The Sleepy Walk

Once upon a time in the jungle, Orko sat in a jungle clearing and watched as toddler Furaha played happily, chasing a little butterfly around. She stumbled and fell a couple of times, but she wasn’t hurt, and Orko laughed with her antics. Then Orko looked up at the sky - the bright tropical sun was setting slowly, and when he looked over to his little sister, she was getting tired too. Orko allowed her to climb up onto his shoulders as he made his way through the jungle back to their treetop nest.

They saw many beautiful sights along the way. They passed a bush full of blue butterflies which burst into flight when Orko gently reached out to touch them. They saw a huge rock with ancient cave paintings which told a story of a lion king’s rise as heir of the throne. But the best thing they encountered on their way as it got dark, was the waterfall. Orko floated up towards the waterfall and saw his misty, rippled reflection in its curtained shade, all silvery and misty. The water felt smooth and crystal blue when Orko touched it. It divided into lots of huge ripples which widened out as far as a boat can sail. Just the sight of it made Furaha feel really, really sleepy, so Orko decided to continue on his way.

At last, they made it back to their treetop nest, and Orko snuggled among the leaves, holding Furaha in his arms, cuddling her and lifting her high above him. At last, he settled her next to him and she snuggled next to her, fast asleep and dreaming the sweetest, loveliest dreams, as they listened to the lullaby of nature fill the air.

Kisses For Orko

One morning, Furaha and Orko were playing quietly in the living room when suddenly the lightbulb in the ceiling lamp started flickering, and then it doused out like an audience volunteer in a disappearing act. “Oh no! The light’s out!” cried Furaha, “Can you do something about it, Orko?” “One magical spell coming right up!” said Orko. He cracked his knuckles and flew up to the lamp, saying:

“Magic light

Oh so bright,

Use your fuse to-”

BUMP! Orko suddenly banged his arm on the lamp and screamed in pain. “Orko!” cried Furaha. “What happened?” “I bumped my arm,” said Orko. “Well, magic isn’t really required to fix a lightbulb,” said Kiburi. “Furaha, you send Orko to bed and make sure he’s well, while I fix the lightbulb.”

Furaha did send Orko to bed, and as he got himself comfortable, Furaha gave him multiple kisses on his bumped arm like a certain Youtuber with his Golden Retriever. She entertained him in the best ways possible - she told him her funniest stories and sang him gentle lullabies. She put on a puppet show using his teddy Mr Fuzzikins and her unicorn Pinklight Sparkle. But Orko’s arm still hurts from being bumped. Furaha decided to get some bandages from his sleeve and, using her incredible first aid skills, she put Orko’s arm in bandages and a sling. “Thank you, Furaha, a sling is all I need, but nothing makes me better than your love for me.” “Ah, love. The greatest gift in the world,” sighed Furaha as she felt her eyes grow heavy. She got into bed beside Orko as he lay down and relaxed with his bandaged arm, and soon both of them were fast asleep.

“And hopefully,” said Furaha to you, “Orko will feel better soon.”

Orko's Story - Part 1

Once upon a time, in a kingdom ruled by lions, a deadly disease spread amongst the peaceful denizens. Most of them fell ill and died, but those who were lucky to be alive had to flee the kingdom to seek refuge somewhere else. At that time, the queen of the kingdom had given birth to a beautiful baby daughter named Furaha. She feared for her safety, as the disease was spreading like wildfire around the kingdom. Things got worse when her husband developed terrible symptoms and died, so she had to do something - and fast!

She fled the kingdom carrying her daughter under her arms. She ran for a long time, until she was far away from the kingdom. She noticed a lovely little cottage deep in the country and left her baby on the doorstep, but while she ran away to seek refuge, she fell to her knees, coughed, vomited and died on the spot.

The baby was left alone and crying, but luckily she didn’t die or catch the disease. The door to the cottage opened and a small Trollan wizard named Orko peered out. He saw the poor babe crying and alone, and gently picked her up. “Aaaaawwww, are you alone, little guy? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.” He noticed the babe’s name on the basket. “Furaha. Sounds like a good name. I think we’ll go by that name from now on.” Orko took the cub into his warm, cosy cottage.

He gave the baby a bath with lots of bubbles and even a rubber duck, fed her some milk and tucked her into his warm, cosy, soft bed, safe in the knowledge that she’ll never have to catch this stupid disease ever again. This was an adventure for him…

Under The Duvet

There was a chill in the air. Frost was on the window pane of the house of Furaha and her friends Orko and Optimus Prime, and there was no sound but the gentle whisper of Winter wind on the breeze. Inside their cosy, warm bedroom, Furaha, Orko and Optimus were lying in their bed, safe from the Winter chill, lying under the big, thick duvet on the strong mattress big enough and huge enough to fit all three - even an Autobot.

