Katie had booked semi-permanent accommodations for her Neopets at Cockroach Towers in Neopia Central. The name was deceiving - it really was a nice place, if lacking in luxuries boasted of by more expensive hotels. Several rooms on the very top floor were reserved for Katie's Neopets. This was a precaution she took to ensure her Neopets were well cared for when she was absent. Like many other owners, there were times when she visited daily, but there were also times when the real world kept her from logging on for days or even months at a time.

At the time of Ai's adoption, Katie only had one other Neopet. He was a Red Acara named Emith, and he was relaxing in his room with a book when Katie returned with the newly adopted Ai.

"Emith!" Katie called, knocking at his door. She looked down at Ai and gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. I wouldn't have adopted you if I didn't think you would like him."

Ai gave her a nervous smile in return.

The door opened. "Welcome back, Katie. Who's this?" He was bigger and more muscular than Ai, but his eyes were friendly.

"This is Ai. I just adopted her," Katie explained.

"Hello," Ai said shyly.

"Come on in." Emith's room looked like any other hotel room, with no individualized decorations, except for the books. He had a large bookcase in one corner, with every shelf filled, and there were more books on the nightstand and the bed. "Do you like to read?" he asked Ai. She nodded. "You can borrow any of my books if you like."

"Thank you. What kind of books do you read?"

"Anything he can get his paws on. If you can't find him, check the bookstore or the Mystery Island Training School," Katie said with a laugh.

"Right now, I'm researching the history of Maraqua and Captain Scarblade," Emith said. "I know Acaras come from Maraqua, but I've never been there. Have you?"

"No, I haven't," Ai said, finding herself relaxing already. "My parents used to live in one of the kingdoms he destroyed, the Emerald Kingdom. Have you heard of it?"

"The Emerald Kingdom?" Emith thought for a moment. "I can't say that I have. Where is it?"

"It hasn't been rebuilt," Ai said sadly. "My parents never told me where it was."

Katie smiled, watching the two talk. Emith had never said he was lonely, but she'd felt for a while that he really did need a friend when she was gone. It seemed she had made a good choice when she adopted Ai.

The pair of Acaras quickly bonded. Emith easily took on a big brother role for the timid Ai, and with his encouragement, she started to venture out into the world bit by bit. Katie checked in on them as frequently as she could, but life took an unexpected turn, and she disappeared for a while. Emith wasn't concerned, and he did his best to distract Ai from her mounting anxiety.

"How about we go to Faerieland today?" he asked one morning.

"Faerieland?"

"Yeah. I've heard the bookshop there has some new books in stock."

"How would we get there?" This was a long time ago, when Faerieland was high up in the clouds above Neopia.

"There's an Air Faerie taxi service. You know the cloud racers? It's that kind of thing, but the vehicles are bigger so they can carry passengers," Emith explained. Unlike Ai, he'd explored most of Neopia, and his confidence helped her feel much safer on their travels.

The Air Faerie taxis weren't particularly busy, so they were able to get a ride and step out on the clouds within the hour. Ai looked around in awe, eyes wide as she tried to take it all in. "This is beautiful!" she gasped.

The pink clouds underfoot were soft and solid at the same time, kind of like walking on a big mattress. Faeries of all kinds flew here and there, leaving sparkling trails of faerie dust behind them. The streets were full of Neopets - shopping, heading to the employment agency, visiting specific faeries, just wandering around - there were as many reasons to visit Faerieland as there were Neopets. Those with wings joined the faeries up above, and sometimes an occasional race would break out.

"The bookshop is this way," Emith said, waking Ai from her reverie.

A chime tinkled as they entered the shop, and the Library Faerie looked over her shoulder to greet them. Her arms were full of books, and she flitted from shelf to shelf, putting them all away. "Welcome! Do you need any assistance?" she asked as she worked.

"Yes, actually. Do you know anything about the Emerald Kingdom?"

Ai looked up at Emith, startled.

"Hm, the Emerald Kingdom. It sounds familiar... Was that in the ocean?" The Library Faerie had finished putting her books away and she landed softly in front of the pair.

"Yes, it was destroyed by Captain Scarblade," Ai volunteered.

"That's right! If I'm not mistaken, there were seven major kingdoms he destroyed, one for each ocean. I'll be right back." She took flight again, zipping from shelf to shelf, muttering to herself.

"What made you ask about that?" Ai asked.

"Your parents' stories are really intriguing. And the green tiara they gave you - I think there's something very important about it all," Emith explained. "I figured, while we were here, it was worth a shot to ask about it, right?"

