Snow tried desperately to make the magma flow up the mile-long shaft, but even when he could finally manipulate it, he could only force it a quarter of the way up. Heat couldn't be inside the volcano for more than a few minutes every hour, so Snow was alone for most of his practice. He was so ashamed that he couldn't do it, and time grew shorter. Finally, the night before he was supposed to go to the Ring of Fire, he couldn't stand the thought of failing in front of Heat when Heat seemed to believe he could do this.
Once everybody was in bed, Snow slipped through the magma chamber and out to the volcano. He had to do it. He didn't want to humiliate himself or disappoint his brother. It should be easy. If he could control blizzards, he could control magma. He focused on his hot core and reached down with his senses to touch the magma. Taking a deep breath, he willed it upward, commanding it just like he did with the cold. It jumped a little, but it didn't obey. Snow grew vexed as he tried again. And again. And again. Why wouldn't it listen? The cold wouldn't dare to disobey such a command!
After two hours of trying, he could hardly stand it. He was more frustrated than he'd been in years, and he glared down at the magma, which continued to boil and bubble, mocking his inability to relieve the pressure. Gritting his teeth, he shivered as if he were cold despite the heat billowing around him. He didn't hear the door open as Cinder came in looking for him.
"You think you're just going to ignore what I want?" Snow hissed, his fists clenching. "Just like everybody else in my life?"
His glow brightened as his body warmed, illuminating Cinder's concerned face. Cinder froze where he was. Snow sounded slightly unhinged.
"You won't do this! I won't let you beat me!"Snow suddenly shouted, and the temperature rocketed upward. "Everybody else has made a fool of me but you won't!"
Cinder didn't move, frightened by Snow's power. It poured off of him in wave after wave of pressure, and it felt so dangerous. Heat got like that sometimes, but this was different somehow.
Snow gulped in a breath and shivered again, fighting back tears. "I am the very Element of heat! You will obey me! NOW!" he screamed, and he stomped his foot.
The entire island jerked beneath their feet, and an ominous rumble vibrated through the ground. There was an expression of fierce victory on Snow's face for a moment before terror broke through, and he stepped back as he shuddered. A small gasp escaped his throat and he went very still, staring blankly across the cavern as the volcano shook. His glow, which had been almost painfully bright, flickered then went out entirely.
"Sir!" Cinder burst out as plumes of magma erupted upward.
Snow didn't move, looking petrified. Cinder ran forward and took his hand, frantic to get them out of the path of the eruption. It wouldn't hurt, but it could send them skyward, especially considering the jarring, teeth-rattling force that was shaking the island. He jerked Snow back down the walkway and out the door, forcing it shut just before the magma rushed out after them. Then he turned to watch the volcano erupt. To his confusion, it didn't. Instead, the island let out a loud, grating growl, shook violently, then suddenly the entire land of heat dimmed and went cold. Cinder was gasping in little breaths, peering around as his heart hammered. He turned to Snow.
"Sir? Sir, what happened?" he asked shakily. But he had a sneaking suspicion. "Sir? You must answer me! Please! Something is very wrong!"
Silence. Snow didn't even look at him. Panicked, Cinder raised his voice and shrieked, tapping into his power so that his voice was magnified across the island. "Flurry! Heat! Help! Help! Something's wrong! Hurry!"
Within a minute, the other fire servants came bursting through the door, looking frightened. Ash took one look at Snow then turned and ran to escort Heat and the ice servants through. The fire servants tried in vain to get Snow to acknowledge them. The island was eerily silent and dark, and their panic only grew as the seconds passed. Finally, Heat hurried out of the magma chamber exit, Flurry and the others behind him. Flurry nearly panicked when he saw Snow, his eyes growing wild.
"Oh, fractals! Sir! Sir, what happened?!" Flurry demanded, and the ice servants looked at their sire, unsure of what to do.
Snow didn't answer. Flurry turned to the fire servants.
"Do any of you know what happened?" he begged.
"I do," Cinder said shakily. "I think he was trying to practice a bit more with the magma. And he did it… kind of. He got it started and then…" Cinder shook his head, his expression fearful.
"How? How did he manage it?" Flurry pressed.
