Title: First Frost Festival
Summery: While the fairies are preparing the First Frost on the Mainland and the Festival celebrated with it, Qana finds a friend, Sled finds love, Tink finds a mystery and all three find trouble.
Rating: PG for mild Romantic themes
Characters: Qana(protagonist), Sled, Tinker Bell, Satin, Lyria, Rosetta, Silver Mist, Iridessa, Fawn, Terence, Vidia, Bobble, Clank, Lord Milori, Chill, Whisper, Yukon, Frost, Yule, Noelle, Lux ,Gwyneira, Angerona, Spinner, Muse, Gypsy, Hem, Stitch, Calico, Fairy Mary, Fairy Gary, Minister of Winter, Queen Clarion, and Herald.
Pairings: Lyria/Sled VERY MILD one sided Tinker Bell/Terence
Warning: Story contains romantic themes, I know many don't like romance in the Disney Fairy Franchise so if you don't, don't read this fic.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but all of the snowflake fairies (besides Qana, Sled and Lord Milori) Gypsy, Muse, Stitch Calico and Herald.
The sun had just barely peeked it way over the horizon, shedding its first warming rays on the Chilly Winter Woods. Qana, the youngest but by far the most talented of the Snowflake fairies, paused on her way to work to admire the beautiful colors flooding the sky. It was one of the few times during the day that the sky in Winter Woods was anything but gray. Actually Qana thought as she watched the sky turn from purple to a deep fiery reddish orange tinged in yellow it one of the few times in the day Winter Woods itself has any color besides white, brown and pine needle green.
"Qana! Qana darling, there you are!" a voice startled the petite snowflake fairy out of her thoughts. The voice belonged to the ever present, ever chatty snowflake fairy Whisper, Qana's self appointed, mentor, older sister, best bud, and constant nanny. There was hardly a moment in the day when Qana wasn't under Whisper's constant watch. Every time she left to collect snow grains Whisper had to fallow after her, every time Qana need something Whisper insisted she got it for her, on the rare occasion's Sled let Qana and the other snowflake fairies attend a story telling at Fairy Tale Theater Whisper had to escort her, keep other talent fairies from talking to her, sit by her and ask her every time the storytellers got to a frightening part of a story "Do you want to leave darling? Are you scared?"
Qana sighed. It wasn't that she didn't like Whisper; the fairy was likeable enough, kind hearted, eager to please her fellow guild members, a talented snowflake maker, but Qana just didn't get why Whisper felt she needed to hover over her every second.
"It's just because you're the youngest dearie" Sled would explain every time Qana addressed it to him. "When we get another snowflake fairy she'll stop invading your breathing space and invade the new one's" he always added a helpless shrug "That's just how she's always been"
"Why?" Qana wanted to know. "Why is she like that?"
"The same reason Frost does nothing but work, and Chill flirts with every sparrow man she runs across, it's just the way she is."
"I wish a new one would hurry up and come, can you believe I've been living with her breathing down my neck for five season cycles."
"Hey you're lucky" he laughed and ruffled the snowflake fairy's hair "She was like that with Yukon for nearly fifteen before you came along"
Qana hoped she wouldn't have to wait that long before a new snowflake fairy came along. It was true that Snowflake fairies (being a seasonal talent) were rare creatures, but so were summer shower talents and they usually got a new one every three years.
"Qana dear are you cold? I brought a cloak just in case you were" Whisper flew up to Qana. "I can't believe you wear that dress all day." She motioned to Qana's first frost, strapless knee length day dress with the spider silk belt around her petite waist. Qana brushed out a few wrinkles near the bottom. "Why?" she asked Whisper "I am a snowflake fairy Whisper, I'm used to the cold"
"Yes I know" Whisper agreed "But at your age."
"My age?" Qana crossed her arms over her chest "Whisper I'm almost six season cycles, I'm far from being a new arrival, I think my blood has become quite accustomed to this weather"
"What ever you say dearie!" Whisper threw her hands up in defeat "but I'll keep the cloak just in case."
"Fine with me" Qana muttered, she turned back to the sunrise, but instead of seeing it she spied a very distressed Sled flying toward them, his right hand fairy Chill at his side.
