The Foster: Part Two

      Sam's eyes flew open, and she sat up abruptly in bed. She heard her 2 Gallon Hatz pillow hit her shag rug with a muffled thump. Soft whimpers floated from across the house, followed by quiet footsteps. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and Sam blinked. She was back in her original home, on the night that her life changed for the worst.

      Sliding off of her fluffy, expensive bed, the Peophin pulled herself out into the hallway. She could hear the gentle snores of her three siblings in their rooms, and felt a tiny bit more relaxed at the familiar and comforting sounds. Glancing at the hall clock, Sam saw that it was midnight.

      She moved silently and stealthily through the house until she reached the kitchen, where she saw a shadow-y figure moving around right outside the front door. Sam poised, ready to use one of her fire abilities if it tried to come in. But instead, the figure moved towards the street, and got onto the back of a waiting Eyrie, before flying off into the night.

      Quietly sitting down at the table, just in case the figure came back, Sam saw it. An envelope with her name on it sat on the table. Flicking the lights on, Sam read it.

      Dear Sam,

      I am so sorry that I haven't told you this, but our stocks have plunged. I didn't want to scare you and your siblings into thinking that we were poor, even though we are, so I have been acting as if nothing was wrong while desperately trying to save back up. That started two months ago. I have done as much as I can, but I know that I will never be able to give you the rick and luxurious life that I wanted for you. So, to give you a chance at a happier life, I am leaving. I have hired some Pound employees to bring you and your younger siblings to the Pound tomorrow-

      Sam dropped the letter and galloped to her owner Bree's room.

      She gasped.

      It was almost empty. All of Bree's clothes and books were not there, and her reading glasses were gone. The bed covers had been stripped and now laid in a small pile by her bed. The curtains had been drawn, blocking out any light.

      A mournful cry filled the air.

      It was Sam's.

      Sam awoke with a jolt, tears streaming down her face and her mane soaked with sweat. She wiped at the tears and sat up, hiccuping. She didn't need the dream to know what had happened next.

      Sure enough, some people from the Pound had come in the morning and taken her, Meg, Laurie, and Dylan. They were all put into the Pound, to discover from their files that Bree had been planning to abandon them for two months. Meg and the other two were snatched up instantly, as they were painted, but Sam was waiting for her paint job when she was abandoned.

      That was when she had plunged headlong into a sea of depression. She cried constantly, and decided that if she couldn't be happy, then neither could anyone else. She picked fights at school, and didn't even bother to study for her. At all of her homes, she would crank up her music to annoy the other pets and to drown out her own thoughts. Her file at the Pound was one of the thickest there.

      Sam didn't used to act like this. It was just that everyone that she cared for was gone.

      Suddenly, Madalleena roused in her sleep and opened her eyes. "Sam?"

      Leaping up, the Peophin galloped out of the room. She didn't know where to go, but finally settled on a lilac door decorated in seashells. She locked the door shut behind her, saw that it was the bathroom, and sank down onto the cloud floor. She pressed her hooves against her eyes, and began to shake all the way down to her tail.

      "I hate my life!" she cried. She began to sob loudly and cry like a storm. Tears slid down her bright green cheeks and splattered onto her lap.

      At that moment, someone began to bang on the door. Sam recognized Madalleena's startled voice, asking what was wrong and demanding to be let in. The green Peophin glared at the door. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Covering her ears, Sam tried to ignore the noise, but the Kougra was persistent.

      Finally, Sam reared up on her tail and brought her hooves down on the door with as much strength as she could muster. "GO AWAY!" she screamed.

      And then it was silent.

     ******

      Madalleena stared in shock at the closed door. What was wrong with that Peophin? She had just been trying to help! I mean, if you had seen your foster sister crying her eyes out at six in the morning, wouldn't you be worried?

      Shaking her Kougra head, Madalleena silently flew back to her - excuse me, their - room and settled into her bed to try and get a few more minutes of sleep before getting up for Neoschool. She glanced over at Sam's duffel bags to see a rather expensive looking leather jacket, lying limply under a pile of CDs.

      Now, Maddie had never been in the Pound, but she was positive that they didn't give the pets those things.

      That girl was probably spoiled, or something before she was abandoned, and is frustrated that she has to live with a family that can't afford to spoil her, Well, too bad! She's living here, with us, until she is zapped a rare color, so she better get used to it!

      Rolling over, Maddie closed her eyes and tried to drift back to sleep.

