"What do you think is back there?" Lena asked her Lupe friend, pointing to the far reaches of the Haunted Woods.

"Erm, the Brain Tree?" Kolin responded, peering into the distance.

"No, no. Beyond that."

"The Stone Battledome?"

"No!"

"The Deserted Fairgrounds?" Kolin asked, exasperated.

"NO. That's towards the northeast," Lena, said, stomping her hoof. "I mean there," the Kau exclaimed, pointing into the dark forest that surrounded the Haunted Woods’ marketplace area.

"I have no idea," Kolin said, "Nobody I know has ever gone out of this area." He motioned around the area where they stood, which was the bustling center of the Haunted Woods that all the tourists visited during the day.

"That's what makes it so interesting," the Kau said. "Everyone knows what's in the Haunted Woods. The Haunted House, the Brain Tree, the Esophagor, Eliv Thade's castle... there’s nothing mysterious left about it. BUT, no one I have ever met has gone beyond the borders of this relatively safe area."

"Probably with good reason," Kolin said, eyeing the dead trees that lined the outer edges of the area.

"Come on," the Kau said, getting behind her Lupe friend and pushing him forward with her horns. "Let's see what's out there."

Kolin gulped as he was pushed closer and closer to the menacing, overgrown woods. Finally, the two friends were at the edge. Dead trees moaned and creaked as the howling wind blew through their bare branches.

The Lupe eyed Lena for any hint that this might just be a cruel joke, but the Kau seemed resolute in her intention to enter the frightening borders of an already spooky place. "Let's go." Lena said, then walked straight in.

Kolin was terrified, but he certainly didn't want to be thought a coward. Subconsciously sticking his tail between his legs, the Lupe followed his friend at a quick trot...

Kolin swallowed thickly, his heart thumping in his chest. He did not want to go in there, but Lena was adamant. He followed her closely.

"Quiet stepping on my hooves, Kolin!" the Kau snapped, pushing the young Lupe back a step.

"Sorry," he whispered, glancing around. He sniffed at the air, using his excellent sense of smell to search for anything that could be lurking close by, hidden by the thick foliage.

Lena strode steadfastly through the trees, never slowing down. "This place is boring," she said quietly, loathe to disturb the strange tranquility of the area. She raised her head, looking around. "Look over there, Kolin," she said, pointing off into the trees. "It looks like there's a cave or something! Let's go check it out!" She grabbed his paw and pulled him after her.

"Ah, Lena, I don't know... it's awfully dark in caves, you know," the Lupe said. "There's Spyders and Korbats and who knows what else! We might get lost."

"Quit being a baby, Kolin!" Lena said, giving him a sharp glance. "I'll protect you." She smirked at him and giggled.

"Fine," Kolin said, shaking his head reluctantly. "If we get lost in there, though, I'm blaming you!"…

"See?" Lena said brightly. "This isn't so bad, is it?"

Kolin shifted uneasily. "I dunno. It seems awfully dark and spooky to me," he said meekly.

His companion rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, silly! Now, come on. I want to explore further." Lena dove into the cave's shadows, but Kolin paused for a moment. There was something about this cave. It seemed foreboding. For a moment, he had felt that the unending darkness was going to swallow him.

"Are you going to come along or not?" Lena demanded impatiently.

Kolin shook his head. He was feeling dazed. "I'll be right there!" he called. This was the last place he wanted to be left alone.

Traveling through the cave was not easy. Lena had to inch her way forward, so as not to ram into one of the cave's many turns.

"I can't see a thing!" Kolin whimpered. "We'll never find our way out at this rate! Plus, it's too quiet in here."

"Don't be silly. It just seems quiet because you're talking," Lena whispered. Kolin couldn't help but think that there was something wrong with her logic.

Suddenly, Lena tripped over a rock. She flew into the cave's wall. Surprisingly, it gave way beneath her. An opening just large enough for a Neopet to fit through shed light on the dank floor.

"Well, well... it looks like we might've just found our way out!" Lena said brightly. "I told you we would."

Kolin gulped. "Uh... Lena? It was night when we entered the cave. I don't know where that opening leads, but it isn't outside..."

Lena, who did not have such an acute sense of smell, was a little more confident. "Come on Kolin, you aren't scared, are you?" Even though it was dark, Kolin knew Lena was smirking. She put on a mocking voice and said, "Does ickle Kolin want to go home?"

