Just One Wish: Part Two

      ...Well, we WOULD have done that, but we couldn't because we ran off with no Neopoints at all. What we REALLY did was wander round Neopia Central trying to think of something to do.

      "Let's have supper," I suggested.

      "Let's not," Rosajane replied. "We should save our food until we're hungry, not eat it because we're bored."

      "Alright," I sighed. "Then let's go to sleep. I'm tired."

      So we went to sleep. Rosajane and I huddled together in my sleeping bag. We only had one. I had Ruby tucked beside me.

      "The ground's hard," I moaned. "And it's freezing out here."

      "I can't help that," Rosajane hissed.

      "I don't like it out here. This is your fault."

      "How is it MY fault?"

      "You were the one who suggested we run away."

      "Would you rather be with Katia? Because I can take you straight back!"

      "I'd sooner be with Katia than with a grumpy Neopet like YOU."

      "You ungrateful creep!"

      "You sound just like Katia!" I kicked her.

      "OW! Don't you dare kick me!" She pulled my hair.

      "OW! Don't you dare pull my hair!"

      "Weirdo!"

      "Freak!"

      "WEIRDO!!!"

      "FREAK!!!"

      Then we REALLY started. Rosajane got one of the Juppie Jam Sandwiches from our suitcase and threw it at me. It landed on my face with a SPLAT!

      I yanked the sandwich from my head, leapt at Rosajane and rubbed the sandwich in her face.

      "UGH! My FUR! Look what you did!"

      I simply laughed. Rosajane growled and pushed me in Neopia Central's fountain. I screamed, which was a big mistake.

      "Hey! You!" Someone came out of the Defenders HQ building and started chasing after us!

      "RUN!" I screamed, so we grabbed our stuff and ran as fast as we could. I tripped over one of the Money Tree's roots and banged my head. I don't know what happened after that. I opened my eyes and it was morning. We were at a totally different place, and Rosajane was cradling me in her arms.

      "Oh, Bailwe!" Rosajane had tears streaming down her face. "I'm so glad you're ok!"

      "Of course I'm ok," I mumbled. "Let me up!"

      I looked at my surroundings and started scrabbling around frantically.

      "Where's Ruby?!"

      "Oh, she's here. She got a bit muddy when you fell but I'm sure a dip in the lake is what she needs."

      "...What are we doing in Kiko Lake?"

      "When you fell over last night, I picked you up and ran all the way here, to Kiko Lake."

      "Wow! How long did that take?"

      "I don't know. I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was getting you to safety. Bailwe... I'm sorry for being mean last night."

      "I'm sorry too."

      Rosajane held out her front paws. I ran over to her and we had a long hug.

      "Here you go." Rosajane handed me Ruby. I hugged her too.

      "Let's go back to Neopia Central," I said.

      So we headed back. It took about an hour to get there, but neither of us complained.

      "What do you want to do now?" Rosajane asked me when we eventually got back to Neopia Central.

      "I don't know," I said. I looked at Ruby. "Ruby says she wants to go to Usukiland."

      Rosajane giggled and said she didn't want to look at prissy dollies, but we went to Usukiland anyway.

      "Wow!" I exclaimed. "Look at all this awesome Usuki stuff!"

      "It's a little babyish for my taste," Rosajane complained, but she agreed to stay for ten minutes.

      "Wow, wow, wow! Rosajane, look at this one!" I reached out for an Usuki set labeled 'Roller Skating Usuki Set'- and at the exact same time, another paw grabbed the set!

      "Hey, what's the big idea?" I said to the Neopet who took the Usuki set. I had a closer look at this Neopet. It was... it was Ruby! Not Ruby the Usuki doll, Ruby the Red Usul!

      "Hi, Bailwe! We just keep bumping into each other, don't we?" Ruby laughed. "Buying things for your Usuki?" She pointed to Ruby the Usuki.

      "No. I don't actually have any Neopoints," I explained. "I'm just here to look at stuff."

      "Aww, that's a shame. So what's your Usuki called then?" Ruby showed me her doll. "It's a Teenage Usuki. She's called Sapphire."

      "Mine's called Ruby."

      "Really? My name is Ruby too!"

      "I know. That's why I called her Ruby."

      Ruby's owner, Bumble, walked over to us.

      "Hi, Bailwe! How's your Usuki?" she asked me.

      "She's fine. Thank you for giving her to me."

      "She's called Ruby, Bumble! Just like me!"

      "Is that so? How cute!" Bumble looked at me. "I don't think I've introduced myself yet. I'm Bumble, Ruby's owner. So Bailwe, where's YOUR owner?"

     I didn't know what to say. I looked at Rosajane for help, but she looked just as worried as I did.

      "We don't have an owner. We ran away," I told Bumble.

      "From the Pound," Rosajane added quickly.

      "Oh dear. Well, we can't have you wandering Neopia without an owner. It's not safe."

      We all knew what was coming next. Bumble would take me and Rosajane to the pound. Amy might come and get Rosajane back, but what about me? Would Katia come and get me? Or would I have a new owner? Or would I be stuck in the Pound forever?! Either way, I'd never see Rosajane, Ruby, or Bumble ever again.

