Part 10

Exhausted from their search, AMPerkins and VIA headed back home vowing to start searching again in a few hours after they could get a little rest. AMPerkins called Heatherperk's mother and she hurried over to pick up Hannah and watch her until they could find her daughter and Rabadaba. She was heartbroken at the idea of losing her daughter so soon after her husband had passed away but she put on a brave face so she wouldn't scare Hannah and promised they would have great fun together. They thanked Liv for coming to watch Hannah and  Heatherperk's mother walked Liv back home to her mother, acrogodess's den while taking Hannah home with her. 

 VIA jumped out of his travel fish bowl and stayed the night in the pond next to the den so he would be ready to go back out on the search whenever AMPerkins needed him to.  AMPerkins shuffled into his den feeling like a failure at his inability to save his beloved wife. A tear ran down his furry cheek as he gazed at a photo hanging on the wall of Heatherperk when she was pregnant with their cub Hannah. She had been so proud to finally become a mama bear and that pride shone through in her smile. 

He laid down on their bed which seemed too empty without her next to him. He pulled her pillow over to him and hugged it close to his chest while breathing in deeply. The pillow smelled faintly of her shampoo and the scent was soothing to him. He drifted into a fitful sleep hoping he would find her the next day. 

...

Meanwhile Rabadaba and Heatherperk huddled together in the dark. Suddenly a flickering light from a fire shown through some bars next to them. The soft light illuminated around them enough for them to realize they were in some sort of makeshift cage made from branches and vines. Peering out through the bars, they noticed a group of strange looking green creatures dancing around a fire in the distance. "Who are they?" Rabadaba softly whispered, hoping the creatures couldn't hear him from that distance. 

As quietly as she could Heatherperk quickly explained "I've heard of these creatures. They are aliens from another planet called I.F. They stories I've heard have not been pleasant. They invade other planets and take over due to their large armies. Once they have taken over a planet, they turn it into a dark, hateful place where the inhabitants are overwhelmed with offensive, discriminatory material."

"Why would they have captured us," Rabadaba pondered. Heatherperk thought for a while, then formulated her theory. "We must have stumbled onto the area they were camping to prepare for their invasion. They probably worried that we would discover them and have a chance to warn the others and ruin the surprise attack. We have to find a way to get a message to the others so they can prepare!" 

For a while Rabadaba and Heatherperk quietly tested the cage attempting to find a weakness that would allow them to escape to warn their friends. Unfortunately the aliens proved to be excellent at building cages and they could find any way to get out. Heatherperk looked up in despair worried that it was a lost cause. That's when she noticed a small red light hovering up yo them. 

Nudging Rabadaba she pointed out the light as it neared them. In a faint whisper she told him "that must be 2br02b's drone. She must be using it to look for us. We can use the drone to get a message back to her if only we can figure out how. I don't think the camera on there has a microphone." Digging in his pockets, Rabadaba pulled out a pencil and some paper and handed them to Heatherperk. 

Smiling at him, she quickly scribbled a nite that read "Captured by aliens from I.F. Must be planning an attack. Be prepared. R & H". When the drone hovered close enough, she held the note up in from of the camera hoping 2br02b could read it well enough in the dim light. The drone hovered in place for a bit in front of the note until suddenly it moved up and down almost as if it was nodding. Heatherperk hugged Rabadaba and whispered "I think she got the message! We're saved!"

...

Meanwhile huddled over a small screen, 2br02b the squirel was controlling her drone searching the forest for her missing friends. Suddenly she saw them and almost jumped for joy until she noticed they were trapped in some sort of cage. She noticed Heatherperk holding a small note up to the camera and quickly read it. She maneuvered the drone to    Indicate that she had received their message. Then she set it to autopilot to fly home. Her friends were in trouble and she had a lot to do. 

Grabbing a scarf because it was  getting cold outside, she leaped through the hole she used as a door and scurried down the side of the tree. Her friends were in trouble and they needed her. The forest was gravely quiet as all the other animals slept but her. She hurried along the forest floor as fast as she could. She didn't have much time, but she needed to raise and army to save her friends and their beloved planet from the invasion. 

Part 9

As the sun started setting, Hannah awoke from her nap crying. VIA, the fish, realized he had been so focused on his painting that he had lost track of time. He realized Heatherperk and Rabadaba had been gone for hours and he had not heard from them. While Hannah fussed for her mother, VIA began to get worried. It didn't seem like Heatherperk to be gone that long without checking in to see how her cub was doing. 

He checked his phone to see if he had missed any messages from her but there was nothing. He tried calling but her phone the phone rang and rang with no answer. AMPerkins, Heatherperk's husband came home from work. Hannah went toddling towards him with a big grin on her face saying "mine dada!" Noticing the concerned look on VIA's face, he gave her a cookie and sat her down in the grass to play. 

