Kadoatery Khronicles: Part Two

     The pink Kadoatie looked at the front of his cage. A chocolate-dipped Peophin cookie was resting on the floor before his very eyes. “Mmm, thanks for waking me up!” he meowed to Ren between mouthfuls of cookie.

     “Don’t mention it. I always wake up early,” Ren purred with a debonair smile.

     George opened the Kadoatery door. “Hi, Ren and Vash, you two morning birds!” He tapped Vash’s cage on his way to the counter. “Vash, how’s that cookie I left you?” The Kad meowed happily.

     “Gngh,” Firefly groaned drowsily. “Good morning. Did I miss anything?’

     “George gave Vash a cookie!” Ren purred.

     “And it sounds like Panda is talking to someone,” Vash said.

     Looking into Panda’s cage, he noticed the yellow Kadoatie was chatting with a Rainbow Kadoatie in the cage next to his. Then Panda turned to the front of his cage. “Guess what, everyone!” he reported, “Winona, who, as you know, is keeping count of how long we stay in the Kadoatery, says I should be getting picked up! Tomorrow!”

      “Congratulations, Panda!” Firefly meowed, “If your cage was next to mine, I’d shake your paw!”

     Vash, Ren, and Suiko all purred, “That’s awesome!”

     “Now to celebrate...” Panda went on, “I will show you all... how to open your cages!” All the Kadoaties cheered, and Panda yelled, “George is in his office in the back, so everyone look!” When all the Kadoaties were looking, Panda reached a paw outside his cage, grabbed the lock by the bottom, and twisted it around to the left. The door swung open. “To lock it, just twist it to the right! You try it!” he meowed, closing the door.

     All the Kads were testing it out. Some were successful, some weren’t. Finally, Vash decided to give it a shot. He gingerly stuck his paw through the bars of his cage. Carefully gripping the lock, he jerked it to the left. The door opened. He pulled it shut and turned the lock to the right. It stayed closed. He did it a few more times and was able to yell, “Hey, Panda! I’ve mastered it!”

     “Great work, then!” Panda replied happily.

     “We’re going to really miss you,” Suiko mewed quietly.

     “Don’t sweat it, Suiko. I bet the new Kadoatie will be just as nice,” answered Panda optimistically.

     Vash purred, “Not as nice as you. You’re one of the four nicest Kadoaties I’ve ever met.”

     “Same here!” Firefly shouted.

     Panda blushed, his cheeks turning orange due to his yellow fur. “Thanks. Thank you all. I’ll miss you, too.”

     “Thanks so much for showing us how to open our cages!” Ren meowed.

     George opened the back door and walked to the wall of the Kadoatie cages. Sitting in front of Panda’s cage, he chirped, “Good news, Panda! Your owner is coming tomorrow morning to pick you up!”

     Firefly jabbed Vash on the shoulder, mewing, “That’s news, right, Vash?”

     “Eh-hm. Heh heh,” the pink Kadoatie chuckled.

     “It’s breakfast time, little Kadoaties!” George chirped. He reached into a bin full of treats and passed out two snacks to each Kadoatie. When he gave Panda six, he grinned and said, “I’m giving Panda extra to celebrate. I’ll miss you! You’re a really nice Kadoatie, Panda!”

     George was in his office in the back for a few hours after that. Then, an electric Eyrie walked into the Kadoatery. Firefly yowled to Vash, “Someone’s coming! Act miserable!”

     The Kadoaties all tried to look as miserable as they could, just like last time when the Wocky came to feed Vash. A few frowned, and some turned their heads to the side. Panda pretended to cry, and did a shockingly good job; he really did look sad, and even a fellow Kadoatie would have a tough time telling the difference! Vash jumped into the pose he’d thought up the night before. He grasped the bars of his cage and pulled himself forward. He pressed a sad face into the front of his cage.

     The Eyrie didn’t notice any of them except Panda. “Hi there, Panda! Did you miss me? I was in the area and decided to pick you up early!”

     “Purr-r-r-r!” Panda purred, snapping out of his sulking pose and fluffing up immediately.

     “I bet you’re just dying to get home, aren’t you? I’ll go talk to George.”

     He went into George’s office. The Kadoaties could hear them talking. Then the Electric Eyrie and George both walked over to the Kad cages, where the Zafara opened Panda’s cage. The Electric Eyrie took Panda out and walked through the doorway. “Bye!” the yellow Kadoatie meowed, waving his paw goodbye.

     All the Kadoaties waved back and mewed various farewells. “Yeah, Panda! We’ll miss you!” Vash shouted, “Bye-bye!”

     **********

     That evening the Kadoaties were all chatting about leaving the Kadoatery, Petpet colors, and new Kadoaties, especially the third. “I hope that he or she’s going to be as nice and optimistic as you are, Bobby.”

