Hey everyone, since I wrote my first Milori/Clarion fic I've been kind of….obsessed with them (that word makes me sound stalker-ish). Let's not say obsessed, let's say enchanted, yep, that sound like a better word. I have been enchanted with them. So this is a prequel to my other story 'A Winter's Day'. It's my take on Clarion's and Milori's first meeting.

Milori anxiously hurried through his daily duties eager for the evening to come.

'Why must the day be so long?' He thought to himself as he helped the glacier fairies re-support glacier pass. A couple of sparrow men had an extreme sledding race the day before and had accidently knocked out a large amount of ice. But he guess if it wasn't for that he would have had a lot less to do since summer was about to come to mainland, which meant that winter fairies had the lightest work load right now.

Has if he didn't think the day was long enough without having almost anything to do. To help past the time he thought of the previous evening he had spent at the border. He often went to the border where spring met winter, he was fascinated by the colors, but yesterday when he had gone he swore he saw a fairy. Fairies didn't normally have any reason to go the border except for the animal crossing. So it was strange to see one. But he had only gotten a glimpse so he wasn't even sure if there had really been anyone, but he hoped she was real. She had to be the most beautiful fairy he had ever seen.

It was foolish of him to think, even if she had really been there, that she would be back today, but he just couldn't get her out of his mind.

"Hey Milori!"

Milori was woken out his daydream by the voice of Dewey. He looked below him to see the young Keeper waving to him. He flew down to him.

"Hey, Dew." He said hovering in front of him.

"You said you were going to help me organize the library."

"Oh, right. I'll be right there, just a couple more blocks of ice." He said.

"I'll wait." Dewey said. Milori finished up his part of the glacier and joined Dewey. The flew to the library together.

"Am, how long do you think it will take?" Milori asked.

"Why, you have something better to do?"

"No…not right now…but later today, I wanted to…do something." Milori said.

"You're going to the border." Dewey said.

"What? What would give you that idea?" Milori said.

"Yesterday you woke me up saying you had seen the most beautiful fairy at the border."

"Oh, you believed me? You said that ice had fallen on my head."

"I still think some did. But I know you…unfortunately. I can guess what you're thinking."

"Hey!"

Dewey laughed, "I just think you wasting your time."

"But Dew, you can't tell me that you're not interested in the warm seasons."

"Course I am. That's why I'm writing a book on them."

Milori sighed, "But don't you want more than something than a few words. To be able to see, feel, smell, hold…"

"Are we still talking about the seasons?" Dewey asked. Milori didn't answer.

"Oie! Milori!"

"What?" Milori said.

"I guess that's no, you are definitely not thinking about the season."

"Of course I am."

"Sure." Dewey said rolling his eyes.

"Look let's just get the books in order." He said flying ahead of Dewey. Dewey shook his head and laughed. A few hours later the sun was low in the sky but the two fairies were far from done. Milori kept looking outside.

"Oh for the love of frost! Go!" Dewey said when Milori had looked out the window the seventh time that minute.

"What?"

"Go, you're not going to be any help in your state of mind now." Dewey said. Milori grinned.

"Thanks Dew. You're the best." He dropped the book he was holding and flew straight to the door. When he outside he made a thin long piece of ice and stood on it (like a snowboard). Form here it was mostly downhill to the border and if you were good snowboarding could get you there faster than flying. Saying Milori was good…well that a major understatement. He carved through the winter landscape, the wind whipping his hair.

Soon he could see the gorge that separated the seasons, with one last jump he slid to a stop just at the branch that crossed the border.

Clarion was sitting with Fairy Mary as the Tinker was adjusting a cart.

"I'm telling you Mary, he was breath taking." She said.

"Hammer." Mary said. Clarion picked up the hammer and past it her.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Of course I am. You had a good dream. Wheel."

"I wasn't a dream." Clarion said. She rolled the wheel over to Mary.

"You expect me to believe that you saw this sparrow man the border." Mary asked.

"Yes."

"It sounds a little unrealistic."

"But he was there…or at least I think he was." Clarion said.

"Think? Are you even sure you him."

