"This is going to be so great Kaden," the Poogle said, coming up from behind her friend. "I'm glad the travel agent told us about this place... Kiko Lake seems like a great spot for us to relax."

"Yeah," agreed her friend. "Since there isn't much to do yet, not many other pets visit. It's perfect for us, since we just want some peace and quiet."

"Sounds great!" the Poogle said. "We can just lie around on the shore, or float around on the glass bottom boat..." Her voice trailed off as she daydreamed.

"Oh hey, there's the lodge," said Kaden, pointing to a wooden Kiko-shaped building. "Let's go drop off our luggage and explore!"

"Great idea... let's go!" Coury agreed. The two pets checked into the lodge and dropped their belongings off. The pair then returned to the docks that led out from the lodge.

Kaden kneeled down on the boards and peered into the water. She couldn't really see much of anything, just her reflection staring back at her.

"Supposedly, there's a whole community of Kikos down there," Coury said, leaning over towards her friend.

Kaden got back up and looked around. She noticed some odd boats along the beautiful sandy shore, a blue gift shop, and a red building whose purpose she hadn't quite figured out yet. At the end of the dock, a sign advertised the glass bottom boat tours. The Zafara turned to her Poogle friend. "So, what do you want to do first?"

"Hmm, why don't we..."

"Fine by me," Kaden said. "You can sit around for a bit. I'm going to see what that red building is for." Kaden patted Coury's shoulder and raced for the building, full of pent-up excitement.

Coury lay sprawled on the sand, full of happiness and warmth. She was going to be here for two weeks, two glorious sunny weeks, until she had to go back home. There were no rules. There were no curfews. And there were no limits.

How long she lay there seemed like hours, although she knew it wasn't because the sun hadn't even moved yet. Soon, the sound of paws pounding on the dry sand caused her to get up and look around.

Kaden was grinning at her, paws full of scuba gear. "I bought all we needed!" she cried enthusiastically. "It was a scuba shop--isn't it brilliant, Coury? We can dive for those Kikos now!"

Coury smiled halfheartedly. She didn't really feel like swimming... but it was awfully hot out, so...

"Sure, Kaden. Where's my stuff?"

"Here you go!" Kaden, still smiling, handed her all of her gear, complete with wetsuit, tank, and breathing apparatus.

The two Neopets suited themselves up.

"Ere ee goh," Kaden said to Coury, her voice muffled by her breathing apparatus. "Reddy? One... two... free... DIVE!"

Water splashed on Coury. The two friends were diving into the crystalline depths, getting deeper and deeper, until...

...the sand below them disappeared. They swam out far into the center of lake, where they discovered a deep trench.

Coury gasped when she saw the gorgeous sight, but her gasp was drowned out in the surrounding water.

It was a beautiful city, with sandy streets bordered off with seaweed, buildings of shells and coral, and Kikos of every color swimming throughout this underwater village. The light filtering in from above made the scene almost... magical.

Coury turned to smile at Kaden, but she was nowhere to be seen. Where has that Zafara swam off to now? she wondered to herself, inwardly smiling. Knowing her friend, Kaden had probably just swam off to explore, unable to restrain her excitement. Coury shrugged away her worry. This was paradise! Without another thought she swam towards the city. She was sure she'd be able to find Kaden later.

Coury couldn't help but grin. She would be experiencing a gorgeous underwater city! She swam down until she found herself floating over a sandy path.

She continued to swim down the path admiring all the sights, and sounds, until she...

Her eyes widened as the shadow above her grew slightly; she felt that surely, surely it would be safe to stay where she was. But, the shadow seemed to have other plans. How far down am I? She suddenly thought, in fear. I mean, would I be able to swim to shore and get help? What if... what it she couldn't escape?

The shadow homed in on her, and she swam faster along the long path, until she reached a doorway. With a push, she tried to open it. It didn't budge. She tried again, sensing that the shadow was gaining even more speed.

