Chapter Two: After-Hours Adventures

 Chapter Two: After-Hours Adventures

Ariel and Koi the Kangaroo stared at each other under the silvery glow of the moon. The tall, muscular kangaroo looked just as stunned as Ariel felt. She was an eight-year-old girl who had been accidentally locked in the Evergrove City Zoo, and he was a talking kangaroo with a heavy Australian accent. This was definitely not how she’d pictured the end of her day.

Ariel took a shaky breath and forced herself to speak. “Y-you can talk? This is…this is crazy!”

Koi blinked his big brown eyes and scratched one ear with a puzzled paw. “I could say the same about you, kiddo! Didn’t figure on having a random human waltzin’ around here after closin’ time. Struth, you gave me a fright!”

They both paused, sizing each other up. For a moment, it was just the sound of crickets chirping, the faint hoot of an owl in the distance, and Ariel’s heart pounding away like a runaway drum.

Finally, Koi cleared his throat. “Erm, anyway…Name’s Koi. I’m a Kangaroo. Hence the ‘K.’ G’day and all that.” He stuck out one of his tiny front paws. Ariel gingerly reached out to shake it, half-expecting she might wake up from a weird dream at any second.

---

A Nervous Agreement

Once they decided the other wasn’t a threat, Koi lowered his voice, glancing left and right as if expecting eavesdroppers. “Look, I’m in a bit of a bind,” he said. “My mate, Mole the Meerkat—that’s ‘Mole’ as in M-O-L-E—was transportin’ some very, very important goods for me. And now, well…he’s gone missin’.”

“Wait, your meerkat friend’s name is Mole?” Ariel asked, eyes wide. She was still trying to wrap her head around a talking kangaroo, let alone a meerkat named after another animal.

“Yep. You got a problem with that?”

She shook her head quickly. “N-no. It’s just—I saw these fliers about a missing meerkat today, but no one would tell me anything.”

Koi’s ears twitched. “Well, that’s the trouble, see? Mole’s got me goods, and I’m worried about him—and about the stuff he’s carryin’.”

Ariel tilted her head. “What goods? Are they dangerous?”

At once, Koi’s expression darkened, and he gripped her shoulders gently. “Oi, not so many questions, kiddo. Let’s just say it’s extremely important, super-secret, hush-hush—got it?” His gaze darted around as if some unknown menace might be lurking in the shadows.

Ariel blinked. “Um… sure. Top secret.”

“Good on ya.” Koi let go of her and resumed his casual stance. “But I do need help trackin’ him down. You up for a midnight detective job?”

Ariel hesitated. She was stuck in the zoo anyway—might as well do something helpful. Plus, a missing meerkat who might be in trouble tugged at her heart. “Okay,” she said softly, trying to find her courage. “I’ll help you.”

Koi pumped one furry fist in the air. “Ripper! That’s what I like to hear. Two heads are better than one, after all.”

---

Moonlit Stroll and Distracting Introductions

They started walking along a winding path, the moon lighting the way. Tall trees and exotic shrubs lined the walkways, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. The once-bustling zoo now lay quiet and mysterious, lanterns casting soft pools of golden light here and there. Ariels’s sneakers scuffed the concrete, echoing in the stillness. She shivered, both from the cool night air and the oddness of her situation.

“So, you’re sure you can’t tell me more about these ‘goods’?” Ariel asked, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her hoodie.

Koi waved a dismissive paw. “Nah, best not. Don’t wanna worry your little head. Let’s just say it’s a big deal to me. Could shake the world, could be nothin’—who knows?”

Ariel tried not to roll her eyes. “Well, do you at least know where he might have gone? Or what might have happened to him?”

Before Koi could answer, a friendly voice called out behind them: “Evenin’, y’all!” They spun around to see a huge panda lumbering over, wearing an old straw hat that somehow stayed perched on his round head. He spoke with a slow, warm Southern drawl. “Name’s Panther the Panda. Y’all wanderin’ ‘round these parts after close? You might wanna get yourselves somewhere cozy ‘fore the real night critters come out.”

Ariel’s eyebrows rose at the introduction. “Panther the Panda?”

“Yep,” he replied in a deep, unhurried tone. “Comf’table with it, if I do say so myself. Ain’t no rule says a panda can’t be named Panther, right, kiddo?”

Ariel could only manage a polite nod, still thrown off by the talking animals and their mismatched names. Koi gave a quick wave. “We’re actually on a search, mate. Have you seen Mole the Meerkat around?”

Panther the Panda scratched his fluffy belly thoughtfully. “Can’t say I have tonight. Been busy nappin’ and snackin’ on bamboo. If y’all see him, let me know, though. We’re plumb outta good gossips lately.”

With a tip of his hat, Panther waddled away, and Koi nudged Ariel. “Don’t mind him. He’s slower than a snail in syrup, but he means well. Now, where were we?”

Ariel opened her mouth to respond when a shrill, squawking voice interrupted them. “Ah-hem! Excuse me, but is it necessary to yell through the entire zoo at this hour?”

They turned to see a dazzling peacock with a shimmering tail dragging regally behind him. He glared at them down his long beak. “I am Parrot the Peacock, not that you asked,” he said in a clipped, aristocratic accent. “Some of us are trying to maintain our beauty rest.”

Koi snorted. “G’day, Parrot. Sorry to disturb your, er, royal slumber. We’re searchin’ for Mole the Meerkat, if ya must know.”

