|
"Bye guys! See you tomorrow!" Zola, a bright green Lenny,
waved over her shoulder as she ran toward her owner. She had finally reached her
owner, Wingsoar, after crossing the gigantic playground. She was excited, she
preened her feathers nervously in anticipation.
"Did you get it?" Zola was hopping up and down,
sure of the answer. She finally had it, a paintbrush. Now she could be painted.
She would amaze her friends the next day. In her mind's eye, she could see all
her friends gasping in amazement as they saw her dazzling new look.
"Yup," Wingsoar responded casually. "Come on,
let's go," Wingsoar smiled.
Zola looked around eagerly as the many shops
of Neopia Central passed by slowly. They slowed their pace at the Money Tree,
and finally stopped at the Rainbow Pool. Zola jumped and sprinted when the giant
landmark rainbow was in sight. She looked back as she saw Wingsoar walking.
"Come on!" she laughed.
Zola ran to an unoccupied area and stared down
into the waters of the Rainbow Pool. A green Lenny peered out of the water at
her, features masked in excitement. Wingsoar's image appeared above hers.
"Ready?" Wingsoar asked.
Zola sighed, her body trembling. She was having
a hard time controlling herself. "Yeah."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"You sure your friends will like it?" Wingsoar
had been nervous about the idea ever since Zola had brought it up
Zola had already gone over this. Her friends
were all part of the cool color crowd, made up mostly of greens, blues, and
cloud patterned pets. The others, painted in hot colors like red, yellow, and
pink were unknown to her. But she knew the cool colors would still like her.
You can't not be friends with someone just because they changed their color,
right? And they had been through so much together, their friendship was indispensable.
"Yeah, they won't mind. I'll still have cool
colors in me when I'm done."
Wingsoar nodded and removed a rainbow paintbrush
from her backpack. She reluctantly offered it to Zola, her eyes silently whispering
her feelings as she hoped for the best.
Zola received it, handling the precious item
carefully, glancing shiftily around as if waiting for the Pant Devil to steal
her prize. Satisfied, she dipped deep down into the waters with her paintbrush.
Wingsoar held her breath, and released as the blurry silhouette of Zola neared
the surface. She re-emerged, beautifully colored from her feather crown to the
to the tips of her tail feathers. Reds, yellows, greens, and blues intertwined
throughout her plumage, and the colors glinted in the sunlight.
She walked up to Wingsoar regally. "How do I
look?"
"Great," Wingsoar said. "See for yourself."
Zola strutted to the Money Tree proudly and
grabbed a green mirror. She admired her new look, and then handed the mirror
to an upset Faerie Acara. She turned back to her owner, and ran up to Wingsoar
and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much. You're the best owner ever. I love
you, Wingsoar."
Wingsoar smiled and hugged her pet back. "You're
welcome, Zola. I love you too."
***
The next day, Wingsoar woke to find Zola standing at the door, her backpack
slung over one shoulder. She laughed at her pet's eagerness.
"I think I'll walk by myself today, I want it
to be a surprise."
"Sure," Wingsoar responded, unrolling an issue
of The Neopian Times.
Zola walked out the door and ran to school.
Her friends were already there when she arrived. She dashed up to them. "Hey,
guys!"
Her friends turned their heads at the familiar
voice, and their happy faces changed to quizzical.
"Who are you?" One of them asked. Zola slowed
down.
"It's me, Zola. Remember?" Zola said, concerned.
"Why did you do that?" another friend asked.
"Do what?" Zola asked, her voice shrinking.
"Paint yourself," she spat.
"Don't you like it?" Zola had given up.
"Are you trying to favor them?" Zola's friend
shot a nasty look at the hot colors. "Aren't we good enough for you? Huh, Traitor?
Respond!"
Zola was crushed. "I thought you'd like it,"
she added weakly, looking down at her orange talons.
"Sorry, but you just don't fit in. Just go away.
It's an embarrassment to speak with you now."
Regretfully, Zola walked away. She stifled a
tear. Where would she find friends? She uselessly decided to try the hot colors.
She brought herself up to full height and walked
up to a group of them. "Hi, my name's Zola."
An orange Pteri looked back at her. "You don't
belong with us," he said, "I'm sorry, but you just don't fit in."
Zola sighed and headed for the benches. They
were at a corner of the schoolhouse, in a quiet place where she could sit and
think. Not until she got there did she notice a white Zafara.
The white Zafara, surprised, looked up, and
sighed. "Yet another outcast, searching for refuge. Thrown into the streets
because of prejudice and discrimination." He sighed again.
A shadow Kougra materialized out of the blackness
of the corner. "Don't worry, Teg always speaks in riddles. "I'm Moonshadow,
by the way. Nice to meet you." Moonshadow held up a welcoming black paw, adorned
with razor sharp claws.
Zola raised her shimmering wing in acknowledgement.
"I'm Zola. Why do you stay back here, away from everyone?"
A purple Lupe crawled out from under one of
the benches and stretched lazily. "Because we don't fit in, like you."
Zola stared at him, contemplating. "But you're
purple, wouldn't you be with the cool colors?"
The purple Lupe turned around and sat down,
revealing three orange spots on his back. "I'm mixed."
Zola stared at his spots. "That's horrible!
You've just got three little orange spots! The cool colors should accept you."
"I don't care to be part of either of those
groups," Lonny growled, "Anyone who can treat pets this way is not high on my
list. They think that just because that is the way they learned it is the right
way. They are cruel to others, thinking they have every right to be." He sighed,
having a far off look. "But you, you care Zola. I'm surprised you were once
one of them. I'm Lonny, by the way."
Teg broke the following silence. "So we are
acquainted."
Zola heard the sound of sandals walking across
the hot asphalt. She turned, and saw a shy desert Kyrii. She recognized that
Kyrii to have been red the day before, a part of the hot colors. But today she
was outcast, forced to wander into the shadows alone.
"But you aren't alone," Teg mused, reading the
Kyrii's thoughts. He looked up and smiled.
The Kyrii stepped forward nervously. "Can I
join you?"
Moonshadow smiled warmly and Lonny gave his
faraway look, and when his gaze fell on the cool crowd his eyes flashed red
with anger and hatred.
Zola walked to the Kyrii and put her colorful
wing around her. "You will always be welcome here, my friend."
The End
Author's Note:I hope you have learned from this story to judge someone
by their heart, and not their background or looks.
| 
