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The hot Neopian sun blazed down upon the grassy savannah.
A few Kaus grazed gracefully, tasseled tails flicking back and forth. Their blue
fur glistened slightly in the suns ray, and every once in a while; a muscle would
twitch-telling an annoying fly to stay off.
Not far off, three adventurous Lupe pups watched
the Kaus with interest. Their different colored coats were dirty with mud, and
it was hard to see their certain color. Each fluffy tail swayed back in forth
with excitement. They were about seven months old… the right age for trouble.
The 'leader' of the three troublemakers was a slender white female. Her ears
perked forward as she spotted the Kaus, and an evil grin wiped across her face,
"Com'on y'all… lets go."
The sweetest of the group, a red male Lupe called
Chippewa, spoke up, "I-I don't know Toshiba… it could be dangerous…"
Toshiba grinned again, looking at Chip, "So?
Your point…"
The third spoke, "Stop fighting you two…"
Toshiba rolled her eyes, and then gazed back
on the Kaus "Won't dad be impressed if we caught one?"
The fire male pup that spoke third nodded. "And
it'll be great fun as well!"
Without warning the three sprung forth, tongues
hanging out of their mouths. The three barked playful as they neared the Kaus
Toshiba nipped playfully at there heals, and Chip growled, biting at their tails,
Ryat (the third pup) nipped at them as well.
The frightened Kaus all lifted their heads, the
whites of their eyes showing in fear. Then they all dashed off. The pups tried
to keep up, but the speed of the Kaus was faster. The three canines slowed down
to a walk, panting.
Toshiba spoke up again, "As I said, it was great
fun!"
The other two agreed, and Chip spoke, looking
at the sun, "We better head back to the pack… Mother won't be happy with us
for chasin' off our dinner"
Toshiba hadn't thought of this. "Right," she
said it in a dismayed tone, "we better get back then."
Back at the pack, a starry elder Lupe walked
up to the three pups, "Where have you been!?" she licked each of them on the
head. "Dinner is here already, a nice fat pork Steak!"
Toshiba was relived that they didn't know about
them chasing off the Kaus, "Thanks mom!" The three of them ran over to the steak.
They each dug in, starving from the day's play.
That night, Toshiba had some horrid dreams. She
hadn't told her brothers, but while walking back home from the Kau chase, she
had seen the most disturbing thing. In the depths of some brush there was a
building. Strange creatures that walked on their hind legs, kept coming in and
out of the building. The creatures were ugly, green things, with to antennas
sprouting from the top of their heads. That part bothered her, but what upset
her the most was the Neopets: Some were behind cages, she noticed Myncis and
Usuls behind steel bars. Some were struggling, and it seemed some had just given
up the will to live. She twitched in her sleep as she thought about it all.
Then came a part in her dream that wasn't what she remembered seeing that afternoon.
The Lupe pup jumped up with a start, and yelped, "AZREL!!!!!"
Toshiba shook violently with fear. Her lost sister
was in her dreams… locked up in a cage.
About two months ago, Azrel had disappeared from
the pack. The elders had been searching for her day and night. They gave up,
assuming that a Kougra or something had gotten her. But according to Toshiba's
dream… the elders were wrong, and Azrel was still living-in the horrid place
of the mutant Grundos.
Toshiba reluctantly rolled over, to go back to
sleep, she had a long day ahead of her.
The next hot and sunny day, the pack woke up,
and the elders went hunting, leaving the pups behind with the baby sitter, Rei.
Rei was an old female of the pack. The pups usually enjoyed listening to the
tales of her battles, which she had many scars for proof. But today, Toshiba
had other plans. She still didn't tell her two brothers about her dream, or
what she saw… Toshiba felt she needed to find her sister alone. That is exactly
what she told her brothers. The three pups sat around a large thorn tree, trying
to think up a plan for Toshiba to get past the strict Rei.
The three pups couldn't think of any ideas, but
in amidst of all there thinking, Rei fell sound asleep. Toshiba grinned, "A
swell plan Rei!" She winked at each brother, and with a swish of her fluffy
tail, she sprinted off into the unknown savannah.
The wind blew threw her fur, and the sun's rays
beat down upon her. In no time at all, the pup was sweating from the heat. Her
long reddish tongue hung out of her mouth as she slowed down to a walk to catch
her breath. Where was this place! the poor pup thought to herself. She
knew it was around somewhere, for the surroundings looked familiar… although
on Mystery Island, all the trees and surroundings were alike.
