Wishes by Moonlight

      The "Darigan" Lupe was only loyal to his pack because he had no where else to go. Without his pack, he was dead. Most of the Lupes there were white or brown. Caeson was very different, and in his case, difference was a terrible thing.

      "We'll camp here for the night," a white Lupe shouted. His name was Rann, or "Mighty Leader." The only way of getting his attention was to bark at him or bite him, which wasn't always the best idea, seeing that he was strongest Lupe in the pack. Rann marched over to a brown Lupe and kicked him up.

      "Find the nearest water," he spat at the quivering Lupe, "then take the Hunting Aid to go and find food," the small brown Lupe whined pitifully, then ran off as fast as he could go. Rann snickered and turned to the other Lupes.

      "We're in enemy territory. If one of you makes a single whimper I'll make you wish you were never born. Remember, I'm only waiting to get rid of the unwanted." With that, he turned and went back to his bed. His mate, a white Lupess named Naguel gave him an impressed look and followed him to the resting spot. Caeson shot him a hateful look before turning and taking his leave.

      "Where are you going, Lupe?" Rann snapped, lying down. "No one goes anywhere without my permission." The moonlight (that's what he's painted, I guess) Lupe cast him a disgusted look and said,

      "I go wherever I please, Rann," he sneered, "I don't need some sniveling leader's permission to take a walk." Rann glared at him but said nothing. He knew about Caeson's fabled strength, and he didn't want to humiliate himself in front of the pack. With a flick of his tail, Caeson turned a corner and disappeared behind the cliff. With an angry roar Rann smashed the nearest rock nearby. The whole pack jumped up in surprise.

      "Didn't I tell you to get food?!" he screamed. "Beat it!!" The rest of the Lupes ran, howling and whining in scare. Naguel paced in front of her mate nervously.

      "That Lupe is the only problem with your rule, Rann," she said. "You must dispose of him." Rann nodded and wiped a sweaty paw over his face. Naguel always seemed to know the answers to his problems.

      "But how?" he asked, his voice dripping with nervousness.

      "Challenge him," she said, her voice dripping like honey. "And when he least expects it, cheat. You've done it before." Rann nodded, the idea was very pleasing. The only Lupe that could defeat him, lying dead on the ground. He wanted it to happen. He would make it happen. Caeson would beg for mercy before the end...

      "Rest now," Naguel oozed. "You'll need it." Rann nodded.

      "Rest..." he mumbled, curling himself up. When his eyes were completely closed, she snickered evily. "The only way to win in Neopia," she said to herself, "Is to betray, lie, and kill." With that, she lay down and went to sleep.

      ~~~~~~~

      Caeson sat on a high peak and sighed. Life was so hard, yet so boring. Every day was a test of survival, but the only thing that really happened was walking, scavenging for food, and more walking. He wished that something would happen...something that happened for the better of the pack. Rann starved and beat the hopeless Lupes, he even took the best portions of food for himself. The same went with his mate, Naguel. That prissy Lupess did nothing but strut around, feeding lies and cheats to the pack. Whenever Rann had a problem, Naguel would solve it with her treachery. Caeson just wished they were gone like wind.

      "If only..." he muttered to himself. "If only..." The moonlight Lupe growled just thinking about the two self-obsessed Lupes. He wished that a new Lupe, someone strong, brave, and willing to help would come along...

      "Why isn't that Lupe you?" a voice asked from behind Caeson. The Lupe whirled around and came face-to-face with a faerie, fire, by the looks of it. The faerie's eyes were a bright orange colour, and her hair was deep red. The dress she wore was different from that of an average fire faerie. It was a sapphire blue colour with lavender streaks on it. Caeson raised an eyebrow.

      "It can't be me," he said simply. "I wouldn't be right." The faerie smiled mischievously.

      "Why don't you?" she asked. "Why don't you fight Rann? Are you scared? Much as I should suspect. You pets are all the same! You talk of glory and helping others, when the only real thing you do is stand by and watch the heroes." Caeson looked down at his paws, shamefaced. The faerie glared at him, obviously not approving. Finally, the Lupe said,

      "If you help me, I'll fight Rann."

      The faerie grinned, and held out her hand. "Name's Firling," she said.

      Caeson put his paw in her hand. "Caeson," he said. Firling smiled.

      ~~~~~~~~

      Rann was growing very impatient by now. He had a full plan (thanks to Naguel), but that stupid moonlight Lupe wouldn't show up! The sinewy Lupe took an enormous bite out of the nearest scrap of meat, causing it to spurt all over the place. The other Lupes timidly watched their leader, and in some of their bold brains, they hoped that when Caeson got back, he would thrash Rann. Caeson had always listened to them, despite his attempts to be rough and tough. They had always respected the strange Lupe. He had saved the pack on many occasions, and Rann had taken the credit.

      The Lupes heard a soft padding sound and knew Caeson was approaching. Some of them perked up their ears sensitively, and some brave ones stood up. Rann snarled and those brave ones sat down, looking dejected.

      Caeson rounded the corner and came face-to-face with Rann. The white Lupe snarled meanly at his opponent, who he had thought he caught off guard. However, the moonlight Lupe had been expecting a cheat like this for some time. He smiled, and Rann looked at him confusedly.

      Rann's hesitation came at a great price. In a fast whirling movement, Caeson knocked the pack leader over with his sharp claws. Rann stared at the blood tainting his cheek, and growled hatefully. He charged at Caeson, just missing his shoulder. It was scraped badly, though. Caeson let out a small whimper, but kept on fighting. Now, the war between the two Lupes had begun.

      Caeson and Rann circled each other, the traditional way of beginning a fight. One of the Lupes would lunge first, and then the fight would go to the death from there. Rann made the first move, charging at the moonlight Lupe with eye-blurring speed. Caeson just barely dodged the attack, due to his wounded shoulder. He opened one of his wings when Rann was only a little ways behind him, causing the white Lupe to fall to the ground- hard. Any normal Lupe wouldn't broken his neck or worse, but Rann wasn't pack leader for nothing. Despite the bruises that now shown through his fur, he picked himself up and charged again.

      Caeson was ready this time. With a sweep of his paws, the moonlight Lupe spread out his hands, creating a dark-flame wall. Rann slammed into it, and the Lupes gasped. No Lupe in centuries had been able to learn abilities! Even if they had managed to stumble across a faerie, the leader always destroyed it.

      "Scum!" Rann screamed, "It is against our laws to use abilities!"

      "I don't care what you think, Rann!" Caeson retorted, with a sneer, "You can't control me!" Rann roared in fury and charged again, but this time he was too slow. Caeson held his paws up, creating two balls of shadow-flame at the end, and hurled them at Rann. The Lupe fell to the ground, stunned. Everyone gasped, including Naguel. Within moments, she had flung herself across the fighting ground, and she pinned the unsuspecting moonlight Lupe to the ground.

      "Take him!" she screamed. "Take him and kill him! He's all yours!" On the inside, Caeson screamed. Rann walked over this time, and raised his sharpest claw, preparing to strike Caeson's unprotected throat. Just when he was about to kill the Lupe...

      A loud thud came to Caeson's ears, and both pairs of paws were removed from his body. The Lupe picked himself up quickly, hackles raised. He was prepared for an attack, but this wasn't what he expected.

      Another Lupe, one just like him, stood, snarling at Rann and Naguel. This one was a female, Caeson could easily tell due to the white moon-sign on her forehead. Caeson gaped, but the Lupess said in a beautiful voice,

      "I've been searching for you everywhere! I'm-" but she was cut off by Rann working his claws into her back. The Lupess howled in pain, and Caeson couldn't take seeing the only Lupe like him being hurt. With an angry roar, he threw himself at Rann. His whole body seemed to be covered in black flames. Rann cowered under Caeson's glare. He whimpered sadly. Caeson lifted a claw, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't kill a helpless Lupe.

      "Get out," he said in a snarl. Rann nodded, still terrified. He slowly got to his paws, and crawled away. Caeson turned to the Lupess.

      "Who are you?" he asked quietly. "Chayla," she said quietly. "I was supposed to find you and return you to your real pack." Caeson was stunned. A real pack? With Lupes just like him? It would be wonderful...but what about the others? He looked at the miserable Lupes. He was about to explain when-

      A searing pain ran through Caeson's back. He knew who would sink his claws into him. Rann was back. Ignoring the pain and growling fiercely, the moonlight Lupe rolled over, nearly squashing Rann. The roll pushed Rann far...nearly shoving him off the cliff. The Lupe's only means of hanging on were the rocks he clung desperately onto. Before Caeson knew what he was doing, he raced over to the edge.

      "Grab on," he said. "Hurry." Rann was too proud. With a slash, he knocked Caeson's paw away...and lost his grip on the edge. With a howl, he fell. Caeson looked at Chayla, tears in his eyes. She was about to smile when something knocked into her... it was Naguel. The brown Lupess went into a frenzy, making a desperate attempt to push the moonlight Lupess off the cliff. Caeson roared in fury and charged Nauguel. Black fire gleamed on both of his paws, and he severely burned Naguel's brown fur. The Lupess yowled in pain and let go...to join her mate at the bottom of the gorge. Her yowls were only heard for a small amount of time, and then they ceased.

      "There are sharp rocks at the bottom of that gorge," Chayla said grimly. "They'll never survive." Caeson turned to her and said,

      "I need to know more, Chayla. Where are the other Lupes like me?" Chayla ceased my questions by holding up her paw.

      "I'll tell you all later," she said. She looked at the pack and smiled. "But as for now, you have a pack to look after."

      A fire faerie watched from a nearby cloud and smiled. Everything would be alright now. She wouldn't have to worry about anything happening to that pack that meant so much to Neopia. The last pack was safe in Caeson's paws. She didn't have to reveal anything yet. She didn't have to, now that she had given Caeson his special powers. It didn't matter though. Powers weren't an essential. It was kindness, love and wishes.

      Wishes by Moonlight.

The End