The Rock Game
Tuesday was always the slowest day for the zoo, since everyone had to get back to their real jobs, real lives... and not look at animals. That's just the way it happened. And none of the animals seemed to mind it that much, really, since they got to just hang out and do whatever it is lazy animals do.
"Rico... Rico... Pass the uhm... the uh... That thing to make the TV blink different channels." Rico spit out a flashlight, which Skipper proceeded to try and change the television with. It was such a lazy day that they hadn't even tried to have a mission in three days.
It was just then that Marlene came in, tossing up a shiny, blue rock. Now, however, she was being followed by her newest room mate and favorite confidant Navi, a young polar bear with an excellent sense of direction and navigational skills. She peered around at the penguins for a while. Private was coloring in a picture book, Rico and Skipper were watching television (Skipper apparently was trying to turn it with a flashlight) and Kowalski was scribbling something in his notebook. Marlene looked back to Navi, who just shrugged.
Well, whatever. "Hey guys." They all grunted. Not a very lively bunch today. "So, me and Navi were just wondering if you wanted to watch us play The Rock Game? Maybe come play it with us tomorrow?" She asked. Navi sat down and clenched her front paws together.
"It's real fun. The point of the game is to get the rock, so even you guys can understand the rules!" Marlene got the joke, but it seemed that none of the other penguins really cared. Except for Private, who jumped at the chance to do something other than color. When he asked if he could play, Navi told him it was only a two player game. "But you'd have to watch to really understand anyways. You can play winner."
Skipper scoffed. "That sounds like a boat load of fun!" he said, quite sarcastically. Marlene and Navi exchanged looks, both thinking the same thing. That Skipper was being quite rude. "Go play your little reindeer games. I think we'd rather do something a little more manly. Like watch TV." Rico interjected with a loud belch. "Yeah. Or that." And so, Private, Navi, and Marlene headed to the otter (and polar bear) habitat, and climbed to the tippy top of the tall rocks.
Marlene and Navi both took some time out to stretch real quick, before taking their places and making Private the impartial referee. "Okay, Private, your job is to make sure none of us cheats. Basically, it's a race and 'King of the Hill.'" Marlene explained, handing over the bright blue stone. "You throw this in the water, and when you say go, we race to find it. Then we run up here as fast as we can, and the first one to hold onto the stone at the top of the hill for ten CONSECUTIVE seconds, wins. And NO swallowing the rock this time!"
Navi giggled a bit. "Yeah, I got her GOOD with that last time. But fine. Be that way. Anything else goes though." Private wasn't sure he understood how the game worked exactly, but both animals promised he'd see in a second.
The rock was held high above Private's head, glinting in the sun. A few seconds later, it was soaring above the girl's heads and into the pond below. Both grinned, and dove from the high rocks, much to Private's surprise. It must have been at least eleven feet up!
Meanwhile, Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico, all bored with their manly activities (Right.) had come outside to watch the silly reindeer games, and were astounded by the jump made by the two mammals. And the safety and care it took to land in just the right way so that they didn't crush their skulls was amazing! Maybe they should have joined in after all. But what next? After all, it just looked like a dumb race to get a silly little stone.
The "dumb race" was on, and Marlene was the first to reach, grab, and hold onto the stone. She rushed up the rocks, holding the blue stone in her mouth so she could run on all fours. The second her feet hit the top, she started counting. "One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi--" The otter didn't get farther than her third Mississippi, however, before getting rammed in the side by a polar bear head. The polar bear stood on her hind legs, front paws up and a challenging stare across her face. Marlene got up slowly, her body looking limp, but suddenly getting sharp and attentive. "Let's play." The stone hit the rocks and both animals charged.
Marlene skidded around Navi, causing her to bend over and giving Marlene a great opportunity to hit her square in the side, making her fall and slide on the hard rocks beneath her. Private hissed, sure that should have hurt. But Navi was far from finished. Her bright teeth shone in the sunlight as she snarled, before getting up and rushing the smaller animal, swiping at her and throwing an excellent punch to the gut. At this point, Marlene looked like the better fighter. She took the punch to the gut, but quickly recovered and scrambled up the polar bear's back, causing her to shake and try to throw the otter off.
It was no use. Marlene was on for good, and Navi toppled over after spinning and making herself dizzy. She got off, and slowly walked towards the blue stone, but the fight wasn't over. Navi opened her eyes and growled before doing a quick somersault and grabbing Marlene. The second her feet hit the ground again she jumped up, and football slammed the poor otter into the ground.
