Yet Another Bunch of Letters

27th Day of Celebrating, Year 6

Dear Yannagiba,

You left barely an hour ago and yet, I already miss you. I wish you could have stayed longer. Perhaps one more week…or month…or year. I would not have minded. I know I sound like I'm out of character and indeed, I am! In fact, I think I sound like you. It must be the snow…

Before you came to visit me here, I thought I knew plenty about snowball fights. As it turns out, I'm a mere beginner compared to you. I can't believe how many snowballs you pitched at Queenie. Honestly, her Christmas Bruce skin hasn't been the same since. She seems to like you, though, for all your teasing. All my friends like you. In truth, I can't believe how fast everyone seemed to warm up to you. What is your secret, Yannagiba? I had to get painted Snow for them to accept me but you…you were just you.

I loved having Christmas dinner with your family. I was so pleased when you asked Lady Re if we would like to join you. She just couldn't refuse. I don't remember the names of the food we ate at your large wooden table (I'm glad you stayed in a beautiful winter cottage instead of an igloo!). All I remember is a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart as you all urged me to get as much food as I wanted and included me in the conversation. Even Re was having a ball exchanging Trading Post tips with Belle.

The Lost Desert paintbrush you gave me lies on top of my bedside table. Last night, I looked at it before sleeping and did the same when I woke up in the morning. I've decided to make it a habit so that I'll never forget where I came from.

Have I thanked you enough for everything that you've done for me? I don't know how I could have survived the past year without you.

Your best friend forever,

Isis

3rd Day of Sleeping, Year 7

Dear Isis,

Happy New Year! Well, belated, anyway. I hope you had a fine time partying with Re, Horus, and your friends. Actually, what I should have said was…HAPPY AISHA DAY!!! By the time my letter gets there, though, my greeting would be stale. Ah, well. It's the thought that counts. And, I'll let you know that I'm thinking of you. Although, most of my thoughts are pretty occupied by Ashi right now. I want to give her an A-Day present but I haven't bought anything yet.

You asked me what my secret was. All I can tell you is this: what secret? You said so yourself. I was just me. I can't tell you why they warmed up to me. They just did. Maybe, it was because of the snow…and the fact that it was Christmas! I mean, what a bunch of meanies they must be if they ignored me on Christmas. Besides, I think things would have been different if I was there to stay and not to visit.

You may be wondering why I wrote 'Yannagiba the Krawk' on the envelope instead of Gelert. Belle gave me a Krawk Transmogrification Potion and a Green paintbrush for Christmas. See, she has always wanted to have a Krawk and there was no doubt in her mind that I would be…the one. Of course, it took her such a loooooong time to stock up on NP that I thought she'd never be able to buy that stuff. I was pretty much assured that I'd be a Gelert for eternity. Okay, so that's not true. I sort of just pretended that the time for my big decision would never come. I'm rotten at decision-making, you know. I often make choices that I regret afterwards.

After all that talk about change in my last letter to you, I was feeling kind of confused. Not to mention scared. I guess you're better at making up your mind, huh? I just never thought it would be so hard. Well, now I know what you felt. So, I told Belle I'd think about it for a few days and as you can see, I've decided.

When I came back from the Rainbow Pool, our neighbors immediately fussed over me, oohing and aahing about my being a…Krawk. Some of my friends didn't recognize me at all which kind of disappointed me at first. I mean, I talked the way I usually did about things I usually talked about. You'd think they'd get the point, right? I was their friend, after all. I bet if you'd been there, you would have recognized me at once even if I hadn't opened my mouth. My popularity rate went through the roof and I felt really tired after the first few hours of chatting with all sorts of Neopets. Belle got several Neomails asking if they could have me which she answered with a polite but firm 'No!' I mean, really, owners shouldn't behave that way.

My first two nights as a Krawk, I had nightmares. I kept seeing faceless people grabbing me by the paws and dragging me out of the Neohome, away from my siblings and my owner…forever. The next day, I decided to learn a few karate moves in case someone attacked me from behind. You never know.

On the fourth day, things finally bogged down and everyone treated me normally again. Belle was proud of herself for having achieved her longtime goal and I was proud of myself because I survived my first three days.

It all comes down to one thing once I've thought about it. I'm still me, Yannagiba, but in slightly different skin (okay, awfully different skin). So, why should anyone treat me differently just because I'm a Krawk? It just goes to show how superficial some pets and owners are.

But, then, does this mean that Belle is superficial for wanting to have a Krawk and that I'm superficial because I'm beginning to like being one? I actually enjoyed getting attention (well, not that much attention but you know what I mean). It's funny in a way. I once told you that I would never change to please others, only myself, and here I am. Do you think I agreed to become a Krawk to please Belle?

