The snow-covered wish

"Alfonse, come quickly! Look, look! Isn't it so beautiful?"

The year was slowly coming to an end, and the festive mood was starting to spread all across Askr. The beautiful lights were glowing through the darkness of the early night, projecting lively colors onto the pure white snow. The alleys, adorned with large garlands, seemed to be the entrance to a magical, hidden world, leading to the center piece of this enchanting place, the giant tree, decorated with hundreds of ornaments and baubles with, at the very top, a magnificent star that seemed to rest in the middle of the sky, so tall was the conifer. The kingdom of Askr was known for the beauty of its landscapes, but saying that it was a realm of wonders during the festivities was no exaggeration.

"It sure is. The winter festival looks promising once again this year, right Sharena?"

The Prince seemed amused by the look on his sister's face, but he couldn't deny that the view he witnessed through the window was memorable. Looking back at her, a gentle and nostalgic smile started to spread across his face. The Order of Heroes had worked hard to decorate the surroundings of the castle, and Alfonse was happy to see that more and more people were gathering to celebrate with their loved ones. The year had been a difficult one with the recurring conflicts involving the Kingdom but, in this special moment, everyone seemed to be at peace and ready to welcome a new year which would, hopefully, bring the serenity and hope everyone had been wishing for.

The siblings decided to head outside to immerge themselves in the scenery they had been admiring. The place was getting crowded with families enjoying quality time together. Alfonse, pensive, started to think about all the things the Kingdom and the Order had gone through and that had threatened this peaceful feeling. Maybe the Prince was a little too absorbed by his thoughts, as he didn't see the little boy rushing toward him.

There was a loud thud as the child fell on the ground, almost making Alfonse lose his balance.

"Ouch! That hurt!"

The boy was groaning, but quickly got up and looked at Alfonse, who was extending a hand.

"Are you alright? You didn't injure yourself, did you?"

"I'm okay, thanks. Sorry Sir, I wasn't looking ahead."

The Askran Prince chuckled, brushing off some snow that had sticked to the boy's arm.

"That's quite alright, just make sure to keep an eye out on your surroundings. We wouldn't want any incidents on a happy night like this one now, would we?"

"Right. Sorry again. And thanks. Bye!"

The child started to rush again, but stopped in his tracks, looked back at Alfonse, and began to walk. A little girl, who seemed even younger, joined the boy with a youthful and bright smile.

"Aaaw, I'm sure that's his sister! Look at how much they look alike!"

Sharena seemed particularly interested in the apparent siblings' dynamic, and couldn't help but grin, giggling.

"That reminds me of us when we were younger! Those kiddos are gonna make me nostalgic!"

Alfonse remained silent and looked a little longer at the children. That's... familiar, he thought. He then looked back at his sister. She was quite right. They had made a lot of memories together ever since Sharena was born, and, as far as he could remember, they had always been very close. Pensive again, the Prince's thoughts drifted to an old memory, one that dated from almost 15 years ago.

***

"The princess was so close to reaching the top of the mountain. In spite of the thick blizzard, she could still see it! The magic snowflake! With sheer determination, she climbed up a little more and extended her hand. She had finally found it. All she had to do now was to make a wish. And thus, with no hesitation, she said..."