I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I had a witness. A boy about
10 entered in along with a very young looking Gelert.
"Are you sure you saw the whole robbery, Solarflaire?" the boy asked.
"I'm sure of it!" Solarflaire insisted. "The Lupe who committed the
robbery was a green colored Lupe, and the one you've got is blue!"
The Grarrl eyed Solarflaire suspiciously. "Are you sure, little one?"
"I am sure!" Solarflaire said defiantly. "I swear by the Faerie Queen
that the Lupe that stole the chocolates had green fur, not blue!"
The Grarrl shuddered slightly. Anybody who swore by any faerie (and the
Faerie Queen in particular) had to be deadly serious and telling the truth.
Otherwise, the faerie would punish them for lying. "All right," the Grarrl
said finally. "I believe you. We'll set your Lupe friend here free."
The cell door creaked open and I was free! "Thank you so much," I said.
"I owe you guys one."
"My name's Steven," The boy said, holding out his hand. We exchanged
a brief hand/pawshake. "What's your name?"
"My name is Chicobreezedance, or just Chico for short," I replied.
"Chicobreezedance, that's an original name," Steven said.
"My owner was an original person," I replied back. "I really liked her.
That was before…before she left me at the pound."
Steven patted Solarflaire's head and he whimpered slightly. "I used
to have two pets, an Aisha and a Usul, both girls. I loved them both dearly,
but then they have gotten married and moved away."
"I felt lonely," Steven replied. "Both my pets had their own lives to
lead, and I needed another pet. However, I did not feel like having to
raise another pet all over again. Then I thought of the pound. I could
make a difference in a NeoPet's life. Hundreds of NeoPets are being sent
to the pound every year. So why not adopt one? That would be one less
NeoPet in the pound. That's where I met Solarflaire."
Solarflaire tugged at his owner's jeans. "Steven, we discussed this,
remember?"
Steven smiled. "Of course, how could I forget? That would be two less
NeoPets in the pound. What an honour. I just might get to make a difference
in two NeoPet's lives."
My heart skipped a beat. Did I hear correctly? Did Steven actually want
to adopt me? It was almost like a dream come true. "I'll expect both of
you guys to compete in the Battledome," Steven said with a smile. "But
it doesn't matter if you win or lose. What matters is that you guys are
happy."
I thought back to the time when I was abandoned. It was wrong of my previous
owner to abandon me. We had more reasons for living than simply to compete
and win in the Battledome. NeoPets were breathing, living creatures. We
felt everything humans felt. We had feelings as well. And sometimes those
feelings get hurt.
"Come on you guys," Steven said, as he began walking. "Let's go home."
As we started walking, I thought back to when I was born. I'd thought
I'd met the perfect owner for me during the first few months of my life.
I was wrong. But now, my heart told me Steven was another great owner.
I had found my second chance at life. Second chances don't come very often,
if at all. But I knew I had found my second chance.
The End
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