The Best Gift of All

     I slid out of stairs and slithered slowly down the stairs even though I could fly with my large feathery wings. I was currently a faerie Hissi and had so far found having no legs not as bad as I thought it'd be, but hey, maybe that's because I was experienced after being a Kiko in the past.

     Lucy and Lexi. The unstoppable duo. The best of friends, the closest of companions, the buddiest of buddies. Well, that's what everyone else thought. All my friends thought I was so lucky being a lab rat.

     “Imagine, always wondering what pretty colour you're gonna turn out next, what awesome species, how high your level's gonna be...” my friends would sigh, stroking my beautiful feathery wings.

     I'd always smile and nod and keep up with the whole act, but deep down, inside my heart, tears always flowed. I didn't like always changing, the pain of the morph, the discomfort and confusion that came with a species change.

     Sometimes I'd be an adorable baby Lupe, then the next day a horrible mutant Xweetok. A rare Lutari to a basic Ruki. But when I finally turned into Lexi's dream pet, a red Cybunny, I thought I'd struck lucky. She'd stop zapping me and keep me as a beautiful, sweet, well-named permie. No such luck.

     She though she'd try and extend her luck so far she somehow though she could get me into her ULTIMATE dreamie, a royal Cybunny. I was heartbroken, and I felt angry and betrayed. She only wanted a Royal Cybunny to prove how lucky and 'skilled' she was. I knew before she'd never even blink an eye at the thought of a royal Cybunny, a red one was all she need, but not anymore.

     So she zapped me. And I can tell you I almost cried when I found myself as a red Hissi. But I never cry, not ever, especially not in front of Lexi.

     As for Lexi's reaction to my species change, she pretended she couldn't care less. She shrugged, giggled, rolled her eyes, and said it didn't matter. But she wasn't being kind and caring to me, she was simply reassuring herself, trying hard to hold back the tears I knew were dwelling up inside her.

     The next day it was back to zapping, and the scream of joy I heard from Lexi as I suddenly turned into a faerie Hissi was one that still wrings in my eardrums to this day. She hugged me, she cried tears of joy, she lay a palm on my cold, scaly skin and shivered with glee. She'd tie ribbons on nearly all the feathers of my wings and she even helped me slither properly without difficulty and encouraged me to try out my new huge wings and fly. For the first time in my life I almost felt happy.

     But, as I soon learned, happiness does not last forever. Easter was close approaching, and all that was on all of Lexi's friend's lips was Cybunnies. How cute they were, how apparently rare and popular they were, and how no girl could go without one at Easter. I silently begged her friends to shut their big mouths and leave Lexi be, she was so happy with me as a Hissi and hearing what could have been had she not zapped me when I was a Cybunny hurt her almost as much as it hurt me.

     But Lexi's friends were persuasive, and so soon after Lexi zapped me day after day, but simply got angrier and angrier when all we got were stat changes and level decreases.

     And so that was were I was headed today, back to the laboratory, for more zapping. I clutched my matching faerie Babaa Stork to my chest, as this was his first time under the petpet lab ray too. Lexi had bought and painted me a whole new petpet to celebrate my color change, but now she wanted Stork to be turned into an Eizzil, and equally cute and must-have Easter accessory to go with any Cybunny.

     “Aw, Lucy, don't look so upset! You know if you get turned into a Cybunny, basic or not, you won't be zapped a second longer after that!” Lexi said, staring at my sad face.

     “Oh yeah? Well, what if I get turned into a mutant one? Or a Darigan one? You're telling me you won't re-zap me then?” I argued back miserably.

     Lucy frowned and bit her lip. “Well... we'd have to see, wouldn't we?” she said, faking a smile. “C'mon, let's go, we'll get you a slice of pizza from Pizzaroo on the way to catch the boat!” she said, grabbing her coat and boots and shoving them on.

     I growled. “What kind of owner are you? I don't think we've ever just sat around the table and had pancakes and orange juice and cereal like any normal family! You think I'm so lucky getting Pizzaroo and candy and smoothies for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, but to be honest I hate it! Why can't everything be normal again?”

     Lexi looked shocked, and took a step back. “You have no idea how lucky you are, Lucy! You're my only pet on my only account, most lab rats are shoved onto some person's side and only looked at when they're being zapped into some fancy colour before being sent off to the pound or to be shipped off to some one else in a trade!”

     My eyes formed slits, my arms folded, and I muttered three words that caused Lexi's face to fall. “I hate you.”

     We stayed silent for the whole boat journey over and my stomach rumbled noisily as Lexi had opted not to get my a breakfast of Pizzaroo afterwards.

     “You said you hated it,” Lexi said bleakly, not looking at me.

     I cursed myself for saying that.

     We arrived at the island and nobody was around as we were so early.

     We walked into the lab and Lexi decided to zap Stork first.

     'The ray is fired at Stork, and she changes colour to plushie!'

     I quickly snatched my new fuzzier petpet to my chest and stroked her plush body as she shivered and shook in fear.

     “And now me, right?” I sighed, gently placing Stork on the ground and walking under the huge ray gun.

     That Crazy yellow Scorchio professor guy pressed down hard on a button and I closed my eyes and waited for it to come. Nothing happened.

     “Wh... what the?” I whimpered, but looked up and gasped. Lexi was standing in front of me, causing the Scorchio to stop dead in his tracks.

     “Excuse me, what's going on here?” he asked angrily.

     “I've changed my mind; I don't wish for Lucy to be zapped anymore. Good day.” She offered me her hand and I quickly took it before rushing out before either of them could change their mind.

     “L... Lexi? What's going on? Why did you do that?” I asked, dumbstruck.

     “I... I'm sorry, Lucy, I've not been much of an owner to you recently. I've been too obsessed with what others saw on the outside that I forgot to take a closer look at what was inside. It's not about what species you are, or what colour. It's about the Lucy that's somewhere inside there. I've made up my mind. No more zapping. Nothing. From now on we're never visiting this place again. I don't care how much I paid for the map, and we'll go straight to the trading post and chose any morphing potion or paint brush you want and paint you, I swear!”

     I smiled, a few tears of happiness forming in my eyes. “I love you L... Mom,” I said, grinning, and Lexi held me close in hug and whispered into my wings, “I love you too.”

     EPILOGUE

     And can you guess what morphing potion I chose? That's right, a Cybunny one. And the paintbrush? No, not a Royal one, but a Plushie one. Why, you might ask? Simple, Stork needed someone to match with.

     It really was the best Easter present either of us could've gotten, I promise....

The End