“That one,” Sunset’s was monotoned as she stared at the lizard with awe. With one finger, she lightly tapped the glass to gain its attention. “I want that one.”
Fluttershy giggled slightly, looking into the terrarium as well. Sunset watched her friend reach a hand into the glass tank, and the reptile shyly crawled onto her palm.
“Aw, hello cutie!” she cooed softly towards him, letting the lizard slowly get comfortable in her gentle hold. She then gave Sunset Shimmer an approving smile. “So you want him?”
“Yep.” Sunset was enamored with the little guy, and the small reptilian gazed back at her with a curious expression. She gave a small wave, grinning. “What is he?”
“He’s a leopard gecko,” Fluttershy said, gently grabbing the older girl’s wrist. Ray climbed from platform to platform, and Sunset felt her heart exploded into millions of tiny pieces as she stared at the adorable bundle in her hands.
“I believe he is a bell albino morph, but I could be wrong. We’ll probably need to ask the clerk,” Fluttershy mused, though Sunset was barely listening by that point. The leopard gecko made small chirps as he laid in her palm. His feet were so small, and his tail was hanging off her fingers. Green eyes blinked, his tongue momentarily sticking out he stared up at her.
He was perfect.
“I think I’m in love,” she stated bluntly. This got Fluttershy chuckled, pulling her sleeve as she guided Sunset further into the animal shelter. “That’s not, like, a weird thing to say, right?”
“Nope. Everyone says that when they get a pet. It’s a natural reaction.”
“Ah,” Sunset replied absentmindedly, holding the gecko in one hand as her legs followed her friend on autopilot. “Wait, why are you taking me to the back of the shelter?”
“Food, tanks, basic needs for the little guy?” Fluttershy perked up an eyebrow, stopping by one of the shelves. “Unless you have any of those at home, we’d need to buy them, right?”
Her eyes averted to the ground, slightly embarrassed that the thought hadn’t come sooner. “Right. What does he need?”
Fluttershy let go of her arm, studying the shelves before grabbing a sizable fish tank. “Fortunately, this species of great for beginners. They aren’t too picky if their home isn’t perfect. A tank would work just fine as long as you don’t put water in it.”
Sunset rolled her eyes, smiling. “Yes yes, of course.”
Fluttershy giggled as well, placing the tank back onto the shelf. “This tank should be okay, although, if you something a bit roomier...”
The leopard gecko chirped from her hands, and Sunset curled her fingers slightly as she brought him to eye level. Soft green eyes stared at the tank unblinking, his tail rattling. A frown formed on her face as she turned to Fluttershy. “Why is he doing that?”
Her animal-loving friend was quick to reassure her. “Leopard geckos rattle their tails when they are excited,” she explained, before cooing at the reptile. “I guess you really want the tank, huh?”
He chirped once more.
And Sunset died a little more.
“Aw, baby!” her voice pitched up an octave, and he squeaked. She grabbed the fish tank from the shelf, keeping an adoring grin on her face. “Well, I guess that’s settled then.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Alright, you two. If you insist.” She looked down the lineup of shelves, tapping her chin. The teen took out her phone, typing briefly before treading towards the next aisle. “He doesn’t need too much UV lighting, being a mostly nocturnal species. He does need a heat source though, and we can get him some wax or mealworms to feed on. Also-“
“Slow down, Fluttershy!” Sunset made a quick detour to put the leopard gecko back into his enclosure before running after the animal-loving teen. “Do you at least have a pen and paper?”
“Oh geez, where am I gonna put this?” Sunset muttered, looking around her room. The leopard gecko was sitting in a ventilated container in her hands, squeaking every so often. Her room was small and crowded, making her worry.
Fluttershy didn’t seem to share the same anxiety, placing her hands on Sunset’s shoulders. “Can I rearrange some of your things to make room?”
“Sure, go for it.”
She watched the seventeen-year-old pick some books off her floating shelves, placing them in a stack on her drawers. With a little more cleaning, suddenly a space was made available for the fish tank that she had bought.
“Oh,” Sunset's brain mentally smacked itself, but she shook it off. “Thanks!”
“No problem,” Fluttershy nodded with a smile, grabbing the tank from off the floor. She lifted it into the designated slot, pushing it flush against her wall.
