A Petpet's Grand Adventure

      Amber often repeated this to herself whenever she felt scared. She glanced at her little watch and saw that only 15 minutes had passed since she entered the Catacombs under Neovia. She didn't know what she could find down here, all she knew was that she had begged her owner to let her come. She had heard rumours about great treasures waiting for Petpets, and she wanted to make her owner smile. Her owner was rarely happy, so she thought some treasures would cheer her up. She also secretly wanted the respect and admiration of all the other Petpets she lived with. She loved making up stories to entertain her family with, but this time she wanted real stories to tell. Thankfully, her owner agreed to let her go, giving her a Ghostly Wand of Spades and a few words of encouragement before going into the dark abyss.

      She thought about her dear owner as she walked through the darkness munching on a peanut and bacon she had found earlier. Even though her owner had a ton of Petpets, she always found time to treat each one with love and care. She was determined to make it out with unbelievable treasures, sensational stories of heroic deeds and otherworldly creatures, and…

      While lost in her thoughts she accidentally ran straight into a Ghost Meepit. “Oh! I’m so sorry! Are you also looking for treasures for your owner?”

      The Meepit only stared.

      “Uh… I’m Amber… And you are?”

      The Meepit continued to stare, its large eyes not blinking at all.

      “Okay, okay… Well, it was great speaking with you! Good luck!”

      Amber tried to walk ahead, but the creepy Meepit reached out and grabbed her paw. Its paws were freezing, and it had a surprisingly iron tight grip on her. They were now standing nose to nose; Amber tried to stand tall but the fear in her heart made her little legs crumble underneath her like paper. The Meepit effortlessly lifted her up and whispered in a flat lifeless voice, “Join our dance circle.” The silence pounded in Amber’s blank mind. The two stood locked in a strange staring contest until Amber finally regained her composure.

      “Oh, oh wow… How kind of you to ask! No. No, thank you! I just ate a big peanut and some bacon. I should wait before doing any exercise.” Amber tried to lighten the mood by flashing a big smile and laughing, something her owner had taught her to do when in a tense situation. Her owner always said the most important thing in life was to be kind to others, no matter if you like them or not. She wasn’t sure if this was good or bad advice at this moment.

      The Meepit, unfortunately, did not laugh or smile. It remained expressionless as it clenched harder and started spinning her around and around, its unblinking eyes never looking away from her. She spun for what felt like ages, and soon it appeared as if there were hundreds of Meepits spinning around her, their eyes all focused on her. Suddenly, she felt the icy grip move from her hands, up her arms, across her shoulders - but before she felt it reach her neck, a Yellow Hasee slashed at the dark creature with its Adventurer’s Sword and beckoned her to follow him. Amber felt a bit embarrassed when she remembered that she too had a weapon with her.

      The two little Petpets ran quickly away from the strange Meepits. They ran and ran until they reached an area with a small hole between the rocky walls. Amber followed the surprisingly fast Hasee inside and saw it was a cozy little home!

      “Welcome weary traveler! I thought you needed a bit of help back there! I’m Sam!” The Hasee extended a sweaty paw that Amber happily shook.

      “I am so glad to see another normal Petpet! Do you live down here? Do you know anything about the Catacombs? Do you know...” Amber had a million questions that she shot out at Sam, who surprisingly tried his best to answer each one.

      “Yes, I live down here... The Catacombs are... a haven. Far better than the cruel world above us. Don’t worry about those Meepits, I just knocked a few of them out for a couple minutes. They are creepy and unrelenting when they want to dance, though mostly harmless...”

      “But don’t you miss your owner?” Amber had more questions she wanted to ask, but the painful look on Sam’s face told her to stop.

      “I have never had an owner... I escaped from a terrible place up in the stars. I was caged for most of my short life, with only the sparkling stars as my comfort. Then one day I was told I’d be released. I was so happy until I saw where they were releasing me...”

      Amber could not even fathom a guess as to where his story was going. Did they throw him out into space? How could he think Neopia was a cruel place? Sometimes she felt like Petpets weren't given enough opportunities to shine, but she would never describe Neopians as cruel.

      “They released me as food. On to a large table with the other caged Petpets for a strange mutant creature. I was the only one that escaped since I fell to the floor and was able to squeeze through a gap in the wall. I quietly made my way onto a ship and then down here to Neopia. I didn’t know where to go until I heard some Neopians talking about the Catacombs, a place where only Petpets can enter. I knew I would be safe here.”

      Amber sat in stunned silence as she tried to take it all in. Were there really places that used Petpets as food!? Her owner had taught her all about the different lands in Neopia, and not once did she mention something like this.

      “Not everyone in Neopia is bad. You should meet my owner, she is lovely! Well, she is gloomy, but she can 't help that! She is kind and that is what is most important! Also, she takes care of a lot of Petpets, so I'm sure she'd take you in as well!”

      Sam looked at her and smiled, for he could feel how earnest and pure she was in her sentiments. She truly meant what she was saying. “Well... I don't know, but I guess I could give it a try. The food isn't really good down here, and it gets kind of lonely in the dark...”

      “Great! First, I want to come back with some treasures! I was told I would be able to find something down here...” Amber wished she had more information about this place, though thankfully Sam was here to help her.

      “Well... I actually haven't found any amazing treasures, but there are a few areas deeper into the dungeon I haven't explored yet. I'm too nervous to go on my own, though I think we'll be fine if we're together!”

