A/N: I can't believe it's been a year since I last updated. I have not forgotten about this story, I swear! Imekitty makes sure of it. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I hope it's been worth the wait.


An Unexpected Friend


Paulina always loved visiting the town of Amity Park. It was hard to pass up any opportunity to browse the shops and street vendors that always had such wonderful trinkets and accessories. And today was no different.

It was just after lunch when Paulina and her friends had decided to explore the town.

Star, Kwan, and Dash were all walking ahead, laughing at something Kwan had said, while Paulina trailed behind.

Amity Park bustled with commotion under the warm afternoon sun. Despite the cloudless sky, the sun's heat was rendered mild from the gentle spring breeze winding through the masses of people crowding the streets. Chattering voices mingled in the air; the buzzing energy filling the atmosphere was almost electric.

Paulina glanced around with an absentminded smile on her lips as she took in the sights and sounds, feeling rejuvenated.

They soon arrived at a park where groups of people were gathered in a large field. A few were lazing around enjoying the warm sun, others were setting up food and blankets for a picnic, some of the more active crowd were playing a variation of football.

It wasn't long before Dash and Kwan joined in a game. Dash boasted his skill while Kwan rambled about how excited he was to meet new people while playing his favourite sport. Paulina and Star sat under the shade of a large tree, opting to enjoy the view instead.

Even under the shade, the heat was beginning to get uncomfortable. Paulina fiddled with her hair and combed it over her shoulder, wondering what style she should do to keep it off her neck. She glanced over at Star, whose shining blonde hair was done up in a simple yet pretty braided bun. Paulina had used up all her hair clips for that, but perhaps she had some more lying around in her purse.

She reached for her purse beside her. Nothing but the soft grass against her fingers. She must have moved it when she was working on Star's hairdo. She looked around and found her purse with its contents spilled over the other side of the tree. Paulina may have been misplacing her things lately, but she was far from messy and disorganized.

Her brows pinched. Could this be the mystery thief that had been targeting her lately?

As she collected all her belongings, something brushed across her arm, an unnatural cold that sent a shiver straight up her arm and across her shoulder blades. Paulina flinched and sat back on her heels, bumping against Star in the process.

Star let out a small noise of disgruntlement, pinning Paulina with an annoyed but confused look. She was speaking, but Paulina's focus was diverted once again to her purse that seemed to be moving of its own will.

"I'll be right back," Paulina explained. Star shrugged and said something about missing out and continued eyeing the group of boys.

Paulina reached for her purse but it slipped out of her grasp instantly. Scrunching her lips in concentration, she tried again. Her fingers found the handle, and she quickly wrapped her hand around it with a relieved smile. Her victory was short-lived when a harsh force pulled her forward and her grip slackened.

The purse zipped across the park toward the dense cover of trees. Paulina gave chase, the absurdity of it all nulled by the spike of frustration and determination to get her purse back. Through the hedges and under the park benches, the purse was relentless in its escape. Paulina kept up as best she could all the while turning sharp corners to avoid getting a face full of bark when the purse went around, or rather, through the trees with supernatural agility.

The park was far behind now. Fewer and fewer trees blocked her path, leaving a much more straightforward chase. She hadn't realized how far the pursuit had led her until she came upon large stone walls. She slowed her pace and eyed her new surroundings warily. The town was nowhere in sight. She'd never gone this far outside of town before.

The floating purse slowed down as well. It waved around as if beckoning her. As if this whole time it was actually trying to lead her here, not run away from her.

Paulina opened her mouth to speak only to shut it immediately.

Was she about to talk to a floating purse?

Perhaps she was losing more than just her belongings.

Paulina shook her head and took a deep breath to center her thoughts once more. It didn't matter how far she had run, or how ridiculous she felt right now. She just had to get her purse back from the little green dog that gazed up at her with bright red eyes.

Paulina blinked once, twice.

Okay, she was definitely losing her mind now.

She didn't even get the chance to react when the dog-like thing—because it couldn't possibly be a real dog with green fur and red eyes—tugged at the hem of her skirt and a weightlessness seized her entire body.

And then, she fell. She didn't know how she could have fallen. She was certain there was solid ground and earth beneath her feet just moments ago and somehow she knew it had not disappeared, it was still there, still around her, encompassing her, moving through her.

But how?

The moment was gone in an instant. Paulina gasped as she tumbled back into reality. Her feet met with solid ground once more. Her eyes darted around and immediately spotted the green dog that, again, was holding onto her purse and prancing around the room wagging its short little tail.

Paulina's lip twitched upward at the sight. Nuisance or not, she couldn't deny that it was absolutely adorable. With a frustrated sigh, she squared her shoulders and marched toward the tiny dog with a reprimanding stare.

"I don't know who or what you are, but you've caused enough trouble for me today. Now, give me back my purse." Paulina held out her hand, her eyes narrowed.

The dog turned around to face her and tilted its head, all too sweetly gazing up at her with those sparkling red eyes. It dropped the purse and yipped cheerfully.

Paulina quelled the urge to gush over the cute little troublemaker, trying her best to look disappointed. She knelt down, about to tell the green creature off again until a flash of light glinted off the collar hidden under the scruff of its neck. She reached out and inspected the collar tag.

