It's Game Time! Wintry Excitement

TheCuriousSeed

The Pixie Hollow Games draw nigh, so time for a tale befitting such.

~Everyone was getting ready for the Pixie Hollow Games happening soon, but when Hickory found out that no Winter Talent would be able to participate if she didn't have another talent normally associated with the warmer seasons, she decided to band together all her colleagues of the Weather Talent, namely those specialising in wintry precipitation.

~"Okay, we need to figure out a safe way to ensure the Winter Talents will be able to participate this year," Hickory told her Wintry Precipitation colleagues. "How do we ensure they won't overheat and their wings will remain intact?"

~"We frost their wings first, then them," suggested one Wintry Precipitation Talent.

~"We convince the Water Talents to help us make it snow," suggested another.

~"But said Water Talents have to be Wintry Water Talents," said Hickory. "And unfortunately the only two I know able to do the job are Snowbelle and Pearl, and Pearl's better with wing frosting, but Snowbelle's better with the cold."

~Just then Pearl came by wearing…

~"What in the Hollow are you wearing?" asked a third Wintry Precipitation Talent.

~"It's my Pixie Hollow Games uniform," answered Pearl.

~"But that's not a regulation uniform."

~"Because they don't have Wintry Water Talent uniforms. Snowbelle and I are representing that talent."

~"Okey-dokey, then… let's practise for the Games."

~Pearl flew about looking for Snowbelle, a Wintry Water Talent like her. Snowbelle was forming snowballs and adding icicles to a few to form spikes, then she made more snowballs and attached said snowballs to the icy spikes. Fauna, a Wintry Fast Flyer, joined in to make snowballs too.

~"I volunteered us to participate in the Pixie Hollow Games this year," Pearl told Snowbelle, who was making a snowfairy.

~"Pearl, I don't know if you've noticed, but Winter Talents don't even get to spectate at the Pixie Hollow Games," said Snowbelle. "Those are only for the Warm Talents."

~"Yeah," said Fauna. "Remember what happened to Periwinkle's wings when they got too warm, let alone Lord Milori's?"

~"Wouldn't know, wasn't there to experience that," said Pearl.

~"Not to mention there'd have to be snow falling to keep us cold, and have you forgotten that your sister's a Winter Talent?"

~"Technically, she's a Wintry Author, but they don't exactly have enough of those to warrant an event for them."

~Both Silvers flew by and, upon seeing Pearl, the taller one called, "Pearl!"

~"Gotta go, my sister calls."

~As Pearl joined the Silvers, the smaller one asked, "Where'd you get that uniform?"

~"I had Saffron make it for me," Pearl answered.

~"Well, don't bother wearing it to the games because the Winter Talents don't get uniforms."

~"Not even the combined Winter Talents," added the taller Silver.

~"But Snowbelle and I were going to represent the Wintry Water Talents," said Pearl.

~"But did you ask her first?"

~"She's the only Wintry Water Talent I know well; the rest don't even care who I am."

~"But you still have to ask first."

~"Ask about what?" asked Snowbelle as she and Fauna flew to Pearl and the Silvers.

~"Pearl, you didn't volunteer Snowbelle in without her permission, did you?" asked the smaller Silver.

~"Well…" began Pearl.

~"Of course she didn't!" exclaimed Fauna. "Snowbelle doesn't even have a uniform yet!"

~"Oh, Pearl, you have to ask permission first!" exclaimed the taller Silver. "Silver and I asked about the Pixie Hollow Games, but the most we're allowed this year is to spectate at the Fairy Coliseum, and it wasn't easy being allowed that!"

~Pearl then asked Snowbelle, "Would you like to be my partner in the Pixie Hollow Games this year?"

~"If we can get in," answered Snowbelle. "Where can I get a uniform?"

~"Follow me."

~As Saffron made Snowbelle's uniform, she seemed doubtful. Why would a Wintry Water Talent even consider participating when the Fairy Coliseum would be too warm for her? Once she made the uniform and Snowbelle tried it on…

~"Our uniforms don't look the same," said Snowbelle.

