So unfortunately, while Elsie could not own one herself, visiting the Kadoatery daily on her way home from work was the next best thing. She had already fed Cupcake the Sketch Roast Chicken the Kadoatie had been pining for, but was reluctant to leave. Cupcake was in a playful mood, beaming at Elsie through the bars and cheerfully sashaying her tail in every which direction.

"Okay, okay," Elsie relented. "I'll play with you for fifteen more minutes, but not until you're due for your next snack! I have to get going soon. Speaking of snacks, I wonder what you like to eat at home. Your owners must spoil you silly..."

Elsie let her mind wander, imaging what Cupcake's family must be like. Probably really caring, she decided. All of these Kadoatie owners must be, to so thoughtfully leave their Petpets in this close-knit community when on vacation.

After petting Cupcake for a few moments longer, Elsie let out a soft little grunt and lifted herself off her stomach to stand and gather her belongings. She was slinging her backpack over her shoulder when suddenly, the overhead lights turned off and the front door thudded shut with a definitive click.

The Acara stiffened. Had she been locked in here by mistake? "Hello?" She called tentatively, stumbling over Kadoatie cages as she blindly rushed to the door to try the handle. She twisted it every which way to no avail. She was locked in. Around her, the Kadoaties began to wail.

"Oh no...!" came a voice from Elsie's left. The Acara jumped with surprise. "Have we been locked in here? I think we have!"

A flashlight's blinding golden beam suddenly filtered on Elsie's face, coming from the direction of the stranger's voice. She squinted into the light to see who she was trapped with...

"I can't believe this keeps happening to me! Even with all the precautions I have taken with the staff." The voice continued on, the flashlight waving back in forth, casting strange shadows every which way. A few Kadoaties mewed in protest whenever the light shone towards them.

"Who are you?" Elsie questioned, momentarily transfixed by the new mystery before her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" The flashlight turned opposite from Elsie, a new shadow appearing before her on the wall. It was in the shape of a Usul. "I'm invisible, you see? My name is Bonnie."

Elsie let out a short laugh of surprise. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but an invisible companion was not it.

"I carry around this flashlight when playing with the Kadoaties because they like the shadow play, they also chase the beam of light and it's super cute." A shadow puppet of a Cybunny formed along the wall as she spoke, Bonnie's hands expertly twisting to bring her shadow puppet to life.

"Well I'm glad I'm not alone. My name is Elsie, by the way." The Acara introduced herself. "What did you mean when you said that this keeps happening to you?"

"Being invisible means that sometimes things happen to you more often than it should." Bonnie replied. "This is my fourth time being locked in. But don't worry! A security Chia guard usually begins a patrol in about an hour or so." The Cybunny shadow puppet did a few more hops then disappeared. Elsie imagined the Usul was probably beaming proudly towards her.

Elsie leaned against the door in resignation, the cool metal handle dug against her back. A solid reminder that she was locked in. Despite Bonnie's reassurances, Elsie did not feel content to simply wait and hope some Chia would come by and rescue them.

"Bonnie..." Elsie began, "Do you think that maybe there is some other way we could get out? An emergency exit, perhaps?"

"Well, when I was last locked in two Wednesdays ago, I saw a-" She paused suddenly. "What was that?"

Elsie heard it too. Somewhere in the mess of Kadoatie cages, she heard a distinct screech of metal on metal. "Shine your flashlight over there." She instructed, pointing in the direction of the noise.

Bonnie's flashlight swooped over to where she had indicated to reveal...

Nothing but empty space and an open cage.

"Oh! That's Cupcake's cage! Where is she??" Elsie looked around in the dark and called out to her favourite Kadoatie to no avail.

"Bonnie, let's get closer!" She walked over to the cage, and as her new invisible friend shined her flashlight over the area, she noticed that the lock had been smashed into little pieces.

Elsie could hear Bonnie gasp as she realized what she was looking at.

"Woahhh... this is weird. The Kadoatie definitely didn't smash the lock like this... is there someone... or something else in here with us?"

They walked around the dark room, shining the flashlight all around and calling out for Cupcake. The other Kadoatie had grown strangely quiet, a stark difference from their wailing just a few minutes ago. It was almost as if they were scared of something in the room.

Soon they heard a voice call out to them from the darkness.

It said...

The Acara and Usul swung toward the voice, Bonnie’s flashlight landing on a tall, lanky Green Acara dressed in dark, aubergine cloaks. Gold jewellery adorned her double ears matched by a radiant broach on her sternum. The Acara peered at them with darkly lined eyes and luxuriant lashes. A breath caught in Elsie’s chest, held both by the Neopet’s beauty and domineering presence.

“Wh-who are you?!” demanded Bonnie bravely. The flashlight shook in her hand as she tried to steady it, evident by the way the light bobbed up and down in the dark Kadoatery, then stabilized.