"I'm pretty sure. I only saw him for a second but he was…" Clarion trailed off.

"Clarion? Hey!" Mary snapped her fingers in front of her friends face.

"Huh?"

"He was that good looking?"

"Better."

Fairy Mary sighed. "I would love to help but I have work…as do you."

"Oh right. I forgot." Clarion took off throwing a good bye over her shoulder. Later that day she flew back to the border. Yesterday she had come to see snow at sunset. She thought the way the light reflected off the white powder was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Or at least it used to be the most beautiful. She blushed, mentally scolding herself for thinking such things about someone she wasn't even entirely sure she had seen. She landed just at the edge of the tree line before the border. She sat down scanning the area. The sun was very low in the sky. It was going to set soon. Once it had she knew she was going to be able to see next to nothing in the winter landscape.

She was just about to give up and go home…when a rush of snow caught her eye. She looked to see someone snowboarding down to the border. Her breath caught in her throat. It was him. She was mesmerized. She stood up without realizing it, and moved slowly towards him.

Milori hopped of the board and looked around knowing it was stupid of him to be here, but he knew that if he didn't find her, she would end up haunting his dreams. He moved closer to the border looking into the trees. His gaze fell for a moment on the tree, the colors never failed to leave him breathless. Just them movement in the corner caught his attention. He turned towards it and felt his jaw drop. The fairy was there. She was real. He felt his heart jump. She was real! And oh…was she beautiful. He watched her every movement has she walked out of the tree line.

'Oh no!' He thought. She was coming towards him. What was he going to do? Should he run? Should he hide? Should he go towards her? No he couldn't do that. What would he say? Despite all the through running through his head he took a few steps closer to the border stepping on to the branch that served as the bridge to their two worlds. He stopped walking just a few steps shy of the snows edge. She stopped just a steps shy on her side.

Clarion couldn't believe it. He was here. Right here! She stared intently at him, entranced. He looked back with the same amount of intensity. She wasn't even sure how long their just stood there, without saying anything. She suddenly felt a blush bloom across her face and she looked away.

He blinked when she turned away. He saw the red blush appear on her face and felt his own become warm.

"Um…hi." He said feebly. She looked back at him.

"Hi." She said in an equally quite voice.

'Oh frost! What do I say now?' He thought to himself. He looked down at the snow kicking some of it.

'Say something. Say something. Say anything!' Clarion screamed to herself. But nothing came out. She tried to think of something to say but her mind was blank.

"I have to go." Milori said suddenly. He turned sharply and took off into the air.

Clarion watched as he flew away then turned around flying just as fast. Her heart was racing. She couldn't believe he had been right in front of her and all she had said was hi. Hi! Oh she was stupid. She should have said something more. She was sure he had left because she had been so quite. She didn't fly back to the pixie dust tree, instead she went to Tinker's nock. She landed lightly on the door mat of one the houses and knocked.

"Mary, it's me." She said. Mary opened the door.

"Clarion. What are you doing here? At this hour?"

"I saw him! I meet him!" Clarion blurted out barely containing herself.

"Really?" Mary's eyes opened wide. She stepped aside to let Clarion come inside.

"Oh Mary. You should have seen him. He was so regal looking, and his eyes. They had to the most glorious shade of brown." Clarion said spinning around. Mary laughed.

"What was he like? What's his name?"

"Am…"

"You don't his name!"

"Shoot! That was something I could have asked him."

"You didn't even talk him."

"Yes I did. We said hi to eachother."

"And that was it?"

"Well, he…I was…yes. That's all we said." Clarion said looking crestfallen.

"Well he must be something to make you speechless." Mary said.

"So you believe me?"

"Honestly…no. But not even you could get so worked up without a real reason. So I guess I have to take your word for it." Mary said. Clarion smiled.

"Well go on," Mary said. "Tell me about him. That's why you came here isn't it?" Clarion nodded eagerly and started to discuss at length the sparrow man she had seen.

Milori was sitting in a tree with his eyes closed. He was trying to forever imprint her image into his mind. He had been so stupid to run away. He hit himself on the forehead at the thought. Why was he so stupid? He should have at least asked her name. He sighed. He had to find her again. He would return tomorrow. Hopefully she would be there.

