CHAPTER 1 - NEW
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He spotted her when his owner was chatting with Lila, Mandy was busy when he approached Ragdonly. He blushed and timidly said hi... she wasn't any more than 14 or 15 years old by human standards...she giggled at him and waved but didn't say a word.
Mandy was telling Lila about a few issues she was having around Mara and how sick she was with the glitches knocking down things and wrecking her free time. She couldn't understand why the Maradan pound haven't figured out how to catch them pesky vermin and it's not like the Newths were doing their jobs properly either.
"I'm just tired of the crap Lila, if it's not one thing it's another, I rather leave and start elsewhere than put up with all this, it's just too frustrating"
Lila was sadden to see her friends distress and anguish over the mess things had gotten into in Mara.
"Look; stick around for a bit longer, I'm sure things will pick up...I know the Newths have a new supervisor so things will get done it's just going to take time to get things working that's all."
"Sorry dear... if things don't pick up soon I'm out of here...I just need to determine just what I plan on doing" Mandy petted him on his head and looked down at him, "I'll just miss my pet when and if I go...that's one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you to see if you'd take him in"
Lila was STUNNED!
"Oh My God! Really?" she squawked..."Mandy...STAY please...I can't take him and give him back if you leave and then return I get attached too easily..."
Mandy looked at Lila... "If I go... I won't be back." she said with tears in her eyes, "so I might as well give him to someone who will love him as much as I do...so please say yes, you'll be getting all my mp and stuff for training him to."
Lila looked down at the timid chocolate fassie and shook her head yes... she'd have two fassies at this rate, thou she did have potion plans for Ragdonly... now she'd have to think of what to do with Mandy's pet Foxkin.
It was about 2 weeks later that Lila accepted the pet exchanges notification of pick up for Foxkin, she was so sad to know that Mandy was leaving, she left her email address so Mandy could write to her. She went to the exchange office and picked up Foxkin who was scared to death, she looked down at him and hugged him and looked into his sad eyes and said to him.
"Don't worry hun you're in a great place and we'll all take good care of you ok..." Fox shook his head yes... He sort of understood she was a nice person or his former owner Mandy wouldn't have asked her to take him, and he was at ease a bit but he was REALLY missing Mandy and he did still have tears in his eyes... How could she leave?! He was so depressed...
He walked through the front door to Lila's place and seen Chancelyn at the kitchen table feeding her mini, Chance was a very pretty beige furry Chibs, she seen Fox and rolled her eyes... she recognized him immediately since he was after all her brother Mandy had given Chance to Lila about 8 months prior and Chance was now being trained and would move in with Lila's son Bryan very soon.
"Awww Lila... another stray?"
Lila gave Chance a dirty look ... "you know very well who this is, now be NICE!"
Fox looked at the Chibs and squinted... he recognized her scent... but she looked different...
"Kat?" he said questioningly...
"Umm yep ya dufus!, but it's Chancelyn now, mom renamed me and I love it to! It's so distinguished don't ya think?"
She picked up her mini from his chair and put him on the floor and cleaned the chair off, taking the plate to the sink she continued to torment her brother.
"So fuzz face what are YOU doing here...?"
Lila walked over to Chance and squatted in front of her... and sternly spoke to Chance.
"One, he's not to be called names, you dont' like it, so you do not do it here... got it?"
Chance frowned and shook her head yes...
"Two, he's depressed enough without you badgering him... so be a good sis and show him around ok..I have to find stuff to get a new room made up, I'll be back in a few I have to go shopping for a new bed."
Lila stood and then continued...
"and three... if you really want to know... Mandy left Marada today...permanently."
Chance dropped the plate she had been holding and it hit the floor shattering to a million pieces, shocked look on her face said it all... Mandy gone... it was like being dead...She looked at her brother...he broke to like the plate she had been holding into a million pieces she saw the tears in his eyes and knew how upset he was and then she felt like crap. Man she was mean to him. She reached over and gave him a hug while he sobbed on her shoulder. She cried a little to, she would also miss Mandy, she was after all the first owner she ever had.
Lila came back from the Minipet island furniture shop she hated taking the ferry over there it always made her sea sick. She had been gone for about an hour and the house was eerily quiet. Ragdonly was beside her lugging a box that had a wardrobe that would have to be put together.
"Oh my god mom this thing weighs a ton!"
she grunted and she pushed it through the front door.
"and here I think doing gym classes is hard.."
she sighed and flopped into a chair.
"I'll be right back"
Lila said, as she wandered up stairs, she looked around wondering where Fox was. She peeked into Rags room and there he was sound asleep. Chance walked up to Lila.
"He was crying and he asked for a spot to lay down, I didn't think Ragdonly would mind and besides; my rooms a mess."
Lila looked at Chance and smiled. Then asked.
"How are you taking the news?"
