Chapter Text
“It’s coming down harder. We should go back.” Said what looked like a talking mountain of coats. Lance couldn’t see anything beyond Pidge’s mop of mousy brown hair, but that didn’t stop him from puffing up his chest and snapping at he hoped was her face.
“NO!” A flock of birds fled the frozen canopy in fear. Lance turned so quickly that his scarf smacked him in his face, but that didn’t take away from the concern that darkened his features. He gestured frantically to the tree line that seemed to grow thicker with every step they took. “Hunk is still out there. We have to get him home.”
“If we keep this up, we’ll all be lost out here,” Pidge said, clearly concerned but far more reasonable. “We can get other people to help too!”
“By then he’ll be a popsicle!” Lance wailed. He squared his scrawny shoulders, brave and daring in the way only the young could be, but just as loyal as the heroes of legend. “I’m the reason he’s out there. I’m not going back without him.”
With his head held high, he marched onwards, and even though Pidge sighed, she wouldn’t abandon her friends. Neither of them seemed bothered by the foreboding Northern mountains that loomed over them, or how the flurries had started to thicken.
They walked, and walked, and walked, until their feet ached and the branches thickened, and the blistering winds wiped their prints clean. They walked until they lost direction, and kept walking because it felt better than staying still. The cold seeped through their furs, despite all the layers they wore, and Lance couldn’t feel his toes.
“Maybe we should turn back,” Lance dared to say, even if it hurt his heart to ask. Hunk could be anywhere, lost and alone. It had started so simple. If Lance hadn’t made that dare, they’d all still be at Hunk’s house, waiting for his Mom’s hot chocolate, but Pidge didn’t answer him. She was far more interested in what lay ahead.
In the middle of a raging storm, someone was coming through the forest.
Lance wasn’t sure he believed his eyes at first, but the figure darkened and solidified. He was a tall man, draped in thick white fur that almost made him invisible against the snow. A heavy hood hid all but a tuft of white hair that poked out against his forehead, and his otherwise pleasant face was marred by an ugly scar. Then he smiled, and the flurries no longer seemed to fall so hard.
“You two shouldn’t be out here.”
And Lance bristled.
“Neither should you!” He snapped, even after Pidge elbowed him in the ribs. “Now get outta our way, we got to find our friend.”
“Your friend?”
“My Hunk!”
Even though Lance expected a reprimand, the stranger was patient and forgiving, and offered them both another one of those careful smiles. “Don’t worry. I think I can help with that.”
But they were too late. Someone had already found Hunk.
“Are you sure this is safe?” The little boy asked around a yawn, but he was already cuddling closer. Hunk was curled on top of a monster of a wolf, almost as tall as a full grown man, and for once he didn’t have to worry about being the largest kid in class. He wasn’t even sure the wolf noticed him, but he couldn’t say it mattered. It was very warm up here, and right now, that beat concern out by miles.
“Well, they might lick you to death.” Keith warned with a serious expression, but humor teased around the corners of his mouth. He was really going to have to speak to Shiro about letting the dogs mix with the dire wolves, these beasts were getting so big they were going to finally eat everything in the magical pantries. Hunk laughed, giving the animal a friendly pat.
“And you’re sure it’s okay to stay with you? You’re a-, I mean you’re the-” The boy gestured to the silver circlet Keith wore on his head with awe.
“Mmhmm.” Keith nodded. “You’re right, I am the best ice skater in the whole kingdom.”
“Best?” A voice called out behind him, already laughing. “I didn’t know we were going to add that to your list of titles. Isn’t Prince enough?” Shiro teased. There was a loud cry from two lumpy figures who yelled excitedly when they saw Hunk and tackled their friend to the floor. The wolf gave an amused huff before rearranging itself around the tussling children.
“I can be both.” Keith said with mock indignance.
“You’re just trying to be cool.” The joke made the Prince groan.
“Don’t you dare.”
“Don’t worry. One of these days, I’ll snow you who’s boss. I’ve been practicing.” Shiro said, very seriously, and Keith hid his face in his hands.
“Shiro no.”
The former hunter turned to his audience with a conspiratory wink, and said in the most solemn tone he could manage. “It’s hard challenging the Ice Prince. You never know when he’ll get cold feet.”
