Everything that happened next felt like a blur. With the excitement of being in unfamiliar territory, she didn't notice him starting to break out in a sweat and he did not seem to either. The only warning either of them got was him falling onto his knees before she tried to get him back to winter as fast as she could.
"Please, help him." She calls out to Dewey and Snowflake who luckily still happened to be at the border. Their eyes widen and jaws dropped once their eyes landed on him.
"What happened to him?" Snowflake gasps, pulling the groaning winter fairy further into the cold. He was already struggling to walk.
"I-I don't know." Clarion stutters out.
Dewey assesses him for a moment before instructing Snowflake to take him deeper into the woods. "He must have gotten too hot. Did the ice melt?"
"I don't know, is he going to be all right?" The queen asks, a lump in her throat.
"We won't know until we take a further look." Dewey said. He feels a pull at his chest when a tear falls down her cheek as she stares at the spot she last saw Milori.
"We'll meet at sunset and I'll give you an update. We'll do everything we can if something is wrong." He tried to assure,
Clarion crosses her arms, nodding slightly. She only felt lost as Dewey flies after the two.
.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡
The only place she could think to go to was Mary's house, the tinkers at Tinker's Nook focused on their projects made it relatively easy to enter unnoticed.
Two knocks to her door was all it took for a bubbly voice to call out. "Come in!"
Mary was already there when she entered, seeming to be painting a few teapots in her free time. "How was it?" Mary smirked, Clarion had told her about Milori's scheduled visit beforehand. "What's wrong?" Mary's smile fell as she took in her best friend's slightly red eyes.
"I think I made a mistake." Clarion whispers, hovering by the door.
"Oh no, did he not like it?" Mary pouts, flying up to guide her to her bed.
Clarion sniffles. "No, it was going well, but then he got too hot a-and-" She couldn't finish as hot tears streamed down her face.
Mary softly hands her a handkerchief. "I think he's hurt." Clarion sobs.
"Is he okay?" She asks.
"I don't know. I'll find out at sunset." Clarion wipes her eyes. "I never should have let him cross. I suggested crossing in the first place too."
Mary runs her hands through her hair. "You two love each other. You were bound to cross one day."
"I didn't mean for him to get hurt."
"Of course you didn't. But let's just wait until we get more word." Mary said quietly.
.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡
The two follow Clarion to the border at sunset. Dewey was already there waiting for her. Maybe it was a winter fairy thing to be early. Clarion carefully steps onto the border while Mary and Sunflower stay in spring. "He's not here. What happened to him?"
Dewey couldn't seem to meet her eyes. "There's no easy way to put this, but he broke a wing."
"No." She whispers. She could feel the devastation in her heart. Mary stiffens behind her. "There's got to be some way to fix it." She pleads
"We tried everything we could. There's no cure for a broken wing." Dewey breathes, his eyes also red. "Milori's resting right now but he would like to see you tomorrow afternoon, if you want to."
Clarion nods. "Get some rest, your highness. You've had a long day." Dewey said and turns to fly back home.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault." She calls out to him. The winter fairy turns back around. "I'm not the one you should apologise to but it's not your fault."
The two fly home without a word, the queen only breaking down when the door to her room shuts close.
"I can't believe it." She sobs. "I broke his wing."
"You didn't break his wing, Ree." The tinker reassured but to no avail.
"He's a fairy that can't fly." She sniffles. "What's a fairy without wings?"
Clarion couldn't say anything else, just laid down on her bed and cried herself to sleep, Mary not leaving her room.
oh god what did i do