Nina was looking forward to going back to the North Pole, moreso than she originally thought she'd be. She had done everything she had set out to do, and she felt more relaxed and at peace. Somehow, she didn't feel completely at ease but was feeling well enough to leave her hometown in the mental state she was in.
As she neared her destination, Nina had a bit of trouble due to running into another blizzard. Immediately, she remembered when Snow Miser told her that sometimes, his emotions affected his powers. She hoped this wasn't the case this time. Thankfully, she managed to arrive at Snow's castle, safely.
Nina landed the plane, got out of it, and walked to the front gate. She was immediately let in. Inside, Snow Miser ran to her and hugged her, stunned. "Nina, you're back!" he joyfully exclaimed. "I've missed you so much! How are you? Tell me all about your trip."
As he began to pull away, Nina held onto him a little too long. He continued hugging her until she pulled away. They sat down, and Nina smiled at him, though it was strained. "I've missed you, too. The trip was good and much needed."
Snow immediately noticed her weary expression and plastered-on smile and asked, "Nina, what's wrong?"
It was all too much. The last week had been a roller coaster of emotions for Nina, and she was having trouble holding herself together. Tears fell down her cheeks, forming cracks in her wall. Suddenly, that wall crumbled when she broke down and cried.
Alarmed, Snow Miser quickly sat by her. "What happened?"
Nina hugged him, sobbing. "I'm sorry. It was an emotional week."
"Don't apologize," he said, rubbing her back, soothingly. "Tell me as much as you feel comfortable with."
"I'll tell you most of it," she stated. "Just let me cry, first."
"Absolutely. Take your time."
Whenever Nina began calming down, she started telling him about her journey home. "I needed to go back to Southtown to make amends with my family. First, I went to my father's grave and told him that I loved him and missed him."
"Your father passed away?"
She nodded.
"I'm so sorry." He looked sad.
"It's okay now. I've made peace with it. Afterwards, I visited my mother and stepfather and apologized for my behavior in the past. I wasn't very nice to either of them after they got married, and I feel guilty about it, but they've forgiven me. Then, I saw my ex-boyfriend." Nina paused, unsure of what to tell him.
"You did? How did it go?" he asked.
"Not well," she answered. "When we broke up, he didn't really tell me why he didn't want me anymore. Well, I finally got my answer from him."
"Which was?"
"I was too free-spirited for him," she answered, simply.
"His loss," Snow scoffed.
"You really think so?"
"Yeah. What was he looking for? A robot? Someone who does nothing but follow orders?"
"I guess so." She shrugged. "Either way, I'm better off without him. I can finally start healing now that I've tied up all the loose ends at home. Now, there's only one problem left."
"What's that?"
"I'm...lost." Nina shivered. "I spent so much time running away from my problems that I never stopped and thought about the future and what I really want to do. I love flying, but am I just going to keep doing that forever? What is my purpose, and what am I supposed to do with my life?"
"Those are some pretty heavy questions. You don't need to think about all that right now, do you? You just had a life-changing trip, so you deserve some downtime. How about you stay here for the night?"
"I'd like that," Nina replied.
"The room is just the way you left it."
"Thanks. I'm not tired, though. Can we just sit around and talk?"
"Sure thing. I'd love to hear more about your trip."
Nina told him about all the shops she went to and about seeing old classmates and acquaintances. She told him about her family and her history. "I almost forgot. I got something for you," she stated.
"Aw, you didn't have to get me anything."
"I know, but I saw it and thought of you. Wait one second." Nina went outside and got a small blue box out of her bag in her airplane. She took the box back inside and handed it to Snow. "Open it."
Snow Miser carefully opened the box. Inside was a dolphin figurine. "I love it," he told her, sincerely, holding it close to his chest. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Nina hesitated before saying, "I got something for your brother, too. Do you think I could give it to him sometime?"
Snow was bewildered. "I don't see why not."
"You're not upset?"
"No. Why would I be? Just because I don't like him doesn't mean you can't talk to him. Besides, I can't control what you do."
"Thanks." She got comfortable in the chair, beginning to feel tired.
"Do you want to lay down?"
"I guess I should. I had a long trip, and I'm exhausted," Nina replied, sitting back up. She wished him good night and went to the guest room and laid on the bed of ice. It wasn't the most comfortable bed in the world, but somehow, she was able to easily fall asleep.
The next morning, Nina got up. Snow Miser was already awake. "Good morning, sugarplum. How did you sleep?"
"Decent," she responded, stretching. "If you don't mind, I'm going to visit your brother in a bit, once I wake up more."
"Do whatever you want," he told her, calmly. "You might want to dress down a bit; he keeps his place hot as...well, you know."
Nina smirked. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Hey, Nina?"
"Yes?" His shift in tone alerted her.
"I'm really glad you came back."
"Of course I did. I promised I would."
"I know. I just didn't expect you to come back so soon. I thought you'd be away longer, even though it felt like an eternity."
Nina smiled at him, tenderly, then shook her head. "It didn't take me long to take care of things back home. Well, I better get going. No use burning daylight."
"Be careful."
"I will be." She brushed her hand against his before going outside.
Alone with her thoughts, Nina mentally chastised herself. What was she thinking? She had to keep her distance from Snow Miser. Though she had feelings for him, she couldn't let him know it. It was going to be difficult since it was so easy to be loving towards him, but she had to keep her feelings under control so neither of them would get hurt.
