“For once, my life depends on a Chia,” Philosophy muttered. It was hard for
him to see in the dark, thick forest, but Grundos have the best vision of any
Neopet--probably because of their large eyes. He didn’t have to squint, even
as the Chia was almost a hundred feet away.
He’d been following that Chia for what seemed like eternity. When the Chia
disappeared from his view, he stopped. Was it too late?
Grundo or not, he ran as fast as he could until he came to a battle scene.
“LASSIE!” he yelled, running. She had to be here. He couldn’t see her, but he
kept running until he felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Who... what are you?” he asked, stopping to catch his breath.
“Me?” the little blue ghost laughed. “You’ve never heard of me? Why, I’m the
Pant Devil! I’m a legend to all Neopets.”
“Not to me,” he said. “I’ve been in the Pound almost every moment I’ve been
on this planet. So... what is it that you do?”
With a mischievous grin, the Pant Devil hovered into the battle scene. The
Chias, to the Grundo’s horror, were winning against the Lupes.
“An item, please,” said the Pant Devil to a Chia.
“I’m in a battle, can’t it wait?”
“Only battles in the Battledome protect you against me,” the Pant Devil smirked.
“I see no Battledome here. Hand over the weapon.”
Reluctantly, that Chia and all Chias after him had to hand over their weapons.
Not being the brightest creatures, the Chias had only brought one weapon each
to the battle. All of them were soon unarmed, so most of them ran for safety.
The Lupes, fighting without weapons, had won.
“Hello,” Philosophy said to a group of Lupes who were rescuing the others
who'd been injured. A red Lupe ran toward him.
“Is that... you?” the Lupe asked excitedly. “Philosophy?”
“Yes,” said the surprised Grundo. “Who are you?”
“It’s me! Conspiracy!”
Philosophy’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Can you still speak Grundish?”
he asked, not wanting to believe this Lupe was his brother.
“Fo esruoc I nac,” Conspiracy replied.
“It is you!” Philosophy yelled, tears running down his cheeks. “Oh, it’s you.
I’ve waited so long!”
“Come with me,” he said. “I think I have someone else you’d like to see.”
“Is she all right?” came a voice.
“There, she’s waking up.”
“Lassie, can you hear me? We won.”
Lassie looked up to see Conspiracy, Silverclaw, and... “Philosophy!” she exclaimed.
“You’re all right! How did you find me? I was so worried.”
“We were worried about you,” said Lightfoot/Conspiracy.
“It was a trap, as we suspected,” said Silverclaw. “But lucky for us, the
Pant Devil came by.”
So they told her the story, about how she was hit by Sam’s weapon before the
Pant Devil had taken all of the Chia’s weapons. The Lupes didn’t have any weapons,
but without any protection, the Chias were extremely vulnerable, and they were
forced to surrender.
“I have settled everything,” said Silverclaw. “I talked with their leader,
Sam. The Chias agreed to never have a life-or-death battle over a minor offense
again, and we let them go peacefully. You and three other lupes were the only
ones injured, so we carried you back.”
Lassie looked like she was about to cry. “It’s all my fault that this happened.
I didn’t mean to start anything. I’m sorry. I overreacted, and--”
“There was nothing you could have done to stop this,” Silverclaw said. “It’s
a good thing that we settled it now, instead of allowing more pressure to build.
The Chias were angry that you attacked one of them, and that Lupes were starting
to get attention in Neopia. I believe the Chias reasoned that if they defeated
the lupes, they’d win out as one of the best species of Neopets. But they didn’t
beat us.”
“It was because of the Pant Devil?” Lassie asked. “So then... who you least
expect might help you, so it’s best not to make everyone your enemy.”
“A wise thing to remember,” Silverclaw advised. Wish the Chias weren’t
our enemies, Lassie thought to herself.
“Lassie, if this war had never happened,” Philosophy said to her, “then I
never would have met you, or found my brother. Things just have a way of happening.
I’m relieved to know that Conspiracy wasn’t captured.”
Conspiracy nodded. “I’m sorry...” he began. “I couldn’t find you. When I escaped,
I heard that Lupes were treated unfairly, just as Grundos were. So I joined
a team of Lupes that needed help. In the end, it’s a good thing that I came.”
“I’m glad I found both of you,” Philosophy said. “It wasn’t easy getting here.
For awhile, I thought I might be too late, that the Lupes would lose. I was
following a Chia, and when I finally arrived at the battle scene, everything
was almost over. Little did I know that my brother was here!”