"Yes, actually I do. I've got a bad feeling about this, and you should, too," the Lupe said. Unwillingly, Kolin followed his friend deeper into the cave. "Anyway, the only reason I'm doing this is because I don't want anything to happen to you."

Lena wondered whether he was actually talking to her, or just trying to reassure himself. She was about to speak when she noticed a change come over the Lupe. "Kolin, what's wrong?" she asked.

Kolin had stopped still. In the darkness, Lena saw his ears prick up as he listened intently.

"Ssh… listen," Kolin said, his voice urgent. For once, Lena didn't say anything and strained her large clumsy ears, trying to listen.

The sound, though quiet, was unmistakable; someone, or something very large, was definitely breathing. As the sound echoed around the cave, all of Lena's previous confidence faded.

"I think it's time we got out of here, Lena," Kolin said solemnly. "If I'm correct, then whatever is in there is far worse than Spyders or Korbats, and I don't think it would be wise to stick around."

They turned towards the exit of the cave, but to their surprise and horror, they were faced with a problem that was bigger than the pessimistic Lupe could've even imagined...

A deep, low snarl came from the figure. "It has been a while since I have had a visitor," it hissed. Shaking in fear, Lena clung to the Lupe. The shape stepped out from the shadows, and they could now see its hideous features. Kolin knew that his adventurous companion didn't feel so courageous now.

The creature's mocking red eyes seemed to know everything about them, yet they had a flicker of amusement in them. After all, the pair of Neopets must have been a strange sight to behold, clinging to each other in fear. The creature's body was the most miserable part of all! It was like a large green Sludgy, which had been rotting away with age. The smell of the "thing" was extremely foul, but the Neopets were too afraid to think of that.

"See what a mess you've gotten us into, Lena?" Kolin murmured angrily to the Kau.

"Well, I apologize for doing something fun!" Lena whispered back.

"Oh, getting lost in a creepy cave is very f--"

The creature interrupted, "You are very foolish to come here. I guard a sacred item, created by my master herself. When she is released, all those like you will fall before her power. Not even the Faerie Queen will be able to stop her!"

Lena blinked. "Who could it be talking about?" the Kau asked. She was clueless.

Kolin, on the other hand, had a very good idea. Could it be talking about... no, it couldn't be, he thought to himself.

STOMP!

Suddenly, the pair found themselves falling… and falling… and falling…

Lena couldn't see a thing.

"Come on Lena, open your eyes!" Kolin's voice was frantic. He nudged and prodded her insistently, whimpering under his breath. "We have to get moving before it's too late!"

Lena grunted, peering through half-opened eyelids. Somehow, she was lying on her side, and the panicked Lupe was standing over her, nudging at her shoulder with his icy wet nose.

"What happened?" she muttered groggily. "All I remember is a loud noise, and then..." She struggled to recall how they'd ended up in this awful place, but her pounding head was only drawing blanks.

"We seem to have fallen through a trap. Here, get up," Kolin said, helping her to get up off the ground. "You wouldn't believe who's behind this!"

Lena wobbled a bit, still trying to shake her disorientation. "The Tooth Faerie?" she muttered, absently licking at an abrasion on her knee. She must have acquired it in the fall.

"Close," Kolin continued. "Think Jhudora, only with a really bad attitude, in addition to being fast asleep for a couple of centuries. Tomorrow will mark the 2000th anniversary of her disappearance from Neopia. If she wakes up..."

"If who wakes up?!?" Lena asked, frowning. "Either I'm not following you, or I bonked my head pretty hard."

Sighing, Kolin explained. Lena may have been the adventurous one, but being the frail, indoors-type had its advantages. For one thing, he could spend most of his free time safely inside, reading up on obscure Neopian history without ever questioning what he could be missing.

"Long ago there was this dark faerie, who was extraordinarily wicked," Kolin began. "This dark faerie, Evine, had such terrifying power that all of the other faeries had to form a coalition just to keep her in check. She was under constant surveillance, day and night.

"One day, however, they lost sight of her. No one knew where she went. Legend has it that, during that time, she went on a rampage, hypnotising Neopets with a powerful spell and stealing them away... I don't know. Anyway, when the coalition finally found her again, it was here in the Haunted Woods. She was resting at the foot of a hideous, rotting tree, in some sort of a trance, surrounded by a force field that none of the faeries could penetrate. To this day, no one knows what happened. The ground eventually caved in beneath her, and she disappeared.

