VIRTUPETS SPACE STATION - After our trips to Happy Valley and Mystery Island
to search for those not so famous shopkeepers, May and I were doing a bit of
resting. May was snoring and mumbling and my eyelids were drooping when a Neomail
was slipped under our door. I sat down and told May to get it, she snored in
reply. So, I stumbled to the door and took the letter.
I sat back down and opened the letter. It told me that they loved my article
on the tropical fruit shopkeeper and that I should write another one. "Heh,
fan mail," I told May happily. She sat up smiled, then settled back down into
the large sofa.
Then it hit me, the letter was referring to our trip to Mystery Island. I got
up and went over to where May was snoring. "Wake Up!" I told her loudly, May
jumped and looked at me angrily,
"What! What was that for! You know Moon... that wasn't very nice!"
She glared, then sighed, "OK, I'm awake... what was so important?!" She raised
an eyebrow, doubtful that anything could be as important as her beauty sleep.
"May..." I began trying to hold in my excitement, "We did it! We're in the
Neopian Times again!" May's large eyes lit up and her smiled widened. "We did
it!" I yelled as May yelled along with me. Suddenly May stopped.
She told me to get my notepad and a pen. "We're leaving!" she announced "On
our next quest to reveal those forgotten shop keepers!" May said in her most
official and heroic tone. I laughed and asked her where we were going. In her
official voice, May said, "All will be revealed, Moon!"
***
I looked around a little queasy from the ride to the station, May looked pretty
sick but she smiled anyway. I looked around the VirtuPets Station--little Grundos
rushed around. The space station had never been my vacation of choice. It was
all metal, gray and rather ugly. I sighed and looked at May, who seemed to have
the same thoughts as I did.
"May," I asked doubtfully, "tell me again why we are here? You know I don't
like it here!" I looked around hoping to find an interesting place to visit.
I finally gave up and wandered into Grundo's
Café for a bite to eat. May trotted slowly behind me. I could tell she
was slightly scared of the large Mutant Grundo that stood before us. I turned
back and whispered to May, "It's okay, May, I don't think we'll do an article
on him."
May seemed quite relieved. We tried to find something to eat but May and I
aren't quite fond of whatever it is they serve at Grundo's Café. Hungry, we
turned back, deciding to find a forgotten shopkeeper.
Suddenly I saw the perfect place--The
Space Weapons Shop. May must have been thinking the same thing as she
ran quickly to the metal door. The door had an array of weapons painted across
it and also had a large sign that read SPACE WEAPONS!
At first we were puzzled at the metal door. No handle or knob was in sight,
but after watching a shadow Grundo enter we understood how it was done. When
we finally did get in we were greeted by I rather puny yellow Grundo wearing
what appeared to be a purple sash. He smiled and waved us in, the many Grundos
stared for a second then went back to their business.
May turned to the little yellow Grundo and asked, "Um, have you heard of The
Neopian Times?" We were both hoping that he didn't have an accent like the tropical
fruit shopkeeper. But he spoke clearly and confidently for such a little Grundo
"Yes," he answered, "we have the latest copy of The Neopian Times if you would
like to read."
"No," I replied, "but what would you think of having an article on you?"
The Grundo looked at me questioningly, but answered with a frown, "I'm not
that exciting." He looked around, "Oh well, I guess..."
May smiled. "Good! Then what's your name?" Suddenly the Grundo looked uncomfortable
and looked around.
"The are, well, too many Neopets around... come in here." He walked into a
dusty storage room full of slave collars and space bashers. May and I sat on
a cold metal bench as the yellow Grundo paced around the tiny room. "Well, I
better explain," he started. "I am Rupert, the own-"
But my Kau interrupted loudly, "Rupert?!?!? Isn't that a little plain? You
know, for a Grundo here?"
The Grundo gave us a sad, depressed look. "Alas, it is! See, I'm not a real
Grundo. It started a while ago... I lived in Neopia Central, my owner fed me and
took care of me very well, but then it happened... the accident." He shivered
a bit but continued, "I was a beautiful blue Uni, I loved to fly. It was great.
Then... then my owner gave me a potion. She thought it was to turn me into a
yellow Uni. So I drank it quickly. But... but I became a yellow Grundo Well,
my owner wanted her Uni back but had spent all her money on the Yellow Grundo
morphing potion.
Suddenly I wasn't important anymore, so I was sent away. I was so upset. I
decided to try to find a new life. I knew that after Dr. Sloth was defeated
many Grundos lived at the VirtuPets Station. So, Here I am trying to save up
the money for a yellow Uni potion. I want to go back to my owner and show her
that I am successful. But I think I'll stay here. I sell weapons to everyone
now," the Grundo finished and May and I stood up. We thanked him for his time.
"And you said you were boring!" May told him, making him laugh.
We made our way out of the cold steel doors. "What a day!" I told May, "This
will make a great article!" but May had already run ahead to the exit. "What
a day," I told myself.... | 
