The family reunion went on like it always did save for one thing. It wasn't Snow and Heat that got into a fight this time. Instead, Earthquake got arguing with Thunder, and the reunion was called off early after a disastrous quake that shook the whole garden. Mother Nature scolded them then dismissed everybody and hurried to check her treasures. Snow and Heat went home gladly, excited to get away. Heat thought of taking a magma bath, and Snow just wanted to brood in front of a fire for a while. But as soon as the portal closed behind them, Snow wilted as he felt a bit ill. He blinked and peered around, confused by an odd pressure in his middle that felt like he'd swallowed a whole bowl of steaming soup without letting it cool.

"Snow?" Heat asked.

"I don't feel so well all of a sudden," Snow said.

Heat blinked at him, and he was grateful that Snow had admitted it first. "So it's not just me?" he asked, shivering as the pressure inside of him sent needles of cold through his stomach.

"No, I don't think so," Snow said. He tugged at his scarf and pulled it off. It was damp with sweat. He frowned and wiped at his forehead. He pulled his hand back to see that his glove was soaked.

"I'm… sweating?" His expression pinched as he tugged his gloves off of his suddenly burning hands. He looked around at the snow and scooped up a handful to rub against his face. He flinched and pulled back, blinking in shock. "Ow… That… that hurts!" He turned to his brother, fright on his face. "Why does it hurt? It's never hurt before."

Heat stared at his brother as his shivering grew worse. He felt rather dizzy. "Cold always hurts," Heat said, rubbing his arms to try and stay warm.

"No, it doesn't," Snow said, an edge of panic in his voice. "Snow doesn't hurt, Heat! Snow is cool and soothing!" He dropped the snow and stared at his hands as they burned like fire. "Snow doesn't hurt! It doesn't!"

Heat watched his brother panicking as the tendrils of cold burrowed through him. Something was very, very wrong. His vision darkened and he swallowed and slurred out, "We need… we need help…"

But neither of them could move or even string words together. They were absolutely overwhelmed by the odd sensations sweeping through them. Snow was tugging off his jacket and pulled his shirt over his head as Heat huddled into himself. Just as both of them could bear it no longer, something inside of them seemed to burst. The island suddenly shuddered, and Heat and Snow shrieked as violent shocks rippled through them. Pain like nothing they'd ever experienced lit their realities for a brief eternity before it suddenly stopped.

Their shouts had summoned their servants, who came running, prepared to fight. But what they saw stopped them in their tracks. At first they were sure their eyes were playing tricks on them, but as they drew closer there was no denying what they saw. Their sires sat on the ground on either side of the barrier looking puzzled. Cinder peered closer and glanced up at the ice servants. He cleared his throat and addressed Flurry.

"Is it just me, or is Heat… blue?" he asked slowly.

"That's certainly blue," Flurry agreed. He stepped forward and pursed his lips. "And does Snow look a little pink to you?"

"I'd say it's closer to orange," Cinder replied. They paused and looked at each other. "Please tell me they didn't…"

"Hold that thought," Flurry ordered. He turned and strode over to Snow. "Sir, are you okay?"

"No," Snow said quietly. He shuddered. "I hurt all over. Why does it hurt?" His expression pinched and he looked distressed.

Cinder was alarmed and turned to his sire. "Sir? Please tell me you're not hurting, too."

Heat blinked at him and shook his head. "It's not pain, but it is a little…" he searched for a word, unable to come up with one. "I don't know," he finally said. "But something's different."

Cinder turned and looked at Snow, who was shivering. "Your highness, would you step over here? I believe it would help."

Snow looked at him, and he hesitated. Flurry glanced at Cinder, who met his gaze and held it. The oldest ice minion nodded and pressed his fingers against Snow's leg.

"Come along, sir," he began, but Snow gave a hoarse cry and jerked away. He scrambled to his feet, his fingers grasping his leg, feeling for a wound.

"Ouch! What did you do that for?" Snow demanded wildly.

"Do what?" Flurry asked in surprise.

"That hurt! What did you stab me with?" Snow rubbed at the sting.

"Stab you?" Flurry shook his head slowly. "I did not stab you."

"Then what did you do?" he asked, sounding frightened.

"I simply touched you."

"No, that can't be it. That hurt, Flurry!"

"I told you that cold always hurts," Heat said blearily.

Snow looked up and gazed at his brother, horror crossing his face. "I hurt you when I touch you?" he asked faintly.

"Well, yeah," Heat said. "Didn't you know that?" Snow didn't answer, so Heat struggled to his feet and peered around. "What's wrong? Something's wrong, right?"

"Don't you get it, magma breath?" Snow asked miserably. "We've switched elements." He shook his head and looked at Flurry. "This is cold, isn't it? I'm feeling cold." He licked his lips. "I didn't know it hurt so much."

"Doesn't heat hurt you?" Cinder asked curiously.

