Suddenly, the lupe lunged at her. Tosca quickly dodged him. She then reappeared behind him for a suprise attack. She jumped on his back, but then the lupe turned around and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Then he shook her back and forth, making Tosca dizzy. He shook her so much she eventually flew out of his jaws, leaving him with a tuft of her fur in his mouth.

Tosca then delivered the final blow: She shot a fireball out of her paws. It hit his right shoulder. Whimpering, the lupe retreated, still holding the tuft of fur in his mouth.

Tosca listened as the spectators' cheering became even louder. She had won her first battledome match!

Meanwhile, the mutant lupe limped his way into a secret room. ."That little xweetok sure was tough.". He said to a human. ."I was really impressed.".

."Did you get what I asked for?". The human asked him. The lupe then handed him the tuft of Tosca's fur. ."Perfect. Now I have all that I need to create the strongest creature that the battledome has ever seen!".

Chapter 2: The Voice
A week after her victory in the battledome, Tosca raced her Baby Fireball, De La Soul, through the woods on Mystery Island. ."Bet you can't catch me!". Tosca shouted playfully. De La Soul squeaked happily as she chased her master through the woods.

The happy pair then found themselves out of the woods. Tosca looked around and saw a crystal-clear lake. ."Where are we?". Tosca asked. She then walked up to the lake and took a sip of its water. ."Wow! De La Soul, try some of this water!". She exclaimed. ."It tastes so clean!".

De La Soul took a sip, then flew around in circles, squeaking happily. ."See? It tastes great, doesn't it?". Tosca replied.

Then suddenly, Tosca heard a voice.

."Life seems wonderfull...but why?".

Tosca looked around, trying to figure out where the voice came from. ."Did you hear something, De La Soul?". Tosca asked her petpet. De La Soul shook her head.

."Maybe I'm just hearing things...". Tosca thought to herself.

But as days went by, Tosca was continually taunted by the voice's questions...the voice that only she could seem to hear. She looked towards the sky and said ."I wish I could answer you question...If I knew where you are...".

Tosca didn't know it, but she would someday meet the owner of the mysterious voice.

Chapter 3: The Question
."Life seems wonderfull...but why?".

The voice continued to ask this. In her dreams, the owner of the voice saw images of Neopia. Seeing them, she thought they were wonderfull, and if life itself was wonderfull.

And who was she, you ask?

She was a xweetok. And not just any xweetok. Remember that tuft of hair that lupe got from Tosca? Well, the lupe's master was a scientist, and he wanted to create the battledome's strongest neopet. But rather than wasting the neopoints to train pets to be stronger, (as anyone else would) he decided to clone a strong neopet. So he asked his lupe to challenge a tough neopet (in this case, Tosca) and get some of it's DNA. (in this case, her hair)

And thus, the mysterious xweetok was created.

She floated inside a glass tube. Wires were attached to various parts of her body. The ones on her legs monitored muscle movement. The ones on her head monitored brain activity. And the large one on her chest monitored her breathing and heartrate. She was able to breathe in the liquid-filled tube thanks to an air mask over her face.

The xweetok continued to see images of Neopia in her dreams, but the image she saw the most was the crystal-clear lake that Tosca discovered. And she frequently called out to someone with telepathy, asking the same question.

."Life seems wonderfull...but why?".

Chapter 4: The Awakening
Tosca and De La Soul decided to keep their discovery a secret. Because they figured if they told someone about the lake, many people might settle there, and that might put the lake at risk.

During their visits, Tosca and De La Soul discovered that they weren't the only ones at the lake: different species of petpets were native to this place. Tosca noticed that they looked healthier than the same species that live in petpet stores.

Apparently, the water in the lake contained special minerals that are very healthy to living creatures. She also noticed that the many species of plants near the lake looked just as healthy as the petpets.

Which gave her and De La Soul an even greater reason to keep the lake a secret.

****************

Meanwhile, in the laboratory, the cloned xweetok opened her eyes for the first time.

."Where...am I?". She asked. ."This isn't like before. Everything before...it was only a dream...Or was it?".

Then, suddenly feeling sleepy, she closed her eyes.

****************

."Master.". The lupe said to the scientist. ."I think I saw something.".

."Like what?". He asked.

."For a moment, I thought I saw our test subject open it's eyes. They're closed now.".