While the baby bear munched on her cookie,  AMPerkins hunched down next to the pond bank to talk to VIA. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Where's Heatherperk? She usually lets me know if she is going to be gone when I get home." VIA quickly explained how Rabadaba, the rabbit, had stopped by earlier. He told AMPerkins how the two had set out in an attempt to discover where Q, the owl, lived. "That was hours ago." VIA continued. "I assumed I would have heard from them by now. I'm starting to get concerned. I tried calling but her phone just kept ringing." 

AMPerkins got really concerned. "We need to find them!" He rushed inside the den to call Heatherperk's friend Acrogodess. He explained what was going on and asked if she could come over to watch Hannah while he searched for Heatherperk and Rabadaba. The wolf apologized that she was headed to work but promised that Her daughter LIv would come over. The cub was nearly grown already and was perfectly capable of taking care of Hannah for a bit. 

While they waited for Liv to arrive, AMPerkins and VIA prepared to go searching. AMPerkins grabbed a flashlight as the night was creeping in on them and VIA jumped from the water into his travel bowl. Just as the finished preparing, Liv walked up the path and took Hannah inside to feed her some dinner. 

AMPerkins set off into the woods carrying VIA in his travel bowl in one paw while holding a flashlight up with his other paw. For hours, the pair combed through the woods calling out "Heatherperk! Rabadaba!" But their calls went unanswered except for the occasional echo in the distance. They search far and wide but couldn't find a single trace of the bear or the rabbit, no footprints, no tuft of hair left on a branch. It was as though they had disappeared into thin air. 

The woods seemed oddly quiet. The crisp night air stood still, no rustle of wind or chatter of animals to break the utter silence around them. It was as though the woods were silently mourning the absence of Heatherperk and Rabadaba. As they stood in the speckled moonlight shining through the leaves above them, AMPerkins and VIA felt lost. They had searched everywhere without finding a trace of the others and had no idea what to do next. 

.....

Meanwhile Rabadaba and Heatherperk awoke with throbbing heads. They had no clue where they were and it was pitch black around them. The last thing either of them could remember was being hit on the back of the head by something so hard and heavy that it had knocked them both out. They had no idea how long they had been out or where they were now.

 Heatherperk blinked over and over again hoping that her eyes would adjust to the dark, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see anything. It was darker than anything she had ever experienced before. Fumbling around in the dark she found Rabadaba's paw and clutched it in her own. "I'm scared." She whispered in a voice so shaky that Rabadaba Could barely hear her. "I know" he replied quietly "I am too" 

Part 8

Rabadaba the rabbit awoke one morning and decided he would go check on Heatherperk and her family. The last time he had seen her, she was very sad having just lost her mother in law who was one of her best friends. He thought for a while and decided to stop by the Creativepeople cafe to pick up something to take with him. 

When he walked in, he saw Ladyisreal, the butterfly who ran the cafe, flitting around a beautiful cake putting the finishing touches on the frosting. As Rabadaba approached the counter where the cake was sitting he saw the delicate roses Ladyisreal had crafted out of frosting that looked almost real. He gasped in admiration as Ladyisreal smiled at the finished product then asked him "what can I do for you Rabadaba?"

"I was going to go visit Heatherperk." He explained. "I thought it might be nice for me to bring her something to eat while I was going." "Perfect!" Ladyisreal exclaimed! "Tickledpink actually ordered this cake for Heatherperk. I was just about to ask 2br02b if I could borrow her drone to deliver it, but if you are already going there, would you mind taking it for me?" "I would love to!" Rabadaba replied. 

Very carefully, Rabadaba lifted the cake and placed it in the box Ladyisreal held open next to it on the counter. He then gingerly picked it up and carried it out the door and along the path. While he was walking, he happened past the blue police box next to the path. He thought back to the day he had met Tayloramzng, the eccentric raccoon who lived there and he decided he would have to stop by soon to see if he could get to know her better. 

After a while, he came up to the clearing where Heatherperk's den was and noticed the bear and her cub lying on their stomachs in the grass near the pond. He quietly edged towards them not wanting to disturb them. That's when he noticed the canvas propped up near the water's edge. He realized why they were laying near the pond. VIA must be visiting. As he neared the group he saw that Hannah had actually fallen asleep on her coloring book. Heatherperk was coloring in a coloring book herself while VIA was busy painting a part of a waterfall. 

"Sorry to interrupt," Rabadaba mumbled. "I just wanted to drop by this cake Tickledpink had ordered for you and see how you were doing." "Oh you're not interrupting anything," Heatherperk responded. "I was just coloring a picture of an owl for Q. I find the coloring helps me relieve stress and that mysterious owl is always dropping huge tips in my mail box. I wanted to do something nice for him. 

