AN: Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction work, and I hope you'll enjoy it! I plan on posting the next chapter soon, so please expect it. Thank you, and please tell me what you think!

Oh, and I don't own Neopets in any way, I'm just contributing some of my writing for it. :'D

I patiently turn my head to check the surroundings, eager to continue our trip. My scales feel uncomfortable resting on the warm, sandy terrain, and so I shift my body to a position where my tail is able to sway freely.

Looking up to meet your eyes, I see them intently watching something. I follow your gaze to a little Acara cuddling with her Candychan and cooing with delight while fawning over the rosy creature. Suddenly, a much older Krawk strides past with his Galleon regally marching alongside him, its orange and blue coat glossy in the sunlight. They narrowly avoid an Elephante skipping rope with her plump, giggling Hasee, and instead veer off towards the smooth path.

You quickly turn on your heel, walking at a brisk pace in the opposite direction, and I struggle as I try to keep up. I can see the discontent in your eyes as they quickly glance over me, obviously agitated by something.

Clink, clink, clink.

The soft jingling in your pocket reminds me of your lack of will to earn any more neopoints after your last failed endeavor, and how disgruntled you are with yourself. Your onyx spikes and deep purple complexion only add to your menacing demeanor as you continue along with that quick pace, leaving me to slowly trail behind.

My claws tap against the cold stone floor and echo through the narrow, stifling passageway.

I see you straining to look around the darkness, which is no problem for me, considering my luminous eyes. I slightly nudge you to get your attention; perhaps if you hold me in your arms and use my eyes to illuminate the way, you will be able to navigate yourself more easily. But instead, you shove me away with a pointed toe and a disdainful glance, hugging the walls as you try to reach the location. After a few stoic moments, we arrive at a small door, just barely large enough for me, let alone you, to pass through.

Knock, knock, knock.

A small smile starts forming on your lips as we wait for someone to answer. I see your eyes glinting in a calculating way, glancing back from me to the door.

Creeeaaak…

With a grinding creak, the heavy door groans open. Standing just past the opening is a small, dull yellow and blue Kookith clad in a grungy lab coat. His hair is a mass of equally dirty grayness, and a revolting stench reeks from him. His hands are clasped over each other in a frightening manner, and he slowly rubs them as if he is finely mashing something between his repulsive palms. His crooked, wide, and toothless smile gives him an even more deranged appearance as he slowly makes his way out of the shadows.

But those attributes are incomparable to the most chilling features on his face: his eyes. They are large and bloodshot and lacking pupils. Instead, the centers of his eyes give way to eerie, yellow swirls, gyrating in a haunted manner. As he stares at me, I can feel the back of my throat going dry. Those terrifying swirls pierce through me, chilling me to the bone and causing my heart to throb loudly against my small ribcage.

Schff, schff, schff.

His paws make an odd sound as he edges toward us; it sounds like his is dragging himself across the stone and grime. A small cloud of black soot forms every time he shuffles forward, contaminating his coat even more.

I meet his gaze fiercely before my own eyes start faltering against his hypnotic trance, earning a sneer from the vile scientist. He reaches towards me with those foul hands, and I shrink back in disgust. You notice, however, and kick me forward with those barbed toes, causing me to squeak in discomfort. The maniac then snickers and dives forward, grabbing me by my tail.

"So I see that this is your pet, eh?" he screeches with glee as he holds fast to my shivering tail.

His voice is every bit as loathsome as his appearance. As he rasps out his words, they sound high pitched and grating, as if they are being grinded by some horrid contraption. His voice cracks as he says this, emphasizing his terrifying sentence and making it sound even more ghastly.

"A Chuchana. They're very popular specimens, you know," he continues while looking directly at you. "After all, they are one of the cheapest petpets Neopia has to offer," he finishes with a cackle.

I turn my head to face you with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and my body goes cold as I see your half grin, half sneer.

"Exactly," you reply, with a contemptuous glance at me. "What can I lose? It's useless, and there's nothing special about it at all. Maybe if it had some extraordinary talent, I'd have some use for it. But since it doesn't, I brought it here. Maybe I'll get a lucky zap, and it'll even turn into a Moltenore!" you finish with a greedy glint in your eye.

"You do realize that even if it gets zapped into a Moltenore, once you remove it, it'll revert back to this inane thing?" the nefarious scientist sharply grumbles. "You won't be able to sell it."

"Oh, I'm not talking about selling it. I'm talking about social status. One of my friends was very unpopular because he had an Altachuck, can you imagine, one of those vile,reprehensible things? Well, he came here one day and zapped that idiotic thing into a Flizzardo! A Flizzardo, can you believe it? And-"

"Yes, I'm very sure I can believe it, since I'm the one who zapped it about a week ago," the lunatic interrupts.

"Yes, well, anyway, his social status shot up the ladder! He's invited to all these parties every week; lavish, grand balls where-"

"Indeed," mutters the disgruntled Kookith. "And I suppose you would like to do the same thing to this scaly rat, am I correct?" he chuckles evilly as his gaze once again abruptly focuses on me, his paws tightly clenching around my tail to prevent any means of escape.

I turn back to look at you, but to my horror, you immediately squeal "Yes! Of course!" without even so much as a glance in my direction.

And then all the memories come rushing back and flood my senses.