Pishicu and the Wisdom Council: Part One

     That was the one and only single word that was circling around in Pishicu's head. It had been circling there since Christmas, and the word didn't seem like it would stop circling anytime soon.

     Why? Why did mom get me a little brother for Christmas? Why did it have to be a Draik, one of the few rare species that is coveted more than Poogles? Why did he get to be painted within a few weeks, whereas it took Chipster MONTHS to paint me? Why does he have to get so much attention? Why has he been getting so much stuff? And why is he so, so weird? the nearsighted Strawberry Poogle thought to herself as she watched her owner play with the new addition to the family with her Balthazar Plushie.

     Chipster noticed her glaring at them from the staircase.

     "Pishicu, would you like to play, too? I'm sure Terskun wouldn't mind," Chipster called with a huge smile, totally oblivious to what her Poogle was really thinking.

     Pishicu shook her head vigorously, then straightened their thick black glasses since they had slipped. Of course she didn't want to play, and of course sweet little Terskun wouldn't mind. He was too much of a nitwit to care. Besides, she didn't want to have anything to do with that ugly little dragon.

     "C'mon!" Terskun motioned to Pishicu with his claws. He then waved his toys around as if to motion that he wanted her to join them.

     That was the one of the odd things about Terskun. He never spoke. Well, almost never. He spoke enough for Chipster to know that he wasn't mute. Another odd thing was his weird Zen obsession. Everything that went into his room had to be Zen, or at least black and white. He even insisted that he was painted black and white! Talk about a weirdo. The last weird thing Pishicu would notice about him was that sometimes a weird look would spread over him like some kind of illness. He would stare up as if in deep thought, though he was totally incapable of deep thought since he was so dumb. It had taken him four whole books before his intelligence level had risen to slow; now that was one extremely stupid pet! Besides, Terskun was so, so weird!

     "No, that's okay, Terskun. I don't feel like playing right now," Pishicu mumbled. There was a huge frown on her face and she was looking at the Draik with the utter most spite.

     "Then why are you clinging onto the staircase railing and looking at us so strangely?" Chipster inquired brushed her brown hair behind her ears like she always did when she was a little uncomfortable.

     "I-I'm not looking at you!" Pishicu stuttered in an appalled voice. "I'm looking at the kitchen to try to see if there's any apples in there."

     "We'll Pishicu, the apples would be in the refrigerator so I seriously doubt you would be able to tell from there unless your glasses have x-ray vision," Chipster mused.

     Terskun smiled widely, his equivalent to a laugh.

     Pishicu blushed and straightened her glasses again, but said nothing else. She then speedily made her way up the stairs so she wouldn't have to face her brother and owner anymore.

     When she arrived in her cloud room she flopped down on her bed miserably and buried her head in fluffy pink pillows.

     "What's wrong?" Sparkle, her petpet Dragoyle, scribbled on a yellow pad of paper with a pencil. When they had gotten him they had taught him to write so that it would be easier to communicate, and given him a pad of paper to always wear around his neck.

     "Churscun," Pishicu mumbled through the pillows.

     "I beg your pardon?"

     "Terskun," Pishicu mumbled as she threw the pillows off the bed. "Stupid, stupid Terskun!"

     "What's wrong with Terskun? I rather like him," Sparkle remarked on his pad as he fluttered gracefully over to Pishicu.

     "That's just it! Everyone likes him! I can't stand it!"

     Sparkle looked perplexed.

     "I mean, it seems like everyone likes him more than me! Chipster parts with her precious Neopoints just to get him, she gets him painted Skunk during his second week alive, she plays with him a billion times more than she ever plays with me, and his species is more liked than a Poogle by most people! It's not fair! Besides, he's not cute, he's not funny, he's not strong, and he's not even very smart! I can't understand why anyone would like him better!" Pishicu whined. Fat, silent tears streamed down her cheeks as she banged her pudgy fists on her bed.

     Sparkle shook his head menacingly. "Pishicu, this is a common ailment in new siblings. You've been an only child for quite a long time, and now that a new pet has come in you feel neglected. I believe it's called jealousy," the Dragoyle wrote in a messy scrawl. "I prescribe that you get to know him better and maybe have a chat with Chipster about this."

