Jeremy and Me: A Story of a Great Adventure

by Ayeka_Jurai_Princess

Welcome to my life. This is my story from the ‘true’ beginning to now. Obviously, this book is not completed. For I am still alive, and where there is life, there is a story to be told. My ‘true’ beginning happens on a fine day, after the winter frosts had all melted away…

I awoke and smelled the new breeze. Spring. I poked my head from under the leaf, and shouted, “Helloo! Hello to all!” I began to get worried. Where were the others? Then, many other heads popped out from under leaves. “Hello! Hello!” they chorused. I grinned, and we all started in on our favorite habit: eating berries. Suddenly, a dark shadow swooped overhead. An Eyrie! We screamed and squealed, and scrambled from the shadow of death. I scuttled to and fro, looking for a hiding place but it was too late! The Eyrie swooped down and caught me. I squealed in terror as I was born aloft high into the air.

Suddenly, a voice cried out, “Leave it alone!” A small rock hurtled past the NeoPet of doom. It squawked angrily. He threw another rock, this time catching it square on the head. It was a pretty fast rock, and hit pretty hard. The griffin dropped like the stone that had hit it. Unfortunately, I fell too. A blur appeared and a brown and red creature appeared underneath.

“Kyrii!” it squealed, leaping out to catch me. I landed with a muffled flop onto its back. I looked up at a boy’s face, dazed, though unharmed. He grinned at me and asked if I were okay. I smiled, a dazed smile, and nodded. He picked me up and stroked my soft, velvety back. I was quite happy with this. Then he carried me over to a leaf, and set me down. He said, “Stay put, for just a minute, okay? I was trying to get a picture of all the Meercas but that stupid Eyrie scared ‘em all off.” I gladly posed, pretending to eat a leaf. He took out a black box, and it clicked. A slot of paper appeared out of the opening. He brought it over to me, and I watched as it turned from black to… to… me! It was me, eating the berry! I smiled at him. It was a very neat picture, whatever that was.

The boy turned to his Kyrii, and said, “Well, let’s go now.” They were leaving! Quickly, I scuttled over to them. The boy saw me, and told me to stay here with my family. I pretended to walk away but as soon as his back was turned, I rushed after them again, keeping under cover of leaves and bushes. They walked on and on, the Kyrii with a definite droop to her ears. The boy glanced back once or twice, but I stayed hidden. Finally he turned to his Kyrii. “Are you tired, Kyrinya?” he asked, concern in his voice. The young creature, panting heavily, only nodded. Then she flopped onto the ground, tongue out. “I’m sorry, Kyrinya. Here, I’ll carry you,” said the boy, picking up the worn out Kyrii. It licked his cheek weakly, and fell asleep. I continued to follow him, more sure than ever that this boy, this barely teenage boy, was the perfect one.

After a while, we made it to a small city. More of a town, really. He walked right into the middle. I hesitated, then followed. I kept close to his heels, so people would think I was his. A few heads turned as we passed, watching the procession of boy carrying a Kyrii, followed by a scurrying green Meerca, myself. Suddenly, a cloud came down. The boy hopped onto it. I scurried after quickly. When we were up in the sky, we entered a dome-like building with a ‘HP’ on it. A blonde-haired mermaid stood behind a wide counter. The boy set his still-sleeping Kyrii upon it. It stirred a bit then dropped back into a deep sleep. The boy spoke. “Please Miss Faerie, I’m sure she’s okay. Just really tired. We walked a long way today.” The mermaid, who I supposed was a Water Faerie, nodded, and pressed a couple buttons. A different Faerie, with a little nurse-cap on her head, came in with a small stretcher. Carefully, she placed the Kyrii on it, and wheeled it away slowly. The Water Faerie gave the boy a smile and a peace sign, saying, “Kyrinya will by just fine, Jeremy. She just needs a bit of rest.”

The boy, Jeremy, smiled happily, and turned to walk out of the lobby. I didn’t have time to hide. He gave a start. “What’re YOU doing here?” he asked, as if he didn’t trust his eyes.