"I want to find out who Q is so bad!" Rabadaba exclaimed! "He's like this mysterious fairy god father, always helping everyone out and never asking for anything in return. Maybe we should try to catch him without his mask on, but when?"

"That's a great idea!" Heatherperk replied. "We just need to figure out which tree nests in and lie in wait until he wakes up. I doubt he sleeps with his mask on. Maybe we can catch a glimpse before he realizes we are there." VIA offered to watch Hannah while she napped and Heatherperk and Rabadaba ventured off into the woods. They would search every tree in the forest if they had to. They were determined to find where the mysterious Q lived. 

Part 7

It had been a few weeks since Rabadaba had crash landed on the planet and he was really starting to feel at home there. One morning he woke up and decided to go to the Creativepeople cafe for breakfast. The cafe was pretty empty so he sat at the counter, chatting with Ladyisreal, the butterfly that ran the cafe, while he ate his pancakes.

The door opened softly and in walked a beautiful angel. Rabadaba stared at her in awe as the cafe filled with the soft glow and warm love she was emitting. "That's couponrlover," Ladyisreal explained. "She's our guardian angel around here. She's always looking out for all the animals around. I know she's helped me out so much in the past. I wonder who needs help now." The angel gracefully glided towards the counter where Ladyisreal and Rabadaba sat.

When she opened her mouth to speak, Rabadaba was mesmerized by her soft melodic voice. "Heatherperk and her family need us." Couponrlover explained. "Her husband's mother just passed away and the family is taking it pretty hard. Please spread the word to as many animals as you can."

Rabadaba and Ladyisreal acted quickly. Ladyisreal started calling all the animals she could to ask for prayers for the family and to let them know what was going on. Rabadaba hopped off into the forest in search for some of Heatherperk's friends that he knew he could find there. He travelled out to the shimmering pool of water he had visited with Heatherperk the last time he had seen her. 

There in the clearing he saw a squirrel sitting by the edge of the water sharing a piece of cake with a sleek silver fish popping out of the water. He knew immediately that it was 2br02b and VIA. Those were just the animals he was looking for. As Rabadaba hopped closer, the pair stopped laughing. They could tell from the serious look on his face that something was wrong. Rabadaba hurried to explain between gasps for air. He had hurried there so fast that he was quite out of breath. 

The pair immediately jumped into action. 2br02b grabbed a fish bowl sitting next to a nearby Rock and scooped water from the pond into it. Rabadaba looked at her puzzled so she explained "the streams don't run near Heatherperk's den, so VIA uses this fish bowl to travel there." As she was talking, VIA jumped up out of the water and landed with a plop in the bowl. The three went running through the Forest with 2br02b leading the way while Rabadaba followed carrying the fish bowl. When they arrived at the den, they could see Acrogodess and her two nearly grown wolf Cubs were already there, hugging Heatherperk and Hannahperk to comfort them. Heatherperk's husband was away with his family making funeral arrangements. 

Shortly after Rabadaba, 2br02b, and VIA arrived, animals started pouring in from all corners of the planet. Ladyisreal and couponrlover had done an excellent job of spreading the word and nearly every animal around showed up to help comfort their friend in need. Many were bringing food, flowers, or cards filled with kind words of support. 

The group was so large that they couldn't possibly fill Heatherperk's modest little sense they spilled out in the clearing around the opening to the den. VIA jumped out of the fish bowl and into a pool near the opening that Heatherperk had installed just so he could come visit. The group set up a giant picnic with all the offerings of food that everyone had brought. 

Her big bear eyes were puffy and red from crying but Heatherperk smiled as she moved throughout the group hugging the others. She was missing her Mother in law so badly but the large group of all her friends gathering around her den warmed her heart. She knew all of those who has shown up were more than just friends, they were more like family. 

The whole group gathered round with plates of food while Heatherperk smiled and started sharing some of her favorite stories about her mother in law. Despite her sadness at losing one of her best friends,Heatherperk was happy to have so many wonderful memories with her. 

Q the mysterious masked owl landed in one of the low branches of a nearby tree to listen in on Heatherperk's stories that she was telling. Rabadaba heard him hooting softly "strength is when you have so much to cry for but you prefer to smile instead." Rabadaba smiled, everything he had heard about Q was right. He did seem to have the perfect quote for any moment. 

Part 6

Rabadaba awoke to the sound of robins chirping nearby. The early morning light shone through the window of his hut illuminating his small living quarters. He hopped out of bed wondering what new adventures the day might bring. As he was thinking about how he had nothing to fix for breakfast, he heard a muffled knock on the door. It was a knock he recognized. He jumped up from his bed and hurried to the door to answer it. 