     “You know, Winona, I still miss Panda.”

     “Is he going to be spotted like you or white like Sheera?”

     Of course everyone was excited about their new neighbor. Friendly Panda had left and one cage was available. Knowing Kadoatie owners, vacancies in the Kadoatery would be snapped up hungrily like a Chia treat thrown to a starved Lupe. It was only a matter of time before a new member was added to the Kadoatery family.

     “Well,” Firefly told Vash, “I heard that the new Kadoatie is coming tomorrow. I also heard he was a stray Kadoatie, who was kidnapped and put up for adoption by the PPL. He was adopted by a rich Kougra and her cub.”

     “I wonder what he’s like,” Vash muttered, “If he’s rich, he could be snobby and spoiled. You can never tell with Petpets owned by rich Neopets.”

     “Who knows? He might turn out to be great,” Firefly purred with a smile, “You can’t stereotype like that. Even if you had to, the fact that he was a stray could mean that he’s exciting and smart.”

     A little while after the Kadoaties concluded their conversations, a Gelert came in, fed Suiko an ice cream, collected a silver trophy, and left fifteen minutes after. By then it was dark, and George was about to go home, of course, turning off the lights in the Kadoatery. He said he was going to wait a while for the Kadoaties to fall asleep, so they wouldn’t cry all night. Vash tried to stay up so he could see the new Kadoatie if he came in the morning. If he saw him right away, he’d get to know him faster. “You’d better get to sleep,” Suiko warned. “The Kadoatery gets pretty dark at night.”

     “I’m not scared of the dark,” Vash lied. All Kadoaties are scared of the dark, and, as we know, our pink friend was no exception.

     By the time George was gone and the lights were off, all the Kadoaties were asleep except for Vash. Suiko was right. He realized for the second time that the Kadoatery at night took darkness to a whole new level. Firefly told him that he’d get used to it, but he sure wasn’t adjusted yet. He did consider waking up Firefly, but he didn’t want to disturb him again. Finally, he was so scared he told himself Ren would just wake him up in the morning and went to sleep.

     **********

     That morning, Ren was once again tapping Vash awake. “Guh... what is it this morning?” Vash yawned.

     “The other Kadoaties are already awake. Look!” Ren meowed.

     Vash looked in the doorway and saw a Royal Girl Kougra and a baby Kougra talking to George. The baby Kougra was holding a small spotted Kadoatie who had a nick in his right ear. “Don’t worry, Freddie,” the baby assured her Kadoatie, “Mummy’ll be back in a few weeks.” She kissed the Kadoatie on the cheek. Freddie growled in an exasperated way.

     “Don’t worry, little kid,” George assured the Kougra cub, “I’ll take excellent care of your little Kadoatie.” He took Freddie and put him in Panda’s old cage. He attached a tag reading “Freddie” and a sign reading “Blue Draik Egg.”

     The Kougras left, and Freddie was huddled in the corner of his cage, a disappointed look on his face. Maybe, Vash thought, he’s like I was when I came to the Kadoatery. “Hi!” the pink Kadoatie greeted him. “I’m Vash!”

     “Um, hey,” his neighbor sighed. “I’m Freddie.”

     “That Rainbow Kad on your left? That’s Winona. Above you is...” He thought hard, trying to remember by what name he’d heard the cage’s inhabitant called by. “Bobby! Below you is... er... Sheera!”

     The other three Kadoaties meowed their greetings. Freddie nodded to each of them. “You seem sort of bummed,” Vash continued. “What’s up?”

     Freddie groaned. “My family’s going to Krawk Island.”

     “That’s where Firefly’s-my other neighbor’s-owner is! What’s wrong with Krawk Island?”

     “They brought me there last time. It was so much fun! I met exotic Petpets like Screals, Pawkeets, and Plyathdons. I discovered I can swim. There was so much to do! This time, Jennie, the little girl, said the hotel they’re staying at doesn’t allow Petpets. ‘Don’t fret, baby,’ she said, ‘you’re staying at the Kadoatery. It’s a nice hotel for Kadoaties.’ That may be, but I still wish I could go!”

     “I was disappointed when my owner, Ciasa, went to the Lost Desert without me. I thought I would hate the Kadoatery! But now I’ve made friends with the other Kadoaties. I’m used to this place already, and it’s only my third day!”

     “All right,” Freddie moaned, “I guess I’ll learn to like the place.”

     “I’m sure you will. It doesn’t take long to adjust, especially if you’ve met your neighbors!”

     “Okay. You seem cool. I guess we’re pals.”

     Even though it was a little early, Vash could tell he and Freddie were going to get on like him and Firefly.

To be continued...