Stand behind yer sheriff Circulation: 197,778,219 Issue: 1003 | 8th day of Running, Y26
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Your questions answered!


Read the answers to the most commonly asked Neopets questions this week in the Editorial section. Each week the most popular questions will be answered by one of the creators of Neopets, so keep checking back to stay updated.


Quote of the Week


We sat in relative silence for a while after that. Only the Beast made noise. I watched as Eva fiddled with the gear inside her kayak. She had been right. She always was.


A Guide to Garden Gnomes



Hello darlings and thank you for joining me again for Granny Grumbles’ Hoppin’ Hobbies. This past winter, I have spent so much time inside warming my toes with Neopia’s finest knits and drinking a variety of Borovan Teas. As much as I love the hibernation hobbies of wintertime, Neopia is thawing out and spring will be springing in no time. With a little more sun in the sky, and the rising temperatures, I have gathered my tools, pulled on my rubber boots and set off to my garden. While you all know by know how much I love the flowers and vegetables that sprout there, today’s Hoppin’ Hobbies will be focusing on the one thing that never fails to bring a smile to my face: Garden Gnomes. Neopia is blessed to have such a variety of Gnomes in all shapes, colors and sizes. Each one is unique and holds a special place in my heart. I have a not-so-secret hobby of collecting these Neopian Garden Gnomes and my garden is full of them! I want to share my Garden Gnome hobby with all of you, young and old, so here is my guide to gnome recommendations for each kind of Neopian. For the Classic Neopian : If you consider yourself a classic Neopian, you likely have a Neohome and Neogarden in our capital of Neopia Central. You do not often follow trends, but stick to a tried-and-true style for yourself, your home and your garden. A Garden Gnome may feel a bit quirky for your taste but in Neopia, they are a staple and have been around as long as Chias have roamed Tyrannia. For your tailored, crisp and clean garden, I recommend the Lucky Gnome Slorg . Slorgs are likely roving your garden anyways so this gnome will blend in naturally. The Lucky Slorg Gnome is timeless – cute and green with a characteristic red hat, it will seamlessly compliment your Shrubbery and is a nod to tradition in Neopia.

Totally Real!: Guide to Mystery Island



So, you've got tickets to sunny Mystery Island for the annual Gadgadsbogen festivities, but it's your first visit, and you're looking to fill out that itinerary? Look no further than Totally Real!:Guide to Mystery Island! We've got you covered with a list of things to do, places to see, and even a couple to avoid at all costs. Let's dig in! 1. The Tropical Fruits Shop On the western side of the island sits the Tropical Fruits Shop. If you're here for the Gadgadsbogen Festival, you might want to make this your first and last stop! By the end of the festival, some Tropical Fruits will stop growing on the island, and a new generation will take their place! Grab some old fruit while you can, and be sure to pick up some of the new! Totally Real! Gadgadsbogen Fact: An elder of the Pango Tribe, currently Cinto Pango, announces the list of new Tropical Fruits at the end of each festival! 2. The Singing Stones Stones carved into the shape of heads can be seen across Mystery Island, but those that sit near the Rock Pool are especially interesting. The expertly carved stones here have had small airways tunneled through them. As the wind passes through these tunnels, the carvings almost seem to sing! Totally Real! Gadgadsbogen Fact: Some believe that the "songs" the stones sing during the festival foreshadow which Tropical Fruits will disappear! 3. The Underwater Chef's Restaurant Though most of his time is spent whipping up meals for Mumbo Pango, he also heads a successful restaurant/academy. The menu here is designed to perfectly highlight each available Tropical Fruit, so there's bound to be something you'll like. Make sure to reserve a table before your visit, though, as there is rarely room for walk-ins! Totally Real! Gadgadsbogen Fact: At the end of every festival some menu items are retired...

The Plight of Petpets


While our pets are often afforded the royal treatment, spending extended periods of time lounging about the Neolodge or filling themselves to contentment at Kelp or The Golden Dubloon, how often do our Petpets ever get such nice things? For too long this disparity has been ignored. That all changes now. What follows is a long overdue examination into how Petpets are systematically under-appreciated and treated poorly throughout Neopia, and some suggestions as to how we can do better. Petpet Lab Ray Two lab rays exist in Neopia, one for pets, the other for Petpets. They’re both fraught with risk, but there are some key differences in the severity of these gambles. The biggest risk your Neopet faces at its version of the lab is the possibility of being transformed into an “unattractive” species, colour, or combination of the two. If this happens to your pet, and you’re really upset because your precious Draik is now an Ogrin, try to remember beauty is relative, but also try talking to some of the Petpets who have experienced the worst their lab ray has to offer. You might find that rather difficult, because they no longer exist. Yes, Petpets not only face the same colour/species risk as pets, but they also face the additional risks of being turned into a pile of soot, snow or, you know, just totally and completely erased from existence.

