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Introduction

Errr...yes -.- I've never been very good at introductions.

Come Back To Me

((OOC: I'm not sure why, but the petpage really isn't liking quotation marks. It seems to delete any that are at the beginning or end of a paragraph. Sorry about that. I hope you can figure out what's being said. (: ))

The atmosphere was heavy. In the Petpet Arena, there was no time for fun and games. Neopets from all over neopia gathered to enter their companions in this prestigious battle of strength and speed.

Calli, a disco shoyru, held Alex in her arms. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked uncertainly. "Your opponent looks pretty tough!" The robot hopso up next did indeed look intimidating. Calli was seriously considering just packing it in and going home, she didn't want anything to happen to her beloved Alex.

However, the spotted snowbunny in her arms just chirped happily. He considered his owner's fears unfounded. He was good. He knew he was good. Deep down, Calli knew it too. Still, she bit her lip.

You don't have to go through with this, you know. No one expects you to prove anything. You're the only petpet in the whole family that's ever battled! Surely that's achievement enough?

Alex was getting impatient. He loved Calli, but she worried too much. He pawed her to let him down. She did. Happily, he bounded over to the pit to await the starting whistle. He looked over his shoulder at the shoyru. Feeling a little guilty about dismissing her like that, he perked up his ears to let her know she had nothing to worry about. He was at home here. Battling was what he knew.

The match began. Alex quickly took advantage, as he'd known he would. The hopso was indeed strong, but pathetically slow. Alex's quick reflexes allowed him to run rings round his opponent. Too easy. He dived at the hopso's back and tackled him to the ground.

Enraged, the enemy petpet swiped a large and heavy arm at the snowbunny. Alex dodged it easily and hopped into a crouching position a little way away. He wiggled his tail in a way that would have normally been seen as an invitation to play. Here, however, it was a taunt.

The hopso lurched towards Alex. It was tired already. Amused, Alex waited until it was almost within striking distance, then leaped over its head in a single bound. From behind it, he chirped again.

-

Back in the stands, Calli bit her lip. She was enjoying the snowbunny's antics, but part of her wished he wouldn't do that. It worried her. He always played with his opponents. What if something went wrong? What if he got too confident and left himself open?

She told herself that she was letting her imagination get away with itself. Alex hadn't been hurt before, why should it happen now?

-

Alex was beginning to get bored anyway. Time to finish it off. Growling, he leaped at the hopso head on. Earlier, it would have been able to defend such a full-frontal attack. Now, however, its energy had left it and it did not react in time. Alex easily pinned it and held on. The referee counted down to zero. He'd won. Happily he leaped up and enjoyed the cheers from the crowd.

-

Calli grinned. "Well done, Alex!" she yelled, clapping.

The ixi beside her turned round. "Is that your snowbunny?" She asked, smiling.

Calli nodded, feeling full of pride. "Yep!

I don't know how you do it, I'd be too scared to let my poor petpet in there. He begs me day and night, but-

Calli looked up, the ixi's voice disappearing from her mind instantly. Her eyes were on the pit, where Alex was sitting, contentedly enjoying the praise from the audience.

Except...that wasn't where she was looking. Her gaze was fixed behind the snowbunny. The hopso was back on its feet.

It walked towards Alex.

It raised its arm. Its solid metal arm.

ALEX! RUN!

Time stood still. A thousand thoughts raced through Calli's mind in an instant. This can't be happening! The game is over! Its not allowed to do that, surely?! No! But who's going to stop it? There's no time! It's going to hit Alex! Someone run forward! Stop it! Please! Why is no one watching it? WHY IS NO ONE STOPPING IT?!

-

Alex wondered if Calli would take him for ice cream after the match. She normally did. That would be nice. Chocolate...yeah. That would be -

~*~*~*~

Tears running down her cheeks, Calli stumbled into her room. Gently, she laid Alex down on the bed. He was shivering. She pulled off her scarf and covered him with it.

Her mind was reeling. She couldn't stop the torrent of thoughts. She was going crazy. She kept going over the events of the afternoon. The trip to the hospital. The worried gelert's face.

The crack. She didn't think she would forget that sound as long as she lived.

The doctor's words kept repeating themselves in her head. He may never wake up. Please, no. She didn't like to think about that part. We've done all we can. All you can do is try and keep his temperature steady, and wait.

