A.N.: Well, February 14 is approaching, and while I could write about lovey-dovey things, I'd rather not. Instead I present, The Snowball OF DOOM {my version}.

My sister wrote a story with the same exact title, and she suggested that I should copy-and-paste her story, but change the names. As tempting as the offer was, I decided to write my own (and, well, BETTER) version of that story. Instead of Naruto, I'm writing Fable. My readers shouldn't be too surprised about the subject, should they?

Forge cautiously approached the queen. She had been skipping around the castle and humming Christmas songs all day. It wasn't even Christmas! In fact, it was mid-January! Even so, as the blacksmith approached the queen, he recognised the song she was quietly singing.

Dashing through the snow,

On a one-horse open sleigh,

O'er the hills we go,

Laughing all the way!

She stopped singing the stared out the large castle window. Blade gasped.

"What? What did Reaver do this time?" Forge assumed Reaver was up to something immediately. Reaver was always acting suspicious.

"IT'S SNOWING!" cried Blade, with delight.

"Oh, dear," said Forge, louder than he should have. Blade smacked his shoulder.

"Come on," she said, racing out the door. "I've got to tell Ben!"

"Why?" asked Forge.

Blade skidded to a halt. "Because," she explained, breathlessly, "he promised."

"Promised what?" called Forge as Blade quickly sprinted away.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Forge found himself standing outside in the cold, among a few of the castle employees, the former king, the leader of the Bowerstone Resistance (who'd stopped by the castle for urgent matters, but got sucked into the game anyway), the representative of the exotic people of Aurora (who also needed to speak with the queen), a crazy, old Dweller (who was present for no particular reason), a bright-orange-haired-commander (who was always prepared to cause mischief), and Albion's highest industrial figure…

How Blade convinced Reaver to join would remain a mystery to Forge. Blade has her ways; he thought. The blacksmith began to chuckle at the truth behind the statement. It was at that precise moment that a certain freckled officer spoke up. "Blade, what is it this time?"

The queen, offended by his use of the words this time, frowned at him. "Snowball fight!" she declared. "I haven't forgotten your promise, Captain Finn."

Ben's face flushed. "I was kidding!" he said.

"Well, I'm not!" said Blade. "You will have a snowball fight with me and you will like it!"

The group groaned. A snowball fight with the queen sounded like the cruelest, most unusual punishment for the harshest of crimes. Clearly, most (if not all) of the group was innocent of such accusations, yet they were forced to participate anyway, because (after all) Blade's word was the law.

Unlike many of the games that Blade chose, this one gave the opportunity to form teams. Blade was team captain number one, a guard named Alexei was team captain number two, and the third team captain was Logan.

"Ladies first," joked Blade's regal brother, bowing in her direction.

Blade carefully surveyed her victims, "Ben."

The officer walked toward her, starting a line behind her.

"Jasper," picked Alexei.

"Kalin," said Logan.

Each character followed Ben's model, falling into line behind their team captain.

"Forge," chose Blade, for round two. The decision didn't shock any of the other players. It was bound to happen.

"Hobson."

"Page."

"Hmm," said Blade, considering the remaining players. "Reaver."

"Leslie." A maid fell into line behind the royal treasurer.

"Sabine."

After each team was chosen, they scattered around the castle grounds. Each huddled around their team captain, awaiting orders.

In one corner of the gardens…

"What's our battle strategy?" asked Ben.

"Free-for-all?" Blade asked.

"You don't have a plan?" wondered Reaver, studying the queen with extreme concentration.

"Here's the plan..." said Forge, with a sigh.

Meanwhile, in the never-ending hedge maze…

"Hobson, you take out Logan. Jasper, you scout for enemies on the ex-king's team. Leslie, you follow me. We'll watch for enemies on the queen's team. Any questions?" Alexei scanned his teammates.

"Does this snow angel make me look fat?" asked Leslie, who was covered in snow from lying it the white sheet.

"No. Any other questions?"

Hobson raised a finger. He and Jasper had been rolling up snowballs, but had taken a break to build a snowman.

Alexei frowned at him. "No, it's not the snowman. Honestly, it's just you. Can we start now, please?" With that, Alexei and Leslie started toward their destination.

Hobson looked at Jasper, who was holding a carrot. "I had a legitimate question, but is it true? Do you really think I'm fat?"

Jasper, who wasn't good at lying, confessed, "Some of us can't control it." Hobson frowned at him, now self-conscious about his weight. He snatched the carrot out of Jasper's hands.

Finally, in the front courtyard…

"I'm not listening to you!" shouted Page to Logan.

"Trust me, I hate this as much as you do, but get over it. We're a team, let's act like one. Now, what do you say?"

"No!"

"Logan, perhaps..." Sabine whispered something to the former king.

"I don't think that will help the situation."

"Of course it won't! It'll help with my appetite, though."

"Page, even if Logan can be a tyrant, don't you think forming a plan is a good idea?"

Page nodded, thoughtfully. "I guess so."

"Here's what Sabine came up with..."

Page listened, then, after a moment, she cried out, "brilliant!"

"Tell Logan, but remember to leave out that last part. We don't need him to suspect any more than he already does."

"Right, right," Page turned, with a sickening grin directed toward the former monarch.

"What-?" he asked, "what is it?"

"Oh. Sabine has a plan."

"Would you mind filling me in on this plan?"

Page glanced at the old man, "Should I?" With a nod from Sabine and a deep breath, Page continued to try and explain the plan to Logan...

The castle exploded into chaos. Mayhem, as well as pandemonium, became present.

Blade chased Logan with a handful of snow, threatening to shove it down his pants. Ben and Forge stood back-to-back against each other as they were quickly surrounded by enemies. Each defended the other, hurling snowballs at every person as they approached, as though fending off zombies in an apocalypse.

Page, Sabine, and Kalin eventually gave up on Ben and Forge, huddling and whispering to one another.

Jasper and Hobson, along with Alexei and Leslie, eventually gained on Ben and Forge, taking them out.

Reaver hid in the hedge maze, loaded with snowballs, waiting for an enemy to search for him.

By the end of the day...

Logan earned trousers full of snow.

Ben and Forge's fingers and toes became quite numb.

Page, Kalin, and Sabine spontaneously betrayed Logan, who was astonished at how the tables had turned, also received a dozen snowballs to the face.

Jasper, Hobson, Alexei, and Leslie conquered an additional base, but abandoned their first.

Finally, Blade discovered Reaver, chasing him out of his hiding spot. As Reaver dashed away from the redhead, something cold and wet collided with the back of his head, causing him to misstep, and face-plant into the snow.