Leb388's Note: It's been a little over a year since we were first introduced
to the Lost Desert. Now, with the Meridell war over, it seems like a boring
world, but it was exciting when it first came out. I tried to capture that excitement
once more for both those who were Neopians then, and for those who weren't,
through the eyes of my Desert Aisha, Li, who wasn't around during the Lost Desert
plot... or was she?
What is with leb388 and those darn Author's Notes? This
story was written by ME--Li! All me!
What? Oh, right, the story. Ahem, here you go:
I used to think about how I was a Desert Aisha
but really didn't know my past. I mean, I saw all the videos of the Lost Desert
battles. I could chart my entire life, from now since the day I was born. I
wasn't born a Desert Aisha--I was born yellow, just plain yellow. I remember
when I saw my owner and older sister, Pegasusmon3, for the first time. But it
was late fall, and I wasn't happy.
So there I sat one night at the kitchen table
of our NeoHome. I was hungrily playing Cheat! with Pegasus, waiting for my owner
to bring home some food, and the only thing on my mind was the Lost Desert.
Then again, it could have to do with Pegasus's conversation.
"I'm really excited about the war for Meridell.
I heard it's coming out soon! After all, I sort of missed the war of Tyrannia,
and Krawk Island didn't have a war. All I really know is based on last year's
discovery of the Lost Desert. And I missed all the cool battles! You were born
months after, so you didn't watch each videoclip as it came out. Have you seen
any of them? Two nines."
"All of them, at least twice. Cheat!"
"Darn! You caught me cheating." She flipped over
her cards to reveal two fours and tapped a hoof on the table. I know she misses
being a blue Uni, but both she and my owner expressed the need for something
new, and now she's a White Tonu. She sighed and watched her Poppit bounce hungrily
by its food bowl. "I don't have anything to eat, Catalyst; leb388's off to get
some food."
Catalyst bounced off to sulk in the living room.
"You know not to cheat with two cards,"
I informed her. I placed down a card. "One ace. What's leb388 saving for now?"
When my owner, leb388, finds something expensive she wants, she won't rest until
she gets it.
"Faerie Petpet Paint Brush, for Catalyst. It's
his birthday soon. Um...I'll let you slide."
"Ugg..." I murmured. That was all Pegasus had
been asking for since Poppits came in Faerie. I put down my ace on the card
pile in the center of the table. I sighed. "It's no fun with only two people."
"Yeah," Pegasus agreed.
Suddenly I heard the door open, and I jumped
up to greet leb388. But it was only ConspiracyPhreak3_0, or Conspicit, my Island
Poogle brother, and Lebmon, my Striped Pteri sister. Now, let me explain: I
was good friends with Pegasus, even though she hardly spends time with me and
is always talking about battles. She was playing Cheat! with me, wasn't she?
And Conspicit and I got along very well. Lebmon and I pretty much stayed away
from each other. She had her life, I had mine, and our rooms were even on opposite
sides of our NeoHome. Conspicit and I hung out together a lot, too, because
we were partners in the NEMS--Neopian Explorers and Mystery Solvers--but Lebmon
was almost never around the NeoHome.
"Is leb388 here?" Conspicit asked.
"No, we thought you were her," Pegasus replied
with a sigh. "Where were you?"
"We were at the book shop," Lebmon explained.
I sighed. Typical: all they ever did was read.
Whether it was the Neopedia, The Neopian Times, or just plain old books, they
had to read just like they had to breathe.
"I'll be in my bedroom," Conspicit said, walking
off with his books. "I found a new case: The Case of the Missing Dung."
"Ugg," I moaned. "Count me out of that one."
Conspicit was always solving cases, like a detective would.
"Suit yourself!" Conspicit called from the hallway.
"How can you buy books when the rest of us are
starving?" I asked Lebmon jokingly. The game of Cheat! Pegasus and I were playing
had been long forgotten.
"We have lots of Neopoints from playing games,"
Lebmon answered.
