Freshwater+Story.

**Billy the Bitterling Life Story**
Billy was a bitterling who lived a normal life in his parent's house. One week, his parents got sick until they were deadly ill. But Billy depended on his parents to feed and house him since he didn't have a job.

His parents asked him if he could get them some medicine at Bobby the Burrhead's house, for he was a retired doctor in the neighborhood. Billy journeyed out of the house in search of Bobby's home. Billy had a rough idea of where his house was, and soon had to ask directions from a lone cyanobacteria. "Hello. Who are you?" Billy inquired to the sad cyanobacteria. "Hi. I'm Ana. I got seperated from my colony of Anabaena sphaerica." She said. "Oh! I'm sorry. But could you please give me directions to Bobby the Burrhead's house?" He asked. "Sure. His house is a couple of leaps down." She replied. "Thank you! Hope you get back to your colony." Billy said graciously.

Billy swam off and left the lonely Ana to fend for her self. Soon he found Bobby's humble little home. The problem was that he lived above the water. So Billy rose his head above the water and called out. "Hello! Is Bobby home?" He cajoled out. "Yes. I'm up here!" A voice answered. Billy looked up and found Bobby. "How can I be of service?" Bobby inquired. "I need some medicine to help my parents get better from their illness." Billy answered. "What illness do they have?" Billy asked, concerned of their well-being. "I think they have some type of parasite in them." He said, frightened. "What symtoms do they have?" Bobby inquired. "They started to whirl around, and eating became troublesome lately." Billy replied. "Oh no. They have the Whirling disease. Only caused by Myxobolus cerebralis." He went in to a pantry of some sort. "Let me see if I have any medicine." Billy waited until Bobby came back out. "I don't have much, but this should do." Bobby handed him a botle filled with a light pinkish powder in it. "What is it?" Billy asked suspiciously. "Clamoxyquine. It should help remove the parasite." Bobby said reassuringly. "If you say so." Billy said with a bored tone. "Hold on. I need to ask you a favor." Bobboy hurriedly rushed in. Billy looked at him insquisitively. "What kind of favor?" He asked. "A small one. I need you to transport some of my seeds. You know, to relocate." He said hopefully. Billy thought about it before he replied. "OK, what the heck." He said. "Thanks. Swim up and put some in your mouth." Bobby instructed. Billy swam up and took some seeds then swam of home.

Once again, Billy got lost. Swimming up to the surface, he saw a bird. "Hey! You!" He called out to the creature. It turned it's head and flew down to the shore with a //SWOOSH// of wind. "Yes?" It asked. "Can you help me?" Billy said hopefully. "Yes." It replied. "Have you seen a patch of Ingoldian fungi? That's where I live." He asked. "That way." It pointed with a long wing. "Thanks, ......Who are you?" Billy said dumbly. "Guru. I am a Great Crested Grebe." Guru answered. Billy nodded. "Well, thanks any ways." Billy swam off as he replied. Guru just watched him swim away, thinking about his next dinner.

Billy got home, spitting out the seedsbefore he went in, and found his parent barely hanging on. Then all three of them discovered that there was only enough clamoxyquine for one fish. His dad had the first say in things. "Honey, you take it. I'm ready to go." He coughed out. "Oh, no you take it. I've had the best years of my life." She replied weakly. "Honey, I've been ready for the past 2 years." He said meaningfully. "OK." She replied. Billy handed over the medicine. She drank it and seemed better. "It had a little trouble going down, but I feel better." She said. His dad slowly whirled over to a corner before whirling for the last time. Billy and his mom quietly prayed for him, and put him outside of their home, which happened to be an Ingoldian fungi Billy asked Guru about. The Ingoldian slowly ate him and his mom took a little swim. "Looking good mom." Billy said supportingly. His mom replied, "Yeah, I feel a lot better." She said. All of a sudden, She was lifted off into the air, and was eaten by Guru. "NOoOoOoOOO!" Billy screamed, but soon forgot and swam up onto the beached and allowed himself to dry up. That was the end of the Bitterling Family.