The Daily Life of a Grey Kacheek

     As the carriage brought her out of the forest, Olivia finally saw the sun. It broke through the fog and clouds in bright rays that warmed Olivia as they breached the inside of the carriage. She relaxed into the carriage seat, sighing heavily. Despite surviving her journey, she’d failed her objective. In fact, she had less than she started with. With exactly zero neopoints to her name, it did occur to the Kacheek that she could’ve taken her winnings from the game room straight back to the Neolodge and gone back to bed. The whole mess could’ve been avoided.

     But, Olivia pondered, would that have really been worth it? When was the last time she had been to Roo Island, Faerieland, or the Haunted Woods? For Fyora’s sake, she had met Queen Fyora! She could’ve never had such an experience from the comfort of her bed. Maybe getting out of her comfort zone was worth it. In any case, a hot bath and a long sleep were all she wanted after such an ordeal. She considered hitting the games room again, but remembered the horrors of the Roo Island ferry and decided instead to beg Minizae for help. Again. As ashamed as she was to ask, there was no doubt in her mind that Zae would open her home to her friend.

     The carriage rolled quietly over the hills of central Neopia. In the distance, Olivia could see the farmland and small villages that bordered the kingdom of Brightvale. From her vantage point, she couldn’t see the castle, and she was someone sad to miss the view. For all she’d seen, she still wanted to see more. Coming from the girl who had slept her way across the continent on her first trip, her interest in the return trip was something new. The golden fields and verdant green hills below the gleaming sky were a sight for sore eyes. Olivia watched the landscape pass her by as the carriage continued down the road. She knew that beyond Brightvale was Meridell, which was an infamous tourist trap she’d never visited. It had always seemed so far away and there were a hundred reasons why Olivia could’ve avoided visiting. Now, she wondered what it was like. Maybe she could go cheese rolling with Minizae, or finally buy a Petpet. Definitely not a Meepit, though.

     Lost in thought, Olivia was only aware that she was approaching her destination when the massive rainbow that connected Neopia Central to Roo Island rose over the horizon. She chuckled darkly to herself and rubbed the stress from her eyes. Neopia Central was her home, not because she’d chosen it, but because the Neolodge was close to the Pound. When her owner had adopted her, she’d been taken straight to the Neolodge and checked in. That first meal of Cockroach Towers gruel had almost tasted good after time immeasurable without food. Her life in the Neolodge hadn’t been too much different than her life in the Pound. She had slept her days away because they were empty, and she had nowhere to go. Now with an owner and extended family, Olivia wondered how much that time in the Pound had affected her. There was no reason for her to still feel trapped or alone.

     The carriage driver dropped her off at the marketplace, as per her request. In the nice weather, it was bustling with activity. Olivia thanked the driver profusely and headed into the crowd fearlessly. She weaved between the Neopets of different shapes and sizes on the way to Minizae’s Minishop. At one point, an Acara bumped into her. They both cordially mumbled their apologies and continued on their way. Olivia didn’t think twice about what could’ve been a confrontation. She wasn’t sure if this new mental clarity would last, but she made a silent wish that it would stay.

     At last, Olivia Cooper found herself once again in front of Minizae’s shop. She pushed open the wooden door and heard its bell ring to announce her arrival. Her friend, the faerie Vandagyre, was busy with a customer and called out an anonymous “Welcome!” at the sound of the doorbell. Olivia waited while her friend packaged up the customer’s goods and finished the transaction. As the Neopet turned to leave with their purchase, Zae finally noticed Olivia waiting by the front door. The Vandagyre perked up instantly, her wings fluttering as her face broke out into a smile.

     “Olivia! You’re back!” she called to her friend. She was at the door in an instant, crushing Olivia in a hug. The Kacheek’s arms were squeezed awkwardly at her side, but she managed to pat Zae on the back in return. Minizae pulled back to look at her face and give her an even bigger smile. “I’ve been so worried! Right after you left, our owner dropped this off for you,” Zae said, and handed an envelope to Olivia. She took it gratefully from the Vandagyre and opened it. Inside was a room key for one of the nicer hotels in the Neolodge and a few thousand Neopoints. Olivia sighed, then chuckled darkly. Just her luck. Of course, as soon as she’d departed on her journey, their owner had stopped by to rectify the situation.

     “Thanks,” Olivia said and stashed the key and neopoints in her pockets. Feeling brave, she asked Zae, “If this happens again, can I come stay with you?”

     “Yes, please do!” Zae insisted. “I wanted to ask you to stay before, but you seemed so determined. Don’t be a stranger, Olivia.”

     “I won’t,” Olivia stated, and she meant it. Without her friends, she realized she would’ve been done for. Silently, she made a promise to herself to meet the rest of her relatives and actually pay attention to them. If she had recognized Ashyasx in the carriage when she’d first seen them, she could’ve avoided a lot of the mess she had found herself in.

     “What happened to you?” Minizae asked. She had looked Olivia up and down and must have noticed… something. Although, whatever she saw was something Olivia wasn’t aware of.

     “Oh, not much,” Olivia replied nonchalantly, “I just got robbed twice, met the Faerie Queen, got lost in the Haunted Woods and then attacked by a Chia Clown. Oh, and then a wraith saved me, who’s actually related to us, so that’s cool,” Olivia concluded.

     “A wraith?” Minizae asked quietly. “Was it Ashyasx?”

     “Yeah, actually,” Olivia mumbled. “They paid for my carriage home,”

     “Of course,” Zae smiled, “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She didn’t elaborate, but Olivia made a point to ask her about it later.

     “So, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking this room key and going to bed,” Olivia said, holding the key up for dramatic effect. “I promise I’ll be back tomorrow, though.”

     “You promise?” Zae grinned. “No more sleeping for an entire month?”

     “No more sleeping for an entire month,” Olivia confirmed. Her voice didn’t waver.

     “Good,” the Vandagyre quipped. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” With a final smile and a farewell hug that left Olivia smelling like strawberries, she left the shop and headed to the Neolodge. It wasn’t a long walk in clear weather with a clear head. She even smiled at the receptionist when she made it to the hotel. Despite her uplifted mood, exhaustion from the journey had settled into her limbs. Olivia’s feet were particularly demanding in their sharp and insistent ache. The walk to her room from the lobby felt like the longest part of her journey yet.

     The room her owner had purchased was, by Olivia’s standards, perfect. It wasn’t too luxurious but boasted a large bed with a fluffy comforter and four pillows. The Kacheek locked the door behind her and unceremoniously dumped her backpack on the floor. With two big steps and half a jump, she was face-planted on the bed. Sighing happily, she sunk into the soft mattress. She kicked off her shoes and curled up under the covers, still in her street clothes. When she woke she’d take a long, hot bath, enjoy some continental breakfast, and head out to see what adventures the day had in store for her. But for that moment, all Olivia could do was close her eyes and drift off to sleep.

     The End.