior of the building is dark; only an empty counter is visible.
"Hello?" Sunset walks towards the counter but was met by no one: "I..eh...need help?"
No one came to her aid. Although it's dark, the room is far from quiet. The counter is surrounded by rows after rows of drawers, which are all made of metal. The drawers shake violently as creatures inside scream.
"He...hello?" Sunset lowers her voice as the screams get louder: "Anyone?"
Moments later, a short figure in ropes with a broom emerges from the shadows.
"Hi?" Sunset picks Toothy up: "Do you work here?"
The figure doesn't reply. It looks up to the pair and takes out a piece of paper from its' sleeves.
"OK," Sunset has to lower her body to reach the paper. At this moment, Sunset realizes how short the figure really is: an average broom for a human is about twice as tall as it.
The figure looks at Toothy and retreats back to the shadows.
"Hi, what do..." Sunset's sentence was cut short as she sees a tail disappears into the darkness. She looks at the paper, and it reads: If you care, then take good care.
"Oh my," Sunset looks at the message and at Toothy: "You know what, Toothy? You are staying with me."