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FAERIELAND - You know how these things go. The roving young
Neopian Times reporter tracks down the elusive and frequently very busy Faerie,
gives her a quick interview, and shares it with his or her loyal readers. Today,
I'm going to do something a little different. Although I did have a chance to
visit the Fountain Faerie not long after the grand reopening of her renowned Rainbow
Fountain in Faerieland, I did not interview her. Instead, I have interviewed my
pet WalrusDreams, more often called Wally for short, who met the famous Fountain
Faerie, completed her quest, and received her coveted prize. Besides, I'm sure
you'd rather read about Wally and his adventures straight from the Tuskaninny's
mouth than read something short and to the point from a mysterious and likely
overworked Faerie trying to preserve her mysteriousness.
Let the interview begin!
==
Tanela: "Hello there, young Tuskaninny. I see you've developed a
strange case of metal plates all over your body. How did that happen?"
WalrusDreams: "Hello, gentle Neopian Times reporter person who happens
to be my owner. As a matter of fact, I have these metal plates all over because
I have recently become a Robot Tuskaninny. Look at all the neat stuff I can
do!"
The tiny satellite-dish on Wally's head slowly turns, accompanied by a low
beeping noise. His claw-like paw folds into his arm and out pops a blue force
shield in its place. Then that disappears and a larger circular green dish forms
on the end of his arm with a series of whirls and clunks. The Tuskaninny brandishes
his arm proudly, his circular robot eyes glowing a happy shade of red. While
I am distracted by his wondrous arm attachments, I suddenly find myself zapped
by a little red laser that shoots from the tiny satellite-dish on his head.
Zoip!
Tanela: "Ow." I rub my bruised nose with one hand and forcefully
stick out my bottom lip at my Neopet.
WalrusDreams: "Ehheh, sorry about that." He grins sheepishly.
"I'm still getting used to these gadgets."
Tanela: "Nevermind. Let's get on with the interview." I look
down at my notebook. "Ah, yes. So I see you're a Robot. Does that mean you've
been to the dreaded Lab Ray?" I use my spookiest voice.
The Tuskaninny falls over laughing, rolling back and forth clanking on the
wooden floor of our NeoHome. I cross my arms and wait for him to finish. When
he finally manages to sit up again, he is still struggling to stifle fits of
giggles.
WalrusDreams: "Heeheehee. Yeah, right! Hee hee. As if we could ever
afford to get all the map pieces you need to find the Lab Ray. Eeeheeheehee!"
Tanela: "Hey! I work hard to keep you guys healthy and happ-- oops.
Will you stop distracting me from this interview? Yeesh. Well, if you didn't
find the Lab Ray, then how did you manage to end up as a Robot, young Tuskaninny?"
WalrusDreams: "Please, call me Wally. I actually became a Robot when
I visited the newly reopened Rainbow Fountain."
Tanela: "The Rainbow Fountain? I'm shocked and amazed. Every time
I've visited there, the fountain's magic has been all used up. How did you manage
to become a Robot by visiting there?"
WalrusDreams: "Well, one day, I was just minding my own business,
playing an intense Sakhmet Solitaire tournament against... well, me, when the
Fountain Faerie wandered by. I guess she was on vacation in the Lost Desert
or something. She came into the room in such a hurry she almost knocked over
all my cards, but I managed to save them and went back to win the game later.
She said she had lost one of her favourite toys, a model Uni. Personally, that's
not my favourite toy. I actually prefer Tuskaninny plushies. I have several
different colours. I've never managed to find the rainbow Tuskaninny plushie,
though. They're difficult to come by --"
Tanela: "Yes, but what happened with the Fountain Faerie?"
WalrusDreams: "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,
I went looking for a model Uni to replace the one she had lost. Let me tell
you, it wasn't cheap, no sir, but she seemed so sad about having lost it that
I just couldn't stand knowing she was so sad, so I bought it for her. When I
brought it back to her office in Faerieland, she told me to drop by the Rainbow
Fountain for a surprise in return for finding her Uni."
Tanela: "A surprise? What kind of surprise? What happened next?"
WalrusDreams: "Patience, my favourite owner. I'm getting to it. My
owner -- that's you -- and I took a trip together to the Rainbow Fountain. The
Fountain Faerie was waiting there for us. How she got there before us, I don't
know. I guess Faeries travel through magical teleporters or something, 'cause
we were running pretty fast to get our surprise."
Tanela: "I know. Wasn't that weird? I mean, tell me more, Wally."
WalrusDreams: "When we got there, the fountain was working perfectly.
It was amazing and beautiful. Shining splashes of colour from the fountain filled
the air with tiny sparkly rainbows. It was awesome! She said that as a reward
for completing her quest, she would make me any colour I wanted to be."
Tanela: "Any colour? How did you ever decide?"
WalrusDreams: "It was a tough choice. I'd never really wanted to
be a different colour. I liked being Yellow. It made me feel strong and proud
to be a Tuskaninny. But then, how could I pass up a chance like that? To be
any colour at all? So, I went through the list she gave me of Tuskaninny colours
and decided I wanted to be a Robot. Really, what's cooler than being a Robot?
