Dreams of a Young Battledomer

     When Falikar finished her training, she dragged her body into the kitchen of her neohome, and plopped herself down in one of their dried bamboo chairs. Soon her owner, a cheerful girl named Angela, bounded up with a steaming plate. Falikar thrust her snout to the air so she could inhale the sweet smells of her supper. She purred contently.

     "What's for supper, Angela?" she asked. "It smells good!"

     Angela smiled, and replied, "It's one of my specialties - I'm sure you'll like it. It's a turkey dinner, made of a turkey, corn, and beans."

     Falikar nodded, pleased. She was ravenous and tired from her training, and she was ready for a good meal. When the food was placed onto the table, Falikar immediately took a large forkful and gobbled it up.

     "You should wait for your sisters, Falikar," Angela stated.

     "Grrmph hraf mrrffla," replied Falikar.

     Angela tapped her foot on the ground in an irritated manner. "Wait for your sisters, Falikar," she said sternly.

     Falikar grumbled angrily, but put down her fork and did not eat any more. She was a stubborn Darigan Zafara, but she knew when to stop. Soon, the doorbell rang. Angela waited to see if Falikar would go and open the door, but, seeing that Falikar would do no such thing, she walked up to the front door herself and opened it. All of Angela's other pets came rushing in.

     Kialy the plushie Cybunny whirled around the house, having just come back from her ballet lessons.

     Grasteled the Halloween Uni tromped around the house, hungry after taking an evening flight around the neighborhood.

     Soon, both of Angela's other pets settled into chairs around the dining table, and Falikar picked up her fork again. Still ravenous, she stuffed her face with more food. After she finished chewing the food that was in her mouth, she reached out with her fork again, only to hear the "cling" of metal against porcelain. She looked up in horror. All the food was gone!

     "GRASTELED!!!" screamed Falikar, knowing that only her Halloween Uni sister could have eaten so much food.

     "Now, now, Falikar," Angela said, "your sisters are hungry too. You've got to learn to share."

     "But mum, I'm RAVENOUS! Why don't you tell that gluttonous Grasteled to eat less?!" wailed Falikar.

     "Hey, who you callin' gluttonous?" rasped Grasteled, glaring at Falikar. "Can't you see I'm all skin n' bones here?"

     "And as if I'm not?" retorted Falikar, showing off her exposed ribs and returning Grasteled's glare.

     "Well that's just 'cause you work out too much!" snapped Grasteled.

     While the two sisters were arguing, Kialy was just looking between the two. She was a young Cybunny, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Soon, she couldn't take it anymore. She burst into tears, as if a fountain inside of her had exploded.

     That was all Angela could take. "SILENCE!" she screamed. Falikar and Grasteled continued arguing, as if she wasn't there.

     "I SAID SILENCE!" shrieked Angela. That got the neopets' attention.

     "THAT'S THE LAST STRAW - BOTH OF YOU, OFF TO BED WITH NO DESSERT!" she screamed.

     Falikar and Grasteled glared at each other one last time before lumbering to their rooms. Meanwhile, Angela comforted Kialy and helped her eat the rest of her supper.

     The next day, Falikar woke up to a surprise. Grasteled was off playing games in the Deserted Fairground, and Kialy was playing at her friend's house.

     Angela walked up to Falikar and said, "I have enrolled you in the Mystery Island training school. There, you will learn patience and kindness as well as training, because I know of your dreams to become a Battledome champion."

     Falikar couldn't believe her ears. She jumped with joy and asked, "When do I start?"

     "Right now," replied Angela. "Go put on your jacket and come with me."

     Falikar ran to the closet and threw on her jacket. Then she scurried out the door after Angela.

     "Falikar, could you fly us to Mystery Island?" asked Angela.

     Falikar had never flown with a human on her back, but she was so excited to be training at the training school that she willingly tried. She let Angela climb onto her back, ran a little, and took off. She couldn't fly straight at first because Angela was quite heavy, but she soon got the hang of it. With the trophy yet again gleaming in her mind, she sped off towards Mystery Island.

     When they arrived in front of the Training School in Mystery Island, Falikar was tired from all the flying, but she still ran into the school after Angela. They had arrived right on time. Angela had enrolled Falikar into a course to train her defense. After paying the fee of a main codestone, Angela headed back to the waiting room, leaving Falikar with the Techo Master.

     "Come with me, grasshopper," said the Techo Master.

     "GRASSHOPPER?! HOW AM I A GRASSHOPPER? I'M STRONGER THAN THAT!" screeched Falikar.

     Angela turned around and gave Falikar a "behave, or else" look. Falikar shut up.

     "It is the term which we use for beginners like you," said the Techo Master calmly. "Now, the first thing you must learn is patience. Come, I shall test you."

     Falikar followed the Techo Master into a large room with white walls and nothing in it.

     "Let's see how long you can stay in this room in one position without shifting too much," said the Techo Master, before disappearing through a door, leaving Falikar all alone. Falikar sat down onto the floor. She knew that she must not make any big movements or talk at all. She just sat there. And sat there. And sat. She sat for what seemed like hours. If she had not kept thinking about that trophy and her being the Battledome champion, she would not have lasted very long. Finally, after half an hour, Falikar could not take it anymore, even with the pictures of her being champion. She stood up and screamed.

     The Techo Master walked back into the room. "Not too bad," he said, "not too bad at all, for a beginner. Come, now we shall start the course on defense."

     For a couple of minutes, Falikar just dumbly stood there, in the middle of the large white room. She wondered if she should continue the course - was it worth it? Then, yet again, the picture of the trophy shone through her head, with her holding the trophy to the sky. She made up her mind, and ran after the Techo Master. No matter how hard it was, she would try to get that trophy, and with the word "champion" motivating her, repeating in her head, she followed the Techo Master, ready for whatever he would throw at her next.

The End