Sled wasn't exactly the head of the snowflake fairies, in fact he wasn't even a senior snowflake fairy (though he was no youngster either), yet whenever Sled told a snowflake fairy to do something, they did it, no questions asked. The sparrow knew more about snowflakes then any other winter fairy (besides the Minister of Winter) he had studied up on all seventeen classes of snowflakes and could recite to you hours and hours worth of information about the ingredients needed to form them, the tools need to craft them, what weather conditions form each class of snowflake, and what kind of weather conditions a class of snowflake thrived best on, and he had more snowflake patterns in his head then all the other snowflake fairies put together.
Sled was also a well educated in the diversity of fairies. He seemed to know how to deal with any kind of fairy from workaholic prickly Frost to footloose and fancy free Chill, from old and wise Yule to foolish frisky Noel, from shy reserved Qana to loud chatty Whisper and every kind of personality in-between, making him well liked among the Winter Fairies. These qualities combined and added in his natural abilities to lead and the fairies tended to go to him for advice, take his orders, and heeded his every word.
Chill at his side, was one of the oldest snowflake fairies alive, though you would have never guessed it of you looked at her. She looked just like every other fairy in Winter Woods. Five inches tall with shoulder length shiny white hair, almond shaped grey eyes a pretty face without a flaw to be found, dressed always in snowflakes and frost dresses that seemed almost teasing in how tight they fitted and how much they showed. It seemed even harder to believe that she was aged when you got to know her. The fairy didn't seem to know the meaning of the words hard work. While other snowflake fairies sat carving out beautiful creations out of ice, snow grains, pixie dust and magic, Chill could be found near the pond ice skating or sledding or just flying around wasting time.
And personality wise? Well Chill tended to be what Sled referred to as "a floozy", a fairy that felt the need to be a little to friendly with the sparrow men.
Still fairies respected her, she was there senior whether they liked it or not.
"Qana, Whisper" Sled greeted as he approached them, Whisper and Qana both nodded in return.
"Do you guys realize what today is?" Chill asked them.
"No what is today?" Whisper answered.
"Today is the Autumn Revelry" Sled's voice sounded like he was announcing some kind monstrous disaster.
Which to a snowflake fairy it was kind of just that. A disaster.
The Autumn Revelry was a celebration at the end of autumn and marked the beginning of the preparations for winter.
"You know what that means" Chill whispered.
"All those non -winter fairies are going to start crowding up Winter woods" mumbled Whisper. Sled winced when she said non winter-fairies.
"You guessed it."
"Ugg I hate the days before winter" Chill growled "Worst days of the entire season cycle!"
"Why?" Qana squeaked.
"Because" Sled answered "Those stupid nature fairies come over here, getting ready for Winter and us snowflake fairies have to go into hiding."
Qana had been hearing this every Autumn Revelry since she arrived but she had never quite got why the snowflake fairies hid every time fairies from other talents came around.
"We have to?" Qana asked "I mean do Lord Milori and the Minister of Winter make us?"
"Qana" Sled groaned "We go over this every year, no the neither Lord Milori nor the Minister make us hide"
"Lord Milori doesn't make us do much of anything" Whisper added.
"That's because he doesn't do much of anything" Chill chuckled. All four fairies giggled a little. Lord Milori the winter fairies true leader was well known for not doing much besides sitting in his crystal cave, eating scones and drinking boysenberry juice.
"Well if the Lord and Minister don't make us do it then why do we do it?"
"Because" Chill replied "It's just better if we do, winter fairies just don't mix well with other talents."
"Besides why would you want to put up with those silly fairies, they all think there better then us anyway." Sled growled "Just because they all don't have to stay in one season region all season cycle they think they have the right to walk all over us and boss us around."
"And there all quite dull" quipped Whisper "I mean all they ever do is talk about themselves, and how great they are."
"Especially that garden fairy, what's her name?" Chill asked.
"The redhead that leads that band of airheads?"
"Yeah"
"Her name is Rosetta, and Chill you just don't like her because she's prettier then you." Chuckled Sled.
"Oh I am so not" Chill snorted "Could you just see me being jealous of that conceited social butterfly?"
"Yeah I could"
"Your crazy"
"Have any of you guys ever actually talked to the fairies?" Qana quipped.
