Episode 2 - Fire and Ice

The citizens of Everfell blame Winter for the intense blizzard.

~December 5th~

~Scene 1~

[Winter takes ahold of the town; the frozen water reflects the glimmering festive lights hanging up above, as a crowd of people surrounds the fountain in the middle of the town of Everfell. A man dressed in a formal suit is standing on the side of the fountain, speaking to the crowd. A red-haired boy with a thick jacket, scarf, and shades sits on the picnic table next to a lady with silver hair.]

{Mayor}

Furthermore, perhaps you all may have heard that a wintry storm is approaching with little sign of stopping. This storm will surely ravage our town if we do not take the right precautions.

{Equavar}

Death will be upon us like sweet, savory strawberry lemonade!

{Mayor}

Storm shelters will be in place in designated locations, and I highly recommend staying indoors leading up to the storm. We will get through this together, citizens of Everfell.

{Mr. Falker}

Oh dear, I only recently put up the decorations. If this storm is anything that serious, it will be a mess!

[Ivalia, the lady with the silver hair, steps onto a nearby picnic table and puts her hand in the air.]

{Ivalia}
Once again, those nasty seasons are trying to disrupt our holidays. I say, we should take a stand -- a stand against what malice Winter brings us!

{Mrs. Freud}

Yeah!

{Claire}

I don’t think we should blame the seasons for this...

{Mrs. Freud}

You know, those seasons are nothing but problematic. I heard a rumor that they kidnap humans and keep them in a dungeon!

{Equavar}

One time, this one month named July gave me strawberry lemonade. She was nice.

{Mrs. Freud}

Sure, the months are nice now -- but I bet they’re going to take after their villainous season caretakers when they get older.

{Ivalia}
Look, this way comes a month!

[July is walking along the sidewalk, and she looks over at the group of humans. She waves and excitedly runs toward them.]

{July}

Hi! What’s going on over here? I was just going to get some ice cream, and I saw you guys over here yelling.

{Ivalia}
So it seems… tell us, little July, why must Winter bring a snowstorm this week?

{July}

I dunno, she doesn’t talk to me.

{Ivalia}

Hm… so it seems, so it seems.

{Equavar}

Ice cream? I want ice cream… especially some strawberry lemonade ice cream.

{July}

Wanna come with me?

{Equavar}
Sure! I don’t wanna talk about this boring storm stuff.

{Mayor}

Anyway, anyway! Let us discuss some of the other issues that have been brought to my attention...

---

~Scene 2~

[November walks into Naturata’s Sphere and in it is September and Autumn, who are in the middle of the Sphere.]

{Autumn}

What did the mayor talk about, November?

{November}

The mayor announced that an intense snowstorm is coming this week. Though, the citizens of Everfell are blaming Winter for it.

{September}

Winter isn’t doing this on purpose… right?

{Autumn}
I don’t think so. She’d never do anything like this if not for a good reason.

[November takes off his jacket and scarf and gloves, then sits on a nearby chair.]

{November}

Has anyone seen October? I haven’t seen him since last week.

{Autumn}
I know he will come back eventually. Like a black cat, he finds his way home. Anyway, I’m going to go consult Winter.

[Autumn walks into Winter’s room, as November pulls out a book. Meanwhile, September easily waves her hand into the direction of the hanging chandelier, sending a gust of wind that blows out the candles.]

{September}
Lights out after eight, Autumn said.

{November}

I was reading a book.

{September}
Well, do it in your own room.

[She walks up to a door and imprinted on it is a leaf symbol. She sends a lighter gust of a wind to the door, causing it to open, then she walks in. November rolls his eyes, and reignites the candle by shooting a bolt of fire from his hands. All of a sudden, Autumn bolts out of Winter’s room, wearing an agitated countenance.]

{Autumn}
Winter is missing!

[November, startled, puts his book down.]

{November}
Blimey! Where else would she be other than in her room?

{Autumn}
I-I don’t know! This is the first time in four and a half billion years she’s gone away without notice.

[September exits Autumn’s room.]

{September}
What’s going on?

{Autumn}

I can’t find Winter in her room. Unless…

[Autumn stares at a dead dandelion inhabiting a flower pot, which sits on a desk near Spring’s door.]

{November}
What?

{Autumn}

The Everfall Mountains… she’s there, I can sense it.

[He eyes the dandelion with grave concern.]

---

~Scene 3~

[July, Equavar, August, and Albert are sitting at a table in the ice cream parlor.]

{July}

So what was everyone yelling about earlier anyway? They seemed really dedicated to whatever it was.

{Equavar}
Oh. That. They were just complaining about how the seasons are mean and evil, and I was just over there because my mom forced me to go there.

{July}

Oh, that makes sense.

{Equavar}
She said there was lemonade there. She lied.

[Equavar takes a crunch out of his ice cream cone.]

{August}

Oh, Albert’s mom went to that thing.

{Equavar}
Yeah, she thought the seasons were torturing humans in a dungeon.

{Albert}

Yeah, that’s definitely her...

[Ivalia then comes up to their table and intently stares at July and August.]

{Ivalia}
So, you must have heard about the upcoming storm, right August? After all, you see Winter quite a bit… right?

{August}

Yeah, I’ve heard about the storm.

{Ivalia}

Are you able to convince Winter of possibly postponing such malevolent weathers?

{August}

Uh, sure.

{Ivalia}
You’ll be the hero, or anti-hero. Regardless, you’ll save the town from the wrath of a heartless-

{Equavar}
Can you stop talking now? I’m trying to eat my ice cream in peace.

[Ivalia glares at the boy, who emits a loud crunch in the middle of the silence.]

