Snow Day Magic (Part 1)

I dove into the pond, early morning light glittering through the sheet of ice on the surface of the water.  It must have snowed again.  Fitting, since Snow Day was rapidly approaching.  However, like yesterday, the ice broke when I touched it with my nose.  Still not cold enough for ice skating.

Surf bumped my flank from behind.  "Good morning, beautiful."

I smiled, turning around and touching noses with him.  "Hello, handsome."

He pulled away quickly as my nose touched his.  "Jeez, your nose is cold!"

I shrugged.  "Sorry.  I was just trying to break the ice."

"I thought only Inferno made jokes that bad," he said with a smile.

"Eh, I have my moments."

He swam closer, touching his (not cold) nose against my fins instead.  "Well, we have a Clan to run, and bad puns won't do that for you."

"Yes sir," I said with a hint of playful mocking, then jetted towards the surface, shattering through the thin ice and landing on my paws on shore.  Surf landed next to me a second later.  Most Eevees were already up and about.  Espeon and Sunbeam were practicing their Psychic powers, Three through Five were wrestling together, Umbreon was out with Clover on a hunting patrol, and Moonlight was helping Snow clear the results of last night's sleet from the inconvenient places around camp, namely, Bolt and Inferno's rock den, where the two were iced in.

Inferno's voice issued from the inside, muffled by the snow.  "How is it that we get snowed in here, and the pond isn't even close to skating conditions?"

Moonlight shrugged.  "I don't know.  Maybe Articuno doesn't like you two."

"Hey!"  I couldn't tell who said that.

I watched Moonlight dig through the snow around the rock den.  Espeon had confined her to camp until Snow Day, which Moonlight had surprisingly complied to.  I guessed that she still felt guilty about running away and getting captured.  She had dutifully stayed in camp without complaining, for the most part, for a week already, and she only had a few more days until Snow Day.

Speaking of Snow Day...

I turned back towards Surf.  "Actually, can you supervise for a little bit?  I'm going to go check on Streak and Night.  See how the Starlys are doing."

He paused for a moment, then nodded.  "Sure.  Hurry back, though!"

"I will!" I called over my shoulder as I bounded out the camp entrance.  I was going to visit the Staraptors, but I also had to find a present for Surf.  He wore my present from last year almost all the time, the one that smelled like the sea.  I had to find something just as good this year.  The pressure was on.

I slowed as I approached the nest.  "Streak?  Night?  It's Splash!"

Night jumped onto the edge of the nest, shushing me quickly.  "They're still sleeping!" she whispered.

"Sorry!" I whispered back.  That explained why it was so quiet.  Starlys were loud...

Night flew quietly down to the ground.  "What's going on?"

I tilted my head towards the forest, indicating that we should walk as we talked so that we wouldn't wake the chicks up.  Night nodded and followed.  After a bit, when we were farther away, I spoke in a normal volume.  "I'm trying to think of something to get Surf.  He loved his present from last year, and I have to find something just as good this year."

Night thought for a moment.  "Funny.  I'm in the same place with Streak.  What does he like?"

"The ocean," I responded instantly.  "He met me on a beach.  He had been living in the ocean, but came with me when we met."

"Aww..."  Night smiled and tilted her head at me.  "That's so sweet..."

I smiled, thinking about it.  "Yeah...  I love him so much."

"Well...  You need to get him something that reminds him of that choice.  He loved the sea, but he loved you more."

I looked at my paws, smiling.  "You're such a romantic."

"Darn right I am..." Night said back, nudging my shoulder playfully with her wing.  "I don't know him well enough to tell you exactly what to get him, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you, but you'll have to figure something out.  Just let that set the Klinks turning."

I nodded, a plan already coming to me.  "Thanks, Night.  That was really helpful."

"My pleasure!" she chirped happily.

"And if I were you, I'd take advantage of the fact that Streak's always getting himself hurt instead of you."

She tilted her head with an amused smile.  "That could work...  Thanks, Splash.  Glad I could help."

"Yes, thank you."

She spread her wings.  "I should get back before Streak wakes up and loses his feathers worrying about me."

I laughed as she took off.  "Bye!"

When the Staraptor was out of sight over the trees, I sat down.  Remind Surf of the day we met...  I could do that.  It would be a bit complicated, but I could do it.

Clover bounded over to Snow after she dropped her prey on the pile.  Umbreon could organize it, and she had to talk to Snow.  The Glaceon looked up from watching Moonlight finally free the battle duo from their den.  "Clover!  You're back!"

"I am!  And I had a neat idea for Snow Day," she said quickly, skidding to a stop.  "Have you ever heard of a Secret Stantler?"

"Secret Stantler?" shouted a hyperactive voice behind them.  "I LOVE Secret Stantler!" Bolt yelled as he ran over, kicking up powder snow as he did so.

Snow looked confused.  "What's a Secret Stantler?"

Clover started to explain, but Bolt ran her words over with his own.  "So everyone gets one Eevee in the clan to give a present to at random, but no one else knows who has to give a gift to who.  When everyone opens their present on Snow day, we have to try and figure out who their Secret Stantler is!"

Snow blinked a few times at him.  "...What?"

Clover spoke slower than the Jolteon had, explaining what he had missed.  "The Secret Stantler is the giver of your mystery gift.  Everyone in the Clan picks another Eevee's name at random, then gives them a present without revealing their identity.  When everyone opens their present from their Secret Stantler, they have to try and figure out who gave the gift."

"Oh..." Snow nodded.  "Yeah, that sounds fun!  We'll have to run it by Splash when she gets back, though."

"Great!" Bolt shouted, bouncing as he did so.  He was already glowing brightly with excitement.  "I'll go tell everyone!  You two make the leaves for the names!"  He didn't even give them time to agree before bolting off towards the nearest Eevee he could find, which happened to be Umbreon.

Snow looked at Clover.  "...I guess we're making name tags."

Clover nodded, standing up and starting to clear a patch of bare ground near their bush den for the plant that would supply the leaves.  "Frost-covered waxleaf works pretty well..."

Snow watched her as she pushed her paw into the ground, leaving the correct seed in the dirt.  She spoke as Clover started growing the plant.  "Are you ok?  You seem a bit tired."

Clover stopped growing the sprout.  "I do?" she asked quizzically, tilting her head at her best friend.

Snow nodded.  "Did you sleep ok last night?"

Clover nodded, returning to the plant.  "Yeah.  Fine.  I guess I just wore myself out hunting."

"If you say so..." Snow said, skeptical, but accepting the answer for now.

Finally, the leaves were ready.  Both Leafeon and Glaceon each carefully bit the leaves off the stem and laid them flat on the ground.  Snow blew an icy breath over the leaves, covering them with a uniform layer of frost.  Neither said a word as they each wrote the names of all of the Clan members in the frost with their claws. 

Clover stood up.  "I'll go dig a dip in the snow to put these in and choose from.  Can you fold the leaves so no one can read the names yet?"

"Sure."  Clover trotted towards the middle of camp then began scooping snow, trying to appear energetic.  Snow was right; she was tired and it had been from lack of sleep.  Why did Snow have to know her so well?  While she enjoyed the companionship greatly, it made it very difficult to keep secrets.