As he pulled open the door, the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafted into his hut. There by the door stood the mama bear, Heatherperk holding a heaping plate of cookies. "Good morning, Rabadaba!" She said while gesturing at the cookies in her paws,"would you like some cookies?" Excitedly Rabadaba wolfed down s couple of cookies. Cheeks stuffed full of cookies, he realized he had forgotten his manners "thank you," he mumbled the best he could around the cookies in his mouth.

"You're very welcome," she replied, beaming at Rabadaba. "I was just going to take some cookies to my good friend VIA. Would you like to join me?" Rabadaba nodded his head while trying to swallow the cookies that he had attempted to eat too quickly. They headed out the door together. Rabadaba started towards the cafe since that was where they had seen VIA before, but Heatherperk quickly pointed him in the opposite direction. 

"VIA's not at the cafe today. We're going to go visit him at his home. I think I may have upset him earlier by tipping his artwork even though he didn't want me to. Now he's disappeared from the Cafe,  so I wanted to bring him cookies as an apology." The two headed up the path in a direction Rabadaba had not explored yet. 

He found himself wondering where VIA the fish actually lived and how he travelled around to get to the cafe. That's when he notices a small shimmering stream running along side the path. Apparently he had been so busy exploring with his new friends that he hadn't bothered to look down at the ground. He pointed the stream out to Heatherperk. "Oh yeah, the streams." She explained, "you'll see those all over. VIA has a very large family and of course they all need a way to travel around so there are streams that run alongside the paths. They're so quiet that most of us even forget that the streams are there." Rabadaba felt relieved that he wasn't the only one who didn't always notice the streams. 

They followed the path for a distance until they come to a spot where the stream drifted away from the path. Then they ventured into the woods following the stream until the came out into a beautiful clearing. On the other side of the clearing, a small waterfall splashed into a clear shimmering pool of water. Rabadaba stopped in his tracks mesmerized by the beauty in front of him. 

Then he came back to reality as he heard Heatherperk calling out "VIA! I know you're around here somewhere. I brought you cookies! Please don't be upset with me anymore." VIA, the silver fish, popped up from under some nearby water lilies. "How could I stay upset with you?" He sighed. "You know my weakness for baked goods." And with that, he smiled as he ate a few of the cookies Heatherperk had set down on a water lily pad near him. 

"Oh hi Rabadaba!" VIA exclaimed. "I didn't notice you there before. Welcome to my home! What can I do for you?" "Well," Rabadaba the Rabbit replied shyly. "I have been wondering if you finished the painting I saw you working on  the other day. I was curious what kind of picture you were creating." 

"Oh that," VIA laughed. "I was just painting our mystery man Q." With that he gestured over to the side of the stone cliff near the waterfall. There hanging on the wall were 9 canvases hung in a square. An owl wearing a mask was depicted soaring through the air with wings spread wide across all the canvases. "I was hoping maybe if I drew him, I would be able to figure out his true identity."

"It's wonderful!" Rabadaba exclaimed. "I've been trying to figure out that mystery myself but unfortunately there are still so many other animals that I haven't met yet so I have a feeling I haven't met his alter ego yet." Heatherperk and Rabadaba sat down on the pond bank near where VIA was floating. The three spent the morning enjoying the freshly baked cookies while they speculated about Q's true identity.

 In the distance an owl sat perched in his tree grinning. He had overheard their conversation and knew they would never be able to guess his true identity. He was simply too clever at never leaving any clues behind.

Part 5

After a long day helping pack all those boxes for operation Christmas child with cbaile18 and all the others, Rabadaba and Millerkirk1984 decided it was time to head out. Millerkirk1984 had to get home to his  Cubs but Rabadaba assured him that he could get home on his own just fine so the tiger and the rabbit said their goodbyes and started out in opposite directions on the path. 

As he headed towards home, Rabadaba decided to stop in at the Creativepeople cafe to see if he could find any of the animals he had met so far. He hoped that maybe he would run into VIA the fish there again because he was hoping to find out what VIA was working on painting the first time Rabadaba had encountered him. 

When he walked through the door, he noticed that the cafe was pretty empty. He had just missed the dinner rush and most of the other animals had already headed home. He noticed a squirrel that he recognized sitting in a corner booth by herself playing on her phone. Although he was feeling shy, Rabadaba decided to approach her.

"I'm sorry to bug you, but I haven't met anyone else here yet. "Rabadaba muttered, "you're 2br02b right? I recognize you from when I first arrived. I don't want to bother you if you're busy but I was just wondering if you minded it I ate dinner here with you tonight."

"Oh you're not bothering me." She replied. "I was just sketching with this app Heatherperk Told me about. It's quite addicting and I've found myself spending a lot of time just making random sketches with it to share with my friends."

