Dangerous And Cold

Rage And Snow

Idea by 12112685a

"ARGH!" Crusher roared out, his face in rage as he paced through the park. "I CAN'T BELIEVE HE BEAT ME! AGAIN!"

"D'aww, there, there, big guy," Pickle patted his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure you'll win the next one!"

"But WHEN, Pickle?!" Crusher snarled, stomping his tires on the ground. "WHEN, WHEN, WHEN?!"

"Maybe at the next race?" Pickle suggested. "It IS your birthday tomorrow. Maybe you'll have some birthday luck and win the race!"

"Psh, pah-lease," Crusher rolled his eyes at the green truck. "Birthday luck doesn't exist... even if it IS on my 18th birthday. It only works for girls... I think,"

"Aww, I'm sure you'll get some luck," Pickle grinned. "In the meantime, we can prepare for you birthday tomorrow!"

"What's there to prepare? It's like how it is every year; just the two of us celebrating at the house," Crusher shrugged.

"We can still get the cake though!" Pickle beamed.

"You go ahead," Crusher sighed and turned away. "I... I just wanna be alone,"

"Okie then!" Pickle nodded. "See ya at the house?"

"Yeah, yeah, see ya..." Crusher waved him off before driving off.

He soon made it to a tree and laid down under it with a sigh, facing the tree bark as he leaned his forehead against the wood. He closed his eyes and groaned.

"Another loss... another lonely birthday... what else is new...?"

He grumbled under his breath before straightening up, glaring over at the tree and gritting his teeth.

"And what's more? Blaze, Blaze, BLAZE! Always with that guy! What's so special about that... that... ARGH!"

He shook his head and punched the tree with a hiss. He yelped when the pain came to his tire, causing him to jump back and snarl.

"Ugh!"

He blew on his tire to ease the pain before sighing. He slumped down on the grass with a groan.

"Stupid Blaze... Stupid life..."

Unbeknownst to him, a being from far, FAR away had been watching his rant with a crystal ball. She peered into the crystal and smirked.

"Oh, my dear Ina-yuki..." she spoke, her voice smooth as silk yet still as cold as ice. "Swiped from the spotlight and raised in the warmth. Those creatures are FAR below you, but you are too soft to see it..."

She held out a tire before twirling it around and about. Icy blue snowflakes and ice crystals appeared from her tire as she sprinkled it on top of the crystal ball.

"Now, you have come of age, my dear Ina-yuki," she smirked. "Time to show you who you were meant to be~"

Her icy crystals and snowflakes swirled their way into the crystal ball and out onto the sky over Axle City. They melted into sparkling blue magic as the wind blew it towards the tree Crusher was laying under.

The chill of the wind caused the dark blue truck to shiver as he stood up, allowing the magic to hover over him and making the lightning marks on his body glow temporarily. He didn't seem to notice the glow as he rubbed his tires together to warm up.

"Ugh, great, as if losing wasn't enough..."

Suddenly, a familiar horn echoed through the surroundings, and Crusher groaned as he turned around to see Blaze drive into the park with AJ and the rest of the Blazing Team. The dark blue truck groaned and rolled his eyes before turning away to drive off.

He could hardly STAND Blaze and his team during the races. What else after?

X

The next day soon came, and Crusher felt a chill in the air.

It wasn't the same chill he felt every year on his birthday. The chill he felt was usually only on his tires, and it would usually go as quickly as it came.

But the chill he felt was... different. It felt stronger, colder, yet much more comfortable. It wasn't on his tires where he felt the chill. It was all over his body, and he was shivering so much that it felt like he was coming down with something.

But he knew that he wasn't. He didn't feel dizzy, he wasn't feeling weak, and the chill might be cold, but it felt slightly comforting to him, so he knew well enough that it wasn't gonna hurt him.

So he just shrugged it off and went on with his day.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CRUSHER!" Pickle rejoiced as he set a plate of pancakes down on the table, the stack topped with whipped cream while a candle was placed on it.

"Thanks, Pickle," Crusher gave his best friend a smile, the small, soft ones that he rarely shows.

This caused Pickle to blush intensely before smiling. "Aww, y-you're welcome, big fella. Now go make a wish!"

Crusher chuckled and looked over the flame in front of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before blowing out the candle flame. As he did, half of the table suddenly frosted into ice, causing Pickle to scream.

"GAH!"

"Pickle?" Crusher opened his eyes in surprise. "What's wrong— Holy shoot, what happened to the table?!"

"I don't know!" Pickle cried out. "It just... suddenly turned into ice!"

"Huh, weird," Crusher frowned as he took the fork from the table to take a bit from his pancakes. "How long until that defrosts?"

"Hmm..." Pickle headed to the window and opened it with smile. "Well, since it's a bright sunny day and since it's still Summer, I'm sure that it'll melt in no time!"

"Mm-hmm..." Crusher felt himself starting to sweat, and his mind starting to spin all of sudden the moment the window opened up. "C-Can we wait until the humidity here's... h-hot enough, though...?"

"Why?" Pickle turned to him and panicked at the sight of his best friend looking overheated. "Oh! Crusher!" He quickly shut the window and ran over to the dark blue truck's side. "I'm so sorry! You alright?"

"Y-Yeah," Crusher panted, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Just... felt dizzy, that's all,"

"Huh, I wonder why," Pickle tilted his head, confused. "I just opened the window..."

"I don't know either..." Crusher took a deep breath to compose himself before straightening himself. "Eh, let's not worry about it right now. How about we just get on with breakfast then head to the Monster Dome for the race?"

"Yeah, about that..." Pickle fiddled with his tires nervously. "The race this morning was cancelled. Something with the sponsors not making it in time,"

"WHAT?!" Crusher looked enraged. "But that can't be! Why didn't you tell me yesterday?!"

"I came home late because of choosing a cake," Pickle told him. "Also Blaze was gonna tell you, but he didn't see you anywhere at the park, so... yeah,"

"Argh!" Crusher groaned and grumpily stuffed his mouth with pancake. "How am I suppose to cheat and win against Blaze if there's no race?!"

"It's alright, Crusher," Pickle assured him with a smile. "There's still a race later this afternoon! You'll attempt to beat him then!"

"IT'S NOT THE SAME!" Crusher growled, finishing the last of his pancakes before pushing the table forward and towards the wall before turning and stomping back to his room. "I SWEAR TO HELL—!"

"Oh boy..." Pickle hissed, watching the other leave after his tantrum.

Unbeknownst to him, the wind outside began to grow cold and chilly as snow fell from the clouds...