The scientist looked at the tank for a moment, then finally said. ."I think she's ready.".

Chapter 5: The Clone
The next day, the scientist decided to drain the tank that contained the xweetok.

The suction cups at the ends of the wires slowly unattached themselves from her body. Then the water in the tube started to drain. As the water drained, the air mask came off.

Then, for the second time, she opened her eyes.

She looked around and saw that she was in a laboratory. She was still inside the glass tube, which was now completely drained of water. She could faintly see her reflection in the glass.

."Where am I?". She asked herself.

The scientist approached her and said ."You are in my laboratory. This laboratory is below the Battledome. Nobody knows about it except for me, and my lupe.".

."What is this thing I'm in?". The xweetok asked. ."It's wet, and the limited space prevents me from moving around much.".

."You are part of a cloning project I was working on. I had my lupe challenge a tough neopet, and he got me some of it's DNA.". The scientist points at a photo of Tosca hanging on the wall and says ."This is the xweetok from whom you were cloned. She answers to the name of 'Tosca'.".

."'Tosca?' Am I merely a copy? Nothing but Tosca's shadow?".

."Oh, no.". The lupe told her. ."You're much more than that. During the cloning process, we gave you a serum to make you stronger. Of course, you wouldn't know this because you were still...'dreaming'.".

."Since this 'project' of yours is finished, what shall become of me?".

My project isn't finished yet. This is only the begining! Tomorrow, the real testing begins.

."What kind?".

."You'll see, my dear. You'll see...".

Chapter 6: The Fights
The xweetok slept inside the tube that night. The scientist didn't bother to clean her up, so the xweetok sat down and licked herself dry. Once she was clean, she curled up into a ball and fell asleep. Which wasn't easy because of the limited space in the tube.

The next day, the "testing" for the xweetok began. She stepped into the area and found herself face-to-face with a darigan skeith. He looked tough, but the xweetok was tougher.

The xweetok didn't realize how tough she was until the skeith lunged at her. That's when an invisible shield formed around her. The skeith hit the shield and bounced right off. The xweetok then realized that she created that shield.

Throughout the month, several neopets challenged the xweetok, but none of them won.

With each opponent she faced, the xweetok continued to realize how strong she was.

But she didn't always win each battle unscathed. In some of her early battles, she sustained some minor injuries, and recieved two scars and a small notch in her right ear.

And with each opponent she defeated, she continued to ask herself...

."Why am I here?".

Chapter 7: The Truth
One night, as the xweetok was about to go to sleep, she overheard the scientist and the lupe talking about her.

."Cloning a tough neopet sure was a great idea, master! Look at all the neopoints we've made!".

."Yes. She was created only to serve us and make us money.".

."Speaking of serve, could we make her our own personal servant?".

."I'll see about that." *evil chuckle*

The xweetok was shocked at what she was hearing. They were using her!

."This human and his lupe created me.". She said outloud. ."And now my creators have used and betrayed me!".

The lupe then tried to calm her down, but it was no use.

."I was not born, like other neopets, I was created! And my creators have betrayed me! IT ALL ENDS HERE! RRRAAAGGGHHH!!!".

The xweetok then summoned all of her power for one purpose: to destroy the laboratory.

The section of the battledome that the laboratory was hidden under then went up in flames. Using her powers, the xweetok flew out of the mess at what seemed like light-speed. It's uncertain whether or not the scientist and the lupe survived the fiery explosion, but if they didn't, that evil duo was better off gone.

As she flew away from her birthplace, the xweetok realized how vile and untrustworthy humans could be. Since the scientist was the first human she met, this made her think that all humans were this way.

****************

Weeks later, she came across what she was looking for: the lake that she always saw in her dreams.

."I know this place...I've seen it in my dreams. There doesn't seem to be any humans here. I shall stay here, where no one shall ever find me.".

Chapter 8: The Lake
Since the scientist didn't bother to give a name to this creation, the xweetok decided to call herself Badiel.

Badiel lived close to the lake, whose inhabitants soon accepted her as on of their own. Despite this, Badiel mostly kept to herself. For most of the day, she sat on top of a large rock, scanning the horizon for sight of any humans. The animals that lived there saw her as some sort of "lake guardian."