Beaming, Rabadaba sat down at the table with her. "So I thought you were just a photographer, but you draw too? You're so talented. I wish I could be more like you."

The squirrel blushed several shades of red from utter embarrassment before replying "thank you. I really don't deserve all this praise though. I'm just a normal everyday animal just like you. I just enjoy drawing it's a fun way to pass the time."

When she looked away in an attempt to hide her blushing red cheeks, Rabadaba sneaked a peak at the screen of her phone to see what she was drawing. He was, after all, a very curious little rabbit. He gasped in awe when he saw the beautiful sketch she was working on. "You're too humble!" He exclaimed. "Your artwork is amazing! I love all the different textures you are working with. I could never in my wildest dreams do a drawing like that!" 

2br02b hadn't thought it was possible to feel more embarrassed but Rabadaba made it possible. She turned beet red and quickly tried to hide her drawing from view. Rabadaba realized he was making her feel uncomfortable and immediately felt bad for saying anything. "I'm so sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. I just thought you should know how talented you are."

"It's ok," she mumbled. "I'm just not used to showing anyone my artwork in person. I usually post it online and everyone sees it there. But enough about me, tell me about yourself Rabadaba. I don't even know exactly how you got here." 

Rabadaba told her his story about how he had been sent into space feeling like he would be alone forever and how we was so thankful to have crash landed here because of all the wonderful animals here. He told her about how he had been spending his time since he had arrived and how he couldn't believe that this place was already feeling like home to him. 

They chatted for quite some time while they were served their dinner and long after they finished eating. Eventually Rabadaba realized just how late it was and how tired his long day had made him. He and 2br02b both decided it was probably time to head home to bed so they parted ways and Rabadaba headed towards his hut. 

It was well passed midnight and the moonlight peeked through the trees above illuminating the route Rabadaba was walking. He heard a soft hooting above and looked up to see Q, the owl, flying overhead. Once more Rabadaba wondered what Q's secret identity was. He realized he should have asked 2br02b if she had any clues about Q's identity. In his time he had spent with her, he could tell she seemed like a squirrel who noticed a lot more about those around her than most animals would.

When he arrived at his hut, Rabadaba vowed to himself that the next day if he saw 2br02b again, he would ask her. He laid down and drifted to sleep wondering if he had met Q's alter ego yet or if Q's other self was one of the many animals he had yet to meet on this planet. 

Part 4

As they strolled down the path, Rabadaba asked Millerkirk1984 if he had planned anything for them to do. The tiger replied, "I thought we could spend the day helping give back to the community a bit. Cbaile18 has organized for a lot of us to meet at the school gym today to help her pack boxes for operation Christmas child. They need all the help they can get so I figured we could both pitch in." "I would love to help out the others, but what is operation Christmas child?" Rabadaba asked. 

"Operation Christmas child is a charity that packs shoe boxes full of all kinds of Christmas gifts. Then they ship them to children that live on the other side of the planet. For some of these children, their families are very poor and these might be the only Christmas gifts they get." Millerkirk1984 explained. "Cbaile18 has been busy buying a lot of necessities and fun items for these boxes but she needs some help getting them all ready in time to ship."

As they arrived at the school, they were treated by Cbaile18, a beautiful German Shepard who was simply beaming with excitement at what a large group had shown up to help her. She greeted the rabbit and tiger enthusiastically, hugging them both and thanking them for showing up to help with her project. She then led the pair over to a table with a few animals Rabadaba already recognized, a mother wolf and her two nearly grown Cubs. "Aren't you Acrogodess, AJ, and Liv?" Rabadaba asked? 

"Yes we are," the mother wolf replied."it's so nice to see you again Rabadaba and you too Millerkirk1984. I'm so glad there was such a great turn out to help Cbaile18 pack the Christmas boxes. She's so sweet! Did you know she uses all of her earnings to pay for the boxes? She doesn't keep anything for herself. We think it's a great cause so we've been donating whenever we can. I'm currently saving to use my earnings to get Liv, some camera equipment but we believe it's very important to always help others as well so we also donate frequently to operation Christmas child"

"Wow!" Rabadaba exclaimed. "Everyone here seems so genuine and generous! In my short time here I've seen so many animals helping out in any way that they can. I'm so excited that I can help out as well! I want to give back to the community the way all of you do every day." 

The group spent the afternoon laughing and chatting while they worked in an assembly line fashion to pack several boxes and get them all prepares to ship. While he worked Rabadaba beamed thinking about how the boxes he was packing would be able to brighten so many children's days. He imagined how ecstatic they would be to open up their box and find all these wonderful goodies cbaile18 had gathered up for them. It warmed his heart as he thought about how he was helping to bring joy to so many children on this new planet he called home. 

