A tale of two brothers

There were two teenage brothers in this orphanage. The eldest, Virgil, a Royal Boy Kyrii, and his younger brother, Ashley, a Tyrannian Lupe, though he preferred going by Ash. Both of them shared a bunk bed in the same room.

"Hey, Virgil?", asked the Lupe.

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored."

"Me too."

Ash sighed, "I wish we could get out of this place..."

"I agree, Ash, but we can't", replied the Kyrii. "We have nowhere else to go, you know."

"Yes. But I hate it here", the Lupe protested. "It isn't home."

"I understand. But like I said, we can't do anything about it. We're stuck here." Ash sighed at this reply. "Look on the bright side", then said Virgil, "At least we have each other..."

"Yeah, that's true", agreed Ash. "I miss mum and dad."

"Me too, Ash, me too..."

After a while, Virgil fell asleep, but Ash, for his part, remained awake. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't stand this place. He desired freedom more than anything else in his life. And he wanted to help his brother to get out of there, too.

The Lupe quietly snuck out of his bed, and looked outside a window. It was quiet and dark, yet, somehow, inviting... He managed to open the window, and felt the cold breeze hit his thick purple fur. It was pleasant. But while he was at this-

"What are you doing?"

Ash jolted at this voice- it was his brother. "Oh- um-", stuttered the Lupe, "I was just-"

Virgil sighed. "I know, you were just feeling the wind in your fur..."

"Y-yeah..."

"Not considering escaping through there, were you?"

"N-no!", lied Ash nervously.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't. The Manjeers they have over there might've barked at you and alerted everyone."

"O-oh..."

The Kyrii then said, "Come on, go back to sleep, Ash..."

"Fine..."

However, the very next night the Lupe was doing this again. Looking out the window and imagining a life with his brother outside of the orphanage was so pleasant to him... but... how could they escape, he wondered? Maybe if they were quiet enough they could avoid awakening the Manjeers... or if that happened they could distract them somehow... huh...

After looking back at his brother to make sure he was still sleeping, Ash managed to snuck out the window and touch the ground beneath him. The outside of the orphanage was barely alight with some lanterns, and it was rather chilly outside. So much, he shivered. But he dismissed these things and walked aimlessly, trying to find something to distract the sleeping Petpets should they be awakened. He then found a stick on the ground. "Hm, this should work", he thought to himself. So far everything was going well. But then-

"Ash..." It was Virgil again.

"H-how'd you?", asked Ash, surprised and scared at the same time.

"I sleep with one eye open", explained Ash, "Especially when my little brother is attempting something he'll surely regret."

"But Virgil-"

"Ash, let's go back inside. Now. Before anyone notices we're gone."

"But-"

"Please..."

Ash reluctantly obliged, but as they were walking towards the window, he stepped on a dry leaf that unluckily awakened the Petpets, who started to bark at the two of them.

"Oh, no", lamented Virgil. "Quick, Ash, let's go back inside before they- Ash?" He noticed his brother was gone. "Ash?", he repeated, and then saw the Lupe's silhouette far away. "Dagnabbit, ASH!", he yelled as he chased after him.

Both Neopets ran far, far away from the orphanage, through the dark woods. Despite being more robust than his older brother, since he had gotten a head start in fleeing, Ash was further away from Virgil, who, despite being more agile, wasn't the best at running, especially not through an ominous-looking forest. At one point, he stumbled on a tree root, and fell face-first on the ground.

Ash noticed this, and returned to help him up. "A-are you okay-?"

"NO, I'm not okay", shouted the Kyrii angrily. "What were you thinking?!"

"You know what I was thinking, running away!", replied the Lupe innocently.

"Are you insane?! Do you know what you've gotten us into?!", scolded Virgil. "We can't go back to the orphanage now!"

"I wasn't planning on going back anyway", shrugged Ash.

"Are you even listening to yourself?!"

"I am. You aren't, as usual", said Ash sadly.

Virgil sighed. "Look, Ash, I can be a bit too strict sometimes, but that's because I care about you, you know? You're my little brother and I don't want you to get hurt..."

Ash frowned. "I know... I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's alright."

"No, it isn't. I got ourselves into this mess, a-and now we can't go back... I'm scared... it's so dark around here..."

"Well, true, we can't go back. But we can go forward", encouraged Virgil. "Let's go. There's always a solution." So the two of them tread uneasily through the forest and made their way into a clearing.

"Look, lights!", exclaimed Virgil pointing forward them. "That must be the city."

"Ugh... finally... I'm getting hungry..."

Brightvale back then wasn't too different from its neighbour, Meridell - it was also a farmland, albeit it was more orderly. Both were ruled by a king and queen, and their two sons were destined to succeed them in ruling each kingdom after they passed away.

Virgil and Ash walked towards the plaza, and saw two benches. "Well", Virgil said, "Let's rest here. Then when morning comes, we'll see what to do."

"Alright then."

"Sleep well, and please don't do anything dumb again, okay?"

"S-sure!", stuttered Ash nervously. "Don't worry, I've learned my lesson."

"I trust your word", stated Virgil. He then accommodated himself on the bench to sleep, and so did Ash. "Good night, at least what's left of it", uttered the Kyrii.

"Yeah, good night."

The bright sun rose over the verdant hills of Brightvale.

