Ixi Rare Gem

     Ixidae peered inside, but the contrast between the light outside and the darkness inside made it impossible.

     “Well, don’t just stand there. I haven’t got all day,” a deep voice growled. Ixidae could not tell where the voice was coming from. “In or out, it makes no difference to me.”

     The door began to close. Taking a deep, steadying breath Ixidae dashed through the opening. As the door clanged shut she gasped from the darkness. She blinked, attempting to adjust her vision. A flash of white rushed past her. There was a cold whoosh of air. Ixidae spun around, her hooves held in front of her in a defensive posture. Whatever it was seemed to be gone now. She calmed herself as she blinked in the darkness, trying to expel the bright halos imprinted on her corneas. She turned slowly, trying to make out anything around her. Her eyes began to adjust and she saw a slightly lighter area to her right. She took a step toward it. The glow grew brighter and coalesced into what seemed to be a recognizable shape. “WHOA!!” Ixidae jumped back until she felt the door pressed against her hindquarters. “What, what are you?” she stammered.

     “What’s wrong with you? Haven’t you ever seen a gelert before?” the gelert asked.

     “Of course I have!” Ixidae was indignant. “Just not one I could see through.”

      “The office is just on the other side of that light.” The ghost stared icy daggers at Ixidae then drifted up and disappeared into the ceiling.

     “Wait!” Ixidae was desperate. “What light?”

     She spun around, turning in circles, looking for the light. Wait. Was that area less dark than the rest? Ixidae padded across the cold floor towards it. It did seem to be getting a tad lighter. She moved forward a bit more. Yes, it was getting lighter. With more confidence, she strode forward and in moments was able to see a very dim light fixture by a door with a sign that read “P. Fletsam, Manager”.

     “Here we go.” Ixidae gathered herself and knocked. A moment later she heard a muffled voice she was unable to make out. She took a deep breath and opened the door. “Hello?”

     “You must be Ixidae.” The voice sounded like it was in stereo. “Come in, take a seat.”

     The trembling ixi obeyed as she assessed the huge jetsam behind the desk. But something seemed wrong. When she looked at him, she felt like she was seeing double. She blinked hard several times, but nothing changed. “We were really glad to receive your application for this position.”

     We? Ixidae thought as the manager continued, “You’ll start out on the line. How long you work each day will depend on how well you do. Any questions?” He didn’t wait for any answer. “Good. Gramps, take Ixidae to the factory floor and have Leari train her.”

     Gramps? Ixidae looked around the office, but there was no one else here. Looking back at the manager mumbling at his desk, it appeared as if there were two jetsams, one floating on top of the other. As she stared, the figure separated into two pets, only one was more like a vague outline. What in the world is going on here?

     “Keep up now, I haven’t got all day,” Gramps grumbled as he floated through the door and out into the hall. Ixidae jumped up and followed him before he got too far ahead. Another ghost? She had to be dreaming. Hopefully she’d wake up soon and discover it was all just a horrible nightmare.

     Gramps moved quickly as he passed another transparent figure drifting the opposite direction. Ixidae crouched against the wall, her fear evident by the low growl emitting from her muzzle. Once the passing ghost disappeared, Ixidae ran faster behind gramps and soon found herself in a huge area full of assemblers. The workers, some working harder than others, were putting plushies together of many different types and colours.

     “Got a new one for ya.” Gramps stopped in front of an older lutari, her fur grey and patchy. “Fletsam said you’re to train her.” He darted towards the office and disappeared in seconds.

     “Hi, I’m Leari,” said the lutari leading the way to an empty workstation covered with supplies.

     “Ixidae,” she responded.

     “Beautiful gem.” Leari nodded her head towards the glimmering, green stone on Ixidae’s collar. “Wish my owner would get me one like that.”

     Ixidae put up one hoof to touch it and an unbidden tear slid down the corner of her eye. “Thanks.” She turned her focus to the work sitting on the table in front of Leari.

     “Now then, I’m going to start you out on these green shoyru plushies. They’re one of the simpler kinds to make and don’t require any gems.” Two ghosts sped by startling Ixidae so much that she couldn’t help but stare. Leari noticed her reaction and waved both her paws in front of Ixidae. “Don’t pay them any mind. Trust me, you’ll get used to it.”