Nina flew her plane to Heat Miser's castle. When she landed and got out of the aircraft, she knocked on the door. One of Heat's minions greeted her, and she said, "I'd like to see Heat Miser, if he's not busy."
The minion disappeared, then came back a minute later and let her in.
The inside of the castle was the exact opposite of Snow Miser's. It was scorching, a dry heat. Nina was a bit uncomfortable at first but adjusted, quickly.
Heat Miser was sitting on his throne. "Well, well, well. It's the human. What do you want?"
"I just wanted to come by and visit."
Heat looked skeptical. "Visit, hm? You sure there isn't another reason?"
"No. I just wanted to chat."
Heat pointed to a chair, and Nina sat down. "So, did my tutti frutti brother send you?"
"Not at all. I came here by my own choice. By the way, I have something for you." She handed him a small red box.
He took it, raising an eyebrow. "It's not going to explode, is it?"
"No," she replied, giggling softly.
Heat Miser opened the box. Inside was a small grizzly bear sculpture. Nina said, "I found it in a store in Southtown, and it made me think of you."
He held it in his hand, quietly staring at it. Then, he looked up at her, locking his gaze as if trying to come to some kind of conclusion. "No one has given me a gift in a long time. I'm guessing you want something in return? A favor?" he mumbled.
"No. I just wanted to give you a present." Nina's expression softened. "You haven't been treated well during your life, have you?"
"Not really. I wasn't exactly the favorite child."
"I'm so sorry."
"I don't want your pity." He set the figurine down. "I'm not going to dish out my life's story to some human. You're all alike."
"Selfish and unkind?" she questioned.
"Yes. Why don't you just go?"
"I'd rather stay." Nina got more comfortable in the chair. "Maybe it is in our nature to be terrible, but I believe that we're more complicated than that. We perform a mixture of good and bad deeds, and our character is based on what we choose to do more of and if we strive to do better."
"There's a lot more of you bad ones than good," Heat huffed.
"Perhaps, or perhaps you haven't seen enough good people. They're out there; they're just harder to find."
"Hmph."
"Thank you for helping make sure I got to Southtown safely," Nina told him.
"What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"
"It's hardly a coincidence that there was no bad weather on the entire way there."
Heat frowned but said, "You're welcome. I'm surprised you made it back in one piece. I'm more surprised my brother hasn't turned you into a popsicle by now."
"What do you mean?"
"He's no saint," Heat told her. "He's frozen people just for a cheap laugh. I don't see why you're any different."
Nina paused, deep in thought. "I have faith in him," she finally stated. "He's done a lot for me, and if I keep questioning his intentions, our friendship will be very strained."
"Hmph." He crossed his arms. "You better watch your back. No good comes out of blindly trusting others."
"Why do you hate your brother so much?"
"Well, let's see..." Heat Miser sat across his throne, legs dangling over one of the arms while his head rested on the other. "He's a show-off, a suck-up, is too full of himself, never takes anything seriously, and he likes cold and snow. He never shuts up and thinks he's better than me just because a lot of people like him. Does that answer your question?"
Nina nodded. "It does. It must be really hard for you to live in his shadow."
"Ma'am, I live in no one's shadow. I just hate him with my entire being. He's my total opposite."
Nina hesitated to speak. One wrong move, and she could be fried to a crisp. "Are you so sure? You seem a lot alike."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"To be frank, you seem to be two sides of the same coin. You're both stubborn and sometimes quick-tempered and full of yourselves. Are you really that different, or is there something else that's gone on?"
Heat Miser glared at her. Nina waited, holding her breath. He asked, "What are you, a psychiatrist?"
"No, sir. I'm a pilot."
"What right do you have to analyze me?"
"None. I'm sorry."
Heat rolled his eyes. "Oh, save it. You mean well."
"How can you tell?"
"I just can. So, what do you see in my brother?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You two seem to be nearly attached at the hip. What's so great about him?"
"He's kind to me," she replied, immediately. "He makes me laugh, and he makes sure I'm taken care of whenever I'm in his presence. Sure, he's made some mistakes, but he's really been trying to be a better person. Plus, he saved my life."
"So I've heard," said Heat Miser, unimpressed.
"That doesn't mean I don't think highly of you, as well, though. I just don't know much about you except that you've provided my hometown with a lot of memorable summers."
"Oh, yes. Southtown is in my territory. I make it stay warm there year-round."
"When I first began traveling, I was pretty shocked at how different the climates were in different places. I always miss a hot summer when I'm in a place that doesn't have one."
This statement boosted Heat Miser's ego. "Well, of course. Summer is supposed to be hot. It isn't summer if it isn't at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit."
"Yeah. The best place to be during that time of year is on a beach. Maybe next time I travel, I'll visit one."
"You're leaving again?"
"Well, not right now. I want to stay here for awhile until I get some things figured out."
"Good. I don't want to listen to snowcone whine about you being gone, like last time."
"Snow Miser really did miss me?"
"He wouldn't shut up about you. Frankly, it got really annoying."
Nina was quiet for a moment. Then, she said, cheerily, "Thanks for the visit. Do you mind if I drop by again sometime?"
"I guess it's okay. Just don't make a habit of it."
"I'll try not to. Thanks again," Nina told him, then left. She thought about immediately going back to Snow Miser's, but there were some other people she wanted to see, first.