Rabadaba could not know what might lay ahead in his life but he did know one thing, he belonged here. He belonged with these other animals.  The people he had met already seemed more like family than any of his biological family ever could. He wanted to help out his new family in any way that he could and operation Christmas child seemed like the perfect way to do just that. In that moment he made a silent vow to himself to never forget about those less fortunate than himself and to always use a portion of his earnings to help do good in the world. 

Part 3

The next morning Heatherperk and Radababa met up outside the Creativepeople Cafe. "My husband AMPerkins is spending the day with Hannah so it will just be us today." She explained as she noticed Rabadaba looking around for Hannah. "I thought we could go for a walk today and I could show you around some more." The two started down the path again and suddenly a road runner went zipping past them. 

"That's trackgirl," Heatherperk explained as the roadrunner travelled out of their range of vision. "She holds the planet record for running all the way around the planet in a single day without ever stopping to rest. She's highly motivated. When she finishes this lap around the planet, maybe we can meet up with her and you can meet her. I think you would really enjoy getting to know her, I know I have. She also holds a lot of contests. I noticed you seemed interested in entering contests when you arrived." 

"She sounds great," Rabadaba replied. "Yeah I'm excited for the contests. They sound so fun. I'm more excited to make some great new friends though. Everyone here seems so interesting. I'm not sure if I will fit in." "Don't be silly!" Heatherperk exclaimed. "Everyone here is going to love you! We all value the uniqueness that everyone brings to  our world. Everyone is important here!"

While they meandered down the path, they came up alongside what appeared to be a blue police box straight out of London back on earth. Curious Rabadaba asked, "how did that get here?" "Oh that," Heatherperk replied. "Tayloramzng lives there. I wonder if she's home. You'll love her! She's been here longer than most of us. She runs a daily poll section in the local newspaper known as the QOTD. Everyone loves it!"

 

As Heatherperk finished her sentence, a raccoon in an unusually long striped scarf popped out through the blue door. "Rabadaba!" She exclaimed. I just got back from the future and I knew you were coming to visit me. I hope you know that you're going to become quite famous around here. I know, I just saw it!" Rabadaba blushed in embarrassment as he shook the racoon's paw. He wondered if she was teasing him. How could such a simple little rabbit ever become as famous as she was telling him he would be? 

"I'm afraid I can't stay long," Tayloramzng explained. "I'm running late to publish today's QOTD poll but I would love to get to know you better later." Rabadaba nodded in agreement as they parted ways. He had a feeling he was really going to like Tayloramzng. She just seemed so genuine and kind. 

Heatherperk and Rabadaba continued down the path in silence for a little while before she continued "I'm afraid I won't be able to spend all day with you as I had planned because I had some errands come up that I have to do, but I thought I would introduce you to someone else that could help show you around. He's always so helpful and tells everyone new to come to him if they have any questions." As she talked, they came up to a tiger waiting for them beside the path. "This is Millerkirk1984." She explained. "He helped me out so much when I was new here so I thought maybe he could help show you around as well." 

Rabadaba was a bit nervous about being alone with such a fierce looking tiger but the minute the tiger spoke, Rabadaba instantly felt at ease. Millerkirk1984 said "hello Rabadaba! I'm so happy to meet you. Heatherperk told me she wasn't going to be able to finish the tour so I'm happy to help. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way. I will help you out in any way I can."

Heatherperk said her goodbyes and promised to see them again soon. Then she headed back up the path towards her home and left Rabadaba in the capable paws of Millerkirk1984. 

"Everyone is so helpful around here!" Rabadaba gushed. " thank you so much for continuing the tour for me, Millerkirk1984." As the sun rose higher in the sky, the pair set off down the path in search of new animals for Rabadaba to meet and new places for him to explore. It was still early in the day but Rabadaba had a feeling that it would be one of the best days of his life. 

Part 2

As Rabadaba finished writing his story for the contest, he heard a muffled knock on the hut door. When he opened the door to see who it was, a small bear cub came tumbling through the door followed by her mother. "You're Heatherperk and Hannah right?" Rabadaba asked. 

"Yes we are." The mama bear replied as she tried to keep her cub from climbing up the bookcase. "I thought we would see if you were settled in yet and maybe show you around a bit. There are so many others here that are still dying to meet you."

"That sounds great!" Rabadaba responded. "Is there anywhere we can get something to drink? I've been so busy writing that I didn't even realize how parched my journey here made me." 

"I know just the place!" Heatherperk responded as they walked out the door together. They strolled down the path while Hannah toddled along in front of them, occasionally getting distracted by a flower or a passing ladybug. She was such a curious little cub, always exploring the world around her. 