"Heat is pleasant in the right doses," Flurry said slowly. The servants all stared at each other as this new revelation sank in.

Heat meanwhile watched his brother stare around in bewilderment, looking scared and lost. He didn't want to hurt again, but Snow needed him. So Heat stepped forward through the barrier, bracing himself for the pain of cold, but it didn't come. Instead, a pleasant breeze rustled by him, and he felt wonderfully refreshed.

"Oh!" he said, his eyes alight with pleasure. "Oh, this is nice! No wonder you love the cold!" He found that whatever sensation that compressed him was now gone, and he stepped forward to grab Snow. "Come on, you need to get out of the cold, Snow."

Snow allowed his brother to pull him across the barrier, and he gasped and shivered in delight at the comforting sensation that surrounded him. He felt immersed in the hottest, most soothing bath he'd ever taken, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. The heat compressed him and he relaxed as all the pain went away.

"What in the world?" he breathed, rolling his shoulders. He turned to look at Heat. "Is this how you always feel, volcano brain?"

Heat shrugged then shifted uncomfortably. The strange pressure was back. He glanced around to see where the servants went. They were huddled in a group on either side of the barrier and talking quietly. Heat started as a warm hand settled on his arm. He flinched instinctively, expecting a stab of pain, but it didn't hurt at all.

"Go over to my side, Heat," Snow said gently.

"What for?" Heat asked, a little defensive. "This is my side."

Snow shook his head. "No, silly. You're sweating bullets."

Heat reached up to swipe at his forehead and was astounded to find that Snow was right. "But I can't sweat! I can't get… hot?" Heat's expression went slack and he looked up at Snow. "You… This is what hot feels like?"

"Well, yeah," Snow said awkwardly. He shifted then pushed Heat back across the barrier. Heat brightened again at the refreshing air, and he took a deep breath then relaxed. He looked down at his arm where Snow had touched him.

"I always thought hot hurt you like cold hurts me," Heat said in wonder.

Snow looked at his bare hands, which stung from touching Heat's cold skin. "I didn't know that cold hurts you," he said softly.

Heat studied his twin and was surprised to see remorse on his face. Only then did it dawn on him that Snow's touch hadn't just been warm, it had been nice. Snow didn't feel pain when he touched him. He felt pleasure. Heat stared at his brother and realized that for their whole lives, Snow hadn't been maliciously hurting him. He'd simply sought out affection because he enjoyed the warmth of his brother. He could enjoy both heat and cold. Stunned, he looked around at the snow then knelt down and buried his hands in a drift. An expression of wonder crossed his face, and Snow watched curiously.

"It's so… so nice," Heat breathed. He smiled like a child, and Snow grinned, unable to help himself. He liked seeing Heat like this.

"Put it in your mouth," Snow said.

"What for?"

"Just do it, sulfur breath."

Heat obeyed, and he was startled by the crisp taste. It was delightful, and though it melted in his mouth, it was crisp, sweet, and deliciously refreshing. "So that's why you eat snow!" he laughed.

"Not so stupid, is it?" Snow asked, giving a small smile.

Heat paused and looked embarrassed. "I guess not. Sorry, icicle no… Sorry, Snow."

"So what do you think happened?" Snow asked, sitting down beside the barrier.

"Earthquake probably did something when he threw his hissy fit," Heat grumbled. He sat down and began to pack the snow into little balls. "You know, this stuff's kinda like sand…"

Snow chuckled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Heat said. He made a little snowman and peered at it. "Are we going to tell Mother?"

"So we can get blamed for messing up again? No thank you," Snow said sourly. There was the sound of a throat clearing, and Snow glanced over. "What, Flurry?"

"If we're not going to Mother Nature, what shall we do, sir?" Flurry asked.

Snow blew out a breath and tapped his thigh. "I don't know what we did wrong this time." He scoffed. "I'm sure we'll get to hear all about it, though. You know, I was just thinking this morning how long it's been since I've been reminded that I'm wrong."

"Wrong?" Cinder asked. "What do you mean by wrong, sir?"

Heat and all of his servants were frowning in bewilderment. They'd never seen Snow Miser act like this. The fire servants glanced at their icy counterparts, who looked a bit frightened.

"Wrong means not right," Snow said icily. "All I do is wrong. My entire existence is wrong."

Heat was surprised by the bitter chill in his brother's voice. "Hey, that's not true," he said, surprising the ice servants. "We're elemental to this world, Snow. Don't go saying things like that."

"Why not?" Snow asked, picking up a lava rock and squeezing it. "It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Did something happen?" Heat asked.

Snow snorted and tossed the rock into the air, catching it in his bare hand. His expression was tight, and Heat was alarmed to see the lava along the barrier bubbling closer to the surface. His brother certainly must be upset. But he only said, "It doesn't matter, ash heap."

