» The Tree of Light

WAKER

You're distracted—by everyone, I guess, and by the mare you've just flicked a snowball at. You're smug, like a cat, delicately shaking out a dark wing to dislodge the last bits of white from the edges of your feathers. Snow wasn't a luxury you often received back home, so whenever it fell and got thick enough, you kids liked to have snow fights. You were a pro.

Which is why it's surprising that when Taivas comes down, you don't really notice. I mean, you obviously notice, because she's Taivas and she's kind of on your radar, but you don't do more than flash her a grin. Your fight is with Kiada, your snow war, your—

The tiny shower of snow hits your face like a very sudden and surprising gift, or curse, you don't really know. Spluttering, you turn to Taivas, not at all upset at having been fed your own medicine, just trying to get the snow out of your mouth. She's smiling, impishly, an expression that seems foreign on her face—you recall only her solemn glances, her smiles that never knew quite how to form, but maybe that was just the levity of the situation. You had, after all, been kind of dying on her.

Still, the smile, and the merry laugh following it, makes your heart melt in a kind of confusing fashion. You save it for later, something to examine when you need to distract yourself from the dark thoughts baying at you, and give her your best, boyish grin.

Only then do you notice the gifts magically appearing—scarves and charms, little dots of colors, subtle texture changes. You stop, for a moment, marveling, looking. Your breath pools in the cold air, sunlight glitters upon every frosted branch and in every piece of silver tinsel. It's.. beautiful, in a light, elegant way you previously hadn't seen in this dark and miserable place. Slowly, you crane your head, catching the sparkle of charms tied into your mane, little stars against the night black of your hair.

Turns out your slowly fading glow wasn't festive enough for the tree; you've been re-decorated, and you rather like it.