~"Because you're stronger with Winter, but Pearl's stronger with Water," answered Saffron. "Plus, you have a lower heat tolerance and are smaller both in height and girth than Pearl, ergo the shorter sleeves and capris instead of tights."

~"Yaysies!" exclaimed Pearl. "Now we both have official uniforms!"

~But what were these two getting into?

~Pearl and Snowbelle flew to the Fairy Coliseum in their new uniforms and indeed it felt warm there... a little too warm for Snowbelle. Pearl's wings were fine, but Snowbelle's were starting to wilt a bit.

~"Maybe we can convince those responsible for the event lineups to have some events in the Winter Woods?" asked Snowbelle, who was already sweating.

~"Or we can frost each other's wings to protect them from the heat," suggested Pearl.

~"But frosting keeps warm weather wings warm because, insulation."

~Unwilling to relent, Pearl frosted Snowbelle's wings first, then Snowbelle frosted Pearl's.

~"Wow, that does feel better," said Snowbelle.

~"Toldja," said Pearl. "C'mon, let's go!"

~As Pearl and Snowflake landed, they saw Fauna seated and trying to frost herself to stay cool. She was almost out of Pixie Dust.

~"It's not working," said Fauna. "We really need to return to the Winter Woods, but I've exhausted almost all my dust trying to frost myself cool. It's just too hot today."

~Pearl decided to frost Fauna's wings, but the frost was already starting to melt and soon all three Wintry Fairies would be wet-winged and have to walk back home! Fauna definitely didn't have the heat tolerance Pearl had and she was even weaker to the heat than Snowbelle, but not as weak as the smaller Silver Winterjewel, who really hated the heat, but was excellent at keeping cool.

~Hickory, noticing the three Wintry Fairies' wings warming, made a small snow cloud for them.

~"Thanks, Hickory," said Fauna, her wings refreezing. "But I don't think I can fly back to the Winter Woods."

~Pearl decided to dispense a little of her remaining Dust and share it with Fauna. Snowbelle did suit, but dispensed a little more.

~"Hopefully we can make it back home before our Dust is gone," said Snowbelle.

~But Hickory decided safer to accompany them whilst making sure the snow cloud remained snowy, especially since she could easily match pace with Fauna.

~"Hang on tight!" said Hickory.

~Snowbelle and Pearl hung to Hickory's ankles, then Fauna offered her ankles to Hickory and off went the caravan.

~Good thing Hickory could handle the cold too because she had to do all the flying all the way to the Winter Woods border, then asked, "Can you make your way back to Winter safely?"

~"We'll be fine, thanks to you," answered Fauna.

~After exchanging goodbyes, Hickory returned to set up the Pixie Hollow Games while the three Wintry Fairies went deeper into Winter. Their wings never felt better in the cold.

~"Maybe we should drop our of the Pixie Hollow Games," suggested Snowbelle. "My wings were already starting to take in water."

~"But we just need to find a safer way to keep cool, especially our wings," said Pearl. "Perhaps even hod a few events in the Winter Woods."

~"But then any Warm Fairies that came would have to spectate," said Fauna. "And the Pixie HollowGames is supposed to be a fun time for all, be they spectator, participant or announcer."

~"We have to come up with something."

~"Remind me again why we're crossing into Winter, Heidi?' asked Onyx.

~"Because this year we were told that the Water Talents would have to test their mettle with the different forms of water and we have to be able to change water to either a solid or a vapour." answered Heidi. "Plus, we need to build our tolerance to the cold."

~Heidi easily froze a bit of water at the border, but Onyx could barely bend the water out more than a head-sized bead of water at a time.

~"Maybe ask a different Water Talent to do this because I'm just a Soup Talent," said Onyx.

~"We were assigned partners this year, remember?"

~As little excitement as Onyx had for participation in the Pixie Hollow Games, Pearl was at least thrice as ecstatic. She couldn't wait!

Come back to discover what happens next.