     Pishicu's eyes narrowed as she stared at Sparkle.

     "Or I could be wrong."

     "You bet your bottom that you're wrong! I am NOT jealous of that little nimrod Terskun, and I am absolutely appalled that you suggested it! And there is no way I could get to know him better since he's too stupid! Besides, you're only defending him since he promised to take you flying around Meridell with him and his Karren sometime!" Pishicu spat furiously.

     "Well you're sure not going to take me flying anytime soon..." Sparkle muttered under his breath.

     "THAT'S IT, SPARKLE! OUT!!!" Pishicu screamed.

     "But Pishicu-"

     "OUT!!!"

     Sparkle's wings drooped slightly as he looked at her longingly. "Sorry," he printed in small lettering as he slowly glided away.

     As soon as Sparkle escaped from sight Pishicu got up and slammed her door.

     No one understood her plight, or her point of view. She wished that stupid Terskun could just go away!

     "Pishicu, are you all right? Sparkle just came out and told me that you seemed a tad bit upset," Chipster called from outside the door.

     "Sparkle's an idiotic liar," Pishicu replied bitterly.

     "Pishicu, I don't know what this is about, but if you would just tell me-"

     "Why are you so suspicious? It's not about anything! Go away! I'm not feeling well!" Pishicu screamed.

     "Should I go get a cure from the Pharmacy?"

     Pishicu rolled her eyes. Chipster was so completely clueless the Poogle was astounded that she had been able to get a gold trophy in Cheat!.

     "No, I just need to rest a little bit. Just leave me alone for a little while," Pishicu said as she buried her face in the pillows again.

     "Okay... Supper's in a little bit, but I bet you'll sleep through that. I'll leave a little something out for you so you can eat later. Is that okay Pishicu? Pishicu?" Chipster called gently. She tapped on the door a bit, no reply. The girl opened it slowly to reveal a very pink room. In the center lay a bed, with a Strawberry Poogle snoring gently on it.

     Very quietly, Chipster crept over to her snoozing pet.

     "Goodnight Pishicu. Have sweet dreams," she whispered as she tucked Pishicu in, placed her glasses on the bedside table, and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Pishicu dreamed strange dreams, and yet however strange they still seemed real. There was a Draik shining with light, and then it went tumbling down into darkness. The Draik then disappeared, and then an egg was formed. The rest of the dream became very hazy, but it seemed very exciting. She then awoke with a start, and it felt almost as if some sort of excitement left from the dream was still burning inside her.

     Suddenly there was a low groaning from her stomach, and Pishicu became aware how absolutely starved she felt. After the Poogle retrieved her glasses she gazed out the window to see that it was very dark. The moon was waned and it was very hard to see, but Pishicu was getting that creepy feeling that she was not alone. She walked slowly and quietly down to stairs so she wouldn't wake anyone, and then worked her way from the Living Room and into the Kitchen. She was happy to see a plate BBQ Pork on the table in her spot. Pishicu tiptoed over to it, and was about to chow down when she heard voices emitting from Terskun's room. What they where saying, and who they belonged too, she did not know, though. All she knew was that one of the voices was Terskun's. She had tried very hard to remember his voice since he so rarely spoke, so she was almost positive that he was one of the one's speaking.

     Could that be Chipster? Has Sparkle abandoned me for my dopey little brother? Pishicu thought curiously. I have to find out!

     Very quietly, she walked over to the shut door that led to Terskun's room. Pishicu then bent down and peered through the tiny keyhole and raised an ear to the door so that she might be able to see who was in there and hear what the occupants were saying.

     The Poogle had to cover her mouth to keep herself from gasping or screaming. For the person in the room was not Chipster, or Terskun's Karren, or Sparkle. In all actuality it was a Faerie Cybunny with silver eyes that Pishicu had never, ever seen before. And for some reason, in the depths of her heart, she wished that she had never seen the Cybunny now.

To be continued...