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Chapter Text

For hundreds of years the first laughs of babies became the birth of a fairy, though very rarely did that laugh birth a fairy of royalty. Every few years, Pixie Hollow and the Winter Woods were blessed with a new heir. Queen Dandelia gathered her subjects to the Pixie Dust Tree as a new fairy would be arriving today. The laughter of a baby girl echoed through Pixie Hollow, the light of her fairy shining through the trees. The dandelion seed landed softly in the center of the room and a beautiful girl lifted her head, looking around in confusion. Everyone marveled at the beauty of her features. Her brown hair that seemed to turn almost gold when the sun rays peeked through the branches of the tree and her blue eyes sparkled at her surroundings. Her face met everyone else's before her honey sweet voice broke the whispers and chatters. "Hello,,?"

The fairies around awed at the little fairy's confusion. Dandelia smiled softly from her seat while the young ministers of the seasons whispered about what seasons she would belong to. "Born of laughter. Clothed in cheer. Happiness has brought you here." The Queen's usually commanding voice was soft and gentle as it usually was when she greeted new fairies. "Welcome to Pixie Hollow. I am Queen Dandelia, ruler of all fairies."

"What is this place?" the golden fairy asked as a fairy stood and flew to approach her.

The fairy was tall and a bit heavier in weight, "Let me help you, my dear." He reached in his pocket and pulled a yellow dust from a small bag. The dust coated his hands and he leaned down, spreading it across the little fairies wings causing them to lift. The older fairy offered his hand and lifted her into the air where her wings would flutter seemingly on their own. "You're a natural."

"Thank you Fairy Gary." Gary bowed his head at the Queen before flying over to his seat. "This is your home. We fairies control the seasons, it is our sole duty." While Dandelia spoke, some fairies flew forward, leaving things on small tables that surrounded the area. "These items will help you define your job in this world."

The little fairy looked around at the options, "How will I know which one is mine?"

"You'll know."

She nodded and walked toward the first table, touching a small water bubble which caused it to pop. Not a water fairy. The light fairies light fizzled out, the garden fairies flower wilted, the tinker fairies hammer clattered against the table, even the fast flying fairies tornado vanished into the air. It seemed as though every talent rejected the little fairy, leaving her scared and confused. Her eyes darted to the Queen who was now approaching her, "Don't fret, little one." she offered her hand. "There are many talents that are not presented to-" Dandelia was cut off as the fairy took her hand and the two began to glow. The room illuminated with the glow from the two fairies, making the rest of Pixie Hollow hide their eyes from the brightness. When it subsided, Dandelia was now smiling widely, "My subjects. Please give a warm welcome to Princess Clarion! The heir to my throne and future Queen of Pixie Hollow!"

The room erupted in cheer and clapping as Clarion looked around in confusion. She didn't quite understand what her talent was yet. Princess? She's a Princess? "Ohh, finally a brand new Queen in trainin'!" a fairy that looked very similar to Fairy Gary approached though she was wearing green instead of brown. She held a clip board and a small owl feather pen, "Don't be scared, it's always scary to be a new fairy in power. Our ministers are still young themselves. But we'll take good care of you, sweetie."

Clarion nodded as the fairies around her left, beginning to return to their jobs in preparation for the incoming autumn season. The only fairies remaining in the room were Dandelia, Fairy Gary, Fairy Mary, and the Ministers of Autumn, Summer, and Spring. The Minister of Winter had already left, needing to return to her home before her body grew too warm. "Come, my dear, we shall introduce you to the seasons. It's important for a young queen to know her kingdom." Fairy Gary said with a soft smile. Clarion nodded once more as the Ministers and the Fairy siblings flew with the new princess, ready to show her all that Pixie Hollow had to offer.

Chapter Text

Clarion sighed softly as she shut her book about wingology, the third sigh after the third book she had read. Redleaf and Sunflower rolled their eyes at the Princess' procrastination. "Clarion, you whining isn't going to make Queen Dandelia just excuse you from work." Redleaf laughed at hid friends predicament.

"I shouldn't even need to do this stuff! You guys are the one that actually do work, I just have to wait for Dandelia to be ready to retire and who knows how long that Will be!!" Clarion was quickly shushed by the librarian fairy before she mouthed an apology to her.

"We all need to do our part. Hyacinth does this much studying too. But with Winter coming to an end he's working hard," Sunflower whispered and reached across the table, taking the wing shaped book from in front of her friend.

