![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Author: Pirate Turner
Rating: G
Summary: She never knew how badly she needed love until she met her destined family.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1,718
Date Written: 21 February, 2011
Disclaimer: All Neopian names of species and worlds are © & TM NeoPets and any other rightful owners, none of whom are the author; are used without permission; and may not be used without permission. Xena is © & TM her rightful owners, also not the author; is used without permission; and may not be used without permission. The actual NeoPets characters, such as but not necessarily limited to Shayna_16, LegolasBowie, CaptainWillSparrow, LCFrost, and PrinceBlueFrost, are © & TM Pirates Sparrow and Turner and may not be used without permission. Shayna's story belongs to Pirate Turner and may not be used without permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
It's a cold one tonight, and the sky above the sea is filled with a sparkling myriad of stars. I'm not that interested in them, however, for I've seen brighter and prettier flames. You know that's actually what a star is: a fireball. My tail swishes; my head's up high and proud as always, or at least, as I say it is always. I've made fireballs that could eclipse a star.
I like fire. It's second nature to me, and that's exactly why I don't like cold winds blowing at my face. I prance back, snapping my head back and away from an especially chilly gust. I can't wait to get away from Winter Valley and to Tyrannia, Krawk Island, Mystery Island, or any other warmer area of the world, as long as it's warm. This cold and I just don't mix, but I go where my family goes and little LC wanted to visit his homeland.
I miss my home sometimes, especially when it's too cold out like it is tonight. This cold won't stop making my fur bristle, and then I look up, not hearing but yet sensing the arrival of my big brother. Legolas lands beside me on silent, Eyrie feet and wraps an arm around me. I nestle against his shirt and feathers, letting his jacketed wing come down to protect me from the cold.
We don't speak. There's no need for words. He knows I don't like the cold, and, more importantly, he knows why. He's one of very few who know, but I don't mind telling the story any more. I'm proud of my background, and I'm prouder by far of my family who rescued me.
You see, long ago, back when I was only a little, Wocky kitten, before even I can honestly remember, I was thrown away by a heartless Neopian. How do I know that when I can't really remember it? Simple. The fire told me my story. The volcano spirits always made sure I knew how I came to be with them, and they took care of me.
Aye, you heard me right. Volcano. I grew up inside of a volcano, because that's where the cretin -- I could use a lot less nice words, if only the powers that be didn't bar such language in the open -- tossed me. He didn't bother with a pound. He just threw me away into the nearest volcano in Tyrannia. Went to get a bite of omelette, I suppose, and decided he no longer wanted me, so he threw me away.
I never would have believed it when I was little, but that was actually the best thing that jerk could have done for me. I grew up happy, well, mostly happy, at least. I spent my days listening to stories from the fire and chasing the lava as it ran up inside of the volcano. I used to like to watch it spew over the top. Seeing the whole land covered by such a shimmering, red, and fiery substance is beautiful. There's nothing else in the world like it. I know, because we've been around the world and I've yet to see anything as beautiful as fire and lava.
I didn't suffer from a single moment of boredom growing up. There was always something to do. I'd chase the lava and let it chase me. I'd play with the fire, shaping it in my paws and making all kinds of cool creations out of it. I'd dance to the music of the bubbling snaps, crackles, and pops, and sometimes, after the volcano had exploded, I'd go skating down the rivers of lava.
Always, I returned home. I didn't need the outside world. I had everything I needed right there in my volcano. I got all of my nourishment, accompaniment, loving, and fun from that volcano's fire. It was my home, my Mother even, and I needed nothing and no one else.
Until I started getting older. I'd start climbing up to the top of the volcano during the daylight hours and looking out, and I'd see all these NeoPets families running around, brisking about in the sunlight, and appearing to have the time of their lives. Still, the outside world hadn't wanted me, and the volcano and her fire were always welcoming. They had always been there for me, and even to that time, they were.
I still had the best fun during the daytime, but at night, I was starting to get lonely. I'd curl up by myself on hard slabs of rock when I was too tired to play any more and eventually fall asleep.