Parrot the Peacock let out a haughty sniff. “Hmph. Good luck with that. Try not to cause too much of a ruckus.” With a swish of his vibrant feathers, he stalked off into the moonlit foliage.

Ariel blinked in confusion. “Another one…with a name that’s totally different from what they are?”

“Hey, are talking animals normal?” Koi shot back with a good-natured grin. “We’re far past that part, mate! Now, keep your eyes open.” They continued onward, passing lampposts and empty refreshment stands. Ariel tried to ask more questions, but Koi seemed lost in his own thoughts, muttering things like, “Hope them goods are safe,” and “Where would that scamp run off to?”

Suddenly, a small, sleek shape darted in front of them. It hopped from foot to foot, tail whisking in the air. Ariel recognized the creature as a river otter, though it bounced around like it had just discovered coffee. “Hoihoihoi! Name’s Ram the River Otter!” it piped up, speaking a mile a minute. “Who’re you? You got snacks? Why are you here so late? ‘Cause I love late nights—lots of time to party!”

Ariel stifled a laugh at the otter’s manic energy. “I’m Ariel. This is Koi. We’re looking for a missing meerkat.”

“Meerkat? Missing? That’s serious, gotta find him, gotta find him fast, beep beep beep!” Ram the River Otter scurried in circles around them. “No sign of him here, though, folks. Gotta bounce—bye!” And just like that, he sprinted off, leaving Koi and Ariel blinking after him.

With a sigh, Ariel finally had enough. “Wait a second, Koi—what is going on with these names? Panther the Panda, Parrot the Peacock, Ram the River Otter… and you’re Koi the Kangaroo. Is that normal?”

Koi raised an eyebrow. “Again, talkin’ animals? Normal? We’re a bit beyond normal, mate. Are you part goldfish or somethin’? Just because my name is Koi?”

Ariel almost sputtered. “No! I… I’m not part goldfish!”

Koi cocked his head and smirked. “Right, well, your name’s Ariel. Are you part mermaid?”

Ariel’s cheeks warmed. “Hey, that’s just a movie character. And it’s not even spelled the same, I—Wait, how do you know about that Ariel anyway?”

“Oh, I know plenty,” Koi said with an exaggerated wink. “Met her five sisters once in a travelin’ exhibit back when I was a little Roo in a different zoo. I’m a poet!”

Ariel stared, at a complete loss for words. This entire day had gone from normal to bizarre in record time. “You’re… you’re rhyming now, too?”

Koi shrugged, smiling mischievously. “Might as well keep things interesting.”

---

A Slithery Lead

Before Ariel could fire off another question, something hissed softly from the shadows ahead. A slim, scaled figure glided into the pool of lamplight. It was a rattlesnake, wearing a tiny pair of spectacles perched on its snout. Its voice was small and high-pitched, yet somehow studious:

“Hewwo. I’m W-Wat the Wattwesnake,” it said with a babyish lisp. Then it cleared its throat and tried again in a more measured tone: “I mean, Rat the Rattlesnake. Apologies, I still struggle with my R’s sometimes.”

Ariel managed a friendly wave, hoping this snake was nicer than its cold-blooded appearance suggested. “Hi, Rat. Um…nice to meet you?”

Rat blinked behind his glasses. “Pleasure’s all mine. Koi, I thought you should know: I saw your friend Mole the Meerkat scurrying about in my exhibit an hour ago. He seemed in quite the hurry.”

Koi’s eyes lit up. “Strewth! That’s brilliant news, Rat. Where exactly is your exhibit these days?”

Rat bobbed his narrow head. “Just beyond those gates marked ‘Reptile House.’ You can’t miss it. He was last near the back, by the King Cobra’s sleeping nook.”

Ariel’s stomach sank. “King Cobra?”

Koi turned to her, grin wide. “Alright then, mate. Time to hop in and check it out.”

Ariel felt her heart twist in fear. “Hop in? Are you kidding? It’s a rattlesnake exhibit. And there’s a King Cobra in there, too!”

Rat’s rattle began to quiver in indignation. “Excuse me, but I am right here, and I can hear you, you know. The name’s Rat—I’m a well-read reptile. And you have nothing to fear. Unless you threaten me or my friends, that is.”

“That’s what we’re worried about,” Ariel muttered under her breath.

Koi gave Rat a companionable pat on the head. “Aw, she’s just bein’ cautious, mate. No offense, yeah?” Then he turned back to Ariel. “Don’t worry, kid. Rat’s a top bloke, and the King Cobra’s not as cranky as folks reckon. Usually.”

“Usually?” Ariel squeaked.

Rat straightened as tall as a snake possibly could. “I assure you, I have no intentions of harming anyone, and nor does our dear King Cobra. Now, if you’ll just follow me, I’ll show you precisely where I saw Mole last.”

Ariel swallowed hard, steeling herself. Maybe she could do this. After all, she’d already shaken paws with a talking kangaroo, chatted with a snooty peacock, and nearly got run over by a hyper otter. She took a breath and nodded. “Alright… let’s go.”

Her feet felt like lead as she trudged forward, following Rat the Rattlesnake toward the looming Reptile House. The door was slightly ajar, the interior lights dimmed for night. The wind rustled the palm fronds around the entrance, and a large sign above read: Caution: Slithering Reptiles Inside.

Koi placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. “Time to find Mole,” he said gently.

She nodded again, gulped, and stepped inside.