Hi my dudes, Milori is actually in this chapter so woo! This chapter can be quite amusing, especially when Clarion is asking him about the signs she got from Isabel. This chapter is very long, I apologize. I always imagined young Clarion/Mary much like Tinkerbell, so it was fun to write them almost like high school girls with huge crushes at the end of this haha. Also, I always thought Milori would be one to write Clarion love songs in the Tinkerbell movies… Just a thought ;) Enjoy this chapter!

Clarion just looked around and saw no one. Puzzled, she flew to her spot on the log, sitting in the warm seasons, but drawing with her finger in the snow. Clarion hummed the short tune to herself a few times, before hearing a rustling in the trees - coming from winter.

Clarion stood up and held her breath. "Hello?" she called out. "Who's there?" All of a sudden, a strong looking sparrow-man flew out from the trees and froze when he saw her. They held each other's eyes, as the sparrow-man made his way onto the log. He had white, almost shoulder-length hair, with half of it tied up. His arms were strong, and he was very handsome, Clarion noted to herself.

"What are you doing here?" both of them asked at once. Clarion let out a giggle. "This is my favorite spot. Winter just… fascinates me," Clarion whispered shyly.

"I could say the same about the warm seasons," the sparrow-man replied. Clarion noted he had an accent - a very nice accent - she thought. 'Could this be him?' she thought to herself. Clarion was lost in her thoughts when he spoke.

"I'm Milori," he stuck out his hand.

"What? Oh! I-I'm Clarion," she said sheepishly, turning a slight red, shaking his hand.

"Clarion? Oh, really? Queen-to-be are we?" Milori said in a teasing tone. Clarion was taken aback. She had never encountered anyone that teased her about being queen. They all changed and became formal around her. That is, except Mary. And Isabel. But Isabel was different.

Clarion giggled. "No one's ever had the nerve to tease me before," she replied. "I like that in you."

Now it was Milori's turn to blush. He stared at Clarion - she was the most beautiful fairy he had ever seen. "Well, I know how it feels, saying I'm the next Lord of Winter."

Clarion couldn't hold back a laugh. "Now that's a coincidence." Clarion's mind started racing again. 'What if this was him? How do I know? Wait - the signs!'

"Um… Do you know what it looks like when time stops?" Clarion just blurted out awkwardly.

"Is that like a joke?" Milori replied. "Otherwise, no."

"Oh." 'This is awkward,' Clarion thought. She sat down on the log with her feet dangling off the edge. Milori sat down next to her. After a few moments of what was most definitely awkward silence, she tried again.

"Do the numbers five, two, and seven mean anything to you?" She asked, without looking at him.

"I… don't think so?" Milori replied. This was definitely an awkward conversation - but Milori couldn't keep his eyes off of her. The way her hair glowed in the moonlight… Her crystal blue eyes… Milori blushed again and looked at the stars.

Clarion sighed. 'This is going nowhere,' she thought to herself. She bit her lip as she summoned up the courage to hum her little tune a few times.

Milori looked at her. "That's nice, did you make it up?"

"I don't know, did I?" she asked, almost too quickly and looked back at him. After realizing what she had said, she turned red. "Sorry… I mean… yes, I did… How do you feel about signs?"

"Um-" Clarion cut him off before he could reply.

"I think it's possible. I mean, anything is possible, really. There's just… so much out there," Clarion motioned towards the sky. "Like, think about it, maybe the stars are aligned with our destinies and fates or everything does happen for a reason… Sorry. I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to this stuff."

Milori laughed slightly. "That's okay, I'm a nerd too. I love writing music when I'm not training to be Lord of Winter. It's… a private passion." Milori smiled at her. He'd never told anyone that. How could he so easily just… Talk to her like he's known her forever?

Clarion smiled back. "That's really nice. Do you have any songs I could hear?" she asked playfully.

'What is it with this fairy and making me blush?' Milori thought to himself. "Well, I really like your tune. Could I borrow it?"

"Only if you promise to take good care of it!" Clarion giggled.

"I will! I have this one song I'm writing, but I haven't picked out words yet. All I have is…" Milori hummed out a few lines of a song.

"Wait, sing that again," Clarion asked.

"An encore? Well, I'll never pass that opportunity up," Milori winked at her and sung it again. This time, Clarion wove her tune in with his.

"Our songs kinda fit together…" Milori said.

