Abandoned: Adoptees Don't Walk, They Fly

     - Sauyre -

It was that blasted April fool's joke that got me here. I thought my owner loved me the most, but it turns out, she disliked me enough to throw me into the pound. Even after the pound was re-opened, she never came back for me. I will never be wanted, I will never be home.

      All I want is to go home. I want to see my sisters, my owner. I want to see what's become of them after nearly two months. I never go out of my room, and I never go to eat. What's the point, anyway? The only reason people come here is to snag good neopets. I am, by no means, a good neopet. My stats are terrible, I'm a basic yellow Pteri, and nobody cares about names anymore.

      If only I could sing to my owner again. She loved to hear me sing, to hear my voice chirp with every note. I push the memories away. She's nothing now. I remind myself. I'm nothing now.

          - Torraine -

      "Mother," I caw softly. She's still asleep. I brush her face with my colourful wing. "Mother, we have to go find a new lab rat today!"

      "Torra, go back to sleep," she hisses.

      "No ma'am!" I caw, louder this time. "You said you needed an alarm clock, and THAT'S WHAT I AM!"

      "Torraine!" she shouts. "I'm up now."

      I whistle softly. I whistle an easy tune, one that I learned when I was little. I flap my wings until I'm resting on the chandelier, and whistle my song. While Mother gets dressed, I fly downstairs into the kitchen. I make her favorite: toast and bacon. I'm pouring the apple juice as she comes downstairs, dressed in a lovely white lace shirt and jeans.

      "You look lovely," I say, cooing. She smiles and accepts the breakfast, and I rest on her shoulder. The funny thing, though, is that I'm too big to sit on her shoulder! She ends up pushing me off, and I give a hoot of laughter. While she's eating, I check on my Goldy, named Tooth. Why Tooth? Because he bit me every time I tried to clean his bowl! Anyways, I go back to Mother, and she's already got her jacket on!

      "Where are we going?" I ask her.

      "The pound. I'm getting a new lab rat today, remember?" She smiles.

      Without chirping a word, I climb up onto her shoulder and leave out the door.

     - Sauyre -

     It is early in the morning, a few hours after my shift has started. I remain in my room, eyes locked on some point in the distance. I don't bother listening to my growling stomach. A pound volunteer leads another neopet in: a green Blumaroo.

     "Sauyre, this is Yuchta. She'll be staying with you." Without another word, the volunteer drops the Blumaroo down on the bed and leaves. Yuchta doesn't seem like the socialite, and I am grateful for that. She just lies on the worn canvas covers; her back turned towards me, and keeps quiet.

     "Attention all Pound Pets," the loudspeaker booms. "It is now 11:00 am. The current active shift has ended. New active pets may come to the front."

     This must be Yuchta's active period, I think. I turn towards her, looking for any movement, but she stays still. I stretch my wings and fly over to her bed, nudging her. "Yuchta," I coo softly.

     She must be asleep. She looks up at me, waiting for a response.

     "It's your active period," I say. "You have to go."

     "Nobody wants me," she says, closing her eyes and pulling the covers over her body. It's not over yet. She deserves to be in a good home.

     - Torraine -

     When we reach the pound, it is around noon. I stretch my faerie wings, and whistle a soft tune that made Mother giggle. We check into the pound, and wait around for names. We meet a Quiggle named Arove, although Mother says the name just didn't "click". Then, we see a strange sight: a yellow Pteri tugging a reluctant green Blumaroo out into the Adoption Room. It makes Mother giggle, and she goes out to touch the Blumaroo's paw.

     "What is your name, sweetie?" she asks sweetly.

     "Yuchta," she says. "But I don't like it."

     "Well, I do." Mother purses her lips, holding the Blumaroo's paw in-between both of her hands. "And I think you'd make a good lab pet."

     "My name is Torraine," I caw majestically, puffing out my chest. "If you wanted to come home with us, I'll be your brother."

     The Blumaroo looks frightened. "No," she says weakly. "Sauyre deserves to have a family. Not me."

     - Sauyre -

     "That's rubbish, Yuchta," I say, touching her shoulder with my wing tip. "You're beautiful, and deserve a home."

     "I'm not leaving without Sauyre," she says, crossing her arms.

     What is she doing? I ask myself.

     "Hello, ma'am," I say to the owner. "Yuchta deserves a good home."

     "So do you," she points out. "How long have you two known each other?"

     "Barely a day," I respond.

     "No," Yuchta says. "I lived with you and Melinda. Don't you remember?"

     Melinda. The name impacts my chest, suffocating me in memories. I push them away.

     "I do remember you, Yu." Tears are forming in my eyes. I blink them away; it's time for me to be strong. "I'd rather not remember Melinda."

     "Torra." The owner turns to her faerie Pteri. "You always wanted a faerie sister, right? And I need a new lab rat."

     "Yes," Torraince coos in response.

     "Sauyre is your new sister," the owner starts, "and Yuchta is my new labbie. Both problems solved."

     There are tears in my eyes as I sit on Yu's shoulder. When my new Mother sees me holding back tears, she picks me up and holds me. "You don't need to be strong anymore, Sauyre. I've got you."

     And she always will.

     - Yuchta -

     It's been a month since I've been in the pound. I've shifted many forms, thanks to the lab ray. I've experienced more than I can even imagine, getting to swim, getting to fly, being able to run with the wind. I've been a Uni, a Buzz, and too many other species to explain. Every day that I wake, I know I'll become something new. I never have to be ugly. I will never go unwanted.

     Mother painted Sauyre faerie already. She loves flying with Torra, and even myself, when my form allows it. There's nothing like feeling the wind brush through every feather on your wing, or having water slip off your shiny skin, or climbing a tree.

     The first zap, I was terrified that Mother would hate my new form, and pound me. It was when I was zapped into an Ogrin when I was terrified the most. But Mother loved me just the same as I was a Blumaroo. Now, the ray barely hurts. Every zap I have, it doesn't make me tense up, because I know I can go home in Mother's arms. I know that with every change, she'll still love me for who I am, not what I am.

     And that's how it should be.

The End