Plushie Love

Dedicated to anyone who's been reunited with a very very VERY special toy! ^_^

Ayla the Light Faerie laced her fingers together and placed them on the table. She looked around at the other Faeries and waited for the meeting to officially begin. When everyone was seated, the Faerie Queen herself looked over at Ayla and said, "All right, Ayla. We're all here. So what was it that you held this meeting for?" Ayla felt herself grow hot under Fyora's curious gentle gaze.

     "Well, your Majesty," began Ayla, nervously at first, but her voice grew stronger when she remembered why she was here. "There have been several attacks from WereLupes lately and some of the Faeries-" she gestured politely at the other Faeries "-have begun to think that we should no longer keep these Neopians as a civil Neopet-turning them loose in the forests to run as wild creatures.

     "I assure you," she felt bold enough to meet Fyora's eyes. "This is a horrid idea. WereLupes can be cured if we can just catch them. And innocent Neopets that already have a loving family will be turned out into the wild.

     "I can prove that they're lovable creatures," insisted Ayla.

     "What do you have in mind, dear?" asked the Faerie Queen, her fingertips together, looking intent.

     "Well," said Ayla, relieved that Fyora was interested. She snapped her fingers and a Red Cybunny Plushie appeared. "I'll show you."

      ~*~

     Ayla smiled at the little baby Lupess in the basket. She yawned and rolled over, her paw resting on top of the Plushie. Ayla flitted over to the front door of the Neohome. She'd been watching this human and knew she'd make a fine owner for the Lupess. She placed the basket on the doorstep, smoothed the baby's thick blue fur, and rang the doorbell.

     She hid behind a bush where she could see the front door. It opened to a girl with wavy auburn hair and dark green eyes. "Yes?" she peered out and was about to close the door when she didn't see anyone. Then she looked down.

     "Oh my gosh!" she gasped. The Lupess perked up her ears under jet black hair and gurgled happily at the human. The girl's eyes softened and she cooed, "Well aren't you sweet!" She picked up the basket and the Lupess played with her hair. The girl smiled. "I think I'll call you Maya," she said. And with that she turned around and closed the door.

     Ayla smiled. 'Maya,' she thought. 'It matches.'

      ~*~

          Ayla smiled shyly before the Faerie Queen, who looked like an image of perfection sitting on her throne. In the palms of her hands lay a simple Blue Daisy Mirror. "You see, your Highness," she said, handing the mirror to Fyora. "I have enchanted this mirror to show the progress of a little Lupess named Maya under the care of a human named Adrienne. I have left her with a Red Cybunny Plushie to see how affectionate she is towards it and her owner. If you merely press this daisy," she said as she touched on the end of the handle. "You can see the full picture."

     The two Faeries watched intently as Adrienne placed Maya in the bathtub. The little Lupess pointed at once at the Plushie gurgled baby-talk. Among other sounds they heard her say, "Bun-Bun." Adrienne looked at the plushie too, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. Bun-Bun can't go in the water."

     Maya looked at her intently as if to say, "Why not?"

     "Well, Bun-Bun isn't a very good swimmer," said her owner. Maya tapped her chin and looked up at the ceiling like she was thinking. Ayla smiled and Fyora chuckled. Then Maya had an idea. She clambered out of the tub before Adrienne could fill it with water. She grabbed a steep, green plastic bucket from the kitchen and went back to the bathroom. She put the Plushie in the bucket and waited for Adrienne to fill the tub. When she did, Maya gently put the bucket on top of the water.

     She turned to her owner and smiled. "Bun-Bun's boat!" she said happily. Adrienne smiled.

     "All right, but be careful," she said. "If the bucket tips over, Bun-Bun will get all wet." Maya nodded vigorously and climbed in.

     Fyora looked up and smiled. "Interesting work, Ayla," she said. "We will give Maya twelve years. If her affection shows greatly enough, I will grant the Lupes permission to remain civil Neopets." Ayla grinned; her hard work was paying off!

     The years passed and soon Maya turned four. She had never let Bun-Bun out of her sight, and didn't look like she was planning to. Then Bun-Bun got her ear ripped off. Maya blinked as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Then she screamed in terror, loud and long. And speaking of terror, where do you think they went to get her fixed?

     Yup. Terror Mountain. But when Donny said, "Bah, there doesn't seem ta be anything wrong with that!!!" Maya seemed heartbroken. Then she got an idea. She got out a sewing kit and clumsily sewed back the ear. Adrienne smiled at the lopsided ear and so did Ayla and Fyora.

     Then Maya began to go to Neoschool. She brought Bun-Bun with her. She continued to until after a few months. Then Bun-Bun stayed home. But the moment she got home from Neoschool, Maya would play with Bun-Bun. But soon she began to get more friends and Bun-Bun seemed to fade into the background. Soon she became a Safety Deposit Box item.

     Ayla was not worried; she was waiting for one certain move. The years passed and Maya was a week away from being twelve years old. She got it in her mind to clean out the SDB to see if she could find anything interesting. She lifted a Small Metal Shield and gasped.

     She grabbed the item and ran to Adrienne, her thick black hair streaming, saying, "Mom! Mom! Look who I found!" Adrienne turned and gasped.

     "Bun-Bun!" they whispered together. Bun-Bun had seen better days. The thread from the reattached ear was dangling. Her tail had lost its softness from being stroked there. Her embroidered nose was almost worn away from kisses. But as Maya stared at her long-forgotten friend, she looked more beautiful than a Faerie Queen Doll.

     Maya took Bun-Bun and gently placed her in a box lined with a blanket. Then she put the box under her Kauvara bed. Then she went to bed. As Ayla and Fyora looked on, Ayla crossed her fingers. 'Come on, come on!' she thought. 'I know you can do it!' She watched eagerly as Maya reached down her paw, took off the lid, and stroked Bun-Bun. 'Yes!' thought Ayla happily. 'We have liftoff!'

     Fyora turned. "I am satisfied. Although Maya ignored Bun-Bun for about eight years, she did show renewed love at her toy. Lupes may remain in Neopia." Ayla smiled, delighted. She knew just who to tell first!

     When she got to her home in Faerieland City, Ayla burst through the door and cried, "We did it!" she ran over to a surprised Yellow Lupess and embraced her.

     "I don't believe it!" said the Lupess to her companion. "You did it?" Ayla beamed and nodded.

     "Oh, Mira, it's all thanks to your daughter!" said the Light Faerie.

     "What did you say the human named her again?"

     "Maya."

     "Maya and Mira, huh?" Mira smiled her crooked smile. "Who would've thought…"

     Ayla took out the Blue Daisy Mirror Fyora had told her to keep and allowed Mira to gaze lovingly at her daughter, who had fallen asleep with her paw on Bun-Bun. "I think it fits just right," said the Lupess softly.

The End