?Thank you again!? Merengue called out as she exited through the sliding doors of the department store. Timmy simply smiled and nodded after her.
Main Street was bustling with activity. Villagers came from all over to try Duskwood?s local specialty, streetpass ice cream. Heralded as ?heaven in a cone,? this frozen dessert was made with a thick and extremely rich cream, the likes of which was nonexistent outside of Duskwood. Unable to resist the temptation, merengue stopped to get herself a double scoop cone of strawberry before crossing the train tracks. Savoring every bit of her cold confection as she went, Merengue wandered about the quaint town of Duskwood in search of Mayor Autumn.
At first she dismissed the sensation as a paranoid suspicion rising from an overactive imagination. There wasn?t anybody in sight. But as she progressed, the sensation became more intense and quite unnerving. She was almost certainly being watched.
?Who? who?s there?? she stammered, trying very hard but failing to keep the distress out of her wavering voice.
No answer. She screamed and let her sweet treat fall from her grasp as two large paws suddenly clapped down on her shoulders.
?Relax. It?s only me, snarrrl.?
?Wolfgang, don?t do things like that!? Merengue chastised the blue wolf, whirling around to glower at him. ?You almost gave me a heart attack!?
?Gahaha!? he laughed heartily, revealing his pointed teeth. ?You need to lighten up. I was just having a little fun at your expense. So anyway, what brings you to my neck of the woods??
?I need to speak to Autumn.?
?She?s not here at the moment,? Wolfgang frowned. ?She just left a little bit ago to collect signatures for Whitney?s petition. Something about ?bring back square-dancing? or the like. Sounds stupid if you ask me, snarrrl.?
?But I need to ask her for a quart of Duskwood cream!?
?Oh, then I have really bad news for you! Tipper is responsible for providing the town with cream, but she?s decided to move out. We don?t have any cream left and we won?t be getting any more from Tipper. She?s taking it all with her. That?s some of the last streetpass ice cream to exist,? Wolfgang remarked, gesturing towards the slowly melting pink blob on the ground. ?You probably shouldn?t have wasted it, snarrrl.?
Merengue briefly scowled at him, then sighed heavily. ?What am I going to do? I need some of that cream to make the perfect cake for Cadbury?s birthday.?
?Well, I suppose if you convinced Tipper to stay, you might be able to get some cream,? Wolfgang shrugged. ?Honestly, I don?t know why she decided to leave. We?re such a friendly lot? Fang, Chief, Lobo, Whitney, Freya, Skye, Kyle, myself? oh, and Erik! She hinted that she didn?t feel safe her, but how could that be with such great neighbors? Cows be crazy, right? Gahaha!?
He gave Merengue a toothy smile. His fangs really were quite sharp. Merengue had a pretty good idea why Tipper wanted to leave.
I suppose I can try and talk to her,? Merengue said uncertainly. She wasn?t sure it would do much good.
Wolfgang pointed her in the right direction and she made her way over to Tipper?s house. Merengue could hear someone shuffling about inside. She knocked twice. The sound stopped and was replaced by approaching footsteps. The door opened to reveal a very snooty black and white cow.
?May I help you?? she demanded huffily. ?I?m busy trying to pack up all of my belongings at the moment.?
?Hello, I?m Merengue,? the pink rhino introduced herself cheerfully. ?I was wondering if I could come inside and talk to you for a moment.?
Tipper rolled her eyes and waved her unexpected guest inside.
?Pull up a cardboard box and have a seat,? Tipper muttered. ?All my furniture is packed up. Just be sure there isn?t anything breakable in the box.?
Merengue was pretty sure that last remark was a jab about her size, but she ignored it. ?So Tipper, why are you moving??
?It?s like Erik always says,? Tipper explained. ?If you?re afraid of wolves, don?t go to Duskwood. I should have never come here.?
?But why are you afraid of them? Sure, some of them may be a little gruff and intimidating at times, but they can be really good friends if you let them. I?ve known Wolfgang for years. He used to live in my hometown of Essen before he moved out here. Sure, he may be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he would never hurt anyone.?
?Look pinky, I??
?The name is Merengue,? she interrupted, an uncharacteristic edge creeping into her tone.
?Whatever. The point is I don?t need your advice. Don?t meddle in my personal affairs.?
?All I?m trying to do is help??
?And I don?t want your help! Go away, tubby!?
Merengue looked like she was about to cry. ?You know what, you should leave. You?re the rudest cow I have ever met and my friend Wolfgang deserves a much better neighbor than you! I wouldn?t make Cadbury?s special birthday cake with your soured cream even if you paid me a million bells to!?
With that Merengue stormed out of Tipper?s house and stomped back to the train station. She was about to depart on the next train out of town when she saw Wolfgang running up to her.
?Wait, don?t leave yet!? he yelled. Almost out of breath, he was panting heavily when he caught up to her. ?This is for you,? he wheezed, handing her an almost empty bottle of cream. ?I heard things didn?t go well with Tipper, but that doesn?t matter. Here?s just enough Duskwood cream to make a cake, courtesy of yours truly!?
?But how?? Merengue asked in disbelief as she gratefully accepted the proffered gift.
?I almost forgot I had it. I love to have some in my coffee every morning, but I never got around to using the last of it today. Whitney woke me up early and told me that someone had planted a bunch of pitfall seeds around her house. I had to go check it out immediately, even if it was just a paranoid suspicion. Guess that?s why I?m crankier than usual today. I never had my coffee, snarrrl! Gahaha!?
?Oh Wolfgang!? Merengue exclaimed, her voice quivering slightly with emotion. She hugged her friend with such great fervor she nearly knocked him to the ground. ?You?re the best friend a rhino could have!?
?And don?t you forgot it!? he chuckled.
As Merengue sat on the train preparing to depart for Moonveil, she could see Wolfgang from the window. He flashed that wolfish grin of his and waved goodbye as the train began to pull away from the station. Merengue waved back. As she settled back into her seat, making herself comfortable for the lengthy trip ahead, she found herself thinking about how much she liked her friend?s distinctive smile.