The young princess groaned again but much quieter this time, "Don't you guys wanna go and explore Pixie Hollow? I mean I've never even been allowed near the Autumn Woods,,!" Clarion threw her hands up and looked at the bits of sky she could see through gaps in the libraries branch roof. "I just want to explore like the talent fairies get to do, maybe I could even follow the second star and see the Mainland,,"

Redleaf glanced at Sunflower before looking back at his other friend, "Not even Queen Dandelia goes to the Mainland. I know that you wish do do as we do but it's impossible, Clarion."

Clarion looked at her lap and scowled, "Well,, If I can't go to the mainland, I can at least explore my own kingdom." She stood up and flew up quickly before her friends could even stop her. She flew up high, looking over all of the seasons colors together, she could even see the white of the Winter Woods. Clarion could see the amount of working fairies bustling in the Spring Valley preparing their supplies and Pixie Dust for the journey to the mainland. Surely it wouldn't be such a bad idea if she just visited? She's never seen the way fairies prepare for the seasons with her own eyes, only heard about it from her friends. Clarion lowered herself to the valley and walked along the small dirt path in Springtime Square, waving to the fairies that were looking away from their jobs to stare at the young royal. The fairies whispered to each other with wide eyes as Clarion spotted her friend talking with their newest arrival, a garden fairy with a sharp tongue and a smooth southern drawl. "Hyacinth!" the princess called out to her friend.

Hyacinth gasped dramatically as he usually did, "Wh- Princess? What are you doing here??" His brow was furrowed and he looked at the fairy he was just speaking to. "Carry on with your work Rosetta. I'll speak with you later." Rosetta nodded and stared at the princess for a moment before turning and returning to the flower field with the rest of the gardening fairies. "Clarion, what ever are you-"

"I wanted to see what you all do to prepare for the seasons! I've seen so many paintings and heard so many stories of the flowers and they're so beautiful!" Clarion looked out onto the pink flower field. She then turned her head and saw a small flower that hadn't bloomed yet. "Oooh, what's this for?" the curious girl asked as she reached out to touch the bud.

Hyacinth gasped again and put his palm in the way of Clarion's hand. "Ah, ah, ah!! Princess you mustn't touch this." he placed his hand on his friends back and gestured toward the flower. "This is the Evergreen. It is a beautiful flower that will only bloom when it is time for us to go to the mainland. That will signify that Spring is sprung and Winter is over."

Clarion smiled at the flower then turned around to smile at all of the beautiful flowers and the ladybugs and butterflies as the animal fairies painted them. "This is so beautiful. I wish I could see the other seasons. Though I suppose it won't take too long for everyone to begin preparing for Summer."

"Clarion,, I don't think you should be here. The queen wouldn't want you to abandon your studies to review how the seasons are made." Hyacinth said sadly, knowing such information would hurt Clarion's feelings. "We all have our part to play and,, you should be learning how to do yours."

"That is right." a familiar commanding voice boomed throughout Springtime Square. Three balls of light trailed by pixie dust met together, revealing an angry looking Queen Dandelia. Flying quickly into the square after the Queen appeared was a fast flying fairy that worked as the Ministers messenger. "Clarion. What in the second star are you doing here? You should be focused on your studies. This is very unbecoming of a future queen!"

The princess' eyes widened with each word that her highness shouted at her, "Q-Queen Da-"

Dandelia hissed through her teeth and made her hand form a shut mouth motion. "Silence. Return to the Pixie Dust Tree. Your studies will now be in your room and only in your room." Before Clarion could protest, the queen was gone, returning to their home quickly.

The messenger fairy looked to the princess with a flat expression, "Come along, your highness. Let's get you home." Hyacinth frowned at his friend's sad expression as she turned and flapped her wings, following her escort back to the Pixie Dust Tree. 

When she returned to her room, Clarion was met with Fairy Gary writing something down on a brown leaf clip board. "Fairy Gary?"

The bearded man looked up and smiled pitifully at the girl in front of him. "Hello, my dear. Queen Dandelia asked me and Mary to help you with your work since-"

"Since I'm not allowed to study with my friends anymore?" Clarion's fists clenched as she stared at the wooden floor beneath her. Her words echoed in the large room but nothing followed it. Clarion simply walked forward and sat in her chair, pulling it forward and picking up the first book in a large stack. She opened the large encyclopedia on fairy history where a small leaf fell out. It was a letter written on an autumn leaf.