Pushing on the door one last time, Coury gave a rather defeated sigh and banged on the broken windows of the house. One crashed slowly to the floor, and she climbed inside, the shadow lurking slowly nearer.

Did it see me? I mean, did... did it watch as I broke the window? And... where am I anyway? Coury thought, as she turned around, keeping an eye on the window and shadow. She saw that what she had walked into was not, actually, a house, but a small bakery. Or what was once a bakery.

Her eyes caught sight of a broken knife, laying flat under what seemed to be a small, purple Flotsam. She blinked in horror, believing it to be dead, and started towards the door.

"Wait..."

...Coury glanced around at the Flotsam who now sat upright and quivering.

"Please don't go! It'll... it'll get you! And I don't want to be alone!"

Sensing the fright in the young Flotsam's voice, Coury swam towards it. She felt relief wash over her as she realized that the broken knife had only been laying on the floor where the Flotsam was cowering; scared, but unhurt.

"Do you know what that shadow was?" Coury asked, keeping her voice as low as possible.

"Yes," sniffed the Flotsam, "but so far I've been the only one to actually see it and escape. I hid in here and played dead so it would leave me alone. It's a huge and shadowy snake-like creature. It slips in and out of buildings stealing away the inhabitants without a trace. It's hard to see it coming, sometimes you don't know it's there until... until..." the Flotsam couldn't seem to make itself finish the sentence.

"So the other Neopets don't know about it yet?" the Poogle asked.

"No," replied the Flotsam. "And by the time they do it's usually too late."

Coury patted the Flotsam gently on its fin as it began to weep.

"What's your name?" Coury asked.

"My name's Freya," the Flotsam replied.

"What else does this creature do besides wreak chaos and steal Pets away?"

"I believe it's looking for the Aquamarine," Freya explained. "A magical gem that has been passed down for generations. It's the secret treasure of Kiko Lake, and without it the city will perish. I want to try to stop it, but, I'm too scared to do it alone."

The Poogle suddenly realized that Kaden's disappearance had been shortly before she saw the strange creature. What if it had gotten her friend as well? Determined not to let her Kaden down, she turned to the Flotsam.

"My friend's gone missing too," said Coury. "We must try to find away to save everyone. We can do it together!"...

Freya smiled. "Oh, you wouldn't happen to have noticed the path of destruction it left behind, would you?" Her fin pointed to several smashed buildings, which had obviously been the shadow creature's attempt at finding the Aquamarine.

"Point taken," replied Coury. They swam along the trail of smashed buildings, looking for any clues. It wasn't long before the path ended, and they were stuck in the middle of nowhere.

The Flotsam grimaced. "I thought we would surely be able to find the trail," However, she spoke too soon. Coury's foot sank into something mushy. It was a small, concealed pit that looked man-made... or rather, creature made.

"Looks like it's just the right size for us to squeeze in," said Coury. "Maybe that's where he's hidden everybody!" She leapt inside, closely followed by Freya. They entered a pitch black den, impossible for any normal pet to see through. Luckily, Coury was prepared. Her scuba suit was outfitted with some built-in lights, just in case she went in too deep. SShe flicked on her helmet's lights, but quickly turned them back off.

"D-Did you see that?" stuttered Freya, stepping back.The huge, shadowy snake was curled up in front of them, exhausted after a good day's work. He looked just like the Snowager, only bigger and black.

Coury gulped. They wanted to find the shadow creature, but not this unprepared. "Let's just pretend we never, ever saw it." They attempted to climb out of the den, which wouldn't be too hard, since it was only a few meters deep.

"Not ssso fast," hissed a voice that came from where the shadow creature was resting. "Now that you have ssseen me, I cannot allow you to esscape..."

...The shadow creature was now moving towards them in a graceful, yet bonechilling, slither. Poogle and Flotsam were in awe as the creature straightened to its full height. Towering above them, the creature began to speak in its deep, slow voice. "What do you think you are doing down here... exssspecialy at thiss time of day?" it asked sarcastically. Evening was approaching... and darkness was beginning to engulf the city with open arms.