I'm getting a headache.

Always,

Yannagiba

P.S.

Just so you know, I'm really glad you're my friend, too.

19th Day of Sleeping, Year 7

Dear Yannagiba,

I sat down to write my reply as soon as I read your letter. Wow. You sure are laying some heavy ones on me. I am not used to playing the role of comforter and advice-giver in our friendship. Most of the time, I'm the one who barrages you with my problems and worries. It is a new…experience. I must admit, though, that I am warmed by your trust. You wouldn't have told me all those deep thoughts if you didn't, right? I hope I'm not wrong.

I know I let myself get talked into getting painted Snow because I wanted to be accepted by the others. You, on the other hand, seemed to have accepted the fact that you would be a Krawk one day. You just didn't expect it to happen so soon and just when you were feeling contented with your life, too. From your words, I gather that you encountered so many changes in such a short span of time that you felt as if everything was in overload mode.

My advice? Take it easy. Forget all your worries for a while and just be. Slip into your new way of life gently and soon enough, you'll adjust to everything. You'll feel pangs of sadness sometimes the way I do but you'll soon realize that they are a part of your life.

If you want, I could buy you an Island Gelert Morphing Potion and send it in a package so that you'd have a last resort, too. I know it made me feel better when you gave that Lost Desert paint brush.

I have some mysterious news for you. Lady Re stays in her room, hunched over her icy desk, scribbling sentence after sentence like a mad woman. I won't be surprised if she lets me read her finished novel soon. But that's not the odd part. It happened over dinner once…

"What's your favourite Neopets species?" she asked me.

"Aishas, of course," I answered matter-of-factly with a roll of my eyes. Wasn't it obvious?

"And, after Aishas?" she asked further.

I blinked. "Gelerts."

She merely nodded her head absentmindedly and took a delicate sip of her Earl Gray tea.

What was that all about?

Yours truly,

Isis

P.S.

By the way, how did your siblings react to your transformation? You haven't mentioned a word about them.

P.P.S.

You're usually the fan of postscripts (you've influenced me more than I thought) but I just had to tell you this. If you didn't like any of my, ah, suggestions and interpretations, kindly pretend you never read any of them at all. I would be much obliged if you only reply to the last portion of my letter.

5th Day of Sleeping, Year 7

Dear Isis,

Hi, Isis! Remember me? I'm Nadashikoh (or Ashi for short), Yannagiba's younger sister? You must be wondering why I'm writing you a letter. The truth is…I'M DESPERATE! I need advice and it's not like I can tell Belle about what I'm about to let you know.

Okay, here's the deal. Has Yannagiba told you that he's a Krawk now? Well, he's acting really weird. Weird for him, I mean.

So, maybe he still rips apart pillows and scratches the furniture. He still eats gross food and rolls around in the grass with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. And, he still plays Frisbee in the yard although he doesn't use his mouth to catch it anymore.

But he hasn't made a single crack about how I'm such a vain Aisha and that he wished he'd had a different sister. He doesn't go about speaking like some hotshot anymore. He compliments me, COMPLIMENTS ME! And, it totally gives me the creeps. Usually, he goes out his way to go to the market early so we wouldn't be seen together in public but now, he insists on walking with me there. If he treats me well, I can't argue with him anymore and I've always loved our heated debates. I don't want a brother who agrees with me all the time. I'm beginning to lose my respect for him. There are some days when I want to shout at him, the creature who's masquerading as my brother, and shake him until he brings the real Yannagiba back.

I WANT HIM BACK, YOU HEAR? What am I supposed to do? I've thought and thought and thought but I'm hopeless at this kind of thing. I hope you don't mind that I vented at you. It's just that, you're his closest friend, and maybe you could knock him back into his senses.

Nadashikoh

1st Day of Awakening, Yr. 7

Dear Nadashikoh,

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I never thought I'd hear from you in a letter but Yannagiba's behaviour pushed you into taking extreme measures, huh? I am getting worried about him myself.

You brother is experiencing a lot of changes, not all of them good. I believe he's feeling very confused right now. He's probably doing things he never thought he would do but feels compelled to. He told me in his last letter that others shouldn't treat him differently just because he's a Krawk. I think he overlooked the fact that he doesn't need to change the way he treats others just because he looks different.

Please understand him, Ashi. It is a phase he's going through. I don't know why he chose to act like the perfect brother, of all things, but if you make him realize that he's making you uncomfortable, he might go back to his old ways.

Let him know how you feel. It doesn't matter how. Just do.