{Ivalia}
Very well, then.

[She turns away and looks outside to see piles of snow covering the window, and a blizzard obstructing the outside.]

{Ivalia}
What? Just a minute ago it was… How am I going to get home?

{Equavar}
Oh great, how are you going to get out of here?

{Ivalia}
For a boy eating ice cream, you sure talk a lot.

[She sits down at a table, angrily groaning.]

{Ivalia}
I-I need to feed my Jewel, Tristine, Ellie-

{Equavar}
Are those your daughters or something?

{Ivalia}
Yes, but they’re my cats.

{Equavar}
You gave birth to cats?!

{Ivalia}

What?- No! I’m just very close to my cats.

{Equavar}
Oh. That’s weird.

---

~Scene 4~

[Flames erupt into the white sky, and are barely visible through the intense storm. Autumn, who trudges through the layers of snow, stares at a silhouetted figure of a lady in the distance.]

{Autumn}
Winter! What are you doing up here? Why aren’t you in the Sphere?

{Winter}

Why does it matter?

{Autumn}
The people of Everfell don’t deserve this. You’re destroying the spirit of the holiday.

{Winter}

Why should I care about the spirit of the holiday?

[Autumn covers himself, shivering against the icy atmosphere. He huffs, then releases a plethora of fire all around, melting the snow.]

{Autumn}
Why are you doing this? Naturata wouldn’t want you to do this.

{Winter}

Just go away Autumn. My business and how I run my season has nothing to do with you.

{Autumn}

We’re supposed to be the four seasons, we’re supposed to be working together, we’re supposed to be helping Earth, not covering it in blankets of death and destruction. Please, Winter. Stop this chaos.

{Winter}

I’m trying, okay?!

[Winter looks away.]

{Autumn}
Wh-what?

{Winter}

I don’t know why the winter storm is happening... and that’s why I’m up here.

{Autumn}

Have you told anyone else about this?

{Winter}

Of course not. It is my problem so I went to fix it by myself.

{Autumn}

I-If we can’t fix this, then we may never know how long this will last. If it lasts for your entire time, millions will perish. Somehow, though, we can fix this. I know we can.

[Autumn plows through the snow, defrosting the area around him, revealing the luscious, green grass below him. He stands defiantly against the storm, and runs up to Winter and hugs her.]

{Winter}

What -- what are you doing...? This is a very childish thing to do…

[Fire roars through the sky, flying into the air and begetting the colorful ember throughout the clouds. He warms Winter as the blizzard begins to die, thawing the abundant frost all around. The sky begins to lighten, as the sun is revealed from behind the clearing fog. Light shines and refracts against the shining ice, which begins to melt into spring-like water. Autumn steps away from Winter, and looks around.]

{Autumn}
I… I can’t believe that worked…

[The chirping of the birds calm the atmosphere, and the soothing sound of the nearby waterfall flowing manifests the serenity to an even greater magnitude.]

{Autumn}
Spring, and Summer, and I… we’re all here for you. We’re family. There’s no good in hiding away your problems. Please, promise to me you know that.

{Winter}

I... cannot promise anything.

---

~Scene 5~

{Equavar}

Why do you always pick scissor, July?

{July}

It’s because you always pick paper.

{Equavar}

Well, everytime we play, I always think you’re gonna change it up on, BUT NO! Let’s play again.

[They chant “rock, paper, scissors,” and this time July picks rock and Equavar picks scissor.]

{Equavar}

What the heck!

{Albert}

Oh, look! The snow is melting!

[Equavar stares at his ice cream with intent.]

{Equavar}
What?! Where?! How?!

{Ivalia}
He meant outside, simpleton!

[The five exit the parlor and admire the bright green grass that is quickly uncovered by the melting of the snow. The sun gleams down at the town, as the children run and jump outside, shouting of joy. The mayor walks out of the town hall next to the park and looks around.]

{Mayor}

What? The snow has melted and the storm is gone?

{Mr. Falker}

By golly! Miracles have entered reality, and have blessed us in dire times!

{Mrs. Freud}

That must’ve been a warning shot. The seasons are plotting a lot more. We have to be ready for anything!

{Ivalia}

I wholeheartedly agree! They’re going to send space objects down onto Earth, bringing chaos and corruption! It seems as though, though, that corruption is already spreading, Mrs. Freud. I’ll prepare the bunkers!

[Ivalia flees.]

---

~Outro~

[Summer enters June’s room, where June is playing a guitar and singing along to it.]

{Summer}

You sound nice.

[June jumps at the sound of Summer’s voice, and puts the guitar away.]

{June}

U-Um, thanks. I was just practicing a song I wrote...

{Summer}

You should perform at the Winter Festival on the 25th.

{June}

I’m not that good...

{Summer}

You are, though!

{June}

N-No, I would freeze.

{Summer}

It’s not that cold at the festival, there will be a lot of people so the heat from the bodies will keep you warm.

{June}
N-No, I didn’t mean freeze like that...

{Summer}
Oh! Well, everyone gets stage fright! Nothing to fear! You can’t doubt yourself, that’s the number one ingredient to failure!

{June}

Well, I’m going to bed. Good night, Summer.

{Summer}

Good night, June. Just think about what I said, please.

[June nods and lays in his bed. Summer turns off June’s light, and leaves the room.]

~End~

Reviews

[Abellion]

this story's ok i think that it needs some work. i think it'd be cool if january and november were a couple just sayin. make that happen. also winter is a b***h. and so are a lot of the everfell citizens like ivalia she's not very nice. same with mrs. freud but she makes me laugh. i like equavar.