"We... we were just looking for..." Coury paused; just as she was trying to think of what to say next, an idea found its way into her mind and had began to grow. "We were looking for the Aquamarine." The creature's eyes sparkled with delight at the sound of the gem's name, but that shine didn't last long.

"Well... what do you know about the Aquamarine?" the shadow inquired in an agitated voice.

"Oh... are you looking for the Aqaumarine, too?" the Poogle questioned in an airy tone. Trying to convince the monster that she didn't really care, she hunched her shoulders over and her face donned a look of disinterest.

"Ah... tell me, Poogle. What do you know about my... erm, the Aquamarine? Perhapsss you may know where it'ss currently at...?" The creature's face suddenly took on a sly, fox-like appearance. "Maybe... you would alssso like to meet a friend of mine? I think her name iss... Kaden?"

"What do you know about Kaden!?!" Coury asked suddenly, then realized her mistake. The creature's eyes danced with joy at his find. This young Poogle was friends with one of his many captives...

The shadowy serpent motioned behind it. Coury and Freya squinted their eyes, trying to adjust them to the empty blackness... then they saw it. Hundreds of pets, looking like they had been chiseled from stone. They all had looks of horror on their faces. Among them, the Poogle noticed, was a statue of a Zafara in a wetsuit.

"Kaden..." Coury whispered.

Finally, she made up her mind. "Alright, I'll tell you where it is... however, you have to free my friend, and everyone else, once we come back... or I won't give you the crystal!"

The snake looked surprised as well. "Very well," it hissed. They walked (and slithered) out of the den, towards the Kiko City. Coury didn't know what she was doing; if nothing else, she was just stalling for time before the inevitable occurred. Nonetheless, she had to pretend she knew where the Aquamarine was.

"Psst..." whispered Freya. "Don't worry; I know where it is, but I won't let the serpent have it." Coury nodded, glad that her new friend actually knew what was going on. They followed Freya, getting farther and farther away from the den.

The shadowy snake looked aggravated. "How much longer?" it demanded. "Hurry up!" Freya ignored the snake's words, continuing to slowly trudge nowhere. "HURRY UP!" it yelled, making the two pets leap out of their skin. It began to smash buildings, as a way of venting frustration. "Lead me to it now, or the city ssshall crumble," the snake warned them. At this rate, the city would perish either way!

Freya hesitated, then glanced at Coury, who was shaking her head furiously, telling her not to give it the crystal. Who knew what plans the serpent had for the jewel? Possibly something worse than it had done to their friends. If only there was a way to trick it...

The serpent's anger was growing. Freya felt as though she didn't have much of a choice. "Alright, it's all yours," she said slowly, leading them to the real location of the Aquamarine...

...Coury knew they were getting close. She also knew that the snake must not get the gem, but what could she do about it? Kaden was a statue, she had led Freya into danger, and that that barbaric snake was about to get a VERY powerful gem.

Suddenly, Freya whispered something. "Coury, don't worry. In time, everything will be explained."

For some strange reason, Coury relaxed at hearing those words. She had a feeling she could trust Freya, even with her life.

As they walked further and further away from the city, the snake's anger became more severe. Now he was lashing out at anything within reach.

Finally, they arrived at a magnificent haven. Even though they were in perilous danger, Coury felt a wonder-inspired awe. Looking at Freya to see if she felt the same way, Coury noticed that the Flotsam was walking forward. Not even the shadow serpent objected. Freya closed her eyes. She could feel the power. Suddenly, on a small pillow, appeared a blue-green stone. Then Freya turned around to face the snake and Poogle.

"The Aquamarine is a gift in a gift, a power in a power, and a life in a life. I am Freyana, the keeper of the Aquamarine. I was chosen to guard it. Coury, approach the Aquamarine."

"No! It isss MY sstone!" hissed the serpent. The snake started to rush toward the Aquamarine, trying to coil his tail around the gem. He touched the stone and it started to glow, suddenly throwing the snake back.