Yours truly,

Isis

15th Day of Awakening, Year7

Dear Isis,

Thanks so much for the advice. I don't know if I can tell him how I feel, though. Heck, I can't just tell him that I miss his old ways! I'll have to think of something creative to coax him out of his shell. Maybe if I remind him of how he used to be, he'll…snap out of it.

Here's another thing. Let's keep this between us, shall we? Yannagiba will totally freak if he finds out that I sought your advice behind his back. You know how he is.

Thanks again!

Forever grateful,

Nadashikoh

15th Day of Awakening, Year 7

Dear Yannagiba,

I wrote to tell you that You are such a It's so hard for me to say

YOU ARE SUCH A JERK! YOU ARE A SUCH A LYING JERK!

Stop the charade, Yannagiba, because you're making me ill. You don't fool me with all those sickly sweet brotherly things you did these past weeks. Ha! You think I wouldn't catch on, huh? What are you planning? Were you going to make me trust you and then, one of these days, you'll set up a trap for me on the way to the market? Make me slip into a pool of slime or something so that I'll make a fool of myself? Ha! I can run circles around you, big brother!

YOU DIDN'T FOOL ME FOR A MINUTE!

So there.

Ashi

P.S.

Wondering where your favourite blue Frisbee is? Well, you won't be able to find it. Ever. I pitched it into the dumpster!

15th Day of Awakening, Year 7

NADASHIKOH, JUST YOU WAIT! YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID! YOU'LL REGRET THIS FOR THE REST OF YOUR MEASLY LIFE!

15th Day of Awakening, Year 7

Dear Isis,

Okay, about your letter…I'm going to keep my reply short and sweet: thanks for everything. And, that's all I want to say. Hey, you don't even need to send that morphing potion. I feel much better about myself now, thank you very much.

As for my siblings' reactions…well, no one looked absolutely surprised, if you get my drift. They treated me normally and all that. Yuki (oh, he's a green Uni now, by the way) seemed to become more open, though. Maybe, he thinks we've got a lot more in common now that I've changed species. Ehm. Whatever the reason, it's nice to have someone to talk boy stuff with. Not that I can't do that with Chi the Aubergine Chia. He just doesn't talk much recently. I think he's worried about his plants. There seems to be an outbreak of weeds.

Newsflash: Nadashikoh has got to be the most despicable Aisha in NEOPIA! I can't believe that of all the Neopets around, I got stuck with her. Argh! She makes me want to hurl. I am not even going to go into the details of what she did to me. Let's just say, I destroyed her precious Cloud Aisha pillow in retaliation.

Mail me a copy of Re's novel once it's finished, will you? Maybe it will convince Belle to buy a permanent vacation lodge up there. It's the ultimate vacation spot for winter, you know?

Reply soon!

Always,

Yannagiba

6th Day of Running, Year 7

Dear Yannagiba,

HAPPY GELERT DAY!

I greeted you because I know that you're a Gelert by heart. Because I can't be there to be with you on this special occasion, I decided to just mail you a present.

You never mentioned having a petpet in your letters and I didn't see one when I came to visit. That's why I thought of giving you one. He's a Zomutt and just in case you've never seen one, here's a picture:

I saw him at the Igloo Garage Sale the other day and I automatically thought of you. I'm trusting you'll keep him and take care of him well. Comb his fur often and don't forget to give him baths! He also needs to exercise a lot so make sure you give him daily walks. Oh, and play Frisbee with him. He'll LOVE it!

Here's the best news of all. I…HAVE A NEW BABY SISTER! She's a huggable, baby Gelert with the most endearing smile I've ever seen. Her name is Icicle but we call her Icy for short.

How did this happen? As it turned out, Re actually wanted me to have a sibling. She thought I would feel much happier living on Terror Mountain if I had a sister to share it with. She was, after all, extremely busy with her novel (it's in its final stages now so it won't be long until I mail you a copy!). She came home with Icy last Tuesday. I was floored.

And, you know what? She was right! I felt a rush of joy when Re gave me Icy to hold in my arms. I love feeding her, playing with her, and singing her to sleep. Even Horus the Anubis adores her. He curls up into a ball beside Icy's crib.

I have a feeling that from now on, things will be much, much better for both of us.

Yours truly,

Isis

P.S.

Say 'hi' to Nadashikoh from me. Don't ask me why. She just…popped into my mind, all of a sudden.

Author’s Note: This short story is the third in a growing series of stories that tell the tale of Yannagiba and Isis. You can read “Just a Bunch of Letters” here and “Just Another Bunch of Letters” here.