les trois moogletaires: art / stories / contact

July28,1996TheMoogleBirthdayStorybyHeatherHatchThereoncewasahappygoluckyyoungmooglenamedKurago.Heliv
edwithhissisterandcousinintheelfgrove,alongwithalltheothermoogles.ButKuragohaddifferentambitionsthan
mostmoogles.Some,likehissisterKurune,wantedtobecomefamouswarriors,liketheircurrentwarleaderMog.Other
s,likehiscousinKulocklikednothingbetterthantoplaytricksandpickthepocketsofthehumanswholivedintheabov
egroundcityofNarshe.Otherspreferredamorestablelifeandenjoyedthesimplethingsthatmooglesdo,talkingwith
friends,andplayingtheusualtypesofgamesthatadolescentmooglesplay.Kuragohadhisheadintheclouds.Hewasalw
aysdreamingaboutoldstoriesandlegendsthattheelderstold,andespeciallyonesthatcamefromahumanbookhehadfo
und,onethattoldstoriesaboutBaron,andtheRedWings,andtheDragoons.EspeciallytheDragoons.Hehadstartedkee
pingajournalabouthisthoughts,andhisdreams,andevenjustwhathehadforlunch.Andinhisjournal,ifyouweretolo
ok,youwouldfindtheonethingKuragowantedmostoutoflife.HewantedtobeaDragoon.Hissisterandcousin,whowerea
lsohisclosestfriends,werealwayswillingtolistentohimtalkaboutit,buthecouldtellthattheydidn't*really*u
nderstand.Noonedid,andnotthatunderstandingwouldhavehelpedhimmuch.Heneededsomeonewhocouldteachhim,and
noonecould.TheartofbeingaDragoonhadfallenwiththeBaronianEmpire,orsoallthehistorybookssaid.Secretly,K
uragowasconvincedthat*someone*mustknowthetechniques,butbecauseitwasn'tanacceptedpracticeforyoungadve
nturousmooglestogogalivantingaroundlookingforanimaginarysagewhocouldteachhimthesecretsoftheBaronianD
ragoons,hestayedhome.Hemopedabitaswell.Infact,people(well,mooglesreally,buttheyconsiderthemselvespeo
ple,so*I'm*notgoingtosayanything;)tendedtonoticeitalot.Hissisterandcousintriedtheirveryhardesttochee
rhimup,butnothingseemedtobeworking."Wouldyouliketoplayjumpropewithus?"Kurunewouldsay,andKuragowoulds
igh,andanswerthatjumpingonlymadehimmoredepressed."HowaboutSkyDiving??Thatalwaysdoesthetrickforme!"Ku
lockwouldtry,buthiscousinwouldonlylookmorecrestfallenandwanderawaymutteringhowtheexhilaratingfeeling
ofthewindblowingthroughhisfuronlymadehimthinkofwhathecouldneverbe.Itwasreallyasadstateofaffairs.Nowt
hethingsisthatKurago'sbirthdaywascomingup,andhisfriendsreallywantedtogivehimsomethingtocheerhimup.Th
eyconsideredgivinghimanotherDragoonbook,butthendecideditwouldonlydepresshimmore.Theyconsideredeveryt
hingtheycoulddo,andoncetheydecidedthat*they*couldn'tcomeupwithanygoodideas,theywenttotheelder."Inthe
humanworld,"theelderhadtoldthem,"thereareitemscalledrelics.Theyallpossessuniquemagicalabilities,ands
omeevencontainmagicfromthepast,artswhichhavebeenlostthroughouttheages."Itwasfromhimthattheygottheide
a,theperfectpresentfortheirfriend.Thetwocousins,KuruneandKulock,cameupwithaplanthatwouldnotonlycheer
upKurago,buthelphimfulfilhisdreamaswell.Thedayafterhisfriendswenttovisittheelder,Kuragohaddecidedtos
leepinlate.Whenamooglegetsdepressed,theyfindthatnotmuchhelpthemotherthangoodfriends,chocolatecupcake
s,andlotsofsleep.Kuragowashopingforatleasttwooutofthree.Heknewthecupcakeswereoutbecausechocolatewase
xpensive,andhisparentswouldlikelybehoardingitallforhisupcomingbirthday.Thethoughofhisbirthdaymadehim
groan.He'dprobablyendupgettingalotofDragoonbooks,andofcoursetheusualsocksandunderwearfromKuMama.Sock
sandunderwearweredoublyannoyingpresentsforamoogletoget,astheydidn'twearsocks*or*underwear,butithadbe
comesomewhatofatraditionanditwasthoughtofasimpolitetocomplain.Sohewouldn't.Heacceptthebooks,andother
uselessbirthdayitems,andsmileandnod,andtryandputonagoodshowforhisfriends.Birthdaysweresupposedtobeha
ppytimes.Hegotoutofbedandwentintothekitchen.Theremightn'tbeanychocolate,butsomebreakfastwouldbenice.