Sunset places the container she held onto her bed. She opened the lid of the tank, lining the bottom with a sheet of paper towels in preparation for the most exciting part—decor!
She grabbed the shopping bag, fully prepared to use everything she had bought, she went to town filling the tanks with cork bark, sticks, leaves, fake flowers, a skull carving, and a small upside-down terracotta plant pot to decorate the interior of the glass fish-tank. Sunset did keep in mind where she wanted to put the heat and lighting, rearranging the props accordingly.
“How does it look?” Sunset asked, turning towards Fluttershy for some feedback. Her friend inspected her work before giving two thumbs up.
“Looks great, however,” Fluttershy opened the bag once more, pulling out the things Sunset didn’t touch. One was a small dish, which she pulled out a water bottle from her purse and poured the contents into the shallow bowl. “This is his water dish, and you need to change this out regularly to ensure he has clean water.”
Sunset nodded as Fluttershy placed the water dish into the enclosure. “Right, and I’ll remember to get him a humidity box soon.”
“Good, and remember what I said about-“
“Yes, I do, can I please put him in now?” Sunset practically begged, to which Fluttershy laughed.
“Okay Sunset, you can put him in now.”
“Thank you,” she dived onto her bed, cupping the plastic container in her hands gently. The leopard gecko inside squeaked slightly, and Sunset whispered an apology. She took the lid off of the travel box, eagerly picking up the tiny reptile that she loved. “Hey, buddy! Ready to go to your new home?”
A chirp and a rattle answered her, giving Sunset even more reason to squeal. Quickly, she got back onto her feet, turning towards the tank and opening the mesh lid. She dropped him softly onto the sunbathing platform, her excitement through the roof.
Once she closed the lid, Fluttershy places the day-night light and the heat lamp above the lid, plugging it into the wall so it warmly lit up the enclosure.
“Thanks again, Fluttershy,” Sunset said as she gazed adoringly at her new little buddy. He turned to gaze at her, and she waved at him with a bright smile.
“It’s my pleasure, Sunset,” she replied, also watching the leopard gecko as it got used to its new surroundings. He gave a lopsided smile, climbing down his platform. He squeaked and rattled, pressing his face up against the glass with a goody grin. It made Sunsets heart melt.
“Aw, what a little ray of sunshine he is!” Fluttershy cooed, tapping the glass with one finger.
Sunset gasped. “That’s it!”
“What’s it?”
“His name is now Ray.”
“‘Ray?’” her friend echoed, before chuckling. “Well, I guess it suits him.”
“Yeah.” Sunset brought her finger to the glass tank. Ray looked at her finger and tilted his head before being his tiny foot up to the wall to press it against her’s. She smiled. “He’s my little Ray of sunshine.”
Author's Note
October 8th, 2021
I have this sitting in my drafts for a while, and while I’m not finished with/haven’t started the third and final chapter, I though you all could enjoy what I have so far.
Keep in mind, most of this is research and what I’ve gathered. I do not own a leopard gecko (ugh, I WISH) so apologizes if I get anything wrong.
Sunset waved as Fluttershy left out of the front door, smiling. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this excited about...anything. She was nervous, yes, but ecstatic in all the ways she never thought possible.
She was now alone in her room.
Alone with her new pet leopard gecko!
It only took a moment for Sunset to race up the stairs that led to her loft, stumbling and hitting her side against the fairy lights that lined her railing.
“Sorry,” she muttered absentmindedly at the inanimate lighting, rubbing her hip to soothe the pain. Though, this didn’t stop her from getting to her destination. She crouched low to the ground, her eyes at the level of which her glass tank sat. At the moment, she couldn’t immediately see where Ray had gone, but she didn’t stress too much from it.
“Rayyyy,” she called out, her voice quiet as to not disturb him. She squinted her eyes to get a better look. “Where are you? Do you want to come out?”
Nothing answered. However, something flickered in the shadows beneath the fake skull, which made Sunset laugh.
“Was that your tongue?” she asked, grinning. Ray slither out from under his hiding spot, crawling up to the glass and pressing his face against it. His little feet trailed up in a climbing motion, but he did not move from his spot on the ground. Sunset eyes filled with sparkles. “Aw, why are you so adorable?”