“What? That isn’t your Meerca?” asked the Water Faerie Jeremy turned back. “No, it’s not mine. I found it in the wild, and took a picture. That’s all. It keeps following me!” he said, staring at first the Faerie, then turning to me.

The Water Faerie then piped up. “I think it likes you! Maybe you should keep it.” I could have kissed her! That was exactly it! I nodded furiously. Jeremy sighed. Then he smiled. "So you think you like me, huh?” he asked, bending down to get a good look at me. I nodded again. He grinned, and set a collar and a piece of paper down by me. “If you really want to be mine, then I suppose you must get inside the collar for a few minutes.” I nodded, and scuttled over to the blue circle on the ground. I wiggled myself in. I turned questioningly to the paper. Jeremy held out a little black pad. “Put your paw on it, then place it on that line.” I stared mistrustfully at it. I was about to turn away, then thought, wasn’t this how to be adopted? Owned? I resigned myself then. Sticking my paw in the black ink, I put it quickly onto the paper. I could hear Jeremy’s voice, Master’s voice, ring with disbelief, “Well, it did it! Come on out then, little Meerca.” He reached down and unstrapped the collar. Looking around, and blinking, I saw Jeremy’s face grinning at me. He held the collar, and shut it. Then he put it back in his pocket. A ding was heard just then.

“Kyrinya’s all better now!” said the Faerie The Kyrii was wheeled out, sitting on the stretcher, and eating an apple happily. It squeaked a couple times, seeing her master, and leaped over to him. He laughed, and caught her. Then he explained that I had joined the team. Kyrinya stared mistrustfully at me for a moment, then leaped down. She padded over to me, and sniffed a bit. Apparently satisfied, she said, “Okay!” and went back to her master.

I crawled happily up to his shoulder, and we walked out of the Healing Springs. He gave me a quick hug, and said, “Welcome to the group, Meerca! Say, you need a name!” I grinned my Meerca grin, standing up on my tail. “Are you a boy?” he asked. I nodded enthusiastically. “Hmmm… how about…Caramel_Chubbycheeks!” I thought, then nodded. “Okay, Caramel! Welcome to the gang!” I was thrilled. Soon, we had reached the edge of the town. He looked down at Kyrinya, then looked over to me. “Well guys, let’s get cracking!” he said. We set off into the forest, an entirely new world for me, waiting to be discovered.

Before long, we had walked so far in we couldn’t see the town through the trees anymore. Kyrinya pranced about happily, swatting playfully at long grass shoots, whisking away as if they were fierce enemies. I giggled, and Jeremy laughed. She danced ahead, not watching where she was going. She fell through a tangle of bushes, and we heard a splash. Instantly, all the laughter was gone. Jeremy dove through the bushes himself, to end up…in a pond. We had fallen into a small pond, coated with lily pads I was hidden under one on his shoulder, and he had a lily pad hat on his head. Kyrinya, looking rather soggy, peeked out from under what seemed to be a blanket of lily pads covering her entire back and head. “I’m all soggyyyy…” she whined, shaking a paw to dispel the water. She leapt out onto the bank, and vigorously shook off the water and lily pads Of course, this made me and Jeremy more wet and lily padded… We didn’t mind though. Jeremy was relieved Kyrinya wasn’t hurt, or in danger. We decided to make camp on the bank for the night. Jeremy started a fire with his tinderbox, started cooking some hamburgers, and we sat around trying not to think of our soggy fur, skin, and clothes in our own cases Jeremy didn’t think of his at all. He was drying Kyrinya off with a pink, fluffy, well-used towel. Soon, her fur poofed out like some giant furball. Then he dug out a small purple hand towel, and dried off me. In turn, we yanked a big green towel out of his pack, and covered him. We smiled at each other, and he burst out laughing. Then he gave us both a big hug. “You guys are so silly,” he said, joking around. “You should join the circus!” Kyrinya stood on her head, and I juggled some pinecones. This made Jeremy laugh even harder. We ate our meal as we laughed, me foraging for some holly berries.