          “I’ve never seen ghosts before. They are ghosts, aren’t they?” Ixidae asked in a small voice almost as if afraid someone would overhear.

     “They are,” Leari confirmed. “They were once employees and when they passed on, well, they just never really left. Some still show up for their shifts; do a good job too.” Ixidae looked carefully at Leari’s face as she tried to decide if she were being made fun of. “When you’re on a break, introduce yourself to one of them. Most are really very friendly. Those that aren’t…well, don’t worry about them. Most won’t stick around us living pets for long anyhow.” She drew Ixidae’s attention back to the stacked materials on the worktable. “Now watch closely.” Leari proceeded to demonstrate how to sew and stuff the plushie, but all too soon Ixidae was left alone at her workstation.

     I don’t think I can do this, Ixidae feared. She looked back towards the door, thinking she should just leave. She turned back to the table and looked down at the materials in front of her. A small light appeared to be shining on one of the pieces of fabric. As she watched carefully, it inched over to the sewing needle. She looked around, but didn’t see any ghosts near her. “Oh well,” she mumbled to herself. “I guess I can always leave later.”

     Ixidae picked up a couple pieces of fabric and the needle and started to stitch the two pieces together as Leari had demonstrated. She picked up a third piece of fabric and attached it to the other two. In less time than she could have imagined, Ixidae found she had a completed shoyru, perfectly stitched and stuffed, sitting in front of her.

     “Nice job, kid.” Ixidae spun around as Leari walked up behind her. “Keep this up and we may have to move you to a more difficult batch next time. Go ahead and finish the rest on that table and then you can take a break.”

     Leari stepped over to the next table where a middle-aged purple jubjub was struggling with his batch. “You’re done for the day, Barth. Try to do better tomorrow.” Leari motioned for another assembler to take Barth’s place then moved on to the next table.

     “How’d you learn that so quickly?” Barth’s voice was thin and whiny. “I’ve been here for a week and I still haven’t managed to work a full hour. It’s just not fair.” Barth huffed off. He was closely followed by a ghost moehog making faces and mocking him behind his back. Ixidae watched them for a moment, not sure if she could trust what she’d just seen.

     “Don’t mind him,” giggled a yellow draik at the table across from Ixidae. She was working with the most beautiful red fabric and bright gems that shone in the light. “Some pets just aren’t cut out to make plushies. I’m Dereisse, by the way.”

     “Ixidae.” Her eyes raced to another ghost as it zoomed between them so fast she couldn’t tell what it was. “How long have you been here?”

     “Oh, a few years now.” Dereisse’s iridescent wings flapped gently as she worked. “My owner seems to think this builds character or something. Why are you here?”

     “I need the neopoints.” Ixidae spoke freely without even thinking. “Anything’s got to be better than that pound.”

     Dereisse looked up suddenly, her eyes sad. “I’m so sorry, Ixidae. I’ve heard stories about that place. Were you there long?”

     “Long enough.” Ixidae paused and realized she needed to be more careful. She didn’t know any of these pets. “I’m just really glad to be out of there.”

     “Well, hopefully your new owner will be better to you.” Dereisse tied off the thread she’d been working with and inspected the finished plushie then grabbed a nearby velvet bag.

     “My last owner wasn’t bad. He was really great… I…” Ixidae reached up and clutched the gem her owner had given her shortly before leaving her at the pound almost two weeks ago.

     “I know, dear.” Dereisse looked at Ixidae with sympathy as she placed the plushie in the velvet bag. “We all have things happen to us that we don’t fully understand.” Dereisse placed the last of her batch into a large cardboard box then sealed it with a big white sticker. “It looks like I’m done for the day. I hope we have a chance to talk again.” She put the cardboard box on a dolly and waved goodbye as she left to drop it off in shipping.

     Ixidae nodded towards her then turned her complete attention back to the plushie materials in front of her. She needed this job, so she’d better concentrate more on what she was doing. It wasn’t long before she looked down and saw she’d completed her entire batch in less than two hours!

     The weeks continued, each day Ixidae learning how to make a new, more difficult plushie than the day before. Whenever she feared the new batch was going to be too much for her, the small light appeared on her table as if encouraging her or, sometimes, moving as if to show her what to do next. Each time it appeared, Ixidae held her collar’s gem tightly and fought not to cry. She was beginning to think more often about her owner and wondering why he had abandoned her.