"Cujo," she read aloud and was soon rewarded with exuberant yips and excited tail-wagging. "That's your name, then? Cujo?"

The dog barked and hopped into her arms. It began licking affectionately at her face, drawing an unexpected giggle from her. She cleared her throat, reminding herself of why she was here.

"Cujo," she repeated.

Cujo gazed up at her at full attention.

A multitude of questions ran through Paulina's mind. Did Cujo have an owner? Was Cujo even a dog? But dogs couldn't disappear and reappear out of thin air and they absolutely could not transport themselves and other people to different locations in the blink of an eye or even run through trees.

Was its owner also some kind of weird creature with otherworldly abilities?

Whatever the case may be, Cujo had a purpose. And it somehow involved dragging her through all of Amity Park to this bizarre place. At that thought, Paulina took a moment to take in her surroundings.

Tall metal walls stretched high above her. Countertops and observation tables were cluttered with beakers and jars filled with strange coloured liquids and objects. There were shelves full of oddly shaped contraptions, some were displayed on a wall, others dismantled or nearly complete on a large work table. Upon closer inspection, many of the contraptions resembled weapons. All except one.

It was a belt with a sleek silver band and a stylish emerald clasp. Paulina gingerly picked it up, a wave of curiosity and wonder overtaking her senses as her innate desire to try on anything she found fashionable took over.

She had only a moment to admire the new accessory that seemed to fit perfectly around her waist when Cujo's yipping immediately shook her out of her childish trance. Cujo hopped around excitedly and started running toward a path illuminated by an eerie green light.

A toxic green pool of light ebbed and flowed on the far wall, its glow leaking through a gap between two thick black and yellow metal plates. The shape of the containment formed an uneven octagon. Beside it was a small control panel with a flashing red button.

Cujo raced toward the control panel, pawing at it and glancing back at her. Uncertain and wary, Paulina approached Cujo against her better judgment.

A chill began settling across her shoulders and down her spine as she got closer to the metal doors. The whole room hummed to life, as if the machine on the wall were breathing.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. But Cujo was no longer paying attention to her anyway.

Cujo was crouched low, tail between its hind legs as it stared across the room at a set of stairs Paulina had failed to realize when she first stumbled in. Shadows stretched down the steps, and the sound of footsteps echoed around the room.

Cujo suddenly snagged at her skirt again, tugging fitfully enough to pull her toward the swirling green lights. She tried to resist when a voice rang out loud and clear around the room that froze both her and the dog in their tracks.

"Stop right there, intruder."

Paulina stiffened, struck by the thought that she wasn't supposed to be here. She tried to put on the most innocent look she could muster. Her face paled when she found out just who the voice belonged to.

It belonged to a young woman about her age who was staring at her with sharp eyes and an intimidating frown with a hand on the helm of a weapon. Paulina's pulse quickened at the revelation that this woman was a guard, but not just any guard, a royal guard.

A couple more guards arrived, standing at attention a step behind her.

"All posts are secured, Captain Gray," announced one of the guards.

The name tickled a memory in Paulina's mind. There was a knighting ceremony for one of the royal family's most trusted guards passing on his title to his daughter a few months ago. What was her name again? Vanessa? Violet?

Whatever her name was, this girl was not only a royal guard, but the captain of the royal guard.

Paulina gulped. Oh, she was in so much trouble now.

Captain Gray nodded in response to the guard. Her eyes drifted to the belt around Paulina's waist, frown deepening.

"An intruder and a thief."

Paulina looked down at the belt, then back at the captain. "Wait, let me explain—" she started, but her pleas fell on deaf ears when the captain's focus turned to Cujo.

Captain Gray's eyes widened. "You!"

Paulina flinched at the sudden rage in the captain's tone. She held up her hands in an attempt to plead her case again, but Cujo had other plans. With a surprisingly strong pull on her skirt from the little dog, Paulina was forced to follow along.

"Do not let that ghost dog get away again!" ordered the captain.

A...ghost dog?

Paulina stumbled after Cujo, opting to puzzle over the new information later as she fell toward—into—the pool of light between the two metal plates.

Everything happened much too quickly for her liking. Distantly, she heard Captain Gray shouting commands, but it faded as her senses became overwhelmed.

Her skin tingled, her head spun. She swore she was hallucinating when a giant green dog filled her vision amidst a myriad of shades of purple and green and blue humanoid creatures and monsters and—

Ghosts—

Innately, she knew and felt that she was somewhere that wasn't Amity Park, that wasn't the real world, whatever that meant. The feeling was gone in an instant as the tingling on her skin faded and she was back in a place that she could only explain as real.

She groaned, holding onto her head as she noted for the second time that day that she was back on solid ground. Cujo's barking was muffled in the background paired with another voice she couldn't pick out. Maybe it was the captain's voice, maybe she had been captured and taken to the dungeons to pay for her crimes of being a little green dog's accomplice.

A little green ghost dog.

She opened her eyes. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, she again looked around, noting the shiny metal walls, floors, and tables that looked similar to the room she was in just before, the only difference being that this room seemed much neater, cleaner.

And instead of a scary, angry captain of the royal guard, there was a handsome young man standing next to an impossible giant of a dog that towered over both of them.

A giant, green ghost dog.

It was official, then: She had completely lost her mind.