That was also the time that the volcano was starting to quiet down, and my lullaby was the soft, occasional pop of fire. It wasn't as much fun as it used to be for it wasn't as active as it had once been, and my loneliness grew until I started to cry. In my sleep, of course. I never cry when awake, because I'm just too strong for that. My purple eyes bear into your eyes, daring you to say a word of denial. I'm strong. I'm the strongest Wocky there is, and I don't cry any more and never did unless I was asleep and didn't know what I was doing!
I found out later that the volcano was making my cries echo out onto the distant land, searching for help to ease my loneliness, for friends, for family, and eventually they came. Legolas, the wise, gentle Eyrie standing gallantly beside me now, and our older brother, the legendary Captain Will Sparrow, answered my cries. They found me, and they rescued me from a place I didn't even know I needed rescuing, my home, my volcano.
I was a little reluctant at first, but they dared me. They dared me to step outside of the volcano and see what the outside world was really like. They challenged me to be brave enough to leave behind my home and explore the outside with a promise that I could return whenever I was ready. I do return on occasion. They always go with me, and I always return and forever will. I've got a new home now, the home I was always destined for, and that home is my family.
I lay my head against Legolas' long, blue leg and look up at him, stifling a yawn. I'm no longer as cold as I was. "How about a bedtime story?" I ask softly, my bushy, smokey black, and fire tipped tail swishing underneath my Gothic skirt. I catch a glimpse of stars above his proud, feather-capped head, and I have to smile. They're prettier now than they were before and seem to be winking down at me with the joy of my family's love and the promise of many more days and nights to come spent with them surrounding me.
Before Legolas came into my life, the volcano always told me stories of times long gone, but I've not missed a single story since then. Legolas has been telling me stories ever since he found out, our first night together, that I was missing the volcano's stories. Don't ask me to pick a favorite between my two story tellers. I can't; I love them both equally.
Legolas' lion tail swishes. "It'll be my pleasure," he purrs and turns us to where Captain is steering the ship and LC is tiredly pushing around the tiny remains of a chocolate soldier. I don't know where the boy gets the energy from, but he's always eating chocolate. It's like chocolate is what he lives for, but even he seems to have finally gotten full tonight.
Legolas walks us over to them, and I nestle deeper into his side, curling up into a ball and purring quietly, as he begins his story. He has a new tale for every night, and he takes great pride in telling them. There's not many things my shy, gentle brother takes pride in, but the stories he knows and reading more are definitely two of the few. His goal in life is to be the most well-read Neopian in the world, and I know he can do it. I smile, enjoying the story, relishing in my time with my family, looking forward to the day when Leggy will be crowned King of Books, and feeling the warmth of my family's love burning deep inside of me.
My tail thumps the ship's deck. I still can't wait until we're home again, though. I look forward to playing with all of my lava again. Aye, I've left the volcano behind, but I'll never leave the fire and lava. They're a part of me just as much as my fur, my tail, or my pointed ears, and if you ever make the mistake of stepping, uninvited, onto our ship or land, you'll find out just how much a part of me they are for I've delightful pits and traps all over the place!
Until then, until I can dangle you over an open lava pit and laugh, I'll be waiting, waiting to protect my family from whatever danger may foolishly rear its ugly head and to spend a lifetime warmed by my family's love and loving them in return. Even if our cousin, Blue, does irk my tail. The little, bratted Shoyru keeps throwing snow into my lava whenever our cousins visit, but I'm going to put an end to that the next time I see him. The very second he throws any snow, I'm going to blast him to the heavens with a fireball bigger than we both are together!
Oh, I stir awake from where I'd been being lulled to sleep by Legolas' gentle, regal voice and look at you again, and did I mention that Xena and Hannah learned from me? Well, they did. The daughter of the fire has a lot of things to teach to those few who are worthy, and I can beat any one's butt! So don't mess with my family or I'll burn you to a crisp, okay? :-)
Nighty night now, but sleep with one eye open because you'll never know how bright or hot the lava burns until it pops you in the butt!