Hewassurprisedtoseethattherewasnooneinthekitchen.Hewasmoresurprisedtoseethatthedisheshadbeendone.And
hewasalmostassurprisedtoseethenoteaddressedtohimlyingonthetable.ItreadKurago:KupokupopopKupipoKupoku
popopoKupipopokupo.Kupopokupokupipokupopo.Kupokupokupokupopo.Kupo!kupopo,Kurune.Whichtranslatedrough
lyto:Kurago:TheelderhassentmeandKulocktodeliversomemessagestothehumansinNarshe.Wemightbegoneafewdays
butwePromisewewillbebackintimeforyoubirthdayparty!Peace!Goodluck,Kurune.ItalsohadaPostScriptaboutmak
ingsurehedidthedishesandotherchores,andtoldhimtotryandbehappy.Kuragoreaditandsighed.Withhisluck,they
wouldn'tmakeitbackontime.Eventually,thefatefuldaycame.Hisbirthday.Hissisterandcousinwerestillnotback
fromtheirtriptothesurface,andKuragowasbeginningtogetalittleconcerned.ButBirthdayswereimportantday,an
dthepartybeganasplanned.Therewaschocolatecake,tastydrinks,andlotsofpresents.Allthemoogleswerethere,e
vensomehedidn'tknowverywell.EvenKudor'sbrotherKuralovhadshowedupfortheparty.Buthisfriendswerenowhere
tobeseen.Generallyatamooglebirthdayparty,thereisalotofeatinganddrinking(offruitjuicesandthelikeforth
eyoung'uns)andmerrymakingstartingintheafternoon.There'seven*more*eatinganddrinkingatsupper,andthenpr
esents.Thentherewasevenmorepartying.Thisonewasnoexception.Itwasnearingthetimeforthedinnerfeast,andst
illtherewasnosignofthesurfaceenvoys.Kuragodidhisbesttoputonahappyface,butsecretlywishedthatheweretur
ningoneyearearliersohecouldatleasttrydrowninghissorrowsinalcohol.Dragoons,hehadread,hadagreattoleran
ceforalcohol,andhefigureditwouldhavebeenasgoodatimeasanytostartworkingonthat.Peoplewerejustsittingdo
wntothesuppertablewhenKuruneandKuragoreturned.Theyimmediatelyranovertotheirfriendandsatbesidehimatth
ebirthdaytable.Theyseemedabitflushed,asiftheyhadjustreturnedfromsomewhereinahurry.Hetriedtoaskthemab
outtheirtrip,buttheyjustsmiledandpromisedtotelleverything'later,andthatheshouldjustsitbackandenjoyhi
sbirthday.Thefoodcameandwent,andtheitwastimeforthepresents.Kuragowashappythathisfriendswouldbewithhi
mforthispartofhisbirthday,butwhenhelookeduptotellthemso,theyweregone.Nonetheless,thepresentscame,and
hehadtoopenthem.Theywereprettymuchwhathehadexpected:books,socksandunderwear,anewhelmetforcombatpract