The Unlucky One: Part One

      “I don't know why you bother, you always get the lighting.” Racon's owner Dayna sighed as she picked him up and extinguished his smoking antenna.

      He gave another groan in response.

      Dayna stroked his red fur. “Well, at least the Healing Springs are only a few blocks away. Let's see if the healing faerie is in a generous mood.” She turned and called to the other pet that had tagged along. “Kanuah!”

      A shadow Lupe lifted his head from his nap.

      “I'm taking Racon over to the Healing Springs. Don't go buy anything expensive while I'm gone.”

      Kanuah nodded and set his head back down. “Big surprise.” For as long as Kanuah could remember, his Aisha brother was always getting himself into trouble. He always wanted to be the one to spin the wheels, but he always ended up getting chased by prehistoric birds or a Grarrl, hit by rocks, struck with illnesses, losing his favorite plushie in a tar pit, or something like it. He never won anything good. Kanuah ran a paw over his thrice-pierced ear, rolled over on the soft clouds and stood up. He should probably follow them and make sure that nothing else happened to Racon. He seemed to attract money stealing ghosts and bandits.

      “Healing potion V, that's all?” Dayna looked in dismay at the light blue healing potion in one of her hands and then at her poor red Aisha in her other arm.

      The healing faerie shrugged. “It's all I can do for him.” She looked at Racon. “If I healed him fully every time he came here, I would be out of business. This is the second time today he's been here.”

      Dayna sighed as she administered the healing drink to Racon. “He seems to get hurt a lot, doesn't he?”

      Just then Kanuah trotted up and sat down next to his owner. “Is he back to full health?” He sniffed Racon's still form.

      Dayna stood up still carrying Racon. “Nope, we'll have to go get some more from the shops in Neocentral.” She turned to the faerie. “Thank you for the potion.” She was always careful to thank the healing faerie. As much as she brought Racon here, she needed to be on good terms with her.

      “Let's go home, Kanuah, we still have to get to our shop. Poor Sirenia's probably overrun with customers.”

      Sirenia was her Tyrannian Peophin. She spent most of her time in training school and the Battledome or watching Dayna's small shop on Mystery Island.

      Dayna walked over to where she had left her fire cloud racer. She had won it in a tournament.

      “Let's get going, Kanuah.”

      Kanuah jumped in the back. “I'll hold onto Racon.”

      “Thank you, watch his head.”

      Kanuah was the eldest of her pets and he was always helpful in watching after his siblings and taking care of their needs. Dayna could always count on him.

      “Next stop, Shenkuu.”

    ***

     “Racon?”

      Someone was calling his name.

      “Racon?”

      Racon opened his eyes. His sister Ashalyia, a blue Aisha, was lying at the foot of his bed waiting for him to wake up. She was the baby of the family and everyone loved her bubbly nature. She was also the pet that looked after anyone that was sick. Since she was the youngest, she often had to stay home while the rest went to work at the shop or trading post.

      “I'm up.” Racon rubbed his eyes. “That was a whopper of a bolt.”

      Ashalyia pushed a tray his direction. “Dayna said to give this to you when you woke up. She's working the shop with Sirenia and Kanuah.”

      Racon drank the steaming green tea that was on the tray. Living in Shenkuu had its benefits such as the restorative shop just down the mountain side.

      “Ash, how come I always seem to get the bad prizes?” Racon asked his sister. He had often wondered why he never won at Tombola, and why Coltzan always seemed to ignore him.

      Ashalyia shrugged as she got down from Racon's red bed. “Just unlucky, I suppose.”

      Racon groaned as he got out of bed and swayed as the room rocked slightly. “If someone dishes out unluckiness, I think I got a double dose of it.”

      He leaned on the window sill as he said this. He was about to take another sip on his tea when a big blue form popped up in front of him.

      It was the Pant Devil! “I'll take that, thank you!” He laughed evilly as he snatched the tea out of Racon's hands and floated off with it.

