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Description
There once was a Raptor in the land of Ay, whose green scales glistened in the sunlight.

The other creatures would eye him enviously as he roamed about with his master; always holding his head up high, a smug little grin permanently set on his face.

He was a silver custom you see, the rarest of the rare. Much like other silvers, he stood out in a crowd and was greatly admired by others.

However, despite all his fame and attention, the Raptor was terribly lonely. He silently longed for someone to share his joys with.

The gods must have heard him, he thought, sine that afternoon something happened. It seems he was not the only silver Raptor in Ay and someone had offered a large sum of gold paws to have it breed with him.

The Raptor nodded excitedly when his master had asked him if it was alright. Finally, a mate! His loneliness was over.

But the Raptor he met at the standing stones did not seem as thrilled as he was. It was a reddish-brown hue with deadened eyes and seemed remarkably bored with, he, the brilliantly shimmering counterpart standing before it.

It grumbled a simple, "let's get on with it" as the coin was dispersed and a few weeks later, two new babies were born.

His master had kept one of the offspring, his daughter, who had his shiny scales, but the other one's colouring and eyes. The Raptor did not care. He was proud of his child and soon wanted another.

That's when more requests came to his master and he said yes to every one. Even if his master did not keep his children, the Raptor was always happy to see more and more of his likeness entering the world.

That is, until it started to become all too much.

Soon the world became immensely populated with Raptors; so much so, that they even began to overflow out of neighbouring lairs and run wild. But try as he might, the Raptor could never refuse a breeding offer.

More and more, the Raptor began to notice what he had done. Those who had eyed him enviously in the past, merely gave him a passing glance. His smirk had disappeared, posture slouched and stride more sluggish than normal. Even his scales seemed to loose their sheen.

And yet, he still said yes when another asked for him. It seemed like second nature to him now.

He wished that he had never said yes in the first place. He wished that he hadn't felt so lonely.

He was no longer unique, no longer among the rare. He now felt lost, barren, as though he had stripped his very existence away from himself.

The feeling became so overwhelming one day that he ran away from his master. He needed out, to escape, to become something new again.

But nothing he tried worked.

Rogue couldn't zap him into anything, Chimera would not give his master a new crystal to use; even Kaz, who normally could not stand "furry things," refused to throw a fireball at him to end the misery.

The Raptor then made his way into the Arctic, the furthest he could venture from home, and collapsed hopelessly into the snow.

At first, he thought it was just a dream, but he found himself surrounded by his kin shortly after. They all huddled around him and took care of him as well as each other.

They hunted together, fought together, even explored together. And for a moment, he did feel happy again. Perhaps being a common species wasn't so bad. After all, everyone seemed to have taken a liking to the Raptors.

But thinking of his original status made him relapse into despair again. Such a torn feeling, he thought, the desire to be among his own kind but also the desire to be desired.

He was confused. Which did he want more in the first place.

That's when he heard it, his master's voice calling to him.

From the centre of his new-found pack, he raised his head.

His master looked worried and panicked, travelling alone as she continued to cry out his name.

He wanted to return to her, but he hesitated. What if she didn't want him any more. He was of no use to her now that he was everywhere. Why would she want something so "ordinary."

However, as her voice rang in his ears, homesickness became too much and he ran to her with a loving roar.

He was surprised to see the wide grin cross her face as she opened her arms to him, wrapping him in the warmth of her embrace.

"I was wondering where you went," she said.

She took him home, back to the lair where he was greeted by his fellow pets. But something caught his eye that filled him with dread.

Another owner had come, asking to breed with him again.

But this time, his master lifted a hand and shook her head.

"My Raptor is no longer up for breeding," she said, "He's had his run and deserves a long rest."

She turned to him and grinned.

"Besides, he's the most unique pet I have."

The Raptor beamed as he heard this. "Unique," he thought. Even though he was now common, she still loved him the way she always had.

The simple nod of the pets he passes by, no longer bother the Raptor. He now nods back his acknowledgement. He still walks tall and proud beside his master, grinning slyly at the other Raptors who pass by.

He now understood, that rarity did not equal value. What was most important to him, was that he was his own Raptor in his master's eyes.