"A few times" Sled said "Were required to attend arrivals Qana honey and it's impossible to attend one of those and not talk to one of them."
"But they never have much to say" Chill said. "Don't seem to like talking to us much."
"And the feeling is mutual" Sled finished.
Qana frowned, still not really comprehending the explanation. Why did her friends seem so repulsed by the idea of coexisting with fairies from other talents? Why did they seem to think that just because a fairy was a garden talent or a light talent they were snobby and mean? Didn't they ever watch the other fairies when they were at winter woods?
Of course they didn't, Qana knew that. Snowflake fairies like to have much of anything to do with any talent other then there own, it was just how they were. Garden fairies like to keep up with the fashion trends, Light fairies liked everything to be just so, Tinker's liked to investigate anything they didn't know about till they knew everything there was to know about it, and snowflake fairies didn't like other fairies.
Except for Qana, Qana held a strange fascination for fairies from other parts of Pixie Hollow. Unlike her snowflake comrades she looked forward to every Winter preparation time because it gave her chance to watch (always hidden behind some tree or in some bush) as the other fairies gathered by the pond to engage in games and celebrations as they got everything ready for the cold months ahead on the mainland. She knew many fairies by name and personality. She knew Lyria the beautiful story teller that almost always had a gaggle of sparrow men fallowing after her every where she went, and despite the fact that she hated all the attention they gave her, she was always kind and gracious to them and to all who approached her. She knew of Fairy Mary the bold brash and big leader of the Tinker's who unlike the snowflake fairies leader actually did things. She knew of Vidia who was the fastest of the fast flying fairies. A lot of other fairies didn't like her but Qana didn't see why, sure she wasn't exactly the friendliest fairy around but she wasn't mean for say. But more then any of them she knew Terence. A dust keeper who hated winter, but loved the solitude Winter Woods gave him. She had to admit out of all of the fairies she watched, he was her favorite. There was just something about him that drew her to him. Maybe it was because he was nearly as shy as her, preferring the company of the wind or Chippy a chipmunk that fallowed Terence every where all winter, to the company of his fellow fairies. Or maybe it was how poetic he was, or how sensitive he was, or how willing he was to accept everyone. What ever the reason Qana would often watch him for hours on end, till she knew almost every detail about him physical and non physical.
She was about to ask Sled if he thought Terence was snotty but she was interrupted by Frost, who was, no doubt, on her way to work.
"Why are you all just hovering here?" she asked grumpy like usual "You do know that today is the Autumn Revelry right? The other fairies will be here tomorrow and then we'll have to hide."
"Were aware of this" said Chill.
"I'm surprised you're aware of anything, seeing as your always forgetting your shift." Sneered Frost at Chill.
"You'd have to be a moron not to know when the Autumn Revelry is Frost, I'm not a moron"
"Could have fooled me"
"Alright you two cut it out" commanded Sled. This was normal behavior for the two, Chill and Frost, because of there vast different life styles tended to always be in a fight. "Frost's point is that we need to get to work, we only have one day till the others come, and then we'll be limited to how much we can do"
"True enough" Chill agreed "Come on guys let's get to work."
"Oh your going to work today Chill? That's a first." Frost remarked.
"No one asked for your input Frost" Chill returned. Sled rolled his eyes at the two girls, then motioned for Qana and Whisper to fallow.
"You ready to make some beautiful snowflakes today Qana?" Whisper asked.
"Of coerce I am, I'm ready to make snowflakes every day Whisper" Qana replied. And she was ready, more then ready actually to get work. Qana may not have shared her friends' views of other talents but Qana was a snowflake fairy at heart. To her there was nothing more exciting or enjoyable as sitting at her carved out station and working on her newest snowflake design. Nothing could ever compare to that.
"Come on you two!" Sled called back. "Get those wings in high gear"
"Coming Sled!" Whisper answered, taking Qana's wrist. "Bet get moving before he get's mad."
Qana nodded in agreement and allowed herself to be dragged by Whisper to the stations.
Yukon was waiting for them at the Stations. "Morning Sled, girls" he said holding up a large sack. "Who want there daily supply of dust?"
The group got into line as Yukon measured out six teacups of dust and spilled them over the fairies and himself.