“Lassie,” said Silverclaw quietly, “it is safe for you to use your real name
now, and to return to Neopia, since Bob, or Sam, has agreed to close his shop.
Perhaps you will find an owner, or you can live by yourself... or with a friend
or two.”
“I’d like that,” said Lassie. “But what will happen to you and the other rebels?
Will you stay here?” She hoped they wouldn’t have to hide forever. And she looked
at the two brothers, Philosophy and Conspiracy, wondering what they’d decide
that they would do. If she went back to Neopia, would they agree to go with
her?
“My work is done here,” said Conspiracy. “I need to help the homeless Grundos
in the Virtupets Space Station. I go wherever I can help pets in need.”
“Be careful,” said Philosophy. “I wish I could go with you, but I think that
Lassie would like a companion in her travels around Neopia. I’m content knowing
that you’re all right. Stay out of trouble, Conspiracy. You’ve been through
enough that I know that you can take care of yourself.” He smiled. “Goodbye,
and I hope we meet again.”
“Goodbye, Philosophy. Goodbye, Lassie. I’ll... I’ll miss you.”
“See you, Conspiracy,” Lassie said. “And thank you, Silverclaw, for all you’ve
done for me.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied. “And good luck.”
The next day, Lassie and Philosophy left and found a home in Neopia, thanks
to the help of the same girl who had helped Lassie before. Philosophy changed
into a Lupe with a morphing potion, and he and Lassie lived happily together.
Lassie had a successful job selling plushies, and her store later became the
Main Toy Shop. The Chias never had a full-scale attack again, but they kept
their anti-Lupe attitude up. Philosophy became a leader for the Lupes in the
Chia-Lupe Debate. Philosophy and Lassie were happy, until one evening.
“What’s wrong?” Philosophy asked.
“Something’s not right,” she replied.
“Yeah,” said Philosophy. “Hmm.”
“There was an old trick that Silverclaw showed me once,” she said. “That if
you howl at a full moon, the wind will howl back to comfort you.” She looked
up at the sky. “No moon tonight.”
“Try anyway,” Philosophy suggested.
Lassie howled into the wind, a long, mournful howl. But this time, the wind
didn’t howl back.
“Neomail leb388,” Philosophy suggested. “Maybe she can help.”
Lassie did, but the girl who had been Lassie’s first customer, and the one
to send the Lupes to save her, had no explanation. Months passed. Every night,
Lassie would howl into the wind, but it never howled back, until one night...
“I just got a Neomail from leb388,” said Philosophy. “It was Conspiracy...
he had been kidnapped by Sloth a few months ago.”
Lassie was shocked. “We have to help him! We should never have let him go.
What if--”
“Don’t worry,” said Philosophy. “He was rescued by leb388 and her brother,
and she made Conspiracy officially one of her pets.”
“One of her pets!” Lassie exclaimed. “But... why?”
“He...” Philosophy paused. “Lassie, he had his memory erased by Sloth. He
wouldn’t remember me or you.”
Lassie was speechless. She ran outside, and, for awhile, didn’t say a word.
“He’ll be all right,” said Philosophy, walking out to find her crying on the
porch.
Lassie didn’t seem to hear for a minute. But then, like every other night
for the past few months, she howled. But for the first time since long ago when
she was with Silverclaw on that night everything changed, the wind howled back.
She turned to Philosophy. “I know.”
The Lupes were wide-eyed and amazed. “That happened to you two?” one asked.
“Yes,” Phil(osophy) and Lassie said together.
“Whatever happened to Sam Smith, Silverclaw, and Conspiracy?” someone asked.
“Sam is still the Chias’ leader today,” said Philosophy, and quietly muttered,
“unfortunately.”
“Silverclaw is still our friend,” said Lassie. “We keep in touch. He lives
on his own, but all of the other rebel Lupes found owners.”
“And we talk to leb388 a lot about Conspiracy,” Philosophy said. “I went to
see him a few times, but I never could bring myself to tell him...”
“But he’s really smart,” Lassie interrupted, obviously not wanting Philosophy
to continue. “He turned back into a Grundo when he went to The Virtupets Space
Station, and Sloth kidnapped him. But leb388 told us all about how she saved
him. It was quite interesting, and it got published in The Neopian Times, I
believe.”
“Maybe someday your story will be published in The Neopian Times, too,” someone
said.
Lassie and Philosophy looked at each other and shrugged. “Nah.”
The End | 