No one was safer than Furaha and Orko, who were safely tucked beside Optimus listening to the Winter wind outside and Optimus’ gentle, deep breathing syncing in time to the breeze. “Orko…are you awake?” whispered Furaha. Orko woke to the smell of Furaha’s morning breath. “Eurgh, watch where you aim that morning breath. It’s so smelly it’ll take down a thousand buildings.” yawned Orko. “Sorry,” said Furaha, “I think we feel safe and warm in this lovely, soft bed. Jack Frost’s chilly touch won’t get us there. We feel encapsulated in the warmth of our lovely house, surrounded by the warmest sheets and the most caring caregiver in the world.” “I agree,” sighed Orko, “I could really go for a mug of cocoa.” “I don’t know when we’ll wake up today,” yawned Furaha with a gentle sigh, “All we could do is lie there and wait for-” “Could you excuse me?” asked Orko, “I need to go to the toilet.”

Orko went off to the bathroom while Furaha rolled over onto her back and moved her arms behind her head. “That Orko,” she sighed, “I’m sure he’ll be back with a nice, warm mug of cocoa. My throat is so dry.” But Furaha didn’t mind, she loved Orko, even if he didn’t like her morning breath.

Little Tippytoes

One day, toddler Furaha was skipping and twirling around the living room like a ballerina fairy princess. She was even dressed like one, with a crown, tutu and wand. Orko was too happy to watch, as she perfected her ballet skills with twinkly steps and jumps and plies, until she fell over with a THUD! Onto her tummy. “Oh dear oh dear,” said Orko, helping Furaha up, “What you need is a bit of help. Let’s use the cutesy names I call you to help you dance.”

First, Orko taught Furaha a dance based on his cutesy ballet name ‘Little Tippytoes’. Furaha tiptoed quietly across the room as Orko floated slowly beside her. Next was the dance move based on ‘Sleeping Beauty’ - it was really simple. Furaha and Orko put their heads on their hands and pretended to be asleep, while swaying to and fro, to and fro, and humming to the tune of ‘The Sugar Plum Fairy’. Then came the exciting part - the ‘Fairy Princess’! Furaha and Orko ran and floated around the room together like real fairy royalty, skipped and twirled around the living room and spun round and round together, until…

BANG! Furaha had stubbed her little toe on the sofa! “Oh, oh dear,” said Orko. He produced some bandages and sweet smelling ointment from his sleeve and applied them gently to Furaha’s poor toe. Then he went into the kitchen and came back with a slice of chocolate cake and a lovely cool glass of milk. “Doing ballet is fun, but next time, I think we should clear the room before you even try dancing. Heck, maybe I should call you ‘Tippytoes Twinkle’ from now on!” Orko laughed and hugged Furaha to his chest. Unbeknownst to them, Furaha’s fairy wand was magic, too…

Orko The Orphan

One rainy night in a peaceful London penthouse, Furaha was asleep in her bed when she heard tapping on the door. She turned on her rainbow nightlight and went downstairs to investigate the noise. She opened the front door and found a Trollan wizard with dirty clothes named Orko shivering in the wetness. Furaha allowed him in and changed him into some cosy blue pyjamas with a golden scarf which she made herself, for she was into fashion and loved making clothes. She then invited her into bed with her so he doesn’t feel alone at night.

The next morning, Furaha decided that Orko should have a bath - in his new clothes! She wasn’t fussy about clothes being spoiled, so she ran a bubble bath and let him splash around with her yellow rubber duck. Once she had dried him and let him change into a glamorous white cloak and hat with a red scarf, they sat down to breakfast. Because Londoners were very good at manners, Furaha taught Orko how to eat his cornflakes properly with a spoon. Orko was eager to learn, and elegantly spooned down his cornflakes. But the hilarious part came when Orko dunked a piece of toast into the milk and ate it, causing both of them to laugh.

Minutes later after their meal, Furaha and Orko sat down in the comfy bed together and read from Furaha’s fairy tale book the story of The Brave Little Tailor, which was every fashionista’s favourite fairy tale. The tailor in the story himself saved an entire town from a giant! After the story was over, Orko promised to always be Furaha’s friend, and helped out with her latest fashion design projects, which she made for Rainbow Inc somewhere near Buckingham Palace.

In My Arms

Toddler Furaha was very small. She was too small to do all the things big kids do, like painting with brushes, eating with a knife and fork and writing stories, like I’m doing now. When the big kids shun her and say she can’t join in their games, she turns to Orko so she can play with the only big kid wizard she knows. And the best thing about being small is that she can fit comfortably in Orko’s thin, weak, blue arms.