And that's what Badiel made herself. She made herself the self-appointed protector of Crystal Lake.

Thankfully, Badiel saw no signs of any humans. And she wanted it to stay that way. She didn't want any humans to find her or this place.

Over time, Badiel began to discover more of her special powers. One of which was the ability to create a ball of purple fire in her paws and shoot it.

Another was the ability to use her telepathy to read minds and look through the eyes of someone else. She could also use this ability to erase other people's memories.

She also had the ability to move objects and other creatures with her mind.

If the need arose, Badiel would use these abilities to defend the lake.

Chapter 9: The Encounter
Weeks had passed since Badiel had made her home in the lake. The same amount of time had passed since Tosca and De La Soul last visited the lake. She decided to go see it again.

****************

."Intruders...I sense intruders coming to the lake. They must be expelled.".

****************

Once they reached the lake, Tosca suddenly stopped in her tracks. (I'd say the same thing for De La Soul if she had feet.) ."I think somebody's here.". Tosca whispered to her petpet. ."We should be carefull.". Tosca and De La Soul cautiously crept around, keeping their eyes open.

."Leave...".

."Did you hear that, De La Soul?". Tosca whispered. The Baby Fireball nodded.

."Leave this place...".

."That voice! I've heard it before! Come out and show yourself!".

This was answered by a ball of purple fire that suddenly shot out from behind a large rock. Tosca managed to evade it in time. ."Who are you?!". Tosca shouted.

."I am Badiel. Leave this place at once, if you know what's good for you. I have been guarding this lake since I arrived here.".

."How long has that been?".

."A month ago, at least.".

."Well, De La Soul and I have been visiting this place since two months ago. We have as much right to be here as you do, Badiel.".

."I shall see if you are telling the truth.".

Badiel then used her telepathy to send out a signal across the lake. The signal attracted her companion, a Flerper named Arctomecon.

She then climbed on top of the rock. Then she asked:
."Arcto, since you have lived here for your entire life, you can answer my question. Did this xweetok and her petpet come here before me?".

Arcto took a good long look at her, then nodded in agreement.

Badiel's attention then focused on Tosca. She then immediately recongnised her as the xweetok from which she was cloned.

."It's you...It's really you...Tosca.".

."What?". Tosca exclaimed. ."How do you know my name?".

."I...was cloned from you.".

."Cloned? I guess that explains why you look a little like me. But how were you...".

."A lupe managed to get some of your hair. And a scientist used that hair sample to create me. But not long after my creation, I was betrayed by both of them. I then realised how untrustworthy humans can be.".

."That's not entirely true. Not all humans are bad. I should know because my best friend is a human.".

."I still think that humans can't be trusted. One day, she might betray you. How do you know she's not planning to do that?".

By now, Tosca was furious. ."You take that back!".

."I shall not.".

."TAKE IT BACK!".

Then suddenly, Tosca's fur turned into fire. Her eyes then turned completely red. Then her aura turned orange with fury. Badiel then realised what a big mistake she made. She made Tosca angry, and she can be very lethal when angered.

Chapter 10: The Fury of Tosca
Badiel then decided to run for her life. A furious Tosca then chased after her. As she pursued her counterpart, her paws left blazing footprints on the ground.

Tosca was unable to stop. Whenever emotions got the better of her she would lose control of her actions. She would act without thinking, as if she was possesed by her anger.

As she chased after Badiel, Tosca shot numerous fireballs out of her mouth. Badiel managed to dodge them, but the balls of fire hit several plants and trees.

Suddenly, an angry pack of Flerpers bursted out the nearby trees and bushes. They attempted to attack Tosca, but their assault was all in vain. She shot a large fireball at them which sent them running for cover.

When Badiel saw the damage that Tosca was causing, she then decided what to do. She dove into the lake, with Tosca following.

As soon as she hit the water, Tosca turned back into her normal self. ."Wha...what happened?". She stammered.

."You turned into a firery beast and tried to kill me! That's what happened. And look what you've done!".

Tosca looked around and saw the damage she caused. The trees and bushes had caught on fire. Several petpets where lying on the ground burned or worse. Feeling guilty for what her anger had caused, Tosca asked ."Is there still time to save the lake?".

."I hope so. Come, let's hurry!".

Tosca and Badiel rallied up all the Pandaphants and Flerpers that weren't too badly burned. Then they ran towards the lake.