Finally, well past sunset, we calmed down and went to bed. Jeremy lay slightly snoring in his futon. Kyrinya curled at his feet, covered in her pink towel. And I lay on his back, curled up under my new purple hand towel. ‘All in all,’ I thought, ‘not a bad day at all.’ Then, I let sleep claim me.

***

When I awoke, the sky was just beginning to glow. It was a crisp, fresh dawn, with all the familiar Spring smells floating about. Dewdrops glistened from each and every blade of grass, and sparkled as they slid on spider webs. I blinked sleepily, taking it all in. An Eyrie chirped softly, welcoming the sun and the warmth that would bring out the Zafaras it ate. I smiled, stretching out to my full extent, basking in the warm sunlight as it peeked over the tops of the trees. An Eyrie called mockingly to me, saying I was to be his breakfast. I answered back, “You’d best not try. My Master over there, he saved me from one of your kind. Know how?” The Eyrie shook his head, staring unbelievingly at me. I pointed to Kyrinya, still asleep under her towel. “He sent her to fight, and threw great rocks at it. Let’s just say it never hunted Meercas, or anything, again.” Kyrinya yawned, showing her tiny but sharp teeth. The Eyrie flew off, growling nervously.

Yawning myself, I decided to make something to eat. I wiggled over to Jeremy’s pack, careful not to wake him up. I unzipped it, and pulled out some stuff. ‘Let’s see…’ I thought to myself. ‘This looks like good people foods! Where should I put this stuff…? Hey, here’s something to put them in!’ I yanked out some sausage, bacon, and a small travel-pan. I struggled with the tinderbox for a while, but finally I struck a spark, which caught to a pile of leaves I’d made by sweeping my tail about. Soon, a cheery blaze was going. I ringed stones around it, just like Jeremy had done last night. He’d said it was to keep the other things from burning, like the trees. Sticking the little travel-pan on the fire, I put the bacon and sausage in, hoping it would come out right. I tried to do it like Jeremy had done, but he had hands, while I just had little paws. They were good for tree climbing, and berry holding, but not much else. Oh well. Soon, the smell of the sizzling foods wafted out towards the sleepers.

Change to omniscient POV
‘Huh? Was something cooking?’ thought Jeremy. He stared, blinking and trying to focus his eyes. “Kyrinya?” he asked. Kyrinya sat up, sniffing and licking her lips. “Did you do something?” Kyrinya shook her head, shrugging. Jeremy sat all the way up, and yelled in surprise. ‘Ack! Caramel’s near a fire!’ Heaving himself out of his bag, he tried to run over. He tripped on Kyrinya, who shrieked in protest. “Sorry Kyrinya,” said Jeremy. He looked up from his position on the ground. Caramel stood above him, peering at him anxiously. Only then did Jeremy realize that he had purposely started a fire. He held a small twig in his front paws, and his tail kept her steady on the ground. He had his little purple towel draped around him like a monk, and looked so silly he just had to laugh.

Change back to Caramel’s POV
‘Why’s he laughing?’ I thought, peering at him. ‘Is he hurt or not?’ Kyrinya said from the sleeping bag, “Oh hush, Jeremy…” I chided her a little on being nicer, but Kyrinya didn’t care. She yawned and padded over. She stuck her cold wet nose into Jeremy’s ear, who laughed a little more, and then sat up. She grinned. “Gets him every time,” she said in NeoPet language.

I grinned, and tugged on Jeremy’s sleeve. Then, I went over to the fire, poking the contents with my twig. He got the hint, and came over to see what was cooking. He grinned happily, and took the pan out of the fire. I poked it a bit more, and decided it was done if he thought it was. Jeremy brought the pan over to the pond, and held it just on the surface. I followed to see what he was doing. It steamed a lot, and cooled down. He then took it back to camp, me walking along behind. Then he put the bacon and sausage on a plastic plate he pulled out of his pack. Then he reached up into the elm tree we’d camped under. He pulled down… some berries! Berries for me! He smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling. I did likewise, and we all had a grand breakfast together, with Jeremy making corny jokes and us NeoPets groaning good-naturedly as he demanded to know why we weren’t laughing at his amazingly funny jokes…

