Piece of the Past

      "All I know is that I adopted you from the Pound," she said while helping Lisi prepare dinner. Or just getting ingredients for the brown Aisha, which ever way you looked at it.

      "Oh, and I remember seeing you when you were a blue Shoyru," Christine added. This was news to me. I was a blue Shoyru? "You were with your whole family when I saw you."

      "Yep!" she answered when I asked her about this. "Before you were a yellow Lupe, you were a little blue Shoyru! I remember that you stood out from the rest of your siblings. You were the only little guy who wasn't painted a nice color. Oh, and you were really sad."

      I asked her if she knew anything else, but she said no before returning to get some broccoli for Lisi. Dissatisfied, I turned to Samantha, AKA the yellow Bori. She read so many NT stories and series, she can probably help me with this possible lost part of my memories. I went to her house and (basically) asked a bunch of questions on the matter.

      "Ooh, maybe he is a long lost sibling!" Samantha shrieked with excitement. I probably should have mentioned that she liked being involved with mysteries of any sort. Especially stuff that involved long-lost-siblings, relatives, etc. "Do you remember when you were first created?"

      "Umm... a tiny bit," I said slowly. A tiny bit? More like a fragment of a fragment. The only thing I remember at the moment was how miserable I was in the Pound, then Christine adopting me, and then on. Oh, and the stuff Christine told me. It's been so long, I let myself forget. Funny how I never gave it much thought.

      "TELL SAMMY NOW," she demanded. I blinked. Maybe I should have gone to Lisi instead. At least she doesn't freak out.

      "I remember that my owner was male..." I replied. "I had three other siblings... all of them were guys too. I don't remember a blue Grundo, though. Christine said that my siblings were painted."

      "You said you think..." Sam muttered, scratching her head. Was she waiting for a lightbulb moment?

      "Yeah, I can think. It's shocking."

      "That means there's a POSSIBILITY that he's your long lost brother!" Sam shouted, ignoring me. There's the lightbulb moment.

      "Could you at least take a moment to think-" I started.

      "OR MAYBE EVEN AN OLD FRIEND!" she interjected. I sighed out of frustration. Why me?

      "Sam, it's been three years. I can't remember that much-"

      "OR MAYBE A RELATIVE!"

      "GOOD BYE, SAMMY," I said loudly, heading for the door.

      "DON'T WORRY, STRIFE!" she yelled back. I'm already almost out the door, but that doesn't stop her from adding, "I'LL HELP YOU ON THIS CASE YET!"

      When I looked back, I saw that she was flailing her arms. I face-palmed. Why me.

      "Should've gone to Lisi first," I muttered to myself, closing the door.

      -LATER THAT NIGHT-

      So I did go to Lisi after the disastrous meeting. When in doubt, just go to your siblings who are normal. Or as normal as you can get.

      "He's probably one of your friends from when you were younger," Lisi said. She turned a page in a book she was reading. Next to her was a small royalgirl Pteri, also reading. She's my other little sister, and when I say little, I mean LITTLE. Elena looks around eight, but she's actually ten. I know, it's HILARIOUS.

      "Because...?" I asked. Give me a reason, Lisi.

      "It's pretty common in NT stories about this kind of stuff," Lisi answered. "To be honest, it's cliché."

      "Gee, thanks."

      "No problem."

      "Of course my problem had to be cliché. Thanks, Lisi."

      "You said that your siblings were all painted and you don't remember having a Grundo for a brother," she explained.

      "Do you have any other explanations?" Elena added. Hey, no interrupting or adding 'facts,' Elena.

      "Elena, you're not helping," I told her. Elena smiled innocently and turned back to her book.

      "STRIFE!" screamed my owner. She barged into the living room and tripped, landing face-first on the carpet.

      "Yes?" I asked.

      "Remember I told you about the siblings and stuff?"

      "Yeah... "

      "That's actually Era's past. Sorry, Strife! Hehe... "

      "... Christine."

      "Yes?"

      "TAKE A MEMORY CLASS!"

      "I'M SORRY!" Christine cried, running out of the room. I face-palmed.

      "Strife... " Lisi said in her warning tone.

      "Yeah, I know-OW!" I yelled, rubbing the side of my head. Something hit me! I looked on the floor and saw a yellow envelope with a pair of small wings. Ahahaha, the flying neomail, I thought as I picked it up. I bet it's Sam with a new theory about the Grundo. I opened the mail and took out the letter.

      'PIZZAROO TOMORROW AT 1 P.M.!!!

      FROM SAMMY!

      P.S. DON'T BE LATE!!!'

      Ha ha... knew it. Man, even her handwriting looks energetic. If that's even possible.

      "Going to bed," I said, standing up. "Sam's going to be tiring me out and I'll need all the energy I can get."

      "Night," my sisters answered back.

      -THE NEXT DAY-

      Most people would get used to having a crazy friend. Yeah, I'm not one of them. The first thing I said to Sam when I met with her at Pizzaroo was: "If this is about the Grundo, DON'T SAY ANYTHING."

      "But I have a new theory!" she whined.

      "You always have a new theory for everything," I reasoned, "even the stuff they serve in the cafeterias."

      "But this one's different!" she whined. Again.

      "Let me guess," I replied, "it's about how he could probably just be a friend from childhood, right?"

      "Close!" she exclaimed. "I think he's a friend from the Pound!"

      "You mean the place where happiness disappears the moment you're disowned?" I asked, bewildered. I don't remember having any friends, but I might have. I remember being happy before the Pound changed that. It could have been possible. "Sam, it's been three years... "

      "Oh, come on, Strife! It's possible!" Sam answered. "Just give the idea a chance!"

      "I know anything could be possible," I started, "but... "

      Before I could tell Sam that her theory was impossible, I noticed that guy. That Grundo was back, and beside him was a red Mynci. The Mynci was probably his friend. Why else would the guy follow him around? Sure, the Grundo could be the same guy from before, but he could be an entirely different Grundo.

      Sam noticed I wasn't talking and looked at the direction I was staring. For once, she was speechless. At least for a moment.

      "Oh... is that him?" she whispered.

      "Maybe," I said back. "Sam, it's just one guy. No need to freak out."

      OK, it wasn't freaking out, but it was close for her.

      "They're staring at something," Sam said, turning around. When I looked back, I saw she was right. The Grundo and Mynci were staring. It was pretty clear who they were looking at. As much as I would have liked to tell them to go away, I didn't. I'm weird like that.

      At that moment, it was clear that he was the same guy from before. If he wasn't, then why would he and his buddy look at us? Maybe it IS cliché. Maybe it is crazy. Then again, you know what people say about stuff like this: Anything's possible. Maybe I can finally start believing Sam's crazy theories. Maybe I can find out my past. Maybe I can stop making fun of Elena for being so short. For now, though, I think I'll focus on trying to figure out my past memories. Or get some rest and think about it later. Whichever comes first.

The End

YAAAAY! I'm in the NT again! OK, I dedicate this story to my buddy, lombre! He's awesome. =D