Uli got to the mysterious island in no time at all, and searched the beaches for the bonehead. He turned around to look and a big monster of green, black, and red appeared before him.

"SEA BEAST!" Uli yelled at the hideous creature, not knowing the big monster of green, black, and red was actually a Red Kougra with asparagus between its teeth. Of course Uli didn't know this because Kougras aren't common underwater... nor is asparagus.

The Kougra was just as scared. Mystery Island was actually home to the sea beast. The sea beast rarely came out of his cavern mainly because it was really a hideous mutant Techo that had no friends.

Uli went underwater, hoping that the sea beast would spare him and his knapsack. While underwater, he noticed there was a small...

Uli swam and swam for two days before he met up with a giant surfing Kiko that had just wiped out. He wore a large gold necklace with a golden key on it. The key had a smiley face on it.

"Hey, dude!" the Kiko called out underwater. Uli was confused. Was that Kiko talking to HIM? He looked around and then looked back at the Kiko.

"Come on, little dude! Follow me!" The little Flotsam swam up to the surface of the water, and when he got there, the Kiko was gone.

"Where'd he go?" Uli thought aloud. Then, something shiny caught his eye. Uli swam to shore and picked it up. It was the Kiko's necklace! And next to it was a note. It read...

Uli stared blankly at the note, and picked up the key. It looked like a perfectly ordinary golden key--a heavy golden key, at that. How the Kiko could have worn it and the necklace it was attached to without sinking like a rock was beyond Uli's understanding.

"Well, I don't see how a key is going to help me..." he said, even as he slipped it around his neck. The smiling face of the cursed key of Pollos did make him feel somewhat better about himself, at least... and so, bravely, Uli did the most counter-natural thing he had ever done in his life--he went up onto the shore, hopping along the hot sands and realising for the first time in his life how truly necessary feet (and shoes) were.

Perhaps thankfully, before his tail could get more than a bit crispy, Uli abruptly noticed the island mystic... calmly sitting in a boat, a few hundred feet from shore, fishing with what looked like a plum chia eraser as bait. It had to be him, unless that bone in his hair was actually a Battledome scar of some sort; this was the great mystic everyone had talked about. Uli hopped back into the water, and swam in close without a second thought.

"He who disturbs my magic fish will find a cave below, where a Sea Beast waits--but only a stone can enter!" the Mystic yelled, whipping rod (and eraser) out of the water as he spotted the Jetsam's approach.

Uli blinked and stopped swimming. "That's not a fish, that's an eraser..." he began, and discovered abruptly how heavy the key around his neck really was, as he promptly was yanked underwater by it...

"Welcome, young sea voyager! This is the Rock Shop, where everything is made of... HUH?!? THAT! AROUND YOUR NECK... COULD IT BE?!? THE CURSED KEY OF POLLOS!!!" An older looking Quiggle jumped out from behind (of course) a rock desk, nearly attacking the poor Uli.

"WOO! Hey, uh... old guy, calm down. It's just a necklace-key thing, no biggy," Uli said, struggling to get the Quiggle off him.

"No, no, you don't understand! That necklace-key thing is of very rare value. I will give you anything you desire for it. Anything in my store!"

Uli thought deeply for a bit. The mystic bone head guy did say that only a stone could enter. So without any further thought, Uli grabbed a stone mask, a stone body suit, stone gloves, and a pair of stone boots, then turned to the Quiggle.

"Yes, yes. Take all you want. Just give me the necklace!!!"

Uli gratefully handed over the necklace. Putting all the stone gear on, he then walked out of the store, only to bump into...

"Idiot," she said to him, after trying vainly to lick some of her mane into place. "Those will crumble the moment you reach the surface."

"They will?" said Uli.

"Yes," the Wocky said decisively. "He curses the junk he sells, that Quiggle. I bought a necklace from him. It melted at the surface, and did this to my fur." She again tried to lick it into place.

So that's what happened, thought Uli, but all he said was, "I'm Uli. What's your name?"

"I'm...

"Well, not too much," said Uli. "I�m looking for the Sea Beast's cavern. Do you happen to know where it is?"

"Do I?!?" said Cheesewooly, "Ever since I bought that necklace and trashed my hair, I haven�t been able to show my face above the surface... everyone laughs at me! So I have just been wandering around that bottom of the sea, looking for hair jell ever since. In fact, I found the cavern last week! I can show you if you'd like..."

"That would be great!" Uli said, "how far away is it?"

"It�s a good ways away," she replied, "but what are you going to do for me if I get you there?"

"Well, you did say that you needed hair jell, and I don�t think you are going to find any here. So I will go up and get some for you.

"You�ve got a deal. I�ll take you there as fast as I can, but it will take at least two days. There will be many dangers along the way... are you willing to take the risk?"

"Well, I�ve come this far; I can't go back now. So yes, I accept!" with that, the pair set off for the beast's cavern. They had only gone little way when they ran into...

"WAIT!" cried Cheesewooly. "Don't go near that! It is the legendardy Clam of Doom!"

Uli looked at her for a moment in confusion. "The Clam of... what?" he asked.

