The Kingdom of Snows was especially cold that morning.

"Stop squirming, Sprig" Eda said imperiously as she attempted to put a wool sweater over his head.

"Dude, do you want to go into hibernation?" Anne asked, putting earmuffs on Polly and a scarf around Hop Pop. "Cause that's how you get hibernation"

Glimmer yawned deeply and Bow put his arm protectively around her.

"I still think you should have rested first" he said anxiously. "You aren't used to teleporting so many people"

"Huh? What?" Glimmer mumbled sleepily. Bow sighed.

"Just because you aren't sharing your runestone with your mom anymore doesn't mean you have no limits"

"It's fine, Bow, stop worrying" Glimmer couldn't stop yawning.

"Are we sure Princess Frosta is expecting us?" Luz asked "The note was kinda vague" she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It had a drawing of Frosta with a speech bubble saying "the Winter's Bane summons you!"

"Yeah she's expecting us" Adora confirmed.

They had found a catch of fur lined ear flap hats in a closet in Brightmoon for everyone and they put them on as they entered Frosta's palace.

Gus threw a snowball at Luz who promptly returned fire.

King was grousing In his baby sling.

"the king of demons does not wear booties!"

"He does in twelve inches of snow" Eda said.

Willow laughed. "Amity remember the winter we were eight and it snowed so much Em was able to bury Ed up to his head? And your mother threw a fit because Em forgot where he was buried?"

Amity smiled. "I remember. Em was grounded for a month it was great"

"Are we talking about baby Amity?" Luz cut in. Gus saw his opening and knocked Luz over with a snowball to the head.

Amity blushed deeply. Willow smirked.

"Shut up" Amity grumbled at Willow. Willow raised her hands in surrender, still smirking.

Frosta came barreling down from her throne and across the giant atrium that housed her Princess Prom.

"You came, you came!"

She bowled over Glimmer in a tight hug.

Glimmer laughed as she was thrown into the snow. "Missed you too"

Frosta hugged Adora and Bow and even Catra which seemed to startle her.

"What, no punch, kid?"Catra asked, laughing "You going soft on me?"

Frosta ignored her and pulled her forward, gesturing for everyone to follow.

"Come on, I put food out for everyone. And it's not touching" she said proudly.

Adora's mouth twitched "Thanks, Frosta"

Catra hung back to Adora's side and she gave Adora a soft punch. "I never got to tell you what a great dancer you are. Mainly because I was angry you were such a great dancer. Did you really learn those moves in like a day?"

Adora blushed, looking please with herself. "And I was mad you looked so good. where did you get that tux?"

Ahead of them, Luz looked around wearily.

"What's wrong?" Frosta asked.

Luz shook her head. "The last time I was in a snowy place I betrayed my friend's trust and was almost eaten by a monster"

"Cool"

"It really wasn't. In any case, we're here to…"

"I know why you're here" Frosta snapped, suddenly seriously. "Why do you think I invited you? Belos is a threat. We have to take him down"

Everyone dug into the food as Frosta continued. It was cold but there was a lot of it.

"I also called Netossa and Spinnerella. And Double Trouble"

Adora laughed incredulously. "I'm sorry, um, you called Double Trouble? The spy who betrayed us?"

"Double Trouble almost took down the rebellion single handed" Glimmer reasoned "We want them on our side. Good job, Frosta"

Frosta beamed.

Catra look shaken. Adora took her hand. "Catra?"

Catra didn't seem to hear her. Her arm went limp and she pulled away from Adora's grasp.

Catra broke into a panicked sprint trying to hold back tears.

"Catra, wait!" Adora cried.

"Be right back" Anne said."Save me some whale blubber it looks good" she shuddered. "I really have lived in Amphibia too long. Catra wait up!"

At the other end of the ballroom, Catra was curled up In a ball, Adora holding her as she took short ragged breaths.

"Dude are you ok?" Anne knelt down beside her.

Catra took a deep breath the way Perfuma had taught her, running her hands over her ears.

"I'm ok. I'm ok. It's just…the last time saw Double Trouble wasn't…great"

"I know the feeling" Anne said grimly.

Catra gave a weary half smile. "Thanks, guys, I…" she was cut off as a snowball struck her temple, exploding into pieces. Catra shrieked in indignation.

"Frosta! There was ice in that!"

Frosta was cheering her perfect shot while Glimmer and Bow were doubled over laughing.

"Snow war!" Gus and Luz shouted, pelting Adora and Anne with snowballs.

Amity wved her hands in distress until Willow hit her full in the face with snow. She looked unimpressed.

"Now perish!" Sprig screamed, brandishing a snow ball in each hand.

Far away, there was a sounds like a widening crack in ice.

Eda was suddenly on high alert, her long ears twitching.

"What is it, Eda?" King asked. He had gotten out of his baby sling and was now leg deep in the snow.

"I heard that sound on the Knee once when I was a kid. Evereyone we have to run there's gonna be an…"

With a roar a thick wall of snow fell from the mountain, covering the entrance to the ballroom.

"...avalanche" now it was her turn to look unimpressed.

"Uh oh" everyone said as one.

"Relax" Glimmer said confidently. She took Bow by the collar and snapped her fingers but nothing happened except she glitched out a bit.

"Uh oh" she whispered.

To be continued...