“Must you do this every time?” With a wave of his hands, Keith bid their giant wolf to rise, and the children atop its back squealed in equal measures of horror and delight. Shiro cackled, and slung his arm around the other man’s shoulders with an easy familiarity that bordered on scandalous when the Ice Prince of legend was concerned. Around them the snow seemed to slow, creating an intagible curtain that parted for them through the storm. Keith cast a glance at their cargo, watching as the littlest one hugged Hunk fiercely before the chattier one tried to take her place, monopolizing his best friend’s space. They were cold and tired and in shock, and knowing what he did, they would be fast asleep in a matter of minutes.
“Why were they running?” He asked softly.
“They lost their friend and refused to leave him behind.”
“Reckless.” Keith scoffed.
“Brave,” Shiro corrected, and elbowed him in the side.
“I never said they weren’t.”
The humans would never have traveled with such speed, but in the distance, town lights came into the distance. They stopped at the edge of the tree line, and as Keith had predicted, the trio had fallen asleep. Shiro detangled himself, but slowly, stretching up to give his wolf a fond scratch. “Go on, Shibro. Take them home.”
Keith let out a disapproving sound in the back of his throat, and it made Shiro laugh. They watched the big dog trot towards town before turning their backs, confident he would find a way to catch up.
“I thought you were busy,” Shiro teased, but gently, reaching out so he could lace their fingers together. He felt Keith’s hand through living ice, the twinge of magic a familiar flicker of nerves now. It was almost like he’d never lost his arm at all. Almost.
“I was, but now I’m not. I wanted to see you back anyway.” Keith said. “In case you forget… there’s snow place like home.”
Their laughter echoed through the night, carried on the winds of the storm.
The legends spoke of a powerful Prince who ruled the land of ice and snow far to the north. Like its sovereign, the land was full of wondrous beauty and bleak frozen wastes, all of winter’s glory within its boundaries. Dense pine forests dotted its southern most edges, the trees ancient and whispering secrets to each other as they swayed without even a hint of breeze. Small, cozy human villages dotted the quiet forests where the snow could melt for months at a time and give them a chance to harvest in a land free from war and conflict, like its southern neighbors. They lived peacefully, side by side with the magical beasts and spirits who roamed the woods.
Further north, wandering tribes traversed the barren, frozen tundras with herds of reindeer in tow. They crossed the towering snow-capped mountains and set up small fishing communities along the stormy coasts, following the animals they hunted for survival. Giants watched curiously from the rocky ranges while dire wolves retreated away from the creeping civilization. Life could be hard, but it flourished, finding a way even in the coldest nights by looking for the brightest days when the sun danced over the snow. The only way to survive in the Kingdom of Winter was by teamwork, and people banded together to make it their home. In this land of sun and snow, the Ice Prince ruled with absolute power from a palace built of stone and ice, surrounded by mountains and a frozen lake that had never thawed.
Yet the Prince held an indescribably warmth in his arms, a human stolen from the southern lands to be his immortal love. The Prince’s consort had once been an ordinary man, a hunter who had found his way to the Prince’s castle and rescued his heart, restoring the entire kingdom to its full glory. Love was not the Prince’s downfall or his weakness, it was his greatest strength. Together, they brought life and love to the kingdom, becoming beloved rulers and protectors to all within their borders; and feared enemies to those who dared oppose them, rushing into battle under the vigilant eye of a war-worn Owl. The Prince’s allies found an uneasy peace for the benefit of their kingdom, but always watched each other warily.
The two traveled their lands frequently, meeting with human and creature alike, with a pack of friendly dogs that tumbled at their heels. It’s said that they would often appear to children lost in the snow, whisking them from harm in their icy sled and to the safety of the palace. When the storms died down, they would bring the children home safely to their grateful families. Those who didn’t have a home found a welcome place at the castle and soon, the once silent halls rang with laughter and shouts of their new, ever growing family.
The seasons sniped and skirmished, always testing each other’s power, but the true animosity was gone. Each of the rulers retreated back to their own kingdoms, Spring and Autumn grumbling. Allura only smiled.
Balance was restored to the kingdoms at long last.
“You know,” Hunk said, as he wiped the sleep from his eyes on his front porch, and watched the storm swallow their escort whole. “No one’s going to believe us.”
“I’m not sure I even believe us.” Pidge said solemnly.
“Snow place like home!” Lance announced suddenly with a cackle loud enough to startle Hunk. “I totally just got that!”
Pidge made a disgusted noise and shoved Lance in a snowbank.