Freya spoke up. "The Aquamarine is a gift in a gift, a power in a power, a life in a life. It was given to Coury. Come Coury, take the Gem of the Sea."

Coury stepped forward, not knowing what she was doing. As if in a trance, Coury slowly approached the Gem of the Sea. She placed her hands around it and carefully picked it up. Coury felt an overwhelming power surge through her.

"No! That'sss MINE!" the snake bellowed, whipping his massive tail around, which came speeding towards the two Neopets...

Coury gathered her wits as quickly as she could. The gem had protected her! Maybe she could use it to protect the whole lake, and drive out the creature. She stared at the gem, focusing her mind... listening to the quiet tune that the gem played, which was so similar to the tunes that all things played, yet with a different rhythm.

The gem, using its tune, told her how to destroy the beast. She listened and made her plan. When Coury looked up, however, the serpent had gone... leaving behind a trail of destruction that ran, in a direct line, to its cavern.

She had to get there before it did, or stop it before it got there. Again she quickly listened to the tune, and within seconds, knew how to get there. She hummed along to the tune with her eyes closed, while imagining that she was at the monster's hole, guarding the entrance from its resident.

Seconds later, Coury opened her eyes. The serpent was in front of her, and she knew the hole was just a few metres behind her. The serpent screeched in rage and puzzlement, then dove forth in an attempt to head butt her. However, the shield that had saved Coury before held in place. It was dazed for a second before regaining its senses.

It knew not to attack now, but the other thing they both knew was that, if she wanted to stop the huge creature, Coury would have to take the power away from the shield around her to attack. That would leave her vulnerable, and if the serpent decided to strike then... well, she would die, the gem's power would recede, and the serpent would live.

She had to take that risk, though. It was either that or let the creature run wild again, smashing up homes and taking people for the purpose of turning them into statues.

Coury was lost as to what to do; there was too much chance of failure. But Freya, who had just arrived on the scene, saw what was needed.

A distraction.

"The Aquamarine is a gift in a gift, a power in a power, a life in a life," she said again, loudly. "Whoever possesses it, possesses life eternal and power unstoppable. Is that what you desire?" she asked the serpent, "Do you want eternal life... do you want the gift of life and power?"

It had worked! The serpent looked around. "Yesss, it isss mine," it said, then returned its gaze to Coury.

"With power comes responsibility... do you want that?" Freya asked, while Coury, who saw her plan, was carefully pulling together all the power she could while keeping the shield in place.

"I don't need resssponssibility," the snake hissed. "I only need the power; thossse who will ssserve me will take ressponssibility for my power."

Coury had nearly finished: she only needed the shield's strength now. Freya's plan wasn't working as well as she had hoped; the serpent was now watching Coury carefully.

The problem was, Coury couldn't do anything until he looked away. Freya looked around on the lake floor for a clue as to what to do next, but found only rocks and weeds. She was lost for an idea. Despair descended. She picked up a rock, angry at herself, then realized what she could do with it.

As hard as she could, Freya hurled the rock, in a high arc, through the water. It hit the serpent on the head--hard. As it looked around again, she threw another rock. This time it hit the serpent's chest, and the next one hit it squarely in the eye. It lunged towards Freya, more angry than it had ever been... then it disappeared.

A fine dust settled on the lake floor, colouring that area black. Coury stood breathless, a few metres in front of the hole, clutching the Aquamarine. The shaft of bright light still lingered in her vision. Such power, she thought, looking at the tiny gem. If the serpent had gotten it...she shuddered. With the thread disposed, Freya and Coury began their work, freeing their statue-like friends with the gem's power.

Hours later, with the crystal safely in the care of Kikos again, Coury and Kaden returned to dry land... to rest, and refill their oxygen tanks. They had a party to go to tonight, under the crystal clear water. Even with the dangerous events, this had really been the best vacation ever. Kaden laughed and smiled at the new, adventurous side Coury now had.

The End