"Here we are!" The Library Faerie landed again, a new stack of books in her arms. "Most of these are about Maraqua, but I'm hoping there's at least some mention of the Emerald Kingdom."

The three of them divided the stack amongst themselves and sat down to study. For whatever reason, it was a slow day at the bookshop, so they weren't disturbed until Emith's stomach started growling at lunchtime.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

The Library Faerie laughed. "I think it's about time we all took a break. Have either of you found anything?"

"I did," Ai volunteered. "This book mentions the seven kingdoms that were destroyed, but it only names two: Maraqua and the Emerald Kingdom. That's all it says, though."

"Same here," Emith said. "I found it named in one place, but that's it."

"There was nothing about it in these books," the Library Faerie said sadly. "I think you should talk to Queen Fyora about this."

"Oh, surely this isn't important enough to disturb her!" Ai exclaimed.

"I'm not sure why, but I believe your search is more important than you may realize. She'll be in the Hidden Tower. I can give you directions, but you'd better get some lunch first."

Next door at Faerie Foods, Ai and Emith ordered their food and sat down at a table. "This is exciting," Emith said, a sparkle in his eyes.

"I don't know," Ai said uncertainly. "I mean, I would like to know more about my parents' home, but it's a little overwhelming."

Emith gave her a sympathetic smile. "If it would make you feel better, I could go see Queen Fyora alone, and you could go back to the bookshop and work on the crossword puzzle."

Ai bit her lip. "Maybe that would be best. I know Queen Fyora is supposed to be really nice, but she's a queen, and it's just kind of intimidating."

"Don't worry about it. You've already pushed yourself a lot today. I'll make sure you're settled at the bookshop, and then I'll go to the Hidden Tower."

"Thanks, Emith." Ai let out a sigh of relief.

"No problem."

The Library Faerie's directions made it easy for Emith to find the Hidden Tower. As he walked in the door, Queen Fyora spotted him and beckoned to him.

"Hello, Queen Fyora," he said, bowing politely.

"You're Emith, right? Let's go over here where we can talk." She led him to a quiet corner, away from the excited shoppers. "I know of your search, but I am afraid I do not know where the Emerald Kingdom is located. However, I do know something that may be of help to you. When I was young, my mother told me stories of the Emerald Kingdom. She and the Earth Faeries combined their powers to make an indestructible emerald palace for that Kingdom. The palace was an exact replica of this castle here in Faerieland."

A Mynci holding a Royal Paint Brush interrupted them. "Queen Fyora, I'm ready to buy this!"

Queen Fyora responded cheerfully, "I will be right with you." She turned to Emith again and added, "I suggest you ask around the islands of Neopia; perhaps somebody has seen the emerald castle of which I told you. Try Captain Threelegs on Krawk Island. He is a wealth of information where the seas are concerned."

Emith filled Ai in on the taxi ride back to Neopia Central. "I think I'll go to Krawk Island tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?"

Ai shook her head. "If you don't mind, I think I'd rather stay home."

"Sure. I'll leave first thing in the morning, then. I should be back by dinnertime."

The next morning, Emith arrived at the Swashbuckling Academy on Krawk Island in time to see Captain Threelegs the Eyrie, affectionately known as Cap'n Threelegs by his students, teaching a course in Speed.

"Argh, hurry it up thar, sailor! I can run faster than that wi' just one o' me three legs! Move it afore I send ye ter Davy Jones' locker!"

Emith hesitantly approached the Cap'n and asked, "Um, Cap'n Threelegs? May I speak with you?"

"Argh, ain't that what ye be doin' right now?" the Cap'n responded gruffly. "What is it ye want? If it's trainin', quit the Mystery Island Trainin' School an' bring me some dubloons."

"No, it's actually not about training at all," Emith pressed on, undeterred. "I'm looking for a place called the Emerald Kingdom. Have you ever seen or heard of an underwater emerald castle?"

The Cap'n's whole demeanor changed. "All righty sailors, lunch break! An' as for ye," he said, turning to Emith, "we need ter find a quiet place ter talk. How aboot I treat ye at the Golden Dubloon?"

Emith tried denying the invitation, as he knew how expensive the Dubloon could be, but the Cap'n insisted. They were soon seated in the darkest, most isolated corner of the grounded ship. "So, ye be wantin' ter know of a green castle, eh?" the Cap'n began. Emith nodded enthusiastically.