      "You'd better come with us," Bumble said, and she held out her hand.

      "No! Don't take us to the Pound!" I burst into tears.

      "What?" Bumble started laughing. "Who said anything about the Pound?"

      "Huh?" Rosajane seemed puzzled.

      "We were going to suggest that you come and live with us." Bumble paused. "If that's what you want."

      Suddenly, two familiar faces came storming into Usukiland.

      "Katia!" I cried.

      "Amy!" Rosajane cried.

      "That's MISS Katia to you!" Katia shouted right in my face. "What do you think you're DOING? Running away from home! You have no idea how worried we were!"

      Katia, worried about me?! That's the biggest pack of lies I've ever heard!

      "You weren't worried about me! You never worry about me! You don't even CARE about me!"

      "Don't you talk to me like that! I'm your owner!"

      "I wish you weren't! But yes, you're my owner and I'm your pet. Doesn't that mean you should care?!"

      I'd forgotten Bumble and Ruby were standing there.

      "Why don't we take this conversation somewhere else?" Bumble suggested. "I don't think we should talk about this kind of thing in the middle of a shop."

      "And who are you?" Katia demanded.

      "I'm Bumble, and this is my Usul, Ruby. Bailwe and her friend here said they had escaped from the Pound." By this time we had left Usukiland and were going in the garden of a Neohome. Not Katia's. I think this was Bumble and Ruby's Neohome.

      "That's ridiculous!" Katia yelled at Bumble. "They didn't escape from the Pound, they ran away from home! I go upstairs to ask Bella to prepare the dinner and she and Rosajane were nowhere to be seen!"

      "So then I get a Neomail from Katia saying that you'd both gone missing!" said Amy. "So THEN I have to come all the way back from my holiday in Mystery Island and help Katia look for you!"

      "Come on, Bella. You're coming home with me this instant!" Katia tugged my arm.

      "Excuse me, um, Katia...?" Ruby piped up. "I think you have the wrong Neopet. That's not Bella; that's Bailwe."

      "I don't care what her name is! She's coming home with me right now!"

      "No, I WON'T!" I screamed, shocking everyone into silence. "I don't WANT to go home with you! I don't WANT to be your servant anymore! Because that's all I am to you, a servant, and I'm sick, sick, sick of it!"

      Katia stared at me, stunned.

      "...Ok then. If that's what you want," she whispered. She looked as if she was going to burst into tears, but Katia isn't the kind of girl who cries.

      "Rosajane," Amy called. "Come on. We're going home."

      "No!" Rosajane backed away. "Bailwe needs me. I'm staying with her."

      Amy kneeled down beside Rosajane.

      "Listen, Rosajane. You leave me now, you're never coming back. Understand?"

      "I understand. I've made my decision. I need to stay with Bailwe."

      "Very well," Amy said. "This is the last you'll see of me." And she walked off, never to be seen again.

      "Better take you two to the Pound then," Katia sighed and held out her hands.

      "No, not the Pound!" I cried.

      "We're staying with Ruby and Bumble," Rosajane told Katia.

      "We need to go the Pound anyway, to get the adoption papers signed," Bumble explained.

      So we went to the Pound, a place I thought I'd never have to see again. There were Neopets crying, Neopets starving, Neopets calling for their owners. I wish we could rescue them all.

      "Sign here," Dr. Death instructed Bumble. Rosajane and I watched in suspense as Bumble carefully wrote her name on Rosajane's adoption paper, then mine.

      "There. I hope you're happy now, Bella," Katia hissed, glaring at me.

      "My name is BAILWE," I reminded her, but she took no notice.

      We headed back to Bumble and Ruby's Neohome- and now it was Rosajane's and my Neohome too.

      "I'll take good care of Bailwe and Rosajane," Bumble assured Katia.

      Not that she cares, I thought.

      But to my surprise she kneeled down beside me and looked at me. I saw my reflection in her eyes.

      "I've never understood you properly, Bella. I mean, Bailwe." Katia paused. "I just hope you'll be happy here."

      I started crying then. Katia gave me a hug.

      "I'm going to the Pound now. I'm going to adopt a Neopet, and THIS time I'll take good care of it. Him. Her. Whatever."

      "You can come and visit any time you like," Bumble offered.

      "That'd be great." Katia stood up. "Well... goodbye, Bailwe."

      "Goodbye, Miss Katia."

      "Hey, just call me Katia." She smiled and I smiled back.

      And then she walked away.

      "Wow," Ruby began. "I get two new sisters in one day!"

      "We should go inside," said Bumble. "It's nearly dinner time and I have no idea what to cook!"

      "Oh, don't worry about that..." Rosajane grinned and patted our suitcase.

      "We have enough food for everyone!" I cheered. And so Rosajane and I went inside our new Neohome with our new owner and new sister.

     --x--

     You see, what I've been trying to tell you all this time, is that if I had one wish... my wish would be to have a loving family that I would cherish forever.

     Looks like my wish finally came true.

The End