The sun was setting, and a extraordinary serenity fell
over the sand-decked scenery of the tropical Mystery Island. The tall palm trees,
cool waters, and the hot sands were dyed red and orange by the dying rays of
the sunset. The islander pets were slowly heading back to their bamboo homes
and preparing for evening. The exotic birds in the forest canopies warbled,
and the noises of the ocean waves and the seagulls in the sky suddenly became
much easier to hear, as less and less people were gathered on the shore.
But one Lupess was still there.
Her long, beautifully crafted grass skirt was
decorated with several different types of exotic flowers, tied into a long chain
and looped around her waist like a belt. For jewelry, a gleaming necklace of
seashells and beautiful round stones of all colours was tied around her neck,
and a large pink blossom had been placed onto her ear. White marks were tattooed
all over her light brown skin, and her bright blue eyes were misty and reflective
as they stared out over the clear, beautiful water, taking in all the beauty
of her homeland.
For one last time.
Finally, the glowing sun melted into the ocean,
and the island night swept over the tiny village where the Lupess had lived
all her life. The crystal clear, navy blue sky was dotted with glowing stars,
and the full moon was clearly seen, gazing at its reflection in the rising waters.
Only the sounds of the nocturnal creatures of the night, and the occasional
roar of a Kougra attacking its prey, came into the ears of any creature awake
and able to hear.
The Lupess picked up her large brown suitcase,
and lugged it across the now cool sand, over to the nearby docks and stopping
before a large, red ship. She looked back to the beckoning shores of Mystery
Island once again before she tearfully and reluctantly climbed up the gangplank
and onboard. The ship's engine spluttered and churned as the big red boat edged
away from the dock. The island Lupess solemnly headed for her room, not wanting
the other pets to see the tears freely flowing from her eyes...
She slipped on a puddle along the way and, after
a dramatic moment in which time seemed to stop, tumbled overboard. A loud splash
caught the attention of the captain, who shook his head sadly as he looked over
the side. Lulupaw the island Lupess was the biggest klutz on Mystery Island.
And, she was soon to be the biggest klutz somewhere new...
Lupe Forest...
Lulupaw's fur was slightly dampened from the
unfortunate accident, but her spirits were still high and dry as she got off
the bus. The door swung shut behind her, blasting away and leaving nothing behind
but the Lupess and a large cloud of dust.
Lulupaw coughed, exhaust smoke and kicked-up
dirt clogging her vision. As it cleared, a large wooden sign with bold, golden
letters began to materialise before the befuddled Lupess eyes...
WELCOME TO LUPE FOREST
Contact Goldpaw the Alpha for free membership to the pack.
Lulupaw nodded, shaking dust off her grass skirt
and dusting her nose.
"Well, here I am!!"
She beamed as she peered into the dark, gloomy
recesses of a infamous, tree-filled part of Lupe Forest. Some kind of horrible
bird called darkly from a tree, and a loud, anguished howl echoed from somewhere
within.
"Happy little place, just like home!"
Lulupaw, always reasoning that laughter was
the best medicine, decided to release a loud, shrill titter, powerful to frighten
the bird away and halt the howl.
She coughed quietly, nervously reaching into
her suitcase and producing a strange-looking item. It was a wooden wand, decorated
with beads, feathers of all colours, golden shards, and other sorts of strange,
exotic things. Lulupaw put a determined look on her face as she pointed her
wand straight upwards.
"Erm...uh...Okawa Chunka Humu Waka Toko Tiki?"
she chanted, as if answering a question without completely knowing the answer.
Instantly, a brilliant green flash of light
shot from the sky and struck the wand. As Lulupaw felt herself lift into the
air, she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that for once, she did it right.
After a few moments, the light had faded, and except for a single blade of Mystery
Island grass, not a trace of Lulupaw was found...
Alpha's Office...
Nopaw the split Lupess screeched as a brilliant
flash of green light exploded on her desk. She was knocked out of her rolling
chair and important papers were incinerated as a Mystery Island Lupess materialised
on her desk.
"Oops...sorry..." she muttered.
Nopaw climbed onto her feet, slightly dazed.
"That's all right...Could I have your name?"
"Lulupaw Humuhumunukunukuaupuaua. My dad thought
up Lulupaw, he said it was a pretty name. I've always loved my name, but I miss
my dad already. Gee, it's running late, isn't it? I'd say it would be about
8:00 on Mystery Island, though. What do you think?"
Nopaw began digging through the now completely
unorganised pile of papers, barely paying attention.
"Right...was that...Hamburger?"
"Erm, no...It's Hu...mu...hu...mu...nu...ku..."
"Ah, wait, here it is!..."
Nopaw sat back down on her desk, dusting off
her fur.
"Right on time. Go on through, Goldpaw's been
expecting you..."
"Thanks! I love your hair!" Lulupaw smiled,
walking past Nopaw's desk and entering the stone office that Goldpaw, the alpha,
called home.
The Alpha gave Lulupaw a smile, putting on his
reading glasses and standing up. His once prominently gold-coloured fur was
now gradually turning silver, but despite his age, Goldpaw was a very wise leader.
"Good morning, Miss Humuhumunukawakahukipuki...er..."
"Never mind that...just call me Lulupaw, Mr.
Goldpaw sir."