The Cap'n continued: "Most people don't know this aboot me - and if ye tell anybody I'll test what ye've learned at the Mystery Island Trainin' School, if ye know what I mean--whar was I? Ah, yes, when I were a young lad, me father were a sailing merchant. He'd tell me stories of all the places he'd visited, but me favorite stories were of a green castle like what ye be askin' aboot. His were a dangerous job, what wi' Cap'n Scarblade loose on the seven seas. Alas, sad were the day when me dad came home an' told me the beautiful green kingdom were gone. Thar weren't no rubble nor any foundations for the castle--it just disappeared."

He paused dramatically. Emith waited for a few seconds and then blurted out, "But that's impossible! Surely there must have been a ruin somewhere, and the pets! Somebody must've survived?"

Cap'n Threelegs pounded his mug down on the table. "Are ye questionin' the wisdom o' me dad? No, he knew the oceans like the backs o' his paws, and it weren't thar no more. He went back thar several times an' never found nothin'. It were gone. An' don't go askin' me where it were supposed ter be--I don't know, an' me dad's old maps are all gone. Well - come ter think of it, just afore me dad's last voyage, he said he were goin' ter Mystery Island ter look fer some o' the pets what used ter live in the green castle. Now if that be enough for ye, I've got me a class ter teach. Goodbye."

He got up and left Emith in silence. Emith nibbled absentmindedly at his fish and chips, pondering what he'd been told. A sharp "ahem" brought him to his senses: the waitress was standing over the table, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently. "Are ye goin' ter pay fer that?"

Emith managed to find a few dubloons and left with the firm knowledge that the Cap'n was a pirate for sure. It wasn't even lunchtime yet, so he headed to the harbor and chartered a boat for Mystery Island.

His boat pulled ashore on Mystery Island about an hour later. Not sure how he should go about his business, he decided to start by asking the Tiki Tours JubJub a few questions. He didn't have to go far to find the tour guide. The JubJub was waiting for the next batch of tourists to land, and he hopped right up to Emith and shouted, "Take a Tiki Tour for only 50NP! See all of Mystery Island in under an hour!"

Emith took a step back, as the JubJub was standing rather close. "Um, thanks, but I don't need a tour. I've been here before."

Undeterred, the JubJub hopped closer and continued: "New places and items added every day! Take a tour for only 50NP!"

Emith took another step back. "No, I don't want a tour; I want to ask you some questions."

The persistent JubJub took another hop forward. "Vocal tours cost an extra 50NP! Hop in my cart and I'll tell you about the many mysteries of Mystery Island!"

Emith stepped back again and one of his back paws slipped off the edge of the dock. He righted himself carefully. "Are you even listening to me? I just want to ask you a question!"

The JubJub hopped onto Emith's front paws. "Questions are an extra 50NP! Ask anything you want over the tour and I'll tell you all the answers!"

With nowhere to go, Emith relented. "Fine, I'll take the tour! Here is your 150NP. Now, as for my question-"

The JubJub took his money and hopped back to his cart, shouting over his shoulder, "No questions answered until after the tour! Get in the cart and I'll show you around!"

Emith wasn't paying too much attention to the tour until they arrived at Geraptiku. "The ancient, abandoned village of Geraptiku was home to strange pets many, many years ago," the Jubjub said knowledgeably. "Some say the ancients were natives chased away by new arrivals to Mystery Island; some say they were new arrivals who wished to hide in the forest away from enemies of some kind. Whatever the case, they are all gone now, and only a few trinkets are left in the village and its giant tomb to give any clues as to who the pets were and why they disappeared."

"Stop the cart! I'll get out here."

The JubJub didn't even turn to look at him, but continued pulling the cart along, saying, "The second half of the tour is still to come. All passengers are required to stay in the cart until the end of the tour."

There was no point in arguing, so Emith replied, "Not this passenger. See you later!" Before the Jubjub could say anything else, he jumped out of the cart and bolted for Geraptiku.

The JubJub shouted frantically, "Wait! Stop! This is against regulations! All passengers - " He continued shouting, but his voice finally faded away as Emith put distance between them. By the time Emith reached the middle of the abandoned village, the JubJub was completely out of hearing range. Emith stopped, grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath, and looked around at the desolate village. Bones and broken pottery lay strewn across the clearing. Strange Petpets sat and lay around an old hut with a money jar in front of them. The ziggurat tomb of the old residents loomed over the forest to the northwest. He headed toward it.

The door was jammed shut, but a fallen log nearby worked quite well as a fulcrum to lift it up just enough for Emith to slip inside. He paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and the log crunched behind him as the door slammed shut. He was trapped. He took a few deep breaths to quell his rising fear. Acara eyes are keen, but they do require at least a fraction of light to make anything out, and he was surrounded by pitch black. He cautiously felt his way along the passageway, tripping over the occasional bone. It was a good thing Ai hadn't come with him, he reflected. At least he would have a good story to tell, when he made it back home. And he would make it back. He couldn't allow himself to think otherwise. He would make it out of here somehow.