      “Nervous? What... are those areas particularly dark or full of monsters or something?” Amber continued to chant "I am a brave and strong Symol" in her head.

      “Yes, that is exactly right. So, let's go!” Sam led the way out of his little room and down the hall. Amber followed close by with his paws tightly around her Ghostly Wand of Spades.

      Her weapon was unfortunately useless against the Gelatinous Non-Cube they ran straight into at the corner. Sam's weapon was useless as well, so again they ran down the dark and dreary halls as the cube chased them with its surprisingly sharp teeth barred.

      When they reached a dead-end Amber thought all hope was lost, until she noticed a small hole in the floor. “Hurry Sam! Jump down!!”

      The two out of breath Petpets jumped down into the hole and onto a soft, stinky pile of Dung Cream Sandwiches. The two looked at each other and burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

      “What in Neopia is going on in these Catacombs?” Normally, Amber would be disgusted by the smell of dung, but today it was fine. She was just glad she wasn't eaten by that cube. She looked around the dark room and noticed an opening far in the distance. They walked toward it and saw that light was shining down from outside.

      The two new friends hesitantly walked closer and peeked their heads out from the hole. To Amber's great surprise she saw they were in what looked like a castle. She first heard and then saw a large Green Skeith with a crown stomping angrily around his room, muttering about his annoying brother.

      She quickly pulled Sam back down into the Catacombs and explained the significance of what they had just witnessed. “My owner told me about that Skeith! That was the King of Meridell!! Why was there a hole leading to...” However, before she could finish her sentence, she noticed there seemed to be multiple openings far in the distance.

      Together they walked and explored the next opening above them. They were exhausted, but the excitement of what they might see gave them energy. This time when they peeked their heads out, they saw water in the distance and colourful Kikos all around. The next opening they reached was clearly the Food Shop in Neopia Central, and the snowy land after that was certainly somewhere on Terror Mountain. So, this was how Petpets came back with all different kinds of treasures, Amber thought excitedly! The Catacombs were connected to each land in Neopia!

      “I didn't know there were so many different kinds of lands around Neopia...” Sam looked off into the distance sadly, pondering his life up until now. “I want to see more... and I want to help the other Petpets that are still trapped up in the stars.”

      Amber held out her paw and smiled. “I promise I will help you! And my owner will, too! Hmmm let's look around a little more and then go home!” Amber wanted to find something pretty for her owner, but where would that be?

      They investigated each light until the narrow halls opened into a cavernous dark room. They walked until they both smacked their faces against a cold, almost slimy surface. “What... did we hit some kind of creature?” Sam rubbed his head as Amber blinked her eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness.

      She covered her mouth with her paws as the source of their blocked path became clear. A gigantic Green Chia was sleeping on top of a large pile of goods, such as Mystery Island fruits and presents. Sam quickly backed away and out of the room, but Amber stayed. An item under the giant Chia had caught her eye - a beautiful pair of Sheer Blue Wings, perfect for her owner!

      She tiptoed quietly toward the sleeping Chia with her eyes glued on the prize. The wings were right by the Chia's cold scaly shoulder. She would grab it quickly and then run out quietly. She bent over to pick up the wings, though unfortunately she did not notice her Ghostly Wand of Spades slipping out of her belt. It clanged on the floor and echoed throughout the room. She turned and saw the Chia's eyes slowly open. Its immense roar knocked her down to the ground and out cold.

      Sam ran in from the hallway and stood between Amber and the monster. He brandished his sword and tried to look as brave and menacing as he could. The large Chia, however, did nothing. It put its head back down and sighed. “Oh, a Petpet, sorry about that. That was just a yawn, I didn't mean to scare you. Please, take some treasures and head out. Mystery Islanders leave me gifts every year, but now I have way too much. Also don 't tell anyone you saw me... Well, it's not like anyone would believe you anyways...”

      Sam was confused but did not argue with the enormous Chia. He quickly muttered thanks and grabbed a few more items and the still unconscious Amber before heading out the way they came.

      He carried Amber and their new goods all the way back to the entrance. Outside he looked around and saw a sad-looking Grey Faerie sitting with a group of Petpets under a tree. She looked at him and then Amber and jumped to her feet with tears in her eyes. “Oh Amber!!! Are you okay? What happened!?”

      Amber was still too groggy to explain anything, though she was lucid enough to hold up the new wings she had found. “These pretty wings are for you Baelia!”

      Baelia smiled and hugged her dear Petpet. “Thank you for being so brave. The wings are beautiful! I love them! Tell me all your stories when you feel better, okay?” Baelia then turned to Sam and mustered a smile. Even though she was grey and dressed in torn clothes, Sam thought she was the most beautiful being he had ever seen in his life. He lowered his eyes and explained where he had come from to the faerie, suddenly feeling shy and embarrassed with all the attention on him.

      Baelia and her other Petpets gathered around him for a big group hug. The kind Grey Faerie patted his head and welcomed him to the family.

      When they all returned home to Faerieland, and after Amber had some time to rest, the stories began. Amber and Sam reenacted all the adventures they had down in the Catacombs. Baelia seemed to believe all of them, except for the story about the giant Chia, though Amber and Sam knew what they saw. Baelia also introduced Sam to the Petpet Protection League, which eventually led to open investigations into the illegal consumption of Petpets in Neopia.

      Amber was happy to have put a smile onto her dear owner's face. For now, she did not need to go on any more grand adventures, for being with her family and knowing she had helped Sam was enough.

     The End.