Wait.

-

Alex dreamt.

At first his mind was a haze. Clouds of different shapes and colours hovered in front of his eyes. Gradually, the images he saw began to solidify.

He was in a valley. The first thing that hit him was the sheer amount of foliage. He'd never seen such a luscious place in all Neopia. Large, leafy bushes were scattered all over the lime green grass. A small burn trickled merrily nearby.

A grey cybunny, closer to black than white, was the only other petpet in sight. "Where am I?" He asked it. Of course, like most petpets, Alex could not speak. But this wasn't reality. He wasn't sure what this was, but it wasn't normal.

A good place.

-

There was a knock on the door. "Can I come in?

Calli, lying on the bed beside Alex, recognised her sister Vorn's voice. "Yeah," she replied, a little shakily. She attempted to sit up.

The bedroom door opened slowly. A maraquan cybunny slowly entered the room. "Calli, I'm so sorry.

Calli shrugged. She didn't feel strong enough to answer. Instead she focused on the wall behind Vorn, not wanting to make eye contact. Unfortunately there hung a picture of Alex she'd drawn the year before. It was too painful. Tears that she didn't know she had left welled up in her ears.

Vorn moved forward and sat down beside the shoyru. Calli was glad it was Vorn and not her brother, Ono. Ono would have hugged her. Right now she just didn't want physical comfort. Thankfully, Vorn knew to keep her distance.

Calli - you know we're here for you, right? I mean..." Vorn trailed off awkwardly. "We love you.

Calli simply turned away, her gaze settling on the furry lump that was her snowbunny. He was quivering. Once again she felt the agonising frustration of not being able to do anything. If only she could talk to him! If only she could tell him how much he meant to her! She couldn't help it; she started crying again.

It was only then that she realised Vorn was kneeling on the floor, looking under the bed. Frankly, Calli didn't care. She wasn't even curious as to what Vorn was up to. All she wanted was Alex.

Eventually, Vorn reappeared, clutching a small clay sculpture. She handed it to Calli. "It might help. If he..." She frowned, trying to find the words. "If you just hold onto him, he can't leave you. Not really. He'll always be with you, in a way.

Calli didn't go for it. Her first reaction was to be angry. She almost said, "What do you know?!" But she stopped herself. She remembered that there was a lot about Vorn's life she didn't know. Unlike herself and Ono, Vorn was adopted. Perhaps her advice came from experience.

Her eyes landed on the object in her hand. Of course. Despite her agony, she smiled. It was the sculpture Alex had made her for Christmas. It was no work of art. One with an abstract mind could almost see the shape of a shoyru within the mass of material; snowbunnies weren't made to mould clay. But it was special. It was one of her most treasured possessions. It was the longest Alex had ever focused on one project in his life. She could still remember the look of hopeful joy on the rabbit's face when he handed it to her. The glint in the eye. The playful twitch of the nose.

She glanced over Alex. He wasn't gone. Not yet. From within her, a tiny glimmer of hope appeared. Maybe this wasn't the end. Maybe she'd get to see that eager bunny again. Maybe.

Vorn could see Calli was getting emotional again, and decided she should leave. As she made for the door, however, her sister called her. "Vorn!" She paused, trying to think of the best way to express everything she was feeling. "Thank you.

-

Alex and the Grey Snowbunny sat on the top of the hill. Down in the valley below, there were hundreds of snowbunnies. The sun shone brightly and the sky was bluer than Alex had ever seen. The fresh grass was interrupted in places by large patches of vegetables. Snowbunnies hopped around happily between each. There was more than enough for everyone. It truly seemed like a dream come true.

The Grey Snowbunny waved a paw. "Good, isn't it?" It smiled.

Alex nodded. It was.

You may join them. The path down here leads into the valley. Follow it, and you will enter this eternal paradise." The Grey Snowbunny moved to guide Alex towards the trail.

Alex began to follow, then hesitated. Something wasn't right. The valley seemed like the perfect setting. No snowbunny could have wished for any more. Yet...something was missing.

-

Alex.

Calli started by saying his name. She wasn't sure she believed in talking to the unconscious, but she was willing to try anything.

Alex, I just wanted to tell you...how much you mean to me. You've been my best friend for so long. And I want to make sure you know that. You need to know that...It's important.

