But the thought escaped almost as soon as it presented; Elisa’s aching muscles demanded all of her attention. Slowly, slowly, slowly, she sat up. Was she in…a cave? It was hot if it was a cave, but the ground beneath her felt rocky. Very rocky, if the numerous sore spots on her back were any indication.

Her vision began to clear, and she realized that while it was dim, it wasn’t black inside … wherever she was. Cave, she supposed, was a good enough approximation for where she was. At least for the moment. But whatever it was, wherever she was, there was a dim glow coming from somewhere. Whatever that glow was, she felt suddenly certain it had been what she’d been heading towards.

With a quiet groan, Elisa stood, and began making her way towards the dim glow. It was…red? No, she decided…orange. Her vision was adjusting, although her eyes felt dry and sticky, as if she’d had them closed for an inordinately long time. As her muscles protested, she decided Peophins were simply not meant to lie on rocks for any period of time. Not that there was much she could do about that at the moment, as the past was in the past, but she irreverently filed that thought away for future reference.

It felt like eons, but it was probably only minutes later that she found herself staring at the source of the glow. If she had expected fire, expected flames, or even lava, she would have been disappointed, as the heat in the cave didn’t seem to be related to the glow at all. Instead, strange markings on the wall were shedding the dim orange light. Stumbling closer, Elisa peered at the strange marks, trying to understand them.

Abruptly, the fuzziness of her mind clearing finally, she realized she was looking at letters, but in a language she only barely recognized. She had to think hard to translate, and even as she did so she stumbled over each word…but when she finally read the message, she couldn’t help but gasp.

“You are being watched…”

Someone is trying to mess with me, she thought. That's all this is, a stupid joke.

"Just... focus on getting out of here, Elisa" she murmured to herself. "Don't play their game, just leave and be on your way."

She stared at the letters for a little while longer. Elisa could read it, but despite racking her brain she didn't know how she knew these letters, only that she did know them.

"I just need to get home and lie down... preferably not on a pile of rocks," she said to herself determinedly.

When the Peophin was finally able to tear herself away from the wall, she walked through the cave. As she got further and further away from the glowing message, the cave began to get darker. Elisa jumped when she felt something beneath her that was decidedly not a rock. It was smooth, yet it had sharp corners. She reached down and picked it up, deciding that it was a book. It felt a bit old and worn, but all the pages appeared to be intact, and it did not seem waterlogged.

Though she knew she was making progress toward the exit, curiosity drove Elisa back to the glow of the wall to read the contents of the mysterious book. She cracked it open and found that it was written in the same foreign alphabet as the message on the cave wall. She gasped at the first line she was able to make out:

'Day 18, Month of Eating, Y89 - Subject is beginning to show signs of life and should awaken soon. Stand by to begin phase two of the experiment...'

"Ah!"

Dropping the book, Elisa cried out, flippers clutching onto her head. The sound reverberated in the silent cave, echoing.

Her mind was in a hazy daze as the throbbing eased into a dull ache. There was something on the tip of her tongue, as if she knew something but it was just out of her reach.

"What... was that?" she wandered aloud, "this-- all of this just feels so alien yet familiar at the same time."

Last she checked, the year had been Y19, yet the date stated in the book was exactly 70 years into the future.

"How is that possible?" she shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "The only logical conclusion I can make is...

"No way that old book is 70 years into the future," Elisa huffed, then raising her voice. "C'mon, time travel? That's ridiculous! It's one week too late for any April Fool's joke!"

Her words only echoed through the cave.

"Hey, you can come out now," she tried again, "I already figured it out, there's no point hiding!"

But once again, there was no responses.

"Er, a-anyone there?" This time, the Peophin could not help the slight tremor in her voice. "Please answer me? I swear I won't get mad at you or anything?"

Silence.

"There really is no one around," she whispered, and she was getting afraid now. "W-what if... this is real?"

With that resolution firmly in mind, Elisa began to explore the cave again. The book was firmly clenched against her chest, but she did her best to ignore it. There was really nothing there she wanted to read. Besides, her head was still hurting from the last attempt.