Ray chirped, his tail rattling behind him. It reminded her of a rattlesnake, except ten times cuter than that. Sunset lightly tapped the glass with one finger, holding her head in her other hand. His scales seemed to glimmer under the light, which made Sunset love him even more. Everything about him was perfect.
His gaze turned away from her, and the leopard gecko paced around in a circle before deciding the lounge underneath the plant potter. Chirps and squeaks sounded from his throat, a ballad of noises that were music to Sunset’s ears.
“Are you hungry?” she asked suddenly, tilting her head. Why did I ask that? He’s not going to answer me, he’s a lizard!
Instead of waiting for an answer that would never come, Sunset pulled the box of feeder worms from out of the shopping bag. Giving them a shake, she pulled the plastic top off gently, peering inside for the first time.
Wriggling beetle larvae greeted her, to which Sunset grimaced. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but she was certainly grossed out by the outcome. Fluttershy had suggested crickets while they were still at the animal shelter, but Sunset couldn’t deal with the constant noise those provided. Mealworms were the next best option. They were cheap and easier to manage.
So I guess I’ll have to deal with their grubby legs as a trade-off.
Picking up long pair of tweezers, she carefully plucked a worm from the blue container. It’s spasmed in the metallic grasp, but Sunset pushed through the grossness as she opened the mesh screen of the tank.
With even more deliberation, she lowered the tweezer far into the glass terrarium until it was leveled with Ray’s eyesight.
“‘C’mon and eat me, lizard! I’m tasty and delicious!’” Sunset said in a small voice, externally laughing and internally cringing. Why did I make you talk? This makes me even queasier than before. What is wrong with me?
It got her little buddy’s attention, though. Gray-green eyes fixated onto the mealworm. The tweezers shook ever so slightly, making Ray more alert as he quietly stalked closer to the grub.
With a shrill squeak, Ray pounced towards the tiny tongs. He eagerly gobbling up the worm and even part of the metal.
“Hey! Don’t eat the tweezers!” Sunset laughed, wrestling it back from his mouth. Once it was out, Ray rattled his tail even more, pressing his tiny feet against the warm end of his tank in an effort to get more food.
Sunset was happy to oblige, picking up another small grub and wiggling it in front of the little leopard gecko. In the same eager manner, Ray bit down into the insect vigorously.
“Such a tiny predator you are!” Sunset cooed. She continued the motion until she reached what she felt was enough food for him.
Probably should look up how much I should be feeding him, she remarked quietly, giving herself a mental note.
Ray squeaked, bringing his feet to the glass once more. She wasn’t sure if reptiles expressed emotions on their faces as humans did, but that was a look of joy if she had seen it.
“Aww, your so adorable!” Sunset smiled. She replaced the lid onto the feeder worms’ container, placing it to the sides. With careful hands, she reached into Ray’s tank, lifting her baby to her face.
He chirped again, which made Sunset giggle. “I’m very glad I chose you.”
It was very late at night. Sunset didn’t need to look at her clock to know that.
It was dark, the only light coming from the moon and her phone. The device in her hands was heating up significantly, but she didn’t pay much mind to it.
She was very busy.
“‘How...much...mealworms...should...I...be..feeding...a...leopard gecko,’” she mumbled aloud, not caring how many words she had spelled wrong. Her pupils strained bat the bright screen, only pausing to blink her dry eyes.
‘Five to seven every day until they reach four inches.’ Hm, do I have to measure him? What else does this say?
She was deep into her research. Her hands briefly pull down the menu on her phone to read that it was thirty minutes past twelve, though she didn’t care very much.
Sunset had wayyyy more important things to do.
“CHIRP!” came a loud cry, which made Sunset’s skin jump. She turned to her pet’s enclosure, her brow furrowed with worry.
Her worries subsided when she heard the distinct sounds of rattling.
They are a nocturnal species, Fluttershy’s voice rang in her head. It was a nice reminder. The high-school student smiled, sighing.
“I love you too, Ray!”
Author's Note
October 8th, 2021
So, a little self indulgent for me. I’m kinda obsessed with how Leopard geckos (really, all reptiles, actually) eat. It’s just so cute! So I definitely projected a bit onto Sunset.