After a short jaunt down the path, they arrived in front of the Creativepeople cafe, a quaint little cafe bustling with activity inside. "This is where everyone loves to hang out." Heatherperk explained as they walked through the door. Gesturing to a beautiful butterfly that was fluttering between the tables smiling and greeting all the patrons, she continued "that's Ladyisreal. She's the one who owns the cafe. Everyone around here just loves her. She's known for her artistic talent and her big heart. She would never hesitate to help any of us." 

Ladyisreal's smile was infectious and Rabadaba immediately could see why everyone loved hanging out in her cafe. He immediately felt accepted and glowed thinking about all the new friends he would soon have. He realized that he wasn't even feeling homesick at all. In fact, he already felt like this was his true home. 

As they sat down in a booth Ladyisreal brought them both a coffee along with a chocolate milk and coloring books for Hannah. "Welcome to the Creativepeople cafe. If you ever need anything just let me know. We're super busy right now, but I look forward to getting to know you much better, Rabadaba." Rabadaba blushed and thanked her for the coffee. Getting so much attention from such a beautiful butterfly had him feeling very shy. 

As Ladyisreal fluttered gracefully to the next table, Heatherperk waved to some of the other  patrons in the cafe. "There are so many great animals here today," she gushed to Rabadaba. "I want to tell you about all of them but I don't know where to begin."

In the corner of the cafe, water bubbled out of a rock fountain into a shimmering pool of water. A sleek silver fish bobbed up and down in the pool while he dabbed his fin in a palette of paint and swiped it across a canvas propped up next to the water. He was focusing so intensely and quietly on his painting that Rabadaba didn't even notice he was there until Heatherperk gestured to him. "Ladyisreal is so sweet that she put in the fountain just for him. VIA is one of the many incredible artists around here and she wanted to make sure he could be included too. He may seem kind of quiet and reserved at first but once you get to know him, he's one of the best friends you could ask for." 

Rabadaba watched VIA paint for a while. then turning to Heatherperk he asked,"do you know what he's painting?" "Oh I'm not sure yet." She replied, "I think he's starting a new set. His paintings span across several canvases so you never know what it is until he puts them all together and you can stand back to admire the masterpiece. That's one of the exciting things about watching him paint. You get to see the whole picture come together through several small parts at a time."

"Wow!" Rabadaba exclaimed, "I wish I could paint like that. I've never been very talented with a brush though. Maybe that's something else I can learn now that I'm here. I can't believe how much being on this planet has inspired me already." Heatherperk grinned "I know exactly what you mean. The animals here seem to have that affect on me as well."

A mother wolf and her two nearly grown Cubs walked by the table on their way out of the cafe. As they noticed the group at the table the stopped to quickly hug Heatherperk and Hannah while apologizing for not staying longer. They were in a hurry to get to a doctor's appointment but promised to visit later when they had the time. 

As the three exited the cafe, Heatherperk explained "that's Acrogodess and her kids AJ and Liv. She's one of my very best friends. Out of everyone here, I've known her the longest. She and her kids feel like family to me. She's been there for me for some of the happiest moments of my life as well as  some of the hardest moments of my life and I love her for that."

"Wow!" Rabadaba exclaimed, "I've never had a friend like that. Most of my friends back on earth were really more like acquaintances. I really feel like now that I'm here I might actually make some real friends. Everyone here seems amazing! I hope I get to know each and every one of them." 

As they finished their coffee, Hannah started rubbing her eyes and Heatherperk realized that it was getting dark outside. "I would love to keep showing you around but it's getting late and I need to get Hannah to bed. Do you want to meet here tomorrow and we can continue then?" They set up a time to meet in the morning and went their separate ways. 

Rabadaba headed back to his modest little hut giddy with excitement over all that had happened throughout the day and all the wonderful new animals he had met. As he laid down on his bed and started drifting to sleep, he couldn't help but wonder who he might meet the next day. 

Part 1

5...4...3...2...1 liftoff! Rabadaba cowered in fear as the shuttle he was in blasted off the earth and soared towards outer space. He had been selected to be the test subject for a shuttle to see if space was habitable for humans. He knew this was a one way trip and he was destined to float aimlessly through space for all eternity. "I will never see my friends and family again" he thought to himself as he settled down for a nap with a tear streaking down his cheek. 

While Rabadaba slept, his shuttle drifted towards a black hole until suddenly it was sucked in and disappeared without a trace. A sharp jolt awoke Rabadaba as his shuttle was spit out of the black hole millions of lightyears away. In his groggy haze he wondered "where am I?" And then suddenly he felt his shuttle plummeting as it caught in the gravitational field of a nearby planet and went crashing to the ground. 