She smiled, taking a seat and dropping her large
luggage with a bang. Goldpaw nodded, looking at the mess of papers before him.
"Let's see...transferring from Mystery Island...why?"
"Oh, wait a moment."
Lulupaw flicked her wand, opening the suitcase
that was lying next to her.
She began digging through, pulling out numerous
items and setting them on Goldpaw's desk.
"I had a full page and a half written, just
like you asked, but I can't seem to..."
"Don't worry about it! I know why you're here
anyway. You are a Witch Doctress, and since we don't have any medical specialists
in Lupe Forest, we asked you to come here to fill that position.. Am I correct?"
"Yes." Lulupaw nodded eagerly.
She began packing up the items again as Goldpaw continued to read.
"Let's see...You will be setting up land near
Lupe Lake. A bamboo hut has been constructed for you, as you requested, and
you may move in. Congratulations, and welcome to Lupe Forest!"
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Lulupaw smiled as she
slammed her suitcase shut and picked it up. "A hut near water, that will remind
me of home at Mystery Island. I used to have a hut near the sea. If you squinted
really close, you could sometimes see a pirate ship. I remember once, the pirates
came onto shore, and tried to take over our tribe, but we all fought back and
drove them away. You DO have a Battledome here, right? Sometimes I like a good
scrap, but I focus more on healing than on inflicting. Oh yes, in the Abandoned
Arena, I remember that big, handsome Lupe named Kaluapaw would always beat up
every challenger. And then there was Tekkitu, he was..."
"Yes, that's nice..." Goldpaw interrupted, his
eye always on the clock. He dipped a fancy quill in ink and handed it to her,
taking off his glasses.
"Could you please sign here to certify your citizenship?"
Lulupaw once again tittered her shrill titter,
making Goldpaw visibly wince.
"HEE HEE HEE HEEEE!! Certainly!"
She scribbled a loopy, lopsided signature with
the Peadackle feather pen.
"There! Nice and pretty! I've always loved these
Peadackle pens, we used to have them everywhere back home! I really miss it
there already, even though I've only been gone a few days..."
Goldpaw smiled and nodded as he ushered the
somewhat noisy Lupess out his door.
"Yeah, well thank you for meeting with me. It
was a pleasure! Nopaw will help you out the rest of the way! Goodbye!!"
Goldpaw closed the door behind the island Lupess,
releasing a sigh of relief. Just five minutes with her, and he already had a
headache. He was about to go back to his desk and take an aspirin when he noticed
that Lulupaw had left a decorative hularoo behind. He looked back to make sure
she was gone, and after a moment, picked it up. Gingerly, he set it on his desk.
He took a step back and looked at it, nodding
his head and stroking his chin.
"Hm...Not bad...not bad at all..."
With that, he took his seat and continued his
work...
Lupe Lake...
Lulupaw sighed, finally settled into her home.
It had taken a while, but she had set up all her coconut furniture and accessories.
Her medical cabinets were full and waiting. Her wand was polished until it shone,
and she had prepared for the worst, with plenty of bandages and powerful spells
in stock. She was expecting anything.
Well, anything except nothing.
Lupes are very self-reliant creatures, and for
a whole entire week, no one asked Lulupaw for help. She had sat in her little
grass hut all day, reading up on healing spells and mending her grass skirts.
She had carved a tiki amulet, knitted a pair of wool socks, and painted a mural
on her wall, waiting oh so patiently. She couldn't talk to anyone, so she'd
talk to herself, reminiscing about home and how much she missed it.
Finally, there was a knock on her door. She
paused from reading a book entitled 'Pango Pango and You', a huge smile spreading
across her face.
"Yes!!!"
She grabbed her wand and dashed over, opening
it to reveal...
A Chia. A small blue Chia, in a white lab coat
and glasses. She had almost not seen him when she had opened the door. He had
several large bruises, and looked as though he had been through a fight.
"Oh...a Chia..." she muttered, immediately drooping.
The Chia offered a hopeful smile.
"I heard that you were a new Lupess! I'm Alexander
T. Chia, the Lupologist, but you can call me Al. I was wondering if you could
donate a hair sample."
"Oh...sure..." she sighed, disappointed.
She plucked a hair from her tail and handed
it to the Chia. He nodded, placing it in a plastic bag and putting it into his
lab coat pocket.
"Thank you!"
"No problem." Lulupaw smiled weakly, setting
her wand aside.
Al turned around to leave, but paused for a
moment. He looked at the large bruises on his arm, then at the depressed-looking
Lupess behind him. He nodded, then waddled back up to the doorway.
"You wouldn't happen to have anything for bruises,
would you? I just had a scuffle with a vicious Chia hunter, and..."
"Oh?" Lulupaw perked up. "Well, I think I have
some poultices sitting on my shelf that could help...they're from Mystery Island,
you know. That's where I'm from."
"Really? I've been on expeditions there before!
What tribe?"
"Humuhumunukunukuaupuaua."
"Ah, I remember that one... lovely tribe, really.
They had the most beautiful music. Say, did you happen to have any bizarre sacrificial
rituals that I might have missed while I was there? I remember the pancaking
incident, and also boiling in oil..."
Lulupaw smiled.
"Please, come on in and I'll tell you all about
it!" She beamed...
The End | 
