A Real Battle: Part Four

by _ana_2

What a mess I'd gotten myself into. Now, as I watched the pets battle, I couldn't help but be angry. Dark, evil pets with red eyes battled the mirror-images of themselves. A shadowy Peophin battled mine, Valorie. But then I noticed that Valorie wasn't fighting. What was she doing? The other Peophin aimed punch after punch at her, but Valorie didn't move a muscle to hurt the black one.

"Valorie, look out!" I shouted. The dark Peophin hunched up its tail, ready to smack Valorie across the room. I rushed in front of her, making the Peophin hit me instead of Valorie. Pain surged through my stomach as it hit me, then I felt myself collide with the wall behind me!

"Anna!" Meredith and John cried. I groaned as they helped me up. Now I knew what those poor NeoPets went through. The terrible pains that came whenever they were hit. I could see why they fainted when they had no more strength. I winced when I saw all the other pets that were fighting. They all fought hard, taking turns hitting one another. Neither one would win.

"How can they do this?" Meredith asked.

"It's in their nature. They'll fight until one or the other gives up or faints."

"They won't faint this time. I think they're ready to fight to the end."

"It's pointless. It's all pointless. I thought this was going to be a party."

"It's more like a nightmare. Nobody knows that NeoPets can be destroyed. I know in my heart that they can if they're mistreated. Somebody's got to take a stand and say no. Somebody's got to stop and not fight, just like Valorie."

We looked toward Valorie. Valorie looked so tired. So did the black Peophin, who wasn't so vigorous in its attacks anymore. Its power was running out. NeoPets weren't meant to fight like this. They would hurt themselves just by fighting the other. The Unis aimed their glowing horns at each other, ready to launch an attack that would destroy each other. My rage erupted.

"STOP!" I screamed, running toward them. The Unis, paying no attention, threw a big blast at each other Then I did the unthinkable. I jumped in the middle of their attacks just to stop them from hurting each other The floor cracked, and when the dust settled, I fell to the floor. All the pets stopped, surprised. Valorie ran toward me and pawed my hand with her hooves.

"Anna?" she sniffled, "Anna, speak to me!"

I groaned, not strong enough to move my lips to speak. Valorie lay her head next to mine and began to sob. Meredith and John ran up to us and knelt by me, and the boy that had pitted all the pets against each other spoke up.

"You are the ones," he said, pointing to Valorie and me.

"What?" Valorie asked.

"You understand. Your owner knows that NeoPets are living things. They breathe and feel even though they only exist in a person's mind. And you, little Peophin. You know that your owner loves you and you trust her in return. You are the ones that will lead Neopia to great heights. Your decisions have led you here today. And now you all will go back to the way you were."

***

"Owners have to love their pets and pets have to trust their owners if they're going to win. Love makes everything right again." I said to my pet one morning. It was the day of the Battledome's grand opening. "So, do you want to go to the Battledome and see what it's like, Valorie?" I asked my blue Peophin. She shook her head.

"Nah, let's save it for another day." I nodded. There was one thing I had learned from all this: Love does make everything right again!

The End