The Cross-Painted Curse: Part Three

Where were we? Oh yes, Lorelai had just finished her first day of classes in her new body, and she was in a weird mood. Normally, my oldest girl is cheeky, teasing, but loving. But that day, she left the Training School angry. I didn't understand it at the time, but I knew something was wrong. Trouble was, she wouldn't confide in me. She spent all her time shut up in her room, she wouldn't eat with us, or come to Roo Island to go on the Merry Go Round with her brothers and sisters. A week passed, and I spent most of my time digging at the Mysterious Dig Site. But I couldn't help but worry about Lorelai, alienating her friends and her siblings.

***

     That second week being a cross-painted pet was the worst. I had to go train every day, the situation in Tyrannia was getting worse and Kai insisted I top up my fighting skills. She was so serious, she was even bribing the receptionist Techo with Fortune Cookies from the NC Mall. I got very strong, very fast, and learnt to survive on very little sleep. We were all getting ready for something, we just didn't know what. I spent my days split between the Training School and Count Von Roo, challenging him as soon as he woke up, I was chugging neggs and potions like there was no tomorrow and badgering any passing faerie for a quest. Calvin was training too, at home at the Academy, while Cardenio was digging furiously with Kai, and Lafayett prepared the house. It wasn't just our family that was tense and stocking up, I had never seen the Training School so full. It seemed to me that everyone was training, for what no one knew.

     With so many newbies at school, I was glad of my expertise. Normally, there's only about ten in the Master classes, but even our levels swelled to thirty every day. I got an odd kick of pleasure out of seeing the usually unflappable receptionist Techo getting flustered and disappearing under a sea of codestones. But I think he deserved it, no one can be that calm all the time, it had to be an act. I was glad to see him knocked down a peg or two.

     Speaking of knocking down a peg or two, I was getting good at that. I had a reputation in the school now, and the younger students would trample each other to get out of my way as I came down the corridors. It felt good to have them scared of me. My cross-painting just added to the tales of my cruelty to create a wonderful sense of fear around me. The rumours flew thick and fast, not one of them true but not one of them did I see fit to deny. My favourite one was my appearance had unsettled the Beast in Tyrannia so much, she was preparing to leave Neopia for good, and that was what was causing the earthquakes. I liked that one, though I never told anyone that.

     It seems I do a lot of not telling these days. I growl, quite a bit, and of course the physical exertion involved in classes means I pant, and scream. But other than that, I don't really say much. I've found, when you don't have friends, you don't need to talk. I can get away with saying less than twenty words a day, and just grunting in response to moronic questions.

     I'm not lonely. I don't need them, why would I? My old friends gave up trying to talk to me after that first day. I caught them looking at me sometimes, when I was terrifying a first-timer. It wasn't the fear of the other faceless, gormless idiots at school. It was something else, sadness. And pity. I hated that. I hate that. Don't pity me because I'm different, fear me. Because I have nothing to lose, and you know it.

     Kai tried to talk to me once. She corned me in the kitchen where I was reading and eating and ignoring everyone. "Lorelai, I'm worried about you," she began, twisting her hands about like a child.

     I snorted. "Don't be, I'm fine."

     She just stared at me, worry creasing her face. "I don't think you are. You avoid us, why?"

     I bit back the retort that rose to my tongue. That was too mean. I settled for "I don't have anything to say. I'd appreciate a little privacy." Since being painted snow, no one could match me for icy comebacks. It was all her fault anyway.

     I stared at my owner, once the most important person in my life, and for the first time, felt no love for her. In fact, all I felt was hate. This hatred was so strong it burned me, inside out, I was burning up with it. I didn't fit in anymore, I didn't have any friends anymore, no one trusted me anymore and it was all her fault. I couldn't speak through the lump in my throat. Shoving back my chair, I stood up and glared at her.

     "I have nothing to say to you anymore. You will leave me alone from now on."

     Kai look more surprised and upset than I had ever seen. Once upon a time this would make me pause, make me want to comfort her, but not anymore. Not after what she had made me. She had no one to blame but herself.

     "Why are you so angry?"

     She asked it so softly, I wasn't sure I heard it correctly. As I stared at her disbelievingly, she repeated her question in a way that meant I knew I had to answer it.

     "The clue's in the name, Kai," I sneered at her. "Cross-painted, remember?" As if she wouldn't, I shook my stupid Christmas Jacket at her. "Cross. Comes with the territory."

     "The students at school are scared of you, Lore, that's not like you!"

     "Like me? Like me? You made me what I am, you have no right to say that to me!"

     "I am your mother!"

     "NO, YOU'RE NOT!" I screamed at her, suddenly furious. All the anger that had been burning under the surface for the last few weeks erupted without warning.

     "I WAS YOUR DOLL TO DRESS UP, BUT NOT ANYMORE!" I was panting, despite my snow colouring, I was sure steam was coming out of my ears. We stared at each other, the table between us seemed a mile wide. I didn't know how that had happened, but I didn't want to change anything. Everything I hadn't said since she did this to me was fighting to get out, to be screamed at her to make her understand. She had turned white, her eyes were like saucers. She looked like she was about to cry. I noted this absently, I had never seen her cry before.

