Sunny Paws: The Adventures
Ch. 1 – The Cookie Crumbles
A week has gone by since Aiden was first admitted to the daycare. He was introduced to the other kids on the first day in the daycare's classroom. Sammy explained to him that each of them were troubled individuals who Lydia helped. They had their memories of their old lives wiped from their minds, making them into true children. Aiden would be exempt from this rule, but Sammy made it clear that if he wanted to gain their trust, he would have to connect with them on their level. That means he needed to talk like them, think like them, and act like them.
Most of the kids were of toddler age, still in diapers. A few were in pull-ups, being slightly older. As Aiden was in the former category of kids, he would have to spend most of his time connecting with them. The reasoning for this was simple: Kids of a certain age tend to stick with other kids in their age group. Even so, all the kids were expected to treat each other nicely and play together.
The schedule of the daycare was simple enough to follow. Mornings held breakfast followed by classroom time. This gave way to playtime outdoors. After that it was lunchtime followed by an afternoon nap. For the rest of the day, kids were given free reign to play indoors until dinner and bedtime. Aiden had to use the playtime periods to connect with the kids, and he did a pretty good job of it.
He managed to gain the trust of the younger kids after an incident occurred in the middle of the week regarding a bully who was picking on another kid. If there's one things little kids like, it's a kid who knows how to stand up to a bully. Little did he know it would come back to haunt him.
One day, as Aiden was reading a picture book by himself in the nursery, someone came up to him. "Excuse me." he looked up and found that it was the kid he protected the other day. Her name was Vanessa, Nessa for short. She was a two-year-old wolf girl in a purple t-shirt with a star on it and lavender star-print diapers. Sammy told him that she used to be a thirty-five-year-old woman living on the street. She had fallen on hard times involving debt and Lydia found her while she was digging through a trash can near the daycare.
"Hi Nessa. How are you?" Aiden asked.
"I'm doing fine. Thanks again for what you did."
"It's no problem. I couldn't stand to see you get bullied like that."
"Hey, you think it would be okay with you if… well… um…" Nessa tapped her fingers together as she shuffled her feet nervously, "Never mind."
"No, tell me. Anything you want." Aiden reassured.
"Do you wanna… go on an adventure?"
"An adventure?"
"Yeah! I wanna go down to the kitchen and get a cookie. I want to do it with someone I trust. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
Aiden stared at her for a while. She looked at him with a sweet smile while she twirled back and forth. He honestly couldn't say no to face like that. Besides, this was his chance to connect with someone. His mind flashed back to his middle school days when he would play fantasy role-playing games with his friends. "Then let us take a journey down to the kitchen for the cookie treasure!" he said, putting on his best medieval voice, causing Nessa to giggle.
"Yay! Thank you so much." she said while hugging him, "First we'll need some toys to bop the monsters with." Aiden remembered his time in the labyrinth. The weapons he used to combat those monsters were mere children's toys, yet they did manage to hurt the monsters somehow. He went with her to the nearby toy box and opened it up. Nessa picked up a toy wand and waved it around.
Aiden took a while deciding which toy to get. He considered picking up the plastic sword again, that was until his eyes drifted to a toy guitar. It was small enough to be a ukulele and colored light blue with suns and musical notes printed on it. He picked it up and looked at it closer. "Oh! Pick that one! It really suits you." Nessa told him.
Aiden had to admit, it did feel nice to have a guitar in his hands. Even if it was just a toy. "Yeah. We could have some music with this adventure." he said.
"Going somewhere, you two?" a voice said making the babies jump in place. It was Sammy, who must've appeared in the room without them noticing.
"Hi, Sammy. Me and Aiden were just going on an adventure." Nessa told the plush.
"Sounds like fun. Getting along with the other kids, Aidee?" Sammy asked.
"Yep. We're getting along very well." Aiden assured.
"Just be careful of the monsters you two. Good thing you got those toys with you." Sammy said. He then flew up to Aiden and whispered in his ear, "I know what you two are up to. Just want to let you know it's okay." Aiden nodded before Sammy made a diaper bag appear in his paws, "Before you go out, you might want to take this. Just in case." he said before handing it to Aiden.
"Thanks." he said.
"Call me if you need me!" Sammy reminded before disappearing.
"Sammy's so nice. Now let's go get that treasure!" Nessa cheered before opening the door to the nursery and going through it with Aiden. For as bright and cheery as the nursery looked, Aiden couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of dread creeping over him. Perhaps it was that time spent in the labyrinth having an effect on him. He needed to remind himself that he wasn't there anymore.
