Smiling Critters One-Shots

Mystery In The Frostbite Mountains

A request for @ThePurpleAura

"So, there's a so-called 'Snow Beast' living in the Frostbite Mountains? Well, while I know the mountain range is very real, this 'Snow Beast seems very fake," Bubba Bubbaphant said.
"Well, I think it is!" Kickin Chicken argued. "And I'm going to find it!"
"A Snow Beast?" Hoppy Hopscotch said. "I don't think going after it is the best idea... for all I know, we might never see you again... the mountains are bitterly cold, and are also said to chill the bones of those who aren't careful!" Hoppy said.
"Did someone say mountains!" a voice piped up from upstairs. Snowball, Hoppy's arctic hare friend, often known by her nickname, Snowy, came bounding down the stairs of Kickin's house. "Lots of snow up there!" she said.
"Finally, someone who likes the idea! I'm going to find out what the truth is!"Kickin announced, and started to walk towards the door of his house to exit it.
"Not without us," DogDay told him.
"Sweet! All of us are going!" Kickin exclaimed.

Heading towards the Frostbite Mountains following a map by Bubba Bubbaphant, and bringing a hand-cranked flashlight, the Critters soon  stood at the foot at one of the mountains, its height piercing the sky so the Critters couldn't see the peak of any of the mountains in the range.
"Not one to ruin the moment, but how exactly are we going to get back alive?" Picky Piggy asked.
"We'll find a way," CatNap replied. "We always do."

But ascending the mountains were a lot harder than any of the Critters imagined. Before they'd even got halfway up, but found a precarious edge to climb, a fierce snowstorm started, howling around all of the Critters. It threatened to blow them back down the edge, or worse, off the side of the mountain altogether, to an undeniably fatal fall. At one point, a particularly strong gust pushed Bobby Bearhug off the side, leaving her dangling by her fingertips on the edge. The snow was making her fingers increasingly hard to hold onto the edge.
"Help! I'm slipping!" Bearhug yelled. DogDay reached down to grab her paw, but stepped too far, wavered for a moment on the brink and then with a yelp he fell, barely managing to grab onto a ledge. This forced CatNap and Bubba to form a team effort to pull DogDay up, which they did. Bearhug let out a loud yelp as her fingers finally lost their grip, but Picky and Snowball managed to grab her paw before it was too late.

But the snowstorm was one of many problems that the Critters encountered. Crafty Corn fell through a frozen lake and almost drowned before Kickin pulled her out, and several avalanches that forced them to take shelter, and the resulting snow-covered rocks almost took Hoppy out for good. They were followed by several others before the Critters were able to ascend again.

Getting past halfway through the mountain, the air grew thinner, making it harder to breathe. Worse still, the Critters heard a rumble.
"Ugh, Picky. What did you have for breakfast?" Kickin moaned, thinking it was her stomach.
"AVALANCHE!" Picky shouted, and Critters hunkered down yet again. This time, it was worse. A gigantic snow-covered rock fell down to the edge where the Critters were standing, and stayed there, separating the Critters from Kickin, Hoppy and Snowball, who were on the other side of the rock. They tried to move the rock, but it was impossible to lift or move.
"Guess we'll have to meet up with them further up the mountain..." Kickin stuttered, the bitter cold starting to chill him to the bone. "If we can even find them," he grimaced to Hoppy and Snowball.

The snow proved an extreme hindrance, as it was snowing so hard that it was difficult to see, and it was deep enough that it was difficult to walk, freezing the trio's legs, causing them to trudge through it. What was more, it was a serious hazard, as part of the mountain edge gave way in an explosion of snow, resulting in Kickin tumbling down, but grabbing onto the left edge of where he'd been before he stepped forward.
"Don't worry!" I'll hoist you up!" Hoppy said, before a cold gust of wind made her lose her balance and fall down the mountain alongside Kickin making snow wrap around the two in a massive ball, before it burst after falling to a lower ledge. Ironically enough, both Hoppy and Kickin looked like human snowmen, before sneezing their way out of the snowy encasing they were in. Snowball had to find a way down to them to get them back up, which she did by willingly rolling down the mountain, getting covered in snow and looking like a snowman, or snow bunny, once she finally came to a stop where Kickin and Hoppy were. The two helped her out of the snow she had around her.
"While that's my favourite game to play, it's not when there's danger afoot," she said.

The three continued on, finally getting to a cave, which they went into in an attempt to get warm, as they were so freezing that Hoppy's fur was almost completely white with snow, as was Kickin's feathers, and Snowball had sneezed, with no apparent effect since she was so cold. Kickin sighed.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I didn't know it would be this dangerous! I was just so excited to find this Snow Beast!"
"S...Snow Beast?" Snowball shuddered.
"Yes. Sorry, Snowy," Kickin admitted.
"Kickin, you weren't to know," Hoppy told him. "I'm sharing your agony in every degree." The two huddled into each other, trying to keep warm, but to no avail. Snowball saw this, and suggested "How about some 'Keep Me Cozy Cuddles?"
"What are those?" Hoppy asked, only for Snowball to clasp her and Kickin in a warm group hug, which actually worked and warmed the three up!

This continued until the trio heard DogDay's voice.
"You're okay!" he said, followed by Crafty Corn shouting "You three had me so worried!" as a group hug started up yet again.

However, the reunited Critters then heard a low growl from in the cave. The light from DogDay's flashlight shone to show that the cave extended further than Kickin, Hoppy and Snowball had originally thought.
"This might be the Snow Beast!" Kickin said, beaming.
The Critter Crew continued deeper into the cave, wondering where the passage might lead to. With every step they took, the growls became louder, until the light from the flashlight shone on a Snow Leopard who yelled and jumped back.
"Are you the Snow Beast?" Kickin asked, slightly confused.
"No, but travellers sheltering in here have often said that after hearing me," the leopard said.
"Then why are you in here?" Crafty asked.
"I got lost in a Snowstorm and got cold, so I went in this cave to let it pass," she continued.
"Then why didn't you simply come out after it had?" Bearhug inquired.
"Because I was afraid of the dark," the leopard replied.
"Then let's get you out of here!" Hoppy said.

And so, the Critters led the leopard out of the cave, DogDay's flashlight comforting the creature. Once they were out, the Snow Leopard said "Thank you so much, Critters!"
"Are you sure you don't want us to help you get back to your family?" DogDay asked.
"No thanks! I know where they are," the leopard answered.
"But what I will do is get you back down the mountain safely!"

And the snow leopard did, leading the Critters down the Frostbite Mountains via the safest route she knew of. Once they were at the bottom, the Critters waved goodbye to the creature as it headed back up the mountain.
"Well, we found the Snow Beast!" Bubba said. "And Kickin, Hoppy and Snowball, what stout, plucky and resourceful Critters you were! We were worried we'd never see you again!"
Kickin, Hoppy and Snowball chuckled as the Critters prepared to leave, at last, the Frostbite Mountains.

One-shot done! Hope you like it! See you next time and have a Critterific day!