He didn't know exactly how long he wandered the maze of the tombs, but it was safe to say it took at least a few hours. Finally, his eyes started to make out the scenes around him, and he knew there must be a light source close by. Relieved and reinvigorated, he continued on until he came to a hole where the glorious shafts of light broke into the gloom. It was just wide enough for him to squeeze out, and he wasted no time doing so. On the other side, in the dazzling rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds above, lay a tropical forest. Bright red and blue flowers adorning equally bright green leaves surrounded him, and the air was wet with humidity. This was not Geraptiku. He wasn't so sure it was even Mystery Island. All was silent. A sudden flash of lightning arced across the sky above, and rain began to fall, but there was no accompanying roll of thunder.

Well, there was nothing to do but to keep walking.

Eventually, the thick vegetation broke and Emith stepped out into a clearing. Bright red and blue buildings on stilts dotted the area, and mud-coated slides led from the front doors down and out of sight to the shore nearby. Lutari of all colors froze in their steps, looking at Emith in surprise. His mind was spinning. This had to be the mythical Lutari Island. Its location was unknown - it wasn't marked on any map of Neopia, and from the stories he'd heard, it seemed to move around. None of those stories mentioned the Geraptiku tomb. Did its ancient passageways really extend under the ocean to Lutari Island?

A Rainbow Lutari rose from his mudslide, shaking himself and splattering mud on the other motionless Lutari. He approached Emith cautiously. "Who are you? How did you find our secret island?"

"Um... I'm not really sure," Emith said honestly. "I was in the Geraptiku Tomb on Mystery Island. I got trapped inside a few hours ago, and I just got out of it. I can show you where the entrance was."

The Rainbow Lutari made a barking sound and all of the Lutari relaxed immediately. Most of them disappeared into their houses or down the mudslides to play in the ocean. The Rainbow Lutari, who was obviously in charge, motioned for Emith to show him the entrance. Emith was fairly confident that he knew where it was, since he had simply walked in a straight line to reach the town, but he ended up leading them through the forest to the beach on the other side of the island. A few young Lutari were out playing in the choppy, stormy waves, completely undisturbed by the raging storm. Confused, Emith turned to go back and find the entrance.

The Rainbow Lutari stopped him. "As I suspected, it is not here. All entrances and methods of reaching this island disappear immediately after use. You are lucky; many Neopets would have given much to find their way here. You must be looking for something very important for the faeries to smile upon you. Come with me, and tell me what you desire." He turned to go back to the town.

Emith stood still for a moment, and then ran to catch up with him. "I'm sorry; I don't mean to intrude. I... I was looking for clues about an ancient lost kingdom: the Emerald Kingdom. I have been to Faerieland, Krawk Island, and Mystery Island looking for this place. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

The Rainbow Lutari did not answer him. Emith started to ask again, but the Lutari gave him a fierce look that silenced his tongue. They continued in silence to the village, where the Lutari led them into one of the colorful huts.

The Lutari went straight for his cabinets, pulling out food, trinkets, and strange objects Emith had never seen before, muttering under his breath, his tone changing with each object he took. Emith waited in the doorway, just in case things took a turn for the worst and he had to make a run for it, but the Lutari seemed to be paying no attention to him. The Lutari brushed past Emith and threw all of the items in a fire pit outside. Immediately a strong, healthy fire burst into existence and burned heartily in spite of the rain.

"You, seeker of the Emerald Kingdom, come close to the fire," he ordered. "Feel its heat on your fur."

Emith did as he said and stood there for a good five minutes. Whenever he wanted to move, he'd glance back at the Lutari, who would shake his head irritably. Something seemed to keep him in a very poor mood, and Emith wasn't going to chance his temper.

Toward the end of the five minutes, just as Emith was about to ask what was supposed to be happening, the fire exploded. He jumped backwards, shaking embers out of his fur, when he heard a voice: "Rex! I was in the middle of a game! What's the deal?"

Ember, the Gormball-playing Fire Faerie, stood in the smoldering ashes. Her long orange dress seemed to lick up the heat from the coals, and flames sprouted from the tips of her wings. She looked at Emith in surprise. "Oh, Emith, how've you been doing? I haven't seen you since you were a little kitten!"

"What?" he asked, surprised.

She laughed, and a warm breeze blew from her mouth. "Oh, I forgot, you wouldn't remember me. Well, I was the faerie who blessed you at your birth. My, you have grown! Hey, is there anything you want? Say the word and I'll do it."