Besides, he wasn't alone this time. He had Nessa with him, who's cheery demeanor and bright smile made him feel welcome. He could only image how miserable she was as an adult. Perhaps she'll get adopted to a new family and live a happier life. These thoughts eased his mind a little bit as he walked with her through the halls of the daycare. He must have been staring at Nessa for a while, because she spoke up once again, "Are you okay?"
Aiden snapped out of it, "Yeah, I'm fine. Nessa? Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Do you… remember anything from when before you came here?"
Nessa stared at Aiden with wide eyes and a quizzical look, "Hmm… I'm not sure…"
Aiden wanted to ask more questions, but it probably wasn't worth reminding her of painful memories. Not she would be able to remember them. As far as she's concerned, she a cute little baby who just wants to have fun with her new friend. "Never mind."
Nessa gave a cute giggle, "You're funny, Aiden. I like you."
Aiden couldn't help but blush. He then noticed something peculiar. It was a blanket that seemed to rear up behind Nessa. Acting on instinct, Aiden pulled her out of the way before the blanket could strike. "That was close."
"A Blanky Snake!" Nessa yelped before hiding behind Aiden.
"Don't be scared. You're a wizard, remember?" Aiden told her.
Nessa remembered the wand she had in her paw, "Right. Let's bop this monster good!"
Aiden got out his guitar, wondering how he could fight with it. The snake was quick, lunging at Aiden with wide jaws. "Kraka kraka boom!" came a shout from Nessa, followed by a bolt of lighting hitting the snake head on. "No one hurts my friends!"
Aiden looked at her in shock, then in admiration, "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"
"Look out!" Nessa said. Aiden looked back to find the snake whip him across the face, making him stumble and fall onto his padded rear. The snake lunged at Aiden, looking to constrict him. Reacting quickly, he swung his guitar and smacked the snake away.
"Note to self, never look away from a monster." Aiden said while picking himself back up. The snake reared up and looked to strike again. It lunged forward and Aiden struck downward, pinning the snake to the floor, "Now Nessa!
"Fizzle fizzle fwoosh!" Nessa shouted before her wand spewed fire onto the snake. The monster went up in smoke, indicating that it was defeated. "Yay! We did it!" Nessa cheered.
"Nice job. Nothing can stop us." Aiden said.
"Come on, too the treasure!" Nessa said before happily skipping along. Aiden gave a smile, he was happy to be with such a good friend. They made their way out of the hall and into the main lobby of the daycare. Aiden immediately took notice of the large clock that stood in a corner of the room, the same one that constantly gave him pacifier whenever he became transfixed by its swinging pendulum. He had no idea how it kept happening. Since this was the normal daycare, it didn't have that effect. Still, he kept up his guard.
He spotted the door to the kitchen and went over to it with Nessa, "It should be right through here." he said. He reached for the door handle and turned it, only to find that it wouldn't budge. "It's locked."
"What? Let me try." Nessa offered before trying the handle herself, only to get the same result. "Aw, man." she whined before slumping down on her diaper and pouting, "And we were so close."
"There's gotta be another way." Aiden wondered.
"There is none." a voice said from behind the check-in desk. The due turned in that direction to find someone step out from behind the desk. It was Nigel, a raccoon boy who wore a striped t-shirt and green pullup. He was known for being very sneaky and mischievous, often pulling pranks. Aiden was on the receiving end of one when the sneaky kid poured juice into his diaper without him even noticing.
"Nigel? What are you doing here?" Nessa asked.
"I had a feeling someone would be after those cookies. Thought they could use this." Nigel said while pulling out a key from his pullup. Aiden knew right away that was the key to the kitchen.
"That's what we need!" Nessa said before going up to Nigel to take the key. He kept it out of the way, using a paw to hold Nessa back, "Hey! Give me that key!"
"I didn't say I was going to give it to you." the raccoon said.
"Let me guess, you want the cookies too?" Aiden asked.
"Not really. There's something else I want. You see, I dropped my favorite paci in the bathroom while going potty earlier today. If you can go up there and get it back for me, I'll give you the key." Nigel said.
"Why can't get it yourself?" Nessa asked.
"Would you want to be caught my monsters without a toy to bop them with? I think not." Nigel countered smugly.
"This isn't fair." Nessa whined.
"Fine, we'll do it." Aiden said.
"You can't be serious, Aiden."
"This is the only way, Nessa. There's no point arguing with him."
Nessa pouted and agreed to the terms, just wanting to get those cookies. "Great!" Nigel said, "Good luck, I'll be waiting."
After that, the babies exited the lobby and backtracked to the halls. "That Nigel, why does he have to be so mean?" Nessa grumbled.
"Some kids are just like that. Just be glad he's not unscrewing the lid off the powder while your getting a change." Aiden said.