"The Clam of DOOM! It has been a long while since I have told the legend of the Clam of Doom, but I will try my best to explain it to you," Cheesewooly responded, making a quick and nervous glance at the clam (who appeared to be sleeping at the moment). "It all started a very long, long time ago. A young and naive Koi named Ralph recieved a pet clam for his first birthday. Ralph was mad at the gift, for he had always wanted a beautiful little Babaa to call his own, and not a clam. So he shunned the clam, and called it names. The clam tried hard to please Ralph, and eventually was driven to insanity, thinking he was himself a Babaa. One day Ralph left on an adventure, and when he still had not returned two years later, the clam took his insanity to the street and destroyed everything in sight. They named him the 'Clam of Doom' from that point on. He is mad - very mad. They say he still waits for Ralph to come back. But everyone who ventures towards the Clam of Doom is never seen again."

"Thats... horrible," said Uli. He felt sorry for the clam. "But, clam or no clam, I must get to the cavern of the Sea Beast!"

With that said, Uli started off towards the clam, despite Cheesewooly's protests. The clam continued to sleep peacefully even as Uli approached it. It seemed as if the clam was not going to wake up at all, and that Uli woldn't have to deal with him. Uli silently passed the clam - but he only got a few paces ahead when a thundering roar let loose from behind him. The clam had awakened! The clam swiftly moved towards Uli and...

"W-who are y-you?" asked Uli.

"My name shall not be spoken around here," He moved in closer, whispering, "for I am wanted. Let's go to my hut." He looked around and led them into a small cavern. "There... now we can talk."

"Who are you? Do you know where the Sea Beast is? Can you find me some hair gel?" Uli and Cheesewooly asked together.

"I am Shero the Flotsam. I am wanted because I created the mysterious cursed key of Pollos. The key unlocks the doorway to the Sea Beast's Lair. Only one may enter. The Sea Beast was my friend; before he became greedy for Neopoints. Too greedy."

Uli gasped, "That's why the Quiggle wanted it! He..."

"This Quiggle you are talking about," Shero said quickly and urgently, "It wasn't selling rocks when you saw him and gave him the key, was it?"

Uli felt a knot in his stomach tighten. "Yes..." Uli whispered faintly.

Shero gasped. "Oh no! That was my evil rival, Dask! Ever since I created that key, Dask has been after it because he is greedy and thinks that he can create multiple keys, which he can sell and become rich, famous, and above all, powerful!

Uli gulped. "B-b-but can't we stop him? I mean, he can't have gotten too far! I traded the key for my armor only just a little while ago!"

"Why did you buy that armor anyway?" Shero asked.

"Well, the Island Mystic told me that only a rock can enter the cave of the Sea Beast!" Uli explained. Shero looked even more disappointed.

"Figures. The Island Mystic and Dask work together. The Island Mystic tells people fortunes dealing with rocks, then they meet Dask and Dask gets their valuables." Shero muttered darkly.

"What are we going to do?" Cheesewooly asked.

"Well, if I remember Dask correctly, he doesn't trust anyone. He should be heading towards the Sea Beast's cave right now, to test the key." Shero said. "Hurry! We are not far from the cave! We may still have a chance to catch Dask before it is too late!"

The threesome swam quickly and quietly; Cheesewooly and Uli following Shero. Soon enough, they came upon a cave with a huge metal door blocking the entrance. Shero motioned for them to hide in the seaweed as they saw Dask swimming towards the entrance of the cave.

Dask took the key of Pollos out of his pocket and slowly opened the door to the lair of the Sea Beast. Chuckling evilly to himself, Dask slipped inside the door and shut it.

"Hurry! This way!" Shero whispered and motioned for Cheesewooly and Uli to follow him. Shero swam up to the door and studied the key hole for a moment.

"Good! Dask was not smart enough to lock the door behind him! Hurry! Inside!" Shero, Uli and Cheesewooly crept inside the door just in time to see Dask finish tying the last of the ropes that bound the sleeping Sea Beast.

Shero gave a huge cry and went thundering ahead and tackled Dask. As the two were clawing, biting and scratching each other, Uli and Cheesewooly untied the Sea Beast and held on to the ropes for the right moment.

As soon as Shero managed to pin Dask to the floor, Uli and Cheesewooly tied Dask up with the ropes that once secured the Sea Beast.

"Thank you for helping me!" Boomed the Sea Beast. "I am forever grateful. I will give you each a present to return your favor." The Sea Beast disappeared for a moment, and when he came back he had two items in his hands.

"For you, Uli, the Gem of True Seeing. May you use it well. For you, Cheesewooly, hair gel. And for you, Shero, my friend-" the Sea Beast swam over to Dask and retrieved the key from his pocket."-the key to my lair. I hope you all like your gifts! May you all use them well." And so ended the quest for the Gem of True Seeing.

One year later...

The Jetsams and Flotsams were finally at peace. Using the Gem of True Seeing, Uli had found out that a Jetsam King had once refused to loan a Flotsam King a thousand Neopoints (which the Flotsam King wanted to build a new fort with) so the Flotsam King ordered all Flotsams to retaliate against the Jetsam King and so began the long, long feud.

Once this was discovered, the Flotsams and Jetsams had a good long laugh, but never fought again. As for Uli, for his braveness, he was made King of the new Jetsam-Flotsam community.

The End