Voice of the Neopian Pound Circulation: 195,197,181 Issue: 831 | 15th day of Relaxing, Y20
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Hope For New:Part Three


by hazelsmartotop

--------

     "How did you...Toto….but Melissa…I thought that..." I had so many questions, and I couldn’t finish a single one.

      "I knew you had a backstory, so I went back to the pound and asked Merisol a few questions, which, believe me, she wasn’t so eager to answer. I tracked down Melissa and asked if she had a Neopet named Toto. She was shocked that I figured it out, and wanted to know why I asked. Trust me, it took a while to explain." Cherrie laughed. "Melissa said I could have Toto if I wanted, and paid a price—A large one, mind you. Toto took his books and Altachuck with him. And guess who else is here?"

      A teeny tiny croak was heard from behind Toto.

      "Milky? Milk Milk?" I was astonished. Milk hopped out from behind Toto and over to me and rubbed at my leg.

      "Melissa is so CRUEL! When I left I could already hear her calling the pound to see if they had any available animals. That stupid RUBY has been invading my personal space ever since he arrived, so I’m almost glad to be gone."

      Ruby had found his way to Melissa? It really is a small world.

      "Wow," I couldn’t speak. Everything was spinning and it was all hard to process, so I took a step back.

      "You know what we should do?" Toto had a mischievous look in his eye. "Go to the Pizzaroo to CELEBRATE!!!"

      We shared a laugh; even Cherrie, although she didn’t know what we were laughing about, and we actually did go to the Pizzaroo. Milk got milk, Purrr got milk, Cherrie got pizza, Toto got pizza, and I got pizza.

      We lifted our pizza slices in the air when they were still roasting hot and crispy. "A toast to new life!" I said. "And new beginnings!"

      "And CELEBRATING!" Joked Toto, lifting his pizza higher.

      ***

     The following days were very exciting and astonishing at the same time. We ran into Melissa when we were taking our Petpets on a walk. She was taking Ruby and some new Neopet shopping: a sad experience, from what I remember. Toto and I had Purrr, my Weeble, which I renamed Tot when Toto came to live with us, and Milk on leashes, which we clamped tight in our jaws, so we couldn’t talk about or to Melissa, which was probably a good thing for our mental health.

      In the following week, we discovered how to beat our favorite game at the arcade (I’ll never give away our secrets!) and earned Cherrie a few extra Neopoints, which we left in her room. I remembered wanting to get her a gift, and told Toto, so we agreed to leave it for her.

      In the following month, Neomonia caught us through free poison jelly, and we’d had to give our secret to the arcade game away to Cherrie so she could earn a few extra Neopoints to buy us a cure, but we ended up visiting the Healing Springs, which were very very very very very very very very very very relaxing, by the way. The Faeries really DO know how to do everything just right.

      In the following year I learned that Toto and I were absolutely positively FOR SURE staying with Cherrie forever, and that the Aishas next door weren’t so bad, and were actually amazing at arcade games, so we all traveled there often. Toto and I ran into Melissa more times every year, and she actually kept Ruby. I could tell this hurt Toto a little bit, since he’d obviously been replaced, but he was happier with Cherrie and I, I could tell.

      One day, while Toto and I were taking Tot, Milk, and Purrr on a walk, I asked about Toto’s Weeble. I had remembered the mystery when I saw Toto sadly using a photo of himself and the little Weeble as a bookmark in one of his favorite books.

      Again, Toto’s face got grim. He looked me in the eye and said, "Melissa."

      "She got me Remmy, my Weeble, when she first got me. I loved him, but she soon found an Altachuck she loved more than Remmy. She refused to let me keep Remmy, and sold him to some STRANGER." Toto pit out the word and shook his head. His expression went from angry to sad in a matter of seconds. "Yes, I still love Purrr, but I miss Remmy." He sighed deeply.

      Ah. So that’s why he was so mad and lost in thought all the time.

      To help him get over it, I convinced Cherrie to start fostering Petpets from the Petpet shop, and she’d fix them up nicely and find them new homes that would keep them, unlike Melissa, who just tossed around Petpets (and Neopets, for that matter) like trash.

     Sometimes Toto and I would even play with the little Petpets that Cherrie brought into our Neohome. She found more every day, some even on the streets, and every day, more would get adopted from Aishas to Xweetoks.

      Cherrie found the Petpets that needed the most help, and helped them with whatever they needed; even the sick ones, or ones with broken bones. I’ve helped so many Petpets through so many different backstories, and I helped find them new homes. Toto lets them borrow books, even though they usually couldn’t read unless past owners had taught them how, but they enjoyed the pictures, and they even liked sleeping on books or just looking at the ‘squiggly lines.’

     "How did you...Toto….but Melissa…I thought that..." I had so many questions, and I couldn’t finish a single one.

      "I knew you had a backstory, so I went back to the pound and asked Merisol a few questions, which, believe me, she wasn’t so eager to answer. I tracked down Melissa and asked if she had a Neopet named Toto. She was shocked that I figured it out, and wanted to know why I asked. Trust me, it took a while to explain." Cherrie laughed. "Melissa said I could have Toto if I wanted, and paid a price—A large one, mind you. Toto took his books and Altachuck with him. And guess who else is here?"