"I'm so sorry if you get in trouble, Clar. The Queen came to check on you and I couldn't lie to her but we tried to convince her that you were okay. She asked me to get these books together for you so I assume you're grounded or something. Sunny and I will try to convince her to let us visit. Hope you're okay. -Redleaf"

Clarion teared up before choking them back, not wanting to cry in front of Fairy Gary. For a long few weeks, Clarion was forced to be isolated in her bed room, studying history and the duties of a queen while the Fairy siblings swapped shifts back and forth. After a month of the work, Clarion had finished her huge stack of books and wrote notes on the important parts of it. She sighed and laid her head in her arms on the table. Fairy Gary looked up from the small book he was reading on pixie dust keeping. It was one he had read a million times but he always liked to review it so he didn't forget the source material. He congratulated Clarion with a little applaud before returning to his book. The princess lifted her head and smiled at Fairy Gary before looking longingly out her window. She could only see summer from here. Only green trees and a pinch of the sunflower field where the light fairies worked with fireflies after dark. The final book that she had read was about the Winter Woods and it made her think that she didn't know much of the world. She had only seen the Minister of Winter once and it was when she had arrived. She sighed again and fluttered over to her personal bookshelf that had a picture book of each season. She sat back down and opened it to the winter part of the book, flipping through the pages with a soft smile gaining an even bigger curiosity for the snowy land. Clarion fluttered to her window and adjusted her head, trying to see if she could peek through summer, spring, and autumn to see even a pinch of the beautiful snow.

Fairy Gary smiled softly and fluttered over to her. "You know, you've been working very hard and the sun is setting." Clarion looked up at the tall fairy with longing eyes. "Tell you what. If you promise to be back before the first light of dawn, I'll tell the Queen that you're sleeping and that you finished your work."

The little princess' eyes sparkled with every single word out of Fairy Gary's mouth, her heart pumping excitedly as he spoke. Once his sentence was done, Clarion lunged forward and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much Fairy Gary!! I'll be back before the sun rises I promise!" she said before pushing open her window and zooming out of it before Fairy Gary could say anything else.

Clarion smiled widely as she flew through the seasons, weaving through the branches of the trees. She giggled and watched as each tree changed colors the farther that she went. Green then pink then orange, then- BANG! Clarion's head collided with something else, sending a small headache into her head. "OW!!" She shouted and rubbed her head before opening one eye and looking up to see what she had hit. In front of her was a boy. He was very pale with shoulder length hair that was half way tied into a ponytail. He was also rubbing his head allowing the princess to realize that her head had collided with him not a tree or something like she had assumed before. She looked down and around, realizing that she was at the border of the Winter Woods as she flew across and offered her hands. "Oh my goodness I am so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was flying, are you okay?"

The boy looked up and locked his hazel eyes with Clarion's blue ones. The two stared at each other, locked in a trance by each others beauty. Love at first sight.

Chapter Text

Clarion was the first one to break the seemingly hour lasting silence she shared with this boy, although it was only a few moments. Once the boy in white was on his feet, she flew back and landed on her own on the warm side of the border. "U-Uhm,, I'm so sorry again for running into you. Are you alright?" she asked.

The boy nodded, his eyes still wide from the beauty in front of him, "Y-Yes. I'm alright, are you? I should've been looking where I was flying." He had an accent similar to Hyacinth. Dandelia said that fairies with that accent came from London but she never believed it. 

"I'm okay. Thank you! I wasn't paying attention either, hehe," Clarion giggled which made the boy's eyes sparkle more. "My name is Clarion by the way." she said, deciding to leave out the fact that she was the princess of Pixie Hollow. "May I know your name?"

The boy nodded quickly and held out his hand, "I'm Milori!" he said excitedly. Clarion placed her hand in Milori's before he pulled it to his lips and kissed it softly. The young princesses golden cheeks turned red. She'd gotten the hand kiss from many other fairies but this one was much different. Milori's lips were so cold, much different than the warmth from of the Pixie Hollow fairies and his hand was even colder yet it was so soft. The white haired boy looked up and let go of Clarion's warm hand and smiled at her, "You seemed to be flying awful fast, what were you in such a rush for?" he asked, keeping himself on the snowy side of the border. 

Clarion blushed more but this time out of embarrassment, "It's a bit of a long story." Without saying anything, Milori looked under him and sat down in the snow, looking at Clarion with eyes that told her he was ready to hear her story. The girl chuckled softly and she sat down on the wooden bridge, "You know of Queen Dandelia right?"

