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Princess fluttered lazily over the fluffy white clouds of
Faerieland, breathing in the sweet aromas that she had become so familiar with.
Her owner sat on the porch of their solid gold Neohome, sighing as the breeze
wisped her fine gold hair around her face, her hazel eyes watching the Cybunny’s
every overdramatic move. Princess’s regal Faerie coat shone in the warm sunlight,
her eyes lighting up as she looked at her new Petpet, floating beside her.
“Mommy, Mommy!” she called as she ran up to the
porch, “My Faerie Moltenore is the best petpet ever! I've decided to call him
Prince. It goes well with me, doesn’t it?” Marissa, the kind and loving owner
hugged her precious only pet.
“How about you head inside, Princess? I've got
some Fluffy Faerie Hotcakes for lunch.” She stroked the soft purple head and
gave her a gentle push inside. Prince zoomed in after her at the mention of
food. Marisa sighed and followed them in.
“Oh, Mommy, I’m so glad we have enough money
for you to get this awesome Petpet!” Princess called as she bounded into the
dining room and sat at the table expensive oak table.
“Oh, that was easy,” Marisa said to herself quietly
as she trailed down the solid Gold corridor. “I just sold the Faerie Slorg.”
Marisa had been in Neopia for almost a year,
and was amazingly rich and successful. She had won the Caption Contest 3 times,
the Storytelling Contest 18 times, and many Neomailed her asking for Neopoint
making tips. No, she wasn’t one of those rich, trophy-mad users who beautified
their pets just for the Beauty Contest. Princess was her number 1 priority,
and she gave the Faerie Cybunny whatever she wanted.
“Mommy!” Marisa was jolted from her daydreaming.
Princess looked at her from across the table with a greedy light in her eyes.
“Did you know there is a new paint brush out?” Princess looked at her owner
intently to make sure it was all getting through. “It's called the Royal Paintbrush.”
Marisa shrugged. “And?”
Princess rolled her eyes. “I want it.” Before
her owner could object, the Cybunny went into a huge stream of chatter. “My
names Princess and it would be perfect if I looked like a Princess too, and
with the Royal Paintbrush I can! They’ve just made it so Cybunnies can be painted
with it, and it's so cute. You named me Princess for a reason, right?”
Marisa sat up, now fully alert. “Princess-sweetie-
that Paintbrush costs over a Million Neopoints!”
Now Princess shrugged. “We live in a house made
of gold. Couldn’t you just auction off a wall or something?”
The owner pushed her hair back, breathing deeply.
“Princess, we can’t afford that right now.”
“I hate you!” Princess cried, jumping up from
the table. “Come on, Prince.” The Faerie Moltenore gave Marisa a sympathetic
look, and then soared after his master. Marissa sighed sadly, brushing a stray
strand of hair away from her face.
The tired owner didn’t know how long she had
been sitting there, but she decided that she should go check on Princess. She
stepped up the golden stairs, across the golden floor, and tapped gently on
Princess’s golden door.
There was no answer. Marisa knocked again. Still
no answer. She carefully opened the door and peered into the room. It was empty.
From Kauvara Bed to Usuki Posters, the room was empty. For a second, Marisa
thought to herself, how did she get out?, but the moment past when she remembered
the beautiful butterfly wings rooted on Princess’s back.
Meanwhile, floating huffily over the clouds of
Faerieland, was Princess, with Prince at her side. “It's not fair!” Princess
pouted. “She is always telling me how much she loves me, but she doesn’t get
me what I want more than anything! I NEED that Paint Brush!” Prince raised an
eyebrow. Well, it was more of a fold of skin, but, you know. The Cybunny stuck
her nose in the air. “Besides, my owner is 3 time Caption Contest Winner, 18
Time Storytelling Contest Winner, and think about it. We live in a Solid Gold
house. She must be pretty rich! What do you think she does in her spare time?”
Prince shrugged, fluttering just a couple of
feet above the ground. “So, what are you going to do?” he asked lazily, trying
not to fall asleep.
Princess brightened. “I know! I’ll go talk to
Fyora! She’ll MAKE Marisa buy me that Paint Brush!”