“I’m Masila, the Mistress of the Double-cross,” she purred. “But, luckily for you, I’m only here tonight to take a few Kads, sell them for profit, and make a modest living. After that, I’ll be on my way.”

It was then that a sudden motion caught their eyes. The pair noticed a burlap sack flung over Masila’s shoulder, something inside squirming behind her. From inside the bag, they heard a muffled mew followed by a sad whimper.

“Oh my!” Elsie gasped. “Is that Cupcake?! Let her go this instant!”

“Fat chance, Sterling Silver. Precious little Cupcake is going to make me a pretty penny. The White Kadoaties always do,” Masila the Thief said with a snicker. “I’m going to take two more from their cages, place them in this sack, and be on my way.”

“Like Fyora, you’re not!” Bonnie said, approaching her.

“Oh, yeah? And what are you going to do to stop me?” she asked, puffing out her chest…

"Drats!" Masila yelled, spinning to look at the door. Judging by the silhouette in the door's window, the Chia guard was here early.

"The guard! He must have heard the Kadoatie cage being forced open!" exclaimed Bonnie. The Chia seemed to be fumbling with his keys, trying to find the right one. Bonnie screamed, "HELP! THERE'S A THIEF!"

"Meddling kids! I won't forget this!" grumbled Masila. Before either Bonnie or Elsie could react, the Acara hoisted the bag over her shoulder and ran over to the wall, where a vent had been pulled aside to allow her to drop through. She jumped atop one of the cages and shoved the bag into the vent, swiftly disappearing after it.

Elsie gasped. "Bonnie! We have to go help Cupcake!"

The duo scrambled toward the open grate and crawled through. They found themselves in a short tunnel. Masila was nowhere to be seen, but they could hear a banging from somewhere ahead.

Elsie and Bonnie quickly scrambled down the vent, as the path ahead twisted and turned. Before long, they came upon a hole. Another grate had clearly been removed and discarded.

"Let me go first," whispered Bonnie. "I'll scout ahead, and if it's clear, I'll shine the flashlight." Elsie heard the Invisible Usul slide up to the hole and disappear.

Elsie waited for the signal. Within a few seconds, she saw the flashlight beam shine up into the vent. She dropped down through the hole and saw...

“There she is!” whispered Bonnie, her voice shaking with excitement and a touch of fear. “We can’t let her escape with Cupcake!”

The Usul and Acara crept closer, ducking behind barrels of Juppie Juice and large boxes stamped with “Fragile: Gummy Rats Inside.” Bonnie’s light trained on Masila, catching the thief’s piercing green eyes as she spun around, her smirk widening with mischief.

“Oh, so you really want to tangle with me, eh?” Masila chuckled, adjusting her cloak and flashing the sinister glint of the Thieves Guild badge on her lapel. “If you two meddling Neopets want to try and stop me, go ahead. But this little Kadoatie is mine! Do you know how rare white Kadoaties are? I’ll be able to trade her for stacks of Dubloons and stacks of Neopoints!” She held the sack aloft triumphantly, and Cupcake’s tiny paw reached through the top, clawing at the air.

“Not on Fyora’s watch!” shouted Elsie, her Silver Acara fur bristling with determination. She glanced at Bonnie, who gave her a confident nod. They were going to do whatever it took to rescue Cupcake.

With a hiss, Masila darted toward a narrow side door, but Elsie was faster. She leapt over a stack of Petpet pillows and landed squarely in front of the door, blocking Masila’s escape. Bonnie quickly joined her side, standing tall with the flashlight now aimed directly at Masila’s face.

“Looks like you’re out of exits,” Bonnie declared, her tone resolute. “Hand over Cupcake, and maybe we’ll let you walk out of here.”

Masila scowled. “You think I’d just give up that easily? Hah! You don’t know me at all.” In a swift movement, she flung the sack up into the rafters, the weight of it catching on a hook high above their heads.

Cupcake let out a startled “mew!” as she swung back and forth like a pendulum.

“No!” Elsie cried, watching helplessly as Cupcake dangled just out of reach. But Bonnie’s clever eyes had already spotted something useful...

Bonnie grabbed the pole which appeared to move through thin air by itself, ensnaring Masila’s hands in one fell swoop and pulling her close.

“Elsie, hurry! Grab Cupcake!“ the Invisible Usul commanded, holding tight her grip on the thief.

Before the Silver Acara could reach the dangling bag, Masila kicked her foot in a circular motion and down on the catch-pole, breaking it in half and freeing herself. She stepped directly in Elsie’s path, blocking her from the Kadoatie.

