Never to Be

Unknown Entity lay in her small cage. Her white tail curled under her hind legs, keeping warm and her round belly felt nice and full. All of the rumors saying that the kadoaties lay hungry all day and night waiting to be fed? Those were false. The reality was that every 49 minutes or so, the small petpets’ stomachs would be hungry again, and their food pangs would change. But, besides the few unlucky kadoaties wishing for unbuyables, the kadoaties were fed quickly in under 30 seconds. If not for the metal bars surrounding them, the kadoaties lived a perfect life.

      Unknown Entity, or Entity as her neighboring friends called her, loved her life. She loved having food available the minute she was hungry, and being with her friends throughout the day. This life of hers was so different, so much better than what she had left behind. Entity came from a household with one pet - a royal girl Acara named Elley. Elley was the definition of the word ‘spoiled.’ Living in a giant neohome of only the most expensive materials Faerieland could provide, Elley was provided with everything her swelled head could imagine. The moment Entity was brought home, Elley was in love with her new white kadoatie. At least, she was for the first fortnight. Precisely fifteen days later, Elley set her periwinkle eyes on Hallie, the faellie. That night, Entity was set onto the clouds of Faerieland.

      For months, she had roamed the streets. Entity was warned profusely to avoid the mean pets wishing to take her to the kadoatery. But, one night she was caught. The sun had just set, the golden and pink sparks fading from the sky as the dark cloth of night took over. She found a nice cardboard box on the street and was just snuggling in when He came. He snatched her up, and threw her into the back of an Eyrie cab.

      “Take us to the plaza,” he growled, holding Entity by the scruff of her dirty white fur. She was shaking terribly, scared for her future and worried because of the rumors she had heard.

      But, upon entering the kadoatery, her starving tummy was filled immediately. Slowly, her needs were seen to at first ‘mew.’ By the next week, Entity felt entirely at home. The only thing she wanted anymore was a loving owner.

    * * *

      There was a large mob of people crowding around the kadoaties, waiting for them to become hungry again. Suddenly, the minute turned and people were shoving food in the kadoaties’ faces. All the kadoaties were fed immediately. That is, besides Entity. She had the ill-fated fortune of a sudden knack for Mint Kyrii Ice Cream worth about 300,000 neopoints. No one would dare waste all of their precious money when they could just as easily buy someone a milkshake costing only 100. No one but Anna.

      A red-coated Kyrii on the small side, Anna was at the kadoatery to pass time. As an only pet from a moderately wealthy family, she often found a loneliness inside of her and a strong desire to help others. And who, she thought, would be needier than the poor petpets at the kadoatery?

      Today was her first feed, however. Though she had been trying to help the kadoaties for over a month now, Anna just wasn’t tall enough to reach the top cages and she wasn’t quick enough to feed those within her arm’s length. Finally, when she saw Entity still hungry, she decided to buy the unbuyable with her owner’s money. Almost choking on the thought of her owner’s face when she realized the neopoints were gone, Anna reluctantly traded to get the item. But, it was all worth it when she handed the ice cream to Entity. From the great grin, to the mew, to watching the white kadoatie eat the food, Anna loved the entire experience. She wasn’t even in it for the trophy or avatar like most of the others there. She loved making others happy, and that was that.

      Entity watched the young Kyrii through the metal bars of her cage. She looked kind, like the type of person Entity wanted to live with. Her white smile took up her entire face and the giggle that came out of her mouth was like a choir of ten angel Zafaras. Entity wanted so badly to break out of her prison and run away with this mystery girl; but, she knew that she would wind up in a worse place than the kadoatery if she succumbed to her wishes.

      The white kadoatie, nibbling on the cone of the Mint Kyrii Ice Cream, decided that she’d see whether or not Anna was worthy of her. If Anna were to come back, they would live happily ever after. If Anna never fed her again, it simply wasn’t meant to be.

     * * *

      For the next four days, Entity waited in her cell. She began to speak to her friends less and only took naps every so often. Every second of her life seemed to be spent watching the crowd around her, searching for the familiar round, innocent face and small, red body. The other faces – grey, yellow, shadow – seemed to blur together, becoming one big person: the Mass Neopian. The Mass Neopian was everywhere. Entity looked out her cage: the Mass Neopian was there. She turned around, and there was the Mass Neopian. She closed her eyes, but it still was there – the Mass Neopian. There was everyone in Neopia besides Anna!

      Driven into hysteria, Entity began to cry, large tears rolling down her white face. That’s when she heard the voice. It was more than she remembered, more of everything perfect. It was more angelic, more sweet, more soft, kind, and loving. It was Anna.

      “Entity, Honey, don’t cry. What’s wrong? Are you being taken care of?” it said. Suddenly, to Entity’s eyes, the Mass Neopian disappeared. Anna was all that she could see. Entity mewed in response, trying to sound sad. She hoped that Anna might take her away if she was under the assumption that Entity was not well.

      But, Anna just did not understand. She just stuck her hand through the bars and pet Entity. As soothing as it was, Entity wanted more. She wanted to be Anna’s petpet.

     * * *

      Anna fed Entity exactly 23 times over the next month. Some other Neopians called it unfair – they said that Entity would only accept food from Anna if she were there. But it only strengthened the bond between the two of them. Now, Entity knew that they had something special. She thought of the advantage she gave Anna as a gift of friendship. That’s what she told those who asked and that’s what she had learned to convince her mind. But, inside she knew that it was a different reason. She was just terribly ashamed. Deep in the bottom of the kadoatie’s soul, Entity knew that she was offering this advantage as a bribe for Anna. She was telling the Kyrii, if I give you this upper hand in the kadoatery, you have to adopt me. Entity wasn’t brave enough to admit it, however. She wanted to believe that Anna would adopt Entity because of who the kadoatie was, not because of what the kadoatie did.

      But, one night – the 27th of Celebrating – Anna came in, her coat gently dusted with snow. At first, Entity’s usual smile appeared on her otherwise gloomy face. But, then she saw a sight she would never forget and a horrified look and squeal replaced the smile. In Anna’s arms was a small sleeping snowbunny, its tiny paws grasping onto a few tufts of Anna’s fur lovingly.

      Entity cried out. That couldn’t be Anna’s petpet! She was supposed to be the only petpet in Anna’s life. What was that, that imposter doing? It must be a friend’s snowbunny, Entity rationalized. Anna must be taking care of a petpet for her friend. But, no matter how much Entity tried to convince herself of this fact, the more she realized it was a lie.

      Anna never wanted to adopt Entity. She just made a new friend. All signs of adoption, all suggestions of their happy life together was a figment of Entity’s imagination. She had pictured it in her mind, then assumed that it was true.

      When it came down to it, some of the rumors about the kadoatery were true. It was a prison for Entity; no matter how much she tried to escape, to run away with Anna, it would never be. It was never meant to be. The kadoatery would be Entity’s home forever. Her own personal prison.

The End