It was a day like any other, I suppose. I'd gone to the
Book Shop to read all that I could afford, until I came across a book about
Meridell. The games seemed so foreign and strange, and I was compelled to try
them. So of course, I flew around, searching for Gryphon (Flipp_Garuda) and
asked her for some NP to play the games. She agreed, and sent my half-sister,
GryphonSinger, with me. Singer wasn't a bad Eyrie, but she was unnervingly quiet.
We caught and updraft and glided easily to the
lush valleys of Meridell. We landed with as much grace as we could muster while
going against a draft, causing many Meridell civilians to gaze at us in awe
and disgust all at once. I looked around and noticed that it wasn't Singer they
were looking at, it was me! I checked myself over and found all my stripes in
place and not a smudge of dirt on me. I looked around before I noticed that
all but the Draiks and Ixis were default colours! That must be why they thought
me strange, I was painted and not a Meridell species. The thought caused me
to flush as I followed meekly behind Singer to the first of the games that we
saw, Turdle
Racing.
"Care to place a bet?" A starry Scorchio asked
behind the desk. He seemed a bit desperate as native Neopets glared at him with
disdain.
"Sure," Singer answered and handed the Scorchio
200 Neopoints. "Turdle number 2."
"All right, if you'll step this way…" he directed
us, clearly relieved. We followed his movements to a small circular enclosure
where 5 Turdles were munching happily on food I could not name inside of a wooden
pen. The Scorchio hurried in and lifted the small wooden sides and the Turdles
lifted their heads and began moving about. Within moments, many of the Turdles
had stopped to eat again. Turdle number three, however, flopped over to the
edge of the enclosure and received a small treat from the Scorchio. "Sorry,
but you didn't win," he told us and we slumped away.
"What about that game?" I asked Singer, motioning
towards a large stand where a warty Grundo was motioning excitedly to various
Mortogs. Without a word, Singer walked over.
"Mortogs! We have visitors!" the Grundo cried
as we approached. "It's 50 NP to play and all you have to do is give one of
these cute little frogs a kiss," the Grundo said enthusiastically.
"Are you sure you'd like to try, Kendaasha?"
Singer questioned me while studying the Mortogs and the Grundo.
"I guess…" I answered quietly, unsure, but willing.
Singer handed the Grundo 50 Neopoints and I stepped forward, took a breath,
and gently "kissed" a Mortog with my beak. Eyrie kisses were more like pecks,
and I hope I didn't hurt the poor petpet as he began to glow golden. The Mortog
grew and changed shape into a handsome Kacheek prince that was not sitting on
the side of the stand that the Mortog had been. He blinked and looked at me.
His look turned to surprise, and then enthusiasm, and then his eyes glazed over
and got soft. He leapt off of the stand and captured me in an excited embrace.
"Ah, my love! We shall forever be together now
that I have found you!" he exclaimed and gave me a giant smooch on my now-reddened
cheek.
"Uh… Um… Listen, I…" But he wasn't listening,
he was babbling on and on about weddings and castles and the wonderful future
we would have together. I began to sweat as a crowd started to gather. Singer
eyed me strangely and the warty Grundo looked very pleased.
I couldn't take it any longer so I bolted. But
you must understand, I'm not very fast, and the prince easily caught up with
me. "Why do you run, fair maiden? You, my saviour and love forever will be with
me until the world ends!" he cried and grabbed onto my hind leg as I began to
run again. He began reciting bad poetry that he must have thought up right at
the top of his head.
"You are the rose that fills my nose, the light
that I see in my eyes, the singing that fills my ears with joy!" he screeched.
"NO! GO AWAY!" I screamed and made various sharp
turns before hitting a dead end at the large Castle in south Meridell.
"Father! Mother! I have found my love at last!'
The Kacheek prince called, causing a Draik and Ixi to run quickly out of the
giant gates.
"Oh, son, I have not seen you in so long! You have grown so much and now have
a beautiful maiden as your princess!" the Queen Ixi crowed happily.
"No, no, no!" I screeched. "It's not true, I
was just playing a game and…" But it was too late. I was swept up by Grarrl
guards who had placed me on their shoulders and the Kacheek prince on another
set of shoulders.
"We will live together forever in happiness,
my princess!" the Kacheek crooned, looking at me with liquid-eyes.
"NO!" I cried again, tears stinging my eyes.
It was then that a blood curdling screech filled
the air and GryphonSinger, the red Eyrie, plunged out of the sky and knocked
the two Grarrls carrying me to the ground. "Fly, sister! We must get away from
here!"
I lifted my striped wings as the prince called
for guards to restrain Singer and I, but they were too late. We launched ourselves
into the air, the prince's screams soon far below us.
When we landed back in Neopia Central with Gryphon,
Deadele and Moonstriken with us, I screamed, "I NEVER WANT TO GO TO MERIDELL
EVER AGAIN!"
"Well, that's too bad," Gryphon told us. "I
just filled out the forms for us to get a NeoHome there."
My eyes widened before I fell into a dead faint
right then and there.
The End | 
