It was a sunny day in Neopia...
"Uh mum?" Stormy peered out the door of his room. His sister
Alex was dancing in the living room, her new CD blaring. "MOM!!!!!!"
"You bellowed dear?"
He jumped as she spoke from behind him. She grinned at him
her tangerine coloured hair was, amazingly, tamed, and she was dressed conservatively.
Stormy's mouth fell open. T.C. was known for her daring exploits and slightly
off center ideas. So seeing her looking normal was a shock. As normal as anyone
with citrus coloured hair can be.
"Where are you going?" he scowled.
"So suspicious." She pulled on her royal blue windbreaker and
headed for the door. He followed ignoring Alexis who was belting out the words
to the music...off key no less.
"Mum." He tugged on her coat. "Does this mean I have to watch
her?" He pointed to his sister who was now watching.
"Hmmm." T.C. turned hands on hips. "Where did I put my wallet?
I was sure I left it in my coat pocket." She shoved her hands into the windbreaker
and when she came up empty she threw opened the closet door and began rummaging
in the jackets.
"Where are you going?" Stormy asked hands on hips.
"I know." Alexis bounced past him pulling his orange second
ear. "And I'm not telling." she mocked him in a singsong voice.
"Oh for Faerieland's sake, Alexis. Do hush you mouth." T.C.
grabbed the spotted Aisha and swung her over her shoulder.
"MUM!" she hollered. "That’s cheating."
"Sit." She dropped her into a chair. "For five minutes." T.C.
shook her head. "Aishas."
Stormy rolled his eyes and as he did so saw something silvery
on the top of the stereo system. "Is that your wallet? Mum?" He stood on his
toes trying to see.
"AH HA!" She grinned and pounced on the silver and black rectangle.
"It is found," she laughed as she twirled through the room. "Now I need to run
so I won't be late. Luvs yas." She dropped a kiss on Alex's and Stormy's head.
"I'm off!"
"But to where?" Stormy cried in annoyance.
"She's going to the pound." Alexis stood on the chair paw over
her heart dramatically.
"What?" Stormy shrieked.
"Oh bother." T.C. rolled her eyes.
Stormy dashed before her and plastered himself against the
door. "I forbid you to go!"
T.C. glanced from one Aisha to the other, she nodded to her
self and sunk back on her heels. Right at eye level with Stormy. "Listen you
two are staying here. I am not bringing you back there." She tweaked his purple
ear. "Okay?"
"No," he growled.
"Yup, she's going to sign herself into the pound." Alexis chuckled
as she bounced on the chair.
"Ha! They wouldn't take her!" Stormy spat. He glanced at T.C.
, her leaf green eyes were narrowed as she regarded him. "Well they wouldn't...."
He shifted a bit under her stare. "You know they'd be afraid you'd take over."
T.C. tried not to smile. Really she did. Honestly. Well...
sorta anyway.
"I am going." She stood up. "Now move it."
"I refuse." He crossed his arms and turned his nose to the
ceiling.
"Uh oh." Alexis shook her head. "I think I'll go hide now."
She leaped off the chair and dashed towards her room.
"Is that your final answer sir?" T.C. asked with dignity.
"Yes."
"Fine then." She turned on her heal and walked swiftly towards
the kitchen. "If you don't want me to rescue some poor unloved pet from the
pound, I will point out I didn't hesitate to adopt you, then fine do not move
from your post sir!" Her voice echoed back through the hall.
"Mum?" He leaned forward to see where she went. "You there?"
"Nope. I'm leaving... by the back door." She chuckled and he
could hear the door close behind her.
"Oh bother." He forgot about the back door. He hit his forehead.
"I can't believe she did that."
"Well you should." Alexis stuck her tongue out at him from
her doorway.
"Yeah, what I can't believe is that she went and got you."
He lunged at her. She squealed and slammed the door in his face.
Man, some days sisters were just plain miserable. Stormy shook
his head and sulked back to his room. "I just hope she doesn't get another girl."
T.C mean while had made her way to the pound. She did so love
observing people. She was not quite sure what had provoked her to take this
course of action. Alexis and Stormy were a handful. She sat down on a bench
opposite the Building. Ironically the Create a pet center was next door. As
she mulled over what type of pet she wanted she noticed one young person go
into Create-A-Pet center and come out with a lovely blue Kougra cub. However
her smile turned to a scowl as he hightailed it over to the pound. He had just
gotten the cub only to abandon it? She thought not!
In her usual vibrant (pushy, some would say) way she shouldered
her way into the pound and was confronted with a rather nasty looking Techo.
He was carting off the Kougra cub that had just been given to him. T.C. glared
at the former owner and rather abruptly cut off the Techo's exit.
"I demand you unhand that cub!" she said with every once of
authority, being a drama major had its moments. The cub that was quite confused
and upset at the treatment he had just experienced was nearly in tears.
"Go to the other desk," the Techo, Dr_Death
by way of his name tag, snarled. "Adoptions are over there."
