Bika Bikas are remarkably strong despite their small stature and often help their owners carry things around.
	Candychan Candychans are always amazed by everything that goes on around them and often get lost when they wander too far from their owners.
	Feepit So named for the sound they make as they call to each other over the snowy landscape.
	Gabar This adorable creature loves to snuggle and to play. Dont leave the Gabar alone long though or you might come home to an unpleasant surprise.
	Polarchuck A jolly, plump, chattery friend for your pet.
	Snowickle This demanding little beast loves to collect shiny things and cries when you take them away from it.
	Snuffly So called for the snuffling noise it makes when it is searching the ground for food.
	Wreathy Ouch, be careful when you hug this Petpet, he has sharp prickles.

You find yourself so enthralled by petting the small creatures that it is Vasputin who must pull you out of the shop. You sigh wistfully, «But that Snowickle was perfect! I want it...» Vasputin chortles and shakes his head. «My friend, I have lived here my entire natural life, and not even I have seen that shop restock a real Snowickle! That one you saw was just for display. But we have already loitered too long here! This is only the base of the mountain. Let's go see how Terror Mountain earned its name, shall we?»

The Wocky leads you up a steep, winding ice slope. You are just about to complain about the long journey when you realize that no one is listening. Vasputin has disappeared. «Hey, Vasputin! Pri... private? Privyet?» At that a teal head pops out of what seems like a wall of snow. «Ah, privyet, guest! But now is not the time for greetings! Now is the time to follow your friend Vasputin into the Ice Caves,» he says as he pulls you into a crevice in the ice.

Once you regain your balance, your eyes widen as you look around at the silent, sparkling wonderland you have found yourself in. Massive, elegant icicles jut down from the ceiling as if attempting to stab those few bodies that dare to move along below. There is but a small fraction of the beings which populated Happy Valley. Yet even so you feel that no one belongs in this majestic place; somehow it should be forbidden to the mundane existences of living creatures.

You blink rapidly, suddenly wondering what is amiss. Your gaze falls down to Vasputin beside you. He has been standing quietly beside you the entire time. ...Quietly, as in not chattering rapidly. That wasn't like him. Vasputin, understanding your confusion, nods toward the icy hollow. «We natives always respect the inviolability of the Caves. They have taken millions of years to form and must be respected. Come now, I'll show you what has found itself settled here.»

As you are staring up at the slightly terrifying ice ceiling, it is suddently blanketed by a shock of bright yellow. You look around in confusion and realize that Vasputin has taken you to your first stop.

The atmosphere is unrecognizable in comparison to the caves. Vibrant colors are everywhere, accented with happily flashing lights and trilling whirls and noises. The room seems entirely out of place in the caves, and just as you are wondering who could have the sense (or rather nonsense) to put it here...

«COUSIN VAS VAS!» comes a shriek from somewhere in the brightness. You yelp in surprise as a goldenrod flash knocks you down and pummels the tour guide behind you. You scramble back up to glare in indignation. As you get ready to begin your rant about the lack of manners in goldenrod flashes nowadays, you find yourself tounge-tied. The flash, now materialized, was a yellow, feminine, shorter version of Vasputin. Since when did Wockies practice mitosis?

«Vaspuuuutin! Where have you been? Why haven't you been here to see me?!» the yellow Wocky demanded in her high-pitched wail. As she is pinning him down you notice that their tails swish around exactly in sync. «Kiki, my kiosky cousin! Do not be angry with Vasputin! I have been outside the borders of Happy Valley in search of the perfect fir for next Christmas.» So THAT'S how this crazy Wocky found you. Huh. You make a mental note of how odd it is that he is already looking for a tree for next Christmas. «But Kiki, my kiosk conoisseur! Look what I have found! A visitor to our land! This is guest.»

Kiki jumps off of Vasputin and hops around in glee: a perfect imitation of her cousin. «Ah! A visitor, yay! Oooh but you must have heard of my Scratchcard Kiosk, new friend guest?» You blink and shake your head side to side slowly, too distracted with the horrifying thought of a snowy wasteland full of Vasputin clones to remember if you actually had. «But my kiosk is famous!» Kiki whines, obviously upset by the thought that someone in Neopia hadn't heard of her. «Well, any friend of Vasputin deserves a freeee scratchcard!»

You grimace at the circles and begin to scratch them off tentatively, hoping that any prize you may get won't be as crazy and potentially dangerous as the Wocky who gave it to you.

Kiki's face seems to fall in disappointment, but you have a feeling that her reaction is completely fabricated. «Awww, sorry guest, you didn't win. Maybe next time! Come and buy more scratchcards and you'll definitely win eventually.» Vasputin's head shakes sadly beside you. «Life is full of hardships, my friend. But anywho! Cousin Kiki, we must be going now if I am to finish showing guest our land before dark. I must show you later a fir so perfect that it will make you cry in happiness, as I did when I saw it. Farewell fair cousin!» Kiki smiles crookedly and waves as you leave the eyesore kiosk with Vasputin.