The next day as soon as his duties were done he headed to the border. It was still a while before sunset and he didn't expect to see her until then. He decided to entertain himself in the m meanwhile by making snow sculpture. It was one of his favorite things to do. He gathered a large pile of snow then making a scope out of ice he began to carve into it. He stopped sometimes to step back to look at or to change the size to the ice he was using to carve. Before he knew an owl was taking shape before him.

"Wow! You did that?"

Milori spun around to see the fairy standing at the edge of the boarder, her eyes wide.

"Am, yeah." He said.

"It's amazing." She said.

"You think? This isn't any good really." He said running his hand through his hair.

"No way. It's amazing." She said shifting her gaze from the owl to him.

"Uh…thanks." He said a small smile coming to his face. Their eyes locked and both felt the power to speak leave them.

Suddenly they both blurted out at the same time "Whatsyourname?"

They looked at each other and laughed nervously.

"I'm Clarion." She said softly. Milori took a breath as he looked at her. Clarion.

"Milori." He said walking towards her.

"Milori." She repeated. She smiled at him and he returned it. He stopped a few steps away from her.

"I'm sorry I ran away yesterday."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so rude to stare like I was." She said blushing.

"I did my fair share of staring too." He said. She laughed lightly. He felt his heart stop at the sound.

"You have a beautiful laugh." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Her face turned red and she looked away.

"Th…thank you." She mumbled out.

They fell into another silence. They both glanced at each other periodically but they could seem to hold their gaze for a more than a few seconds before one of them turned away. Finally Clarion said.

"What were you doing at the boarder?"

"Yesterday…I came to…ah." He couldn't just say he had been looking for her. That would sound weird.

"Am…Well I actually meant the day before." Clarion said avoiding his gaze.

'So she had seen me then.' Milori thought to himself.

"I came to look at the trees." He said then instantly mentally face palmed himself. That was a stupid thing to say. She would think he was weird now.

Clarion smiled at his comment. "I came to look at the sunset on the snow." She said. He looked at her.

"Yeah, I do that too sometimes. The best place at Glacier Mount- the colors you get are just amazing. It looked like the ice is set ablaze."

"Wow. It sound beautiful." She said. "I wish I could see it." She looked longingly into the winter woods. He stepped closer to her and turned so he was standing next to her. She tensed as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"See those peaks there?" He asked pointing with his other hand. She simply nodded at a loss for words.

"That's Glacier Mount." He said. She didn't reply. He looked at her and suddenly seemed to realize how close they were and that his hand was on her shoulder. He dropped it and took a step away.

"Ah…what's your favorite thing to do in the warm seasons?" He said quickly trying to change the topic. She thought for a moment.

"Riding rapids." She said finally.

"Rapids?"

"Oh they are these parts of the river where the water is really ruff. My friend Mary and I, we get in some boats and paddle into them."

"That sounds dangerous."

"I guess it is. A little. But the fun you have more than makes up for it." Clarion said.

"Tell me more about these rapids." He said sitting down in the snow. She nodded and sat herself and began narrating one her many trips down the river with Mary. Before either of them knew they were talking avidly about anything and everything. They stayed there long after the sun had set, well into the night. It wasn't until Milori, laughing at a joke Clarion had told, leaded back looking at the sky.

"Is that…the morning star?" he asked. Clarion looked up and frowned.

"Can't be. You can't see the morning star until just before…" She turned to the horizon. "The sunrise!"

"We've been here the entire night!" Milori said jumping up. Both of them were looking to the east where the first traces of the sun was appearing.

"Oh no!" Clarion said. "I should go."

"So should I." Milori said. They both took to the air. Milori stopped and turned around.

"Clarion!" he called. She stopped and turned to look at him.

"Can I see you again?" He asked. She nodded.

"Meet me a sunset." She said before turned to fly off. He watched her as she left then did a flip in the air.

So that was my take on Clarion's and Milori's first meeting. If you liked it please let me know.

Nardragon ~ until the next page.