"Some say that she still sleeps underground. If this is the case, we may have stumbled upon something far bigger than either of us could have ever feared."

"That's..." Lena blinked, partially aghast at what she was hearing, but also irritated by just how much her friend actually knew. "That's just dumb! I bet you're just..."

However, before she could continue...

"Who are you?!? We know you serve under Evine, the dark faerie. Reveal your name, creature!" Kolin said in a brave tone, an unfamiliar one that made Lena smile and chuckle slightly.

Peering down below him, the Sludgy roared in a proud voice, "I AM THE GUARDIAN OF EVINE'S MOST PRECIOUS TREASURES, DEMON GENERAL OF MISTRESS EVINE'S ARMY, AND LOYAL PETPET OF DESTRUCTION AND DOOM, PLEDGED UNDER MISTRESS EVINE'S COMMAND. I AM KNOWN AS NECROSIS!!!"

The creature's yell echoed throughout the cave and created a small earthquake, as rocks could be heard raining down everywhere. It took all of Lena and Kolin's might to avoid the hailing boulders.

Lena looked up at the monster bravely, and replied with an agitated and angered voice, "Be quiet! At this rate, you could probably cause a cave-in! When we get out of these caves, we'll make sure we tell the Faerie Queen of your plans to awaken Evine! You'll see!"

Necrosis once again fell into an ugly disturbing laughter. When he stopped, the creature glared at them. "You dare threaten Necrosis or Mistress Evine?!?" he shouted. "When the next moon rises, its powerful beams will shine upon Mistress Evine's prison, and the ritual in awakening her will be complete! Now that you know our plan, I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave!"

Necrosis lifted up a large boulder with his monstrous strength and jammed it into the opening in the ceiling as Lena and Kolin watched helplessly. The sick laughter of Necrosis could be heard receding as Kolin and Lena stood in the darkness.

"Great... now what are we gonna do?" Kolin said in a monotone voice as he began pacing back and forth, trying to sniff out an exit.

"I dunno. You're the one who dragged us into this mess," Lena said in an equally dull voice. She stood, trying to think, still angry that they were trapped in the caves. "That dumb Necrosis thinks that he can just keep us here until he unleashes Evine, and she releases chaos upon Neopia."

"How did I get us in this mess?!? You were the one that had to be adventurous and venture into these caves," Kolin argued back, starting to sound fed up.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Lena said quietly, kicking a pebble in front of her. The pebble made a small echo in the caves as Lena sat down.

Kolin sighed, not meaning to hurt her feelings. "No, it was my fault for coming with you, too. Look, if we can't get out, we'll have to stop Necrosis ourselves. We might as well take advantage of being in here where the ritual's taking place." He once again peered around the room, searching for any clues, when a strong and bitter odor suddenly filled his nose. "UGH! What is that smell?" Kolin exclaimed as looked around the cavern. Lena stood up to follow the Lupe as he began tracing the scent. Soon, the two Neopets stumbled upon another rock, and both of them helped move it out of the way to find...

"Yuck!" Lena exclaimed. "I wouldn't eat that if it was the last bit of food on Neopia! That's disgusting!!!"

"Yes, well, we might just have to eat it. Look at this!" Kolin answered as he held up a small piece of paper.

Lena snatched the paper out of his paw and tried to decipher what was scribbled down:

"Oh, no!" Lena groaned when she had finished reading. "I can't eat this!"

"Well, that's not what I'm worried about," Kolin said. "Why did he give us food in the first place? He could have just let us starve! Unless... no, it couldn't be," he thought out loud. "Does he need us to wake Evine up?"

"What might we have to do with it?!?" Lena inquired. "He acted like he would do it himself!"

"I just don't know, but there's got to be something we're here for!" Kolin answered. "Whatever it is, though, we've gotta get out of here, because who knows what they'll do to us!"

As he said this, the Lupe walked away from the rock and started pacing again, trying to think of what to do. "We have to seek out Evine and delay the awakening before we escape," Kolin decided. He started feeling around in the dim light for another opening in the wall of the cavern, but Lena beat him to it.

