In the Shenkuu valleys, there once lived a generous Pteri named Molht, who, despite her unique appearance, was loved by many for her kindness, as well as her skill when it came to healing. Every morning, she would rise early in the morning, tending and picking from her garden the necessary herbs for medicine. Now and then, her crops would be especially fruitful, and she would harvest the extra fruits and vegetables as well. After taking care of her outdoor activities, she would then have a quick breakfast followed by a refresher by her well. After all was said and done, she would prepare what she needed and begin her daily climb up through the mountain-tops.

Shenkuu Valley Fever? Neoflu? Spyder Bites? Never fear, Molht had the perfect remedy to your illness. Every visit was met with a warm smile, with an occasional gift for the younger Neopians.

However, every once in a while, despite the generally friendly reception she was used to when she made her visits, a shadow of doubt would cast itself in the back of her mind. Would those villagers still appreciate her, even if she wasn't lucky enough to be quite as skilled or considerate as she is? How would they react if her true colors happened to be exposed? Such thoughts would sometimes plague her after a long day of work before she managed to slip into a deep sleep.

One morning, before Molht was about to begin her daily ascent up the mountain, a new sight caught her attention. Next to an abnormally large bush, there appeared to be a Neopian curled up beside it. After she did a bit of squinting, it actually turned out to be a young Ixi. Molht re-adjusted her bag and took a smaller bundle of herbs with her. Better to be prepared for a situation than not at all. She approached him and knelt down to his level.

"Why morning, young 'un! What seems to have gotten ye down on such a lovely morn?" she asked.

The youngster sniffled and gazed up at her with tear-filled, golden eyes.

"My Mother, 'hic' she's been sick and she hasn't been getting better. I just don't know what to do..." he sobbed.

Molht nodded in understanding.

"Say no more. Go on, lead me to Mother, young'un."

At this, the Ixi leapt to his feet.

"Wow, thank you, Miss! She lives right on the edge of this forest, right over there!"

He took off almost instantly.

'Ah, the energy of youth,' Molht thought to herself as she picked up the pace to keep him in her sights.

After a couple of minutes, the outer fringe of the forest showed up; the pair slowed down at the entrance.

"Well, we're here!" the Ixi proclaimed proudly. "Just a little more, and we'll get to where I live! I'll be right inside, waiting!" He slipped in before Molht could object.

Molht took a moment to catch her breath. After all, scaling mountains wasn't quite the same as running headlong at a break-neck pace to Fyora knows where IS rather exhausting. After she didn't feel as though a Pandaphant was straddling her shoulders, she took a deep breath and stepped into the trees. It was very... unlike what she had heard from traveller's tales. Instead of it feeling warm and inviting with the sounds of Naleaps chirruping at each other happily, the air was heavy with silence.

"Um, hello? Young'un... where are you. I can't see in all this blasted darkness..."

Her voice seemed to be swallowed up in the very dark depths themselves.

Giving up trying to contact him, Molht continued to blindly feel and stumble around in the void. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she managed to find a sliver of light that led back to the outside of the 'forest'. Oddly enough when she looked back, there only seemed to be some strange, purple fog that she didn't recall being there when she first showed up.

Looking upward, she was surprised to see the stars were already scattered across the sky.

"Oh dear, it's already dark?" she mused. "It certainly didn't seem as though I was lost for nearly that long. I suppose there's nothing to it but to return home. Hopefully the young 'un was able to do the same."

Backtracking back to where she had last remembered leaving her herbs before the fiasco, Molht went ahead and walked back to her home.

However, upon arriving within a short distance of her destination, she noticed something was amiss. The heavy smell of something that had been smoldering for quite some time was thick in the air. Panicked, Molht raced towards her home, dropping her bag. To her dismay, there was nothing left but ashes and the occasional roof beam that was visible through the mess. Walking slowly around the outside, she noticed that the neat little rows she had so painstakingly formed over the years had the appearance of being trodden on by a number of feet. Molht sank to her knees.

"Who would... DO such a terrible thing? WHO?" she cried out.

"It's amazing how quick several Neopets in a village can act out in anger. Almost disappointing in a way, really."

Molht's head whipped around towards the sound of the voice in the night air.

"'Ey, show yourself!" she shouted as she stood up.

Seemingly coming from out of the shadows, a figure appeared. Molht squinted. Surely it could not be the same Ixi from earlier; he was a lot younger. However, there was no mistaking those now crafty, golden eyes.

"W-what, you can't be..."

"Yes, I am," he replied smoothly. "So, to get this going, I'll explain it in the simplest way possible. Basically... you have something that I need, and I'm not going to be able to get it with you wandering around, healing those who may or may not need it."

Molht balled up her wings into fists. "Still, wot do I have to do with..."

He sighed. "So, knowing the trusting, yet somewhat suspicious nature of the villagers and your 'state of mind', I led you away and left you in an alternate dimension at the base of the mountain to keep you occupied for three days. Evidentially, that's all it takes for some Neopets to get riled up; cutting off their supplies seemed to make them think you abandoned them or something like that. Just last night, they came down here and made a mess of the place. I expected it would take longer, meh.

"So... that's it then." At this point he was beginning to look quite bored, as though explaining his 'master plan' had taken the enjoyment out of it.

Molht was silent.

The Ixi huffed. "You know, you could have the decency to at least reply or something, it took long enough to..."

"RAAAAUUUUURGH."

In a blind fit of rage, Molht launched herself towards him.

"Now, that's more like it..." With that, a brilliant light of Supernova proportions set the Shenkuu sky alight, brighter than the fireworks on the New Year's holiday. There has never been such a massive event like it since then.