~ 2 Days before the Annual Neopian Festival of Gadgadsbogen ~
A shrill squeek pierced the air as the small green and purple critter pounced on the bundle of blankets cacooning the still sleeping Neopet. "GYAH! SQUALL!" The blankets flew off as the white Kougra under them jumped, knocking off the giggling Huggy. "Ggrr! Why did you have to wake me up? It's still dark out!" the Kougra moaned, peeking out his bamboo shade into the dawn gloom. A thick fog had settled on the ground outdoors, and Sheraw felt his fur ruffle at the mere thought of the wetness out there. He reached over and pulled the lamp string, causing a dull orange light to fill his room, illumanating the smiling Huggy sitting at the edge of his bed. Sheraw stared at the Huggy for a moment before realizing why he had asked to be awakened so early. It was only 2 days before Gadgadsbogen, the annual festival of fruits on his native Mystery Island. Only 2 days before tourists came streaming in by the boatload to invade their peaceful, quiet isle. He shook his fur out as he climbed down from the bed, and stepped into the hallway, careful to walk softly by his three siblings' rooms. He paused outside of his brother Shoka's room, and peeked in the ajar door. He could make out a silvery wing poking out of a blanket and a small Searex curled at the head of the bed on a pillow. The Searex opened an eye and stared at him, before softly rumbling and rolling back over to face the wall. Sheraw smiled to himself and walked on into the family kitchen. He grabbed some TigerSquash before quietly slipping out the front door and telling Squall to go back inside. He looked around in the fog, shuddered, and bounded off into the Forest on his way to the bay.
"That will be 200 Np for the ErgyFruit" hissed the Techo in charge of the Island Fruit store. Sheraw sighed as he parted with the last of his np and stored the fruit in his bag. He started shopping early this morning, attempting to beat the tourist prices for the last of the season's fruit, and hoping to catch anything new in the markets. He had to barter furiously with all the shopkeepers on the Island for decent prices, even those that he knew and delt with every day wouldn't give him a discount. He pushed his way to the door of the store, and stepped out into the afternoon sun. He stood for a moment on the edge of the Omara Bay, letting the breeze coming off the waves ruffle his fur. He remembered and cherished that day long ago when he flew for a few hours above these very waves. He stared out into the water, watching the afternoon beach-goers play and dance on the beach. He waved to a friendly face in the distance, and then walked on heading back to the trail leading around the Island toward home. He hummed softly to himself as he jogged down the road, not noticing the sudden increase of pets on an otherwise usually empty road. He halted and spun around as he heard a voice call out his name. It was his cousin, Burrakki, who was motioning him to the side of the road, among a crowd of anxious looking pets. "What's up Darky?" Sheraw joked as he pushed his way over to the Shadowed Gelert. "You have to see this!" the Gelert barked back, pointing a sign nailed to the side of a tree.
"What is it?" Sheraw asked, squinting to read the letters from where he stood next to the Gelert. "We found it this morning, it's from the Island Mystic. It says that we have to stay indoors tonight, something about a great magic being worked by the tribesmen." the Gelert laughed, causing the nearby pets to glare at him. "Tourists, Locals, everyone! Hah! It doesn't even have the stamp of the Faeries on it, it's all just the Island Mystic being mumba jumbo and such." Even more pets were staring at the Gelert now with looks of contempt. "Hey Gelert, are you stupid? The Island Mystic knows what he is doing! If he says to stay indoors, than thats what we have to do!" catcalled an angry looking Mynci from the back. Sheraw looked around at the glaring crowd, and decided removing his thick-headed cousin now would be a good thing. He grabbed the lighter pet by the scruff of the neck and took off, bounding down the road.
"Hey! Lemme go!" whined the dark pet as Sheraw came to a stop in a grove of trees aways down the trail. "Gyah, I can't believe that you are smarter than me..." Sheraw groaned as he double-checked the road for any signs of followers. "Well, like I said, the note didn't even have the seal of the Faeries on it! I don't believe all this stuff about the Island Mystic, it's just some old tribesmen thinking of pulling one over on all of us for fun." Burrakki sighed and flopped down onto his belly. "You were really close to being REALLY stupid, you know? Did you even see how many of those pets were locals? They'd forgive you for being a tourist saying that, but you're a local yourself, for Faerie's sake!" The Kougra ranted, pacing the clearing. "No one, I mean, NO ONE makes fun of the Tribe! Especially not calling the Island Mystic a fake! That's like calling Dr. Sloth a good guy!" Sheraw stopped as he glanced at the Gelert. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm sick and tired of being called a backwater pet. We're so isolated out here since Maraqua was destroyed. And the Mystic really is good for nothing, I wonder what tonight is really all about." Burrakki whined, lowering his whip-like ears and looking all pathetic as only Gelerts can. Sheraw play-growled and swiped a paw at the Gelert's head, smiling as Burrakki cheered up. "Granted that we are considered very behind the times out here, but you know better than that. The Mystic may be odd, but he's there to help us." Sheraw regretted instantly as he said, "Will it help you believe in the Tribe if we see him do whatever he has to tonight?" Burrakki looked up with an instantaneous look of triumph as he nodded. "Meet me at Moonrise in the grove behind the Training Center!" He barked as he took off, not giving Sheraw a chance to back out. "Oh Krawks.." Sheraw muttered as he realized how he had been manuevered into Burrakki's plan. It was then he felt the green stickyness on his side seeping from his bag where Burrakki had leaned against him and moaned.. "Stupid ErgyFruit!" he cried as he took off back to his house, cursing his luck.