Other Stories
"We're Okay" by quanticdreams
…Even as a young Ixi, however, he kept his past strictly to himself. “Jazan?” Nabile said, squinting into the Qasalan sun to try and make out the figure below. “There’s some sort of clown man outside.” Jazan shuffled blearily across the floor only to be catapulted into wakefulness by what he heard next. “Hanso!” he snarled. As usual, he heard the horrible little man before he saw him — Brynn had apparently gotten held up by the palace guards, which was reasonable, given that Jazan hadn’t expected them. Less reasonable was Hanso’s subsequent course of action, which was to shout Jazan’s name at the top of his lungs until the king himself showed up to punch him in the face. “Jazan, my pal, my buddy, I—” Jazan punched him in the face. He shook out his hand and turned to Brynn. “What is your business?” he said, perfectly composed. Brynn saluted him stiffly. “Captain Brynn Bowen of the Faerieland Guard—” Hanso groaned on the ground. “—and Master Thief Hanso Madeleine of Queen Fyora’s employ, your majesty.” “We’re treasure hunting,” Hanso said into the sand. “Securing dangerous artefacts.” “Same diff.” Jazan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your presence, I understand, but why is he here? Don’t answer that, I understand the reasons perfectly,” he added as Brynn opened her mouth to respond, “I just don’t like them. Which artefact?”

"Terrifying Tales in Retail" by maddie_bangz
“Ugh, this is the worst!” Drauma threw her hands into the air and collapsed onto the pile of clothes beneath her. It was another frustrating workday at another random Neopian shop. She’d been pulled back and forth through so many shops that day that she lost count. It seemed like every minute a new Neopian was singing her praises and begging her to run their shop, but she just couldn’t take it anymore. She was exhausted. “Hello, is anyone here?” A voice called from the front room. Drauma was hoping to get a few moments of peace by hiding in the stock room. Maybe she could bury herself under the piles and piles of clothes and toys that still needed priced and put out on the floor. Ever since Drauma could remember, she had a gift for retail. She had the ability to get items from all over Neopia to fly off the shelves in a matter of minutes. The sad thing is, she used to enjoy it too. She would spend hours shopping and researching prices to help Neopians make their shops as competitive as they could be. Over the years though... it all just became too much. She would spend hours getting comfortable in one shop just for another one to snatch her up and insist they sell for her. The restocking, the pricing, and the constant cycle of chaos was just exhausting. The worst part of all of it, was that some of the shop owners didn’t seem to even want her there.

"Bed Time Story" by dinha_reeves
The two little Poogles were already in their pyjamas and lying on their respective beds as they waited eagerly and obediently for their mother to pick up the box of storybooks. She smiled at them, her two precious boys. Every night she read them bedtime stories, it was practically a tradition. It started as soon as Calister was born, even though he didn't understand a word they said, Lhitia read Donny to sleep and Calister was already in her arms, so he ended up participating in the moment too and grew up and got used to the night read. And even though Donny was already a teenager, he still liked to spend time with his mom and little brother and liked to hear Lhitia reading stories. “So, what's it going to be?” “Mmm... Roobin Wood?” suggested Donny. “Which one is this, brother?” Cal questioned. “It’s the one about the Blumaroo who steals from the rich to give to the poor!” “Ohhh... That's nice, but mommy read it not so long ago!” exclaimed the younger one. “How about the one about the Techo who buys magic beans?” “Again?” Donny grimaced. “Yes, I like that one!’ “But I don't like it that much!” “Okay, okay... How about the Ugly Mallard?” Lhitia suggested with a smile trying to convince the boys. “Ahhh no... I'd like the one with the magic beans!” “Aww, Calister, every time it's your choice!” Donny frowned and pouted as he crossed his arms, his little brother always had...


Neopian Garden Centre


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Great stories!


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Dressed to Impress
"They're so trendy and cute!"

by pikcel

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My Snailien and Me
"He's just like me..."

by logical_loophole

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Misery loves company...
Time to head to the Neolodge! Collab with darkobsession

by jenna_lyn_russell

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Totally Real!: Guide to Mystery Island
Did you know that Gadgadsbogen translates to "good good day"?

by rawbeee

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We're Okay
"Even as a young Ixi, however, he kept his past strictly to himself..."

by quanticdreams



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