After breakfast, Jeremy washed the plate and pan. Kyrinya and I rolled up the sleeping bag and towels and put the towels in the backpack. Then Jeremy came back with some water in the newly cleaned pan and put out the fire. We scuffed up the earth, so it wouldn’t be all tramped down, and surveyed our handiwork. You could barely tell a human had been here, or had camped overnight. Kyrinya rolled around on the ground, explaining that if a sweet little Kyrii’s scent was all over the place, Jeremy’s wouldn’t be so evident. I decided I liked that idea, and took a dust bath too. After our dust had settled, we decided to go. Walking along the general direction to the next city, we saw many other NeoPets out and about. An Aisha clan played, the babies and younger ones wrestling about, and the older ones sat and watched, keeping a lookout for danger. Kyrinya had assured them Jeremy wouldn’t try to hurt them, and they had not even paused in their play.

An Eyrie was seen wheeling in the skies overhead, searching for prey. A Zafara family scurried in and out of a burrow, bringing in berries and twigs and such. A few grown Unis and their newborn foals frisked in a meadow. I sighed in contentment, taking in all the wondrous things I’d never have seen without Jeremy.

Suddenly there was a shout! A girl screamed in terror over the next hill. Jeremy sprinted up it, Kyrinya following and me hanging to Kyrinya’s ruff like it was the end of the world. When we reached the hilltop, we saw a sight that could have been funny, if it weren’t so dangerous. A swarm of Korbats flew back and forth, chasing a running, screaming girl. She had blonde hair, and wore a neat little green vest over a white T-shirt and a matching green skirt. Her hat had a small badge on it. Jeremy said it was a Neobadge. Then he rushed to help out.

He tackled the girl from behind, bringing her down to the ground just as the swarm swooped in. Kyrinya started growling, her fur sticking out everywhere, making her look like a large spiky ball colored brown and red. I shot myself at them, punching their wings and bringing them down with a dull thud. The remaining Korbats flew off, dragging the fallen with them, chattering angrily.

The girl sat up and yelled at Jeremy for a minute, then broke down into tears. Jeremy explained that it was shock and a bit of rage. We glanced quizzically at each other. Human girls sure were a lot weirder than Neogirls. Oh well. The girl suddenly sat up and shook Jeremy’s hand. “My name’s Sam, short for Samantha. Want to battle?” she said, talking very fast. Jeremy stuttered, then said, “Well, all right. Two on two?”

“Works for me!” replied Samantha. Jeremy called out Kyrinya first, who sprang to the ready. Sam chose a Kougra, who sneered at Kyrinya and extended his claws. Grinning maliciously, he started in with a lot of scratches even before Sam had called it. Kyrinya squealed and shrank back under the onslaught. Balling herself up, she sank into a Defend. The Kougra continued to pummel her, but she didn’t seem as affected. Then she let loose a Psychic, her eyes glowing bright yellow, her teeth showing, and her fur sticking out. The Kougra stumbled back, terrified of this hideous beast approaching him. Sam called out instructions, but Kougra was too scared. Then, Kyrinya went in and used a body slam. Kougra fell back, but the Psychic’s effect had passed. Yowling savagely, he slashed and scratched at Kyrinya’s unprotected face. She squealed in pain, and slammed into him with another body slam. He stumbled back, fell, and fainted. But the attack took its toll on Kyrinya too, and she panted on the ground, exhausted and weak.

Samantha pulled back Kougra, and Jeremy placed Kyrinya to the side, where she could rest and watch. She chanted, “Go Ca-ramel! Go Caramel!” softly from the sidelines. I stepped out bravely, hoping this would not kill me. I doubted it would kill me though. I could see Kougra’s sides rising and falling as he breathed, though he was knocked out. I hoped I could win. Sam sent out her next NeoPet The form jumped out from behind Sam, then a “SCOOOORRCH!” sounded as it proved to be a Scorchio. It glared menacingly at me, making sparks fly from its hands. I gulped, hoping I could handle this yellow demon…