     When the hard-working ixi showed up to work one morning, Leari had a special batch of plushies waiting for her to work on. “You’ve done a great job here, Ixidae. You’ve learned how to make each type of plushie in less time than I would have thought possible.” Leari placed the most expensive fabric, stuffing and gems on Ixidae’s assigned table. “This is the last type of plushie for you to learn: the ogrin. It’s the most difficult we make and requires the most materials. I know you can do it.”

     Leari showed Ixidae how to put this complicated plushie together then left her alone to master the technique.

     After just one hour, Ixidae placed the ogrin plushie in its velvet bag and felt a sense of pride in her accomplishment.

      “Great job, Ixidae.” Surprised by the deep voice behind her, she flipped around and found the manager towering over her, one large fin extended toward her. The ixi’s hackles rose unexpectedly, and she barely managed not to bare her teeth at him. As she continued to gawk she noticed that his fin was actually holding a badge as if he were handing it to her. Ixidae reached up tensely and took it, not sure what it could possibly be. “You’ve done well here in such a short time, so I’m promoting you to Journeyman.” Ixidae gaped at him in confusion. She looked down at the shiny emblem in her hoof with the word Journeyman etched on it. She stared at it, speechless, as the manager continued. “Congratulations.”

     The workers, both the living and the ghosts, clapped in appreciation from the surrounding tables, and the blushing Ixidae wagged her tail in embarrassment. “Thank you,” she stammered. A few ghosts working maintenance flew down from a mezzanine to pat her on the back. She did not fear the dead anymore and even smiled.

     “You deserve it. Keep this up and you’ll make master in no time.” The manager strode off, his big tail swishing behind him.

     Master? She’d only sought this job as a way to support herself after running away from the pound. She never even considered that she might like it or that she’d be good at it. Ixidae realized she hadn’t really thought about her future at all. Ever since her own master had dumped her at the pound, she’d avoided thinking. She felt it was just too distracting, too painful. But she did like this job. She wished her master were here where she could share her accomplishment with him. Feeling tears collect in her eyes, Ixidae turned back to the table to see what batch needed to be worked on next. But then, something unusual happened. Not only did the gem on her collar collect the light and shine it back in front of her, but now it also seemed to produce a warm and calming effect. She reached up to clutch the green gem and was surprised to see the gleam of light shining on her blue fur. It had never done that before. As she dried her eyes, Ixidae realized thinking about her owner was no longer quite so painful. In fact, it almost felt at times like he was still with her. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. She wanted to ask him why he’d abandoned her. Maybe it had all been a mistake and he had actually gone back for her only to find her gone. What if he thought she didn't care and had forgotten all about him? I have to find him. When her shift was over, she’d try to look for him. She knew some of his favourite places; maybe she could find him at one of them.

     Ixidae left the factory the instant she clocked out. She was tempted to start her search at the Music Shop, but it was far too close to the pound for her peace of mind, so, instead, she began at the Grooming Parlor. Her owner loved to buy brushes for her hair, the latest makeup, and even perfume once. But, he wasn’t there.

     Next, she went to Unis Clothing where he often delighted in finding her a new garment to make her feel special. The shop was crowded when she entered. Although she looked everywhere, there was no sign of him. She even stopped for a moment to ask the clerk if he’d seen her owner, but he hadn’t, not for several weeks. Next was the auction house where her owner used to buy and sell the most wonderful items from all over Neopia. There weren’t many active auctions at the moment though, so she knew her owner wouldn’t be in there. The Petpet Shop was another place her owner liked to go. Ixidae loved this store because one never knew what they’d find there. Her owner loved gifting her with an adorable little friend from time to time. After looking around, once again, the ixi was disappointed.

     As Ixidae approached the Magical Bookshop, she fondly remembered it as her favourite place to visit. Her owner took her there at least once a week and they never left until he bought her at least one book to read. He was very proud of how quickly she was able to learn new things. He’d encouraged her to learn about all sorts of jobs. Could that be why she was doing so well at the factory? She found the nimmo bookseller and grabbed his attention to quietly ask if he’d seen her owner. He shook his head and she felt a cold anxiety rush through her. It seemed as if no one had seen him for several weeks.

