SINSI WAS SPECIAL. Not because she was an Ixi--one of the brave group of pets
who traveled from her world to Neopia Central before the way was opened to the
public--though that was enough. Sinsi
had a gift, one unlike anything ever seen in Neopia before.
Sinsi's story really begins here, though, in
Neopia Central. The herd of Ixis trudged toward the Central Office, tired from
their long journey. On arrival, Sinsi and the rest of her expedition were labeled
"Limited Edition" by a surprised but resourceful Neopets Team and herded into
a large pen at the Create-a-Pet center. As expected, they were snatched up one
by one until even the weakest Ixi of the group had been taken. Sinsi was one
of the first to be chosen, but the harassed Ixi never saw her new owner's face;
she was auctioned off for over a million Neopoints to a snobby thirteen-year-old
trainer. A bit shaken up, Sinsi was introduced to the boy's other two pets:
a robot Lupe and a fire Kougra, both with levels too high to count. After attempting
conversation with her icy owner and "superior" siblings, Sinsi finally crawled
away to a corner and fell asleep.
A few hours later she was shaken awake. "Come
on, you stupid Ixi, we're going to the General Chat. I'm selling you, you're
just a weakling and you're worth way too much to zap with the lab ray."
Drowsily, Sinsi looked up. She was in a box-click-a
locked box-and she was about to be sold again. Now fully awake, she settled
back against the bars of the cage. With any luck, her so-called owner would
set her down for a moment.
After being bumped around the streets of Neopia
Central for ten minutes, Sinsi and her owner reached the General Chat building.
The Ixi in her cage were shoved in a corner while the spoiled child began the
bidding.
Shaking with anger, Sinsi carefully checked to
make sure no one was watching. The crowd here seemed to be divided between a
role-playing session about gypsy Lupes and a girl advertising her new guild;
no one was paying attention to a caged Ixi in a damp corner.
Shutting her eyes, Sinsi planted her hooves and
concentrated with all her might on the image of her cage turning into water.
Just as she could feel the alchemy beginning to work, she gasped and realised
her mistake. SPLOOSH! All over the room, people turned to see the drenched Ixi
galloping madly for the exit.
An exhilarated Sinsi was nearly to the door when
she was stopped abruptly for some reason. Her heart sinking, she turned around.
A kind-looking lady wearing a yellow polo shirt was holding her firmly by the
tail. Seeing the hunted look on Sinsi's face she smiled and said, "Sinsi, is
it? Come with me, please."
Sinsi's brain whirled as she followed the lady
out the door and toward the Central Office. She recognised her as part of the
Neopets Team from the special logo on her shirt. Studying the lady more closely,
Sinsi noticed an embroidered Blumaroo under the logo bearing the nametag "Donna."
Sinsi gasped, realising she was walking with
the co-creator of everything she saw around her. She gaped at her escort in
awe. Donna led Sinsi through the halls of the Central Office to her own chic
headquarters. Sinsi sank into a lovely plush chair with a sigh while Donna settled
into a huge recliner behind a gigantic oak desk. "I'm sure you have many questions,"
she began. "But first of all, I have some things to tell you." Sinsi narrowed
her eyes. After all, she really had no reason to trust this woman. She was probably
going to send her back to the corrupted little boy, anyway. A Neopet had to
have an owner.
"We at the Neopets staff would like to take you
in. Your old owner has already been frozen. It's your choice, of course, and
I'm sure we could find you a loving, caring owner, but we have a job for you;
one we think you'll enjoy. One that utilises your talents."
Now Sinsi's head was really reeling. How did
Donna find out about her... gift? Even in Meridell the talent for alchemy was
rare, and Sinsi was the only one in Neopia who could work it on things not made
of metal. Because of this, she had always kept to herself, and some of the other
townsfolk thought that she was strange, an outcast. Only Sinsi's parents knew
about her gift, and they were back in Meridell... but perhaps the Neopets Staff
didn't need someone to tell them a pet's abilities... surely they had ways of
knowing... Sinsi shivered.
Donna looked concerned. "I know you've had a
hard journey, Sinsi, but you must understand that you are needed here. You need
no longer fear harsh treatment or the auction block. Let me make my proposition."
Sinsi listened as Donna described a game to entertain
the great minds of Neopia, the glory that was to be Shapeshifter.
As game-master, Sinsi would turn gauntlets to swords and helmets to goblets
at the gamer's demand, providing "helpful" hints along the way. Sinsi began
to feel the doubt and distress of the past few days leaving her. After feeling
an outcast her entire life, she finally had a purpose. Life was good!
Sinsi lives in Meridell now, sharing her talents
and making more friends every day. As one of those friends, I ask one thing
of you on her behalf. The next time Sinsi tells you that you should try a little
harder, or practice more, don't throw your keyboard at her. She's been abused
enough in her life. And after all, she's only trying to be helpful.
The End |