The Price Paid for Curiosity

      "Would you like to see the world of Neopia, Nessa?" Dr. Sloth asked her innocently.

      Nessa nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, Dr. Sloth! I have always wondered what life was like on Neopia. Is this like a vacation?"

      "Vacation?" Dr. Sloth repeated blankly. Finally, he understood the word as "trip to a different place". "Oh yes, a vacation indeed. But you may stay in Neopia for as long as you like. There is no limit."

      "How long will that take?" Nessa asked him curiously.

      Dr. Sloth was slowly getting irritated by this curious Grundo. "As long as you please, Nessa."

      So, Nessa was sent on a ship to Neopia driven by Dr. Sloth's favorite Grundo, Caezar. The space ship landed on an open field in Kiko Lake. As Nessa climbed out of the ship, Caezar said haughtily," Have fun, Gossip Grundo!" Gossip Grundo was, of course, Nessa's nickname to all Grundos at the Virtual Space Station.

      Nessa waved as the space ship flew into the sky and disappeared with a twinkle of light. Nessa wandered through the town of Kiko Lake with so much awe that Kikos who noticed her stopped by to greet her and ask her the same question: "Is it your first time in Kiko Lake, young Grundo?"

      Nessa would only just shrug. Once, Nessa passed a group of giggling Kikos.

      "It's the biggest night of Neopia EVER!" one Kiko was saying.

      Nessa couldn't help but approach the group curiously.

      "What's the biggest night of Neopia?" she asked the Kikos. "Is it for everyone, perhaps?"

      The Kiko who was talking before glared at Nessa angrily.

      "Excuse me, little nosy pet," she said coldly. "But I don't think that's any of your business. Besides, I don't think you're possibly a Kiko, are you?"

      Nessa, who was very curious what a Kiko was, asked the group, "What is this Kiko you speak of?"

      The group laughed at Nessa and walked away looking proud. Nessa was very confused and couldn't help but walk on. Presently, Nessa walked to the kingdom of Brightvale where she saw never-ending fields of lush emerald green. Again, many Neopets noticed Nessa looking astonished at the sights of green plants.

      One green Acara stopped to stare at the white Grundo. The Acara was pleasant and friendly to Nessa at first.

      "Are you new to the kingdom of Brightvale, young Neopet?" the Acara asked Nessa.

      "Oh yes," Nessa said, nodding. "Dr. Sloth sent me on vacation here to Neopia. What is your name?"

      The poor green Acara was frightened at the mention of Dr. Sloth, for here in Neopia, Dr. Sloth was feared for Neopian Domination (which meant the rule of Neopia). The Acara thought that little Nessa was Dr. Sloth's spy and ran away quickly, leaving Nessa behind.

      "What happened to that little green Neopet?" Nessa wondered aloud.

      Nessa kept on wandering around Brightvale. When Nessa approached the Brightvale castle, she saw two golden yellow Poogles talking quietly. Nessa, who was always very curious as most of you noticed, inched closer and closer to the Poogles until she could here what they were saying.

      "....met the movie star in the NC mall!" pne male Poogle was saying to his friend excitedly. "She was even more beautiful in person!"

      "And then what?" Nessa interrupted him curiously. "And who was she?"

      Nessa had inched closer to the Poogles until she was practically next to them. The two Poogles glanced her way before the male Poogle gave her an icy look of irritation.

      "Don't you have any manners?" that same Poogle grumped. "Don't you know it's very impolite to eavesdrop on other Neopets' conversations?"

      "Yeah," the Poogle's friend agreed. "And anyway, you probably don't know what it feels like to be eavesdropped on."

      Even after the Poogles said that, Nessa continued to eavesdrop and randomly join into private conversations around Brightvale and the outskirts of Meridell. Every Neopet grew either angry, frustrated, or annoyed as Nessa would join any secret conversations.

      Illusen, a faerie who lived in a glade in Meridell, heard about what Nessa was doing to Neopets in Brightvale and Meridell. She thought that Nessa's curiosity was too much. Every minute, a Neopet would visit Illusen in hopes of suggestions on how to make Nessa stop eavesdropping at every Neopet within her reach. Pretty soon, Illusen had a whole line of Neopets waiting for her advice.

      Illusen decided to ask her mother the queen of Faerieland, Fyora, on how to handle Nessa and possibly help all the other Neopets that Nessa had eavesdropped on.

      "Daughter Illusen, Nessa is indeed too curious," Queen Fyora had told her when she visited Faerieland. "We must try to make her stop."

      "But how, Mother?" Illusen insisted. "Curiosity is like an obsession. Nessa would certainly never stop her ways."

      "Ahhh... it is not obsession. It is merely just a habit," Queen Fyora explained. "And habits can be broken."

      Illusen and her mother discussed a plan they had formed to see how far Nessa would really go to her curiosity. The next day was perfect. Nessa was exploring deeper into the town of Meridell. Suddenly, an old and elderly Xweetok walked right up to Nessa. This elderly Xweetok was not a Xweetok at all. It was Illusen in disguise thanks to her mother, Queen Fyora.

      "My dear young Grundo," Illusen the Old Xweetok said feebly. "I am too old to walk to Faerieland to deliver this wooden Altador Cup box to the Queen Fyora. Will you be willing to do it for me?"

      Nessa was ecstatic. Finally, a chance to see a magical land full of faeries! She had only read and dreamed about faeries. This was Nessa's chance to see her dreams spring to life.

      Illusen the Old Xweetok handed Nessa an old, wooden box. She warned the curious Grundo about accidents if the box was opened by a Neopet and not a faerie.

      "Be careful, white Grundo, for if any Neopet opens it, a tragic accident shall occur," Illusen warned Nessa. "Faeries are the only ones who could open a box as precious as this."

      After Illusen gave directions on where to find Faerieland, Nessa set off to find Queen Fyora to give her the ancient wooden Altador box. There were a few days when Nessa longed to open the box to peek at the wonders (or horrors) inside the box. But Nessa remembered the "Old Xweetok's" words of caution: One Neopet mustn't open the box.

      Finally, after a few days of wandering the Haunted Woods, Nessa walked into the sacred Faerieland. She was so happy that she wandered the enchanted land for a couple of days before going into Faerie City to give Queen Fyora the Altador box.

      But something stopped Nessa from entering the Queen's royal purple palace. Nessa looked at the shining lavender palace doors before looking back at her hands at the wooden box. She stared at it hard and long thoughtfully. Finally, she said aloud, "I'm sure the elderly Xweetok wouldn't mind a bit if I peeked into the box."

      Disregarding Illusen's warnings, Nessa opened the box just a tiny bit. Instantly, a flash of blinding white light swallowed Nessa into the box. The box melted into a puddle of royal purple before turning into a turquoise stone.

      A few minutes later, Illusen (now in her faerie form) and the Queen Fyora arrived right next to the light blue stone. Illusen was shaking her head.

      "She ignored my warnings, Mother," Illusen said sadly. "I thought she would listen."

      "You were right, dear," Queen Fyora said softly. "Curiosity can't be resisted. There is no cure for this disease."

      With that, Queen Fyora picked up the stone and carried it back into her beautiful palace.

      "My dear Illusen, you did a fine job," Queen Fyora said softly. "There is no doubt about that. But one thing you should know is that there is a price to be paid with curiosity."

The End