Christmas Wishes by nekookane |  |
Mirrim kicked at the ice crusted snow, with the worn toes of her red rubber
boots. She was standing at the end of the sidewalk in front of her family's
three room NeoHome in Market Square. Warmly dressed pets and their owners hurried
past, smiling and laughing, laden with brightly coloured packages, overfilled
bags and holiday cheer.
Mirrim watched with dull, angry eyes.
"Just two days until Christmas," she muttered, giving the ice hardened snowbank
a particularly vicious kick.
From inside the house, Mirrim's sister was watching the little blue Zafara,
who stood alone with her familiar companion, resentment. The older Shoyru felt
regret that Mirrim could never have her one true wish, to be painted with a
Starry Paint Brush. Zini sighed, she was lucky, her first owner had painted
her fire, and when she was adopted from the pound, her new owner left her that
way. Mirrim never said anything about it, but Zini knew that her younger sibling
would give anything to be painted as well.
Zini turned from the window, wracking her brains for a way to make Zini's wish
come true. She knew there was no point asking their owner, he was poor and though
he tried his best, he could barely keep a roof over their heads, let alone buy
them any luxuries.
Zini drifted through the sparsely furnished rooms of the tiny house and found
herself in the bedroom the two young pets shared. Sighing again, she sat on
the bed and held Mirrim's worn little Chia plushie, the one they had managed
to get at the Money Tree a few weeks before. It had popped an eye, probably
the discarded toy of an over enthusiastic Lupe.
Smiling, Zini had a sudden inspiration. Throwing on her blue ski jacket (which
was becoming too small for her), she dashed out the back door and down the street.
Along the way, Zini rounded up all of Mirrim's friends. She quickly explained
her idea to them and soon they were all standing near the Money Tree Park, chattering
excitedly. Arriving at the magical tree, they stopped in awe as items appeared
magically and were snatched up by grateful pets. The little party edged closer,
waiting with anticipation.
The afternoon dragged on, and Mirrim's friends were getting tired.
"I hate to tell you this, Zini, but I don't think that anyone's going to donate
a Starry Paint Brush today," Weiran, a striped Shoyru, told her pessimistically.
Zini wouldn't give up. She had to find Mirrim a present. She had to give Mirrim
a taste of joy and a feeling of Christmas spirit.
She did not take her eyes off the ground beneath the tree.
"Just a little longer. Please?" she replied.
Gunther, a white Lupe patted her shoulder with a heavy paw, "I'll stay with
you Zini, we won't leave without that brush."
"Me too," said another of the friends.
"And me," said another.
Everyone agreed, they couldn't let Mirrim down.
It was growing dark. The Christmas lights of Neopia came on, marvelous wonderful
displays of Christmas pets, flying faeries with glitter dust falling from their
wings, enourmous decorated trees, the show was as beautiful as fireworks. Everyone
near the money tree stopped watching, their mouths hung open as they watched
the magic catch fire around the square.
Two pets did not even see the lights, they stood in watchful readiness, a fire
Shoyru and a white Lupe
"There it is," Gunther whispered excitedly, "the Starry Paint Brush!"
Before he had finished speaking, he had already leapt in a graceful arc towards
the brush. The dream shattered, about twenty other pets all dove for the brush
as well. Zini stood frozen in anxiety, as she watched Gunther's tail, a white
flag waving from beneath the piled pets. She held her breath in anticipation,
hope sinking like a stone as the seconds passed.
White paws appeared at the top of the petpile. White ears followed, and clenched
in Gunther's smiling jaws, the Starry Paint Brush!
Zini ran over to him and grabbed him in an ecstatic bear hug.
"You did it!" She crowed excitedly.
Gunther, too out of breath with his efforts, just smiled a big toothy grin.
~*~*~
Christmas morning dawned brightly, the sun tinted the snow a rosy pink, as it
cleared the horizon. Mirrim just sat, staring out the window of her shared bedroom.
There was no point going out to the scraggly Christmas tree the family had found
in the donation pile at the tree lot. There was nothing beneath it, and Christmas
was just another ordinary day in her ordinary life.
Zini's voice could be heard from the next room. Mirrim could hear other voices
too, all of them talking excitedly. Curiosity overcame her sulky mood, and she
crept to the bedroom door and peeked out through the crack.
All of their friends were out there, and each of them had a small gift. A candy
cane wrapped in a ribbon, a Kacheek cracker, an adorable little Abominable Snowball
PetPet, and all kinds of ice foods. Mirrim started to feel a little spot of
warmth in her chest. All her friends had left their Christmas celebrations and
just to visit Zini and her. She opened the door and stepped out into the room.
Everyone looked up, as Zini rushed to her sister and hugged her.
"Merry Christmas, little sister!"
Mirrim hugged her back as everyone shouted, "Merry Christmas, Mirrim!"
Zini grabbed the little Zafara by the paw, and led her to their tiny tree. Mirrim's
heart started to race. She had spotted the single package, wrapped in dark blue
paper and coloured with gold stars.
"Open it," Zini said softly.
Mirrim's paws were shaking, all her anger and resentment replaced by a wondrous
joy. The paper fell quickly from the package, revealing to the astonished Zafara
- the beautiful Starry Paint Brush!
She looked at her friends with shining eyes, all of them were smiling, sharing
her happiness. It was then Mirrim understood the purpose of Christmas.
"Thank you, thank you everyone!" she cried, "I may have found a gift under this
tree, but to find Christmas, I just had to look into your hearts."
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
The End
|