***

Smirking at me, the Scorchio stepped forward. Yellow static bolts flew from its hands, crackling as they hit the ground. Samantha shouted for Scorchio to use Spark. As the bolts from the hands started to increase as the Scorchio gathered power, Jeremy told me to burrow into the ground. Tiny legs working furiously; I sank myself into the dust, throwing a layer on top as well. A piercing “SPAARRRRK!” sounded from just above and in front, but I only got a little jolted. The dust absorbed most of the lighting. I resurfaced, and slammed into it in a sort of tackle. I smacked into the Scorchio, but it didn’t seem very weakened. I backed off, staring at the yellow and tan mass of rage.

“I’LL GET YOU!!” it screamed, aiming a wing at me. I ducked, and it failed. I tried another tackle, and it seemed a bit less energetic. But not enough less. It shook its head, then slammed into me. It was so fast I couldn’t dodge. It slammed into me full force, sending me reeling back in pain. I tried another tackle, this time aiming for its throat. It fell back, wheezing and clutching its throat. I felt sorry for it. Then, quite suddenly, I didn’t.

“YOU’LL REALLY PAY!” it rasp-screamed.”SPARK!!” Blinding white pain! Electricity seared through me, scorching my delicate skin and face. I squealed in pain, and used two tackles successively. One smacked the Scorchio’s head, the other hit its back. It tried to shock me again, but the lack of power prevented it. Instead, it fired right back at the Scorchio, who flinched at its own weakness. I tackled it again, circling around and slamming it in the back of its neck. It fell forward with a weak “Owww…” and fainted. I stared in wonder at the fallen beast. The demon had been conquered.

Jeremy didn’t seem to care. He rushed over, saying, “Caramel! Caramel! Are you okay? Did he hurt you much?” I was just in a daze. The girl was sniffling, throwing some paper at Jeremy and grabbing up her Kougra and her Scorchio. She ran away into the forest. I sat and stared at where the once seemingly invincible Scorchio had lain. Kyrinya padded over, paper in mouth, limping slightly from a large cut on her left hind leg, and licked my face in approval. That brought me back to reality, and I smiled at her and Jeremy. His eyes showed he was worried, and his mouth was set in a thin line. Meercas are quite good at reading eyes. He picked me up, and wrapped me in my purple towel. Only when the fabric touched did I realize I was bleeding. As I tried to wiggle in protest, I realized the Spark had paralyzed me momentarily, and only dumb luck had kept me moving until the end. My eyes shut, willing the pain to go away. He placed me in his backpack, and picked up Kyrinya. Then he ran.

Faster and faster he seemed to go. I sat like a rock, quietly whimpering. Kyrinya whimpered too, which served to make Jeremy run faster. He tripped over a rock, but curled around Kyrinya to protect her. His eyes flew open, and his pupils contracted in pain as he took the brunt of the fall. But he climbed back up to his feet, and started to run again. I peeped over the edge of the backpack. Jeremy was hurt! He was bleeding; the tiny rocks in the ground had torn up all of the back of his leg. Still he ran on, and my adoration and love grew with each passing step. Finally, we made it back to town. Jeremy staggered into the Healing Springs, and sat Kyrinya on the counter, breathing heavily. Then he pulled off his pack, and set me down. He clutched his leg, as if just realizing he too was hurt. He rasped out, “Miss Faerie… take care of them… please…” and fainted on the ground.

I expected the Water Faerie to scream, or even gasp. She did go rather white in the face, but she turned to her computer, barking out commands. “Faeries! I need two stretchers, small grass type and medium normal type! I also need a human stretcher now for shifting to the hospital!” Within about five seconds, two Air Faeries rushed in with a large white stretcher. They eased Jeremy up onto it, and rushed him away through the door on the right. Then, four Earth Faeries came in, placing Kyrinya and me on our respective stretchers and wheeling us through the door on the left. My eyes filled up, and I began to cry in the soft Meerca chant.

