|
A few months into my first year of Neopets, I was wandering
through the dark alleys of Neopia. Suddenly, not looking where I was going, I
tripped over a pebble and fell heavily, right at the feet of a couple of large
Skeiths. Freezing on the spot, I recognized the Neopets as what they were called
in those days - trashmobs, or thieves that roamed the dangerous streets, robbing
from people to earn their keep, which they immediately spent on slots and gambling.
"Well, what have we here," sneered an unkempt-looking
Skeith. Reaching down, he grabbed me by the collar and hefted me up as easily
as if I was a feather.
"What should we do with this one? Nick her cash
or beat her up for a while?" The Skeith grinned at his equally disgusting friends.
They had probably never heard the word "gentlepet" before.
I had little time to think. I lashed out with
my foot and struck his nose. He dropped me, swearing, and I sprawled to the
ground. Quickly leaping to my feet, I ran off blindly into the maze of alleys.
A couple of Skeiths hollered after me, and pursuit was immediate.
My feet pounded across the cobblestones. My
breathing was short, I was panting heavily. Some distance behind me, the sounds
of Skeiths stomping after me rang in my ears, getting louder each passing second.
I ran faster and faster as my muscles screamed and went numb.
Turning haphazardly into different alleyways,
I dodged into a particularly narrow street and turned my head to see how close
the Skeiths were getting. In that split second, I tripped over a limp body on
the floor and for the second time in so many minutes went flying, crashing to
the ground with a thump.
The figure leapt up and snarled at me, revealing
a row of sharp, yellowing teeth. I held my arm over my face in protection and
squinted at the creature. I realized it was a dirty Rainbow Gelert with its
fur matted down with crust.
Just then, the Skeiths came thundering into
the alleyway. I backed up further, still lying on the ground, and trembled,
partially with rage and partially with fear. The Gelert had vanished upon the
appearance of the Skeiths. I wasn't surprised about that.
Struggling to get up on my feet, I braced myself
and balled up my fists. I wasn't about to go down, not without a fight anyway.
Screaming incoherently, I launched myself at the approaching Neopets, striking
repeatedly with my fists and kicking out.
A large paw bashed into my back, knocking the
wind out of me, and I crumpled to the floor. Leaning against a wall for support,
I got up again and charged senselessly, headbutting a Skeith in the belly. "Oof,"
grunted the Skeith. "Well, guys. Fun and games is over, eh?" Nodding in agreement,
the rest of the gang bunched together and advanced towards me.
Suddenly, a fuzzy shape seemed to materialize
in front of me. Staring, I was shocked to see it was the Rainbow Gelert from
before. Baring his teeth, I could have sworn there was just a hint of a smirk
in his mouth.
And then, he struck. The Skeiths didn't even
know what hit them. The Gelert was a blur of speed amongst those clumsy oafs,
a mass of biting teeth, of heavy paws. The Skeiths scrambled out of there quicker
than I would have thought possible; most were likely injured in some way.
Clutching my arm, I winced at the bruises all
over my body and limped up to the Gelert. "Thank you," I said simply. The Gelert
tilted its head, as if in acknowledgement, and just sat there, watching me.
Unnerved, I continued my trek back to my Neohome.
The Gelert followed me all the way there. Finally, at my doorstep, with the
Gelert making no move to leave, I turned around and sighed.
"Why are you following me?" I demanded. "Why
did you even save me from a beating, for that matter?"
The Gelert said nothing, but looked at me out
of the corners of his eyes.
"Okay. Fine. Do whatever you want," I gave up.
Inwardly, however, I wasn't unpleased that the Gelert had chosen me to live
with.
"You might as well make yourself at home, Flawkers,"
I motioned to the door. The name had just popped into my head.
Flawkers strutted in, as if he had owned the
place all along. I couldn't resist smiling briefly, and then disappeared into
the house after him.
*****************
The first thing I did with Flawkers was to brush his teeth till they were
sparkling white, and to groom his tangled fur till it gleamed on his hide. Those
were the only times he allowed me to touch him, other than that he would growl
slightly and scratch himself irritably.
I gradually grew used to my constant, silent
companion. During those times, Neopia wasn't the safest place in the world.
Flawkers was always by my side, and a mere growl and a baring of a fang was
sometimes all it took to get rid of a trashmob. Over the years we didn't grow
any closer, but stayed together more as a partnership than a friendship, each
helping each other. Then, one day, that all changed.
*****************
"Flawkers, stay still," I sighed. Flawkers regarded me wordlessly, unusually
restless. I had been trying to sketch him staring proudly into the sky, but
then I snapped my sketchbook shut and put away my pencil.
"Fine, let's go for a walk." Standing up, I
stretched and walked out of the house with Flawkers at my heels. Strolling through
the park, I paid for some ice cream and sat down at a bench. I swallowed a bit
of my ice cream greedily, and then looked up to see a small girl ogling at Flawkers.
"Watch it, kid, don't touch that Ge--" I stopped
midsentence, my eyes almost falling out of my head. The kid was stroking Flawkers,
who, far from objecting, was growling softly with pleasure.
The girl looked and me and smiled. "Your Gelert
is really pretty," she said softly.
Thoroughly freaked out, I stood up hastily,
spilling my ice cream on the sidewalk. Flawkers quickly devoured it on the spot.
The girl laughed, a tinkling sound in the air.
I hesitated for a moment. "Say, what's your
name, kid?" I finally said.
"Lyss."
"Oh... so, you really like Flawkers, huh?"
"That's his name? It's a good one." I noticed
she didn't answer my question, but it was obvious from the way her eyes never
left Flawkers. Shaking my head, I headed for home, Flawkers following me reluctantly.
The next day, Flawkers went missing. I didn't
worry about it, but just went about my daily schedule. Flawkers had gone to
a better home now. He considered our partnership terminated. He had found someone
who he truly loved, and loved him back. Everyone needed that in a friend. I
was glad for him, although I always kept a memory of him in the back of my mind.
*****************
Someone knocked on my door.
I got up, grumbling, and opened the door. "Who
is i-" I began to say, but stopped short. No one was there. Scowling, I was
about to return to my living room but something stopped me. I looked down, and
saw a baby Faerie Ixi in a basket on the porch. It whimpered and glared at me,
flapping its tiny wings agitatedly.
Something clicked in my mind. Scooping the basket
up, I read the note in it. "Hojimitsu" was all that it said. Carrying the Ixi
to my bedroom, I watched Hojimitsu until he gradually fell asleep.
I watched Hoji grow up. He amused me with his
plotting for world domination, and his vanity sometimes made me sigh with exasperation,
but I knew then how Flawkers felt when he first laid eyes on Lyss. It was interesting,
I always thought, how I didn't own my pets; instead, they seemingly owned me.
The next year blended into the next, and I decided
to take Hoji for an ice cream cone. As my eyes wandered along the path, I realized
I was tracing the same steps I had taken a year ago. Sitting down in the same
bench I sat on a year ago. Next to me, Hoji preened himself in his portable
mirror. I could almost imagine Flawkers right in front of me, raising his upper
lip in annoyance whenever I tried to talk to him. Growling suspiciously whenever
anyone crossed our path. Smiling, I got up, and patted Hoji.
"C'mon, boy," I laughed. "It's time to go get
ourselves some ice cream."
As Hoji and I retreated up the path, arguing
about his hairstyle, I thought I heard a fading bark and the sound of a little
girl's laugh. Almost turning my head, I stopped myself and faced forward, towards
the setting sun.
On the very bench that I had sat on a few minutes
ago, a girl and a Gelert played.
The End
| 
