Roo Island Needs A Makeover!

Lately, many parts of Neopia are being renovated. The "Save The Wheels" campaign helped refurbish all the wheels of Neopia. Everyone rejoiced at the new wheels, so shiny and beautiful. Many Neopian shopkeepers got new looks as well. Now they look up-to-date so more customers will come to their stores! However, something was still missing, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Then one day, while I was playing Dice-A-Roo with King Roo, the king gave a great big sigh. Confused, I asked him if anything was troubling him, and after a long pause he said, "My home is what's troubling me." I asked him to elaborate, but he simply shook his head. I rolled my dice again and landed on the "Lose" side of the die - it was game over, so the king shooed me away and I left the island. For the rest of the day, as I spun the shiny wheels around Neopia and visited a few shops to gaze at their new looks, I kept wondering what King Roo had meant by his comment about his "home". Was it his castle? It was looking rather shabby lately and-...then it hit me! He hadn't meant his castle, he had meant Roo Island itself! That's what I had felt was missing before! Roo Island had been neglected in the recent wave of makeovers. No wonder the king was so glum. The island he ruled over had been left out, and his pride was wounded.

I quickly went back to Roo Island to talk to the king, but the castle doors were locked and no one would answer when I knocked. Frustrated, I went into the only shop on the whole Island, the Souvenir shop. The shopkeeper seemed extremely excited when I walked in, and stumbled over his words as he tried to ask me what items I was looking for. I shook my head and said I was only here to ask him some questions. He looked disappointed at this news and told me if I wasn't going to buy anything I had to leave. I pleaded with him to give me an interview, assuring him it was for the good of Roo Island. He glanced at me warily, but agreed to the interview. We sat down on a couple Stylish Blue Blumaroo Chairs he was selling and I began to ask him questions. First, I asked him his opinion on why he didn't have very many customers.

"The aesthetic of Roo Island drives tourists away" said the shopkeeper, looking around sadly at his empty shop. "It doesn't have the same up-to-date looks that other places do. Even Kiko Lake, a place just as small as Roo Island, received a new look!"

Now that he mentioned it, I had noticed Kiko Lake's lovely new look. It had just as few attractions as Roo Island did, so why had it received attention while Roo Island stayed neglected? I decided to ask the shopkeeper that very question.

"My guess is that more people spend time at Neopia Central, which is just across the rainbow," he said, looking irritated. "They have so many shops over there that there's no need to come to Roo Island, especially when most of the furniture I sell can't be used in the fancy new Neohomes that are being built now."

I nodded my head in agreement. Neopia Central is made up entirely of shops, and since it's so close to Roo Island, Neopets don't need to cross the rainbow that connects the two places. Next, I asked the shopkeeper what changes he might like to see to his home island.

"I think we need more shops," said the shopkeeper. "Normally I would like being the only shop on the island, but I have no customers! We need more shop to attract tourists and visitors. Also, it might be nice to have something else to really lure 'em in, like a fancy wheel or a rewarding quest!"

The shopkeeper was getting excited thinking about all the possibilities for the island. His mood picked up considerably as he babbled on about his ideas for Roo Island, and his speech was so fast that I could hardly scribble down what he was saying. But the message he conveyed to me was clear: Roo Island had the potential to be a thriving and vibrant island. I thanked him for the interview and left the shop, the shopkeeper still rambling to himself about all of his ideas.

The next day I returned to play Dice-A-Roo with the king, hoping that he had unlocked his doors. When I arrived, not only was the entrance to the castle wide open, but there was the king himself, standing at the doors! He smiled brightly as I approached, quickly ushering me into the castle. We sat down to play Dice-A-Roo, but before I could say anything, the king clapped his hands happily and said, "I am troubled no more!" I asked him what had put him in such a good mood.

"The shopkeeper of the Souvenirs shop came to speak with me yesterday!" he said, smiling from ear to ear. "He told me about the conversation you two had. I think it's a splendid idea to renovate the island! Imagine all the Neopets that will come to visit, and all the new activities we could have! My kingdom will be as great as I've always wished it would be."

Embarrassed, I mumbled something inaudible and tried to continue the game of Dice-A-Roo, but the king simply would not shift from the topic. He loved my idea, and kept talking amiably about all the changes he envisioned. I felt very bashful, for I had not intended for this to be more than an idea. But King Roo was so excited that I knew I had to take action. Roo Island deserves to have a makeover! It has been neglected for too long!

King Roo spread the news to all the Blumaroos that inhabit Roo Island, and soon there was an uproar of enthusiasm as they talked about the possibility of a new look. Ideas and comments began pouring in so quickly that King Roo could hardly keep track of them all! He tried to incorporate everything into one document, but couldn't fit everything without leaving out an idea just as valuable as the rest. So he decided to make a simple proclamation, and here is the message he asked me to pass on:

"Roo Island needs a makeover!"