I chanted over and over, “Oh Longtail, oh Longtail, please let Jeremy be okay…” The reason I chanted was because Longtail was the great Meerca goddess, who protected the Meerca race. Right in front of me, Kyrinya was chanting in her own tongue. I’m not entirely sure what it was, because she was mumbling, but the human talk translation was, “Please Kyrii, … … please! Oh … let Jeremy…okay! Kyrii…hear my cry! I need…you a lot! Oh help!” The Faerie to my right patted my head, reassuring me that my master would be just fine. I believed them, because they looked so honest and good and kind. They wouldn’t lie. Comforted by the Faerie’s words, I dropped off into sleep as they wheeled us into a room with many glass boxes.

***

“Dear me, what did they do to get that way?” asked the first Faerie, one by the name of Chana.

“Probably those awful Korbat swarms again. Grant them luck should I meet them!” replied the second one named Chenillea. “I’d slap them in as many bandages as they’ve caused!”

“That would make them unable to fly!” said Chana.

“Exactly. I’d also invite all they hurt,” retorted Chenillea.

“Ouch,” commented Nishah, the third Earth Faerie

Chenillea just grinned. Chana shook her head, wondering how a Faerie had gotten so vengeful. It wasn’t becoming. Oh well. Then Chanalinia, the head Faerie, bustled in. “Small and medium NeoPet stretchers needed,” she informed them, pulling the one Kyrinya had been on out again. Chana got in front and pulled, while Chenillea and Nishah brought along the smaller one.

***

I opened my eyes. Things, blurred green things, moved outside the window. Window? Where was there a window? I blinked a few times, and realized I was in one of the glass boxes I’d seen before falling asleep. I sat up. There was a mask on my mouth, covering it completely. I looked around, seeing many things. A Shoyru was sleeping fretfully in the one behind me. To my right lay a battered Bruce, its left leg in a cast. On my left was a singed and scorched Eyrie. It looked much the worse for its battle with some fire user, and lay barely breathing in its glass case. To the front was Kyrinya. Her face was towards me, and she looked as if she were sleeping peacefully. Faeries were bustling about, checking gauges next to the glass boxes and inserting bits of shiny things I couldn’t make out. Sometimes they’d open a box and spray some potion on a NeoPet they thought was looking awful. The pet would stir a bit, but go back to sleep looking more peaceful than they had been. Comforted by this atmosphere of getting well, I soon felt myself slipping back into dreams of warm summer days. Summer days in long-grass meadows. Where Jeremy and I would play hide and seek… Zzzz…

***

When I awoke, Jeremy was there. I no longer was in the glass box. I now lay instead on a small white bed, perfectly matching my size. Jeremy was sitting on a stool next to it. His leg was all bound up, and his eyes had deep circles underneath. When my eyes were fully open, his face split into a wide grin. I sat up, and noticed that Kyrinya was in another white-sheeted bed, only larger, to accommodate her size. I asked, “What’s going on?” Jeremy smiled and patted my head.

“You were out all day yesterday,” he told me. A sliding sound came from behind me. I turned around to see a stern-looking Earth Faerie in the doorway. “Back to bed!” she said. Walking over to me, she gave me a red apple. Turning her attentions back to Jeremy, who hadn’t budged, she barked, “I said come on! If not for your sake then to keep them,” and she gestured to myself and Kyrinya, “from becoming ownerless because you wore yourself out to the point of destruction!” At this, Jeremy gave a little sigh and grudgingly complied, slowly limping his way to the door. He turned and gave me a last wave before the Faerie shut the door. I could hear her scold him all the way down the hall.

As I settled back down under the clean linen sheets, the door slid open again, this time revealing an Air Faerie nurse. She had a glass of water in one hand and a small yellow pill in the other. She came over to me and told me to eat the pill. I did , and she then gave me the water to drink. The pill didn’t taste bitter, rather like wild apples. A sudden, nice warmth spread through me, from ear tips to the tip of my tail. Most of the cuts and scrapes I’d received in battle simply faded away.

In the other bed, Kyrinya started to stir. She cried “Kyriiiii…” fretfully at first, still mostly asleep. Then quite suddenly, she shot bolt upright and screamed. It was terrifying, that long, high-pitched squeal of pure agony. It sent chills up my spine and back. Kyrinya collapsed back onto the bed, sobbing hysterically.