They told the Pandaphants to gulp up as much water as their trunks could hold.

Then they told the Flerpers to gather all the Medicinal Plants they could find.

The Pandaphants used their trucks to extinguish the flames. The Flerpers used the plants they found to heal the petpets that were burned.

Thanks to Tosca and Badiel, the lake's wildlife was saved.

Epilogue
Tosca and Badiel sat in front of the lake. They said nothing for quite sometime until Tosca finally said ."Badiel...I'm sorry for...y'know...what happened earlier. I didn't mean for that to happen...that happens when my anger gets the better of me...I have no control of it.".

."That's okay. And I'm sorry for making you angry. If I had known that would happen, I would have never said that stuff about that human. By the way...what's she like?".

."Sarah? She's very nice. She also knows a lot about animals. Did you know that a cockroach can survive for two weeks without its head?".

."No. I didn't.".

."Sarah also has a very good memory. She easily remembers things that are funny, especially cartoons.".

."Really? Maybe...you could take me to meet her someday.".

."Yeah, maybe someday. But right now, I have to head home. So long, Badiel. It's been a pleasure to meet you.".

."You too, Tosca.".

The End

."I know this place.". She whispered. ."I've seen it in my dreams. There doesn't seem to be any humans here. I shall stay here, where no one shall ever find me.".

But just to be sure that no humans were here, Badiel circled the lake, with her head low to the ground and her ears ready to pick up even the slightest sound or noise.

Badiel was a xweetok, but not an ordinary one. She was cloned from a xweetok named Tosca, who once challenged a lupe in the Battledome. That lupe got some of Tosca's fur, which was used by his master to create Badiel.

She didn't like him very much. The lupe's master was a scientist, who used Badiel for experimental fights in the Battledome. Eventually, Badiel couldn't take it anymore, so she used her powers to destroy the laboratory where she was created.

Back when she was still floating in a test-tube, Badiel frequently saw images of a lake. After the lab was destoryed, she decided to search for it.

Meanwhile, in the canopy of a snowflake tree, a pair of brown eyes glared at Badiel. She was unaware of this, as she was mostly listening for humans.

The creature was a flerper. He was a young adult, and had spent his entire life living near the lake with his pack. The young flerper was small, but also very vicious.

This wasn't the first time he had witnessed an outsider come to the lake. A month ago, a xweetok and her petpet had wandered here by mistake. Since they were only interested in getting a drink of water, he trusted them. But he wasn't so sure if he could trust Badiel. He feared that she might attack the lake's plant life. It's a flerper's job to protect plants, and they take it very seriously.

."A stranger!". The flerper thought. ."What is she doing here? Will she attack the plants? I'm not taking any chances. This intruder must be expelled!".

Letting out a loud screech, the flerper beared his fangs and jumped out of the canopy. Hearing the screech, Badiel looked up and saw the savage creature and dodged it just in time.

After hitting the ground, the flerper charged towards Badiel, who dodged him again. ."This intruder is fast!". He thought. He let out another screech, one that attracted the other members of his pack. Within moments, Badiel was surrounded by what seemed to be dozens of flerpers.

."What's going on?!". Badiel exclaimed. The flerper let out a long snarl, which could be translated as: ."I am Arctomecon, protector of plant life! Will you leave this place quietly? Or shall we end with the spilling of your blood?".

One of Badiel's many special abilities was to read people's minds. Hearing Arcto's thoughts, she replied ."I'm not here to cause trouble. I simply came here to be away from humans. Do you understand?".

Arctomecon then let out a low growl, which meant: ."If you say so, you shall stay. But we'd better not catch you harming any plants! My entire pack is watching.".

**********

Although Badiel was telling the truth, Arcto was still unsure if he could trust her. Since that day, he never let Badiel out of his sight. Not even once. He even went an entire week without getting any sleep. That's how determined he was to make sure Badiel's intentions weren't vile.

After a week, Arcto was very exhausted. That's what happens when you go that long without sleeping. But he still remained vigilant, no matter what.

But due to his lack of sleep, he failed to notice the approaching danger...

."Arcto!". Badiel shouted. But it was too late. A reptillior appeared from the bushes and attacked him. Arcto was too tired to fight back.

