MYSTERY ISLAND - Our next adventure started on the day The Neopian Times came
out. May, who had run all the way to the Art Centre to pick up the lasted edition
of The Neopian Times, had come home screaming and leaping and yelling, "Moon!
We did it! Yes! MOOOOONNNNN!"
After realising what my little cloud Kau meant by we did it, I ran out on
our lawn as May threw the latest copy in my direction, I tore through it...
I wanted to scream when I saw what was written under articles:
Forgotten
Shopkeeper… Owner of the Slushie Shop
Then a picture of Ice, the shopkeeper May and I had met in Happy Valley. And
under it was what I had been waiting for: by moonandsun211. I was so
happy, I wanted to scream or run around the NeoHomes, I wanted to do something.
But then my Neopet brought me back down to Neopia.
"I have an idea," May began confidently, "we should do another one! Like a
series, please Moon? It would be so cool, wouldn't it?" She smiled and I nodded,
my brain was racing for a shopkeeper to do an article on, but, as it was supposed
to be a forgotten shopkeeper, I couldn't think of one. I forgot.
***
It was that night at dinner I figured out what shopkeeper we should do our
next story on. I handed May her favourite dessert, a golden juppie, and she
replied, "Thanks Moon, I wonder where, where… um… I wonder where that Tropical
Food Shopkeeper gets these juppies, they're great!" May quickly gobbled down
the golden Juppie.
I was suddenly hit with another idea "May! You are a genius!"
May smiled, "Well, you do spend a lot on books every month. I mean--" but
I cut her off.
"No, I mean, we should do our next article on the Tropical Food Shopkeeper,"
I explained and May agreed, so it was decided, tomorrow we would pack our bags
and travel to Mystery Island.
***
Upon arrival to the island May and I were greeted by a group of Kougras in
all different colours. They waved and smiled. I must say it was a nice change
from our rather chilly visit to Happy Valley. May and I marveled at the palm
trees, played the Tombola (we lost, if you really wanted to know), and had a
rather pleasant Tiki Tour.
Finally we decided to get down to business, so we asked a couple of natives
where the The Tropical Food Shop was, naturally assuming that the shopkeeper
was there. They pointed to a little straw hut that May could have easily blown
over.
As May and I approached the hut we observed the little vegetable garden growing
juppies, mellows, and some sardplants. They looked delicious. Even I was tempted
to go over and pick a cocoa juppie (my favourite) but I knew what we came for
so May and I headed into the hut. But, strangely, he could not be found so we
asked the island Lupe at the front desk where was the owner of the shop. The
Lupe pointed to another little shack next to the garden. The Lupe nodded and
returned to work.
The hut was even smaller than the shop; I wasn't quite sure if May, me, and
the shopkeeper could fit so I called out from the dirt path: "Hello? Um, Mr.
Tropical Food Shopkeeper, are you there?"
Suddenly a blue Techo with a grass skirt and colourful markings walked out
of the open archway, which was the hut's door. He glared at us and pointed to
the shop (do these natives ever talk?).
I wondered why he looked so angry. "You no get lower prices! They cheap, you
buy or leave… Now!"
I could tell May was surprised at the anger of the funny blue Techo He seemed
to be getting angrier by the minute so I guessed I had better say something.
"Um, sir, we are writing an article for Neopian Times and we want it to be
about you? Would you mind that?" I was afraid he was going yell again but instead
he showed a big grin.
"Yazya!" he smiled and shook my hand very hard. "Finally, my brother's always
complaining. Oh! I hate my job. He thinks that it bad; I wish I could be like
you he say, that be nice! It make me angry, see, he get many articles on him,
all the time. But no story about me."
I smiled and strained to understand he's funny ascent and way of speaking.
"See I was a smart little Techo I worked hard outside. I grew many things when
my brother stayed inside. When little he boring, he take care of all his petpets.
Not like Yazya, I always busy feeding people, but it makes me happy!
I assumed Yazya was his name, but I was trying to think who his brother could
be, "What's your brother's name?" I asked curiously.
"Oh! Him," he replied, "everyone call him Dr_Death, I think, he work at pound.
He always seems happy to get away. But he does not visit me often; I do not
go there either. He comes here for the holiday of Gadgadsbogen, we have much
fun then! Oh yes! Anyway, I love feeding others; I have a big plant area full
of juppies and many fruits on the other side of the island, so I never run out!"
"How do you feel about the new release the new Mystery Island Paint Brush?"
May asked in her most official voice.
The Techo thought awhile, then replied, "I don't care... it okay, I mean all
other lands get paint brush, so now we get one. It fair."
May nodded. "Okay…well…" I could tell my Kau was trying hard to think of questions.
"Um, what's your favourite fruit that you sell?"
The Techo laughed and smiled. "I have no favourite, I like all. I like because
they healthy and just right. Do you like a certain fruit best?" he asked to
May.
"Well," May began, "I am rather fond of the golden juppie."
The Techo bent over, picked a golden juppie up and handed it to May. "Thank
you for writing article about me!" he said.
We started to make our way down the dirt path away from the shop, May happily
eating her golden juppie. "I can't believe," I told May, "that Yazya is Dr_Death's
brother!"
May nodded as we arrived at the harbour... | 
