One day, a long time ago (actually it was only this morning),
Krystal_starz made the hard trek to the Advent Calendar. She brought Syorah,
because she had never visited it before and was intensely curious about how
it worked.
"Ohh...how beautiful!"
After sighing over the animation they decided
to collect their prize. Me and a pair of fireproof gloves appeared in from of
them. I sat, there, looking my cutest, expecting comments. After all, I WAS
cute (though not very modest). But I heard only a sigh. Krystal_starz said,
with what sounded like regret (she didn't even lower her voice--hello!! I was
right there!!)
"I'm sorry, Syorah, they didn't have a good prize
today. Just some useless Battledome item and piece of junk".
What? I was a petpet!
But, no fear, they realised I was a petpet when
they attempted to donate me to the Money Tree. I, who had been docile the whole
time, sprang to life, refusing to go near it. Then krystal_starz laughed, and
said, "Well, it looks like there's life in our little useless prize after all."
It took a while for me to realise that she was joking. By then she was spanking
me for attacking her (hey, my claws can do a fair amount of damage).
After that embarrassing episode, krystal_starz
gave me to Syorah. Syorah was nothing like her mean (or so I thought at the
time) owner. She doted on me and named me Katalyn. I fell in love with the name,
and loved Syorah even more for her not naming me something like PoopyJuice____6556
(a few of my former friends were named stuff like that, and I shuddered at their
luck).
Then I found out my problem. Syorah said, with
great passion, "I love you, Katalyn." I was touched, and attempted a reply.
No sound came out. I figured that I was just hoarse, and I cleared my throat.
Once again I could not speak. I started to panic. Why couldn't I say anything?
In the Snowbunny Shelter where I had lived until the advent tree we had always
communicated telepathically (yes, Snowbunnies CAN do that--it's not a well known
skill, however), but I knew speaking wasn't hard. Yet, no matter how much I
tried, my vocal chords produced no sound. I screamed soundlessly and began running
around in circles.
Poor Syorah didn't know what was wrong. She
was alarmed and kept asking me if I was OK, but I couldn't answer. Finally she
snapped at me. "Fine. If you never want to talk to me, so be it."
I felt horrible and cursed whatever had made
me this way.
But Syorah mastered her anger and brought me
to play Cheat! with her. She was an excellent Cheat! player, though she only recently
started. Her ultimate goal was to get the golden Cheat! trophy for krysal_starz.
She was in the seventh round, and felt a win coming on. She played all her cards
brilliantly (I was so proud) and had only one card left.
It was Spectre's turn, and he leered at Syorah
as he put down two fives (I almost attacked him, but I knew Syorah would get
disqualified. Who knew I was such a warrior-like bunny?). Syorah looked about
nervously. She had a queen, and she was a horrible liar. Never in all the time
she had played Cheat! had her lies not been guessed. But there were fifteen cards
in the pile. If she lied, she would be caught (since she had only one card they
would accuse her of cheating whether they believed she was or not, since she
would win otherwise). With regret shining on her face (what happened to that
poker face stuff people always talk about; it could have helped her here) she
started to put her card down.
But I knew something she didn't know. Spectre
was cheating. I had been memorising the previous card put down, and FIVE fives
have been put down already. I had to tell Syorah.
I leapt in front of her, waving my paws frantically.
She halted, and again I tried to speak (to no avail, of course). I frantically
gestured to my mouth. She sighed in exasperation and tried to slip the card
past me. But I pounced on it and wouldn't let it past. Finally she realised
I had something to say, and in fact it wasn't that I WOULDN'T say anything,
but that I COULDN'T. She called krystal_starz over.
She and krystal_starz discussed the problem briefly,
then paused the Cheat! game and dragged me along to Kauvara. Krystal_starz tapped
Kauvara on the back impatiently.
"Kauvara, Katalyn here cannot speak. I have no
idea why. Can you suggest something?"
She looked up from her potion mixing, and said,
"Well, I'm not sure about that, but check the hospital. She may have a disease."
So krystal dragged me to the hospital, annoyance
flaring in her face. She walked in rudely, and strode past the patients into
the doctors room, regardless of an appointment. She shoved me in front of the
doctor.
"She can't speak. What does she have?"
After examining me thoroughly, he shook his head.
"I have seen nothing like this ever before. Though I suppose it might be a strain
of Ugga-Ugga or bloated belly."
Without delay krystal and Syorah headed towards
the shop wizard (by then I was admiring Krystal's determination). They bought
several medicines, but nothing worked. With a sigh of dismay I reserved my self
to a silent life.
But Krystal wasn't giving up yet. No way.
Heading once more to Kauvara's shop, she demanded
what has never been asked of before--a custom made potion. Kauvara would have
said no, but krystal's a very strong willed person. She had Kauvara whipping
up a Speakitiser (as she called it) in no time. Handing the bottle to me she
told me and Syorah to finish playing Cheat! while she worked out the price of
the potion (should it work). We rushed to the game room.
Spectre and all our other opponents were looking
extremely irritated when we got there (we were gone for about five hours). I
took the potion and ZAP! I could speak again! (I also was changed
a very violent blue and purple colour (not my colours) but whatever. Krystal
could pay to turn me white again with the money she got from Kauvara for turning
me purple and blue.).
With no hesitation I shouted:
"SPECTRE'S CHEATING!"
Spectre narrowed his eyes at me, promising me
silently that I was dead meat. But I didn't care!
So Syorah accused Spectre of Cheating and won
the game (and her championship trophy) with my help! SHE WAS SO HAPPY! I FELT
SO PROUD!
Since then I have been a much loved member of
the family, and I realised Krystal_starz may not be too bad after all.
The End
Author's Note: I found out later that all Snowbunnies (or at least most) had
the same disease... that it really was a curse by a mysterious enchantress, but
that's a different story. | 
