It was just past midnight in the Haunted Woods, in a large, imposing manor near the center. Surrounded by a garden of slumbering, carnivorous plants, it seemed as if even the phantoms in the woods were refusing to draw near, allowing the residents of the mansion to sleep…
…for a while.

A Christmas Vandagyre was sprawled out in her bed, drool running from the side of her beak as she-

Tap tap tap.

The Vandagyre merely rolled over, letting out a mumble as she hugged her pillow and kept her eyes closed, still deep in-

Tap tap tap.

Pulling her pillow over her head, the Vandagyre further nestled into her mattress and-

BANG BANG BANG.

That startled the Vandagyre awake, causing her to sit up in bed in a panic. She paused to wipe some dried saliva from her cheek, her eyes darting around as she heard a muffled voice.

"Symonious! I know you're home, LET ME IN!"

Scrambling out of her bed, Symonious rushed to put on a robe and her slippers, hurrying downstairs and towards her front door. She threw the door open, nearly taking out a very short Darigan Wocky who was waiting on the porch.

"Tolnaftate?" Symonious rubbed her eye sleepily as she glared at her unexpected visitor. "It's… It's 1 AM."

"I don't care what time it is! I-I had nowhere else to take them!" The Wocky in front of her was panicking in a way Symonious hadn't ever seen from her before, and sensing the seriousness of whatever this situation was managed to fully awaken the Vandagyre. She tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"Take… who?" Symonious happened to glance behind Tolnaftate, seeing what looked like some kind of large blanket or tarp with… something bundled up inside it.

Tolnaftate was continuing to ramble about something, peppered with an occasional apology, as Symonious took a step towards the bundle on her porch. The Vandagyre gently tugged the fabric away, only to reveal a Royal Cybunny and a Plushie Kau who looked noticeably… Greyer.

Letting out a yelp, Symonious backed away from the pair, exclaiming, "They got cursed!?"

"I just, I just woke up a-and, it's not just them!" Tolnaftate explained frantically. "Just let us in! Now, now, now!"

The Wocky and Vandagyre dragged the Grey Neopians into the mansion, Symonious taking a moment to heft the Cybunny onto the couch in the living room while Tolnaftate picked the Kau up and propped her up in a chair.

Once everyone was settled, Tolnaftate was anxiously pacing around the living room, her boots beginning to smoulder as Symonious watched her walk in little circles. Her fluffy tail was swishing erratically, her brows furrowed in concern as she kept glancing to her companions.

Symonious headed upstairs to get Erican before returning to the living room, and by this point, Tolnaftate had a little ring of footprints going around in a circle burnt into a rug. The ghost Aisha quirked an eyebrow at the Wocky as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Okay, Tolnaftate, just calm down. You're going to burn a hole straight through the floor." Erican spoke up. "Tell us what happened."

Pausing for just a moment to breathe, Tolnaftate looked up at the ghost before saying, "I just, I was going down to Meridell, and… it's Grey."

"What do you mean it's Grey?" Symonious asked.

"I mean it's Grey! I know what I saw! Everything; the grass, the buildings, the sky, th-the… the people…" Tolnaftate was looking increasingly panicked as she explained, her fur frizzing up as her ears lowered. "I just went to Lonnie's farm, and, and they were both like this!"

Erican nodded as he glanced at the two before shrugging his shoulders. "We can keep them here until morning… Necroptosis could probably use her magic to fix them, and-"

Tolnaftate pulled a three-ring binder out of her cloak, holding it up and waving it to get the Aisha and Vandagyre to both look at it. "I tried that already! Magic's not working, I can't even give them disguises… What if they're st-stuck like this forever!?"

"I'm sure they'll be okay, Tolnaftate." Symonious chimed in, giving the Wocky a sympathetic look. "Listen, why don't you just head back to Darigan Citadel-"

"Nuh uh." The Wocky abruptly answered. She looked haunted at the mere suggestion of going back, and her boots began smouldering again. "Can't do it. Won't do it."

Exchanging a silent look with her housemate, Symonious turned her attention back to Tolnaftate before letting out a sigh. "Well, okay… you can take Sythian's room until we figure out where else to put you. He's staying in the bunker in the basement anyway."

Nodding numbly, the Wocky slinked towards the hallway, while Erican and Symonious went to retrieve some blankets and pillows for their sudden guests.

-

In a beach house on Roo Island, the five residents had just finished breakfast and were beginning to clean up together. As everyone else actually worked, a zombie Ruki was sitting at the table scrolling on his phone, his expression troubled.

"You could help instead of being on your phone, yknow." The Disco Kacheek who was loading the dishwasher spoke up, while a Gold Blumaroo who was taking the tablecloth off tried to peek at what her brother was looking at.

"Oh gosh… Fergie, come here…" The Blumaroo spoke up, standing on her tail in order to further loom over her brother and his phone. The Kacheek sighed before joining the pair, accompanied by an Elderly Ogrin.

As the group silently observed posts about the strange occurrence in Meridell, everyone's gaze was slowly drawn to the Zombie Ruki holding the phone. His brows were furrowed, his antennae twitching anxiously.

The Ogrin gently rested a paw on his shoulder. "Shean. Go."

Shean turned to look at his family, his breath hitching in his chest as he remembered what happened the last time he had tried to go and help Neopia.
How he had… well… died.

Fergie seemed to sense his apprehension. "Hey, you've gotten way stronger since last time. You got this."

Shean let out a sigh as he lowered his phone, getting up from the table and turning to his sisters and parent… before hugging all three of them tightly. The family embraced together for a moment before letting the Ruki go, and Shean scurried to his bedroom as fast as he could.

Throwing open his closet door, the Ruki pulled out his newer, sleeker suit of armor; a far cry from the bulky suit he wore during the resurgence of wraiths. He quickly put it on, before then opening a crate of weapons at the foot of his bed and removing a pair of scabbards, each containing a different sword.

One sword was jagged and black, burning with a heat so intense it'd seer the very air it swung through.
The other was covered in a magical plasma from the hilt to the tip of the blade, its fine edge conveying a lethal elegance.

Once he had his scabbards on his belt, the Ruki made his way to the front door, pausing to bid his family one last goodbye.

Fergie appeared to linger the longest as she hugged the Ruki, before whispering, "Come back in one piece this time, okay?"

This time, he was positive he would.