"Yeah, I guess so." Nessa sighed. "I just want those cookies…"
"We'll get them. I promise." Aiden said as they came to the bathroom door. They opened it up and peered inside. Aiden noticed the toilet that held the 'unstoppable' beast from the labyrinth. There was no such thing here, thank goodness. Right next to the toilet, they saw a blue pacifier lying on the ground. No monsters in sight too. "All clear." Aiden said.
Both babies entered the bathroom and moved towards the pacifier. When they got close, they were suddenly engulfed in a white powder, "Ah! Aiden, I can't see!" Nessa yelled.
"It's okay! Just stay- Oof!" Aiden was suddenly hit from behind, then in the belly, knocking him away and sending him sprawling on his back. Nessa slid out of the powder cloud next to Aiden, having been struck as well.
"Owie…" she whined before picking herself back up. Aiden looked up to see the cloud die down, revealing the two monsters that attacked them, a floating powder bottle and possessed diaper.
"Talk about cheap tricks." Aiden said while getting up.
"Nothing we can't handle, let's go Aiden!" Nessa cheered. Aiden went to smack the bottle, only to have powder blown in his face. He was then bonked in the head by it, sending him down. Meanwhile Nessa, tried to fire off various spells at the diaper, only to miss and receive a smack to the head in return. "These guys are tough."
"Yeah. We can still do it." Aiden encouraged. He dodged a swing from the diaper and smacked it to the powder bottle. This allowed Nessa to fire off a water spell on both monsters, drenching them. They both went in to finish the job, only to get blindsided by powder once again. This was followed by a solid beating from both monsters which took the babies to the ground.
Nessa gave a sad whimper as she lay where she was, "Too… hard…" Aiden was at a loss of what to do. He then cast his mind back to his role-playing days. One of his friends was a bard who would constantly use his lute to charm nearly every monster they came across. He then turned to his guitar.
"Perhaps…" he thought before he started to strum a tune on the instrument. The monsters got closer, but Aiden kept playing, hoping that they would stop. Then something strange happened.
"Wishy washy woosh!" Nessa suddenly shouted, shooting off a torrent of water on the monsters. They both went up in smoke, signaling their defeat.
Aiden looked at Nessa, who had her wand outstretched, "How did you do that?"
"I don't know. I heard you play on your guitar and felt something. Like I became braver." Nessa said.
Aiden looked at his guitar, "Did my guitar really do that? Can it make us stronger?" he wondered. He then remembered how his friend would always buff the other party members with his songs, "That's so cool!"
"Sammy and Ms. Lydia always said that music is magical." Nessa said while going to the pacifier and picking it up. "Aiden? Do we have any milk bottles in there?" she asked, gesturing to the diaper bag.
Aiden opened the bag up and found that there were milk bottles inside. He gave one to Nessa and took one for himself. Both babies sat down as they suckled the bottles. Aiden then experienced another unusual thing, all the pain he felt from before was gone. It seemed like the milk had healing properties. The same thing was likely happening to Nessa as well. When she was done, she gave a happy sigh and patted her belly, "Nothing like a little milky after a hard fight." she said.
"You said it." Aiden said after finishing his bottle. He got up and prepared to leave until he spotted something on the floor. He picked it up and found that is was a Halloween mask of some kind with the image of a vampire. "Weird. Maybe those monsters dropped it?" Aiden wondered. He put the mask in the bag for safe keeping.
The babies exited the bathroom and went back to the lobby, gifting Nigel with his pacifier. "Here you are. Can we have the key now, please?" Nessa asked while holding out her paw.
"I'm a coon of my word. Here you are." Nigel said while handing over the key. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He then popped the pacifier in his mouth and sat down with a blissful smile, clearly happy to be reunited with his beloved pacifier.
"Now, it's cookie time." Aiden said.
"Yay!" Nessa cheered before she and Aiden went over the kitchen door. They inserted the key in the lock and the door opened, allowing them into the kitchen.
Aiden spotted the cookie jar resting on the counter, the babies were within steps of their prize. They walked up to the counter, wondering how they could get to the jar. "Let's see… we could use a chair to climb up." Aiden suggested.
"Excellent. My little slaves decided to get some cookies for me." a voice sounded. It was a voice that Aiden knew all too well. The babies turned around to see the source of the voice, a lizard girl wearing a princess dress with a tutu skirt that exposed her thick pink diaper. On top her head, she wore a plastic crown. This was Ivy, one of the only bullies in the daycare, the same one that Aiden stood up to.
To give an idea of the kind of person she is, that dress and crown aren't just for show to her. She thinks she's entitled to every single thing in the daycare. The worst part is that she's old enough to wear pullups but wears diapers anyway because she thinks it makes her look cuter. She uses that cuteness to get what she wants from other babies. If that doesn't work, well, you don't want to be caught in the middle of one of her legendary tantrums.