     I drew breath to scream again, though my throat was already hoarse, but I was interrupted by the kitchen door bursting open and knocking me to the floor. I didn't think I could get any angrier, but that did it. I leapt to my feet growling, getting ready to pounce on my stupid little brother, who didn't see me. Lafayett had flown into the kitchen and thrown himself into Kai's arms even though as a Chocolate pet, he wasn't supposed to get that close to the stove. Neither was I, come to that.

     "They're going to fight, they're going to fight, we have to decide who to fight with or they'll come after us, what are we going to do?" Laf nuzzled into Kai's arms. She scratched his head automatically, looking over him to me.

     We stared at each other for a long moment. She didn't seem to want to make a decision without talking it through with me first, like she usually did.

     "What are we going to do? What are we going to do?" whimpered Lafayett. I clenched my fists, but it was too late.

     "Shut UP LAFAYETT!" I bellowed. There was a sudden, ringing silence.

     "I'm going to fight. And the rest of you will sit at home avoiding trouble," I announced. "Stop snivelling and go and get packed. We're going to Tyrannia. You'll need to get more Neopoints out, we'll be there a while. Go now, and tell the others to pack too." Lafayett did as I told him, staring at me as he left, trying not to sniff again in case I yelled at him some more.

     Kai and I stayed in the kitchen, locked into each others staring eyes. Something was broken between us, and I didn't care in the slightest. As far as I was concerned, it had been broken since the day she dragged me to the rainbow pool with no warning. It's not my fault if she's only just realising it, I thought furiously. "Bank. Neopoints," I reminded her rudely, and turned. With a swish of my horns I was out of the room.

     The journey to Tyrannia was quicker than it's ever been. The Pirate Kyrii didn't bother messing with me this time. Maybe that's because I was carrying my battle equipment with me. No one spoke. My brothers looked between me and Kai, who didn't take her eyes off me once. I stared straight ahead and ignored them. In my books, if you don't speak up, you are on the side of evil. Kai isn't evil, but the same rule applies here, and my brothers were as culpable as her.

     I dumped the rest of the family in the nearest neolodge and travelled to the site of the mysterious Obelisk, seeing it myself for the first time. I found a harassed looking Desert Uni with a clipboard and demanded to know what was happening.

     "The Tyrannian Paleontological Association is leaving the site. Since the discovery of the Obelisk, a number of factions have arrived and expressed their intentions to fight for the Obelisk. We can give no more information than that, and advise any citizens to leave with us for their safety. If you choose to stay here, the Tyrannian Paleontological Association is not liable for any injuries or death you may incur as a result," he recited wearily. Clearly I was not the first person to ask these questions. Still, that's not my problem.

     It took me another hour to find out who these factions were, and several more to make up my mind. Once I had decided who our family were backing, I trekked back to the neolodge. I was sick of the stupid parasol Kai had forced upon me before I left, but I had to use it. No one can fight if they're a pile of water.

     "Wait, wait, what do you mean, YOU'VE decided?" Calvin demanded. I had just finished explaining the situation to the rest of them, and out of all of it, this was the point he was querying? Not the mysterious obelisk, not the equally mysterious but much more terrifying faction leaders I had spoken to, but the fact that I knew who I wanted to fight for? Seriously?

     "Seriously? You wanted to be part of the decision of who I fight for? ME. Not you. ME! I'm the one who'll be fighting, I've only told you as a courtesy." I glared around the table. Kai stared at me, with that irritating worried expression, but I ignored her as usual. I was getting good at that. Cardenio was examining his precious Maractite wings while Lafayett was picking lint from his Chocolate paws, both of them avoiding looking at me. Only Calvin looked at me. I glared back at him.

     "Why are you so angry, Lore?" he asked me

     A growl ripped through my teeth. This was the second time I had been asked this, I was so SICK of it. Wasn't it obvious why I was angry? Furious?

     "You lot will stay here, out of the way. You will not go outside, you will not talk to the other factions. I will fight, my faction will win and then we will go home. Is that clear? I enunciated quietly at them. The younger boys nodded quickly. Calvin studied me while I glared at him. Eventually he seemed to come to a decision, and nodded slowly. "If that's what you want." I growled again, in exasperation. The boys all turned to Kai. I looked at her for the first time in hours. It seemed like hours passed before she spoke.

     "Will this make you happy?"

     If I had years to come up with what I thought she would say, I never would have thought of that.

     "It will make me very unhappy if it doesn't happen the way I say it will." I said icily, lifting my chin with insolence.

     "Alright then. Boys, upstairs, get settled in. Lorelai, which faction are we supporting?"

     I grinned nastily. I knew they wouldn't like this bit at all. I fight because I enjoy it, but all the others are pacifists. The only fists they'll bear, they joke, are the fists of a pacifist. That used to make me laugh, but when I heard Cardenio telling a friend that this morning, I didn't even crack a smile. I knew Lafayett was for the Order, while Calvin wanted us to fight for the Seekers. None of them would want the faction I had chosen. Good. They had nothing to do with it.

     "We are the Brute Squad. Now get out of my way."

To be continued...