Milori thought for a moment, "She's the ruler of Pixie Hollow, right?"

Clarion nodded, "Yes. I am to be her successor. I'm to be queen in the future. But she's just so," she tried to find the words but couldn't so all that came was "Ugh!!" Milori stifled a laugh at the princess' squeal. "She doesn't let me do anything ever! I can't hang out with my friends, I can't read what I want, I can't even oversee the preparations for the next season! And that's literally my future job!!" Clarion's voice raised with each thing she stated. She took a deep inhale to calm herself before scratching her neck and looking in her lap, "A few weeks ago I took a break from studying without permission to see the spring preparations and she caught me. She said I wasn't allowed to study with my friends anymore and would have to stay in my room. But today, my tutor said he would lie to Dandelia that I was sleeping as long as I returned by sunrise!" The princess looked so excited at Milori before looking behind her at the mix of seasons. "I was flying without looking where I was going and,," she paused, "Yeah, hehe. Apologies for that by the way."

The dark eyed boy waved his hand to tell Clarion it wasn't a big deal. "Don't worry about it at all. I was actually ignoring my work as well. I'm supposed to replace Miss Snowflake as the minister of winter. I told her I was practicing my snowflakes and frost but I've mostly just been making snow statues." Milori explained as he picked up a clump of snow and made a little bunny out of it. 

"Wow, that's beautiful, Milori. How did you learn to do that?" Clarion asked as he offered the bunny for her to hold. 

"Whenever I get bored of reading books I take a little break to make animals! Snow bunnies are my favorite to watch cross the border." Milori made another little bunny since he could see that Clarion's was melting. This time however, he rotated his hand around it in a circle motion, creating a ball of thick ice around the little statue.

Clarion looked starstruck by what Milori was doing. "Woah,, You have a talent? But I thought successor fairies didn't have talents."

The boy made a 'sort of' gesture with his hand, "In Pixie Hollow, queens like you and Dandelia have no duty other than overseeing things and ruling over the fairies. But in the Winter Woods, the ruler here is also responsible for overseeing winter preparations. Plus, since ice, snow, and everything else is pretty similar, everyone can do things that don't always line up with their designated talents." Milori's wings fluttered as he rose a little higher than his standing height and rubbed his hands together, producing some snowflakes. "I can make ice, snow, and frost but I won't really use them once I'm minister of winter." He looked at the ground below him with a saddened expression as he descended. 

There were a few moments of silence as Clarion searched for what to say. "I wish I had talents like those of the nature fairies or even the tinker and dust keepers. It would be amazing to control rainbows or pick up water bubbles or talk to animals!" Her own wings fluttered from excitement at the thought before they drooped, "But the only thing I'm destined to do is be queen."

"You get to start off the blue moon festival don't you?"

"Hardly. The blue moon scepter is made by a fairy chosen by me and the other ministers. All I say is "Rejoice, Fairies!" or something like that." she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I would love to make a blue moon scepter. I could do something so beautiful and unique, something that's never been done before."

"Do you think you'd be afraid to break the moon stone?"

"I'd be terrified! I mean if the moon stone broke then that would mean no more blue pixie dust which would mean no fairy would ever fly again." Clarion rambled about her fears of the moon stone being broken. She yawned into her hand and chuckled softly, "Excuse me."

Milori smiled softly and stood up, offering his cold hands to lift Clarion to her feet. "We should head back, it's gotten rather late." The girl nodded and took his soft soft hands, using her wings to stand herself up. "It was lovely meeting you, Clarion." He stared at the girl for a few seconds, opening his mouth to say something but instead he pressed his lips together and just smiled, his pale cheeks now a light shade of pink. 

Just as Milori let go of her hands, Clarion said something without even thinking, "Could I see you again!?"

The boy turned around with an excited smile, nodding so quickly. "Yes! Oh, can we please? I was going to ask but I got so nervous!!"

Clarion smiled and fluttered in a little circle, "Let's meet tomorrow at sunset! It's the only time I get a break from my studies. Does it work?"

"Yes! That's perfect. I'll see you tomorrow at sundown."

The girl nodded quickly and waved "Bye, Milori! I'll see you tomorrow!" she said and flew quickly back to her bedroom in the Pixie Dust Tree while Milori flew to the Wonter Woods Pixie Dust Tree with a huge grin on his pink cheeks.