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Winter was a well known and beloved time for cookies all over. It was a time for playing in the snow, drinking Hot Cocoa, and counting down the days until each cookie’s holiday gifts were brought. It was a time for cozy sweaters and ringing bells. It was a time for comfort and joy.
But it wasn’t the same for Fire Spirit.
He laid alone in a small bed, a few heavy blankets laid atop him. Next to him was a lamp and a vase filled with sticks and twigs, along with a few books.
Fire Spirit himself was far from his normal energetic self. He knew well that his body would cool down when his own energy and feelings dwindled, but he also knew it worked the other way around. As such, the cold would always leave him feeling tired and empty. His eyes were deep and red, and his dough lost it’s orange glow. He was nearly ash at this point with how cold he was, and if he got any colder, he might start to completely burn out.
With what little energy was left in him, Fire Spirit reached over to his side table and grabbed a twig from the vase. He cautiously brought it up to his face and took a bite. A slight roll of warmth went through his body as the kindling fueled the flames within him. His body regained a bit of its burning shine, but it vanished again soon after. He sighed in disappointment, before reaching over and grabbing another twig.
As he munched on another stick, he turned his eyes to look at the window at the other side of the room. It was dark out, probably around 11 or so. He could see snow falling outside, quite heavily it seemed, and some snow was forming a pile on the windowsill. The warm light of the town was barely visible, but Fire Spirit could still see the faintest glow of the festive lights.
A feeling of disappointment came over Fire Spirit, but not due to the snow or the time. He’d been looking at the window every few minutes, constantly rolling in bed, just in hopes that the eyes of one of his beloveds would be there. They would visit him often, normally only one at a time, and would give him things to help him feel better. Books, blankets, and many sticks. Though, for Fire Spirit, all he cared about was their company. The feeling of knowing that they all cared for him made him feel warm inside, and he didn’t feel as lonely.
Moonlight visited the most often. The longer nights have her more opportunities to visit. She would always enter in an extravagant fashion, of floating down to his window on her moon, dramatically pushing the window open, and hopping inside. It always gave Fire a chuckle, and he was still thinking about if that was the reason she entered like that, or if that’s just what she’d do anyway. After that, she would normally just talk with him, often helping him get sleep if he was particularly struggling with it that night.
Wind Archer also visited every so often, though he was often busy guarding the forest. When he did get to visit, he usually brought a large amount of twigs and told him a lot about what had been happening in the forest. While Fire Spirit does find the small stories Wind Archer tells him interesting, he enjoys the stories most for being able to see Wind Archer happily tell about nice things that happened to him recently. Wind Archer wasn’t one who smiles very often, but when he did, it filled Fire Spirit with joy.
Sea Fairy was the one who visited the least often, mostly due to how she was waterbound. Land travel wasn’t very easy for her compared to traveling in water, so her visits were a bit uncommon. But when she did end up visiting, Fire Spirit was always left with happiness of seeing her again. Sea Fairy would recount some stories she had from traveling around the ocean and Fire Spirit would happily listen. And due to his low body heat, it would be safe for him to give Sea Fairy a hug, and she could return it as well.
Fire Spirit reminisced on the experiences, only to turn back to the window, seeing nothing different, except for the snow pile on the sill being a small bit larger. His heart sunk again. How long had it been since they last visited? A few days? Perhaps a week? He stopped keeping track of time a while ago.
Yet another disappointed sigh escaped Fire Spirit, as he rolled over in his bed and grabbed yet another stick. They were starting to run low. Perhaps he could just ask Vampire if he could find some sticks that he could have? Hmmmm….he’ll ask him about it next time he checks in on him. As he ate the twig in his hand, he reached for the lamp and turned it off, leaving the room in near darkness. The only light illuminating it anymore was his own weak flame and the decorations outside.
As soon as he finished up the stick, he pulled his heavy blankets over himself and closed his eyes. He felt so tired, yet it still felt so hard to get sleep. So, he simply laid there on his bed, half asleep and none of the energy left to move from his position.
A bit later, though, he heard the sound of the window creaking open. He felt like he should move, but his body refused to budge. His eyes slightly opened, and he saw three figures in view, one purple, one green, and one blue. Exhaustion got to him again, causing his eyes to be weighed closed, and when he opened them again, the colors were gone. But soon after, he felt the blankets of his bed slightly move, and then felt himself being snuggled against on both sides. Despite his exhaustion, he could still recognize the warm embraces he was given, and a smile formed on his face. He felt a bit warmer inside, and he soon was finally able to fully drift off to sleep.