Heat pressed his lips together then rolled his eyes. "You're insulting yourself now, sulfur breath."

Snow looked up with a startled expression before a grin broke out on his face and he began to laugh. "Ooh! Ooh, that's a good point!" he guffawed, leaning back as he was overcome by a terrific fit of laughter.

The island jerked quite violently all of a sudden as one of the volcanic mountains erupted into the sky. Heat and his servants were stunned at the release of emotion that Snow was apparently having. What in the world was going on under his surface? He didn't even seem to notice the quake or lava that erupted like a geyser at least ten feet up the barrier as he laughed like it was the funniest joke ever. He laughed until tears slid down his face before he finally calmed down and wiped at his eyes.

"Guess you're the blizzard brain now," he sighed with a wicked grin. Then he noticed the lava cooling at his feet. The smile vanished and a panicked expression crossed his face. He scrambled back, looking scandalized by the cooling lava. Then he turned to look back at the evidence of a volcanic eruption. He sat very still for a moment.

"Snow?" Heat asked. He hesitated then stepped through the barrier into the heat, sidestepping the cooling lava. "Snow, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," Snow whispered, shamefaced. "I… I didn't mean to… to cause a mess."

Heat was concerned by that reaction. Snow sounded ready to cry. "It happens," he reassured him.

"Not to me," Snow said, and the relaxed atmosphere was gone. He looked tense and wary, and Flurry gazed helplessly across the barrier. Heat strolled over and reached for his hand. Snow flinched away and shivered.

"Sorry," Heat said. He hesitated. "So… what are we going to do?"

"I need to rest. I feel a bit… unwell," Snow said.

Heat stared for a moment then nodded. "Cinder, prepare the guest room for him. He can't sleep over here tonight."

"Guess you can prepare the guest room for Heat, Flurry," Snow sighed. He looked out across the cooling lava and that same cold expression from earlier crossed his features. Then he stood up and headed for the castle.

Heat watched him go, frowning. Flurry touched him gently. "Come along, sir. I'll take you to the guest room."

Heat followed him into his brother's castle, uneasy by what he'd just seen. To his surprise, it was refreshing inside, too. "Is it always so nice in here?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Flurry asked politely as the others skittered to the guest room and began to prepare it.

"It's so… nice in here," Heat said, unable to explain more.

Flurry considered this. "It's very cold in here," he said. "A nice, crisp mountain breeze is coming in through the window down there." He pointed to the open window.

Heat looked fascinated. "I always wondered why ice slick likes that breeze."

Flurry peered at him thoughtfully. "Indeed, sir?"

"Yeah. It's always been a bit biting for me."

Flurry was fascinated. "So the cold literally hurts you?"

"Well, yeah," Heat repeated, a bit bewildered. "I guess I never considered that Snow could like heat." He paused. "Does he?"

"You should ask him yourself, sir," Flurry said evenly. "Can I get you anything?"

"Food?" Heat asked, unsure of what to expect.

"Certainly. I'll have Tundra prepared dinner for you. Anything else, sir?"

"I don't think so," Heat said.

"Very good. If you need anything, simply call for me."

"Thanks… Flurry, right?"

"Yes, sir." The others filed by and Flurry led him into the room. "Here you are, sir. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thanks."

Flurry closed the door behind him, leaving Heat standing in the middle of his brother's guest room. Heat was bemused by how he'd ended up here. He wasn't bothered by the cold, he finally had an inkling of what 'hot' was, and he might even be able to control snow and ice. He laughed to himself then began to look around. Flurry eventually came into his room with a tray.

"Your dinner, sir," he said.

"Thanks," Heat muttered, peering at an ice decoration. "How did he do this?"

Flurry set the tray aside and strolled over. "He carved it from a block of ice."

"He's talented," Heat admitted.

"At many things, sir," Flurry said. "And that is not always a good thing."

Heat paused and turned to Flurry. "Is something wrong?"

"What did Snow say?"

"That nothing's wrong. But I know he's lying."

Flurry met his eyes and studied him. Then he spoke carefully. "Nothing is wrong, sir, because that's what Mother Nature expects from Snow."

Heat blinked and looked up. "What?"

"If you'll excuse me, sir," Flurry said, bowing. "I must attend to my duties."

He left Heat Miser staring after him, surprised and a bit disturbed by what Flurry had just said. Mother certainly wouldn't expect that sort of thing from anybody, right? Certainly not!

But as he pulled his food toward himself, he struggled to think of why Flurry would have said something like that unless it was actually what Mother expected from Snow. He considered what had happened after Snow had caused the eruption.

"I… I didn't mean to… to cause a mess," Snow had whispered, sounding so small and ashamed.

Heat had been understanding. "It happens."

But Snow had looked so bitter."Not to me."

"Nothing is wrong, sir, because that's what Mother Nature expects from Snow."

Those words haunted him long after he'd slipped into the cool sheets and the sun set.