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My amazing adventure all started because of my feeble split
Chia, believe it or not. I can barely believe it myself, and yet I am writing
this article, reporting the truth on an interview I hosted with a thought-to-be
monstrous beast.
"Petal?" sparkly_tasnim, the feeble split Chia
asked with her wide puppy eyes. I handed her a cup of her favourite Mint Tea
and she daintily sipped it.
"Yes? What is it?" I replied. I flung myself
onto the sofa my Neopet was also slouched on. I picked up the remote and flicked
from channel to channel.
"My friends are always visiting the Snowager
and they discuss what they've retrieved from it. Petal, can we go and visit
the Snowager one of these days? I feel left out not joining in their conversations.
Please?" Sparkly_tasnim explained hopefully.
"Wouldn't you be scared? How could you steal
from a Snowager if you yell frantically whenever you see a Spyder web?" I joked.
I switched off the television and turned around to face my Neopet.
"Petal, I'm serious," Sparkly_tasnim said. "I
honestly want to rob the Snowager!" Her wide puppy eyes transformed into stern
eyes.
I gasped. "Sparkly, how could you possibly want
to rob a poor ice worm whose done nothing at all wrong, and has never harmed
you? What's got into you today?"
"Petal, prove that the Snowager has done nothing
wrong," Sparkly demanded. I couldn't understand why she had this attitude today.
"Okay, then. And you're coming with me. We're
going to set off for the Ice Caves," I looked at my watch. "Now."
Sparkly gave a big gulp and followed me out
of our NeoHome reluctantly.
We zoomed through the clouds on an enchanted
flying carpet, the breeze dancing in between our hair refreshingly. We landed
on the ground in Merry Acres Farm, enjoying watching the potatoes being counted
and a huge marrow magically growing, with a Wocky marvelling over it. We left
the farm and soon passed Kind Skarl's huge stone castle, and the Ultimate Bullseye,
dodging the inaccurate throws, but watching the pinpoint throws in amazement.
We saw a small hunchback Kacheek passing what looked like an ancient Coffee
Shop. I approached the Kacheek cautiously.
"Excuse me, madam? I was wondering if you knew
the route to the Ice Caves? We're having problems getting there, I'm afraid,"
I said to the Kacheek.
The old Kacheek got out a walking stick that
she was using under he cloak she wore. She began pointing out directions for
me. "Oh, hello, dear. To get to the Ice Caves, you say? I'm a bit deaf, getting
a bit old, you see. Anyway, go east into Tyrannia and then west to Terror Mountain
and climb downwards to the Ice Caves, yes? Take care, my dears!" The Kacheek
gave a friendly wave and limped onwards to the Coffee Shop.
We followed the kind Kacheek's advice and we
ended up in the Ice Caves, as expected. It was freezing cold, turning my shivering
hands mottled blue and red. An icy breeze hit my bare legs like a sharp spear.
The teeth chattered constantly, and I hated
myself for forgetting to bring scarves, gloves and woolly hats.
Sparkly and I walked across the ice, fighting
the strong winds and huddling up to help to be warmer.
After a few minutes, there we were facing it,
the Snowager's cavern. A chill ran up my spine. I was terrified. I hoped we
would get out soon, that is, if we would weren't dead before we could escape.
I nervously tiptoed in, and Sparkly, as usual,
followed. A snakelike figure was coiled among a large heap of treasures. I prodded
it on the tail and immediately retreated. The figure uncoiled slowly and lifted
it head. A long forked tongue emerged from the figure's mouth, swaying between
jagged fangs. The figure shot a cold stare at me. It straightened out, preparing
the iciest blast he could ever fire. But then, he stopped.
"You're supposed to RUN AWAY!" it quietly hissed.
My Neopet and I remained deadly still, unable to twitch.
"Go on! Run!" the figure urged. "RUN!"
"W-w-w-we c-c-can't!" I stuttered, partly from
the cold and partly from fright.
"Why NOT?" it croaked.
"I d-don't know!" I stammered, horrified.
"Sit down," the figure commanded, less angrily.
"You can sit on my pile of goodies if you want -- it's quite comfortable." It
quickly added.
"I am the Snowager. I have hidden in my icy
cavern for centuries, expecting no one to disturb me. I enjoy being alone, I
am not very friendly but I can't help that. I was very friendly before, as I
did have a good companion once, another ice worm, the only other of my kind,
called Silverwisp, who lived in my cave with me. I could handle long conversations
about our childhood. We were always perched happily on my pile of Neggs, toys,
rare trading cards and other sumptuous items, talking about our peaceful lives
as Snowickles -- skiing on the frozen ponds in Happy Valley together, counting
the stars at midnight, and other wondrous things.
