For an easier life Circulation: 171,606,722 Issue: 178 | 18th day of Awakening, Y7
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Chomp!


by shadowcristal

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Author: This story is dedicated to all those aquatic petpets who went down through a Jetsam's throat, in order to get an user a teeny, weeny avatar that is just a few pixels.

I'm sitting here at an unknown beach of Krawk Island, with only a bag beside me. Everyone has left me, but I do not regret what I have done. In fact, if I had to experience it all over again, it would all be the same. Let me tell you my tale.

     My story began when my owner came home one day, whistling an unusual tune and holding a little bag in her hand. She smiled at me, which was unusual, and opened the bag.

     "Surprise!" she said cheerily, letting me look inside that mysterious little bag.

     "A Pfish?" I asked, surprised by the contents. My owner wasn't that kind of an owner. Often she would yell at me when she was frustrated, and send me to the Battledome when I had only a few hit points left. On top of that, she was fanatic about collecting avatars. It was rare that she would be kind to me like this.

     "Yeah."

     I should've suspected that something was fishy right then, because she usually didn't talk to me with that cheerful tone. But I was so happy over the fact that I had gotten my first petpet... That happiness of holding a live little creature in my hand blew every suspicion away.

     "Enjoy it," she told me. It was almost a snarl, and depressingly dark. It was as if she was saying, "Enjoy it, because it will be gone soon."

     I cuddled the little lovely Pfish that I had received. A smack in the back of my head reminded me of where I was.

     "Thank you, owner," I bowed.

     "That's better," she said. "Now, fetch me some fruit."

     Holding onto my Pfish for dear life, I ran as fast as I could to the kitchen and made some cold fruit for my owner. She seemed temporarily satisfied as she told me to get ready for battle, so that other owners who were waiting in line outside our NeoHome could battle me and get an avatar.

     My Pfish seemed somewhat scared of the huge number of people as we entered the Battledome. I felt with it, as I had been just as scared when I was there the first time. I wondered what I should name my petpet, then decided on a simple name.

     "Pfishy," I told my Pfish. "Now you have a name. And it's a nice name, I think."

     I smiled as I put Pfishy on my head. Then I entered the Battledome to meet a scared Meerca. The little pink bow on its tail shivered slightly as I took out my weapons. She snivelled and gulped before she launched an attack at me.

     My owner had taught me to never attack first, but to react quickly. She had trained me for months, doing exercises and running while she was sitting in a comfy chair. All that training had paid off. I quickly dodged the attack and counterattacked. With one blow, the little Meerca landed outside the ring.

     "You win!" someone told me. I wasn't really listening, but watched the Meerca get up. She gave me a hateful stare before she got out of the arena on crutches.

     Inside, I felt a sting of pain. I had beaten her ruthlessly, just as my owner told me. She told me to never lose, and I had never lost. But was it right to beat and pounce on a little defenseless Meerca like that? I shuddered at the cruelty of her owner, who sent her to a place like this just to get an avatar.

     "Pets are supposed to obey, and nothing else," my owner's words echoed inside my head. I shook my head sadly. That Meerca had every right in the world to hate me, me beating the stuffing out of her.

     Pfishy nudged me and I took it down. I looked into the black, pearly eyes of my Pfish and suddenly hugged it. Somehow my petpet was different. It looked at me with the unconditional love of a petpet. I recalled how it had whimpered before the battle, but now it seemed to feel safe and content, snuggling in my fins.

     I smiled. If everyone in the world hated me except for Pfishy, I'd be all right. I hugged it again, making Pfishy wake up.

     "Sorry," I whispered. I didn't expect it to answer, since I knew that petpets couldn't speak to us.

     I continued with my battles, but my mind was somewhere else. Despite that, I won every battle.

     "That makes eleven in a row," someone told me.

     I left the Battledome, still thinking about my petpet. It was now on my head again, making funny noises and seeing the world. I saw the world through Pfishy. The colors brightened, the sounds grew stronger and I could detect some smells I wasn't aware of before.

     Having a petpet was wonderful. On the way home, I bragged about Pfishy to everyone that I met. I was so proud of my dear little Pfishy. Once I met another pet that had a Pfish, but that petpet just wasn't like Pfishy.

     Pfishy was special. When I was worried about something, my petpet would console me with licks on my face. I beamed happily as I entered our street.

     As they all say, the cynics, the critics... all of them say: Happiness is short-lived. And they're right. Little did I know just how short my happiness would last.

     I entered my Neohome to find an angry owner.

     "How long are you gonna make me wait?" she cried angrily as she took Pfishy from my hands.

     "What?" I asked, confused. Now my owner was back to her dissatisfied self, mean and demanding.

     "I've been waiting all day for you to eat this!" My owner pointed at Pfishy.

