Vispian's First Friend

     Vispian looked at the towering castle, looming on the horizon before her, right in front of her very eyes. She looked at the dark rain clouds and the little steeples jutting out of the top of the castle. Vispian shuddered. Why had she told her "friends" she would do this dare? They were just outside of the boundaries of the castle, behind the wrought iron gates, watching her with smirks on their faces.

     Vispian clutched her Cybunny reject toy, which had put her through many teasings and gotten much of its own over the years. But Vispian didn't care. Rocky, the name she'd given her good luck "charm" for no reason, was a best friend to her, and her only one.

     "Protect me; be with me, Rocky," Vispian whispered at the reject toy. "I'm going in."

     As Vispian walked to the gates of the castle, watching as the double doors fell open before her, her "friends" cheered wildly. She heard many woos and hoots. The cheers weren't for her sake so Vispian ignored them all and quickly darted into the castle. She wondered how long she'd need to stay to convince them she wasn't a reject. That was what she was going for, right? The doors slammed behind Vispian and the cheering subsided.

     Vispian looked about her. Everything was dark and the place had a musty, old smell. Cobwebs hung in all of the corners and on a full length mirror and lots of boxes and other junk. Vispian spied a sword in the corner and ran for it, yanking it up and cradling it in her arms. She thought she might need it later. But she knew she'd need her charm more than any old sword. It brought her luck.

     Vispian went on through all the rooms, looking around. She was going to make the most of being in Eliv Thade's house while she was there, because she knew she was never entering this place again! She did wonder where Eliv Thade was, though. The mansion seemed like it had been dead and empty for a hundred years. Not a soul was in sight. Vispian scratched her chin and loosened her grip on her charm, making her knuckles less white. She bounded on throughout the rooms, being her Cybunny self.

     Vispian found another room. It was, surprisingly, empty. The only object in the whole room was a shield, and it was setting in the very middle of the floor, shining and glistening gold and silver. Vispian wondered why all of these items were laying about. Why would someone as evil as Eliv Thade even give her a chance to defend herself if she was in combat with him that very day? The thought made Vispian shudder. She'd never want to battle Mr. Thade, not in all her days.

     As Vispian leaning down and gave the shield a yank, she heard a crackling noise. She gave it another yank, but it didn't budge. The floor opened up and the shield dropped down into the opening, out of sight. Vispian stepped back, suddenly afraid. Her sword clattered to the floor, and she didn't make an effort to pick it up. Shockingly, she hadn't really been much afraid since she first entered. Just cold. And hungry.

     "What are you doing in my house?" Eliv Thade roared. Vispian was stunned to silence. "I say, this is my dwelling! I reside here and you don't! What brings you here?"

     "I - I, um, Sir... My friends dared me," Vispian said slowly.

     "And that makes it okay to trespass?" A fire blazed in the villain's eyes.

     "No, Mr. Thade..." Vispian sniffled. She looked into his dark, unwelcoming eyes and felt her story start to pour out. "I've never had any friends! They really aren't my friends, just some other Neopets from school! And I've always been the reject, that's why I carry this Cybunny reject toy. It's my good luck charm, and my only friend... My best friend! All the kids dared me to come out here by myself and go into your house. I'm not sure how long I was supposed to stay, but they're out there, waiting for me. Oh, Sir, I'm sorry! I just wanted to win their approval and not... I wanted to move from being 'reject' to 'loved'. You know what I mean?" Vispian asked.

     Eliv Thade's eyes softened. "Why didn't you say so, girly? Well, we'll show those 'friends' of yours who's not a reject. You can stay here with me for as long as you want. Actually... You look pretty hungry. You'll stay, and we'll have a feast. You can even sleep over if you want. Stay for a week or two, see if I care! A year, it wouldn't even matter... My oh my this'll be fun! Like a slumber party! And then when we go back out to my yard to meet your 'friends', I'll come out with you and laugh at them! How does it sound?" Eliv's face lit up.

