Main Page Go to Short Stories Go back to Articles Go to Comics Go to Continued Series Go to Editorial Go to New Series

Show All | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23 | Week 24 | Week 25 | Week 26 | Week 27 | Week 28 | Week 29 | Week 30 | Week 31 | Week 32 | Week 33 | Week 34 | Week 35 | Week 36 | Week 37 | Week 38 | Week 39 | Week 40 | Week 41 | Week 42 | Week 43 | Week 44 | Week 45 | Week 46 | Week 47 | Week 48 | Week 49 | Week 50 | Week 51 | Week 52 | Week 53 | Week 54 | Week 55 | Week 56 | Week 57 | Week 58 | Week 59 | Week 60 | Week 61 | Week 62 | Week 63 | Week 64 | Week 65 | Week 66 | Week 67 | Week 68 | Week 69 | Week 70 | Week 71 | Week 72 | Week 73 | Week 74 | Week 75 | Week 76 | Week 77 | Week 78 | Week 79 | Week 80 | Week 81 | Week 82 | Week 83 | Week 84 | Week 85 | Week 86 | Week 87 | Week 88 | Week 89 | Week 90 | Week 91 | Week 92 | Week 93 | Week 94 | Week 95 | Week 96 | Week 97 | Week 98 | Week 99 | Week 100 | Week 101 | Week 102 | Week 103 | Week 104 | Week 105 | Week 106 | Week 107 | Week 108 | Week 109 | Week 110 | Week 111 | Week 112 | Week 113 | Week 114 | Week 115 | Week 116 | Week 117 | Week 118 | Week 119 | Week 120 | Week 121 | Week 122 | Week 123 | Week 124 | Week 125 | Week 126 | Week 127 | Week 128 | Week 129 | Week 130 | Week 131 | Week 132 | Week 133 | Week 134 | Week 135 | Week 136 | Week 137 | Week 138 | Week 139 | Week 140 | Week 141 | Week 142 | Week 143 | Week 144 | Week 145 | Week 146 | Week 147 | Week 148 | Week 149

Neopia's Fill in the Blank News Source | 31st day of Collecting, Yr 26
The Neopian Times Week 134 > Short Stories > A Kougra’s Game

A Kougra’s Game

by lunagirl52

"Reiji, wait for meeee!" a young, skunk Kougra called out to her year older brother.

     "Wait for your little sister, Reiji," a mother scolded her four-year-old son.

     "Aw, Minjyu, you're just slow," the young shadow Kougra teased at his little sister, sticking his tongue out at her.

     Minjyu's eyes narrowed down to slits and she leapt at her brother, knocking him to the ground. "I am not slow."

     Knocking the little fluff ball off of his back Reiji ran ahead on the old path leading to their small home. "Can't catch me little sister!"

     Minjyu sped after her brother, determined to catch him. After all, her pride was at stake. Their mother watched her young cubs dart off down the path and smiled, ah the energy of youth. She headed on after her cubs and saw when her daughter tripped and fell flat onto her face and began to cry.

     The mother sprinted to her child and cradled her in her arms, "Hush now, you'll be fine," she purred while wiping the tears away from her child's face.

     Sniffling, Minjyu crawled out of her mother's arms, "I'm okay, mama," the Kougra then started after her brother with her mother close behind.

     Minjyu walked into her family's house, a small bamboo-walled structure with a thatched roof of palm tree fronds and a bamboo floor; the typical Mystery Island home. A dried out bamboo bed sat in the corner along with a small pile of various assorted plushies belonging to Minjyu; and hiding amongst those plushies was Reiji.

     "Gyaaa!" Reiji sprang out of his hiding place, plushies raining down, and pounced on Minjyu. "I got you back, sis!"

     "Reiji, get offa me!" Minjyu whined loudly. "Ma, make him stop!"

     "Reiji, if you don't stop you won't be allowed to go to the Gadgadsbogen festival tonight."

     Reluctantly, the young Kougra stepped off of his sister and walked to the corner to pout; parents were never any fun. A few hours later their mother gave each of her cubs a small bag of Neopoints each and bid them farewell as she watched them bounce down the path, towards the main center of the village.

     "I'm going to get so much fruit that I'll burst!" Reiji bragged.

     "I'm just gonna get myself one of those plushies that they sell in the market," Minjyu said, her eyes sparkling.

     Reiji stuck out his tongue in disgust, "Not another one of your stupid plushies, it's like an obsession with you! What is it about them that you like so much?"

     Minjyu was too young to know that she was being made fun of, much less what 'obsession' meant; so she replied, "I like them because they are soft and have pretty colors!"

     Sisters, what a pain, Reiji thought. He would just be glad to get to that festival and it's delicious fruit. The pair arrived at the festival; nothing was different than the last year but it still amazed them no matter how many times they saw it. There were strange flowers strung up in a line that glowed and gave off light, cheerful drumbeats were heard all over, and everyone was milling about chatting or just having a good time.