      A teeny tiny croak was heard from behind Toto.

      "Milky? Milk Milk?" I was astonished. Milk hopped out from behind Toto and over to me and rubbed at my leg.

      "Melissa is so CRUEL! When I left I could already hear her calling the pound to see if they had any available animals. That stupid RUBY has been invading my personal space ever since he arrived, so I’m almost glad to be gone."

      Ruby had found his way to Melissa? It really is a small world.

      "Wow," I couldn’t speak. Everything was spinning and it was all hard to process, so I took a step back.

      "You know what we should do?" Toto had a mischievous look in his eye. "Go to the Pizzaroo to CELEBRATE!!!"

      We shared a laugh; even Cherrie, although she didn’t know what we were laughing about, and we actually did go to the Pizzaroo. Milk got milk, Purrr got milk, Cherrie got pizza, Toto got pizza, and I got pizza.

      We lifted our pizza slices in the air when they were still roasting hot and crispy. "A toast to new life!" I said. "And new beginnings!"

      "And CELEBRATING!" Joked Toto, lifting his pizza higher.

      ***

     The following days were very exciting and astonishing at the same time. We ran into Melissa when we were taking our Petpets on a walk. She was taking Ruby and some new Neopet shopping: a sad experience, from what I remember. Toto and I had Purrr, my Weeble, which I renamed Tot when Toto came to live with us, and Milk on leashes, which we clamped tight in our jaws, so we couldn’t talk about or to Melissa, which was probably a good thing for our mental health.

      In the following week, we discovered how to beat our favorite game at the arcade (I’ll never give away our secrets!) and earned Cherrie a few extra Neopoints, which we left in her room. I remembered wanting to get her a gift, and told Toto, so we agreed to leave it for her.

      In the following month, Neomonia caught us through free poison jelly, and we’d had to give our secret to the arcade game away to Cherrie so she could earn a few extra Neopoints to buy us a cure, but we ended up visiting the Healing Springs, which were very very very very very very very very very very relaxing, by the way. The Faeries really DO know how to do everything just right.

      In the following year I learned that Toto and I were absolutely positively FOR SURE staying with Cherrie forever, and that the Aishas next door weren’t so bad, and were actually amazing at arcade games, so we all traveled there often. Toto and I ran into Melissa more times every year, and she actually kept Ruby. I could tell this hurt Toto a little bit, since he’d obviously been replaced, but he was happier with Cherrie and I, I could tell.

      One day, while Toto and I were taking Tot, Milk, and Purrr on a walk, I asked about Toto’s Weeble. I had remembered the mystery when I saw Toto sadly using a photo of himself and the little Weeble as a bookmark in one of his favorite books.

      Again, Toto’s face got grim. He looked me in the eye and said, "Melissa."

      "She got me Remmy, my Weeble, when she first got me. I loved him, but she soon found an Altachuck she loved more than Remmy. She refused to let me keep Remmy, and sold him to some STRANGER." Toto pit out the word and shook his head. His expression went from angry to sad in a matter of seconds. "Yes, I still love Purrr, but I miss Remmy." He sighed deeply.

      Ah. So that’s why he was so mad and lost in thought all the time.

      To help him get over it, I convinced Cherrie to start fostering Petpets from the Petpet shop, and she’d fix them up nicely and find them new homes that would keep them, unlike Melissa, who just tossed around Petpets (and Neopets, for that matter) like trash.

     Sometimes Toto and I would even play with the little Petpets that Cherrie brought into our Neohome. She found more every day, some even on the streets, and every day, more would get adopted from Aishas to Xweetoks.

      Cherrie found the Petpets that needed the most help, and helped them with whatever they needed; even the sick ones, or ones with broken bones. I’ve helped so many Petpets through so many different backstories, and I helped find them new homes. Toto lets them borrow books, even though they usually couldn’t read unless past owners had taught them how, but they enjoyed the pictures, and they even liked sleeping on books or just looking at the ‘squiggly lines.’

      I enjoyed watching every one of the little Petpets come and go. Warfs and Kadoaties alike came in daily, and every day a few more left. Sometimes the Petpets that weren’t so lucky would be there for weeks—sometimes even months, but usually they got adopted after a few days. Some of them would stay up late, keeping Toto and I up later than usual. They were like children to us; soft and fragile and so much WORK, but we loved them through and through, and were always sad (and occasionally teary eyed) when they had to leave.

      At at least one time or another, I’d see Toto sitting in his room, flipping through books about Petpets, tears in his eyes, yet a smile on his face. That’s when I knew he had a heart, so I left him alone at these times

      One little Angelpuss caught my eye when Cherrie brought her home. She was very optimistic, and loved to read (yes, she knew how), just like Toto and I. She wasn’t much bigger than Purrr, and Toto tended to stay away from her. I think she was a little too optimistic for him.

     Cherrie found her a home in no time, but now, whenever I feel discouraged, I remember her optimism, and how she always came up with something good when times were bad.

      She’s why now I always have hope for new.

     THE END.

     *Wipes away tear* I hope you enjoyed this, and if you’re reading it, it means I’ve finally gotten published in the times. YAHOO!! *Hands out M&Ms and bows like Ruby*

     

 
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» Hope For New:Part Two



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