Krick: The Legend of the Cybunnies

by Laura Guthrie (grrrrpets)

“You wish to know the legend of Krick?” asked a wise old Cybunny.

“Yes Grandbunny! Yes!” cried the tiny little Cybunnies. He sighed greatly as he dug deep into his memory and said, “Then come around my children, and listen to the story once told to only the great kings and queens of Neopia. But now it comes to you…”

My skin crawled as I saw the look of fear upon the Aisha’s stone cold face. My eyes drifted from the stiff pink form, and looked directly at our leader, Madame Krista. Her golden crown sat crooked on her large head. My eyes could not believe what they had just seen. The suffering of this Aisha was no longer, but it lasted longer then it was intended.

“How could you do that?” I howled at her.

Her eyes shot a cold look at me, chilling me to the core. I averted my eyes to the ground, knowing my time was numbered. Her harsh voice simply said, “She spoke out.” Her long purple cape swung about her as she left us. I sighed, as my striped head rose up, knowing that I do not belong in a place as horrendous as this! The Aisha Pack was not for this Rabbit! I turned on my hunches, and started making my way over to the little hut I lived in. It smelled of ocean air, and the sand underneath my paws dug into my sensitive skin. As I packed up my things, I heard a rustle at my door. My ears turned around for me, listening very closely to whom might be there. I turned and saw my dear friend, Slipifer. Her squinted eyes slowly opened at me, revealing her wonderful purple eyes. My heart fluttered as I stared deeply into them, her voice echoed throughout my large ears, “What are you doing Krick?”

I stammered something, I’m not really sure what. She smiled at me, saying, “Ah, you’re so cute when you lie.” She through on a back pack and nodded to me, “You gonna hurry up?”

I smiled and slung the backpack over my bulky shoulders. We smiled and as I hopped off, she scampered along with me. My heart leapt, only beating when my hind feet touched the soft ground. We hopped throughout the day, praying Madame would never find out about us leaving. My body shuddered all over as I remember the horrid look on the poor Aisha’s Face!

Slipifer stopped, breathless, and asked, “You hungry?”

I chuckled, “Aren’t I always?”

She coughed and flung her backpack off her shoulders. Her front forepaw unzipped it quickly, the fruit falling out. Slipifer picked up an apple and took a huge bite out of it and nibbled on it daintily in her mouth. I laughed, seeing her cheeks well rounded from the apple slice. She growled and spit a chunk at me, which knocked me off guard. I sprawled on my back groaning in fake pain, as she issued me a rough playful kick to the hind leg.

“Oh get up you big baby,” she said as she tossed the rest of the apple to me. I caught it with a sly grin upon my face, mocking her, “Baby?”

“Is there an echo?” she said lazily. I laughed and chomped on the apple, the sweet juice illuminating my mouth. I shook my head as I finished the core. Jumping up, I slipped my backpack back on, and started to hop away from her. I heard her yell in protest, as I hopped quickly away, her cries of anger getting farther and farther away. We have done these types of games before, and I stopped, awaiting her arrival.

I heard a slight scream come from the woods to my left. I raised a brow, wondering why some pet would ever go into those woods. Everyone knows they’re haunted, even the grubs. I sighed, and decided it was the whistle willows. Ten minutes passed. Maybe she went a different way to scare me. I thought. I sat down to get comfortable, thinking she’ll come if I sit.

Twenty more minutes went by. My eyes looked up at the sky; the tiny little dots appearing in the sky told me that something was wrong. I stood up and walked back to where I had left her. My eyes must be deceiving me! I raced over to the remains of her backpack; the fruit scattered and mashed, as her scent was just as strong as the intruders. I growled in anger as I shoved my nose to the ground, following in circles where the path goes. Finally I found her scent strong again, and began to follow it. I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw where she had been taken to--The Haunted Woods.

After figuring out where she was, I fell into a deep sleep. My dreams were mixed with feelings of love and despair, as well as where my dear Slipifer was. Troubled dreams woke me, as I stared into the morning sun. I sat up, and slung the backpack upon my shoulders and shoved my nose back into the ground. Sweet peaches filled my nose, and I knew it was her. My head swam with anticipation of seeing her again, but my heart wept for the loss.

