Memoirs of a Neglected Wocky

     I live in a comfy, temperate home and always have enough to eat. Both me and my sisters are painted and clothed with quality clothing. For as long as I could remember, my owner has always had more than enough neopoints to support us. I mean--I haven't even heard of the Soup Faerie until my older sister started volunteering there. But for a long time, I was far from happy.

     My owner tells me I'm selfish and maybe she's right. I have so much and three sisters who support me, yet I went every day wishing I was someone else. I guess I should explain.

     ***

     Ever since I was born, I've been in my sister's shadow. Her name is Cornelia, and she was a Uni. I never really minded her getting the good stuff first because I thought that was just the way things went. It was just the two of us for the longest time, and that was pretty much my excuse for being second--Cornelia was older, therefore stronger and smarter.

     Then my third sister came in. Lily. A.K.A. the prodigy. I guess all my discomfort started there. I was tired of being last, and now that there was a new neopet in the family, I would finally amount to being in the middle. I was wrong. In the first few weeks of her life, she reached equal to me in strength, ability, and intelligence. She soon over-passed Cornelia, which surprised everyone. After barely three months, she became a celebrity in our neighborhood. Smart, wonderful, diligent Lily. Owner spoiled her and gave her the very best.

     After not too long, my fourth sister arrived. We spent weeks at the neolodge while Mother Superior rebuilt our neohome. When we finally saw our new home, it was in the Haunted Woods. We searched our Owner for an answer, and she smiled and introduced us to our new sibling, an Acara already painted Shadow.

     Shadia was born with an attitude problem. She would only live in the Haunted Woods. For some reason, she only preferred things as dark and gloomy as herself. She lived upstairs in a room made of slate and kept to herself. I never really put myself in her way, though my sisters adored her for some reason. Owner also pampered Shadia, though she never came close to overpassing Lily.

     After Shadia, it all went downhill.

     Owner started to make a lot of money. She loaded our house with more furniture and gave us gourmet food to eat. I saw her less and less as she busied herself with restocking and neopoint-earning games. Lily, born-leader, took over of the household and took care of us while she was gone.

     The more money Owner had, the more she spent on my sisters... the less she spent on me. I started to feel angry. Why didn't Owner care about me? I was her neopet! I was special, too! I started to reject anything she tried to feed me that wasn't as expensive and elite as my sisters’ food. I complained more and more about the toys and stuff I didn't have that my sisters did. And why wouldn't Owner send me to the Training School more often? I wanted to be strong, too!

     I didn't notice that the entire time, Owner was punishing me as I was threatening her power. This process continued for a long time until she absolutely frustrated with me. One day, my sister Cornelia came back excitedly, with news that Neopets could now be customized with unique clothing suited for them. Gone would be the itchy clothing that was not suited to every species and tossed aside as neopoint-wasting junk. As soon as Owner heard about this, she took us all shopping. Most stuff was expensive, but we all received something. When we came back, we all went to the closet to try them on.

     Being a Wocky with an inconveniently round figure and small legs, I suffered the restrictions of clothing as well. I was actually a little pleased when it was my turn. When it was my turn, Owner showed me what she had bought for me. A pair of Purple Cybunny Pajamas. From the advent calendar. Cornelia and Lily roared with laughter. She forced me into them and the four of us were marched into Neopia Central to be admired. All this time Cornelia was fussing over her dress, saying it made her thighs look big. (For Illusen's sake, she's a Uni!) They're supposed to be big!

     After Lily and Cornelia ran off to be admired, I slumped into a bench and tried not to listen to the mocking voices around me. I wanted to run far away, but my legs wouldn‘t budge. This was the worst day of MY LIFE. Then, I felt someone put an arm around me. It was Shadia. I burst into tears.

     "Look, I know you're not being treated very fairly," she told me.

     "Well what can I do? Owner hates me!"

     "No she doesn't. Why would you say such a thing?"

     "Why? WHY?" I blubbered. "Look at what she's making me wear! I always get whatever’s left that you all don’t want! She doesn't care about me at all!" I wiped my tears. "I'm tired of being treated like nothing."

     "So do something about it," said Shadia.

     How could she expect me to do anything? I walked away, and Shadia did not follow me.

     As I thought about it, I was a jerk for the most part. Lily was Owner's favorite, but she was nice to everyone and obedient. She took care of us. Cornelia was vain, but she liked to help out poorer neopets and gardened and cleaned to make our neohome pretty. Shadia was moody and dark, but she thought as an individual and she was there for me when no one else was. I guess all this time, I was taking every good thing people were giving me, and giving nothing back. I probably deserved to walk in the shadows of my siblings.

     As I came home, Owner greeted me. I looked away, but she quickly took the pajamas off and told me we were going to Kelp for dinner. She wanted to talk to me and my sisters. Shadia refused to eat at such a fancy place and she stayed home. Owner didn't mind.

     ***

     That day at Kelp, my Owner told me that one of us told her we were being treated at different levels. Cornelia looked confused and Lily looked distant while I thought about what Shadia had said. From that day, I started to stand up for myself. I also stopped complaining and focused on change. I changed in many different ways.

     Today, I am a very different neopet. I did not get painted again, or zapped by the lab ray, but now I’m happier and I enjoy everyday that walk with my four paws. I am still the weakest pet in my family, but Owner has sent to for lessons at Mystery Island Training School and I am getting stronger in mind and in spirit. It has been a year since the dinner at Kelp, and I have gone a long way from there.

     I thank you for reading my memoirs. Remember that no matter how far you go, there is always a light that can take you back.

The End