"Couldn't you use some of it to buy some food?"
She rolled her eyes. "Li, you could be making Neopoints,
but no, all you do is write things for The Neopian Times and solve mysteries with
Conspicit."
"That's what I like," I protested. "At least
it doesn't cost as much as books."
"All those expensive pencils and notebooks? Leb388
only puts up with it because she gets Neopian Times trophies out of the deal."
I just rolled my eyes and started to walk off.
Lebmon could be like that sometimes.
"Lebmon, you know that isn't true!" Pegasus
scolded. "I won't have you talking like that."
"It's true!" Lebmon shouted. "Li isn't good for
anything! Leb388 never gives her books or takes her to the training school.
We'd be better off without her."
"I don't need a selfish Pteri for a sister!"
I exclaimed to Lebmon. "In fact, I wish you were never born!"
"Li!" Pegasus snapped. "I'll bet that leb388
is going to come home any minute. Both of you, go to your rooms."
"I'm staying right here," I said stubbornly.
"Well, I'm not," Lebmon said, carrying a load
of books to her room.
"Sometimes she makes me so mad!" I shouted.
"Calm down, Li. You're just hungry and Lebmon's
just tired," Pegasus assured me. "But you really do have to stop making fun
of her. She plays games to get books, and hardly ask leb388 for anything. Even
I try to pay for my Battledome weapons on my own. But neither of us pay for
our own things very much."
"Like Catalyst's paintbrush."
"Right," Pegasus admitted with a sigh. "But we
both contribute with the trophies we win. I'm responsible for the '3x Defenders
of Neopia' one and the 'Beating Punchbag Bob Champion' one. And you won half
of leb388's collection of Neopian Times trophies."
"Yeah," I sighed. "I want to be a famous writer
for The Neopian Times."
"Well, we all have our ways of getting to fame,"
Pegasus explained. "Conspicit has his mysteries, Lebmon has her books, you have
your writing, and I have my Battledome skills."
I just nodded. We were both quiet for awhile--waiting.
Finally, leb388 came in the door. For Pegasus, she had a healthy dinner; for
Conspicit, a lot of vegetarian stuff, and for Lebmon, a lot of chocolate and
candy. But all of my food was Desert, and either burned or crushed.
"Sorry, Li," she apologised. "It was all I could
get from the Lost Desert."
As we ate, I didn't say much. So it was true,
then. Leb388 knew what we all liked to eat, and got me the cheapest food. After
dinner, when everyone else was asleep, I slipped out of our NeoHome through
the secret door in my room.
Was Lebmon right? Leb388 loved me--didn't she?
My slow walking pace became a frantic run. I had one place where I wanted to
go in mind, and one place only. I ran through the Haunted Woods--there was a
well-worn path to the Lost Desert through there. After a few minutes I stopped
on the cool night sand and gasped for breath. Above me was a tower--Coltzan's
Shrine. I approached it.
"Greetings, young Neopet." In the brisk twilight
a shimmer appeared, then I saw the light blue figure of a Lupe. The ghost of
King Coltzan III smiled at me. "Hi, Li. What do you want tonight? I saw your
owner here earlier."
"What did you give her?"
"All I had on hand at the moment was some burned
food, which I gave her."
So that explained the food. Leb388 hadn't even
paid for it; she got it for free! "I hate everything! I wish I could run away
to where Lebmon or anyone else couldn't find me. I wish Lebmon was never born!
I wish I could find out if leb388 really loves me."
"Well, I'm no Wishing Well, but I know a needy
Neopet when I see one. I remember those days..."
"What days?" I asked him.
"No wonder you're so unsure of everything. You
wish you could go back to when you didn't have to deal with your sister, Lebmon,
and when your owner was around all the time?"
I nodded.
"Well...once in awhile, Li, miracles happen.
And once in awhile, dreams come true. And once in awhile...heros emerge."
Before I knew it, I was enveloped in a dark mist--and
the clock of time stopped.
To be continued... | 