Toshiba wandered around until she came to a
large thorny tree, which she remembered from the day before. A doggish grin
spread across her muzzle as she passed by the gnarled tree. Her fluffy tail
swayed back in forth with relief as the smells and sights got more familiar…
then she saw it. The large shiny building from yesterday. Toshiba crinkled her
nose in disgust as she saw the evil two legged things throw Neopets into cages.
The smell was horrendous. This horrid place smelt of death and of the dying.
She emitted a small whimper, tucking her tail between her legs.
I have to do this, the determined Lupe
thought. Toshiba decided to wait until sundown to go into the camp. She rested
her slender head on her paws, and closed her brown eyes… but nevertheless; the
large ears were still alert, listening for any signs of danger.
As if she had an alarm clock in her head, Toshiba
woke up right after 12:00am. She yawned widely, her white shiny teeth gleaming
in the moonlight, and then stretched. She was ready!
Her sensitive ears picked up very few sounds;
a few animals scratching at the bars of their cage, and a few snores from the
Grundos. The pup grinned to herself, then frowned. What if these Grundos.
got a hold of her pack?! What if they killed off all the Wild Lupes? Neopia
wouldn't be the same without the Wild Lupes of Mystery Island! She had to
go in and somehow defeat this horrible place.
She poked her ivory head though the brush, to
see the 'camp'. Her deep brown eyes scanned around for her sister, but there
was no sight of her… maybe she was inside. Her eyes focused on an opening to
get into the building.
She moved swiftly and silently to the opening,
her paws making little imprints in the dusty floor. Once she reached the opening,
Toshiba crinkled her nose in total disgust. Pouring from the opening was a black
liquid, which was sticky to the touch. Her eyes followed where this black liquid
lead to, and she growled in surprise. The black stuff ran from the building
right into the river!
Toshiba looked back at the building. "Well…
I'll have to find another way in…" she said this out loud in despair.
"I can help you there…" a voice came from behind
her.
Toshiba spun around to see who had spoken to
her. To her very own surprise, there sat a spotted Kougra in a small cage. His
long spotted tail swished back and forth, golden eyes looking at Toshiba, "I
said I can help you."
Toshiba's eyes narrowed as she looked at him,
"How?"
"First you need to get me out of here," the
Kougra was calm and collected.
Toshiba looked at the cage. It was pure steel.
If a full-grown Kougra couldn't get out, how could she help him? "How can I
do that?" there was a slight irritation in her voice.
"Over there." The Kougra took his long spotted
tail, and using it like an arm, pointed to a few objects hanging on a wall.
"Keys"
She stared at the 'keys' then back at the Kougra
"Okay, so these 'keys' will help you?"
"Yes."
This Kougra was starting to bug her, he didn't
explain much. "How will they help you?"
"Fit the key into the lock." His eyes gazed
at a hole in the cage.
Toshiba sighed and thought to herself, Stupid
Felines, but still jumped up, and with her massive jaws, grasped the 'keys'.
"Here. You happy?"
With his tail (which acted like an extra limb)
he took the key, and jammed it into the lock, then pawed at it with one large
paw. The key turned, and the door sprung open. The feline jumped out, and to
Toshiba's surprise, he was much bigger then she thought. "Thanks." The Kougra
sat upon his haunches again, and looked at her.
She nodded, then spoke in a harsh tone, "You
said you could help me?" She was thinking that this Kougra might dash off once
he was released.
"Keys," he spoke in the same calm tone.
Toshiba sighed drastically… not the 'keys' again.
"Yes, what about the keys?!"
"They will help." He bent down and grabbed them
in his feline jaws, and trotted off.
"WAIT!" She ran after him, nearly halfway around
the entire building, where he stopped at a door.
The Kougra slid the key in the door, turned
it with a paw, and the door sprung open, just like his cage. "There we go. Keys
help."
Toshiba was amazed. "How do you know all this
stuff?"
He spoke in a slow somber tone, "I've been here
nearly a year. You learn many things while observing the Grundos." He smiled
slightly.
She shuddered. A whole year! She hadn't even
been living that long. Toshiba looked up at him, "Thanks for your help… I guess
you're free."
The Kougra look surprised, "I'm coming with
you, these Grundos. are evil, I want to help you do whatever you are doing."
Toshiba was relived and annoyed. A big Kougra
working with her would be help, but this one sure was annoying. "Okay…" she
stated reluctantly, "I'm Toshiba."
He grinned. "And I'm Kolioo."
To be continued...
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