     "That sounds really nice of you... Really, REALLY nice of you! But I can't stay a year. Or a week. Or even all night. My mommy would be worried sick about me and I don't want to scare her. Why are you so eager for me to stay, anyhow? But that feast DOES sound pretty nice. To tell you the truth, I am hungry. Famished, actually," Vispian replied.

     "Oh... Well, that's okay. Today will still be fun. I'm eager for you to stay, little girl, because, the truth is... I'm a reject too. I have no friends either. Everyone that hears my name gasps and immediately thinks 'villain'. It's sickening and it makes me very depressed. I've not left my house in two years, little girl. But that's good of your mommy. I'm glad to hear it. I live alone, without a mommy. You're so lucky for her to be with you. I'm alone... But I guess we'd better being on that feast," Eliv Thade said.

     "Oh, Eliv Thade, thanks... You can call me Vispian, by the way," Vispian said.

     "And you can call me Elsie. HEY. Don't look at me like that," Eliv said, his eyes dancing with merriment. "What do you want to eat?" He paused and then didn't wait for an answer. "How silly of me! I'll fix everything I've got. You want to help or do you want to look around?"

     "Not to be rude, Elsie, but I'd like to look around... If you don't need the help, and if it doesn't bother you," Vispian said softly.

     "It doesn't! Run along. Have fun, Vispian," Eliv Thade called after the Cybunny who was eagerly heading up a winding staircase.

     As Vispian traveled throughout the house, she didn't see much. She actually wished she had stayed downstairs and helped to cook, and for two reasons: One, she was getting rather bored. There wasn't anything but bare beds with only mattresses and no sheets, boxes and boxes and more boxes, and too many patches of cobwebs to count. Two, she was getting a little lost. The castle was big, and she didn't know whether to turn left or right or go up or down.

     "The feast is ready," Eliv Thade called, his voice ringing throughout the mansion.

     Vispian could barely hear it, it was so faint to her. But she knew it was something, so she took advantage of that.

     At last she made it down to the large and beautifully decorated table. "Wow!"

     ***

     Eliv Thade walked out of his mansion and down the long, winding pathway to the exit to the wrought iron gates with Vispian. Her friends were there, squinting at the couple walking down the pathway. It looked like they weren't sure what to believe.

     "Hey, FRIENDS," Vispian giggled, holding Eliv's hand. "Meet Eliv Thade..."

     The other Neopets shrieked and cowered in fear. "FEAR ME!!!" Eliv screamed, baring his teeth at them like he was a Werelupe. "No, seriously, fear me. Actually... By, Vispian. I had a great time." Then he turned to the other kids. "SCRAM!" Back to Vispian. "Vis, I think you should go too... Don't want to worry your mommy. Visit me, okay?"

     "I will." Vispian nodded, smiled, waved. "Thanks for the meal. It was scrumptious! Hope to see you again soon."

     Walking down the path with her "friends", Rocky stuffed away in her pocket, Vispian giggled at her comrades. "Boy, that was fun!"

     "What in the world... EXPLAIN," one Gelert demanded.

     "I met Eliv, who prefers to be called Elsie... And he made a great meal and I explored and then we ate. Nothing more," Vispian said, sighing. "It was so dreamy." Then she laughed again. "KIDDING!"

     Her "friends" stared at her in amazement. "You're so cool!" a few of them said in unison.

     Vispian smiled a secret smile. She was no longer a reject, and she had made her first true friend that very day... Friends with a lonely, misunderstood villain. All in all, she'd gained a lot.

     "I'm cool!" Vispian repeated, grinning.

The End

Author's Note: I'm sure at some point you, the reader, have felt left out or felt like a reject. Imagine how it would feel to feel like that all the time. Well, Vispian is happy to make a really good friend. And I'd like to dedicate this story to The Citadel, a rockin' guild, because I have some really rockin' friends there. =) Feedback appreciated; thanks for reading!