"Oooh!" Rico jeered, now enjoying the spectacle.
Kowalski agreed. "That HAD to hurt." Skipper was still speechless. One, the game now looked more intriguing than he had initially thought, and he very much wanted to play. Two, that last attack was probably really painful for the poor otter, and as much as he hated to admit it, Marlene was his friend, and he didn't like to see her get hurt.
The dust cleared a bit and Marlene could be seen, beaten up pretty badly, but still breathing and trying to get up. Navi was clutching the rock, already on her sixth second. She didn't get much farther than that, since Marlene was next to her in a split second, and roundhouse kicked the stone out of her hands. What followed was a scene almost too fast to be seen. Well, almost. Marlene delivered a series of quick jabs to Navi, and ended with a final back-flipping kick to the muzzle. Navi fell over and Marlene grabbed the rock to start counting. "It's... not... over." Navi muttered, trying to get up.
Marlene threw a wink to Private, who was still slightly shocked at the display he'd just seen. "It's SO over." Even though Navi had sauntered towards her. There was a split second where Marlene had thought to turn around, but even that was too long to think about it, and with a mighty roar, Navi back-pawed Marlene, causing her to slide to the edge of the rocks and hang on.
Everyone except for Navi gasped, and the young polar bear just grabbed the stone and watched her. "I'll help you if you say that I win." She scoffed. Marlene narrowed her eyes. That would never happen. She let go of the rock and Navi turned away, shrugging. She had the game in the bag. Or so she thought. Marlene already had this figured out. She curled herself in a ball and started rolling, right there in mid air, as fast as she could against the side of the rock. Miraculously, she started to slow down, and eventually speed-roll up the rock! It was a sight to behold, and all the penguins were watching at the edge of their seats.
It didn't take long for the otter to clear the edge of the rocks, shooting up like a furry brown cannonball. Navi looked up, stopping her count at eight before getting kicked squarely between the eyes. Both animals slid back, Marlene on one knee and Navi on all fours, the blue stone flying up into the air. Marlene jumped up and caught it, landing daintily. She smiled and spun quickly, using her tail as a powerful staff and basically swept Navi off the rocks and into the water. The rest of her count to ten went undisturbed, and when Navi finally got to the top, Marlene tossed the rock at her feet.
"That's game."
**The Ending Where Navi Wins**
It didn't take long for the otter to clear the edge of the rocks, shooting up like a furry brown cannonball. Navi looked up, stopping her count at eight before Marlene started at her, foot extended towards her face. But Navi smiled. She had seen this coming, in fact, Marlene used this move before. She dropped the stone, enabling the use of both paws, and grabbed the small mammal's whole leg! She spun her around for a second before letting her go in the pool below. Marlene looked up at the top of the rocks, and began her long climb up. She was still soaking wet when she reached the celebrating polar bear.
"I win! I win! I WIN!"
***Aftermath**
The two animals shook hands. "Good game?" Marlene offered.
Navi smiled. "Very good game." They then went to attend to Private, who looked shocked that he'd actually have to fight the winner. What was he going to do? BOTH girls were probably tougher than he was...
Skipper joined the three at the top of the rocks. "That... was incredible!" Kowalski yelled. Rico nodded, very much in appreciation of the free (violent) entertainment. "I mean, the possibility of Marlene winning was so small, but..." He cut himself off. "You were BOTH AMAZING!" He waved his flippers, very much out of character for him.
"How did you do all that, anyway?" Skipper asked. Marlene shrugged.
"You guys weren't here for a LONG time after I got here. I had to do SOMETHING by myself."
Well, that did make sense. "I have to hand it to you, girls... I very much underestimated you. And... I want to play next!" Navi bit her lip.
"About that... One, you can't play until day after tomorrow, we're both real tired today and besides, Private already has to play the winner tomorrow. And two," She sneered at him. "Well, see... you just don't look tough enough to play with us Skip. But maybe one day." And with that, both girls left the penguins standing there, one furious, one curious, one stunned and one... Rico.
END!
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This was just to introduce Navi and see how people receive her. She's a polar bear that Marlene used to HATE because she was "So cute, it 's unnatural." Now, however, Navi's quite over that and they're good friends as well as room mates (It also helps that Navi makes a GREAT pillow.). If I got to pick, she would be played by Jennifer Hale. She only eats fish she catches herself, because she claims that "The people are going to get me one day. You'll see." Questions, comments? Whatever?
PS: Oh yeah, and The Rock Game... That was Marlene's idea.
