Chapter one has been significantly altered since it was initially posted.
I have grown with Pixie Hollow; neither of us are young anymore. Not you, me or the Pixie Dust Tree. We have grown into something bigger, wiser and kinder. Each time we have fallen, we have risen higher. Fairies have changed, seasons have passed, but my love for you has not. It has only grown stronger in the nights were I longed for you most. The nights when I'd wait for the helper talents to leave and I'd stay alone in the darkness, wishing I could see you...be with you.
Has my wish been granted?
A screech rings through my ears from above, the body of an owl quickly approaching me from the Winter Woods. Shielding my eyes from the rising sun in the east, I clutch my newly tailored winter coat and search the bird for Milori as it begins to descend. The bird's feet find the bed of snow beneath it as the Lord of Winter jumps from it's back. He composes himself, approaching me.
"Good morning, Milori." I greet him, my body relaxing. I almost thought he wouldn't attend.
He smiles, "Good morning, Clarion." I hover above the thin log that connects the two seasons, wary of my wings becoming cold.
"Sewing-talent fairies crafted me a coat." I smile, running my fingers along the golden material. "It shall protect my wings amidst the cold." Milori opens his mouth to respond, but the sound of fairy laughter fills our ears. My eyes find five winter fairies approaching the border. Behind me I find Tinkerbell, Iridessa, Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn and Vidia emerging from the Autumn trees. They all carry warm clothes.
"So I was thinking- Peri!" Tinkerbell's wings begin shimmering blue and purple, lighting up as she reaches the border. A white haired fairy also begins shimmering, her wings sparkling brightly; I remember her as Tinkerbell's sister.
Silvermist sees myself and Milori first, announcing, "Look! There's Queen Clarion!"
"And the Lord of Winter." Fawn agrees. I clasp my hands together in front of me as Tinkerbell and her sibling, Periwinkle, join hands.
"I think I found a way to help keep our wings warm in Winter." Tinkerbell announces, an excited smile on her face. "When the winter fairies used the frost to protect the Pixie Dust Tree, it kept it warm. What if it works on our wings?"
"Good idea, Tink!" Periwinkle grins. The Tinker fairy then steps into Winter, allowing Periwinkle to cover her pair of wings. I watch with apprehension as her wings obtain a glimmering layer of frost.
Tinkerbell watches intently, tentatively fluttering her wings, "It worked!" she pulls on her coat as Periwinkle begins to frost Silvermist's wings.
"Frost acts as a barrier between warm and cold air. It helps plants survive winter." Milori explains, my eyes finding his. I feel coldness surround me as I cross the border into the Winter Woods, shuddering at the snow falling onto me. A pair of hands briefly run along my wings, a warmth beginning to encase them. I flutter them slowly before pulling on my coat.
"Thank you, Milori." my hands find his, as does my lips. I feel him smile against me.
"You are yet to see the Winter Woods." he says, approaching the owl he arrived on. A silver chain with a blue diamond sits around it's neck. Milori climbs onto the owl's back, offering me his hand to assist me. As we straddle the bird's back, Milori pulls my hands to wrap around his waist, allowing me to steady myself as the bird takes to the air. I smile as the wind passes through my hair, glancing below at how high and fast we're soaring. With my arms around Milori, we fly into a new era.