"I wish I was finally adopted by a family that loved me," Phillip wished, and closed his eyes, not expecting, but genuinely hoping for something to change in the morning.
Phillip didn't have to wait till morning. When the clock struck one in the morning, or perhaps it struck thirteen and Phillip had been woken up by only the last ring. Phillip startled and opened his eyes to find his bed surrounded. They looked like children, maybe, but they were all very different from each other, and Phillip could tell, none were human.
They were evenly spaced around him, but close enough together that he saw all of them at once.
One looked like a gray and white wolf pup, except she was standing on her hind legs and had opposable thumbs.
Next to her was a fox kit, also standing on their hind legs and with opposable thumbs, except instead of one tail, they had two. They were dark orange with black 'socks'.
Next was a girl his age with curly red hair, pale skin, fangs, dressed in a victorian era black dress with red frills. She held like a cane an umbrella as dark as midnight.
The littlest one was the size of a doll, and had all the features of one. She had green skin, solid blue eyes, wild blond hair. She also had a pair of antenna and a pair of dragonfly wings. She sat on the foot of his bed.
The next was ... what looked like a reptile. Bronze plated underbelly, orange-red scales, horns, a long tail. Except she also had batwings, blue eyes like a cat's, and was standing on two feet and had thumb claws.
The last one was a girl with skin white and smooth like alabaster. Her hair was golden like threaded metal. The golden barding around her waist, wrists, and legs, the same color as her hair, looked less wrapped around her, and more a part of her. Like the fairy, her features were like a doll's. Her eyes were blue, the centers instead of being circles were shaped like a cross. Around her neck was a six pointed star. On her back, were wisps of light that when heseenld together gave the impression of wings.
"Fear not," the golden girl said.
The boy who slept above him didn't stir in the least with the crowd beneath him.
"I'm dreaming aren't I?" Phillip asked.
"If you were dreaming, would you ask if you were dreaming?" The fairy asked jovially.
"Uh, maybe?"
"Well, think of this as a dream if you want to. But you've still go a decision to make," said the wolf pup with a grin full of teeth.
"Uh... what decision?" Phillip asked, thinking he'd eaten something bad before sleeping.
"Humph! You wanted a family to adopt you! One that would love you and accept you as one of their own? Well, the call went out, and it's been answered," Said the pale girl in the expensive dress.
"Our families have sent us," said the two tailed fox. "And we're here to each make you an offer! Join one of our families, become one of us, and you'll be welcomed as an equal."
"Basically you not only get a new family, but you get to upgrade from being a walking blood bank," said the fancy dressed girl with fangs. "Naturally you're going to pick the family that lets you live forever, not smell like wet dog after a shower," she sneered at the wolf and fox. "and live a life of luxury."
"And turn into a pile of ashes if hit by direct sunlight," said the wolf pup simply.
The fanged girl growled.
"Why not walk on the wild side?" Asked the wolf pup. "Be savage and free. Nothing holding you back except your own ability. Live as nature intended. Have your pack always at your back. None of those silly rules that 'civilization' came up or them 'higher causes' countries send ya to die for. None except yer pack to look out for or worry about."
"Higher causes are what make life worth living," said the golden girl. "Helping others is the best kinda happy. Being part of a greater whole, a greater family, is makes everything happy. Think of how unhappy you've been here... imagine being able to help others who have been sad like you. Wouldn't that be best?"
"How about magic? You can't get more magical than a fairy! Games, pranks, play, it's all fun and games for us! The kitsune might wield magic, but we were BORN from it! And you'll never have a shortage of friends! I promise!"
Phillip wondered what a 'kite-sun' was.
"I'm a dragon. We're always awesome! And this your chance to be awesome too!" The reptile girl puffed out her chest and cross her arms.
"That's all you're going to say?" asked the fairy.
"That's all I need!" The dragon whelp grinned.
"You're a dragon! You're always selfish!"
"Except we've turned it into an art form to do something with ourselves. Who do you think inspired Ayn Rand?"
Phillip wondered who 'Ayn Rand' was.
"Why not have the best of all worlds?" asked the two tailed fox. "1800 year lifespan is nothing to sneeze at. And then become part of magic itself. Be part of a wealth family. Appear as anything you want to appear as."
"So Phillip, which of our families do you want to join?" asked the fairy. Each of them leaned in close eager for his answer.