A shrill squeek pierced the air as the small green and purple critter pounced on the bundle of blankets cacooning the still sleeping Neopet. "GYAH! SQUALL!" The blankets flew off as the white Kougra under them jumped, knocking off the giggling Huggy. "Ggrr! Why did you have to wake me up? It's still dark out!" the Kougra moaned, peeking out his bamboo shade into the dawn gloom. A thick fog had settled on the ground outdoors, and Sheraw felt his fur ruffle at the mere thought of the wetness out there. He reached over and pulled the lamp string, causing a dull orange light to fill his room, illumanating the smiling Huggy sitting at the edge of his bed. Sheraw stared at the Huggy for a moment before realizing why he had asked to be awakened so early. It was only 2 days before Gadgadsbogen, the annual festival of fruits on his native Mystery Island. Only 2 days before tourists came streaming in by the boatload to invade their peaceful, quiet isle. He shook his fur out as he climbed down from the bed, and stepped into the hallway, careful to walk softly by his three siblings' rooms. He paused outside of his brother Shoka's room, and peeked in the ajar door. He could make out a silvery wing poking out of a blanket and a small Searex curled at the head of the bed on a pillow. The Searex opened an eye and stared at him, before softly rumbling and rolling back over to face the wall. Sheraw smiled to himself and walked on into the family kitchen. He grabbed some TigerSquash before quietly slipping out the front door and telling Squall to go back inside. He looked around in the fog, shuddered, and bounded off into the Forest on his way to the bay.
"That will be 200 Np for the ErgyFruit" hissed the Techo in charge of the Island Fruit store. Sheraw sighed as he parted with the last of his np and stored the fruit in his bag. He started shopping early this morning, attempting to beat the tourist prices for the last of the season's fruit, and hoping to catch anything new in the markets. He had to barter furiously with all the shopkeepers on the Island for decent prices, even those that he knew and delt with every day wouldn't give him a discount. He pushed his way to the door of the store, and stepped out into the afternoon sun. He stood for a moment on the edge of the Omara Bay, letting the breeze coming off the waves ruffle his fur. He remembered and cherished that day long ago when he flew for a few hours above these very waves. He stared out into the water, watching the afternoon beach-goers play and dance on the beach. He waved to a friendly face in the distance, and then walked on heading back to the trail leading around the Island toward home. He hummed softly to himself as he jogged down the road, not noticing the sudden increase of pets on an otherwise usually empty road. He halted and spun around as he heard a voice call out his name. It was his cousin, Burrakki, who was motioning him to the side of the road, among a crowd of anxious looking pets. "What's up Darky?" Sheraw joked as he pushed his way over to the Shadowed Gelert. "You have to see this!" the Gelert barked back, pointing a sign nailed to the side of a tree.
"What is it?" Sheraw asked, squinting to read the letters from where he stood next to the Gelert. "We found it this morning, it's from the Island Mystic. It says that we have to stay indoors tonight, something about a great magic being worked by the tribesmen." the Gelert laughed, causing the nearby pets to glare at him. "Tourists, Locals, everyone! Hah! It doesn't even have the stamp of the Faeries on it, it's all just the Island Mystic being mumba jumbo and such." Even more pets were staring at the Gelert now with looks of contempt. "Hey Gelert, are you stupid? The Island Mystic knows what he is doing! If he says to stay indoors, than thats what we have to do!" catcalled an angry looking Mynci from the back. Sheraw looked around at the glaring crowd, and decided removing his thick-headed cousin now would be a good thing. He grabbed the lighter pet by the scruff of the neck and took off, bounding down the road.
"Hey! Lemme go!" whined the dark pet as Sheraw came to a stop in a grove of trees aways down the trail. "Gyah, I can't believe that you are smarter than me..." Sheraw groaned as he double-checked the road for any signs of followers. "Well, like I said, the note didn't even have the seal of the Faeries on it! I don't believe all this stuff about the Island Mystic, it's just some old tribesmen thinking of pulling one over on all of us for fun." Burrakki sighed and flopped down onto his belly. "You were really close to being REALLY stupid, you know? Did you even see how many of those pets were locals? They'd forgive you for being a tourist saying that, but you're a local yourself, for Faerie's sake!" The Kougra ranted, pacing the clearing. "No one, I mean, NO ONE makes fun of the Tribe! Especially not calling the Island Mystic a fake! That's like calling Dr. Sloth a good guy!" Sheraw stopped as he glanced at the Gelert. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm sick and tired of being called a backwater pet. We're so isolated out here since Maraqua was destroyed. And the Mystic really is good for nothing, I wonder what tonight is really all about." Burrakki whined, lowering his whip-like ears and looking all pathetic as only Gelerts can. Sheraw play-growled and swiped a paw at the Gelert's head, smiling as Burrakki cheered up. "Granted that we are considered very behind the times out here, but you know better than that. The Mystic may be odd, but he's there to help us." Sheraw regretted instantly as he said, "Will it help you believe in the Tribe if we see him do whatever he has to tonight?" Burrakki looked up with an instantaneous look of triumph as he nodded. "Meet me at Moonrise in the grove behind the Training Center!" He barked as he took off, not giving Sheraw a chance to back out. "Oh Krawks.." Sheraw muttered as he realized how he had been manuevered into Burrakki's plan. It was then he felt the green stickyness on his side seeping from his bag where Burrakki had leaned against him and moaned.. "Stupid ErgyFruit!" he cried as he took off back to his house, cursing his luck.