The Peach Tree

     She was a blue Kacheek, but not painted elderlygirl-- she was just old. After all, at almost eighty, her arthritic hands could barely make a fist, and her back was stooped. She had always considered herself stronger than the other Neopians in her life; her were muscles shaped with the work she had done as a child on the farm in her homeland of Meridell. Now she was but an echo of her former sturdiness, thin and pockmarked with age.

     When she went into her garden, however, her body changed. Her skin seemed to smooth itself, her spine straightened, her voice lost its creakiness, and her fur grew lustrous. It was as if the life in the garden lent itself to her, the energy of the plants seeping into her being. Now she spent most of her time outside, to the dismay of her friends.

     "You should stay inside," they would warn. "You'll catch the Neoflu or D'Achoo, and you know how expensive medicine can be. Especially since that Healing Springs faerie can be pretty stingy sometimes."

     "I'll be fine," she would scowl back. "The fresh air is good for me."

     And they would roll their eyes, and mutter to themselves, but she remained smug with the knowledge of her beloved garden. However, despite her satisfaction, she couldn't shake the thought that there was something... a bit off about the way it rejuvenated her so much. When this pesky notion invaded her mind, she quickly put it aside, assuring herself that it was just all in her head.

     On that day, as the sun began to set, she put her tools away and shook her head softly, once again trying to dismiss a certain, niggling thought.

     ***

     She awoke in the night suddenly, gasping for breath. Moonlight stretched across her face, irritating her eyes. She had been dreaming vividly, but once conscious had immediately forgotten the content. After rolling out of bed slowly, she hobbled to the kitchen of her Neohome and peered out of the clouded window over the sink.

     A blurry figure stood in her garden, facing the peach tree. Her shoulders shook, and she closed her eyes to clear them. After opening her eyes again, she pressed her nose against the window, but the mysterious figure had disappeared. She took her spectacles from the windowsill, and slid them on her nose, just to be sure nothing was outside.

     She returned to bed and when she woke in the morning, she touched her glasses with her paw. Her face scrunched, and she tried to remember why she had worn them to bed. But she couldn't.

     ***

     A week later, she decided to plant fire bushes. Her neighbor had made a comment about her garden-- it apparently lacked "excitement." Miffed, she bought colorful and exotic flora in an attempt to prove him wrong. As she planted, she talked to her petpet Plumpy who was sprawled in sunshine a few feet away. His favorite pastime was ignoring her.

     Throughout the day, various Neopets would greet her as they walked down the well-trodden dirt road. She welcomed the distraction, as it gave her the opportunity to chat and gossip about the happenings in the area. Since very few pets neomailed her anymore, she enjoyed the interaction she got from the pleasant locals. It had been years since her owner had visited her, but she knew that he was a busy man and did not blame him for it.

     As she tilled a small patch of dirt near her peach tree, she noticed a bright green ribbon curled near her feet. Without hesitating, she scooped it up and examined it closely. She thought it looked familiar, but she couldn't remember why. Sighing, she put it in her pocket, and continued to work.

     ***

     It was midnight when Illusen padded into the garden, enjoying the scent of peaches in the air. As she passed the herbs and flowers, she caressed each plant lovingly, making them lean into her touch and glow. A fat Plumpy approached her slowly, rubbing against her legs. She leaned down to pet him, and he purred loudly before lumbering off. Although she lived in Meridell, she would visit this place once a week to transfer some of her magic into the vegetation. As she looked at the magnificent peach tree, her mind was flooded with memories.

     "Hey! Wait for me!"

     She ran through the peach orchard, chasing a particularly energetic blue Kacheek. Parting some thin branches and brambles with her hands, she forced her legs to move faster and faster, trying to catch up with her friend. As she burst into a small clearing, the two girls bumped into each other, giggling as they collapsed into a heap.

     "Will we be friends forever?" the Kacheek asked, as they rolled onto their backs to look up at the sky.

     "Of course," she answered, but regretted it instantly. She knew that her friend would grow old while she would stay young forever. It would be unfair for her to live beside her friend unchanging and stagnant. Mortals deserve to be around those who experience life the same way, after all.

     She resolved to end their bond as soon as possible. And that night, she disappeared from her friend's life without warning. It would be better this way, she told herself.

      A single tear ran down her cheek as she turned on her heel and flew away.

     ***

     The blue Kacheek was having the same dream again. It was a memory that smelled of peaches. When she stirred this time, however, she did not forget it. She rolled onto her side, sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and encased her small feet in her favorite slippers. This time she did not delay-- she knew what she needed to do.

     ***

     Illusen sat quietly in her cottage, trying to focus her mind on her Earth Spell Book. She had read it a thousand times, but it had never failed to calm her yet. To keep herself amused during the day, she often challenged visitors to an item quest, but it was dark outside and most pets were snug in their beds. Although she liked the busyness of helping Neopians with these treasure hunts, by the end of the day she was usually exhausted. Now, she reveled in the silence, enjoying the way she could almost hear the plants murmuring outside. Suddenly, she heard a soft knock on the door.

     She swung open the door, and laid eyes on a very blue Kacheek that she hadn't seen in sixty five years.

     They fell into each other's arms, and embraced.

The End