     There was only one other place she knew to try: the pharmacy. She’d only been inside a couple of times. Normally her owner bought her some special treat to eat outside while he went in by himself to shop. He always came out with a small bag though, so he must have really liked something that he bought there.

     Sunset painted the sky a sooty shade of grey as evening drew near and shops were beginning to close. As she neared the pharmacy’s door, the tired neopet found she was reluctant to go inside. Tears filled Ixidae’s eyes as she thought about the possibly that she might never learn why her owner had left her. Overcome with dread, she decided she needed to take a moment to steady herself. She curled up on the grass strip of the storefront and just couldn’t hold the tears in any longer.

     “Ixidae?” She was startled out of her misery by an elderly woman’s voice behind her. She turned and saw a familiar eyrie, Starry, standing near her. Ixidae remembered seeing the kind nurse working behind the counter the couple times she’d gone inside. The one thing Ixidae remembered about her was that she loved to stop and chat for a while with her customers. “It is Ixidae, isn’t it?”

     Not trusting her own voice, Ixidae nodded. It was fully dark now and when she glanced at the pharmacy’s door she realized she’d been outside so long, that they were now closed. She’d missed her chance to look inside.

     “Whatever are you doing here, Child? It’s late, you should be home,” Starry told her.

     “I’ve been looking for my owner. I’ve looked everywhere I could think of, but I can’t find him anywhere.” Ixidae didn’t even try to stop the tears from falling. She continued in a rush, afraid she wouldn’t be able to say the words out loud. “I know he didn’t want me anymore, but I guess I was hoping he’d at least tell me why.”

     “Oh, Ixidae. Didn’t your owner tell you? No, of course he didn’t, because he wouldn’t want you to worry.” Starry sat down next to Ixidae and gave her a comforting hug. “He did want you, Dear, and he loved you so much, more than anything.”

     “Then why would he leave me?” Ixidae wiped at the tears streaming down her muzzle. “He never would have done that if he really loved me.”

     “Oh, Child. Didn’t you ever wonder why he came to the Pharmacy?” Ixidae shook her head no. ”He came here because he was sick. He tried every cure we had, but none of them worked. If he took you to the pound, it was only because he didn’t want you to be alone. It was important to him; he wanted you to be taken care of.”

     “Sick? No! Where is he? Do you know?” Ixidae jumped up and spun around in circles as if she’d see a sign pointing the way. “I have to go to him.”

     “I’m so sorry, Ixidae, but that’s just not possible. Once all our cures failed, there wasn’t really anything else we, or anyone else, could do for him.” The nurse closed her eyes in sorrow.

     As Starry’s heartbreaking words registered, Ixidae collapsed onto the ground, her body shaking with sobs. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

     “I don’t know. He probably should have,” Starry admitted. “But I don’t think he wanted to face the fact that he was going to have to leave you. In fact, the last time I saw him, he said he’d found something that, while it wouldn’t cure him, might at least allow him to remain with you.”

     Ixidae dried off the trails of teardrops with the back of one hoof. “What something?”

     “I don’t know. All I do know is he was working with Illusen on it.” Starry fought to remember. “Something about a gem, I believe.”

     With a furrowed brow, Ixidae lifted up the gem on her collar to show Starry. “He gave me this, right before he left me at that terrible place. I haven’t taken it off since.”

     “It’s beautiful. May I?” At Ixidae’s nod, Starry reached out her paw to inspect the faceted stone. When she touched it, a bright light flared from inside, momentarily blinding them both. “Maybe they succeeded.”

     “What...” Ixidae’s attention was drawn by something over Starry’s right shoulder. It was a ghost, very faint and almost impossible to see. But it was definitely there, and Ixidae now knew from experience what a real ghost looked like. She squinted at the swaying spirit. Seeing her interest, the ghost slowly drifted closer where she could see its glow more clearly. It was her owner!

     He smiled at her as an echoing voice was heard blowing in the wind across the plaza saying, “Remember me, but celebrate you.” The ghost rushed back toward her gem, suddenly disappearing inside.

     Starry broke the silence, tears slowly falling down her beak. “It looks like you found him.”

     Ixidae calmly put her hoof over her gem, only now it felt different. It was even warmer and, if she concentrated, the gem pulsed slightly as if it were breathing. “Thank you,” she whispered.

     The End.