Rex interrupted. "He is searching for the Emerald Kingdom. He stumbled upon a secret passage to my island. We have no need or want for visitors here; perhaps you can send him to the Kingdom so he'll leave us in peace?"

Ember put her hands on her hips, fire dancing in her eyes. "Rex! I'm ashamed of you! Haven't you learned anything during your precious island's isolation? Diversity is a thing to be cherished, and here you are insulting your guest! No, I cannot send him to the Emerald Kingdom - even Queen Fyora doesn't know where it is. Besides, I think you could be a great help to him. Now look, you're going to have to figure this one out by yourself. I've got a game to catch back in Virtupets Space Station. Oh, and one last thing before I go. My blessings, Emith."

She touched Emith's forehead gently, and for a split second, he was surrounded in flames. The fire, and Ember, were gone before he even had time to panic. He felt warm, pleasantly warm. Raindrops sizzled as they touched him.

"Come here," Rex said, no less irritated than before.

Emith followed him back into the hut and looked in the mirror on the wall. His coat was no longer red - it was a dark, sooty black, and a burnt red mark stretched from a thin line between his eyes to a large splotch on his back.

"Rex, what's going on?"

Rex scowled. "Ember blessed you." He didn't look surprised, and he certainly wasn't pleased.

"So you and Ember are friends?" Emith asked.

"No," he snapped. "You must leave my island immediately. I will give you a boat; where do you want to go?"

Emith gaped at him. "Didn't you hear a word Ember said? You're supposed to help me. We're supposed to find another clue on this island. And besides, with a storm like this, trying to row a boat would be fatal!"

Rex wouldn't budge. "Fine, I will row, you will ride. Now let us be going."

Further argument did no good, and Emith finally gave in. He was tired and hungry from his journeys, so he asked to be taken to Neopia Central. Rex refused, and they settled on Roo Island instead. The journey took about an hour. Emith was happy to climb back on dry land after surviving the stormy seas. He took a few shaky steps up the shore and collapsed

When he awoke, a matronly Blue Blumaroo was standing over him. He lay in a bed, warm and dry.

She smiled. "Good morning, sunshine! Feeling any better now? Good. Here's some nice, hot soup for you, made from a Soup Faerie recipe. Eat up!"

Emith felt much better after the hot soup, but the kindly Blumaroo insisted that he stay in bed until noon, just in case. The second the clock started chiming, he was up and on my way to the castle. Since he was here, he may as well ask King Roo about the Emerald Kingdom.

King Roo was very happy to see him, as Emith represented another poor soul whom he could beat at his favorite game, Dice-a-Roo. Emith firmly refused the king's invitation and insisted that he answer a simple question - he was not in the mood to get involved in another Tiki Tours incident.

"What do you know about the Emerald Kingdom?"

King Roo didn't seem too surprised by the question. "The Emerald Kingdom, eh? Well, that is a good question, isn't it? Yes... Lovely place, lovely pets. Just the kind of ally any king would want."

"So you know where it is?" Emith asked excitedly.

The king shook his head. "Oh, no, not at all. My father knew, but he's long gone. No, I never visited, but when I was a young prince, the king and queen came to visit. Lovely pets, kind and gentle and sweet as could be. They never looked down on the common pets, as other royal pets did. Yes, I remember them well: a big, handsome Blue Acara and a simply beautiful Yellow Acara. He wore a huge, intricate green crown, but she wore a simple little green tiara. Wonderful pets; they only stayed for a couple of days before they had to return to their kingdom. Lovely pets," he repeated. His eyes took on a dreamy glaze, and he stared off into the distance, repeating, "Lovely, lovely pets..."

There would be nothing further to gain by trying to question him further, Emith realized, and so he left.

It was dark when he finally reached Neopia Central. He knocked on Ai's door in the hotel, and she opened it with wide, worried eyes. "Emith! What happened? Are you-" She stopped, looking at him. "You're... Different."

"Sorry I'm late," he said apologetically.

"Very late. You said you'd be back by dinner yesterday!"

"Yeah, well, that was the plan. Look, I'm really tired. Can I tell you about it tomorrow?"

"I guess so," she answered slowly. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"No, thanks," he said, opening the door to his adjoining room. "I'll see you in the morning, Ai. Sorry for worrying you."

"It's alright. I'm just glad you're okay."

Emith flopped into bed, exhausted from the events of the past two days. Something was pressing into his chest. He grabbed the offending item with his paw and tried to throw it away, but a cord tugged around his neck with the motion. He sat up, looking down at the feathery object. A Lutari Talisman hung around his neck.