Friday: Lost and Found

The sun was shining on this particular Friday morning and all over Neopia, Neo-citizens were getting ready to begin the day. Some Neo-citizens were already lining up to purchase the recently published Neopian Times at the Book Shop, others were happily roaming around Neopia Central waiting for the Bakery to restock delicious pastries, while more daring Neo-citizens were venturing across Neopia to see what sort of wonderful adventures they can get themselves into.

     However, one particular Neo-citizen's voyage had already begun as he stood in front of the entrance of a particular cavern that is located northeast of Faerie City. This particular Neo-citizen has always had a curious predisposition, and once he overheard his Neofriends saying there was a peculiar looking petpet that resides in it, he knew he had to visit.

     He retrieved 400 Neopoints from his coin purse, the customary entrance fee one has to pay in order to enter, and tossed it into the waters. Once the fee was paid for, his adventure had begun!

     As he ventured into the cavern, he began to wonder about the mysterious petpet that inhabited the place. He was fascinated by the fact that the petpet cannot be purchased in any shop. Rather, the little critter must be *found*, not only by guessing the correct pathway in the caverns to reach the treasure chest, but also through a stroke of good luck because the petpet is never a guaranteed prize.

     Your eyes adjust to the dim light and you see the cave split two directions. Which way do you go?

     While contemplating over this choice, he could not help but discern the musky stench permeating through the air. He also acknowledged that the deeper he went into the cave, the darker it became. Needless to say, the Neo-citizen hoped for the best and chose the path to the right...

     You've made it past the first cavern and are faced with another choice.

     The Neo-citizen was pleased that he made the correct choice. With the second obstacle in his way, he followed his heart and decided to take the right tunnel; hoping that it would lead him to the third and final winding pathway.

     You have followed the winding passages deep into the cavern. You sense the treasure is very close, but which way to choose?

     He silently squealed out in glee; so far he had selected the correct pathway! He was so close to finding the treasure, but now he could not make the final decision – should he veer left or right? He heard from his Neofriends that the pathway to the treasure is completely random. In fact, it does not matter what time of day or what path you take; sheer luck is all you need in order to find the fortune in the cavern.

     Now for those who are wondering what sorts of treasures the cavern has to offer, rumour has it that the prizes vary; Neopoints are commonly awarded and it ranges from as low as 400 Neopoints to as high as 25,000 Neopoints! Even so, this particular Neo-citizen was not interested in the lucrative payout. No, he was interested in something much more exclusive than measly Neopoints.

     For that reason, he sent a quiet prayer out to Queen Fyora, hoping that he made the correct decision, and he chose the path to the left this time.

     As the Neo-citizen walk deeper into the tunnel, he had a feeling that he was being watched. He peered to his left, but since the channels were completely dark, he saw nothing. Also, he was beginning to get claustrophobic as he noticed the passageway narrowing with each step he was taking. In spite the circumstances, he continued his adventure in the hopes of finding the little resident of the caverns...

     You round a corner and hear a strange noise. It sounds like something large is moving in the darkness in front of you.

     The Neo-citizen was at a standstill when he recognized that he was in a vulnerable situation whereby he had no weapon or any skills in fighting to defend himself from the large figure moving in front of him. It was either a fight or flight situation and since Neo-citizen valued his life more than a mysterious petpet, he began to retreat away from the site. Initially he took two quiet steps so as to refrain from making any loud noise and capturing the mysterious figure's attention. However, that turned out to be pointless when he heard the strange noise approaching him.

     *thud*

     *thud*

     *THUD*

     That single reaction offset the Neo-citizen's plan of quietly fleeing away. Whoever was making that loud sound brought chills to his bones as he screamed out, "Whoever you are, I'm sorry for bothering you!"

     The Neo-citizen quickly retraced his steps and ran out of the caverns with his tail in between his legs. It was enough of an adventure today... maybe he will try his luck again tomorrow.

     Back in the Faerie Caverns, the large figure appeared. Turns out, it was the mysterious petpet the Neo-citizen was searching for all along! In fact, the mini petpet saw the Neo-citizen from afar and decided to approach him. However, due to the petpet's rounder and heavier figure, every step he took had created a loud stomping sound that probably frightened the Neo-citizen and made him run away. Of course the pink critter with blue spots all over his body, ears, and tail could have chased after the fleeing Neo-citizen, but this particular petpet has a horrible sense of direction; if he were to follow the frightened Neo-citizen, there was never a guarantee he would be able to catch up to him. More realistically, he would get lost in the tunnels during the chase and have to find his way back to the treasure chest room. Thus, he concluded that chasing after the Neo-citizen would be a futile attempt.

     The two-eared petpet released a loud sigh and ventured back into the cavern's treasure room. He snuggled in the treasure chest that was located in the back room and happened to settle in between a pair of Beautiful Glowing Wings, a gorgeous Faerie Caverns Background, a highly-sought after and prized r101 Faerie Caverns Stamp, a glowing and humming Faerie Paint Brush, and an assortment of Neopoints.

     As the mini Faerieland petpet began to doze off, he began to think about his dilemma; he knew he was not intelligent enough to escape the caverns alone. In fact, he considers himself a simpleton as he has never had the opportunity to venture into the outside world and acquire the proper stimuli in order to heighten his sense of sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. Needless to say, that is the primary reason why Neo-citizens describe him as a petpet that lacks in intelligence. It is also why he can only be *found* in the Faerie Caverns, because he is lost in it too!

     Sighing to himself, the Patamoose said to no one in particular, "One day soon, someone will find me and get me out of here..."

     Patamoose Trivia: What it lacks in intelligence, it makes up for with pink.

The End