The Air Faerie nurse rushed over to Kyrinya as two more appeared in the door. Kyrinya was kicking at the bed sheets and clawing and nipping herself. It was then that I realized that she was screaming something through her sobs.

“Gone, gone, he’s gone! Why, Kyririi, noo oh why?? I loved him so!! I WON’T go back! I can’t go back… Kyrii, Kyrii, take me with him! Let me go, go! I want to....Kyyyriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!” After that last despairing wail of anguish, she flopped down onto the tearstained, ripped, bloodied sheets, no longer white with newness. She continued to cry, murmuring, “Jeremy… Jeremyy…”

Just then, Jeremy did appear in the doorway. He fought to get in, pulling forward little by little. The Earth Faerie who’d forced him out was clutching the back of his shirt, trying to pull him back out towards the hall. “You really need to stay in bed!” she protested, still trying to bodily haul him out. “You need more rest! You’ll wear yourself out!! Think of your NeoPets!”

“I am!” he replied roughly, jerking his shirt out from her hands and limping as fast as possible towards Kyrinya. He shoved the other faeries aside, oblivious to the unhappy protests. Ignoring the slick patches of dark red on her fur, he snatched Kyrinya up into his arms, murmuring reassurances.

Kyrinya’s eyes flew wide open, and she gasped, “Jeremy?!” He stroked her head, soothing her. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she cried, “Jeremy! It isn’t a ghost! Oh Jeremy!” She gave herself totally to his pettings, emitting a growl more like a purr in sheer happiness that he was alive. As I watched this, I realized the bond they shared ran far deeper than anything I’d ever seen before, not even NeoPet to NeoPet relationships. It seemed nigh impossible that Kyrinya could love this human so. Then, with a jolt, I realized I did too.

A Faerie nurse came over at last, carrying a small squirt bottle. She spirited the contents all over Kyrinya. Kyrinya’s eyes flew open and she squealed in protest as the liquid stung her open cuts. But she subsided as she realized it was doing for her what the pill had done for me. All her self-inflicted cuts disappeared and a few of her old battle scars, mostly healed already, shrank to nothingness as well. The Earth Faerie nurse came over and demanded that Jeremy go back to bed. Kyrinya turned her head and glared at her, speaking softly but defiantly. “I will not allow him to leave. You will not make him leave” The Faerie shrugged and sighed in exasperation, then turned to two of the Air Faeries.

“Go and get the boy’s cot,” she said in a weary tone.

“I’m tired of arguing with you,” she said to Kyrinya, “so your master will simply sleep here. What’s the difference? It’s certainly a lot easier than trying to persuade YOU…”

Kyrinya said nothing, only snuggled down into Jeremy’s arms. I sneezed, the medicinal tang of the potion itching my nose. Jeremy turned at the small sound, and smiled. He reached over and plucked me up, and hugged me too. The faeries arrived then with the bed, which the Earth Faerie directed to be put up in the corner of the room. Jeremy grinned mischievously and dropped Kyrinya and me onto Kyrinya’s bed. Then he grabbed a pillow and swatted us, declaring a pillow fight. Kyrinya and I tackled him, shredding the pillow and feathering him. As Kyrinya tore the pillow to shreds, I covered Jeremy with the feathers. He looked like an overgrown Eyrie by the time we were done. Laughing and throwing up his arms, he said, “Okay! Okay! I admit defeat! You guys win! Heyy!”

The last remark was directed at Kyrinya, who’d jumped onto him and knocked him over. We all laughed happily. The door slid open, and the nurse glared at us. “GO…TO…BED!” she said, pointing at the three messed up and unoccupied beds. Meekly, we agreed. Yawning mightily, I soon fell asleep, lulled by the gentle snores of my two comrades.

The End

Author's Note: I'm writing this like NeoPets are bred in the wild too. I think it would be cool, too, if I wrote it like people LIVED in Neopia, not transversed dimensions. So there's a bit of info!