"Quite and I'm taking this one." She, being a good deal taller
then the doctor scooped the Kougra in her arms and headed toward the stunned
looking Uni. "I want this one." Her words dared the Techo to argue.
"Of course." The Uni muttered. Ever since the soup Faerie had
found out about the deplorable conditions of the Pound, the pets starving and
having their PetPets taken from them, things had been slightly strained. Of
course the Uni was thrilled with the changes, however Dr_Death was not. He
made good NP from those PetPets on the Black market.
T.C. gladly paid the adoption fee, and looked at the befuddled
blue cub whose name turned out to be Kiroe46. Or just Kiroe as he preferred.
She thought about it hard a long before looking up at the Uni. "I do believe
I'd like to adopt a second pet as well."
"Of course right through that door if you will." The Uni pointed
to the back.
"You're not going to leave me are you?" The trembling voice
in her arms asked.
"Of course not. I should think however Stormy would be glad
of a brother." She sighed. "Of course that means dear Alex will be out numbered."
She smiled in to the golden eyes. "So we're off to find a sister! Though what
I'll do with four kits in the house I'll never know."
She looked long and hard, she had been about to choose a level
7 shadowed Jetsam when she was whisked away. Having her arms full of Kougra
cub, she couldn't protest. She stepped back as an argument pursued over a fragile
looking glass Shoyru. Shaking her head, let Kiroe down. He held on to her hand
for all he was worth, being less then an hour old, abandoned on top of it all.
Needless to say it was quite scary.
She looked carefully at all the pets up for adoption, some
seemed to be nice but would rant and rave if you got close. She wasn't about
to have a pet that was bitter and angry. She looked longingly at several lovely
Lupes, but new that the fighting would be like cats and dogs. Besides she really
wanted a female so Alexis would have a sister. It wasn't until later when they
were looking at the older pets, some of whom would have been nice but the names
people had christened them with were atrocious.
That was when they found her. Big golden eyes watched them,
rather warily, or wearily take your pick.
Her name was Madaleine, not Madeline mind you, like the little
French orphan who lives in a house all cover with vines. But Madaleine, pronounced
as Mad-a-Leen, or Allie as she preferred. She was a blue Zafara, had was several
months old. She couldn't say exactly why her former owner had left her there,
but there she was. Many had over looked, some had taken her home only to return
her.
Kiroe was quite fascinated with her story. Allie had once been
a lovely Zafara, (back before NeoPets changed the way they looked.) But now
with the breed looking more like a cross between a kangaroo and a rabbit people
didn't seem to want them. Not a plain blue one anyway.
So T.C. Asked what would she prefer a different colour, or
a different breed? Allie puzzled this for a moment. As she was about to speak
a whining child was pulling on a tired looking Grundo, pushed between them.
"I want this one!" The young child hollered. "This blue one."
His mother appeared from somewhere looking just as wearied as the red Grundo.
"But dear..."
"I want this kitty!" A wail that could shatter eardrums issued
from his mouth.
"All right, all right," his mother said. "I'll take the Kougra..."
"Not likely," T.C. muttered planting herself between the woman
and Kiroe.
"Listen I will have that pet." The woman looked furious. "Or
do you want to have the faeries get involved?" She must be a person of some
wealth.
"Go ahead." T.C. folded her arms. "But you can't adopted someone
who isn't in the pound."
"What?" the woman looked murderous.
"Come along Kiroe, Allie. I do believe the atmosphere in here
is slightly..." She glared at the woman and the squalling child. "...Foul."
"But..." The woman started.
T.C. shoved her aside she wasn't feeling very courteous. In
one hand she had Allie and in the other Kiroe. She swept past the Uni. Pausing
only long enough to fill the brief forms and hand over the money. Then with
her head held high she left the building.
Allie and Kiroe just stared at each other. Quite amazed at
what had happened.
"Ah, here we are!" T.C. had stooped in front of a shop. "Come
along children, in we go." It was a quick trip leaving both newly adopted pets
astonished. Each carried a parcel, for Allie a morphing potion of her choosing,
and for Kiroe a paint brush. Bought within reason of course!
"Who was the weird little man with the pointy hat?" Kiroe asked.
"That was the Shop Wizard. And he's a Jubjub," Allie spoke
from experience.
"Oh," was all he said.
"Hmmm, we'll have to worry about PetPets at a later date. For
now I suggest we gather supper and head home where you can meet your other siblings."
T.C. lead the way into the pizza parlour. "Don't worry about them not liking
you Stormy came from the pound also, though Alexis was a created pet. There
are both Aishas so you all should get along." She paused handing over the NP
for the pizzas and milkshakes. "Though I suppose the normal occurrences of war
will ensue. After all brother and sisters do fight," she chuckled. "Though I'm
sure we'll manage somehow." She smiled brightly.
Allie and Kiroe just nodded, mouths slightly agape in awe.
"Right then. Off we go."
And so they walked down the lane and through the streets to
the plot on the corner with a wrought iron gate and a house all covered in vines.
Where T.C. lived with her pets, Stormy, Alexis, Kiroe, and the newly green Kougra....
Madaleine.
The End | 
