Not So Sweet Candyland

LI: Down the Summits

"Weeeee!" Berry and Chase said down the mountain in a sleigh. Berry at the front and Chase at the back.

Down the steep hill they went and even nearly hitting a tree or two.

Eventually, they hit a tree and they flew into the snow.

Once they got up from the snow, they looked around. There were now in a different village.

The two of them scared a group of villagers who saw that they fell head first.

"Oh my goodness! Are you two ok?" Somebody ran to their side.

"Yeah, we're good."

"Clearly, you two aren't. Come on, we'll get you two some warmth."

The group of villagers lead them into a big house where the two of them were in a big lodging room with a double bed.

"Was it really that painful?"

"We both look like we took a hit."

"But, I don't feel any pain."

"The villagers know. This is what they were born to do."

"Really?"

"Really."

In the large room, the two of them could only stare at the ceiling and not move.

"Whatever. It's only free hospitality that I'm accepting. Hey, they are nice, why wouldn't I want a free meal and a warm bed."

"I mean, you do have a point."

"Let's stay with them for a little and learn about their culture. We're in no rush, right?"

"At this rate, no."

Berry closed her eyes and them Chase did.

The next morning, they woke up and were feeling much better.

Berry sprang out of bed and noticed snow falling. She gasped like a little child and looked at the window.

"It really is snowing. How pretty."

"You still get excited over snow?" Chase yawned.

"When it snows like this, the villagers do something special for everybody. Watch. When we go outside, there will be a festival."

At the door, there was a knock at the door. One of the villagers came in and brought them clothes.

"You two need time to heal, so stay with us for a little if you don't mind. Here are some villager attire that we wear. Today, we have a festival to celebrate a beautiful snow."

Berry got up, looked at the clothes, and snapped her fingers to change in an instant. Her outfit was a dress with long sleeves, thick tights and snow boots. While, Chase had a sweater like shirt, thick pants, and the same snow boots.

When they were ready, they stepped out of the room and out of the house and into the streets of the village. It was different. Everybody was celebrating and playing in the snow.

"Here they are! Our traveler pair. Look at them, they really look like a pair, don't they?"

"Yeah. They do."

Berry grinned and then let her grin turn into a smirk.

"You could say that we are, but let your imagination run wild."

All of the women swooned and the guys just rolled their eyes.

Berry put her arm around Chase, and Chase turned red.

"Ok, you two lovebirds, keep it touch free, will you?"

"Fine."

Berry sighed and let go of Chase and that's when he suddenly felt a little colder because he didn't have Berry around him.

After they let go of each other, that's when the village festivities started to begin. People were all dressed in their village wear and singing songs while dancing around a wishing well. "The Festival of The Snow God" they called it. It is a time where there are no winds and the snow falls in the most perfect way possible. Because the north can have winds that are strong and the snow can be sharp, this is a time where everybody can enjoy the outdoors and play in the snow without getting hurt.

There are many events and dances that there are, such as the Snow Polka and the snowfolk building contest. There is also chilled food and warm soup for everybody to try.

Berry noticed no matter how things are, everybody is tightly knitted together in some way. In moments like these, she froze and took in the time to look around, as the snow fell on her gently.

"What's wrong?" Chase asked.

"I always thought that this world was full of empty and brainwashed people who only obey the king and nobody else. But now, I realize. These people do have personalities and happiness of their own. They all care for each other, and they live life how they want. I'm just scared if the king makes more rules, and they could never truly be themselves. There is a rule saying that anybody who lives in a town, village, city, development,. or wherever you can live, cannot leave. And that makes me feel terrible for them because a lot of them have been sheltered their whole lives and these people have never seen a lot of anything outside their tiny world. You know? This is why they're so fond of travelers, because it's something different. And yeah, they can live life how they want, but they're scared. They're happy, but they are scared that something is going to happen."

"What can you do about it?"

Berry looked down.

"I can't do anything. Nothing. I'm useless."

Berry started to walk away.

"NO."

Chase grabbed her hand and wouldn't let go.

"You are not useless. You are not terrible. The reason that Candyland is falling apart is not because of you, it's because of your dumb dumb father! You always care for me and even if it's in the form of nagging, I know that you care. You taught me empathy and how to properly care for others. If you ever think that anything is terrible and it's your fault, it's not! Berry, we care for each other, ok? I am not letting you think like that!"

"Chase, you're so sweet."

They hugged each other.

"I'm not going to let you think low of yourself. If you do, then I'll turn negative as well."

Berry laughed.

"Well, this is character development. Look at you. When we started this, you were just this quiet boy who always let me take the lead and do all of the talking. Now, you're the one teaching me how to keep my head up."

"If we're going on this adventure, we're doing it together."