I'll tell you what's cooler than being a Robot. Absolutely nothing!" The
little satellite-dish on his head whirls around at high speed, beeping madly.
Tanela: "Watch where you're pointing that thing. What kind of other
colours could you have been? What would you have picked if you couldn't have
been a Robot?"
WalrusDreams: "Starry is kind of cool, but there are lots of Starry
Tuskaninnys. I think I would have picked Gold if I couldn't have been Robot,
because Gold is just like Yellow -- that's what I used to be -- but shinier,
and therefore more awesome."
Tanela: "Do you have anything else to say on the topic of colours?"
WalrusDreams: "What? Nope. That's it."
Tanela: "Wally!"
WalrusDreams: "Ow! Why are you poking me -- oops! I almost forgot.
My sister JewelWhispers told me that I absolutely had to mention in my interview
that Tuskaninnys need more colours, like baby and Faerie and plushie. And fire.
Fire would be awesome. If there were fire Tuskaninnys, I would have asked the
Fountain Faerie to make me one of those instead of a Robot, but Robots are still
really cool."
tanela: "Your sister didn't say anything about Fire."
WalrusDreams: "I know, but I'm sure she just forgot."
tanela: "Right. Of course. Now that you've met the Fountain Faerie,
Wally, what do you think of her?"
WalrusDreams: "She's nice and very pretty, but she's a little absent-minded.
If I had something as valuable as a Model Uni, I'd put it up for auction and
be very very careful not to lose it on the way. I still think I like the Fire
Faerie better."
tanela: "The Fire Faerie? Why?"
WalrusDreams: "'Cause she's even prettier than the Fountain Faerie,
and she makes me buff." Wally flexes his robotic green arm. "And she
looks a little like you, and you're my favourite owner, so naturally I like
her best."
tanela: "Aww. That's the sweetest thing you've said all day."
I squeeze Wally's metal shoulders in a big fat hug. Clank. Ping. "You're
not as squishably cuddly as I remember."
WalrusDreams: "Of course not. I'm a Robot. Who hugs Robots?"
tanela: "I do!" I smile at my shiny green Tuskaninny and hug
him again. Clink. Clank.
WalrusDreams: "Are there any more questions? I'm supposed to help
KittyMim carry her bag of winnings home from her weekly Cheat! tournament."
He wiggles out of the Snowager-like grip of my hug.
tanela: "Oh yeah, the interview. Ahem. Just a few more questions.
How was the Fountain Faerie quest different from other Faerie quests you've
done?"
WalrusDreams: "Like I said, it was a little expensive, but I got
to be a Robot, so it was worth it. Also, she didn't give me her surprise right
at the Faerie Quest office like the other Faeries do. I actually had to go and
visit the Rainbow Fountain, which I have to admit, is a really cool place when
it's working. And she didn't make me more buff like the Fire Faerie does. I
love doing Fire Faerie quests." He flexes his arm again.
tanela: "Now that you're a Robot, do you have any big plans? Are
you going to go to the Battledome more often and smite bad guys with your mighty
laser beatdown powers?"
WalrusDreams: "I know you wish I went there more often to work out,
but I'd rather play with my friends. That and I'm still searching for the elusive
Pant Devil. Everyone else complains about him, but as much as I try I just can't
find him! The minute I find him I'm going to sign up with the Defenders of Neopia
and show everyone how amazing a superhero a Tuskaninny can be! But until I find
him, I think I'll just keep helping my sisters with their projects. You know
JewelWhispers is building a Tuskaninny Temple to honour all Tuskaninnys everywhere?"
tanela: "Of course I know that. I'm helping her, too, you know."
WalrusDreams: "Yeah, well, that's what I'm doing now that I'm a Robot."
tanela: "Oh, you're so sweet to your sisters. What would I ever do
without you?"
WalrusDreams: "Probably waste away in misery. I light up your life,
after all, right?"
tanela: "Right." I can't help but hug him again. Clank. Squeak.
Ting.
WalrusDreams: "Is the interview over then? KittyMim's going to be
late for her tournament."
tanela: "Oh no! You're right! We'd better go. Thank you very much,
Wally, for sharing your Fountain Faerie adventures with the loyal Neopian Times
readers, who I'm sure will soon become your biggest fans."
WalrusDreams: "No problem. I'm here all week to answer fan mail."
==
Yep, after that Wally and I went to find his sister, Mim, and go play Cheat!
She's really good at it. She scares me sometimes, she's so good. She's never
lost a game since she first beat Spectre. But that's beside the point. Wally
got to meet the Fountain Faerie, find out how she operates, and become a robot.
As nonchalant as he may act about it, I know it's been a dream of his since
he was a tiny Tuskaninny pup. He's always making up stories about the Robot
Tuskaninny from space who goes about saving Neopia from every kind of danger
imaginable. And the Fountain Faerie made his dream a little closer to reality
when she made my Wally a Robot.
In conclusion, I hope you've learned something about the elusive Fountain Faerie
from this little interview. Support your local Rainbow Fountain! Read the Neopian
Times!
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