The Four Lost NeoPets

by Nara

Part 3

Arwen came to lying on sand. She opened her eyes and saw her friends looking down at her anxiously. "I'm okay…," she groaned. She was sore all over from lying in the same position for so long. The peophin lifted herself into a sitting position and looked around her. They were on a beach that bordered what looked like an ocean. The beach got rockier farther up on the shore until it ended at the base of a very high cliff.

"Where are we?" asked Arwen, still a little dazed.

"No idea. The whirlpool dumped us here," replied Grolth, who was shaking water out of her ears.

They sat in silence for a moment, all thinking the same thing: how were they going to get home? Arwen continued to look around her. Cliffs, ocean and beach extended as far as the eye could see. It didn't look like there was anyway out without scaling the cliffs, since their boat had been wrecked by the whirlpool. Just then, Arwen noticed a few openings in the cliff face.

"Look!" she said, pointing. "Caves!" Everyone turned to look. Grolth stood up and walked off.

"I'll be back in a sec!" she called over her shoulder. Arwen watched her enter one of the caves.

Arwen suddenly realized something. "I'm thirsty," she said.

"Me too," agreed Greenleaf.

A few minutes later, Grolth returned, looking satisfied. "Come on! I found water and it's nice and cool in there!" she reported. They stood up immediately and headed quickly for the cave. They soon reached the entrance and stepped inside to let their eyes adjust to the darkness. They were standing in a passageway that turned a corner not too far ahead. Also not too far away was the sound of rushing water. They set off, Grolth in the lead. The tunnel got narrower and narrower until they were forced to walk single file. Arwen was starting to wonder how much longer they were going to have to walk when they stopped. Arwen raised herself up to peer over Emariled's shoulder. A short blue Shoyru had stopped them.

"Who are you?" Grolth asked him, annoyed.

"I'm Droamon. You have to get out of here before they catch you!"

"Who?" Grolth asked suspiciously.

"The Dark Faeries! They captured me and I just escaped. They'll be coming for me. You have to leave!"

"We're not leaving without water."

"But--but--"

"I said, we're not--"

"Okay, fine! Follow me. But be quiet!"

Droamon led them off into the gloom. A short while later they reached an underground river.

"Okay, hurry up!" the Shoyru whispered nervously. Arwen had never been happier to see a river. She drank her fill and then plunged her whole head in. Water swirled around her nose. Just then she felt a paw on her back and pulled her dripping face out. Keriana was staring off into the darkness, her paw to her lips. Arwen followed her gaze and saw two approaching shadows. Droamon the Shoyru looked terrified and raced into the nearest tunnel. The others followed swiftly. They emerged in a room with walls of rows of crystals. They were all different colors and sparkled in the light pouring in from a large, round hole in the ceiling.

"We should be safe in here for now," Droamon said quietly. Arwen looked around, admiring the crystals. She saw Greenleaf gazing longingly at one. The Uni reached out to touch it…

"No! Stop!" Droamon shouted, running over. It was too late. As Greenleaf stared at the magnificent crystal in her hand, the walls began to melt into lava.

"Whoops!" said Greenleaf sheepishly.

"Come on!" Droamon shouted at her. The two flew up to the hole in the ceiling and lowered a long rope. Arwen and the others struggled up it. She glanced down and saw that the whole floor was now covered in boiling, churning lava. They soon reached to top and dragged themselves out. By the time the neopets were safely out, the lava had risen almost to the hole they had just climbed through.

"Come on!" Grolth said urgently, stumbling off over the rocks. They ran.