Rabadaba hit his head on the control panel as his shuttle impacted and blacked out. When he woke up, a fox was standing over him asking "are you ok?" "Where am I?" Rabadaba mumbled, still a little shaken from his crash. "You crash landed on our planet, it's called Internet." The fox replied as he stepped back to reveal a whole group of animals standing around with looks of concern on their faces.

"We're a social planet, we encourage everyone to interact around here. In fact, that's how you earn rabs, our form of money.  Whenever you interact with others, you'll get a little something added to your bank account." the fox explained "here let me introduce you to a few of the other animals." The fox held out his hand and helped Rabadaba up, then he led him over to the group.

A mama bear was sitting nearby playing with her cub. "This is Heatherperk and her daughter Hannah. They love to help out in any way they can. Feel free to go visit them whenever you need someone to talk to or just need a laugh. Hannah loves showing off." As the fox introduced them Hannah giggled and stood on her head. 

Next to them, sat a beautiful lioness with a lei of flowers around her neck. "This is Alohapmarjoree. She may look fierce but she is really such a sweetheart. You'll see a lot of her around as she is very social and loves to help others out." As she was introduced Alohapmarjoree waved and smiled in a way that was so inviting that Rabadaba couldn't help but grin and wave back. 

A crow flew by with a camera dangling from around its neck. "That's Darkskylady. Don't be fooled by her dark exterior. She's really quite friendly. Plus, you've gotta check out her photography. She has a way of making something dark so beautiful." The fox held up one of the photographs that Darkskylady had taken and Rabadaba gasped in admiration. It really was a gorgeous photo.

"We've got a lot of great photographers around here." The fox continued as he gestured to a squirrel and a cat who were sitting off to the side sharing photographs with each other. "That's 2br02b and Stoyanovska. They're a couple other amazing photographers around here. They're always willing to help you out with some pointers if you need them." Rabadaba grinned. He had always wanted to try photography but never knew where to begin.

A wise owl wearing a mask sat hooting above them in a tree. "That's Q. He always seems to have the perfect quote to help you out in any situation. He's also extremely generous to those who help him out. He's a bit mysterious, but that's part of his charm. He has another secret identity but only a few know who he really is." Rabadaba peered up through the leaves at the owl vowing to one day discover his true identity. If there was one thing Rabadaba loved, it was a good challenge. 

A platypus went parasailing by. "That's Scunning2688 she's the adventurous one. She's always willing to share stories of her adventures if you want some excitement. Also if you develop a crush while you're here, let her know. She may just feature them in her talk show rabawinewednesday." Rabadaba blushed. He was already starting to develop some crushes on some of the other animals but he wasn't sure if he was ready to divulge that information yet.

A pink cat wandered by handing out flyers for a new contest. "That's Tickledpink. If you ever want to hold a contest and need help promoting it, she's your gal. She works hard to keep everyone in the loop about all that is going on around here. I'm amazed that she also has so much time to share beautiful pictures herself."

"Contests?" Rabadaba inquired. "Oh right." The fox replied. "Around here people love to hold contests. It's a way for everyone to have some fun and share their rabs with each other. There are some really fun unique contests going on right now. You should check them out once you get settled in." The fox handed him one of the Flyers that Tickledpink was handing out. "Here's a cool writing contest called #thestoryoftherabbit maybe you should check out this one first."

The fox led Rabadaba to a little hut. "There are so many others to introduce to you to but I'm sure you would like to settle in and rest your head for a bit. This will be your home. Feel free to do with it what you would like." As the fox started to leave, he turned back to say "oh by the way, my name is A_minus1988. I'm always here to help if you have any questions."

After the door closed behind the fox, Rabadaba sat down at the desk and grabbed a pencil and paper sitting there. "The story of the rabbit," he thought to himself. "I could have some fun with this contest. I think I'm going to like it here." The words flowed quickly from his pencil as he started writing about all the lovely adventures he imagined he would have with his newfound friends. Maybe being sent into space wasn't the curse he thought it would be. Maybe it was just the start of a whole new chapter of fun in his life. 

The story of the rabbit: an introduction

For those of you who know me from Rabadaba, you'll know the origins of this blog. For those of you who don't, this explanation is for you. The story of the rabbit was a writing contest started by another rabadaba user. We were supposed to write a short story telling the story of Rabadaba the rabbit. While most users only wrote a paragraph or two, I was inspired. So far I have written 7 parts to my story which will all be uploaded here soon and I started this blog so that I could continue my story. The names of the characters may seem a bit odd to you, that's because they all are usernames of others on Rabadaba. Instead of simply writing about Rabadaba the rabbit, I turned my fellow dabbers into animal characters for my story. I hope you all enjoy reading along as rabadaba' journey progresses.

Heatherperk