“I don’t think-” Prince was silenced by a frosty
glare. “Whatever.”
Princess bounded airily up to the Great Faerie
Castle. She was greeted by two Flotsam Guards. “Do you have an appointment?”
one of them growled.
“I don’t have time for appointments and all that
rubbish. Now you better let me in before I tell Fyora I caught you napping on
the job!” Princess said evilly.
“But that’s not true!” argued the guard.
“That’s not going to stop me from saying it!”
Princess laughed slyly.
“Alright, alright, you can go in!” The guard
said frantically, opening the door. Princess grinned and waltzed through the
open doors with Prince, who cast another of his custom sympathetic glances,
before following Princess into the Castle.
“Fyora!” Princess sang out through the great
halls. “Fyora!” She was so busy looking around that she ran strait into a very
cross Battle Faerie.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve prancing around here
like you own the place, young one!” bellowed the Battle Faerie, looking angrily
down her nose at Princess. “Do you have an appointment?”
“Why is everyone asking that?” Princess cried
huffily. “I have to speak with Fyora NOW!”
A strange looked passed across the Faerie’s face,
and she smiled. “Oh, well then I better take you to Fyora right now, then.”
Princess sighed, muttering “Finally!”
The Faerie Cybunny was led into a huge hall,
with a great purple throne at the end. And, predictably, in the throne sat Fyora
the Faerie Queen. As soon as she was in the presence of Fyora, Princess took
on an Angelic role.
“Oh, great Fyora! My owner is ever so cruel!
She is ever so rich, and she never buys me anything. And now, the one thing
I need most in life, The Royal Paintbrush, she refuses to buy that too! And
she never ever buys me anything!”
Fyora smiled as she sunk back into her throne.
“Never buys you anything? Well, that’s a serious matter. Wow, that’s a beautiful
Petpet you have. A Faerie Moltenore if I’m not mistaken. Who bought you that?”
Princess looked at her feet. “My owner.”
“Ooh! And you're painted such a pretty colour!
Who bought you that amazing paint brush?” Fyora sat back, allowing her point
to sink in.
Princess self-consciously patted her lavender
fur, replying reluctantly, “My owner.”
Fyora smiled. “It seems your owner has done a
lot more for you than you thought.” Princess nodded.
“But we have enough money! Why can’t we buy this?”
Princess argued. “My owner is one of the most famous Neopians around. She’s
supposed to be super rich!”
Fyora raised a purple eyebrow. “But is she?”
Princess shrugged. “I guess this is something you should talk about with your
owner. Right?”
Princess smiled weakly. “Right.” She turned t
leave. “Thank you Fyora!”
Fyora smiled. “The pleasure was all mine!”
Princess walked home with a heavy heart. Prince
was giving her strange looks the whole way, and she simply snapped, “Don’t say
anything, you.” When she arrived home, Marisa was sitting on the front porch.
“Princess!” she called, running out to embrace
her pet in a hug. “I knew you would come back, sweetie!”
Princess laughed. “I’m surprised that you haven’t
started a search party yet!”
Marisa laughed back, hugging her pet closely.
“Sweetie, you haven’t even been gone for an hour yet!” Princess and Marisa laughed
and hugged for a minute, before Marisa said “I think we need to talk about some
things.” Princess nodded, and together they sat on the porch.
“Why don’t we have money anymore?” Princess asked.
Marissa sighed and brushed her wispy hair away from her face.
“Sweetie, I haven’t played a game since I got
you. I've owned you for six months, for my first couple of months on Neopets
I tried to make a lot of money so that your life could be perfect. I saved up
enough to by you a pretty Paint Brush, Petpet; buy a Pretty House, anything
that could make things perfect for you. I spent my last Neopoints on that Faerie
Moltenore.”
“Okay,” Princess nodded. “Then what do you do
in your spare time?”
Marisa smiled. “I’m glad you asked. I've been
following a recent obsession of mine: writing for the Neopian Times! I've just
finished a series called ‘Truly Royal!’ It’s a story about a little Princess
who tries to find the real meaning of Royalty. What do you think?”
Princess grinned, leaning against her owner.
“I like it,” she murmured. “Truly Royal.”
The End
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