On your way out, you notice a deep cave with the wide, yawning entrace completely deserted. You begin to gravitate toward it, but Vasputin gasps and immediately pulls you back. «No, no, no! I thought my friend valued life!» You furrow your eyebrows and reply, «Of course I do, but I want to go see what's in there. Why isn't anyone around?» Vasputin eyes the cave entrance nervously and shuffles you away even quicker. «That is the dwelling of the notorious Snowager. The Snowager is a monstrous beast that sits atop a pile of treasure and EATS anyone who comes near. Avoid him unless you would prefer life in the belly of a worm.» You seriously consider this as possibly being a step up from being dragged around by an insane mountain Wocky, but are dragged out of the ice caves before you have time to act on the consideration.

Immediately upon stepping out from the caves, the wind bites at your exposed skin relentlessly. It is as if raging starved Meepits were let loose... on your face. «OW!» you cry out in tortured pain. «WOW is right! This is Terror Moutain,» Vasputin shouts to you over the howling wind, «we aren't exactly in Happy Valley anymore! Now let's see what it has to offer us!»

Your relief from getting out of the storm is forgotten in the face of a swarming tight pack of Neopets and Neopians. Everyone is yelling and waving around wads of neopoints. You immediately begin to feel claustrophobic as you try to shoo the strangers out of your personal bubble.

«Hey! I was here first buddy, you're going to have to pry this Green Frost Cannon out of my hands if you want it for yourself!» another Neopian scoffs as he snaps the colorful cannon from in front of you. Your eyes widen in amazement; you hadn't even seen it appear there before someone was rearing to take it. It isn't until you see the price that you understand.

«50 neopoints?! For a Green Frost Cannon?! I could sell that for over a hundred times that! Hey, you...!» Vasputin watches in amusement as you join the frenzy and start trying to snag a good deal. After a few minutes, though, you realize that everything is gone.

«This, my friend guest, is why many people make the perilous journey to the mountain.» Vasputin looks beside you at the approaching yellow Chia. The Chia looks conciliatory. «Hello there Vasputin... and, well, Vasputin's friend. My name is Carassa, my brother Mika and I have been having this garage sale for what seems like forever. I'm not even sure where all our stuff comes from, since it is physically impossible to fit all of this into one igloo. Anyway, I'm so sorry that you missed a good deal, but you came right at the end of our restock. We do them about eight times an hour, so stick around if you want a lot for a little.» With that Carassa scurries off back to her brother.

Too annoyed and bitter to concentrate, you fold your arms and look outside. To your surprise it is already dark. There is no way you would be able to navigate down the mountain without light. «Oh, Meepits... Vasputin, I need to go home. Soon. But it's too...» The Wocky smiles and holds up a paw. «I understand, it's too wonderful for you to even think about leaving. But sadly you are right, the top of Terror Mountain is no place for the unfamiliar traveller at night. Never fear, Vasputin knows just the solution.»

After once again having your face bitten off by the Wind Meepits, you enter a rather strange room. The floor, walls, and ceiling are all a dull beige color with no adornments or markings of any kind. It's kind of creepy, actually. You shift your weight uncomfortably, which makes a tiny clopping noise. You blink. You shift again: another clopping noise. Since when did your weight shifts emit colliding sounds? Just as possible diet and exercise options are going through your mind you see the source of the noises. A red Ixi has appeared through a square hole in one wall that you did not even notice. You peer into the hole and see a long corridor sloping gradually downward.

«Tarla!» Vasputin cries in mirth. The Ixi looks up, apparently not having expected visitors, and smiles warily. «Hi, Vasputin... err, what do you want? I mean. Uhh, how can I be of service to you? Everything's in the warehouse now.» Your tour guide shakes his head and nudges you forward. «This is my friend guest. I have just shown guest the entire mountain from the bottom up, and now it is too dark to go back down.» A look of relief washes over the Ixi Tarla's face. She seems to be glad that the favor does not have to do with dealing with Vasputin at all. You sympathize and hope that the favor will be extended to yourself as well. «Sure, I'll take guest back down.» Tarla replies as she eyes the hole she came from with a sly smile. «The Shop of Mystery has more than items and neopoints up its sleeve.»

Tarla waves you over to the hole in the wall and climbs in, waiting for you to follow. A small look of sadness crosses Vasputin's features. His tail has stopped its happy swishing. «I am grieved to see you leave, my new friend. I hope you will come back to visit me.. uuhh, I mean, the mountain. Yes, the mountain will miss you, guest.» His ears fall down and you, despite all this crazy Wocky has put you through, cannot help but feel that you will miss 'the mountain' as well. You smile and put a hand on his strange furry hat. «I'll miss the 'mountain' too, Vasputin, but only for a little while. One day I'll say privyet to the mountain once again.» With that you step into the hole and follow Tarla down the corridor, glancing back just in time to see Vasputin scurrying out into the storm muttering something about the undeniable perfection of a certain Christmas fir.