"Yeah, they do…" Clarion replied back, looking at him. "Um… tonight I met a psychic gypsy fairy and she told me that I'd meet my soulmate…" Clarion trailed off. Milori just stuttered, and Clarion interrupted him.

"She gave me three signs, one, the question 'what does it look like when time stops, two, the numbers five, two, seven, and three… the melody. So whatever reason you're here for, is not the real reason, I think the reason is to meet me because… you're my soulmate… I think," Clarion spoke quickly, Milori barely keeping up. That's when Clarion realized what she had blurted out and glanced down to see a ring on his finger. "Oh! Are you… engaged? Wow, I'm so sorry, I should… Um… I'm gonna… Go now…" Clarion stood up, her face redder than it has ever been.

"Wait, Clarion! No! I mean, yes! I mean… It's an arrangement. The Lord of Winter wants me to marry her." Milori tried. He didn't know why he was telling her all of this.

"Oh! Well, congratulations! When's the wedding? I mean… You don't have to tell me all that. We only just met tonight," Clarion replied.

"No, it's okay! May 27th," Milori said and then froze realizing what the date was.

"Five-two-seven…" they both said together.

"Well! I should be going, it's getting kinda late," Clarion replied quickly, trying to change the subject. Clarion started to fly off when Milori called after her.

"Clarion?"

"Yes, Milori?"

"Meet me here tomorrow? At sunset?"

Clarion just smiled. "It took you long enough to ask," she winked and flew off, still recovering from blushing. As Clarion was flying home, lost in thought, she flew straight into… Isabel.

"Clarion!" she exclaimed. "I've been looking for you for hours!"

"But… I was just up the trail. And you're psychic…?" Clarion asked half confused, half amused.

"After you left, the ball lit up revealing a second part of the prophecy! You will have a love affair with your soulmate and then… You will have a great fall."

"What? What does that mean? A great fall like the season?" she asked hopefully, but knew that wasn't the case.

Isabel just shook her head. "Well, what do I do? How can I stop this from happening?" Clarion asked frantically.

"Go! Live your life! You can't stop destiny." And with that, Isabel flew off.

Clarion just stood there in shock. 'A great fall? What does that mean?' Clarion rubbed her head and continued her way home. She flew straight to Mary's.

"Mary?" she half whispered.

"Clarion?" Mary replied with a sleepy tone. "Why in Neverland are you here at this hour?" Mary asked, emerging from the shadows.

"Mary! You'll never believed what happened tonight! I met this… psychic gypsy fairy and she told me I'd meet my soulmate tonight. She gave me three signs to follow, the question 'what does it look like when time stops,' the numbers five, two, and seven, and a melody…" Clarion hummed it for her friend. "But that's not even the weird part, I made up that melody before I met her!" Clarion practically shouted. "And then I ended up at my spot, the border, and I met a winter sparrow-man… A winter sparrow-man!" Mary was barely keeping up, overwhelmed with all of this new information. Although, she was slightly excited.

"Clarion! How do you know if it's him? What did he look like?" Mary started pouring out questions.

"Oh my, Mary, he's… Very attractive," Clarion couldn't stop the blush rising in her cheeks. Mary just smirked. "He has white hair that barely brushes his shoulders and these silver eyes that look like moonlight… His name's Milori. And his arms are very strong," Clarion went on and on.

"Okay, I get that he's attractive! How do you know it's him?" Mary shouted in a light tone.

"Oh, right." Clarion's wings drooped. "Well, he didn't know what it looks like when time stops. He really liked my melody though! We sang together," Clarion smiled.

Mary half giggled, half squealed. "Go on!"

"He likes to write music and our tunes fit together so well but… He may or may not be getting married on May 27th," Clarion trailed off.

Mary gasped. "Cla-rion! You cannot get involved with a sparrow-man who's about to get married!"

"I know, I know! But… It is an arranged marriage, they don't even love each other is what he told me, at least. I mean, I shouldn't be making a fuss over this, I just met him tonight but…"

"But?" Mary repeated.

"He asked me to meet him at sunset tomorrow!" Clarion giggled and Mary had to stop herself from screaming and waking every fairy in Pixie Hollow.

"Well? Are you gonna go?" Mary exclaimed.

Clarion just winked and flashed a smile at Mary. "Goodnight, Mary, I'll keep you updated," and with that, Clarion flew home, not telling her friend about the 'great fall' part.