"He…" Cinder swallowed. "He got mad, I think. He looked terrifying. And then he looked scared and gasped and his glow went out. And he almost got swept away on the magma flow."
"The volcano didn't erupt," Heat said.
"We felt it erupt," Glacier argued. "The whole island shook."
"Do you see any lava?" Heat demanded.
Glacier flinched and looked down. "No, sir. I'm sorry."
"What happened to the eruption?" Heat asked.
Cinder shrugged helplessly. "The magma made it to the platform, sir. That's all I know. Then…" Cinder went quiet and his eyes went wide.
"What?" Flurry asked.
"The volcano kind of… kind of gasped, just like Snow did. And then the island's glow went out, just like his did."
There was silence. Heat turned to walk to his brother and gently wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Concern twisted his face when he felt very little warmth under his brother's skin. He was far too cool.
Heat's gentle touch broke through the fog that surrounded him, and he blinked and looked at his twin. "I'm cold," he said sadly. "I'm so cold, Heat. And I've been so cold for so long. Why can't I be warm?"
Though tears gleamed in Snow's eyes, they didn't fall. Heat wasn't sure they could after so many years. He tugged his brother into the magma chamber and helped him out of his clothes and into a pool.
"Get me snow," he ordered. "Constant supply."
The servants obeyed. Flurry and Cinder stayed with Heat as he peered at his brother. Snow still looked dazed, and he stared blankly up at the ceiling of the chamber. He couldn't speak, and he didn't move much.
"What's going on?" Heat asked in a soft voice.
"He imploded," Flurry replied.
Heat and Cinder looked at him sharply. "What does that mean?"
Flurry looked at Heat. "When you feel angry, it has to go somewhere. For you, sir, it explodes outward so it can be hot. But Snow was never given that choice. So that leaves the anger to turn inward, and inwardly turned anger is very, very cold."
"So what does that mean?" Cinder asked fearfully.
"I believe it means his core has chilled."
Heat grimaced and looked at his brother. That was not good. A fine shiver ran across his body and he looked cold despite being in a lava bath. "Cinder, I need to write to Mother. We can't handle this anymore."
Flurry nodded. "I fear you're right. The elements are out of balance. It is already far too cold on this half of the island. Mother Nature will come soon even if you don't contact her."
Cinder obediently retrieved his writing materials and penned a letter to Mother Nature as Heat dictated. When it was signed, Cinder and Flurry were sent together to go to her island immediately. They teleported there and approached her door, a bit nervous. Flurry firmly knocked and they stepped back. There was a pause, and Mother Nature eventually answered. She peered at them.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
Cinder wordlessly held out the note and waited. Mother Nature held up her light and read it. Frustration crossed her face.
"Oh, those two! What did they do this time?"
Flurry and Cinder stiffened but said nothing, waiting for what she wanted to do. She looked at them.
"Go on back. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
They bowed and teleported back. The cold that hit them when they got there was bitter, and they gazed in astonishment at the change from even twenty minutes before. The snow had spread out across the island, bringing with it a biting wind. Cinder shuddered and hugged himself. Flurry wrapped an arm around him and bustled him into Heat's castle. It wasn't much warmer in there, and all of the fire servants were huddled in the magma chamber. The magma was actually crusted in most places, and it was clear that things were cooling more every second. Cinder hurried to get into a pool for a modicum of heat. Snow was still lying limply in the main magma pool, and he was shivering. Heat cradled his head in his lap, staring at his brother with tenderness. He stroked his hair, compassion in every touch, and Flurry gazed at Heat's concerned expression. When he saw they were back, he looked up at Flurry, who nodded.
"It's okay, Snow," Heat murmured. "Mother will know what to do."
Snow didn't respond. Flurry wasn't even sure if he was entirely conscious. The minutes ticked by and it was with great relief that they heard the front door open and Mother Nature calling. She sounded afraid.
"In here, Mother!" Heat called. He shook his brother. "Mother's here. You'll be okay."
Snow stirred and peered up at his brother. Heat was shocked when he saw a single tear sliding down his pale cheek. "Watch her blame me," he slurred brokenly. "Bad me. Too cold. Temper temper, Snow."
"Shh," Heat murmured.
"Heat? Are you alright? What did Snow do?" Mother Nature demanded as she pushed the doors open.
Heat stiffened, his mouth falling open as he gazed at his brother's face. Snow's bottom lip trembled, and he closed his eyes. He didn't need to say I told you so. Then Heat heard his mother's footsteps stop.
"What?" she breathed. She ran forward. "What's going on?"
"We don't know," Heat said, his voice steady despite the rage boiling inside of him. "We switched after the last family reunion."
"And you didn't come to me?" Mother Nature asked. "What's happened?"
Heat looked up at his mother, and he knew he was supposed to tell her everything. She wanted him to. But he could still hear Flurry's earnest voice warning Cinder how precious Snow's trust was. So he settled for the bare minimum.
"He suddenly went cold. He's been warm for a few weeks, and everything was fine until an hour ago."
"Oh, Snow," Mother Nature sighed.
Snow shivered and clutched for his brother's hand. Heat grasped it and squeezed it tightly. It was almost as cold as his. No more tears fell, but Heat had seen the one that had, and he knew just how much pain Snow had to be in for that to happen.
Mother Nature stared around helplessly. "We need to get him to my island," she finally said. "All of you better come, too. The whole island's uninhabitable for your servants, and no amount of control will fix the weather system. Not with his core chilled. Help me, Heat."
Heat helped Snow out and dressed him with Flurry's assistance then he supported him out into the main room. They crowded around Mother Nature, who opened a portal to her island. The fire servants hurried through first, and they were grateful for the warm burst of air from Mother Nature's garden. Heat helped Snow through, and he was not happy to see North standing in the doorway.
"What's going on, Mother?" North asked.
"Never you mind," Mother Nature scolded. "You get back to bed. Go on, now."
But North didn't leave. His eyes looked wary as he scanned Snow. "Is there going to be another ice age?"
"Butt out, airhead," Heat snapped, and the temperature plummeted. North looked startled and bewildered. Then his mouth fell open when they came into the light and he saw their new color schemes. North burst out laughing.
"You've switched?!" he cackled. "What did you two do this time?"
Snow didn't stir much, but the arm draped across Heat's shoulder tightened, and a soft, distressed whimper sounded in his ear.
"Didn't Mother tell you to go to bed?" Heat snarled.
"Oh, but I want to help," North wheedled.
Heat met North's gaze and his eyes flashed blue. "You should go to bed, North," he said in a low, dangerous voice.
North suddenly looked wary. "Uh, you know what? I think I'm tired. Yeah. Tired. Goodnight, Mother."
Heat watched him go then adjusted his grip on Snow. "What now, Mother?"
"We need to try and warm him up. Quickly, if we can. Or else the whole world will begin to freeze."
Heat nodded, and he followed his mother to a bedroom. She warmed the room to an almost unbearable temperature then helped Heat settle Snow into bed.
"You stay here, and please don't fight. I can't handle that right now."
"Yes, Mother dear," Heat intoned; he dearly missed his brother's voice in the statement that they usually shared. Mother Nature hurried away. Once the rustle of her skirts faded, Heat reached over to stroke his brother's face. There was no difference in temperature now. Tears slipped out of Heat's eyes, and he looked at Flurry.
"I don't think this'll work," he croaked.
Flurry nodded once then shrugged. "For him, there is not enough warmth left in this house to thaw his cold heart. But what else can we do, sir?"
"Think. Talk to Cinder," Heat said. "Have him describe anything and everything he saw. We need to figure this out. I'm not losing my brother."
Flurry nodded then left Heat alone with Snow. Despite the immense heat in the room, Snow was still icy to the touch. Heat watched his brother shiver and shake, wracked by chills and so pale that the orange tint was barely visible.
"I'll figure this out, Snow," Heat vowed. "I promise."
Snow's eyelids fluttered, but they didn't open. Heat reached over and took his hand, squeezing. Snow squeezed back weakly, and his shivering began to lessen. Mother Nature bustled back in and started to work. And to her surprise, no matter what she did, Heat refused to let go of Snow's hand.