The Chocolate Thief

     The Chocolate Ball was being held in Queen Fyora’s castle in Faerieland, so Walda arrived at the castle. Prancing past a sleeping guard, she could already smell the delicious chocolate in the building. Once she entered the ballroom, she was in absolute delight. On display were all different types of chocolate, enough to serve thousands of Neopians, and ready to be eaten! However, what drew her curiosity was a giant object covered by a cloth.

     She approached the object and unveiled it, revealing an enormous statue of Queen Fyora... made entirely of CHOCOLATE! She quickly started devouring the chocolate statue, starting at the legs. However, she wasn’t able to eat the whole statue, of course, and eventually became full. Tired from her early wake-up, she fell asleep on the floor.

     A few hours later, she was awakened by an angry Kiko... and a bemused Queen Fyora. “You little BRAT!” he yelled at Walda. “We made this statue especially for Queen Fyora, yet you ATE part of it before we could even present it to her! You should be ASHAMED of yourself!”

     Walda ignored him and sassily took another bite of the statue.

     “Uh... Where are your parents?” asked Fyora.

     “What I want to know,” continued the Kiko, “is how she got in here before anyone else! What were those silly GUARDS doing?! They should be FIRED!”

     “You... do realise that we are dealing with a child, right?” Fyora asked the Kiko. “I doubt she’s one of the hardened career criminals that prance through the streets of Faerieland every day.”

     “I don’t CARE! This is THEFT!”

     “True...” answered Fyora. “Referencing the Faerieland Penal Code, the punishment for theft by a juvenile typically amounts to community service. I don’t want to be too mean to the kid, but she clearly has absentee parents who have not taught her anything.”

     “My older sister raises me,” pointed out Walda, taking another bite.

     “Well, listen, kiddo,” began Fyora, “you’re going to have to do some community service to make up for the stolen chocolate. What kind of work do you like doing?”

     “Something I would like?” repeated Walda. “Well, I’ve always wanted to work in the Hidden Tower to learn more about the weapons. I may be young, but I am a seasoned Battledomer!”

     The Kiko snickered. “A BABY in the Battledome?! I think she’s exaggerating.”

     “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” replied Fyora. “She exudes strength. I believe her! We could use a strong employee to deter thieves. I can’t be there every second, and robbers know that.”

     “Well, I would love to work at the Hidden Tower,” replied Walda.

     “Okay. Your first day will be tomorrow. See you then!”

      ---

     Walda’s older sister wasn’t exactly thrilled to receive a Neomail from Queen Fyora, of all Neopians, about Walda’s latest mischief. Nevertheless, the rugrat was set to work at the Hidden Tower, giving her sister a break from babysitting.

     Walda arrived at the Hidden Tower bright and early for her first day on the job. Sure enough, the Hidden Tower was filled with many expensive wares, including the weapons which she was interested in. All were locked up to prevent theft.

     “Okay, Walda, make sure that all items on display are locked in the cases to deter thieves,” Fyora told Walda. “Nothing should ever be left out. Also, all weapons should be bolted down so they aren’t used against us. Here is the key that unlocks the bolt.” Fyora handed Walda a key.

     “Okay!” answered Walda.

     “Also, we have to do a background check on anyone who buys a weapon. It is a crime for a convicted felon to be in possession of a Battledome weapon. To conduct a background check, the client should place their palm on this magical crystal ball.” Fyora pointed to the crystal ball on the counter.

     “Sounds good.”

     “Also, be polite to all customers, but the moment that a customer starts being belligerent, show them the door. Rude clients are not tolerated at the Hidden Tower.”

     Walda smirked, remembering the obnoxious customers at her previous job. (Issue 740- A Rambunctious Kacheek’s Culinary Plight)

     “You know how to count Neopoints, right?”

     “Of course I do!”

     “Okay, here is the key to the till.” Fyora handed Walda another key. “Also, feel free to annihilate any robbers using your own Battledome weapons, and contact the Defenders of Neopia to have them arrested.”

     “Okay!”

     Walda’s first customer of the day was a Faerie Aisha. “Can I help you with anything?” asked Walda.

     “I need a weapon,” answered the Aisha. “I got robbed on the street AGAIN last night... Maybe if I had a sword to stick in the faces of robbers, they’d back off.”

     “Sure... How about an anagram sword? Those are pretty powerful.”

     “Okay... What kind would you recommend? There are six of them, aren’t there?”

     “Yes, there are. I would recommend the Sword of Reif. No one likes being set on fire!”

     “Okay, I will get that one. Could you unlock it for me?”

     “I have to do a background check for weapons. It’s standard policy because---”

     SMASH!

     Walda had not been on the job for fifteen minutes when three robbers, all wearing ski masks, barged through the door and started smashing the cases with rocks, then throwing anything that wasn’t bolted down in burlap sacks. One of the robbers pointed a Wand of the Dark Faerie at Walda and yelled, “Unbolt the weapons and empty the till! NOW!”

     “Because of THAT,” sighed Walda. “Neopians who are up to no good.” She turned to the robbers and pointed her own Wand of the Dark Faerie at them. “Do you really want to do this?” she sneered.

     “A baby?!” snickered one of the robbers. “You’re on! You’ll be toast in no time, and we’ll be rich.”

     Nevertheless, Walda was much stronger than the robbers had anticipated. She blinded them using her Lens Flare ability, then took them out with her Wand of the Dark Faerie and Grapes of Wrath. “Those cheap plot weapons have really emboldened robbers lately,” remarked the relieved customer.

     Walda then called the Defenders of Neopia, who took a statement from her and arrested the robbers. She giggled as the still-unconscious thieves were dragged away in cuffs.

     By then, Fyora had arrived. “Good job thwarting your first robbery, Walda!” she applauded.

     “Hopefully the last,” remarked Walda.

     Fyora sighed. “There will be more before the end of the week. Faerieland is BEYOND PARODY these days.” Fyora used a magical spell to repair the broken display cases, and then took the merchandise out of the burlap sacks and put it back in the cases. Meanwhile, Walda conducted a background check on the customer and completed the sale.

     “Maybe if word got around that a tough Kacheek worked at the Hidden Tower, the robbers would stop,” remarked Fyora. Then she left.

     The rest of Walda’s volunteer work involved several more attempted robberies, which she quickly foiled. On her last day as a volunteer, Fyora had a surprise for her: an entire box of assorted chocolates! “Thank you for your work, Walda,” Fyora told her as she devoured the chocolate greedily.

     Then Walda had an idea. “Um, now that my volunteering is over, can I work here, doing the same job, and get paid from now on?” she asked.

     Fyora’s face lit up. “Great idea!” she exclaimed. “I can actually pay you quite well, since tough Battledomers are hard to come by. I suppose that the robbers will go someplace else, now that you work here!”

     Thus, Walda was hired at the Hidden Tower, and the robbers quickly figured out that they had better try someplace else. Walda enjoyed her work with weapons, since the Battledome was a passion of hers. She got to meet other Battledomers on the job, too, who were shopping for weapons. Strangely enough, the incident involving the chocolate statue had eventually pointed Walda in a positive direction.

     The End.