-

Calli."

The Grey Snowbunny stopped.

Calli," Alex said again. "I want Calli.

Amusement appeared on the Grey Snowbunny's face. "An owner? You are finally free from the bonds of having a master, and you wish to return to her command? If it is companionship you are after, do not worry. We are all friends in the Great Valley. Come, forget your owner. Owners come and go. These snowbunnies need no leader.

Calli thought for several moments. He liked the Grey Snowbunny. He trusted it. Yet at the same time, he knew he had never considered Calli his leader. These conflicting ideas clashed in his head.

He flicked an ear. Odd, but he could have sworn he heard Calli's voice a second ago.

-

Calli's arms wrapped around the sleeping snowbunny. She told herself he was only sleeping. It helped her believe that he would wake up soon. It helped.

Hey, remember that time we tried cooking? When we used up all the chocolate trying to make cookies? We utterly destroyed the kitchen." She smiled sadly. "Amber was furious. Remember? But then she saw that we'd made her a specially big cookie with 'Mum' on it, and she forgave us. She just started laughing, and before long we were all in hysterics."

She stroked his fur. "When you wake up, I'll buy you a chocolate ice cream. I know you missed yours...earlier. I'll get you an extra big one, with a flake. You'll like that, won't you?

-

The Grey Snowbunny urged Alex forward. "Come now, don't be silly.

For a moment, Alex looked as if he might obey, but again he stood still. "Calli isn't my master. We made cookies together. She wants to buy me chocolate."

Chocolate?" The Grey Snowbunny asked. "That's why you want to stay? So that you can be fed treats like some caged animal? Young rabbit! You are being ridiculous!

-

Alex - remember that time in the snow?" Calli chuckled at the memory. "We make that snowman, except you ate the carrot nose!" As she spoke, she reached out with her hand to tickle Alex's own nose.

We had a snowball fight, of course. I could never hit you, you were much too fast!" Calli wiped her eyes, the tears had stopped. "Then we were too tired, so we just lay down and made snow angels.

She paused. "That's when I knew we'd be best friends forever. Always. That'll never change." She clutched the clay sculture. "Even if we can't be together...Even if we don't get another chance to play hide and seek or paint together or anything. I'll never, ever forget you Alex. Not as long as I live." She cursed herself. Why didn't I stop the Hopso in time?

-

We're friends." The Grey Snowbunny shook its head. "There is no such thing as friendship between pets and petpets. Only dominance.

You're wrong.

It narrowed its eyes. No one had ever told the Grey Snowbunny it was wrong before. "You will only find true happiness down that path. That I know for sure." Alex considered. He started to walk.

-

Calli felt Alex's heart rate change. It was slowing. Her blood ran cold. Oh please. No! She clutched him tighter.

Please don't leave me." She whispered. "Come back to me. Please."

-

Alex neared the trail.

-

Alex.

-

It's my choice then? I can chose to go back, or I can chose to enter the Great Valley?

Yes."

-

I love you, Alex"

-

Calli felt him slip away. He went limp in her hands. She didn't yell. She cried a little. She didn't have the energy to do much more. Instead, she held him tightly and difted off into the comforting numbness of sleep.

-

She dreamt of Alex. They were back together on that snowy day so many years ago. Except, instead of a snowman, they made a snow shoyru and a snow snowbunny.

Laughing and flushed, they fell back into a snowdrift. Alex clamboured onto Calli and began licking her face. It tickled, but she didn't tell him to stop. She enjoyed the illusion too much. She could almost believe that the little stopped snowbunny really was there, licking her face. It was almost realistic. It was -

-

- real.

Calli's eyes flew open.

She had to blink twice to be sure. He really was there. His nose twitched and his eyes glinted. Her heart leaped. He continued to lick her face, but she didn't care at all. She wanted to cry from happiness and relief and joy. But she had no more tears to give. Instead, she laughed. She laughed louder and longer than she had ever laughed before. She hugged him tight and never wanted to let go.

-

Later, they went and got chocolate ice cream. With a flake in.

Adoptables

Added Sept 2009
I like these better :P I might just switch to them

By the way, coding these adoptables is rather monotonous and therefore I'm a little prone to making mistakes. If one of these codes doesn't work, please neomail me! You might be able to fix the code yourself, but others might not be and I'd like to fix it for them (: