Mind Games: New Beginnings
Morgan shoved her hands into her pockets as she walked in the door of the Pound. She was excited about getting her first pet, but nervous as well. The picture of the crying Bruce at the Pet Central building had twanged her heart strings. So here she was ready to adopt.
Morgan had light gray eyes and dark red hair, more mahogany than anything. She looked about fourteen and average height. She wore a baggy, navy blue sweat shirt and faded jeans, her hair was tied back in a Uni tail.
The girl looked nervously at the grumpy old Techo sitting at the counter, whom she knew was called Dr. Death. Morgan didn't know the name of the pink Uni. Tentatively Morgan walked up to them. The Uni smiled brightly and Dr. Death grunted.
"Are you here to adopt or abandon dear?" Asked the Uni. Morgan opened her mouth, but before she had a chance to say anything, the front door burst open. A young man of about seventeen came storming in dragging a grinning red Kyrii behind him.
"I don't want this thing anymore!" He yelled at the doctor, who sighed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. The man threw some neopoints at the Techo then stormed out.
Grumbling Dr. Death picked up the coins and put them into a tin that was behind the counter. Then he leaned forward and raised and eyebrow at the Kyrii. "So, back again are you?"
"Yup," the Kyrii replied his eyes twinkling wickedly. Dr. Death shook his head and led the Kyrii through a door behind the counter.
The pink Uni sighed. "Oh dear, he keeps coming back. I don't know what he keeps doing to anger so many owners but he does it." She noticed Morgan standing in front of the counter awkwardly. "Oh, I'm sorry, what were you here for again?"
"Uh I came to adopt." Morgan replied.
The Uni beamed. "Splendid! The cages are just through that door. Let me know if you need any help."
Morgan walked toward the door. "Thank you Miss ..." her voice trailed off.
The Uni waved a hoof. "Don't bother with that formal stuff, just call me Rose, everybody else does." Morgan nodded and pushed the door to the cages open. It slightly alarmed her how many pets were there, cage upon cage, row upon row.
For a long while Morgan wandered among the cages, looking for a pet she liked. Suddenly she spied the red Kyrii she had just seen come in and knelt down to peer into his cage. "Hello" Morgan greeted him brightly. "I'm Morgan"
"That's nice," the Kyrii growled and turned his back on her.
Morgan frowned disheartened. "What's your name?"
"Can't you read?" the Kyrii demanded turning around. He jabbed a paw at the card stuck to the bars of his cage. "My name's Neopet12345, now isn't that wonderful?"
Morgan frowned. "The person who created you didn't have much imagination did they?"
"No kidding," he retorted.
"So... can I call I call you Neo?" He looked up at her with questioning eyes.
"Why on Neopia would you want to do that?" The Kyrii sounded genuinely puzzled.
"Uh.. because it sounds better than Neopet12345." Morgan said as if it was obvious.
Neo raised an eyebrow. "Really? Fine, whatever floats your boat." He turned his back on her again. Morgan felt a smile spread across her face. The Kyrii had stolen her heart already and she couldn't leave him behind.
"Rose!" Morgan called coming back through the door. "I know which pet I want to adopt!"
Rose beamed. "That's wonderful! If you'll sign these papers and pay the small fee you can take your pet home." The Uni's eyebrows shot up when she saw the name of the neopet Morgan wanted to adopt. "Neopet12345? Morgan are you sure you want to adopt him? He's driven all his past owners crazy."
Morgan crossed her arms and said firmly. "Yes I want to adopt him. Maybe it'll be different with me anyway." Rose sighed and took the coins Morgan handed her. Placeing them in a can, the Uni went back into the room with the cages and came back shortly with Neo in tow.
"What's going on?" The Kyrii demanded.
"Well, Morgan here is going to adopt you." Rose replied.
Neo stared at Morgan wonderingly, then his face split into an evil smile. "Well I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." he told her.
Morgan cocked her head. "Oh I think so," Rose and Dr. Death glanced at each other in misgiving. Morgan beckoned to Neo and the Kyrii marched out the door already planning a way to make his new owner's life miserable.
Morgan's neohome on the edge of Neopia Central was small but comfortable. When Neo walked in the door he looked around in surprise, the living room was his every cherished idea of a home. Though it only had four rooms, the living room, the kitchen, a small room off the hall that was Morgan's bedroom, and the bathroom at the end of the hall.
"So where am I supposed to sleep?" Neo asked dryly, "on the floor?"
"No," Morgan said hanging her sweatshirt on a hook behind the door. "You can sleep in my room, I'll get your room built tomorrow and we can go shopping for furniture. I'll sleep on the couch tonight, the room's that way. If you need anything let me know." With that Morgan sat down on the sofa and picked up a book. Knowing that Neo probably wouldn't really want to talk to her yet she started reading. Neo stared at her for a long while, then made his way to the small bedroom to be alone.
The Kyrii sat alone on the bed staring out the window at the star strewn sky. Morgan didn't seem any different than any other owner he'd had before. But he felt a strange sensation bubbling in the pit of his stomach. In horror, Neo realized that he was beginning to like the human. The Kyrii quickly squashed the feelings down, burying them away where he wouldn't have to think about them. Sleepily Neo laid his head down on the pillows and quickly fell asleep, thinking that one way or another, his stay here would be short.
Morgan took Neo shopping for furniture the next day. It wasn't the horrible experience that Neo had always heard it was. Morgan didn't insist on buying anything pink, which heartened the Kyrii. He was excitedly planning out his room before he remembered his resolution of the previous night.
They brought all the furniture home and began arranging it in Neo's newly built room. When they were done it looked magnificent and Neo beamed up at Morgan. "Thank you, this looks awesome."
Morgan smiled back. "You're the one who picked out everything and arranged it all, it's your triumph." Neo sank into a beanbag chair and closed his eyes, smiling lazily. After a while Morgan announced that she had to go on an errand and would be gone for a while.
"Fine," Neo said waving a paw and turning over on his new bed. "Do whatever you want." She left, Neo didn't really bother about what she might be doing until an hour and a half later. The Kyrii began pacing the living room nervously.
"What in the name of Fyora is she doing?" He asked himself, but was unable to answer the question. Neo had found some jelly in the fridge and was munching on it when Morgan came in.
She beamed at the Kyrii, "Hey Neo, come here." Resignedly the Kyrii walked up to her.
"What is it?" he asked swallowing the last remains of the jelly and attempting to hide how glad he was that she was home.
Morgan held out a wrapped box. "Here, it's for you."
Frowning, Neo took the box and unwrapped it. He lifted the lid and gasped in surprise. Inside was a skunk paint brush. "M – Morgan I don't know what to say. Th – thank you."
Morgan's smile widened. "I was coming home when a strange Kacheek in overalls called Jacko gave it to me. I really hoped you'd like it, I wasn't quite sure you'd like skunk. I mean you've never really told me anything about your likes and dislikes. Come on let's go to the Rainbow Pool and paint you." Unable to speak Neo nodded and followed her out the door.
Morgan couldn't help but laugh as she watched Neo examining every inch of his new dark fur. "Morgan? I don't understand why you gave me the paint brush, you could have sold it to get something you wanted." Neo said quietly.
Morgan frowned at him. "Because you're my pet Neo and I'm trying to be a good owner to you." She looked away from him for a moment. "All I really want is a pet who's happy, who'll talk to me up into unspeakable hours. I chose you for that Neo, chose you for some faerie cursed reason that I'll never know. But I chose you." She looked back at the speechless Kyrii and smiled a smile warmer than Neo had ever known. "I want you to laugh and be free of whatever tormented you enough to keep landing you in the Pound. I want you to be happy."
"Oh," Neo said quietly, he turned his face away from her as he felt tears burn his eyes. He fought them, he had never cried before, he wouldn't start now. But they came sliding silently down his newly painted fur.
Morgan sighed. "I'll tell you this, you are definitely not making it easy for me. But you know what?" she looked at him her gray eyes glittering. "I can fight just as hard as you. If you try to drive crazy, I'm not going to knuckle under." Neo still wouldn't look at her. He was still crying, he didn't want Morgan to see that. The Kyrii was ashamed at how he was planning to massacre Morgan's life. All she wanted to do was make him happy and he had been planning to throw it in her face. But come to think of it, hadn't that been what all his previous owners had tried to do?
Neo went to bed that night with his mind whirling. Before he drifted off, the Kyrii vowed that he would be nicer to his new owner and try to understand her as she tried to understand him. Neo was unable to forget her words to him, and he was unable to forget the sensation of the tears. The look in Morgan's eyes huanted Neo, it was a sort of desperation. Neo realized that Morgan needed him. He could not put a paw on why or how, but she needed him. All that was needed to make Morgan happy was for him to be happy, he would be happy. Neo fell asleep smiling. But his sleep was not peaceful.
Morgan was running, calling, her
voice was frantic. "Neo!" she cried, "Neo, where are you?"
With a snap and a whirl of color, pain ignited in her leg. The sharp
throbbing seeped up into her chest and her mind spun. Morgan fell
backwards and into darkness.
Neo woke with a stifled cry. It was a moment before he realized where he was. The Kyrii wrapped his paws around himself and rocked back and forth. To anyone else it was just a dream, but he knew that it wasn't.
With a stab of pain the Kyrii knew that he couldn't stay with her. It hurt him, though it shouldn't have. He'd shielded himself long ago from this kind of pain. But even as he tried to deny it Neo knew that Morgan had shattered the barrier he'd constructed around his heart.
Shaking, the Kyrii slid out of his bed and clambered out of the window. Morgan's injury had been his fault, he had to prevent it at all costs. Neo began to run hard and fast. Away from the first real home he'd ever known, burying memories behind him. But the pain stayed fresh and all too apparent.
Morgan opened her eyes and got out of her bed. Yawning, she knocked on Neo's door. "Hey sleepy head, get up." When there was no reply she pushed the door open. Cold horror slid into the pit of her stomach when she saw the empty bed and open window.
Slinging on a coat Morgan ran out the door. She saw Neo's footprints heading into the forest that bordered the backside of her property. Frantically, Morgan followed them calling desperately into the silent trees for her Kyrii.
Neo closed his eyes and turned toward the trunk of the tree he was sitting in. The Kyrii pressed his forehead against the rough wood as if trying to draw comfort from it. Morgan must have gone past at least three times already. He heard her run past again, her frantic voice echoing through the trees.
Neo froze as a telltale numbing cold welled up within him and Neo's vision went foggy. He saw her running, he felt the ground trembling, tried to call out, to warn her, but it was too late. The ground gave away and she fell down into a deep hole. One of her feet twisted as she landed, Neo winced as he felt Morgan's ankle snap and nearly fell out of the tree when her head cracked against stone, knocking her out cold.
Neo clutched the tree branch, shaking violently. He had to find Morgan and help her, it was his fault she was hurt, he had to make it right. The Kyrii scrambled down from the tree and began calling out for his owner and searching. "What am I doing?" Neo snarled to himself. "I know she's unconscious and can't answer me, and I know exactly where she is." And he did.
The hole looked like some sort of cave where the roof had fallen in when Morgan stepped on it. Frantically the Kyrii slid down into the hole. He splatted down into ankle deep mud beside his motionless owner.
Morgan was pale and her foot was at a horrifying angle. Neo picked up her mud splattered hand and stroked it. "Come on Morgan, wake up!" Morgan stirred, she opened her eyes and tried to sit up. She winced in pain as she moved her foot and fell back with a splatter of mud.
"Neo?" She asked quietly as her glazed eyes focused on the Kyrii. Suddenly the veil of worry and desperation in her eyes lifted to reveal nothing but pain. She burst into tears, the salty drops streaming down her cheeks. "Why!" She wailed. "Why did you go? I thought something horrible had happened! I thought you'd left me!" She covered her eyes smearing mud across her face. "If you wanted to go back to the Pound... if you hated me that much... you should have just said so!"
Neo clamped his paws over his ears. "Morgan STOP!" He cried, his voice anguished. Morgan stopped screaming and stared at the Kyrii. Neo was crying too. "I don't hate you! I thought that my being with you would hurt you, but I was too stupid to think that my leaving would be what hurt you so." Neo opened his eyes, now crying as hard as Morgan had been. "I... don't want to leave you..." Neo murmured. "Never... never..." His voice trailed off into small undecipherable whimpers.
Morgan reached forward and took the shaking Kyrii in her arms and hugged him. She buried her muddy face in his mane. "We'll be here for each other now, won't we?" She asked him. Neo nodded and Morgan lifted her face. "But I thought you didn't like any owners."
"Well Morgan," Neo said, his voice muffled by Morgan's shirt. "You kinda grow on a pet." He drew away. The Kyrii had stopped crying but his eyes were still red.
Morgan grinned. "Well it's nice to hear that I have some good qualities." She said brightly. Neo let out a shaky laugh. Morgan raised her gaze skyward. "How in the name of Fyora are we going to get out of here?" She said looking up at the roots hanging from the ceiling.
Neo shifted from foot to foot. "Uh, I can set the bone in your ankle then splint it. Or I could just go for help."
Morgan looked at the Kyrii sharply. "What do you know about human bones?"
"Actually nothing, but I can see what I need to do. You see Morgan, I'm telepathic and telekinetic."
"Tele – what?" Morgan asked, slightly dizzy from the throbbing pain in her ankle and a pounding headache from her fall.
"Telepathic and telekinetic," Neo repeated. "I can read people's thoughts, see the future, and move things with my mind. Don't ask me how, I've always had the gift. But I can use it to shift the bone back into place then I can splint it for you." Morgan stared at him for a moment then nodded sinking back into the mud and shutting her eyes.
Shaking slightly, Neo closed his eyes and envisioned the bones of Morgan's ankle. He saw how they were out of alignment and quickly shifted them back into place. There was a cracking sound as bones and flesh moved against their will and Morgan drew in a sharp breath, emitting a small whimper of pain.
Hurriedly, with strips of Morgan's sweatshirt, Neo bound Morgan's ankle in a splint. "It'll have to do until we can get you to the hospital." He helped her up. Morgan could stand on the ankle though shakily and it took a great deal of work to get her out of the hole. But with Neo's help she managed it. Panting, the girl turned to the Kyrii and flashed a careless smile, "Thank you."
Some hours later, Neo opened the door of the neohome for Morgan who hobbled in on crutches. With an exhausted sigh Morgan sank onto the sofa and closed her eyes. Neo sat next to her and leaned against her. Morgan opened her eyes and looked down at Neo. "So you want to stay?" The Kyrii nodded, Morgan waited a few moments then asked. "So you used your telepathy to drive your previous owners crazy?"
Neo grinned sheepishly. "Yeah."
"Why?" Morgan asked, "why didn't you like your owners so much? They were only trying to help you."
Neo shrugged. "Maybe some did, but I gave all my love to my first owner, and she abandoned me. I could not love any owner like that again, I didn't even want to try. But then you came along and proved me wrong."
Morgan put and arm around her Kyrii's shoulder. "So I stole your heart just like you stole mine?" Neo nodded. Morgan was silent for a while then said off-handedly. "Something tells me my life is about to get a lot more interesting."
"Oh it will," Neo said with a grin, "that's a promise."