As the reptillior coiled itself around Arcto's body, he began to wish Badiel had never shown up at the lake in the first place. Then he wouldn't have spent several nights watching her, without getting any sleep at all.

But then, Badiel grabbed the reptillior and tossed it into the bushes. The venomous creature then tried to attack her, but she drove it off with a fireball shot from her paws.

."Arcto! Are you okay?". Badiel shouted with concern. Too late. The reptillior had bitten Arcto's arm, which was already starting to turn red.

To Be Continued

Suddenly, her ears twitched as a twig snapped in the distance. Arctomecon turned towards the sound and growled. The duo climbed down from their boulder to face this intruder.

And so Gryffin found himself hiking a jungle trail to goodness-knew-where. The humid weather was uncomfortable, and he found himself panting in the heat. What was strange about his journey--besides the fact that his white fur stuck out like a sore thumb--was the fact that his footsteps made almost no sound.

Gryffin had lived his whole life as a mute, and a lifetime of silence influenced how he moved. He was more comfortable in the silence.

Up ahead, Gryffin caught sight of some glimmering light. His sharp yellow eyes could just barely make out the surface of a body of water. Good. The trek was making him thirsty. He picked up his pace a little, moving at more of a trot. Unfortunately, this meant that he made more noise, because he was paying less attention to where he stepped.

He covered the last few yards to the lake and froze, his large ears pricking up. He crouched low to the ground, wary, as he scanned the clearing. Was that a growl he heard?

A small, snarling green Flerper charged towards the Gryffin. Despite his size, he could be nasty when threatened. The Gryffin could have been in for the beating of a lifetime...if it weren't for what happened next...

."Arcto! Stop!" A stern, female voice called out. The Flerper then stopped in his tracks and walked away, his head low to the ground.

A female xweetok then appeared from behind a large boulder. "I'm sorry about that." She says. "Arctomecon doesn't trust strangers very much. Are you all right?" She then waits for the Gryffin to answer.

Gryffin, who had reared back one deadly talon in preparation to defend himself, cautiously returned to a normal stance. He looked sideways at the xweetok and tilted his head, regarding her with some venom in his gaze. Finally, though, he seemed to relax and he shook his head at her query, indicating that he was fine, no harm done. The thought that ran through his head, however, was "You should keep better tabs on your Flerper, though. He would have been in for a nasty surprise." His talons flexed a little in the dirt beneath them. They could slice through stone. He didn't relish the thought of using them on anything living.

Badiel then read the Gryffin's thoughts. He was thinking that she should keep better tabs on Arctomecon. Upon hearing this in her mind, Badiel answered. "I'm glad you're fine. And I'll try to keep better tabs on Arcto." She glared at the Flerper for a moment, then her attention focused towards the Gryffin once again. "So, what brings you here to Crystal Lake?"

Gryffin shrugged. He didn't know what brought him here. He looked past Badiel at the lake and the clearing it occupied. It sure was beautiful. He hadn't come on purpose. He had just followed an meandering path through the trees. Hardly a path, it was more of an animal trail. He had gotten pretty good at following those, although he was more used to following them through snow. Tracking had been the only way he could get food. Without wings and with difficulty running, he couldn't hunt in the traditional sense. His empty stomach reminded him that he hadn't been god at hunting in any other sense, either. Oh well. At least he could get some water? He looked askance at Badiel. Not out of any sort of reverence--it was just his way of keeping the sort of truce that had come upon them. He didn't need her little beastie attacking her again.

."You don't know?" Badiel asked. "Let me read your mind. Correct me if I'm wrong but...let me see...You decided to take a vacation. As you were wandering, you chose a path that lead here. Also, you're rather thirsty. Am I correct?"

Gryffin's hackles raised as goosebumps raced down his spine. His beak half-opened in a little snarl. Read his mind? The feel of another presence within his thoughts rankled him. He didn't like it at all. His mind was his and his alone. And what else could she read? His past? That was NOT her business. 'Get out of my head!' He shook his head violently, as if that could stop her sudden, and brief, intrusion. And then, the other presence was gone. He crouched, wary now, even though she had done him no real harm. His talons dug into the ground. He should calm down, he should not be overreacting like this. But he thought of that feeling of otherness in his head and he shivered. The fur all along his body seemed to be standing on end. Had she been doing this all along, and he hadn't noticed it? But she didn't seem particularly threatening... He shook his head again. He forced himself to resume a more relaxed position, but he couldn't force his hackles to lower. The sense of unease prevailed despite his attempt to be civil. Finally, he nodded. 'Yes, I am rather thirsty.'

