Treasure of the Sea: The Maraquan Kiko

     The diver left and returned with a team of scientists from the Maraquan Research Institute who were eager to confirm their report of a newly discovered type of Kiko. Through the use of a couple carefully chosen bribes — the creature really seemed to love Kelp’s food — the team was able to convince it to provide some answers.

     The scientists then reported their findings to the Neopia Central division, and using that data, the new team made some modifications to the enchantment on the Rainbow Pool, allowing any Kiko to use a Maraquan Paint Brush to transform themselves into the beautiful Maraquan Kiko. The new colour was extremely popular; paint brush prices skyrocketed as Kikos all across Neopia eagerly sought them out so that they too could have a magnificent iridescent shell. For the next month, Kiko Lake was filled with newly painted Maraquan Kikos, showing off their beautiful starfish accessories and admiring their sparkling pearl bodies.

     Thanks to the efforts of those dedicated scientists, it’s now as easy as pie for a Kiko to become Maraquan-coloured: all they need is a paint brush and a quick trip to the Rainbow Pool. Still, the story of how the Maraquan Kiko first came to be is a long and fascinating tale.

     Natural Maraquan Kikos, those who become Maraquan-coloured without the use of a paint brush, are created when a Kiko becomes trapped inside of a giant clam. This usually happens when careless young Kikos decide to take a nap on the seafloor without thoroughly checking their surroundings. Giant clams blend in well with the environment and can be difficult to spot if an underwater explorer isn’t careful. If a Kiko falls asleep next to such a clam, the clam will engulf the Neopet within its shell, trapping them inside.

     Fortunately for the Kiko, it is very difficult for a clam to digest them. Kikos are naturally strong swimmers and can easily resist the clam’s attempts to suck them into its stomach. However, its shell is too sturdy for the poor Neopet to escape, so the two remain at an impasse. Even though they aren’t strong enough to break the shell, the sharp claws on the end of the struggling Kiko’s fins can be a nuisance for the clam. To neutralize this irritant, the clam releases a protective mineral coating inside of its shell, covering the Kiko’s claws with a smooth layer of pearly material.

     Because giant clams are not as intelligent as Neopets are, the clam does not understand that it will not be able to digest the Kiko. It will keep its shell firmly shut in order to prevent its desired prey from escaping, and as a result will be unable to obtain any other sources of food because it is unwilling to ingest anything else. The clam’s stubbornness results in both itself and the trapped Kiko going hungry.

     The next part of the process is not yet fully understood. One controversial theory put forth by the Altadorian Academy of Sciences is that Kikos actually possess some form of innate thought manipulation ability. They hypothesize that Kikos are able to subconsciously influence the thoughts of those around them to a limited extent, though this enigmatic power can be strengthened by a few factors. As evidence of this theorized power of manipulation, the Academy cites the prevalence of Neopians donating Bony Grarrl Clubs to the Kiko Lake Altador Cup team. There are far too many who have experienced this: the Kiko Lake team approaches a Neopian and asks for a donation to help financially support their bid for this year’s Altador Cup. Despite not being a fan of the team at all, the unwitting benefactor does not hesitate to give them the most valuable item in their inventory. Then, after the grateful Kikos depart, the Neopian soon comes to regret their generosity. What could possibly explain this bizarre phenomenon? According to the Altadorian Academy, because many Kikos were gathered in the same place, the effect of their special power was amplified, allowing them to unknowingly alter the thoughts of the donor and cause them to be uncharacteristically charitable. The power must have a short range, as it wears off once the target steps more than a couple feet away. It would also explain why tourists at Kiko Lake are so happy, with the cheeriness of the lake’s residents being literally contagious. The ancient Kiko sorcerer Wrawk the Merciless may have also used thought manipulation to gain power.

     Back to the subject of the Maraquan Kiko: the trapped Neopet is able to convince the giant clam to slightly open its shell. The clam will not open enough for the Kiko to escape — evidently, the Kiko’s thought manipulation power is unable to make anyone act against their fundamental nature — but the small opening allows the clam to suck in new prey. The Kiko eats some of the food that the clam captures as well, allowing both of them to ease their hunger.

     This arrangement continues for some time, during which the clam continues to release the protective mineral coating inside itself. More and more of the Kiko’s body becomes covered in a brilliant pearly luster.

     The Kiko, using its superior Neopian intelligence, is able to suggest new strategies for acquiring food to the clam. It convinces the clam to release the shiny mineral coating onto its exterior as well, turning the giant clam’s dull camouflaged exoskeleton into the beautiful shimmering seashell characteristic of the Maraquan Kiko. The lustrous shell arouses the curiosity of many sea creatures who come closer to investigate; they are promptly sucked inside and enjoyed by the Kiko and the clam.

     The Kiko’s fins go unused because it does not need to move much anymore, sitting comfortably still within the clam’s shell. They are gradually reabsorbed back into the Kiko’s body as it becomes fully coated in the pearly mineral.

     The mutualistic partnership between the Kiko and the clam continues. The Kiko uses its knowledge of common underwater travel routes to suggest better places to the clam to find prey. It lends the clam its superior swimming abilities to travel to different feeding grounds more quickly. Though the Kiko can no longer use its fins to move, it can blow water out of its mouth to propel them both forward.

     Eventually, the Kiko and the clam become intertwined enough that the clam is finally willing to completely open its shell again. The clam opens up and finally reveals the beautiful pearly Neopet to the world for the first time. Remarkably, the Kiko does not take the opportunity to escape from its imprisonment. Instead, it merely asks the clam to catch a starfish, which it affixes on its head as a fashionable accessory. With this, the creation of a Maraquan Kiko is complete.

     The Maraquan Research Institute is still trying to determine why the clam finally opens its shell. Perhaps the Kiko’s ability becomes stronger over time, and prolonged exposure can enable it to override the clam’s fundamental nature. Perhaps the bivalve becomes fond of the Kiko after spending so much time together and is willing to let its friend go.

     More puzzling is why the Kiko does not leave the clam. Interviewers were unable to get a clear answer from the Maraquan Kiko that chantili_doce discovered as to why it did not wish to rejoin normal Neopian society, instead preferring to remain in isolation. Has the Kiko simply become fond of the clam as well? Or, has something more mysterious occurred: some merging of consciousness between the two? The Maraquan Kiko appears to exhibit full control over the movements of the clam’s shell. The Kiko’s behaviors have become remarkably “clam-like.” The Maraquan Kiko no longer enjoys the same foods it had once loved as a regular Kiko; it turns its nose up at classic Kiko Lake treats like Caramel Kiko Apples and Choco Mint Rock Slices, preferring a diet of seafood instead. The Maraquan Kiko appears to dislike the company of other Neopets as well.

     Each of the Institute’s attempts to interview the Kiko that the diver discovered required an increasingly large food bribe, and eventually the Kiko stopped responding entirely. When prodded further, the irate Neopet threatened to eat the interviewers, so the research team was forced to abandon their investigation. Considering the fact that the Kiko’s metamorphosis had given it both a masterful control over water and a worryingly alien psyche, the researchers were fully convinced that the beautiful pearl was willing and able to make good on its threat to prey upon them.

     Maraquan Kikos that are created from a Maraquan Paint Brush do not exhibit the same cognitive changes that occur in naturally created Maraquan Kikos, and being that no other natural Maraquan Kikos have been discovered so far, the answers to the burning questions that the world has of the Maraquan Kiko may remain a mystery. All that we know for sure is that the Maraquan Kiko is as magnificently beautiful as it is enigmatic and dangerous.