     ******

      Opening the door a crack, the green Peophin peered out and saw that Madalleena was gone. Closing it back, she pulled herself over to the bathtub. With a groan, she grabbed a bottle of Superstar Shampoo, filled the tub with steaming water, and then slipped in. It was heavenly. She massaged the sweet smelling shampoo into her mane, and then plunged her hooves into the water, in search of the soap.

      Once her hoof finally settled on the bar of soap, she rubbed it all over her body. Her tail stuck out from the tub and hung lazily over the edge.

      Finally, Sam pulled herself out of the relaxing waters and toweled herself off. Reaching for her hairbrush, the Peophin caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She actually looked nice, after so many weeks without a good bath. The Pound was on a low budget, so you had to sign up and wait for one of the few working showers to be available.

      Taking a deep breath, Sam opened the door and headed to the kitchen. All ten members of the family were already seated at the table, and they all seemed to look up at her at the same moment. Ignoring their gazes, she lugged herself over to the table and looked down at her breakfast of waffles. She could feel the faerie Kougra's eyes boring into her head, watching her every move. Finally, annoyed, she looked up and stared back.

      Savannah could sense the hostility between her two pets, and decided to put an end to the staring contest.

      "So, Sam," she began, slipping Misty into her highchair, and opening a jar of baby food. "Today is your first day at the lab ray. Would you like to do it while the others are at Neoschool, or wait until tonight?"

      The green Peophin had completely forgotten about the lab ray - even though it was the only reason that she was here. She had always wanted to try it, but Bree had said that it was way too dangerous.

      "While the others are at Neoschool."

      "Well, all right." The brown-haired girl nodded. "As soon as everyone has left, we'll go."

     ******

      For almost two weeks, Sam lived with Savannah and her many pets, getting zapped every day and being treated like a permanent pet.

      She was a tad disappointed, though she didn't admit it, when the only thing that changed were her stats - she wasn't the battling type - until one day, the ray hit her with a feeling that she had never felt before. Her whole body began to shudder, and then she started to change. First, her tail went numb, and then she looked down in shock to see it shrink and morph into two short legs. Then her mane shortened until it shrunk into her head, right before her skin tingled and short fur grew all over it. Probably the worst part was when her face contorted, though even that didn't hurt too much; it was more of a numb feeling. Next, two large, Korbat-like ears sprouted from either side of her head. A bushy tail sprouted from her backside. She felt herself growing downwards, and then the last thing that happened was her hooves morphed into two short paws.

      "You're a green Kacheek," Savannah noted excitedly, giving a high pitched squeak. "Awesome!"

      Meanwhile, Sam was having other thoughts. She had never stood in her life. With a cry, she fell backwards onto her bushy tail.

      Grinning, the blue-eyed girl helped Sam up and hugged her. "Don't worry, hun, a lot of my fosters find it hard to change species. You'll be walking like a pro in no time!"

      Sam nodded numbly, not resisting the hug, as it was the only thing keeping her standing. She gazed down at her new body. Everything felt strange, and the worst part was now she wouldn't be able to breathe underwater.

      With a sigh, she allowed Savannah to carry her home.

     ******

      Tears streaked down the Kacheek's face as she cried noisily. She had thought that it would be a stats or species change, but no.

      Sam was now a boy.

      Savannah had immediately brought him back to Faerieland, and cracked open a pint of cookies and cream ice cream. Now, Sam sat on his bed, spooning the cold treat into his mouth and crying.

      Shoveling a spoonful of ice cream, Sam recalled how his foster family had reacted to his change. Emily, Zana, and the twins had pitied him greatly, and had allowed him to skip dinner to mope. Madalleena had plainly ignored her tears, muttering that she was sleeping in Emily's room that night, and Alisa had simply smiled up at her and said with her strong lisp, "Boyth are thinky. You thould be a girl, Tham."

      Then he remembered Kisa and Savannah. When he had first arrived home, Sam had heard them talking.

      "That poor girl," the starry Cybunny had said, pulling her cloak tighter around her petite body and shaking her head. Sam had learned that she was very thoughtful and motherly.

      "Yes," Savannah had nodded. "I would have been horrified too, if I was changed into a boy!" she shuddered.

      "By the way she acts," Kisa had murmured, "I assume that she has had a difficult past, so this may be harder for her than it would be for other pets."

      "I wish that she wouldn't be upset all the time. It makes me so sad to see a pet like that."

      The scene in Sam's mind blurred and broke away as she felt another rush of tears coming.

      They really cared for her.

      Maybe...

      No. She couldn't care for them. What about when she was zapped a rare color and had to leave them? Her heart would be broken again.

To be continued...