      Racon's antennae drooped. “I prove my point.”

      Ashalyia gave him a second cup. “He does that to everyone, though.”

      As soon as she handed the cup to Racon, a ghostly blue hand took it out of Racon's hands and ran off with it. “Seconds!”

      Racon sighed and watched his second cup float away. “I give up.”

    ***

     “Well, that was a hectic day at the shop.” Dayna pushed her black hair out of her green eyes. Her metal circlet usually kept it neat, but it had been a busy day at her shop. “I'm glad we finally sold that Mallard. He was so loud!”

      Kanuah flopped down on the Altadorian rug, his favorite. “I'm so tired. How does Sirenia have energy to go train after that?”

      Dayna began to get ingredients out to make dinner. “She wants to be the best battler around. Racon, how are you feeling?” She greeted her pet as he walked in.

      “I got visited by an old friend, twice.”

      “The Shadow Usul?” guessed Kanuah.

      “No, the Pant Devil.” Racon sighed.

      “Oh, I'm sorry, what did he take?” Dayna asked as she turned on the stove.

      “Two cups of green tea.”

      “It's better than the rare plushie he took last time,” Kanuah said with a shrug of his black shoulders.

      “Not helping,” Racon muttered.

      “Well, I'll make you a mug of hot cocoa to make up for it,” Dayna promised.

      Racon put his head in his hands.“Dayna?”

      “Hmm?” Dayna stirred a pot while measuring out flour.

      “Am I unlucky?”

      Dayna paused in her work. “You do seem to attract a certain amount of trouble.”

      “Certain amount? I've gotten the whole amount!” Racon started to list off everything that he considered evidence for his case of unluckiness. “I never win anything good from the wheels, I've contracted every sickness on the list at the hospital, I'm on first name basis with the healing faerie, I've had everything I've owned stolen at some point, I never win at Bilge Dice, everyone knows when I cheat at Cheat, I never scratch out the right circles on scratchcards, I always get the poisonous jelly and the rotten omelettes, I've never won anything from the Snowager, I always get blasted with ice, everyone beats me to the good stuff at the Money Tree, I always get the expensive quests, and you won't even let me touch the lab ray because you're afraid I'll turn myself into a Snot Korbat or something.” He paused to breathe. “I call that very unlucky.”

      Dayna sighed as she ladled out soup and hot cocoa. “I'm sorry. Racon, if you feel that way, I guess you may just be unlucky.”

      Racon sipped his cocoa carefully. It would be just his luck to burn his tongue. “I wish there was a way to make me lucky.”

      Dayna ruffled his ears. “I'll ask around if it would make you feel better.” She turned to look down the hall. “Ash, dinner's almost ready. Sirenia should be here any minute.”

      As she was saying this. Sirenia came trotting in the door. “I'm home!” She shook out her long, wild mane. “It's raining outside.”

      Dayna looked out the window as she carried bowls to the table. “It seems to rain every day in Shenkuu.”

      “Maybe it's because I live here,” Racon mumbled.

      Sirenia sat down next to her brother. “Feeling unlucky again?”

      “Again? I never stopped being unlucky. Remember the last time I came to the Battledome with you?”

      Sirenia winced at the memory. “Usually the ray stays in the arena. That was pretty unusual for it to go into the stands and hit you.”

      “Not for me,” Racon said glumly.

      “Don't droop too low or you'll get your antennae in the soup,” warned Dayna.

      Sirenia gave Racon a hug. “Don't worry, bad luck doesn't last forever.”

      “I guess not,” Racon said in a hopeful tone.

      There was a knock at the door. “I'll get it!” Ashalyia skidded down the hallway and opened up the front door. A few moments later she came scampering into the kitchen. “Dayna! The Tax Beast wants to talk to you.”

      Racon groaned and set his head on the table. “I spoke too soon.”

To be continued...