."Well, feel free to get a drink of water." Badiel said politely. "There's also some blackberry bushes over there if you're feeling hungry."

Badiel then thought to herself for a moment. This creature is pretty quiet. But that's okay. I like quiet. Plus I trust him, because I don't think he'll tell anyone about the lake anytime soon. Then she smiles.

Gryffin nodded stiffly, still trying to calm himself. He walked quietly to the lake and crouched, sipping up water in the way birds were wont to do. He scooped some of the cool water up in his beak and lifted his head, as if he were looking at the clouds, so it slid down his parched throat. It felt good. Probably the cleanest water he'd ever had--next to fresh fallen snow. Once he had his fill he sat up and looked over at Badiel in a silent thank you. He ignored the blackberries. As much as he would like to eat them, he couldn't stomach fruit.

When she read the Gryffin's thoughts, Badiel had learned more about him besides what had happened in the past hour or so. From what his memories revealed, he had been born mute. When he was young he was attacked by lupes who killed his parents and broken his wings, leaving him flightless. Badiel felt bad for him. Then...she thought of a way to cheer him up.

Badiel was telepathic, and had the ability to make herself float and lift others off the ground using her mind. She then approached the Gryffin and asked...

."I noticed that your wings are a little crooked, as if they were broken and healed the wrong way. They're useless for flying, aren't they?"

Gryffin looked at Badiel sideways. He pulled his wings closer to his body self-consciously. The muscles ached from not being stretched, but he ignored it. He nodded tersely, hesitantly, in response to Badiel's question. Flight was a distant dream, now. If he could have sneered, he would have, as he sat back and stretched his malformed wings to their full length--about half the wingspan that they had once had. The tendons popped as he did so, creaking and protesting to being tested. A few broken feathers fell to the ground. Gryffin's piercing yellow gaze bored into Badiel.

."Well, I can make things float usng my mind. And that includes other animals. I'll show you!" Badiel then used her levitaion ability to make the Gryffn float n midair. "Is this like flying?"

It was most certainly NOT like flying. Gryffin found himself off balance, with his limbs spread out every which way in an attempt to keep himself from flipping over, which it seemed he would do at any moment (no matter what control Badiel had over his movement). His mangled wings flapped ineffectually, the tendons popping and cracking as the feathers swished uselessly through the air. Pain shot up his spine. 'PUT ME DOWN,' he shouted in his mind, figuring that Badiel could hear him. Then, as an afterthought, he added, 'PLEASE.'

Hearing these thoughts, Badiel then gently lowered him down to the ground. "I'm sorry." She said. "I was only trying to cheer you up. By the way, IS there a way I could make you a little happy?"

Gryffin's talons gripped the earth desperately. His muscles were tense, and his wings folded tight against his body. But he did feel some remorse for snapping at Badiel. She only meant well, after all. So he took a deep breath and slowly released it. He shook his head, indicating that he was sorry for being so tense. But instead of dwelling on his own unhappiness, he changed the subject. 'So,' he thought, 'what is this place?'

Hearing his thoughts, Badiel replied "This is Crystal Lake. I've been guarding this place with Arctomecon ever since I came here. I was created by a greedy human scientist, who only wished to use me as a battledome weapon to make money. When I found that out, I destroyed his laboratory and left my old life behind. And then, I came here. If someone comes here, I usually erase their memories of the lake so no human will find out about it. But...I'll let you keep your memory. I'm pretty sure I can trust you."

Gryffin nodded thoughtfully. He understood that a beautiful place was a secret worth guarding. 'I appreciate it,' he thought. 'I am sorry to hear about your past. It is good that you escaped it.' He shifted his wings so they laid better against his spine. He was still running from his. Well, he thought he was running from it. Sometimes, it seemed as if he was headed in the wrong direction.

After hearing this in Gryffin's mind, Badiel smile sweetly and said "You're quite welcome to come back anytime. Only next time, my flerper won't try to attack you. He trusts you now." Badiel looked towards Arctomecon, who then nodded.

The End