Nessa ducked behind Aiden at the sight of her, trembling in fear. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go get your princess her cookies." Ivy ordered in her usual sassy tone.
"We're getting these cookies Ivy, not you." Aiden said bravely.
"I already let you off easy before, new kid. That was your one chance. I'm not going to ask again. Give. Me. The. Cookies!" Ivy shouted while stomping her foot on the floor.
"And I thought I already told you, I don't care who you are. Nothing in the daycare belongs to you. It belongs to everyone." Aiden told her.
"Well…" Ivy said menacingly while pounding her fists together, "I believe you know what happens to disobedient slaves."
"Don't try it." Aiden said while readying his guitar. Within seconds, the brat and bard were at each other's throats. Ivy was attacking with flying fists and bites while Aiden guarded and struck back with his guitar. It was obvious that Ivy was in control of the fight as she pushed Aiden back. "Nessa! Help!" Aiden called out. The wolf pup was too scared to join in. Ivy terrified her to know end. She simply covered her eyes, wanting to spare herself from watching her friend get beat up.
If he could, Aiden would use his guitar to buff both himself and Nessa. However, he couldn't do it with those fists flying at him at a fast rate. "She knows better than to cross me, peasant! And so should you!" Ivy's fist lit up with dark flames before slugging Aiden in the gut, making him wet himself a little. His eyes were then cast towards the ceiling another punch caught him in the chin. He then saw stars as he found himself on his back, with Ivy stomping toward him to finish the job.
"Dang it… if only there was…" Aiden thought. He just needed a window of opportunity. He then spotted the diaper bag, which had landed right beside him. An idea then came to his head.
Ivy lit her fist with dark fire again and raised it to finish Aiden off, "Time for your nap!" Before she could throw her final punch, she was suddenly met with the terrifying visage of a vampire. Her power dissipated and she wet herself heavily, screaming in fear as she did so. "G-get away! Don't come near!" she said.
Raah! I'm gonna suck your blood!" Aiden said in a scary voice, making the prissy lizard whimper and shed a few tears. While she did, he grabbed his guitar and played a melody. Nessa felt herself get stronger, and several time braver.
"Wishy washy woosh!" she yelled while unleashing a torrent of water at the quivering lizard.
"Ah! You got my dress all wet!' she whined while trying to shake the water off. She was then caught off guard by Aiden slamming his guitar into her face, causing her to stumble and hit the counter. This made the cookie jar tip precariously as she shook herself off, "Oh, that's it! You dumb babies are gonna-" her sentence was interrupted by the cookie jar falling off and shattering on her head, spilling cookies everywhere. "Princess go nappy-bye…" she slurred before swaying and falling on her back, her eyes going all swirly.
"Ha! Who rules now, Ivy!" Nessa said, feeling very good about herself. "Aiden, we did it. Thank you!" She tried to go in for a hug, but shrunk back in fear, "Uh… could you…?"
"Oh, sorry." Aiden said sheepishly before throwing away the mask, causing it to disappear into smoke. He and Nessa then hugged before going up the downed lizard. "That felt really good. It's always good for a prissy little brat like that to know her place." Aiden said before taking two cookies, one for him and one for Nessa.
"And now we have our treasure. Thank you for helping me be brave, Aiden." Nessa said.
"I only gave you the strength. You did the brave thing on your own." Aiden corrected, causing Nessa to blush. The two babies left the kitchen and went back upstairs to enjoy their little snack.
Sometime after they left…
"Is the little baby enjoying her nap?" came a voice. Ivy woke up and saw Sammy floating above her with a smug look plastered across his face. Ivy only glared at him in anger. "This is what happens when you act like everything is yours." Sammy said while magically fixing the cookie jar and placing it back on the shelf.
"Oh, shut up." Ivy bitterly said.
"Uh-oh… Naughty baby. You shouldn't talk like that." Sammy scolded.
Ivy scrambled to her feet and crossed her arms, "Don't talk to me like I'm a lesser being! I'm only in this stupid body because stupid Lydia had to go and break everything that we-" she was interrupted by a pacifier entering her mouth.
"Silly baby. You still don't seem to realize the position you're in. As long as you're like that, you have no power over me or anyone else." Sammy said, adding more smugness to his voice. Ivy tried to rip the pacifier out of her mouth, but it wouldn't budge. "Also, I know that back home I was considered a lesser fairy. If I talked to you the way I'm talking to you know, I would surely be a goner." Sammy then picked Ivy up with relative ease, "But since you're like this, I can treat you anyway I want. Now then, you have a date with the time out chair for using such bad language with me.
Ivy grumbled as she suckled on her pacifier. She swore revenge on those two babies. After they were finished, Lydia and Sammy were next.