We both grew old together, still happily recounting
the memories from our youth. I often slithered up to the highest point of my
huge bed of goodies, and I lay there peacefully, gazing up at the icicles swinging
to and fro and hearing whistling breezes flying around my cave. I was often
sleepy then, for I had been nursing my friend for a long time. He had caught
the nasty illness of Sneezles. Finally, I dared to venture out for a cure. I
had left my companion to rest in the cavern, while I quickly got my special
cloak that fits a slippery, thin ice worm like me. I rushed out of my cavern,
double-checked that my friend was okay, used my enormously long tongue to draw
the cloak up tighter, noticing the painful winds, and I slithered as fast as
I could to Neopia Central, where the Pharmacy was located.
I bought the cure for Sneezles and I hurried
back to my cavern to treat my poor friend. Entering my cavern, with the medicine
fully prepared for my friend, I saw he was not there. He was not resting upon
my pile of goodies. He was not welcoming me back with a huge smile. He was not
there.
Ever since that night, I didn't make friends
with anyone else -- would this happen again? I got to know my old friend so
well, and I couldn't sleep without him snuggling up to me, whispering that we'd
always be friends, no matter what. I never got to discover what caused the disappearance
of my friend, and I don't want to. It would make matters worse.
Years passed, and I realised that my old friend
was also like a guard to this cavern. When I slept, my friend pretended to sleep
too, but whooshing sounds always echoed in the cave. I now know what that was;
my friend skating over to the cavern doorway, guarding my cavern to make sure
no one disturbed my sleep. Now that my friend has gone, when I'm in the middle
of my sleep, people creep up to my pile of goodies, and attempt to steal items
of my comfortable bed.
My guard has disappeared, and everyone pictures
me as a villain. They all hate me -- the evil ice worm. Stealing from my bed
is like a game now, and if they are caught I can't stop myself from firing an
icy blast at them. What is mine is mine, and what is theirs is theirs.
Neopians describe me as 'greedy', when I am
certainly not. Is it greedy to collect rare items, to simply use as a cosy bed?
All my items are strictly mine to keep, and I can do what I want with them.
Yes, I admit, I am not generous and I don't give to the Money Tree, but do I
have to? I can keep my items forever, and you do not have the power to make
me give even a pile of dung to a starving Neopet, as everything in my cave is
my property.
Before, when my only friend was here, people
loved me. They treated me like a world-famous celebrity. Everyone respected
me. And now, since my friend has left, Neopians have been running into my cavern
as if it is their home when I am having a wonderful sleep, and scoop up as many
rare items as they can and run out of my cavern when I barely shift in my sleep,
in case I awaken.
I think it is entirely wrong that people steal
my items and be proud of it. I have heard Neopians boast to their friends that
they have got an Icetravaganza scratchcard from the Snowager, and I can't believe
that they choose theft to boast about. Why don't they boast about their Neopet
defeating the Space Faerie in the Battledome, or finding the Hidden Tower by
themselves? Stealing valuable items is definitely not something to brag about.
I like to look up at he stars at midnight, to
remember my delightful friend. I observe the shape of the stars, and hunt for
a long, wavy pattern, in the shape of an ice worm, to get the privilege of naming
it -- My Dear Silverwisp.
Now, you'd better go out of my cavern this instant.
Once I talk about my long life, it gets to the miserable bits, and then I start
to cry, even if it sounds strange thinking about a burly-looking ice worm crying
-- causing destructive floods over Neopia. I dislike my lonely life, where crowds
of Neopians come to raid my cavern, and never pause to become my friend. I won't
harm you if you try to become friends with me, but my current reputation seems
to be irreversible."
I nodded. "We understand," I sighed quietly.
Sparkly lowered her head and agreed by giving a little shake of her head.
"You can leave now, but come back soon, won't
you?" the Snowager said. "I do like having company, so long they aren't robbers.
I feel much better now I've poured out my thoughts like that. If only Silverwisp
was here, I could pour out all my thoughts all the time and wouldn't be the
grouchy, grumpy Snowager you'd know me as. I try to be friendly but everyone
still raids my cavern and I get absolutely furious!"
"We'll come back soon to let you spill your
thoughts every so often, Snowager. We've enjoyed being in your company, and
you certainly aren't what we thought you would be like. You know have two friends
to remember forever. Goodbye, Snowager, for now."
Sparkly and I left the cavern solemnly. "You
were right," Sparkly whispered in my ear. "You were right."
The End
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