"Who dropped off the dust today Yukon?" Qana asked, hoping a certain name would be mentioned. Sadly it was the same name that was mentioned every day.
"Fairy Gary."
"Oh"
"You seem disappointed" Sled noted. Qana blushed.
"I do?" she asked "Well I'm not"
"Alright then" Sled shrugged his mind on something else. "Everybody today our main job will be to collect all the snow grains we possibly can" he addressed the other snowflake fairies as they began flying in. Qana stood beside him hoping he would give her some special task, something he often did whether she was near him or not. Qana knew it was because like Whisper, Sled liked to baby Qana and make sure she was never made to do the hard boring parts of snowflake making like gathering snow grains or packing them into sacks made of frost.
"Qana I have a special task" Sled told her "I want you to take all the snow grains that the others will give you and count them, then I want you to separate them so that each fairy will have enough snow grains to make snowflakes for at least the next ten days, you got that?"
"Yes" Qana nodded.
"Ok then, let's get flapping." That was how he ended every morning meeting.
The stations was a large collection of small caves, just large enough to shelter a fairy and dug out bowl for making snowflakes, carved out of the ice, and it was so deep in the woods that hardly any other fairy other then the snowflake fairies dared to venture there. Lyria had once, driven by curiosity. The story teller liked to lock herself up in the library for days on end and read up on all sorts of various topics. Once she had spent a whole two weeks reading about snowflakes, curious to see if what she read was true she had flown through Winter woods, till she had found the Stations, only to be driven out by Chill and Frost. Sled had chastised them for taking any action before he had met with the fairy. They all waited for days for Lyria to return but she never did, much to Qana's disappointment. Fairy Gary came everyday to deliver there Pixie Dust and sometimes Viola came to summon one of the fairies to the Queen, but other then that it's existence was pretty much unknown by any of the others.
Because she was supposed to collect all the snow grains from the others, Qana decided to sit in Sled's station where all the snow grains were dropped off any way. Sled allowed it even giving her his stool carved from ice to sit on. She settled down beside the extra snow grain pile and began to count the snow grains already there. Every now and then she would look up to see the scenery around her.
The sky turned gray in no time, it began to snow, snow grains (like it often did) the pine trees and evergreens all shivered in the wind the snow grains on the ground shimmered. The same scenery she'd seen ever since she had arrived. It was beautiful and it was familiar and she loved it……still………
"You ok snowdrop?" Sled asked Qana using his fond nickname for her.
"Yeah" Qana replied "I'm glad you sent Whisper off to collect snow grains, nice to not have her in my breathing space."
"I could tell you needed a break" Sled responded.
"Sled" Qana asked after a moment.
"Yes?" Sled was already busy carving out a snowflake, his chisel in one hand and his hammer in the other.
"Have you ever wondered what it might be like to live in Spring Valley?"
"Spring Valley?" Sled wrinkled his nose.
"Or Summer Glade, or Autumn Forest" Qana added quickly.
"No" Sled answered promptly "To hot all of them, an I'm not into bright colors"
"Oh" Qana chewed her lip.
"Why?" Sled turned to look at her, his blue eyes shining with concern. Qana smiled, Sled was a good friend.
"No reason" she said "Just wondering"
"Oh" Sled smirked at her "Well if you want to bring winter on time, I suggest you stop wondering and start counting"
"Yes Sled" Qana replied turning her attention back to the pile of snow grains. Outside she could here some snowflake fairies approaching chatting happily.
"Qana" Sled's voice was soft. Qana looked up at him; he was not looking at her but at the woods spread out before them.
"Yes?" Qana asked.
"Can I tell you something?" he finally looked at her. Qana nodded. Sled just stared at her for a long time. Then he shook his head. "Never mind" he turned his attention back to his work.
Qana frowned, baffled by Sled's behavior, but she shrugged it off and continued to work.
Like Sled said, they only had one more day of freedom.
Well there's chapter one. This is a finished fiction, and I'll be adding a new chapter everyday.
Oh and just to clear the matter right away. This story is in no way intended to be a Qana/Terence fiction, Qana's fascination with Terence will be explained later. But I can reassure you It's not a romantic fascination.