She left the dull orange glow behind, she realized she was sweating. It really was very hot in here. She had better find an exit soon, because she had no water at all. For food, all she could find was some stale gum in one of her pockets - and that wasn’t going to get her very far.

Elisa walked on in the dark for a while, the orange glow left behind. Though she earned a few more bruises as she walked from not being able to see the odd rock or outcrop, the walk was largely uneventful. Until she realized suddenly that she could hear more than just the echoes of her own footsteps. She jerked to a stop, holding herself deathly still; she knew that sound! That was…

Elisa followed the sound of the water until up ahead she saw a small stream. Delighted she ran over to the stream and took a sip, the water tasted so good.

Suddenly, Elisa noticed a slight glow up ahead. She walked towards the glow and as she got closer, she realized exactly where she was.

"The Faerie Caverns," she whispered, staring up ahead in awe.

In-front of her was a giant treasure chest. Elisa thought back to stories she had heard about the caverns. "Many neopets have wandered in, trying to find treasure, but few have ever made it out."

Yet Here, right in front of Elisa was the treasure, she had to attempt to take some. Elisa slowly made her way towards the treasure chest when she heard a thump behind her. Elisa turned around to see...

Elisa immediately bowed her head. "Fyora! What are you doing here?"

"A Neopian finding my treasure is so rare, I had to come to celebrate the occasion," Fyora answered with a smile. "How did you come to this place?"

"I - I don't know," Elisa admitted shyly. "I woke up not knowing where I was." She held the notebook out to Fyora. "This book says that it's Y89. I'm very confused."

Fyora took the notebook, thumbed through a few pages, and frowned. "Hm, interesting. I believe I know what has happened here. This could only be the work of..."

Fyora gave her an odd look. “Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while,” she said, her voice strangely neutral. There was a careful pause, and then the Queen shook her head. “No, I was going to say the Scientist down in Neopia Central.”

Elisa blinked. “Oh, umm, right,” she muttered. Her head still ached, and she felt sweaty. Since when were the Faerie Caverns so…hot? “How…how did I get here then?” she asked.

Fyora shrugged. “I’m not sure, little one. Science is not what I typically concern myself with,” she replied. Elisa had the uncomfortable feeling she’d just been told to solve her own problem.

“Oh, uh, right…” she muttered again, feeling particularly articulate.

Fyora smiled kindly. “I think you’d better go ask the Scientist himself, dear. Here - I’ll give you a shortcut,” she said, and then waved one regal hand.

The Peophin found herself breathing in sweet lavender smoke; when it cleared, she was in Neopia Central. But Elisa could only stare, dumb-founded. It was Neopia Central, yes, but….

Elisa tore her eyes away from the landscape in front of her and glanced around her, looking for Fyora. The faerie was nowhere in sight to aid her. Great.

Was this Y89? she wondered, did I actually time-travel? She walked forward, looking for anyone that looked like a scientist, or anyone in general. Where ever she was, it was incredibly hot. The sun looked somehow closer. She spotted a Lenny leaving what appeared to be a run-down version of the book shop.

"Excuse me!" Elisa stopped the Lenny, "do you know anyone around here called the Scientist?"

The Lenny looked astonished to see her in front of him. After a few seconds of staring at Elisa in amazement and wiping his glasses on his button-down shirt, he responded.

"I am the Scientist," he answered confidently, "I know who you are! You're Subject 59! Or was it 49?" The Scientist put his feathers up to his mouth in thought.

"Yep! Welcome to the future, 49!" the Scientist said happily, gesturing towards the beaten shops around them, "any questions?" Elisa stared at the lenny in shock. After finally regaining her composure, she responded.

"Am I really in Y89? Did I time travel?"

"No! That's silly!" he giggled, "I simply put you to sleep for 70 years! No biggie, right?" He pulled a miniature notebook out of his coat and wrote something down on it cheerfully.

Experiment successful.

The End.