     "What?" Now I was really puzzled. "Eat my petpet?"

     "That's right! You'd better be done before dinner!" She glared angrily as she dumped Pfishy in my hands. My poor little petpet was shivering from the enraged creature that had held it for just a few minutes.

     I was shocked. My owner wanted me to eat my petpet? I was about to run to my room when I remembered to bow and ask for permission. She gave me it. After all, I would obey her like I had done my whole life.

     I ran to my room, confused and horrified. Then I realized it. I had to eat my petpet. I looked at Pfishy, whose eyes were full of tears. It was whimpering and I held it mindlessly, repeating the terrible fact in my mind.

     I would eat my petpet.

     I just couldn't! Pfishy was my best friend, and even if the world was against me, I'd... No! But my owner had said...

     I recalled all the times that my owner had told me to do things that I didn't like. I didn't like them, but I obeyed. This was the worst. I felt tears coming to my eyes as I stared down at my petpet, a future meal.

     No, I decided. I've had enough of this! I wouldn't... But the fear that had attacked Pfishy was now welling up inside me as well.

     Just when I was about to break into sobs, my owner appeared. Her stern face and the glowing eyes scared me like never before.

     "Eat," she said with a cold voice, thousand times colder than before.

     I shook my head, squeezing Pfishy close to me.

     "EAT!" Her eyes glowed red, like a fanatic. In that moment, she wasn't my owner anymore. She was a frighteningly obsessed avatar collector.

     It all happened so quickly. She took Pfishy, bent open my jaws and threw Pfishy right into my mouth. I was so scared I almost hiccuped, and Pfishy went down my throat.

     A bell rang somewhere in the distance, as I felt sick. The 'Something has happened!' message appeared and my owner left my room in joy.

     I felt sick. Sick and utterly ashamed of what I had done. Even though I had decided, I hadn't followed through. I had eaten Pfishy. I felt so sick so I bent out through the window and threw up everything. After a few moments, I gathered the courage to look down the window and saw a pile of mess.

     Among it was Pfishy. As tears rolled down my face, I tried to explain.

     "I'm sorry, Pfishy! I have obeyed her all my life! I didn't have the strength to disobey! I didn't dare! Please, forgive me and look at me like before! Please, Pfishy, forgive me! I'm so sorry! I promise..." I choked down the last words that I had in my mind. I couldn't promise anything...

     I felt so guilty, so ashamed so I could die. That little being with those innocent eyes, glowing of trust... I had betrayed Pfishy.

     I had also betrayed myself. When I looked down again, my eyes blurry of tears, I saw that Pfishy was gone. A little hope was born inside me, a hope that Pfishy would live.

     But I couldn't live... Not like this anymore. I brimmed with rage and sadness, packing a bag. When I was done, I slammed the door open and ran down the familiar hallway.

     I would run away. I couldn't stand being in this house anymore, forced to do everything that I was told. I had eaten my petpet... The statement flashed in my mind as I flew past the living room. I heard angry steps when I reached the door.

     "Where is my avatar?" my owner demanded as she walked towards me. I could feel the fear growing inside me, but when I opened my mouth a long stream of words came out.

     "I've served you for all my life, doing things that I never wanted. I've done every word that you said. That all ends today." I gulped as I continued, staring into her cold eyes. "You're horrible. You've made me eat my friend."

     "You are a fool," she snarled, "Attachment only makes you weaker."

     "I'm done with mindlessly obeying you. This is it. I'm leaving. And don't expect me to be back."

     "Never! Go back to your room!" she cried out, stamping her foot in irritation.

     At that moment, I took a close look at her. That annoyed girl with the tapping foot wasn't my owner. She was someone horrible who had made me into a monster. I realized something...

     "I hate you!" I screamed as I blasted open the door with one of my more powerful attacks. "I hate everything about you! I hate how you make everyone bow at your feet! I hate you!"

     After I had exploded, I ran out through the door and down the street. People turned their heads but I didn't care. I ran down to the beach and swum in the water, with the bag on my head. I felt like hitting something, but there wasn't anything in that big, wide ocean.

     And then I realized what I had done. I had run away from my owner, disobeyed her for the first time. I felt a surge of power, mixed with the sadness at the loss of Pfishy. I swam until I was tired, then continued as the emotions stirred again. I couldn't have a moment's peace...

     I reached this beach after a few days. I had thought it over and over again, regretting what I had done. But that stare of my owner's cold eyes burned into me, and that last scared look of Pfishy. I had lost everything.

     The sun is slowly setting. I watch as the tides roll, turn and fade away. Far, far away, I can see a little dot. It is getting closer... As hope is being born, I realize that it might be Pfishy!

     I run down to the beach and throw myself at the waves, grasping onto my futile hope. Perhaps it is Pfishy, coming to save me even when the world is against me...

The End

 
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