The teenage Kyrii was awaken by a Beekadoodle chirping on the bench. Still half-asleep, he said "Mmh... good morning, Ash-" But he fully awakened at seeing his brother had left. Again. "Argh..." He quickly stood up and went looking for him around the city. But he couldn't find the young Lupe anywhere. The minutes passed by until they became hours, and still, nothing. Virgil was feeling desperate. To all he could find, he asked, "Have you seen my brother? He's a short, stubby purple Lupe with kind purple eyes... and tusks... I-I know it sounds weird, but that's how he looks like... you've got to believe me... please!"

After some hours, the Kyrii sat on a rock to weep, exhausted and anguished since he couldn't find his brother. What if he had gotten into trouble? He hadn't been there to protect him. He felt like a failure...

"Child, what's wrong?", asked a voice. Virgil turned around and saw two young adult Skeiths, one, green, blond and calm, and his brother, blue, with brown hair and an annoyed glare. At recognizing them, the Kyrii gasped, "Y-you are-"

"Yes, we are. And you are?", asked the blue one.

"Oh- um- I'm called Virgil, Your Highnesses..."

"And... what troubles you, Virgil?", asked the green one.

"I can't find my brother... I'm worried he might've gotten himself into trouble..."

"What does your brother look like?", asked the Green Skeith.

"Uh- he's a stubby purple Lupe with tusks-"

"Oh, so that's your brother", grumbled the other prince, and pointed behind them. "He's over there, eating my food."

His brother rebuked, "Skarl, for goodness' sake, the poor child was starving!"

"Maybe so, Hagan, but why not give him your food instead?", complained Skarl.

"Because- um," he stuttered as he tried to come up with a convincing argument, "... You must learn to be more generous, Skarl."

Skarl raised an eyebrow, unamused. "Uh-huh."

Hagan then continued, "Anyway, Virgil-" But the Kyrii had gone looking for his brother in the palace gardens.

"Ash?", he called.

"Hi Virgil!", greeted the Lupe as he was on top of a picnic blanket eating some fruits. The Kyrii, at seeing him, rushed to hug him tightly. "H-hey, you're squeezing me-"

"I'm just so relieved at seeing you, Ash", said Virgil softly. "And also slightly angry at you for running away. Again!"

"I know. But I was hungry and you were asleep, and didn't want to wake you..."

"How did you manage to get here, of all places, anyway?"

"Oh, no one else in the city wanted to give me anything to eat, and after wandering for a while, I stumbled upon Prince Hagan, and he brought me here."

Then both princes walked to where they were. "You done, Lupe?", asked Skarl, annoyed at seeing him still eating his food. Ash nodded.

"I'm glad you two could find each other again", said Hagan. "Your brother was telling me about what happened to you two, how you escaped from the orphanage and ended up here..."

"Yes, Prince Hagan...", said Virgil.

"Are you going to make us go back?", inquired a worried Ash.

"Well, I could do that. But I could also help you find a home, and, honestly, I prefer that instead", replied the Skeith prince. "Not here with us - mother and father are too old and we tire them enough - but I know of somebody whose parents would gladly take you in..."

"Who?", asked Skarl, but then he recalled something, and mischievously smirked. "Oh, I know who."

Hagan blushed. "Stop teasing, Skarl."

"Good then, I'll stop... I'm sure Mireille wouldn't like seeing you all grumpy and flustered." Hagan furrowed his brow at this, blushing even more. Skarl laughed with derision. "Go, my lovestruck brother."

The Green Skeith then took the two brothers to a little house on a prairie. There lived two other Skeiths, and their daughter, Mireille, a beautiful young White Skeith woman, who just so happened to be outside, tending to her garden. She rose her gaze from the flowers she was watering, and smiled at seeing the Skeith. "Hello", she greeted sweetly.

"Hello, my dear Mireille." Hagan then gave her a rose.

She smelled it, and smiled. Then she saw the other two Neopets. "I see you've brought company this time, my prince."

"Yes... are your parents home? I need to ask something of them regarding these two children..."

"They are not", replied Mireille, "Do you wish for them to take care of them?"

"Y-yes... I know I should've let you know in advance before coming here... but-"

"I'm convinced they'd be delighted to", she grinned.

"Really?"

"Of course! Besides, I've always wanted siblings, even now, as an adult." She smiled at the two brothers. "What are your names?"

"I'm Virgil, and this is Ashley", said the Kyrii.

"But just call me Ash. Please", indicated the Lupe. Mireille giggled at this. "Aww", she said, "But it's a nice name!"

"It sounds like a girl name...", he grumbled, "Really. Just call me Ash, please?"

"Sure, sweetie", smiled the Skeith. "Come inside." She opened the gate of the fence, and the two brothers entered the garden.

"I must depart now", announced Hagan. "I need to be at the castle, sadly..."

"I see... but it was nice seeing you today", said Mireille. "Farewell, my love."

"Farewell."

Virgil and Ash also bid farewell to the prince, and walked into the house. "Wow!", exclaimed Ash. "A house! We haven't been in one for a couple of years now..."

"Your house's lovely, Mireille", said Virgil. "Thank you for taking us in."

"It's my pleasure, Virgil...", replied the Skeith. "Now, let me show you around and give you something to eat, sounds good?" Both brothers happily agreed to this.

And so, the two of them lived happily in this little home for many years after that, until they grew up to become good, responsible men.

Little did Virgil know he'd end up serving the then-prince who had helped him out that one time. But that's how life works: in mysterious ways. As for Ash, he got the freedom he desired, and is happy with his art career, despite not being as prestigious as his brother's.

And that was the tale of two brothers who found their home.

     The End.