Orko was too weak and too fragile to be a proper Master Of The Universe back on Eternia, but here on Earth, he loves his toddler sister so much, and has the freedom to do anything he wants. In his arms lies his sister, who is tired out from an exhausting day of being shunned by the big kids and then running off to play with him. The way they bond is a sight to behold. Orko strokes Furaha’s fluffy tummy and tickles her so she laughs and hugs her brother around his unseen neck. Orko strokes her back and comfortably cradles her in his arms, feeling his fragility connect with his sister’s own, for their kin is similar inside, but under the skin, they’re both the same.

They lie amongst a pile of pillows and blankets and snuggle together in the light of the sun shining through the window of their bedroom. Furaha, as a toddler, is bonded to her brother in words indescribable. Orko has discovered that the real magic lies in the magic found in his sister’s eyes, as she understands that he’ll always take care of her, love her and play with her, no matter what happens. At last, tired from bonding, the two friends fall safely fast asleep.

The Hotel Room

It was the day of the holiday of Furaha and her three friends Orko, Optimus and Baby Marvin, and they were all very excited. The hotel was big enough for all four of them, especially an Autobot, and when they entered their suite, they could hardly believe their eyes. The bed was a pure, silky white, and there was a fridge full of chocolate and drinks and sausage rolls. There was a small chocolate on each of their pillows, and next to the bed was a bucket of champagne in ice. “Ooh-la-la!” swooned Orko.

The best part about the hotel room was the spa bath. It was shaped just like a hot tub, and there were 9 different sets of bubble baths in the cupboard - lemon, lavender, bubble bath and so much more. Optimus fingered the pure white towels, and Orko, Furaha and Baby Marvin felt how soft they were. Afterwards, the friends tried out the spa bath, which was filled to the brim with bubbles. Orko, as always, had his clothes on in the tub! The friends made bubble bath beards and bubble bath hats, until they got dry in the soft white towels. Orko got changed in the cupboard to a new red velvet hat and a soft white dressing gown with a golden scarf.

Everyone sat in the suite and had a little picnic of chocolate, sausage rolls and fizzy drinks, just like posh people in a mansion. As for the chocolates on their pillows, Furaha, Orko and Marvin fed each other the chocolates, which had sticky white cream filling in the middle. After a whole day of posh luxuries, everyone felt tired and clambered into the big, strong, soft bed. Snug and safe and in complete luxury, they all fell fast asleep.

Orko & The Baby

Orko and his baby sister Furaha lived by themselves in a cosy little house in the middle of the countryside, and they shared a wonderful, inseparable bond between each other. Furry rugs lined the hard wooden floors, the sofas were pure velvet and upstairs, there was a cosy bedroom with the softest bed in the world.

Orko and Furaha spent every day playing together and relaxing together. Every morning, Furaha would crawl all over Orko and tippy-tap him while he was still stirring, like a cat wanting attention. When Orko woke up, he gave Furaha her first hug of the morning and tickled her tummy. They would then go downstairs for breakfast, and Orko would feed his sister some porridge - it was really messy, but rewarding, and Orko loved the mess and fun that came with feeding her. Every one of their days was filled with fun and excitement - they would lie on the sofa and read picture books together. They would stack some building blocks in a pyramid shape so Orko could teach Furaha her ABC’s. Orko would entertain Furaha with his magic, such as conjuring a million feathers that tickled Furaha so she giggled, or producing a squeaky toy from his sleeve and then helping Furaha play with it. Most of all, they loved lying on the sofa together and relaxing, feeling joy and happiness out of being together as brother and sister. Furaha didn’t have magic, but Orko did. No matter how different they were, they always loved each other.

Every evening, they would have a bath outside in their outdoor bath, surrounded by foamy bubbles and lots of flowers growing in the garden, feeling the joy of being outside. Then, after drying themselves and having supper, they would both go to bed.

The Duties Of King Maneguard

King Maneguard led Orko into his baby daughter’s nursery. “I am tasking you with the sole purpose of looking after Furaha for the day while I’m out,” he said. “You can count on me, sir, I’ll take care of the little tot for you.” After waving goodbye to his master, Orko went up to Furaha’s cot and tickled her. Furaha began to laugh, for, being a baby lioness cub, she was happy to have her caretaker Orko by her side. He lifted Furaha out of her cot and placed her on the golden floor, watching her crawl around the enormous nursery and following her as he did. Orko giggled at the way Furaha put one paw in front of the other in a wonky, babyish way. He then picked up Furaha and swung her round in happiness, hugging her to his chest. He then fell onto a pile of cushions and blankets, which was as soft as Furaha’s fur, and lifted Furaha over him, laughing in joy. However, as soon as Orko was laughing, Furaha was crying, because she was hungry. Orko took her downstairs to the kitchen and poured her a nice, warm bottle of milk, feeding her and cooing, “Does baby want her bottle?” and “Coochie-coochie-coo!” Orko placed Furaha over his shoulder and patted her on the back, causing her to burp. Orko cradled her in his arms and tickled her furry tummy, as she yawned and fell asleep. Orko was feeling sleepy too, as looking after Furaha was very hard work indeed.