Description
There once was a Raptor in the land of Ay, whose green scales glistened in the sunlight.

The other creatures would eye him enviously as he roamed about with his master; always holding his head up high, a smug little grin permanently set on his face.

He was a silver custom you see, the rarest of the rare. Much like other silvers, he stood out in a crowd and was greatly admired by others.

However, despite all his fame and attention, the Raptor was terribly lonely. He silently longed for someone to share his joys with.

The gods must have heard him, he thought, sine that afternoon something happened. It seems he was not the only silver Raptor in Ay and someone had offered a large sum of gold paws to have it breed with him.

The Raptor nodded excitedly when his master had asked him if it was alright. Finally, a mate! His loneliness was over.

But the Raptor he met at the standing stones did not seem as thrilled as he was. It was a reddish-brown hue with deadened eyes and seemed remarkably bored with, he, the brilliantly shimmering counterpart standing before it.

It grumbled a simple, "let's get on with it" as the coin was dispersed and a few weeks later, two new babies were born.

His master had kept one of the offspring, his daughter, who had his shiny scales, but the other one's colouring and eyes. The Raptor did not care. He was proud of his child and soon wanted another.

That's when more requests came to his master and he said yes to every one. Even if his master did not keep his children, the Raptor was always happy to see more and more of his likeness entering the world.

That is, until it started to become all too much.

Soon the world became immensely populated with Raptors; so much so, that they even began to overflow out of neighbouring lairs and run wild. But try as he might, the Raptor could never refuse a breeding offer.

More and more, the Raptor began to notice what he had done. Those who had eyed him enviously in the past, merely gave him a passing glance. His smirk had disappeared, posture slouched and stride more sluggish than normal. Even his scales seemed to loose their sheen.

And yet, he still said yes when another asked for him. It seemed like second nature to him now.

He wished that he had never said yes in the first place. He wished that he hadn't felt so lonely.

He was no longer unique, no longer among the rare. He now felt lost, barren, as though he had stripped his very existence away from himself.

The feeling became so overwhelming one day that he ran away from his master. He needed out, to escape, to become something new again.

But nothing he tried worked.

Rogue couldn't zap him into anything, Chimera would not give his master a new crystal to use; even Kaz, who normally could not stand "furry things," refused to throw a fireball at him to end the misery.

The Raptor then made his way into the Arctic, the furthest he could venture from home, and collapsed hopelessly into the snow.

At first, he thought it was just a dream, but he found himself surrounded by his kin shortly after. They all huddled around him and took care of him as well as each other.

They hunted together, fought together, even explored together. And for a moment, he did feel happy again. Perhaps being a common species wasn't so bad. After all, everyone seemed to have taken a liking to the Raptors.

But thinking of his original status made him relapse into despair again. Such a torn feeling, he thought, the desire to be among his own kind but also the desire to be desired.

He was confused. Which did he want more in the first place.

That's when he heard it, his master's voice calling to him.

From the centre of his new-found pack, he raised his head.

His master looked worried and panicked, travelling alone as she continued to cry out his name.

He wanted to return to her, but he hesitated. What if she didn't want him any more. He was of no use to her now that he was everywhere. Why would she want something so "ordinary."

However, as her voice rang in his ears, homesickness became too much and he ran to her with a loving roar.

He was surprised to see the wide grin cross her face as she opened her arms to him, wrapping him in the warmth of her embrace.

"I was wondering where you went," she said.

She took him home, back to the lair where he was greeted by his fellow pets. But something caught his eye that filled him with dread.

Another owner had come, asking to breed with him again.

But this time, his master lifted a hand and shook her head.

"My Raptor is no longer up for breeding," she said, "He's had his run and deserves a long rest."

She turned to him and grinned.

"Besides, he's the most unique pet I have."

The Raptor beamed as he heard this. "Unique," he thought. Even though he was now common, she still loved him the way she always had.

The simple nod of the pets he passes by, no longer bother the Raptor. He now nods back his acknowledgement. He still walks tall and proud beside his master, grinning slyly at the other Raptors who pass by.

He now understood, that rarity did not equal value. What was most important to him, was that he was his own Raptor in his master's eyes.