"Over here!" she called, and Kolin rushed over to see what she had found. He found himself gazing at a myriad of small holes in the wall. How would they ever discover the one that led to Evine's chamber?

"Well, I guess the only thing to do is search them all," Lena remarked. "That could take days, though, even weeks!"

Just then, Kolin realized that there was one hole in the wall that stood out, because it looked exactly like...

"Are you sure about this, Kolin?" Lena asked.

"Positive," Kolin reassured her, continuing through the dark walkway.

It was almost odd how straight the walkway was. Kolin and Lena never had to turn once as they walked for a few minutes. Suddenly, Kolin stopped in his tracks, causing Lena to bump into him.

"Why'd you st..." Lena tried to say.

"Shh!" Kolin interrupted.

Necrosis stood before the two Neopets, his back turned towards them. He seemed to be looming over a coffin, which Kolin and Lena could only imagine was Evine's.

"Necrosis," Lena whispered.

"Shhh!" Kolin said to the Kau again. His mind churned, trying to think of a way to stop the monstrous Sludgy.

The two Neopets could hear Necrosis muttering some unknown language in a patterned fashion. Kolin pieced together that the horrid monster was casting a spell. Lena figured it out soon enough, too.

"A spell!" Lena whispered.

Necrosis stopped chanting the strange language and turned around.

"Nice going, Lena," Kolin said in a harsh whisper.

"Sorry…"

"Well, well," he said. "You're just in time to join the ritual."

The path the Neopets had followed led into a monstrous room. The walkway continued to the room's center, where a small circular platform was located. Around the platform stretched an endless abyss. Necrosis and the coffin stood on the platform.

"Why do I have a good feeling about this encounter?" Necrosis asked evilly. "Oh, that's right! Because after tonight, I'll never have to put up with you two again!" The Petpet started to laugh as he stretched out his arms.

The two friends watched as Necrosis seemed to double in size and strength. Kolin knew that he and Lena had to act fast, for the fate of Neopia was resting in their hands! He quickly forgot all of his previous fears and felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his body.

Without pausing for another moment, Kolin quickly told Lena his plan. "We'll only have one shot at this," he started to explain, as Necrosis began to make his way towards the two friends. "You saw the piece of parchment that he was reading from?"

Lena quickly nodded.

"Well, if I can keep Necrosis distracted long enough, do you think you could somehow destroy it? If no one can read the spell, then Evine can't be awoken!" the Lupe finished, rushing off to meet the Petpet.

Lena was stunned at first by this sudden act of bravery, since she would have never expected it from Kolin before. Deep inside, though, she knew that he was right. They had to stop Necrosis from waking the even greater evil!

With that thought, she hastily made her way around Necrosis, who didn't seem to pay her much mind.

Kolin knew he could not beat such an opponent by himself, so he only planned to keep the Petpet at bay long enough for Lena to dispose of the ancient spell. As the Petpet rushed him, the Lupe feigned to the left, but jumped to the right.

Necrosis was slow to react, and he grabbed nothing but air. The Sludgy could feel his rage building within him. Tonight was the only night he could perform the spell, the only time (until another 2000 years) that he could awaken his mistress!

Finally, their game of Kadoatie and Miamouse came to an end. Kolin felt winded from the constant running as, at last, Necrosis caught him.

"I'll enjoy watching you perform your duty for my mistress!" Necrosis hissed as he held the Lupe in one hand, turning Kolin so he could look into the Lupe's eyes.

Kolin felt as if everything was lost, but hope was quickly restored as Lena's voice filled the room.

"Necrosis, is this yours?" Lena asked, her voice painfully sarcastic.

"The spell!" Necrosis howled, dropping Kolin. The Sludgy started to head down the walkway as fast as he could towards the center platform, but as he reached it, Lena ripped the ancient parchment apart and dropped it off the side. It sailed into the murky abyss.

Without missing a beat, Necrosis jumped for the parchment, but when he realized what he had done, he started to shout not for help, but for forgiveness.

"Evine… I've failed… youuuuuuu!" The Sludgy's voice could be heard as he fell into the darkness below.

Lena rushed to Kolin, who was shaken but unhurt, and the two friends hugged.

As they started to leave the room, Kolin made Lena promise something. "From now on, I choose where we go adventuring," the Lupe said, and the two laughed.

The End