     The two young Kougras stood transfixed, staring at the strange, glowing lights, mouths agape when they heard a voice behind them. "Welcome to my Tombola! Great prizes to be won, just put your hand (or paw) in, pick up a Tombola ticket, and see what prize you win. Anything ending with a zero, two, or five is a winner!" the Tombola man called out.

     "I'm going to go play Tombola, Reiji," Minjyu announced to her older brother, running up to the stand and shoving her paw into the box.

     She moved her paw around inside of the box and pulled out a ticket ending with a zero.

     "Congratulations! You've won one hundred Neopoints and a chocolate coated fish pop!" the Tombola man exclaimed.

     "Yippee!" Minjyu dropped her newly won Neopoints into her bag and ran up to her brother and showed off the fish pop to him. "Look what I won, Reiji! I love fish, and chocolate. This is like a dream come true!" And in saying this, she stuffed the pop into her mouth and began to suck on it.

     A passing Acara looked over at the two cubs and noticed when Minjyu pulled the pop from her mouth and bite off a big chunk, smacking her lips loudly, and promptly ran off, now with it's fur a greenish tint and a paw slapped tightly across it's mouth. How could any living thing possibly stomach that vile food? None but a young Kougra it seemed.

     "Eeew, Minjyu, that's just gross," Reiji said, trying not to look. She finished her snack and threw away the stick and looked up at her brother, "What was grossing, Reiji?"

     "Never mind, let's just go get some berries and play games."

     The two siblings ran over to the berry store where Reiji bought a pouch of berries, and then to the plushie vendor and Minjyu purchased a yellow Lenny plushie. They played a few games, such as bone toss, rotten berry splat, and hide and go seek. After the two had had enough of games, Minjyu spoke out.

     "Reiji, I wanna go see the Island Mystic."

     The young shadow Kougra almost fell over from surprise, "Minjyu don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to see the Island mystic? You took one look at that Kyrii and ran from his hut screaming at the top of your lungs."

     "I'm not gonna do that again, Reiji! It was that bone in his nose that scared me. Honest, I won't do it again, so can we please go?" Minjyu whined.

     Reiji had no choice but to acquiesce, it had been funny the first time she had seen the mystic, no doubt it would be even funnier the second time. The mystic's hut was old, creaky, and dark, a rather frightening combination to those unaccustomed to such things. Reiji pulled in his little sister's paw and led her up the steps into the hut; the inside was worse than the outside. Old and dried plants, flowers, and herbs lined the walls along with on old skull from some unfortunate creature, a black iron cauldron sat in the middle of the room with a fire underneath, bubbling slightly but emitting no smoke from the flames. In one of the corners sat the mystic, asleep.

     "Mr. Shaman sir, are you busy?" Reiji asked timidly, clasping his sister's paw to comfort both her and him.

     The Kyrii jolted awake and blinked at the two Kougras and smiled. Minjyu took one look at him and prepared to run screaming until her brother stomped on her tail.

     "You want me to tell you your fortune, yes?" the Kyrii asked, rubbing the bone in his nose.

     "Y-yes, if it wouldn't be to much to ask," Reiji stammered.

     "Well then, why didn't you say so at first? Let's get started then shall we?" the Mystic exclaimed.

     The strange Kyrii then began to toddle about his hut, gathering a few dried plants, and what looked like small, withered lizards. He began to drop them into his cauldron, stirred them up, and chanted a strange incantation as strangely colored smoke began to drift from the concoction. He stopped and looked up Reiji.

     "Beware the ocean, it isn't always a friend."

     Reiji wondered what the mystic had meant as he and his sister left the Hut. "I still say we shouldn't have gone, Minjyu."

     A few miles offshore drifted a large wooden ship, sporting a black flag with skull and crossbones upon it. A pirate Kougra stood on the bow of the ship, gazing up at the black storm clouds billowing overhead.

     "Set sail for the island cove, we'll weather the storm out there," the Kougra called out to his crew.

-The End-


Search :
Other Stories

Never Apart
The tiny village was in sight now, and the farmer could see the villagers walking about, doing their daily business… and the farmer could hear them coming closer, they were gaining on him… it was now or never…

by neo_star_queen


Kauvara’s Curse
"I'm not afraid of any curses. It's hard to believe even the smartest, most intelligent Neopians believe in them..."

by mandy18247


The Seris Story: Darquae the Lupe
"Ah, you were young and everything seemed like an adventure. There are a few strange things happening around here though... Town folks possessions have gone missing. When they're sleeping, things start disappearing."

by sirussblack


Shadows: Once Upon a Time
"Faeries are more powerful than Neopets. I can't believe I considered you, a mere Neopet, my… FRIEND!"

by ladyariel32


Neopets | Main | Articles | Editorial
Short Stories | Comics | New Series | Continued Series | Search