"I'm ok, sad but ok" she hesitated before continuing "It's really depressing to know that some owners decide to leave because of the problems here, Sometimes I wish that things were better now not later but I guess we can't expect community changes over night"
Lila hugged Chance, and smiled."I'm sure things will get better, now we have some furniture to put together"
Lila closed Rags door and headed back down stairs with Chance and all three worked to put together the wardrobe and placed it into the lower room Lila had been using as a den this would now be Fox's room.
Rags disappeared on Lila a few minutes later she thought she had gone off to get a drink but when Lila went into the kitchen Rags wasn't there...
"Now where did that girl get to..."
she muttered as she started working on setting up the new bed in Fox's room.
Ragdonly knew that there was a new house guest but she was shocked to see him sleeping in her bed. she heard him hiccup in his sleep, she knew he'd been crying. She grabbed the comforter off of the back of her moon chair and covered him over. He snuggled down but opened his eyes. When he seen Rags again he smiled, a familiar face, he remembered her from the last time they met.
"Hi" he mumbled "Sorry I took your bed"
She giggled and winked at him as she started to leave the room.
"Oh it's quite ok." she said, "My mom's putting together your room now and she bought you a new bed of your own but you can use mine for now"
"Hey where are you going?" he asked.
She stopped outside her room door. "I'm going back down to finish your room up, it's going to be different having someone new living here but I can't let you keep my room for good" she chuckled
"I think you'll want your own space in time."
He pondered this though for a min then realized he would like it here. He liked Rags, she was nice and didn't treat him like a baby thou he felt as helpless as one. He sat up and looked at her "Thanks" he said and smiled.
"For what?" Ragdonly asked as she looked at him with a puzzled expression.
His reply was sweet and honest. "For being so nice, for not treating me like a baby...even Chance couldn't do that and she's my own sister."
Ragdonly's laughter sounded like music to Fox's ears, "Just remember this Fox" she said as she walked back over to him and plopped over on to her bed
"You're not my brother and Chance isn't my sister BUT, I rather be friends with anyone who lives in my owners home, over being enemies any day. it just makes life so much easier."
she paused and looked at him.
"Besides your nice so why not be nice back" She smiled again, tossed a pillow at him and took off giggling for the door.
He was quick on his feet, he caught the pillow and tossed it back at her and laughed. Her good nature would make living here so much easier. The mini pillow fight lasted all of 2 minutes when Chance stormed in all huffy and moody
"Sheesh Rags ya think you can be any noisier... and aren't you suppose to be helping mom instead of playing with the dweeb?"she huffed.
Ragdonly hated it when Chance was nasty to others, just because she was 'pretty' she thought she could get anyone to do what she wanted based solely on her looks, most of the time it was her 'ugly' temper that made others run from her. No wonder why Chance had trouble making real friends, but this was her brother and she was still treating her own brother like dirt.
Ragdonly stood up and confronted Chance.
"LOOK!" Rags seethed but keeping her temper in check.
"I NEVER called you names."
" I NEVER treated you like crap"
" I NEVER ever disrespected you not once since the day you moved here, and your not even my real family, but I've always treated you as so!" she kept going since she had the courage to do so.
"I accepted you as a part of this family unit anyway and treated you as such. Fox is your OWN brother and your treating him like crap"
"Did you forget?" She asked Chance who was stunned to have Rags say anything harsh to her.
"Forget how hard it was to move into a new home?"
"Maybe if you took the time to reflect back to how hard moving into a new home was and how much having someone around to listen really helped you then you realize I'm doing for him what I did for you."
"It's called acceptance and respect, something you've been lacking lately and if you don't smarten up I'm letting mom know how much I'm getting tired of your behavior."
Chance was totally stunned and ashamed and walked out of the room muttering "Sorry"
Rags sighed and turned around to face Fox, she was greeted by a very shocked looking Foxkin, who reached out and hugged her. Her temper melted and she hugged him back.
"I'm sorry for my outburst" she said as she backed out of his arms.
"Don't be, someone had to tell her like it was, hell I'm her brother and bigger and stronger than her and I was always scared to say anything to her she's so mean sometimes"
He smiled. "Thanks for sticking up for me"
She blushed, she didn't normally have to stick up for the foster kids whom her mom took in unless they were very young, and being thanked for it wasn't a normal occurrence either since most of the fostered kids didn't stick around long before Lila found a great new place for them to live.
She playfully punched him on the shoulder and said "Anytime," "Now let's head downstairs and get some grub I'm starved!"
They both headed downstairs and stopped at the den that was now looking more and more like a bed room.
"Oh my!" said Fox when he seen his soon to be room. In one corner was a large twin bed with a blue comforter on it and a nice sun wardrobe in the opposite corner. Lila had put a large yellow and blue rug down in the middle of the floor and there were toys and plushies piled in a box at the foot of his new bed. Lila smiled pleased at his response to his new room.
"Ragdonly and I will be adding more in a few days but now you have a space of your own, and from the look on your face I can say I'm pleased you like what you see."
Fox walked into his room and sat on his bed, and looked around taking in everything.
he was home now and he knew it.