When King Maneguard came back that night, he entered Furaha’s nursery to find Furaha and Orko fast asleep on pillows and blankets. “Easy, Orko.” said the king softly, “You’ll always look after Furaha, for a long long time.”

Furaha & Orko

Deep in the countryside, in a cosy little cottage by the sea, live Furaha and her brother Orko. Those two friends are different in species - lioness cub is Furaha, and Trollan wizard is Orko, but no matter how different they are, they always share in life’s little experiences together. They spend their everyday lives sharing and playing together, too.

Every morning they would wake up to a new day in their soft, comfortable bed, and race each other downstairs to breakfast. For breakfast each day, they have pancakes with bacon and eggs. Sometimes, they like to play sword fights with knives and forks when they’ve finished eating, pretending they’re knights or pirates. After they’ve cleaned up, they go out onto the beach and have some fun playing there. They build sandcastles and decorate mounds of sand with seaweed and shells, playing ‘King Of The Castle’. They splash in the sea and scavenge around rockpools, searching for the treasures washed up by the sea, sometimes finding a penny or two. Other times they would quietly sit together on the sand and watch the ocean roll in and out, in and out, as the two friends sat side by side.

They always have baths outside, because they have an outdoor bathtub. They splash and relax amongst the bubbles as they breathe in the scent of the flowers in the garden, and sometimes they play that Furaha’s rubber duck is attacking Orko’s toy boat, pretending the sea wars have already begun, or they sprinkle rose petals into the water to make it smell nice. In the evening, after they’ve dried and had tea and cake outside while watching the setting sun, they would climb the stairs exhaustingly to bed, tired out from a long day. Goodnight, Furaha. Goodnight, Orko.

Goodnight, everyone.

Home

Home. It’s where we’re headed to now. Me, Orko and Optimus. However, the way home is far off, and we have made a treacherous journey to get there. To get home, we have to swim a long mile across the Arctic ocean. But we don’t care. We’re at one with the cold water surrounding our bodies. The ocean is a blanket of welcoming water that carries us all the way home, and in its middle, there’s nothing. Nothing. Nothing to see, no whales swimming in the depths, no killer whales out to make us perish. The water carries us in her warm embrace as we swim peacefully together in the ocean, our eyes closed, feeling the wonderful chill against our fur and skin. It’s something no human being ever touched before, but we have - we’ve touched it, and it’s a sacred part of the ocean which has yet to have the first human explorers swim across it.

When we close our eyes, we forget everything and just let the water invite us to swim in its cold embrace. We’re like polar bears, swimming freely - a father polar bear and his two cubs, seeking refuge in somewhere beautiful. The sea is a crystal carpet, wanting us to lie down on it and let us lie to rest, for it’ll be our grave someday. And when it does become our grave, our spirits will turn to animals and roam the Northern Lights forever. For now, we swim. Just us three, no one else, knowing that soon, other people would swim in this uncharted water. We don’t feel the slightest chill, and icy tears fill my eyes thinking back on everything we’ve done to get through this epic journey. We’ve survived, we’ve stuck together, we’ve done everything in our power. We’ll survive…

By The Fireplace

One warm, cosy Winter evening, Furaha and Orko were sitting on the rug by a roaring fire, gazing into its inviting flames, which were dancing in the darkness of the chimney, letting off black smoke that flew into the Winter air. “You know, in the darkness of this room, I think being in front of the fire on a cold Winter’s day is the best thing that could’ve happened to us.” smiled Furaha. “I think I’m turning into a hot water bottle.” “And I think I’m turning into a velvet blanket being sat on by a huge dog,” smiled Orko. “But I think something’s missing.” “Snacks!” said Furaha, “We can’t have a night by the fire without snacks.”

Furaha came into the kitchen and went back into the living room later with a bowlful of nice, tasty sausage rolls, with two mugs of hot cocoa - one white with red snowflake patterns for Orko, and one green with daisies on it for Furaha. The two friends enjoyed their snacks and talked about what they wanted for Christmas this year. Furaha wanted a unicorn costume for Christmas, while this year Orko wanted a Wacky Duck shampoo - the wild-looking green bottle that’s scented like limes. “You know, I think you’ll smell good. As good as pondweed,” yawned Furaha, as she snuggled down onto the rug. “You know what? I think you’re right,” said Orko sleepily as he lay down, full of sausage rolls and cocoa. Furaha stared into the flames, which slowly went out, leaving her and her friend in pure darkness. All they could hear was the sound of the Winter wind outside, and they could smell the burning ashes of the dancing flames in front of them, settling to their graves, waiting for the next cosy evening.