“Quick thinking, heroes, but not quick enough,“ the Green Acara said in a low growl, seemingly impressed by her adversaries. In an instant, her robed arms reached for the sack and grabbed it from the ceiling as she slammed something down, hard into the ground. It emitted a cloud of dark grey smog, shrouding her from sight. As the smoke engulfed the thief, Bonnie and Elsie began to cough incessantly, waving their arms to clear the air.

“What was that?!” Elsie shouted in a strained voice, her eyes squinting in an attempt to see.

“It must’ve been a smoke bomb,” explained Bonnie with a wheeze.

“Oh no! Masila’s gone!“ the Silver Acara gasped.

As the remnants of smoke billowed away and the robber’s absence became more and more apparent, they noticed something on the floor…

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, turning it over in her paws.

“Wait,” Bonnie whispered, leaning closer. “Look at the back of it! It’s engraved.” She adjusted her flashlight so they could both see the tiny, glinting letters on the pin’s edge: Property of Cupcake.

Elsie’s eyes widened. “This must be Cupcake’s collar charm! Masila must have yanked it off in the struggle.”

“But why would she leave it behind?” Bonnie wondered aloud. “Masila doesn’t seem like the type to leave loose ends.”

Elsie took a deep breath, steeling herself. “I think she dropped it on purpose—as a warning.”

Bonnie’s face paled. “You think… she’s toying with us?”

Elsie nodded. “She wants us to know she’s one step ahead.” She tucked the charm safely in her bag, her mind racing. “She might still be nearby. Maybe she’s hiding in one of these rooms, waiting for us to give up.”

Just then, a quiet but distinct “mew” echoed from the back of the Kadoatery. Elsie and Bonnie froze.

“Cupcake!” Elsie whispered, her heart pounding.

Another faint “mew” sounded, followed by a soft rustling. They exchanged a determined look, creeping toward the noise, past rows of Kadoatie cages and shadowed corners.

Finally, they reached the last row, and Bonnie held up her flashlight. The beam settled on a small supply closet, its door slightly ajar.

Bonnie pushed it open, and they both peered inside, barely breathing.

But instead of Cupcake, they saw...

How will this story end?

"Oh my goodness! Let me help you," Bonnie said, rushing forward.

"Mmmmphhh. MMMPPHHHH." The Chia jerked his head upwards frantically, his eyes wide.

"What is he..." Elsie's voice trailed off as she followed his gestures upwards. Limbs outstretched like a particularly nasty Spyder, Masila was suspended above their heads.

"You fools can't stop me," Masila sneered. "Now get out of my way!" She dropped to the ground, landed lightly, and vaulted past Elsie through the doorway.

But not even Masila with her keen thief's eyes could see an Invisible pet. She collided directly with Bonnie and flew backwards, the sack flying out of her arms. She hit her head on the solid metal water heater and slumped to the floor.

Elsie caught the sack just before it hit the ground and almost wept with relief when Cupcake's adorable little face peeked out unharmed. "Bonnie! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Bonnie said. "I think Masila got knocked unconscious. Let's untie the guard and have him call for backup before she wakes up."

They had just untied the ropes and pulled the rag from the Chia's mouth when suddenly the doors to the Kadoatery flew open with a slam. Standing in the entrance was a Kau wearing an exquisitely tailored dress and heavy jewellery.

"M-Miss Delora," the Chia stuttered, looking perhaps more afraid than he had been of Masila.

The Kau stormed inside, gold bracelets jangling on her wrists. "Where is my Cupcake?!" she demanded. "Her security alert charm went off half an hour ago, and I had to leave a private dining experience at Kelp to rush here to check on her. What happened to her?!"

"She's right here, ma'am, safe and sound," Elsie said nervously, quickly passing her the sack containing the Kadoatie. "We saved her from Masila, who was trying to-" She went to point at the unconscious Masila, and stopped abruptly. Masila had vanished!

"Oh, my sweet Cupcake!" Delora cooed, stroking the Kadoatie's head. "So you and this... guard saved her?" She eyed the security guard dubiously.

"Actually, ma'am, Elsie and I saved her," Bonnie said.

Delora startled a little at the sound of Bonnie's voice coming from nowhere, then narrowed her eyes. "Is that so? Then what on earth did this worthless 'security' guard do?"

The Chia started to speak, but the Kau let out a disdainful sniff and jabbed a hoof at him. "Clearly my little sweetie isn't safe in this place! Rest assured I will never subject her to your incompetence ever again! I demand to speak to your manager!"

As the Chia blubbered apologies and excuses, Delora ignored him and turned to Elsie and Bonnie. "Now, as for you girls..." They shrank back in fear, and the Kau's stern face softened. "You are clearly compassionate, resourceful, and above all, brave. All attributes I value. Since I will never again trust this horrid place with my darling, how about I hire you girls instead to take care of my Cupcake in my mansion when I travel?"

Elsie beamed, and she didn't have to see Bonnie's face to know that she was smiling, too.

The End.