Feelings

     Xal was taking out four slices of Megapepper pizza and two slices of Asparagus and Yougurt pizza to table 12, where a group of six Aishas sat chattering. Xal carefully put the pizzas down and slid away. They didn't see her, but ate on. This was new, most people scorned her. But they still ordered her around. Serving other tables, Xal sometimes heard buzzes of talk. None of the other guests were talking much, but she could hear the Aishas. Often it was boring, but she did hear important things such as; they wanted more Neocola, or they were ready to order dessert. She was called back into the kitchen and given a platter of an entire Chilli and Capsicum pizza. The chef warned her sternly not to drop it, and Xal turned around to the door and began moving, with the heavy pizza in her arms. Carefully, she took it to table 18. She placed it in the centre of the table and gasped for breath.

     "Hey," said one pet, a Green Kyrii. "Looks like you forgot the apricots." Xal was so mad, she couldn't remember having ever felt this mad before. She sezied a menu and began screaming out the definition of Chilli and Capsicum pizza.

     "HERE, CHILLI AND CAPSICUM PIZZA. IT SAYS 'A FOLDED CRUST OF SPICY FLAVORS, COVERED WITH CHILLIES ON THE TOP OF THE BASE AND SPRINKLED LIGHTLY WITH FRESH RED CAPSICUMS OVER A LAYER OF DELICIOUS CHEESE'. NOTHING ABOUT APRICOTS AT ALL! IF YOU WANT APRICOTS, ASK! YOU DIDN'T SAY ANTHING ABOUT APRICOTS! ALL YOU SAID WAS 'GET A WHOLE PIZZA OF CHILLI AND CAPSICUM, PRONTO! I DIDN'T HEAR A THING ABOUT APRICOTS!" The Kyrii was standing in shock. Then she spoke.

     "Fine, you....you...waitress....get us apricots, now! I always knew Shoyrus were of a very low standard." She snickered and turned back to the table. The young Shoyru was furious, but she just couldn't take it anymore. Xal spun round, and saw the whole resturant staring at her. She ripped of her identification card and threw it at the Chef, who was standing in the door to the kitchen, watching Xal yell at the Kyrii.

     "That's it! I'm leaving! No one cares a bit about me, do they? I'm just a Shoyru waitress in a weird apron who forgets the apricot when it wasn't even asked for!" She tore off her apron and stormed out.

      Xal tried to stay calm. She kept her mind of her present situation by thinkig about what she owned. What did she have? Well, there was her money, and her clothes, no, she remembered now, she didn't have those. The stupid Chef had taken them from her and thrown them on the fire blazing in the fireplace at one end of the room. Poor Xal had no home to go to, so she went into the Pound and gave herself up.

     "I have no owner," she said, "so please give me a shelter here." The Uni stared at her like she was crazy. The Techo stood up and took her through a huge pair of doors. Xal looked at the wire cages and did not struggle as she was placed into one. She did not object to the omelette taken around to her, while other pets sobbed and said they wanted proper food. One owner came by in the next week. She adopted Xal straight away.

     "Wow, what high stats. I can;t believe she was dumped here. She'll be a great fighter." But Xal heard none of this. She was too excited about going to a home. The girl told Xal her name, FlyingFighter, but she told Xal to call her Fly, not Mum, or Mom, or Mother, just Fly.

     "So," Fly said, once they were home, "how good are you in the Battledome?" Xal was shocked, she had never heard of this Battledome thing, but it sounded bad.

     "Wh-what's the Battledome?" she asked in a quivering voice.

     "You must know," snorted Fly. "It's where pets fight each other. I have taken you here for a purpose. You will fight and I will win money."

     "But won't it hurt me? If they punch and kick?" Xal continued asking questions.

     "Why should I care?" Xal was shocked once more. She had thought this girl would give her love, not pain. A collar was forced around her neck, a plain leather ring except for some writing on it, saying 'Name, BatlleWinner.'

     "That's not my name!" objected Xal.

     "It is now! I don't care what your real name is, your name is BattleWinner. BattleWinner, come along." Xal was forced to follow.

     The Battledome turned out to be a great ring of seats and platforms. In the centre was a circle of sand. This was the Island Arena. One pet stood at one end of the sand. A voice boomed out over the Neopets and owners. Fly told Xal to get put there and fight, but Xal stood her ground. She didn't want to fight, no matter what.

     "Welcome to the Island Arena. Now fighting is Wocky64, and BattleWinner!" Xal was so unused to her new name that she just stood still. Then Fly picked her up and threw her onto the sand. Xal lay there groaning, but then the Wocky came charging up. He delivered two hard kicks and Xal's hit points were down to zero. Xal rolled over and saw Fly leave without her. After ten minutes of lying abandoned on the sand, a young girl came onto the sand and picked Xal up. She read the collar around Xal's neck.

     "BattleWinner... Didn't win today, did you? Those were strong kicks, you've got two huge bruises here. Why are you out here all alone? Oh, poor BattleWinner. Where's your owner?"

     "I..." Xal thought, and realized that if she said she had no owner, this girl might love her and take her home. She seemed caring and pleasant, and Xal loved her already. "I have no owner."

     "Then come home with me." The girl took Xal's hand. Together they walked out and caught a ferry to Meridell.

     Xal finally had a stable home. She was called by her proper name, her owner was kind, and never did Battledome. Xal could choose many things to do, was taken to special places, was never ordered about again, had money and good clothes, and best of all, her feelings at last had a place in the world.

The End