As I followed the scent deep into the haunted woods, my nose picked up on an awful smell. My front paw poked the ground in front of me, and I thought that it felt weak. I placed both front paws on it, and yelled in fright as it caved in underneath my heavy body. A thud sounded as I hit the cold ground floor, smashing my food inside my backpack. I shook my head, as my eyes saw a looming figure stand over the edge. I yelled up, “Can you give me a paw?”

As a loud howl erupted from its throat, as it threw down something at me. It hit against my head as I tried to catch it. I looked down at it, and yelled up, “That’s not funny!” My mind raced as I saw the paw of an Aisha, the toenails painted blue with stars on it. One single tear rolled down my cheek as I screamed, “I’ll get you for this!”

I chucked the paw back at the figure, and heard a yelp as it thudded against his head. My forepaws rammed into the dirt surrounding me, ripping it from its place. Furiously, I passed grub after grub until I started tunneling upwards. It seemed like hours until I hit the surface, yelling, “Slipifer!” I could feel my eyes turn a blazing red, and my heart pump the blood more hurriedly than before. The tears still stained my cheek as I found the scent and followed it, never once stopping this time. My mind racing, wondering what I shall do to the captors. My eyes still shed the tears of pain and love for her, my heart knowing a Rabbit and an Aisha together would never happen.

My eyes let the tears down my face as my rather small head made contact with a rather large tree. I yelped slightly, and looked at the wide oak standing before me. I heard the howl of Wolfman, and shuddered. The groans of the blob, or Esophagor as you know it as, and the rancid smell of the mummy. I screamed in fright for some reason. I have no clue.

A great huge chunk of the oak trunk disappeared and a great staircase was revealed. I bounded down it quickly, then remembering I could be hurt, I slowed down. Paws trembling, mind racing, heart pumping too much blood got my adrenaline going. I jumped as the staircase curved and light illuminated the bottom half. I stayed just out of the light, so warm, yet cold considering the circumstances.

“No…please stop this!” I heard Slipifer plead. My heart leapt with joy, but my mind focused on freeing her. My eyes peered around the corner and saw the dungeon for all it was worth. Slipifer, locked securely in a wooden cage, was pleading with the witch, Edna. Her green face glowing slightly under the cauldrons steams. My eyes saw all the horrible things she had collected over the years, dried Techos claw, Blumaroo steak and tail salad. Eye of newt! But I didn’t understand why she wanted Slipifer.

Her cackling voice threw me overboard. I slowly bounded from the staircase and jumped over the cauldron towards her. She screamed slightly taken off guard, and pushed me into the boiling blue substance. Burning all over, hind legs kicking frantically to free myself, but her hands held me down…finally pushing my head under. My ears, nostrils, and eyes slowly were filled with the sticky liquid. I screamed and my mouth filled up quickly. 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…I passed out.

A harsh slap to my cheek awoke me from my sweet slumber. My eyes opened, and looked in the face of my beautiful friend Slipifer. I sprung to my hind legs and fell backwards. “Hey, what gives?” Her eyes full of sorrow as she said, “You’re mutated.” I screamed, “WHAT?!”

She pointed to my once thin form, and I shuddered. I was different. My fur rough and course, as my face puffed out to the size of a chipmunk. I looked at my paws, and saw my hind feet grew another five inches. I wept somewhat, and fell asleep by Slipifer’s side. That night I awoke, and left her. This was no game…I didn’t deserve to stand near her.

After twenty years of living on my own, and creating a colony, she came back to me. Her face was aged and wrinkled. But her sweet peach scent was still strong. We embraced briefly, and I showed her around.

She stayed with our families and helped us fend off the Wolfman, Esophagor, and Witch attacks. After a while, she began to get weaker and weaker. My love for her never did really die, and I stayed by her throughout it all. The long nights, her pain, as well as my own. Watching her suffer was too much. Finally she left us during the night. I wept for night and day afterwards, wondering where my sweet Slipifer went.

“Krick!” I heard my name. I turned and saw my friend.

“Yeah?” He smiled, as did all the rabbits here. We all looked the same...I was finally accepted.

“What are we called?”

My chest swelled with pride as I said, “Cybunnies.”

The Grandbunny closed the story with a dramatic scene, getting ooh and ah from the little Cybunnies.

“That’s how we came to Neopia. Is that clear little ones?"

“Yes!” they chimed.

“Look at the time! It’s time for you young ones to go to bed! Now hurry up before Edna comes home!”

They all ran off to bed in a mad rush…